Patchwork Universe

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 120 Location: The Museum

[OOC: continued from "Bad News for Zookeepers"]

"This way please, Mr. Quickgrip." Dr. Eddison set off toward an inconspicuous mouth of a hallway roughly opposite the one through which Dr. Odom had led Larkin and the others into the foyer. His lazy, loose-limbed stride covered ground quickly, and even though he showed no signs of hurrying Larkin felt as if he was hurrying to keep up.

"Hard?" he continued then, returning to Larkin's question. "Only ethically. The work itself was really quite easy. Sign a few forms, flip a coin now and then when there was no clearly better choice on an issue, tell everyone what to do." He shrugged, a rolling of rounded shoulders within the baggy coverall. "Trouble was, I liked the power too much. So I quit."

Dr. Eddison pulled at his pipe a few times without achieving anything. He studied the unlit wad of tobacco. "Shit. Ah, well, oughtn't smoke through here anyway." He tucked the pipe back into his pocket and thumped the upper corner of one of the doors with the side of his fist. It swung open and he ushered Larkin through.

An enormous gallery met Larkin's eyes. It was about ten thousand sqare feet of cedar racks on which were displayed thousands of quilts, some too small for anything other than a doll and others pentagonal and apparently impractically large. The biggest hung from the ceiling by wires and must have been twenty yards across.

"Hope you don't mind the shortcut."

Dr. Eddison proceeded to lead Larkin through an exhibit of paintings by an artist whose technique seemed to be the throwing of paint-soaked sponges, teddy bears, brassieres and chihuahuas, for example, against canvas, heavy paper, masonite or plywood. They passed through the corner of an exhibit guiding visitors through the intricacies of cider production and another with photographs and memorabilia of famous thoroughbred horses.

"Hope you don't mind me saying, you look quite young for an archaeologist. Haven't met one since I was Curator General, though, so I'm remembering through younger eyes. What's your field?"

Entering a gallery devoid of anything except young men in white overalls and young women in white aprons and smocks rushing about with buckets of white paint and floor wax, filling the room with the patter of their heels against the marble tiles, Dr. Eddison paused to relight his pipe and then crossed the enormous, empty room, about the same size as the quilt room but seemingly bigger due to its emptiness. He pushed at a piece of the white wall, swinging it out of the way to reveal more of the hallway, now tiny by comparison.

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 88 Location: The Slums

Larkin was slightly thrown by the sudden question. Thinking quickly he said "Uhhh, well yer right. I am a bit young fer what I do. I only recently started, umm archaeologisin."

Staring to sweat just a little down the back of his neck he said "Me field is errr." Then with a flash of inspiration he thought back to the tour the doctor had led them on earlier and guessed "Urrr mummies." Then looked at the general to see if he had gotten away with it.

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 120 Location: The Museum

"Mummies?" Dr. Eddison gave a grunt of polite interest. "Can't say I know much about them myself. New world or old? And are you more interested in the physiognomy and -ology or the ritualistic aspects, how different societies conduct interment?"

Dr. Eddison stopped at a door in the outside wall.

"Here we are," he said, pushing the door open. Outside, an arm's length from the doorway, stood the mist. A narrow cobbled walk barely had time to get started before it reached the mist, and the grass on each side was trim, damp and dark. There was little to indicate that Larkin had not been led back around to the door through which he had been brought in.

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 88 Location: The Slums

Larkin had started to get into the swing of things by then and merely replied with a rather breezy "Old world, richualastic ones" when questioned. Dr Eddison raised his eyebrows a little at the mispronunciation but didn't have the time to question as they left the museum.

Turning to the old janitor he said "Hey thanks mate. Chances are I'll be comin back through here sooner or later, so I may see you." Flicking his hand in quick goodbye he turned to face the mist. Eddison closed the side-door behind him as he left leaving Larkin on his own.

Once alone Larkin pulled out his poem and read it through again. According to its rhyming, Yarrow and the Rag and Bone Shop should be right on the other side. Grinning to himself he walked up to the mist and it was a few seconds before his nose rebounded off the mist.

Blinking he shook himself and held the end of his nose where the mist had left a slight mark. He then tried again and once again the mist afforded more solidity than it used to.

"So thats the way its gunna be." he said to himself before taking a few steps back down the path and launching himself at the mist head first, which sent him sprawling to the floor and made a bump rise on his head, but little to the wall itself.

Larkin sat back and glared at a point a little way up the mist and thought.

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 88 Location: The Slums

After several minutes there was a loud "ah-HA!" which was clearly heard from a little way inside the museum as Larkin whipped out his knife and launched himself at the wall with a renewed ferocity.

After several minutes of stabbing, scratching, slicing and thrusting Larkin realised he was doing nothing but blunt his blade. Cursing, he stepped back to view his handiwork and his mouth almost dropped when he realised that not a single mark was visible on the surface of the mist.

Larkin briefly thought about going back but quickly dismissed this idea, as he didn't want to have to return to the Pub and have to tell Jane that she had been right about the leaflets and Gods. Yarrow had to be on the other side of the mist, she *had* to be, otherwise they had been lying all along and he would never have found the doctors and led them to the museum.

Larkin sat down once again and resumed his glare of the mist

liason · Posted: 15 Apr 2004 04:14 pm Post subject:

After what seemed like a very long time, Larkin became aware of a figure approaching along the wall of the Museum.

"I thought I recognised you, Master Quickgrip. Are you too lost in contemplation of the mysteries of the Museum ?"

It was Ambassador Liason, looking somewhat tired and travel-worn.

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 88 Location: The Slums

Larkin looked up at the merchant and laughed "Well its a small multiverse after all." he called across to the man. Standing up he grinned and pointed at the mist. "Im just tryin ter get through this, but it wont let me." he said. "But I know fer a *fact* that theres someone called Yarrow through there."

Larkin was looking pretty worn himself, after all of his efforts to try and pass through the mist.

liason · Posted: 15 Apr 2004 07:56 pm Post subject:

"Unfortunate, I myself was planning to pass through the mist."

Liason moved towards the mist and stepped into it.

A few moments passed, then he returned.

"I have found no impediment," the Ambassador looked with puzzlement towards Larkin, "What difficulty did you encounter ?"

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 88 Location: The Slums

Larkin walked over to the mist and put one hand upon its surface, which had once again become solid around the point he was touching and leaned upon it. "Well its not really complicated." He then drummed his fingers as well and continued "Basically it wont really let me through."

He then pushed himself off the mist and shrugged. "Yer see?"

Larkin then looked at the man a little suspiciously and said "Anyways why did yer wanna go through the mist? Didyer know who was on the other side?"

liason · Posted: 15 Apr 2004 09:05 pm Post subject:

"That is correct. Madam Yarrow is a customer of the Imperial Foundry."

Liason walked again towards the mist, but turned briefly to Larkin.

"I am sorry for your difficulty, but it is beyond my capabilities to assist directly."

As the Ambassador's black cloak faded into the mist, Larkin only faintly heard his parting words.

"...but I shall tell Yarrow you are here."

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 88 Location: The Slums

Larkin shook his head and yelled "Oh no yer don't" before he made a clear and rather desperate dive across and grabbed the edge of Liasons fading cloak. "There is no *way* yer gettin in before me."

Looking up at what little he could see of Liasons back he quoted "I shall tell Yarrow your here" with a little scorn in his voice. He added "Who dyu think yer are? Her Liason as well?"

Yarrow · Posted: 16 Apr 2004 03:37 pm Post subject:

eeee.... eeeee.... eeeerrrccchhhh....

As he glared at the departing back of the ambassador, Larkin became aware of a thin squeaking sound. While it was hard to tell exactly where it might be coming from it was growing slowly loader and more irritating. Shaking his head in an atempt to dispell the noise Larkin caught a glimpse of a figure approaching from around the side of the museum.

By the look of the trolley full of rubbish that was making the squeaking sound, this person was some kind of cleaning lady. The white wisps of hair and watery yellow eyes visible from underneath a squashed flowerpot of a hat seemed to confirm this judgement.

Seemingly oblivious to the thief's presence the old woman stopped, putting a hand up to her back with an "oufgh" of discomfort. Leaning on the handbars of the trolley, she produced a pouch of vile smelling tobacco and began to construct a roll-up cigarette.

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 88 Location: The Slums

Larkin rolled over onto his back and looked up at her. Taking in her appearance he said "Alright missus. Can I help yer?"

Listening to the way she groaned he stood up and added "Is yer back alright?" with a little bit of sympathy thrown in. Larkin found it quite discomforting when little old ladies were left in pain for no reason.

Yarrow · Posted: 16 Apr 2004 04:53 pm Post subject:

"It's being on my feet all day that does it," the old woman confided, with the air of someone always ready to talk about their maladies. "And the tea in the museum refectory is fair awful, and that's a fact."

Her shaking hands had finished rolling the cigarette and after a couple of failed attemped she managed to light a match. Taking a deep drag from the roll-up she continued.
"I don't usually indulge, mind. But like I said, it's been a long day."

Her nose turned inquisitively in the direction of the mist and she asked:
"What are you doing then, eh? Waiting for a bus?"

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 88 Location: The Slums

Larkin nodded along to the womans talking. He had met a fair few old ladies in the Slums, and when he wasn't breaking into their house he would be listening to them. Some had a wealth of information to give to someone ready to listen. Of course others were just nuts.

With the air of someone a little annoyed he tapped at the mist and said "This chunk of mist wont let me through. But it let that scummy merchant through."

Turning to glare at the obstacle he added "I was tryin ter meet this Yarrow whos bin sendin me these leaflety thingies." He thought for a second and added "Well I think shes sendin them ter me."