Free Thaumatology 101 by Niall Teasdale Page A

terabyte of collected raw data sat there waiting to be analysed. Ceri grinned. There had to be enough there to find the evidence they needed. And it could not do any harm to take a look…
    Up in the study, she had plugged in one of the other devices she had found in Carter’s box. It was a fifteen terabyte network storage box with a little yellow note attached saying “I put a few books and programs on here you may find useful.” Well, she had not checked those yet, but the first use she had for the box was storing the data files from the experiment. Setting the download going, she set about the real reason she was in the system.
    Of course, she had no access to most of Shane’s records, but she went poking around to find out what she could. After twenty minutes of mild frustration and piecing together bits and pieces of files, she had a vague picture of her suspect, and the data download was eighty per cent complete.
    ‘He did a vocational wizardry course at the Metropolitan,’ she said.
    Lily had been watching her the entire time, leaning against the kitchen counter with a mug of coffee. She seemed determined to be somewhere in Ceri’s view at all times today. ‘I wouldn’t have thought that’d be enough to get him a position as a research assistant,’ she said.
    ‘It wasn’t. He worked as a jobbing wizard for two years and did an online course in Thaumatology. He got his degree a year early.’
    ‘Wow,’ Lily said though her voice suggested she was not impressed, ‘that work experience really must’ve helped.’
    Ceri suppressed a smirk. ‘According to this he got a two-one, but if he did, he’s forgotten a lot.’ She tapped the screen. ‘I found his thesis here.’
    Lily pushed off from the counter and walked over to stand beside Ceri’s chair, bending over to look at the screen. Her perfect breasts were right beside Ceri’s face. ‘Well,’ Lily said, ‘it’s over my head, but I’m kind of short, metaphorically speaking.’
    ‘Well…’ Ceri considered how best to put her summary of her co-worker’s masterwork. ‘I could’ve written this when I was fifteen,’ she said.
    ‘You’re a genius, hun,’ Lily said. ‘Try thinking down to normal peoples’ level.’
    ‘The course was run out of Cambridge,’ Ceri said. ‘They usually have very high standards. Unless he made up big marks elsewhere, this is barely worth a third.’
    ‘Cambridge?’ Lily said. ‘Cambridge, your main rival in the search for the T-Null? That Cambridge?’
    ‘Uh, yeah.’
    ‘So, Shane the Barely Capable, who happens to be a wizard and therefore useful to Tennant’s work, miraculously gets a good degree he doesn’t appear to merit from Tennant’s main rival, just in time to apply for the job as her research assistant.’ Lily paused dramatically and then added, ‘That about sum it up?’
    Ceri started to turn her head to look at her friend, found her view full of breast, and turned away, her cheeks colouring. ‘Uh… when you put it like that.’ She chewed on her lip for a second. ‘It could be coincidence,’ she said, not sounding convinced.
    ‘That’s one huge pile of… coincidences. Any idea who runs the course he did?’
    Ceri’s fingers flicked nimbly across the touchscreen. A few seconds later she was reading the Cambridge University website’s online courses section. She grimaced. ‘The course was designed and is operated by Matthew Barnes,’ she said.
    Even Lily had heard of Barnes, she had even met him once when he had spent an evening at the Dragon. Her lips drew back, showing her fangs. ‘Protégé magician,’ she said, ‘wizard, necromancer, and enchanter. He’s like Carter without the morals. Seriously, you look in his eyes and there’s nothing there. I’m sure he’s pacted.’
    ‘I know he’s a bit wild,’ Ceri said. ‘He’s got a rep for partying, dated a couple of pop stars. I don’t think Cambridge would put up with him if…’
    ‘Oh come on, Ceri!’ Lily snapped,