Higher Institute of Villainous Education by Mark Walden Read Free Book Online Page A

as the other people at the table, if not more so. Otto wondered idly who the animal belonged to, since neither the Contessa nor Dr Nero had struck him as the type of person who would keep such a pet. The queue continued to shuffle forwards through a doorway labelled ‘Serving Area’. Inside, standing behind a brightly lit stainless-steel counter, were several men in white chefs’ outfits and aprons who were serving the students. There seemed to be an impressive array of foods to choose from. With H.I.V.E.’s students being taken from so many different countries Otto guessed that the kitchen must have to satisfy a multitude of different international tastes and dietary requirements. There were dozens of heated dishes on the counter, all of which seemed to have different foods sitting steaming within them, some of which Otto was struggling to immediately recognise. As in the dining hall, the smell from all of these foods was delicious, but slightly overpowering, with the scents of hundreds of different herbs, spices and seasonings all competing for the nose’s full attention. As the queue continued to move the first of the new group of students to be served was Franz, who, having put on an impressive burst of speed as they approached the dining hall, had managed somehow to be the first of them to join the queue.
    The queue advanced steadily and Otto and Wing quickly chose from the assortment of foods on display, grabbed cutlery and moved away from the counter and through the exit to the dining hall. Looking around the cavern they noticed that Franz and the American girl were already seated at a table, and Otto and Wing headed over to join them. Franz was eating quickly and noisily, almost seeming to suck the food from the fork as it went into his mouth. The American girl, by contrast, was prodding at the food on her plate with an unhappy look on her face.
    ‘Mind if we join you?’ Otto asked. The American girl looked up from her plate.
    ‘Help yourself,’ she replied glumly, returning to her food-prodding with a sigh.
    As Otto and Wing sat down a small, timid voice behind Otto asked, ‘Can I sit here?’ The bald boy with the thick glasses stood there, indicating the seat next to Otto’s.
    ‘Please do,’ Otto replied. The boy smiled and sat down. ‘My name’s Otto and this is Wing.’ Otto gestured to Wing, who was not eating, just sitting staring with deep suspicion at the bowl in front of him. ‘And you are . . .?’
    ‘Nigel . . . Nigel Darkdoom,’ the bald boy replied in a small voice. Otto fought very hard to stop himself from laughing at this rather incongruous name for this unassuming boy. Wing, however, stopped contemplating his food and looked carefully at Nigel the moment he heard his name.
    ‘Would you be related to the late Diabolus Darkdoom, by any chance?’ Wing asked.
    ‘Yes, he was my dad,’ Nigel replied, looking embarrassed and slightly sad.
    Otto had never heard of Diabolus Darkdoom, but judging by Wing’s reaction he clearly should have done.
    ‘My own father was a great admirer of his work,’ Wing continued. ‘He told me many tales of Darkdoom’s adventures; it is a great honour to meet his son.’ Nigel began to look even more uncomfortable, his face turning bright red. ‘It was a sad day when he fell in action. I am truly sorry for your loss,’ Wing said sincerely.
    ‘Thank you,’ Nigel gave a weak smile, ‘though I’ll never be the man my dad was. He always used to say that I should just have more confidence in myself, but I don’t think I’ll ever really be a Darkdoom at heart.’
    Wing nodded. ‘I too know what it is like to live in your father’s shadow.’
    ‘Who’s living in whose shadow?’ Laura asked as she sat down in the last free seat at the table.
    ‘I think we’re all living in his,’ Otto commented, nodding in the direction of Dr Nero.
    ‘Aye, I think you’re right there.’ Laura sat down and gestured at her generous lunch. ‘Well, at least