The next morning, Maggie woke with a start. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings, trying to remember where she was. Registering what day it was, Maggie climbed out of bed and made her way to her small hotel room bathroom, yawning and trying to gather her thoughts. As she flicked the bathroom light on, she caught sight of herself in the mirror and groaned. Her rich mahogany hair was a knotted mess from where she had been tossing and turning in the night, and she noticed where she'd obviously been dribbling in her sleep. She had a lot of work to do before her interview at 11am. Maggie splashed some water onto her face, in an attempt to restore the look of normality to her blotchy, tired looking skin, and hastily ran a hairbrush through the knots, in attempt to untangle them to little avail. Maggie decided to give up, and climbed into the shower. A good dollop of conditioner and a warm shower would help at least.
Finally, Maggie was ready to go. Her now silky, brown hair had been swept back into a messy bun, with just a few strands of hair left alone at the front to frame Maggie's heart shaped face, and her make up was just subtle enough to make Maggie look bright eyed and rosy cheeked. Checking herself in the mirror, Maggie adjusted the collar on her fitted blouse, and carefully put on the grey waistcoat of the suit that her Grandmother had helped her choose for the occassion. At five foot ten, with a slender but strong frame, she even looked a little like Evenlyn, so she'd been told. In her younger days, at least. Maggie thought about how Evelyn looked now, and sighed. She'd seemed so weak, recently. Maggie's heart tightened. Suddenly remembering her promise to her Grandmother, Maggie stumbled over her heels to the hotel phone, cursing as she landed on the bed, next to the bedside table where the phone sat almost expectantly.
Righting her position, Maggie dialled the all too familiar number of her Grandmother's manor. Her Grandmother answered after only a couple of rings, and greeted Maggie warmly. "I'm just fulfilling my promise to you, Gran!" Maggie called cheerfully down the phone.
"How are you feeling?" Evelyn asked.
"Nervous, I'm worried I'm going to make a complete ass out of myself in my interview" Maggie said anxiously.
"You'll be absolutely fine, Columbia has got one of the best reputations in the Country. They would be lucky to have you graduate from their school. You'll be top of the class!" Evelyn beamed down the phone with encouragement.
It didn't help Maggie's nerves. "Hmm, we'll see I suppose... Anyway Gran, I've got to go, I don't want to be late!"
After saying her goodbyes and promising AGAIN to call Evelyn as soon as she could, Maggie straightened her outfit, put on those damned heels which she hated wearing so much, and checked herself in the mirror one last time. With a deep breath, and a silent word of self encouragement, Maggie closed her room door, and made her way down to the hotel lobby, and out into the crowded New York street.
Looking around to get her bearings, Maggie began the treacherous walk to Columbia University. Maggie had no problem finding places; she would happily go trekking for miles, had camped out under the stars numerous times when she was a kid, but put her in heels and the maze that was the streets of New York, and she was like a helpless deer stumbling over an icy lake. Maggie's heels kept getting caught in the pavement cracks, and she desperately struggled to maintain her balance. She felt like an idiot. Eventually she gave up, took her heels off and marched barefoot to Columbia, ignoring the glances of the people walking by.
When she arrived at the edge of the vast campus, she ducked behind a bush to put her shoes on, and give herself one last "You can do this. Just breathe." Standing up straight, she stepped out from behind the bush and made her way gracefully down the path. Maggie climbed smoothly up the steps, and pushed the large oak door marked "Front Desk".
As she entered, Maggie waited for her eyes to adjust to the light before scanning her eyes around the enormous lobby. Across the room, she noticed a small, red haired woman smiling behind a large reception desk. As Maggie moved forward, she guessed the woman must be late forties, with pale blue eyes behind large, black framed glasses.
"Welcome to Columbia University," the woman smiled, cheerfully, "Name, please?"
"M-Maggie Thyme" she stuttered, her words almost catching on the back of her throat. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Sorry, Maggie Thyme". The receptionist handed Maggie a name badge, a folder and a map of the campus, and directed Maggie to where she needed to go. Thanking the receptionist, Maggie smiled, and headed towards the History building near the Library.
As she walked past the mighty buildings which surrounded her, Maggie tried to remember the name of the person who would be interviewing her. Professor Simon Hewitt, a well written and respected Historian. Maggie gulped, as she tried to remember the answers she had prepared for anything he might ask. Maggie's legs had started to ache, and she wondered if maybe she had gone wrong somewhere. Just as she was about to get out the guide she had been given when she arrived, a green sign, with white letters read "History interviews, Chrysler Building, room 204". Maggie followed the direction the sign's arrow was pointing towards, and as she crossed the square, she spotted a large, roman-style building. Large, faded gold letters read "Chrysler Building" across the top of the large columns that spanned the width of a Football pitch. Maggie quickened her pace as she hurried towards the main entrance.
Once inside, Maggie followed the signs to the second floor of the building, taking in her surrounding as she went. The flyer covered walls were laden in large oak panels, and vast lecture halls were dotted on either side of each corridor. Maggie went through some large wooden double doors, and as she walked passed each door, reading the numbers, she finally found room 204. Maggie stopped for a moment, trying to slow her heart which felt as though it would come bursting out of her chest at any moment. Taking a deep breath, Maggie checked her watch. 10:50, ten minutes early. Having one last final check of her appearance, Maggie looked to see if anybody was there, and saw a man in his early fifties sat behind a desk reading a file.
Maggie knocked the window, and the professor looked up and gestured for her to enter. Gulping slightly, Maggie pushed the door handle down, and opened the door.
"Hi, I'm Maggie Thyme, I've got an interview?" Maggie explained nervously. Professor Simon Hewitt was tall, with broad shoulders, and his dark brown hair was slicked back tidily; not what Maggie was expecting.
Professor Hewitt smiled and stood up, as he said, "Hi Maggie, nice to meet you. Please come in". Maggie walked into the study, and as she walked towards his desk, she realised he was much younger looking than she expected. The professor gestured for Maggie to sit in a small, wooden chair as he resumed his seat behind his large, book laden desk. Maggie sat, blushing nervously as she made eye contact with the professor, who smiled warmly in return.
"Just relax," the professor said, leaning back in his stained leather recliner, resting his elbows on either arm of the chair, his fingers meeting and resting on his chin. "You've nothing to worry about." Maggie smiled nervously, and adjusted her position to face her interviewer more confidently. "So, Maggie. Tell me about yourself. What makes you want to study at Columbia?" Professor Hewitt asked, gazing at Maggie above his hipster black rimmed glasses.
"Well," Maggie began, clearing her throat before continuing, "I've always been passionate about History."
"Any part of History in particular?" Professor Hewitt interjected.
"I've always had an interest in East Asian History, particularly anything from the Period of the Three Kingdoms of China. There are some fascinating artifacts and legends surrounding this dynasty" Maggie smiled, this was a question she had easily prepared for, and could spend hours discussing if she could find somebody willing to listen.
Professor Hewitt's green eyes crinkled behind his glasses as he smiled, betraying his age but adding a softness to his appearance. He listened attentively, as Maggie explained how her interest had been sparked by her Grandmother, interrupting her only to ask further questions, testing Maggie's knowledge, and even asking her opinion on a relic he had found in a temple in a small village in China which had been dated back to the Han Dynasty. Maggie had finally begun to relax, even laughing with the professor as her half hour interview sailed by. Quicker than she was expecting, a knock at the door signalled the next interviewee had arrived, and Professor Hewitt almost looked disappointed as he checked his watch. Maggie breathed, her nerves returning as she stood to shake the Professor's hand. He smiled as their hands grasped firmly.
"It's been a pleasure to meet you, Miss Thyme" Professor Hewitt beamed, "we are actually having a special lecture on Sir Francis Drake's travels tomorrow evening in the assembly hall of the building. It would be great if you could attend. You would have the chance to meet some of the other staff who would be teaching you, and it is always an interesting debate amongst Historians, I think you'd make some excellent contributions."
"I'd love to come, thank you" Maggie replied, trying to hide her astonishment at the invitation. As the professor found some flyers and wrote down the details for the following evening, Maggie didn't dare to hope that this meant her interview was a success, but she couldn't understand why the Professor would invite her to an extra curricular activity when she wasn't even a student, if it didn't mean she'd passed the interview.
Almost desperate to leave quickly, in case the Professor changed his mind, Maggie thanked him again for his time and for the invite the following evening, and swiftly made her way out of the office. As she closed the door behind her, Maggie turned and smiled kindly at the gangly boy who stood waiting to go in after her. He glanced up nervously from the notes he was frantically trying to study before he was called in. Maggie turned down the corridor and headed towards the exit, feeling almost weightless as she left the building.
She floated back to her hotel, not paying attention the the surroundings which had intimidated her only a couple of hours ago. Once she reached her hotel room, she collapsed onto her bed and lay for a moment, replaying the interview in her head. She thought about the answers she had given, hoping she came across as passionate, rather than a know it all. Throughout her school years, she had often been teased for being a teacher's pet and a nerd, preferring to spend her break times reading in the library, rather than playing kiss chase with her peers. Whilst she had always excelled with teachers, even her school reports used to say she could often take over a lesson if she wasn't kept in check.
Maggie stopped herself. "He didn't seem to think you were a know it all at all," Maggie thought, "and he certainly wouldn't have asked you to go tomorrow if he didn't think you would be any good". Maggie sat up, determined not to worry about what may be. "Just get through tomorrow, and whatever happens, happens!" Maggie reassured herself quietly. She picked up the hotel phone to call Evelyn with the update.
The phone rang a few times before her Grandmother answered with a coughing fit. "Gran?" Evelyn called down the phone, concerned.
"I'm here, dear" Evelyn answered, spluttering, "Just give me a moment." Maggie waited patiently as her Grandmother barked and wheezed a few more times. Maggie furrowed her brow in concern.
"Are you sure you're okay, Gran?" Maggie asked again, anxiously.
"Stop fussing, I'm fine!" Evelyn wheezed down the phone, "It's these damn cigarettes, they don't agree with me."
Maggie rolled her eyes and replied, "Honestly Gran, you shouldn't be smoking! Not at your age, it's not going to do you any good."
"Oh nonsense," Evelyn retorted, "I've smoked longer than I care to admit, if these little buggers were going to do anything, they'd have done so by now. Anyway, enough of this pointless babbling, how did you get on?" Maggie gave up trying to berate her Grandmother's habit, and instead recounted her interview to Evelyn, who listened with eager anticipation.
"I knew they would love you, dear" Evelyn praised her Granddaughter when she'd finished, "They'd have to be utter simpletons if they couldn't recognise your talent".
Maggie smiled and replied, "I do feel more confident now. Professor Hewitt has even invited me to a lecture tomorrow evening, so I'm going to stay another day, and come back tomorrow night. Is that okay?" Maggie knew it wouldn't have been a problem, but she didn't want to be rude. Plus, she was quite concerned about her Grandmother's cough. She hadn't heard her Grandmother sound so unwell before.
Evelyn, of course, was all for the idea. "Yes of course, darling!" she sang, the pride obvious in her tone, "Just make sure you are back in enough time to begin this research for me, I don't want to waste anymore time with this one!" Maggie promised she would leave as soon as the lecture had finished the next day. After being congratulated again, Maggie and Evelyn said their goodbyes, and Maggie heard the phone click as her Grandmother replaced the receiver.
After changing out of her interview outfit, Maggie lay on her hotel bed, scanning the pile of pamphlets and papers which had been included in the folder she had been given before her interview. Maggie's stomach rumbled, and as she checked her watch, she realised she hadn't eaten anything all day. Suddenly ravenous, Maggie climbed off the bed, shoved all of the papers into her bag, and made her way back out of the hotel and into the busy New York streets. Finding a local deli, Maggie ordered herself a coffee and a sandwich, pulled the array of papers out from her bag and continued to read while she waited. The folder covered everything from lessons and extra curricular activities, to social events and information about all the different societies you could join as a student. Nothing much interested Maggie, except a flyer for a History society, and a poster for a "Great Outdoors" society, where you could take part in pretty much everything from skiing and kayaking, to rockclimbing and caving. Maggie had always been encouraged to take part in these kinds of things, as Evelyn believed you could pick up some excellent skills which could be useful when looking for artifacts.
Maggie took out her notebook, and scribbled some questions she wanted to ask when she returned to Columbia the next day. As she ate her sandwich, Maggie turned her attention to the lecture information she had been given in her interview. "The Secrets of Sir Francis Drake" Maggie read, "An insight into Francis Drake's travels between 1580 and 1596". Maggie frowned as she read the rest of the text. She had never been too familiar with Sir Francis Drake, but she remembered her Grandmother had always been fascinated with the explorer, and had conducted her own research at the Museum.
When she was finished eating, Maggie stood up and walked outside, her brown eyes squinting in the early afternoon sunlight. Maggie decided it would be a good idea to do some extra reading on Francis Drake before the lecture, so went in search of some bookstores she hoped would have what she wanted. After trailing around the shops for a couple of hours, Maggie found a small bookshop tucked away which had everything she could have ever needed. Flicking through some history books, Maggie found what she was looking for, paid for her purchases and made her way to a park she had seen on her travels. Finding a quiet, shaded spot near the entrance, Maggie made herself comfortable and began reading about the dramatic history of the English explorer.
For the rest of the afternoon, Maggie read and scribbled notes which she thought might be useful for the following day. Only once her writing hand siezed up, did Maggie groan and stretch, and begin to pack her belongings away. Maggie glanced at her watch, and was surprised to find that nearly four hours had passed since she had first sat down in the park, and her stomach began to gurgle, as if reminding her that it was nearly time for dinner. Maggie stood up, stretching every limb she could to remove the stiffness which had begun to impede her movements.
Making her way back to the hotel, Maggie stopped at a local Chinese takeout to grab something to eat on the way. The smell of Chinese filled her hotel floor as she fumbled through her bag looking for her room key. Eventually Maggie successfully made her way into her room, dumped her belongings on the floor, and began unpacking her takeout food. She hadn't even realised how hungry she was again; Maggie shovelled the food into her mouth, thankful that nobody could see how unattractive she looked when she ate. When she was finally done eating, Maggie discarded the empty food cartons in the bin by her dresser, and collapsed onto the bed exhausted.
Maggie jumped awake with a start. Still fully dressed on her bed, with papers scattered all around her, Maggie looked around confused as she realised the hotel phone was ringing on her bedside table. Maggie checked her watch and saw that it was 2:30. Seeing that it was dark outside, she figured this was 2:30 in the morning, and grumbled to herself as she clambered over to the phone and picked up the receiver.
"Hello? Whosit?" Maggie mumbled sleepily when she answered the call.
The receptionist sounded very apologetic as she replied, "Good evening Miss Thyme, I'm sorry for disturbing you at this hour, but you've got an urgent call. Can I connect?" Still half asleep, Maggie was still trying to process what the receptionist was saying when she agreed.
"Something urgent? What could be so important?" Maggie thought to herself as she tried to wake herself up. The only person who would bother to call her would be her Grandmother, and she couldn't see Evelyn calling in the middle of the night about anything. Unless it was something to do with this research project. It wouldn't have surprised Maggie in the slightest if this was what it was about. Her Grandmother could turn into a machine once she had her mind set on something.
When the call had been connected, Maggie was just about to ask Evelyn what the problem was when a deep, authoritative voice took Maggie completely by surprise.
"Hello, Miss Thyme?"