Patchwork Universe

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

[OOC: Dr. Odom steps out from "San Pietro: Final delivery"]

Dr. Odom stopped to build a cigarette while he was still in the building's shade. Among other things, that gave him time to get a bearing on the bar before stepping out into the gaping openness between the buildings.

Crossing the square, Dr. Odom had what he considered an inappropriately irreverent thought; of course Michael had survived the dragon's attack. He was used to this weather.

Stepping into the shade was not exactly a plunge into chill but the difference was noticeable. Dr. Odom crossed to the bar and was distracted from his fuming for a little while by a debate with the bartender over what his money was worth.

Dr Jewel · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 5:11 pm Post subject:

[OOC: Dr Jewel also arrives from "San Pietro: Final delivery"]

Dr Jewel waited for Dr. Odom to finish his currency debate with the bartender.

"You know," she said with a small smile, "this is one of those times when I'm grateful I'm a ghost. I used to hate the heat."

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

"This is my first opportunity to form an opinion of it," Dr. Odom said, returning her smile, "and I believe my newly formed dislike is enough to last me quite a while."

Breaking eye contact a little ashamedly, he added, "I didn't mean to drag you away from your questions about our . . . situation. I just felt like either Kalyndis or I was missing the point, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't me. I had to get out of there. I would like to return and apologize to Michael before we leave, once Kalyndis is gone."

Dr Jewel · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 6:03 pm Post subject:

"You might have to wait a while for Kalyndis to leave." Dr Jewel replied. "It's possible he'll go fairly quickly, but equally possible that he'll stay in there talking for the next few hours."

"But you don't need to apologise to me. I think I've already asked far more than I've understood the answers to. I told Kao Sheng that we would probably be tackling the top floor of the Museum as he suggested it. Although I do need to call in on the Rose Garden first. At least a rose garden will be operating in cooler temperatures than this."

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

Dr. Odom shook his head. "Top floor. There is no top floor. It's a myth, a metaphore for something that'll never happen, sometimes, like, 'Maybe Kalyndis and I can settle our differences when we reach the top floor.' I wonder what game Kao Sheng is playing."

Dr Jewel · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 9:23 pm Post subject:

"There may not have been a top floor before the Museum came here; but the transition might have changed that. After all, there is a patch called 'Heaven' so maybe the Museum's top floor has now come into being."

Jewel shrugged.

"Of course Kao Sheng might have meant it in a different context, as you suggest. Besides, I assume reaching the higher floors is, quite literally, a marathon task."

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

"Fifty to two hundred floors a day is a good pace, depending on the visitor. Most Museum staff can go up or down a thousand in a day. Sometimes visitors gets overconfident and manage five hundred floors on the first day. By the next morning they regret it."

Dr. Odom stirred his drink with his finger. It came out sticky. Not understanding the word akavit the bartender had provided something called Amaretto and Dr. Odom was not sure it was at all comparable.

"I thought it sounded like Michael intended to go with us. After what he's been through that shows either great courage or a certain weakness of whatever gland it is that oozes good judgement. But if that's the case I imagine he'll find us when he's ready."

Father Michael · Strong Joined: 30 Apr 2004 Posts: 98 Location: San Pietro

Michael and Pietro entered the bar just as Dr Odom finished speaking.

"You're right," he said, "I did intend to go with you, and yes - common sense was not always my strong point." Looking at Dr Odom's glass he continued, "it looks as though you could do with a proper drink."

He turned to the barman and began to speak in a different language. "My friend and I need a proper drink. Grappa for us both, please, and some coffee."

"It helps to speak the local dialect," he added with a smile to Dr Odom. "Not very many people speak English in this part of Sicily, or even Italian. Come, we have a great deal to discuss."

Dr Jewel · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 4:07 pm Post subject:

Dr Jewel frowned, listening.

"I might just about get by with my Italian." She said. "But it would probably make any native speakers wince."

She looked down at Pietro.

"Does he live with you?" She asked. "Or is it she? What's the name?"

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

"I imagine fewer still speak Latin or Medieval Italian," Dr. Odom said self-deprecatingly as he settled himself.

"Michael, I wish to apologize for my temper at your house. I ought to have been better behaved. And I meant no harm just now."

Father Michael · Strong Joined: 30 Apr 2004 Posts: 98 Location: San Pietro

"His name is Pietro," replied Michael, "and yes, he does live with me." Michael sat down and Pietro jumped into his lap. "William, please do not apologise - there is no need. In his right mind I am certain that Kalyndis is not a threat, and could even be an ally, but I would concede that he has very little idea of how to treat those around him.

"Anyway, let us not concern ourselves too much with him for now. I am interested in Kao Sheng's quest for the highest accessible floor of your Museum. Tell me, what did you mean about the top floor of the Museum being a myth?

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

"It's not real. It doesn't exist. Or, at least, that's the most popular doctrine. Certainly there's no record of anyone having seen it.

"In the dark mists of antiquity, when I was seventeen, I went on a pilgrimage to the spot where Dr. Turpin died. Eight years ago, right after he resigned but before he joined Housekeeping, Dr. Eddison went even higher. He admits to having visited Dr. Davis's office, which is on the 251,037th floor and has been preserved as he left it, and everyone knows Dr. Eddison went higher but he won't say how high. I don't know of anyone else who has gone higher and returned."

A little meekly he added, "Even I have to consult a directory for much above the two-thousandth floor."

Dr Jewel · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 9:49 pm Post subject:

"Just a moment." Jewel was busy with mental arithmetic. "Say two-hundred-and-fifty thousand floors going at a very generous thousand per day. That's two-hundred-and-fifty days. Isn't that... just a bit on the long side? Or am I just thinking in too short a time frame here?"

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

"That's probably about right. Dr. Eddison was gone for about two years. I was much younger and didn't go as far, so I was back in less than fourteen months. Not everyone makes such a pilgrimage. Not everyone who does becomes Curator General but it's rare for someone who doesn't to become Curator General. The 240,032nd floor is a very popular destination for such pilgrimages, but in my case it was like . . ."

Dr. Odom waved a hand in the air as if he could pluck an analogy his companions would understand from it.

"Imagine Thermopylae was a popular place of pilgrimage for novice archaeologists -- or is it? -- except one of the novice archaeologists was named Leonidas Smith. No, that's still not quite right because Leonidas wasn't an archaeologist."

Dr Jewel · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 8:09 am Post subject:

"So we're looking at a journey of several years." Jewel was taken aback. "I guess I wasn't expecting anything quite so... long. I would have to go to the Rose Garden and return to check on Maypole Hill before leaving if we're going to be away that long."

Another thought struck her.

"What do you do about supplies when you go on one of these pilgrimages? Not that I'm not going to suffer from lack of food, of course."