A Lazy Afternoon
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.
Chapter 21
It was midday and the sun glared off the river. Elphaba lay on the stone wall, squinting to see the paper in front of her. The current events in the Emerald City angered her. The Wizard had further "clarified" the Banns on Animal Mobility. Clarified. That was a joke. What he had done was impose a string of further restriction, which now, more or less drove Animals out of the cities into the farms. Elphaba had seen the headline while getting tea in town after class, and quickly bought the newspaper. The article went on to interview various officials who commended the Wizard's actions. The political bias in the Ozian had always turned her off. There was never an objective opinion, but rather a pro-Wizard gushing.
She tucked the newspaper into her satchel, and retrieved a delicate brown leather folder. Carefully she untied the string, cautious not to let the wind take hold of any of the parchments inside. These documents were all the remained of Dr. Dillamond's research. All were in her own handwriting. She had taken his dication, and knew the basic idea of his research, but to say she understood it was too much. Maybe Fiyero was right, if she read it enough, and visited the library, she might be able to make head or tails of it.
Noticing Madame Morrible and Grommetik across the river, Elphaba quickly repackaged the precious papers and tucked them into her satchel, removing her Life Sciences textbook. She lay it upon her lap, leaning forward to read further into the medicinal herbs chapter, trying to make it seem like that is what she'd been doing all the while. The pair slowly made their way across the bridge.
"Good Afternoon, Miss Thropp. Studying are we?"
"Yes."
"Is that the best greeting you can muster?"
"No, ma'am."
Elphaba slid off the wall, holding her book, and gave a slight bob of a curtsy. She returned to her position.
"And what subject are you studying for?"
"Life Sciences."
"Ah, are you enjoying Dr. Nikidik's lectures?"
Elphaba looked to the old woman which annoyance. She was taking far too much glee in this conversation. Morrible knew full well that Elphaba detested Dr. Nikidik.
"It would be nice if he could stay on the topic of the course."
"You find that he does not?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Needlessly torturing a lion cub, silly displays of sorcery, this is a life science course, not magic."
"Not everyone shares your stubborn opinion, Miss Thropp."
Elphaba winced at the word.
"In fact, there are a number of students who are much happier with the direction the course is now going. Dr. Nikidik has some very insightful new work…"
"But its off topic!"
"I'd say its rather relevant, considering the headline of the newspaper sticking out of your bag."
"But its unproven."
"As was Dr. Dillamond's research."
"But Dr. Dillamond!..."
"But nothing dear, you are holding the work of an Animal professor above that of a human, something that Dr. Nikidik's very research show to be…"
"But he doesn't even have any real experiments to back up his claims."
"There was no evidence that Dr. Dillamond did either."
"But…" Elphaba cut herself off. Morrible had not found any evidence of Dr. Dillamond's research because she had taken it. "I suppose you're right, ma'am."
"You worked with him for the summer. Did you ever see any proof of what you were claming?"
"No ma'am?"
"Nothing that may have disappeared from his laboratory?"
"No, ma'am. Even if I wanted to, the place is bound up beyond my own power."
"So obviously you have wanted to investigate?"
Elphaba looked at her icily. "Yes, ma'am."
"Why?"
"Dr. Dillamond was my mentor."
"Ah, yes. And you wanted to obtain his research badly enough to throw rocks at his windows?"
Elphaba blinked in confusion, and looked to Grommetik, whose mechanical gaze stayed straight ahead, blank.
"How did you know that?"
"My dear, your…young…mind cannot comprehend the power of spells like the power of spells like the one I lay up on Dr. Dillamond's lab."
"It can record attempted breaches?"
"Precisely. I have not checked on it today, though from the information Grommetik has provided me, I have a feeling I will find another attempted breach. It saw you, and a young gentleman, heading that way, in the early hours of the morning."
"Did it follow us?!"
The brass tiktok moved menacingly closer, and Madame Morrible waved it back with her hand.
"I do not know."
"Then how do you know whether we went to Dr. Dillamond's lab?"
"Are you suggesting that you and the young Arjiki prince snuck into the woods for more clandestine activities?"
Elphaba felt her face heat up. "No ma'am!"
"Then you are admitting that you went to Dr. Dillamond's lab?"
Elphaba sighed, dropping her head. Madame Morrible had talked her in a circle on this one. Either she had to admit that she was at the lab, or admit that she and Fiyero had stolen away to be alone. Funny thing was, both were true.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. I'm glad to see I've talked some sense into you. Lying will get you nowhere Miss Thropp. I advise you to stay away from Dr. Dillamond's lab in the future." Madame Morrible turned to leave.
"Or?"
"Or I may have to impose some restrictions, beginning with a more careful observation of the comings and goings in your room. Good day."
She and Grommetik turned, and continued their walk into town. She stared after them for a moment, then turned away. She looked down at the river and flinched at her rippled green reflection. Her verdant skin color always managed to make her shiver. It was one thing to see her green hands daily, but on the rare occasions that she really looked at her reflection, as now, and saw the entirety, she shuddered. It truly baffled her that Fiyero found her beautiful. She was beyond disbelieving him. He was being honest, but she didn't understand what it was he saw, that she didn't.
A hand on her back startled her, and just as quickly an arm around her waist, steadied her to keep her from pitching forward into the river.
"Sorry," Fiyero stammered.
"Be more careful!"
Elphaba slid away from him, and lay on her stomach on the wall. She retrieved the textbook from where she had lain it down, and began to read. Fiyero straddled the wall, and inched up to the book.
"You're blocking my light!"
He continued to do so.
"Fiyero! Move!"
"My, we're in a bad mood this afternoon."
She glared up at him.
"I won't press you to talk if your so disinclined to."
She pushed herself up to sitting, but maintained a slight distance.
"I had a run in with Madame Morrible."
"Oh?"
"She knows about my attempted break-ins to Dr. Dillamond's lab, and about us, among other things."
Fiyero looked worried. "How?"
"I'm not exactly sure. She said something about her binding spell being able to record breaches, which I'm not entirely sure I believe, and then there was Grommetik. It apparently saw us leaving this morning."
"I thought we managed to avoid it."
"So had I. It stood there all smug…can a tiktok even look smug? I don't know. This one sure seems like it can."
"How does Grommetik communicate what is sees to Madame Morrible? It can't talk, can it?"
"No, it can't. That's a good question."
Elphaba tucked her knees to her chest and lay her head upon them. Fiyero ran his hands through her hair.
"Don't…"
"Why not? You don't like it?"
"No, I do…its just…Madame Morrible, and Grommetik went into town. They'll be coming back this way eventually."
"Just a little."
"No!" Elphaba slid rapidly away.
"Okay, okay."
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"You're not wearing gloves today."
"No."
"They're looking a lot better."
Elphaba shrugged. Fiyero grabbed one of her hands. She tensed.
"This'll heal just fine. Relax."
Elphaba crossed her arms across her chest, keeping her gaze lowered. "At least she doesn't know I have the research, or rather if she does she didn't let on."
"That's good."
He climbed off of the wall, and stood beside her, taking her by the shoulders. For a moment, she let her head lay against his chest. Students began to pour out of the classroom buildings. Elphaba pulled away.
"Class time."
Fiyero nodded. "Me too."
She gathered her satchel, and stood.
"I'll see you later?" he asked.
"Perhaps."
"I suppose that's the best answer I'm going to get now, huh?"
She nodded. He gave her a small hug goodbye, and kissed her forehead, before she scurried off. He watched her for a moment, then turned in the direction of his own class, catching sight of Madame Morrible and Grommetik on the path returning from town, looking right at him. He quickly looked away, and hurried to the building.
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