The exercise:
Write something that takes place at: the nightclub.
Did not have the greatest day. Miles is still having a horrible time with teething (despite his first tooth finally breaking through his gum line... maybe ten more are on their way?) and Max did not have a good night's sleep last night, so he was generally cranky for the majority of it.
But now the boys are sleeping and the house is quiet, so Kat and I shall take the chance to recharge and refresh and get ready for another day full of who knows what tomorrow.
Mine:
"This place is appalling."
"Sir?"
"You heard me, Owen," Henri told his newest assistant Wendel. "Look around for yourself, why don't you? That bartender could be your mother, th-"
"I'm pretty sure that's a man."
"The waitresses must have put their makeup - and clothes, for that matter - on in the dark."
"I think you look lovely, ma'am," Wendel told the waitress who was delivering their drinks. She merely sneered at the both of them before whirling away.
"These drinks are... good God! Do they even know what a martini is?" Henri looked like he was going to toss his drink on the floor, then slid it across to his assistant instead. "Here, you can have mine as well Owen. I can't stand alcohol abuse."
"Abuse? Oh, you mean spilling it?" Wendel's face screwed up in confusion. "Was that a joke, sir?"
"And I'm afraid to even ask who they'll be dragging onto the stage for this evening's entertainment." Henri lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. "Appalling might be too kind a word, now that I've given it some thought."
"So, um... why did you choose to meet with your potential business partners here, sir?"
"I wanted to ensure that they thought as little of this place as I do. One word of praise for this hole in a landfill and the deal is history. Now drink up and look like you're enjoying yourself - they just walked in the door."
"But I already told you I'm allergic to gin!"
"Was that you? I thought that was Wendel. Anyway, drink up - I doubt there's any gin in that monstrous concoction anyway."
Well, I have sympathy for you going through teething again, but it should be the last time! And at least you did get them all off to sleep in the end. And it seems to have inspired a return to Henri... which may not be a good thing for the boys now I think about it.
ReplyDeleteBut it is a good thing for me, and it's lovely to revel in Henri's malevolence and hatred for humanity once more. I love his description of the bar, and his definition of alcohol abuse, and his reconsideration of whether appalling is the right word. Plus his casual dismissal of his assistant by forgetting his name. Beautiful work on a charismatic, if loathsome, person :)
The nightclub
As Ernest and Samual descended the stairs -- the Lieutenant had paused at the doors to the elevator and Ernest had ushered him past, chiding him gently that three floors shouldn't be any trouble for a military man -- Samual's face creased briefly.
"Isn't the Lord-Theurgical's name Memneth?" he asked, his words hesitant as though unsure he was allowed to know this fact.
"Who, Andy? Oh!" Ernest smiled broadly. "Well yes, but it was Andy when we were at school. Andy Clowde. He reinvented himself at Theurgical College, and when he took the vows he changed his name to Memneth Vileburn. Partly, I think, to remind us all that we called him Vile at school because, well, frankly he was. Oh don't look so shocked, Samual! We were all pretty vile, children are. If you want to be truly shocked you should ask David his opinion of them sometime." Ernest paused, his foot just above the last step. "Actually, maybe you shouldn't. He can be a little inconsiderate of the opinions of others if he doesn't value them."
They continued into the lobby before Samual thought to ask if Ernest meant valueing the opinions or the people who held them.
In the lobby David was stood with Magdalena and Ignatz, his body language making it clear that he was with Magdalena out of choice and Ignatz by chance proximity. He was wearing a three-piece suit over a white shirt with a starched collar and his bag was at his feet. Magdalena still looked like a statue that had stepped down from its pedestal and decided to adventure; she was wearing a pale blue gown that revealed white shoulders and a neck with an elegant curve. Her hair cascaded down in ringlets that hadn't been there the evening before: either she had used magic or spent most of the night with a hairdresser. Ignatz was studying a book in his hands and looked slightly uncomfortable. He still wore the robes of his order, and his eyes were red-rimmed as though he'd not slept much.
"Ernest!" David saw them and raised a hand as though to attract their attention, though there were no others in the lobby. He almost knocked Ignatz's book from his hands, but the other caught it just in time, and slipped a bookmark into the pages as he closed it up.
"David," said Ernest with a smile. "Father Ignatz, how nice to see you here this morning! And Lady Doul, it is always a pleasure."
"Random chance," said Ignatz quietly. "I am waiting for Jane Melody and I chanced upon your companions here."
Ernest nodded, his face carefully blank. "Was dinner good, David?" he asked.
ReplyDelete"Excellent," said David with a huge smile. He visibly relaxed. "The food was exquisite, and the staff a true credit to the hotel. Every time they brought a course I was sure it had to be the last, for surely nothing could outdo what they'd done, and each time it seemed I was disappointed."
"There was a final course though, David," said Magdalena, her hand resting briefly on his arm.
"Sadly so, though I suppose if there weren't I'd still be there eating now."
"Or exploded from internal pressures. Well, your friend is here now and I must be off. I have some texts to hunt for in the antiquaries and booksellers of the Old Town."
"You'll be around this evening?" David looked a little anxious, but Magdalena was turning away and reaching down to the empty floor. As her hand reached towards the thick pile of the carpet a bag suddenly became visible and she picked it up.
"Of course," she said. "Though Lord Thereau has first call on my time still."
"Naturally! Of course, I meant no presumption!"
"I'm sure you didn't." She smiled, her voice gentle. "I shall see you later, Dr. Suture."
David watched her leave, then turned to Ernest. "What's the plan for today?" he asked. "I'm sure you have one, Ernest."
"We're visiting a tomb," said Ernest. "But that will be this afternoon. For this morning we are invited to pay our respects to Lord Vileburn."
"I suppose that includes-" David looked around, then looked around again. "Oh, the priest is gone!"
"Quite. Samual, do you think Lord Vileburn might be ready for us?"
They took the elevators this time, and when Samual entered he took a token from his pocket and pressed it against the number-panel. Both numbers 3 and 4 lit up, and the elevator doors closed despite another guest outside pushing the call-button to try and halt it. When the doors opened the hall outside was shadowed and the opulence that Ernest had been expecting was muted. They stepped out, the doors closed behind them, and David looked around.
"It's like a nightclub," he said. "All shadows and hidden corners. What floor is this exactly?"
"I think you should ask Lord Vileburn that himself," said Ernest.
"I'm not even sure we are still in the hotel." David was frowning now and concentrating, and a faint light limned his body. "No, I'm sure we're not. But... I don't recognise the Power here. It's not exactly Will...."
"There are three Lords-Theurgical," said Ernest quietly.
"Yes." David sounded impatient. "They say they cover the three domains three times: spatial, temporal and spiritual; and birth, life and death. All the aspects of man from start to finish. Humbuggery, really."
Samual winced, and Ernest smiled a tiny, tiny smile.
"Ah. I see now," said David. A lot of the confidence had drained from his voice. "This... a pocket universe? Oh my, this would be... surely not...."
"The domain of spiritual death," said a voice that seemed to come from all around them. "An appopriate location for the discussion of the untimely death of a member of the King's Cabinet, don't you think? More so than a nightclub, surely."
Greg - I thought you might enjoy hearing from Henri again :D
ReplyDeleteAh, this delivered on the previous entry's promise in a most satisfying way. So many brilliant descriptions. I think I liked David's reaction to where they found themselves upon exiting the elevators the best.
Looking forward to the meeting with Monsieur Vile :D