Read Online Higher Institute of Villainous Education by Mark Walden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mark Walden
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your closets. Hang your uniform in your wardrobe each night and you’ll find a clean one there in the morning. And before you ask, no, I don’t know how they get in to change them without anyone ever noticing. They just seem to materialise.’
Interesting, Otto thought.
‘Then you’ve got your beds and through the other door your bathroom. I’m not going to explain how everything works in there. You’re all Alphas, not grunts, so I shouldn’t have to.’ Otto detected more than a hint of smugness, arrogance, even, in the way that Tahir said this. He seemed just a little too proud to be wearing the black uniform.
‘All the rooms are the same so most of us make some attempt to liven them up a bit. Just one piece of advice, don’t paint anything. The janitor tends to get upset about that and you don’t want to upset him, believe me.’ He stepped back out of the room and the door slid shut behind him automatically. ‘All the doors are keyed to these palm readers.’ He indicated the panel he had placed his hand on a few moments before. ‘So there’s no need for keys, which is good because it’s unlikely you’re going to lose your right hand. At least not in your first year, anyway . . .’ Worryingly, Tahir didn’t appear to be joking.
‘Use your Blackboxes to find out from H.I.V.E.mind which room is yours and who your room-mate will be. You’ve got about an hour before dinner so take this time to have a look around. If you need any help, you can usually find me somewhere around the atrium or you can just give me a call on your box. OK, that’s about it for now. I’ve got to get moving or I’ll miss Grappletag practice. Good luck.’ He winked at the assembled group and strode away down the balcony.
Several of those around Otto pulled out their Blackboxes and queried H.I.V.E.mind about which room they had been assigned. Otto followed suit, flipping the device open.
‘Good afternoon, Mr Malpense. How may I be of assistance?’ the blue face enquired.
‘Good afternoon to you too, H.I.V.E.mind. I need to know which room I have been assigned, please,’ Otto replied.
‘You are assigned to accommodation area seven, room 4.7. Will there be anything else?’ H.I.V.E.mind asked. ‘No, that’s all for now. Thanks, H.I.V.E.mind.’ The blue face disappeared.
Otto noticed that Wing was also checking his Black-box and as he talked to the machine a broad grin spread across his face. He noticed Otto looking at him.
‘It appears we are to be room-mates, Otto,’ he said, still smiling.
‘I hope you don’t snore,’ Otto laughed.
‘Like a chainsaw, my friend, like a chainsaw,’ Wing replied, grinning.
Room 4.7 was exactly the same as the room they had been shown, just as Tahir had said it would be. Otto sat at his desk, idly flicking through one of the neatly stacked textbooks. Studying their titles, Otto doubted that they were set texts at any other school in the world. Deathtraps: Their Use and Care, Effective Threats, Elementary Evil, Global Domination: What You Need to Know!, A Beginner’s Guide to Doomsday Weapons and several others that he’d not yet had a chance to look at.
Wing sat on his bed studying his Blackbox intently.
‘Well, what have we got tomorrow, then?’ Otto asked.
‘The first lesson is Villainy Studies with . . .’ Wing checked the machine again, ‘Dr Nero. Well that should at least be an interesting start to the day.’
Otto raised an eyebrow at his new room-mate.
‘Then what?’
Wing checked the Blackbox again. ‘Then we have Tactical Education with Colonel Francisco. That’s followed by Practical Technology with Professor Pike first thing after lunch and then Stealth and Evasion with Ms Leon.’
‘Sounds like a highly educational first day. I can hardly wait to get started.’ Otto grinned, placing the textbook he’d been leafing through back on the desk. He moved over and sat on his own bed facing Wing. Beckoning him to lean closer, he said softly, ‘We
Interesting, Otto thought.
‘Then you’ve got your beds and through the other door your bathroom. I’m not going to explain how everything works in there. You’re all Alphas, not grunts, so I shouldn’t have to.’ Otto detected more than a hint of smugness, arrogance, even, in the way that Tahir said this. He seemed just a little too proud to be wearing the black uniform.
‘All the rooms are the same so most of us make some attempt to liven them up a bit. Just one piece of advice, don’t paint anything. The janitor tends to get upset about that and you don’t want to upset him, believe me.’ He stepped back out of the room and the door slid shut behind him automatically. ‘All the doors are keyed to these palm readers.’ He indicated the panel he had placed his hand on a few moments before. ‘So there’s no need for keys, which is good because it’s unlikely you’re going to lose your right hand. At least not in your first year, anyway . . .’ Worryingly, Tahir didn’t appear to be joking.
‘Use your Blackboxes to find out from H.I.V.E.mind which room is yours and who your room-mate will be. You’ve got about an hour before dinner so take this time to have a look around. If you need any help, you can usually find me somewhere around the atrium or you can just give me a call on your box. OK, that’s about it for now. I’ve got to get moving or I’ll miss Grappletag practice. Good luck.’ He winked at the assembled group and strode away down the balcony.
Several of those around Otto pulled out their Blackboxes and queried H.I.V.E.mind about which room they had been assigned. Otto followed suit, flipping the device open.
‘Good afternoon, Mr Malpense. How may I be of assistance?’ the blue face enquired.
‘Good afternoon to you too, H.I.V.E.mind. I need to know which room I have been assigned, please,’ Otto replied.
‘You are assigned to accommodation area seven, room 4.7. Will there be anything else?’ H.I.V.E.mind asked. ‘No, that’s all for now. Thanks, H.I.V.E.mind.’ The blue face disappeared.
Otto noticed that Wing was also checking his Black-box and as he talked to the machine a broad grin spread across his face. He noticed Otto looking at him.
‘It appears we are to be room-mates, Otto,’ he said, still smiling.
‘I hope you don’t snore,’ Otto laughed.
‘Like a chainsaw, my friend, like a chainsaw,’ Wing replied, grinning.
Room 4.7 was exactly the same as the room they had been shown, just as Tahir had said it would be. Otto sat at his desk, idly flicking through one of the neatly stacked textbooks. Studying their titles, Otto doubted that they were set texts at any other school in the world. Deathtraps: Their Use and Care, Effective Threats, Elementary Evil, Global Domination: What You Need to Know!, A Beginner’s Guide to Doomsday Weapons and several others that he’d not yet had a chance to look at.
Wing sat on his bed studying his Blackbox intently.
‘Well, what have we got tomorrow, then?’ Otto asked.
‘The first lesson is Villainy Studies with . . .’ Wing checked the machine again, ‘Dr Nero. Well that should at least be an interesting start to the day.’
Otto raised an eyebrow at his new room-mate.
‘Then what?’
Wing checked the Blackbox again. ‘Then we have Tactical Education with Colonel Francisco. That’s followed by Practical Technology with Professor Pike first thing after lunch and then Stealth and Evasion with Ms Leon.’
‘Sounds like a highly educational first day. I can hardly wait to get started.’ Otto grinned, placing the textbook he’d been leafing through back on the desk. He moved over and sat on his own bed facing Wing. Beckoning him to lean closer, he said softly, ‘We
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