After writing the first chapter, I stepped back and looked at it with
horror. I could not think what had possessed me to write something so far
below my standards. The idea was good, but underdeveloped, and I had no
villain. I planned to remove it, unless I got a review. I did, and they
gave me a foothold, and I'm back. I cleaned up my horrible grammar, and I
basically took all the ideas thrust my way. Strangely, Manx's insane
Professor Zaxton idea fit nicely in with Bob the Insane's robot. So here
goes Ch. 2:
* * *
"Okay, and finally, what would you do if a student spilled a chemical onto the floor?"
"You don't want to know."
Munstrum Ridcully broke into an ear-to-ear grin.
"Congratulations, Mr. Zaxton; you're our new Magical Implements teacher."
The sallow man on the other side of the table returned Ridcully's grin somewhat less forcefully.
"I am sure I can enrich this school somehow. When do I start?"
"Tomorrow at noon."
* * *
Up on the highest mountain on the Disc, Om nudged Offler awake. The other gods were all off at the Ice Giants, who had the music up too loud, and Om and Offler had gotten Disc duty.
"Look at that!"
"Wha?"
"Look, the magic armor of Ankh-Morpork has been rediscovered."
"Really? Well, we muft tell the other godf!"
"Let's not. I want to see this and make them jealous. I'm sure it will be interesting."
"Okay."
Om and Offler sat down and looked down at the Disc.
* * *
The standard slow, almost lugubrious Discworld sunrise ended simultaneously with the lunch break at Unseen University, and the Students were ushered into their classrooms. One particularly unlucky bunch was greeted by a smiling face on a head that looked like a wax apple left too long in the sun.
"Hello, students, I am Professor Zaxton. I am your new Magical Implements teacher. You all know about the most basic items, as, my schedule informs me, you are the second year class. So, I thought we would start with an interesting item- the Golem. As you all know, Golems are controlled by pieces of paper in their heads called Chems. The Chem basically tells the Golem how to operate. Now, who here has ever worked with a Golem?
* * *
Twoflower hummed as he walked- which was making his daughters irritable.
"Do you have to do that, father?" asked the older of the two, Butterfly.
"I'm sorry dear, I'm just so happy I found time to come see my good friend
Rincewind. And we're almost to Ankh-Morpork."
"I'm sure he will be very happy to see you," said his younger daughter, Lotus Blossom.
Yeah, I bet, thought Butterfly.
* * *
The day was ending, and as the wizards congregated to their dinner, one raced
through the corridors in the basement of Unseen. He was pushing a hand truck that was nearly snapping under the weight of the thing on it. It had been draped with a shroud, which flapped up from time to time, and the pusher constantly had to recover exposed parts of it. He rushed deeper and deeper down, finally arriving in a large chamber, filled completely with what appeared to be miscellaneous junk.
"So, you're the famous Hex," Said the pusher, coming to a halt.
+++ Yes +++
"You can devise spells, correct?"
+++ I can pull them up from the depths of probability. I take it you want one+++
"Yes. I have here a golem. I want you to write me a Chem that will allow me to control it remotely with a suit of armor for which I would like you to draw blueprints. You can do it?"
+++ Yes +++
"Begin, then."
* * *
Well, send reviews, and the next chapter will appear far too soon for your liking. Suggestions appreciated!
The Shadow
* * *
"Okay, and finally, what would you do if a student spilled a chemical onto the floor?"
"You don't want to know."
Munstrum Ridcully broke into an ear-to-ear grin.
"Congratulations, Mr. Zaxton; you're our new Magical Implements teacher."
The sallow man on the other side of the table returned Ridcully's grin somewhat less forcefully.
"I am sure I can enrich this school somehow. When do I start?"
"Tomorrow at noon."
* * *
Up on the highest mountain on the Disc, Om nudged Offler awake. The other gods were all off at the Ice Giants, who had the music up too loud, and Om and Offler had gotten Disc duty.
"Look at that!"
"Wha?"
"Look, the magic armor of Ankh-Morpork has been rediscovered."
"Really? Well, we muft tell the other godf!"
"Let's not. I want to see this and make them jealous. I'm sure it will be interesting."
"Okay."
Om and Offler sat down and looked down at the Disc.
* * *
The standard slow, almost lugubrious Discworld sunrise ended simultaneously with the lunch break at Unseen University, and the Students were ushered into their classrooms. One particularly unlucky bunch was greeted by a smiling face on a head that looked like a wax apple left too long in the sun.
"Hello, students, I am Professor Zaxton. I am your new Magical Implements teacher. You all know about the most basic items, as, my schedule informs me, you are the second year class. So, I thought we would start with an interesting item- the Golem. As you all know, Golems are controlled by pieces of paper in their heads called Chems. The Chem basically tells the Golem how to operate. Now, who here has ever worked with a Golem?
* * *
Twoflower hummed as he walked- which was making his daughters irritable.
"Do you have to do that, father?" asked the older of the two, Butterfly.
"I'm sorry dear, I'm just so happy I found time to come see my good friend
Rincewind. And we're almost to Ankh-Morpork."
"I'm sure he will be very happy to see you," said his younger daughter, Lotus Blossom.
Yeah, I bet, thought Butterfly.
* * *
The day was ending, and as the wizards congregated to their dinner, one raced
through the corridors in the basement of Unseen. He was pushing a hand truck that was nearly snapping under the weight of the thing on it. It had been draped with a shroud, which flapped up from time to time, and the pusher constantly had to recover exposed parts of it. He rushed deeper and deeper down, finally arriving in a large chamber, filled completely with what appeared to be miscellaneous junk.
"So, you're the famous Hex," Said the pusher, coming to a halt.
+++ Yes +++
"You can devise spells, correct?"
+++ I can pull them up from the depths of probability. I take it you want one+++
"Yes. I have here a golem. I want you to write me a Chem that will allow me to control it remotely with a suit of armor for which I would like you to draw blueprints. You can do it?"
+++ Yes +++
"Begin, then."
* * *
Well, send reviews, and the next chapter will appear far too soon for your liking. Suggestions appreciated!
The Shadow