The Last Stand: The Deleted Scenes
Four
(From Chapter Fifteen)
Algernon dialled the number that Mary had given him, listening to the buzzing at the other end of the line indicating that the phone was ringing. In the time it took Gareth to answer, Algernon was already thinking of the several problems that he would encounter when the younger man picked up. For a start, how was he going to talk about wholly magical concepts in front of the definitely non-magical professor who was standing in the room with him, looking him up and down with disbelieving eyes and no doubt wondering how come her colleague knew such a strangely dressed individual. As the phone continued to ring, so Algernon's panic began to mount. What was he going to do if Gareth didn't pick up? He would simply have to go to Exeter and try to find him, but he was no more familiar with the Southern city as he was with Cardiff.
"Hello Mary?" came a distant voice, the lilting Cardiff accent instantly recognisable as Gareth's.
"Gareth, it's Algernon, you know, Egbert's friend? Well, we've got a bit of an emergency on our hands, Della's gone into labour and…"
"Algernon…" Gareth tried to interrupt but Algernon carried on regardless.
"…and we've got what looks to be the entire JHC lined up outside so only heaven only knows what's going to happen now and you know there' no electric in the castle and…"
"Algernon!"
"…and Constance was kidnapped by the Devil but she's back now and I came to get you but I don't know my way round Cardiff and I had to buy a map and now you aren't even here and…"
"ALGERNON!"
Algernon fell silent as Gareth's voice on the other end of the line finally managed to pervade his perception.
"Yes?" he asked breathlessly.
"Algernon, you're on speakerphone in the middle of a Shakespearean Staging conference."
As soon as Algernon got near a phone, I knew I had to have this scene…