Disclaimer: I don't own Terry Pratchett's Discworld nor Alan Moore's Watchmen, and I don't get paid on it.
How many times will I have to repeat it ?
Apparition of Fredson, the first between the Discworld's equivalents of the watchmen you will see later. Finally, I can say that a character is mine !
Chapter 4: Fredson
Rincewind and the vigilante got back to the University once the night had fallen, the Archchancelor, followed by Stibbons, run on them. Rincewind wondered why, Rorschach didn't do anything and he didn't left him.
"Mister Stibbons here forgot to tell you a little something, Rorschach."
"Archchancelor, I asked you the authorization two months ago but I have never got any answer," protested Stibbons. "So, I decided to improvise."
Ridcully thought to the pile of bumph which piled up on his desk, he never touched it by principle: it was not his business from his point of view.
"Anyway, just explain him what happened Stibbons."
"I wanted to make an inhabitant of the Roundworld come on the Disc after having succeeded to make come this device I'm holding. Hey !"
Rorschach had grabbed the bean-can Stibbon had just taken out.
"Give me back the thing, please," he turned towards the Archchancelor. "Say something !"
"Sorry Stibbons, it comes from his homeworld, so we can consider it's his property."
Ponder sighed and continued his explanation.
"What was I saying ? Oh yes, the experiment didn't go according to the plan however. The man from the Roundworld was supposed to appear inside the University but you appeared in the Shades, I had even thought the experiment had failed before the Watch bring you here."
"So, I'm here cause of you ?"
"Er... yes."
Stibbons begun to back up, but, unexpectedly, the masked man said:
"Thank you."
After a few minutes, Stibbons' heart came back to a normal rhythm.
"Why ?"
"Would be dead if it wasn't for you."
"What ?"
Then he explained them all what happened to him in his world.
·][·
Rorschach decided to learn more about this new world, especially about this city. He learned thanks to Rincewind that the Unseen University had the biggest library on the Disc. He managed to find the Library after wandering for more than three hours in the corridors (he hadn't asked any information to the wizards or the students, he wanted as often as possible to avoid any contact with these nutjobs, moreover it allowed him to take information about the place), he was about to get into the endless rows of bookshelves when Rincewind appeared suddenly and shouted:
"Are you crazy ? We can't get inside this place alone !"
"Rincewind, thought you were supposed to stay with me when outside."
"Yes, but unfortunately I happen to be responsible for you. I tell you by the way that we only found three days ago the corpse of the last wizard who tried to look for a book into the library alone ten years ago ! You have to ask the Librarian."
Rorschach turned back and joined Rincewind who was standing near a filthy blanket.
"Someone ?"
What Rorschach had mistaken for an orange blanket move and said "Oook" to him.
"Librarian's pet ?"
"He is the Librarian."
"Your librarian is a mon..."
Rincewind made him shut up immediately.
"Don't pronounce the word ! He can't stand being called a M.O.N.K.E.Y, he's an anthropoid."
"So, your librarian is a m... anthropoid ?"
"Yes, once he was a wizard, he's been changed into an orangutang after a magical accident. We keep him this way because he's never wanted to be changed back into a human and because he's the only one who know how to find his way in the Library."
Rorschach turned towards the primate who gave him and interrogating "Oook".
"Everything you have about Discworld and Ankh-Morpork."
The supra-orbital ridges of the Librarian formed a V and he gave an impatient and upset Oook to the vigilante, he was not only fussy about the way he was called but also about good manners.
"Please ?" tried Rorschach
The orangutang went then into the jungle of bookshelves, letting the wizard and the vigilante waiting.
·][·
The orangutang came back with numerous books of the Encyclopedia disci mundi, books about Ankh-Morpork and maps of the city.
Rincewind was about to leave but he turned back:
"Rorschach, it will soon be dinner time, don't you want to eat before reading ?"
Rorschach, sat in front of the books, raised the bean-can.
"Oh, good evening then."
Once the wizard gone, the vigilante opened the can and was about to eat but the Librarian gave him a disapproving "Oook" glaring with a dark eye the can because the sauce could go on his precious books, Rorschach got away from the books and decided he would read after eating.
·][·
Rorschach had been staying into the library for many days, he had read The History of Ankh-Morpork an read until book X the Encyclopedia disci mundi and trained to memorize a city map. Except Rincewind who came sometimes but didn't bother him, he was a friend of the Librarian from why he heard, the only other wizard who came and see him int the Library was Stibbons who wanted to convince him to take part to experiments linked to Roundworld and ask him various questions. However, he succeeded to make him flee by throwing at his face the book V of the Encyclopedia disci mundi (1) but the Librarian, furious, began a fight with Rorschach, the anthropoid won and the human was quite ashamed of it, Rincewind was the only witness (2).
·][·
Rorschach finally came one week after in the Great Hall of the University, a place crowded with wizards, he hoped they wouldn't notice him since they were so busy to eat and digest, unfortunately for him this wasn't not the case.
"Well, here comes a ghost !"
"Yes, he must be tired of his night-trips"
"Hurm ?"
The vigilante dropped the sandwich he wanted to bring back with him to the Library (3).
"Oh, don't act as if you didn't know, it's written in the newspaper, on the front page."
Then the Dean took out an edition of The Times, the most popular newspaper in Ankh-Morpork (4), and read aloud:
A masked vigilante struggles against the gangs of the Shades, so ?"
"Can't be me."
"He looks a lot like you though," pointed out the Senior Wrangler, who grabbed the newspaper from the Dean. "The article says that the "Terror of the Shadows" is little..."
Rorschach was clenching his fists, Rincewind motioned his colleague to shut up but he went on without taking care of the warnings.
"... moreover, he wears a hat, a coat and... (5) a white mask with moving stains. If not you, then who is he ? Some relative ?"
The Archchancelor turned towards Rincewind who was desperately looking for a way to escape.
"Rincewind, you were responsible for him and you let him go out alone ?"
"Not Rincewind's fault. Have remained all the time in the Library, you can ask the Librarian (6)."
Rorschach left the Great Hall after saying that.
·][·
In the tiny room of Rincewind, Rorschach woke without making any noise. The wizards placed him with Rincewind since he was responsible for him, the wizard had offered him his bed but he declined: he preferred the floor. He had decided to see this vigilante who looked strangely like him by his own eyes and he preferred to go and look for him alone. A man like Rincewind would be like a millstone around his neck in a place such as the Shades, the worst district of Ankh-Morpork for what he's heard about, he managed it pretty well though whereas he had just arrived but maybe he had only been lucky, better remain careful.
He was bout to open the door when suddenly Rincewind began to move. False alarm, he moved his legs and arms but remained in his bed, probably dreaming something was pursuing him, but he didn't wake up.
Once in the empty University's corridors, he unclenched the mechanism to open one of the numerous passages secrets which allowed to leave the University, not so secret ways since all the students seemed to know them. He learned their existence by observing the students who went over the wall while he was coming back from the Library.
He reached a tavern not far from the University and from there he went to the Shades.
·][·
He finally arrived in the quarter of the infamous quarter. This research fort the vigilante would also be a way to get his bearings, he hadn't managed to find a map of the Shades, on most of the maps, on the indication "the Shades", instead of the detail of the streets we could read such things as "Terra incognita that must remain incognita", "Beware, danger !", "Why would you go here, seriously ?", etc. He had however found an attempt of precise cartography of the Shades made three centuries ago by some Joseph Badluck: only three streets were drawn. Investigating further, he learned that the author of this map had been found pretty much everywhere in the Shades.
When he reached the end of one of the three streets indicated by late Badluck, Rorschach only met a filthy kid who ran away, a terrified look on his face, when he saw him, the he heard familiar sounds: the sounds that are heard during every street-fights, yells and insults of the fighters and the sounds of their hits. One fighter especially drew his, since he wore a mask, it was undoubtedly this "Terror of the Shades" the Times was talking about.
·][·
Stinky Jack and his gang had just met for the first time the one called the Terror of the Shades, to say the truth they had even looked for him. This masked jerk only met less important gangs, little thugs, wimps. Jack told himself seeing the "Terror" that these guys must be more losers than he first believed, for gods' sake ! it was just moron who didn't even have the guts to show his face ! Besides, that's what he called him when he found him. He must admit now, he had underestimated him, this little fella revealed himself quite good at dodge knocks, moved quickly and even gave nasty knocks, especially to Iron Grip, this little bastard kicked him in the family jewels, putting him down and out. What the fuck ? The weirdos who wanted to make justice themselves normally had some stupid honor code that forbids such things, right ? A good news however, the "Terror" was getting exhausted, he would not stand any longer at this rhythm and they were seven to be still on their feet. But, right at the moment he had sent the little bastard on the floor, another crazy masked guy appeared ! He wore the same weird mask but was much stronger. Jack managed to go away, the members of his gangs didn't, most of them were unconscious, at least they looked like, and wounded.
The vigilante turned towards Rorschach after he gave a last punch to a guy who were begging him so that he let him go (7).
"Thank you sir."
Rorschach could see him better better now. He was slightly more little and thinner than him and looked like a version of himself that could have been met in the Victorian London, he was wearing a top-hat and a big-collar coat both brown which had known better days and his mask looked like his own except that little red and blue stains coexisted with the black ones.
"Your name ?"
"I have not found one yet, but I maybe got an idea: one of the guy I was punching said: "Ya seen his noodle ? Looks like Bloody bastard Fredson's stains (8)". Bloody Bastard Fredson, what d'ya think about it ?
"Just Fredson, better."
"Yep, sounds good. What's your name ?"
"Rorschach."
"Was a pleasure to meet you Rorschach. Bye !"
He turned back but Rorschach kept him, he won't let him go away like this.
"One last question: your age ?"
The other shrugged:
"Don't know, guess fourteen or fifteen."
"Don't know how old you are ? Don't tell me your parents never told you."
"I don't have any parents."
An orphan. It justified even more the idea he had in mind when he decided to look fort the vigilante.
"But don't worry, I manage it quite well, got a job, well many jobs, and even a room, a proper one, really."
"Listen carefully Fredson, no way you go in the street alone again."
"Hey ! I can defend myself, as you've just seen !"
"Got potential, but don't protect yourself enough. They would have killed you if I hadn't been there."
"Listen, I've already told you, I can defend my... HEY !"
The teen had just fallen on his knees, bent because of the punch Rorschach gave him in the stomach, he got back on his feet and tried to respond.
"Why the hell did you do that ? You... OW !"
The only effort Rorschach had to make was to move away from the path of the young vigilante who was pouncing on him, he didn't fall on Rorschach but on the cobblestones.
"See ? Still much to learn."
Fredson got back on his feet and grumbled but he was a fast-learner: he didn't try to take his revenge and listened.
"And I accept to teach you, which means: you don't go out without me, got it ?"
"Yep."
"Good, every night near the Mended Cauldron, it's..."
"A seedy tavern not far from the University, I know."
"Fine. See you tomorrow Fredson."
"See ya Rorschac OUCH ! Fucking hell ! Not again !"
Rorschach turned back, the vigilante-in-training had just hit his face against a wall and had put his hand on the nose while he was still swearing a lot.
"Stop swearing like this. What happened ?"
"Nothing, just this fuck... damned mask, it's the sixth time it happens ! I can hardly see and breathe through this thing. How do you do that ?"
"You'll get used to it."
They finally left, Rorschach thought he would make a good partner once he would have trained more and swear less, and the most important: Fredson's situation was less dangerous if he was with him.
·][·
The sun had just dawned when he went back into Rincewind's room, the wizard by the way seemed to have recovered from his nightmares and was snoring, he decided to wake him up.
"Rincewind ?"
He shook him a little by a shoulder but Rincewind awoke yelling and tried to run away, Rorschach caught him up by the collar while he was still running though not making any progress.
"Rincewind, it's just me, Rorschach, not some guy who wants to kill you."
Rincewind indeed was speaking when asleep, the motivation to sneak out at nightfall was not only go back to his crusade against crime but also the will to be away from Rincewind while he was sleeping.
He stopped running, so Rorschach let him go off.
"Rorschach, it is too early, everybody is sleeping at this time."
"Wrong. Seen Archchancelor running around the University."
"Everybody except Ridcully," corrected Rincewind
Rorschach took a little notebook, he leafed through and showed it to the wizard.
"Nothing written inside. Need it ?"
"If I give it to you, will you let me sleep ?"
"Yes."
"It's yours then."
He fell asleep, Rorschach began to write, he awoke Rincewind one last time to ask him the date.
Rorschach Journal, Century of the Anchovy
Not pulverized by Manhattan, ended up in Ankh-Morpork, city on the Discworld. Very strange place, crazy natives: wizards, dwarves, trolls and legal murder. Live in the Unseen University, wizards live here, stuck with one of them, Rincewind, totally harmless but of no use.
Met a vigilante in the Shades, Fredson, curiously similar to me, decided to train him and supervise him so that nothing happens to him. Promising one, flaws: not cautious enough, swears too much.
Must investigate further.
(1) The CI of "disci" and the DI of "mundi" could still be seen on the chin and the forehead of Stibbons a week after. This accident confirmed the Archchancelor in his opinion about being stuck in the books too long, it gave nothing good.
(2) who hurried to swear on all the gods he knew that he would not talk about this to anyone while Rorschach just began to recover from the red flash which hit him in the face. The Librarian, who was not a bad winner, apologized immediately by giving a peanut bag to Rorschach.
(3) The Librarian had eaten all the peanuts and bananas.
(4) The author swears you she doesn't advertise for this newspaper, it doesn't need it, it the best-sold newspaper of Ankh-Morpok and even the Disc. "Harga's pork chops, there's nothing better, 90 per cent real meat guaranteed !" (Yes, the author gets paid by Harga since Pratchett and Moore refused to pay for it. As for the Gunga Diner, they haven't answered yet...)
(5) The Senior Wrangler thought that delaying his answer created a very appreciated theatrical effect, in fact it just annoyed people, especially the disturbed vigilantes.
(6) It was half a lie: Rorschach once a day left the library for the gymnasium, he was the only one in the University, except Ridcully and the Librarian, who used this room. By a curious coincidence, Ridcully was always busy somewhere else (yelling at the Bursar or hunting for example) when Rorschach was in.
(7) He meant "Please, let me go !" but since some teeth were missing, rotten for most of them, so not a big loss, it gave something like "Hease, he hi ho !".
(8) Fredson, more often referred as Bloody Bastard Fredson, was the first psychiatrist of the Disc. He tried to understand the human mind using black or colored inkblots ans asking people "what do you see ? An don't tell me just inkblots, it's not constructive and had strange theories about the relation between parents and children. He prematurely died, killed by a patient who didn't appreciated being diagnosed as a pervert because of what the inkblots look like to him and, the most important, being accused of wanting to do nasty things to his mum when he was a kid.
I am sorry, in the french version, I have forgotten the note about Bloody Bastard Fredson, so I repaired here.
Hope you liked it !