slightly, ran his fingers through his matted black hair. His dark eyes darted about as if in search of escape. With nowhere to go, Rufo shoved his way between Danica and Pikel and scurried away, obviously embarrassed.
"Yer day just got better, eh?" Ivan called after him, enjoying the tall man's torment.
"It took you a while to find your way to me," came a surly call from the room, turning the companions back to Avery.
"Uh-oh," muttered Pikel, but Ivan merely snorted and strode into the room, right up to Avery's oaken desk. Danica and Pikel came in a bit more hesitantly.
Avery's bluster seemed to have played itself out. The chubby man pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and rubbed it across his sweaty, blotchy face. "I did not believe you would come back," he said, huffing with labored breath. He alternated his glance from Ivan to Pikel. "I had even suggested to Dean Thobicus that we begin to search for new cooks."
"Not to worry," Ivan assured him with a bow that swept the dwarfs yellow beard across the floor. "The masters of yer belly have returned."
Pikel piped up in hearty agreement, but Avery's renewed glare showed he did not enjoy the boisterous dwarfs smug attitude.
"Ws will, of course, need a full report of your time in Shilmista - a written report," he said, shuffling some papers about on his large desk.
"I don't write," Ivan teased, "but I can cook ye a goblin ear stew. That'll fairly sum up me time in the wood." Even Danica couldn't bite back a chuckle at that.
"Lady Maupoissant will help you then," Avery said, articulating each word slowly to show them he was not amused.
"When will you need this?" Danica asked, hoping he would give her the whole winter. Her thoughts were on Carradoon, on Cadderly, and she was beginning to suspect that perhaps she should have continued through the mountains and gone straight to him.
"You are scheduled to meet with Dean Thobicus in three days," Avery informed her. "That should give you ample time - "
"Impossible," Danica said to him. "I will meet with the dean this day, or in the morning, perhaps, but - "
"Three days," Avery repeated. "The dean's schedule is not for you to manipulate, Lady Maupoissant." Again he used her surname, and Danica knew it was to emphasize his anger.
Danica felt trapped. "I am not of your order," she reminded the portly man. "I am under no obligation - "
Again Avery cut her short. "You will do as you are told " he said grimly. "Do not think your actions in Shilmista have been forgotten or forgiven."
Danica fell back a step; Ivan, as angry as he was confused, hopped to his toes and glowered at Avery.
"Huh?" was all that stunned Pikel could mutter.
"As I said," Avery declared, slamming a heavy fist on the desk. "You all played the role of hero, both in Shilmista and before that, when the evil priest and his insidious curse fell over the library, but that does not excuse your actions, Lady Maupoissant."
Danica wanted to scream "What actions?" but she couldn't get a sound past the mounting rage in her throat.
"You struck him," Avery finally explained. "You attacked Rufo, a priest of Deneir, a host of the Edificant Library, without provocation."
"He had it coming," Ivan retorted.
Avery managed a bit of a smile. "Somehow, I do not doubt that," he agreed, for a moment seeming his old, likable self. "Yet there are rules concerning such behavior." He looked straight into Danica's brown eyes. "You might well be banned from the library for life if I were to pursue Rufo's charges.
"Think of it," Avery continued after giving Danica and the dwarves a moment to absorb his meaning. "All of your texts are here, all of the known works of Grandmaster Penpahg D'Ann. I know how dear your studies are to you."
"Then why do you threaten me like this?" Danica snapped. She flipped a lock of her unkempt hair from in front of her face and crossed her arms before her. "If I erred in striking Rufo, then so be it, but if the same situation was repeated - if, after so many trials and so much killing, I had to listen to his endless whining and berating of me and my friends - I cannot honestly say that I would not punch him again."
"Oo oi!" Pikel readily agreed.
"Had it coming," Ivan said again.
Avery waved his hand in a patting motion to try to calm the three. "Agreed," he