I'd Give Up The World For You

Ira tried his best to put everything Professor Lucien had told him out of mind but it was difficult. For some reason his brain wouldn't stop formulating potential theories about what had happened. 

He couldn't talk to anyone about it either since the professor had asked him not to. He wondered what Miss Veronica would think of all this if she knew about it. 

She may be a farm girl but she was also one of the smartest people he knew. He wished he could ask her what her opinion was on it all. She did live in the capital but that didn't necessarily mean she had any idea what was going on there. 

She may work in the castle now but that didn't mean she knew anything about the king. Most of the people who worked there had probably never seen him. But what about the ones who had? Did they know what was up with this country's wars? Did Mr. Leo?

That was who Ira really wanted to talk to but it would be a bit strange to introduce himself like that even if he hadn't promised to keep Professor Lucien's speculations quiet. They had never met. Their only connection was caring about the same person. Though he supposed they would meet over the summer holidays next year since Miss Veronica had invited him to come stay with them. 

Would he be able to ask his questions then or would it still be too dangerous? It would be nice if it wasn't because then he would be able to get the answers that eluded him. 

Unfortunately, that was a long way off regardless. He needed to put that aside and focus on the here and now. He should be trying to make friends not solving mysteries that would only bring him trouble. 

After a full week of classes he didn't have any solid candidates for that. The only student he had spoken to directly was Sarabeth and she was off her rocker. He definitely didn't want to make friends with her! Which was a problem because she seemed determined to talk to him anyway. 

The following Tuesday Ira got to class early and decided to pull out a book to do a bit of light reading before it started. Sarabeth loudly plopped down next to him and got up in his face. 

"Whatcha doing?" 

He nearly jumped out of his chair. "I'm reading. Don't talk to me."

"Whatcha reading?"

Ira held up the cover for her to see because he didn't want to keep talking to her. This didn't deter her in the slightest. 

"A Brief History of Katalya? What're you interested in Katalya for? I thought it didn't exist anymore," Sarabeth said with a curious gleam in her eyes. "Why would you want to read about a country that doesn't exist?"

He frowned. "…you know about that?"

"Yes but not many people do since they're woefully ignorant about what goes on in the world around them. I only do because my father is a colonel in the royal army and is posted on the western border. I wasn't supposed to hear this, mind you. I overheard him talking to my mother one night." 

"Overheard what?"

Sarabeth must have sensed his unusual eagerness because she shot him an evil grin. "You said not to talk to you. So I don't think I'll say." 

"Sarabeth!" Ira protested. 

How dare she throw his words back at him when she finally had something interesting to say! He couldn't exactly take it back though. She would know that any attempt to appeal to her now was false. 

Her evil smile grew even wider and she actually laughed before turning straight ahead and facing the front of the room like a good student right as Professor Rothman walked in. He wasn't going to have another chance to persuade her before the class ended. 

Unfortunately, Sarabeth went skipping merrily away the moment they were dismissed. She looked over her shoulder and shot him another evil grin as if daring him to chase after her but he wasn't that desperate. He could wait until their shared biology class the next day to try and crack her. His dignity was worth more than whatever she might be willing to tell him. 

=== 

Sarabeth Storm was having a lot of fun messing with Ira Brooks. He seemed so stuffy and uptight all the time but she knew he had at least a small love of chemistry as well considering he had stayed behind as Professor Rothman's research assistant over the summer. 

He hadn't told her that. She figured it out when she went to go visit the professor on her first day back to share her findings from her own summer research with him. He may be exasperated by her frequent in-class explosions but he was a scientist first and foremost and loved learning new things as much as she did. 

He hadn't said anything either but there had been signs of someone else being in his lab and classes hadn't started yet. Specifically, there was an envelope addressed to one Ira Brooks in the wastebasket from somebody named Veronica May who lived in the capital.

That also told her that he wasn't as emotionless as he appeared. If he was writing somebody—a woman no less—he had to have feelings buried under there somewhere. 

Sarabeth wanted to figure him out but that wouldn't happen unless she managed to make him crack. People were far more likely to show their true colors when provoked. He had started it anyway. Her interest had already been slightly piqued seeing the letter but what he said to her on the first day of Chemistry clinched it for her. 

She was determined and nothing would stop her. She hadn't expected such a perfect opportunity to fall into her lap though! Holding something over his head and making him chase after her was deliciously satisfying. 

Ira tried cornering her in Biology the next day despite the fact that they were seated at different tables. He shocked everyone who made it there early by leaning over the front of her desk trying to get her attention. It was extremely out of character for him since he was known for reading before class.

"Sarabeth, please," he mumbled, looking very uncomfortable at all the attention. "Can you just tell me? I'll do you a favor if you do."

"What sort of favor?" Sarabeth asked loftily, examining her fingernails. 

She was going to see how far he would go in order to hear what she knew. She was curious how desperate he was to hear about Katalya…and why he cared. He couldn't possibly be from there.

Ira sighed looking as if he regretted what he was about to say already. "Anything within reason."

"Define 'within reason,'" Sarabeth ordered with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. 

If he didn't give her too strict parameters she might go along with it. Though she was determined to make him do something embarrassing if she could get away with it. 

"It can't publicly humiliate me."

That was no fun. There had to be some way around this. She truly did want to see how far he would go. 

Sarabeth tapped her fingers on the desk. "How about this…rather than me asking for a favor you figure out something I would like and do it for me. If I'm pleased by what you come up with I'll tell you."

Ira's jaw dropped and he momentarily looked furious before resuming his usual blank expression. It took everything in her not to laugh out loud at the sight! 

"…fine."

He stormed off back to his own desk just before the professor called the class to order. She was still snickering to herself at how beautifully that had worked out as they began taking attendance. She was very much looking forward to whatever he could come up with. 

She wasn't going to make it easy for him though. Unless it was something she genuinely liked she wasn't about to let him get away with information he clearly valued. Mercy was not a quality she was known for. 

The first attempt was a chemistry book she already owned. She told him she'd had a copy since she was six and to try harder. The second was trying to bribe her with pastries from the bakery, which were admittedly delicious, but not what she was looking for. It was too simple. Loads of people liked pastries; he could have guessed that at random. 

What Sarabeth wanted was proof that Ira had paid attention and put real effort into his offering. She wasn't entirely sure he would be able to satisfy the demands of what she desired. 

A week and a half into their endeavor he stormed his way across campus and shoved a bouquet of orange and yellow flowers into her rather surprised hands. "Here. Clivia miniate, otherwise known as natal lilies. They're highly poisonous when ingested in certain quantities."

Sarabeth blinked at him. "…you're giving me poisonous flowers?"

"Yes," Ira said defiantly. "Wouldn't a scientist like you love to experiment on breaking down the poison inside of them?"