Horrible Histories- Skinnymandria:
Chapter 2: Work terrible Work (part 2)
"Is it? That's divine, everyone would be scholars then. Oh, and one more thing, if you are watching over children in an Incan hole, be sure to check for rain. The hole will turn into a paddling pool if the hole is flooded, and you know what happens to children and people who can't swim, ha-hah." Ptolemy chuckled.
Dark clouds started to cover the sky, the air seemed less warm, and a thunderstorm was starting to brew as the sky rumbled in a low voice.
"Who turned out the lights?" Ptolemy exclaimed in surprise.
"Err, I think a thunderstorm is on its way." Eliza pointed to sky where dark clouds began to cluster, the sound of thunder getting louder.
"Oh dear, lightning god Thunor is on his way! Children, out of the hole! To the bomb shelter!" Ptolemy declared.
The children scurried out of the hole as fast as their little legs could carry them, and ran towards a little grey house in between the cluster of huts.
"Why a bomb shelter?" Eliza asked, while running along Ptolemy behind the children.
"For some odd reason, the children liked the bomb shelter. They said it reminded them of so many things. Don't ask me what it is." Ptolemy said as they reached the door of the bomb shelter.
"Alright, everybody in. Susan, Victoria, Matilda, Stephen, Mary, Benjamin, Thompson, Perkins, Eliza and me." Ptolemy announced as she shut the door, just as the rain began to pour heavily outside.
"Ma'am, can we turn the lights on?" Perkins suggested.
"Of course you may, Perkins." Ptolemy said in a kind voice.
"Perkins, don't turn on the lights, it's fun sitting in the dark." Victoria said.
"Yeah." The other children agreed.
"But I'm afraid of the dark." Perkins said as he turned on the lights.
"Aww…" The other children said in disappointment as the light fickle and brightened the room.
"Scaredy cat." Benjamin teased.
"Now, now, Benjamin. Everyone is afraid of something, don't tell me you are fearless." Ptolemy confronted.
"Yes, I am," Benjamin argued.
"Really? Because Mr Thompson the executioner is going to look after you tomorrow, I hope you're not scared of him."
"Erm…" Benjamin gulped, his expressions flushed into a tone of pale white.
"Apologise to Perkins." Ptolemy ordered.
"Sorry, Perkins." said Benjamin.
Perkins smiled, like a boy who got a whole block of chocolate during the war rationing period.
"Now, how about a story?" Ptolemy suggested, as she pulled a book from below her seat.
The title of the book read 'Fairy tale stories'.
"Me! Me!" The children excitedly agreed.
"The Cinderella story!" Susan suggested.
"Let's start with the pied piper of Hamlyn, alright? Eliza, why don't you read it to us?" Ptolemy handed Eliza the book.
"Sweet as a nut mate!" Thompson said excitedly.
"I loved that story!" Perkins declared.
"Alright. Er-hem!" Eliza cleared her throat as the children listened attentively, looking at her with their eyes wide open.
"The town was riddled with mice, the mice were everywhere, and the town was infested with rats."
"Then a stranger came by and said: 'I'm the pied piper of Hamlyn, I will rid you of these mice, but I should warn you, it would be a very high price.'"
"Unfortunately, this was the middle ages, where the rats were carrying the palgue. The pied piper did not lure the mice out of the town, instead he caught the plague and died. The end." Eliza finished, with a doubtful tone.
"Wait, I thought he lured the rats out of town and lured the children out of town as well because the town did not keep their promise to pay him." Eliza stated.
"No, the story was set in a different historical setting, perhaps the version you've read might be a different one." explained Ptolemy.
"I'll continue with another one then. How about 'the three little pigs'?" Eliza suggested to the children.
"Yeah!" the children agreed simultaneously.
"Here goes. Once upon a time, there were three little pigs. They each had a house. One little pig had a house made out of bricks; One little pig had a house made out of sticks; One little pig had a house made out of straw."
"Ooh, here comes the climax!" Benjamin exclaimed.
"One day, a hungry wolf walked by the straw house. He huffed and puffed and he blew the house down. The little pig in the straw house ran quickly to his brother who lived in the house made out of sticks."
"Unfortunately, the hungry wolf also blew down the stick house as the two frightened little pigs hid in the house made out of sticks. So, once again, they escaped to the brick house where another little pig lived."
"The two frightened little pigs cried and shouted for help outside the brick house. Unfortunately the little pig in the brick house did not see his two brothers outside the window. His windows were bricked up to avoid the Georgian window tax. So, the two little pigs outside the brick house was eaten by the hungry wolf. The end." Eliza finished.
"Well, that's to be expected." said Eliza with a flat tone.
"Good story?" asked Ptolemy.
"Yes, tragic ending, but somewhat reflects traditional laws, I suppose?" Eliza shrugged.
She flipped the pages to see what stories are in the book.
"Ooh, read 'The Ugly Duckling', please." Susan and Victoria pleaded.
"Not 'The Ugly Duckling'! We hear it all the time!" Benjamin complained.
"A vote," Ptolemy declared. "for those who support!"
Susan, Victoria, Matilda, Perkins and Stephens raised their hands.
"What do we have here, 5 against 3. We have our winner!"
"But ma'am!" Thomas objected.
"Democracy, Thomas. That's how it works." Ptolemy stated solemnly.
"Shall we proceed?" said an unfamiliar voice.
They looked towards the voice, which came from the entry of the bomb shelter.
A girl Eliza's age, in a Georgian day dress, stood by the door frame.
The weather outside was pleasant.
Clear, blue skies accompanied the sound of birds chirping; the smell of wet soil and fresh air seeped into the room through the open door.
"Good day, Madam Ptolemy. I couldn't help but overhear the conversations in this bomb shelter. It certainly is the most interesting story session indeed." The girl walked in and sat on a vacant seat beside Eliza.
"Ah, good day, Georgianna. I see the storm has stopped." Ptolemy greeted the girl in high spirits.
"Yes, I haven't seen such divine weather since last Thunor's day (Tuesday)." The girl said cheerfully.
"Greetings! I'm Georgianna Prudence Hardwicke. I hereby extend my welcome to you from us Skinnymandrians." The girl said while she stood up and curtseyed.
"Eliza Margaret Basil. Nice to meet you." Eliza stood up and attempted to curtsey, in order to return the greeting.
"Georgianna, why don't you join us? You could read to the children this time." Ptolemy invited.
"Of course, I do love working alongside you, Madam Ptolemy." Georgianna said, as she sat down and set the book on her lap.
"Do tell the story," the children pleaded impatiently.
"Alright, 'The ugly duckling'. There was a ugly little duckling. The grey little duckling lived among its yellow feathered siblings…"
The children focused their gaze onto Georgianna, who read the story aloud word by word, not shifting their attention to anything.
"What a beautiful swan you are, said the king. The swan honked in delight. You will look even beautiful to eat, the king continued. So the king ate the swan, who was once the ugly duckling. Now the ugly duckling wished that she won't grow up to become to be the beautiful swan. The end." Georgianna concluded the story and gently closed the book shut.
It was tea time, all the personnel and children gathered in the dining area, which is a hut with benches and tables squeezed into an approximately 700 meter square room.
"Friends with Bethany Josephine Alexandra Warwick of Winchester, I presume?" Eliza asked, while tearing her bread into small pieces and dipping it into her warm cocoa.
"Yes, how do you know Bethany?" Georgianna exclaimed in surprise.
"She told me about you, on the way to the Historical Hospital today."
Eliza thought about that morning, when Bethany was helping her get on the horse.
The horse, Dobbin, was temporarily in Eliza's possession during her stay in Skinnymandria.
"You are working at the Incan Hole, am I right?" Bethany asked.
"Yes," Eliza answered, as she tried to climb up to the back of the horse.
"Then you'll probably see one of my close friends there. She is just like you, not local, but emigrated here from Massa- Maessa- Massachusetts, ah yes, Massachusetts 5, 6 years ago." Bethany sat herself on the horse's back.
"From United States of America?" Eliza asked.
"Yes, she's a lovely girl, you'll love her! Her name is Georgianna Prudence Hardwicke, though her friends call her Georgianna or Georgie. " Bethany patted her horse lovingly on its head and pulled the reins gently.
The horse started trotting slowly, it then began to pick up speed as they travelled along the forest and woodland paths, the town streets and passed by several shops.
They stopped at several junctions, where a traffic guidance person was standing in the middle of the intersection, blowing their whistles as they halted horses, chariots, coaches, carriages and several cars, then guiding them to their path in an orderly fashion.
After Bethany stopped in front of the Historical Hospital.
"Eliza, are you sure you don't need me to drop you off at Incan Hole? I'm not in a hurry." Bethany asked.
"Don't worry, I know how to ride a horse. I used to ride my grandparent's horse during my visits to their ranch in the countryside, remember? Besides, didn't your mother stress the importance of being an early bird?" Eliza reassured Bethany.
"Alright then, take care. Oh, and if you met her, say hi to Georgianna for me. Eliza, I shall then see you in the evening for supper," Bethany said, as she turned to walk into the hospital whereas Eliza galloped away on Dobbin.
Eliza returned from her flashback.
"That's right, I remember her telling me about her having an international exchange student staying in her place for 5 months, that's you. The Eliza Basil." Georgianna recalled.
"Well, she said I'll be meeting a friend of hers who works at the Incan Hole. And I think she meant you, Georgianna." Eliza said, after finishing off the last piece of bread and the remaining cocoa in her mug.
"Nice cocoa, could do with a little more sugar." Eliza muttered to herself.
"Excuse me, I'll go get a refill. I'll be back." Eliza grabbed her mug and headed towards the beverage table.
Georgianna watched as Eliza headed off from the table.
"Nice girl, seems quiet." Georgianna thought to herself as she sipped on her Maize and Bean soup.
Minutes later, Eliza returned with two mugs; one with cocoa, one with coffee.
"Here you go, just thought you might like some beverages." Eliza offered Georgianna the cup of cocoa, while she held on to the mug of coffee.
"Thanks Eliza, my throat is feeling a bit dry." Georgianna lifted the mug to her lips and took small sips of it.
"Hmm, this coffee smells weird." Eliza muttered and took a sip.
"Taste weird too." Eliza commented.
Then she noticed Georgianna drank her cocoa with a creased brow, similar to a frown.
"Want to swap drinks?" Eliza suggested.
"No, It's alright." Gerogianna said with a weak smile.
"No really, you do not seem to like cocoa," Eliza explained.
"Well, if my presumptions are right, you seem to have a hard time with that mug of coffee as well." Georgianna added.
"So, is it a deal?" Eliza asked timidly.
"Deal!" Georgianna swiftly swapped their mugs.
"That's good, I'm not a big fan of coffee myself, though my mother tries to get me to drink some." Eliza stated, feeling relieved.
"I like coffee more than cocoa, thanks for bringing over a cup of coffee, although you could've given me that in the first place." Georgianna added with a smile.
"On the contrary, my dear Georgianna, I did not get to know you that well yet." Eliza returned with a smirk.
"You've got a point." Georgianna agreed.
"So, you've moved here from Massachusetts," Eliza stated.
"Well, long story short, yes. It was a great place, but I've found somewhere better, and here I am. Went on a school exchange program, loved the craziness here, ended up living here." Georgianna concluded.
"I am currently on a school exchange program as well! Wow, Bethany is right, we do have similarities!" Eliza said excitedly.
"Are you a Bayntonette, an admirer of one of the royals Mathew Baynton?" Georgianna asked.
"Not yet, but I trust you will influence me to be one of the Bayntonettes,"
"I'll try my best, Eliza my friend." Georgianna added.
After a few hours, the day's work is over.
Eliza offered to send Georgianna home, which Georgianna gladly accepted.
They had a friendly chat on the way home, and they've becomes good friends in less than a day.
During the ride home, Georgianna kept on emphasizing the reasons she's a Bayntonette, and Eliza, having being a fan girl of Leonardo DiCaprio understands the feelings of Georgianna being a fan girl.
"I'll see you tomorrow then." Georgianna said as Eliza dropped her off at her home, which is located a few streets away from Bethany's cottage.
"What do you mean, tomorrow?" Eliza asked, puzzled.
"You'll see. I bid thee farewell, mon fre." Georgianna said before opening the wooden gates to enter her home compound.
Eliza rode off, wondering what she meant about 'tomorrow'.
At Bethany's cottage, Bethany's room.
"You're right, Bethany. Georgianna really is a lovely girl." Eliza said while combing her long locks, preparing herself for bed after a lovely dinner and a bath.
"See, I knew you'll like her!" Bethany, who was rearranging her oak bookshelf, stated happily.
"Tomorrow we're going to the statue park, Georgianna's coming too, so rise early!" Bethany added, while walking towards her 4 post bed and settling into the covers.
"The statue park? That's great! So that's what Georgianna meant about 'tomorrow'." Eliza commented, pulling the blanket up to her neck and shutting her bedside curtains.
"Georgianna goes there all the time, god knows why. Goodnight Eliza." Bethany said with a yawn, and put out the oil lamp by her bedside.