Patchwork Universe

Dr Jewel · Posted: 17 Apr 2004 12:44 pm Post subject:

"I think I'm getting the general picture." Dr Jewel said. "One problem with the... changes... outside that immediately strikes me, is that your staff may have to prepare for a new kind of visitor. One that knows little or nothing about the museum. Unless we get to the bottom of the mystery of course."

She looked upwards again, this time more warily.

"Is there anything that the museum doesn't hold?" She asked. "Also, I assume some Curators must live up there? After all, taking a thousand-odd flights of stairs twice a day can't be practical."

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

"It does seem as though I haven't met anyone who knows about the Museum for several days," Dr. Odom mused. "As to your questions, I'm afraid I can only answer the first as I don't understand the second, and the catholic belief is resoundingly, 'no!' While I do not claim to have seen everything myself, the thought that there is something the Museum doesn't hold is generally held to be absurd. I'm a little heretical sometimes, very quietly, in the sanctity of my own office, when I try to reconcile this belief with stories such as that I just mentioned from Entomology."

Dr Jewel · Posted: 17 Apr 2004 06:41 pm Post subject:

"To re-word my second question." Dr Jewel thought for a moment. "When we carried out my research yesterday, it took a while to climb up and down the stairs. Therefore anyone in charge of a floor sufficiently above ground level must have a long walk up and down each day if they live outside the Museum. Therefore they must live on or near to the floor they work on. Is this right?"

She glanced again at the direction Trubshawe and George had taken.

"Just a minute. Does that mean you have a zoo here? With live animals? Or is it spread over lots of sections?"

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

"Well . . . not live, no. But we do have mounted specimens, from diatoms and fleas up to whales and dragons. I'm afraid I still don't understand the other question, though. Why would they live outside the Museum?"

Dr Jewel · Posted: 17 Apr 2004 09:23 pm Post subject:

"Well," Dr Jewel considered the options carefully, "if they had a partner who worked outside the Museum - you did say there was a city outside the Museum, right - then they might choose not to live in the Museum? Possibly?"

She glanced at Dr Odom.

"Or is it a condition of working here that you live here? If so, does everyone live on the same floor or section as their work?"

Another word in his last reply suddenly struck her.

"Dragons? As in St George and the?"

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

"Well, yes, St. George and the, Gynoclos and the, all that. We have six different species. We nearly had a seventh, but it wrote us a letter of protest, and while its grammar and spelling were simply illegible the fact that it could write inclined Dr. Eddison, who was Curator General at the time, and the Board of Directors to believe it would have been unethical to kill it and stuff it. We collected a few artifacts and took a few photographic images of it instead."

Dr. Odom sat back in silence for a moment, his forehead wrinkled in perplexity.

"There is no rule forbidding . . . erm . . . relationships with visitors. And of course everyone lives where they work. Don't you eat and sleep at your excavation site?"

Dr Jewel · Posted: 18 Apr 2004 03:49 pm Post subject:

"As it happens, I have a room in the village." Dr Jewel said. "But most of the others are camping at the site. However, when it comes to the villagers, they mostly work several miles away at the local town."

"Is there any chance I could see some of these dragons?"

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

"There you go, then," Dr. Odom said with some relief as if they had finally come to an understanding about everyone's living habits.

When asked about the dragon, he answered, "Certainly! That's what the Museum is for! There's one on the next floor up, right after the Ancient Civilizations annex. But I wonder if we ought to be wandering off before George gets back with our charming friend."

Dr Jewel · Posted: 18 Apr 2004 07:59 pm Post subject:

"You're right." Jewel agreed slightly glumly. "It would be discourteous to leave before they return."

She glanced, with growing impatience, towards the doors again.

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

Someone was coming, but it turned out to be Dr. Eddison.

"Have you left anything for me?" he asked, eyeing his bottle.

"Leave it a little longer," Dr. Odom requested. "I think Mr. Trubshawe might like a little something when he returns.

Dr Jewel · Posted: 19 Apr 2004 07:45 am Post subject:

"Are both gentlemen now outside the north door?" Dr Jewel asked Dr Eddison. "I assume there was no sign of Larkin Quickgrip trying to come back?"

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

"They both left the Museum through the easternmost service door on the north side of the building," Dr. Eddison affirmed, "and there was no sign of Mr. Quickgrip trying to pound the door down to get back in." He performed and extraordinarily complex salaam in Dr. Odom's direction, ending with a rude gesture. "As ordered."

Dr Jewel · Posted: 19 Apr 2004 12:43 pm Post subject:

"I'm glad to hear that." Dr Jewel ignored the rude gesture. "It means that they, at least, knew which way to go. Pity neither of them could tell us where the zoo was."

A thought occured to her and she turned back to Odom.

"I wonder what that signpost in Maypole Hill was pointing to." She said. "Because I'm now starting to think that one of Liason's gods might have been responsible."

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

Dr. Odom closed his eyes and burrowed deeply into thought. When he surfaced he said, "Dr., have you noticed that we occasionally make statements that are pefectly sensible to ourselves but are confusing to each other? I believe you have just made one." He opened his eyes. "I recall the signpost, but the rest of your statement has left me behind somewhere."

Dr Jewel · Posted: 19 Apr 2004 02:25 pm Post subject:

"Sorry." Dr Jewel apologised. "I should explain. I was thinking about Larkin and what he said about directions. Then I remembered how nothing has been in or out of Maypole Hill since the dig opened up the basement and all the deaths happened.

"That signpost has nothing written on it and yet it is already automated. The more I think about it, the more I am certain that we - my world I mean - don't have such things. Or, not like that. And a little village would hardly be the place to pilot such a device.

"So, what if the signpost appeared after the mists arrived? Could it have been put there either be one of Liason's gods or the people who provided Larkin with directions? After all, it does point towards that pub that he suggested."