A Count and a Clip
Jul. 18th, 2007 04:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cathschaffstumpToday was mostly revision.
Here's the count.
Stephan was standing in the corridor, outside of one of the compartments that held few students. Mostly the inhabitants were older men with papers, on their way to offices, he was sure. They were moving east. The countryside was becoming greener, softer. Students funneled back and forth, looking for food. He supposed he would have to go back to his car, if for no other reason than to retrieve his things when the train stopped and they switched. Right now, he would spend as much of the journey as he could here.
“There you are!”
Shari Pitch. Apparently books weren’t the only things she put her nose in. “Here I am. Does it follow you must be here too?”
She raised her eyebrows. “They really are idiots. I can’t blame you for looking for some place quiet.”
“What are you looking for?”
“You can’t read in there.”
Stephan glanced at the thick book she carried, her index finger marking her spot. It was an ancient history, The Occult of the Roman Empire. “That’s a rather ambitious book.”
She shrugged. “I like history. I like dead magic and languages.”
Stephan rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. “There’s someone I might introduce you to, then. My cousin has an interest in hieroglyphics and can read them.”
“Oh,” she said. Her eyes flashed with interest. “You? You know something about black magic, don’t you? I can tell. You didn’t believe anything Laurence and Eustace were saying in there because it was all rubbish, right?”
“How do you know?”
Stephan stopped himself. Errol was coming down the corridor cat-less. He’d ask about that later. Errol bowed to Shari. “I am glad to see you’re meeting people, Stephan.”
“Shari Pitch,” said Stephan. “Reader of dead languages. Interested in dark magic.”
“Binding specifically. We’ve met,” said Errol. “Our grandmothers know each other. One of your father’s friends?”
“No,” said Stephan. “Her interest in binding and so forth seems to be genuine rather than fabricated.”
Errol’s look was neutral. “Pastime or preparation?” he asked Shari Pitch.
“Ambition,” Shari said.
“Ah,” said Errol. “Stephan,” he redirected his attention, “after you’ve settled in tonight, after dinner, a word. I think the train will give us little privacy to catch up on family matters.”
Stephan nodded.
“Make sure you do find me,” said Errol. “Mother has sent treacle biscuits for you.”
“Extra ginger?”
“Naturally.”
“I’ll be right outside the dining hall.”
“Excellent. Good day, Miss Pitch.”
“Your cousin takes everything so seriously,” said Shari, watching him retreat.
Stephan watched him go. “He’s not impressed by dark magic, you know.”
“No, but he knows all about it, doesn’t he? He’s a Klarion after all. They all do.”
“Not all of them,” said Stephan. “Although, yes, most of them know something about dark magic, by association.”
“He’s your cousin?”
“First cousin. His father and my mother are brother and sister.”
“So you must know something about it as well,” Shari said.
“A bit,” said Stephan. “I suppose I’ll know more before too much longer.”
Shari sighed. “I wish my family had a curse. It would make us so much more legitimate.”
See you tomorrow. All new material tomorrow, so nothing printable!!!
Catherine
Here's the count.
| |
43,733 / 80,000 (54.7%) |
Stephan was standing in the corridor, outside of one of the compartments that held few students. Mostly the inhabitants were older men with papers, on their way to offices, he was sure. They were moving east. The countryside was becoming greener, softer. Students funneled back and forth, looking for food. He supposed he would have to go back to his car, if for no other reason than to retrieve his things when the train stopped and they switched. Right now, he would spend as much of the journey as he could here.
“There you are!”
Shari Pitch. Apparently books weren’t the only things she put her nose in. “Here I am. Does it follow you must be here too?”
She raised her eyebrows. “They really are idiots. I can’t blame you for looking for some place quiet.”
“What are you looking for?”
“You can’t read in there.”
Stephan glanced at the thick book she carried, her index finger marking her spot. It was an ancient history, The Occult of the Roman Empire. “That’s a rather ambitious book.”
She shrugged. “I like history. I like dead magic and languages.”
Stephan rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. “There’s someone I might introduce you to, then. My cousin has an interest in hieroglyphics and can read them.”
“Oh,” she said. Her eyes flashed with interest. “You? You know something about black magic, don’t you? I can tell. You didn’t believe anything Laurence and Eustace were saying in there because it was all rubbish, right?”
“How do you know?”
Stephan stopped himself. Errol was coming down the corridor cat-less. He’d ask about that later. Errol bowed to Shari. “I am glad to see you’re meeting people, Stephan.”
“Shari Pitch,” said Stephan. “Reader of dead languages. Interested in dark magic.”
“Binding specifically. We’ve met,” said Errol. “Our grandmothers know each other. One of your father’s friends?”
“No,” said Stephan. “Her interest in binding and so forth seems to be genuine rather than fabricated.”
Errol’s look was neutral. “Pastime or preparation?” he asked Shari Pitch.
“Ambition,” Shari said.
“Ah,” said Errol. “Stephan,” he redirected his attention, “after you’ve settled in tonight, after dinner, a word. I think the train will give us little privacy to catch up on family matters.”
Stephan nodded.
“Make sure you do find me,” said Errol. “Mother has sent treacle biscuits for you.”
“Extra ginger?”
“Naturally.”
“I’ll be right outside the dining hall.”
“Excellent. Good day, Miss Pitch.”
“Your cousin takes everything so seriously,” said Shari, watching him retreat.
Stephan watched him go. “He’s not impressed by dark magic, you know.”
“No, but he knows all about it, doesn’t he? He’s a Klarion after all. They all do.”
“Not all of them,” said Stephan. “Although, yes, most of them know something about dark magic, by association.”
“He’s your cousin?”
“First cousin. His father and my mother are brother and sister.”
“So you must know something about it as well,” Shari said.
“A bit,” said Stephan. “I suppose I’ll know more before too much longer.”
Shari sighed. “I wish my family had a curse. It would make us so much more legitimate.”
See you tomorrow. All new material tomorrow, so nothing printable!!!
Catherine
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-18 10:11 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-21 02:05 pm (UTC)I trust you will know how to deal wit hancient british folk lore adn do it right and od it jsutice just liek jkr did. i will ahve it o nsomeoen if this gets published and someone pulls outthe whole blah of comparison or tempting peopleby saing it resembles soandso. it resembles nothing. if it wsa liek hp itd have been too easy. adn you're two degreas away from teh practice versio nand some five away from 'yay!manuscript!' adni still maintain, if this doens't get caught by an agent they're ignorant idiots.