Orven stood inside the hall with hundreds of faces staring back at him. The fury that had carried him through the doors did not fade; if anything, the attention made it burn hotter. He was wet-bearded, headache-ridden, furious, and in absolutely no mood to be treated like an interruption. Before he could decide which official to accuse first, a young voice rang out from the stage.
"Master von Halbrecht!" the boy on the stage called, his face lighting up with relief so sincere it made Orven's anger trip over itself for half a breath. "I'm glad you made it in time. I sent a few messages over the last days, but I couldn't reach you. I'm sorry for interrupting my own presentation, everyone, but please give a warm applause to Master von Halbrecht. He is the co-creator who helped me bring this invention to its final form."
For one miserable instant, Orven did not understand the language being spoken to him.
Co-creator?
