From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Tues, April 14th, 4:16 a.m.

Prof. Daye,

How did you sleep? How were the en-suite facilities? I am sorry if this email wakes you, but I am eager to know more.

~

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Tues, April 14th, 4:30 a.m.

Good morning, Claude!

You didn’t wake me. I didn’t sleep well. Not because the bed wasn’t comfy. It was. Super comfy. But I couldn’t seem to stop staring out the window at the passing towns of the Kingdom of the Fae. I was a child the last time I was here. I’d forgotten how pretty everything is.

See you soon,

S.

~

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Tues, April 14th, 5:32 a.m.

Prof. Daye,

There has been a change of plan. Mr Dupont, one of The Night Cap’s long-term residents, is very insistent he collects you from the station, and frankly, I physically cannot say no to him. Do not relay this information, but he mildly terrifies me. Mr Dupont is a nine-foot surtr, and I fully apologise in advance forhis behaviour. I cannot guarantee he will not be naked. Or as legally close to naked as one could get.

In case there is more than one nine-foot, naked surtr at the station, he will also be holding a sign withProfessor Dayewritten on it.

~

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Tues, April 14th, 5:49 a.m.

Uh, is it too late to change my mind?

Mushrooms4eva!!

Sonny

“You’re Professor Daye?” said the smoking, nine-foot, crimson-skinned, practically naked surtr holding a sign that read:Prof. S. Daye.

“That’s me,” I replied, trying to quash the treacherous notion that even though I was fairly certain Claude hated me, he wouldn’t send me on this ridiculous and scenic journey only to have me offed by a starkers fire daemon the moment I stepped off the train. “Mr Dupont?”

The fire daemon looked me up and down. “Hmm, call me Jasper. I expected a woman. This your case?” He reached down and snatched up my holdall as though it were made of feathers. “What did you pack, feathers?”