that was the way a really old wand wielder might feel normally. She
looked at the other students and said “Can someone go get Mrs. Bennett from the
infirmary?” One of the more active boys hopped out of his seat and ran. She
could tell that a two mile run was, in his mind, a less daunting prospect than
waiting in the room with a possibly dead professor. The chimes signaled the
end of class and the end of the school day, but the students stayed in their
seats, ignoring the certainty of dinner at their dorms.
The
boy who had ran after Mrs. Bennett eventually returned with her in tow. She
was a tall woman, but she moved slowly, showing that she was older than she
appeared. The boy hopped and gambled around her, running circles around her
dress like an ill-mannered dog; persistently begging to move faster than the
pace of a dying garden snail.
“Slow
down boy, slow down. Happens every year, Professor Randal falls asleep
somewhere and someone comes dragging me out thinking he’s dead.” She frowned
at the professor’s sitting form, and dug a small diffuser out of the belt pouch
she wore, and waved it under his nose with a sure movement. She frowned slightly
when it elicited no response. She took his pulse, two minutes passed, then
three, four, and five while the students watched solemnly. Suddenly, she began
to shake and wail. The girls rushed forward to comfort her, Mia quietly asked
the boy who’d fetched her to get the headmistress.
Professor
Cavendish (drawn by the woman’s cries) walked in a few minutes after the boy
left. Mia detangled herself and explained what was going on. The professor
quickly sent three of the boys on various errands and convinced Mrs. Bennett to
drink a potion he summoned from her stores. The headmistress walked in as two
burly footmen carried Mrs. Bennett out of the room. Two more entered directly
afterward and quickly removed Professor Randle’s body.
Headmistress
Villanova raised an eyebrow. “Well, Professor, what happened?” He quickly explained
what the situation had been when he found it. He indicated that Mia should
tell her part in it. There wasn’t much to tell. The headmistress sighed.
“How long was he dead before Mrs. Bennett came?” Mia admitted that she wasn’t
sure. “He told us to read the first chapter right after he finished taking
roll. After that he didn’t speak or move. I took his pulse a few minutes
before the chimes, and sent the boy for Mrs. Bennett.”
The
headmistress frowned. “That’s going to be a nasty shock for her. Professor
Randle was her father.” At Mia’s stricken look, the headmistress frowned.
“None of that please; you did exactly what you should have done in calling Mrs.
Bennett. There was no way you could have known or should have known that it would
be a problem.” She turned to the Professor. “Well, George. Thank you for coming
to help.” she said. “Would you mind finishing up here? I’m afraid that the
professor’s death, while not entirely unexpected, will cause a number of
problems that I’ll need to solve personally.” She walked out of the room in
the direction of her tower.
Professor
Cavendish glanced down at Mia. “Are you alright?” Mia nodded. She’d seen a
few dead people. The villagers always called Emma when someone died, to verify
the cause of death for the CTA (City Tithe Authority) records. Two registered
witnesses had to confirm each death, to keep people from cheating on their
tithe requirements.
She
was staring at the old professor’s chair. The rest of her dorm mates had been
sent on errands. Professor Cavendish gave Mia a slight push toward the girl’s
dorm. “Go eat some dinner. It’s horrible to say it, but none of this will
seem quite as bad on a full stomach.” The fact that he was right didn’t make her
feel any better about it.
Chapter Six
Mia
was
looked at the other students and said “Can someone go get Mrs. Bennett from the
infirmary?” One of the more active boys hopped out of his seat and ran. She
could tell that a two mile run was, in his mind, a less daunting prospect than
waiting in the room with a possibly dead professor. The chimes signaled the
end of class and the end of the school day, but the students stayed in their
seats, ignoring the certainty of dinner at their dorms.
The
boy who had ran after Mrs. Bennett eventually returned with her in tow. She
was a tall woman, but she moved slowly, showing that she was older than she
appeared. The boy hopped and gambled around her, running circles around her
dress like an ill-mannered dog; persistently begging to move faster than the
pace of a dying garden snail.
“Slow
down boy, slow down. Happens every year, Professor Randal falls asleep
somewhere and someone comes dragging me out thinking he’s dead.” She frowned
at the professor’s sitting form, and dug a small diffuser out of the belt pouch
she wore, and waved it under his nose with a sure movement. She frowned slightly
when it elicited no response. She took his pulse, two minutes passed, then
three, four, and five while the students watched solemnly. Suddenly, she began
to shake and wail. The girls rushed forward to comfort her, Mia quietly asked
the boy who’d fetched her to get the headmistress.
Professor
Cavendish (drawn by the woman’s cries) walked in a few minutes after the boy
left. Mia detangled herself and explained what was going on. The professor
quickly sent three of the boys on various errands and convinced Mrs. Bennett to
drink a potion he summoned from her stores. The headmistress walked in as two
burly footmen carried Mrs. Bennett out of the room. Two more entered directly
afterward and quickly removed Professor Randle’s body.
Headmistress
Villanova raised an eyebrow. “Well, Professor, what happened?” He quickly explained
what the situation had been when he found it. He indicated that Mia should
tell her part in it. There wasn’t much to tell. The headmistress sighed.
“How long was he dead before Mrs. Bennett came?” Mia admitted that she wasn’t
sure. “He told us to read the first chapter right after he finished taking
roll. After that he didn’t speak or move. I took his pulse a few minutes
before the chimes, and sent the boy for Mrs. Bennett.”
The
headmistress frowned. “That’s going to be a nasty shock for her. Professor
Randle was her father.” At Mia’s stricken look, the headmistress frowned.
“None of that please; you did exactly what you should have done in calling Mrs.
Bennett. There was no way you could have known or should have known that it would
be a problem.” She turned to the Professor. “Well, George. Thank you for coming
to help.” she said. “Would you mind finishing up here? I’m afraid that the
professor’s death, while not entirely unexpected, will cause a number of
problems that I’ll need to solve personally.” She walked out of the room in
the direction of her tower.
Professor
Cavendish glanced down at Mia. “Are you alright?” Mia nodded. She’d seen a
few dead people. The villagers always called Emma when someone died, to verify
the cause of death for the CTA (City Tithe Authority) records. Two registered
witnesses had to confirm each death, to keep people from cheating on their
tithe requirements.
She
was staring at the old professor’s chair. The rest of her dorm mates had been
sent on errands. Professor Cavendish gave Mia a slight push toward the girl’s
dorm. “Go eat some dinner. It’s horrible to say it, but none of this will
seem quite as bad on a full stomach.” The fact that he was right didn’t make her
feel any better about it.
Chapter Six
Mia
was
Similar Books
