Operation Tenley by Jennifer Gooch Hummer Read Free Book Online Page B

before. Of course, I’ve only been in this department for eight decades.”
    “No one’s succeeded in eighty years ?”
    “A Right to Delete is extremely difficult to accomplish. It was only created to appease the Unions, which is why it’s in the very, very, very fine print of the Official Manual . You must have an expert knowledge of the rules to even know about it.”
    Laraby. Pennie groaned. He was right—she shouldn’t have thanked him yet. “If it’s this hard, why am I bothering to try at all?”
    “I don’t know, Fair One. Why are you?”
    Pennie looked back at the Tylwyth house on the screen. How could she live with herself if she didn’t at least try to save Tenley? Besides, being a miserable Administrator was no way to live.
    But going to Earth? She couldn’t.
    She turned to Tink and shook her head. “I’d do anything to save her except go to Earth.”
    “That’s good to know.” Tink stood and started for the exit.
    “So what do we do next?” Pennie hurried after her.
    “I have my art to get back to. I’m sure you have some things to take care of before you’re sent to Administration.”
    Pennie stopped. “Isn’t there a plan B?”
    Tink turned around. “My dear Fair One. You have been given this forty-eight hour period to prove us wrong, not the other way around. We’ve made our decision.” Tink took her hand. “I know you’re worried for your client, Fair One. I assure you, though, getting erased is painless and a much kinder alternative than getting taken by Mother Nature. You’re doing the right thing. As for Administration, it’s not as terrible as they say. You might even enjoy it.” Tink dropped Pennie’s hand and started for the exit.
    “Enjoy it?” Pennie repeated. “Wait. Please!” Pennie grabbed the red cuff on Tink’s long sleeve.
    Tink glared at her.
    “Sorry,” Pennie dropped it. “I’ll go.”
    Tink considered her. “Is this your final answer?”
    “Yes.”
    “Fine.” Tink reversed toward the monitoring station. Pennie caught a look at one of the screens as she passed it; massive clouds were colliding somewhere and the Fair Force in the room were laser focused on it.
    “I’ll be right back,” Tink said before disappearing into the wall.
    Pennie walked closer to the monitors. Whatever was brewing in the skies above Earth looked sinister.
    Tink reappeared. “The only thing you need to take with you is this time device.”
    “A watch?”
    “You’re familiar with them?”
    “Sure. Is that a dinosaur?”
    There was a purple dinosaur in the center.
    “We can’t send you down with any of our technology in case it gets into the wrong hands.” Tink handed Pennie the watch. “So we copied some of the watches we’ve seen the clients wear.”
    “Really young clients, you mean. A toddler maybe?”
    Tink brushed away the idea. “It’s programmed on stopwatch mode for forty-eight hours and will begin at eight a.m. Earth time.”
    A large clock on the wall displayed: EARTH TIME 7:58 a.m.
    “That’s in two minutes!”
    Tink continued, unfazed. “The Fair Force will arrive at the forty-eight hour mark. If your client has signed the form by then, she will be taken into temporary custody where her element will be properly deleted. After which, she will be returned to her regular, un- elemented life on Earth. She’ll be just a regular kid with no recollection of ever being able to create wind.”
    Pennie nodded.
    “If she has not signed the form by then,” Tink eyes softened. “Well, you know.”
    Pennie slipped on the stopwatch.
    “Where are my instructions?”
    “No instructions.” Tink smoothed down some of her loose red hair.
    Pennie blinked at her. “What about clothes?”
    “We don’t have access to their wardrobes. You’ll have to figure that out when you get there.”
    Pennie shook her head. “That’s it? That’s all you have to tell me?”
    “There is one more thing. The stopwatch will buzz sixty minutes before the forty-eight-hour