Matilda takes Abby back to the dorms.

The two girls made it across campus under cover of night. It was a Thursday night, and most students had no classes on Friday, because of an obscure rule as promoted by St. Emilia herself in the year 1392. The university had been founded on her convent, but nowadays it was decidedly secular in more ways than one. At a normal university, the fact that there were nearly no classes tomorrow would have been cause for the students to go out and party at the local bars, but St. Emilia employed a strict curfew. Matilda and Abigail were already pushing it getting back to the dorms as late as they were.

Matilda kept teasing Abigail about her 'appointment' with Professor Mathison the whole way back. Abby constantly told her to "Stop it!" but she knew very well that that wasn't going to happen. When Matilda latched on to something-- a joke, an idea, a lover, whatever-- she held on as tight as she could until she lost all interest in it. When they arrived at the dorm, though, Matilda's jokes stopped and both she and Abigail took on every appearance of decorum. The woman sitting at the desk was Elga, the infamous watch-woman of Hartford Hall. She didn't say a word. In fact Abby had no idea if she could speak at all. They passed right by her without comment.

"So what is it? What's going on?" Abby asked when they were out of that horrible woman's sight.