"Wonderful!" Amory enthused. "Let me look at my schedule." He reached for the veritable tome covered in appointment dates looming on his desk, seemingly oblivious to Claune's full moon. The moment that Nicholas had agreed to participate in his experiments, his mind had drifted one million miles away, presumably into some sort of academic arcadia. Had Claune been able to see, he might have been disappointed, but Rene at least was suitably shocked and appalled by his behavior. This was no way for a Council Plague to behave! The idea that Claune had an automatic seat in the Plague Parliament was sickening. He wondered if he could pass an emergency act against Claune actually taking up said seat. It was something he would have to introduce in the next session.

"Ah!" Amory exclaimed, "There's a free window here, on Thursday the fourteenth." He squinted. "I think." Rene opened his mouth to protest, but Amory plowed cheerfully on. "If not, it's free now." Rene shut his mouth, looking rather displeased.

That being settled, at least in Amory's mind, he was able to cast his thoughts back to the less interesting, non-research related elements of their conversation. "Erasmus is an excellent fellow," he said cheerily. "He has his little moments, of course, but they just serve to keep the students in line, bless him. His students are so much more disciplined than my own."

"He is also the honorary head of the Plague Parliament," Rene pitched in haughtily. "Amongst the Plagues of the Council, Sir Erasmus commands enormous respect, precisely because," a Look was shot in Claune's general direction, "he is so highly qualified. At least as much so as our finest human scholars."

"It seems to me," Amory offered in Claune's defense, "That Claune is most excellent at showmanship. You have a theatre troupe, Rene. Wouldn't that make you kindred spirits?"

Rene nearly choked.

Umbrology