Page 78 of The Syphon King

Harlow quirked his brow and regarded his brothers, mouthing, “Sounds just like him.”

“Then it probably is,” Kult managed to calmly suggest.

“How did you get my number?”

“Oh, you willnotbelieve it,” he cried. Definitely Dr. Ubaldo, he never lost his childlike excitement for all things science. But as he explained about some sort of amazing gifted Kings, he stopped him. “Wait, wait...who are these people did you say?”

“The Creole Kings. I probably mentioned them to you eons ago but when our project went off the rails, all else did as well. They are from all parts of the world, picked by the Centennial Monarchs Conclave, which I’ve learned happens every century, and this time they were identified as the long-awaited Prophetic Kings that would usher in the Gold Era.”

“Whoa, slow down, doc. Back up to... the origin of these...Kings. Uh, can I put you on speaker?”

“Are all of you together?” he hoped.

“We are.”

“Fantastic!” he shrilled in pure glee. “I am crying tears of joy.”

“Say hello to Dr. Ubaldo,” Harlow said, holding his phone toward them while they gave a scattershot greeting of mix-matched killjoy.

“You all sound so different,” he said, still crying. “I don’t suppose we could facetime. Oh, to be able to see you again.”

Kult’s head shook emphatically.

“Maybe next time, we uh...we’re just finishing a pretty intense job.”

“Ask him to explain again how he found you,” Quantum said, standing next to him now.

“Who was that?” the Dr. wondered, curious.

“That was Quantum.”

“Impossible,” he breathed in shock and awe.

“Not impossible at all, Dr. Ubaldo,” Quantum said. “Would you mind repeating how they found Harlow’s number?”

Quantum and Harlow’s gazes melded as herepeated the event. “When can we meet these Kings?” Quantum asked, taking the words right out of Harlow’s head.

Harlow nodded in emphatic agreement then pointed to his own eyes then Atlas, signaling he look them up while glancing around for something to write with.

“Well,” Dr. Ubaldo said with kid-like gusto. “It may or may not astonish you as it does me, but the Creole Kings have requested the same.”

“The same what?” Sync pondered.

“What are they needing?” Quantum asked, his tone hinting at negotiations.

The doc returned to the Gold Era story and halfway through, Quantum hit his computer, fingers flying rapidly. Before the doctor could finish, he was reading off the details. He returned to Harlow. “This is happening,” he said. “Everything is verifiable. All within the last month, right under our noses.”

“Well, we’ve been a little preoccupied,” Harlow whispered, cutting them some slack.

“Is Augustine there?” Dr. Ubaldo asked, his emotions too fucking contagious for Harlow.

“No, he’s with Levi,” Harlow said. “And Pain is with Butterfly.” He mouthed to Quantum. “What should I tell him about everything?”

“The Dr. is safe,” Kult assured quietly, pacing like he used to when collecting puzzle pieces. “Use him. Find outallyou can about these people.”

Quantum nodded his approval as the doctor carried on with information. “What did you say?” he cut in. “Something about a King and siphoning.”

“The Syphon King,” he cried, incredulous, launching into an exuberant, chopped to hell info dump.

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