Devil's Boarding school

Chapter 2. The office of the who-appeared-to-be-the-owner-of-this-all .

Em noticed a door nestled between the two staircases. In contrast to all the other super-sized parts of this building, this door was small and would only accomadate one person at a time at most. The raven or crow--no, Em thought, definitely plumper like a raven--rushed inside the building, his nose turned upwards still. He shut the the large door behind her with, what Em supposed, was some hidden mechanics in the walls. He then rushed again over to the smaller door, knocked twice and then gestured for her to enter through it as he held it open. He seemed impatient at her 'slow' walk over, and huffed when she 'finally' had stepped through the door.

Inside, she faced a hexagonal room, decorated with the same taste in colors and sculptures. In the center of the room was a heavy looking mahogany desk, at which sat another extremely bird-like person--the secretary--typing away on a typewriter. Em looked twice, but she was sure it was a typewriter being used in the 21st century. The door shut behind her, and the secretary stopped typing ubruptly. She looked up silently, with beady little black eyes. A pair of thin glasses balanced on her long beak-like nose. She seemed more like a magpie to Em, the secretary even had a veritable horde of 'treasures' about her desk. Em was now more than beginning to think this place was strange, both because of the people and the odd dead-ness of the foyer and office. While she looked around, the secretary put a bony finger on an ancient intercom, "The Lorel girl has arrived". She sniffed, and rearranged one of her many glass and generally shiny objects around her desk.

She had spoken flatly with a horribly shrill edge to her voice. A different voice from the other side of the intercom replied in a more rushed yet dulcet tone, "Give me a moment."

The voice came through once again, "And ask her to use the Left-hand sofa!"

She could tell the speaker was old, because it sounded like it was full of sand when the reply came through. The Magpie-secretary gestured to the sofa by the left of the door Em had just come through. She noted that the sofa on the right was hard looking and worn, and also slightly darker in a few patches. She sank into the comparably unworn and comfortable cushions of the 'left' sofa  obediently.  From there she marvelled at the sheer wealth that the place seemed to exude. Though it was old and very out-of-date compared to what she was used to, there was something inexplicably timeless about the place. As if it were able to function easily in any time past, present or even future.  Suddenly, there was a loud and metallic clunk of gears on gears, as the wall at the back, and not the doors on either back side of the room, opened up. When she looked back, she noticed the raven-fellow was gone. Before Em got the chance to ask, however, a young and calmer version of the voice on the intercom came through the doorway, "Come on in! Raven has just taken your things upstairs".

Em walked in slowly, eyes on the wall which had opened itself, and now closed by itself behind her. Now turning to see the rest of the room, she gasped lightly.

The walls of this second room were lined with brown-wooden shelves, though they were barely discernable beneath the multitude of toys which covered them. Trains ran in and out and around other toys all constantly in motion. They set off toys that set off other toys. Because there were no windows, and six lamps, it was six shelves to every one of the six walls. Clapping monkeys and ferris wheels. The room struck Em as smaller than it probably was, but in a welcoming way more than claustrophobic. She was smiling like a fool before she knew it, after all it felt like the perfect toy-store in a big city somewhere, and who wasn't happy there?

Suddenly, there was a rustle from the other side of the room, when the who-appeared-to-be-the-owner-of-this-all tried to pose himself as if to say 'ta-da!' and balance falling toys at the same time. He put on a large smile as Em stared with a smirk but slight disbelief. The who-appeared-to-be-the-owner-of-this-all Suddenly looked confused. He pushed the falling toys back on the shelf and brushed off his suit jacket. "I, well.." he coughed and looked embarrassed, "I thought you were younger." He looked mostly down and away, but looked up sheepishly.