The Lost Artifact Of Spode

C03

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Mel reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of plastic. "I have this, afterall. And I intent to use as much as I can before I get cut off."

Benedict lost track of his proposal at his reponse. He slowly asked, "Why?"

Bead's eyes widened at the sight. She stole Mel's attention, "Is that Work Money?" Before he could answer, she turned to lecture him. "You said it's for work! This isn't shop!"

"It's not like I stole it," Mel quickly defends, fully lying to a child. "Mrs. Lyra never asked for it back, and I just forgot to return it."

She grabs Mel's arm and pulls it down, as if she was going to take the card right from him. "That doesn't make it our money!"

Mel snatches the card from his own hand before Bead could make a move. "Well it's compensation, then."

The new word threw Bead out of her lecture. "Compse-what?"

"Since I wasn't exactly allowed to join a Union, I can't get Worker's Comp., so I just have to help myself to my own."

Both Bead and Benedict stared at Mel with very strong feelings about his confession. While Bead fell silent to figure out what he was talking about, Benedict finally spoke up from bewilderment.

"Is that legal?" Was his first question. Mel quickly hid the plastic into his right pocket and opened his mouth to defend himself. Before he got the chance, Benedict cut him off, "Actually, I think I'd rather not know." He asked his second, "Are you sure you want to go through all that trouble?"

"Yes," Mel confidently answers.

Benedict seemed to not hear him as he continued, "I mean, since it's not yours-" his gaze hardened, "you may already be cut off. What if the card gets declined when you try to buy your things? Or worse, the vendor is told to hold it so the proper authorities can find you."

Mel fell silent for a moment, the idea of them finding him again freezing him in place.

"We can get arrested?!" Bead gasps, grabbing onto Mel.

But he didn't hear her. His mind was busy elsewhere. His first thought wasn't cops, it was the Proximians. How if they got the chance, that they'd enslave him again. No matter what happens, he refuses to go back with them. He can't go back. He'd rather die then let them take him back, and death isn't even an option for him to take.

He swallows hard. "They can't find me," he finally speaks.

Benedict reassures, "They will if you're not careful with that money."

Mel's gaze falls to the ground as he's rendered speechless.

If Benedict had a mouth, he'd be smirking now. But his eyes didn't hide his malicious intent. "Please, let me buy your supplies for you," he insists. "Not just as a gift anymore, but for your own safety, too, now."

Mel visibly tensed at his words, assuming Benedict just somehow new exactly what he was fearing.

"We can't get arrested!" Bead shouts, shaking Mel out of his thoughts.

"Ay- arrested?" He asks, puzzled. "We're not getting arrested! Where'd you get that?!"

"But he said-!"

Mel places his hand on Bead's shoulder and hushes her, "Calmate, we'll be OK. I promise." With a sigh, he turns back to Benedict, patiently waiting for Mel's answer. "Fine! I'll take your charity. Just this once."

Benedict folds his hands together, clapping with his other two. "Splendid!"