Chapter 10

Erin yawned and stretched awake, then sat bolt upright as her surroundings registered. She didn’t remember going up to bed, and really didn’t recall most of the last nights’ conversation in the light of day. She was in a round room, presumably in the tower of the Old Observatory. Erin had taken an intro to Astronomy class, and one of their activities had been a visit to the observatory as a history lesson. Since the observatory was built in the 1860s, it was far too old for use by any of the current astronomers. In fact, apart from the novelty of using so old an instrument, almost no one used the building at all.

What made her surroundings seem out of place was the addition of several distinctly medieval touches that she somehow knew were not a part of the tour. The immense four-poster bed she was sitting up in, for example. Nor the suit of armor in the corner or the coat-of-arms tapestries that hung near the door. The door also seemed a bit out of place, being made of stout timbers strapped with iron hinges.

“Why don’t I have a hangover” Erin wondered as she glanced around the room. “God, after last night, I really think I ought to have a hangover.” Parts of last night’s talk were slowly returning as she woke up.