Benny finally catches up with
Kestryll on the 29th level...
^^^^^^ Yes.
Here I am. You look a little grumpy. ^^^^^^ Oh,
you did? Haven't stopped to say 'hello' myself yet. Does
she seem nice to you? ^^^^^^ Bit
jumpy? ^^^^^^ Right on you? Bumped your head?
Really? You okay? ^^^^^^ Oh good. I'll be sure to
have the girl apologize to you later for making you hurt
your head. Kay? ^^^^^^ Perfect! I'm almost done
here. I want you to just link on over and have yourself
a little nap to calm your nerves then.
Kay? ^^^^^^ Alright, I'll catch up later
then.
Benny hands Kestryll the letter he came
to deliver then links out. Kestryll sticks the letter
into his vest pocket, grabs one more item then starts up
the stairs. Poor Veronica is not going to have a good
week...
Running behind the counter to get away
from Benny, Veronica shouted, "Is there anything else
about this neighborhood I should be aware of...something
important, like...oh I don't know...will the mysterious
light crystals come to life next or...or..." She finally
actually sees the little gnome smiling up at her and she
faints dead away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm
no longer a danger to
society. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having Veronica faint right at his feet
makes Grizz's protective instincts kick
in.
"Okay! That's it!" he says. "Fun is fun, but
too much is enough. This poor girl needs a little break,
and a little more consideration. Bizzy, if you'd be so
kind as to open that door there for me
please..."
He gets down by Veronica, who is
coming around again, and helps her to get shakily to her
feet. She looks around apprehensively, but Bizzy is now
hidden behind the door. Guiding her into the room, he
pushes her down on the cot at the back.
"Now you
just take yourself a good long nap and I'll see that
nobody bothers you for a little while at
least."
He covers her with the blanket, and goes
out, shutting the door behind
him.
_______________________________ Prop.
D'ni Internal Supply Co. "If we don't have it, you
don't need it!"
Cordelia returns to the Institution
after a very restful sleep back at her Relto. The
neighbourhood was quiet and deserted.
"It's funny
that everyone round here seems to do so much when I am
asleep and then when I wake up everyone else has gone to
bed. We must do something about the clocks in the
cavern, they seem to show different times for different
people" she mutters to herself.
She walks into
her office and notices a pile of bags and saddlebags by
the side of her desk. On closer inspection she sees a
note attached to the bags, addressed to Elkae. It's from
that nice young man, RW. Cordelia smiles to herself
while she visualises RW and wonders what he is up to
right now. She hasn't seen him around for a while and
she seems to recall he was looking to get an appointment
to meet with the professor at some time.
"I must
make a note of finding him when he is next around and
seeing what we can fix up. I am quite sure he would be
perfect to help the professor with his research and it
would be great to have RW on the team."
She makes
a note in her "To Do" list to find RW and book him in to
see Thietris. She also adds to the list a note to return
Elkae's bags to her when she returns to the Institution
later today.
"Now I need a nice cup of coffee and
a plate of scrambled eggs on toast" and she sets off
towards the Egg Room to see what she can
find.
Sorry Grizz, didn't
realise that you were still around too
Cordelia Personal
Assistant to Professor Thietris Squirrel, CEO,
President and Managing Director, Institution of
Advanced Exploration of Myst Worlds
GRizz hears someone walking around on
the first level (sound carries very well in the hood
when all the screaming and yelling stops). He looks
around for Bizzy, who seems to have gone off again in
his own mysterious way. There are faint sounds coming
from the sub-levels, too, but perhaps it's safe enough
to leave the store for a moment. Maybe the caterer has
left some new goodies in the egg room. Veronica will be
hungry when she wakes up...no doubt about that. He goes
to see.
_______________________________ Prop.
D'ni Internal Supply Co. "If we don't have it, you
don't need it!"
"No, father...I'm telling you the
garden gnomes are alive and well." Veronica awoke
with a start and sat straight up in the cot and looked
around. Throwing back the blanket, she walked into the
store and made a strong pot of coffee. Oddly enough, it
was the one thing she was good at.
She smelled
food close-by and followed her nose to the Eggroom, but
she can see Cordelia having a talk with Grizz and she's
holding a feather duster. "Oh no, not again!" Veronica
panic links to her
Relto.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm no longer
a danger to
society. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cordelia hears the Egg Room door open
and looks up. Grizz walks in and starts inspecting the
food.
"Hi Grizz, how's Veronica this morning? (Is
it morning for you yet?) I haven't seen her around for a
while. I guess she must be exhausted after all that
cleaning she did in my Relto. She did a great job even
although she got off to a slow start."
Grizz
grinned and carried on selecting eggs, bacon and hash
browns.
"You know what? I think she even
apologised to me for spilling that ink on the
professor's papers - but then again I'm not entirely
sure. She seemed a little reluctant, but I think she is
sorry really."
Cordelia Personal
Assistant to Professor Thietris Squirrel, CEO,
President and Managing Director, Institution of
Advanced Exploration of Myst Worlds
Unfortunatley for Veronica, it did not
take her very long to realize that there was absolutely
no food on her Relto. Another lesson was learned that
day...one cannot survive on humble pie alone. The
indignity of it all!
She went to the bookcase and
located the neighborhood book. Bracing herself, she put
her hand to the page and reappeared by the fountain at
the Institution. "Maybe I can sneak in quickly for a
plate...before she sees
me..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm no longer
a danger to
society. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grizz, busy filling a plate, can only
grin at Cordelia. Then he stops, and really looks at
Cordelia...
"You say she did a great job?? Well
that's a relief. I really have high expectations for
her, and I think a lot of her, but I'm not sure it's
smart to let her know that too soon"
He turns back to
the food, still talking to Cordelia..."She's just got to
get used to the idea that there are lots of folks in the
cavern that might seem a bit strange to surface folks. I
think Bizzy scared her out of a years growth last
night."
_______________________________ Prop.
D'ni Internal Supply Co. "If we don't have it, you
don't need it!"
Cordelia, with ears as sharp as ferrets
teeth (sorry Grassie), hears the linking sound coming
from the fountain area.
"Grizz, sounds like
someone's just arrived back in the hood. I wonder who it
could be. Think I'll just go and have a look, be back in
a minute or two."
She rushes out the Egg Room
door, along the bridge and down the stairs to the
fountain.
"Oh Veronica, it's you...... I didn't
realise you were up and about. Would you care to join
Grizz and I for breakfast, we were just talking about
you."
Cordelia Personal
Assistant to Professor Thietris Squirrel, CEO,
President and Managing Director, Institution of
Advanced Exploration of Myst Worlds
Veronica jumped as Cordelia came walking
down the stairs. "Oh...um...*clears throat*...good
morning, Cordelia." Not to sure she wanted to know what
they had been talking about, she considered another
panic link, but her stomach rumbled loudly. "I, uh, yes
I will have breakfast, thank you." Red-faced, she
followed Cordelia back to the
Eggroom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm no
longer a danger to
society. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Veronica and Cordelia arrived back in
the Egg Room just in time to see Grizz taking a large
mouthful of eggs, sausage and bacon. Looking up very red
faced he smiled as he saw Veronica.
"Look who
I've found" Cordelia states proudly "seems like our
friend here is hungry. What's left in the hot
trays?"
Cordelia starts to lift off the lids and
inspects the food, asking Veronica what she would
like.
Veronica seems very nervous and stutters
over her words. Cordelia gives Grizz a knowing look,
thinking back to their conversation of earlier. Seems
like Veronica is certainly quickly learning about her
position in the Institution
Cordelia Personal
Assistant to Professor Thietris Squirrel, CEO,
President and Managing Director, Institution of
Advanced Exploration of Myst Worlds
Grizz, speaking very gruffly (but with
that twinkle in his eye) says to
Veronica...
"Morning sleepyhead. Got things to do
today on the surface. You can handle the store for a bit
by yourself can't you? Good! And don't pay any attention
to the noises from the sub-levels. Guys down there
looking for something. Never been below the third
sub-level myself. Don't know what's down there. Folks
finding stuff I never did order or
stock...grump...mmmmblle...munch."
He swallows
his last mouthful...walks past Veronica to the
door...looks back over Veronica's shoulder to Cordelia
with a ...and links out with
his Relto
book.
_______________________________ Prop.
D'ni Internal Supply Co. "If we don't have it, you
don't need it!"
"Yes Veronica, I too have to go and visit
the surface for a while so I'm going to leave you in
charge here. Do you think you can manage
that?"
Veronica looks at Cordelia with wide eyes
and slowly nods her head. "Yes I think I can cope, thank
you" she says and watches as Cordelia places her hand
gently on her Relto book and
disappears.
Cordelia Personal
Assistant to Professor Thietris Squirrel, CEO,
President and Managing Director, Institution of
Advanced Exploration of Myst Worlds
After reading this particular passage
from the notebook... "Habits: Tending gardens, sleeping,
fishing, and plotting the demise of humans everywhere."
Veronica ran to the office of Professor Thietris and
pushed the blue button to enter, but nothing happened.
Banging on the door for all she is worth, she yelled,
"Hello, is anyone there? We have a very serious problem
in the neighborhood!" Not receiving a reply, she poked
her head through the small door and yelled again. "I
say, hello!!! You have a murderous lawn gnome residing
in this
burrough!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm no
longer a danger to
society. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Experimental Program
1
Supplier of umbrellas to the D'ni for
Centuries.
Veronica
