The Mysterious Benedict Society Meets the Mysterious Miss F

Chapter 2

No one had to ask what Constance had said: she'd asked Number Two telepathically. 

As they raced to find Mr. Benedict, the Mysterious Benedict Society couldn't wait to hear what the Black Swan was! Theories swarmed Reynie's brain, curiosity quickened Kate's speed as Constance was riding piggy back on her, all the while as Sticky told them facts about black swans. "Black swans are very rare and are mostly located in Australia! Their scientific name is "Cygnus atratus" and-" Sticky rambled on and on while they waited anxiously for Mr. Benedict to open his office door. 

When the door creaked open, Mr. Benedict gave them a small smile and gestured for them to come inside. "We have a lot of things to talk about," Mr. Benedict told them, "and I'd rather tell you four privately first before the others." Mr. Benedict gave Number Two an apologetic smile, silently promising to tell her later, and she left, her expression neither hurt nor relieved.

Once they were all seated comfortably, Mr. Benedict pulled out an small, square object from his desk. "Do any of you know what this is? Any guesses on what it does?"

"That looks like a piece of technology," Sticky observed immediately. 

"Can I take a closer look?" Kate asked, for she was the most resourceful when it came to objects she could use. She picked it up, noticing that there were no buttons and said, with shock, "Its made out of crystal!" She examined it closer, trying to find any sort of switch or something to turn it on. "I haven't found how to turn it on. It must be activated by something else, something not necessarily attached to the device."

Mr. Benedict smiled, "that's because its voice controlled. It's a communication device. And, as Kate said, it is made of crystal. Its called an 'imparter'." 

"An imparter?" Sticky asked, not entirely believing him (even though he knew Mr. Benedict would never lie to them). Sticky was an expert on almost everything because he had read so many books in his life and found a great pleasure in knowledge. However, he had never heard of an "imparter" and had definitely never heard of a crystal communication device. The only thing he could come up with was something that belonged to an alternate universe.

"You can communicate to different people-er, elves I should say, with this imparter. That's how I've been contacting the Black Swan. That's how we've been working together."

Mr Benedict left Kate and Sticky staring with incredulous looks , ready to ask more questions when Mr. Benedict cut them off.

"Reynie, Constance, I can't help but notice how quiet you've been," Mr. Benedict looked at the two silent children, one who's gaze seemed to be off, as if partaking in another conversation, and the other who had eyes intent on Mr. Benedict and his words (that was surprisingly Constance).

Constance shrugged and punched Reynie "softly". "What?" But the two were having their own conversation in their heads.

Reynie had zoned out as soon as the imparter was shown to Kate, and a thought that didn't belong to him popped up in his mind. 

I know what that is, Constance's telepathic voice made Reynie jump, but nobody noticed as they were caught up in the new gadget. 

What? You do? Reynie asked Constance, feeling quite silly to be thinking to himself.

Yes, I do. And your'e not talking to yourself, you're talking to me, Reynie! Constance paused and then, as if she was talking to herself, I need a word to rhyme with Reynie... drainy?

Reynie sighed mentally, knowing full well that Constance put that into his mind on purpose. Well, how do you know what it is?

I just...do.

Reynie (unlike Sticky would have done) stayed calm with Constance. Constance, you need to tell Mr. Benedict and the others.

Fine, looks like he's about to interrupt us anyway.

And, of course, she was right. That was when she had (unnecessarily) punched him. What was that for? He could image his thoughts sounding prickly. When Constance shrugged, it was obvious Mr. Benedict had asked them something. 

"I assume you were having a telepathic conversation. Would you care to explain?" Mr. Benedict asked, raising an eyebrow at them. When Constance saw this, she started laughing at him, for it was something so unlike Mr. Benedict. The rest of them joined in and, even when the laughter ended, Constance felt a wave of joy pass through her. Just being able to see Mr. Benedict laugh without having to watch him face the consequences from narcolepsy was enough to persuade herself to tell them. Mr. Benedict, her adopted father, meant the world to her. 

"I've seen it before. The imparter. Maybe not that exact one though, but I can't remember... how I've seen it," Constance tried reaching into her memory, but she couldn't find what she was looking for. Even though she was a telepathic genius, she was still only four years old and her life before the orphanage and the Ten Men finding her was forgotten, at least for now it was. There was also a possibility she had purposefully blocked her earliest stages of life from her memory.

"Constance, how could have possibly seen this before?" Mr. Benedict's voice was worrisome, but Reynie, Kate, and Sticky looked at him, confused of what he was staying. 

"I don't know, I just know I have. Its familiar and something is tugging at the back of my mind but I just... ugh! I can't remember!" Constance cried, standing up and stomping her foot. "What?" Constance asked at her friends' confused expressions and Mr. Benedict's face growing paler by the seconds. 

"Constance... you were speaking another language," Reynie told her, "and so was Mr. Benedict." 

"What? Don't be like that Reynie, I'm obviously speaking the same language as you," Constance scoffed, translating back to English. 

"No, no Reynie's right. You are speaking another language and so was I," Mr. Benedict said, "we were both speaking..." 

Everyone braced for what it might be. Sticky, Kate, and Reynie had never heard another language like it (and Sticky could understand a fair number of languages). 

"The Enlightened language."