Bedlam

“Yeah, I know.”

“So,” Valkyrie said, figuring she’d skipped round the subject long enough, “any plans?”

“Plans?”

“To go away anywhere.”

“Like holiday plans? Um, no. It’s the school term, and …”

“Of course,” said Valkyrie. “Of course. Hey, can you do me a favour? Can you stay out of trouble?”

“Sorry?”

“Trouble,” she said. “If you could stay out of it, that would be great.”

“What trouble am I in?”

“None,” she said.

“So … what trouble am I going to be in?”

She laughed. “None! Wow, you are paranoid!”

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking me to do.”

Valkyrie turned to him. “OK, look. There’s something going on. A case. It’s got something to do with America, or, at the very least, Americans.”

He looked doubtful. “Do you need my help?”

“No. In fact, we need the opposite.”

“You need my … hindrance?”

“We need you to stay out of it.”

This was puzzling Omen. That was plain to see. “But I’m not in it,” he said. “I don’t know anything about it. This is the first I’m hearing of it. I don’t even know what it is.”

“I realise that this might be confusing.”

“Oh, good. I was worried.”

“But I need you to promise me.”

“I … I promise,” he said. “Can I ask a question, though?”

“No.”

“Just one.”

“If you know anything at all about it,” Valkyrie said, “telling you might involve you, and we don’t want that, do we?”

“I suppose not.”

“You just focus on having a boring, ordinary few weeks, and I’ll explain it all to you when it’s over, deal?”

“I … suppose so.”

She smiled. Finally, she’d done something right. “OK then, buddy. You’d better get back to class.”

“School’s over.”

“Oh,” she said. “Don’t you usually have detention, or something?”

He sagged. “Yeah,” he said, and trudged off.

(#ulink_96875d18-be44-5867-9e6a-ccdab4f067c9)

Valkyrie knocked on the staffroom door.

Militsa opened it, and grinned. “Well, this is a lovely surprise! My girlfriend’s come to pick me up from work!”

Valkyrie winced. “Actually, I’m here to see Fletcher.”

“No!” Militsa gasped, clutching her heart. “Mr Renn! Are you trying to sneak away with my woman?”

“I’ll win her back if it’s the last thing I do!” Fletcher warbled from somewhere Valkyrie couldn’t see.

Militsa grinned again, and gave Valkyrie a peck on the cheek. “He’ll be with you in a second,” she said. “I’ve got some students that need extra tutoring, though, so I shall see you tomorrow, my petal.”

“Yes, you will,” said Valkyrie, giving her a squeeze before she let her walk away.

The door opened further and Fletcher stood there with his ridiculous hair. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey.”

“Haven’t seen you in a while. Is it just you?”

Valkyrie shook her head. “Skulduggery will be here once he’s stopped being mysterious.”

“Fair enough,” Fletcher said, ushering her into the otherwise empty staffroom. “You want anything? We’re out of tea, but I can make you a coffee.”

“Ha, no thanks. I’ve heard about the coffee here. So how are things going? How’s life?”

“Ticking along,” he said. “And actually, now that you’re here … I have a question.”

“OK.”

He hesitated. “So … we dated.”