The Woodward Academy, Year 4

Chapter 11: April

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Still no luck?" Prof. Zoroaster asked David.

"No. I don't get it. Why can't I see anything relating to these thefts? They happen in the future..."

Prof. Zoroaster smiled. He was allowing his students a refresher day, to keep up with their other divination skills, before he started a new section in the text. David was, of course, using his crystallomancy to try to find out who the thief was.

"A couple of reasons, David. First, you're emotionally invested in the situation, and, as you know, that will make things harder for you, not easier. Second, you have no specific target in mind, and that increases the difficulty quite a bit. It is also possible that you're up against anti-divination magic which would be resisting your attempts to learn about things."

"But I would notice that, wouldn't I?"

"Probably. It takes an incredibly good impediveur to be able to block divination in a way that is unnoticeable, but there are a few. In this case, it's probably unlikely, but it's still a possibility. Did you see anything at all?"

"Only that your class is about to be interrupted," David said.

"Oh?"

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Prof. Zoroaster looked at David. "Cute." Raising his voice, he said, "Come in."

Seth stuck his head in and said, "Sorry, Professor. I need David's help, I'm afraid."

"So he said," Prof. Zoroaster replied with a grin. "David, good luck. I hope you find something useful."

"Thanks, Professor."

David got up and joined Seth in the hallway.

"Where to this time?" David asked.

"Pegasus Dorm. First floor," he said.

"So, unless this is a copycat, it breaks that pattern," David said. He stuck a pixie stick in his mouth as they walked.

"Yes."

"You talked to them yet?"

"No."

Seth and David didn't talk much on their way to the dorm room. When they arrived, four girls were clustered around a door, which was open. They all turned at the sound of the approaching pair.

"Good afternoon, girls. You are the residents of this room?" Seth asked.

The girls all nodded.

"Tell us what happened, if you would," Seth told them politely.

Of the four girls, one was somewhat heavy. She was the one who spoke. "We were all gone to class, and other things, for the afternoon. No one got back until a half-hour ago. That was Mattie. When she saw that her jewelry was missing, she called all of us. Once we'd figured out it was the thief, we called you."

"What are you all missing?" Seth asked.

The heavy girl said, "Mattie's missing some old jewelry. I'm missing a silver wall decoration. Cassie lost a small potions set, and Jade's hair combs are gone."

"Hair combs?" Seth asked.

"They were made of dragon bone," Jade explained. "Very expensive. They were a gift from my mother on getting into Woodward. They were very proud of me."

Seth nodded. David asked, "Of all the items that were taken, were any of them seen in public recently?"

"What do you mean?" the heavy girl asked.

"Well, like the jewelry. Were you wearing any of it in the last week or so?" he asked Mattie.

"I never wear it. It's too precious, and I'm afraid of breaking it."

David nodded. "The wall decoration, I assume, stayed put." The heavy girl nodded. "The potions set... the combs... did they ever leave this room?" There were negative shakes of the head.

"Have you had anyone in your room recently?"

"A couple classmates," Jade confirmed. "But mostly, it's just us."

"Can you give us the names of anyone who's been in here in, say, the past week?" Seth asked.

The girls rattled off the names of five people. None of them was on their suspects list.

"Okay. We're going to investigate your room now. We'll let you know if we find anything."

As Seth and David entered the room, David muttered, "Another pattern broken. I'm beginning to wonder if this is a copycat."

"If he is, he's a lot better than Aaron. It seems like the same method of entry was used... whatever the hell that was."

David grunted. The two investigators worked their way through the rooms, but found nothing of any significance.

"Well, damn. Nothing here," Seth said.

"We have one more thing to try," David told him.

"Oh?"

David pulled out his wand and cast the fingerprint-revelation spell. Suddenly, there were bright yellow splotches all over the room.

"What the hell?" Seth asked.

"I asked Mr. Garibaldi how to do this. Maybe we'll find a fingerprint that's out of place. This could take a while, though."

"How long do we have to look?"

"A couple hours."

"Oh, okay. Well, let's get to it."

The two examined the fingerprints, most of which were too smudged, or too partial, to be of any use whatsoever. Those fingerprints which were clear, they transferred magically onto index cards, which Seth carried in abundance. Once on the card, the fingerprint turned from yellow to black.

By the time they were finished, they had about thirty different fingerprints to check out. They called the girls in, one at a time, and, using another spell that David had gotten from Mr. Garibaldi, they were able to fingerprint the girls on sheets of parchment. Having done that, they quickly ruled out all of the fingerprints, save one.

"This is the only one we don't have a match for," David said, holding up the card.

"Seems kind of small," Seth said.

"It does. Maybe it's a pinky."

"Seems small, even for that," Seth objected.

David didn't argue the point. "You think we're looking for someone smaller than a normal human? A dwarf or a gnome?"

"There are no gnomes at Woodward. You know that," Seth told him.

"True, but there are dwarves. Or, hate to say it, it could be a child..."

"Who knows how to break in?" Seth scoffed.

"Perhaps an accomplice," David offered.

"Maybe, but I don't consider that option too likely. Kids talk too much."

David chuckled. "True. Well, it gives us one more piece of information. We're looking for a small person with light brown hair."

"Shit, that reminds me! I never told you that the Rimohr lab did get back to us. That hair was probably not human. They couldn't make determinations about other races, though."

"So maybe we are looking for a dwarf."

"Maybe. I'll look into it. If you do it, it might look like racism."

David snorted. "Whatever."

The two turned back to the girls. Seth said, "Well, our thief slipped up enough to give us a fingerprint. It gets us one step closer."

"David, do you actually think you're ever going to find this guy?" Cassie asked.

"Sooner or later. He's been giving us clues in the last few. Sooner or later, we'll have enough to nail him. I just hope we can recover the items he's stolen when we do."

Cassie nodded.

"We'll let you girls get back to your schoolwork."

"Hey! What about all these yellow fingerprints?"

David said, "They'll fade in a little while on their own."

"Oh. Okay."

"We'll keep you informed if we find anything," Seth said. With that, he and David left.

"You still think it's a copycat?" Seth asked.

"I'm not sure. The level of skill says no. But he broke his two main patterns with this one. That has to be important, somehow."

"Keep thinking on it. If you come up with anything, let me know. I'll do the same."

"Right. See ya."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Now, creating a bolt is no harder than creating the ball. It will take a different thought process, is all," Prof. Rutherford said. "You'll have to think of a more constant stream of... yes, what is it, Professor?"

Cat had stepped into the back of the room. She was clearly looking dismayed. "Professor," she said, "I hate to interrupt, but could I borrow David for the rest of the class? It's..."

Prof. Rutherford didn't even let her finish. "David, go. Come see me later to get notes for the class."

"Yes, ma'am." David packed up his books, conjured them away, and then hurried out into the hall, where Cat was waiting.

"What's the matter?" David asked as they hurried down the corridor.

"The school called me. Apparently, Garrett has bruises all over his body. The principal is waiting at my apartment with Garrett, and he has called the CSB." Cat's voice was shaky, and it was clear that she was barely holding herself together. David, not concerned with appearances, reached out and took her hand. She accepted it gladly, and the two moved quickly out of Hughes Hall, and across the terrace.

It didn't take them too long to make it back to Cat's apartment, where Garrett was waiting. Angela had also been brought home.

"Mom!" Garrett called out, trying to go to her, but the principal kept hold of the boy.

"What's the meaning of this?" Cat demanded.

"You cannot be trusted near this boy. Step away," the principal said archly.

David stepped right up to the principal, leveling one of his best undead gazes at the man. "Let go of the child, now," he said. His look conveyed a great many layers of malice. The principal shuddered involuntarily, and his hand left Garrett's shoulder. Garrett immediately ran to his mother. "Pay close attention to the boy's behavior," David said.

"Beaten children often attach to their abusive parent," the principal sniffed.

"But rarely do they struggle so hard to get to them." David didn't bother finishing the conversation, but instead, turned away, to go over to Cat and Garrett. He patted Garrett on the shoulder, and the boy looked up at him.

"Come talk to me for a second, okay?" David asked. Garrett looked at his mother, who nodded, and then Garrett let go of her, walking a few paces away with David.

David knelt down, to be closer to Garrett's level. He asked, "How did you get the bruises?"

Garrett shook his head in confusion. "I don't know! I just looked down when I came in from recess and there they were!"

"Okay. Can I see them?"

Garrett lifted up his shirt. The bruises on his chest were nasty looking. The bruises on his arms, which were the only visible ones, were just as ugly, but smaller. David used his wand to take a picture of the bruises, and then he let Garrett put his shirt down.

"Did you see or talk to anyone new today?" David asked Garrett.

"No."

"No one hanging around the playground at recess or anything?"

"No. I mean, I didn't see anyone."

David nodded. "Okay."

"Is Mom going to be in trouble? She didn't hit me, Uncle David. I swear!"

"I know that," David told him. "It's just someone trying to get her in trouble again."

"You mean Dad."

David sighed, and nodded. He put his hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled at him. "I need to go deal with the adults now. Why don't you go play with your sister?"

"Okay."

David turned and went back to the principal. Ben arrived at that point. Cat explained things to him, and David watched him visibly shrink from it. David shook his head, and turned to the principal. At that point, the usual CSB agents showed up with their pet Rimohr in tow.

"Just what is it you're accusing her of?" David demanded of the principal.

"She obviously beat her son," the man replied, showing as much condescension as possible.

"With what, a sledge hammer? The bruise on his chest could not have been delivered by hand."

"Because you're an expert on injury, right?" one of the CSB agents asked snidely.

In response, David pulled open his shirt, to expose the scar on his chest. "Yeah, I know a thing or two about it." The CSB agent, David was gratified to see, paled significantly. "The bruise is circular. Not just round, but perfectly circular. It could not have been delivered by anything organic like a hand, or a foot. Clearly it wasn't delivered by a belt, cane, or whip. So, again, what did she hit him with? Likewise, the bruises on his arms are virtually perfect circles. People don't bruise like that."

"And you expect us to believe you?" the other CSB agent asked. "You're clearly trying to protect her."

"And you're clearly trying to convict her, rather than trying to find the truth," David shot back. "Would you like me to get the Academy's healer down here, to tell you what a jackass you're being? Just look at the kids. Do they look at all distressed to you? Garrett's only desire, when we got here, was to go to his mother. He also assured me that she has never hit him."

"Then what does he say about how he got the bruises?" Agent Norton asked.

"He says he has no idea where they came from. He first noticed them when he came in from recess."

"So you're going to suggest he, what? Fell off the jungle gym?"

"I haven't the faintest clue how he got them. Given their apparent severity, I doubt he could have obtained them naturally without noticing."

"So, what then?" one of the CSB agents asked.

"I'm thinking they were magically planted."

"Back to this again?" the CSB agent asked.

"Well, given that this is what the evidence points to, when you're not busy trying to convict the parent, yes, it's the idea I'm going to stick with."

The other CSB agent said, "Mrs. Arpilla, we are going to have to inspect your apartment again. It's regulations: if we come out, we have to do an inspection."

Cat nodded, and went over and opened the door. Everyone went inside, and they sat in the living room. Cat and the kids sat on the couch. Ben sat in a chair. David stood, leaning against the couch.

"Any thoughts, David?" Ben asked.

"I've got to figure out how to catch Elliot doing this."

"David!" Cat said in a harsh whisper, then looked back and forth to the two kids.

"It's not like they don't know, Cat."

Cat just closed her eyes and shook her head. "But you're talking about hurting their father."

"No... hurting him would be more fun than what I have to do," David said.

Cat shook her head at that, and kept her peace.

In a short while, one of the CSB agents came back into the room. "Whose is this?" The man was holding up a white ceramic jar.

"Mine," Ben said. "So this is where I left it."

"What is it?" Cat asked.

"This is a substance called Unicorn Horn on the street. This jar is worth four or five thousand granas. Do you have any idea what this substance does to people? Maybe we were looking at the wrong adult..."

Ben stood up. "I have a license to possess that material."

"A license? For an illegal substance?" the other CSB agent scoffed.

"It's not illegal. It's a controlled substance," Ben corrected in a slightly whiny tone. "On the street, it's Unicorn Horn. In my trade, it's referred to as Rainbow Glaze. It's used to give an iridescent sheen to things like statues and pottery."

"If this is for your work, why is it here, in her apartment?"

"Because, as you point out, that jar is worth five thousand granas on the street. I can't afford to replace it if it gets stolen. I brought it here for safe keeping."

"And why is it still here, in the middle of your work day?" the CSB agent asked.

Ben shrugged. "Because I forgot to take it back to work with me. I don't need it for another several days."

The agent shoved the jar into Ben's hands. "Get it out of the apartment, and keep it that way."

"Are you people satisfied now?" David asked.

"Hardly," the CSB agent replied. "There is still the issue of the bruising."

"My mother did not hit me!" Garrett shouted, standing up. "Nobody did! I don't know where the bruises came from!"

David put his hand on Garrett's shoulder to restrain him. "You want to try a truth potion on him? Maybe see if you can't get him to confess that his mother is trying to kill him?"

"No one accused her of that," Agent Norton objected.

"Look at the location of the bruise on his chest," David said. Garrett lifted up his shirt, so they could see it. "Anyone who would have physically caused a bruise that bad, in exactly that spot, would have risked stopping Garrett's heart from the impact."

"You're making a very nice case for us, Mr. Stroud," the other CSB agent said, making notes.

David shook his head. "Do you actually think she was trying to kill her son? Is your head buried that far up your ass? And, if she's so dead set on hurting Garrett, why does Angela not have a single bruise on her?"

"She has a favorite, obviously," he replied.

"No, as a matter of fact, I've seen no sign of favoritism from her. Their father, on the other hand, does prefer Angela to Garrett."

"So, you think he did this, even though no one has seen him near her in months."

"Just because no one saw him, doesn't mean he hasn't been here."

"Right," the man replied dubiously.

"Are you taking my kids away?" Cat asked fearfully. Both of the children pulled back, trying to hide behind her, even though she was sitting on the couch.

The lead CSB agent closed his notebook. "Without clear evidence that you're the one who gave him the bruises, we can't do so on our own authority."

"What?" the principal said. "That child has been beaten!"

"Probably," the agent said. "But the child doesn't back that up, his behavior doesn't back that up, and even if he has been beaten, we have no proof she did it. Now, while his behavior is consistent with a small group of abused children, it is also consistent with non�-abused children. In short, we don't have enough evidence to act without a magistrate's order."

Turning back to Cat, the agent said, "An order we will be pursuing the very next time we are called out here, Mrs. Arpilla. The only reason I'm not doing it now is because the issue is, right now, too muddled, and the magistrate would probably not issue the order. But one more call, and I'll push for it. Stop what you're doing here and straighten up your act, Mrs. Arpilla. I don't want to have to come back out here."

David showed the men to the door. Agent Norton was the last to leave, and he hung back. Turning to David, he said quietly, "You really don't think she's guilty, do you." It was not a question.

"I know she's not guilty, Agent Norton. Catherine Arpilla is not even capable of what she's being accused of. Her husband is trying to get the kids taken away from her, and apparently, doing a pretty good job. Aided, of course, by the sheer incompetence of the agents in charge of the investigation."

Agent Norton bristled. "I have done my best to..."

David interrupted him. "I said the agents in charge, Agent Norton. I'm well aware you have no actual authority over the investigation itself."

"Garibaldi said you were smart," Norton said, confirming something David had suspected. "The best thing you can do is figure out a way to get her husband to stop what he's doing. Or find a way to catch him in the act."

"I know."

"Good luck."

"Thanks." As Agent Norton went to join the CSB agents, David stuck a pixie stick in his mouth, and then went back into the apartment.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Hey, Angela," David said. It was Saturday, now, and the incident with Garrett was a few days behind them. David had decided to come visit, to see how things were going, and to see if they could think up a way to get Elliot off Cat's back.

"Hey, Uncle David," Angela said. She was clearly happy to see him, but her voice was subdued.

"What's the matter?" he asked her.

"Mom," Angela said.

"What about her?"

"She's been crying all day. I don't know why."

David nodded. He put his hand on Angela's shoulder, and squeezed gently. "I'll talk to her."

"Don't bother knocking," Angela told him. "Just go in. She won't answer the door, anyway."

David smiled. "Okay. Thanks."

David went into the apartment, and his first stop was the living room. Cat was not there, so he figured the next logical place to look was her bedroom. He found her there, sitting on her bed, facing away from the door. He knew this was to hide her tears from her children. Obviously, she wasn't doing a very good job of that.

David walked over, and then sat down on the bed beside her. As soon as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she collapsed against him, sobbing silently. He held onto her, rocking gently to try to soothe her nerves. For the longest time, they stayed that way, without words. David just let her get out whatever emotions needed release.

Finally, Cat sat up. David let her go, but kept his hand on her back, rubbing lightly to keep her encouraged. She wiped her eyes with a tissue, and blew her nose.

When he felt she was able to talk, David asked, "What's the matter?" He expected to hear about some new torment that Elliot had dreamed up.

"Ben left me," she said.

David closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them again, he asked, "Why?"

Cat shook her head. "I'm not really sure. He just said he couldn't deal with things anymore, that he was sorry, but he and I couldn't be together."

David pressed his lips together. "You figure he's in his shop today?"

"Probably. Or in his apartment above the shop, why?"

"I'm going to go have a little chat with Ben."

David... what are you going to do?"

David looked at her. "I'm going to get a straight answer."

-----

The door to Ben's shop was open, despite the "Closed" sign in the window. David walked in and knocked loudly on the door jamb.

"Sorry, I'm closed today," Ben called out, not turning to face David. Ben was working at a statue, chiseling off small pieces to carve in some fine details.

"Then you won't be able to claim you don't want to talk in public. Good," David said.

Ben turned at the sound of David's voice. He looked scared.

"David," Ben said, trying to remain calm. "I'm pretty sure I know why you're here."

"So?" David asked.

"So... what?" Ben replied, confused.

"So why did you dump her? Especially now, when she needs you the most?"

"David, there's a good reason I'm a sculptor. I don't deal with conflict well. In my trade, you don't have conflict. You apply your tools to the stone or the clay, and you produce what is desired. There are mistakes, but not conflicts. All this stuff with Elliot, and the CSB, and then especially when they accused me... I can't handle that. And what I've seen from Cat is that this is what her life consists of: drama. I'm not up for forty or fifty years of that."

"So, rather than ride it out until we found an answer to the problem of Elliot, you're just going to abandon her when she needs you most."

"She doesn't need me," Ben said. "She's got you."

David flinched. "Ben, Cat is not cheating on you."

Ben put down his tools. "I know that. That's not how I meant it."

"Well, then I'm not sure exactly how you did mean it. You are her emotional support, her comfort. You're her partner."

"All of which, with me out of the way, you can easily provide for her. Better, in some cases. I'm certainly no help when it comes to Elliot."

"Ben, I don't love Cat."

"Oh, yes you do," Ben said. David raised his eyebrows. "Maybe you're not in love with her, maybe you don't want to settle down with her, but you love her, just the same. There's no way you would go through all the crap you've been through for her if you didn't."

David shifted uncomfortably. "Okay, I guess, as a good friend, yes, in some fashion, I love her in that way. But that isn't what she needs. She needs a true partner."

"Maybe so. But that person isn't me. She needs someone with a strength I don't possess. And I'm not going to make myself miserable by failing over and over again to provide her with that strength."

"You couldn't have at least waited until this issue was resolved?"

"You have no idea if or when it will be resolved, David," Ben said. "I can't wait for the possibility that things will work out."

"So. One thing's for sure."

"What's that?" Ben asked.

"Whether or not I love her, You sure as hell don't."

Ben stared at him for a long moment, then turned and picked up a rag. "No, I guess I don't. Not enough, anyway. Not as much as you do." He turned back to David. "So, now what? You warned me about hurting her months ago, so what are you going to do to me now?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? You're just going to walk away?"

"I've got too many other things going on right now, and, quite frankly, you're simply not worth the effort."

Ben frowned, and then turned back to his statue and started work again.

As David turned to go, Ben said, "Tell Cat I'm sorry."

"You certainly are," David agreed, and walked out the door.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David had gone back and talked to Cat after seeing Ben, and he'd spent most of the rest of the day with the family. He had promised that he would also come back the next day, but he had a task he had to do down in Bolmont, first. Thankfully his glidecar was still in perfect working condition, and it got him there in no time.

Despite being a Sunday, Elliot Arpilla was at work. In Dugerra, working on a Sunday was not uncommon, even for businessmen. They often took odd days off, to fit their whims. The pace of business wasn't so hectic in Dugerra that it impacted things severely. He worked in a four-story building, which was the second-tallest building in the city. David took the stairs up to the third floor, where Elliot's office was found.

David entered the outer office, where Elliot's secretary sat.

"Hello, can I help you?" she asked politely.

"Is he in there?" David asked.

"Yes, but he's in a meet- hey, you can't go in there!"

"Watch me," David said. On the off chance that the door was locked, David faded to ghost form and walked right through it. He found Elliot talking about some deal or other with some other man.

"What the-" Elliot said, and then he recognized David. "Oh, joy."

David faded back to solid form as he walked across the office. The other man had turned to look when Elliot made his outburst, and as David approached the desk, the man kept his eyes focused on David. Once David got to the desk, he turned and stared at the man.

"Leave," David said. The man thought to argue with this arrogant young man, but as David continued to glare at him, he felt his insides slithering as if they were suddenly made of snakes. David's gaze was so insanely uncomfortable that the man bolted from his chair, standing five feet away from David and not looking at him.

"Uh, Elliot... we can continue this... after your guest has gone. I'll be out with Charlene."

The man left the room and closed the door behind himself. With that, David turned to face Elliot.

"What do you want?" Elliot demanded. "You're interrupting my day."

"What I want is to feed your liver to my friend's cave dragon. Unfortunately, that is frowned upon. I warned you about messing with Cat. I'm quite sure you remember what happened the last time I had to step in. Has the Business Board stopped coming around yet?"

"No, you motherfucker! And I don't know what you're talking about with Cat."

"Don't lie to me, Elliot. I'm taking ADT. I know when you're lying."

Elliot paled. Even though David hadn't even bothered checking by using his divination, it was clear now to anyone that Elliot was, in fact, lying.

"You can't prove anything," Elliot sneered.

"This is true, which is why there isn't a Rimohr standing with me. But do you really think I need the Rimohrs to deal with you? There are worse things than wizard prison, Elliot."

"You can't threaten me!" Elliot demanded.

"Why not?" David asked reasonably.

"I... I'll have you arrested!"

"With what proof?" David replied.

Elliot stammered. "I will have my children back!" he finally snarled. "That bitch has no right to keep me from them!"

"Cat isn't the one keeping you from them. The magistrate is. Now, I am. If I catch you, you're going to regret it, big time. Do you understand?"

"If you touch me..."

David leaned down and stared deep into the man's eyes. That same gaze which had caused his guest to leave so quickly now turned Elliot's innards to Jell-o. "Do you understand?" David said, his voice deep and quiet, a certain calmness infusing it with more menace than shouting ever could.

"I understand that there's nothing you can do," Elliot said finally. "You touch me, and you'll be in jail for months!"

"Who said anything about touching you, Elliot?" David replied. "I'm a demighost. I can do things to you no one will ever be able to prove. Stay away from Cat, and the children, or you and I will meet again. When that happens, you won't like it."

David stood up again, and then turned to go. When he'd gotten halfway to the door, he said, "Have a nice day." With that, he faded out of the door again, this time completely invisible, so they could never be quite sure that he'd actually left.

Elliot sat back in his chair and wiped the sweat off his brow. Despite his bravado in front of David, he was somewhat scared of the man.

But not quite scared enough.

-----

David returned to Gorumshead, and he spent the afternoon helping Cat with some minor projects around the house, as well as spending some time with both of the kids. After dinner and a couple games, the kids were off to bed. Cat and David sat on the couch together, listening to some music and relaxing.

"You said you had to go somewhere this morning. Where did you go?" Cat asked.

"To have a little chat with Elliot."

"You what? David, that wasn't a good idea. If you hurt him, they will arrest you."

"Who said anything about hurting? I just told him that he'd better stop what he was doing, or he wouldn't like the consequences."

"Do you really expect that to work?"

"No," David admitted.

"Then why did you do it?"

"To buy me some time, I hope. I don't expect that it will stop him, but I am hoping he'll be nervous enough to wait until his nervousness goes away. That should give me at least a few extra days. I haven't yet come up with a way to catch him, so I need all the time I can get. I did come up with one suggestion, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't go for it."

"What is it?"

"Send the kids to stay with someone else for a couple weeks."

"No chance," Cat said. "I'm not getting someone else mixed up in this mess."

David nodded. "I didn't think you'd go for it."

Cat sighed, and then said, "I'm sorry to have to put this on you, David. You know I'm hopeless when it comes to dealing with Elliot, and Ben, bless him, does not have your skill with conflict resolution."

"Or, apparently, conflict endurance," David replied sourly.

"Now, come on," Cat said. "Let's not talk about him now. I don't want to go through all that again so soon."

"I'm sorry," David said. He took her hand and squeezed it in support, then let go. Cat snuggled close to him, and David wrapped his arm around her. They sat like that for a while, not talking.

Finally, Cat did move, sitting upright and turning herself to face David. He turned his head to look at her, wondering what was on her mind.

"I have to admit, there is something I've missed over the last year and a half."

"Hmm?" David replied, a bit confused.

In response, Cat moved closer to him and pressed her lips to his, running her hand softly along the side of his face. David quickly returned the kiss, and then Cat pressed her entire body against him. For a long moment, they stayed that way, their lips playing against each other. David turned his body, and then wrapped his arms around Cat, holding her against him.

Finally, they broke their kiss. David could clearly see the intent in Cat's eyes.

"Now, just what are you thinking, Professor?" David asked playfully.

Cat allowed herself to blush, in embarrassment and arousal.

"I'm thinking we should probably continue this in the bedroom," she said huskily.

David smiled, and then kissed her briefly, before letting her go and standing up. She stood with him, and they made their way down the hall to the bedroom. Cat closed the door as hastily as she could without waking the kids, and then she moved to David.

"I know this may seem really sudden, with Ben only gone a day," she said to David, "but I want to show my gratitude for all your help, and since this is no longer off-limits..."

David smiled at her as he pulled her close and kissed her again. His hands roamed her lower back as their lips entwined. Meanwhile, her hands were working on the buttons of his shirt. She had the shirt undone quickly, and pushed it roughly off David's shoulders. He let go of Cat long enough to get rid of the shirt, and by the time he'd managed that, she had his pants falling to the floor. She was far more careful as she got rid of his underwear, but soon enough, David was completely nude.

Cat's fingers encircled David's shaft, softly stroking him until he was completely hard, which didn't take very long. When she knew he was fully ready, she stepped back.

"Sit on the bed," she said quietly.

David sat down, and Cat knelt in front of him. He spread his legs to give her room, and she wrapped her soft fingers around his prick again. She licked around the head of his cock a few times, but then she lowered her mouth onto him, taking as much of him in as she could on her first try. She paused for a moment, to take a breath, and then she began to suck him in earnest, her head moving up and down rapidly as she applied suction to his cock.

David was in heaven, and he simply closed his eyes and let Cat do her work. He was trying to think of difficult potions recipes, in order to prolong his enjoyment, but he knew it wasn't going to work. Her lips felt so good against his shaft that he simply couldn't hold out.

"Going to cum," he grunted.

"Mm-hmm," Cat acknowledged, but did not stop anything she was doing.

In just a few more seconds, David came, spewing his load deep into Cat's mouth. She stopped moving at that point, but kept up the suction. She swallowed twice as he kept cumming, and didn't let loose of him for a long moment after he had finally stopped.

When Cat did finally free him from her pleasant grasp, she rose. She enjoyed the look of satisfaction on David's face, and she also saw the look of interest as she began to remove her own shirt. She neither rushed nor dawdled in the removal of her clothes. She knew that David would need a minute to recover, and she knew he'd enjoy watching her disrobe during that time.

Finally, once her clothes were gone and she stood before him naked, she moved over to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him, his head nicely resting between her breasts. He kissed the skin there, and she mewled.

After a short while, Cat stepped back from him, and she knelt again. She could see the curiosity in his eyes, but he didn't say anything as she reached out and took his dick in her hand. It was fully soft, but she could feel it beginning to stiffen under her touch already. She knew that her lips would bring it to full staff much more quickly.

Cat engaged David's prick once again, bobbing rapidly on him. In short order, his cock was just as hard as it had been before, and fully ready to fill her up.

Cat let loose of David, and then she moved to his side, crawling onto the bed and positioning herself in the middle of it. As David turned to look at her, she lifted her knees and spread her legs, making it entirely clear what she wanted.

David moved onto the bed and between Cat's legs. He wasted no time, but positioned the head of his cock at her opening, and slid easily into her hot, wet pussy. Cat moaned deeply as she felt him filling her.

When he'd buried his full length within her, David paused, and then he leaned down, pressing his body against Cat's and kissing her strongly on the mouth. As they kissed, he began to move his hips, sliding his cock in and out of her at a leisurely pace. Their tongues mingled as their bodies rocked back and forth. Even after they broke their kiss and David pushed himself up on his arms, he did not increase his pace very much. He looked into Cat's eyes, and saw how much she was enjoying their love-making. He saw no reason to change what was working.

As they coupled, David reached down to fondle Cat's breast, tweaking her nipple every once in a while. He could feel her pussy twitch whenever he did that, and she would mewl at him. Sensing that she was approaching an orgasm, David sped up slightly, and changed the angle of his penetration. Cat moaned in approval, her hips rolling against him to help him get as deep inside of her as possible.

In only a few more moments, Cat cried out in pleasure, her body shuddering as her climax washed over her. David slid fully inside of her and stopped, waiting for her to be finished. It took a good long time before she was ready for him to continue.

When she was present again, she smiled up at him.

"That was wonderful," she said.

"You think I'm done?" David asked incredulously.

"Well, I was hoping not, but..." Cat said with an impish smile.

David pulled slowly out of her pussy, causing Cat to frown. He said, "Roll over."

Cat smiled widely, and rolled onto her stomach. At David's direction, she put her knees under her, pushing her ass into the air, while her head still rested on the mattress. David moved in and slid his cock home into her pussy with no trouble at all.

David wasn't slow and smooth this time, however. Instead, he grabbed hold of Cat's hips and began to thrust hard and fast into her pussy. Cat cried out in surprise and pleasure as David set her pussy to tingling. She began to push herself back as David thrust into her, slamming his cock as deep into her cunt as it could possibly go.

The two continued to rut together this way for long moments, as Cat's body rose toward its peak. Finally, she buried her head in a pillow and screamed out loudly, her voice not entirely contained. David continued to slam into her throughout her orgasm, and he only stopped when she made it clear that it was too uncomfortable. David carefully withdrew from her, and sat beside her on the bed as her mind and body recovered from her climax.

After a few minutes, Cat was able to raise herself up on her arms, and she looked at David with the smile of a well-fucked woman.

David motioned her over, and she straddled his lap. She was a bit surprised when, as she sank downward, he positioned his cock to enter her. She didn't object, however; she loved the feel of him inside of her.

"I'd almost forgotten that this is something else that you're much better at than Ben was."

David smiled at her, and kissed her for the compliment. He began to very slowly rock his hips, sliding his dick in and out of her in short moves that were nevertheless slow and smooth. David ran his hands up Cat's body and began to fondle her breasts, cupping them and running his hands over them. She moaned softly at his touch.

"I did miss you, too," David told her. "But... you realize, all of our old problems are still here."

Cat shook her head in confusion. "What old problems?"

"You're still not comfortable dating someone so much younger, and I'm still not ready to raise kids."

Cat frowned for a second, but it was hard to stay too upset, with how good David was making her feel.

"I know. But, David... right now, I need you. I need your support, your determination. I can't do this alone."

"I know," David admitted.

"Please... for right now, can you be mine, if only for a little while? I won't even ask you to be monogamous."

"I will always be here for you, Cat. I just can't make any long-term promises about our relationship."

Cat kissed him passionately as they continued to couple. David's movements grew slightly faster, as he could feel himself approaching his final orgasm. Cat, sensing this, started to rock her hips, arousing him more and driving herself toward climax, as well.

When it happened, the two of them came together. Cat moaned, "Oh, David..." as her pussy clamped down on him as if it would never let him go.

The two sat, silent and unmoving, long after David's cock slid from within Cat's pussy. Finally, they moved just far enough to slide under the covers, and drift off to sleep in each other's arms.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Hey, where you been all weekend?" Flo asked. "I came over to your room to ask you for some help with Conjuring yesterday, but nobody'd seen you."

"Sorry," David said. "I had something to deal with off campus. I was gone all day yesterday, and most of Saturday."

"Something wrong?" Olissa asked. The three were walking toward their E&C class. They were well ahead of class time, so they were in no hurry.

"Nothing to worry about. I was helping out a friend."

"Hmm," Olissa said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" David asked.

"Just trying to figure out which 'friend' it was. Sam lives on campus someplace, so it wasn't her..."

David would have blushed, and Flo giggled.

"What makes you think it was a teacher?"

"Because if it was a student, you wouldn't be so hesitant to tell us who it is."

David had to bow to that logic, but he didn't say anything further.

"If I had to guess," Olissa said, "I would think Prof. Arpilla. She came and got you that day at lunch during Spring Break."

Flo nodded, smiling at David. "And she seemed like she needed help."

"It'd be a good idea not to go saying that to anyone else," David advised.

Flo snorted. "Who am I going to tell?"

"What's the big deal if you're dating another teacher?" Olissa asked. "I'm not sure anyone would even notice, at this point."

"It's not whether or not we're dating that's the issue. It's the stuff I'm helping her with that doesn't need to be made public."

"What's going on?" Flo asked, lowering her voice conspiratorially.

Olissa paused, and said, "Does this have something to do with why you became a reporter?"

"Yes," David replied. "The issue hasn't resolved itself yet, and I'm working to help her get things squared away. But her ex-husband is not making that easy."

Flo grew more serious. "So her ex is trying to take her kids away?"

"Yes. And doing so by trying to get her into trouble. If the situation went public, it could be very uncomfortable for Prof. Arpilla."

"So... last fall can't be the first time you've gotten involved in her life," Olissa prodded.

"No, it's not."

"When, then?" she asked.

David winced. "You were lying in a coma at the time."

"That long?" Olissa asked, dumbfounded. "That's a couple years now!"

"It was when her husband threw her out of the house. I don't want to go into details. She needed a friend, I was available... sort of."

"Sort of?" Flo asked, curious.

"Well, I was supposed to be watching over a sick friend at the time."

Olissa waved that off. "But... doesn't she have a boyfriend? I thought I saw some guy walking with her, and he wasn't a professor..."

"Had," David corrected. "And while he was around, I was not. Well, until her ex started giving her grief again. I promised to help her fight him, so I had to get involved again."

"So, let me get this straight," Flo said. "You're working on your classwork, prepping for your citizenship exam, trying to find the thief, and helping Prof. Arpilla?"

"You left out my weapons-carry exam, but yeah, that's about the size of it."

"No wonder you need multiple girlfriends. You're working yourself to death!" Flo let that sit for just a second, and then she turned a very interesting shade of purple. "Um... Awkward..."

David laughed at her and gave her a hug. "Don't worry about it, Flo. But thanks for the concern. I'll be okay."

"You say so."

"You know," Olissa said, once they started walking again, "thinking back on it, I did notice that your attitude toward Prof. Arpilla was different after that. It wasn't anything I could put a finger on, but it was noticeable. At least this explains your change in behavior."

"Well, generally," Flo said to her, "there's always a reason for a change in behavior."

David stopped dead in his tracks when Flo said that. He wasn't sure why; it wasn't a startling revelation, and he couldn't connect it with anything for several seconds. Finally, it clicked into place.

The thief changed his behavior with this last burglary. So... what changed for him? If we can find the change, we'll be that much closer to catching the asshole.

Flo and Olissa were both staring at David when he came out of his reverie.

"You okay?" Olissa asked, concerned.

"Yeah, just had a thought that I had to think through."

"Okay..." Olissa said, eyeing him. With that, the three carried on toward class.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"All right. You're all doing well with your attempts. No need to say it, I can hear the objections already. I am aware that no one has achieved a proper emotion sensor. You're not expected to be able to do it right off. This may take some time for you to truly grasp all of the mechanics of making this function properly. If you can even get your cube to recognize just one emotion, it will be a real coup, at this point.

"Anyway, that's all for today. We'll pick this up again next week. Feel free to practice on your own, but don't push yourselves too much. We've only got a few more weeks in the semester, and you're going to need all your wits about you for the final exam. Have a good evening, and we'll see you next time."

As the class packed up and moved out, David hung back. Once the other students had left, David turned to Prof. Zoroaster.

"Something I can do for you, David?"

"I hope so, Professor. I heard that you were certified in divinatory recording."

"Among other things, yes."

"Well, I was wondering if you could help me. I have a divinatory recorder, but it's the... well, the civilian model, which is open to tampering. I was wondering if you could further enchant it so that it is tamper-resistant. I know that none of them are tamper-proof, but I'm fighting someone who has used an anti-recognition hex in the past. Do you know how to 'upgrade' my recorder?"

"Yes, I do," Prof. Zoroaster acknowledged.

"Um... I guess I should ask this... Is it legal for me to possess one with the kind of blockbusting magic we're talking about?"

"Oh, surely. The reason they are not sold to the public has more to do with cost than the law. It is a very difficult enchantment to perform."

"Oh. Well, I was wondering, would you be willing to add the enchantment to mine?"

"No," Prof. Zoroaster said. He waited just long enough to see the expected look of shock appear on David's face. "I will not enchant it for you. I will, however, teach you how to do it yourself."

"Oh. But... um... if it's not done by a certified diviner, then it's not acceptable in court..."

"I will certify your work, assuming you do it right. Do you have class now?"

"Yes, I have to be in Sword and Staff in about thirty-five minutes."

"Hmm. That's not long enough. This evening?"

David frowned. "I guess I could cancel my apprenticeship with Prof. Blackstone..."

"No, no. How about tomorrow evening, then?"

"I'm free then."

"Okay. Come here tomorrow evening at seven. Expect this to take several hours."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, Professor."

"No problem, David. David, do you plan to continue on with Divination?"

"I thought there were no classes after this one," David replied, confused. "You're not asking me to apprentice, are you?"

Prof. Zoroaster smiled. "No, not that. In fact, there are no guilds for divination. The subject is too... well, subjective. It's much too hard to determine mastery of the entire spectrum. What we have are some trade associations, and one government office, which test and certify specific aspects of divination."

"Oh. Well, then, if there are no apprenticeships, and no more classes, how would I continue? I guess I could take some of the different forms..."

"As an upperclassman, you are expected to do directed study. This is work done outside of a class, where you have meetings with a professor occasionally. I choose to do them once a week. During that meeting, you ask questions, discuss your progress, and outline your goals for the immediate future. It allows you to pursue exactly the topics that interest you most."

"Oh, I see. I remember my friends talking about something like that, but I didn't really grasp the importance of it, I guess."

"I would like to see you continue on with your divination studies. Prof. Dartson and I both believe you're one of our top three or four students right now."

"Well, I'm flattered. I really haven't made my plans for next year yet. I've been too busy with everything else. But I will certainly give it serious thought."

"That's all I can ask. I'll see you tomorrow evening."

"Yes, sir. Thank you again, Professor."

"No problem."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David was sucking hard on his pixie stick as he knocked on the door. It was his second one since Cat's call. Agent Norton opened the door.

"We were expecting your arrival," he said. "Come on in."

David reached up and retrieved his recorder before he entered the apartment. When he did, the smell nearly knocked him over.

"Ugh. Once again, I'm glad I don't have to breathe," David said.

"Right now, I envy you," Agent Norton told him.

"I'm gathering that the claim this time has something to do with that god-awful stench?"

"That stench," one of the CSB agents said, "Is meat that has been rotting in this house for days."

"No, I don't think so," David said.

"Oh?" the other CSB agent said dubiously.

"Well, I was here on Sunday, and the house was clean. That smell didn't come from something only two days old."

"Your testimony cannot be believed. You are clearly in a relationship with this woman," the first CSB agent said.

David shrugged, then turned his back on the men. They looked abashed at suddenly being ignored.

David set his recorder down on the coffee table, and opened the cover. He wrote some instructions in the box, and waited.

"What do you expect that to tell us?" one of the CSB agents asked. "It was a blur last time. Surely, even if someone was here, it will be a blur this time, as well."

"I've upgraded this recorder since then," David replied.

Sure enough, the recorder soon showed a strange man approach the front of the apartment. Suddenly, a large box appeared in his hands. He set the box down, and then crouched over it. For a long time, he waved his hands back and forth. It was difficult to see into the box, so they couldn't be absolutely sure of what he was doing. However, once he was finished, he stood up and walked off, leaving the box on the front lawn.

"I didn't see a box out there," Agent Norton said.

"Neither did I," the CSB agent agreed.

"And there's why," David said, motioning to the playback, which showed one of the children from the complex coming over and picking up the box, then carrying it off.

"That's Adam. He lives upstairs," Garrett told them.

"The man in the picture is not Mr. Arpilla," Agent Norton said to David.

"A smart move on his part. He hired someone to do the job, or got one of his current employees to do it."

"Too bad you can't prove that," the CSB agent said.

"Yes, I can," Cat said. "The man's name is Jay Carney. He's worked for my husband for years, as a warehouse manager."

The CSB agent had little to say to that. David said, "Agent Norton, it's possible that you might be able to pick up some trace of the conjuring done by Mr. Carney."

Norton shook his head. "I don't have that skill."

"How do we know that this isn't a cleverly concocted lie? You said you upgraded this device, which means its images are suspect."

"The device has been certified by a professional diviner. His mark is on the back panel."

The CSB agent turned the recorder over, to see Prof. Zoroaster's mark emblazoned prominently. After that, he had nothing to say to David.

"Well, this certainly does put things in a somewhat different light," Agent Norton said.

"You think so?" the other CSB agent asked dryly.

"Even you have to admit this event, at the least, was clearly a frame job. It also stands to reason that, given the otherwise immaculate nature of this home, that the other instances were most likely concocted, as well."

"Conjecture," the first CSB agent snapped.

"Ed, you've got conjecture on the brain. Guess what? Your job is to make a judgment call. Now, unless you expect her to actually abuse her children right in front of you, your entire job is based on informed conjecture."

"I don't need you to tell me how to do my job!" Ed snapped.

"You sure as hell need somebody," David replied.

Ed wheeled on David. "Now listen here-"

"No, you listen!" David shouted back. "I'm sick and tired of listening to your bullshit. You talk about facts like they are the end all and be all of a case. The fact is that the facts in front of you are being faked. You live in a world of magic, and yet you act as if no one has the ability to make things appear to be other than the truth! How colossally fuck-headed do you have to be to not understand the nature of what you're actually supposed to be doing? You try to shove your duty off onto the magistrate, and piously claim that what you're doing is only collecting facts, and not making any judgment... except that the very fact that you don't bring every case to a magistrate means that you are making a judgment call! You are formulating an opinion. You are engaging in conjecture, as you call it. The problem is that you are so fixated on the very specific facts of the incidents that you are completely overlooking the surrounding facts of the situation in which the incidents take place!"

"I'm confused," the other CSB agent said.

"Look," David said, trying to calm himself down. "Okay, you've come out here several times, and each time, something has been wrong. Something you have been told about in detail by an anonymous tipster. Okay, so, yes, you have found what I guess would be considered a violation. But in each case, you failed to note that all of the other indicators of child welfare were normal. The apartment was messy, but the children were well fed, adequately clothed, and in good health. Then, the apartment was full of bugs, but was perfectly neat and tidy. You had one child show injuries, which even he couldn't explain, but at the same time, the apartment was completely clean and well kept, with the exception of one jar of substance which had been accidentally left here. I stipulate that the jar of Rainbow Glaze was the only legitimate infraction you've found. This rotting meat is the only thing wrong in this house right now. Does this make any logical sense to you? Is it reasonable that she would leave exactly one thing wrong in her house, so you could catch it?"

Agent Norton tried to hide his smirk. "I was told you were sharp."

Ed said incredulously, "You believe him?"

Norton said, "His argument is very compelling. Mostly, I want to go talk with Mr. Carney."

"What happens now?" Cat asked.

The other CSB agent said, "With evidence of someone else planting this meat, we will have to do a further investigation before we can make a determination. However, if it turns out that this recording is a fabrication, or that you had anything to do with this meat, we will begin removal procedures."

"I understand," Cat said, trying to keep her voice under tight control.

Norton said, "I'll need your recorder. It will be returned to you after we've made a copy of the recording."

David nodded, and handed it over. Cat showed them to the door, and then she came back and collapsed in David's arms.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David and Flo had just emerged from the lunch room when David was stopped by Kippy.

"David Stroud?" she asked out of sheer habit.

"Nope. Jacob Marley," David replied. Flo giggled, and Kippy raspberried David. Once they'd both settled, David asked, "What's the dean need today?"

Kippy said, "She'd like to see you in her office when you have a free moment."

"On my way," David said, and Kippy popped out of existence. To Flo, David said, "I guess I'll see you later."

Flo nodded and waved. "Toodles."

David made his way up to Beckett Hall, and into the dean's office.

"Go on in," Tracy said, smiling at him. David nodded politely to her, and then knocked on the door, entering when bidden.

"Good afternoon, David," the dean greeted.

"Hey. Kippy said you wanted to see me."

"Yes. I have some news for you. Also, I was asked to return this." She handed over David's recorder.

David took it, and conjured it into his Conjuring Room. "Since you had that, may I assume your news has something to do with Prof. Arpilla?"

Dean Lengel snorted. "When was the last time you called her that?"

David grinned. "There's how I address her, and what I call her to others," David said.

"Uh-huh. Anyway, yes. The Child Safety Board has cleared Cat of any wrongdoing. They had a long talk with Jay Carney, and then with Elliot Arpilla. Elliot's hearing is next Tuesday. You will need to be there. I have already informed your instructors that you will be absent."

"Oh. Okay. Where is the hearing being held?"

"In Bolmont, at the courthouse, at eleven o'clock. You should probably be there a little early."

"Okay."

"And... on a personal note, I want to thank you for helping out. Cat has really needed your help over the last several months, and, though you've not told me anything about what's been going on, I know you've taken on quite a bit of extra work to try to make her life easier."

"Well, it wasn't a school matter," David explained.

Dean Lengel nodded. "Not everything we talk about has to be a school matter, but that's not the point. The point is you did something very honorable for her, and I want to thank you for that."

"I did what needed doing," David replied. "I got sucked into the middle of this mess a couple years ago when Elliot threw her out of the house. Ever since, I've felt the need to look out for her."

"I'm sure she appreciates that. And it has allowed me to keep one of my instructors sane, and I appreciate that."

David chuckled.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you. You have a way to get to Bolmont on Tuesday?"

"Yes, I have a glidecar."

"Oh, very nice. The school doesn't have any of those yet."

"I hope you don't get any," David admitted.

Dean Lengel looked at him strangely. "Why not?"

"Because I like pegs," he admitted.

Dean Lengel laughed. "I doubt that the glidecars will ever replace the pegs entirely. Pegs can fly over obstacles, after all."

"Good point."

"Good luck with the hearing."

"Thanks." David turned to go, but then he turned back. "Emile, do you have a minute? There's something I'd like to discuss."

"Since you addressed me correctly, I even have two minutes," she said with a smile, motioning him to sit down.

David sat, and then he said, "I've been presented with an opportunity that I'm not sure I should take. It would mean more responsibilities for me... but it would also mean more prestige, plus doing something I think is worthwhile."

"Okay... I can see why that would be a tough choice to make. Can you tell me the specifics?"

"Madame Abernathy has asked me to be her co-petitioner in the formation of a Pegasus Riding Guild."

"Really," Dean Lengel said. "I didn't know she was thinking about such a thing."

"I think the results of this year's Peg Riding Club have impressed upon her just how much more useful a riding guild would be over one of the care guilds in taking care of the pegs. One of the things that's been made obvious over the last several months is that pegs need to be flown. They thrive best when they are being put to work. Madame Abernathy says that the peg herd here at the school is the healthiest it has been in ages, and she believes it's due to the riding club."

Dean Lengel nodded in understanding. "It makes sense. The pegs are one of the few companion creatures we use in such a work role. The other companion animals which are regularly cared for by the animal caregivers such as Madame Abernathy are mostly familiars, and they don't do work, they just advise their wizards. So it does stand to reason that the pegs perhaps ought to be treated differently.

"I'm not sure exactly how this is a dilemma for you, however. If you agree with what she's doing, what's the issue?"

"As co-petitioner, I would also be co-chair of the guild, in the beginning. Madame Abernathy expects that we would remain co-chairs for quite some time. As a new guild, I imagine that there would be a great deal of initial activity that would have to take place. We would have to find or build a guildhall, set down bylaws, get everything accepted by the king, and then start to gain members, as well as finding pegs to bond with..."

"I don't understand that last part," Dean Lengel admitted.

"One of the things we've discovered from the riding club is that pegs bond with their riders, and once bonded, they really don't like to have other people on their backs. They will accept them, but they're not as happy about it."

"I would have thought you'd already bonded with Cupcake," Dean Lengel said with a grin.

"Well... but Cupcake belongs to the school," David said.

"I'm sure arrangements could be made on that account," Dean Lengel said. "But, back to the primary issue. You're concerned about the amount of work involved."

"Yes. Since I'm still in the middle of my schooling, I'm worried that I won't have the time necessary to devote to the guild."

"Has Madame Abernathy filed any paperwork yet?"

"No. She's still waiting for my answer."

Dean Lengel nodded. "Then perhaps what the two of you should do is to get all of this initial work done before filing the petition. In that way, there would be no time crunch, and you would be able to devote whatever time to it that you could, without impacting your schoolwork too much.

"On the other hand, given that you start your directed studies next year, your time will not be nearly so rigidly controlled. If the riding guild is important to you, then you could, perhaps, simply slow your progress in other courses in order to make time for it."

"I hadn't considered that. But wouldn't that hurt my schooling?"

"It would impact how much you've learned by the time you leave here. But, understand that there is no set amount of information you have to learn through directed study. So long as your professors believe you are making appropriate progress, no one will question things."

"Oh. So, if I treated the riding guild like a class..."

"Then you would - probably - do just fine."

David nodded. "Well, thank you for talking with me. It certainly gives me some more to think about."

"Good luck. Oh... there was one thing I'd like to ask you about, since we are now speaking personally..."

David sat back down. "What's on your mind?"

"I've noticed that you and Prof. Qwellyn are no longer meeting for your training sessions. I often saw the two of you in the greenhouses together on Sundays... but no longer. Prof. Qwellyn wouldn't tell me what had happened. Is there a problem?"

"Nothing you need to worry over," David said. "It's just a personal issue. There was a growing issue between us that, when we finally discussed it, it made things even more uncomfortable. It's one of those cases where talking about things only made them worse."

Dean Lengel made a comment to David, but he didn't hear her. His mind was racing with a new thought. Something had just occurred to him, and his only hope was that his suspicion was misguided.

"David?" Dean Lengel asked.

David shook his head clear. "I'm sorry, my mind wandered. What did you say?"

Dean Lengel smiled at him. "I asked if there was anything I could do to help with Prof. Qwellyn."

"No, but thank you for asking. That one's just going to have to work itself out. Anyway, I should really let you get back to work. Thanks for the advice."

Dean Lengel nodded. "Good luck with everything."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Where are you off to?" Jim asked David. David was wearing his dress uniform, so it was clear he was up to something.

"I have to go to a hearing in Bolmont."

"For what?"

"I'd rather not say. Someone else you know is involved, and I don't want to spread any rumors."

"Uh... whatever. Anyway, I gotta get going. Good luck on your hearing."

"Thanks," David said, settling his coat on his shoulders.

After Jim left the room, Jailla said, "You look nervous."

"I am. I'm not sure exactly how this hearing is going to go. I'm not even sure what the hearing is really about."

"We'll just have to see when we get there," Jailla said.

"Actually, I don't want you to go with me," David said.

"Oh?"

"No, there's something I need you to do for me while I'm gone." David explained on, letting Jailla in on his suspicion, and what he wanted Jailla to do. Once he'd finished explaining, David asked, "Can you do it?"

"I can't guarantee anything, but I can try," Jailla said.

David nodded. "Okay, well, let's get going, then."

-----

David arrived at the courthouse in Bolmont at 10:30. He parked his glidecar on a side street, and enacted a repulsion charm, which would prevent anyone from getting into the glidecar. He straightened his coat, and then he walked over to the courthouse, walking up the steps and through the large wood doors which led to the two-story foyer, with floor and columns of marble.

Cat and her lawyer were standing to one side, talking. Elliot and his lawyer were on the other side of the hall. The kids were present, but they were merely sitting on a bench, fidgeting. David walked over to Cat.

"Good morning," he said to her.

Cat gave him a hug, and a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you're here," she told him. "This is Christine Sullivan, court aide."

David shook the woman's hand while he asked, "Court aide? I thought you were a lawyer."

"Dugerran equivalent," she explained. "Rather than have the lawyers argue for the people involved, we act merely as advisors on the law."

"So you don't do the actual questioning?"

"No. Either you or Cat will have to do that."

"Me?" David asked, surprised.

"I've listed you as a potential questioner. You don't have to ask any questions, but you're so much better at this than I am, I wanted to give you the opportunity, if you wanted it," Cat explained.

David nodded. "If you can list someone as a questioner, what prevents someone from just listing their court aide as questioner?"

"The law prevents us from acting as questioner unless the case actually involves us," Christine explained.

"Okay... now, I guess I should ask this, then. What, exactly, is this hearing about? I didn't think Elliot had actually broken any laws with his harassment..."

"Harassment is, actually, a violation of the law," Christine corrected. "But beyond that, he filed several false reports with the government."

"Did he? I mean, what he claimed to the CSB was, in fact, the truth... it's just that he was the one who caused it to be that way."

"Except that his reports to the government specifically blamed Cat for those events."

David nodded. "Okay, I get it."

The three continued to talk until the court clerk came out and called them into the courtroom. This room looked more like an Earth court, with the magistrate sitting behind a raised desk, with a chair for witnesses off to one side. Two tables provided places for the two parties to sit, and there were a few rows of seats, which remained empty for this proceeding.

David ushered Garrett and Angela up to the front, directing them to seats at one table. He sat next to them, and Christine sat on the other side of him. Cat sat on the other side of her.

Everyone rose when the magistrate walked in. This magistrate was more than familiar to David at this point.

"Be seated," he said. "Good morning, counselors," he said to the two court aides. "Mr. and Mrs. Arpilla... and good morning, Mr. Stroud," the magistrate said.

"Good morning, Your Honor," they all said together.

"Okay, so today we are to hear the case of Arpilla and The Crown v. Arpilla, concerning harassment, and the custody of the two Arpilla children, Garrett and Angela. Mr. Arpilla is accused of harassing Mrs. Arpilla, causing undue discomfort in the home, and filing false reports to the Child Safety Board in regards to the conditions in Mrs. Arpilla's home, where the children have been residing. Mr. Arpilla has filed a counterclaim that Mrs. Arpilla's lifestyle isn't conducive to the proper raising of children.

"We will start with Mr. Arpilla's claim. Mr. Arpilla, do you have an opening statement?"

Mr. Arpilla rose. "Yes, Your Honor. It is my assertion that Catherine has had a series of boyfriends since our divorce, and that her home life is entirely too unstable to provide a proper home for our children."

David quietly asked a question of Christine, who nodded. David said, "Objection, Your Honor."

"Already?" the magistrate replied with a smile. "What is your objection?"

"My objection is that the man has already lied to the court."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Since their divorce, Catherine Arpilla has had either one or two boyfriends, depending on how you define the term. The first was myself, and I'm not sure I qualify as a true boyfriend because, although we have been intimate, our relationship is not actually romantic in nature. The second was Ben Marland, a man she was romantically involved with for a year and a half. That relationship ended less than a month ago, and its termination was entirely due to Elliot Arpilla's interference in their lives. Since their breakup, there have been no other boyfriends. I fail to see how even two constitutes 'a series of boyfriends', Your Honor."

The magistrate sat back and thought for a second. After a moment, he turned to Elliot. "Can you back up your claim of multiple boyfriends, Mr. Arpilla?"

"The man just admitted to the fact that Catherine is non-monogamous," Elliot said.

"I did?" David blurted out.

"You just stated that Catherine was dating you and this Ben at the same time!" Elliot insisted.

"No, I did not. Either you have a hearing problem, or you are intentionally trying to mislead the court. Not that I think His Honor is nearly as stupid as you would apparently take him for."

"Perhaps you could clarify, Mr. Stroud, the exact nature of your relationship with Mrs. Arpilla?" the magistrate asked.

"Your Honor, as you know, I first became involved with Cat when Elliot threw her out of the house two years ago. Since that time, I have felt the need to look out for her, as a close friend and as someone who, from time to time, has needed my help. At no time have I considered her my girlfriend, though, as I said, we have occasionally been intimate. However, at no time during her relationship with Ben Marland were she and I ever intimate with each other, beyond a friendly hug or kiss. Was I still a part of her life? Yes. I remained her friend, visiting with her and Ben at various times for dinner or lunch, just to keep in touch, and also, Your Honor, to keep me aware of what Elliot was trying to do to wreck her life."

"Objection!" Elliot said. "He can't prove that!"

"Actually, I think I can, Mr. Arpilla. In fact, I think I did a very nice job of it in the article I wrote for the Gorumshead Crier." Christine held up a copy of the article in question. David was surprised she had that. "Further, if necessary, I'm willing to bet we could get Dean Lengel down here to testify to how many times you called the school to make harassing complaints against Cat."

"I have an affidavit here from the school outlining the times and the subjects of every call," Christine offered.

"So, again, Mr. Arpilla, I think that I can back up my claim that you were trying to wreck Cat's life."

"Okay, that's enough," the magistrate said. He was clearly more amused than annoyed. "Mr. Arpilla, do you have any witnesses to call to back up your counterclaim of improper lifestyle?"

"No, Your Honor," Elliot admitted.

"Very well. In that case, I'm dismissing your counterclaim as baseless. We shall now move on to Mrs. Arpilla's claims of harassment, and the government's charge of false reporting. Mrs. Arpilla, do you have an opening statement?"

"Your Honor, Elliot's behavior has cost me a boyfriend, has caused me many sleepless nights, and it is his accusations that have made our home life unstable. He has made not just my life miserable, but also the lives of our children, of my ex-boyfriend, and of my friend, David. But the specifics of the harassment claim are linked directly to the number of times that Elliot has made false accusations to the government, so it is my suggestion that we go ahead and present that case. It is my assertion that proving the number of false reports will likewise prove my charge of harassment."

The magistrate nodded. "Most likely. Very well. As this charge is leveled by the government, I shall handle the questioning directly. First, I have a report here of every 'anonymous call' made to the Child Safety Board. I would like to call Agent Ed Noyes to the stand, please."

David turned, to see the two CSB agents, plus Rimohr Agent Norton, in the back. He hadn't heard them come in.

For the next hour, the magistrate interviewed the parties involved in the government's case. Finally, he called David to the stand.

"All right, Mr. Stroud. We've heard from Mrs. Arpilla, and the children. Now, let's hear your telling of events."

"Well, Your Honor, I wasn't made aware of the problem until after the first two visits from Child Safety. Once I was made aware, I had Cat call me each time there was a problem. When she would call, I would come down from the school and see if I could help out. In a few cases, there was nothing I could really do except try to correct Agent Noyes' attitude problem."

"Attitude problem?" the magistrate asked.

David grinned. "Sorry, Your Honor, it's not really relevant to the case. It's just that Agent Noyes has a singular fixation on facts over truth."

"I see. You say you were called down 'when there was a problem.' Can you be more specific?"

"Your Honor, each time a call was made to the CSB, some change had been made to Cat's apartment. I was called as soon as the change was discovered, because we all knew it meant the CSB was on its way."

"And do you have any way to verify when you were called down? Because it seems like it could be possible that you were there for a long time, just hanging around."

David thought for a long moment, then finally said, "Actually, Your Honor, yes, I can prove when I was called down. You see, due to some thefts that are going on up at the Academy, I had the Rimohrs place a trace on me. They have been tracking my whereabouts for months. So, if the court thinks it's necessary, I'm sure that Agent Norton back there could display for you my location on every one of these days."

The magistrate smiled. "Well, okay, then. I don't feel it's necessary, I just wondered what you'd say. Now, how did you come to prove to the CSB that Elliot Arpilla was involved?"

"I used a divinatory recorder. The first time I tried this, it was clear that the person who was planting the evidence in Cat's apartment was using some kind of anti-recognition magic, because the recorder showed his figure as blurry, while his surroundings were clear."

"How did you overcome this problem?"

"I had a certified diviner upgrade my recorder so that it could break through such anti-recognition magic. The next time we made a recording, it clearly showed a man that Cat identified as Jay Carney, an employee of Elliot Arpilla. After that, I don't know exactly what happened. The next thing I heard about was when Dean Lengel told me I needed to be at this hearing."

Elliot stood up at this point. "You failed to tell him that you threatened me, Stroud."

The magistrate looked at David. "Threatened?"

"Once again, he is trying to mislead the court. I never threatened him. I did warn him, however. What I told him was that if he didn't stop doing what he was doing, things would go badly for him. Well, he didn't stop doing what he was doing, and look where he is. I wouldn't exactly call this 'things going well,' would you, Your Honor?"

The magistrate chuckled. "He has a point, Mr. Arpilla. You have once again failed to realize what is required for something to actually be a threat. Mr. Stroud, do you have anything else to add?"

"No, Your Honor. I could give you my opinion of Elliot Arpilla, but I think you already know it, and it's hardly relevant, anyway."

The magistrate smiled. "Very well. You may step down."

David returned to the table and sat.

"Does anyone else have anything to add to this proceeding?" The magistrate waited for several seconds, but no one spoke. "Very well. In that case, Mr. Arpilla, I hereby find you guilty of filing false reports to the Callamandian government, by way of anonymous calls made by you to the Child Safety Board. I further find you guilty of conspiracy to defraud the government, by involving Mr. Carney in acts designed to make your calls look legitimate. Finally, I find for Mrs. Arpilla on her claim of harassment, as your illegal acts certainly caused significant disruption to the lives of her and her loved ones.

"Does anyone have anything to say before sentence is passed?"

David rose. "Your Honor?"

The magistrate nodded in acknowledgment.

"I'm not sure what the normal punishment for Mr. Arpilla's crimes would be, but I would like to offer an alternate sentence."

"The normal punishment would be time in a wizarding prison, not to exceed two years. What do you wish to offer as an alternative?"

"Your Honor, though I personally think the man deserves to spend the time in prison, I fear that, when he got out, the problems he has caused would return. I would like to suggest that, instead of prison, Mr. Arpilla be forced to legally relinquish his parental rights to Garrett and Angela, so that neither he nor his parents would have any legal authority or standing whatsoever over them."

"Explain how you feel this is more appropriate," the magistrate ordered.

"Your Honor, what Mr. Arpilla has been trying to do is to get the children put into his custody, and remove Cat from their lives. This would turn the tables on him completely, which is, at the very least, highly ironic, if not true justice. More to the point, by removing any rights he or his family have to the children, it makes harassing Cat much less worthwhile. In order for Mr. Arpilla to regain control of the children under these circumstances would, at the very least, require him to get a whole other family involved in his conspiracy."

The magistrate sat back. "You've thought this out, haven't you?" he asked.

"Yes, Your Honor. I've been trying to figure out how to get rid of Elliot Arpilla for a couple years now. Removing his parental rights is the only option I've found that has any real hope for success. Prison, I'm afraid, will only make him both bitter and more antagonistic when he is released."

The magistrate sat back, and thought for a long moment. Finally, he said, "Does anyone else wish to comment?" After a short pause, the magistrate continued, "It is so ordered. Elliot Arpilla, your parental rights to Garrett and Angela Arpilla are hereby rescinded in their totality. Neither you, nor any member of your family, shall have any further legal rights or authority where these children are concerned. Further, you are hereby ordered to sever all contact with both the children, and Catherine Arpilla, in perpetuity. If this court should find that you have violated this order by any means, you will face a contempt charge. And, to borrow a phrase from Mr. Stroud, it will go badly for you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Elliot said, defeated.

"Very well. This court is adjourned."

Everyone got up at that point. Elliot moved quickly out of the room, leaving his court aide sitting at the table. Cat got up and hugged David strongly.

"Thank you so much!" Cat told him. "I couldn't have done this without you! How can I ever repay you?"

"I'll think of something," he said with a raised eyebrow. Cat blushed and smiled at him.

"Christine, thank you for all your help," Cat said.

Christine snorted. "He did most of the work. Congratulations. If you have any more problems, contact me, and I'll notify the magistrate on your behalf."

"Thank you," Cat said. Christine packed up her papers and left, and then Cat turned to David. "Let's go to lunch."

-----

David made it back to the school just before dinnertime. Jailla was not in the room, and so David headed out to find him. As David made his way up to the terrace, Jailla, who had been waiting for him, flew over to his shoulder.

"How did your hearing go?" Jailla asked.

"Best possible outcome," David said. "Elliot lost his rights to the kids. How about you? Were you able to talk to her?"

"Yes, and you need to move rather quickly."

"Why?"

Jailla told him.

"Fuck. I was hoping I was wrong."

"Unfortunately not."

"Shit."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"I'm not sure how to follow him without being seen," David said to Joe. "I can turn invisible, but that would invalidate any testimony I could give in court."

"Luckily, there is an ignorance spell," Joe said.

"As a thief, he's already pretty ignorant, isn't he?"

Joe chuckled. "Okay, I guess a better term would be an 'ignore-me' spell. It's a hex you can use to prevent someone from noticing your presence. You're not invisible, you're just ignored. You still have to try to keep your distance, though. The spell won't work if you're too obvious. I mean, he won't ignore you if you stand in front of him, or try to talk to him, or something like that."

"Right. Okay, so I'll carry the recorder, because the trace you guys have on me will guarantee an accurate position fix for the recorder. That way, we get the whole thing."

"Except whatever he does inside."

"Right. Well, we can't have everything."

Joe nodded. "Let's get going."

David and Joe moved out. They knew where their target was at the moment, as he was in class. Once they got outside of the class, Joe enacted the ignore-me hex on the both of them. They stood down the hall, so they could watch the door to the classroom without being too obvious. In only a few minutes, the class came to an end. Their target was in the middle of the crowd that came out the door. He wasn't talking or joking with anyone, and in fact, he looked a bit nervous, his head up and looking around.

Their target walked right by them without paying them any attention, proving that the ignore-me hex was working quite well. They started off after him without delay; they didn't want to lose him in the crowd.

Joe and David followed him to the lunch room, where he sat down with friends. They sat down across the room, but with a clear line of sight to their suspect. They ordered lunch so as not to appear out of the ordinary, but they didn't say much to each other.

After lunch was over, they followed the suspect back to his own dorm room, where he apparently picked up the books he needed for his next class.

"I hope this isn't a waste of time," David said.

"Your information seemed pretty solid," Joe replied. "But you didn't find out when during the day he'd be committing the theft."

"That's true. I just can't believe it's him."

"We'll find out soon enough."

Their suspect walked to his next class. They peeked in, to see him studying while he waited for class to start. They found a place where they could sit down; it was going to be a long wait.

Two and a half hours later, class let out. David and Joe were standing up, out of the way. Their target was taller than most students, making him easy to spot. They followed him back to his dorm room once again. This time he dropped off his books, and picked up his familiar.

"Maybe now," David said, keeping his voice low.

"Probably."

The suspect made his way to the third floor of Phoenix Dorm. He set his familiar on the floor, and then pulled out his wand. He muttered a spell, which they could not hear from where they were, but the effect was obvious. The familiar shrank to about half its normal size. The suspect then picked up the familiar and carried it over to an air conditioning duct. He looked around for anyone watching, and then he quickly opened the duct grate. He had clearly loosened the fasteners at some point in the past. He said something to his familiar, and then lifted it into the duct, which he quickly closed behind the familiar.

The suspect stepped over to one of the doors and knocked on it, checking to see if anyone was home. He knocked a second time, but this time in a pattern. With that, they heard the doorknob turn, and shortly the door was opened.

"So that's how he's been getting in," Joe said.

"Yeah. The motherfucker."

After the door closed, they both moved to either side of the door. Joe dissolved the ignore-me hex; it wouldn't be necessary at this point. Now, they waited. They knew that it wouldn't take him too long to take the few items that he was going to take.

They were right. In only a couple minutes, the doorknob turned. They were both far enough back from the door that they would not easily be seen. Once the suspect stepped out of the room, however, the time had come.

"Don't move," Joe said. "Rimohrs."

The suspect turned, as if to flee, but he faced the crackling energy coming off the end of David's wand. He looked past the wand to see the barely controlled rage on David's face.

"Give me a reason, Gillenham," David growled lowly.

Jim slowly set down his backpack, and then raised his hands. David reached into Jim's coat and took his wand. At that, he lowered his own wand.

"He's all yours, Joe."

"Hands behind your back," Joe told him. Jim's eyes remained locked on David. David's face was a mask of rage. Jim's look was more inscrutable. Neither said anything to the other as Joe performed the handcuff hex. Once that was finished, David handed over Jim's wand to Joe, and then picked up the bag of stolen goods. Melissa, who had apparently been returned to full size inside the dorm room, climbed up David's body, and he held her gently, while continuing to stare daggers at Jim.

"Come on," Joe said.

"Who else was involved?" David demanded finally.

Joe looked at him curiously. "What makes you think there was another thief?"

"Not another thief. But you've already searched our room, so you know the stolen items aren't in there. That means they're somewhere else, which means someone else is involved. Who is it?"

Jim considered keeping quiet, but he was truly afraid of David at that moment. He said, quietly, "It was all Sherry's idea."

"Sherry?" Joe asked.

"His girlfriend," David said.

"Room number?" Joe asked.

Jim told him.

"Let's go, then."

-----

"Hey, David... you look like hell," Gwen said.

"What's the matter?" Olissa asked, concerned.

"We caught the thief," David said.

"And that's a bad thing?" Simon asked, stuffing his mouth full of lasagna.

"Who was it?" Gwen wanted to know.

"It was Jim."

"What?" Gwen nearly shouted.

"My own fucking roommate," David said, his anger still boiling. "The person I thought was one of my best friends was trying to frame me for burglary all fucking year long."

"Why?" Olissa wanted to know.

"I don't know. He's blaming it on his girlfriend. I don't know what the fuck is really going on. All I know is I couldn't find a fucking thief when he was living in the same dorm room with me."

Gwen put her hand on David's arm. "None of us saw it, David."

"None of you were looking as hard as I was," he replied.

"True, but still, he was obviously working hard at not getting caught."

"Hmph," David said, and dug into his Salisbury steak.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David whirled, spinning his staff fast and hard. Brock wasn't able to block fast enough, and he went tumbling to the floor, holding his arm.

"Stroud! Enough!" Prof. Teller called out, coming over. "This is the second person you've injured today. Clearly your mind is not focused on the control you need in order to spar properly. I think you really need to get yourself under control. I realize that you cannot cause serious injury in here, but if you continue to allow yourself this kind of hyper-aggressive attack style, when you use these skills in the real world, you will end up killing people without intending to, and that will certainly wind you in hot water."

David slumped, letting his staff end rest on the floor. "Yes, sir. Sorry, Professor. I'm trying to work through an issue, and I'm unfortunately taking it out on my classmates. Sorry, Brock," David said, helping him to his feet.

"It's okay... but I don't think I want to spar with you for a while."

"Luckily for you, David, there isn't much more sparring in this class. We'll be doing skills review for most of next class, and all of the one after that. Then we have the final. I'd advise you to do some hard thinking, or you're not going to do well on your final exam. The kind of undisciplined outbursts you've been showing in this class are simply not acceptable."

"Yes, sir. I know. Again, I'm sorry."

"Very well. Go ahead and step to the side. You can take a break for the rest of class."

"Yes, sir."

David retracted his staff and put it in its pouch as he walked across the gym floor. He slumped down on a bench. Though it had been several days since he had caught Jim stealing from someone's dorm room, he had yet to come to terms with the situation. The betrayal was more than stinging; David felt as though he had been incompetent in not seeing Jim for what he was sooner.

Once class had ended, David showered, changed, and made his way back to his dorm room. It now really was his dorm room. Jim was currently being held in the Bolmont jail, waiting for his hearing before the magistrate. David would have to be involved in that hearing, since he'd been so involved in the case itself. As he walked, David stuck a pixie stick in his mouth, sucking on it hard to get the slight relief it provided from the strain he was under.

David was putting away his textbooks, which he'd had in his Conjuring Room, when the knock came at the door. He sighed, and then walked over to open it. On the other side was a girl named Terry. She was one of the victims of Jim's thievery.

"Hi, David," she said. "Can I come in a minute?"

"Sure," David said, stepping aside and letting her in.

Terry walked in and then turned around. "I wanted to thank you for getting my talisman back. That was a very important family heirloom."

"Sorry it took so long," David said.

"No problem on that. So long as I got it back, and it wasn't damaged or anything, I'm happy."

"Wish I could say the same," David replied, frowning.

Terry frowned. "I know, it sucks, right? Your own roommate turns out to be such an asshole. It's not your fault he was a shit, David."

"No. Just my fault for not catching him quicker."

"Fuck that," she said. "You did your best, I'm quite sure. You're not exactly known for slacking off."

David smirked at that. "Thanks."

"Anyway, I just wanted to come down and say thank you, and give you this." She handed him a small wooden box. David opened it, and found inside a ball made of clear crystal, filled with what looked like a red mist. David set the box down on the table and pulled out the ball.

"What is it?" David asked, turning it over in his hands curiously.

"It's the Dalmajak Cynosure," Terry said. Seeing the completely expected look of consternation on David's face, she said, "A cynosure is a... like a compass. It guides you."

"How?" David asked. "All I see is a mist."

"You have to think of a specific object or person that you're looking for. It can't be anything vague. You can't, for instance, ask it for 'the best ice cream in town'. It can't make judgment calls like that. You can ask it to find your lost notebook, though. All you have to do is hold it in your hand, squeeze slightly, and name a specific thing."

David held it up and squeezed, then said, "Encyclopedia Dugerria."

The mist in the ball began to swirl, until it had formed itself into a ring all the way around the largest part of the sphere. The ring then split into three rings, spinning in the three major axis directions. Finally, the ring reformed into one. This time, the ring flowed along the surface of the ball, shrinking down into a point. The point soon disappeared, to be replaced by the ring again, which once again shrank down as it moved along the surface of the sphere, and ended up as a point.

"If you go in the direction of the moving ring," Terry said, "You'll find your encyclopedia."

David did so, orienting himself so he could walk the way the rings were moving. When he got near his bookshelf, it was clear the rings were pointing upward, which made sense, as his Encyclopedia Dugerria was on the second shelf.

"How do I turn it off?" David asked.

"Just tell it to stop."

"Found it," David told the sphere. Immediately, the ring inside the ball dissolved into the swirling mist again, which slowly settled to an almost-static state.

"Well, I must say, this could be really useful. Does it have unlimited range?"

"No. The range is about a half mile."

"Still, that's pretty good. This has to be worth a lot of money. I can't take this..."

"Please. I want you to have it. The talisman I got back is worth a lot more to me, and you put in a lot of effort getting it back. You deserve something, after having to arrest a friend."

"Well... thank you," he said, putting it back in its box. "I appreciate this."

Terry stepped close and gave him a hug. When she stepped back, she said, "And most of us appreciate you. Please don't forget that. Anyway, I've got to get to dinner. You take it easy."

"You, too. Thanks."

After letting Terry out, he walked back to the table and picked up the box with the Dalmajak Cynosure in it. He walked over to his desk and placed it carefully in the top drawer. With that, he put on his coat and went to dinner.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~