The Library - Seventh Scene

“Sit down,” No. 5 ordered, “you’re late for class.” ‘What class?’ Gwen looked around and saw everybody was sitting in a semicircle around the speaker, ostensibly to attend class. “Just sit!” No. 5 rolled his eyes, displeased by the time wasting. No. 4 and No. 1 scooted over to make room for her. By means unknown, someone had produced a notepad and a pencil, sharpened to a fine point, and the two implements were now getting passed around the group until they reached her. “What exactly am I supposed to do with these?” she whispered towards No. 4, trying to disturb the assembly as little as possible, but the latter looked annoyed by the interruption and didn’t answer. She sat herself quietly between the two numbers, notepad in her lap. “What’s the class about?” she leaned over to whisper in No. 4’s ear again, undeterred by the latter’s cold shoulder. “The afterlife,” he answered curtly. “The what?” “Shhh!” “Do you have anything to contribute?” No. 5 asked her directly, trying to put this class disturbance to good use. “I believe I do, yes.”