Mr. Today appointed Alex’s class of Unwanteds’twenty all together’to be teachers and tour guides to the newcomers. “You all remember the transition well, and you know oodles more than the most recent group,” he said. “Remember how strange it was those first days, and how confusing? I think your class will be of great help and comfort to them, and to me as well.” His voice sounded tired.
Alex studied the man. His face was looking a bit drawn these days, and Alex wondered if Mr. Today was getting any sleep at all. “We’ll take care of it,” he said. The rest of the group murmured their compliance.
Mr. Today coupled his hands together. “Splendid,” he said. “Meghan, why don’t you and . . .” He tapped his finger to his lips, searching the group, his eyes finally landing on one of the less vocal Unwanteds. “Cole Wickett. Yes, Meghan and Cole, you two put your heads together and organize this mess for me, will you?”
Cole Wickett, unused to being singled out by the great mage, blushed profusely and nodded.
“Of course we will,” said Meghan, her eyes actually lighting up at the task, and she looked eager for the first time in a month. She took after her favorite instructor, Ms. Morning, who was also Mr. Today’s daughter, and a very organized woman. This was perfect for Meghan, as she knew she needed something challenging to occupy her mind these days.
“Wonderful.” Mr. Today turned to Alex. “And I’d like to see you in my office after lunch, please.”
Alex hadn’t spent much time at all in Mr. Today’s office since the night Aaron had come through the magical 3-D doorway, except for occasional nighttime visits to check the blackboards. “Yes, sir,” he said. So much had changed since then.
They dispersed, leaving Meghan and Cole to organize the orientation process for the newcomers.
“Look at them,” Samheed said to Alex and Lani with eyes narrowed. “Don’t they look nice together?”
Alex glanced at Meghan and Cole, and opened his mouth to agree, but Lani poked him in the ribs and gave him a knowing smile. He turned his quizzical look to her, instead, and mouthed, “What?”
Lani rolled her eyes. She motioned toward Samheed with her thumb, and then looked back at Meghan. “He’s jealous,” she mouthed back at him.
Alex squinted. “Huh?” he said aloud.
Lani sighed. “Nothing.” She turned to Samheed. “Yes,” she said. “They do look sort of cozy. I didn’t know they were friends.”
“He’s Ms. Morning’s student too. A drummer.” Samheed kept watching Meghan over his shoulder and he nearly stumbled over a platyprot. “Watch it, fuzzball,” Samheed said to the magical bird.
The platyprot hopped and tumbled out of the way, mumbling, “Watch it, fuzzball. Watch it, fuzzball.” Its voice mimicked Samheed’s sarcasm. Two nearby Necessaries stared at it and backed away, confused.
Lani started to explain platyprots to the Necessaries, but then she stopped. She’d figured out the strange-looking birds just fine on her own. The new people would too. So instead she just offered them a reassuring smile, linked arms with Samheed and Alex, and pulled them along to the mansion for lunch.
Afterward Alex made his way to the foyer where Simber towered motionless on his pedestal on one side of the door. On the other side stood Florence, another enormous living statue who often led the Unwanteds in warrior training. Alex climbed the marble stairs to the upper level, past the brand-new hallway that Mr. Today had created in order to hold the newcomers, the families’ hallway, the boys’ hallway, and the girls’ hallway (which he couldn’t see), to the very last hallway off the balcony. A mostly secret hallway it was, since very few knew it was there. Samheed knew. Will Blair had been another who could see it back when he was alive.
Alex entered the wide, wood-planked hall and went past two sets of mysterious-looking doors to the place where the invisible glass wall sometimes stood. Alex gingerly reached his hand out, feeling for it, having once smashed into it quite ferociously, and never wanting to do that again. But the glass was down, and Alex proceeded to the end of the hallway, where a giant picture window allowed one to overlook much of Artimé and the entrance to Quill.
On the right side of the hallway was a small kitchen with some strange mechanical-looking things and a tube that Mr. Today had said led to nasty places. And on the left was the door to Mr. Today’s office, which stood open. The old magician looked up and smiled warmly when Alex approached.
“Ah! Hello again, my dear boy,” Mr. Today said, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms up over his head. Nimbly he propped his feet up on his desk and waved Alex into the room. “Sit down, sit down. I’ve been thinking about you quite a lot lately. Quite a lot indeed,” he said. “You see, I believe you’re the one person in all of Artimé who can help me.”
A Job Like No Other
Oh, wow, really?” Alex asked with a nervous laugh. “Me?” He blinked, not knowing what else to say. He sat down a little straighter than usual in the chair and tried not to glance at the blackboards behind the old mage, but they were so tempting, flashing from scene to scene in Quill. Alex could ignore most of them, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off the blackboard that showed the university, including his brother’s dorm room.
“Yes, you,” said Mr. Today, rocking slightly back and forth in his chair in a most comfortable manner. “I’ve thought and thought over the past months. Years, actually, but that was in a much broader sense, of course. I’ve been more focused these last months. Since that day in the boat, actually. And I’m quite sure.”