A side door opens, and a young honey-colored dog slips into the armoury. Her bright coat stands out against the cold stone and dark leather as she noses carefully between the cadet rows before settling beside Roald.
The Master
Remove that animal at once. This is an armoury, not a kennel.
The cadets stiffen without moving. The honey-colored dog lowers her head beside Roald’s boots, her nose working at the scent of oiled leather, while the Master searches the rows for someone willing to obey first.
Frederick
Leave the dog for a moment. If a wagging tail can defeat the lesson, the lesson was poorly built.
The French fencing expert lowers his foil and watches the interruption without irritation. The weapon’s point dips toward the floor, and the orderly rows suddenly look less like discipline than a performance everyone is trying to preserve.
Alexander Pavlovich Romanov
The boys have not forgotten their positions, sir. They have only noticed something the rules did not anticipate.
The honey-colored dog nudges Roald’s ankle once, then sits neatly beside him. The Master’s order hangs unanswered as the French fencing expert studies Alexander, and the cadets wait to learn whether obedience means moving the dog or pretending she is not there.
✓ Quest Accepted
Avoid being singled out by the Master