Patchwork Universe

Trubshawe · Good Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 111 Location: The Zoo

"Curious object," pronounced Trubshawe of the arrow at the front of the school.

"So you say there's another of these signposts pointing south from the Museum? And this one points to the east. Definitely not indicating the same place, then, unless we're on the surface of a sphere...

"I suppose that would give our abductors a reason to conceal the horizons from us with their fancy mists, but frankly my currently preferred theory is that they're just enjoying sending you on a wild goose chase."

Dr Jewel · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 2:14 pm Post subject:

Dr Jewel stared at the arrow with some concern.

"I hope this doesn't mean that everything has moved again. I mean, that the mists now take us to different places; or whatever it was that happened last time."

Miss Mercury · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 2:43 pm Post subject:

A boy ran past them out of the main entrance, talking and laughing to... well, no-one visible. As he ran away, he staggered slightly as if he had been pushed, and then continued running around the corner of the school building.

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 145 Location: The Museum

Dr. Odom watched the boy with some concern, worried that something similar to the disaster at Dr. Jewel's excavation had, in fact, happened here. The Museum suddenly felt much farther away than they could possibly have walked since leaving it.

Then Dr. Jewel's words registered. He turned a wide-eyed, pale grey face her way. The little uniformed madman's paranoid prattling was starting to make sense to him, at least in the sense that he could see how a man could become unhinged by feelings of dislocation.

Dr Jewel · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 8:21 pm Post subject:

Jewel also glanced at the boy, watched his antics with growing concern, then made a mental effort to ignore him. She had enough problems as it was.

"Let's go." She said loudly. "We've seen the sign and we can talk about it on the way back. I'm quite keen to check on the Museum. I mean, get on with our experiment."

Miss Mercury · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 8:47 pm Post subject:

"Welcome to the Juniper School. Can I help you in any way?", said a firm low voice behind them.

Slightly startled at the sudden greeting, they turn to see a tall, imposing, dark-haired woman, dressed in a neatly-tailored navy jacket and skirt. Her hair styled tidily into a bun high on her head, her formality seemed somewhat offset by a friendly smile and the hint of a twinkle in her eyes.

"Have the staff not greeted you? I do apologise. My name is Miss Mercury, and I am the Headmistress of the school. Would you like to come to my study and take some tea?"

Trubshawe · Good Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 111 Location: The Zoo

Trubshawe reckoned he had enough of a handle on this England place now to do some of the talking himself.

"Miss Mercury, a pleasure to meet you at last," he said, saluting smartly. "We are three visiting doctors from Cambridge University: I am head of the biological sciences school there, Dr Jewel oversees the archaeological investigations at Maypole Hill and Dr Odom here curates a small museum. Do not be alarmed by our lack of bicycles, we have left them at the perimeter. Near which we were greeted by your own Miss Clarysage. We are here for your Open Day of course, but before we get down to business, can you tell us anything about this remarkable sign you have here?"

Dr Jewel · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 12:33 pm Post subject:

Dr Jewel winced at the phrase "small museum" and hoped that Dr Odom had not noticed.

She smiled at Miss Mercury and looked hopefully from her to the sign.

Miss Mercury · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 7:15 pm Post subject:

"Cambridge? My alma mater! So pleased to meet fellow Cantabrigians!"

Miss Mercury shook the reluctant hands of Trubshawe and Dr Odom, and pressed her hands together and bowed slightly to Dr Jewel.

"The sign. I wouldn't say it was remarkable. Mundant, really. Yet it's still something of a mystery. A handyman put it up not long ago, and very recently, it has also been turned round. I've been so busy with the arrangements for today that I haven't managed to catch the caretaker to ask him about it, or get it taken down. Besides, I had a feeling that it was important... Does the sign mean something to you?"

Miss Mercury considered some of the more peculiar parts of Trubshawe's speech, and continued in a more soothing voice to say "If you are troubled about your bicycle, Sir, you are more than welcome to borrow one of our spares; we have had so many left here over the years. The small grey building just to the East of the school contains a number of bicycles that visitors are welcome to borrow. It can make the journey between the buildings so much more speedy."

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 145 Location: The Museum

Dr. Odom shifted uneasily from foot to foot. The "small museum" comment had drawn a restrained smile from him. The same sort of spirit that had drawn Dr. Odom to Print gave him a healthy appreciation of litotes, if that was what Trubshawe had intended, and the variety of people with whom he had to work gave him a tolerance for Trubshawe's dementia if, as he suspected was more likely, that was the source of the comment. The claim to unearned credentials, however, offended his professional sensibilities. He bit his lip and tried to stay in the background, hoping a convenient time would eventually arise to correct the misdemeanor.

Dr Jewel · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 9:21 pm Post subject:

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Mercury." Jewel smiled at her, suddenly struck with a wave of homesickness for her university. "It's also good to see Juniper School; I know of it from the university of course. How long have you been in charge here? Did you come straight from Cambridge?

"Although," Jewel mentally corrected herself, "an Open Day probably isn't the right time for these questions. I assume you will be expecting a large number of parents today. So perhaps I might pop back a different day for a more nostalgic chat, if you wouldn't mind."

Jewel glanced around. She was suddenly struck by the absence of parents. A notable absence given the school in question. She frowned, then decided this was not the time to take on yet another problem (or two problems if one counted the boy and his invisible companion). Instead she thought about the one which had brought them to the entrance.

"Did you say that the sign had recently moved?" She asked. "Would you happen to know how recently? I'm asking because we've seen another of these over in the west and were curious to know what they pointed to."

Miss Mercury · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 10:42 pm Post subject:

"How strange. Perhaps it's a Department For Education edict of some kind? I can't be absolutely certain when it changed - I tend to use other means than the main entrance of going in and out of this building. If it was important, I have ways of finding out. However, I'm certain that it was pointing to the West when it was first put up, and just an hour or two ago, checking the area before the arrival of the parents, I noticed that it had been moved to point to the East."

Miss Mercury did not look pleased to admit that she did not know the precise answer to Dr Jewel's question.

"We are expecting current and prospective parents to start arriving shortly. We beg them every year not to be too early, as it disturbs the students in their morning studies. However, Mrs Clarysage reports that the village to the West, Greater Bottomley, is already packed with unfamiliar cars, so I have no doubt that the deluge will start shortly. I also would find it most agreeable to reminisce about the college, Dr Jewel, but I agree that today might not be the most appropriate time."

Trubshawe · Good Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 111 Location: The Zoo

Trubshawe was glad to catch Miss Mercury's implication that she was a busy woman who would soon have to be elsewhere. Inwardly he was congratulating himself on the success of his deception and how speedily it had elicited important information on the brass sign; but equally he had not lost sight of the importance of getting away from this place, before he and his companions were mired so deep in the "Open Day" that escape was impossible.

Even so, there was one unresolved question that still weighed heavily on his mind.

"Miss Mercury, I understand you have on your premises an HMP device? Could you possibly enlighten us as to its use and functions?"

Miss Mercury · Posted: Tue May 04, 2004 12:28 pm Post subject:

Miss Mercury looked startled.

"HMP device? Why yes, we have several. But how... who... how did you...?"

She recovered her composure.

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't aware that anyone outside of the school knew of the devices. You seem distressed about them, but really there is absolutely no need to be anxious. Of course they would be dangerous if they were in the wrong hands, but naturally we only allow trained staff and senior students to operate them. If you were hoping to see one in action, I'm afraid you will be disappointed; we won't be including them in the Open Day demonstrations, not even on the most awkward parents!"

Miss Mercury laughed merrily at the idea.

Trubshawe · Good Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 111 Location: The Zoo

His darkest suspicions about Miss Mercury and her "school" apparently confirmed, Trubshawe turned so the Headmistress would not be able to see his face and grimaced and rolled his eyes meaningfully at his two companions.

Let's get out of here!, he hoped this expression conveyed, perhaps a trifly optimstically.