All in a Day's Work
The CBB -> St Clare's House
#1: All in a Day's Work Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 2:48 pm

Background

Japser Fforde has had three books published: The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book and The Well of Lost Plots. Set in a world very like ours, and yet not quite ours, they star a detective called Thursday Next. The line between fiction and reality is very thin, and it is possible to move between the worlds. This drabble is set after the third book, when she is working for Jurisfiction, who basically police novels to make the characters behave and the plots come out as they should. There may be inadvertent spoilers for the books. If things really aren't making sense, then ask and I or one of the other JF fans on the board will hopefully be able to explain.

Disclaimer

This drabble will feature CS fans. It is fiction. They are fictional. They are not intended to represent any particular member of the board. If I cause any offence to anyone, please accept my apologies.

On with the story...

Adult fans of children’s books are often regarded as a potentially dangerous group. Chalet School fans became, in the latter years of the twentieth century, a definite force to be reckoned with. Their devotion to or dislike of characters was often extreme. This would have been a relatively harmless eccentricity, had a small group not discovered a way to get into the books and alter the story from the inside.

Charlie Shule, The Crisis in Girls Own Literature

After the excitement of the Bookies, Jurisfiction settled back to almost normal. There was plenty of sorting out to be done but that wasn’t my problem. How to keep Jurisfiction going so that the fictional world continued to function as it should, despite the recent losses, how to restore morale with Godot’s unknown killer presumably still on the loose, and how to get Landen back – those were my problems, and I could have done without any more.

My first meeting as Bellman went surprisingly well. At least the election was uncontested as everyone acknowledged that I had clear priority, now I was the only Outlander working for Jurisfiction. Outlanders always took priority over the fictional characters but I had feared more suspicion given the actions of Tweed, the other prominent Outlander Jurisfiction agent. But the Bellman (the outgoing Bellman) had supported me, and Bradshaw had been a tower of strength throughout – my acceptance of his wife (a gorilla) had earned me favours from them which I was only slightly reluctant to claim.

The only immediate problem I was faced with was a lack of agents. Everyone had already been sent on assignments when the emergency footnoterphone message came through. It was decidedly unorthodox for the Bellman to go out on assignments, but I was bored. After the excitement of the last few weeks, I didn’t want to go back to Caversham Heights, the novel I was staying in until my child was born safely. If I went back, I would probably have to make conversation with Lola. I’d thought that things would be calmer now she and Randolph had got together but instead she wanted to analyse every moment of their time together and I couldn’t cope with that right now.

So I took the assignment myself. I mean, how hard could a kids’ school story be? The fans were just kids themselves, right? And the characters in the later books were mostly B and C grade Generics. I’d faced down a death threat in Shadow the Sheepdog, which had made me wary, but this was a problem with fans – Outlanders like myself. Just a kid who’d worked out how to get into a book (something to be investigated as soon as the situation was defused). Probably out for kicks, wanting to see favourite characters firsthand.

I jumped into the library from Norland Park, waved at the Cheshire Cat, and started to hunt down the book. This took longer than it should have done. Static on the footnoterphone had obscured a hyphen and it was only after forty minutes on the D floor that I realised I was two floors out. Cursing, I went down to the B floor, where I bumped into Bradshaw.

 

#2:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 3:06 pm

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Thank you Caz Mr. Green

 

#3:  Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 3:16 pm

Adds another to the list of books to buy and read at some point. These look interesting.

 

#4:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 3:17 pm

Oooh!! this is looking very interesting and rosy!! More soon please!!

 

#5:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 3:56 pm

More, please, this looks interesting.

 

#6:  Author: Alex, Location: Manchester, UK PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 5:32 pm

I love Thursday Next, putting her in the CS is a stroke of genius!

 

#7:  Author: Rachel, Location: West Coast of Scotland PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 5:56 pm

Cazx, this is a brilliant start! I am soooooooo looking forward to seeing the interaction between characters ans real people! If anyone can speed read, I will happily bring my Jasper Ffordes to the next G I attend, and let persons peruse them Smile

 

#8:  Author: Angel, Location: London, England PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 7:30 pm

ooooooh *reminds self to pick up Well from the bargain bin at work

 

#9:  Author: Grembles, Location: Norwich PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 9:04 pm

oh wow! Jasper Fforde is the greatest, he has a new book out in July called Something Rotten and it mixes Hamlet with Mrs Tiggy Winkle. He is coming to the shop where I work on 26th July, I just know that I am going to be all awestruck and just stare at him like and idiot.

 

#10:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 10:29 pm

*bounces on chair in excitement, thus waking up flatmate in room below*

 

#11:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2004 8:47 am

“Hello, Thursday. Everything all right? You did well today, Miss Havisham would have been proud of you.”

“Thanks. I was pretty nervous about it. We’ve just had an emergency come through. An Outlander in a book, unofficially.”

“I didn’t think that was possible.”

“It can happen occasionally I did it myself as a child” I explained. “I don’t know how they got there but we need to check it out. Shouldn’t be a problem, it’s just a children’s book.”

Bradshaw frowned, as I scanned the shelves. “Some fans take the stories very seriously. Are you really going to take it on?”

I pulled ‘Mary-Lou of the Chalet School’ off the shelf and looked up in time to see a look of horrified recognition on Bradshaw’s face. “The Chalet School? Thursday, you really shouldn’t go in there on your own.”

I’d never seen Bradshaw in this mood before but he was only making me more stubborn. “So come with me then. What’s wrong?”

“The fans for one thing. And there were problems a while back – suspicions of insider trading. Nothing ever proved, but some of the plots were a bit too repetitive: too many dramatic rescues by one character.”

I shrugged. Adventure stories had always been more my style than school stories, and I wasn’t really convinced that any adult would take the books that seriously. “Well, do you want to come along?” I asked.

“I think it might be as well.”

“OK, we’re jumping in just after Mary-Lou’s accident. That’s where the Outlander is.”

We arrived just outside the San and scrambled out of a snow drift. I shivered and pulled my jacket closer. An Alpine winter might look beautiful but it was freezing cold. “What’s the plan?” Bradshaw asked.

“It looks like the Outlander is masquerading as a nurse. None of them are ever named. I vote we go in and find the Matron. She’ll be able to tell if any of the nurses are missing or unknown to her.” Bradshaw insisted in keeping his gun in his hand as we headed into the San. The narrative was focused on the room in which Mary-Lou was lying unconscious so we were free to wander the rest of the San.

Matron Graves was in her office, making paper aeroplanes. I ducked as one flew out through the door and between us. Bradshaw jumped and loosed a shot at the plane. The bullet ricocheted off the wall and buried itself in the noticeboard opposite. Matron Graves looked up in alarm. “Who are you?” she demanded.

“Thursday Next, Jurisfiction agent. This is Commander Bradshaw.”

“Helen Graves. What’s going on?”

“Reports of an Outlander in the book. We’ve come to get her out.”

“Sorry about the shot,” the Commander broke in. “I’m just a bit jumpy with this fan around.”

“Don’t worry. No-one will notice. Do you know who the Outlander is, or where they are?” Helen asked. She looked surprisingly pale.

“We think she’s disguised herself as a nurse so she can wander round the San. Another nurse walking past won’t attract any attention,” I explained.

Helen frowned. “We only have a couple of nurses. One of them’s with Mary-Lou, in the narrative. The other is probably in the staff-room, or doubling as the recpetionist. Follow me.” As she swept out of the room, I noticed that she seemed very tense. What was it about these fans that could make even Bradshaw, hero of numerous adventures, jumpy enough to shoot a piece of paper?

As Helen had predicted, one nurse was found at the reception, reading a magazine. “Hello, everything all right?” she asked.

“Reports of an Outlander in the book. Have you seen or heard anything suspicious?” Helen asked. The nurse thought for a moment.

“No, I don’t think so,” she answered. “I haven’t seen the other nurse for a while, but I assume she’s still with Mary-Lou.”

“Are there any other patients here?” I asked, wondering if the Outlander could be with them.

Helen shook her head. “No, the only patients we ever see are from the school. Others are mentioned but never actually seen.”

“OK, we’d better check out Mary-Lou’s room. Which way is it?” Helen led the way again, through several identical corridors. Before we reached the room, however, we heard muffled noises coming from behind a door. Bradshaw and I pulled out our guns.

 

#12:  Author: Rachel, Location: West Coast of Scotland PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2004 10:03 am

And? AND? AAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDD? In case anyone is in any doubt whatsoever, I am eagerly following this drabble and can't wait for the next installment! I love Thursday's naivety about "kids" books - and the generic nurses are ace! (And may I take this opportunity to remind people that Generic Mistresses were used in the Holocaust drabble, and I took the idea from Fforde ) )

 

#13:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2004 10:16 am

*starting a very loud chant!*

 

#14:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2004 11:11 am

*joining in very loudly* And RTW of course you may and very clever it was too!!! Caz this is great, spot-on and will fill the time waiting for the new one nicely!

 

#15:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2004 3:41 pm

*chanting VERY loudly*

 

#16:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2004 4:18 pm

Have never read these books but am beginning to get slowly drawn in! More please!

 

#17:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2004 5:44 pm

This is just tooooo good - looks like that's another set of books going on my wish list Rolling Eyes

 

#18:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2004 11:12 pm

Have never heard of these books until they were mentioned here but am really enjoying this story.

 

#19:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2004 9:03 am

“What’s behind there?” I demanded.

“A linen store,” Helen replied briefly.

“All right. Get back.” I raised my voice, “This is Jurisfiction. Come out quietly and nothing will happen to you.” The noise stopped. Then it started again, but this time sounding more purposeful. “Right, keep back,” I ordered.

“Wait! That sounds like Morse Code,” Bradshaw exclaimed.

As soon as he had spoken, I realised that the knocking sound was tapping out SOS. I approached the door softly and tried the handle. “Locked! I’ll have to shoot it out.”

Helen looked rather alarmed at this. “I have a master-key,” she offered. It was somewhat less dramatic, but this was a children’s book so I took the key from her, gesturing her back again, and gently turned it in the lock. I pushed the door open, with my gun still at the ready. I shouldn’t have been surprised at the sight, really, but I still hadn’t quite grasped what we were dealing with.

The second nurse was on the ground, wriggling away from the door, gagged and bound. With an exclamation of horror, Helen pushed past me and began to untie the girl. The nurse, who had been staring in terror at my gun, seemed relieved to see a familiar face. “What happened?” I asked, as soon as the gag was removed. Helen cast me a reproachful look but refrained from comment.

“I was with Mary-Lou. Dr Jack said you,” gesturing at Helen, “wanted to see me, so I came out but was grabbed from behind. Someone pushed a pad of something over my mouth and I blacked out. When I came to I was in here. I heard footsteps so tried to make as much noise as I could. Then you opened the door.” Now she was out of danger, the girl was beginning to enjoy the attention. It was likely to be the most exciting thing that had happened to her since she had been in the series, and she was determined to make the most of it.

“Was Dr Jack with Mary-Lou when you left?” Helen asked. The nurse nodded. Helen looked relieved, “I’m sure nothing will happen to her while he’s there. And Joey’s with her too.”

I was less reassured. “We’d better check. After all, someone sent a false message and there must have been a reason. Are you all right?” I asked the nurse. She nodded shakily.

Helen looked at me uncertainly. “I think I’d better take her to the staff room and give her some coffee. You should find Mary-Lou’s room easily enough. Go to the end of the corridor, turn left and it’s about halfway along on the right.” She left, half-supporting the nurse and Bradshaw and I made haste to follow her instructions. We found the room all the more easily because it was the only one with a man outside banging on the door and shouting.

 

#20:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2004 9:08 am

*snickers* this is BRILLIANT!!!!!!!

 

#21:  Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2004 9:38 am

Loving this and looking even more forward to reading the books!

 

#22:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2004 10:31 am

More lovely story, thank you.

 

#23:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2004 12:34 pm

This is fascinating! *adds still more books to want list*

 

#24:  Author: Abi, Location: Alton, Hants PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2004 12:58 pm

Oooh, this is intriguing and fascinating. Note to self: pop into Waterstones on the way home and purchase Jasper Fforde books

 

#25:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2004 5:27 pm

more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, PLEASE! Wink (and, YES, I DID do that on purpose!!!!!) Very Happy

 

#26:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 11:42 am

Well of course you did Vikki - it was irresistable wasn't it!!! Wink Caz this is great - I'm assuming its Jack outside the room and the Outlander is the one who has locked him out! Wondering what has happened to OOAOML and what the Outlander is after...

 

#27:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 11:50 am

Well, knowing my dislike of OOAO, and that a lot of people share that dislike, the possibilities are endless.

 

#28:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 3:44 pm

Do I or don't I hope that OOAOML is ok? Hmmm will have to think for all of five seconds there Wink

 

#29:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 4:05 pm

As long as that, Caz?

 

#30:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 4:16 pm

“What’s going on?” I demanded. The man spun around and squared up to us as if for a fight. When he saw our guns he blanched. “Jurisfiction,” I said briefly, fumbling with my left hand for my identification.

The man relaxed his stance, although he still looked wary. “About time too,” he said belligerently.

“And you are?”

“Jack Maynard. I went out for a coffee. When I came back the door was locked. I need to be in there when Mary-Lou comes round but Joey won’t unlock the door.” He clearly hadn’t grasped the seriousness of the situation.

“Who was in there when you left?”

“Just my wife and Mary-Lou. Helen had sent for the nurse.”

I decided it was time to make him face facts. Drawing him out of earshot of the door, I spoke urgently. “Jack, we believe there is an Outlander in this book. Helen never sent for the nurse. I presume you thought it was the other nurse who gave you the message?” He nodded. “In actual fact that was probably the Outlander. The nurse was locked in the linen store, having been assaulted on leaving Mary-Lou’s room. Given the locked door it seems likely that the Outlander waited for you to leave before taking possession of the room.”

“But – but – Joey? And Mary-Lou? What do they want?” Jack stammered.

“We don’t know,” Bradshaw surprised me by breaking in firmly. “But they’re not going to get it if we can help it. Is there a window we can get round to?” Jack nodded. “Right, can you tell us where it is? You’d better stay here. Keep up the noise, it should distract them from the window. Thrusday and I will go round and see how the land lies.”

Following Jack’s directions, we slipped out of a side door as his curses floated down the corridor behind us. I reflected that, for a character in a kids’ book, his command of expletives was truly remarkable. Then I tripped and decided to concentrate on the task in hand. It felt strange to be working with Bradshaw, but it helped that he and Miss Havisham had had such mutual respect for each other. Truth to tell, I was rather glad not to be on my own, as the job was starting to look bigger than I had first thought. I just hoped the Commander wouldn’t accidentally shoot any of the main characters.

As we drew closer to the window, the Commander gestured to me to keep close to the wall of the San. I dropped down on my knees, crept under the window and raised my eyes to the level of the sill. We were in luck: no-one was looking out. The Outlander (in a nurse’s uniform, as we had surmised) was standing by Mary-Lou’s bed, examining the equipment. Mary-Lou was – mercifully – sleeping. Bradshaw had kept watch while I surveyeed the room. I scrambled back to join him, and quickly told him what we were facing.

As we were conferring, the level of noise from the room rose suddenly. We swung round, to see Jack struggling with the nurse. Presumably Helen had come back with her master-key again and he’d opened the door – the fool. He was handicapped by his reluctance to actually hit the Outlander: presumably some sort of chivalry about not hitting females. No-one had ever worried about that in the Crimea – unfortunately.

 

#31:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 4:20 pm

Hurrah! Thank you Caz, this is really really REALLY good! Mr. Green

 

#32:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 4:22 pm

Yes, I'm enjoying it, but still a little confused as to what an Outlander actually is.

 

#33:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 4:25 pm

An Outlander is a real person who has somehow entered a book and (in this case) is interacting with the fictional characters.

 

#34:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 4:27 pm

Thank you, I appreciate the explanation.

 

#35:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 4:48 pm

Thanks Caz!*Wonders about the Crimea reference*

 

#36:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 4:55 pm

In Thursday's world, the Crimean war is still going on at the end of the twentieth century. She did some sort of military service out there - not good memories. I'm glad that people are reading this and enjoying it, even without having read the books. As I said at the start, do ask if you want explanations of anything Smile

 

#37:  Author: Rachel, Location: West Coast of Scotland PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 4:58 pm

Caz, this is splediferous! I sniggered at Jack's use of expletives! You have really captured the flavour of Jasper Ffordes books so well - it's making me even more impatient for the new one! Oh, and of course a tad extra story wouldn't go amiss in the meantime )

 

#38:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 11:09 pm

*sigh* You do realise that I'm going to have to go and buy these flippin' books now, don't you? Rolling Eyes

 

#39:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 7:45 am

Vikki, why not take one out of the library to read, then spend the money if you really like them?

 

#40:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 9:48 am

Cos Vikki's credit card exists for the express purpose of buying more books!! Wink Hope those of you planning to get hold of them enjoy them as much as we already do! Caz this is fantatsic, loved Thursday's comments about Jack's chivalry and his expletives. Looking forward to seeing what happens next and what the Outlander/fans want!

 

#41:  Author: Abi, Location: Alton, Hants PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 12:39 pm

Well, I went to Waterstones and bought the first two (they didn't have the third) and read them, and hey! they are so good! I'm a definite fan now AND have the advantage that I know what's going on! Must pester them to get the third one in for me.

 

#42:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 2:55 pm

*wonders if she can claim any sort of commission from JF if all the CBB'ers are rushing out to buy his books* In celebration of the autocensor allowing us to use the m word again, here is some more:

“We need to get in there now!” I exclaimed to Bradshaw. There wasn’t time to go round to the door again. I suddenly realised that Helen Graves had entered the room. As Jack and the false nurse grappled with each other, I stood up at the window and gestured to Helen. The other two were too caught up in their fight to notice, as she quietly slipped round them, and gently released the window-catch. I scrambled over the sill, but landed heavily, drawing the attention of the two combatants.

The Outlander was quicker to react than Jack and landed a very neat punch on his chin. As he staggered back, she dashed to the bed. “Freeze, all of you, or I release this,” she ordered. ‘This’ looked suspiciously like a contraband plot-device.

Helen was the one who asked the inevitable question. “What is it?”

My suspicions were confirmed as the Outlander replied, “The plot-device, ‘She unexpectedly took a turn for the worse’.” We stood frozen as statues. If that were released, Mary-Lou would stand little chance of making the complete recovery she did in the book. I suddenly realised that the girl had not stirred since we had entered the room.

“What have you done to her?” I demanded.

“Just a little dose in her drink,” the Outlander smiled. “I didn’t want her butting-in. Now, if you wouldn’t mind handing me your gun…” I did so very reluctantly. It wouldn’t have been much use as, even if I had shot the Outlander, I wouldn’t have been able to stop the plot-device going off. But I had been trained never to let go of my gun. Combat training for the Crimea didn’t tend to deal with hostage situations involving civilians, though, as all the civilians had left the peninsula the previous century. The Outlander took my gun and transferred the plot-device to her left hand, aiming the gun casually at Helen.

“You do realise how much you’re altering the narrative?” I asked.

“Oh yes.”

I tried again, “Now, can you tell me what it is you want? And what can I call you?” The longer I could keep her talking, the more chance there was of resolving the situation. We couldn’t stay at this stalemate indefinitely.

“We have a list of demands. They will be very easy to meet.” She paused. “You can call me Len. It will do.” Great, a pseudonym. That wasn’t going to get us very far.

“Perhaps I could see the list?” It was like drawing blood from a stone. But there was something wrong about this. Len seemed to be enjoying her control of the situation, but wasn’t going to get very far with if she wouldn’t tell us what she wanted.

“Ah yes, the list.” Len looked at the plot-device in her right hand and the gun in her left. She laid the gun down carefully, reached across her body and fumbled with her uniform. Underneath, she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. She pulled some sheets of paper from the right pocket of her jeans and dropped them on the floor. “There it is.” I knelt down warily, keeping my eyes on her face. She seemed to have forgotten about the gun but my heart lurched as she began to toss the plot-device from hand to hand. “Is this bothering you?” she asked carelessly.

I decided to go with the truth. “It is a little distracting. I’d like to concentrate on these demands.” “Oh, all right.” She stopped throwing the plot-device, much to my relief, and leaned casually against the wall. I quickly scanned the list of demands.

 

#43:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 2:59 pm

Please post a further extract with the utmost despatch, Caz.

 

#44:  Author: Abi, Location: Alton, Hants PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 3:04 pm

*echoes Jennie's request* How beautifully worded!

 

#45:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 3:09 pm

*on edge of seat* (never a good plan on a swivel chair...) Mr. Green

 

#46:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 3:17 pm

well at least my swivwl chair has lockable castors...still dangerous though! Wonderful Caz but another part would be much appreciated!

 

#47:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 3:42 pm

Xanthe and Nell really ought to tie themselves to their chairs.

 

#48:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 3:45 pm

*ponders whether Caz is actually Jasper Fforde incognito*

 

#49:  Author: Grembles, Location: Norwich PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 5:50 pm

This is wonderful, and so true to the originals, I love it. Please continue soon...

 

#50:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2004 6:03 pm

Am I really evil in hoping that M-L will die in this version? Looking forward to seeing what happens to her! Twisted Evil

 

#51:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sat May 29, 2004 12:16 pm

Not evil, just human.

 

#52:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Sat May 29, 2004 5:06 pm

I do have plans for ML...though I doubt anyone will guess Cool For people who haven't read JF books, I should probably have pointed out that the CS books may have been different before Thursday got involved. (Does that make sense? If someone else can explain it more clearly, please do.) Now, we left Thursday reading the list of demands...

We hereby demand the following:
1. More stories set in Tyrol
2. Stories written about the English branch
3. Madge Russell to be given a larger role
4. Joey to have a correspondingly smaller role
5. Robin to reappear
6. Grizel to be allowed to find happiness (but not with a doctor)
7. Juliet Carrick to reappear with a good storyline.

The list ran on in small print, covering their demands for what seemed like every character in the books, from the first book to the last (they apparently wanted Reg’s proposal to Len entirely rewritten).

I sighed and looked up. “You realise this will take a long time to organise. And it won’t be easy. Perhaps we could discuss some order of priority for us to deal with these demands.” I was hoping that my stalling was not too obvious. Some of the demands could possibly be met – more stories could be managed although as the original author had died several years ago, finding new ones to use would take time. But rewriting the entire series to change who married who would be impossible. If this was a fair sample of the fans, then there were presumably others out there who had just as strong opinions the other way. After my experiences with Jane Eyre, I was not too keen to rush in and change another narrative without authorisation not until my trial was over, anyway.

Len looked uncertain at my words, her eyes flickering to the door. I suddenly realised what had been nagging at me earlier. Len wasn’t acting alone, nor was she in charge. I decided to capitalise on her hesitation, and gamble on her being ignorant about the workings of Jurisfiction. “I’ll need to get back to the Jurisfiction offices to discuss this. It could take some time. You’ve done what you came here for: the demands have been delivered, and I can assure you they’ll have my immediate attention. Now, where are you staying? I’ll need to be able to get hold of you for a conference at some point. And your partner as well. As I said, we’ll need to prioritise these demands, obviously. And could you let Helen look after Jack? He could probably do with a glass of water. There must be a sink around here somewhere.”

This flood of comments and questions had the desired effect of confusing Len, as she was unsure which to address first. As she hesitated, Bradshaw launched himself through the open window. Len swung round to face him and I jumped on her from behind: I had no qualms about hitting another girl. As we struggled together, she was still grasping the plot-device. I had gambled that she would keep hold of it once it was gone, so was her advantage. She wrenched her hand free, gave a triumphant laugh, and flung the device across the room so it would shatter on the opposite wall. I seized the opportunity to get under her guard and punched her squarely on the chin.

She crumpled to the floor, unconscious, and I turned anxiously to the bed. To my untrained eye, Mary-Lou seemed to be sleeping as peacefully as before. I looked to Jack for confirmation. To my surprise he was clutching the still-intact plot-device. Seeing my look of surprise, he smiled. “I always was a rather dab hand at cricket,” he admitted modestly. It must have been an impressive catch and I rather wished I had seen it. But the job was by no means over yet.

“How is she?” I asked, pointing to Mary-Lou.

“Assuming she had a normal dose, she’ll probably sleep the clock round and feel a lot better when she wakes up,” Jack replied. “OK. You’re confident it would have been the normal dose?”

It was Helen who answered, having checked Mary-Lou’s pulse and breathing. “It certainly looks like that to me. She’ll be fine when she wakes.”

“Right. Is there some rope or something we can tie this one up with?” Bradshaw produced me a coil of rope and helped me to haul Len into a chair. We tied her to it as she began to stir. While we were doing this, Jack had been prowling round the room. I’d assumed he was trying to tidy up, and was not prepared for what came next.

 

#53:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Sat May 29, 2004 5:12 pm

AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH! *falls off huge cliff*

 

#54:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sat May 29, 2004 5:25 pm

Rah for Jack! Wait a minute - um - what happens next? (fascinating!)

 

#55:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Sat May 29, 2004 8:41 pm

*swinging wildly in her drabble harness* fun as the above is, more would be appreciated Wink

 

#56:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Sat May 29, 2004 9:28 pm

What has Jack done? Is he going to be a bad guy????? Somehow I doubt it, but then why am I so worried? Confused

 

#57:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sat May 29, 2004 9:42 pm

One word! "Wibble!"

 

#58:  Author: Abi, Location: Alton, Hants PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2004 11:52 am

Shocked *becoming increasingly worried*

 

#59:  Author: MissPrint, Location: Edinburgh PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2004 10:49 pm

Woo hoo! Lovely! I like Jasper Fforde. Will anyone be coming to the Edinburgh signing on August 4th? Love to meet anyone else who does. Keep writing please.

 

#60:  Author: Alex, Location: Manchester, UK PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 9:08 am

Jack has the plot device! Is he going to use it?! Does he have his own demands (divorce?!)? *Wonders idly if there's any conceivable way that JF might stumble across this site*

 

#61:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 12:39 pm

We can always hope. Perhaps he wants everything rewritten so he doesn't marry Jo after all.

 

#62:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 12:49 pm

Alex wrote:
*Wonders idly if there's any conceivable way that JF might stumble across this site*


*wonders what would happen if he did!*

When Len blinked and recovered consciousness a few moments later, Jack pounced on her and began shaking her, demanding, “What have you done with my wife?”

Bradshaw and I dragged him off. “Jack, that’s not helping!” I protested. “Now, what’s up?”

“My wife, Joey. She was in here when I went to get a coffee and now there’s no sign of her. Her bag’s gone too. I want to know what they’ve done with her.”

Given Joey’s reputation, I wondered briefly if the question should really be “What has she done to them?” But the disappearance of such a major character was not good news. I sighed. “I’m sure she’ll be fine,” I said, as confidently as I could. I needed all the help I could get, and a hysterical Jack was not helping in the least.

“But…” he paused, clearly embarrassed about something.

“What?” I asked impatiently.

“Well, the thing is…” he ground to a halt again.

“What Jack’s trying to say is that Joey is pregnant and he’s worried about her and the child,” Helen said bluntly.

“Pregnant? Well, that makes two of us,” I said with equal bluntness. “Now, you start thinking about where she could have been taken – places that no-one uses, or that aren’t mentioned in this book. I’ll see what I can get out of Len. Bradshaw, can you take the plot-device back to Jurisfiction, and give them a progress report? Check on any intelligence they might have on this situation.” Bradshaw looked relieved to be getting out, but he hesitated.

“Will you be all right?”

“I’ll manage. And Jack and Helen will help me,” I said confidently.

“All right. I’ll be as quick as I can,” he promised, and jumped.

Left alone with Jack, Helen, a rogue Outlander and an unconscious Mary-Lou my confidence faltered somewhat. As a representative of Jurisfiction it was up to me to sort things out, and let the narrative continue, but I had no idea where to start. No, that wasn’t strictly true. I knew I wanted to start by questioning Len but I had no idea how to make her talk. Nor was I sure how long Jack would restrain himself from harming her. All that was saving Len at the moment was his reluctance to harm a member of the ‘fairer sex’.

“OK, start talking,” I ordered. “Who are you working for?”

“I’m not working for anybody,” Len said angrily. “Phyl and I are partners – friends.” I smiled to myself. Len was clearly a first-timer, probably determined not to say anything but entirely oblivious to traps.

“And where is he now? Rushing to your rescue?”

“I have full confidence that she will continue with the plan. Joey will not be harmed as long as you meet our demands.”

“And how will Phyl communicate?”

“Through me. I was to act as an intermediary.”

I regarded her thoughtfully. “Seems like there’s a bit of a problem then.”

“If you don’t let me go…”

“If I don’t let you go, then Joey may be harmed. However, I can’t see a fan really harming a main character. And her being missing isn’t a problem, we’ll just replace her with a high-grade Generic.” Fortunately Helen had the sense to prod Jack before he could protest about my attitude. I had no intention of abandoning Joey to her fate, but I had to convince Len that I held all the cards before I would be able to persuade her to help.

 

#63:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 12:52 pm

*happy dancing* thank you Caz Very Happy *starting a quiet chant*

 

#64:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 12:56 pm

So which Len is this then? Confused...........

 

#65:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 1:01 pm

Jennie, in my first post on page 3 I tried to make clear that 'Len' is a pseudonym for the Outlander. There is a reason for this choice...

 

#66:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 1:12 pm

Thank you.

 

#67:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 1:38 pm

Thanks Caz, this is very exciting- there's a possibility of something bad happening to both M-L and Joey! Very Happy

 

#68:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 1:41 pm

We can only hope!

 

#69:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 2:06 pm

Quote:
However, I can’t see a fan really harming a main character.
*thinks narrator would be more worried if she'd read enough drabbles* (marvelous story, Caz)

 

#70:  Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 8:04 pm

This is excellent and I'm loving the way the story is told.

 

#71:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 9:56 pm

*eyes Caz hopefully.......*

 

#72:  Author: Rachel, Location: West Coast of Scotland PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2004 11:10 pm

caz wrote:
Alex wrote:
*Wonders idly if there's any conceivable way that JF might stumble across this site*
*wonders what would happen if he did!*
Perhaps we could email this drabble to him once it is complete and ask for his feedback? He might even want to make use of some of the concepts of fanfic for use in his next book - after all, surely fanfic would come under the jurisfiction of Thursday Next? Ooooooooh, maybe we could get him to write in a CS book in his next book too!

 

#73:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 2:19 pm

RTw funny the way our minds work I was just going to suggest something very similar!!
Quote:
Quote: However, I can’t see a fan really harming a main character. *thinks narrator would be more worried if she'd read enough drabbles*
Happens to agree with Kathy on this one! Also wonders when Thursday will realise how dangerous CS fans could be...

 

#74:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 2:24 pm

*wibbles at the idea of JF reading this (but also Embarassed at the idea it was worth sending to him*

Len frowned at my words. I decided to press home my advantage. “If you’re really not going to talk then I suppose I’ll just have to take you back to Swindon with me.”

“Swindon? But I live in Carlisle!” Len exclaimed.

“But I work in Swindon. As a LiteraTec. I’m sure we can come up with something to keep you out of mischief for a few years.”

The blood drained from Len’s face as she worked out what I meant. “You can’t… You wouldn’t put me in prison. Anyway, who’d believe you?” she demanded, with a sudden flash of spirit.

“My boss, for one. Oh, I grant that we might need ChronoGuard’s help to go back and write the rules which you will be charged with breaking but I’m sure we’ll manage. Or maybe I should just get some other fans to help. I shouldn’t think all of them will approve of what you’ve tried to do,” I mused. Len’s look of horror at this threat would have moved the hardest heart. “I’ll tell you what,” I offered, switching as convincingly as I could to my ‘good cop’ persona, “if you own up and tell us exactly what’s been going on then maybe I’ll see if we can’t arrange some protection for you. Of course, if you help me, then you might even have the charges wiped and be declared a heroine.” I hoped Len’s fear of other fans would have caused her to forget that – as yet – there were no charges against her.

“It’s the right thing to do, Len. You know that really. You’ll feel better once you’ve confessed,” Helen broke in quietly. Her intervention surprised me, but it struck just the right note with Len, who sighed.

“All right. I suppose I should ‘fess up’,” she admitted. “There’s not a lot to tell. I met Phyl by chance in a bookshop – two adults slightly embarrassed to be looking round the children’s section. Somehow we ended up chatting and going for a coffee. I was amazed that she was another Chalet School fan, but delighted as well. All my family think I’m a freak for reading kids’ books. We got talking about how we would have liked things to happen, how we wished there were more earlier books, what we thought of the characters. We came up with the list of demands: it was more of a wish-list first of all, a bit of a joke, but then she said she had a plan for how to make them come true. I didn’t know whether to believe her at first but she soon convinced me she was serious.

She did most of the arranging. We met up this morning and she brought me here. We found a spare nurse’s uniform, I put it on and gave Jack the false message. It was a bit of a gamble that he wouldn’t realise that I wasn’t the other nurse but he didn’t. Phyl took care of the other nurse while I kept watch, then when Dr Maynard left I came in here, Joey went off with Phyl. We’d found the drugs so I slipped Mary-Lou a dose to keep her out of the way and waited for you so I could deliver the demands.”

Her account confirmed much of what I had already guessed. “Did Phyl give you the plot-device?” Len nodded. “Hmm,” I wondered about the identity of this Phyl, and what her real intentions were. Sure, she’d coached Len well, but she must be pretty smart to have got in here in the first place, and so far I seemed to be playing her game. I just wished I knew what that game was.

“Do you know where Joey is?” Jack demanded impatiently. Len shook her head.

Something suddenly occurred to me. “What exactly happened? How did you get Joey out of the room?” I asked suspiciously.

To my surprise, Len smiled. “That was my idea,” she stated with pride. “I suggested that we should keep her unsuspicious as long as possible so rather than attack her we just told her that…” She broke off as Bradshaw appeared.

 

#75:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 2:28 pm

told her what???

 

#76:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 2:31 pm

Come on, told her what?

Last edited by Jennie on Tue Jun 01, 2004 2:32 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#77:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 2:31 pm

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee *happy dancing* (repeat after me Caz: "the shiny drabble is more important than the thesis...") Wink

 

#78:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 2:33 pm

Xan, you don't want another outbreakof dandelions, do you?

 

#79:  Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 8:07 pm

What has happened to Joey? Come on Caz, we have a desparate need for huge ammounts of story every other post!

 

#80:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 9:12 pm

Please tell us What has happened soon please!

 

#81:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 9:29 pm

Carolyn P wrote:
Come on Caz, we have a desparate need for huge ammounts of story every other post!


Does this mean the in-between posts can be nice and short? Wink OK, so I'm in a good mood, lots of people seem to be posting on their drabbles tonight, so here's some more.

“Thursday, we’re going to have to act fast. They aren’t fans, they’re page-runners,” he announced.

“What?” Len exclaimed. I frowned. Her story had seemed so convincing could she really be a rogue character from another book? The list of demands had been so extensive: surely only a true fan could have come up with them.

“Do you know how many page-runners we’re dealing with?” I asked.

“Not sure. One at least. But she’s from another school story, so she could easily have brought generics or minor characters with her and we wouldn’t know.”

I examined Len thoughtfully. “I don’t think Len is a generic. Too well defined.”

“Well, while you debate that, perhaps the rest of us could find my wife,” Jack broke in angrily. I realised that he had a point. While we might be confident that fans wouldn’t harm Joey, nothing was certain any longer.

“Any indication from the narrative?” I hoped that, although the story we were developing bore little resemblance to the original plot, the narrative might show us where Joey had been taken.

Bradshaw shook his head. “No, this is all happening while Mary-Lou is unconscious. The narrative has switched back to the school.”

I swore under my breath. “Right.” I swung round to Len. “Start talking, fast. How many of you are there?” Len looked quite scared now.

“I don’t understand. There’s only me and Phyl. What do you mean about a page-runner?” Her bewiderment seemed genuine.

“A page-runner is a character who has escaped from their book,” I said. “OK, prove you are what you say you are: answer the questions Jack and Helen will put to you.” I thought this should prove her claim. “Right, ask her anything a serious fan would know.”

Jack smiled slightly. “Give my children’s full names, birthdates and godparents.” Helen raised her eyebrows slightly at this demand and Len gulped. “Oh, and physical descriptions. In age order” It was genius: a perfect choice of information which Len could only know if she was as much of a fan as she claimed.

Len grimaced, closed her eyes and began to list the Maynards. “Len – Mary Helena Maynard. Born on 5th November. Chestnut hair, violet eyes. Godmother: Nell Wilson. Con – Mary Constance Maynard. Born the same day. Black hair, black eyes. Godmother: Con Stewart…” To my relief, and astonishment, she went through all Jack’s children, reeling the details off at a steady pace. When she finished, she opened her eyes and looked apprehensively at us.

Jack nodded. “All right, I’ll accept you’re a fan. Stupid for mixing yourself up in this, but honest.” He looked at me. “If she’ll give her word of honour to do as we say and not try to run away then we could release her and get on with finding my wife.”

“Will you give your word?” I asked. Len agreed readily and I untied her. “Do you know where Phyl planned to take Mary-Lou?” I asked.

Len shook her head. “No. She said she had somewhere in mind, but didn’t mention a name.”

“Did she have any means of transport?”

“No. Well, not as far as I know,” Len admitted. “What you said about Phyl being a page-runner, is that how she could get into the books?”

I nodded. “Basically, yes. And page-running is most definitely not allowed, so when we do find her she’s going to be facing a lot of trouble.” I turned to Bradshaw. “Who is this Phyl?”

 

#82:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 9:48 pm

*chanting loudly*

 

#83:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 9:50 pm

Yes, who is this Phyl?????

 

#84:  Author: Rachel, Location: West Coast of Scotland PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 10:43 pm

I'm wondering about characters from other CS books - surely they could be page runners but still know the series intimately. One Phyllida Craven springs to mind, but that is probably way off the mark and will just serve to confuse everyone still further so I apologise. And would the answer to Jack's children have only had to be accurate as far as Mary-Lou series wise or would it have to continue on to the point of eleven children plus the adoptees and hangers on? And why am I rambling aimlessly in this thread and not doing something else? Who knows. Not I.

 

#85:  Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 8:36 am

caz wrote:
Carolyn P wrote:
Come on Caz, we have a desparate need for huge ammounts of story every other post!
Does this mean the in-between posts can be nice and short? Wink
I was meaning every other post on the thread, not every other post from you! This is getting increasingly interguing with every post!

 

#86:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:01 am

intruigued - so who is Phyl and if shes a page-runner from another school series which is it?

 

#87:  Author: Rachel, Location: West Coast of Scotland PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 2:30 pm

What?!?! No story?!?!?!? Tsk tsk tsk! ) I was really looking forward to finding out more today!

 

#88:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 3:14 pm

I know it would have been so satisfying and instead I had to go and visit the Jasper Fforde website and giggle at various songs rewitten for Thursday...I also now have a particularly fetching dodo on my wallpaper!

 

#89:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 4:46 pm

*points out the she did post twice last night* RTW - I don't actually know how many children Len had to list to prove she was a fan, as I don't think I've got my head round all of JF's logic. Your guess is as good as mine on that.

“Page-runner from ‘Petronella’s First Term’. Real name: Rosetta Stone. One of the bullying sixth-formers. She somehow escaped before it was broken up. She’s got brains, I’ll give her that: she altered the register so it took ages to discover that she was missing because the characters were split up. Then we couldn’t find her. There’s a neutralisation order out on her.”

“What’s that?” Len asked.

“Shoot on sight,” I replied briefly. “She’s too unreliable to be allowed into another narrative. Right, where do we go from here?”

“There is one obvious place Phyl could have gone,” Helen said hesitantly. “Assuming she’s gone anywhere, that is.”

“Where?”

“Welsen. Das Haus unter den Kiefern. It’s empty at the moment, now St Mildred’s has moved up to the Platz. It’s the only other place described in enough detail to fully exist,” she explained.

“OK.” I thought quickly. “Helen, can you stay here and keep an eye on Mary-Lou? Get the nurses to help you check the building in case there’s anyone else around. But be careful. The rest of us will go down to Welsen.”

“Can’t you just follow the footprints?” Len asked.

“That’s only going to help us if she hasn’t jumped,” I replied, not airing my fear that if Phyl/Rosetta had jumped from the book she and Joey could be anywhere. As it turned out, Len had been right: we could follow Rosetta/Phyl and Joey’s footprints all the way to where Jack’s car should have been.

“My car!” he exclaimed unneccessarily (and inaccurately as he was at that point staring at the snow). “Good. That means they’re still in the book. Len, how did Rosetta lure Joey out of the room?” There was no response for a minute.

“Len?”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realise you meant me.”

“Perhaps we could use your real name?” I asked, thinking this would simplify things.

“It’s Liz,” she said. “I thought Len would be a good alias cos it’s what EBD used to be called. Phyl suggested it. Oh!”

“What?” I demanded. “I’ve just worked out – she must have chosen Phyl after Phyllis Matthewman. Elinor’s friend,” she explained at my blank look.

“This isn’t getting us anywhere,” Jack said exasperatedly. “We need to get to Welsen as soon as we can.”

“Is there another car we can use?” I asked, looking round. Jack frowned.

“I don’t have keys for any of the others.”

“What about the ambulance?” Liz suggested.

“Good plan!” We hurried towards it and Jack jumped into the driving seat before I could stop him. Fortunately, he had enough experience of driving on Alpine roads to drive safely by instinct, even though he was speeding as fast as he could to his wife’s rescue. As we clung to our seats, I tried again. “Len – Liz – what’s going on? How did you get Joey out of the room, and what does Phyl – Rosetta – want?” These aliases were going the right way to drive me round the bend.

“I don’t know what she wants,” Liz replied. “I thought she was just a fan like me. Are you sure she’s not?”

I looked to Bradshaw for confirmation of his report. “Oh, she’s definitely who she says she is. But she could well have been pretending to be a fan as well, in the Outland,” he admitted. Suddenly I remembered where I’d heard of the Chalet School before. Not from a library or bookshop, as I’d naturally assumed, but from the LiteraTec offices back in London. I tried to remember what the context had been, but it wasn’t a case I had worked on, and my memory came up blank. I attempted to think about something else, but that involved considering Jack’s driving. Perhaps I had been optimistic about the safety of it earlier. The ambulance really shouldn’t have gone into a 360-degree spin just then.

Despite being thrown around, we were all still in one piece when Jack finally braked, with only a minor skid. “Das Haus unter den Kiefern is just round the corner, but I assume we should apporoach on foot,” he announced. I thought that it was unlikely that Rosetta hadn’t noticed the sound of the ambulance driving up, but decided it would be better not to mention that to Jack, who was clearly wired up enough as it was.

“OK, we’d better check the place out. Bradshaw, you and Jack go that way round. Liz and I will take the front.” I didn’t plan on letting Liz out of my sight. If I was in her shoes, I’d take any chance to scarper and I wasn’t at all convinced by this ‘word of honour’ business. We approached the house under the cover of the pine trees as far as we could. It seemed deserted, but then Rosetta wouldn’t be advertising her presence. Or would she? Maybe we were in the wrong place altogether. It would be so much easier if I knew what she wanted. Was she really out to harm Joey, with Liz as a dupe? Did she have other demands to make? Maybe she and Liz were really working together after all, and I was just playing into their hands?

I cast a covert glance at her. Fortunately she was absorbed in studying the footprints leading to the building. “Look, there two sets going in but just one coming out,” she said.

I looked at her curiously. “You’re not with SpecOps by any chance?”

Liz shook her head. “No, but I love detective stories, and footprints is always something to look for,” she said, with somewhat confused grammar.

“So what do these tell us?” I persisted.

“Um, that two people have gone in and one come out. Since the snow stopped, so recently.”

“Right. And what grounds do we have for supposing this is anything to do with us?”

“The house isn’t used in the book, no-one should be there. We’re looking for two people. Why can’t we just go in?”

“There’s no point rushing in if you can’t rush out again. If Rosetta’s hidden somewhere, she could surprise us.”

“But the footprints lead to the tyretracks,” Liz protested. This girl was good. Although she should really have followed orders, rather than marching up to the front door ahead of me and going in.

Cursing, I hurried after her. We followed the sound of male voices to a room at the back, where Bradshaw and Jack had effected entry. Jack was carefully untying a woman from a chair. As soon as the last knot yielded, he pulled her up and hugged her tightly. Joey, I assumed. Or to be more accurate, hoped. I couldn’t deal with marriage therapy for them, the one anger management group I’d been to in ‘Wuthering Heights’ had thoroughly put me off the idea of ever taking any therapy sessions.

 

#90:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 5:35 pm

*beams at more drabble*

 

#91:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 5:41 pm

*happy dancing*

 

#92:  Author: Angel, Location: London, England PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 5:57 pm

VERY happy dancing This is brilliant I have Well at home, that I've still to read - picked it up cheap, and keeping an eye out for the other two.

 

#93:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:28 pm

But why would a bullying sixth-former jump to the CS, of all places??? (can't wait to find out)

 

#94:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 9:02 am

Feeling utterly confused.

 

#95:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 4:24 pm

Jennie - do you mean confused because of the twists of the plot, or because you're not familiar with JF, or because I'm not writing clearly enough? If the last, I apologise, I don't mean to create confusion. Just to let you all know, this is the last bit I have written so far (I've been posting quicker than I'm writing) so future posts may be longer in coming - but they will come.

Fortunately, Jack’s next words reassured me. “Joey, my love, are you hurt?”

“No. But that Rose will be when I get my hands on her.” Joey sounded surprisingly vindictive. “She lured me away with some story about the Careys arriving said that Nell had sent her.”

“But didn’t the fact that she was a stranger alert you?” I demanded.

Joey turned and regarded me haughtily. “And who are you?”

“Thursday Next. Jurisfiction agent. This is Bradshaw and Liz,” I left out the details. They could wait until the final chapter of explanations. For now, we needed to find Rosetta.

“Oh. Well, Rose isn’t a stranger. She’s one of the Generics at Millies.” So that was where she’d gone to ground. Very cunning. I wondered briefly why all the brains seemed to fall to the villains.

“I’m afraid that’s not quite true, Jo,” Jack spoke gently but firmly. “She’s actually a page-runner, and currently in serious trouble with Jurisfiction. Do you know where she went?”

“No.”

Joey’s temper was beginning to show and I wasn’t sure I could deal with it. “Why don’t you go back to the San? Set a guard if possible. We’ll check the school.” Joey looked as if she was going to protest and demand full involvement: typical heroine complex. Fortunately Jack forestalled this by a timely reminder of her part in the narrative and the need for her to be with Mary-Lou when the girl finally woke up. She consented with bad grace.

Jack offered to drop us at the school, but I really wasn’t keen in his driving, so instead I suggested that the three of us should jump back to the Jurisfiction library briefly, then (before anyone realised that their Bellman was in the middle of a very complicated adventure and tried to get me doing the piles of admin instead) jump slightly back, thereby arriving at the school before Rosetta.

For once, this plan worked like a dream. A bad dream, that is. In our haste, we miscalculated and arrived just as Rosetta pulled up in Jack’s car. The only good thing was that we avoided seeing the girls. As Rosetta scrambled out of the car, Bradshaw and I leapt on her. Our report later said that we had judged – inaccurately – that she was unarmed. Truth to tell, we hadn’t judged anything at all. The brain is not found in the guts, so gut reactions are rarely the smartest reactions. This was no exception.

The first shot went wide, but the second smashed one of the windows at the front of the school. A tall lady appeared at the front door. “Ladies – and gentleman – perhaps you would be kind enough to desist and follow me to my study.”

The icy tones caused a different reaction in each of us. Bradshaw immediately stopped, and removed his hat. Rosetta froze, and I seized the opportunity to grab her right wrist and squeeze until she dropped the gun, before twisting her arm behind her back.

Meanwhile, Liz had gasped, “Miss Annersley!” and keeled over in a faint.

“We’ll be right with you,” I called, and pushed Rosetta in front of me until we reached the study. Bradshaw had attended to Liz, who seemed to have regained consciousness, and we all crowded into the Head’s inner sanctum.

 

#96:  Author: Rachel, Location: West Coast of Scotland PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 4:39 pm

Brilliant again! Did you know that if you cut out all that unnneccccesssssary time spent sleeping and eating, you can actually write for several hours each and every day! Just a thought Twisted Evil (And I care ) )

 

#97:  Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 5:40 pm

So we can expect that level of dedication from you when you write your next drabble can we Rachel? Twisted Evil

 

#98:  Author: Rachel, Location: West Coast of Scotland PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 7:10 pm

My dear sweet aunty Pat - that's how I ALWAYS write my drabbles! Which possibly explains the very randomness and the inability to make them make much sense! )

 

#99:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 7:20 pm

And a little bit more (although I'm slightly concerned that Hilda and Nell seem to owe more to Lesley than EBD!)

“May I enquire as to exactly what is going on?” Miss Annersley was most definitely at her stateliest. Liz seemed to be struck dumb, but was gazing at the Head with a glazed expression. I diagnosed a severe case of heroine-worship. Rosetta was demanding my full effort to prevent her from escaping, so it was left to Bradshaw to explain our presence as Jurisfiction agents, and to convince Miss Annersley that Rosetta really was a page-runner.

After he had made this claim, Miss Annersley turned her full gaze on Rosetta, who glared back defiantly. Miss Annersley turned back to Bradshaw with a rueful smile.“Yes, she’s clearly not meant to be here: ‘the look’ has no effect on her,” she admitted. “I can’t believe we didn’t notice before.”

“With respect, Miss Annersley, I think you’ll find that she’ll have gone out of her way to avoid you.”

“So what happens now?” Miss Annersley asked quietly.“We’ll take her back to Jurisfiction under guard and interrogate her there. Confinement is the most likely sentence. It will be worse for her because of the gun, of course,” Bradshaw explained. Miss Annersley regarded the revolver in his hand silently, but made no move to examine it more closely.

Suddenly, someone or something hit me hard on the back of my neck. Nearly blacking out, I released my hold of Rosetta instinctively and swung round to face this new danger.

“Helena Wilson!” Miss Annersley’s voice rang out behind me and the white-haired lady in front of me froze. “Nell, this is Thrusday Next, and this gentleman is Commander Bradshaw, from Jurisfiction. This is Liz.” Liz flushed, recognising as I did something in Miss Annersley’s tone that suggested she had a fair idea why Liz was here, and she wasn’t impressed.

“Oh. Sorry, but when I came up the drive and saw one of the windows had been shot out, then to see you being threatened with a gun, and one of my pupils in an arm-lock…” Miss Wilson trailed off as we all registered the fact that Rosetta had, of course, disappeared.

 

#100:  Author: Rachel, Location: West Coast of Scotland PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 7:39 pm

Loving Nell jumping to conclusions! And when can we expect the next installment?

 

#101:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 7:43 pm

When it's written! (and no, I don't know when that will be).

 

#102:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 8:40 pm

*happy dancing at the more-drabble and sending the PB inspiration in the hope of some eveb-more-drabble*

 

#103:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 2:30 am

Quote:
no, I don't know when that will be
Soon, I hope!

 

#104:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 2:30 pm

Lovely posts! Has Roserta gone back to the San?

 

#105:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 9:47 pm

Bradshaw and I rushed to the front door, but there was no sign of her, or any footprints. She had clearly jumped out of the book, and could be anywhere.

We left Miss Annersley explaining the situation to her colleague and jumped back to Jurisfiction. I ordered a careful guard to be kept on all Chalet School books: if she jumped back into one of them we should know about it almost before she had caught her breath. Bradshaw went to find a volunteer to take Liz back to the Outland – not many Jurisfiction agents were particularly keen on going there.

She was reluctant to go. “What if Rosetta comes after me?” she pleaded.

“Is there anything you haven’t told me?” I demanded.

“No.”

“Well, the best thing to do would be to go to LiteraTec, and explain the situation to them. I’ll give you a contact at my office in Swindon. They know about page-runners and will back up your story. But please don’t mention where I am.” Liz agreed. As she sat disconsolately in the corner of my office, nursing a cup of coffee, I realised that she would probably have the solution to my query. “Liz, have the Chalet School books been in the news in the last five years or so? I think I’ve heard of them through LiteraTec, but it wasn’t my case.”

Liz frowned. “Well, there was some fuss four years ago about EBD having been a syndicate, rather than just one author, but it was all disproved. And someone faked one of her missing books – said it had been in a garden shed or something – maybe that was the case you’re thinking of. Oh, and there were some accusations of plagarism on her part – disproved again.”

“Hmm. Must have been one of those,” I said. “There seem to have been a lot of cases about her, considering her popularity.”

Liz looked slightly offended. “She does have the largest fan-base of any of the GO writers,” she pointed out. “I don’t think they all made the newspapers or anything. I heard about them through the fan club: the BCC.”

“BCC?”

“Brent-Dyer Chalet Club,” she replied. At this junture, Bradshaw returned, and Liz had to leave. I warned her that I would look her up when I returned to the Outland. “Yes, do. I’d love to lend you the chalet books. And if the other BCC-ers don’t believe me about having met Miss Annersley, you’ll have to back me up. They’ll be sooooo jealous.”

I refused to commit myself to her offer, and after she left, continued to reflect on the information I had gleaned. Why was this author suddenly a centre of activity? That had certainly not been the case when I trained, and any such change in activity always warranted careful monitoring. I was halfway through drafting a memo before I recalled that I would have no chance to send it until after my child was born, by which time the details might well be obsolete. I screwed the paper up into a ball and lobbed it at the bin, retrieving it when I missed.

I looked up to find Bradshaw had come back. “Mission accomplished. Liz is back in her flat as I speak. She insisted on checking the narrative of ‘Mary-Lou of the Chalet School and it’s all as it should be, apparently.” It looked like our job was done. Rosetta would be tracked down eventually, and I’d made sure there were enough safeguards in place that she wouldn’t be able to enter the Chalet books again. However – as befitted someone designed to be the arch-villain of the piece – she was more ingenious than I had given her credit for.

 

#106:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 9:51 pm

CLIFF!Thanks Caz - I'm eagerly awaiting more.

 

#107:  Author: Angel, Location: London, England PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 9:53 pm

interesting - I take it that this is just the prelude to a wider story...

 

#108:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2004 8:02 am

Ohhhhhh What happens next?

 

#109:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2004 3:08 pm

Chanting Chanting chanting........

 

#110:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 6:17 pm

When a book is broken up, the main characters will be found placements elsewhere. Relationships once formed, however, are not easily broken and even after many years apart friends and lovers will still recognise each other. As will enemies.

Thursday Next, unpublished interview

After I had dealt with Aornis Hades, Gran had gone back to the Outland (as I was beginning to think of my world). So it was something of a surprise when she arrived a couple of days after my foray into the Chalet School. I returned home to find her sitting at the kitchen table, gossiping with Lola.

“Hello, Gran. What’s up?” I nodded at Lola, who smiled back and slipped out.

“A friend of yours contacted me today. Gave me some important news.”

I knew there would be no rushing Gran, so I decided to play along. “Really. Who was that?”

“A girl called Liz. The one you’ve just been chasing round the Gornetz Platz.”

“What’s she up to?” I asked suspiciously.

“Trying to persuade her fellow-fans that she has actually met Hilda Annersley. But it wasn’t about that she contacted me. She thinks she knows where Rosetta is.”

With that, Gran had my full attention. “Where?”

“Well, she’s not sure precisely, but apparently Bradshaw explained something to her of book-to-book travelling. So, assuming she didn’t jump back to the Outland, Liz suggested that you should be looking at Chalet School fanfic.”

“Fan-fiction? Is there any?” I knew that this genre, or sub-genre, or however it was classified, existed for major works, such as Sherlock Holmes, but for kids’ stories?

“There’s plenty. Both book and manuscript. Liz only thought of it after Bradshaw had gone, then had to recruit the other BCC’ers to work out how to get a message to you. They found me, so here I am.”

I had thought my working day was over, but now it seemed that it was just beginning. “Did she have any idea where to start?”

“They were going to try to find any changes in the fanfic which they could spot, then report back.”

“I’d better contact Jurisfiction and have the guard extended to fanfic.” Before I could do so, however, my footnoterphone rang. The message was from Bradshaw. There had been a sighting of Rosetta: in fanfic, just as Liz had guessed. I promised to go straight to Jurisfiction. While we had been talking, Gran had put together a snack which I hastily swallowed as I jumped back to the library. I left her fixing dinner, with no idea when I would return.

 

#111:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 6:19 pm

Interesting...

 

#112:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:59 pm

*chanting*

 

#113:  Author: Chelsea, Location: Your Imagination PostPosted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 8:35 pm

Apparently many Torontonians have read this drabble! There is a long list for holds on the first book. I did get a copy of the second one from the library. Does one have to read them in order? Or is it okay for me to start with the second book? Oh - and please may we have some more drabble?

 

#114:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 9:01 pm

More please??? Want to know what happens next!

 

#115:  Author: Rachel, Location: West Coast of Scotland PostPosted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 10:44 pm

Chelsea wrote:
I did get a copy of the second one from the library. Does one have to read them in order? Or is it okay for me to start with the second book?
I think it would make more sense to you if you began with book one! They are fabulous books and I reccommend them to everyone! Another installment of this drabble would be such a good thing if it were to happen inthe near future. )

 

#116:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 1:13 am

Can't wait to hear more about the BCC! And Caz & Rachel, Book 1 came in much faster than the average special order, and is very interesting so far.... Thanks for the recommendation. ETA: Finished it. Good all the way through!

Last edited by Kathy_S on Wed Jun 09, 2004 3:10 am; edited 1 time in total

 

#117:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 11:18 am

Caz, wonderful as ever! Am loving this! Chelsea I agree with RTW that it will make much more sense to read the books in order if you can - there's quite a lot that follows on - like the main plot!
caz wrote:
While we had been talking, Gran had put together a snack which I hastily swallowed as I jumped back to the library. I left her fixing dinner, with no idea when I would return.
Only one thing Caz - in my memories of Lost in a Good Book Gran always left Thursday or Lola to do the cooking? Or am I wrong...

 

#118:  Author: Chelsea, Location: Your Imagination PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 12:26 pm

Thanks for the tip. I started trying to read book 2 last night and I was very, very confused. I'll wait until after I get book 1 and try again.

 

#119:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 3:16 pm

Nell wrote:
caz wrote:
While we had been talking, Gran had put together a snack which I hastily swallowed as I jumped back to the library. I left her fixing dinner, with no idea when I would return.


Only one thing Caz - in my memories of Lost in a Good Book Gran always left Thursday or Lola to do the cooking? Or am I wrong...


It's most likely my mistake. You didn't think I was actually double-checking this before posting did you? Wink

I met Bradshaw in the Bellman’s office as arranged (one day I would get used to it being my office, but currently it still had that impersonal feel of a new house, or a hotel room before the bags are unpacked). He was anxious to borrow a bookhound or two and follow the scent, but I wanted to know what was going on before launching myself off again.

He reported as quickly as he could. “Well, I met up for a drink with an old friend. Dropped in on him to find a couple of girls with him. Turns out they were out of ‘Petronella’s First Term’ as well: the Head Girl and her friend. They were reassigned together to a shortish series of kids’ books that Bill’s in.” I wondered briefly what my entropy sensor would say to this it seemed a bit too coincidental for my liking but I merely nodded and let Bradshaw continue. “Well, these girls reckoned they might have seen Rosetta skulking in the backstory of one of their books. Then she must have followed them through a crossover fanfic into the Chalet School.”

“Hang on. What’s a ‘crossover fanfic’? Other than a nasty headache for the Council of Genres.”

“Fan-fiction with two different stories or sets of characters meeting. There’s a fair amount of it connected with the Chalet School, particularly that group Liz is involved in. It’s a good way of book-to-book travel and fraternisation but you’re right, TCG is not keen on it. Although it does seem to be mostly children’s and teens’ books.” I groaned. Not more kids’ books! “Yes, Liz sent me a message about fanfic. I didn’t realise any was ever published. But we need to be watching that as well.”

I quickly scribbled an order to that effect, even though it was probably a matter of closing the door on an empty stable. “OK, let’s pick up a couple of bookhounds and see if we can track Rosetta. Do you know where she was last seen?” Fortunately, Bradshaw’s friends were all officer material, and had given clear instructions. We followed the trail through the Chalet School fanfic and back into the books. The Alpine winter was still as cold as before, even though this time we were experiencing it in the Austrian Tyrol.

 

#120:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 6:47 pm

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! *happy dancing* thank you Caz Very Happy

 

#121:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 6:49 pm

Do we see a n enormously confused issue looming up before us?

 

#122:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 7:05 pm

Yay Tyrol! Although I am beginning to feel a bit confused!

 

#123:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 9:42 pm

Quote:
Nell wrote: caz wrote: While we had been talking, Gran had put together a snack which I hastily swallowed as I jumped back to the library. I left her fixing dinner, with no idea when I would return. Only one thing Caz - in my memories of Lost in a Good Book Gran always left Thursday or Lola to do the cooking? Or am I wrong...
And I was trying to work out how OOAOs Gran fitted into this Embarassed thanks for the clarification and I really really will try & get hold of these books whihc may stop me being so confuzzled Wink

 

#124:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 8:06 am

It might help Dawn! Another convert! Laughing Thanks Caz, enjoying the way this is developing, and admiring the way you are managing to keep control of the story!

 

#125:  Author: Toria, Location: Oxford (term time), London (otherwise!) PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 5:38 pm

Have just caught up with this it's great! I haven't read any of the books but I can 'sort of' understand what's going on. I'm probably missing lots of stuff that I would understand if I had read the books but I can follow the story! Like the others I should add these to my 'wants' list. *I'll pounce next time mum is on Amazon!* Anyway in the meantime......it would be great to see some more!

 

#126:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 1:31 pm

Have just read all six pages of this after the first and it is brilliant. I can understand it though have never read the books. Will spend the rest of my life wondering who Liz is! Would be nice to have another CS fan in Carlisle.

 

#127:  Author: Abi, Location: Alton, Hants PostPosted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 1:52 pm

oooh, lots more of this in the last week! It makes a lot more sense now I've read all the books, I have to admit. And they are SUCH good books too!

 

#128:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 4:48 pm

Nell wrote:
Thanks Caz, enjoying the way this is developing, and admiring the way you are managing to keep control of the story!


I'm not actually entirely in control. Nor do I know exactly what will happen next (although I have a few ideas). Sorry you've had to wait a bit for this update.

On the assumption that we were getting close to our quarry, Bradshaw and I restrained the bookhounds and quickly scanned the area. I was trying to work out which book we were in. I noticed a large hole in the ice, so realised that we must have arrived shortly after Jo’s accident in ‘Rivals’. This was confirmed by the sight of a procession of older girls setting out from the rival school. There was none of the laughter and chatter which I would have expected from a normal party of school-girls. Presumably Jo was still lying at death’s door in the chalet they were leaving. It made perfect sense, after all, for Rosetta to try to harm Joey, given that her first attempt had been on Mary-Lou’s life. I wondered how the death of a major character was important to her plan.

Bradshaw nudged me. “I think Rosetta’s over there, behind that bush.” He pointed to a bush by the path between the two schools. “And look!” He had turned and was pointing to a small figure leaving the grounds of the main Chalet at a run.

“That must be the Robin,” I commented. Then I realised what Rosetta’s plan must be. If she could prevent the Robin from reaching St Scholastika’s then Joey could not be roused by her singing of ‘The Red Sarafan’ and would most likely die. And holding the Robin hostage would give her a great advantage. I wondered whether Rosetta had brought any back-up with her.

When I suggested this to Bradshaw he shook his head. “Liz’s group, the BCC, have members everywhere, and all serious fans are members, or at least know members. Liz put the word out through the network about Rosetta I doubt anyone will have joined her this time. And the hounds haven’t picked up any other scents. She’s on her own this time.”

As we talked, the Robin was rapidly approaching Rosetta’s bush. “How can we stop her getting the Robin?” I asked urgently. Bradshaw had had far more experience of missions such as this one – although no mission had ever been quite like this.

 

#129:  Author: Angel, Location: London, England PostPosted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 5:21 pm

ooooooooh must read fforde!

 

#130:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 7:26 pm

Ooooo, just discovered this and read it all the way through. What a brilliant idea Caz. I love Jasper Fforde, I was just talking about the books last night and have decided I'm due a re-read. Is anyone thinking of going to the Jasper Fforde book signing in London on July 29th? I'm considering getting a ticket.

 

#131:  Author: Chelsea, Location: Your Imagination PostPosted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 7:34 pm

I just finished the first book and have started on the second. I still cannot actually explain to anyone what they are about, but they are very good. *looking forward to more story.

 

#132:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 9:50 pm

*happy-dancing*

 

#133:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 11:18 pm

caz wrote:
I'm not actually entirely in control. Nor do I know exactly what will happen next (although I have a few ideas).
Ah, your characters (and Fforde's) are taking on a life of their own and refusing to do as they're told - according to EBD, the mark of a talented writer!

 

#134:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 11:22 pm

Bradshaw produced two pistols and handed one to me. “I thought we might need these,” he commented. I gulped. I wasn’t at all keen on shooting Rosetta if she was unarmed. Bradshaw must have noticed my reluctance. “We only need to scare her for now,” he pointed out. “Just aim to one side of her so she’s stuck behind the bush.”

“What about the Robin, and the other girls?”

“Well, we won’t be shooting near them. And the Robin does know it’s vital she gets through to Joey.” He took careful aim as he spoke, and loosed a shot which rebounded off the path slightly ahead of Rosetta’s bush. She, the Robin, and the party of Saints gazed in the direction of the shot. The mistress with the Saints, and the elder girls, looked most alarmed. They knew that such unusual activity implied page-runners were present. Fortunately, the Robin was too young to be fully aware of the danger.

After the first shot, we waited until she started running again, then aimed them carefully above Rosetta’s head. As the girl moved, she must have become visible to the Saints, because they set off at a run for the bush. Rosetta broke cover and ran towards the lake. The mistress and a couple of Saints had managed to remember to have their brief conversation with the Robin, and she carried on to her task of saving Joey’s life unhindered.

When I turned back to the pursuit I was surprised to see that the Saints had halted by the lakeside and seemd to be standing around purposelessly. Bradshaw and I made our way down to join them, just as Miss Anderson reached them. “Come along, girls, we’re all safe now. We must go to the Chalet and tell them where the Robin is.”

“But Miss Anderson, it was Rosetta!”

“She just disappeared.”

“What’s going on?”

“She’s in the lake!”

“How did she get here?”

A perfect babble of exclamations arose (all unassigned dialogue), and Miss Anderson demanded silence before she would answer any of them. Meanwhile Bradshaw confirmed to me in an glum undertone that the bookhounds had lost the scent.

“Now girls,” Miss Anderson looked round. “Nan, can you tell me what’s going on?”

A girl near the back of the crowd spoke up. “It was Rosetta Stone, Miss Anderson. We could all see that. We were gaining on her but she jumped into the lake and didn’t surface again.”

“But the ice isn’t broken,” pointed out a dark haired girl. “Is she a page-runner?” The accusation was made with bated breath.

I decided it was time to step in. “That is correct,” I said formally. “Rosetta Stone, alias Phyl, is indeed a page-runner. Unfortunately, it seems our bookhounds have once again lost the scent. Could I ask you how you know her?” There was a pause, and I realised I had missed something out. “I’m Thursday Next, from Jurisfiction, and this is Commander Bradshaw.”

Miss Anderson took on the role of spokesperson. “After Petronella’s First Term was condemned, most of the school was transferred to here to form a new plot-line. I gather many of the rest ended up in the Oberland, as St Hilda’s. The worst girls formed the Tanswick school. I did hear rumours about some dodgy dealing in the transfer, but we weren’t complaining at the reprieve. And life here’s not so bad. But not all the girls came with us. Joan and Betty had their own series, I hear, and Rosetta took French leave. Has she been causing trouble?”

“Just slightly. Do you know of any reason she has to hate the Chalet School?” I asked.

Miss Anderson shook her head. “I can only think she was jealous of the success the series enjoyed. And obviously, a 58-book series, regularly reprinted, is something rather special.”

Nan spoke up at this point, “I think she felt bitter that she was considered for a role at the Chalet School, but lost out in the end. She was too unconformist.”

“Now, is that all? We really should be getting on. We dare not risk a crop of unexplained colds,” Miss Anderson said with a smile. I allowed the girls to leave, and returned dejectedly to the Great Library at Jurisfiction. With the trail lost, Rosetta could be anywhere. We would only find her by fluke.

 

#135:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 1:38 am

This just gets better and better Caz! Looking forward to more!

 

#136:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 4:01 am

*Love the concept of being transferred to a new plot-line* Keep going, Caz! Glad to hear you'll no longer be distracted by such unimportant things as theses Wink .

 

#137:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 10:24 am

Well done Caz! And although you might not feel in control of the plot its not showing yet!

 

#138:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 9:34 am

Gran’s next visit was rather more urgent than the first and, in honour of this, she refused any refreshment until she had given her news. “Thursday, Liz sent me. The BCC’ers seem to have found Rosetta. Liz suggested they contact you - she thinks Rosetta might be in danger.”

The thought flashed across my mind that if Rosetta was killed by the BCC it might make my job a lot easier. On the other hand, it would require an awful lot of explaining and paperwork. “Right. Did she say where she was?”

“London. Apparently she had infiltrated the group and turned up at one of their meetings. But Liz happened to be staying in London and her. Rosetta ran off, but they caught up with her later at a book fair. She was buying Chalet School books. Liz said that they’d hold her until you arrived.”

I frowned. I wasn’t supposed to go back to the Outland until my child had been born. If I went back now, it could cause all sorts of complications. “I think I’d better get back to Jurisfiction and send Bradshaw or someone to bring them over here. It’s too dangerous for me to go back.”

Gran nodded approvingly. “While you’re out, could you pick me up some Baileys?” she asked. I raised my eyebrows at this unheard of request. “Liz gave me some, and very nice it is too.” I smiled and agreed to find some if I had time.

Back at Jurisfiction I had to put out a call for Bradshaw. He arrived with a drink in hand, and accompanied by three youngsters in RAF uniform, who looked as though they were just out of school: two girls and a boy. “Hello, Thursday. I was just having a drink with Ashton and his friends when your message came through. Miss Worralson and Miss Lovell were schoolmates of Rosetta, so I said they could come along and hear the latest. Their evidence may be needed.”

“Oh, please don’t be so formal,” begged the dark-haired girl standing close to the young man. “I’m Joan Worralson, but everyone – apart from the Commander – calls me Worrals. This is Betty Lovell, but you can call her Frecks. And do you know Bill Ashton?” Away from the war, the young people, barely out of their teens, felt no need for the formalities they were used to in their books.

“I’m Thursday Next,” I replied. Then something clicked into place. “Oh, you must be the Joan and Betty who moved to your own series after Petronella’s First Term was condemned. I saw Miss Anderson last week.”

“Is she well?” Frecks asked. I nodded.

“What’s the news on Rosetta?” Bradshaw asked anxiously.

I smiled. “Good news – I think. Liz and her friends have found her, so we need to get her back her. I was wondering if you could do that? I can’t go back into the Outland.”

“Of course. Do you mind if I take back-up? I was thinking of Vern.”

“Fair enough. Bring Liz back as well we might need her evidence as well.”

Bradshaw nodded, turned smartly on his heel and left. The other three held a whispered consultation while I watched curiously. They elected Bill spokesman, and he cleared his throat self-consciously while I tried to guess the favour they were about to ask.

 

#139:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 10:12 am

Yay we've got Worrels involved now too! So what are they going to Ask Thursday! Intrigued...

 

#140:  Author: Bel, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 10:20 am

Thanks Caz - this just keeps on getting better and better!

 

#141:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Thu Jun 17, 2004 10:15 am

Thanks Caz really loving this story - it is very well written. Wondering who is going to get involved next.

 

#142:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:50 am

Sorry it's been a few days since the last posting. I assume people are still interested?

“Um, the things is that… Well, we’d like to… I mean, we just thought…” he stammered.

Worrals slipped an arm round him. “What Bill’s trying to say is that we want to get married and we want you to fix it,” she said succintly.

I stared at her. In the middle of this major crisis with Rosetta they wanted to get married? At least they had each other, while I still had no idea how to get Landen back. The thought was almost too painful.

With the subject broached, Bill gained confidence.“You see, our narrative doesn’t allow for it we can only be friends. But we were wondering about appealing to Solomon’s Judgements or Text Grand Central. But as you’re the Bellman, we thought you could help. Maybe arrange a generic to replace Joan? I fade out of the series, and could manage to hold down my part and a marriage, but Joan couldn’t,” he explained. “I know it would have to be a high-grade generic, but surely it could be done?”

I rubbed my temples. “I’ll think about it, OK? But I’m not making any promises. We need to get Rosetta safely under lock and key first.”

“What will you do with her?” Betty asked.

“Find somewhere to exile her to,” I replied.

“But if she can book-jump, surely she’ll just come back,” Joan pointed out. My heart sank. Rosetta had been getting in and out of the Chalet School books as easily as any Jurisfiction agent.

While I was still considering the best course of action a message came through on the footnoterphone that Bradshaw had returned. I invited Joan, Betty and Bill to join me and we made our way to an out-of-the-way office where Bradshaw and Vernham Deane were waiting for us with their prisoner. I had expected defiance from Rosetta, or cunning plotting of another escape so I was surprised to find her looking somewhat dejected with hunched shoulders. Liz explained this when I asked what had been done to her.

“We just tied her up and read the Chalet School books to her, taking it in turns. We hadn’t got that far, but I don’t think she enjoyed it much. We thought it was a punishment to fit the crime.”

“How did you find her?”

“We were having a meet-up, and we went to a bookshop to browse the Chalets they had. She was there too, and I recognised her. So we surrounded her and dragged her back to Cath’s house and I sent you the message. I was a bit worried about what the others might do to her, but once Vic suggested that we read the books to her, it was fine.” I wondered privately whether it wouldn’t come under the heading of cruel and unusual torture. But then, Liz and friends would have the defence that they were only treating Rosetta as they would like to be treated. I turned to the prisoner, safely handcuffed between Vern and Bradshaw.

“Well, do you have anything to say? Any reason why we shouldn’t reduce you to text?”

“You can’t do that, you need authorisation,” she protested.

Bradshaw indicated a sheaf of documents on the desk. “Thursday has authorisation to do whatever she likes with you,” he said calmly. “This is the end of the road for you, Rosetta.”

“If you co-operate, I can make this easier for you,” I offered. “Who taught you to book-jump like that? Are you working with anyone else?”

 

#143:  Author: Rachel, Location: West Coast of Scotland PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:11 am

I'm still interested! Thanks for another great post!

 

#144:  Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:23 am

I'm still interested as well, and will be able to read the books in a fortnight or so if Rachel remembers.

 

#145:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2004 12:20 pm

Brilliant as usual Caz!!! Must get hold of these books soon.....

 

#146:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:43 pm

Of course we're still interested Caz.

 

#147:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2004 1:46 am

Thank you, Caz. Plenty of interest here! *shocked to find Thursday sympathizing with Rosetta about readings Laughing, and wondering how R. would feel if condemned to become a true CS girl*

 

#148:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2004 8:20 am

Glad people are still following this (I was a bit worried when I found it halfway down page 2). In this next chunk, I haven't represented the footnoterphone conversation as JF does because it made the formatting complicated - apologies.

“No, I don’t need anyone’s help and I don’t take orders!” Rosetta exclaimed indignantly. “I just discovered I had a talent for it, so made the most of it. It was a great way to swap ideas with girls from other schools.”

I decided that she was probably speaking the truth. Occasionally Outlanders did have the ability to book-jump without training, so perhaps she could as well. “What do you have against the Chalet School?” I asked.

“Their insufferable success and superiority. They were so perfect, and I wasn’t good enough for them. I thought if I could kill off one of the main characters, the series would never be the same, and would just fade away.”

There was real bitterness and hatred in Rosetta’s tone, and I feared that redemption was beyond her now. I had no desire to condemn her to be reduced to text, despite her crimes, but I could see no alternative. She was cunning enough to be able to escape from any prison we might find for her, and there was no way to force her to conform to the part she should play. While I was considering her fate, Rosetta had not been idly contemplating the opposite wall. She had been making her preparations, and suddenly demonstrated how she could book-jump with such facility. But as she jumped, she took with her Bradshaw and Vern, who were holding her arms at the time. I was left gasping in astonishment.

A voice spoke from behind me. “So she was telling the truth! Well, well.” I turned in confusion, having temporarily forgotten the presence of Joan, Betty and Bill (not to mention Liz).

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Back at school, she claimed she could book-jump without needing a book. We thought she was just boasting, but it seems like she was right,” Joan explained.

“Do you know how she did it?” I queried, with some concern.

“She has a photographic memory. So all she needs to do is remember the image of a page, and she can read herself in using that.” This was an idea I had not come across before, and I hoped it wasn’t common knowledge. But then, very few characters were written with the perfect photographic memory needed for this.

Bradshaw’s voice came over the footnoterphone. “Thursday, Thursday, can you hear me?”

“Yes, where are you? Are you OK?”

“We’re fine, we’re still together. I’m not quite sure where we are. Egypt, I think. Hang on, here’s someone coming now.” I heard a murmured conversation, then Bradshaw informed me that they were in an Amelia Peabody mystery. I asked why they didn’t just come back. “Well, there’s a bit of a problem here. Vern stopped a stray bullet, and, well, when we appeared, I think the characters suspected Vern and me of being the villains: two men appearing with a young girl handcuffed between them. Amelia and Emerson have decided to keep us all under guard until you come with identification.” I sighed. There were far too many strong-willed characters around at the moment. It might make for good books, but it didn’t make my job any easier.

 

#149:  Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:33 am

Love the idea in this of the strong characters making their life more difficult.

 

#150:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2004 8:47 pm

*giggling* Thank you Caz Very Happy

 

#151:  Author: Angel, Location: London, England PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:11 pm

WONDERFUL! I love this story, and I'm so pleased to get caught up again.

 

#152:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Wed Jun 23, 2004 12:35 am

Yes! The Peabody-Emersons! Thank you, Caz.

 

#153:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Wed Jun 23, 2004 10:14 am

I'm not sure how frequent future updates will be, but I am determined to finish this drabble, ideally this summer (it was never supposed to be this long...)

I quickly gathered together the necessary paperwork to convince the Emersons, hoping that they would have the sense not to be taken in by Rosetta. But if she did hoodwink them, then I might need backup. I thought quickly. Having broken so many rules already in my pursuit of Rosetta – yes, it was becoming personal – I didn’t see that one or two more would matter.

“Betty, can you stay here with Liz? Sorry, Liz, I daren’t take you into this: if anything happened to you we wouldn’t be able to cover it up. Joan, Bill, would you mind coming with me?” There was no argument, as all recognised the seriousness of the situation, and the need for speed. Betty and Liz settled down for a chat, while I read Joan, Bill and myself into ‘The Curse of the Pharaohs’.

We arrived at the house which the Emersons were using as a base during the excavations at what must have been the end of the working day. Several members of the expedition staff were present, holding drinks, but most attention was focused on the trio whom we had come to recover. One gentleman was covering all three with a pistol. I noticed apprehensively that Rosetta’s handcuffs had been removed, but she had apparently made no attempt to flee. I later discovered that Amelia was no fool, and had confiscaed the shoes of all three, so that escape through the hot desert sands would be impossible. There seemed to be more Westerners around than were mentioned in the book, which Amelia was good enough to explain.

“The Amelia Peabody Emerson mysteries have, for some reason, become a very popular destination for first-timers on the Character-Exchange Programme. Egypt is, of course, generally popular as a holiday destination. I can only assume that the combination of Emerson’s knowledge on the antiquities and my medical abilities mean that people find this series a perfect combination of learning, excitement and the reassurance that any injuries or illnesses sustained can be treated by me. But we expect them to work, of course, and some prefer not to return.” She looked slightly bemused at this, presuming that her idea of bliss (pyramids, and a dangerous criminal hot on her heels) should be that of all right-minded persons.

 

#154:  Author: Xanthe, Location: London/Cambridge PostPosted: Wed Jun 23, 2004 10:28 am

*snickering*

 

#155:  Author: Angel, Location: London, England PostPosted: Wed Jun 23, 2004 10:09 pm

*fascinated*

 

#156:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 5:26 am

I always wanted ML to meet up with Amelia Smile . But share the puzzlement of Thursday's last question....

 

#157:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 9:23 am

hmm what is Amelia up to? Still hooked!

 

#158:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 9:46 am

Caz as good as ever. Glad you are writing more, though the pauses do help me to catch up. Waiting for Amelia's answer to the last question too.

 

#159:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 5:31 pm

Just letting you know I'm still interested, Caz!

 

#160:  Author: Grembles, Location: Norwich PostPosted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 8:44 pm

For all those who are now Fforde fans details of his next tour can be found here http://www.jasperfforde.com/appearances.html he is doing the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Poland in the next few months. He is coming to the store where I work on the day I get back from holiday - I hope my flight isn't delayed!

 

#161:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 10:24 pm

Wow! Just read this from start to (I nearly said finish, but hope not)/ I have a book token for my birthday and am off to hunt tomorrow!

 

#162:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 1:49 am

Grembles wrote:
For all those who are now Fforde fans details of his next tour can be found here http://www.jasperfforde.com/appearances.html
Thanks, Grembles. (Too bad he's coming to Michigan after I leave, and skipping Indiana entirely. Finished book 2 now.)

 

#163:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 8:30 am

Very Happy He's in Newcastle the day after I return from my holiday and I won't be at work!

 

#164:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 10:46 am

Sorry it's been a while since I posted...

Before Amelia could answer a bellow of “Peabody!” echoed round the house and Amelia excused herself.

Mary-Lou smiled. “That’ll be the Professor,” she explained. “As for Bradshaw, I think she does believe him really. This is just revenge for the fact that he has the concession on excavating for early plots which Amelia wanted.”

Joan and Bill had crossed the room to join us, and as Mary-Lou finished speaking she turned towards them in the expectation of being introduced. The next second, she and Joan were in each other’s arms, hugging fiercely, while Bill looked on calmly. I was becoming accustomed to shocks and surprises whenever the Chalet School, or its fans, were involved so waited resignedly for the inevitable explanations. As the girls separated Joan pulled Bill forward. “Mary-Lou, you remember Bill? Well, we’ve just got engaged! Bill, you remember my sister, Mary-Lou.”

Sisters! That explained a few things, including Joan’s interest in the case. But there was more, as Mary-Lou gently corrected Joan. “Triplet sister, to be precise,” she said with a grin.

“Congratulations, both of you!” Bill smiled faintly, looking slightly embarrassed at her excitement so it was left to me to do the elementary maths. “So where’s the third? And who is she, anyway?”

“Nefret. You won’t meet her here, it’s too early in the series. Sorry for our excitement, it’s ages since we last saw each other. We were seperated, you see, because they couldn’t place us together. We were supposed to be identical triplets but we ended up being too alike in character as well as looks. So we drew lots: I got the glittering school career, Joan took the flying and Nefret had the archaeology. Though we do try to meet up when we can, it isn’t easy. So when are you going to get married?” Mary-Lou turned back to her sister.

“As soon as we can. That is, if we can have the dispensation we need. It has to be outside the narrative, you see. We’re hoping to get Generics to replace us so we can retire.” I raised my eyebrows at this answer, and wondered what grounds Joan and Bill had for expecting such treatment. No doubt time would tell. For now, however, my priority had to be dealing with Rosetta, and finding Bradshaw and Vern’s shoes.

 

#165:  Author: Angel, Location: London, England PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 11:41 am

TRIPLETSthree Mary-Lous*DEAD*

 

#166:  Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 11:41 am

Whoopee...more of this, and I've started reading one of the books thanks to Rachel.

 

#167:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 1:11 pm

Oooh!! Nice twist there!!!! Love the being too similar and having to draw lots on who gets what!

 

#168:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 9:48 pm

Have decided that these books are going to be my holiday treat to read while the rest of the family are charging around being energetic. Really enjoying this Caz, thankyou

 

#169:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 10:32 pm

I've never heard of Jasper Fforde before - but I'm managing to follow the story (I think). So, what happens next?

 

#170:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Wed Jul 07, 2004 9:38 am

Echoes faintly 'Three Mary-Lou's!' Liking the way this is going and now waiting for more.

 

#171:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2004 3:52 pm

Wondering what is going to happen next...

 

#172:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Sat Jul 10, 2004 5:33 pm

*joins everyone in wondering what will happen next!* Yes, I know I'm writing it, but I'm currently stuck. Sorry. Confused

 

#173:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 10:01 am

Caz? Are you still stuck on this one? Or had you forgotten about it?

 

#174:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 6:52 pm

Echoes Vikki's call - I've not read this before today - it's wonderful! Many thanks for the compliment pages back caz! Wink I had no idea there were books around like this - will have to get copies.

 

#175:  Author: ali, Location: medway, kent PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:50 pm

I bow down before your genius! All my favourite books in one place. I didn't realise there were so many fforde fans out there. Apparently his next book ( after the one out in hardback is going to be a Jack Spratt story, then another Thursday Next one) rubs hands in glee. I read this all in one go and have only one thing left to say, MORE please, and lots of it. Very Happy

 

#176:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 10:37 pm

Pretty pretty please can we have some more? Incidentally, I met Jasper Fforde on his book tour and he was lovely! He gave me a postcard of Swindon!

 

#177:  Author: Liss, Location: Harrow, London PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 11:33 am

This is *so* cool! Looking forward to reading some more...

 

#178:  Author: Rachael,  PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:36 am

I have finally read this - all in one go after promising myself that I would read the books first! Very Happy Took me a while but I really, really enjoyed them, have recommended them to all my reading-type friends and think this is a brilliant crossover Caz!! Glad I read the JFs first though cos I think I understand it a lot better than I would have ... Loved the idea of being able to bookjump with a photographic memory - fabulous!! I hope you are going to come back to this Caz - it's been a while since you last posted!! (3 months!!) Hint hint ... *bumping this back to page 1!*

 

#179:  Author: Abi, Location: Alton, Hants PostPosted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 2:04 pm

I found this on page 3 Confused Is something wrong with Caz? Or has she forgotten this?

 

#180:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 4:45 pm

I've already consumed the three paperbacks because of this drabble. Still resisting the pull of the hardback, but .... HelpMe (Please continue this, Caz.)

 

#181:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 10:23 pm

To all those waiting patiently, I'm sorry you've had so long to wait. Combination of new job plus new house where I was without internet access for months. (I don't think I'll ever catch up on the board now). I was very tempted just to write "and then Joey woke up and it had all been a dream." But that would be mean, so instead:

However, I realised that dealing with Rosetta was going to be impossible as soon as I turned round. She had taken advantage of the stir caused by my arrival, and her chair was empty. Amelia told me that she couldn’t have gone far, but there was no figure on the horizon and I was gloomily convinced that she had once again escaped. I was back to square one.

Vern and Bradshaw collected their shoes in silence and we all jumped back to my office. Even Joan and Bill were tactful enough not to protest at having to leave Mary-Lou so soon.

Betty and Liz were rather surprised to see us, and even more surprised at our failure. Like me, they had assumed that there were only a few loose ends to tie up. Bradshaw led the youngsters off for a drink, and Vern headed home. I looked wearily at Liz. “Can you get back OK?” I asked. She nodded, but said nothing. As I looked closer I realised that she was nearly in tears.

“I can’t believe I was so stupid,” she muttered. “This whole mess is entirely my own fault.”

I had no patience or energy to reassure her. “Not entirely, but we certainly wouldn’t be in this mess without your help. However, I’m sure someone else would have been equally stupid,” I retorted unsympathetically. Before she could reply, a tinny version of Greensleeves started playing. “What on earth…?”

“It’s only my mobile. Sorry.” Liz rummaged in her bag and pulled out her mobile phone. Her side of the conversation was not exactly enlightening, as it consisted of: “Hi. Yes. What? Oh no! How…no..Oh, that’s awful. Yes, of course. No, that’s fine. See you then.” She finshed and turned to me. “That was Cath. There’s been a fire at Penshaws, it’s completely gutted. I wonder…”

She trailed off, but I finished her sentence for her. “…if Rosetta was involved.” I would have given anything to be back in London as a LiteraTec right now, investigating this fire at one of the largest secondhand children’s bookshops east of Hay-on-Wye. No, not quite anything. I daren’t risk my child’s life for it.

Cursing at my inability to return to the Outland, I sent Liz off with instructions to keep me informed. I returned to my office, gave out that I was not to be disturbed and settled back in my chair. Staring blindly across the sea of paper on my desk, I wondered where Rosetta was, and what she could possibly be going to do next.

 

#182:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 10:27 pm

Wonderful to see more of this!Thanks Caz.

 

#183:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 11:11 pm

Yay! I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad to see this one back - I've been reading the Amelia Peabody books recently (hadn't read them when this story was first posted) so I feel up to speed! More whenever possible, please Caz!

 

#184:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 11:42 pm

Yippee! You introduced me to Fforde (thank you) and I'm so glad to see this back! No internet access for MONTHS Shocked You're only hope is a 3 month vacation (if you're a quick reader)..

 

#185:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 12:56 am

Yay!!! Brilliant to have this, and you, back Caz!

 

#186:  Author: Guest,  PostPosted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 10:50 am

Wonderful to see this back! Thank you Caz! I've just read something rotten which I enjoyed greatly and its good to see what might have been happening in those missing two years!

 

#187:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 10:51 am

Sorry that was me! I forgot I hadn't logged in! Embarassed

 

#188:  Author: Joey, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 5:56 pm

O hurrah! I nearly joined to celebrate when this first started, but I wasn't quite brave enough. I love Jasper Fforde, and this is fantastic. So glad to see it back! Thank you.

 

#189:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2004 12:34 am

Thank you Caz, it is so nice to see more of this. Hope you have caught up a little now.

 

#190:  Author: nikkie, Location: Cumbria PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2004 8:16 pm

I love Fforde. I love this. Very similar style!

 

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