Runaway? Hopefully not a child but an animal then, unless your peppers have taken to growing legs and trying to escape the garden? ;-)
The Runaway Lord Derby had now lit all the candles and set them in a well-spaced line. If the wall wasn't properly illuminated the shadows danced and it looked like the patterns on the wall were changing shape and position, which created a remarkably hard problem for a code-breaker. Even now, with the lime-coloured light (Lord Derby permitted himself a small smile at the idea that he was standing in the limelight) creating a fairly even brightness he couldn't escape the feeling that some of these shapes were more than two-dimensional, for all they were inscribed in a wall. The first shape was a cross divided into six pieces and it had taken him less two minutes to realise that it was an unfolding of a cube. Mentally folding it back up again let him trace, in his mind, the pattern of colours across the cube until he reached a blank spot -- the first colour he needed for the door was yellow. Tapping the paneled door he was gratified to find that of the four panels the first cycled through six colours, of which yellow was one. He started to consider the second shape, this time a sprawling dragon-like figure of triangles, and then he frowned. He picked up the candle in front of the first shape and swapped it with the one in front of the door. The panel on the door now appeared to be dusky rose, and he needed to tap it twice more before it turned yellow again. There was a thumping noise outside like fireworks being set off at a distance and he hurried to the window. The demon had landed at last, sending up an ashy plume around itself, and it had started running in circles frantically. Ernest was about to return to the puzzle when the demon stopped circling and headed straight towards him. He stepped back, certain that the window was too small for it to come in through, and checking that the door, untouched, was still barred. The demon hurtled onwards, brassy hooves pounding the limestone path and throwing up shards of rock, and then, just as Ernest thought it would throw its full weight against the door, it leapt. It crashed onto the stone roof of the low building and dust rained down so heavily it was like several waterfalls had opened up inside. "Just what is it scared of?" said Ernest softly, looking up and shielding his eyes from the flow of dust. "It's running from something, but what?" He scanned the scene from the window again, looking for anything odd, and then returned to the second puzzle. He'd just folded it mentally up into an icosahedron when there was whistling sound from outside, and a clatter of hooves on the roof that suggested the demon was upset again. Sighing as his mental image disappeared, he went back to the window and saw three winged creatures gliding through the air towards his building. On the roof the runaway demon practically danced in agitation. Staring out, Lord Derby squinted, and then squinted harder: were there human shapes riding these creatures?
Greg - well, Miles doesn't *exactly* run away on us. He just kinda... wanders off, in a way that Max never did. He'll follow ducks down the beach for nearly a hundred feet without once looking back to see if anyone is following him. And he'll happily go off and play with other children his size.
But, mostly, he will take off through the orchard on his own to go find Kat's parents. Or his cousin. Or his brother.
This is all delightfully strange. I am intrigued. And sleepy. More will have to wait until tomorrow.
Morganna - heh, I can quite easily picture this scene in my head :)
3 comments:
Runaway? Hopefully not a child but an animal then, unless your peppers have taken to growing legs and trying to escape the garden? ;-)
The Runaway
Lord Derby had now lit all the candles and set them in a well-spaced line. If the wall wasn't properly illuminated the shadows danced and it looked like the patterns on the wall were changing shape and position, which created a remarkably hard problem for a code-breaker. Even now, with the lime-coloured light (Lord Derby permitted himself a small smile at the idea that he was standing in the limelight) creating a fairly even brightness he couldn't escape the feeling that some of these shapes were more than two-dimensional, for all they were inscribed in a wall.
The first shape was a cross divided into six pieces and it had taken him less two minutes to realise that it was an unfolding of a cube. Mentally folding it back up again let him trace, in his mind, the pattern of colours across the cube until he reached a blank spot -- the first colour he needed for the door was yellow. Tapping the paneled door he was gratified to find that of the four panels the first cycled through six colours, of which yellow was one.
He started to consider the second shape, this time a sprawling dragon-like figure of triangles, and then he frowned.
He picked up the candle in front of the first shape and swapped it with the one in front of the door. The panel on the door now appeared to be dusky rose, and he needed to tap it twice more before it turned yellow again.
There was a thumping noise outside like fireworks being set off at a distance and he hurried to the window. The demon had landed at last, sending up an ashy plume around itself, and it had started running in circles frantically. Ernest was about to return to the puzzle when the demon stopped circling and headed straight towards him. He stepped back, certain that the window was too small for it to come in through, and checking that the door, untouched, was still barred. The demon hurtled onwards, brassy hooves pounding the limestone path and throwing up shards of rock, and then, just as Ernest thought it would throw its full weight against the door, it leapt. It crashed onto the stone roof of the low building and dust rained down so heavily it was like several waterfalls had opened up inside.
"Just what is it scared of?" said Ernest softly, looking up and shielding his eyes from the flow of dust. "It's running from something, but what?"
He scanned the scene from the window again, looking for anything odd, and then returned to the second puzzle.
He'd just folded it mentally up into an icosahedron when there was whistling sound from outside, and a clatter of hooves on the roof that suggested the demon was upset again. Sighing as his mental image disappeared, he went back to the window and saw three winged creatures gliding through the air towards his building. On the roof the runaway demon practically danced in agitation. Staring out, Lord Derby squinted, and then squinted harder: were there human shapes riding these creatures?
Lurking underneath the bed
Avoiding carrot temptation
Blinking in the light
It's a rabbit runaway!
Greg - well, Miles doesn't *exactly* run away on us. He just kinda... wanders off, in a way that Max never did. He'll follow ducks down the beach for nearly a hundred feet without once looking back to see if anyone is following him. And he'll happily go off and play with other children his size.
But, mostly, he will take off through the orchard on his own to go find Kat's parents. Or his cousin. Or his brother.
This is all delightfully strange. I am intrigued. And sleepy. More will have to wait until tomorrow.
Morganna - heh, I can quite easily picture this scene in my head :)
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