Helmsworth School of Magical Arts & Sciences

Chapter Three: A Test of Truesight

Bray's father parked the car right outside the blue door between the two rose bushes. He opened his mouth to say something, but Bray interrupted.

"That's it! I know that's it! The rose is a recurring symbol now! That's three times today. Once on his photo diary, once on that sign out there, and now actual roses at his very office! It's too consistent to be unintentional!" She unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the passenger door and leapt out onto the pavement.

"Wait-" her father began. But Bray slammed the car door and began to approach the door with the symbol. Her father rolled down his window. "Bray! This does not look like a legitimate business at all. Let me go inside with you."

"It's not supposed to look legitimate, Dad! That's part of the aesthetic! Customers need to feel like they've discovered something secret and special!"

She was reminded of Folly's first interview at the Helmsworth School of Magical Arts & Sciences, which was supposed to be part of the Open House event for prospective students, but was, at the last minute, delayed, and then ultimately canceled. The following day, he received a mysterious letter with a red wax stamp on the front of the envelope, like the kind you would find in an old warlock's library or in a derelict medieval castle. Inside the envelope was a phone number and a tiny brass whistle. Folly was flabbergasted.

"Aw, shoot!" said Bray. as she approached the door. She glanced over the surface of the door but could not determine how to open it. First of all, it had no handle. Second of all, it read "NO ENTRY."

Her dad opened the driver's-side door and began to climb out of the car.

"Wait!" Bray screeched. Her father jumped again and looked around his feet for the broken glass or barf puddle he expected to see.

"What is it??"

"I... I don't want you to come in with me! You can wait in the car. You'll just embarrass me!"

"Bray, I just want to make sure this is the place you're looking for. I'll wait in the lobby if you want me to..." he said.

"No!" she reached out her hands, shaking them in front of her to discourage his movement. "No! If Dr. Evand sees that I had to bring my DAD with me, he will think I'm unprofessional! He'll think I'm a timid little child! He'll think I'm not brave enough, and courage is almost always the first thing they test for!"

"Bray, I promise, I won't get in your way. I'll pretend I need to schedule a seance." He raised his foot to take a step forward.

"No! This is my very first interview and I don't want you to mess it up! You don't know anything about contemporary magical arts and sciences! If this is a courage test then I may have already failed!" Bray glared at her father while summoning the most judgmental expression in her arsenal. "You should just go!"

"Go? Go where?"

Bray glanced across the street.

"Just go look at the old games at Vintage Vinyls and Carts. You've never had any trouble wasting time there."

Her father peered over his shoulder at the storefront. Bray saw the corners of his lips turn upward. "Hm... Well, it is Tuesday. They should have a fresh shipment of old comics to sift through. They're supposed to be launching an Imports section soon, too. Maybe I could pop over there for half an hour."

"Yes! Go! Sift! And ask them if they'll be stocking Foolbarde Gaiden spinoffs with the rest of the manga."

"I probably won't ask them that," he said. "I'm trying to build a rapport with these guys." Then he got in his car and pulled out and away from Bray and her bizarre scavenger hunt.