With the last words of Walak’s tirade, he charged down the trail towards the road and Syman nodded to Antello to follow him. “You don’t trust him either, do you?” Syman asked Lyra when they were alone.

“It is not that I distrust him,” Lyra replied after some hesitation, “it is just that I do not trust him. I wonder if his father might be behind the attack on the Academy.”

“And you do not find it strange that he was the only person from inside the castle who escaped unharmed?” Syman asked.

Lyra cocked her head and sent Syman a puzzling glance. “So that is why you were so interested in our conversation last night. I just assumed that his story was true. Walak has always been a cowardly obnoxious brat and I could picture him hiding in a closet so I gave it no thought.”

“He certainly has no love for Master Malafar or the Academy,” added Syman. “I don’t know what to think. I only urge caution in what we let him know.”

“Thanks for stopping the conversation last night,” nodded Lyra. “I wasn’t sure how to get out of telling him more, but I share your caution. Still, Walak does not have the courage to have remained at the Academy if he knew there was going to be an attack. He could not have had any advance notice of the attack, but that does not mean that his father didn’t order it. I am probably fishing in a wash tub, but his father is something I want to check out.”

“Well at least we shall be free of him now,” reflected Syman. “He just entered the city with Antello not far behind. Nobody gave them more than a cursory glance so I think we are safe to enter. Let’s ride casually and make a run for it only if we are threatened. No sense in giving people a memory of our passing.”