CHAPTER ELEVEN
Xeno walked briskly to the main hall to keep up with Dr. Carmazan's surprisingly rapid pace.
Luckily, her office was pleasantly close, so it was barely a forty-five second walk until the pair of them entered.
The museum's great hall seemed foreboding, its high, vaulted ceilings and walls felt like they were somehow too far apart and claustrophobically close together.
There was a crowd gathered already, around ten people with a few more stragglers coming in.
It seemed that everyone had been subconsciously waiting with trepidation.
As he got closer, the hum of chatter became more audible.
In the centre, Ms. Pepper was standing next to a security guard.
Xeno saw something in his hand but couldn't get close enough to work out what it was.
Some kind of pointer, perhaps? From the opposite side of the crowd, he saw Haiden.
His golden hair caught the dim museum lights as he talked anxiously to one of his co-workers, his arms held close to his chest.
"Hey, Xeno."
He jumped slightly as he turned around, coming face to face with Jess. "Oh, hey." For some reason, he hadn't expected to see her here, despite everyone being called. "Why do you think they've called us all here?"
She looked at him as if he were stupid. "I reckon the dinosaur creature thing was tampered with. It's not like they'd call both departments here just to tell us it wasn't."
"There's no chance it was." he argued. "No one'd be that stupid, Maybe they're suggesting a new team-building exercise?"
She rolled her eyes. "What were you looking at, anyway?" She peered over to the other side of the hall. "Oh, there's Haiden. Has he recovered from when you slammed into him?"
"He crashed into me!" he exclaimed, embarrassed. Rumours had a way of getting out of hand at the museum, and even though she was most likely joking, he didn't want someone to overhear.
"I saw you talking to him at the party." Jess smirked.
"Oh, stop it." He rolled his eyes, grinning.
"You have to admit, dating a little would do you some good."
"I can't see how. And besides, like I said, I'm too busy with work, anyway."
Ms. Pepper interrupted them, clearing her throat.
Everyone looked up, and there was an awkward pause as she gathered everyone's attention.
"Hello, everyone." She began. "Thank you for taking time out of your schedules to come here on such short notice.
I've called you here today because, unfortunately, some foul play has been. . unearthed by the site team."
Gasps emanated from the crowd as they shot accusatory glances at the other department.
Xeno heard an astronomer whisper something about "mind games" the palaeontology department were playing.
Did they seriously believe that? Just as the crowd seemed like they would get out of hand, they were silenced by the security guard.
As he stood up, everyone quieted down, their minds desperate for some answers.
"I won't disclose exactly how the pterodactyl was rigged to drop, so as to avoid.
. framing attempts." He said, and Xeno swore he saw Ms. Pepper's eyes dart to Dr. Aruda.
Everyone was hanging on his every word. "But it was definitely deliberate.
The security cameras were looped, and the police won't get involved because the thing was practically worthless, and a papier maché dinosaur doesn't exactly weigh enough to crush anybody. "
"But if anyone has any information, I'd like to know. If it helps, it seems like it was done the day of the work party." Ms. Pepper added. "The culprit must be reprimanded."
There was a candid, suffocating silence that hung in the air after he was finished. No-one could trust anyone, and the atmosphere of suspense was so thick one could cut it.
Ms. Pepper spoke up again. "I do not need to remind you that we will cut a department in a month and a half.
Should no-one come forward, well.. Let's just say it wouldn't look good for either of your departments.
Everyone else will get this speech, and I'm not accusing any of you, but I thought it was the most fitting to have yours together first, given your joint. . history."
"Well, how can you expect anybody to give any evidence?" Mr. Crossley spoke up. Xeno jumped as he realised that he hadn't noticed the man, despite the fact that they were barely three feet apart. "If they know that they'll get their department cut?"
"I.. I'm not sure." Ms. Pepper looked away, ashamed. Then, trying to maintain an air of composure, commanded everyone back to "business as usual."
The room descended into quiet, malicious chatter, it seemed that no one was in a hurry to return to their stations.
The individual departments of the museum only had about four or five workers in each, and so they took up very little space in the hall.
It felt like a twisted social deduction game.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Jess started talking rapidly.
"Can you believe that? Someone from the Palaeontology department's trying to sabotage us! "
"You don't seriously believe that, do you, Jess?" Xeno asked.
She stopped walking and turned towards him. "I mean, it can't have been any of us. I can't believe it- I won't believe it." Jess said adamantly. She chewed on the inside of her cheek. "This is terrible. How are we going to avoid getting cut now?"
"I mean, you're leaving soon, anyway." Though he had considered it an innocent observation, the words left Xeno's mouth unconsciously, accidentally laced with venom.
Jess was taken aback. "What's your problem then?" She asked, sounding equal parts hurt and irritated.
"I'm just saying that it's a little hard to think that you care about the department when you're leaving us soon, that's all." As the words came out of his mouth, they left a bitter taste. He knew what he was saying was making it worse, but he couldn't help trying to fix the situation.
Her mouth fell open, eyes wide with offense. "I can't believe you right now. It's not like I'm abandoning you, not like your... " She trailed off, clearly trying to backspace her words.
Xeno froze. "Not like my what, Jess?" he asked, eyes narrowed. He'd framed it like a question, but he knew exactly what she meant. And he knew she knew he knew exactly what she meant.
"Xeno, I didn't mean it like that, I-"
He turned on his heel, a pit forming in his stomach.
He walked briskly back to his office, avoiding anyone he thought would try to make conversation with him.
Luckily for him, the whole department was subdued by the announcements of the last few minutes, and no one challenged him as he disappeared into his office, even as a tear traced a crescent-moon down his cheek.