Susan Vs. Vetinari: Chapter four..
Susan walked quickly through the labyrinthine corridors of the Palace, her anger radiating off her. If this had been the countryside, then small mammals and birds would have taken one look at her and slunk away silently, tails between legs.
She rounded a corner and almost ran into Drumknott, the Patrician's head clerk.
He glanced at her face, saw the expression upon it, and tried to scurry off quickly before she noticed him.
"Drumknott?"
He turned slowly, dreading the stream of insults that people often gave to him in these circumstances.
"Drumknott? You know what goes on in this Palace, don't you?" Drumknott looked up at her through wide eyes.
"W.w.w. well, I s.s..suppose so." He stuttered, Susan smiled sweetly and went on in a voice that was sweet as honey, yet deadly as snake's venom.
"And you know where everyone is meant to be at a given time, in the Palace?"
Drumknott swallowed hard and started babbling.
"Wellofcourse,butsometimesapersongoesoutofthePalaceandIdon'treallyknowwheret heygo,yousee,becauseit'snotreallyanyofmybusinessreallyisit?"
"I meant where anyone who works or lives in the Palace goes."
".." Drumknott made a strangled noise in his throat.
Susan looked at him, he was practically trembling with fear, he had gone a very horrible pasty colour and he was rolling his eyes. She decided not to breach the subject any further and strode off.
Drumknott stood there for a few minutes while the pounding of his heart subsided. Eventually, he stood up properly, straightened his clothes, and wondered if he had enough time to change his underwear before he went to the City Council meeting.
* * *
"So you see, if only you'd sort out the business of the taxes, then-"
The doors to the Rats Chamber flew open as a highly irate Susan Sto Helit strode through them.
Lord Downey leaned over to his right to where Lord Vetinari was sitting.
"I say, isn't that your daughter's nurse?" He whispered.
"."
Susan pointed a finger at the Patrician. Everyone leaned away from it.
"You!"
Lord Vetinari had seen many fear-enticing things in his life, but coming face-to-face with Susan on a bad day definitely reached somewhere in the top ten of "things not to do again, ever." He shuddered slightly.
"Where's your daughter?!" Susan demanded, advancing on the man at the head of the table and ignoring the frightened glances at her from the room's other occupants.
Lord Vetinari tried to compose himself as much as he could, and when he spoke, his voice told nothing of the primal fear that he felt coursing through his body.
"She comes and goes as she pleases." He said levelly. He steepled his fingers and cocked his head to one side. "Why?"
"She's not turned up for her lessons for the past three days."
"Can you possibly think of any reason why she wouldn't want to come to your lessons?" Vetinari said testily.
Susan scowled at him. He glared back at her.
"Where have you tried looking?" He said eventually looking away after the vicious staring match.
Susan's conscious cheered. *One-nil to me! * "The bedroom, study, playroom, gardens and even the privy."
Vetinari frowned, tapping his pen on his lips as he did so.
After a while, he held his hands up, dismissing the council, and went to find his daughter.
As he passed the other lords exiting the office, they noticed that he had an extremely worried expression on his face.
* * *
Very short chapter I know. I got stuck on what to write and so therefore came out with this crap. Sorry.
None of the characters mentioned in the above chapter are mine, they all belong to Terry Pratchett (sighs wistfully).
Susan walked quickly through the labyrinthine corridors of the Palace, her anger radiating off her. If this had been the countryside, then small mammals and birds would have taken one look at her and slunk away silently, tails between legs.
She rounded a corner and almost ran into Drumknott, the Patrician's head clerk.
He glanced at her face, saw the expression upon it, and tried to scurry off quickly before she noticed him.
"Drumknott?"
He turned slowly, dreading the stream of insults that people often gave to him in these circumstances.
"Drumknott? You know what goes on in this Palace, don't you?" Drumknott looked up at her through wide eyes.
"W.w.w. well, I s.s..suppose so." He stuttered, Susan smiled sweetly and went on in a voice that was sweet as honey, yet deadly as snake's venom.
"And you know where everyone is meant to be at a given time, in the Palace?"
Drumknott swallowed hard and started babbling.
"Wellofcourse,butsometimesapersongoesoutofthePalaceandIdon'treallyknowwheret heygo,yousee,becauseit'snotreallyanyofmybusinessreallyisit?"
"I meant where anyone who works or lives in the Palace goes."
".." Drumknott made a strangled noise in his throat.
Susan looked at him, he was practically trembling with fear, he had gone a very horrible pasty colour and he was rolling his eyes. She decided not to breach the subject any further and strode off.
Drumknott stood there for a few minutes while the pounding of his heart subsided. Eventually, he stood up properly, straightened his clothes, and wondered if he had enough time to change his underwear before he went to the City Council meeting.
* * *
"So you see, if only you'd sort out the business of the taxes, then-"
The doors to the Rats Chamber flew open as a highly irate Susan Sto Helit strode through them.
Lord Downey leaned over to his right to where Lord Vetinari was sitting.
"I say, isn't that your daughter's nurse?" He whispered.
"."
Susan pointed a finger at the Patrician. Everyone leaned away from it.
"You!"
Lord Vetinari had seen many fear-enticing things in his life, but coming face-to-face with Susan on a bad day definitely reached somewhere in the top ten of "things not to do again, ever." He shuddered slightly.
"Where's your daughter?!" Susan demanded, advancing on the man at the head of the table and ignoring the frightened glances at her from the room's other occupants.
Lord Vetinari tried to compose himself as much as he could, and when he spoke, his voice told nothing of the primal fear that he felt coursing through his body.
"She comes and goes as she pleases." He said levelly. He steepled his fingers and cocked his head to one side. "Why?"
"She's not turned up for her lessons for the past three days."
"Can you possibly think of any reason why she wouldn't want to come to your lessons?" Vetinari said testily.
Susan scowled at him. He glared back at her.
"Where have you tried looking?" He said eventually looking away after the vicious staring match.
Susan's conscious cheered. *One-nil to me! * "The bedroom, study, playroom, gardens and even the privy."
Vetinari frowned, tapping his pen on his lips as he did so.
After a while, he held his hands up, dismissing the council, and went to find his daughter.
As he passed the other lords exiting the office, they noticed that he had an extremely worried expression on his face.
* * *
Very short chapter I know. I got stuck on what to write and so therefore came out with this crap. Sorry.
None of the characters mentioned in the above chapter are mine, they all belong to Terry Pratchett (sighs wistfully).