Chapter 8

The atmosphere was tense. The vast majority of the assembled student body had worked its way into the cafeteria. Saric had taken on the part of leader of the strike, and his first order of business had been to send messengers to the other classrooms with details on what had transpired. The results were sufficiently spectacular. Saric didn't have the numbers handy, but he estimated that nearly every student in the seventh grade had joined the strike. Even the eighth graders had joined the strike, though they had no personal stake in the outcome, as they had another, more competent math teacher.

Keeping the strike from deteriorating into a general mob had been a difficult task. Saric's throat was slightly sore from shouting, but he had finally managed to get the entire group going in one direction. Several members of the faculty were awaiting the group when it arrived. No words had yet been exchanged, but Saric knew that the most unpleasant aspect of having assumed leadership was just beginning.

Most of the teachers were there, with the rather expected exception of Roe himself, who was probably still standing in his classroom with his mouth hanging open. Kentaro looked to be in the unenviable position of being stuck between the two groups, for his martial arts class did technically mark him as a member of the faculty, even if he was not entitled to most of the rights and responsibilities that came with it. His hesitation was short-lived, however. After glancing a few times at each group, he took his place with the students.

The principal was also standing with the faculty, but Mr. Wentworth largely overshadowed him. Saric sighed and stepped forward to meet him.

Mr. Wentworth also stepped forward, leaving the assembled teachers behind. When he and Saric were close enough to speak comfortably, he took the initiative.

"What is the meaning of all this?"

"Sir, we in the seventh grade have been enduring a situation which is, quite frankly, no longer acceptable to us. For the last few months, we have accepted that which we felt we could not change, and for the most part, we have struggled to overcome the difficulties that came with having Mr. Robert Roe as an instructor. While we do not wish to sound ungrateful for the limitations you placed upon him earlier this year, these limitations have proven insufficient to control the incompetence, ill temper, and outright sadism favored by the individual in question."

Mr. Wentworth carefully weighed his next words before speaking.

"While I am inclined towards the opinion that Mr. Roe should perhaps not have been hired to serve in the capacity of math instructor, he has occupied that position for some time now. Surely, if he was as bad as you say, this strike would have greeted him upon his first year, would it not? Is it at all possible that you may be exaggerating the problems associated with him?"

"As superintendent of the Arrowhead school system, I presume you are familiar with the case of the newest member of our grade, Tara Fane," Saric waited for a moment. Wentworth nodded, somewhat reluctantly.

"Tara has suffered a great deal recently, as I suspect most of Arrowhead knows by now. This being her first day, it seems only logical that she would be eased in to her new school life. Mr. Roe, however, saw fit to call upon her to answer one of his more difficult problems. When she declined, he began yelling at her. Tara has undergone enough abuse. That a teacher would knowingly add to her misery is inexcusable. I do not take credit for starting this strike, but it is long overdue."

"Still, this seems an inappropriate venue to express your dissatisfaction."

"I must respectfully disagree. If one or another of us complained of a bad teacher, it would be par for the course. Students have been complaining about teachers since the beginning of time. Only in numbers are our complaints of sufficient volume to make our point. We have not come here today because we want to be here. Many of us are afraid of the potential punishment that we are incurring by our strike. We feel that the issue of Mr. Roe has reached a point where the risks are worth it."

"I presume that you want something done? Another staff member in the classroom with Mr. Roe, perhaps, to ensure that he remains sufficiently civil?"

"To be honest, my fellow students and I are tired of half-measures. We have seen Roe stymied, only to see him find ways around the restrictions placed upon him. I think I speak for most seventh graders present when I say, enough is enough. Keep Roe on staff if you must, but he will be shouting at an empty classroom. We would prefer to see him reassigned elsewhere, with Mr. Feldwythe reinstated as math teacher in a more permanent fashion."

"I would prefer a less dramatic method of resolving this conflict," Mr. Wentworth said, shifting his gaze to the rest of the student body, "but I see no way by which such a thing might be done. Very well. I will see to it that Mr. Roe finds another way to occupy his time."

"If Roe is removed, I will be happy to request an end to this strike. There is, however, one more matter which I would like to request you consider."

"And that is?"

"This strike is indicative of how much this school needs an associated student body. If the only way to really bring a problem to the attention of yourself and the others in charge of this school is by such measures, many important problems may remain unsolved. I propose that the student body elect a counsel of representatives, and send complaints to them, so that information may more easily be gathered and brought to your notice."

"That, I can agree to without reservation. Would it be satisfactory to you if elections were held three weeks after we return from Winter Break?"

"That seems a sensible date. Is there anything else that needs to be discussed at this time?"

"I don't believe so. If you would be so kind as to return to class, we would be greatly appreciative. I believe second period is just about over, so you may as well head to your third period classes, with the exception of those of you who have math with Mr. Roe for third period. You may remain in the cafeteria, or make use of the facilities outside as you see fit, so long as you do not interrupt the Gift Development class. I hope that this matter has been satisfactorily resolved, and that events will not degenerate to such a degree in the future."

That was clearly a dismissal, and the students, elated at having had their demands met and relieved that there would be no punishment for the strike, were only too happy to disperse.

"Well, Saric, I'm thinking of giving you the hour off."

Saric blinked. Gift Development had just started when Cameron made his comment.

"You are kind, Mr. Cameron, but I don't understand why you'd want to do that."

"You took charge of nearly the entire student body, and convinced the superintendent to fire one of his teachers. I think your Gift has been exercised enough for one day, no offense intended. While I shouldn't be officially encouraging the way you used it, my job is to see to the development of your Gifts, and you've been developing very well. You've got an A for the day, and ten points, extra credit. Besides, it would have probably ended up causing more trouble if you hadn't stepped in."

"Thank you, sir."

"So, on to other news, I'd like you to welcome our new student, Tara Fane, to Gift development. I'm sorry the first part of your first day has been so... unusual, but it's a pleasure to have you with us. While we have met, after a fashion, but I don't think you were in any condition to recall."

Tara nodded and mumbled something.

"You've been quite an enigma to us, Tara. A blizzard, projectiles of ice, and some very interesting experiences for our history teacher, Mrs. Taggert."

"I'm sorry about all the trouble I caused."

Mr. Cameron did not look like a diplomat. Saric was surprised by how well he dealt with Tara's comment.

"Trouble? What you had was an accident. Now, some of the slackers I occasionally come across in this class who are too lazy to pay attention when they're invoking their Gifts, those are trouble. I've seen people lose control before, but most of the time I have to do an emergency Gift suppression, it's because somebody was being careless. But back to the subject of yourself and your Gift. I asked our local seer and science teacher, Mr. Conner, to investigate the nature of your Gift. He surprised us all by telling us that you still haven't accessed all of it. You, Tara, are an elementalist."

"A what?" Tara asked, looking confused.

"You manipulate the five primal elements. The blizzard was a manipulation of wind and water. You should also be able to manipulate fire and earth, though Mr. Conner warned that they would be more difficult. What you did with Mrs. Taggert was, according to Mr. Conner, the hardest manipulation of which you are capable: life. Mrs. Taggert's report of your falling asleep for several hours after each life manipulation seems to confirm this difficulty. It would seem that, if you are willing to face the exhaustion, you can enhance someone. Between Mr. Conner's information and Mrs. Taggert's experiences, we have determined that this extends not only to Gifts, but to all that a person is. All of their greatest strengths, it would seem, are improved. Conner said you were also capable of a reversal of the process, diminishing a person. Both effects last about twelve hours, and weaken gradually over that time. Congratulations, Tara. It appears you have a Gift strong enough that the Gift Corps would have been very interested in you."

While most students would have been thrilled to hear that they were so highly Gifted, Tara looked less than pleased. She took several deep breaths before responding. When she finally managed to speak, her voice conveyed fear, doubt, and self-loathing.

"So, next time I lose control, I can completely destroy the town? It's too much. Maybe I should just give up using my Gift altogether."

"The fact that you have so much power is the reason why you were transferred here, Tara. Your Gift is a part of you. You can no more be rid of it than you could be rid of your heart. I know there are times when a Gift can seem more like a curse, but that makes training all the more important. Whether we like it or not, we've all got power now. Some of us have more than others. If you're worried about losing control, you should work as hard as you can to train your Gift. Gift is part training, but it's also part reflex. If you don't learn to use it, sooner or later it will use you."

"But the price of messing up is so high."

"Actually, I doubt that. Last time you lost control, it was an extraordinary and terrible situation. I think it would take something pretty extreme to cause that kind of reaction again. And who knows; if you'd had more training, maybe you could have stopped yourself before the storm got out of control. There used to be a saying, 'no one is ever told what would have happened'. To some degree, that's still correct today. Even Mr. Conner's knowledge isn't quite one hundred percent certainty. But if you're really feeling doubt in yourself, maybe you should talk to him. Maybe he won't be able to answer all of your questions and concerns the way you want them answered, but he should at least have some answers for you."

"For now, though, let's get you started on a training routine. I'll be right here, so you don't need to worry about anything going wrong. I was there when you did lose control. I was able to suppress your Gift then, and, while I don't think you need to worry, if you feel like you're losing your grip, I can do it again. I can be your spotter, but you have to do the stunts."

Reluctantly, Tara nodded. Cameron got the class started on basic exercises, then took her aside and began making plans. Saric, having been given the day off, decided to find a place where he could be unobtrusive and watch Tara's progress. Over the course of the period, she actually used her Gift very little, but Saric got a chance to see her summon each element, with the exception of life. Brief though the demonstrations were, they were very impressive. If an untrained Tara could call forth a pillar of flame as tall as a full grown oak tree, it was going to be very interesting indeed to see what she would be able to do after a few months under Cameron's tutelage.

Now the only problem was going to be trying to figure out a way to get her out of that depression. Saric knew exactly where the brunt of that task was going to fall.

He was looking forward to it.

It had been a very long hour.

Just as Saric had predicted, Tara came in for counseling immediately after her first day was over. That decision almost certainly had not been hers to make. The last hour had been spent attempting to break through the depression to the person underneath it. Even with a Gift like charisma, Saric didn't feel like he had made much progress. Still, it was only the first day, and while the cracks in Tara's armor had been small, Saric was certain they were there.

It would have been nice to go home and relax, but Elaine had called a meeting at her house. She had sounded worried, and Saric had given his word to be there, before realizing how draining his hour of community service would be.

Still, there was nothing to be gained by bemoaning his decision. Wishing for a cup of coffee, Saric left the school building and began the walk to Elaine's house.

He was the last of the four to arrive, but that was actually rather unsurprising. Elaine lived there, Dennis flew, and Kentaro could have probably run to the next county in the time it took Saric to get from the school to Elaine's house.

Elaine glanced over at him and smiled.

"I take it you don't want to waltz?"

Saric had the good grace to laugh before collapsing into the nearest empty chair.

"So, I hear you two are going to the winter dance together? Congratulations. I'm not sure if it's a good idea for me to be there with my wings, but I've asked someone, as well."

"Oh?" Elaine smiled at Dennis, "Who might that be?"

"Her name is Cassandra."

"The history buff?"

"That's her."

"I don't really know her that well, but I hope you two have fun."

"I just hope I don't knock too many things over. I know how to dance reasonably well, but when I learned, I didn't have the wings."

"Don't worry, Dennis. It's not like your wings are invisible. Just dance near the middle of the room, and people will give you enough room to avoid running in to them."

"Good idea, thanks."

"I have also asked someone to the dance," Kentaro said, "Though I do not believe you know her. Her name is Lily, and, while she shares no classes with any of us, she lives close to me."

"The name sounds very vaguely familiar," Saric ventured, "What's her Gift?"

"Psionic Force. Her manipulations have little subtlety, but she can make air behave temporarily like a solid. I would not want her trying to pick up a porcelain vase with it, but I would also not want to fight someone with that kind of weapon in their arsenal. I have seen her cut through solid steel."

"Now I think I remember. I saw her practicing in Gift Development in second period once, when Mrs. Taggert let us off early. Black hair, pale skin, petite frame?"

Kentaro nodded, "And possessed of a spirit that would give a dragon pause."

"I hope you two enjoy the dance," Saric said, as cheerfully as he could manage through his weariness, "I'd imagine you cut quite a rug, considering how gracefully you move in your kata."

"Actually, I have had only a little practice with American dances."

"I'd be happy to give you some pointers," Elaine said, "But please, let's wait until after the meeting is over."

"Speaking of that, why'd you call a meeting? It's not exactly the prime time for one," Saric said, stifling a yawn.

"I am a bit concerned about our superintendent."

"Mr. Wentworth?"

"Yes. Much though I appreciate him giving in to our demands during the strike, didn't it seem odd how easily he did so?"

"We did sort of have the entire student body on our side, Elaine," Dennis reminded her.

"I know that. And that was actually what made me think something was odd."

"How do you mean?" Kentaro asked.

"If you were the superintendent, and the entire student body had just started a strike, don't you think you'd be hesitant to agree to anything they wanted? Don't you think you'd want to maintain at least the appearance of power? Giving in with nothing but the token objections Mr. Wentworth made presented a weak face to the students. If not for Saric's idea of an ASB, he'd probably end up seeing more strikes, because the students probably figure they can get away with them, now."

"A good point, Elaine, but remember, I was using my Gift at the time, because I felt getting Roe out was important enough for that. And Mr. Wentworth can't have been terribly thrilled with Roe. Our former math teacher wasn't exactly doing his job. The more someone is inclined to agree with my position, the more powerful my Gift is at nudging them."

"Your Gift helps people to agree with you. It doesn't actually force them to say they agree, right?"

"That's my understanding of it."

"Mr. Wentworth probably agreed with you from the start. But with the student body looking on, he had every reason not to concede the point so easily. He should have been stubborn and at least a little threatening, and only given in after a long and strenuous argument. You, as strike leader, should have at least gotten a slap on the wrist. For starting the strike in the first place, I should have gotten an even bigger slap."

"Maybe he was off his game? It was rather early in the morning."

"He seemed fully awake to me, but maybe you're right. Still, I think there's something else going on."

"Of course there's something else going on. It's called office politics. Just because Mr. Wentworth is the man in charge doesn't mean he's immune to the effects of office politics. But even if that is all there is to it, this makes for an interesting situation."

"Oh?"

"My brother, Djoser, also warned me about Mr. Wentworth. Said he didn't seem stable."

"And what about those favors he's always asking of us and the other students?" Dennis asked, "That doesn't seem very professional to me."

Elaine shrugged, "I'm naturally somewhat suspicious, I admit. It's probably nothing. But I think we should keep a closer eye on Mr. Wentworth, all the same."

"That sounds reasonable. But of all of us, you're the most ideally suited to do that without being noticed."

"I'm sorry to be so paranoid. But you're right. I'll keep my eyes open."

"Is there anything else we need to discuss before I go home and collapse?" Saric asked.

"Nothing to be discussed, but one thing to be done. Kentaro, let's see about giving you at least the basics of some dances."

Smiling, Kentaro rose and took Elaine's arm. Dennis and Saric said their goodbyes and headed for home.

For a shadowy, mysterious figure, the janitor certainly didn't look very shadowy or mysterious. It was rather hard to believe that this was the man who, indirectly at least, had killed that awful rumor. Elaine smiled at finally having her quarry within reach. The lunch period was just beginning, so she should have plenty of time to ask him about his involvement and still grab a bite to eat.

"Excuse me," Elaine said, walking up to him, "But could I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure, as long as you don't mind my mopping the floors while you do," he answered with a smile.

"My name is Elaine Derras. From what I've heard, I owe you a great debt of gratitude, but I have to ask, sir, why did you become involved when no one else would?"

"Please, don't call me sir. It makes me feel three times my age. My name is Lucas. As for why I got Anne looking in to the rumor that was going around about you, it was part of orders from Mr. Wentworth."

"Orders?"

"He wants someone to keep an ear to the ground for student problems the teachers don't notice. Though I admit, in your case, I did overstep my authority a bit."

"Oh?'

"He wants all problems brought directly to him, so he can resolve them personally. But you seemed so unhappy that I just kind of took matters in to my own hands. If there's any gratitude owed, he's more the man to be grateful to than I am."

Elaine blinked. This was a surprising development.

"Mr. Wentworth seems too good to be true, the more I see and hear."

"He is a kind and just man. It's thanks to him I'm not lying dead in a ditch somewhere."

"He saved your life?"

"Indirectly. I'd tell you the specifics, but it's a very long story."

"I really don't know very much about him, come to think of it. What can you tell me about him?" Elaine smiled. She felt a bit guilty for suspecting Mr. Wentworth of wrongdoing, considering all the good things he seemed to be doing for the school and the students, but his good deeds just weren't quite enough to make her abandon her suspicions entirely.

"Lawrence Elton Wentworth, IV, is in his late forties, and, prior to Genesis, was one of the richest and most influential men in the state of Montana. He comes from a long line of money, though he is the first of his family in generations to have gotten involved in politics. He was considered a top contender for the Governor's office, but Genesis sort of threw off the election indefinitely. He was also a successful lawyer. His Gift is the creation of what might best be described as fireworks. There's no actual fire associated with them, but he can put on a very impressive light show. He was married at one time, but is now divorced. His wife presumably still lives in a town on the other side of the state. He has no children."

Elaine mentally shook herself, surprised at how much she had just learned. Lucas, it seemed, had a bad case of hero worship.

"It sounds like he's had quite a life. We're lucky to have someone like him as superintendent," she smiled. It wasn't exactly a lie. If Mr. Wentworth was really all he seemed to be and nothing more, he was a rare gem. Still, hearing that he had dabbled in politics and practiced law under the old pre-Genesis system was not exactly the sort of thing that inspired confidence in a man. Lawyer jokes had been popular for a reason, after all.

Still, she did owe him a debt, if indirectly. Considering Mr. Wentworth's habit of asking for favors, Elaine was sure she would have ample opportunity to repay him.

Politely, Elaine bade Lucas farewell. Figuring out the enigma that was Wentworth could wait. Her stomach, on the other hand, demanded immediate satisfaction.

"Checkmate."

Elaine blinked. How had that happened? She and Saric had been playing chess, and she had felt like she was winning. Certainly, she had captured more pieces than he had. Then he came out of nowhere with an en passant and won the game. Elaine didn't even have the satisfaction of claiming ignorance of the obscure rule.

"So, Anne's timely arrival was also due to manipulations by Mr. Wentworth," Saric commented, while holding up a black king and raising an eyebrow to ask if Elaine wanted to play again. Elaine smiled and began setting the board up for another game.

"Apparently so. And if things had gone as he intended, that would be public knowledge."

"It seems like a noble gesture, having someone on the inside, as it were, to look out for problems."

"Everything about Mr. Wentworth seems noble. That's part of what keeps me suspicious. He's too good to be true."

"You're quite the skeptical one."

"I've explained my-"

Saric waved her off, "I know. I've heard your reasons, and to a large extent, I agree. Something seems off. Still, all we can do is keep our eyes open, and pass the information to Dennis and Kentaro. Speculation is pointless. Besides, we're here keeping one another company for the purpose of having fun. With that in mind..." Saric moved his queen's pawn two squares.

"You know," Elaine said, several moves later, "I think I preferred dancing."

"Why would you say that?" Saric asked, moving one of his rooks, "checkmate."

Elaine grinned at Saric as he entered the classroom. Looking to the front of the classroom, the reason for her mirth was obvious. Mr. Feldwythe sat behind the teacher's desk, and careful observation showed that the metal nameplate that had always adorned the desk when Roe was there had been put into the recycling bin. The right end of the elongated plate rose just barely above the rim, leaving nothing visible of the name it carried save the letters signifying his degree.

As Saric took his seat, Mr. Feldwythe nodded at him.

"I understand I have you to thank for being instated on a more permanent basis as math instructor."

"Actually," Saric replied, somewhat nervously, "Elaine deserves most of the credit."

"Saric, don't go trying to give me undue recognition. I never intended to start a general strike."

"Yes, but without your decision to leave, nothing would have changed."

"I did the easy part. You kept the student body focused, and actually did the talking when it came time for negotiation."

"Thank you both," Mr. Feldwythe smiled, cutting off the debate.

As the bell rang, Mr. Feldwythe stood up, moving to the front of the classroom. Briefly, his eyes met those of each of his new students. The relief in the room at seeing that Mr. Roe was finally gone was palpable.

"Good morning, class. I must admit, this is an unexpected pleasure. We already know one another, so I'm sure I don't have to reintroduce myself or explain my methods. Much though I hate to ask this, has anyone learned anything about the subject of mathematics in the time since last we met?"

A chorus of no's quickly answered that question.

"Well, I still have my papers showing where each of you is at. As usual, I'll attempt to teach to the mean, but I have projects for those of you who feel left behind, or who are ahead of the curve, and I'll do my best to help all of you.

"I was given a brief explanation as to our newest student, Tara. I apologize that your first day here was so unpleasant. Please, don't judge the class on the basis of its former instructor. Here, since I don't know you, why don't you take this assessment test, so I can see where you're at? Don't worry, it isn't for a grade." Mr. Feldwythe handed Tara a sheet of paper.

Tara nodded slowly.

"So, as I recall, the class was right about... here," Mr. Feldwythe wrote a problem on the board.

"Who can solve this?"

Most of the students in the room raised their hands, though there were a fair number who were hesitant about it. Mr. Feldwythe picked one of them, and the genuine learning began at last.

William Cameron kept his face carefully neutral. Mentally, he was frowning at the problem placed before him. It was time for another Gift tournament. While these events were a popular favorite with his students, there remained the question of whether or not Tara should participate. Cameron was confident of his ability to suppress her Gift easily, short of another catastrophic meltdown like the one that had caused the blizzard, but was she really mentally fit for mock combat yet? With a mental sigh, Cameron decided there was only one real course of action: ask her, and, if she decided to participate, keep a very close eye on her. But who to pair her against? She had the strongest physical Gift in the school, hands down. Therefore, it would be best to pit her against someone with a Gift whose focus lay elsewhere.

The bell announcing the beginning of the period sounded. Well, time would tell.

"Good morning, class. I'm sure you all know what today is, and are eager to get started. I am pleased to announce that Mr. James has agreed to repair any damage we do to the blacktop today, so you can feel free to be a bit more aggressive. Just remember, be careful. Let the tournament begin!" Cameron called out two names, and a pair of students eagerly took their places. As the duel commenced, Cameron made his way over to Tara. He was still keeping an eye on the duelers, but he had deliberately selected two people with Gifts that were best used indirectly, so that the odds of his needing to intervene were slimmer.

Tara seemed to sense him, turning away from the match to meet his eye as he came into view. She had been going to counseling with Saric every day after school since she had been transferred here, and it looked like he was beginning to have an effect. She was still depressed, but she seemed more keenly aware of the world around her, possibly because she cared a bit more about her surroundings.

"Yes, sir?" she said, before he had a chance to so much as say hello.

"I know you've been through a lot. These tournaments are an opportunity for most students to have fun with their Gifts, but if you don't feel up to participating, you don't have to."