Cecil let the small girl ramble on. She had very ostensibly moved on from the topic of electricity, but he was still irritated at her rebuke, and he cut in sharply.

	"Yes, little girl," Cecil said, glaring at her sideways. "I'm fairly certain the school would have circuit breakers and spare bulbs laying around. They [i]do[/i] their own maintenance, you know, especially with the constant threat of an E.M.P., which you shouldn't rule out." Cecil thought about the country's state of affairs. He did not want to believe in the terrorist threats he had been witness to, bubbling out of every news station on television, but in that moment he had no other choice.

	He sighed, his indignation leaving him, leaving him with only shame at having snapped at the younger student. "Anyway, I think we can check out the emergency evacuation plans," Cecil said, pointing to a small, detailed diagram on the wall beside him. "And get a good layout of the building for what we need. Should be some in the basement, too."

	In his rant, he did not notice a familiar face creep up nearby to speak with Jack. [i]Vanessa. Quiet as a mouse, as always.[/i] He smiled gently at her back before turning again to the short student in front of him.