Baby Espionage

The Queen of Atlantis held frequent meetings with the higher members of her council, behind locked doors and surrounded by guards. Teopixqui had been curious about these meetings for as long as he'd known about them, nearly asking questions right out of the egg. His mother would scold his curiosity while his father would laugh, amused by what he saw as a flight of fancy. Teo learned quickly to keep his interests to himself, knowing anger or mockery would be his only reward for sharing them. He was only a few months old, still shedding his first layer of downy feathers, when he decided to conduct his first mission of espionage. 

The doors of the meeting hall were always guarded, two Iguanadons either side who were armed to the teeth with spears and sharp, bladed armour. What wasn't guarded was the air ducts that led in and out of the large room. Teo had noticed these for rooms he was allowed into, following their system outside to where vents puffed hot air from the crowded inner sanctum. If every room in the building had a vent. then naturally the meeting room would have one too. He kept this revelation to himself, instead using his time outside to investigate. While the others frolicked and played, Teo walked the perimeter of where he knew the meeting room to be and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the singular vent. He leaned in close, straining his ears and nearly exclaimed in joy when he heard the Queen's voice echoing through the metal duct. He hurried away from it, not wanting anyone to know he had found a listening post for the next meeting and resolved to be there the next time the doors to the Queen's chambers were closed.

Now, he was pressed against the wall, sliding around it and keeping his eye out for any adults in the area. It seemed abandoned, the large clearing usually bustling with farmers and traders seemed to retreat inside out of respect for the council meeting. He was so busy scanning the clearing for adults that he nearly yelped when he turned back to the wall and saw a small Oviraptor crouched next to the vent. The Ovi's pale eyes were enormous in his dark face, staring at Teo with a frantic plea that he couldn't vocalise. The Iggy realised quickly, if they could hear the voices from inside, they might hear voices from outside. He nodded, raising one of his forelimbs up in what he hoped was a peaceful gesture. The Ovi relaxed slightly before jerking his head, indicating for Teo to come stand at the vent too. The Iggy hatchling felt a thrill of excitement rush through him, for the first time he had a co=conspirator in his escapades, someone who through their shared crime felt almost like a friend already. The Ovi scowled at what must have been his giddy expression and rose a single finger to his beak. Quiet.

They both leaned into the vent, faces set in concentration as they tried to discern the voices within. The echo made it difficult, causing voices to overlap and bounce around each other in ways that made their heads hurt. The Ovi had better luck between the two of them, considering it was his second time eavesdropping on a council meeting. Clemmons frowned as he heard the word 'succession' again, knowing it meant who would be in charge after the current Queen died. They had been talking about it a lot last time and were now bringing it up again. Did that mean the Queen was ill? Was her health failing and her lack of offspring meaning the council were scrambling to find her replacement. He glanced quickly to his unexpected ally and found him looking up in horror at something behind Clemmons. His heart lurched in his chest as he turned around, finding an old Euoplo standing over them. With a tilt of his head, the Euoplo marched the two hatchlings off away from the vent.

Teo was willing to take the heat for both of them, despite not knowing who this oviraptor hatchling was. In his short few months alive he had already seen how differently the Euoplos and Ovis were treated, their punishments more severe and their luxuries few and far between. He wasn't sure of what emotion it stirred within him, but it made his brain ache and itch.

"Ah, younglings are always so curious," the Euoplo said to himself with a gentle smile. Teo exchanged a look with the Ovi, who seemed equally confused. Neither of them had expected their punishment to begin with a statement like that. The Euoplo turned to them, his small blue eyes twinkling and his expression still soft. "It's hard when the grown folk keep you locked out of things, right? I understand."

"How are we supposed to serve the Queen properly when we're being excluded from anything important!" Clemmons exclaimed, like it was a statement that had been waiting to burst out of him for his whole life. Teo looked at him in surprise, his motivation had been to help the council by listening to their secret concerns? It certainly didn't match Teo's motivation, though now that he was thinking about it, had it been sheer stubborn curiosity that drove him to listen in? Had something else been nagging at the back of his mind?

"All that can wait til you're older," the Euoplo said, still kind but firmer than before, "Your job isn't to serve the Queen now, it's to learn and grow into your best selves so you can serve her later. You ain't bein' left out to spite you, you've got other things to worry about at your age." Clemmons looked outraged, like the thought of focusing on anyone else other than the Queen was offensive. Teo felt something prickle inside his brain again, the way it did when he saw the Euoplos and the Ovis being treated poorly. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like the old Euoplo wasn't telling them the full truth. Still, he was an adult with far more authority than either of the hatchlings, so Teo decided to play along.

"I understand sir, I'm sorry for dragging you with me," he directed the second half at the Ovi, who seemed too surprised to protest the lie.

"Very mature of you to own up to your mistakes," the Euoplo said, almost too knowingly, like he had seen right through Teo's ruse. "Now, we'll get you two back to the nursery and say no more about it."