Alexander Shaw, sitting in the comfort of the study room, was listening absently to Alice and her young cousin Mary reciting their multiplication tables. Despite his best efforts, the young teacher’s mind was not on today’s lesson. The head of the Galder family was due home any moment now and he felt a bit nervous.
Alexander’s mind drifted away from the room and through the window at the small yard where two boys, Mary’s brothers, were installed, reading their own lessons. The young teacher had not been that nervous in ages… Not since the trial. Shaw felt a shiver run up his spine as he thought of the testimony he had to give to the court, a year ago, concerning a series of hideous crimes.
Alexander remembered well the events that had led him to meet a young detective named Holmes. The murder scene was truly gruesome. Shaw did have a hard time keeping his stomach in check when he was brought in front of the burned, distorted bodies. Still, he had volunteered to offer his knowledge and it had brought him quite an experience.
Holmes, a Royal Universitas graduate, had made quite an impression on the court with his deduction and flawless reasoning, but what Shaw remembered most was the way the man had anticipated the last ditch attack from the accused.
From the proof Holmes had built with every detail of the incident, the mage had no chance of walking out free. In the middle of the courtroom, driven by rage and vengeance, the magician had struck the young detective with a lightning bolt in front of an alerted crowd. Without flinching, the young scientist had simply held his hand up and absorbed the bolt, an impossible feat for a non magus and a highly difficult one even for one.
The accused, a man driven mad by the power of his magic, had fallen unconscious from his desperate attack and had been carried away. It was then that Holmes had showed, to the stunned court, a copper ring on his finger attached to a wire and tied to the railing behind him that had ultimately diffused the bolt.
Young Alex had been struck with awe, to say the least, and he had followed the progress of Holmes through all the rumors that were circulating around Royal Universitas and the few elusive mentions of the man in newspapers. Thoughtful, Shaw wondered what the detective was up to those days… Probably finding more mysteries to decipher in the fogs of London. Alex had to admit, he was a bit of a fan.
Alice, noticing that her teacher was not paying attention, looked at her cousin with a smile and started making up numbers and ridiculously fallacious multiplications making her younger cousin giggle. Alexander turned his piercing blue eyes, only partially hidden behind slim glass, toward the unruly student and the girl turned a delicate shade of red.
At twenty-six, Shaw was a bit above average in height, had wavy brown hair cut short and a charming smile. Many agreed that he was quite handsome and his even temper was perfect for teaching young charges. At fourteen, the head of the House younger sister, Alice Galder, was quite smitten with him, and although her interest was shared by many girls, Alex was quite oblivious to the fact.
“- Now now Alice, that’s quite untrue. 48576 multiplied by 45 is not minus 32. It is quite obvious: 48576 times 45 would give you 12 cat hairs on a sunny day. You should know that by now.” he told the girl, keeping a straight face.
Twelve-year-old Mary Galder could no longer restrain herself and started laughing out loud. Alice hid a smile, and nodded energetically trying to stay serious but ended up laughing too, glad that her prank was so well received.
Alexander was quite happy to teach them. Both Alice and her three younger cousins, Mary and the two energetic boys, were inquisitive, interested and incredibly brilliants. Shaw got a lot of enjoyment out of playing with them, showing them illusions and enchantments, and making their eyes shine. The young teacher believed that to make lessons alive and to captivate the mind of his young charges was probably the most rewarding part of his work.
The bell rang, announcing the arrival of the House aircraft, and the girls squealed with delight; the head of the house was there.
