It was still dark when Elphaba woke the next morning. She groaned and rubbed her face, feeling as if she hadn't slept at all.

She propped herself up on her elbows and looked around the room. She was sure something had woken her, but what? Everything was still and dark. The window was open, but not wide enough for anything to get in.

Elphaba blinked a few times and rolled to her feet. She crossed to the window and leaned on her elbows, staring out. It was close to dawn—the stars had all but disappeared—but there was still no visible sign of the sunrise. At least, not on this side of the castle.

"Where are you?" she whispered, squinting hopelessly into the dark.

Elphaba rested her head in her hands and struggled to stay alert. If the sky was getting lighter, she couldn't tell. She wasn't even sure if she was completely awake…

"Fae."

The green girl started, jumping back from the window. "Peric!"

He hopped into her room, ruffling his feathers. "Miss me?"

"Hell and Oz, Peric!" she hissed. "Where were you?"

The Bird cocked his head. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Four days!" Elphaba crossed her arms over her chest. "You promised three, and you were gone four! What happened?"

"I thought I told you not to worry."

"Peric!"

He flew across the room and dropped an envelope on her desk. Elphaba barely glanced at it, her gaze instead following him as he moved to perch on the foot of her bed. The Bird turned to stare at her, clicking his beak.

"There was a storm. I would've been back yesterday, but it was too bad to fly through. It started around midday where I was and moved west. I'm pretty sure it was covering most of Gillikin by nighttime. Other than that, nothing went wrong."

Elphaba scowled at him for a moment longer, then let her shoulders relax. "You…found him?"

The Bird grinned. "He's quite the friendly old Goat, isn't he?"

The green girl sank into her desk chair. "You did. You actually found him." She looked up. "How is he? Is he safe? Is he working, or is he just doing research? Is he alone? Is he moving around? What—"

"Fae." Peric shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Breathe."

She exhaled. "I just…I'm glad he's okay."

"Understatement," Peric muttered, earning himself a dirty glance. "What? If you're so curious, just open the letter."

Elphaba sat up straight. She had been so worried about Peric, she had almost forgotten how important Dillamond's response was. She spun in her seat and snatched up the envelope, tearing it open. Peric flew to perch on the back of the chair and peered over her shoulder to read.

First of all, I must say how proud I am of you. You've proven more dedicated and resourceful than ever before. We have more of a chance than I ever dared hope for, thanks to you.

Now to business. I knew there would be a dead end somewhere in my journal. But if we're in contact with each other, we might just be able to make it work. You said there were matters you didn't quite understand. Write them all down, along with any questions you have, and send them with your next letter. I can explain them and send more of my notes back to you. I'm also working on writing down my procedures for the experiments, and I'll send that next time as well.

As far as textbooks go, I have no doubt you've found everything you could at the library. But the boys' college is sure to have more, especially in the restricted sections. Something tells me you can figure out a way to get a hold of them. But please, be careful. From what you've told me, Morrible is going to be on the lookout. As much as I hate to say it, avoid asking any of the teachers for help. We don't want word of any of this getting back to her.

The fact that she asked you to be her assistant is troubling as well, although I have no idea what in Oz she could want. Perhaps it is just a chance to get closer to you, or merely an attempt to distract you. Either way, it's a good thing Miss Glinda had her wits about her. She seems to have come a long way. Both of you have. Remember that, Elphaba. You're going to need allies before this is all said and done.

I fear that this is only the beginning. Whatever Morrible is planning, and whatever the Wizard is doing, it's all just the start of something worse. Perhaps that's just the paranoia of an old Goat talking, but something tells me otherwise. Keep an eye out, and guard this research carefully. Listen to your instincts—they'll tell you who you can trust. You seem to be doing a good job so far.

I'm planning on moving again. I've been staying in this safe house—as I'm sure young Master Peric has told you—for far too long. The company and the security are welcomed, but I have work to do. I will stay here until Peric finds me again, and by then I'll have set up a way for him to find me while I'm travelling. I hope you understand if I don't tell you where I am or where I'm headed. Don't write our names in these letters, either. I doubt anything will happen, but precautions never hurt.

Get back to me quickly. The sooner I can leave here, the better.

Best of luck.

Elphaba flattened the letter against her desk. Her head was spinning, her mind processing all the information. Her fingers pressed into the paper, trying to memorize the way his words felt beneath her skin. There was still hope. They could do this. This amazing, groundbreaking research—they could pull it off. Relief flooded through her. This wasn't a dead end.

"Just a road block," she breathed.

"Sorry?"

She snatched up a pen and began digging around her desk for a blank sheet of paper. "I've got to respond. I've got to—where's my book on chemical reactions?—Somewhere I wrote down everything I had questions on—there! Oz, there's more than I thought. Okay, okay…Damn it, why didn't I mark these in the books?"

"Fae?" Peric nipped at her braid. "Remember what I said about breathing?"

Elphaba spun in her chair to face him. Her eyes were shining, even in the shadowy room. "The sooner I write to him, the sooner I get answers, and the sooner we both can start working again. Do you understand what this means, Peric? This is the solution. This is the key to proving that Animals and humans are equal. This research, these experiments—they can change everything. We can't waste any time. I have to—" She froze, clamping her mouth shut.

Footsteps echoed from down the hall, coming closer. "Your sister?" Peric asked quietly. Nessa was the only other Thropp he had seen; no one else came near Elphaba's room.

"My sister can't walk." She swallowed, straining her ears to listen. The steps seemed too heavy to be her father's, but if he was drunk and stumbling… "You need to leave."

"But—"

Elphaba stood and began shoving papers and books out of sight. "Get out, before he sees you."

Peric opened his mouth to protest, but Elphaba glared at him over her shoulder. He clicked his beak, frustrated. "I'll be nearby," he said shortly, unfolding his wings. "Come to the window if you need me." And then he was gone.

Elphaba gripped the back of her chair and breathed in deeply. The sky was just starting to pale, making everything in her room shadowy and ghost-like. Slowly, she straightened and went over to the window. She was sure that if she looked hard enough, she could find Peric in one of the trees nearby. She didn't look. She pulled the glass in and, for the first time since meeting the Bird, latched it shut. No matter what happened, she wouldn't let Peric help.

She turned around to face the door just as the footsteps stopped. For one long moment, there was nothing but silence.

And then there was a knock.

Elphaba forced herself to take the few steps forward and turn the doorknob. Her face was set, ready for anything, but when she looked out into the hallway it wasn't her father standing there, as she had expected. In fact, it was none other than the Eminent Thropp.

He stared at her, his face giving nothing away as she struggled to hide her shock. Then, finally, he cleared his throat. "I hoped you would be awake."

"And if I wasn't?" Elphaba asked. Something about the coolness of his tone set her off. She was immediately impatient, eager to be alone with her work and Dillamond's letter again.

"I heard you talking." This time, there was a hint of a question in his voice. The green girl scowled.

"I like to think out loud. It helps me process things."

Her grandfather looked pained at that, but he quickly brushed it off. "Come with me."

"Sorry?" She had no idea why he was outside her room in the first place, but this was completely unexpected.

"I'm going on a walk around the grounds, and I would enjoy it if you accompanied me." When Elphaba hesitated, he stepped to the side and gestured for her to step into the hall. "This isn't a request."

There wasn't really a warning in his tone—just authority, as if he didn't need to state what would happen if she didn't agree. Disobedience didn't exist here. At least, not the direct kind. It was entirely too political, and Elphaba fought the urge to make a face, even as she grabbed her boots and coat. If she had ever wondered why her mother hated it here, this explained it.

The Eminent Thropp walked ahead of her, his boots clipping just enough to echo in the hallway. He moved swiftly, leading her around corners and down staircases until they were stepping through the front doors.

The snow had melted down to mostly mud and slush. Elphaba wrinkled her nose, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. She was more concerned about the heavy fog that hung just above the ground. It didn't exactly burn, but it made her skin itch ever so slightly. She pulled her coat closer and shoved her hands into the pockets. If her grandfather noticed, he didn't say anything.

For a while, they just walked. Elphaba gazed out as far as she could, mesmerized by the misty hills and the occasional stark outline of a tree just tall enough to reach above the fog. The air was full of songbirds, chirping and cooing at each other. The sun wasn't quite high enough to be seen, but it was barely dark anymore. Elphaba let her shoulders relax. She was hit with the familiar feeling of being up way too early—or way too late. Everything was so still and peaceful, as if she could feel the rest of the world still sleeping peacefully. It was exhilarating and calming at the same time, and just like the nights at Shiz when she was in the library until long past midnight, she reveled in the feeling.

She didn't let herself get too distracted, though. She glanced at the Eminent Thropp beside her, wondering when he would start speaking. There was a reason she was out here, and she wanted to know why.

The Eminent seemed to know just where to walk to avoid the worst of the mud, and Elphaba wondered how many mornings he'd spent pacing through his property, mulling over the latest troubling business. They made their way through the grounds—between empty garden patches and bare trees, around small statues or memorial stones, near the stables and a small shack that, according to Nessa, used to be a weaponry. When Elphaba had asked what it was used for now, Nessa said she didn't know, but the green girl had a sneaking suspicion that weapons still had something to do with it.

Finally, the Eminent seemed to shift, taking a breath and folding his hands behind his back. Elphaba kept staring ahead, waiting for him to speak.

"You know what this is about, don't you?"

She nodded stiffly. Of course she knew what this was about. No one had talked to her about anything else since she arrived over two weeks ago.

"It is almost Lurlinemas," the Eminent said. His voice was gravelly in the morning. Or maybe it was always like that. She hadn't been around him enough to know. "You've put this decision off for weeks now, but your time is running out."

"It's been two weeks," she replied evenly. "I think I deserve at least that, seeing as this decision will affect the rest of my life."

"You don't want this title." It was stated so simply, so coldly. He kept walking forward as if nothing had happened, but it took all of Elphaba's self-control not to jerk back as if she'd been hit.

"It's not that simple," she said once she'd regained her composure.

"Oh?" He turned to her and raised an eyebrow, but the exchange was brief. He faced ahead again, and Elphaba was almost convinced she'd imagined it. "Do enlighten me."

There was condescension in his tone, and wave of frustration surged through the green girl. She stopped walking and glared, waiting for him to notice and turn around to face her. When he did, she raised an eyebrow and asked coolly, "If you think of me as a naïve child, why are you asking me to make such an important decision? Do not condescend to me. Do not patronize me, especially not when you want something from me. If you think I'm difficult now, keep talking down to me and we'll see what happens."

They stared at each other, and once again she was irritated by the fact that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. However, something in his gaze seemed to soften, and his tone was somewhat less stiff as he turned and continued walking.

"Very well. You have your reasons for holding back on this decision, and I'd like to hear them."

Elphaba kept pace beside him, wondering what his reaction to her next words was going to be. "My mother never wanted Nessa and I to be part of the Eminency."

His chin lifted slightly, pulling his eyes out of sight. "Yes. I figured as much."

She went on. "We have never been involved in politics. There was never a tie to the Thropp line, and my father always preached that power was an easy route to corruption. Eighteen years I grew up this way, just to come back after a few months and find that our lives are surrounded by politics, revolving around this decision. I think I have a right to be wary."

"Your sister held no such reservations."

"My sister shows her emotions differently than me. And she, at least, got an easy transition to this. I had the news thrown at me just a couple hours after I arrived."

He paused, gazing down at her, and for a moment, she thought he was going to apologize.

But then he was walking away again, and she had to fight back her scowl. "You would be an excellent Eminent, I think," he said. His chin was lifted slightly and his eyes gazed straight ahead, giving Elphaba the vague impression that he wasn't quite speaking to her. "You're certainly stubborn enough, and clever, and a distaste of politics doesn't hurt either. But then again," His eyes flicked to her face, ever so briefly, "I used to say the same thing about Melena. Look how that turned out."

Despite having brought her up first, the sound of her mother's name shocked Elphaba. She swallowed and clasped her fingers together behind her back. "It doesn't matter how much potential someone has," she said. "They'll never be a successful ruler if they don't want the position."

"And yet…"

She sighed. "And yet." She was going to say something else, but suddenly no words seemed to fit. She pressed her lips together and kept walking. The Eminent stared ahead and stayed silent, seemingly content to let the conversation hang unfinished around them.

Suddenly Elphaba's boots hit concrete, and she looked around to find that they were back at the front steps of the castle. Her grandfather paused and turned, looking out over the grounds. The sun had mostly risen on the horizon, and everything it touched was bathed in dreary pale light. The air was crisp, exhilarating, even as Elphaba shivered in her thin coat. She looked her grandfather up and down, inspecting him just as she had the first time she saw him on these steps. His shoulders were still rigid, his chin held high, his hands folded neatly behind his back. The early morning shadows lingered on his face, making his wrinkles that much more defined. He seemed old, weary, frail, yet he held himself with dignity, as if he would never break. Like the willow trees, her mother had said.

"The time to make your decision is running out." He spoke sternly, yet his voice was softer than ever before. "However…I understand your hesitations, and I respect your wariness of the situation." He looked over his shoulder and met her gaze. For the first time, Elphaba noticed that his eyes were the same exact shade as her own.

She nodded slowly, and that seemed to be enough of an answer for him. He turned back to the horizon and, after a brief moment of uncertainty, she left him there to hurry back inside.

Back to Dillamond's letter.