milliways_bar | (no subject)

"Excuse me." Susan's at his shoulder. "Are you busy today?"

Hank blinks then shakes his ehad.

"Not super-busy no. How can I help you?"

He rises and nods to a seat.

"I think--" she lets out a short, sharp breath, "--I think we're going to drive out the music today. The magic spell. And we need your help."

Hank's attentiojn is suddenly very completely on her.

"Just tell me how."

His voice is ever so slightly intense. Free Catherine? Oh yes, he is there.

That's rather unsettling. Susan gives him back a stare as she continues. "There will be diversions--but you, your job will be to talk to the music, convince it that this place, here, is the end of the universe, this is no place for it to be. You must chase it out of here and slam the door on it. Do you understand?"

"Let's see, talk to the music. Explain how this is the end of the universe, and it isnt supposed to be here, then make sure it gets gone and shut the door."

He nods, eyes sparkling.

"That? I can handle."

Then he pauses and looks at her.

"What happens to it's victims then?"

"They die." Susan looks at him coldly, intensely.

After a moment, she bursts out laughing. "Gods above, I didn't think I was that good..."

His face gfoes absolutely pale. It is quite possible his breaths tops.

He eyes her at her second outburst and stifles the urge to see if she can fly.

"So what really happens?"

His voice is rather low and rumbly. Those who know him would know that this? is not a good sign.

"They will be fine." Susan isn't fazed by that look. Come on, she's the granddaughter of Death. "Really. They'll have a bit of a headache and they won't remember where they've been or what they've done during the spell, but there will be no lasting damage."

He nods, relief evident in his eyes as he relaxes some.

"Thank you."

Then he shakes his head.

"So, when are we doing this?"

"Afternoon to evening, I believe. Angel's part of it as well--a young man I met in the bar, he wears skirts and he's quite nice."

Hank grins.

"Aye, I know Angel. And it is good to know he will be there. Kid has more in his head than most people I know who are geniuses."

he sips his coffee.

"So, not to stray too far off the topicary of the moment, but how long have you been perusing our fine establishment?"

Susan raises an eyebrow. "If you mean how long have I been in the bar, I've been here... almost a month, I think."

"Excellent. Welcome to the madness, then. Anything like this happen where you come from?"

A wry look hovers about the corners of her mouth. "Oh, apart from saving the Discworld and talking with witches and following in my grandfather Death's footsteps, no, not really..."

hank grins.

"Sounds like your world and mine have a lot in common... other than shape, that is. We have a lot of weird class stuff happen there too."

he flags a wait rat.

"Can I get you anything?"

"I'm sure." She eyes his blue fur wryly. "Magic, for instance. No, thank you, I'm fine."

He blinks, looks down.

"This?"

he points to his fur.

"This isnt magic it's science. But yes, we have lots of magic too. Also time traveling, alien invaders and evil twins."

Such things are old hat for Hank these days.

"Science." She looks at him disbelievingly. The closest thing the Discworld has to scientists are Alchemists, which spend more time blowing things up than turning them blue and furry. "Alien invaders...?"

"Beings from another world, coming to our world to invade, conquer, kill... the usual mnadness. Seems aliens are no more different inside, than humans."

And he grins.

"And yes, science. On Earth it is very valid."

Susan grimaces. "I think we have enough problems on our own world to deal with. What is your--science?"

He ponders how to answeert.

"Well, science is a trial oriented and based system of testing facts. Say you wanted to know how long soemthing was? You would measure it, but science provides the system of measurements and how to judge it, and even allows you ot use math to see the whole without taking every measurement. It is the systyem of using facts to prove other facts. When you have enough, you can do just about anything."

he grins.

"In my world, science and magic often can do the same things, just differently."

Susan nods slowly. "But you said that you--well, looked that way--because of science..."

"Yes. Science can define anything. And in searching for truth we have managed to define the very building blocks that make us look the way we do. See, at the very smallest level, there are things called genetic codes, like a magic spell. The codes determine exactly how a person will look. Well, some of those aliens I mentioned? They messed with the human genetic codes, and created an unpredictable code in the human genome, which is another word for the code, that unopredictable code makes mutants, which is what we call people like me, show uop every now and then."

All of this is making a faint 'whoosh' noise as it flies over Susan's head, but she manages a nod. "Oh... I see. And... there are more people like you? Blue and furry?"

"a couple, but since the code is unpredictable, it makes things odd in different ways every time, so no two mutants are quite the same."

"Ah, yes." Susan smiles politely. "Er... if you'll excuse me, I need to go..."

hank sighs.

He rises and bows to her.

"I will see you later, Madame. "