The Veritas Conflict by Shaunti Feldhahn

placing in him. For one fleeting moment he had been terrified at the responsibility he had so cavalierly accepted. Ian smiled at the memory. It had turned out fine on the whole.
    “I’m glad you’re back,” Mansfield said, leaning back in his chair. “We’re going to be really busy. A lot has changed over the summer. First, let me brief you on the class size issue.” Mansfield pressed his fingertips together. “I have met with the registrar several times about expanding the size of the Introduction to European History class, amongothers. They have my formal proposal and are considering it right now. I expect to hear something within the week. If, as I hope, the class is allowed to expand, that change would take effect next fall.”
    “It just seems such a shame to turn down so many students for your classes, especially when Professor Barkson’s classes are in a bigger room than yours and are always half full.”
    Mansfield smiled. “Remember, Doug Barkson was the head of the department for a long time.”
    “It just seems odd that they don’t switch your room assignments, that’s all.”
    “Now that is a political hot potato I don’t intend to touch! I’ve asked for the class to be expanded and moved to a completely different venue, like Sanders Theater.”
    Ian’s eyebrows rose at the mention of the famous old classroom, which seated over a thousand students. “That would be cool.”
    The professor fell silent, staring away with a pensive expression. “On to the next subject. There have been a few developments that will dramatically affect our little task force project. It appears that the Master Planner has been arranging things for us behind the scenes.” He swung around to face his protégé. “In the last two weeks I’ve been asked to both be an official curator of the Harvard Library resources—” he smiled at Ian’s congratulations—“ and to be a permanent member of the faculty’s academic steering committee.”
    Ian let out a whoop and jumped to his feet. “What amazing timing! I don’t believe it!” His grin faded as he saw the professor’s pensive expression. “Mansfield! Isn’t that the committee that decides all the standards for undergrad curriculum and content, among other things?” At the professor’s slow nod Ian sat down again and looked intently across the desk. “That would seem to be excellent news. It places you firmly at the table right before the task force report is released. You can actually steer the debate and ensure that they don’t just listen politely and sweep the whole thing under the table like before. Why the concern?”
    “It’s more a concern about who’s controlling the table. They’ve just promoted Professor Anton Pike to chairman.” Mansfield glanced across the desk at Ian. Total understanding had flooded his face. “So, my young friend …  you have a lot of work to do.”
    Claire sat on the couch in the sitting room of her dorm suite sorting out all the stuff she had collected from the expo. Floral curtains, which her mother had insisted on hanging before she left, fluttered at the window. Matching ones hung in the bedroom she and her roommate shared, but not in the second bedroom that completed the small three-person suite.
    The late afternoon breeze stirred the pile of flyers beside her, but she made no move to shut the window. Might as well enjoy the few warm days left before the fabled Boston cold arrived.
    The door to her suite was slightly ajar, giving her a partial view of the hallway. Someone stopped at her door and rapped lightly.
    “Come in!”
    A curly brown head—a very handsome curly brown head—popped around the door. “Hi! Is Sherry here?”
    “No. I really haven’t seen her today.” Claire tried not to stare. “She might be stuck at the Coop getting textbooks.”
    He pushed the door open a bit more, and Claire found herself looking down, blushing slightly at his smile.
    “What’s your