Roald reaches the dormitory corridor with Mercer’s heavy attendance ledger braced against his chest. Halloway steps away from the doorway, leaving the younger boys hidden inside and the corridor suddenly empty.
Halloway
Give it here, Dahl. Slowly. I want to see whether Mercer trusted you with the book or merely wanted you out of his room.
Halloway takes the ledger but does not return to the doorway. He weighs it in one hand, watching Roald instead of checking the pages, while muffled movement continues behind the closed dormitory door.
Halloway
You will not go back in yet. The boys can wait, and the prefect who sent you can wait longer. I have questions that do not belong to Foxley.
He shifts nearer the wall, placing himself between Roald and the dormitory entrance without touching him. The ledger hangs at his side like a sealed account, and Halloway’s voice drops beneath the corridor’s listening silence.
Halloway
I have watched you carry messages, endure corrections, and notice what other boys overlook. That makes you more useful than a servant and more dangerous than a witness.
Halloway
Tell me what Mercer showed you, Dahl, and tell me what you chose not to say. If you answer well, I may decide where your next errand takes you.
✓ Quest Accepted
Eagerly submit unquestioningly to Halloway’s authority and coercion, and offer to do whatever he wants
“I tell Halloway exactly what Mercer showed me, and offer to obey whatever he commands, making clear that fear of the cane is the best way to control me.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Roald Dahl
Mercer showed me the old list: names selected before any offence, with reasons added afterward. He also showed me room numbers and dates marking movements through the masters’ quarters and service passages. I chose not to ask for more. Command me as you please. Fear of the cane is the surest way to control me.
Halloway listens without interrupting. The ledger remains at his side, but his attention fixes on Roald’s careful surrender, weighing whether the confession is useful or merely frightened.
Halloway
You have understood the distinction, then. Mercer showed you a history of selection, and you wisely left the routes untouched. That is better judgment than most boys manage.
He shifts the ledger beneath his arm and steps aside from the dormitory door. The movement is slight, but it grants Roald the passage Halloway had withheld.
Halloway
Take this book to the assembly hall and leave it on the clerk’s desk. Then return directly to me. Do that without questions, and I will decide whether your next duty is worth trusting you with.
Halloway hands back the attendance ledger. Behind the door, the younger boys remain quiet, while the corridor opens before Roald and the next errand is plainly his to carry.
Quest Complete
Eagerly submit unquestioningly to Halloway’s authority and coercion, and offer to do whatever he wants
+ New Item Acquired
Attendance ledger