Read Online Gooseberry Bluff Community College of Magic: The Thirteenth Rib (Kindle Serial) by David J. Schwartz - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David J. Schwartz
Ads: Link
use the correct materials.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve just been really busy, and you know, I wouldn’t normally substitute like that, but—”
“Margaret.” Hector held up a hand. “This is about as harmless as magic can get; don’t worry about it. But in the future don’t substitute unless you talk to an expert first.”
“Right. Right. So: drinks?”
“I’ll have a Surly Furious,” Hector said.
Joy had been so distracted by the conversation that she hadn’t even glanced at the beer list. “I’ll have a…Summit Extra Pale Ale.”
“Great. I guess I don’t need to card you two, do I?” Margaret’s laugh was a bit nervous. When neither of them responded, she quickly said, “I’ll be right back with your drinks!” and fled to the bar.
“Nice girl,” Hector said.
“I’m a little worried about her,” Joy said.
“Oh, it’s just nerve-wracking, seeing teachers out of context. She probably assumed we lived in our offices.”
“No, it’s more than that. Someone’s putting a lot of pressure on her — maybe herself.”
Hector grunted faintly in response. “I suppose I relate to that.”
Thoughts of Martin pressed in upon Joy in the brief silence. The only time he had ever put pressure on her was when he could sense that she wasn’t putting any on herself. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, determined to focus on the job at hand.
Margaret returned with their beers. “Can I get you any food?” she asked.
Joy glanced at the specials board behind the bar. “The artichoke dip sounds good.”
“Nothing for me,” Hector said. After Margaret left, he stared toward the back of the restaurant for a moment, sipping his beer. His aura was rippling stripes of orange-red confidence in a rhythm and pattern that Joy had come to recognize as smugness.
“So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?” Joy asked.
“You taught at Kentucky State, is that right?”
“Yes. In another lifetime. Before I went back to school to do a master’s in magical arts.”
“The illustrious MA MA.” He laughed. “You were out of academia for part of that time, weren’t you?”
“Briefly.”
“Two years.”
“You’ve done your research.”
Hector shrugged. “I was curious. Why the break?”
“I just wanted a little break. I’d gone from undergrad to a PhD to teaching to the master’s program. I needed to get some experience in the real world.”
“What did you do?”
She couldn’t tell him the real answer: studied judo. Learned elemental and stun magic. Took multiple exams on federal and departmental procedures. Trained in investigative techniques. Spent — no; she wasn’t going to think about Martin, because she was too tired and it would break her. Instead she stuck to the cover story that she and Martin had worked up.
“I traveled a little bit. Spent time with family. Did a lot of reading.” It was all true enough to get past anyone using truth magic, although her answers to any follow-up questions would be a little more precarious. To counter that, she took some conversational initiative. “Tell me about yourself. How did you get here?”
Margaret chose that moment to return with the artichoke dip. “Anything else?” she asked, hovering.
“Not at the moment,” Hector said. Once Margaret was gone he leaned over the table and plucked a broccoli floret from Joy’s plate, dipped it into the steaming bread bowl, and popped it in his mouth. He grinned at Joy’s stare.
“Help yourself,” she said.
“Thanks. You were on campus this morning,” he said.
Joy managed not to betray her surprise. “Actually I didn’t get there until about 1 this afternoon.” She dipped a baby carrot into the artichoke dip. It was delicious, and she realized how hungry she was.
“No, you were there a little before four thirty a.m. Apparently, you had keys for the security shells as well as the front door.” He paused. “You also had a gun.”
“That doesn’t sound like
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve just been really busy, and you know, I wouldn’t normally substitute like that, but—”
“Margaret.” Hector held up a hand. “This is about as harmless as magic can get; don’t worry about it. But in the future don’t substitute unless you talk to an expert first.”
“Right. Right. So: drinks?”
“I’ll have a Surly Furious,” Hector said.
Joy had been so distracted by the conversation that she hadn’t even glanced at the beer list. “I’ll have a…Summit Extra Pale Ale.”
“Great. I guess I don’t need to card you two, do I?” Margaret’s laugh was a bit nervous. When neither of them responded, she quickly said, “I’ll be right back with your drinks!” and fled to the bar.
“Nice girl,” Hector said.
“I’m a little worried about her,” Joy said.
“Oh, it’s just nerve-wracking, seeing teachers out of context. She probably assumed we lived in our offices.”
“No, it’s more than that. Someone’s putting a lot of pressure on her — maybe herself.”
Hector grunted faintly in response. “I suppose I relate to that.”
Thoughts of Martin pressed in upon Joy in the brief silence. The only time he had ever put pressure on her was when he could sense that she wasn’t putting any on herself. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, determined to focus on the job at hand.
Margaret returned with their beers. “Can I get you any food?” she asked.
Joy glanced at the specials board behind the bar. “The artichoke dip sounds good.”
“Nothing for me,” Hector said. After Margaret left, he stared toward the back of the restaurant for a moment, sipping his beer. His aura was rippling stripes of orange-red confidence in a rhythm and pattern that Joy had come to recognize as smugness.
“So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?” Joy asked.
“You taught at Kentucky State, is that right?”
“Yes. In another lifetime. Before I went back to school to do a master’s in magical arts.”
“The illustrious MA MA.” He laughed. “You were out of academia for part of that time, weren’t you?”
“Briefly.”
“Two years.”
“You’ve done your research.”
Hector shrugged. “I was curious. Why the break?”
“I just wanted a little break. I’d gone from undergrad to a PhD to teaching to the master’s program. I needed to get some experience in the real world.”
“What did you do?”
She couldn’t tell him the real answer: studied judo. Learned elemental and stun magic. Took multiple exams on federal and departmental procedures. Trained in investigative techniques. Spent — no; she wasn’t going to think about Martin, because she was too tired and it would break her. Instead she stuck to the cover story that she and Martin had worked up.
“I traveled a little bit. Spent time with family. Did a lot of reading.” It was all true enough to get past anyone using truth magic, although her answers to any follow-up questions would be a little more precarious. To counter that, she took some conversational initiative. “Tell me about yourself. How did you get here?”
Margaret chose that moment to return with the artichoke dip. “Anything else?” she asked, hovering.
“Not at the moment,” Hector said. Once Margaret was gone he leaned over the table and plucked a broccoli floret from Joy’s plate, dipped it into the steaming bread bowl, and popped it in his mouth. He grinned at Joy’s stare.
“Help yourself,” she said.
“Thanks. You were on campus this morning,” he said.
Joy managed not to betray her surprise. “Actually I didn’t get there until about 1 this afternoon.” She dipped a baby carrot into the artichoke dip. It was delicious, and she realized how hungry she was.
“No, you were there a little before four thirty a.m. Apparently, you had keys for the security shells as well as the front door.” He paused. “You also had a gun.”
“That doesn’t sound like
Similar Books
