milliways_bar | (no subject)

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The door opens.

The boy on the other side -- dressed in simple cotton kurta pyjamas -- stares for a moment and then shuts it very quickly.

The door opens.

The boy on the other side -- now in a blazer and carefully pressed trousers -- blinks, peers around the edge, and studies the bar for a minute before closing the door slowly and quietly.

The door opens.

The boy on the other side jerks to a momentary halt, throws a wary glance over his shoulder, and slips into the bar. He closes the door behind him, quietly, then reconsiders and cracks it open again to peek out. Apparently satisfied with what he sees, he shuts it and turns back to the bar with a curious, intent look on his face.

In precise, slightly accented English -- "Where is this, please?"

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"If you want the best way to get out of tight spots, you know - well, running away's one way to go about it, but if you're stuck with them that's not going to save you forever."

Jamie sounds like he has experience with this. And he does.

"Your best bet's really to make them laugh."

Mild -- "I seem to do that already."

Jamie shakes his head.

"There's a difference between - all right, you make a joke, it's funny, they're laughing 'cause you want them to be laughing. And you're in. They trip you and watch you fall - it's on their terms, they're the one making the joke. And you get started like that, and you're in for it."

Nirupam . . . really doubts his ability to make jokes for the other boys.

But he nods to Jamie. "I see that."

"Now, if you want tricky," Jamie adds, in what's meant to be an encouraging tone, "try making a joke when you don't know the language."

See? Nirupam's got it easy! It won't be so hard.

His eyebrows go up. A lot.

"I suppose I know enough English," he says doubtfully.

Jamie blinks.

"Well, you seem to understand me all right."

"Understanding is not the same as making jokes."

He spreads his hands. "And I do not think jokes from India will make them laugh."

"You never know." Jamie leans back, tilting his head. "Why don't you try one out on me? Go on - try and make me laugh."

He pauses, thoughtfully, and then grins.

"There was a Gujju boy who started school in England. One day his teacher asked the class, 'Who was the greatest man who ever lived?' One boy said" -- he puts on an over-the-top British accent -- "'The King, o' course' and the teacher shook her head. One boy said, 'Caesar, o' course,' and the teacher shook her head. The Gujju boy raised his hand" -- Nirupam demonstrates, and says in a piping, exaggerated version of his own accent -- "'Jesus Christ was the greatest man who ever lived.' 'Yes!' said the teacher. 'Here, have a candy.'"

He puts his hands in his pockets. "Then at break, another Indian boy in the Gujju boy's class asked him, 'Why did you say Jesus Christ?' And the Gujju boy, eating his candy, said, 'See, I know that it was Krishna, and you know it was Krishna -- but business is business!'"

It earns a snicker from Jamie!

"Well, sounds sensible to me."

He considers, and then adds, judiciously, "Bet it'd be funnier if I knew who Krishna was, too."

Nirupam sighs.

"Yes, I thought it might. He was a god -- Vishnu come to Earth. He had the entirety of creation in his mouth."

Beat.

"Would someone else work better?"

Jamie shrugs, disclaiming responsibility. "Ah, you'd have to ask someone from your world for that. Bet I don't know three quarters of the same famous people that you do."

Though they do seem to match up more than for most worlds - but Jamie's been around Milliways long enough by now not to take too much account of that.

Solemn -- "That is clearly true."

It's Jamie's turn to raise his eyebrows, and then smirk.

"And you get to lord it over me about it when you can tell me the names of the three co-sultans of al-Hamidim."

"I would not think of lording knowledge over a traveler of other worlds."

A shrug. "If I know more of India than you, that is no different from my classmates."

Cheerful: "And I've got a better excuse, which is what counts. And as for my knowledge -"

He flashes a grin. "Well, for one thing, I've forgotten at least half of it, and for another, you're about twice my size, which evens things out as far as advantages go."

"We shall call it fair, then."

He shoots a glance over his shoulder at the door. "If time is moving differently, as you say, I've probably been gone for long enough. Thank you, Jamie." A quick grin as he turns towards the door. "I hope I find my way back here."

"Good luck," Jamie calls after him, and then makes a rueful face to himself after the other boy's gone - he has sort of a feeling that Nirupam's going to need all the luck he can get.

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