March 9 and 12 occur during the week of Sunday, March 8. At midnight on March 8, 2015, the clocks are officially changed from Standard to Daylight Savings time. As a well-connected academic with several computer powered devices in her home, of course Dr. Wyms would have most of her instruments displaying the updated time automatically (even though at her advanced age, she may not be as consciously aware of that as she once was).

 

But the doorman, checking his manual watch, had obviously forgotten to turn the hands forward one hour, so that to him (and apparently, also to Bianca, still under the effects of her “all-nighter”) it was still 8:55 when Bianca turned in the paper. When Feed talked to Professor Wyms, their laughter together was over remembering how many times in their lives they’d been taken in by these time changes.

 

In light of her coming retirement, the “Iron Professor” decided to relax her standards as a last gift to a remarkably resilient and courageous graduate the University could be proud of. And all it took was the acuity of Puzzle Cat and Kiki pushing the clock forward, adhering to the long-established rule: “Spring ahead, fall behind!”

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