In a Corner of My Soul: The Pack: Meeting Herbert

[dragonyphoenix]

Masterlist for In a Corner of My Soul

It was far too early to have to wait for his tea. And how long did a microwave take to boil a bloody cup of water? Too late Rupert realized he should have brewed his tea in his office. If nothing else it would have delayed his arrival in the teacher's lounge, where he was currently waiting for a ridiculously slow machine to go ping. In general, Rupert avoided the lounge but Principal Flutie, in his passive-aggressive way, had been adamant. “You see, Mr. Giles, you keep to yourself too much. The teachers won't be comfortable calling on the resources of the library if they don't know you.” Rupert had been floundering for a way to sound professional while saying that he didn't want to get to know, well, pretty much anyone at the school, when Flutie had added, “Good. I'll see you in the teacher's lounge tomorrow morning.”

At least his chances of interacting with anyone were slim. There were only two teachers present: Mr. Murdock, hidden behind a newspaper, and Miss Calendar, sitting with a half-eaten muffin crumbled before her. She was staring straight at him. Having left his Harrod's blend in his office, Rupert fumbled for a, ugh, Lipton's teabag. When he glanced up again, Miss Calendar was still staring. “You have mail,” she said.

“What?” It wasn't until she nodded toward the matrix of staff mailboxes that he understood what she'd meant. Flutie sent out messages instead of confronting the staff directly and, yes, there was an envelope in Rupert's box. It was, as he'd expected, from the principal's office. The notice, referring to the collection Rupert had brought into the library, contained phrases such as “arcane texts” and “topics unsuitable for a high-school library.” The words were lackluster but the meaning was clear. Rupert was being told to move his books.

Rupert couldn't. The books were too valuable a research tool. They wouldn't fit in his apartment and the mansion, well, that belonged to Giles. It was most certainly out of the question. Almost grateful that the missive gave him a reason to abandon the tea, Rupert left to find Flutie.

Kris, Miss Mansfield that is, was manning her desk at the front office. She'd come on rather intense when they'd first met, so much so that Rupert had, for a day or so, thought she'd been flirting with him. Still feeling a tad uncomfortable around her, Rupert went for a professionalism that, he feared, came off as stuffy. “Ah, Miss Mansfield, is Principal Flutie in?”

Her nod, happily, carried nothing of that initial flirtation. “He's out back, behind the school, picking up a delivery. The pig's in.”

Pig? Ah, yes, Flutie's razorback.

The loading dock was empty but as he stepped back into the school, Flutie's words – “Hold still you little …” – led Rupert to an empty classroom. Rupert stopped in the doorway. The pig, donned with tusks and a ridged razorback, both obviously foam, as well as an ill-fitting helmet looked nothing like the dread creature Flutie had described. “I take it that's the, uh, mascot? Where on earth did you find the beast?”

Flutie picked up the pig. “An affinal cousin. He gave me a deal because of the relationship.”

“I didn't realize you were married.” In fact, he'd have sworn Flutie was single. The man certainly didn't wear a wedding band.

“A cousin,” Flutie replied. “My brother's wife's cousin.”

As Flutie approached Rupert, the pig started squealing and squirming. Rupert took a step back, into the hallway, and the squealing stopped. Flutie stepped into the hallway and the pig squealed again, squirming so heavily that Flutie lost control. The pig dropped to the floor and dashed away. Flutie chased after.

Rupert heard himself thinking, the pig, he trembles before me. He shook his head. There was no reason to be pleased. The pig seemed to be a huge waste of both time and resources, certainly, but he had no reason to want the beast to fear him.

Giles snatched consciousness way from Rupert and watched the pig dash out of sight. The animal could sense Eyghon? That couldn't be. It ran against everything Giles had been taught about demonic domination. Eyghon was attached to his mind, yes, but not manifesting in any way.

Smarter than humans. Smarter than you. Giles sensed that Eyghon was speaking of the pig. But also stupid. Such a tiny morsel. Not worth my time.

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Herbert!!!!

This is a very intriguing alternate 'verse you are creating.


Gabrielle

[dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Poor Herbert. Not long left to live. ;-(