I'm glad you liked the worst-case scenario haiku :) Although you were right, the second one was a little on the mean side.... I made green thai curry at the weekend for some friends, and they were polite enough to say that it was good, so I guess I ought to be nicer myself ;-)
You did say you liked the Lord Derby stuff so we'll stay with him. I am thinking about maybe taking you up on the offer to stay with him more regularly.
Taken for a ride There was a firm rap on the door and the silence that followed had a distinct sense of impatience about it. Ernest set his cup on Memnith's desk and looked over at him; Memnith was smiling one of his inscrutable smirks. "Come in," he called. The door swung open and stopped at a perfect right angle to the frame, and a woman walked through it. She was a little shorter than Lord Derby and right at the point where it becomes hard to know if she was young or middle-aged. She was wearing an embroidered tabard that had tails front and rear that fell to the middle of a brown skirt and was belted about her waist. Her boots were calf-high leather and bore the tell-tale scrapes and scars of someone who worked with large, betaloned animals. "Lord Vileburn," she said, inclining her head. "And you must be Ernest. Some idiot calling himself Samual mistook me for a maid and instructed me to tell you that your car is waiting." "This is Elizabeth," said Memnith. "She's a researcher here, working on the interface between demonology and biology." "That doesn't make me a demonologist," said Elizabeth. She put her hands on her hips and her gaze ran from Lord Derby's head to his feet. "I've so far discovered three distinct ways to treat injuries arising from demon attacks, and I know more about how demons take animal form than anyone in this entire college. Including yourself, Lord Vileburn." There was another tilt of her head, a grudging admission that there was rank amongst the sorcerers that wasn't dependent on aptitude. "I wasn't expecting a car," said Ernest. He stood up. "Thank-you, Mistress Elizabeth, for conveying the message though. I believe Samual meant no offence." "The King manages to know more about what we're all up to than even a good spy network can explain," said Memnith. "I sometimes expect him to start conversations off with me by criticizing what I had for breakfast." "The King?" Elizabeth's face quickly showed that she hadn't intended to interrupt. "Samual is a King's Messenger," said Ernest. "He reports into the Lords Martial usually. If it were urgent he would have shown you his Token of Authority. Nonetheless, it does not do to keep the King waiting, so I should adjourn. Thank-you for a fascinating conversation, Memnith. And, Mistress Elizabeth, I do hope I can make your acquaintance again sometime." "Who are you?" Elizabeth was staring at him. Memnith quietly walked to the door. "Lord Derby, at your service," said Ernest. He held his hand out: a King's Investigator only ever greeted people by shaking hands. "Lord D-!" Memnith caught Elizabeth as the blood drained from her face and she fainted. "The effect you have on women," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching. "I would have loved to see you become Master of the King's Harem, you know." "The King has no harem," said Ernest. "It would have been a deeply boring job. Anyway, I believe I'm about to be taken for a ride, so if you'll excuse me...?" "Good luck, Derby," said Memnith, carrying Elizabeth away from the doorway.
I've been gone a while, but the prompt I return to is particularly apt for what I've been doing. ============ Up hills, down the mountains Straight over the plains Across the country and back again.
Greg - I'm quite sure it was good, so they were only being truthful. And the truth doesn't have to be nice... :)
Well, I enjoy pretty much all of your characters, so you do want you like. I shall enjoy Derby's tale for as long as you stick with it :)
I quite liked the introduction of Elizabeth here, and I do hope she makes more appearances as things progress. I feel as though Derby could learn a thing or two from her.
Morganna - welcome back! I hope your travels were enjoyable :)
3 comments:
I'm glad you liked the worst-case scenario haiku :) Although you were right, the second one was a little on the mean side.... I made green thai curry at the weekend for some friends, and they were polite enough to say that it was good, so I guess I ought to be nicer myself ;-)
You did say you liked the Lord Derby stuff so we'll stay with him. I am thinking about maybe taking you up on the offer to stay with him more regularly.
Taken for a ride
There was a firm rap on the door and the silence that followed had a distinct sense of impatience about it. Ernest set his cup on Memnith's desk and looked over at him; Memnith was smiling one of his inscrutable smirks.
"Come in," he called. The door swung open and stopped at a perfect right angle to the frame, and a woman walked through it. She was a little shorter than Lord Derby and right at the point where it becomes hard to know if she was young or middle-aged. She was wearing an embroidered tabard that had tails front and rear that fell to the middle of a brown skirt and was belted about her waist. Her boots were calf-high leather and bore the tell-tale scrapes and scars of someone who worked with large, betaloned animals.
"Lord Vileburn," she said, inclining her head. "And you must be Ernest. Some idiot calling himself Samual mistook me for a maid and instructed me to tell you that your car is waiting."
"This is Elizabeth," said Memnith. "She's a researcher here, working on the interface between demonology and biology."
"That doesn't make me a demonologist," said Elizabeth. She put her hands on her hips and her gaze ran from Lord Derby's head to his feet. "I've so far discovered three distinct ways to treat injuries arising from demon attacks, and I know more about how demons take animal form than anyone in this entire college. Including yourself, Lord Vileburn." There was another tilt of her head, a grudging admission that there was rank amongst the sorcerers that wasn't dependent on aptitude.
"I wasn't expecting a car," said Ernest. He stood up. "Thank-you, Mistress Elizabeth, for conveying the message though. I believe Samual meant no offence."
"The King manages to know more about what we're all up to than even a good spy network can explain," said Memnith. "I sometimes expect him to start conversations off with me by criticizing what I had for breakfast."
"The King?" Elizabeth's face quickly showed that she hadn't intended to interrupt.
"Samual is a King's Messenger," said Ernest. "He reports into the Lords Martial usually. If it were urgent he would have shown you his Token of Authority. Nonetheless, it does not do to keep the King waiting, so I should adjourn. Thank-you for a fascinating conversation, Memnith. And, Mistress Elizabeth, I do hope I can make your acquaintance again sometime."
"Who are you?" Elizabeth was staring at him. Memnith quietly walked to the door.
"Lord Derby, at your service," said Ernest. He held his hand out: a King's Investigator only ever greeted people by shaking hands.
"Lord D-!"
Memnith caught Elizabeth as the blood drained from her face and she fainted.
"The effect you have on women," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching. "I would have loved to see you become Master of the King's Harem, you know."
"The King has no harem," said Ernest. "It would have been a deeply boring job. Anyway, I believe I'm about to be taken for a ride, so if you'll excuse me...?"
"Good luck, Derby," said Memnith, carrying Elizabeth away from the doorway.
I've been gone a while, but the prompt I return to is particularly apt for what I've been doing.
============
Up hills, down the mountains
Straight over the plains
Across the country and back again.
Greg - I'm quite sure it was good, so they were only being truthful. And the truth doesn't have to be nice... :)
Well, I enjoy pretty much all of your characters, so you do want you like. I shall enjoy Derby's tale for as long as you stick with it :)
I quite liked the introduction of Elizabeth here, and I do hope she makes more appearances as things progress. I feel as though Derby could learn a thing or two from her.
Morganna - welcome back! I hope your travels were enjoyable :)
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