to Jack and wait around like everyone else.
Jack looked up at the tall, grim figure. Smart didn’t say hello to him or even bother to insult him. He just peered down at Jack with scornful eyes and blew a sharp snort of air out through his nostrils before looking away. Jack knew it was killing Smart to have to stand there with him as an equal. They waited in awkward silence as the footsteps in the tunnel leading from Hightown grew louder. After a lengthy wait Circleman Clarkston Noteworthy finally emerged from the shadows and took his place in Smart’s old chair. He was a tall, handsome man with slick blond hair and expensive clothes. Circleman of Hightown was the first job he’d ever held in his entire life. Jack didn’t know Noteworthy all that well. He was an Inner Circle member and School of Thought teacher, but he was hardly ever seen by the students. He taught Jack andhis classmates even less than Smart used to, if such a thing were possible. All Jack knew about Clarkston Noteworthy was what people said about how he’d won the Hightown election—he’d bought it. Jack thought it was believable enough. In Empire City the Noteworthy name meant one thing and one thing only: money.
Smart scowled at the man sitting in his old seat. “You’re late, Circleman Noteworthy,” he said.
“Be thankful I’m here at all,” Noteworthy replied. “I wasn’t made aware that we would be entertaining your particular brand of nonsense in this meeting until well after my morning tea.” Noteworthy looked to his fellow Circlemen. “I’m here now. Shall we get on with it?”
“By all means,” Smart replied.
“He was talking to the other Circlemen,” Jack said.
“It’s fine, Jack,” Stendeval said, heading off a rebuke from Smart. “Being a guest in this sphere is a new experience for Jonas. It’s only natural that it should take some getting used to.” Stendeval turned his attention to Smart. “Jonas, you asked that this hearing be added to our agenda today, arguing that the matter could not wait. Out of respect for our past association, we have honored yourrequest. Now, perhaps you could share with us the details of your grievance?”
“Gladly,” Smart said. He smoothed out the front of his customary black suit. “I’m here today to discuss a matter of great urgency. Something that, I’m sad to say, none of you seem overly concerned with anymore. Namely, the security of the Imagine Nation and the protection of its people.”
Jack rolled his eyes and groaned. A few Circlemen joined him. “Are you serious?” Jack asked.
Smart looked at Jack like Smart was actively resisting the urge to strangle him. “I am deadly serious,” he said. “Interrupt me again, and you’ll see for yourself.” Smart turned back to the Circlemen and continued. “Last night, while operating under the cover of a training mission with his fellow students, Jack Blank took the opportunity to destroy a very valuable piece of SmartCorp technology, a one-of-a-kind machine that was on its way here to the Imagine Nation. Given the specific nature of the technology in question and the purpose it was meant for, I can only conclude that Jack destroyed it with the intention of weakening the Imagine Nation and making us more vulnerable to attack.”
“Oh, c’mon!” Jack said. “I stopped Speedrazor from getting away with your property. That’s what I did. That’s
all
I did! I don’t even know what your contraption was.”
“Don’t insult my intelligence,” Smart said. “You control machines. You talk to machines. That train was running in the Real World. I placed no nullifiers on board. You had to have known it was carrying the key component in a device that would help fend off the Rüstov.”
“I couldn’t understand anything on that train. It was too complex,” Jack interjected.
“You
knew
it would bolster our defenses against your Rüstov brethren, and you destroyed it!” Smart continued, talking over Jack.
Jack
Jack looked up at the tall, grim figure. Smart didn’t say hello to him or even bother to insult him. He just peered down at Jack with scornful eyes and blew a sharp snort of air out through his nostrils before looking away. Jack knew it was killing Smart to have to stand there with him as an equal. They waited in awkward silence as the footsteps in the tunnel leading from Hightown grew louder. After a lengthy wait Circleman Clarkston Noteworthy finally emerged from the shadows and took his place in Smart’s old chair. He was a tall, handsome man with slick blond hair and expensive clothes. Circleman of Hightown was the first job he’d ever held in his entire life. Jack didn’t know Noteworthy all that well. He was an Inner Circle member and School of Thought teacher, but he was hardly ever seen by the students. He taught Jack andhis classmates even less than Smart used to, if such a thing were possible. All Jack knew about Clarkston Noteworthy was what people said about how he’d won the Hightown election—he’d bought it. Jack thought it was believable enough. In Empire City the Noteworthy name meant one thing and one thing only: money.
Smart scowled at the man sitting in his old seat. “You’re late, Circleman Noteworthy,” he said.
“Be thankful I’m here at all,” Noteworthy replied. “I wasn’t made aware that we would be entertaining your particular brand of nonsense in this meeting until well after my morning tea.” Noteworthy looked to his fellow Circlemen. “I’m here now. Shall we get on with it?”
“By all means,” Smart replied.
“He was talking to the other Circlemen,” Jack said.
“It’s fine, Jack,” Stendeval said, heading off a rebuke from Smart. “Being a guest in this sphere is a new experience for Jonas. It’s only natural that it should take some getting used to.” Stendeval turned his attention to Smart. “Jonas, you asked that this hearing be added to our agenda today, arguing that the matter could not wait. Out of respect for our past association, we have honored yourrequest. Now, perhaps you could share with us the details of your grievance?”
“Gladly,” Smart said. He smoothed out the front of his customary black suit. “I’m here today to discuss a matter of great urgency. Something that, I’m sad to say, none of you seem overly concerned with anymore. Namely, the security of the Imagine Nation and the protection of its people.”
Jack rolled his eyes and groaned. A few Circlemen joined him. “Are you serious?” Jack asked.
Smart looked at Jack like Smart was actively resisting the urge to strangle him. “I am deadly serious,” he said. “Interrupt me again, and you’ll see for yourself.” Smart turned back to the Circlemen and continued. “Last night, while operating under the cover of a training mission with his fellow students, Jack Blank took the opportunity to destroy a very valuable piece of SmartCorp technology, a one-of-a-kind machine that was on its way here to the Imagine Nation. Given the specific nature of the technology in question and the purpose it was meant for, I can only conclude that Jack destroyed it with the intention of weakening the Imagine Nation and making us more vulnerable to attack.”
“Oh, c’mon!” Jack said. “I stopped Speedrazor from getting away with your property. That’s what I did. That’s
all
I did! I don’t even know what your contraption was.”
“Don’t insult my intelligence,” Smart said. “You control machines. You talk to machines. That train was running in the Real World. I placed no nullifiers on board. You had to have known it was carrying the key component in a device that would help fend off the Rüstov.”
“I couldn’t understand anything on that train. It was too complex,” Jack interjected.
“You
knew
it would bolster our defenses against your Rüstov brethren, and you destroyed it!” Smart continued, talking over Jack.
Jack
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