Patchwork Universe

Yarrow · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 12:42 pm Post subject: A Zookeeper's Job

The Assistant Zookeeper First Class (in training) jumped as the communications device blared suddenly from his jacket:

"Specks, someone has affixed a foreign object, some sort of brass arrow to the top of signpost one-one-seven. We have a break-in to deal with, if you could take it down in the meantime and have it ready for our return."

Specks had been passing a very satisfactory morning. After helping Daltrey set up the breakfast table in the lion's den, he had set about the tasks of an assistant zookeeper. Breakfast that morning for him and Daltrey had been glop - more nutritious than anything from the slums around the Rag and Bone Shop, but glop nonetheless. However with some judicious twiddling of knobs, based on what he'd seen Daltrey do, Specks had managed to produce fare that was rather more up his alley.

He was gnawing on a bone, already licked clean and cracked open, to get at the marrow when Trubshawe's stetorian tones resounded from his breast pocket. Taking out his infopad he poked buttons and swore it at it until it presented him with a map of the zoo with signpost one one seven presented as a flashing dot.

Some of the signposts in the zoo were quite tall but Specks didn't anticipate any problem with climbing. However he did equip himself with a bag of tools which might be useful in signpost removal, as nice a set of jemmys as he'd ever clapped eyes on - all just lying about in the store room.

Slinging the lot into the back compartment of his new jaunty red tricycle, he pedalled off to the point the map indicated.

Yarrow · Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2004 3:51 pm Post subject:

The job actually proved not too difficult. When he reached the signpost in question the arrow was there sure enough. Tucking a couple of tools into his pockets Specks climbed the post like a monkey and began the business of detaching the thing. A few twists and turns and the thing was off.

Dropping back down to the ground Specks considered the find. A plain brass arrow was all it seemed but the urchin knew better than anyone the multifarious uses for bits of random junk. Tucking it safely into a pocket and putting the tools back in his bag, he got back on the tricycle and pedalled off down the path.

Yarrow · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 10:41 am Post subject:

Suddenly the zookeeping device in his pocket began to emit a distressed beeping noise. Specks took it out and puzzled over the buttons for a while until the beeping was replaced with words.
"VISITORS! VISITORS!" the unit screamed. "VISITORS AT THE GATE!"

Specks thumped the thing until the noise quietened but as he turned the tricyle and pedalled in the direction of the gate he could still hear the unit screaming softly from his pocket.

[ooc : Specks now moves to the 'If the Price is Right' thread, also in the Zoo.]