Aurelie ducked her head. “Yes, Professor Booth.”
“Leo is concerned you’re spending too much time working that would be better spent studying. What do you think?”
She couldn’t give up her work. And especially not now, when itmight be her only cover if she accepted Everard’s commission. “It’s not my job. I keep to my hours, I promise. But I may spend too much time dithering when I should be studying.”
“Dithering? Aurelie, you hardly ever leave campus. You have no social life to speak of, according to Leo.”
“I went to dinner with Miles Viridian on Saturday,” she said. Never mind that she’d hated every minute of it.
“With the Applebaums, I believe. I don’t know the family personally, but I’ve heard they’re a lively bunch.”
Aurelie forced a smile. “Indeed.”
The professor folded her arms on her desk and leaned forward. “Aurelie, I called you in here because Commander Yew from the Iron Guard sent me a message this morning.”
Aurelie’s stomach lurched as she felt the color drain from her face. “He... he did?”
“He wanted me to know that you’d had some interactions with several of his guards this weekend. He was concerned, since your uncle is gone, that you weren’t being properly supervised.”
Aurelie felt herself bristling at the implication that she needed to be watched over like a small child. Especially by a certain guard who seemed to have the same opinion, and had gone tattling to his commander as a result. “I assure you, I’m perfectly fine. They were being overly cautious. That’s all.”
Professor Booth didn’t look remotely convinced.
“Iwasthinking of taking on a mentor...”
“A mentor? Who did you have in mind?”
Aurelie couldn’t help smiling at the prospect of killing two birds with one stone: she could work with Professor Sheldrakeandkeep Professor Booth off her scent until her uncle returned. Not to mention she’d have a wonderful excuse not to socialize. “I’ve been interested in studying Elder Vansion. I was planning to approach Professor Sheldrake about it today, actually.”
Aurelie had tried to sound casual, but the words had fallen out of her in a rush, and Professor Booth narrowed her eyes, clearly skeptical. “Indeed? I must admit, Aurelie, I had no idea you were interested in the runic alphabet. It’s not exactly science, is it?”
Aurelie chewed her lip. Faced with someone she respected and admired, it felt wrong to lie. But in for a penny, in for a pound. “I’m interested in the science behind language creation. It’s for my biology class.”
Professor Booth’s smile was still kind, but there was a tinge of suspicion in her voice when she spoke. “There aren’t many studies in that area. I hope you’re not thinking of doing anything that could get you into trouble. Your uncle would have my head.”
Aurelie laughed nervously. “Of course not.”
Professor Booth studied her for a moment. “Very well. Professor Sheldrakeisthe foremost expert on Elder Vansion in the kingdom. If anyone can help you, it’s him.”
Aurelie struggled to keep from cackling in triumph. Things were finally going her way for a change. “Thank you, Professor.”
Just as she reached the door, Professor Booth said, “One more thing, Aurelie.”
“Yes?”
“Professor Sheldrake’s views are a little... unorthodox. But he’s a wealth of knowledge, obscure though it may be.”
“I understand.”
“Besides,” Professor Booth added, seemingly more to herself than Aurelie, “someone should go and check on the poor dear. Maybe take him something to eat. It must get lonely over there in the old tower.”
The “tower” in question belonged to one of the oldest buildings on campus, topped with a turret clock. Built some three hundred years ago, it was always drafty, and it had the smell of decaying wood, wet stone, and a dusty scent Aurelie could only describe as feathers. This was likely due to the vast quantity of pigeons that had made their nests in the holes left behind by fallen bricks. Fortunately, Professor Sheldrake never put in work orders for the place, so Aurelie rarely had reason to visit.
The sky overhead was as gray as iron, portending rain. She crossed the courtyard before the clock tower, clutching a basket of muffins she’d asked Uncle Leo’s cook to prepare, hoping something tasty would warm Professor Sheldrake up to her. He only taught one class per semester, an intense seminar on early automatons that students only took when they were desperate for extra credits.
The stairs leading up to his office creaked beneath her slippers. He did have a home, supposedly, and she’d never seen him on campus at night, but she suspected he might stay over from time to time. The fact that he could even make it up and down these stairs was impressive, as Aurelie was winded by the time she reached the top.
She knocked on his door, wondering why he bothered to close it with so few people coming here. She was met with silence that lasted a good three minutes, and she was about to abandon the muffins and head back to her lab when the door inched open, revealing one enormous eyeball.