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Description
With lunch not half over, Inlé's feet lead him to the school library. Unable to sleep, he found a large book and turned idly through it. Stopping at an interesting section, Inlé got lost in the page he was reading, and did not notice his teacher coming up behind him. He only noticed him, in fact, when he sat down and addressed him.

"Ah, Inlé," his teacher said. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing, sir," Inlé answered. "Just reading between classes."

"Still," his teacher said with a glance at the large volume on Inlé's lap, "that's quite a book to read to relax. 'Celtic Myth, Fairies, and Irish Artifacts'? Not a light read, let me tell you."

Inlé looked up, interested that his teacher--Mr. Selina, was it?--could recognize the book from its open pages. "You have read this?" he asked.

Mr. Selina reached into his suit-coat pocket, and pulled out a cigarette. "Cryptohoplology is one of my hobbies. So, while I care little for fairies, some of their toys fascinate me. That book talks about a lot of them, you see," he continued, putting the cigarette into his mouth and rifling around his other pockets. "Elf stones, fairy rings, raths, fairy eyes, even a little on the treasures of the Tuatha dé Danann.

"Not in detail, though. Just glazing them over. That's basically a bunch of stories about fairies and some specific information on some of the more famous fairies, like Puck, Oberon, and Titania."

He found the lighter and pulled it out. "Really," he continued, flicking at the lighter, "it's a shame."

"Sir?" Inlé interrupted.

Looking over, unlit cigarette hanging loosely, and lighter finally lit, Mr. Selina answered, "Yes, Inlé?"

"Smoking is not permitted within the school building, sir."

"Ah!" Mr. Selina exclaimed, snapping the lighter shut and returning it to his pocket. The cigarette, though, remained. "You're right, I forgot. Sorry, I got a bit carried away. I really do love this stuff."

Inlé closed the book on his lap. "So it would seem, sir."

A wistful look crossed Mr. Selina's face as he continued, "I used to dream about finding some of these ancient artifacts no one believes in. I'd show them to everyone and say 'See? There's some truth to these old stories.'"

He sighed. "Then I realized that even showing them off wouldn't prove it to anyone. They'd figure it was all a hoax, like the bigfoot footage and other things like that."

"And do you still wish to find them?" Inlé asked.

"Of course," Mr. Selina answered without hesitation. "But then, now I'm 'grown up' and have to act that way. So I teach History, Mythology, and various languages."

"I see," Inlé said.

Mr. Selina looked down at Inlé with a wry smile. He said, "Of course, I wonder sometimes if you know which class I teach you."

"History, of course, sir." Inlé answered immediately, which seemed to surprise Mr. Selina, whose look of pleasant curiosity was quite apparent.

"I swear, Inlé, you never cease to amaze me," he said.

"What do you mean, sir?" Inlé asked. Just then the class bell rang, announcing the end of lunch.

Mr. Selina stood and, ignoring Inlé's question, said, "Well, there's the bell. You'd best get to your next class. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

Inlé stood. "Yes, sir."

Inlé moved to return the book he held, as Mr. Selina walked toward the exit. Just before they were outside of courteous earshot, Mr. Selina called back, "And maybe later you can tell me who taught you gaelic."

A spark flashed across Inlé's eyes, the only evidence of surprise as he placed the book carefully onto the shelf where it belonged.

Description
With lunch not half over, Inlé's feet lead him to the school library. Unable to sleep, he found a large book and turned idly through it. Stopping at an interesting section, Inlé got lost in the page he was reading, and did not notice his teacher coming up behind him. He only noticed him, in fact, when he sat down and addressed him.

"Ah, Inlé," his teacher said. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing, sir," Inlé answered. "Just reading between classes."

"Still," his teacher said with a glance at the large volume on Inlé's lap, "that's quite a book to read to relax. 'Celtic Myth, Fairies, and Irish Artifacts'? Not a light read, let me tell you."

Inlé looked up, interested that his teacher--Mr. Selina, was it?--could recognize the book from its open pages. "You have read this?" he asked.

Mr. Selina reached into his suit-coat pocket, and pulled out a cigarette. "Cryptohoplology is one of my hobbies. So, while I care little for fairies, some of their toys fascinate me. That book talks about a lot of them, you see," he continued, putting the cigarette into his mouth and rifling around his other pockets. "Elf stones, fairy rings, raths, fairy eyes, even a little on the treasures of the Tuatha dé Danann.

"Not in detail, though. Just glazing them over. That's basically a bunch of stories about fairies and some specific information on some of the more famous fairies, like Puck, Oberon, and Titania."

He found the lighter and pulled it out. "Really," he continued, flicking at the lighter, "it's a shame."

"Sir?" Inlé interrupted.

Looking over, unlit cigarette hanging loosely, and lighter finally lit, Mr. Selina answered, "Yes, Inlé?"

"Smoking is not permitted within the school building, sir."

"Ah!" Mr. Selina exclaimed, snapping the lighter shut and returning it to his pocket. The cigarette, though, remained. "You're right, I forgot. Sorry, I got a bit carried away. I really do love this stuff."

Inlé closed the book on his lap. "So it would seem, sir."

A wistful look crossed Mr. Selina's face as he continued, "I used to dream about finding some of these ancient artifacts no one believes in. I'd show them to everyone and say 'See? There's some truth to these old stories.'"

He sighed. "Then I realized that even showing them off wouldn't prove it to anyone. They'd figure it was all a hoax, like the bigfoot footage and other things like that."

"And do you still wish to find them?" Inlé asked.

"Of course," Mr. Selina answered without hesitation. "But then, now I'm 'grown up' and have to act that way. So I teach History, Mythology, and various languages."

"I see," Inlé said.

Mr. Selina looked down at Inlé with a wry smile. He said, "Of course, I wonder sometimes if you know which class I teach you."

"History, of course, sir." Inlé answered immediately, which seemed to surprise Mr. Selina, whose look of pleasant curiosity was quite apparent.

"I swear, Inlé, you never cease to amaze me," he said.

"What do you mean, sir?" Inlé asked. Just then the class bell rang, announcing the end of lunch.

Mr. Selina stood and, ignoring Inlé's question, said, "Well, there's the bell. You'd best get to your next class. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

Inlé stood. "Yes, sir."

Inlé moved to return the book he held, as Mr. Selina walked toward the exit. Just before they were outside of courteous earshot, Mr. Selina called back, "And maybe later you can tell me who taught you gaelic."

A spark flashed across Inlé's eyes, the only evidence of surprise as he placed the book carefully onto the shelf where it belonged.