Once again that bright, shrill voice sounded from the other side of his door, and once again Rafael was pulled from his well-deserved nap. He glanced at the whirring, spinning brass instrument on his desk and its many clockhands, seemingly able to derive some sense of time from it.
Already?
Perhaps he should not be so surprised. The boy had only taken a dozen minutes with the gnomes and clearly had not yet burned through his energy reserves. Even now, after scrubbing and cleaning the muggle way, the boy sounded anything but tired.
Rafael opened the door just wide enough to see the boy on the other side of it. "Are you sure?"
But before the Modron boy could answer that question, the Professor looked away at something, or someone in his office, then gave the faintest nod. "Very well," he said, as though the walls in his office had just reported back to him that Mr Murray had indeed completed his chore. "I trust you will have learned your lessons and that I won't be hearing about you sneaking off in the middle of the night again, Mr Murray. Because if I do, I will have you cleaning cauldrons for a week. Have I made myself clear?"
No praise this time, not a word about how fast he'd gotten the work done, not a peep. Perhaps the sting of disappointment would prove to be more effective than a swell of pride.
Then the tired Professor opened the door a little wider, wide enough for a creature that came up to Archer's knee to scurry through.
"I believe you've met Niko already," said Rafael. "He will be escorting you back to your dormitory and ensure you do not take any detours. Good night Mr Murray."
With that, the door closed again, and Archer was left standing in the dark and gloomy corridor of the faculty wing.
"Murray Niko follow!" said the wrinkled-potato-like creature with the gleaming eyes. The Memisi looked a bit menacing in the dark, it made odd clinking noises when it moved and seemed to mutter all sorts of things under its breath. "Murray follow Niko, Niko go, Murray go!" Unbidden, the creature took Archer's hand and began to pull the boy along with surprising strength.
Already?
Perhaps he should not be so surprised. The boy had only taken a dozen minutes with the gnomes and clearly had not yet burned through his energy reserves. Even now, after scrubbing and cleaning the muggle way, the boy sounded anything but tired.
Rafael opened the door just wide enough to see the boy on the other side of it. "Are you sure?"
But before the Modron boy could answer that question, the Professor looked away at something, or someone in his office, then gave the faintest nod. "Very well," he said, as though the walls in his office had just reported back to him that Mr Murray had indeed completed his chore. "I trust you will have learned your lessons and that I won't be hearing about you sneaking off in the middle of the night again, Mr Murray. Because if I do, I will have you cleaning cauldrons for a week. Have I made myself clear?"
No praise this time, not a word about how fast he'd gotten the work done, not a peep. Perhaps the sting of disappointment would prove to be more effective than a swell of pride.
Then the tired Professor opened the door a little wider, wide enough for a creature that came up to Archer's knee to scurry through.
"I believe you've met Niko already," said Rafael. "He will be escorting you back to your dormitory and ensure you do not take any detours. Good night Mr Murray."
With that, the door closed again, and Archer was left standing in the dark and gloomy corridor of the faculty wing.
"Murray Niko follow!" said the wrinkled-potato-like creature with the gleaming eyes. The Memisi looked a bit menacing in the dark, it made odd clinking noises when it moved and seemed to mutter all sorts of things under its breath. "Murray follow Niko, Niko go, Murray go!" Unbidden, the creature took Archer's hand and began to pull the boy along with surprising strength.
That concludes the thread as far as I'm concerned! Unless, of course, you feel like doing something really daft and try to shake off Niko - but that is unlikely to succeed and even less likely to go over well.