The following Thursday was bad from the very beginning. Arrow and Mika were horribly embarrassed to have to show Paris what they were wearing for their 'training course' and actually got to 'class' early because of it.

Arra, meanwhile, ran late and to make it worse got whistled at on her way there-the culprit was severely injured as a result-and Larten and Darren had been laughed at so hard by Harkat that one of his rows of stitches in his side had come undone.

Arra sat down at the back when she arrived next to Mika. There was one person running even later than she was-Gavner. Kurda was all bad-tempered that Gavner wasn't being supportive, and even when the General arrived in his skirt and girls uniform.

'Today,' Kurda tried to get the attention of the assembled vampires, all chatting amongst themselves and not paying any attention. 'We will be studying trigonometry. Next thursday we will concentrate on the uses of indices, negative indices and indices with algebra.'

Darren started to hyperventalate. Mr Crepsley patted him on the head a few times and then just went to sit on the other side of the room.

'OK,' Kurda continued, taking a pointer, a ruler and chalk for the blackboard he'd since had installed. He drew a triangle and labelled it. He turned to the 'students'.

'I've started off nice and simple for you all,' he said. 'Now, what is the size of angle C?'

Silence, except for Mika, who was still laughing at one of the jokes.

Kurda turned to Mika. 'What is the answer?'

Mika stuttered, but Arra answered for him.

'Two.' she said confidently.

'No,' said Kurda.

'Yes.' she said surely, and everyone started to slowly laugh. 'You obviously aren't very intelligent. It's definitely two.'

They were teasing, playing, but Kurda didn't see the humour.

'It isn't two,' he argued.

'I can see it,' said Mika.

'Yeah, I understand,' said Arrow.

They were all laughing quietly when Kurda examined the board with a bewildered look on his face.

'How the bloody hell did you get two?' he eventually exploded, face all pink and blonde hair sticking up in all directions.

Everyone just laughed for ages until Kurda got all miffed and tried to get their attention again.

'I'm trying to teach you something!' he cried, frustrated.

'No,' Arra stood up from the middle of the crowd of laughing vampires, strode up to the front and took the various bits of equipment away from Kurda. Then she pushed him by his shoulders to sit down. 'I'll teach you something better. And I don't need the chalk or the blackboard.'

They all looked puzzled. Arra just smiled.

'I think I've slept with most of you during the decades,' she commented. 'Not Kurda. And not, oviously, Darren.'

'Gavner how dare you!!' the strangled cry came from where Kurda was sitting, but Gavner didn't reply.

'And none of you have anywhere near perfect technique. TRUST me. We're going to work on that.' Mika had already loosened his tie.

'And,' she continued. 'This is WAY more useful than trigonometry