The Guild of Counsellors: Chapter 2
Julia sat back in her large executive chair. Her first case of the morning had been a tough one. Perhaps the next client would be better. He was presently 10 minutes late.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knocking on the door. She called out to him and a skinny, messy hair, elderly wizard came through the door. He was dressed traditionally in a long red patterned robe. He wore a vague smile and gave her the impression that though the lights may be on, there was definitely no one home.
She asked him to take a seat; he did so.
"Hello Bursar," Julia said kindly. "What would you like to talk about today"
The Bursar sort for words. He had trouble aligning his mouth and his brain. When he talked he often made no sense at all, so he found that it was helpful to say as little as possible.
"The chaps at the University thought I would like to come. Archchancellor, Ridcully, " the Bursar cringed at the name, "thought it might do me some good."
Julia breathed a sigh of relief; he seemed in a quite normal mental state today. Of course you could never tell with the Bursar. His sanity ran in a cycle. Sometimes he acted almost normal, just like now; sometimes he was depressed; usually he lived in a completely different universe. It was not unknown for him to think he was a tea strainer or any other inanimate object for a whole afternoon.
Julia believed, strongly, that living in the Unseen University for far too long caused his mental imbalance. From the few details about his life that she knew he spend most of his time with numbers or avoiding the Archchancellor. It was obvious to her that he hated his boss, Ridcully, and that daily contact with him had left he wishing that he was, indeed, a tea strainer.
"How are you feeling this week Bursar?" Julia asked patiently. The Bursar had to be asked several times before he gave a complete answer.
The Bursar however was now staring fixedly at her pale pink wall. His eyes glazed as they usually did when he let his mind wander. Julia sighed; she wondered who or what the Bursar would be today. Please not the flowerpot. It's so difficult to get him to move when he is the flowerpot. She held her fingers behind her back.
"Hello Lord Henry Skipps," the Bursar said dreamily. "Cracking victory you had there at Pseudopolis."
The Bursars looked at the wall as though he was listening attentively. Julia often thought that the Bursar only made sense when talking to someone who wasn't really there.
"Still don't see what you had against all those trolls," Julia tapped her feet under the desk impatiently. She wished she could go through one session without him either being an object, living backwards or talking to a historical figure.
"I've always liked trolls," he continued, not noticing by Julia's rolling eyes (even counsellors can only take so much!) "Detritus is a nice chap down at the watch. Not particularly bright of course, brains don't work in the heat, and you've got too be careful when he's holding a club..."
The Bursar gave the impression that he was listening to 'Lord Skips'.
"He's 'Peace - Maker' really works though, or so I'm told," he conceded, "Very original idea that."
"Bursar!" Julia said sharply hoping to bring him back down to this universe. He continued to look at the wall. "Bursar!" She tried again but to no avail. She looked at the bell placed on the side of her desk. The head of the Counsellor's Guild had given it to her after the Bursars second visit when he had thought he was the Librarian. She could ring it if he ever became... preoccupied. So far she had had to use on every occasion the Bursar came to visit.
She picked up the bronze object and shook it. It was quite loud for it's size and could be heard in the offices outside. The Bursar was no trouble really; he never gave her any fuss about leaving, apart from the time he thought he was a flowerpot. A pair of strong but guiding hands could easily lead him away.
Julia sat back on her large executive chair. She closed her eyes; one moment of piece before the next madman would arrive.
Julia sat back in her large executive chair. Her first case of the morning had been a tough one. Perhaps the next client would be better. He was presently 10 minutes late.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knocking on the door. She called out to him and a skinny, messy hair, elderly wizard came through the door. He was dressed traditionally in a long red patterned robe. He wore a vague smile and gave her the impression that though the lights may be on, there was definitely no one home.
She asked him to take a seat; he did so.
"Hello Bursar," Julia said kindly. "What would you like to talk about today"
The Bursar sort for words. He had trouble aligning his mouth and his brain. When he talked he often made no sense at all, so he found that it was helpful to say as little as possible.
"The chaps at the University thought I would like to come. Archchancellor, Ridcully, " the Bursar cringed at the name, "thought it might do me some good."
Julia breathed a sigh of relief; he seemed in a quite normal mental state today. Of course you could never tell with the Bursar. His sanity ran in a cycle. Sometimes he acted almost normal, just like now; sometimes he was depressed; usually he lived in a completely different universe. It was not unknown for him to think he was a tea strainer or any other inanimate object for a whole afternoon.
Julia believed, strongly, that living in the Unseen University for far too long caused his mental imbalance. From the few details about his life that she knew he spend most of his time with numbers or avoiding the Archchancellor. It was obvious to her that he hated his boss, Ridcully, and that daily contact with him had left he wishing that he was, indeed, a tea strainer.
"How are you feeling this week Bursar?" Julia asked patiently. The Bursar had to be asked several times before he gave a complete answer.
The Bursar however was now staring fixedly at her pale pink wall. His eyes glazed as they usually did when he let his mind wander. Julia sighed; she wondered who or what the Bursar would be today. Please not the flowerpot. It's so difficult to get him to move when he is the flowerpot. She held her fingers behind her back.
"Hello Lord Henry Skipps," the Bursar said dreamily. "Cracking victory you had there at Pseudopolis."
The Bursars looked at the wall as though he was listening attentively. Julia often thought that the Bursar only made sense when talking to someone who wasn't really there.
"Still don't see what you had against all those trolls," Julia tapped her feet under the desk impatiently. She wished she could go through one session without him either being an object, living backwards or talking to a historical figure.
"I've always liked trolls," he continued, not noticing by Julia's rolling eyes (even counsellors can only take so much!) "Detritus is a nice chap down at the watch. Not particularly bright of course, brains don't work in the heat, and you've got too be careful when he's holding a club..."
The Bursar gave the impression that he was listening to 'Lord Skips'.
"He's 'Peace - Maker' really works though, or so I'm told," he conceded, "Very original idea that."
"Bursar!" Julia said sharply hoping to bring him back down to this universe. He continued to look at the wall. "Bursar!" She tried again but to no avail. She looked at the bell placed on the side of her desk. The head of the Counsellor's Guild had given it to her after the Bursars second visit when he had thought he was the Librarian. She could ring it if he ever became... preoccupied. So far she had had to use on every occasion the Bursar came to visit.
She picked up the bronze object and shook it. It was quite loud for it's size and could be heard in the offices outside. The Bursar was no trouble really; he never gave her any fuss about leaving, apart from the time he thought he was a flowerpot. A pair of strong but guiding hands could easily lead him away.
Julia sat back on her large executive chair. She closed her eyes; one moment of piece before the next madman would arrive.