Chapter 12 - The Board's Decision

July 31

It was a cold, misty morning when we were shuffled into the empty board room for my work review. I glanced between Ms. Proctor, Groundskeeper, and Filomena, but none of them seemed overly concerned. I sat on the cold hard wooden bench and did my best not to fidget.

We were there for nearly a half hour with no change and nothing but the ticking of the large clock on the wall and the occasional creaking of the bench as someone shifted in the seat. I was wishing that I had brought something to read for the third time when the door on the corner opened. Everyone stood, though I only did so after Ms. Proctor subtly gestured for me to do so behind her back.

No one said a word as the board settled into their seats, and the note taker did something fiddly with the machine she took notes on. Something seemed off, and I wasn’t sure what. A lump formed in my throat and I wanted to clear it, but it was far too quiet to do so unobtrusively. Someone else in the room did so, and everyone looked at the Vice Dean of Discipline. I found myself glad that that wasn’t me, no matter how uncomfortable it was becoming.

The periodic coughing continued until the Dean of Hollows finally offered the Vice Dean of Discipline a throat lozenge.

“You may be seated,” the Dean of Students said. We obeyed, and he continued, “Good morning. We have convened to review the work of Maxine Oldstone in obeisance of the standards of the Bearlisp Academy Work Study Program on this day of June thirty-first in this the year of the crested penguin. Standing in judgment are: Dean of Students Anthony Freethorn, Dean of Faculty George Brightspring, Dean of Curriculum Henrietta Boldspark, Dean of Hollows Riley Tallmount, Vice Dean of Discipline Walter Firemouth, standing in for the recently deceased Dean of Discipline until he can be confirmed for the position. Standing as witness is Groundskeeper. The supplicant Maxine Oldstone is accompanied by her familiar Filomena, and Ms. Proctor. I would like to begin by asking Ms. Proctor why she is present for this meeting.”

He looked at Ms. Proctor with a pointed look, and she looked back at him. The two stood for an uncomfortable amount of time.

“Ms. Proctor, will you answer the question?”

“Happily,” she said cheerfully, “as soon as I am recognized and you actually ask a question.”

“Very well,” the Dean of Students said with a heavy sigh, “Ms. Proctor you are recognized. Please inform us of why you are present.”

“Thank you, Dean,” she said, with a slight nod of her head, “I am present in order to find out the fate of the student I recommended to the Work Study Program and to answer any questions should they arise.”

“Very well,” the Dean of Students said, “You may remain. Please be seated. Groundskeeper, Ms. Oldstone, and Filomena, it has been decided that the Work Study Program will be dissolved. Whether it will be brought back in the future in some other form, we have not yet decided.”

Groundskeeper stood up, “What do you mean? Why? This is outrage-”

“Groundskeeper!” the Dean of Faculty bellowed, “Be seated, and you will hear about why we have made this decision.”

The Vice Dean of Discipline cleared his throat, “This was not a decision arrived at lightly. We have actually spent a considerable amount of time discussing our options.”

“Yes,” the Dean of Students said, “We discussed it with our legal representatives and weighed the evidence that was gathered by the Watchers. I’m sure you noticed them. We were a little alarmed by what we saw in all honesty.”

“Alarmed how?” Groundskeeper demanded, “Max worked hard and diligently, just as I would expect my assistant to.”

“Oh, yes. Diligently assaulting faculty,” the Vice Dean of Discipline said, “and hard at work allowing guests of the school to be attacked by wild hollows. Not to mention that sleeping on the couch of two unmarried servitor spirits in a serious long-term relationship is hardly appropriate lodgings for a young woman.”

“Now look here,” Groundskeeper said, trying to storm toward the Vice Dean of Discipline while Ms. Proctor held her back, “Max didn’t assault Professor Cherrysprat, he imprisoned her. And from what I understand, she saved that young woman in the bathroom from being attacked by those gremlins.”

“That is another point,” the Vice Dean of Discipline sneered, “Why was she not being supervised in either instance?”

“Do you have any idea how much work has piled up here over the years?”

“Your inability to do your job-”

“It isn’t inability you pompous pri- I am doing the work of nearly thirty people. Alone. And I have been for a long time. Something you’ve chosen to overlook for just as long. I chose simple jobs for Max that didn’t require supervision, so that more of that work could actually get done. Ask Booksie. Those shelves have been in bad shape for a long time, but I couldn’t get to them because I was busy repairing cages in the advanced biology lab, fighting an invasion of crustweed in the Endless Garden, and changing light bulbs,” Groundskeeper pointed to the ceiling, “in your stupid meeting room. So, yeah, I wasn’t supervising these little jobs, because I knew I could entrust them to my assistant.”

Groundskeeper grabbed my shoulder and pulled me close to her.

“As I said in our last meeting,” the Dean of Hollows said, “the work was done and done well. Does it really matter that she wasn’t supervised?”

“Yes, it does,” the Dean of Faculty said, “She is not yet officially a student here, and she was given unfettered access to our library, something that not even our students are allowed until their senior year or by express permission of this body. That is a breach of school policy. On that fact alone, she is no longer eligible for the Work Study Program by its own requirements.”

“This program also violates several child labor laws, as our legal counsel has pointed out, due to the fact that it was implemented long before such laws existed. At the absolute minimum, we need to redesign the program so that it limits the legal liability of the academy,” the Dean of Curriculum added.

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“You are aware that we are in an extra-judicial plane. Meaning that we are not subject to the laws of the Hollow Lands or the Mortal Plane,” the Dean of Hollows said.

“Yes, but I don’t particularly feel like fighting the governments of the Mortal Plane over something that I wholeheartedly agree with. Children should not be forced to work.”

“There are plenty of nations in the Mortal Plane where children work.”

“You know I am talking about the United States. They have threatened our neutrality in the past, and have only bulked up their military since. It is better not to poke a sleeping bear as our founder used to say.”

“This decision has already been made,” the Dean of Students interrupted, “We are really only here to inform those present of our decision. And even then only as a courtesy. Ms. Proctor. Groundskeeper. You are expected to return the future student Maxine Oldstone to her legal guardians- Mark and Rosemary Riddlemark. They will be here this evening to pick up their niece.”

Had I not already been sitting down, I would have collapsed onto the bench. Everything that had happened in the single day I had spent in that awful house ran through my mind. In contrast, the wonderful month I had spent with Ms. Proctor and Groundskeeper was the happiest I had been since my parents had died.

“Is there really nothing that can be done?” Filomena asked Ms. Proctor.

“I don’t know,” she said darkly.

“No,” the Vice Dean of Discipline interjected, “Our decision on this matter is final.”

“Wait,” the Dean of Hollows said, they seemed like they genuinely wanted to help, “Do you have a proposal that we should hear? I am not in favor of returning a child to the sort of home life that you described in our last meeting if there is something we can do to help it.”

Filomena and Ms. Proctor exchanged glances. They seemed to be having some sort of conversation with only their eyes. Everyone in the room watched them, wondering. I unconsciously held my breath.

“Well?” the Dean of Faculty finally interrupted, “We do have other matters of importance. Spit it out or make an appointment.”

Filomena spoke first, “We are working on having Max adopted.”

Everyone looked at me.

I stared at Filomena, “You’re what?”

She turned to meet my gaze, “I apologize for not telling you. We weren’t certain it would work out, and I didn’t want to get your hopes up. Especially because you had safety in the Work Study Program.”

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. What was there to say?

“Please forgive me.”

“I’m not mad,” I finally said, “just shocked.”

“Who would be adopting her?” the Dean of Hollows said, their piercing gray eyes demanding the truth.

“We would,” Groundskeeper said, grabbing Ms. Proctor’s hand.

“This is ludicrous,” the Vice Dean of Discipline exclaimed, “Shall we allow a broom to adopt one of our students next?”

“You will keep a civil tongue in your head young man, or you will lose it,” Ms. Proctor warned dangerously.

“Y- y- you can’t threaten me like that!” the Vice Dean stuttered indignantly.

“Enough!” the Dean of Faculty boomed, “You will both sit down, and behave yourselves.”

Ms. Proctor closed her eyes, and nodded. She sat down without a word. The Vice Dean of Discipline sputtered like a dying fish, but ultimately sat down.

“Is there a law in her home jurisdiction that would allow a servitor spirit to adopt a child?” the Dean of Hollows asked, unperturbed by the recent outburst.

“There is no law explicitly against it,” Ms. Proctor said, equally unperturbed, “We will be making creative use of a few loopholes, but ultimately it is going to be about convincing a judge we are fit to act as guardians of a human child.”

“Why are we speaking as though Maxine is not present? Why don’t we ask her what she wants?” the Dean of Students chimed in, and then looked at me, “Well, Maxine? Would you like to be adopted by Ms. Proctor and Groundskeeper or return to your uncle?”

I suddenly found myself in way over my head. In spite of that, I knew that if I had a choice I would much rather stay on that couch with Ms. Proctor and Groundskeeper than return to living with my aunt and uncle.

“If it’s possible, I don’t want to go back with my aunt and uncle. I also don’t want to cause trouble, but they…” I bit my lip to keep it from trembling, I blinked back tears, and sniffled involuntarily, “I don’t want to go back.”

“Well, there you have it,” the Dean of Students said kindly, “How long do you need Ms. Proctor?”

“You can’t be serious,” the Vice Dean of Discipline scoffed.

“If he’s not, then I am,” the Dean of Hollows said, “How long?”

“We are supposed to have a hearing at the end of the month,” Ms. Proctor answered, “I called in a favor with a clerk, a former student here who owed me a favor, and got us moved up the queue.”

“I see,” the Dean of Students said, pausing to think.

“Why can Ms. Proctor not simply have Ms. Oldstone as a guest?” The Dean of Curriculum said wisely, “There are no prohibitions so long as she stays off the school grounds proper.”

“That is an idea,” the Dean of Students said, “Does that work for you, Ms. Proctor?”

“I think that is a wonderful idea.”

“And you, Maxine? Does that work for you?”

I nodded. Desperately willing myself not to cry in front of the important people trying to help me.

“Then it is official,” The Dean of Students said, “Maxine shall stay as a guest of Ms. Proctor and Groundskeeper until the school year starts. Unfortunately, we can’t really allow you to stay longer than that. So if this adoption scheme of yours falls through, we will have to send her back. Our hands are tied in that.”

“I understand,” Ms. Proctor said.

“Well, I sure as hell don’t,” Groundskeeper scoffed.

“Should that happen, I will do my best to get whichever organization looks after child welfare involved,” the Dean of Students said solemnly, “You have my word.”

After that, we were dismissed, and my head swam with the whirlwind of events that had transpired.