Chapter Nineteen
On Monday, the mess hall was filled with total silence. Every cadet was doing one of the two things he loved to do—playing chess.
There was an occasional cough or a groan when someone lost a game, but otherwise the only sounds were someone shifting in his seat or the confident tap of a checking move.
Miss Pompeii paced the floor between tables, watching every game. Sometimes she’d pause to study a chessboard, smile, and move on.
I glanced up when the door opened. Elvira Gulch, bored with the whole process, left the room. I smiled.
Probably going to the barn to see what Mr. Frazer is up to.
I looked at my opponent—Haskell Layzard. His eyes flicked from one piece to another.
Panic. He knows the queen-king fork is coming, and he cannot find a way out. Probably he will
