chapter sixteen: there's been a change of plans
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Bill sat on a bench in front of the library until it opened. As he walked to the back where the computers were located, he noticed the librarian of this morning look him up and down with a "Tuh" of disapproval. That's exactly the look I get from Mum every time I refuse to let her trim my hair, he thought with a chuckle. He was thinking about how to word his next email to Katrin as he logged into the website, when he saw with some surprise that he already had an email from her.
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Alas and alack Mon, 03 August ---- 20:14:21 Katrin <[email protected]> Bill <[email protected]> |
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| Bill,
Or should I call you Indy? Where did you come up with that one? :) Unfortunately, it looks like I won't be able to see you before you go back to England. I spoke to my father tonight. There's some sort of family emergency back home, so I have to head out tomorrow morning. I'm not even sure if I'll be back by this coming weekend in time for Faire. I had lots of fun today, and I wish we could have had more time to hang out before you left. I hope you don't think it too forward of me to ask that we keep in touch. I'm guessing the librarian was Gertrude. She has that 'Authority Without Words' look to her. Course, that might just be a librarian thing. Out of curiosity, who is Madame Pince? Take Care, |
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Bill chuckled half-heartedly. She sure is funny. Strange that she's got to leave too. Still dwelling on the irony of it all, he hit reply.
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"Message for you, sir!" Katrin hit her head on the inside of the cupboard she was digging through. She looked at the clock and saw that the library was probably open. Her sock-clad feet slid on the floor as she scampered around the counter to get to her laptop.
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Re: Alas and alack Tues, 04 August ---- 09:13:47 Bill <[email protected]> Katrin <[email protected]> |
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| Good morning,
I find it extremely ironic that you sent that email telling me you are heading out of town. I'll be leaving later this morning as well. I received a message last night from back home. I guess my work needs me for some emergency meeting. So much for a vacation. I hope you are able to make it back next weekend for your Faire though, even if I won't be here to follow you from gig to gig. :) In any case, I would like to keep in touch as well. Hopefully I can find a place back home that has this Internet as well. The movie on the plane ride over was something called 'Indiana Jones'. I felt a little like him as I was gallivanting through the woods on Sunday. And, though I'm not an archaeologist, I did spend a great deal of time in Egypt over the past few years. I actually heard there are two other films about him! Definitely a librarian thing. The one this morning gave me quite the look over. I guess I'm not dressed appropriately. :) Madame Pince was the librarian at my school. Actually, that should be is not was. She's still there... has been for ages. What was that quote at the end of your email for? It was really funny. I hope your family thing gets solved quickly and that everyone is all right. Bill |
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Katrin smiled ruefully. There must be something in the air for both of us to be having problems at home. Though I doubt his work's emergency is anything like what I'll be dealing with. I'm so disappointed though... he's such a funny guy. Sweet too. I would have liked to get to know him more in person rather than have him become an email pen pal. She sighed and tried to push the insecurity and disappointment away.
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"Well that went completely over my head," Bill muttered to himself. He had been reading about the history of the Internet. "I wonder what the magical equivalent of this would be. If I didn't know better, I would think it is a sort of magic in itself. Muggles and their crazy ideas..." He looked at the clock and saw he'd been at the library for about an hour. I should probably get going now. Hopefully that owl has had enough of a rest to be up for Apparating almost halfway around the world. He logged back into the site to check his email one more time.
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Re: Alas and alack Tues, 04 August ---- 09:39:16 Katrin <[email protected]> Bill <[email protected]> |
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| Hey Bill,
Ironic indeed. I'm sorry your vacation is getting cut short. I hope whatever is going on gets solved quickly enough. Maybe they'll let you finish it up after. I find it so strange that you'd never been online before yesterday! I know the rest of the world isn't as connected as we are over here, but wow. Makes me think that I'm a bit dependent on the technology. <grin> My parents would have a fit if I told them that. When you get back home, you should look for an Internet Café. They aren't free like at a library, but they aren't too expensive either. You've never seen the other Indiana Jones movies?? Wow. Just so you know, the third one is the best. Harrison Ford and Sean Connery. What more could you ask for? You do kind of dress like Indy though. Except you need the hat. I would love to hear more about this school of yours. Your teachers sound like absolute characters. It is rare to hear about a place full of vibrant personalities. Most people around here seem to try to fit into a mould of some sort. That's what I love about Alistair's. The Aunts revel in their uniqueness, and they encourage that in everyone they meet. The quote is usually called a sig line. That's something that is automatically put into the body of an email. Business people will put their contact information, but I just use a quote that I change every couple of days. Keeps things from being too mundane. Well, I'd best finish packing. Have a safe journey home. Katrin |
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Bill made a mental note to find out who Sean Connery was, and why he and Harrison Ford were everything to be wanted. Hmm... If I only knew what the problem is at Gringotts. But if it has anything to do with You-Know-Who, as I suspect, there won't be a quick and easy solution...
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"Come on... come on... no not that one..." Katrin was frantically clicking her mouse. She had almost topped her high score when her computer yelled, "MESSAGE FOR YOU, SIR!" She jumped a mile, lost the game, and quickly returned the volume to a normal level. Something she had forgotten to do earlier. She looked at the clock and realised she had been playing Snood for nearly half an hour without even thinking twice. "Oops. I was only going to play one round. They should have warned me this game is addictive." Last week, the Aunts had all emailed her the trial version within fifteen minutes of each other, each including a message that read something to the effect of "We were talking and thought you'd like this game. So here you go." She did like it, made a nice change from solitaire, but it had the potential of being a real time waster. Closing the game, she opened her email.
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Date: From: To: |
Re: Alas and alack Tues, 04 August ----, 10:04:42 Bill <[email protected]> Katrin <[email protected]> |
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Hi Katrin, I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but where I'm from we're not really into the whole technology thing. I'm not sure if it is because we're too steeped in tradition, because we're terrified of change, or if our way really is more efficient (ha ha). I just spent the past hour or so reading about the how the Internet got started. To be honest, I didn't understand most of it. It doesn't really matter though. Thanks for the tip on the Internet Cafés. The professors are definitely unique. I could probably write a book about their 'uniqueness'. I'm sure someone already has. Speaking of your Aunts, I told Nell that I'd be stopping in again before I left, but that won't happen now. Since you'll likely see her before I do, will you tell her I send my apologies? You have a safe journey as well, to wherever home is for you. I don't know when I'll be able to check this next, but let me know that you arrived safely. :) Well, I'm off to the land across the ocean. Hope I hear from you soon! Cheers, |
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Katrin sighed as she put that one in her newly created 'Indy' folder. She looked at the clock again, then shut her computer down before returning to her bedroom to finish the packing she mentioned half an hour ago. I had best get cracking if I want to get out of here by eleven, she thought. Not that I really need to pack all that much, considering we'll be in 'full regalia' most of the time. Blah.
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Bill gave a final swish of his wand and all evidence of his 'campsite' was completely gone. The owl perched on a low branch in a tree gave a soft hoot of approval. Bill slung his pouch over his shoulder. "Well," he asked the owl, "I'm as ready as I'm going to get. Are you?" The owl fluttered down to a log at Bill's feet. He gently picked it up and cradled it in one arm. With a word and a popping sound, Bill and the owl disappeared.
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Disclaimer: Labyrinth is copyright by The Jim Henson Company, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. I make no claims at ownership of them, and I hope I make no offence by borrowing them and letting my imagination take them on a side trip.