Sime/Gen Roleplaying: Two Roads Diverged Scenario
Episode #31: Long-Winded (6/24/98)
Eliza looks at Tanzarra. "Was that too strong?"
Eliza hopes that Tanzarra is holding her head and moaning for another reason.
Tanzarra: Umm, a little.
Eliza: Shall I try again or have you had enough for this morning?
Eliza: ~ concern ~
Tanzarra: Maybe if you tried to keep some of what you're feeling from showing through?
Eliza: I do try though! ~ frustration ~
Tanzarra is trying not to upset Eliza.
Tanzarra: I know.
Eliza: I'm just hopeless
Eliza: Drat it!
Tanzarra: The more you practice the easier it will get.
Eliza: That's true. I never used to even do as much as I can do now. But it does get tiring after awhile.
Tanzarra: The main problem is that when you do react, it is so sudden there is no warning.
Tausche walks past Eliza and Tanzarra and then stops, watching them curiously.
Eliza considers this.
Eliza: I don't see how I can give a warning when I don't even know I'm doing it.
Tausche enjoys taking a walk on the mainstreet boulevard for this very reason... there are always fascinating people to stare at.
Eliza sees someone staring, and, in her best B'cal fashion, stares back.
Tanzarra: If you can somehow hold your reaction a fraction before expressing it that might help with control.
Tausche waves.
Eliza blinks, then hesitantly waves back.
Tausche gives the impression that he doesn't even realize they are real; it's more like he is watching the animals at a zoo, from behind a barrier, or something.
Eliza: Zarra, do you know that person?
Tausche is an older renSime male wearing a long coat and carrying a bag of bread crumbs.
Tanzarra turns and smiles, as it's apparent that ignoring the person didn't work.
Tanzarra: No.
Tausche beams, apparently delighted at having gotten a personal reaction from the exhibits.
Eliza: [whispers] What's he staring at?
Tausche sits down on a convenient park bench and settles in to enjoy the show.
Tanzarra zlins him.
Eliza checks to make sure all their buttons are properly buttoned and nothing is on backwards.
Tausche: ~~good natured enjoyment~~
Tausche: [pigeons start flocking over to his bench by ones and twos, expecting some of the breadcrumbs]
Tanzarra: [to Eliza] I think he's staring at us. He zlins harmless. He seems to be enjoying watching us.
Eliza: ~ uncomfortable ~
Eliza: I don't think I can concentrate any more while he is watching Zarra. Maybe we should leave or something?
Tanzarra zlins Eliza'a discomfort and moves a little closer to her.
Tanzarra: Why does he make you uncomfortable?
Eliza: Maybe you should introduce yourself as one of the town's new channels!
Tanzarra: Good idea, come on.
Tausche tosses bread crumbs to the pigeons, and is soon surrounded by 2 or 3 hundred of the birds.
Tanzarra goes over to where the renSime is sitting.
Tausche nods and grins and waves some more, from across the moat of pigeons.
Eliza wades through the birds after her.
Tanzarra stands a short distance from him as there are so many birds now it's impossible to get much closer.
Tausche: Hello! [calls over the hubbub of cooing and flapping]
Tanzarra: Good morning. [to renSime]
Tausche has pigeons standing on his arms, head and shoulders.
Tanzarra: You seem to have some company.
Tausche: A beautiful day, isn't it?
Eliza: Lots of it [adds while shooing away the pigeons that are pecking at her feet]
Tausche scatters more breadcrumbs, resulting in a frantic pushing, scrambling, flapping, and shoving among the masses.
Tausche smiles.
Tanzarra: Yes it is. I would like to introduce myself.
Eliza notices how plump and well fed the chickens, errr, pigeons are.
Tanzarra: I am Tanzarra, one of the channels here. And this is Eliza.
Eliza pulls her eyes away from the juicy looking birds.
Tausche: Ah, I see, very good. Welcome to Vortez Lake.
Eliza: Hello.
Tausche: I am Tausche LeSavre, retiree.
Tanzarra: Thank you.
Tausche likes to say "retiree" because it sounds better than "ex-librarian".
Eliza remembers how they use to have chickens and it was John's job to kill them and her job to pluck them and how good they tasted despite all that.
Tanzarra: Have you live here long?
Tausche: All my life. [beams]
Tausche is not unique in this; in fact a huge percentage of Vortex Lakers are lifers.
Tanzarra: So you would know everybody here?
Tausche: Oh... yes, yes, I know a good number of folks around here.
Tausche: Where have you come from?
Tanzarra: Umm, well, I have been traveling and Eliza here....
Eliza wonders what her chances are of catching, preparing, cooking and eating one of these plump, succulent birds without being caught.
Tanzarra looks to Eliza because she's not sure how to answer.
Tanzarra: ~~ repulsion ~~
Tanzarra looks at Eliza.
Tausche recoils at Tanzarra's sudden negative emotion.
Tanzarra: ~~ quick control ~~
Eliza: Umm what?
Tanzarra: I am so sorry about that.
Eliza drags herself back into the here and now.
Tausche looks surprised.
Tausche: Oh... no no, quite all right.
Tausche thinks out-of-towners are a surprise a minute.
Eliza: What? ~ confused ~
Eliza: Oh, I'm from Bender Cove.
Tanzarra: [whispered] You were projecting you desire to eat....
Eliza: Well, I'm not FROM Bender Cove... what?
Tanzarra points at a passing bird.
Eliza sighs. "Sorry. I was just thinking about... errr, never mind."
Tanzarra: Don't worry about it. I should have been more prepared.
Tausche: Bender Cove, ah, yes, my brother in law's son in law's cousin was from there. A lovely town.
Eliza: Oh? What was his name?
Tausche always thought his brother in law's son in law's cousin's stories were a bit colorful but you have to indulge these people sometimes.
Tausche: Boofay Loofan.
Tausche: Of the Fumbucker Loofans.
Tanzarra: So Tausche, You probably know most of the area here as well.
Tanzarra [looking out over the horizon]
Tausche looks up at Tanzarra. "Yes, I do know it pretty well."
Tausche: Grew up here, and all.
Eliza: We went through Fumbuck!
Eliza: Stayed with Titty Fumbuck.
Tausche squints, then grins and nods.
Tausche: "Oh, Titty, yes, she's an old friend of the family."
Tausche: A very nice lady, and talented as well.
Tanzarra just listens as she has never heard of these people or the town.
Tausche: Well, if you two know Titty, you're practically family yourselves!
Eliza: You might know Snake then! Or Sky, her brother?
Tausche scratches his head, dislodging some pigeons who come flapping back to land on his tentacles.
Eliza: Hey, I remember Boofay - he worked at the Center I worked at for awhile!
Tanzarra: Ah, actually I don't know her, I have only just joined Eliza and Snake.
Tausche: No, don't say as I know... well, young Boofay told a story or two about a rogue named Wise Snake.
Eliza wonders that he doesn't worry about the sharp pigeon claws near his laterals.
Tanzarra is quite content to listen as these two talk old times.
Eliza: He probably meant Snake, don't know why people call her rogue though.
Tanzarra is drifting off remembering her good old times before....
Tausche folds up his empty paper crumb bag.
Eliza: We are working here until the Tecton channel arrives. In the Town Hall.
Tausche: I read about that in the newspaper.
Eliza: If you need the services of a channel or anything, please drop in and see us.
Tausche: Thank you, I'll be sure to do that. [smiles, and then stands up, scattering pigeons]
Eliza nudges Zarra.
Tanzarra remembers the weekend trips with here family in places similar to this. Only there were no Simes of course.
Tausche turns and walks off down the path, humming to himself and adjusting his white-spattered hat.
Eliza waves bye to Tausche.
Tanzarra jolts slightly out of her rememberings.
Tanzarra: Oh, goodbye, nice to meet you.
Eliza: It is a lovely day. Lets go for a walk.
Tanzarra: Yes that would be nice.
Tanzarra: You pick the direction.
Tanzarra smiles at Eliza.
Eliza turns to walk away from the center of the town.
Tanzarra turns and follows.
Aniselvia rushes up to Tanzarra.
Eliza jumps back in panic. "Zarra!"
Aniselvia is a middle aged... well, maybe somewhat older than middle aged, but trying to appear merely middle aged... Gen lady wearing purple.
Aniselvia: Oh, a channel! I'm saved, oh can you help me?
Aniselvia clings to Tanzarra's arm. [above the elbow]
Eliza looks around to see if there is a chasing junct.
Tanzarra: ~~shields ~~
Aniselvia: ~relief~
Aniselvia's nager is a GN-3, semi-low field, not particularly any more disruptive than any other Gen's nager.
Tanzarra stiffens but keeps controlled.
Eliza: What's the matter?
Tanzarra: Are you all right?
Aniselvia: ~~perfectly healthy if a bit distraught~~
Tanzarra zlins around for what has upset this Gen so.
Aniselvia: My little dog, he's missing!
Aniselvia: ~very worried about the dog~
Eliza: Oh dear. What did you dog look like?
Tanzarra: ~~ relief that it's not something worse ~~
Eliza wonders how this Gen knew that Zarra was a channel.
Tanzarra: Calm down. Please.
Tanzarra tries to recover her arm from the distraught woman.
Aniselvia: Well, he's about this long... [holding hands to show] and he's got long fluffy white fur. He answers to "Foofie".
Aniselvia: Oh, I'm so glad I found you.
Eliza: Foofie. When did you see Foofie last?
Eliza didn't know that Zarra was lost.
Aniselvia: ~pathetic relief, and belief in the almighty Tecton~
Aniselvia lets go of Tanzarra's arm when Tanzarra starts tugging.
Aniselvia wrings her own hands instead.
Tanzarra: Well. How can I help?
Eliza: Maybe an ad in the paper?
Aniselvia: Oh no, no, you don't understand. That could take days!
Aniselvia: My little Foofie needs his medication... and he'd be so lonely without me!
Tanzarra: This is only a small town, he couldn't have strayed far.
Eliza: Where and when did you see him last?
Aniselvia: He was in my back yard, and now he's gone. [unhappily]
Eliza: Oh, when was that?
Aniselvia: This morning, when I let him out... around 4.
Tanzarra steps a little closer to Eliza for support.
Eliza: I guess you have gone around calling him?
Eliza: ~ support ~
Tanzarra: You must try to calm down a bit more.
Aniselvia starts crying.
Aniselvia: Of course I tried calling him... I've tried everything. I just don't know what else to do!
Eliza looks at Zarra apologetically and puts her arm around the Gen woman.
Eliza: There there, I'm sure Foofie will come back.
Tanzarra steps back a little.
Tanzarra: ~~ on edge ~~
Tanzarra: Umm. Have you tried you neighbours?
Aniselvia: Yes, yes... I tried Bonnie and Mari and Tuib Reelon....
Tanzarra: Ok. Well we could try the local authorities.
Aniselvia: They're no help! They're just mindless puppets.
Aniselvia gasps and claps her hands over her mouth as she realizes what she said.
Aniselvia: Oh dear....
Tanzarra looks surprised at Eliza, although she does agree.
Aniselvia: The channels are the only ones that have ever really helped our town. Please help me, hajene!
Tanzarra: Is there a pound of sorts where lost pets are taken?
Eliza: Do you have an animal shelter?
Eliza looks at Zarra suspiciously. She always suspected that channels could read minds.
Aniselvia: I tried them!
Aniselvia actually tried them so many times that the shelter people told her kindly to go away, and that somebody would let her know if Foofie turned up there.
Tanzarra: Ok. Well... [looking at Eliza] we were going to go for a walk, so we could do a bit of a door knock.
Eliza: I think maybe you should go home and have a cup of tea and wait for them to call you then.
Aniselvia looks despairing.
Aniselvia: Well... if you think....
Tanzarra: If you tell us where you live we can let you know if we find you dog.
Aniselvia's hands clutch each other consolingly.
Aniselvia: Well, I live on 4th street, 4th and Beechnut.
Tanzarra: You never know, by the time you get home he might be there waiting.
Eliza: If you like to go to the Town Hall and see the channel there, Hajene Farris, I'm sure she would give you something for your nerves.
Tanzarra: Yes, she will help you.
Aniselvia: Well... thank you... thank you then.
Aniselvia doesn't want something for her nerves, she wants her little dog back.
Aniselvia can't bear the thought of being turned down by another channel as well.
Aniselvia turns dejectedly to leave.
Tanzarra: If we hear anything we'll let you know straight away.
Reelon comes running up towards them, puffing hard.
Reelon: Sel... Sel...
Reelon: [puff puff puff]
Aniselvia: Oh, Tuib Reelon.
Tanzarra thinks, for a small town it's hectic.
Tanzarra zlins the newcomer.
Tanzarra looks at Eliza and sighs.
Aniselvia looks anxiously at Reelon, hoping he has good news.
Aniselvia: What is it?
Reelon: Foofie, found Foofie.
Reelon gets his breath back.
Reelon: He's been hurt, kicked by a horse we think.
Aniselvia: Oh no!!!!
Aniselvia shrieks in dismay.
Aniselvia: Oh, take me to him, do!
Reelon grabs Aniselvia's hand and drags her back towards her home.
Aniselvia clutches Reelon's arm in a paroxysm of anxiety.
Foofie whines.
Foofie likes the attention he gets when he whines.
Tanzarra is concerned at the worry in Eliza'a field.
Eliza: I'm sure the dog will be okay.
Tanzarra: [not to mention the erratic emotions of Aniselvia.]
Tanzarra: Are there any vets in town?
Eliza hears a distant rumble.
Eliza: I think it's going to storm.
Eliza: Look at the sky - it's green!
Eliza: ~ nervous ~
Tanzarra: That doesn't look good, we better head back to City Hall.
Eliza doesn't wait to be told twice.
Eliza: [people are shutting windows and bringing in outdoor furniture all down the street.]
Tanzarra watches as Aniselvia and Reelon rush off in the other direction.
Eliza: Come on Zarra!
Eliza: [it starts to rain, big heavy lumps of rain]
Tanzarra: Okay.
Tanzarra catches up to Eliza quickly.
Eliza runs as fast as she can towards the center of town, but is soon soaked to the skin.
Eliza and Tanzarra reach the bottom of the stairs just as a huge crack of thunder is heard.
Eliza levitates up the stairs.
Eliza stops under the awning and peers out into the sudden darkness.
Eliza: Cripes that came on quick!
Eliza pulls open the door and goes, dripping, into the lobby.
Tanzarra clears the stairs quickly and stands beside Eliza.
Eliza: We better check that Snake and the others are here.
Eliza runs towards the Mayor's office.
Eliza: Snake! You there?
Wise Snake is there.
Tanzarra walks in after Eliza and heads for the nearest room to check on the windows.
Eliza opens the office door and peeks in.
Wise Snake is stuffing some papers in a small satchel.
Wise Snake: Ah, Eliza. [nearly inaudible over the storm]
Eliza: ~ fear/excitement under a superficial layer of control ~
Eliza: Snake! There is a big storm. The sky is all green! Do you know where Linn and Nick and Griff are?
Eliza is all for running back out in it to look for them.
Wise Snake: They're at the place.
Wise Snake: Come on, we should get into the basement.
Eliza: Maybe we should go get them!
Eliza: Basement! But we won't see anything from the basement!
Wise Snake picks up the medical satchel, the other medical satchel supposed to be for Eliza and Tanzarra, the bag of papers and a half eaten apple that was on the desk.
Wise Snake: Can you open that window for me please? [pointing to a window on the other side of the office]
Tanzarra is going from room to room closing the shutters.
Eliza: Sure!
Wise Snake opens the other window about 6 inches letting rain and wind in.
Eliza runs over and struggles to open the window, peering out into the confusion.
Eliza: Boy it's windy!
Wise Snake: Come on.
Wise Snake: Who else is here? Just Tanzarra? [zlins]
Wise Snake: Get Tanzarra and follow me.
Eliza cups her hands against the glass to see out better.
Wise Snake had previously located the way to the basement as a natural precaution against having only 1 exit.
Eliza keeps looking for just a little longer....
Wise Snake Tanzarra! Come on.
Wise Snake goes down into the basement and dumps all the stuff in the northwest corner.
Eliza reluctantly moves away from the window. Surely that couldn't have been a little dog blowing down the street?
Tanzarra decides the widows are probably best left open and leaves to join Eliza and Snake.
Eliza follows Zarra and Snake down to the basement.
Eliza: It's much quieter down here, isn't it? ~ disappointed ~
Eliza: I hope the horses will be okay!
Wise Snake: Ah, good, you're both here.
Eliza fidgets and looks up the staircase.
Eliza: I bet Griff loves this.
Eliza also bets that Griff has a much better view.
Tanzarra: It's getting quite heavy out there.
Wise Snake peers around to locate the basement's tiny windows, then seats herself on the basement floor some distance from any window, her knees tucked up with her arms protected between them and her body.
Wise Snake: Yeah, it sounds pretty bad.
Wise Snake: Eliza, Tanzarra, come sit down by me.
Eliza: Do you think there will be a twister! ~ high excitement ~
Eliza: We had one near us once and we all had to sit in the cellar, but in the end it didn't come close.
Eliza sounds disappointed that her house wasn't destroyed.
Wise Snake considers.
Tanzarra goes to sit where Snake indicated.
Eliza: I don't remember it 'cause I was only young.
Eliza sits down, then stands up and pokes around.
Eliza: Hey, there are some odd things down here.
Wise Snake has little technical knowledge of storms, and used to enjoy them as a child living wild on the streets.
Wise Snake's recent year spent as a channel, seeing many ugly accidents and injuries resulting from storms, has taught her a new way to feel about storms... very cautious.
Wise Snake looks at Eliza.
Eliza pokes amongst the old boxes and trunks.
Wise Snake: Oh?
Eliza pulls out what doesn't look totally unlike a crown.
Eliza brushes some of the dust off it.
Eliza: Wow!
Wise Snake thinks, maybe costumes for city-sponsored parades.
Wise Snake: What else is in there?
Wise Snake thinks, if she can't get Eliza to stay in the safest corner of the basement, she can at least keep her distracted from the idea of going upstairs.
Wise Snake: [because if she goes up there, Snake is not going to go up there to fetch her]
Eliza digs deeper and pulls out in quick succession a moth-eaten cloak, a whip, a stick with a star shape stuck on the end of it, some "wings" that are a few feathers short and what looks like a rifle.
Eliza: Lots of stuff!
Eliza sneezes at the dust.
Eliza: [the storm gets closer]
Eliza tries the wings on. They are lopsided.
Eliza opens another box and is disappointed when it's just full of papers.
Eliza pulls a few out but finds that she can't read what they say.
Eliza: Here Snake, can you read this?
Tanzarra just sits and watches Eliza, bemused.
Wise Snake: Bring them over here.
Eliza holds the papers out to Snake.
Eliza: [loud crash of thunder immediately over head]
Wise Snake reflexively snatches her arms back at the sound of the thunder.
Eliza jumps the intervening space.
Eliza: ~ holy shen! ~
Eliza: [the basement goes as dark as night]
Tanzarra thinks Eliza looks kind of cute, sort of.
Wise Snake: Come here, Eliza. Sit down by us.
Eliza feels and fumbles her way over, tripping over one of them and sitting down suddenly.
Eliza: Sorry!
Wise Snake: Tanzarra, make sure to keep your arms covered.
Tanzarra: ~~ stiffens at Eliza's reaction ~~
Eliza puts her hands between her knees too.
Eliza: [whispers] It's dark, isn't it?
Tanzarra takes Snake's advice and covers her arms.
Tanzarra reaches out and takes her hand.
Tanzarra: It's OK, I can zlin where you are.
Eliza: Yeah, but I can't!
Eliza leans against one of them, thinks it's Zarra.
Eliza: [hopes it's Zarra, can imagine Snake's reaction if it isn't]
Eliza: [everything goes quiet except for the moaning sound of the wind]
Wise Snake bows her head over her knees, and tries to think about something else.
Wise Snake keeps her arms tucked up inside.
Eliza shivers, as much with excitement as fear.
Tanzarra zlins Eliza'a excitement.
Eliza yells to be heard over the wind "How long do you think it will last?"
Tanzarra: This is a bit wild isn't it?
Eliza wishes it were lighter so she could see.
Tanzarra: I have no idea. What do you think, Snake? [yelled above the noise]
Eliza: [things get lighter, much to her surprise]
Wise Snake: ~~I'm very very small and I'm not here~~
Eliza: [the noise level starts to drop too.]
Eliza jumps up and runs towards the window.
Wise Snake would have waited a bit longer, herself.
Wise Snake: [and does]
Tanzarra reaches out to grab Eliza.
Tanzarra: Hey, keep away from the widows.
Eliza: I just want to see if it's gone.
Tanzarra: Well it's not, come back here.
Eliza climbs up on a box and stands on tip toe to look out, but can't reach the high window.
Tanzarra: ~~ panic at what could happen ~~
Eliza jumps down and starts to head back.
Eliza's attention is grabbed by the boxes again.
Eliza: I'll be okay over here.
Eliza opens another one and gasps.
Eliza: Hey! Look at this!
Tanzarra: Will you please come here.
Eliza: Zarra! Look at this!
Tanzarra: ~~ forcefully ~~
Tanzarra: The storm is not over.
Eliza holds up a long, more then slightly crushed, gown.
Tanzarra: We can look at things later.
Eliza: Oh okay! As if anything is going to happen down here!
Tanzarra: ~~ nervous tension rising ~~
Wise Snake: ~~ calm/serious ~~
Wise Snake: Tanzarra, just sit and wait.
Wise Snake glances at Eliza, hoping Eliza will give in to Tanzarra's request.
Tanzarra: ~~calmer ~~
Tanzarra: Eliza, will you please come and sit down.
Tanzarra zlins Eliza as she toys with the gown.
Wise Snake glances at Tanzarra.
Eliza: [just then the window breaks as something hits it from the street]
Wise Snake jerks away from the sound, shocked, and reflexively curls up against possible fragments.
Eliza runs back to the Channels.
Tanzarra recoils from the direction of the window and curls up.
Wise Snake starts sweating and stressing out.
Wise Snake: Eliza, sit down and stay down.
Wise Snake: Right there, next to Tanzarra.
Eliza sits obediently.
Eliza: ~ support ~
Eliza: It's only a storm, we are safe down here. [voice shaking a little]
Eliza is still clutching the red gown.
Eliza: [individual sounds start to be heard over the growling of the storm]
Eliza: [dog barking, someone yelling]
Wise Snake: Do you remember, Eliza, in your book about the lives of the great Companions?
Tanzarra nestles into Eliza.
Eliza: What part?
Wise Snake: Sergei, Risa Tigue's companion? He found her after his other channel died.
Tanzarra keeps here arms securely folded against her body.
Eliza: Risa, that name seems familiar. What happened?
Eliza: Oh! Wasn't Risa junct?
Wise Snake: His other channel died when glass, shattered and blown on the wind, tore apart his his laterals.
Eliza: ~ horror ~
Wise Snake: Now, are you going to play the distractable child, playing about in grandma's attic, or are you going to protect the channel you'd been assigned?
Tanzarra: ~~ panics at the thought and decides to stop zlinning~~
Tanzarra decides she really doesn't want to think of things like that.
Eliza wonders what she is supposed to do.
Wise Snake: Well?
Eliza: I'll stay here. I'm sorry Snake, Zarra.
Wise Snake: Fine. Now keep your nager calm and controlled, and keep yourself between Tanzarra and the window.
Wise Snake: And don't risk yourself either. What would a channel do without her Companion?
Eliza moves over so that she is between the window and the two channels.
Eliza: I'm sorry.
Wise Snake: Don't be sorry, be a solid, working Donor.
Wise Snake stops short of shrieking at Eliza that she should be calmer.
Eliza: ~ remorse ~
Wise Snake grits her teeth, then says evenly, "Good. Now make your nager supportive, instead of guilty."
Eliza: Would you like to hear a story?
Eliza: ~ support ~
Eliza: ~ soothing ~
Wise Snake puts her head down again as Eliza obeys.
Eliza thinks maybe she can take their mind off things with a story.
Eliza: Once there was this rich man and he had a lovely wife. And one day a beggar came to beg at their kitchen door.
Eliza: But the cook threw him out in the snow and refused to give him anything to eat. The beggar was a clever man and said "well, can I have some hot water?" and the cook said "what for?"
Eliza: And the beggar said "well, I have this stone here, and if I had some hot water I could make stone soup."
Eliza: "Stone soup?" the cook said. "You can't make soup from a stone!"
Eliza: "Oh yes you can," said the beggar. "Let me in and I'll show you."
Tanzarra still feels nervous about the storm, but is intrigued by the idea of stone soup.
Eliza: So the cook let him into the nice warm kitchen. "Go on then, let me see how you make stone soup!"
Eliza: The beggar organised a great big pot full of water to be put on the fire. Then he gently placed the stone in it.
Eliza: "Now we wait."
Eliza: Soon the water began to boil.
Eliza: "Is it done yet?" asked the cook.
Eliza: The beggar takes a spoon and sips at the water. "Ummm not yet."
Eliza: They wait a bit longer.
Eliza: "Is it done yet?" asks the cook again.
Eliza: The beggar sips the soup again and smacks his lips. "You know, it could do with a few onions."
Eliza: Quickly the cook calls for the onions to be cut up and the beggar puts the in the pot with the stone and stirs it.
Eliza: After a few minutes he tastes it again.
Eliza: "Ummm, could do with just a few carrots, and maybe a parsnip."
Eliza: Quickly the cook calls for some carrots and parsnips and the beggar ads them to the pot.
Eliza: He stirs it around then tastes it again.
Eliza: "Ummm, just a little bit of me... errr"
Eliza stops.
Eliza: Hey, the storm has stopped!
Wise Snake had been wondering just what kind of idiot this cook was.
Tanzarra: I don't know, the air seems too still.
Eliza would get up and look out the window but....
Eliza: Okay, well, the beggar added the, err other ingredient. "But," he said, "not to much! Don't want to drown out the flavour of the soup."
Tanzarra gently clutches at Eliza to keep her from getting up.
Eliza: Then he added some salt and pepper, stirred it a bit and it's okay Zarra I'm not going anywhere, declares the soup done.
Tanzarra: ~~ relieved ~~
Tanzarra: I can't zlin much outside, Snake. Can you tell if anything's happening out there?
Eliza: The cook sat down with the beggar, a big bowl of stone soup in front of each of them, and they proceeded to eat.
Eliza: The cook couldn't believe it.
Wise Snake: Would you two relax? We've been here for 10 minutes and you've already asked that 3 times.
Eliza wishes Nick were here to settle Snake down.
Wise Snake's experience suggests that severe-wind weather generally lasts 2-4 hours.
Eliza: Well, the cook couldn't believe it. "Soup from a stone! Well I never would have believed it!"
Eliza: The beggar ate hungrily.
Wise Snake thinks this cook was thicker than bricks.
Eliza: The cook takes another sip of soup.
Tanzarra: Sorry, Snake. I guess I'm a bit edgy.
Eliza: Then, the cook realises that he has been had!
Tanzarra tries to settle and takes some deep breaths.
Eliza: He jumps up, grabs the beggar and drags him up into the house, to where the lord and lady are sitting with their son.
Eliza: ~ soothing support ~
Eliza: ~ I'm here ~
Tanzarra: ~~ relaxes ~~
Eliza: The cook quickly tells them that the beggar is a scoundrel and a thief.
Eliza: "Really?" said the lord. "He smells," said the lord's son.
Eliza: "I'm a beggar, it's my job to smell" explained the beggar.
Eliza: "Well," said the lord, "We could boil you in oil, but you would probably make the oil bad. Is there anything you can do to pay for the soup?"
Eliza: "I can do magic."
Eliza: "Show us." commanded the lord.
Eliza: The thief reaches into his coat and pulls out a large golden ball.
Eliza: "Ohhh," said the lord's son. "That's pretty, give it to me!"
Eliza: The beggar throws the ball into the air and it disappears amongst the rafters.
Eliza: "Oh, bring it back!" said the lad.
Eliza: "You heard him," said the lord. "Give the boy the ball."
Eliza: The beggar looks very sad.
Eliza: "I'm afraid I can't give it to him," he says, "but he can climb up and get it."
Eliza: With that, the beggar throws a rope into the air and it stays there.
Tanzarra is picturing the ball vanishing into thin air.
Eliza: The lord, the lady, the lad and the cook all look into the air in amazement.
Eliza: "But the boy can't climb a rope," said the lady.
Eliza: "No," said the beggar, "but he can climb a rope ladder."
Eliza: Saying this, he takes the rope in his two hands and pulls it apart and it becomes a rope ladder.
Eliza: The young lordling runs over and quickly begins to climb.
Eliza: "Oh, do be careful, son," said the mother.
Eliza: "Yes boy, take care," said the father.
Eliza: But the boy just kept going up and up.
Eliza: It wasn't long before he was lost in the darkness and smoke of the rafters.
Eliza: Then....
Eliza pauses for dramatic effect.
Eliza: Look! [points to the window]
Wise Snake looks at the window.
Tanzarra looks over as well.
Eliza yawns behind her hand.
Wise Snake looks at Eliza wondering what that was all about.
Wise Snake: What?
Tanzarra: What?
Eliza: I thought I saw something.
Eliza: [yawns again]
Wise Snake sighs and lays her head on her knees again.
Eliza: I'm hungry, I don't suppose we can go up and get something to eat?
Wise Snake: ~disappointed~
Eliza: I mean, it's pretty quiet.
Wise Snake reaches out and picks up the piece of apple she'd brought down with them, and hands it to Eliza.
Eliza looks at the apple with the fang marks in it.
Wise Snake is unaware of any significance the Ancients may have placed on the giving of apples to young women by snakes.
Tanzarra is feeling the pangs of Eliza's hunger.
Tanzarra hopes that the apple is enough for a while.