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Chapter 110: Elimination Round

Liam nodded to Faelen and Geoff as they put their books into their respective lockers after Integrated Science, the last class of the day. What a terribly infantile class that was. The only saving graces were that he got to sit close to his friends, and it gave him time to work on other problems, including his homework. Today, the latter was what he had done, freeing up the remainder of his evening. He watched Geoff lead Faelen to the gymnasium locker room to change into their soccer kits -- Geoff the picture of eager anticipation, while Faelen looked closer to resignation.

Nathanial's locker clicked shut, and the adorable Akita ensured it was locked before cautiously walking over to him. It was most apparent that Nathanial was feeling tense today, likely due to Nicholas's trouble, combined with the stress from Alpha McDougal's visit, though both were interconnected. Nathanial's stress-induced speech impediment was quite strong as he stammered, "L-Liam." The pup cleared his throat. "U-Um, I w-want to call Nanny and P-Poppy over sometime s-soon to look at Nick. I-I can't let this g-go on anymore. W-Would you please be there? I--" Nathanial looked down and away. "I don't trust them with him. This is pretty much what they wanted; well, not the specifics, but..." He trailed off and followed Liam toward the music room.

Liam detested_those two Demon Mages; he couldn't think of worse Demons to be connected to -- ones that delved into others' secrets and spread illness. He was a private person and a healer; such individuals were a trial when they were _not gaining demonic energy from their filthy habits. Yet it was Nathanial asking; how could he say no?

He nodded, despite his misgivings. "I shall. They cannot help him alone; they will require my help as much as or more than I require theirs."_He pulled Nathanial into the washroom nearby. "Would you be able to open a portal? I require my _shakuhachi, my bamboo flute."

Nathanial nodded and cocked his head for a moment before leading the Rottweiler around the corner to where the urinals were. "I-It's pretty busy outside, so I may have to close the portal suddenly."

A tiny portal no bigger than Liam's palm winked open for a moment, showing the floor of the art room, meaning Nathanial must have opened it by the ceiling to check to see if the room was vacant. A split second later a full-sized one opened facing Liam's easel.

Liam dashed through, grabbed his shakuhachi, and returned, noting his father was home -- if upstairs and occupied with some pornography and his libido. "My thanks." Nathanial nodded and closed the portal before following Liam out of the washroom.

They were nearing the auditorium after retrieving Liam's violin from the music room, when Liam detected the distinct scent of scales. Jhansi slithered around the corner ahead of them and began weaving his way down the same corridor as they were, toward the auditorium. He had his camera and a notepad -- it was most obvious he intended to report on the auditions. This area of the building was primarily occupied by the twelfth year students, who were quite used to the distinct anatomy of the Serpent, so Jhansi was able to freely move without worry of being tripped over.

Jhansi glanced back over his shoulder at them, his hood flickering open at the sight of the Rottweiler just enough to reveal a glimpse of the brilliant orange scales within. "Ah, Smith and Nathanial." He paused to allow the Dogs time to catch up before addressing the Akita. "I didn't think you'd want to audition, Nathanial."

Nathanial ducked his head and shook it emphatically. "N-No, I'm just stopping by for a bit before heading home." He looked at the Serpent's camera. "You're d-doing a story on the auditions?"

Jhansi nodded. His eyes were half-closed, a habit that seemed to indicate a predatory intent or feeling. "It's newsworthy when the charity case sseeks to judge the talentss of his ssuperiors; esspecially when he's so young."

Liam snorted in his mind_. 'How infuriating._ 'So young'? If only the little worm knew how much younger he is in comparison to me. I cannot wait to be free of this juvenile body, though I do not mind it as such, just the way I am perceived.' He thought of his love and added, 'Though I believe it allowed Faelen to feel more comfortable with me once he learned of my nature. He also greatly enjoys some aspects of my youth, such as my ears.'

Nathanial shook his head and took a much firmer tone than he had yet to do with Jhansi. "Liam isn't a 'charity case.' He might be poor compared to us, but he earned his spot here. A scholarship isn't an easy thing to get, and he had to compete against a lot of other Furs to win it. He deserves to be here more than half_the other students -- just look at the D class! The only way _they can read a book is by hiring someone to read it out loud for them."

The Cobra looked taken aback by Nathanial's sudden forcefulness, but struggled to contain his laughter at the disparaging comment pertaining to the lowest ranked class in each grade. The look he then directed at Liam was a bit more thoughtful. "You sspeak the truth, Nathanial, I hadn't considered that." He rubbed the top of his furled hood. "I do value work over the use of a parent's money, and he did rightfully win his sspot here. I won't call him a charity casse again; his gradess have bought his spot in the school." His eyelids slid down to a half-closed position once more as he addressed the Ancient One. "Sso, peasant, what were your grades?"

That was a blatant attempt at goading him, and Liam knew it. He hid his anger and suppressed the wrath of Takahashi Yoishi when the shinobi attempted to rise up within him. Yoishi was oddly restless today. "Irrelevant. They were sufficient to earn my place, as you have said, and that is all anyone need know." Nathanial trotted forward to open the door for them and Liam ensured he passed through the door before the Serpent, as if he outranked the elder student. "Now, if you wish to observe, you may do so quietly. I will brook no disruptions."

From the sounds of things, there were a number of Furs in the audio-visual room above them, and a few more down on the stage fiddling with the speakers and microphones. Two of them were moving a piano out onto the stage, under the direction of a Howler Monkey teacher. That must be Mr. Crosby. The Monkey was a little taller than Nathanial and, perhaps, a hair heavier. His fur was a bright red (with a touch of orange highlights), and he had a brownish, round muzzle that was completed by a red tapered beard beneath. His long tail held his briefcase while his left hand carried a clipboard; his free hand gestured around the stage, sending the students about.

Mr. Crosby's deep voice echoed throughout the room; Liam knew, just by the projection and quality, that this man had been trained for the opera. No other vocal style could match the control needed by that art form. It was impressive. The Monkey turned to them. "Nathanial!" The Akita winced at the loud exclamation and all of the attention it drew to him. "I'm surprised to see you here. If you perform, why are you in my art class?" Left unspoken was the implication that Nathanial did not fare well in said class and would do far better elsewhere, if he had the confidence in another art form necessary to go to an audition.

"I-I-I..."

Jhansi cut in. "He's just watching his friend for a few minutes before going home. I'm here to take pictures and write a story." Liam found the compassion from the Serpent quite surprising.

Mr. Crosby barked a laugh. "I know that part, Ahjeet. It was almost impossible to get you from behind your camera when you were my student." He whirled to berate the students bringing the piano onstage. _"Careful!!"_His voice boomed across the room in a most startling fashion, causing Nathanial to squeak and cringe. He was not the only Fur to recoil; indeed almost all reacted with surprise and consternation. The two hapless students froze, saving the trolley that bore the piano from running over the tail of a Mouse who had been kneeling by a speaker as she worked on its wiring.

Liam placed his paw on Nathanial's shoulder. "You appear most anxious today, my friend."

Nathanial panted and stared at Liam with wide eyes for a moment before glancing around at several Furs, who also appeared to be suffering from the great fright they had endured. The Akita smiled weakly. "N-Not just me."

The Rottweiler chuckled. "No, I suppose not." He placed his paw on the small of Nathanial's back and leaned in. "It was just fortunate Geoff could not see you at that moment; he would have become most protective or aroused."

Nathanial's ears turned a pleasing shade of pink, and he ducked his head, looking away from Liam. He glanced sidelong at the Ancient One with his ears back. "Heh heh. Yeah."

Liam's world flickered for a moment. The posture, combined with the flattened ears, reminded Liam once more of Kaoru-sama -- the love he had lost as Yoishi. He shook his head. 'I am in Canada, in the twenty-first century. I am Liam Smith now.' He crushed his emotions and stepped away from Nathanial. "If you wish to observe, you may do so from the seats. Do not disturb the proceedings." He trotted away, ignoring the hurt and confused look on Nathanial's face; to deal with him now, while Yoishi lurked so close to the surface, was to risk much.

Jhansi was watching the proceedings closely, idly snapping a few pictures of the stage, as he slithered down the aisle closest to the wall. Liam ignored him as well, and made his way to the front of the auditorium. He jumped up to the stage, momentarily pausing at the few gasps before realizing he should have taken the stairs as opposed to leaping up over a metre. While it may not have been a highly unusual jump, it would be one many Furs would be unable to accomplish so easily.

Liam mentally shrugged and approached the teacher. "Good afternoon, Mr. Crosby. It is a pleasure to meet you." He bowed to the teacher before correcting himself and extended his paw after placing the case of his bamboo flute on the stage.

Mr. Crosby's eyes twinkled in amusement and he shook Liam's paw. "Likewise, Smith. I have to confess I'm very curious as to who you'll pick and why. I've heard you play, of course. Mrs. Oldrieve was very impressed the first time she heard you play the violin and had me--" His head snapped to the side to berate some students; the projection of his voice was quite formidable at this range. "No, no, no! The piano is supposed to be at a fifteen degree angle! Turn it around! Put the trolley between the orange tape like I said!" He referred to small pieces of orange tape on the stage blocking out a section intended for the piano. He turned back to Liam and said calmly, "She had me listen in on a class." He glanced over at the piano movers to ensure it was being placed properly. "I'd like to hear a bit of what you have in mind so I know what to listen for."

Liam shrugged. "I have not picked out any pieces as of yet. It is quite impossible without knowing the calibre of those I may play with, nor the styles in which they are competent. I wish to have some Western pieces and at _least_one Chinese or Japanese piece -- I have already received word that I will have a few Chinese businessmen in attendance."

Mr. Crosby's eyes widened. "You..." He visibly checked himself. "Sorry. I'm surprised to hear that, but that's no excuse. It didn't occur to me that a Fur named 'Smith' would know a lot of people in _China."_He cocked his head to the side. "Or are you referring to local business people of Chinese ancestry?"

"Both. I know many local people of Chinese ancestry will be at the auction and they greatly enjoy my art -- which has piqued the interest of their associates in China. It appears my art is in demand, for they will be flying in strictly to meet me and to get a chance to buy some of my paintings." Jhansi was obviously videotaping the conversation; Liam hid his annoyance -- that Serpent was infuriating.

Mr. Crosby smiled. It appeared to be genuine, despite the fact that the Monkey's eyes searched Liam's face in a bit of confusion or disbelief. "Impressive. I can see why Jorda-- ah, Mrs. Davis was so eager to get you in our school. Your talent deserves to be cultivated in the best schools possible, both now and after graduation. Money should never get in the way of fostering genius, whether academic or artistic." The teacher looked down at the shakuhachi case. "What is that?"

Liam knelt, put his other gear down, and took out the bamboo flute. "It is a shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese bamboo flute." He stood up and began playing one of the most complicated pieces he learned as Yoishi -- one of the Shika No Tone. These were pieces of music known only to a group of mendicant monks known as the Fuke sect of the Buddhist Monks, a sect long lost to history.

Glancing about, Liam noticed that Mr. Crosby had his eyes closed to concentrate on the music while most of the students did not seem to appreciate the alien quality of music displaced from their culture by great distance and greater time. There were a few exceptions, notably Nathanial and Jhansi. The Cobra appeared to be attempting to reinforce the stereotype of cobras and flute players; his fingers were loosely holding his camera as he swayed in time with Liam and the music, watching the Rottweiler with almost fully shut eyes. He was quite entranced. Peculiar.

He lowered his flute once he finished the piece, ignoring the sighs of relief from the Mouse working on the speaker and a number of other students. Those boorish children would not appreciate anything that was more than one note off the current 'top forty' lists. Such 'music' could hardly be called proper art in the way they all mimicked one another to the point of indistinguishability. He did note that over thirty other students had quietly entered while he had been playing.

Jhansi shook himself, his eyes opening to their normal, full width. Unlike feral snakes, Serpents possessed eyelids which functioned much like those of other Furs, but their natural state was to have their eyelids opened wide enough to be hidden. Jhansi's elliptical pupils were quite wide in the dim light, and his tongue flicked out rapidly. He appeared oddly agitated. "Who taught you, Ssmith? Where did you learn to play a Japanese insstrument like that, one that'ss rarely taught in Japan, and with ssuch ssskill? That piece..." He trailed off, his breath hissing out on each exhalation and his hood flared halfway open. Most peculiar.

Mr. Crosby interjected, amused, "Now, Ahjeet, I thought you were here to take photos and observe, not to interrogate. How do you know it isn't taught much in Japan and, really, how is that relevant? So he had a teacher, here in Nova Scotia, that taught him. All it takes is one person to pass on a skill." He turned to Liam and laughed -- almost hooted -- in pleasure. "Impressive. That was really impressive, pup. I can only think of a few dozen students who've passed through my class or Mrs. Oldrieve's class that can compete with you, though most of them play more common instruments." He stroked his beard with his free paw. "I don't know if any can sing in Chinese or Japanese; you'd have more luck looking for other European languages."

Liam nodded. "It will be a challenge, but I also intend to play the violin, so those singing in English, Italian, or what-have-you can still contribute. In any case, if they are of any worth, a singer can learn a song in any language; understanding of the words is unnecessary. It is merely a more difficult endeavour." Muireann had learned several songs in Italian in just such a fashion; indeed many young women in Society -- London society, not the Arcane one -- did just that in order to seem more cultured and desirable as a wife. Young people these days were far too lazy to consider such a thing, it seemed.

Betty swooped into the auditorium at the head of a gaggle of girls. "I'm here, so let's get this thing going so I can leave. I don't want to be stuck here all afternoon."

Mary, the black Poodle that had been such a bother on the first day of school, saw him and sniffed. "Why is the tiny puppy running the talent show? Our cheerleading team doesn't want to be judged by him."

Liam arched an eyebrow. "I am not running a talent show; I am looking for talent -- musical talent and not a form more suitable for jesters prancing in front of a royal court. You may save yourself some embarrassment and leave if that is all you are capable of."

Audible gasps sounded from across the room, some in indignation, some in shock, and others in amusement. Cries of outrage merged with gales of laughter, though the laughter was quickly muffled when the basilisk glares of the girls were turned on the perpetrators.

Liam heard Jhansi murmur, "...Jesters prancing..." as he jotted notes into his notebook. Liam was quite certain he knew what the next headline of the school paper would be.

Mary grabbed Betty's arm. "I have no fucking idea what possessed you to even consider showing up for this, but that seals it. Let's go."

Betty looked incensed as well, but she swallowed it. "No. You can, but I'm going to show the runt that he can't underestimate me. If he thinks he's all that, I'm going to prove I'm better than he is in every possible way."

Nathanial was looking at Liam as if he were insane. Liam wondered if the pup had run into the vengeful wrath of cheerleaders before. If he had, and they numbered in the gaggle surrounding Betty, then they had best beware. No one would harm the sweet pup with him there, be they petty cheerleader, brutish jock, or evil Oni. Mary met Liam's eyes and stepped back in alarm just as the flash of Jhansi's camera went off.

Mr. Crosby raised his voice. "All right, students! Auditions will be starting soon! Everyone who wants to try out can write their names on this clipboard and take a seat in the first couple of rows. Anyone just watching can sit off to the sides as long as they keep quiet."

Betty trotted forward and called out to the few dozen students moving to the clipboard. "Out of the way, please; I'm going first so you know what you're up against." Surprisingly, they all complied. School hierarchy in Western society was a most confusing thing. In the proper order of things it should be the grade twelve students going first, starting with the eldest of class 12-A, and then working down to the youngest student in class 10-D. At least she did say please.

Liam stepped over to the microphone stand at the front of the stage and picked up a microphone. "If you please, let me clearly state what it is I am looking for. I seek four to ten students who are well versed in European classical music or traditional Chinese or Japanese music. If you are unable to perform in any of those styles, do not bother auditioning. For those capable of singing, I seek a voice that lends itself well to classical vocals. Professional training is not required, but it is an asset. Juggling, acrobatics, or any other performance that is typical of a 'talent show' is not sought and will result in an expeditious removal from the stage. If I choose you, you will be performing before an august crowd who will expect the very best. Not the very best of a typical high school, but the very best in any context. Keep that in mind before placing your name on the sheet."

Only a half-dozen students appeared to change their minds and moved off to sit at the sides of the auditorium. Liam found himself wondering what was written in that e-mail Jhansi or Bonilla sent out. Hmm, rather, Jhansi or Amanda McPhee; he doubted the Frog would have written it himself.

He hid a sigh and nodded to Betty. "It appears you may begin. What instrument would you be playing?" He placed the microphone on the stand and jumped off the stage to go sit in the third row with Mr. Crosby.

Betty sniffed and moved around to climb the stairs on the sides of the stage. "It doesn't matter, I can play them all. The piano is here, so I'll play that one."

*All?* Even Nathanial sounded incredulous when he spoke telepathically. *You can't play all instruments. There're just too many.*

Despite his antipathy toward Betty, Liam did feel compelled to note a slight error in Nathanial's statement. *It is not quite impossible; most instruments are exceptionally similar to one another. A transverse flute and a saxophone appear quite different, but the fingering for the various notes is almost the same -- as are many woodwinds. The manners in which a violin and a cello are played are also similar, so if one if sufficiently talented one could conceivably perform admirably on the vast majority of common, Western, instruments. However, instruments that evolved without influence from Europe are quite another story. In any event, it takes focus on a single instrument to reach one's full potential, regardless of the similarities it may have with another one.*

Betty settled herself at the piano and began playing Chopin's Nocturne Number 7 in C Sharp Minor. It was a most surprising choice as it was an understated piece, lacking the flourishes and drama he expected, but it was most beautiful and truly revealed her skill. A more complex piece would showcase the rapidity of her movements as opposed to her ability to exercise control, ability to show her interpretation of the piece without losing its spirit, and how to flow from mood to mood within it.

Mr. Crosby went to interrupt her after two minutes, but Liam stopped him. "There is a great crescendo coming soon; I wish to see how she fares."

The Monkey nodded, and Betty played on. Her eyes were closed in deep concentration as she played from memory, her slight body rocked as she reached across the vast stretch of keys. She held herself as one most used to immersing herself within the flow of the music. The crescendo began. Her furrowed face took on the tenseness of the piece as she put forth effort into drawing out the volume and speed of this portion without mashing madly at the keys, letting the sound flow smoothly, as appropriate for Chopin. Liam was almost _awed_by what he witnessed. She was marvellous.

Nathanial agreed with him. *She's good!*

*No, Nathanial. I must confess that she is great. I...am shamed to admit I had hoped she would fail that I might dismiss her publicly in order to humiliate her. She is a rare talent.*

Liam let her finish the short piece in its entirety. It would be a travesty to cut short such a performance without reason. As soon as she stopped, letting her paws stop softly on the keyboard, Liam stood and applauded. Most students appeared knowledgeable of their...quarrels and froze in surprise. Betty smiled softly and opened her eyes to see who applauded and gaped openly to see only him standing and clapping, but soon all other students -- and Mr. Crosby -- joined him.

Betty rose from the bench, pleased but uncertain, and bowed. She opened her mouth, most likely for a snide and superior comment, but closed it and bowed again.

Liam raised his voice to be heard over the dying applause. Credit given where credit deserved. "I am impressed, Betty Chan. I would be honoured to perform a piece of music on stage with you; you have a rare talent."

She smirked, but once more restrained herself. It appeared praise from him had thrown her quite off balance. She nodded stiffly and left the stage.

Nathanial 'spoke.' *I'd better be going. I hope you can find a few more students to choose from, Liam.*

*As do I. Fare well, Nathanial, and do not forget to put some time into studying those textbooks Doull gave you.*

---

Nathanial followed Nicholas out of the gym showers and into the main room after a short bit of kung fu practice. Nick was doing really well at it, when he restrained himself; he'd easily fit in with Geoff and Faelen in Liam's classes. "Good practice, Nick."

Nick's tail wagged, betraying his happiness. "Yeah, whatever."

Nathanial quickened his step so he could put his arm over his brother's shoulders and pull him close. "Goof." He nipped Nicholas's ear. "I'm going to start studying the textbooks Mr. Doull gave me. Could you put your choker in the cabinet until I'm done? The server can sense all magic around it, and I don't want to risk it sensing..." He wiggled his finger over the bone. "That."

"Sure." Nick suited action to word and unfastened it before slipping out from under Nathanial's arm.

Nathanial brought a pair of shorts out of his room, stifling a chuckle when he made them 'walk' on their own toward the computer desk. "Are you going to join me? Neither of us have had a chance to learn the basics properly, and the big test is in a few weeks."

Nick closed the cabinet and stood up with a huff. "I thought I was grounded. Shouldn't I be in my room?"

Nathanial smiled lopsidedly. "You are grounded. Dad hasn't put a time on it, so I'd keep quiet about it. I think two weeks should be enough, maybe one if you behave, but studying and practicing magic are parts of being grounded, as is a reasonable amount of exercise. I thought we could do some of this together over the next few weeks. You and me. Not my friends, but just us."

Nicholas's ears flattened, and his eyes grew wide with hope. _"Really?"_He caught himself and masked his delight. "Yeah, sure. Beats spending every hour in my room."

Nathanial brought out a pair of boxers for his brother and began setting up the computer. "I know you'd prefer to be naked, but I don't know what the server records, if anything. Better safe than sorry."

Nicholas smirked. "Hey, they might like watching us studying naked. If they're going to spy, we may as well give them a show."

Nathanial frowned. "Hardly." He tipped his head thoughtfully. "Hmm, if we did study naked, and didn't do anything, um, illegal, as in_gay,_ they might have to delete the tapes to avoid charges of child porn." He shook his head. "Nah. Just being naked isn't porn, and I don't want to risk anything that might bring trouble onto our family. Behave and keep clothed."

His brother rolled his eyes and slipped on his boxers, fastening the tab over his tail. "Fine. I'm all put away, so you can do...whatever it is that accesses the server."

Nathanial put the spell tag in to a USB port beside the flash drive he got from Mr. Doull and zapped it with a small Chill spell. A log in box appeared and he typed in his username and password. A message box popped up on the screen saying, "User Name And Password Accepted. Logging In. Processing." A small spinning circle appeared for a second. "Scanning Area..." This time the more familiar ellipse appeared, going from one to three dots repeatedly. "Processing... Unidentified User Detected. Analysing... User Identified: Nicholas Arthur Marks. Child of Registered Mage: Garret Wallace Marks. Processing... User Name Generated: MarksNi96. Additional User Data Being Compiled."

The dialogue box had looked different starting out, but it quickly shifted back to the more familiar colour and shape from the office. A loading screen appeared behind the dialogue box; it was a soft blue, with a large red maple leaf in the middle framed by a gold laurel crown -- a nod to the Hellenistic nature of the Society. In the middle of the leaf was a faint outline of the Arcane Society's crest.

There was a soft 'ping' from the computer. A new desktop screen loaded. This one had a box in the upper right that looked like the analysis box that was on the screen during the test. Along the left were a few folder and program icons, including a folder with his user name on it and a designation of _'Drive: H,'_and another showing the folder of textbooks he got from the Walrus, Mr. Doull. The wallpaper was a deceptively simple cloudscape, but Nathanial got the feeling there was more to it; then again, that could just be him being paranoid. He was distracted from looking more closely at the clouds by another dialogue box, "User: MarksNa95 is overdue for lessons. Threat level remains high. Note: Appears recalcitrant, uncooperative. New alternative suggestion added: immediate neutralization."

"What!?" Nathanial and Nicholas squawked at the same time. Why was the server so set on killing him?

"Recommendation: Begin training immediately. Maintain disposition suitable to citizens of the Arcane Society. Maintain constant access to server for surveillance and proof of control."

The server sounded just like the old one, but it was supposed to have been upgraded and replaced the day after his test. Well, it kind of sounded grumpier than it did, so maybe this was the new one. Nathanial sent his mind into the computer to look.

He 'appeared' in a similar...um, landscape, if you wanted to call it that, as last time. A bleak, grey, featureless plane marred only by a single sign floating in the 'air' in front of him. He could sense, faintly, his computer beneath this shell, along with an incredibly powerful band of magic heading west. To Ottawa, presumably. Everything about it seemed to match the old server perfectly. Something told him the old operating system wasn't out of the equation yet.

He gave the sign the full brunt of his displeased glare. "Do they know that you somehow overwrote the new operating system they installed? I don't think they'd be very happy if I happened to tell them about it."

The floating sign 'binged' and said, "Processing..." Nathanial waited a few seconds as he watched flickers of windows appear around the landscape. It seemed like the server was madly computing, as if he was trying to come to some sort of solution. The server acted like he was taking Nathanial's threat seriously and didn't like the thought of being 'upgraded.' Nathanial wouldn't like it either, were he in the server's spot.

Eventually, there was another chime and the sign said, "Alternative Suggestion: Deleted. Additional Notes: Deleted. Training program compiled from available material. Suggested Start Time: Now." A book seemed to be loading up in front of the dialogue box, so Nathanial flitted back to his body to study with Nick under the guidance of a much more amenable server.