"None of your business."

"He looked angry." the boy wouldn't let up.

"So?" she reached the door and sent him a glare. But Thom didn't turn away.

"I thought I'd join you two today." he announced.

"You're not invited."

"Professor Mallory will probably prefer having me around. At least while I'm with you, I'm not out telling anyone what I know." the student countered.

Bella's mouth fell open. "You're going to blackmail a professor?"

"No!" Thom said, quickly. "I just thought... I thought maybe I could... I wanted to come see what you two do."

"And again I say, you're not invited." she opened the door and marched inside, relieved by the sudden sight of Professor Mallory, his nose in his books.

"But I - " Thom followed her in, then went suddenly silent at the sight of the teacher.

"Thom." Mallory looked up, disapprovingly.

"Thom wanted to help us." Bella let her tone reflect what she thought of that.

"I see."

"I... I guess I should go." the boy looked so disappointed that Bella almost felt guilty. Almost.

"The tests aren't finished yet." Mallory informed them, perhaps guessing what both had kept from asking. "They'll be done tomorrow."

"Oh." said both young people.

"There's still plenty of work to do. Bella, keep studying the prophecies. Let me know if you stumble across anything of interest. And Thom, your task is that book over there. Yes, the brown one. Read it cover to cover."

Thom eyed the large book dubiously. "All of it, sir?"

"Do you want to work here or not?" Mallory raised his eyebrows.

"I'll get started right away, sir!"

"We work hard here." Bella couldn't resist saying.

"Read, Bella." Mallory seemed faintly amused, a sure sign that he was still overly excited about his experiment.

Bella read. But in between paragraphs, she kept glancing over at Thom. The young man hunched over his book, the picture of total concentration. It was an old book, one that Bella had struggled through months ago. The professor already knew that nothing of importance was written on those pages. So why, then, hadn't he just sent Thom away?

"Because the boy wants to learn." Mallory said mildly, when he and Bella were alone again and she was able to ask the question.

"The boy is annoying." she muttered.

He laughed out loud. "Boys generally are. But perhaps in the end he'll be useful."

"What if he's a spy?" she blurted out, without meaning to say a word.

Mallory paused and set down his book. Then he leaned forward, giving Bella his full attention. "Why would Thom be a spy?"

"Well, I'm not sure. But he could be. We have to be careful."

"Why should we be careful?" the professor asked, quietly.

"My father knows a man... Master Franklin... who just got arrested." Bella explained, nervously. "Father said they're arresting anyone who doesn't support the Lords."

"I support the Lords completely." Mallory replied, calmly.

"I doubt the Lords think searching for another heir to the throne very supportive."

"Let me do the worrying, Bella." he told her. "You, go have lunch."

"But, sir - "

"Go." Mallory shooed her away.

For some reason, Bella went up onto Thom's hill. She liked the scenery and it was a nice place to settle down with her packed lunch. But it also attracted Thom. He showed up a short time later. Maybe that's what she intended.

"So that's what you and Mallory do all day?"

"Yeah." Bella ignored him, pointedly.

"That book was interesting." he was clearly lying, but she had to give him credit for the effort.

"Good."

"You know, my father sent several of his employees down to the flooded villages to help out." Thom sat nearby, cautiously.

"Did he?" Bella feigned disinterest.

"I wanted to go, but he made me come here. He says I can't save the world without an education."

"Do you think the world needs saving?"

"Do you?" he countered.

"I don't know." she was being drawn in, cautiously.

"The soldiers won't stay long in Bastvilla. There's got to be a reason why they're there." Thom looked out over the horizon. "My father wants me to come home, but he isn't sure the roads are safe to travel on. He told me to mind myself and not get involved in anything."

"And so you come to work for Professor Mallory?" Bella couldn't help but grin.

"Do you think he's doing something worth worrying about?"

"I need to head home." she stood up, signaling the end of the conversation. She felt Thom's eyes upon her the whole way down the hill and off of the campus.