I'm stealing some time out of lunch to fit this in, so I'll just get straight to it :)
The jump "Where do we keep the Narwhal's horn?" asked the King. Gray facepalmed, though quietly and with one eye peeking through his fingers to make sure that the King wasn't looking angry with his theatrics. "Chapel Royal," said Lord Derby without hesitation. "Left hand side: there's a glass-fronted cabinet that contains psalters and prayer books. It's usually locked as a couple of them are either old or were used by previous monarchs and might be valuable to hostile mages. Underneath it is a small cupboard that is always locked, and inside that is a magically reinforced cupboard that is also locked. The Narwhal's horn is in there along with the Phylactery of St. Agnes and a feather duster." The King thought for a moment and then pulled keys from his pockets. He sorted through them, the keys jangling and clattering, and selected two. He held them out to Samual. "The smaller opens the outer cupboard," he said. "The larger opens the inner cupboard, provided you also say the password when you do so. The password you will use is hayfever. Be quick; I feel like his Other Majesty is getting impatient." "Giving out passwords is not good practice, milord," said Gray as Samual left the room, breaking into a trot before the door closed behind him. "I appreciate that you trus-" "It's temporary," said the King. "And, if I understood Memnith properly, it's also keyed to Samual because he was holding the key when I said the password." "It's still poor practice, milord," said Gray. He met the King's gaze and refused to drop it. "Why is there a feather duster in there, Derby?" asked the King, waiting a moment and then breaking gaze with Gray. "I was curious as to whether anyone else ever checked on the artefacts, milord," said Lord Derby. "A maid had left it behind. I keep checking the accession records to see if anyone thinks there's a mystical feather duster in the collection, but so far no-one's noticed it. I believe." The King laughed, and Gray looked mildly appalled. "Magical artefacts are not toys!" he said. "That's unreasonable of you, Lord Derby." "Call him Ernest," said the King. "And tell the Lords Magical -- all of them, mind you -- that I would like to know that the catalogues and accession records are all up to date." "Milord," said Gray quietly. Samual returned, handing the King both keys and something the length and shape of a large carrot wrapped in scarlet wool. The King unwrapped it carefully and showed it to Lord Derby, who nodded. The King then showed it to Gray, who carefully picked up the Power and connected to the spells embracing the horn. For a moment the horn glittered all the colours of the rainbow, then Gray sighed softly and nodded. "It's unprotected," he said. "I still think this is unwise." "Derby thought going to Carcosa was unwise," said the King. "I have to accept that my advisors don't always agree with my actions." He handed the horn to the King in Yellow.
There was a crash like a gigantic sledgehammer driving in a fence-post and everyone jumped. The King in Yellow, and the Narwhal's horn, were gone, and in their place was a stack of slabs of a vitreous yellow crystal. Gray leaned closer. "Writing," he said. "I think this is the record you asked for." "How unexpected," said the King.
2 comments:
I'm stealing some time out of lunch to fit this in, so I'll just get straight to it :)
The jump
"Where do we keep the Narwhal's horn?" asked the King. Gray facepalmed, though quietly and with one eye peeking through his fingers to make sure that the King wasn't looking angry with his theatrics.
"Chapel Royal," said Lord Derby without hesitation. "Left hand side: there's a glass-fronted cabinet that contains psalters and prayer books. It's usually locked as a couple of them are either old or were used by previous monarchs and might be valuable to hostile mages. Underneath it is a small cupboard that is always locked, and inside that is a magically reinforced cupboard that is also locked. The Narwhal's horn is in there along with the Phylactery of St. Agnes and a feather duster."
The King thought for a moment and then pulled keys from his pockets. He sorted through them, the keys jangling and clattering, and selected two. He held them out to Samual.
"The smaller opens the outer cupboard," he said. "The larger opens the inner cupboard, provided you also say the password when you do so. The password you will use is hayfever. Be quick; I feel like his Other Majesty is getting impatient."
"Giving out passwords is not good practice, milord," said Gray as Samual left the room, breaking into a trot before the door closed behind him. "I appreciate that you trus-"
"It's temporary," said the King. "And, if I understood Memnith properly, it's also keyed to Samual because he was holding the key when I said the password."
"It's still poor practice, milord," said Gray. He met the King's gaze and refused to drop it.
"Why is there a feather duster in there, Derby?" asked the King, waiting a moment and then breaking gaze with Gray.
"I was curious as to whether anyone else ever checked on the artefacts, milord," said Lord Derby. "A maid had left it behind. I keep checking the accession records to see if anyone thinks there's a mystical feather duster in the collection, but so far no-one's noticed it. I believe."
The King laughed, and Gray looked mildly appalled.
"Magical artefacts are not toys!" he said. "That's unreasonable of you, Lord Derby."
"Call him Ernest," said the King. "And tell the Lords Magical -- all of them, mind you -- that I would like to know that the catalogues and accession records are all up to date."
"Milord," said Gray quietly.
Samual returned, handing the King both keys and something the length and shape of a large carrot wrapped in scarlet wool. The King unwrapped it carefully and showed it to Lord Derby, who nodded. The King then showed it to Gray, who carefully picked up the Power and connected to the spells embracing the horn. For a moment the horn glittered all the colours of the rainbow, then Gray sighed softly and nodded. "It's unprotected," he said. "I still think this is unwise."
"Derby thought going to Carcosa was unwise," said the King. "I have to accept that my advisors don't always agree with my actions." He handed the horn to the King in Yellow.
There was a crash like a gigantic sledgehammer driving in a fence-post and everyone jumped. The King in Yellow, and the Narwhal's horn, were gone, and in their place was a stack of slabs of a vitreous yellow crystal. Gray leaned closer.
"Writing," he said. "I think this is the record you asked for."
"How unexpected," said the King.
Greg - probably because I posted the prompt late. Apologies.
Pretty sure i would have jumped right out of my skin when the King in Yellow disappeared like that.
Regardless, supremely enjoyable writing, as usual.
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