(no subject)

[tu_vas_triompher]

One thing had led to another. The afternoon finds Feuilly deep into the history of the FIFA World Cup, with an entire channel of klezmer music to listen to. He's been trying to untangle the complaints about the decisions to host the competition in Russia and Qatar, and humming along to the music, when he suddenly becomes aware of two things.

First, the song he's half-singing without thinking about it isn't quite what he was expecting.

Second, he's supposed to be expecting John Segundus any moment now; they'd made a plan to meet at his room and then go to the library. Now--how do you turn the music off--?

Comments

[tu_vas_triompher]

The music stops abruptly, and the silence makes it all the clearer that it had been the sound of several instruments. Two or three seconds later, the door opens, showing only a pink-faced Feuilly, or rather Feuilly and a dog. "Hello! Hello! Please, come in--I was listening to some music--klezmer music, it's Jewish--Eastern European--"

He looks not at all surprised by the armful of books. Segundus will no doubt notice that his books have many friends in Feuilly's room.

[not_the_second]

"Oh, I see! It sounds, um, lively!" ...Segundus knows nothing about music. He decides not to pursue that topic any further. "I am very sorry for being late, though I endeavor to be careful, books to seem to find themselves scattered everywhere-- ah, is this your dog? Hello there!"

[tu_vas_triompher]

"Yes, klezmer musicians were, were hired to provide music for celebrations--weddings, particularly. They were travelers--they often traveled with Gypsies, um, Romani, um--and the musical traditions influenced each other. But I was reading, and the music has roots in Polish music, Romanian, Hungarian, Greek--Turkish--"

Don't worry, John, Feuilly can pursue the topic for the both of you!

"Ah--um. But. Yes, that's Hector. An English dog, in fact!"

Hector whuffs at Segundus's toes, thinks things over, and decides to sit down on them and lean on his legs.

[not_the_second]

"You are very interested in music, then?" Segundus asks as he awkwardly tries to squat down to pet the dog on his feet without disturbing said dog. "And how on earth did you come by an English dog? Or may animals wander here as well?" There's a thought. He's certainly seen clever cats that can open a door, why not a magical door?

[tu_vas_triompher]

"Well--no, not--I'm very interested in that part of the world. In the history of, of Poland--" He's not attempting English today, but somehow he's even more self-consciously flustered speaking French in his own room. "I've become very interested in Jewish history too, um. But I do like music. It's--they've invented ways that you can listen to it on a machine, any time that you like. While you're working, if you want."

And yes, let's talk about dogs, because Feuilly really doesn't know very much about music and doesn't want to give the impression that he thinks he does. "He belongs to my friend, really--the, the one I mentioned to you, I think, from Northumberland? I don't--you know, that's a good question. There are animals here, but as far as I know they came here with people. But--who would know, if a cat or a bird slipped in from somewhere else?"

It's unsettling, somehow.

[not_the_second]

"You mentioned him indeed-- but it is a question!" He's still stroking Hector's ears thoughtfully. "For if we are to insist that all living things must have come from elsewhere, then what of the plants? I rather doubt the trees walked in through a door-- but perhaps they did!"

[tu_vas_triompher]

"I wouldn't put it past them! I have a friend who says some of the trees fight back if you hit them." But Bahorel says a lot of things. "I haven't really--haven't really made a study of the history of this place. I think a lot of it was made by magic? But--there I'm talking about something you know much more about than I do--"

Hector, less interested in such questions, leans a little harder on Segundus's legs.

[not_the_second]

"I know nothing at all about the magic of this place," Segundus says. "I assumed at first it was some fairy kingdom, but over these past days, I am beginning to believe that it is not-- that it has nothing at all to do with magic as I understand it."

Pat, pat, pat. Don't worry, Hector, no petting will be neglected here.

"Does the library contain any books on the history of this place? Surely not, or someone would have found it by now."

[tu_vas_triompher]

Feuilly looks thoughtful at the question. "It should, if any have been written. But finding them might be another question. Let me--" He has his notebook out, and jots it down in pencil, Milliways history at the library? "--Well, shall we go? Um--that is--do you mind if Hector comes along? He seems--"

He seems rooted to the spot, is what he seems, but maybe if the people move he'll go too?

[not_the_second]

"Oh, no, no, not at all..." Segundus attempts to delicately shuffle his feet out from under Hector. Hector gives him a mournful look, but takes the hint to hoist himself reluctantly to his feet.

"Did you have any other particular object in mind?" he asks as he turns to start down the corridor. "I would so hate to distract you from your own studies."

[tu_vas_triompher]

"Oh, I always have things to find at the library." This isn't politeness speaking, it's true. "And things to bring back. Let me just--"

Feuilly collects a small stack of books and movies; then he's ready to go. "The truth is, I was reading about nothing very important. About football."

[not_the_second]

"Football! Well!" ...why? "You have quite a range of interests, truly. Though I suppose any number of subjects may be pursued with ease here."

[tu_vas_triompher]

"The football is--well, it's also a question of international history. In the future they have a league--more than two hundred nations!--with competitions every four years. Like the ancient Olympic games!"

He looks at Segundus hopefully, in case some of his enthusiasm might be rubbing off. "So that you might have men from, from China meeting men from Mexico. --But--yes. Yes, you can study anything here. It's a, a paradise for it. Doctors--I have friends that are medical students, were medical students--"

[not_the_second]

"Football in China! I had no idea, none at all." Because Segundus's knowledge of sport is otherwise so extensive. "Oh, it must be a fascinating place for a student of medicine. I have learned-- that is-- not everyone here is, well-- human, it seems."

[tu_vas_triompher]

"Yes." He pushes a hand through his hair. "Yes, that's--I don't really understand what makes the difference between a human and a, a vampire, for instance. But there are vampires here. They do, um. Drink blood."

Don't get bitten by a vampire, Monsieur.

[not_the_second]

He nods seriously. "Yes, so I was told. I thought they only existed in-- in fanciful novels, really. Someone ought to take some sort of survey. A census, something like that."

[tu_vas_triompher]

"You know--my friend Joly--one of the medical students--he might be interested in a project like that? Of course with people coming and going it would be difficult. And people like their privacy--"

They're at the library door; as an afterthought he puts Hector's leash on. Good library manners!

[not_the_second]

"Oh, of course, I hadn't thought of that-- I expect some people consider the privacy quite their favorite feature of this place."

Segundus goes to deposit his armful of books carefully at the returns desk. No one ever seems to be manning it, but whenever he leaves books there, they seemed to get returned, so he has decided to just... trust the magic.

[tu_vas_triompher]

Feuilly likewise leaves his books and the movies. "For people who come and go--yes. If you're here permanently, it's--a little less private."

[not_the_second]

"All the more reason to protect that privacy you do have, I suppose." Hector noses at his knee, and he reaches down to give him an absent-minded pat. "But it is strange-- that there doesn't seem to have been more study made of the place itself."

[tu_vas_triompher]

"Joly," he says immediately. "My friend Joly is who you should meet; he has been studying the place. From a scientific point of view, more than a, a historical point of view. But--really, you should meet him anyway; he's wonderfully intelligent, and wonderfully--sympathetic?--he's always interested in any new question, any course of study."

[not_the_second]

"I shall seek him out," Segundus says, and repeats the name under his breath to be sure of it. "--your friends share your enthusiasm for study, then! Or perhaps that is how you came to know them, some manner of literary or educational society?"

[tu_vas_triompher]

"--Educational, yes. A society to advance the free education of children." It's hardly likely that an Englishman from 1815--from such a different 1815--could cause any trouble for French republicans fifteen years down the line, but still. On the other hand, many people here know more than that and have no reason to conceal it-- "We also share some political beliefs."

[not_the_second]

"Ah, I have no very strong interest in politics, I'm afraid," he says, and he does sound genuinely sorry that he has nothing to offer on the topic. "I imagine France must be much changed from what I know of it. The little I know."