On the wall behind
the picture was ... a picture hook. What! There has to
be something more than a picture hook! Professor T
examined the hook closely. Hmmm. Perhaps it looked less
like a hook and more like a miniature lever. He reached
out a paw and gently pushed the hook upwards. There was
a barely audible "click" and the door to the room
slid open.
Grizz sits for a long time on the bench
after Yeesha vanishes, pondering her words. He can
understand much of what she says, he thinks. But, as
always seems to be the case with Yeesha, much of what
she says is riddles wrapped in enigmas inside
mysteries.
Then his thoughts turn to the
professor and Veronica. He has little fear for the
professor, who has a lifetime of experience and wisdom
to give him a good chance of getting out of
anything.
But Veronica's case is quite different.
She is showing so much improvement lately over what she
was like when she first came to the DISCO. But she is
still too young to have the background of experience. He
doesn't really fear for her exactly. She is rather
tougher than many would believe. But it would be nice to
know that she is all right, wherever she is.
He
thinks about the link from the pit in the tunnel, and
how he was aware that she was holding on to his shirt
just before the link. An idea begins to form in his
head.
He gets up and goes to the door. Almost
afraid to try, he touches it. It swings open. He grins,
and goes
in.
_______________________________ Co-Owner
The DISCO in the Hood.
"That's the problem with being an early
riser," thinks Merlin, "Now what were thse names again?
Dibbiluckis and Brontusaphis? I should be able to
remember that," thinks Merlin.
"Well, that's
good." comes a sound like Speedy's voice.
"Hey! I
didn't mean to broadcast that!" thinks
Merlin.
Then the Knights walk in and head towards
Speedy. They are carrying a bigger cage.
"Come on
bird, get on in here," says one of them. They take the
cage and put it's opening right against the other, and
Speedy squeezes out.
"Thank you," says Speedy
nastily.
"Come on Thordellson! Stop lagging
behind!" says another Knight.
And they
leave.
"I'm glad they're gone. Now, excuse me for
a moment," says Merlin.
He puts on a glazed
look.
"No, that mask isn't the right
size."
He
concentrates...
"Pinck?"
"What?" says
Pinck.
"What is it that you
have?"
"Something they want verrrrry badly," says
the Gnome.
"And what is it?"
"I know how
to multiply," says Pinck.
"Really! This is a
family thread, you know!"
"No, no! I mean I can
do multiplication," says
Pinck.
"WHAT!!!"
"You heard me, I
know multiplication, something the Knights never have
been able to figure out," says Pinck.
"Okaaaay,"
thinks Merlin.
Merlin
(just a nickname) in the Institution and Mysti in the A&C Team Bahro
Agents Will help any one who needs help and do
anything that needs doing.
[This message was
edited by MYSTeriousSage on Thu May 06 2004 at 05:23
AM.]
[This message was edited by MYSTeriousSage
on Thu May 06 2004 at 05:29 AM.]
quote:
Originally posted by Grizz65: He has little fear
for the professor, who has a lifetime of experience
and wisdom to give him a good chance of getting out of
anything.
Well, I only hope you're right, Grizz!
Professor T
jumped off the desk and approached the open door. What
greeted him beyond the door was in stark contrast to the
room itself. There was a wide corridor with metal walls.
The floor too was of a smooth but worn metallic
appearance. Anyone standing in the corridor would have
heard the door slide open, and shortly afterwards seen a
whiskery nose and a beady eye come into view. The nose
sniffed the air. There was a strange smell - sort of
electrical and oily. Professor T stepped into the
corridor. In addition to the strange smell was a distant
buzz of machinery.
Professor T walked slowly along the
metal corridor. The buzz of machinery grew louder. The
passageway consisted of a series of straight sections,
with a slight turn to the left at regular intervals. The
buzz was now extremely loud, and the corridor opened up
into a wider area. A large opening appeared on the
right, which was where the noise was coming from.
Professor T put his paws to his ears and looked into the
opening. The room was filled with machinery of some
unrecognizable type: there was a huge metal cylinder at
the centre and a lot of pipework. The oily, electrical
smell was very strong. At either side of the opening was
a vertical strip of black and yellow
chevrons.
The professor decided to continue along
the corridor, away from the noise and stench of the
machinery. Soon he came to another, much smaller opening
in the right-hand wall, like a doorway. He walked
through the opening and found himself in another
corridor, somehow less industrial-looking than the
first. It was much quieter. The walls were black, but
the continuous strip of lighting along the ceiling
provided a soft glow. Then something happened which made
him start a little. A series of green arrows appeared in
the floor, starting just beyond where he stood and
fading a few yards further along the corridor. He
followed the arrows. They always glowed just a few yards
beyond and faded as he approached. The corridor at last
opened out and the arrows took a new course, now leading
the professor to the right. A pair of sliding doors
opened silently as he approached.
The histrionics continue for over an
hour. The man with no name (as Veronica likes to refer
to him) draws yet more air into his lungs, but before he
can speak, Veronica asks casually, "Ok, now explain one
more time, who is Atrus exactly?" She pulls over a chair
and sits down, crossing her legs and folding her hands
over her knee, she appears to be listening attentively.
Those that know her would know
better.
quote:
By the way, while you're there, can you check if the
Releeshahn (thanks Merlin) book is still there? And
did Atrus and Catherine install a sprinkler system
after the J'nanin incident?
Sorry Chuckles. I didn't see any
sprinkler heads. Come to think of it though, the area
around the door is like a garden. Must be some way to
water it. As to the book? Stay
tuned.
_______________________________ Co-Owner
The DISCO in the Hood.
Professor T passed through the sliding
doors and found himself in a sort of darkened
amphitheatre. It was like entering the back of a vast
auditorium. There was a hushed and expectant atmosphere,
but punctuated, strangely, by a series of gentle beeps
and whirring noises. Rows of soft lights shone around
the perimeter. The foor sloped gently downward. Still
the glowing arrows led the professor forward. An
overhead light gradually brightened, just sufficient to
reveal a chair. Thietris dutifully took his seat - and
very comfortable it was too. It appeared to be made of a
soft velvet, and looked a dark purple in the dim
light.
A rectangular line of green light appeared
in front of him, outlining a sort of screen. A single
arrow came into view on the screen, pointing towards the
image of a thumbprint. The arrow began flashing.
Professor T, hesitantly, placed his paw on the
thumbprint symbol.
[This message was edited by
Thietris on Thu May 06 2004 at 08:02 AM.]
Veronica leans forward with her eyes
wide and says, "That is fascinating, really. Why
were you left behind again?" She takes an emery board
from her pocket and starts to file her nails.
The
man with no name has become very agitated, but he seems
intent on Veronica understanding his predicament. He
attempts to explain once more, however he is losing
steam.
Grizz'z eyes go immediately to the book
stand in the room that was Atrus' study. There is no
book there. He turns and looks carefull all around the
room. No books anywhere that he can see.
He
thinks for a moment, then goes to the big desk and sits
in the chair. He takes one of the pens lying on the
desk, and carefully examines the nib. It seems to have
fresh ink dried on it. Thick, black ink with a rather
pungent smell. Yeesha must still be writing
books.
Careful not to disturb anything much, he
looks in the drawers. In the bottom drawer lies a book
open to a single moving picture. Ahhhhh. This is what he
has been looking for. He looks at the picture carefully
to make sure, nods, and places his hand on it.
He
leaves an empty office behind, but there seems to be the
sound of a low chuckle in the air, and it sounds like
Yeesha's
voice.
_______________________________ Co-Owner
The DISCO in the Hood.
[This message was edited
by Grizz65 on Thu May 06 2004 at 09:03 AM.]
As soon as Professor T had applied his
paw, words appeared on the screen:
Name:
Professor Thietris Squirrel
Is this your correct
name?
Yes ----------
No
The professor touched
"Yes".
Please enter your Uru
password:
- - - - - - - - - -
A
keyboard appeared below the screen. It was constructed
entirely from lights, and was set into a flat surface in
front of the screen. The professor tapped out his
password.
Please enter your full
title:
He dutifully tapped out: "Professor
Thietris Squirrel, CEO, President and Managing Director,
Institution of Advanced Exploration of Myst
Worlds"
For a few moments, nothing happened. Then
these words appeared on the screen:
The man finally finishes speaking. He
leans back in his chair, quite satisfied with his tale
of woe.
Veronica looks up when she realizes it is
quiet and says, "So these two young guys, Billy Bob
and...eh, whatever...they were Atrus's sons." The man
nods his head slowly, reluctantly and with great
trepidation he asks, "Do you understand
now?"
Veronica grins. (yes, the grinchy one she
learned from Grizz.) "Atrus and Catherine, was that an
important part of the story. I completely missed
that part." She leans forward as if eager to hear
more.
The man looks at her .
He stands up
suddenly, sending his chair careening back against the
wall. Veronica realizes that she has just pushed him
perhaps a bit too far, as he heads towards her
menacingly.
Cruiser who along with Bren her
assistant seem to be the only ones in the *Hood*. "I
can't imagine where everyone is, I was only gone for a
few days." They head toward the eggroom for a bite to
eat, when they come upon
"Multiplication?! Honestly, I can't
believe this. The Knights can't do multiplication?
Theymust be dumber than they look. Well, I suppose I
should tell the others," thinks
Merlin.
"Speedy!"
"Hey, quiet down! You're
making my brain ring," ths Speedy.
"Sorry. You
will never guess what it is that Pinck has," thinks
Merlin.
"A bad temper?"
"No. He knows how
to do multiplication."
"WHAT!!!"
"My
reaction exactly. And if these Knights can't do
multiplication, they must be even dumber than they
appear."
"Wow."
"Well, I'm going to tell
the others. Bye."
"Bye."
Merlin relays the
same message to the others.
Merlin
(just a nickname) in the Institution and Mysti in the A&C Team Bahro
Agents Will help any one who needs help and do
anything that needs doing.
Chuckles58 sits at his desk in the
World Security Agency field office in Takotah Alley. He
has been monitoring the activities in the
Institution.
Nothing has been happening there
since the big grand opening of B.A.H.R.O. Let's see if I
can stir up a little excitement.
He hacks into
the P.A. system in Professor Theitris'
office.
You're attention please. For the
next two minutes, all chocolate products are on sale for
50% at DISCO.
Next, he dials DISCO,
knowing that Grizz and Veronica are still off on their
adventure, he hopes Kestryll will pick up the
phone.
<<<RING>>> "Hello,
DISCO, where if they don't need it, you won't have it.",
Kestryll cheerfully answers.
Yes, I just
discovered that I'm down to my last motta. If it
wouldn't be much trouble, can you have a full case
pulled to the front. I'll come pick it up this
afternoon.
"Huh? What's a motta?"
I don't
know, what's a motta with you? <Click>
Within 2
minutes, Viv appeared outside the WSA office with the
full case of motta, an invoice and a note from Kestryll
on DISCO stationery "Per your request, compliments of
Kestryll".
Doh! Stupid
frelling caller ID!
---------------------------- Master
of Manipulating Stories (MOMS) Director of
Redirecting Kinesis (DORK)
Experimental Program 1
Me too, Jade. Don't trust him!
Merlin
.
