Chamber's College
Ockham and Leblanc entered the sauna chamber at once. Tox dared not follow, but was close enough to catch some of the sounds, and other things which came back through the doorway.
"My God, she's-" came Ockham's voice.
"Hanged," said a new voice.
-Flash!-
"Freguson?! Have you know shame, man? Get out!"
Trailing after Ockham's reprimand, a man with a top hat and clutching a antiquated camera came stumbling out of the room as if shoved.
"I say!" he retorted, glaring back as he regained his balance by grabbing Tox's shoulder. "Oh, a cover up, is it? Even better!" he added, winding up his camera.
"You're with the press?" Tox ventured to ask the expelled photographer.
"I am the press," Ferguson corrected, pointing his thumb to his chest with unecessary flair. "Only one man enough to try reporting all the events at this confounded school- the Creeper creeps on, of course."
"The Creeper?" Tox repeated uncomprehendingly.
"The Campus Creeper...Surely- but I can tell from your lack of enthusiasm that you're new here."
"Yes. You run the daily school newspaper by yourself?" questioned Tox.
"Well," he began, failing to disguise his obvious self-important air with humility, "More or less, yes. Just a one-man setup, you know. New edition every morning, but it's no more than a flier really, unless something curious happens, like the surprize suicide of Chelsea Beau."
"Oh, is that who- you said she hanged herself?" Tox asked.
"That she did. No one noticed because of the steam, so they say, and even if they did, they thought it was another of her trances. Scatter-brained girl, nearly always fixed with that vacant stare, and if she was in a trance she was as good as a statue."
"The power outage in the Faculty House must have been a coincidence," assumed Tox.
"Power outage, you say?" said Ferguson, observing Tox like he might any informant. "In the Faculty House?"
"Yes, but it can't be related, seeing as the power works down here." Tox really couldn't see how it was related.
"S'the bloody storm, I expect," rationalized Ferguson. "Anyway, I've got to off and develop these for tomorrow's story. Just need a catchy headline to go with it. Tragedy Sways Chamber's? No, too vague. Suicides on the Upswing? Too general."
"Suicide Leaves Chamber's in Suspense?" Tox offered, but he instantly felt bad for it. How insensitive. They were talking about a real person. Admittedly, Tox hadn't even met her, but still, he wanted to be careful about his first impressions.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. You may have a mind for journalism- what did you say your name was? Ah, Mr. Newlock, yes. I can't be bothered now, but feel free to drop by my office in case you ever had any other ideas of sensational significance. I daresay the Campus Creeper can't go on as a one-man show forever. I could use an apprentice, actually. Someone to carry on the business after I'm gone. I am getting on in years." But Ferguson had tramped back along the path towards the center of campus and had been merely thinking out loud for those last few parts.
Meanwhile, Dean Ockham had emerged from the entrance and told everyone to turn in; the incident was no longer open to the public, and the saunas would close temporarily.
The word 'suicide' was being whispered everywhere like a new catchphrase. Nearby, a gargoyle crouched upon the order of a column and appeared to mull over all the human nonsense it had seen in the last 400 years. Eventually the crowd did disperse, sighing and shaking their heads. Tox had just resolved that it was time to return to the dormitory at last when someone tapped his shoulder. He turned around to find...
"My God, she's-" came Ockham's voice.
"Hanged," said a new voice.
-Flash!-
"Freguson?! Have you know shame, man? Get out!"
Trailing after Ockham's reprimand, a man with a top hat and clutching a antiquated camera came stumbling out of the room as if shoved.
"I say!" he retorted, glaring back as he regained his balance by grabbing Tox's shoulder. "Oh, a cover up, is it? Even better!" he added, winding up his camera.
"You're with the press?" Tox ventured to ask the expelled photographer.
"I am the press," Ferguson corrected, pointing his thumb to his chest with unecessary flair. "Only one man enough to try reporting all the events at this confounded school- the Creeper creeps on, of course."
"The Creeper?" Tox repeated uncomprehendingly.
"The Campus Creeper...Surely- but I can tell from your lack of enthusiasm that you're new here."
"Yes. You run the daily school newspaper by yourself?" questioned Tox.
"Well," he began, failing to disguise his obvious self-important air with humility, "More or less, yes. Just a one-man setup, you know. New edition every morning, but it's no more than a flier really, unless something curious happens, like the surprize suicide of Chelsea Beau."
"Oh, is that who- you said she hanged herself?" Tox asked.
"That she did. No one noticed because of the steam, so they say, and even if they did, they thought it was another of her trances. Scatter-brained girl, nearly always fixed with that vacant stare, and if she was in a trance she was as good as a statue."
"The power outage in the Faculty House must have been a coincidence," assumed Tox.
"Power outage, you say?" said Ferguson, observing Tox like he might any informant. "In the Faculty House?"
"Yes, but it can't be related, seeing as the power works down here." Tox really couldn't see how it was related.
"S'the bloody storm, I expect," rationalized Ferguson. "Anyway, I've got to off and develop these for tomorrow's story. Just need a catchy headline to go with it. Tragedy Sways Chamber's? No, too vague. Suicides on the Upswing? Too general."
"Suicide Leaves Chamber's in Suspense?" Tox offered, but he instantly felt bad for it. How insensitive. They were talking about a real person. Admittedly, Tox hadn't even met her, but still, he wanted to be careful about his first impressions.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. You may have a mind for journalism- what did you say your name was? Ah, Mr. Newlock, yes. I can't be bothered now, but feel free to drop by my office in case you ever had any other ideas of sensational significance. I daresay the Campus Creeper can't go on as a one-man show forever. I could use an apprentice, actually. Someone to carry on the business after I'm gone. I am getting on in years." But Ferguson had tramped back along the path towards the center of campus and had been merely thinking out loud for those last few parts.
Meanwhile, Dean Ockham had emerged from the entrance and told everyone to turn in; the incident was no longer open to the public, and the saunas would close temporarily.
The word 'suicide' was being whispered everywhere like a new catchphrase. Nearby, a gargoyle crouched upon the order of a column and appeared to mull over all the human nonsense it had seen in the last 400 years. Eventually the crowd did disperse, sighing and shaking their heads. Tox had just resolved that it was time to return to the dormitory at last when someone tapped his shoulder. He turned around to find...