Vidvan spread the papers out in front of them. Hauke and Kya gave each other sidelong glances. The old man was a great teacher, even because of his eccentricities, but it was unknown when they would arise. They didn’t know if it had to do with old age or if he had always been like this. Vidvan had been old as long as either of them had known him.

“Your accounts have some holes in them,” he scolded the both.

“Holes?” Hauke asked.

“You didn’t give us all that many guidelines,” Kya reminded him.

Hauke picked up his papers and tried to gleam Vidvan’s questions through his scrawled handwriting. It required more translation than anything. It was hard to imagine that he got more out of Vidvan’s handwriting than Kya did.

“How could I when I had nothing to start with?” Vidvan asked. “But we’ll fix that now.”

Kya tended to keep her face passive, but she still shot Hauke a look that almost pled for assistance. Hauke considered helping her and how doing so might save him from any of Vidvan’s rants. “Yes. Why don’t we go over it all together? Kya might help me recall something I missed, as well as your comments.”

Vidvan looked pleased at the suggestion. “Yes, yes, excellent.” He pulled out even more papers, beginning his notation. “Shall we begin with yours, Hauke?”

You owe me, Hauke shot over at Kya. “Very well, Vidvan.”

Hauke couldn’t tell if Kya agreed with him or not.