Through Darkest Zymurgia!

After dinner, Philpott refused to give details about his day, beyond the statement that Asha had shown he and Cadbury all about the town.

"You see, Leon, I must write down my observations while they are still fresh. If I were discuss them now, I should not be able to refrain from reflecting upon them. I fear they would be quite compromised." Suiting deed to word, he bent back over his notes and continued to write rapidly.

Carbuncle and I were quite unable to change his mind, and I fear I was growing angry when I observed Cadbury signalling to me from down the table. I glanced at him, and he winked quite deliberately in response. I raised my eyebrows questioningly. He jerked his head at Philpott, and raised his eyes to the ceiling. Then he smiled broadly at me. I nodded back.

"Thad," I said, "I'm sure we all have the greatest possible respect for your observations, and I quite see the importance of getting them down on paper as soon as possible. However..." He raised his eyes to look at me without actually raising his head.

"Yes, Leon?"

"Wouldn't it be less distracting for you to work upstairs, as you did last night?" He nodded his head slightly.

"Indeed it would, Leon, but I'm afraid the light is very bad. Also, there is no table. I shall be fine right here." And he lowered his eyes to the page, and resumed his scribbling.

I grimaced at Cadbury. I was eager to hear what he had to say, but clearly we couldn't discuss it in front of Philpott. I examined my options.

I could, of course, suggest that Cadbury, Carbuncle and I adjourn upstairs, but I discarded that as too obvious, especially if Fox and Hodgins joined us. Also, if there were no tables upstairs, there were also no chairs, and no cups, and no Abayla to keep them filled. I was not about to let Philpott drive us from the most comfortable room in the hostel.

I glanced consideringly at Abayla, rubbing my chin. Would she be willing to find a table and a better lamp for the second floor? Possibly...but so far she had shown no inclination to heed any request which did not involve the pleasures of the table. And anyway, it might just tempt Philpott into working late at night, when the rest of us were trying to sleep. Reluctantly I discarded that idea as well.

I glanced at Cadbury (exasperated, frowning at Philpott), and at Carbuncle (who shrugged). I pondered my only other alternative for a few moments, examining its flaws, but decided I had no other recourse.

"It's a fine evening," I said, looking pointedly out the window. "Carbuncle, perhaps you'd care to join me for a promenade in the town square?" Cadbury brightened at once, and Carbuncle looked thoughtful. Philpott sat straight up.

"Are you sure that would be wise, Leon?" he exclaimed, his brow furrowed. "I am fairly sure that the Masters do not wish us to travel about on our own."

"I think you're judging their wishes too harshly, Thad," I said, with a certainty I did not feel. Carbuncle leaned back in his chair, looking like a spectator at a sporting match. "Indeed, they asked to accompany us while we pursued our investigations, but I mean to do no investigating tonight. I mean only to take the evening air for a time, and then return here."

Philpott still looked worried.

"They seemed quite clear on the subject, Leon."

"Now, now, Thaddeus," I said. "I am sure they wouldn't wish to deprive us of our evening constitutional. I am sure that if we inquired, they would gladly give us leave, but as you see we have no way of inquiring."

"But to assume their consent, Leon, strikes me as dangerous. And should they approach you during your walk, you cannot even explain your intentions to them!" By this time Philpott had put down his pen, and was staring at me in consternation.

"That is easily fixed," I said. "We shall have Cadbury accompany us, and he will translate should it become necessary."

"You are determined in this, Leon?"

"Quite so, Thaddeus."

"Very well." Philpott sighed, and began gathering his notes together into a neat pile.

"What ever are you doing, Thad?" I could see Carbuncle hiding a broad grin. Cadbury's eyes had widened considerably.

"I am coming with you, of course, Leon. I cannot let you and Carbuncle go into danger by yourself. If you are determined to go, I shall attend you." Cadbury closed his eyes and put his hand over his face; Carbuncle was racked with silent guffaws. Fox, as usual, was impassive. For my part, I saw no graceful way to extricate myself from either the walk or Philpott's presence on it.

"Very well," I sighed. "Would anyone else care to join us? Fox? Hodgins?" Fox silently shook his head; Hodgins, I saw, had fallen asleep with his head on his arms. I looked under the table. "Bruno?" Bruno raised his head from his paws, and wagged his tail slightly, then laid his head down again. That, at least, was not surprising. Like any dog on a ramble in the country, he had covered at least five times us much ground as the rest of us.

I got up from my seat. "Shall we go?" I said, with a cheerfulness I did not feel. I was, in fact, feeling rather a fool as we stepped into the street. Because of a childish schoolboy's love of gossip, I was quite possibly endangering the success of the expedition, and to no profit. I could not discuss Philpott's adventures with Cadbury while Philpott himself was present, it simply wouldn't do. It would be indiscreet. Nor could I back down gracefully. My ludicrous display obliged me to visit the town square, with or without Philpott. I could, of course, order him to stay behind, but his sense of duty would force him to come anyway; I would merely be causing needless friction.

So distracted was I by these thoughts that we were fully into the square before I realized that Philpott's presence or absence was at worst immaterial, at best an unmixed blessing. With a sinking heart I discovered that my plans for an evening constitutional in the square were not unique. The square was brightly lit by the torches around its perimeter, and at least half of the village's population were in it. A regular promenade was in progress, with about half of the crowd drifting slowly in the clockwise direction, and the other half drifting just as slowly in the counterclockwise direction. There were knots and eddies of conversation here and there where folk had met friends or relatives, and laughter, and shouted greetings and catcalls as well. It was a fascinating sight, but clearly no place for any kind of private or intimate discussion.

I glanced at my companions, and then shrugged. We had come for a promenade in the square, and a promenade we had found; we might as well join it. I threw back my shoulders, shot my cuffs, and started to drift. Carbuncle, Cadbury and Philpott perforce began to drift after me.

It is not to be thought that our arrival passed without notice. Indeed, we were objects of great interest from the moment we entered the square, and though no one was so rude as to stare or to discuss us openly within our earshot, I could see many flashing glances and hear a distant whispering among the townspeople. I smiled at everyone we passed, bowing slightly to the Tomaren ladies. They for their part were quite bold, making eye contact as easily as though I were a brother, or perhaps an old uncle. This should not surprise me, I thought, reflecting upon the lovely Asha.

As we drifted along, the distant whispering began to acquire form; it seemed to me that I was hearing a single word, endlessly repeated, first on one side, then on that side, indeed from every corner of the square. I could not quite make it out; it was something like "aybahsmaht". I was on the verge of asking Philpott and Cadbury if they could hear it, and if so if they knew what it meant, when my foolishness received its reward. I should have expected that our presence would be noted by the Masters of Tomar, and had I wished for a maximum of unpleasantness I would have chosen no other of the four than the one who now blocked our path: young, zealous Nabili.

Nabili was not well pleased to find us abroad in the evening. He had said nothing yet, but his expression was plain to read: righteous anger mixed with a certain repressed joy. We were not supposed to be out, and he was glad to be the one to chastise us. Perhaps I was reading more into an angry visage than was actually there, but I do not think so. It had been evident in our meetings with the four Masters that Nabili did not like us and wished to be well quit of us. It hardly seemed fair to me; we had done nothing to attract his ill-will.

When confronted by irrational malice, a commodity by no means in short supply in the University, I find that there is only one truely satisfactory response: unstinting good humor. And so, seeing Nabili glowering darkly in our path, I smiled broadly. I bowed, hand to my heart, and rising I greeted him warmly.

"What ho, Nabili old fellow," I said. "A pleasant evening, I must say." And I beamed at him as Cadbury tried to translate my words. Not that young Nabili listened to him.

"Aybahsmaht," he said harshly, and spat on the cobbles.

"Such lovely weather," I said. "Is it always like this, this time of year?"

By this time the four of us were standing shoulder to shoulder. Philpott and Cadbury were on my right and left, with Carbuncle just beyond Cadbury. Nabili spat out a few more words, which I could not make out at all.

"Just a moment, old thing, do you mind? I need a translation," I said, and leaned over to Cadbury. "What did he say?"

"He asks why you did not stay in the hostel, as you promised," Cadbury whispered back.

"Why, we promised not to explore without an escort," I said to Nabili. "At present, we are not exploring; we are simply enjoying the fine weather. Surely there is no harm in that?" And I beamed at him some more as Cadbury translated. We were now at the heart of our own eddie in the flow of the promenade, indeed, a veritable maelstrom of people. I think most of the crowd had gathered around to see what would befall us. I bent to hear Cadbury translate Nabili's response, when a silvery voice interrupted.

It was Asha, of course. I did not understand her words, save for the single monosyllable "Thed", but the warmth of her expression and her voice were unmistakable. She was clearly glad to see us--or to see "Thed", at any rate, for she came up to him and took his arm as she continued to speak.

"She is telling Nabili that we are here at her invitation," whispered Cadbury to me.

"Are we?" I whispered back.

"No," he replied. "But now you have seen with your own eyes everything I would have told you in private." By this I presumed he meant Asha's friendliness toward Philpott.

It is an odd thing, really. Philpott is the quintessential scholar, the don's don if you will. His studies are of more import to him than his next meal, or indeed of several meals beyond that. He has little experience of the world, and is often taken by surprise, noble Bruno being the example in chief. His speech is somewhat stilted, his concerns alien to most people, his appearance pleasant though not excessively handsome, his soul rather detached from the day to day.

And yet, people like him, and he them. Wherever we went, he was soon acquainted with everyone, high and low. Back on the Spaniel he was on first name terms with his pal Bill Hodgins and his chum Richard Halvorsen. In Lyricum, Hodgins had nearly caused a riot by questioning the greatness of the great Rotini; I'll be bound that Philpott, with the same questions and attitudes, would have had them buying him drinks. I do not understand it, nor am I sure that he is entirely aware of it, and perhaps that unselfconsciousness is part of his charm. At the moment I was simply glad that it was functioning as usual.

It took Asha just a few moments to mollify--or at least overrule--young Nabili, after which we began to drift again, with Asha still on Philpott's arm. After several minutes Nabili was comfortably far behind, and Asha began to speak seriously to us. She had never intended for us to be strictly confined to the hostel, yet it was foolish, Cadbury translated, for us to come to the square unescorted. Cadbury explained that we had had no means of requesting an escort, and had therefore presumed on their hospitality. It was a shrewd statement; Asha immediately promised to wait on us each evening, so that we could join the promenade with a proper escort. After that she became more cheerful, and we made several pleasant rounds of the square before she lead us back to the hostel.

Perhaps Cadbury put a slight emphasis on the word proper in his translation, or perhaps the emphasis was present in Asha's actual speech. I do not know...but watching her chatter away by Philpott's side, I began to wonder whether propriety was her greatest concern.