Capitulo Tres
By: Twist
A/n: Cor, I've stepped in it now. One of my friends who I see every day read this thing and is going to kill me if it isn't finished. Well, maybe now kill me, but you know. She'll get annoying, and I know her. I sit in front of her in Cultures. *grin*
Meanwhile, school has started! So now I have so little of this precious thing, what's it called?, spare time? Yeah, that. What with homework, the pressures of High School *rolls eyes* and horses (Quentin on Saturday! AH!) things will be very slow indeed. Don't count on the quick updates of the summer (what quick updates? Huh?) but I will be home more. *giggle* So we'll see how it pans out. It all really depends on how nice my teachers really are.
Disclaimer: The wonderful Mr. Terry Pratchett owns everything Discworld. I own Reyna. She's mine! The concept of Vimes's child belongs to Mr. Pratchett, but I think I own the name Kerri for her.
~
Reyna crossed Brass Bridge onto Lower Broadway with the intent of walking all the way to the Ramkin House. Even though it was technically the Vimes House, everyone still thought of it as the Ramkin House. One thing she hadn't intended was to almost walk into Kerri Vimes, daughter of Sybil and Samuel Vimes and Reyna's best friend, in the middle of Psuedopolis Yard.
Reyna and Kerri's fathers were in Vetinari's office at least once a week, and having one of their famous arguments just as often. It had really only been a matter of time before a solid friendship was forged between the two girls. This had annoyed both of the fathers to some extent but really they were both grateful their offspring had someone to spend time with rather than wreaking havoc in both the Watch House and the Palace. It was much easier when they destroyed places one at a time.
"Kerri! Hello! Is anyone home?" Reyna chased after her friend and punched her on the shoulder. She knew the look her friend had been wearing, as her father got the same look often. It was the look where she was paying absolutely all of her attention to some other time.
"What do you - " she turned. "Oh, hello, my friend. Are you perchance doing anything?"
"Looking for you. I'm bored as hell. And I have a lot to tell you. I might even show you if you're nice to me today." Reyna grinned. "I found the Find of the Month, my friend."
"Did you?" Kerri too was grinning. "This had better not be a hoax like that guy you found last month. I mean, seriously, he was older than any of our parents! Gods!" She chuckled, remembering the old man who Reyna had claimed was 'extremely cute.'
"I did not mean cute in 'Find of the Month,' way! More like, an old, nice person cute." Reyna glared. "Anyway, we're going the wrong way, this is toward the Palace."
"I know," Kerri said confidently. "We should run background checks on this guy before we go anywhere. He could be dangerous."
"I cleared it with my dad this morning; he's fine. Come on!" Reyna snapped, anxious to see her Sex God once more.
"I also have to ask your parental unit for something," Kerri said, pushing Reyna as they tended to do. They'd always start out playing with dolls when they were little, it had just always turned into Policemen Who Could Beat Your Dad Up v. Politicians What Are Smarter Than Your Dad. They seemed to hit and push each other more than normal aristocratic girls. Also, they both had a strange tendency to wear trousers. Most of the old ladies didn't approve but no one else really cared. In fact, it had rather caught on.
"What do want from him now? And what if he's in a meeting?" Reyna asked, exasperated. Kerri was always taking things from her father. She had no idea why.
"Fireworks." Reyna clapped her hand over Kerri's mouth. "No one else knows about that! Wait until we're in an abandoned hall or something, for gods' sake!"
"Mmmf," Kerri said. Reyna released her hand from her friend's face. "Sorry, like anyone was listening. Anyway, it's not for anything big or anything. Just little stuff."
"Like what?" Reyna asked suspiciously.
"Well . . . You know how you can arrange the things so they spell things?" She looked at Reyna's face. "Honestly, I thought at least you would get it." She sighed, "Dibbler did it just outside of town last month, remember? Your dad nearly had a fit. We were in your room?" She watched Reyna's face for any sign of memories. "With Harvey? Oh, honestly! It was when we were planning to stick Drumknott's hand in a bowl of warm water while he was asleep to see if that thing Nobby told us was true."
Reyna's face broke into a grin. "Oh yes . . . I remember. And he really did wet himself." She sighed. "Good times. Good times."
"Yeah, well, I'm sure there's more where that came from, knowing Nobby. But we need to do this first. Then we can continue to torture Drummy." They had reached the Oblong Office by now. Kerri pressed her ear against the door. "There's someone in there," she said. "Sounds like . . . oh, bugger."
"Who is it?" Reyna asked. She prepared to flee.
"My dad."
"Oh, good. You still owe me from the last time we bet on them, you know," Reyna pointed out. "I did win. Twenty dollars, any day now." There was sudden silence from inside the Office. Both girls froze. "You don't think they heard us, do you?"
"No, we were being quiet," Kerri hissed. "Well, I was anyway. And I'm in trouble already."
"What'd you do this time?"
"I replaced the sugar in the canteen at the watch House with salt. Millie yelled at me and told my dad. Twisting the story the whole way, obviously." Both girls winced. Millie Groff was the most feared canteen lady in the whole of Ankh-Morpork. Or in the whole Watch House, anyway. "I'm grounded from speaking to Corporal Nobbs or Constable Ping for a week."
"Why Ping?" Reyna queried. "What did that guy ever do in his life that put one toe out of line? He was one of the volunteers, wasn't he?"
"I know," Kerri sighed. "But he gave me the idea." Reyna stared, a small grin forming on her lips. "I know, I know; it's unbelievable. But hey, when was the last time I lied to you?"
"I honestly do not know, Kerri. You are such an honest person."
"Reyna?"
"Yes?"
"Is it safe to move from behind the statue? The sword keeps poking me."
"Alright," Reyna said. "We'll go and see Leonard. He'll have fireworks. And he's nice. Follow, my companion."
"Lead the way, oh fearless one. And you can talk to Leonard. He scares me."
"Leonard scares you?" Reyna snorted. "Yes, he's positively terrifying. He makes your dad look like a teddy bear." Kerri did not respond. And so, they went to see the positively horrific Leonard of Quirm.
By: Twist
A/n: Cor, I've stepped in it now. One of my friends who I see every day read this thing and is going to kill me if it isn't finished. Well, maybe now kill me, but you know. She'll get annoying, and I know her. I sit in front of her in Cultures. *grin*
Meanwhile, school has started! So now I have so little of this precious thing, what's it called?, spare time? Yeah, that. What with homework, the pressures of High School *rolls eyes* and horses (Quentin on Saturday! AH!) things will be very slow indeed. Don't count on the quick updates of the summer (what quick updates? Huh?) but I will be home more. *giggle* So we'll see how it pans out. It all really depends on how nice my teachers really are.
Disclaimer: The wonderful Mr. Terry Pratchett owns everything Discworld. I own Reyna. She's mine! The concept of Vimes's child belongs to Mr. Pratchett, but I think I own the name Kerri for her.
~
Reyna crossed Brass Bridge onto Lower Broadway with the intent of walking all the way to the Ramkin House. Even though it was technically the Vimes House, everyone still thought of it as the Ramkin House. One thing she hadn't intended was to almost walk into Kerri Vimes, daughter of Sybil and Samuel Vimes and Reyna's best friend, in the middle of Psuedopolis Yard.
Reyna and Kerri's fathers were in Vetinari's office at least once a week, and having one of their famous arguments just as often. It had really only been a matter of time before a solid friendship was forged between the two girls. This had annoyed both of the fathers to some extent but really they were both grateful their offspring had someone to spend time with rather than wreaking havoc in both the Watch House and the Palace. It was much easier when they destroyed places one at a time.
"Kerri! Hello! Is anyone home?" Reyna chased after her friend and punched her on the shoulder. She knew the look her friend had been wearing, as her father got the same look often. It was the look where she was paying absolutely all of her attention to some other time.
"What do you - " she turned. "Oh, hello, my friend. Are you perchance doing anything?"
"Looking for you. I'm bored as hell. And I have a lot to tell you. I might even show you if you're nice to me today." Reyna grinned. "I found the Find of the Month, my friend."
"Did you?" Kerri too was grinning. "This had better not be a hoax like that guy you found last month. I mean, seriously, he was older than any of our parents! Gods!" She chuckled, remembering the old man who Reyna had claimed was 'extremely cute.'
"I did not mean cute in 'Find of the Month,' way! More like, an old, nice person cute." Reyna glared. "Anyway, we're going the wrong way, this is toward the Palace."
"I know," Kerri said confidently. "We should run background checks on this guy before we go anywhere. He could be dangerous."
"I cleared it with my dad this morning; he's fine. Come on!" Reyna snapped, anxious to see her Sex God once more.
"I also have to ask your parental unit for something," Kerri said, pushing Reyna as they tended to do. They'd always start out playing with dolls when they were little, it had just always turned into Policemen Who Could Beat Your Dad Up v. Politicians What Are Smarter Than Your Dad. They seemed to hit and push each other more than normal aristocratic girls. Also, they both had a strange tendency to wear trousers. Most of the old ladies didn't approve but no one else really cared. In fact, it had rather caught on.
"What do want from him now? And what if he's in a meeting?" Reyna asked, exasperated. Kerri was always taking things from her father. She had no idea why.
"Fireworks." Reyna clapped her hand over Kerri's mouth. "No one else knows about that! Wait until we're in an abandoned hall or something, for gods' sake!"
"Mmmf," Kerri said. Reyna released her hand from her friend's face. "Sorry, like anyone was listening. Anyway, it's not for anything big or anything. Just little stuff."
"Like what?" Reyna asked suspiciously.
"Well . . . You know how you can arrange the things so they spell things?" She looked at Reyna's face. "Honestly, I thought at least you would get it." She sighed, "Dibbler did it just outside of town last month, remember? Your dad nearly had a fit. We were in your room?" She watched Reyna's face for any sign of memories. "With Harvey? Oh, honestly! It was when we were planning to stick Drumknott's hand in a bowl of warm water while he was asleep to see if that thing Nobby told us was true."
Reyna's face broke into a grin. "Oh yes . . . I remember. And he really did wet himself." She sighed. "Good times. Good times."
"Yeah, well, I'm sure there's more where that came from, knowing Nobby. But we need to do this first. Then we can continue to torture Drummy." They had reached the Oblong Office by now. Kerri pressed her ear against the door. "There's someone in there," she said. "Sounds like . . . oh, bugger."
"Who is it?" Reyna asked. She prepared to flee.
"My dad."
"Oh, good. You still owe me from the last time we bet on them, you know," Reyna pointed out. "I did win. Twenty dollars, any day now." There was sudden silence from inside the Office. Both girls froze. "You don't think they heard us, do you?"
"No, we were being quiet," Kerri hissed. "Well, I was anyway. And I'm in trouble already."
"What'd you do this time?"
"I replaced the sugar in the canteen at the watch House with salt. Millie yelled at me and told my dad. Twisting the story the whole way, obviously." Both girls winced. Millie Groff was the most feared canteen lady in the whole of Ankh-Morpork. Or in the whole Watch House, anyway. "I'm grounded from speaking to Corporal Nobbs or Constable Ping for a week."
"Why Ping?" Reyna queried. "What did that guy ever do in his life that put one toe out of line? He was one of the volunteers, wasn't he?"
"I know," Kerri sighed. "But he gave me the idea." Reyna stared, a small grin forming on her lips. "I know, I know; it's unbelievable. But hey, when was the last time I lied to you?"
"I honestly do not know, Kerri. You are such an honest person."
"Reyna?"
"Yes?"
"Is it safe to move from behind the statue? The sword keeps poking me."
"Alright," Reyna said. "We'll go and see Leonard. He'll have fireworks. And he's nice. Follow, my companion."
"Lead the way, oh fearless one. And you can talk to Leonard. He scares me."
"Leonard scares you?" Reyna snorted. "Yes, he's positively terrifying. He makes your dad look like a teddy bear." Kerri did not respond. And so, they went to see the positively horrific Leonard of Quirm.