The Black Castle

A small man by modern standards approached us. He looked to be around forty five years old, with a tanned, weather-beaten face. His hair was black and somewhat unruly, with a few strands of grey at the temples. Bushy eyebrows arched over strong steady grey eyes, and a straight but fairly broad nose dropped towards firm lips and a good square chin.

His powerful and resonant voice rolled across the Quad. Jim almost laughed out loud as he caught sight of the strutting academic, dwarfed by two gangling male youths, earnestly hanging onto his every word.

“So that’s Dr Malone,” I thought. “Looks like an interesting sort of dude… With a voice like that he’d make an awesome lead singer in a rock band.”

Dr Malone eyed us up as he approached. Quickly dispatching the youths, he introduced himself and guided us in the direction of his rooms.

“Please make yourselves comfortable and help yourselves to the tea and biscuits,” he gestured, as he took up position in an easy chair opposite a large couch. “It's grand to meet you. This must be himself... your gifted son, Alexander,” he said.

Normally, I would have blushed a little at a compliment like that, but my attention was elsewhere. An object standing eight inches tall glistened on the academics big wooden desk. It was a piece from a chess set, a very expensive chess set. “That’s an impressive looking chess piece you have there Dr Malone,” I said.

“We are here to talk about you,” retorted Dr Malone with a slight Irish lilt. “But as you mention it, there is an interesting story behind that black castle or rook as it is called, but I will tell you it on another occasion, when we have more time.”

The rest of the conversation went well and Dr Malone, although a little overpowering, seemed like a decent bloke. I sure hope so, as he is going to be my main tutor at the college. He said he had found a friend to put me up during the weekdays while I would be studying away from home in Oxford - It had already been made clear to me that I would have to go home to my adopted parents at the weekends and during holidays; the College would expect that.