I'm a little surprised that we're close to halfway through the year already: it feels like it wasn't four months ago that it was February. Malta has only just switched to full-summer weather though, with 33-degree days and 23-degree nights, so maybe that's part of it. How's the heat up there in Osoyoos?
Protected Lord Derby leaned slightly to one side and waved at a waitress, who almost turned away before recognising him and hurrying over. "More milk, please," said Lord Derby. He smiled. "And more coffee," said Memnith. He looked at the petit-fours, but there were still two tiers untouched. "That's all, I think." The waitress bobbed a curtsey and left. "That was for you, I think," said Memnith with a smile. "You're getting famous, Ernest." "I sincerely hope not," said Lord Derby, just a little stiffly. He frowned at Memnith, who was not hiding his amusement at all. "It's already difficult to do my job: I turn up somewhere and there's a panic as everyone tries to hide every little infraction they have, and the mess they make in covering up things the King wouldn't even want to hear about just makes it harder to find out the things he does want to know about." Light danced merrily in Memnith's eyes and his grin was wide enough to dimple his cheeks. "I did read about a detective once who used disguises," he said. "Have you considered that? We could probably give you a little magical help." "Thank-you," said Lord Derby. The waitress returned at that moment, setting down a fresh pot of coffee and a jug of milk. "And thank-you," he said to her, smiling again. "She's got wobbly legs now," said Memnith watching her walk away. "The effect you have on women, Derby!" "Tell me about Labdaris," said Lord Derby, fighting to keep his own smile off his face, and failing. "Any idea why his Other Majesty decided to provide us with stone slabs rather than paper?" Memnith poured most of the milk into his coffee and then held the milk jug next to the coffee pot. "You'd think they'd offer a jug bigger than one-eighth the size of the coffee pot," he said. "But Labdaris, yes. Those slabs are... very, very interesting Derby. Absolutely fascinating. Quite possibly the most interesting thing I've read this year." "Not boring then?" "Sarcasm, Ernest? When you're asking me for information." "Get on with it, Andy." Memnith deliberately sipped his coffee. "Fine, well, according to the first slab, Labdaris has created a recording spell and all the slabs we have are a copy of the records he's made using that spell. Including the details of the recording spell itself. So it's not exactly what the King asked for -- it's not a diary of Labdaris's life -- but it is essentially his workbook from the time he created the recording spell to the time he rejected the King in Yellow. You could bet the entire Kingdom that Labdaris would be volcanically furious if he knew we had this -- I would expect that that spell and the records are among the best protected things he owns." Lord Derby refilled his coffee cup. "Not boring at all," he said. "Any highlights for me?" "Not yet," said Memnith. "But Elizabeth is reading through them and will provide a report at the meeting this afternoon."
Greg - the heat comes and goes. Currently we're expecting a week of highs around 25 to 27, which is pretty comfortable. We did have a few days over 30 but those have disappeared for now.
These two together, in a relaxed setting, are a treat. And I do hope that we get to sit in on the meeting with Elizabeth later...
2 comments:
I'm a little surprised that we're close to halfway through the year already: it feels like it wasn't four months ago that it was February. Malta has only just switched to full-summer weather though, with 33-degree days and 23-degree nights, so maybe that's part of it. How's the heat up there in Osoyoos?
Protected
Lord Derby leaned slightly to one side and waved at a waitress, who almost turned away before recognising him and hurrying over.
"More milk, please," said Lord Derby. He smiled.
"And more coffee," said Memnith. He looked at the petit-fours, but there were still two tiers untouched. "That's all, I think."
The waitress bobbed a curtsey and left.
"That was for you, I think," said Memnith with a smile. "You're getting famous, Ernest."
"I sincerely hope not," said Lord Derby, just a little stiffly. He frowned at Memnith, who was not hiding his amusement at all. "It's already difficult to do my job: I turn up somewhere and there's a panic as everyone tries to hide every little infraction they have, and the mess they make in covering up things the King wouldn't even want to hear about just makes it harder to find out the things he does want to know about."
Light danced merrily in Memnith's eyes and his grin was wide enough to dimple his cheeks. "I did read about a detective once who used disguises," he said. "Have you considered that? We could probably give you a little magical help."
"Thank-you," said Lord Derby. The waitress returned at that moment, setting down a fresh pot of coffee and a jug of milk. "And thank-you," he said to her, smiling again.
"She's got wobbly legs now," said Memnith watching her walk away. "The effect you have on women, Derby!"
"Tell me about Labdaris," said Lord Derby, fighting to keep his own smile off his face, and failing. "Any idea why his Other Majesty decided to provide us with stone slabs rather than paper?"
Memnith poured most of the milk into his coffee and then held the milk jug next to the coffee pot.
"You'd think they'd offer a jug bigger than one-eighth the size of the coffee pot," he said. "But Labdaris, yes. Those slabs are... very, very interesting Derby. Absolutely fascinating. Quite possibly the most interesting thing I've read this year."
"Not boring then?"
"Sarcasm, Ernest? When you're asking me for information."
"Get on with it, Andy."
Memnith deliberately sipped his coffee. "Fine, well, according to the first slab, Labdaris has created a recording spell and all the slabs we have are a copy of the records he's made using that spell. Including the details of the recording spell itself. So it's not exactly what the King asked for -- it's not a diary of Labdaris's life -- but it is essentially his workbook from the time he created the recording spell to the time he rejected the King in Yellow. You could bet the entire Kingdom that Labdaris would be volcanically furious if he knew we had this -- I would expect that that spell and the records are among the best protected things he owns."
Lord Derby refilled his coffee cup. "Not boring at all," he said. "Any highlights for me?"
"Not yet," said Memnith. "But Elizabeth is reading through them and will provide a report at the meeting this afternoon."
Greg - the heat comes and goes. Currently we're expecting a week of highs around 25 to 27, which is pretty comfortable. We did have a few days over 30 but those have disappeared for now.
These two together, in a relaxed setting, are a treat. And I do hope that we get to sit in on the meeting with Elizabeth later...
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