Hey, Wall-Eyes. It's good to hear from you again. So you've been brushing up with your "I Kan Rite Gud Inn Jest Five Wiiks" manual? Or maybe you tried to swipe some money out of your aunt's purse (duty and my conscience-- which talks just like Brother Malman--force me to add, "And you really shouldn't talk like that about her, you know." There, I've said it, I feel better. Carry on), got stamps by mistake, and decided to make lemonade out of the lemons?

Unfortunately, boarding school has some features in common with prison. Luckily, one of the ways it's different is that now that I'm a Third, I get hols in Spring and Fall, so you'll be seeing me in about five months. Yes, I know it's spring now. Unfortunately, I only just this week became a Third. I think they do it this way just to test our "Patience, Fortitude, and Forbearance." No, I'm not kidding, those are actual sections on the marks card here. You told me to check the offer for strings when that mendicant told me I had the Gift, I know.

Not that it's quite as bad as all that. You'd hate it, but then, our friendship was never based on being exact copies of one another, thank all gods and little apples. If you'll excuse the expression. And I'm not even going to dignify your description by asking which tart, so you can just save up all your cheeky responses to that to use on other things.

There oughtn't to be any graveyards in that whole side of the township, though. Very strange. I don't suppose they could've wandered in from somewhere else? Not that the living dead (and again, I'm forced to add, "Misnomer though that is") are much on long-distance cross-country treks. Nor are they usually big on the gentle, wholesome warmth of sunlight, either, so it's clear something truly queer is going on back there.

Damme if I don't wish Thirds got hols their first spring! Yes, thank you, Brother Malman, I know I'm not Licensed yet and it's none of my concern. Yes, there are professionals to do these sorts of things. However, if there were a professional around to be dealing with it, I'd think you'd've noticed him at the time. The smells are kind of distinctive, not to mention all the jangly bits.

I'm torn between wanting you to stay well out of it and being dashed curious what would happen if you tried a couple things. I admit, if I tried to tell you to keep clear where it's safe, you'd tell me exactly where to put my, mmm, well, my scruples, although I'm sure it'd be funnier how you said it.

So we'll just pretend we've already had that argument and you've badgered me down, shall we?

What happens if you scatter some rice around? Assuming they're still coming out regularly and it wasn't just the corpse version of spring hols, of course.

-- Jace