The Aftermath: MPHFPC (editing)

F I F T E E N

M I L L A R D

When Miss Peregrine said that the Council of Ymbryne's office had been remodeled, she had been making an understatement. The place was barely recognizable without all of the snow and ice covering it up. The first thing that I noticed was that it no longer stuck out, it was blended in perfectly with the surrounding buildings. I was even more surprised when we walked inside. The Council of Ymbyne's office I remembered was just a plain building that had just enough conference rooms and offices to be a meeting place for a very rare branch of the human race like peculiars, but obviously the ice was covering a lot more than I had initially thought.

We walked down an ornate hallway with a domed ceiling covered in paintings of peculiars from ancient times- whose faces I am ashamed to say I had forgotten over the years. According to what Miss Peregrine used to tell us on the island, the Council of Ymbryne's office was almost three or four times as big as it looked on the outside, due to most of it being underground.

"When the ice melted," Said Miss Peregrine, walking down the long hallway quickly, "All of this was immediately restored. Well, not immediately, but soon after the battle."

"Where exactly are we going, Miss?" I asked her.

"I hope that we are heading in the general direction of the living quarters. You see, Mr.Nullings, years ago when I was a young ymbryne, I did some of my early work here- you know, training and such. I tried to learn to navigate this place long ago, I really did. But it is simply a maze of hallways, parlors, and offices. A bit too big if you ask me. Nevertheless, there are ymbrynes and peculiars constantly coming in and out of here. I am sure we are bound to find someone to point us in the right direction."

"What did you mean by living quarters?" Asked Emma.

"Well, Miss Bloom, some Peculiars that work here find it easier to live here too. Independent Peculiars that no longer live with a ymbryne make residence here also. Most of the time it is used as a kind of hotel, for lack of a better word. They have a small school here for ymbrynes to teach their wards in while they are away from their loops. This place is quite accommodating in a way."

"Wherever we are going," I said, looking down at all the ash that still covered me, "I hope they have showers."

"Alma!" Said a surprised voice from behind us. We all stopped walking and turned around to see a man that looked around Miss Peregrine's age. He was a bespectacled man with salt and peppered hair and he wearing such an extravagant suit, that it put Horace's suits to shame. "It's been a while hasn't it?"

Miss Peregrine narrowed her eyes and glared at the man, "Not long enough, Wendell. Not long enough."

The man's slightly annoying smile faltered, but he quickly fixed it. "Where might you be headed?"

"I'm afraid that isn't any of your concern unless you have directions. But, knowing you, you probably don't." Miss Peregrine said bluntly.

"I'll have you know, Alma, that I now work here, so I most certainly know where to take you. Where might you wish to go? The dining hall? The offices? The Hospital ward? The living quarters?"

"Well isn't that wonderful." Miss Peregrine responded dryly.

"Um," Said Jacob, a bit in a daze because he was so tired, "Who is this guy?"

Wendell seemed to perk up at this, "Wendell McHamilton. Pleased to meet you. You must be some of Alma's wards. I am one of your ymbryne's more, um, special friends."

Miss Peregrine looked appalled at the idea, "Special friend? How many times have I told you, I'm not interested! Now please don't make me discuss this in front of my wards!"