The Lord of Misrule

41 -- A Page from His Book

Sleep caught Durst off guard. Had no excuses for it. Too many long nights intersecting with interchangeable days.

He'd drank coffee with Ada earlier, as they had been doing, but yet again it went sour. Left a terrible pall on him come three in the morning.

The wrong foot had been almost instant. He'd burnt the coffee and then met Ada's unimpressed eyes as he placed it before her and sat down. Through all their chat she never touched it even though she was tired too. Seemed bothered that he'd offered her coffee at all—anxious to reach the next piece of work—but he had things to say.

"You're going to think this rather brash—or hasty," he said. "And you may even think I've only done this because you bullied me into it—that you've caused a disastrous move on my part."

"Bullied?" said Ada, blinking.

"I've quit the museum. On six weeks notice, but still quit."

"What!?"

"I've had it here. You were right though—you made me realize something and confront myself—and I was right to do it... I was in stasis. Hibernating, sort of."

"Just like that?" she stared at him, stunned. Seemed almost angry, and then shot, "What will you possibly do with yourself?"

"The stars. Astronomy. At a university. A B-of-S."

She'd demanded where—and he'd said he didn't know. The following self-satisified smirk had cut him, but didn't bleed until she said, "So you've planned for nothing?"

"No..." murmured Durst.

"But you haven't," said Ada.

"I've thought this through Ada!" he barked it. "This place has become untenable. I've become a prisoner here—d'you have any idea how much I'd like to sleep at night again like a normal person? Maybe stop the days from colliding into one, for once?"

"Oofra! Money!"

"I've saved enough for a year!"

"It'll take you four," she spat, "If not five! Probably will need academic upgrading first too!"

"What is that supposed to mean?! Huh?" Durst growled. "I'll do it three. Summer courses."

Brown eyes had stared back at him, angry and imperious, "I doubt that."

"Oh, get fucked! I will do it!"

They sat in silence for a time. The girl before him only stared—angry—yet depressed too. Even her freckles seemed downcast, her hair messy. Soon her eyes settled on him, squinting and angry.

"What?" snapped Godric. Seemed an age before she answered.

"Untenable..." she muttered it. "What a word. Fits these disturbances... Hm! 'Disturbances!' Why pick such words? But why did you not say they were back? You should've! Maybe it would have..."

"Saved Sala?" he said quietly, angry at himself for having gotten angry and yet was still mad at her too. Ada stared and said nothing. "I... I did report it," Durst said with self-conscious softness. "Or did you mean why did I not tell you?"

"Si," her answer was quiet. She wasn't mad anymore.

"I didn't tell you they'd returned," said Godric, he paused and wondered if he should continue. Her brown eyes and the mess of chestnut hair that flanked them urged him on. "Because I didn't want to scare you off... I mean I would've—that is I... I... Shit."