Ch. 4
When I woke up, everything was dark. There was no more music, and only a few candles and torches were giving any light. I strained to see, and eventually found that the dwarf had fallen asleep at the foot of the bed, no doubt from orders from the Professor. The Professor himself had fallen asleep at the organ, his head drooping down. I worried that his posture would hurt his back, but he didn't seem to mind.
I gingerly stepped over the mute man, who was fast asleep, and walked as quietly as I could over to where the Professor was sleeping, carrying a pillow and bed sheet. I put the pillow on the ground, and laid myself down beside the Professor's bench. I put the blanket over me, and went back to sleep.
The next time I woke up, someone was shaking me lightly.
"Julia? Julia?... Water."
I recognized the Professor's voice.
I heard the mute man getting the water with a cup, and coming back to us.
"Huh? Wait. I'm up. What's happening?"
I blinked.
There they were, squatting down beside me, the Professor ready to douse me with the water.
"Nothing. We just wanted to know why you were by me, instead of in the bed."
"I couldn't sleep.", I told them sheepishly.
"Oh.", the Professor said, confused. "Throw this back.", he said, and the dwarf ran back and poured the water back in the pond.
"You may leave, if you wish.", he mumbled, and went back to playing his organ for the umpteenth time.
"But why would I want to leave?", I asked, confused.
He didn't say anything.
Suddenly, I felt a tugging motion on the hem of my dress, and I pushed whatever it was away.
It was the dwarf, come to lead me out of here.
"Make sure she comes back.", the Professor mumbled, not looking at us.
"Of course I'll-", I started, but the mute pushed his hand onto my mouth, to tell me to be quiet.
I glared at him, and thought about biting his hand. But I didn't, and just pushed it off.
He motioned for me to follow, and I did reluctantly.
When we'd reached the edge of the room, at the door that led out, I stopped and looked at the Professor again.
The mute tapped my shoulder, as if to say, "Don't worry, he'll be fine."
I followed him out, and we ended up in a room of sorts, that was really a room for extra things, like extra music stands, chairs, and such.
"Thanks.", I told him, and he gave me an apple from inside his coat pocket, and clambered behind the stove again, the perfect decoy to hide the pathway.
"Oh. Okay, yeah, sure. Just leave me in a place that I don't really know, it doesn't matter, and oh yeah, don't tell me why, yeah. I'll be alright.", I grumbled, eating the apple.
After I finished, I heard someone singing a beautiful piece, and walked out of the drawing room, down the hallway, and into the main part of the house, the auditorium.
Yes, someone was singing. There they all were, standing like dumb spring chickens on the stage, and several men were sitting in the front row. I quietly picked my way up the aisle, and tapped the man who looked the friendliest on the shoulder.
"Oh. Hello, miss. What brings you here? Come to audition?", the man asked. He had a windblown type of hair style, and had a beard and mustache as well. Obviously, he was up in age, but still loved what he did.
"Oh, no. I can't sing a thing."
"Oh. That's sad."
"Hmm."
We sat there, listening to the girl audition, and then the man said, "Sorry about that, my name's Lattimer."
"Hmm… Say, can I help in some other way? Like clean or something? I really do need a job."
The man said, "Sorry, miss, but we're all booked up now. The only thing we need is singers at the moment."
"Oh, come now, Lattimer, she can help.", a younger man said. He had black hair, also windswept, and brown eyes and a copper complexion.