Will was persuaded that sparring was a valuable teaching tool as well as necessary drill. He continued to spar with Slingby at the Academy three times a week. After the first three weeks, other practicing Reapers were brought in to give him experience with different scythes and fighting styles. The student audience grew steadily, learning the difference between drill and field and street.
At the time of his graduation, Will had been an adequate combatant at best. After a few weeks of practice he was at the top of his previous form, and better than he had been before he went into Management. The schedule settled into several bouts against Eric or Alan and various volunteer London Seniors—anyone but Grell, who was too strong and too uncontrolled—and a final ten minutes where Will and his previous opponents all took on Eric.
Academician Pollard attended one session, suspecting that Slingby and Humphries were using Academy facilities for personal amusement. He watched the students taking notes, the deadly serious nature of the sessions, and Humphries walking away with the beginnings of a spectacular black eye. He watched a bout where six opponents traded scythes and fought a melee with unfamiliar weapons. This was not amusement. He later recommended the sessions to the more aggressive of his students.
It did them all a great deal of good. Eric and Alan were both a little less restless at their desk duties. Will shouted less in the office; but his headaches still persisted, he could not adapt to short scythes, and his fighting did not improve quite as much as might have been expected.
Alan suggested that he have his glasses checked. Will demurred; Alan threatened to tell Grell; 'Pops' Anderson corrected his prescription, gave him bifocals and recommended a better desk lamp. The headaches faded. Will began to be able to offer Eric a good fight, or at least hold him off for a respectable length of time. Eric called in some of the best fourth- and fifth-year Juniors, to add variety and experience for all. The audience began to include alumni from all Divisions and a few Monitor Angels who brought sacks of a roasted grain. "Popcorn. From the Americas. Good, isn't it?"
After the acceptance of the 1909 budget, Alan Humphries requested a return to part-time Reaping. His petition was denied; instead he was assigned to correct the crowding in the London office. For some reason the project tired him more than it should have. He co-opted Section Manager Brock, who proved to have a talent for efficient layout and workflow. Together with their senior Admin they considered the worst-case scenarios.
"If we are invaded—and if they can invade the Academy, then they can break into the Realm elsewhere—then Operations has to be defensible; most all the noncombatants sit here," said Alan. "So we expand the area enough to hold everybody, completely contained, behind a reinforced wall with a strong door opening into an area which serves as a killing room. We seat combat Reapers in offices opening into that area. We've got four who have every right to be there: Cortland and her partner Onayemi, and Eric's two apprenticeship overseers. Seven, if you count myself and Eric, and if we move Spears' office in next to the War Room. But all of us except Spears will only be present part-time. The Admins have to be able to protect themselves."
"Set up really heavy tall metal file cabinets, Mark Fives, to screen the back offices and War Room. They anchor into the floor so they can't be knocked over," offered Senior Depoy. "They're standard Admin issue, designed for this sort of thing. We use them to direct an incoming swarm into a bottleneck where we can seal them in and kill them off. Mark Sixes also anchor into the ceiling. If you'd like to see them, we'll take a field trip down to Admin."
Brock was scribbling furiously. "We set up the entrance on the near end of the area, with the room running along the wall towards the back. Everything else behind sealable doors off the other side. Maybe a second set of sealable doors behind them. If the bottleneck leads into an empty room...no. A doorway that looks like a doorway but is actually a one-way portal to Antarctica or the Marianas Trench. Or even a killing field in the Divine Realm if we can get the Angels to see it as a training opportunity. Some remotely-triggered boobytraps, maybe, if we can come up with some that don't endanger ourselves."
"All disguised as a basic Admin layout," said Alan, "We're going to hide the defensive capabilities until approval is won and the construction done. We know information leaks out, and I want to keep the element of surprise as long as possible. We've got the budget to build a fortress." Alan and Brock shared a sharklike grin. "The seating for the rest of the office will expand into the dead storage on the west side. We'll reinforce walls, provide locking doors, install hidden escape portals, and I want comfortable chairs and decent lighting for everybody. Make it pretty to hide its utility. Think of everything you can to get ready for a war. I'll talk with Scientific about upcoming developments we'll need to allow for. Maintenance will have suggestions, too."
"Let me do that, sir," said Brock. "I've got some friends from the Thursday Nighters."
"Excellent. Give them my regards. Let's meet next week to start work on the layout. Could we visit Admin to see their defensive strategies?"
"I'll schedule it," said Senior Depoy. "They'll enjoy the break in routine. You're looking like you need a break yourself, sir. Why don't you go get a cup of tea?"
Planning meeting, 1909; Humphries and Brock to William T. Spears, over a large architectural drawing
"We've got the building project worked out with Maintenance, sir," explained Section Manager Brock. "This is their proposal. They've finished the expansions of London Junior and Senior Housing and the new dorm at the Academy. Other Branches are feeling crowded but haven't moved on it yet, so we'll have their full attention this year." Brock unrolled a large sheet of paper as Humphries looked on with quiet pride. Sometimes the best management strategy was to shut up and let the experts get on with their work.
"We will take over the west half of this floor. It's just storage, and Supplies intends to move the contents to a new facility anyway. Once empty it will be painted, repaired and divided into offices and cube seating. We will gain a new Meeting Room over here. Reapers then will move into the new area while our current one is being reworked. It will be a little crowded, but comfortable enough. As each section of our current area's completed we'll spread people out into the new offices and cubes. We should have room for several years' worth of new hires and apprentices. Current bullpen seating will given separator walls to improve concentration and lower the noise level. Everything's being rewired for better lighting and future equipment. Eventually, we're told, everybody will have a new kind of typewriter based on the Death List printers. I have no idea how that will work. Research says it will be wonderful but right now it's still in development. Whenever it comes, we'll be ready to plug it in.
"The break room will be expanded and updated. In the new area, we will install two more bathrooms. Decontamination showers will be added for those Reapers coming in with ichor burns. Additional scythe storage here. This room could hold cots for Reapers working split shifts. Medical supply closet here, next to this room for the spare clothing and equipment owned by the Branch for the use of the employees. We can add a desk for an intern if you wish records kept full-time on disbursals. Or a nurse, if times get bad, with a portal to the London Infirmary. The cot room could serve as Infirmary overflow if there was a sudden need.
"When we finish the project, Operations will be much larger, fully enclosed with all file storage in the back behind defended doors. Mr. Slingby's assistant Junior Admin Brodie will be seated by the entrance; Mr. Slingby's new Personnel and Training office will be right behind her. It has two additional desks for Seniors Birch and Garraway. They'll be keeping records on the progress of all Junior apprenticeships that Mr. Slingby arranges, and eventually all apprenticeships in the United Kingdom. There will be another file on Mentors and potential Mentors. They'll handle all complaints. Anything they can't resolve goes to Mr. Slingby, who will likely bring in Mr. Humphries for arbitration.
"Mr. Slingby stipulated that these positions be filled by people who have gone through a full Reaper apprenticeship and are young enough to remember it. He's approved them. They will Reap half-time. When their duties exceed their time, we'll hire another.
"Across from Ms. Brodie's desk, here, will be Documentation's area. Section Manager Solway's receptionist will also have a clear view of the door and anyone who enters. The entrance to Documentation's main area is here behind her. Mr. Humphries moves to this office next to the War Room. Extra storage for maps and books as requested.
"Seniors Cortland and Onayemi will share a cube within Operations as long as they are responsible for Scheduling. Schedules will still be openly posted. Mr. Slingby's schedule will not be listed, Director, as it may expose your outside appointments.
"The Admin employees will have a much larger space, better furniture, more privacy, better security. Those currently working in the War Room will move to a new and larger Admin Alley within Documentation. Files going to Admin will be transported down a dedicated elevator directly into our Stacks.
"Behind Documentation, this door leads to Bookkeeping. Expanded seating and two additional adding machines. The Stacks elevator has a rear door which opens into Bookkeeping.
"Your new office, Mr. Spears, will adjoin the War Room, with a private doorway between them, here. The portal to the Monitor Alarm system will be permanently activated. It's the new display, showing alarms on an updated map which can be replaced as needed. Your current office will become a small soundproof meeting room. We suggest you visit Supplies to review furniture and lighting options. You may wish to consider a map table for the War Room. We suspect you will need a large map of Europe."
Mr. Humphries stirred in his chair. Spears had quite forgotten he was there. Amazing how he could disappear when he wanted to. "Sir, I've asked the London Lab Monitors about an Alarm screen covering Europe. They didn't see the point until I talked to them about human affairs. The Monitor Angels consulted Major Artois, who called me a worrisome little man. He wants one, too. Probably won't be ready for a year yet. We'll add a portal for it when it goes live. Sorry, Mr. Brock, do go on."
Brock continued, "If you approve, Mr. Spears, work can begin on Monday."
"I approve, Mr. Brock. Have you the proper forms?"
"Yes, sir. Sign here, please. And here, and here." Brock gathered the papers and hurried away to start things rolling.
Spears and Humphries shared a smile. Alan said, "I'll promote him to Senior next year, if Admin agrees. I'm sure they will."
"Tell me if they argue. He's ready. We need Senior section managers. Who took over from ffoulkes, again?"
"Marisa Solway, came to us as an intern, decided to apprentice with Admin, also in her fifth year, also very good. She's observant. Any time a stranger wanders into her area, she tips off Eric if he's around. Otherwise she kicks them out herself. Due for promotion with Brock, June 1910. By Admin standards they will both be eligible to accept trainees, and Operations will become a properly Senior-run department."
"What about Holbert, the Gather Master?"
"A year younger, but the Gather's become very much a Junior production. No problem there. As more and more graduates need mentors, fewer and fewer Seniors are available for side projects. Besides, anyone who wants to interfere will have the London Director to deal with—won't they, Will."
"That's what the London Assistant Director is for, Mr. Humphries. A sly, sneaky little fellow with a great big partner. How did you ever get him to start wearing his vest?"
Alan blushed a bright, bright red.