The Rithmatist

run out of power after a time, or something like that.”
    “Joel,” Fitch said, “do you realize what you just did? You solved the problem your father spent his life trying to uncover.”
    “It was easy,” Joel said, suddenly feeling very tired. “Someone gave me the answer—they tried to kill me with it.”



CHAPTER

    Harding arrested Exton early the next morning.
    Joel heard about it from Fitch as they crossed the green on their way toward the cathedral for Joel’s inception. Joel’s mother held to his arm, as if afraid some beast were going to appear out of nowhere and snatch him away.
    “He arrested Exton?” Joel demanded. “It doesn’t make sense.”
    “Well, hum,” Fitch said. “Murder rarely makes sense. I can see why you might be shocked. Exton was a friend of mine too. And yet, he never did like Rithmatists. Ever since he was expelled.”
    “But he came back to work here!”
    “Those who have intense hatred often are fascinated by the thing they detest,” Fitch said. “You saw that drawing at Charles’s house—the man with the bowler and the cane. It looks an awful lot like Exton.”
    “It looks like a lot of people,” Joel said. “Half the men in the city wear bowlers and carry canes! It was a small chalk sketch. They can’t use that as proof.”
    “Exton knew where all of the Rithmatist children lived,” Fitch said. “He had access to their records.”
    Joel fell silent. They were fairly good arguments. But Exton ? Grumbling yet good-natured Exton?
    “Don’t worry about it, Son,” his mother said. “If he’s innocent, I’m sure the courts will determine that. You need to be ready. If you’re going to be incepted, you should be focused on the Master.”
    “No,” Joel said. “I want to talk to Harding. My inception…” It couldn’t wait. Not again. But this was important. “Where is he?”
    They found Harding directing a squad of police officers who were searching through the campus office. Principal York stood a distance off, seeming very dissatisfied, a weeping Florence beside him. She waved to Joel. “Joel!” she called. “Tell them what madness this is! Exton would never hurt anyone! He was such a dear. ”
    The police officer at her side quieted her—he was apparently questioning both her and the principal. Inspector Harding stood at the office doorway, leafing through some notes. He looked up as Joel approached. “Ah,” he said. “The young hero. Shouldn’t you be somewhere, lad? Actually, as I consider it, you should have an escort. I’ll send a few soldiers with you to the chapel.”
    “Is all of that really necessary?” Fitch asked. “I mean, since you have someone in custody…”
    “I’m afraid it is necessary,” Harding said. “Every good investigator knows that you don’t stop searching just because you make an arrest. We won’t be done until we know who Exton was working with, and where he hid the bodies … er, where he is keeping the children.”
    Joel’s mother paled at that last comment.
    “Inspector,” Joel said, “can I talk to you alone for a moment?”
    Harding nodded, walking with Joel a short distance.
    “Are you sure you have the right man, Inspector?” Joel asked.
    “I don’t arrest a man unless I’m sure, son.”
    “Exton saved me last night.”
    “No, lad,” Fitch said. “He saved himself. Do you know why he got expelled from the Rithmatic program thirty years ago?”
    Joel shook his head.
    “Because he couldn’t control his chalklings,” Harding said. “He was too much of a danger to send to Nebrask. You saw how wiggly those chalklings were. They didn’t have form or shape because they were drawn so poorly. Exton set them against you, but he couldn’t really control them, and so when you led them back against him, he had no choice but to lock them out.”
    “I don’t believe it,” Joel said. “Harding, this is wrong. I know he didn’t like Rithmatists, but that’s not enough of a reason to arrest a man! Half of the people in the Isles seem to hate them these days.”
    “Did Exton come to your aid immediately?” Harding asked. “Last night?”
    “No,” Joel said, remembering his fall and Exton screaming. “He was just scared, and he did help eventually. Inspector, I know Exton. He wouldn’t do something like this.”
    “The minds of killers are strange things, Joel,” Harding said. “Often, people are shocked or surprised that people they know could turn out to be such monsters. This