Tee Time
Chapter 1
I have a feeling that golf doesn't exist in Natty's world yet or ever, so don't hate on the inaccuracy. I got the idea whilst watching the Tom and Jerry episode Tee for Two, and I was trying to put Bartimaeus spins on them. Like the episode where Jerry gets a bodyguard, I decided that the whistle is his trigger summons, and Tom is a rival magician to Jerry. But that's just me. And I can come to perfectly illogical conclusions. The inner workings of my mind are an enigma. 0.0
Nathaniel, or John Mandrake as he was now known as, staggered into his office. He had dueled a renegade magician last night and it was beginning to take its toll. He plopped into his chair and prepared himself for the intensity of the politics he was involved in. In other words, controlling Bartimaeus as he dealt with the Resistance and such. It was just then that Julius Tallow strode into the room.
"Ah yes, Mandrake, I was just looking for you." He uttered as if Nathaniel were something unclean, "There is a golf social today. I assume you'll be coming?" He said it not truly as a question, but as a statement.
Nathaniel dutifully ignored his assertion. After all, he had no clue as to how to play golf. "No sir." He curtly replied. Julius Tallow fixed him with the most withering glare he could muster. Nathaniel remained resolutely unwithered. That failing, Tallow resorted to words.
"Well, it would be quite a disgrace on Internal Affairs if the up and coming John Mandrake rejected an event proposed by the Prime Minister himself." He lied. No one would notice, and he had no clue who had proposed it. But this was irrelevant, as he was just using different words for the same meaning as if he had directly ordered him. Nathaniel considered taking his words at face meaning, and thus subtly rebelling, but thought against it. It would get him no closer to becoming Prime Minister, his ultimate goal, by exchanging petty arguments with his superiors. So he went along with it. He would just request tutelage from Tallow in the ways of golf.
"Well, sir, I'm perfectly willing to accompany you there, but there is the small matter of learning how exactly to play this sport." He explained, turning to face Tallow for the first time.
"Oh, you'll figure it out." Tallow replied dismissively, cleverly repaying Nathaniel for ignoring his previous insinuation that the social was mandatory.
"I'm sure I will." Nathaniel said through his teeth. Oh joy. Now he was bound to be humiliated in front of the elite. "One of these days, I will pay you back for this." Nathaniel swore under his breath.
"Well, it's in an hour. See you then, John." Tallow smugly informed him. Once Nathaniel was fairly sure that Tallow was out of earshot, he slammed his forehead into his desk. He then leapt up and swore, growling and rubbing his forehead. He could ask somebody else, but they would most likely dismiss him or laugh at him. Blast it all! This was just fantastic. Now he was- Wait! He would just summon Bartimaeus and instruct him to attend the social in his semblance! Ah, that was it. Mandrake would prevail over Tallow. Bartimaeus was one of the more intelligent djinn, and was clever enough to recreate his witty personality. Now, to summon him.
He dashed outside to nab some chalk from his chambers. Unfortunately, Jane Farrar happened to be passing through the hallway just at that moment. (Don't ask me why she was in Internal Affairs. Most likely to try another manner of assault on poor Nathaniel's demeanor.) Nathaniel crashed into her at full speed, resulting in a most un-ministerly explosion of papers, pens, and a certain red handkerchief.
"My lord, John, slow down!" Farrar yelped.
"Ah yes, forgive me for perhaps being a tad bit overzealous in my desire to prepare for the golf social." He replied politely, quickly regaining his composure.
"What is there to prepare? Your outfit was quite presentable before a certain, ah, let's call it a mishap." She responded with equal composure, if somewhat more icy.
"Ah, but, with all these recent assaults on important members of Parliament, one must have a guard wherever one goes, lest those vandals attempt to waylay them." He asserted.
"I suppose so." She grudgingly admitted, then quite suddenly gaining an air of admiration. "So, what were you going to summon? I imagine it would be a being of no small power, to guard one of your stature." She declared.
His vanity flattered, Nathaniel replied with much importance, "Oh, just a small thing really, a djinni of the fourteenth level." And he wasn't lying. If he put his mind to it, he could probably summon an afrit of the eighteenth level. But he forgot that there would be no djinni of the fourteenth level guarding him, the spirit would be him.
"Oh, do make it show a semblance on the second plane, I want to see what you've summoned." Farrar begged.
"All right, all right, I'll-" He cut off suddenly, realizing his error in agreeing to make it visible to her.
"Why, whatever is it, John?" she queried with an innocent air.
"Nothing, nothing." He said dismissively, but he was unable to keep the troubled tone entirely out of his voice.
"Very well." She replied cheerfully, appearing entirely satisfied, but inside she was calculating where he might have gone wrong.
And now, that annoying thing where I talk irrelevantly! Yay! This is my actual author's note, as author's notes should always be at the end of a chapter or story. The one at the beginning was just a little heads up not to hate on me. Tu Gusta? (You Like?) I do believe that this occurs during Golem's Eye, just during Natty's tenure as Deputy to Internal Affairs. That's just kinda it. Read and review because you love me. And now, ADVERTISEMENTS! Awesome stories (By me of course): Demons and Dragons and Rangers, Oh My! , a seriously intense crossover. It's an adventure! How the Grinch Stole Christmas, an Epic. I took the classic story, and remixed it into an epic adventure! Really it's the same plot; I just made it more dramatic and less kids' rhyme-ish stuff. Awesome forums (Not by me, but check out History of a Great Djinni if you like RPing.): Little Tin of Rosemary is a Bartimaeus RP forum that pretends that Ptolemy's Gate never happened. Go Jason Cat (One of my character's *Troll Face*)! Entropy Among the Stars is a General RP forum that has a background topic, so I won't explain. Awesome Authors: Raudhr Blodhgarm (*Troll Face*), Groose Almighty, Dautr abr du Sundavar, and Arctic Wolf Studios. And that's all. Longer than I expected.
