The Colour of Magick was talking again. Not out loud but directly into the mind of its keeper. And when it spoke it didn't use words but pictures. Dazzle was in the dark, his head lain upon the closed book as if it were a pillow, but his eyes were open. Now he was at the edge of the Disc again standing where no human could stand. He looked up at the spray and saw a rimbow, it's colours muted save one. Yellow. The happy colour. The colour of sunshine and buttercups and daisies. Dazzle screwed his eyes up tight, but the yellow didn't go away.
"I can't." he told it in a hoarse whisper, tears running down his cheeks, "I need to rest, please just let me rest!"
Only then did the colour dim and the shadows of sleep found him.
###
Doreen was no longer in her Octiron cage despite the fact her tail had not responded to the demon treatment. The thing with cats is, they don't listen to the laws of the universe in the ways that other creatures do. There were the nine lives, for starters, always landing on their feet and the uncanny ability to detect the unattended shoes of the people who dislike them the most and leave a deposit.
Whilst exposure to the light from the book had killed the people who had seen it, Doreen's tabby and white fur continued to terminate in scarlet with no ill effects. What's more, after she jumped into the Archchancellor's lap and he survived, the Wizards came to the conclusion that magical ability offered some sort of protection. Are felines magic? They were capable of seeing Octarine, as were the Wizards, so they were magical enough. Doreen was set to be a very magical and spoilt cat, as she was now a danger to the general non-magical public and would have to spend the rest of her days within the grounds of Unseen University. Both Doreen and the Faculty were most pleased, although Hex itself had expressed some concerns.*
*+++OUTPUT STRING: CAT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY+++
A colony of bats coalesced at the threshold of Flach and Chriek's and 'The Dust on the Sideboard' wife of 'The Scent After the Rain'* clapped her hands with delight. "Mr Otto! Mistress has been waiting for you. She is a bit..." she couldn't find the words so sort of growled and showed claws.
*If goblins marry, as such.
"Oh dear," he grimaced, "Zanks for zer varnink." he could hear her running through a checklist with Dulling somewhere in the stockroom. This was the highly-strung panic finally making an appearance just before curtain up.
"But where are the collapsible bellows?!" demanded Lily of poor Dulling.
"Third box on the left, between the imp restorer and the cyan ink," he answered without a pause. Mr Dulling knew the location of every item in the store; it's price, what was on offer, what wasn't and exactly how much was in stock. Lily knew this but Lily had had the usual amount of sleep that people get when they know they need rest for a big day ahead.
"Hello my dear," Otto leaned in the doorframe rather amused by this new emotional state of hers, "how are ve zis mornink?"
"Oh, you're here then," she handed him a list.
"Vot's zis?" he peered over his wire-framed glasses.
"It's a list Mr Chriek, we've all got lists." Dulling waved his. 'Beauty of the Harvest Moon' popped out from behind a box grinning, her list now a fetching paper hat.
Lily scowled, "We need lists! I need lists! I have to make sure this day goes perfectly..." she paused, "Are you finding this funny?" she asked the vampire who bit his lip* and shook his head.
*Carefully.
"Haff you eaten?" he asked patiently.
"I really don't have time for that right now," she answered dismissively, crossing off another item on the list in front of her.
He took her hand, plucked the list from it and passed it to Mr Dulling. "Ve are makink time," walking her toward the stairs to her rooms above, "and if you haff eggs, I am makink an omelette."
###
Otto ignored her protests and by the time he served up the eggs, Lily realised she was famished.
"Thank you," she said gratefully between mouthfuls, "sometimes I get a bit..." she shrugged.
Otto thought of 'The Dust on the Sideboard's visual description and smiled. "It's ok." he watched her stuff in forkfuls of omelette, "It vill be busy today and you need to eat."
"Aren't you having something?" she asked, already feeling less hangry*.
*A combination of hungry and angry. Other mixed emotions include snatiation; the feeling of satisfaction one gets from a sneeze and diorear; what one experiences after a later night kebab**
**Usually purchased from CMOT Dibbler
"Oh I uh, got somezink on zer vay in," or rather, he thought to himself, the bats did but that was part of the less glamorous side of being a vampire that he'd rather spare Lily from. Changing the subject, "Zer Times ran zer ad yesterday and are goink to cover zer openink today so ve are all set."
"What's the time?" she asked, as he brought over two cups of tea, "I just need to..."
"Drink your tea," he took a sip of his own, "zen it vill be show time."