[Hogsmeade] Food for Thought

[Jac Shaw]

Since her informative conversation with Chloe, Jac had become wrapped in her own world, wondering the corridors with a thoughtful expression on her face. Some of her friends had commented on her dreamy state but none knew why. She would laugh and say she simply had a lot on her mind and that was true enough for them. She had taken to wondering the corridors aimlessly and pondering. This made the likelihood of walking into someone or something very high and when it happened she would burst into giggles and apologise profusely. And afterwards the smile of how silly she was would stay there for at least ten minutes.

And so life went on. Till on Saturday when Jac decided enough was enough. She went into Hogsmeade with the other students and went shopping. Shopping always took her mind off things so mulling down the busy main street of Hogsmeade, Jac went into various shops always coming out with a little more then she had gone in with. By midday, Jac’s arms were full of bags and parcels and she was hungry.

She quickly ducked past three what looked like fourth years and went into a little shop, bought a sandwich and went out again. Jac, as much as she enjoyed shopping, didn’t like busy shops and in Hogsmeade with nearing on half the school there all the shops were busy. Walking off the main street, Jac found a set of three steps that lead to a dark house. Supposing it was as good as any other, Jac put her collection next to the steps and sat on the top step, a foot on the next and the last. She unwrapped the sandwich she had bought and began to nibble on it slowly. As hungry as she might be she had all the time in the world and was happy spending it eating.

[Girty Hubbles]

Every student looked forward to the weekend, the thought of being able to kick back and do nothing for two whole days was pure heaven. Many stayed awake till unknown hours in the morning just talking in the common room, others slept the day away, some actually bothered to do work and the rest went to Hogsmeade. After seven years at the school however you tend to do the same activities over and over again and even the trips to the wizarding village lost its special sparkle.

Walking down from the hill where Girty would regularly be found sitting on a rock the Hufflepuff saw something in the crowds. It was a flash of red, but not just any type of red hair but Jac red hair.
A grin filled Girty’s face and she broke into a light jog making sure she did not lose sight of the Gryffindor, which never was hard as Jac had a habit of standing out In a crowd. Although when she turned off the main street and down a side road Girty could not help but frown, it felt like she was trailing a wanted criminal and was trying not to be seen, and as a result of letting her imagination run away with her Girty found herself hiding behind a group of bins watching as Jac sat down on a set of steps and started to eat a sandwich.

Feeling slight disgruntled that it was not something more exhilarating then Jac just wanting somewhere to eat her sandwich in peace, and being the kind friend she was Girty would not let Jac have that.

“I hope you paid for that sandwich Miss Biggerstall.” Girty slowly walked out from behind the bins and towards the Gryffindor giving her a small kick “Come on move over.” She laughed as she flopped down on the step next to Jac.

[Jac Shaw]

The sandwich was surprisingly nice. The lettuce was crispy, the tomato firm and the bacon was slightly over done so it made the sandwich easy to eat because you didn't pull out a whole strip of bacon as you bit into it. Jac chomped away merrily on her sandwich enjoying the peace in sharp contrast to the bustling main street. Though Jac had many friends and knew many people, she enjoyed the time she had to herself and mused that she wouldn't find being a hermit too hard.

But when she heard a familiar voice and looked up from her sandwich to a familiar sight Jac knew that she could never be a proper hermit. "Hiya too, Girt," Jac said happily to Girty as she approached the Gryffindor. Jac looked down at her sandwich and smiled. "Course I paid for it, I'm not that sneaky." She smiled at Girty as she joined her on the step, scooching over slightly as Girty asked.

Jac took another bite and then realised Girty didn't have anything. She offered the sandwich to Girty with raised eyebrows. She would have asked if she wanted but Jac had been scolded enough times to know that talking with your mouth full was rude and Jac simply didn't do rude. At least not when she didn't feel like it.

[Girty Hubbles]

As Jac offered her some sandwich Girty shook her head and looked away, it did look very tempting but she was not hungry, she had not been hungry for a while…maybe she would eat tonight at tea…if she felt up to it. But even thought this Girty could not help but giggle at how Jac was keeping her manors even though they were the only people around and they were sitting on some weather worn steps.

“You are sneaky enough though, I bet even a flobberworm could steal something from the shops when they are this busy.”

Girty was comparing things to flobberworms once again, she was convinced that at some point in her life she much conduct a study with flobberworms seeing if they could actually do the things she said they could. Girty Hubbles the world famous flobberworm trainer…if anything it would be a living.

Snapping out of her small dream world Girty looked over a Jac finding it hard to keep a straight face as she watched Jac take the smallest bites out of her sandwich and slowly munch on it. Trying to stop herself from laughing too much Girty noticed that there was also a collection of shopping bags by her side and she could not help but be nosey as well as a tease.

“Oh it looks like someone has been burning a hole in their money bag…come on Jac what have you been buying? You best have brought something for me.”

[Jac Shaw]

Girty refused her sandwich and Jac smiled and shrugged. After swallowing and pealing more of the wrapper off, Jac smiled and said, "your loss, mate. It's mighty tasty. I sure do know how to pick em." She couldn't help but brag at her brilliant picking sandwich skills. Jac couldn't remember the last time she had a simple sandwich for lunch. Being at Hogwarts meant you have a wide variety of foods to choose from at any meal and she rarely went for the average sandwich.

Swallowing, Jac gave Girty a dead-pan glare. "I have enough money to buy a little sandwich, Girty," she said defencively, "I'm not the type to steel." Jac wondered why Girty brought flobberworms into the conversation. The bit in one of her brother's book on them had to be the most boring piece she had ever read from him and she had decided to skip that section every time she reread the books just to escape the boredom.

Another small bite followed and Jac became thoughtful again. She missed spending time with her brother especially since every time she had seen him since he and Kelly got together, she was with him so she didn't really have a chance to see him. Jac guessed she was lucky Trish was still single. It meant that she could still speak to one of her older siblings about normal sibling stuff.

Jac looked down at the bags next to her when Girty asked about them. "Most of it was on sale," Jac said, knowing full well that she had been saving money for such a blow out, "and it's Trish and Lon's birthday soon and I had to get them something. Trish is coming to visit me." She looked up at Girty and smiled. "You remember Trish, right? The book store in London." Jac hoped Girty did. "But, unfortunately for you," she said teasingly, "you're a difficult person to buy for. So I didn't get you anything. I was thinking about it though." She hoped Girty understood.

[Girty Hubbles]

Jac was right, the sandwich did look nice, the bacon was mouth watering and the lettuce looked so fresh. But as soon as she even thought about eating her stomach lurched and the hunger suddenly passed. So instead Girty watched with a small smile as Jac chewed on her sandwich while she explained how she was shopping for her sisters birthdays.

“I do not envy you.” Thought Girty aloud and seeing as she had already started to talk it would be strange to stop mid sentence. “The idea of having to think of presents for that many siblings must be terrible. I have enough trouble with Dan…I got him a tie this year….a bloody tie.”

The thought f it still made Girty laugh, Dan was someone who never wore a tie and yet Girty still went and brought him one simply out of the pure hope of finding him something. She would normally get her dad to buy a bottle of fire whiskey but since he had given up alcohol and was too depressed to come up with any other ideas Girty was felt getting him a tie, it may come in use one day.

“Oh and of course I remember Trish...she makes the best poppy seed muffins I have ever eaten…and that shop it took my breath away. Dan went there a while back you know, to buy a book obviously, spent a small fortune I do believe.”

It has been a long time since her and Jac were able to have a good natter and talk about anything and tease each other about everything. The mention of Trish’s shop did make Girty think however of the time she spent in London with Dan that weekend and how she chased after a purple haired Grace and Jac from the train station all the way to the bookshop. Everything seemed so carefree and easy then for some reason now every action seemed to have a consequence that led to another problem, but now was not the time to stew on such thoughts.

[Jac Shaw]

Still chewing, Jac smiled and nodded at Girty when she spoke of buying presents. She swallowed and wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. “Yeah,” she chuckled, “it has always been a problem. Especially since Trish and Lon share a birthday and Lon is not easy to buy for.” She smiled, brushed hair out of her face and took another bite from her sandwich.

“But ties I’ve found are only good for fathers,” Jac mused, “Pappa actually wears ‘em so that helps much.” Putting the sandwich on her lap, Jac bent over and began to rummage through the bags. “A-ha!” she said triumphantly and pulled out a long tie out of a bag. “Like this,” she said, handing the tie to Girty. “It’s pretty cool coz it changes colour according to what cloth it’s put against. Look.” Jac took the end of the tie and put it against her purple shirt. The tie changed from the dull metallic brown into a light blue that complimented the purple well.

Jac beamed at Girty, very proud of her find. Before buying it she had put it against everyone’s shirt in the store just to make sure it worked properly. She had found her present for her mother in the same store. Though she liked shopping, Jac was always happy to go into a store where she could buy multiple presents for more then just one person. But then there were people like Allona who you had to go into three different shops for and end up going back into the first after spending four hours searching everywhere else.

Jac ate more of the sandwich and looked at Jac as she spoke. Her eyes went wide with surprise when she said that her brother had gone there. “That is so cool,” Jac said merrily, “well, Trish sent me a letter the day before yesterday to say she was coming to visit as she had some business here. She should be arriving this evening and I’ll be skipping lunch tomorrow to visit her here.”

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty stared open mouthed as Jac showed her the tie, it was so cool and for a moment Girty had an urge to leap off the steps and buy herself one just to play with for hours on end,’simple things for simple minds’ as Grandma Hubbles would always say. That tie put her silk tie which she brought for Dan to shame (however it was almost a replica of the Hufflepuff house tie and Hufflepuff pride was everything to a Hubbles)

“That has to be the coolest item of clothing I have ever seen in my life.” Said Girty still amazed by the tie. “I will have to get me one of those.”

Girty chuckled to herself some more as she carried on thinking about the endless possibilities of what you could do with a tie like that, even finding out the charm that was put upon it and then casting it on other items of clothing. It was then Girty broke off that train of thought realising what she had been thinking, Dan was a bad influence on her, his fascination of charms was rubbing off on her. But it was what Jac said next that made Girty smile even more then the changing tie.

“Trish is coming!” It had been so long since she had seen Trish and she was such a kind person, but then the Biggerstall’s seemed like a good bunch of people altogether. “That is fantastic, you must say Hi for me.”

[Jac Shaw]

Jac laughed at Girty's reaction to the tie. Smiling, she said, "I know what you mean. I was thinking about getting myself one too and wearing it with simply everything because it's just too cool." She snorted a laugh before adding, "but I decided against it as I wasn't shopping for myself." She sighed, her shoulders sinking a fraction with contentment and she took another bit of her sandwich.

Girty's apparent joy at Trish visiting made Jac grin even wider. Clearly she did remember Trish thought in Jac's very bias opinion Trish was hard to forget and you wouldn't even want to as she was just too wonderful to forget. The last mouthful went into her mouth and she chewed happily. A full stomach was always a happy thing for Jac and she brushed her hands on one another. "I'll be sure to do that," Jac said smiling. "It's good we're going for lunch tomorrow because after lunch we have potions and I've been skipping that so much lately be 'accidently' late won't be a problem." She chuckled lightly before sighing and stretching.

Jac relaxed and looked at Girty. Tilting her head to one side, Jac said merrily, "It's been a while since we've had a chance to chat, hasn't it?" Seeing Girty was always a pleasure and she wanted to know what had happened to her in the interim. "So," she said slowly and excitedly, "what's been happening with you?"

[Girty Hubbles]

There was something about hanging around with Jac that always made Girty laugh. They did not have to do anything particularly exiting and they could still have more fun sitting on some steps like they were now then some of their peers could when running around the forbidden forest. So here they were Girty and Jac laughing over something that Girty could not actually remember and talking about nothing in particular and it is what this pair did best.

Girty grinned at Jac as she told her about skipping lessons. There were many occasions when she wished she could stay in bed or carry on laying in the warmth of the Hufflepuff Common room but when your brother is a member of the staff they have a habit of finding out and you would not be able to get away with it for long.

“Oh I have not had potions in ages. Dan made me drop the subject to have extra charms lessons…honestly he does not leave me alone about it. Sets me extra work, quizzes me on stupid facts. Honestly sometimes it feels like he is training me up to be his replacement.”

It was only then when Girty said these words out loud that things began to fall into place, Dan always said it would be hard for her to find work because of her ‘problem’ even in this day and age. The questions he kept asking her as well were ones so obscure they were things students would actually ask their teachers and the paper work he forced her to help out with, marking first year essay’s….he was training her.

Biting her lip Girty turned back to look at Jac replacing her sudden look of worry with a grin and listened to her as she asked what she had been up to. But there was something in Jac’s tone of voice that made Girty question the reason it had been asked. A small side ways smile filled her face and she eyed Jac carefully and slowly answered the question trying not to laugh.

“Nothing much, I have just recovered from my last full moon outing, not that I remember anything of and no one will tell me about it…all I know is I had a broken arm and a huge gash in my side. Took almost two tubes of vanishing cream to get rid of all the scars, I am convinced I keep that company in business.”

Girty gave a soft laugh and looked at the small scar she had on her hand, she never got rid of every mark. She would keep the odd one, those of funny shape or formed and interesting pattern just as a reminder of what had happened and what she has been through.

“Other then that I have been studying and spending time with Alex.” Girty shrugged and did not expand much on the last point. “What about you? I bet the famous Miss Biggerstall had been keeping herself amused…I did hear you had a run in with van Haestregt.”

[Jac Shaw]

Jac had missed her time with Girty. They had both become busy in the past while, what with Jac promising to find lucky charms and avoiding evil Jac-hating teachers she knew she had become very busy. It was strange how times of business and the lulls between were extreme and left her craving the busy times. Jac liked to be on the move and doing things for a greater majority of her day.

Jac laughed when Girty spoke about her not having potions but having extra Charms instead. "If only," Jac said rolling her eyes. "Pappa said I had to take potions if I ever hoped to become an Auror." Jac shrugged, putting the wrapping for her sandwich in her jacket pocket. The day was rather windy but the sun was shining. It would be raining in a few hours time but that didn't matter.

"I've only been skipping Potions, mind," Jac said, feeling it important to clarify this one issue. "Vance suspect that I've been taking his form and stalking the corridors at night so I've been staying well away from his room. I've been getting notes from some Slytherins and doing the syllabus by myself." She didn't know why but Jac thought it was important to get that point across to Girty...

Girty spoke of her recent stint in the Forest and a smile came to Jac's face. Her adventure with Alex in the Forest a few night previous had damned everything she thought she knew about werewolves to heck. Jac wondered if Alex had told Girty what they had done for her and what she had done for them but at her words Jac knew that he hadn't.

"Alex hasn't told you then?" Jac asked a wicked smile on her face. She leaned her check on her fist and looked at Girty.

Girty asked Jac about herself nad Jac had to think on it. Though many thought that Jac was always having fun, it was only the stories that circulated that made people think that and those were only special circumstances. Given they happened often but they didn't run her whole life. Jac shrugged and looked down the alleyway she had come down, putting her fingers between her legs. "The most exciting thing was the run-in with van Haestregt." Jac laughed. "The woman is pure evil, I tell you," Jac chuckled. "Pure evil. But she's not as forbidding as people make her out to be. She gave me a weeks detention and took away Quidditch and Hogsmeade privileges."

Jac barked a laugh as she remember the event. Looking back to Girt, Jac's face was less joyful. "Chloe was there, the Ministry witch I told you about," Jac remembered a breakfast they had shared shortly after meeting the witch, "and she just stood there, let the wench take down the paintings." One corner of Jac's mouth crept up, "But I saw her again a few days later. She told me stuff. Stuff about the Ministry and van Haestregt and ... oh Girt, what a gem for the Guild." When mentioning the Guild Jac whispered. She didn't want to risk exposing them.

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty listened to Jac talk about her having to do what her father thought best for his daughters future, she could understand parents thinking that no matter how pushy it made them seem, for Girt her parents did not seem to care what she did in the future, only Dan. The fact that Girty had not idea what she wanted to do after school, of course she had thought about some possible careers but nothing seemed to suit her, at least Jac knew she wanted to try and become and Auror and she was good enough to do the job as well.

“Well as long as it is only potions you are skipping I will not hold judgement. That lesson if my idea of hell anyway.”

Girt shrugged her shoulders, the only potions she really needed to know she already knew and over the years had become skilled at doing them, why did she need to learn anymore? However it was Jac’s next comment that made the bemused smile that seemed such a common look on Miss Hubbles face appear once again and in a slow questioning tone Girty eyed Jac.

“What do you mean…has Alex not told me what…how would Alex know anything about...in fact how do you know…and why do I seem to be the only one who did not know?”

It was a long list of questions but Girty just spoke what ever popped up in her mind without even thinking about them first or the fact she kept interrupting herself. It really did seem to her that she was the only person not know what happened in the forest that night. She had heard from Dax that there had been fires and Girt could not help but think that had something to do with her as he comment on finding a dead werewolf lying nearby, huge bite marks around the creatures neck.
A shudder ran through Girty at the thought that she might have killed some poor creature and with her own teeth as well. It did not seem right to her at all even if she was not herself when the murder was committed.

These thoughts, as so often with the lackadaisical mind of Girty Hubbles, was pushed out of her mind faster then anything when Jac mentioned van Haestregt and Greenwich. There was a look in the Gryffindors eyes that made the Hufflepuff’s stomach lurch, the feeling that what she was about to hear was of great importance and Girty was more then keen to get it out of Jac,

“A gem…you mean you have some dirt to dish on the ministry?” Girty looked around nervously fearing onlookers and the information getting passed into the wrong ears before turning her attention back on her friend and dropping her voice into a whisper and tried to hide the excitement from taking over. “Jac if you have some news I need to know…and by the sound of it…this could be good.”

[Jac Shaw]

Jac nodded and smiled to Girty. She didn’t like to give wrong impressions and liked to correct them before they got out of control. And Jac thought it was ok to skip Potions anyway because if she went she’d be kicked out every lesson anyway and the rest of the class would suffer for it. This way Jac got through the work well enough and the class didn’t have a continually angry professor from the start of class. They could make him angry without her being there but sometimes he mightn’t be angry. With her there it was sure he would be. So Jac thought she was doing the prudent thing by doing what she was and she dared any to show her a better way of handling the situation.

Jac laughed and shook her head. She still wasn’t sure if she should tell Girty but she had asked so bluntly that she couldn’t avoid it and shrug off the question. Jac tucked her hair behind her ear, and exceedingly girly thing to do for Jac but it allowed her to see Girty better. “Well,” Jac began, taking a deep breath. “You see, Alex and I were in the forest the other night. I had been told by this little first year that she had lost something there and I didn’t want her going in again so I offered to go get it for her. I bumped into Alex there and he walked with me. We found it, the thing the first year had lost, but we were in this clearing, see, and there werewolves came out of no where. At first there were only three. They fought and … and one fell. The second clearly wanted to eat us but the third actually backed up towards us like it was protecting us.

“The second howled,” Jac continued, “I guess it was calling for back up or something coz all of a sudden we were surrounded by at least ten more. The third jumped the one who had howled and … I don’t know, but I think he must have been someone important in the pack because suddenly they all turned their focus onto the two that were fighting and some even joined in. Alex …” Jac took another deep breath to calm herself, “Alex was certain the werewolf who had protected us was … was you and he wanted to help. All I wanted to do was … was go. I know werewolves, Girty, and I’m not terrible for wanting to leave.” She spoke very quickly. “But Alex was insistent that he couldn’t leave you and I think I know why … Anyway, were frightened the werewolves with fire and Alex ripped out a tree, throwing it at a bunch of them.

“We got out of there as soon as we could and … and I put out as much of the fire as I could without giving ourselves to the werewolves. Girty,” Jac took Girty’s hands in her own, “those creatures there weren’t human. You can’t blame yourself for any of it. You weren’t in your right mind.” Jac could feel her cheeks going hot now and her breathing was more rapid then she would have liked. “I’m … I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, I just … I wasn’t sure how to say it. Alex is going to kill me …”

Jac wasn’t sure why she had said the last but that was the feeling she had. She knew of Alex’s feelings for Girty and had suspected there to be mutual feelings for a long time. Jac just wasn’t sure if Girty knew yet, if he had told her. She was certain he hadn’t told her yet, just like he had not told her about their little run-in in the forest and now she wondered if it was her place to tell on the latter as she had. Jac released Girty’s hands and locked her fingers together, resting her elbows on her legs. “There you have it then,” Jac said finally deciding that she had told Girty and there was no way she would unsay it. Girty had a right to know. Jac didn't even remember the questions on the Ministry or her gems on it.

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty listened to Jac’s story wide eyes and totally hooked. It was like she was hearing it for the first time, she did not care if the werewolf they were on about was her, and she had no recollection of the event Jac could be making all of this up. But as Jac explained some of the wounds the wolf had Girty’s side tingled and her left arm throbbed, squeezing her arm tightly Girty listened to the rest of the story a smile slowly filling her face as it drew to its conclusion. It was when Jac started to apologise for not telling her to try and seemingly try to comfort Girty about her supposed actions that night that the first laugh escaped. It was soon followed by another until Girty Hubbles was literally laughing in the face of one of her closed friends. She slapped her hand over her mouth in attempt to stop any more fro coming out but by this point her shoulder where shaking so much and her eyes watering Girty had to let it all out.

“Sorry Jac...I…”Girty was trying to talk in-between laughter and unsurprisingly it was failing. After a few deep breaths Girty was able to control the laughter and after wiping away the tears of laughter Girty reached out and took hold of Jac’s hand giving it a small squeeze.

“You are telling me it now and that is what matters. I never remember what happens during a full moon, I bet I have killed before and not known about it, my conscious is clear and like you said, it was not me that night.”

Girty gave Jac a soft smile and another small laugh escaped from her mouth. She was not sure what she was actually finding so funny about it all, in fact it was terrible that both Jac and Alex were in mortal danger and she was laughing about it. Girty guessed it was the fact that Jac seemed to be worried about tell her, it was sweet of her and laughing seemed to be the only way of reassuring her that everything was fine.
Taking another deep breath to stop the laughter from happening again and putting on her serious face (well as serious as Girty could ever manage) and looked over at the Gryffindor and just like before when talking about this topic Girty dropt her voice into hushed tones.

“You also total ignored my previous question Jac, what is this little gem you have about the ministry?”

[Jac Shaw]

Girty began to laugh. Jac was completely taken aback by this. She looked around for the people that would jump out and yell ‘surprise!’ at the joke Girty was making. None did however and Jac was still confused. A large frown came to her face when Girty took her hands. She was taking the news of her escapades in the forest very lightly and Jac wasn’t complaining. It would save her a great deal of worry and Jac didn’t like to worry but she couldn’t help feel Girty didn’t understand the fullness of what she had told her.

Jac, still frowning, stared at Girty, scrutinising her expression. ”You’re really not going to loose any sleep over this, are you?” Jac queried, her hair slowly turning a dark red, loosing it multicoloured sheen. This comforted Jac greatly. Her shoulders relaxed and a smile came to her face. “That’s good,” Jac said, her normal cheery self coming back, “I was worried you’d totally freak out about what happened.” Jac knew that Girty was not just saying that to make her feel better. Jac couldn’t explain it but she just knew that Girty truly was alright with everything and that she didn’t have to worry about it.

Jac had to laugh when Girty reminded her of the little secret she had to share with Girty. “Oh, right!” Jac chirped, “sorry. Got kinda caught up in the whole werewolf business.” She rolled her eyes and chuckled. Leon was right, she was a scatterbrain. “Well, The Ministry. Oh boy, you’ll never believe it. Chloe, she’s in the Magical Law Enforcement squad and she wants me to be her apprentice. I told her there was no way I could after our whole discussion about the Ministry and all its corruptions and short comings.” Jac shifted her position a little backwards and leaned more on her knees so she could be closer to Girty and so the chances of being over heard would be less.

“See, Chloe was trying to convince me that the MLE squad are only listening to what the haggard van Haestregt tells them to do because she is, and I quote, a ‘close personal friend of Deitrich’, who, as you know, is the Minister’s personal adviser. So van Haestregt is a very powerful woman, practically third in command, if you want to look at it that way. Chloe tells me that she and Deitrich have some idea that Hogwarts is going to the dogs and that they need to keep a close eye on us. I figure that we can give that eye a bit of a poke while she’s here. Chloe tells me that van Haestregt is dangers, the kind of woman with so much power she can have you killed if you annoy her.” At this thought, Jac laughed, “so she says I should be happy I only lost points and privileges.” It was observed that a woman as high up the political food chain as van Haestregt could be so stupid with power as all that.

“But what I found very interesting was that the MLE squad are wanting to petition … whoever so that they can pull out from here. They aren’t being told why they have to do the things they do, the patrols, the stalks through the forest. They’ve absolutely no clue. So that means that only van Haestregt knows.” Jac sighed and frowned a little. “I know that doesn’t help at all but it’s better to know who’s pulling the strings I guess.” Jac had thought that what she had been told was extremely useful but now that she had blurted most of it out she didn’t think it was going to be any help at all. “Well,” she said after a short moment, “that’s what I can remember. Pretty useless when I say it all like that.”