About five minutes later, Mr. Gareth strode back into the hall, moving so quickly that Aiden's eyebrows shot up.
What are you, the Flash? he thought to himself.
Mr. Gareth didn't notice the silent jab. He marched straight to Mr. Bertain, a thick, leather-bound book tucked under his arm. "Is this the one?" he asked.
Mr. Bertain's eyes lit up in recognition, and he nodded. "That's it." He took the book, flipped it open with a practiced hand, and turned to the exact page he had mentioned earlier.
Miss Flecine and Mr. Gareth leaned in over his shoulder. The three of them began reading intently, murmuring every so often.
Aiden remained standing awkwardly near the shattered testing globe, watching them in silence. From the back of the hall, he could still feel dozens of eyes on him. The whispers hadn't stopped, but by now, he had decided to ignore them. Whatever decision those three came to would decide his future here—so he simply waited.
