Foundation’s Dream
Chapter Seven: Arcadia Darrell
Episode 54: The Encounter at the Spaceport
Arcadia Darrell hurriedly crossed the vast lobby of the spaceport. She weaved through the bustling crowd, moving like a sky-scooter, without looking back, intent on reaching her destination. As she moved, she noticed something fall at her feet, triggered by the ticket she had tightly grasped.
“Young lady, in such a hurry, where are you headed?”
A voice called out to her. It came from a middle-aged man, his unshaven face and somewhat lethargic demeanor giving him a weary look. He was holding the ticket Arcadia had dropped. He smiled warmly as he offered it back.
“Please let go of me. I’m in a hurry.”
Arcadia quickly took the ticket from the man’s hand, and without a second glance, began walking away.
“You don’t need to rush so much,” the man said, stepping closer and teasing her. “Look, here’s your ticket. I saw you drop it. Trantor-bound, was it? Standard class, right?”
Arcadia narrowed her eyes at the man. His words seemed curious, but with her urgent pace, she had no time to ponder them.
“Yes. But who are you?”
The man smiled and gave a small bow. “I am Preem Palver, the president of the Trantor Agricultural Cooperative. This is my wife.”
He sighed briefly before continuing. “The conference was postponed. Looks like war is about to break out, so we had to return early.”
“War? Could it be… with the Foundation?”
Arcadia’s eyes widened. The sudden mention of war threw her off balance.
“Are you from Terminus?”
Palver’s eyes sharpened slightly.
“Yes, I’m Arcadia Darrell. From the planet Terminus.”
Arcadia replied, her heart racing as surprise and doubt swirled within her. If this “Munn” was really the person her Uncle Homer had mentioned, then it couldn’t be just a coincidence.
“Now that you mention it, I met a diplomat named Man once.”
Palver continued nonchalantly. “He spoke clearly, and his posture was straight as a rod, like a man who could not be defeated.”
Arcadia’s heart began to beat faster.
“That sloppy, stuttering man, always so lacking in confidence… That’s Munn? Really?”
Surprise lit up her face. The pieces finally clicked together. It was Uncle Homer. But then, she hesitated.
“No, but wait. That’s strange… Why would…?”
Just then, a police officer’s voice rang out from behind.
“We’re looking for a young woman. She escaped from the palace. Show your identification!”
Arcadia immediately turned around, her complexion shifting. She had never expected the police to be after her.
Palver, without missing a beat, stepped forward and addressed the officer. “No need for that. This girl is my granddaughter, Arcadia Palver.”
He locked eyes with the officer.
The officer hesitated for a moment but then nodded. “If that’s the case, I’ll search elsewhere.”
With that, the officer quickly walked away.
Arcadia stood frozen, breathless. She had no idea how Palver had convinced the officer, especially since her identification clearly said “Arcadia Darrell.” But there was no doubt that her life had been spared.
“Thank you, Mr. Preem Palver. But how did you manage to convince the officer? My ID says ‘Arcadia Darrell’…?”
Arcadia asked anxiously.
Palver grinned slyly. “Well, how I did it is a secret. But in this city, a little alias can come in handy sometimes.”
Arcadia felt a growing sense of unease but quickly began moving toward the spaceport’s exit. She had no idea what the next adventure waiting for her would be.
To be continued…
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