By now, one would have thought that Sasha would be used to those instances when the muggle world and wizarding world integrate in unexpected ways - and, for the most part, he was.  But, every once in a while, something peculiar would happen that would push that threshold and catch him off guard.  Looking over the top of the ballistics pendulum affixed to his lab bench at the Cavendish Laboratory, home of Cambridge University’s Physic’s department, and seeing one Virgil Carstairs standing in hallway and talking with another student was just one of those instances.  He’d stared at the young man through a pair of safety goggles for several breaths and had almost convinced himself it was a case of mistaken identity when the other young man caught his eye. 

But, there was no mistaking the answering smirky grin. 

Sasha offered a curious grin in return before turning his attention back to the pendulum.  He released the shutter on the high speed camera, fired the pendulum and only once there were no more high-speed projectiles waiting in limbo did he go to the classroom door. 

He slid the goggles up to his forehead, slipped his pen in the pocket of his lab coat and offered Virgil and the student he was talking with an apologetic grin.  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” he offered, primarily to the student.  He couldn’t quite tell if it was strange that he didn’t recognize the student, but he was actively debating it.  Cambridge was a large campus and it was impossible to know everyone, though he thought he could recognize most of students in the Physics program.  But, it still felt strange.  Maybe, again, it was the general strangeness of it all.  “But, we know each other from school,” he offered, nodding toward Virgil. 

He was aware he was interrupting and for one simple reason: he was dying of curiosity.  What was Virgil doing wandering the halls of Cambridge’s physics department?  Best he could do, under the circumstances, is try to hide his curiosity behind a polite attempt to be helpful.  “Is there something I can help you find?” he asked.

            "I wish you'd focus," muttered Diana, the Unspeakable who was studying chemistry at Cambridge.

"I'm in-character." Virgil replied effetely as they made their way down the corridor at Cavendish Lab, hands in his coat pockets. "Presumably not all of you wear permanent scowls and university jumpers," he gave her navy hoodie a withering glance. In contrast, his own attire was remarkably modish. It had been picked out as the casual-smart wardrobe of a prospective student.

            "Will you stop that?" Diana snapped self-consciously. They slowed down in front of a laboratory, her scowl deepening. "Just get in and get out. Don't do anything to make Dr. Lovecraft too suspicious, don't volunteer information."

He arched a blonde eyebrow at her: obviously. She was too tense and Virgil could understand why Rosier didn't want her talking to the astrophysics professor. Not that she would have done anything to endanger her cover story for studying chemistry. He glanced into the the lab, picking out a blonde head.

Oh. Schlawkward. That was... a big coincidence. But then again, he'd forgotten altogether what Sasha had come to study at Cambridge. He deliberated approaching him. As he did so, Sasha clocked his presence, and Virgil grinned.


            "I’m sorry to interrupt...But, we know each other from school."

The former Ravenclaw was polite as ever when he finally approached them. Diana, to whom Virgil had quickly explained the connection, smiled reluctantly at the interruption. "Was he a knob back then, too?" she sighed and he laughed at her frustration.

"Perhaps you can help me find Dr. Lovecraft?" Virgil looked around their surroundings to indicate he was at sea. "Diana here is supposed to introduce me to him but it might come better from someone actually in his department," he shrugged.

It wasn't hard to tell that Sasha was wondering what Virgil was doing here but he couldn't even hint at his reasons with the other, much less relaxed Unspeakable around.

If Sasha was hoping his question would offer some clues about why Virgil was here with a random student, he was clearly hoping for too much.  Instead of offering clarification, it seemed to prompt more questions - primarily, who was this student and why was she asking Sasha if Virgil had been ... twat in school.   

A hint of color rose in Sasha’s cheeks and his gaze flickered between Virgil and the student. 

There was no indication as to the nature of their relationship that would help him decipher the appropriate response.  Were they friends, which would indicate a casual, jovial response (as if Virgil were, for some reason, gathering Cambridge students as friends)?  Were they in a relationship, which would indicate a similarly friendly response but one that painted Virgil in a more rose-colored light?  A more professional acquaintance, which would dictate a polite lie - but the hoodie almost eliminated ‘professional’ as an option. 

Sasha went for the safest option.  “He ensured things stayed interesting," he offered with an amicable grin.  "But, through most of school, we generally kept to different social circles."  Polite.  Neither confirming nor denying.  And, true for the most part - even despite Sasha keeping the details vague, since he still wasn't entirely sure this other student wasn't a muggle. 

Finally, Virgil offered a little clarification as to his reason for being there.  Sasha looked at him with surprise.  "Dr. Lovecraft?" Sasha repeated.  "His office is on the third floor, but I think he might be finishing class."  Sasha gestured for them to follow him as he stepped back into the lab, opened his laptop and pulled up a department schedule.  "Yes - he's teaching electromagnetism over in Pippard.  I can show you," he offered as he packed his bag and erased his collection of equations from the dry erase board and led the way back into the hallway through the atrium to the adjacent building. 

“Why are you looking for Dr. Lovecraft?”  Sasha asked Virgil, but caught the tail end of a glance from the other student and grew quiet as an opportunity to slip into the classroom presented itself.  He led the way into the classroom and into a series of open seats in the back row and waited, listening curiously to the tail end of the lecture though he couldn't resist casting furtive glances towards Virgil as he tried to figure out what he wanted with the man.  Finally, with a shuffle of notebooks and the clapping of closing laptops, the class finished and students filed out of the lecture hall. 

Sasha's polite, careful responses were a delight to hear as Virgil gleaned his more bewildered thoughts beneath the surface. He was off the mark - their relationship was professional but under the guise of a friendly acquaintance. You couldn't pay Diana to chill with him outside of work.

            "I can show you," offered Shlawkward.

Thank Merlin! Virgil smiled a little smugly at his colleague, who looked like she wanted to say no but couldn't find a reason to do so. They followed their new guide and tried little small talk as they did so - he made a show of looking around as if though impressed by the university's learning environment.

It was strange to be here. As they entered the classroom, finding seats in the back, Virgil couldn't help wondering if his life would have brought him to a place like this had he been born a muggle. The notion was bizarre; his circumstances since birth were so intensely magical. Life without Hogwarts? Life without Stardust, without even mind magic?

Dr. Lovecraft finally drew his lesson to an end. The room was filled with the low murmur of relieved students, the clatter of pencils, the shuffling of papers.

"You should go now, Diana." Virgil snapped out of his daze as he rose, glancing at the Unspeakable. "Too many cooks."

Three of us might be odd, you don't even study physics, he spoke into her mind and she stiffened slightly, her brow darkening. A handful of Unspeakables knew about Virgil's Legilimency by now but it didn't endear him to them - they just figured he was a teacher's pet. Which he was, in a way.

            "Fine," she hissed and then looked at Sasha. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Before Virgil could formulate a quip, Diana slipped out from the seats to join the stream of students leaving Pippard. He sighed and threw a glance at the front of the room - a couple of others were chatting to Lovecraft so they would have to wait.

"I can't tell you exactly why I'm here." Virgil turned back to Sasha before the other wizard could jump in with another question. "But I want to talk to Lovecraft about a computer programme he's recently designed, and I need you to introduce me as a..." he shuddered theatrically, "... a prospective student."

So, apparently, Virgil and this Diana knew each other well enough for Virgil to feel comfortable dismissing her and Diana to feel entitled to subtly insult Virgil by suggesting Sasha should babysit him. 

And they both had some interest in the astrophysics chair at Cambridge.   

"Weird," he voiced, quietly, as he watched Diana join the flow of students out of the classroom.  There really wasn't any other description for it.  Slowly, his gaze tracked back to Virgil.  So, for some obscure and secret reason, Virgil wanted to talk to Dr. Lovecraft about computer programming.  Sasha couldn't think of a situation that better warranted a reprise of the Twilight Zone theme song and he indulged in quietly humming it under his breath.

But, eventually, the milling stragglers below started to weed out and Sasha nodded to Virgil as he got to his feet. 

Sasha was at least a year away from actually being eligible for any of Dr. Lovecraft's courses; most of his classes were upper level, parabolic or fluid-mechanics oriented.  But, if there was one academic social dynamic Sasha was comfortable navigating, it was forging connections with professors.  Not only was it good networking, but it was an excellent way to try and find a promising lab tech position. 

So, there was a flicker of amused recognition in the man's face when Sasha approached with Virgil in tow (because this was not surreal at all.)

"I see you've taken to sitting in on classes - are you really that bored?" Dr. Lovecraft chided, good-naturedly. 

Sasha blushed, slightly, and glanced at Virgil before turning back to the professor.  "Yes, well, no, sir.  Only partly.  I mean, the last bit on relative magnetism on different elements was really interesting but my friend was the one who wanted to sit in.  Virgil went to school with me and he's been considering a degree in theoretical physics.  He's trying to decide between Cambridge, Oxford or MIT, so he wanted to speak to a professor." 

He nodded towards Virgil, now completely unsure as to whether or not he was supposed to linger or move away. 

It was time to act.

Virgil smiled amiably as they approached the older man, sizing up the kind of person he was while Sasha went through the vanguard of greetings and introductions. Lovecraft was tall and middle-aged (for a muggle), bit round in the stomach. Self-conscious about his receding hairline... far from handsome but old enough for wrinkles to lend some distinction.

            "He's trying to decide between Cambridge, Oxford or MIT, so he wanted to speak to a professor."

What? He stopped himself from shooting the other wizard a glare, instead reaching forward to shake hands with the good doctor. Lovecraft's eyes crinkled at the corners and a slight frowned appeared on his forehead. Virgil quickly skimmed his thoughts.


Ah, so he resembled somebody Lovecraft knew. Eton boy, was it? Firm grip. The old guard. He could work with that.

"It's very nice to meet you, sir." Virgil's voice had deepened somewhat, carrying a rich cadence and smoother pronunciation than was his actual habit. "I've been meaning to, since your piece in the Journal of Navigation. She's due to launch soon, isn't she? We're all holding our breath," he slipped one hand into his pocket and glanced at Sasha as if to include him in the conversation.

            "Quite, quite. The Rover, yes. November I believe." Lovecraft smiled back, engaged. "Are you taking a year off to decide which university it is then?"

"Something like that. My parents aren't keen on me rushing into it, father's an Oxford man himself." Virgil made a gesture with his fingers, indicating a predictable story. "But my mother--"

            "Your mother's on the winning team!" the doctor finished with a laugh, understanding. "I did wonder. You look like a fellow I used to know at school, rather..." he did that thing old people did when they squinted at your face. Virgil's gaze dropped to the floor, self-deprecating.

"Probably my uncle Arty. We're not related, if you're asked," he glanced up cheekily, "but let's just say nobody mentions our resemblance to the older Mr Carstairs. He's not quite due for a midlife crisis."

Lovecraft's laugh was low and amused, but it was the way he patted Virgil's shoulder that told Virgil his battle was half-won. He grinned at the muggle, keen to keep the conversation going in the right direction before more social questions could be asked. "What's really tipping me over is your, God, I'm so sorry. I've forgotten the acronym...? ARTEMIS? Still in beta of course but Sasha tells me it's the absolute talk of the town."

Sasha had pretended he wasn't a wizard at home, pretended he hadn't spent years associating with a serial killer and had pretended Professor Storm was nothing more than a professor, so he had plenty of experience to prepare him for pretending that he wasn't completely flabbergasted by everything coming out of Virgil's mouth.  But, still, it took effort to not blurt out 'wait, what?' or 'since when?' every few minutes like some strange, confused version of Tourette Syndrome. 

Whatever was going on, it was clear Virgil was taking it seriously and, for reasons Sasha didn't quite understand, he was willing to play along, no questions asked. 

And, he really didn't understand why.  But, here he was, talking to Dr. Lovecraft and Virgil Carstairs about the Mars Rover and he knew it couldn't be a dream, since that required sleeping. 

"November 26^th," he offered, with a slight blush and a grin, before confessing: "I may or may not have a countdown on my calendar.  I mean, who isn't waiting with baited breath to see if they find some deliciously tantalizing organic molecules?"  It wasn't just self-proclaimed nerds that watched the skies for UFOs.   

Dutifully, Sasha wrinkled his nose and shook his head when Virgil spoke of Oxford and was about to make up some story about supporting his mother's case for Cambridge when ... the two seemed to take a jaunt down a memory lane Sasha wouldn't have guessed existed.  It was equally twilight-zone-esque, but Sasha refrained from humming. 

Like the mix of relief and anxious anticipation that preceded the big reveal during the climax of a movie, Sasha couldn't resist a quick glance in Virgil's direction as he asked about Dr. Lovecraft's program.  In contrast, the Professor seemed completely delighted by the inquiry. 

"You have an interest in the Astronomical Relative Trajectory and Electromagnetic Information System?" Dr. Lovecraft offered.  "It's really a minor thing - nothing to base one's university education on," he offered with obvious feigned modesty.  Sasha had never been the best at reading people but even he could see the professor was pleased.  "But, I'm not surprised, given what I know of your school.  If all of your classmates are as adept at solving many of those equations by hand as Sasha is, I'd love to see what you could do with such a program."

Sasha grinned and nodded his head, though he sincerely hoped this wouldn't lead to the professor asking Virgil to demonstrate his skill.  But, for now, Virgil was trying to accomplish something - what it was, he had no idea but Sasha had to assume he didn't come here just to verify it existed.   

"One of the physics mentors is in your Part III Exoplanets and Planetary Systems class.  I mentioned to Virgil her saying they were using it some in their classes to chart the trajectory of Saturn's moons through the rings."  The professor hummed a confirmation and nodded his head.  "We'd definitely be interested in seeing it, if we could," Sasha posed, taking a wild stab at what he thought Virgil was looking for.

To his relief, Sasha was as quick on the uptake as Virgil suspected. It wasn't all regurgitating info cards.

He couldn't help but laugh lightly as the older man referred to his programme by its full title - with the modest pride of a parent whose child had unexpectedly made a name for themselves in the right circles. Of course Lovecraft's faith in Virgil's ability to solve equations was misplaced. He knew some muggle mathematics but had no interest in pursuing it as Sasha did.

            "We'd definitely be interested in seeing it, if we could."

"But only if it isn't any trouble," he cut in quickly and with a boyish, shy smile. "I'd hate to be an inconvenience, and you do seem rather busy with lessons." Lovecraft made a dismissive gesture, like it wouldn't be a problem at all. Virgil smiled at the thoughts that followed.


            "You're in luck, I'm giving a demonstration to the postgraduates tomorrow," the doctor's words veered away from the nature of his mind. "Come along, both of you. You'll see what ARTEMIS is truly capable of."

"Do you mind if I bring a friend? More of a mentor really but he studied behind enemy lines. A Professor Rosier?" Virgil brought up the Unspeakable's name lightly, knowing that Carmichael Rosier had a few minor articles published in the right Oxford journals but had never really socialised amongst muggle scientists.

There was a spark of recognition behind Lovecraft's eyes, further cementing his view of Virgil as a precocious academic. "Of course, if you think he'll appreciate her."

"Who wouldn't?" Virgil replied without missing a beat, blonde eyebrows arched incredulously over lucid blue eyes that had never looked less innocent. "Thanks so much, doctor. I won't keep you. Sasha here has promised to show me more of the physics department this afternoon."

He glanced at his old schoolmate, linking their arms together in a familiar manner.

So. 

That was that. 

Just like any other normal Tuesday, Sasha and Virgil and this Professior Rosier had a date to view Dr. Lovecraft's demonstration of ARTEMIS tomorrow. 

And, the Buttery cafe was serving cream of asparagus soup. 

Baffled as he was by this whole proceeding, and entirely unsure what was to be included in the charade, Sasha offered Virgil his arm, bid the professor a polite farewell and led the way back out into the atrium.  There was no sign of the mysterious hoodie-Diana, so Sasha continued back towards Cavendish Laboratories. 

"Am I showing you the physics department?" he asked.  "And, is the arm thing really necessary?"

Despite the dreary drizzle, Sasha pulled up just outside the doors to Cavendish and turned towards Virgil.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about, yet?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.  "At the very least, if I just got roped into something illegal or unethical, I feel like I have a right to know."  Virgil was crassly honest and rude, sometimes, but surely he had enough moral fiber not to have dragged Sasha into something that would put his education in jeopardy.  Right?

He felt the tension in his core dissipate somewhat once they had left Lovecraft's vicinity, relieved that the task in question had finally been accomplished. It would be easier at the demonstration with Rosier and a hall full of postgraduates to hide behind. Virgil took advantage of Sasha's initial silence to collection himself and focus on the new problem presenting itself.

Namely: what do you tell someone about your top secret job when you've accidentally-on-purpose involved them in the top secret job? It was almost exciting. Like being a spy.

"You don't have to show me the department," he huffed a low laugh and let go of the other boy's arm. "But you could buy me a coffee and then I might tell you what... I mean, I can't tell you exactly what I'm doing here, but I can tell you how to find out."

He slipped off his useless spectacles and wiped it with the inside corner of his coat before slipping it into his pocket. "But to set your mind at ease, I solemnly swear that you have not been hoodwinked into breaking any laws or ethical codes. Several social codes, perhaps."

Virgil paused to effect a more sombre tone, glancing around to ensure nobody was listening.

"Curiosity aside, Sasha, this is rather serious business," he clarified, although he could already guess the decision Schlagenweit was going to make. "If you get involved, it's in for a penny, in for a pound. Ignorance might be the wiser path to take."

Even before Virgil's warning, it had become clear this wasn't going to be some casual chit chat or catching up on the news of the day.  His strategic use of idioms simply reinforced the conclusion Sasha had already come to. 

Once again, he was being asked to make a decision about participating in an activity about which he had little to no information.  Not that that was anything new.  As an eleven-year-old navigating his first year as a Ravenclaw without any parental support, that seemed to be the entire theme of his introduction to the wizarding world. 

But, he'd been trying to move away from a life of secrets, despite his insistence on attending a muggle university.  And, the basement laboratory.  He wasn't sure he was all the interested in jumping blindly into the bed with a whole new set of them. 

But, it involved Cambridge.  And ARTEMIS.  And academic curiosity would always win. 

So, against his better judgement, he nodded his head.  "I understand," he offered, turning away from Cavendish and crossing the courtyard towards West Cafe.  "Maybe I can still be of some help," he offered, with a slight grin.  "I, obviously, don't know what you're after but there are a variety of interesting projects underway around campus." 

He attempted small talk as they made their way across the physics complex with even less of Sasha's standard of success.  After ordering a double espresso and a breakfast flatbread sandwich for himself and paying for both of the orders, they settled themselves at a table in the corner. 

"So, I think I've already figured out that you aren't actually considering becoming a theoretical physicist.  At least, I wouldn't recommend it," he added, with a slight grin.  "They're kind of full of themselves."  Though, maybe, that would be rather fitting.  "And, I hate to burst your bubble, but MIT is probably a stretch.  Is this something you could use my help with?"

Virgil had tons of practice in what some people called dramatic irony.

That is, he had been in many situations where the full extent of someone's words took on an ironic tone due to knowledge that hadn't been revealed to them but was most certainly available to him. It came with the whole gifted-legilimens territory and right now it made Virgil grin a little when Sasha mentioned there were a variety of interesting projects underway around campus.

You don't know the half of it. If only Schlawkward could be told about the Unspeakables littered at muggle universities around the country! This is what he set his mind to doing as they chatted idly on the way to coffee.

The corner table was good positioning. Virgil had considered the many different ways to phrase what he wanted, yet each time he was also aware of breaching the Statute of Secrecy in a non-magical setting. He was lying on a three-layered bed of secrets. In the end, there was a single secret he was allowed to divulge and it was the one that ensured nobody else would overhear them today.

            "Is this something you could use my help with?" Sasha offered while Virgil sipped his americano.

Not exactly, he glanced up and met the other wizard in the eye, his voice clear and high in Sasha's mindspace. But it is your area of interest and I think I can confess that we might need more hands on deck nowadays. What are your thoughts on level nine?

Virgil poked at his salad idly, pretending that they weren't in fact holding a conversation without moving their lips. Just think it as consciously as you can, I'll hear you.

His lips tugged into a catlike smile as they closed down on a fork of chickpeas and bright red peppers.

M - for language

Sasha glanced out the corner window and watched someone hurrying along the path below - presumably a student late to some class or meeting.  Virgil, it seemed, had fallen quiet and the absence of short, sharp retorts or sarcasm was oddly unsettling.  It had, so far, only lasted a minute at most.  But, it was still unnerving.  Sasha picked anxiously at his sandwich, nudging the edge of the flatbread out of the way so he could slide the slice of warm tomato free and spear it with his fork. 

"So."  Sasha offered, awkwardly into the silence.  "Do you make a habit of-"

But, then, he heard Virgil speak - except, it was slightly different.  Like hearing your own voice echoing in your head when your sinuses were stuffed or you had your fingers in your ears.  Sasha slowly set down his tomato-laden fork as he looked up across the table at Virgil, just in time to hear him ask about Level Nine.  While eating his salad and not moving his lips. 

Holy fuck!  Oh good God, he's in my head - he's reading my thoughts?!  What am I thinking?  What shouldn't I be thinking about?  Oh God - thinking about Abby and Abby's - wait, no!  Malvivicus.  Ignan.  Ignan's birthday party.  Bonzais.  Wait - but I'm thinking them while trying not to think them.  Shit!  What did Malvivicus say?  I know I'm not supposed to, but -

There was a brief, distant memory of sitting in Kronos Malvivicus' sparring room in Skye and the old man warning his son of his memories being used against him one day and there not being time to learn proper occlumency - not during this visit, at least.  Of strategies and practice and curses before Sasha blinked and collected himself before focusing on: 3.1415926535897932384. 

The initial panic was intense, but brief, and as Sasha mentally ticked through the digits of pi and his mind calmed, he blinked and gazed across the table at Virgil.

How about giving a guy a little warning, next time, he tried to think strongly at Virgil, following the probably dubious training that came from reading comic books.   You - you're a legilimens?  Duh.  Obviously.  This was going to be tough.  It wasn't that introverts didn't have a lot to contribute to conversations; they just enjoyed the benefits of keeping the majority of their commentary in their head.  Suddenly - his whole side of the conversation was exposed to the other person.  Scheiß.  This is weird.

He coughed, nearly choking on a mouthful of chickpeas as the other wizard ran through a plethora of thoughts and images in his surprise. Some, like Abby, were expected. Others less so. Malvivicus? And since when did Sasha refer to Hogwarts' deputy head by his first name, much less attend a birthday party? There wasn't time to sift through these questions - a series of numbers had taken over the initial jumble.

Pi. That was cute. Virgil smiled to himself, continuing to pick at his food.

Sorry. I supposed this might be easier. Pretend we're eating in silence, he glanced at Sasha's food pointedly before picking up his own coffee for a sip. The legilimency is all me, not level nine, so we're not breaking any rules right now.

While it was fun and games to pilfer potions and sabotage chocolates, there were some rules Virgil took seriously. The rules in Mysteries had serious consequences if broken and there was something terrifying about the knowledge that not even level two could bail them out of trouble.

He crossed his legs under the table and nudged Sasha in the shin as he did so.I won't look for anything in your head that you don't project. Virgil sent an image of himself into his mind, hand placed honourably over his chest. Wizard's honour. So. What do you know, or think you know, about the Department of Mysteries?

Making a pointed effort to ignore Virgil's splutters and coughing, Sasha once more picked up his fork and prodded at the slice of tomato.  However, both the mode of conversation and the content had thoroughly distracted Sasha from his meal and he was picking at his food purely for show.  And, to give his hands something to do. 

As Virgil offered a purely telepathic apology, Sasha glanced up from his plate and regarded him across the table.  Ja, probably.  He cast a quick glance around the cafe; the reasons for Virgil's choice of communication methods were obvious, but they didn't seem to outright negate the potential for forewarning.  A note on a napkin.  Hell, even a request to speak somewhere more private, would have worked.  My flat's only a few blocks away.

Whispered warning.  Charades.  Invisible ink.  Virgil was a clever lad; if he'd wanted to give Sasha forewarning, Sasha had no doubts he could have found a way. 

Despite Virgil's assertions, Sasha cast a suspicious glance across the table before turning his attention to, apparently, the meat of Virgil's question.  Is that what that was about?  Level 9?  He shrugged slightly and shook his head.  Just the basics - what was on the career day brochures.  They're the research branch of the wizarding government.  Given the Ministry's general dismissal - of all things Muggle, I've never really given any of the departments much thought.  Since I don't want to ignore the scientific community and have no interest in pining away in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, there's nothing for me at the Ministry.

He snorted, derisively, as he used his fork to cut the tomato into quarters and put to of the pieces into his mouth.  I'd already been warned that 'if I pursued a muggle education, I can forget the prospects of a decent job in our world', he thought towards Virgil, gesturing minute air quotes with his pointer fingers.[1]  He shrugged.  I already made the decision of Cambridge or Ministry - there's nothing more to think about.

1.	A Peculiar Family Gathering