Chamber's College
...the woman with the gas lantern. She silently handed him a note, then turned and headed back toward the Faculty House. Tox opened the note. Written in broad, uneven strokes of a loose hand were the two lines "it is loose" and "feed my bird". It looked to have been written hurriedly, with what must have been a loose bit of charcoal. Bits of black dust were still falling from the paper, which itself was very worn and dirty. It looked to have been cut with scissors from a notebook long ago. Tox looked up just in time to see her go through the doors back into the building. He followed. As he approached the door, Tox could see through the windows into the entranceway. He could see the back of her head and the glow of the lamp as she descended the stairs heading down towards the sauna. He entered and did the same, hurrying down the steps in a bid to catch her.
By this time the sauna users were clearing out, emerging from the single locker room wet, solemn, and silent. Tox allowed them to pass, then approached the door to the fatal chamber. He took a deep breath and peered in. The first thing he saw was the body, lain on the floor and covered with a white sheet. Clustered together and talking quietly were Ockham and LeBlanc. The gas lamp woman was not to be seen.
"Dean Ockham, where is the woman with the gas lamp?" Tox asked.
"I don't know," Ockham frowned, seeming a bit startled at the interruption. "You should leave. This is now a crime scene," he added tarty. "Try the locker room."
"Let the dead be," added LeBlanc darkly. "Let them rest now."
Tox ducked back out and continued up the single, dim hallway. Gargoyles overhung the passage, and the dim orange lights were steady, unflickering. The sauna had been carved from living rock by hand tools, the marks of which still marred the walls and roof. On the left, besides the chamber with the dead girl, there were four other chambers, one large and three small, arranged alternately small to large. On the right there were two doors, one at each end of the hall, for entrance to the locker room. Tox knew the first sauna, a small one, was empty -- the door had stood open as he passed it on his way in. He walked the length of the hall, looking in each chamber on the left. Each was empty. As he walked he glanced behind, but neither of the two figures he saw emerge from the locker room were the woman he sought. He glanced in the locker room, which was in the form of a long, wide room with an unobstructed view toward the far end, where the other door was. He didn't want to miss the woman with the gas lamp in a game of door-tag. He did not see her. There were still a few people in the locker room. Tox wandered through. There was a man dressing, a woman showering, and a woman brushing her hair in the long mirror. He stopped by the woman brushing her hair.
"Have you see a woman with a gas lamp?"
"I saw her earlier, but not recently," she replied.
Tox turned to the woman in the shower, waiting for her to finish rinsing her hair. "Have you seen a woman with a gas lamp?" She shook her head negatively.
"She was here about five minutes ago," volunteered the man, "telling us about the body and asking us to leave. She hasn't been in here since."
"Thanks." Tox wandered out. He again traversed the hallway, looking in each chamber. Nothing. How had she gotten past him? The sauna wasn't that big. He entered the last chamber, a small, rounded room. This chamber held a small spa, barely big enough for two. It was manifestly empty. Tox stared down into the clear water. Where had she gone?
By this time the sauna users were clearing out, emerging from the single locker room wet, solemn, and silent. Tox allowed them to pass, then approached the door to the fatal chamber. He took a deep breath and peered in. The first thing he saw was the body, lain on the floor and covered with a white sheet. Clustered together and talking quietly were Ockham and LeBlanc. The gas lamp woman was not to be seen.
"Dean Ockham, where is the woman with the gas lamp?" Tox asked.
"I don't know," Ockham frowned, seeming a bit startled at the interruption. "You should leave. This is now a crime scene," he added tarty. "Try the locker room."
"Let the dead be," added LeBlanc darkly. "Let them rest now."
Tox ducked back out and continued up the single, dim hallway. Gargoyles overhung the passage, and the dim orange lights were steady, unflickering. The sauna had been carved from living rock by hand tools, the marks of which still marred the walls and roof. On the left, besides the chamber with the dead girl, there were four other chambers, one large and three small, arranged alternately small to large. On the right there were two doors, one at each end of the hall, for entrance to the locker room. Tox knew the first sauna, a small one, was empty -- the door had stood open as he passed it on his way in. He walked the length of the hall, looking in each chamber on the left. Each was empty. As he walked he glanced behind, but neither of the two figures he saw emerge from the locker room were the woman he sought. He glanced in the locker room, which was in the form of a long, wide room with an unobstructed view toward the far end, where the other door was. He didn't want to miss the woman with the gas lamp in a game of door-tag. He did not see her. There were still a few people in the locker room. Tox wandered through. There was a man dressing, a woman showering, and a woman brushing her hair in the long mirror. He stopped by the woman brushing her hair.
"Have you see a woman with a gas lamp?"
"I saw her earlier, but not recently," she replied.
Tox turned to the woman in the shower, waiting for her to finish rinsing her hair. "Have you seen a woman with a gas lamp?" She shook her head negatively.
"She was here about five minutes ago," volunteered the man, "telling us about the body and asking us to leave. She hasn't been in here since."
"Thanks." Tox wandered out. He again traversed the hallway, looking in each chamber. Nothing. How had she gotten past him? The sauna wasn't that big. He entered the last chamber, a small, rounded room. This chamber held a small spa, barely big enough for two. It was manifestly empty. Tox stared down into the clear water. Where had she gone?