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“How bad?”
“The worst.” Ben leaned forward and caught Ferox’s nervous eye. “Our jaunt in the country is slightly delayed, old friend. We need to get to the professor’s home.”
Ferox eagerly bobbed his head before he took off down the street. I looked over my shoulder at the retreating short fence, and still couldn’t shake the cold sensation I’d felt on those hallowed grounds.
CHAPTERNINE
We rolledthrough the streets and in a half hour we arrived at the impressive cistern, home to Professor Edward Impara. I was glad when we found the door unlocked, and there was an amusing surprise nailed to the entrance.
I stopped before the door and studied the Phantom poster before I looked up at Ben, who was equally bemused. “I never would have suspected the professor was a fan.”
Ben chuckled as he pulled the poster down and tossed it to one side. “I doubt he knows himself, but let us inquire as to his tastes.”
We found the man himself deep in one of his tomes.
Literally.
The book itself was some two feet high and the professor was floundering in its pages that unfolded to a length of four feet. The large letterhead had entangled itself around his arms and legs, and he was in the process of extracting himself from knowledge when we reached the bottom of the stairs.
Ben stopped us and folded his arms over his chest. A smile parted his lips as he watched the older man try to free himself without ripping the parchment. “Shame on you, Professor Impara. Knowledge shouldn’t be fought.”
Impara paused in his struggle and glared at him. “Stop with your stupid jokes and get me out of this before I tear something!”
“A page?” I suggested as we walked over to him.
“No, my ligaments!” he snapped as he waved one arm to loosen the thick load of paper, to no avail. “These pages are made of a heavy linen and I can feel the cramps rising in my muscles!”
“Hold still a moment,” Ben commanded him as he drew off the pages.
In a few moments, the professor had shed enough weight that he stumbled back, and the remainder of the paper fell away to the floor. He shook himself and straightened out his cloak with a sniff of his nose. “Damned thing.”
“What were you looking for in there?” Ben wondered as he stacked the pages on top of one another.
Impara straightened and wrinkled his nose. “That tome happens to be a catalog of all the witches and wizards who have attended the illustrious Enastros Academy.”
I blinked at him before I looked up at Ben. He smiled down at me. “A small, private school that teaches those gifted with magic.”
“Did you go there?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “My condition kept me from attending.” He turned his attention to our host. “Why were you needing to know those names?”
“To make sure mine was there!” Impara announced as he glared at the documents. “One of my classmates informed me that my name had been stricken from the record, and to my horror, I have discovered that she is indeed correct! My name is missing!”
I tilted my head to one side and studied the tall tome. “How did you even find that out?”
“A little bird told me.”
I was afraid to ask, so I looked up at Ben. He nodded. “No doubt a crow call. They come in all forms.”
I peeked inside some of the folded parchments and saw that each page was filled with a dozen columns of cursive-written names. “Maybe the book needs some updating?”
He slammed a hand down on the pile of papers and scowled at me. “This book is updated based on the prime tome kept at the school! If someone wipes it from those pages then it is wiped fromallthe prints!”
Ben held up his hands in front of himself. “Calm yourself, professor. You forget our young friend is not from this world.”
Impara wrinkled his nose but drew his hand off the stack. “Yes, well, this is a travesty. I was nearly the top of my class, as well, except for one other.” He shot straight up and lifted his chin. “Such an insult cannot stand. I will remedy this situation immediately!” Impara snatched a large canvas bag from the nearby table and stalked across the room where he began to dump miscellaneous books into the container.
Ben’s face had a slightly panicked look that reflected my own as he followed the professor as the man moved about the room. “A moment, professor. We need your knowledge.”
