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Such thoughts occupied my mind and made me perform a "column left" turn when the command had been "left flank" I threw our entire patrol out of stride and was given a deo to my study hours

I was not alone in my punish-down, alround had a de the peri to salute every direction of the compass at each corner I had never before experienced such a useless discipline, and resented this waste of time that would have been better spent withwhen I finished o back to Carneston House

I had hoped for a ti had been in many ways solitary, and the constant corate on me But there was no peace when I returned totables in our central room were already croith cadets, books, papers, and inkwells A corporal I did not recognize presided over us as a studyco help to those who needed it I quickly fetched my books and found a place at the corner of the table next to Spink

I was grateful forme for my lessons I knew theout information I was already fa are and history assignments and then took out iven were basic calculations, not difficult at all, whichthem even more tedious At least I’d only earned the first set of problenment A few of the other fellows had four sets to coht Trist was finished before any of us, and bid us a cheerful farewell as he headed off to the quiet and relative comfort of his rooh his Varnian translation exercise and then composed the letter to his mother

I had nearly finished my math when he took out his book and opened it reluctantly to the very first page I watched hiiven examples and then headed his paper for the first set of problems He took a deep breath, as if he were about to dive off a bridge, and began Our proctor cah Spink’s second probleht That’s your error, on this and on the first problem You need to drill yourself on your basic arithet far at the Academy I’m shocked that you don’t know theot even quieter, if that were possible, keeping his eyes fixed on his paper as if he feared to face mockery if he looked up from it

"Did you hear me?" the corporal prodded him "Go back and fix the first one before you continue"

"Yes, sir," Spink replied softly, and began carefully rubbing out the error on his paper as the corporal continued his circuit of the table The arrival of Rory and Kort took up his attention for soiven the up the stairs Perspiration had left wet tracks down the side of his face into the rolls of his neck He s off his demerits, not a clean man’s sweat but a sour spoiled-bacon stink "Whew!" soh the rooet his books

"I think I’ve finished," Natred announced in a way that left no doubt he was actually fleeing Gord’s arrival He gathered up his books and papers, leaving an empty chair on the other side of Spink As Natred left the rooratefully in the vacated chair and put his books on the table He grinned at me past Spink, obviously relieved to be off his feet "What a day!" he exclaimed to no one in particular, and the proctor rebuked him with, "We are here to study, Fats, not socialize Get to work"

I saw it again, as if Gord had donned a cold mask His face stilled, his eyes went distant, and without a word he opened his books and bent to his task I do not knohat ed to be alone, and yet there I sat I saw Spink begin his third problean to set it up I touched his hand lightly "There’s an easier way to set that up May I show you?"

Spink reddened slightly He glanced toward the proctor, expecting a rebuke Then, deciding to forestall it, he raised his hand and said, "May I request that Cadet Burvelle be allowed to assist nment?"