making that jump." The professor's eyes bugged out even
further.
Carole was certain they were going to pop out of his head at any moment.
"Sso you do consssider yourssself an expert."
"Not at all." She fought to control her rising irritation. "I'm just trying to give as
complete an answer as possible."
"Did I assk for completenesss?"
"You asked for a solution."
"A ssolution. That'ss one anssswer, not two. And cccertainly not one which containsss
your ssso expert opinion."
Giggles broke out from more than a few students.
"I thought dimensional travel, by its very nature, required flexibility and adaptability.
Isn't it possible to get into trouble even if you're totally familiar with the dimension you leap
to?"
The girl next to Carole gasped.
Professor Rizzo blinked several times. His jaw muscles worked furiously but no words
came out of his mouth.
Carole forced herself not to look away.
Ever so slowly, the man's eyes retracted into his skull. "Classs, continue with your
current asssignment. Misss Ssylphwood, come here pleassse." He scuttled through the sand to his
desk.
Carole casually walked over, but positioned herself so the desk and a mound of sand
created a barrier between herself and him.
Speaking barely above a whisper, Professor Rizzo said, "What did you mean by that
remark?"
"Sorry?"
"Don't play coy, girl. What did you mean about getting into trouble in familiar
dimensssionss? About whom were you ssspeaking?"
She pointed to her still blood red eyes. "Myself."
He scrutinized her face. "That happened during a dimenssional vissit?"
"Yes."
"A dimenssion you are familiar with?"
"Yes."
"I ssee." The purple drained from Professor Rizzo's cheeks and his face no longer
resembled the active part of a volcano. "Return to your dessk."
Carole walked back to her seat, conscious that everyone, including Professor Rizzo, was
following her every move.
--13--
Carole bolted out the door as soon as Professor Rizzo dismissed class. She went directly
to Professor Philamount's office, but was surprised to find his door locked. Then she saw the note:
"Meet me top floor."
She stuffed the note into her pocket. Joining the mass of students moving up the
spiraling granite staircase to the second floor, she followed a smaller crowd over the crystalline
archway and up to the third floor. She was alone on the simple stone steps leading to the fourth.
The hallway at the top of these stairs was also empty.
In the first room two graduate students were walking amidst an enormous
three-dimensional display of an ocean and island world. The second room was locked, the third was
empty. In the last a group of seniors was clambering over a rickety wooden scaffold, appearing like
so many walking sticks. So where was professor Philamount?
As Carole walked back down the hall, she noticed a narrow, fifth door situated between
the stairwell and the far wall. It looked like a broom closet, but when she pulled it open she saw a
steep, dingy flight of stairs leading upwards. There was a fresh set of footprints in the dust.
Midway up she came to a grimy window and, peering out, realized that she was in one of
the two school towers. Funny she hadn't noticed a similar stairway at the other end of the hall. The
door at the top was open.
Professor Melodious T. Philamount was seated on an ornately carved chest in the center
of a cluttered room with a domed ceiling. "At last," he said, with his nasally twang.
"What is this place?" Carole said, as she picked a path through the disorder.
"The meeting space for The League of Graduate Studies."
"Not for a while, by the looks of it."
"The league was disbanded before my time."
"So what are we doing here?"
"Practice. I wish you to jump from corner to corner."
"There's barely enough room to move, and I've no food with me."
Professor Philamount sighed. "Did I not tell you to carry food with you at all
times?"
"I thought that was just for when I was, you know, traveling."
"Always carry food
further.
Carole was certain they were going to pop out of his head at any moment.
"Sso you do consssider yourssself an expert."
"Not at all." She fought to control her rising irritation. "I'm just trying to give as
complete an answer as possible."
"Did I assk for completenesss?"
"You asked for a solution."
"A ssolution. That'ss one anssswer, not two. And cccertainly not one which containsss
your ssso expert opinion."
Giggles broke out from more than a few students.
"I thought dimensional travel, by its very nature, required flexibility and adaptability.
Isn't it possible to get into trouble even if you're totally familiar with the dimension you leap
to?"
The girl next to Carole gasped.
Professor Rizzo blinked several times. His jaw muscles worked furiously but no words
came out of his mouth.
Carole forced herself not to look away.
Ever so slowly, the man's eyes retracted into his skull. "Classs, continue with your
current asssignment. Misss Ssylphwood, come here pleassse." He scuttled through the sand to his
desk.
Carole casually walked over, but positioned herself so the desk and a mound of sand
created a barrier between herself and him.
Speaking barely above a whisper, Professor Rizzo said, "What did you mean by that
remark?"
"Sorry?"
"Don't play coy, girl. What did you mean about getting into trouble in familiar
dimensssionss? About whom were you ssspeaking?"
She pointed to her still blood red eyes. "Myself."
He scrutinized her face. "That happened during a dimenssional vissit?"
"Yes."
"A dimenssion you are familiar with?"
"Yes."
"I ssee." The purple drained from Professor Rizzo's cheeks and his face no longer
resembled the active part of a volcano. "Return to your dessk."
Carole walked back to her seat, conscious that everyone, including Professor Rizzo, was
following her every move.
--13--
Carole bolted out the door as soon as Professor Rizzo dismissed class. She went directly
to Professor Philamount's office, but was surprised to find his door locked. Then she saw the note:
"Meet me top floor."
She stuffed the note into her pocket. Joining the mass of students moving up the
spiraling granite staircase to the second floor, she followed a smaller crowd over the crystalline
archway and up to the third floor. She was alone on the simple stone steps leading to the fourth.
The hallway at the top of these stairs was also empty.
In the first room two graduate students were walking amidst an enormous
three-dimensional display of an ocean and island world. The second room was locked, the third was
empty. In the last a group of seniors was clambering over a rickety wooden scaffold, appearing like
so many walking sticks. So where was professor Philamount?
As Carole walked back down the hall, she noticed a narrow, fifth door situated between
the stairwell and the far wall. It looked like a broom closet, but when she pulled it open she saw a
steep, dingy flight of stairs leading upwards. There was a fresh set of footprints in the dust.
Midway up she came to a grimy window and, peering out, realized that she was in one of
the two school towers. Funny she hadn't noticed a similar stairway at the other end of the hall. The
door at the top was open.
Professor Melodious T. Philamount was seated on an ornately carved chest in the center
of a cluttered room with a domed ceiling. "At last," he said, with his nasally twang.
"What is this place?" Carole said, as she picked a path through the disorder.
"The meeting space for The League of Graduate Studies."
"Not for a while, by the looks of it."
"The league was disbanded before my time."
"So what are we doing here?"
"Practice. I wish you to jump from corner to corner."
"There's barely enough room to move, and I've no food with me."
Professor Philamount sighed. "Did I not tell you to carry food with you at all
times?"
"I thought that was just for when I was, you know, traveling."
"Always carry food
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