Chapter Fifteen

The room was a buzz with lively chatter of the many party goers. Many fair ladies giggled at the sight of Stu. What a fine man, they all thought. Stu paid them no attention. The music was harmonious, the room was lovely, this party seemed perfect. He felt a harsh bump in his backside.
“Oh dear!” Came a voice. “I am ever so sorry!” It was a woman's voice. He turned to see an extremely attractive woman dressed in a lovely cream hoop skirt dress.
“Its quit alright madam,” He picked up her hankie for she had dropped it. “I wasn't looking at where I was going!”
“My name is Maiden Fancy!” She curtsied gracefully. “And you are?”
“I'm Stu, Stu VelDeshine.” He bowed.
“Well Lord VelDeshine,” She slipped her arm into his. He then got the impression that this woman was flirting with her. He was going to say something about him being married but he advised against strongly. “Tell me how did you get invited to such a splendid party?”
“I just--------” He began. “Happen to be an old friend of Cor.”
“Really? How delightful! Same here!” She replied. “Oh look! There is one of my friends! Ta ta!”
With much relief, he headed towards the punch bowl. He got himself a cup and drank. He smacked his lips: it was sweet! He enjoyed it very much.
“Cough.”
He stopped as he raised his second glass of beverage to his lips. He listened again. Cough: he heard it. A faint cough: It sounded so close. He listened even harder. He looked down: a child's foot disappeared under the table. Stu nearly reached the table cloth when a hand grabbed his.
“Sir,” It was a younger woman. She also wore a hoop dress that was a creamy blue. “Tis not wise to do that! Cor has vermin problems!”
Since when were vermin the size of children? He had a gut feeling about this just like with Arobi and Creature. 
Then a thought occurred to him: why was everyone wearing masquerade masks. Being the curious being he was, he asked the young lady.
“Well we are so beautiful that we must shield our eyes from the Unlookables.”
“The un- whaty-whats?”
“The ones who are ugly.” She replied. “You know the saying, beauty is everything.

Those words: he had stated them bore when he had yet insulted another student, Tanner Akles, Cleo's boy friend.
He remembered this one well. Tanner and Cleo were sitting at a lunch table by themselves. It was no secret that Tanner had asked Cleo to be his girl. He had liked her for sometime now and everyone knew it was bound to happen.
As he watched the two of them hold hands he noticed how they made the perfect couple. Not because they were nice, not because they had much in common or because they loved each other. It was something that had nothing to do with love: appearance. While Cleo was lovely, Tanner was also very handsome. He hair was a lovely reddish-brown color. He had deep thoughtful blue eyes that drove every girl wild. Though he was Caucasian he loved Cleo more than anything.
“Tanner,” Stu came over to the table as Cleo left. “You know you two make a good couple.”
“I know,' Tanner sighed. “She's sweet, smart and kind.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Scoffed Stu. “Today, beauty is everything.”
“Not true,” Tanner said.  “I never fell for Cleo because she was pretty. It was her heart.”
“But that's what your friendship is based on right?” Asked Stu.
“Nope! Love and friendship can not be based on looks alone.  I say whatever you are on the inside is what you will be on the outside. If you are cruel and mean yet pretty, people can see you are a horrid person. People who are kind and lovely, those are the people who have more friends.”

Tanner was right: he laughed because he had been noticing all of his students had been right. If only he could slip away. He noticed something else: where had the host gone? He spotted the hunchbacked man standing near a window.  Rain slid off the glass outside.
It was raining?
He looked to the balcony but saw no rain yet when he looked at Cor's window and saw rain. He slowly came behind old Cor. The man stood, staring out of the window at something. Stu at first could see nothing. He gazed harder, longer. He saw it: a face. A face of a child, a girl. Behind her was a boy. Both were young and they wore mask but unlike the ones in the party. There's covered there whole face as if they had something to hide: the Unlookables.
“Cor,” Stu's voice was soft. “Do you know those children?” Cor nodded once again. “Why don't you let them in?” For once, Cor shook his head sadly. He shuffled away sadly, leaving Stu, wondering what he had done to make the man so sadden.
“Forgive master,” The timid maid came out of the shadows. “Master has not been himself lately.”
“Explain please.”
The maid stared at him for a while and the continued, “Master has a big heart. A bit too big. You see, he started his parties so everyone could enjoy them. Well suddenly some of guest said they were lovelier than others and named some Unlookables. So they wore masks to protect themselves. Soon the Unlookables stopped coming and master changed greatly.” She silently began to cry, running away with her face covered.

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