nny | (no subject)

Bad day.

BAD day.

Okay, so the morning was pretty much okay. As normal, with the typing and the boredom, and co-worker person and I went out at lunch time for shopping therapy. On our way out we heard people bitching about the lifts not working and lo, we did laugh full mightily, for our offices are on the first floor.

Shopping was done, shoes were lusted after and (lethal upon lethals!) a charity shop was entered, whereupon apparently I was mugged. I dunno. I left with a lighter purse, but someone had left me with two books in exchange; one on Chinese explorers, apparently, and one that is the best book ever. But more on that later.

Anyway, returning to work we found that not only had the lifts stopped working but the a/c was on the fritz. Any other week, with the rain and the freezing and the jumpers, this would have been fine, but this week apparently England has decided it's summer. So up we swelter to the office.

"Oh no," sez I, "I'll never survive this heat without caffeine," and I headed towards the coffee machine. Which was out of order. The coffee machine, incidentally, is also the water machine, so I went back to my desk to fetch a plastic cup for tap filling when someone happened to mention that there was, in fact, no water in the building.

Yeah.

So off co-worker and I trotted to buy ourselves bottles of water, and on our return were put - almost entirely untrained - on the phones for an hour.

NOT MY BEST DAY EVER.

There were compensations, however.

CHAPTER 1
TELLETH HOW THE CAPTAIN TOOK SERVICE

THE CAPTAIN gave his battered hat the true swashbuckling cock, cast his ragged cloak about him with superb, braggadocio flourish, clashed his rusty spurs and bowed. And his nose seemed arrogant, his mouth grim, his chin aggressive, -- but his eyes, these wide-set, long-lashed, wistful grey eyes gave to all the lie direct, -- or so it seemed to her who, seated in the great elbow-chair, surveyed him with much interest and no little disdain.

And as she viewed him thus beneath pucker of slim brows, he, viewing her, mentally classified her as a glooming Juno.

"You are Captain Jocelyn Dinwiddie?" said she at last, her dark eyes still intent.

"That same, madam," he answered, in voice to match his look, "and late of the English company of gentlemen volunteers in Flanders."

"But later, sir, in the Fleet Prison, I believe."

The Captain's sallow cheek flushed, his moustachio quivered, but his grey eyes were serenely steady as he answered:

"Admitted, madam, and shame it is that such right body and high-vaulting soul should ha' been so pent for base gold. But the most of my good comrades are heroically dead, the old company is disbanded and my steel lacks employ. Thus am I, that was of late the compeer of demi-gods, become poor squire of Alsatia. Here is eclipse methinks might shake the very firmament!"

"In fine, sir, you are a mere bravo open to hire."

"Madam, your mistake, if allowable, is infinite. I am Dinwiddie! Poor gentleman and soldier o' fortune I, yet verily of fortune none. Howbeit such as I seem to you, that will I be to your supremest content."

***

I really oughtn't to do a voice post...

Anyway, yes. That was my day. Apart from the part where I traumatised the policeman with porn conversations.