Free Lies and Prophecy by Marie Brennan Page B

other shoe to drop made my temper short. Arriving at Hurst one Monday halfway through October, I snarled, “Papers can bite my ass,” and dropped my bag with an unceremonious thump.
    Robert eyed me from his usual sprawl in his chair. “You’re in an uncommonly good mood, I see.”
    Julian was also watching me warily. No doubt he could feel the waves of irritation coming off me. Everyone in the dining hall probably could. “Did your meeting with Sheffield not go well?” he asked.
    â€œIt went fine. I just don’t want to write the damn thing.”
    â€œAh,” Robert said, understanding. “The infamous History 205 paper. First Manifestation: discuss.”
    â€œIn fifteen to twenty pages,” Julian added.
    Exactly. I had to summarize the various theories for the cause of First Manifestation, with arguments for and against. “And add my own opinion on the matter, too. Has nobody pointed out to him that people write their dissertations on that question?”
    â€œFrequently.” Robert shrugged and passed me the salt. “Ally yourself with Medapati; she’s the safe choice. Some variety of radiation, unmonitored at the time, which triggered the heretofore inactive genes in that portion of the population which possessed them in sufficient quantity for expression.”
    He was quoting our textbook, almost word for word. Three-quarters of my classmates would do the same thing in their papers; most of the rest would paraphrase the physicist’s own article, instead. But I frowned at my chicken nuggets. “If I have to write this thing, I’d rather pick something interesting to say.”
    â€œSheffield will love you if you do,” Julian said. “How many Medapati papers do you think he sees every year?”
    I began placing nuggets on my tray, thinking out loud. “Religious explanations. Evangelical Christians trying to shoehorn it into their eschatology, Buddhists claiming half the planet achieved a degree of enlightenment at the same time, Wiccans crowing they were right all along.”
    Robert showed what he thought of that by swiping and eating the “religion” nugget. “Conspiracy and terrorism,” he said, gesturing at one in another corner of the tray. “Biological warfare, or a chemical agent, or radiation attack. But everyone who claimed responsibility has been proved a crackpot.” He looked disappointed when I ate that one myself.
    â€œA newly-restored connection to the Otherworld,” Julian said. “But we cut back on using iron after First Manifestation, not before.”
    I gave him an opening, but he showed no interest in stealing my food. I nibbled on the chicken myself, thinking. “So that brings me to cousins of Medapati’s theory—like fluctuations in the earth’s magnetic field, only we were monitoring that, and the data shows no change.” No wonder so many people went with the easy choice. “Peprah?”
    Robert looked dubious. “Not very scientific.”
    â€œNot something we have a good scientific model for at present,” I corrected him. “But the advent of gifts made us rejigger a lot of theories anyway. Peprah could work if you accept the stories about Welton—that he showed faint psychic abilities before First Manifestation. That all wilders did.”
    â€œAnd that somehow they called forth the full ability in themselves and everyone else? Without knowing they did so? You haven’t convinced me, my lady, and I doubt you will convince Sheffield.”
    â€œWilders believe it,” Julian said quietly. “Not Peprah’s whole theory—but about Welton, yes.”
    A quick glance at Robert told me that was news to him, too. “I don’t suppose it’s written down anywhere I could cite?” Julian’s mouth curled in amusement, and he shook his head. “Damn. Well, I may do it anyway, if only to give myself a treat for