“Yes, I showed them in,” the woman cut him off, trying to conceal the anxiety in her voice. I looked between them with interest; it seemed these plivoi were trying quite unsuccessfully to conceal something from us, although what they could possibly want to hide I couldn’t begin to guess.
A moment later, another man followed the first through the door. Though he was also coated in rusty dirt, I realized after a second glance that this one was very young, an adolescent, maybe half a year older than me—it was difficult to tell, he was so filthy. This would be the apprentice. He seemed much more composed than his elders. He took me and then Ketros in with a quick movement of his gray eyes, and stepped forward, placing three fingers over his brow.
“Kyrii Enforcers,” he said smoothly, “to what do we owe the pleasure?”
“I won’t take up too much of your time,” Ketros replied, getting up from his seat. “We’re here on behalf of the geroi in regards to your petitions for admittance to Bright Horizon. After a thorough review process conducted by the eugenics council, the geroi have decreed that admittance will be granted to your apprentice, Eos.” The two older plivoi exhaled in relief, and the man smiled reassuringly at the boy until Ketros added, “However, they have, unfortunately, opted to deny your own petitions—”
The woman blanched, her already shaky knees buckling beneath her. As her partner rushed to her side to support her, Eos stepped forward angrily. “There must be some kind of mistake!”
“No mistake,” Ketros responded, pulling up a holoscreen and rotating it to show the young man. The names and images of the two