(no subject)

[not_a_hologram]

It turns out that Al has a lot more time on his hands now that he doesn't have Tina on them. Not that he's complaining, mind you--her voice could take the paint off a battleship from half a mile away. He is very happy to be done with her again.

While it lasts, anyway.

In the meantime, he is settled in at a table near the bar, enjoying a cigar and some coffee. His only plans for the evening involve the sign placed before him on the table, that reads simply: Advice

Go on, ask him anything. He's probably got an answer. Either way, it's free.

Comments

[smallestopener]

She ponders this a moment.

"Oh! Yes! My sister's birthday is next month, and I don't know what to get her for a present."

[not_a_hologram]

"That can be tricky," he says. "Are you close? Is she older or younger than you, and what kinds of things does she like?"

[smallestopener]

"She's really old; she's going to be twenty-one! But she's not as old as Tom, who's her husband. He's even older. Um, she likes to work, but she always Smakes time for me. She and Tom take care of me because Mummy and Daddy died."

[not_a_hologram]

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents, but it's good that your sister and her husband take care of you."

He thinks for a moment.

"What kind of work does she do?"

[smallestopener]

"She makes people in London Below not fight and go crazy and stuff. I think it's called- diplohat? Diplomat! I got her a shawl with pretty tassels last year, but she has lots of clothes."

[not_a_hologram]

"The way I see it," he says, nodding, "is that eventually people run out of room for things. You can buy 'em things, you can make 'em things, but unless you know something that they really want--something they had as a kid, and lost, and haven't been able to find again, that kind of thing--even better than things, is time."

[smallestopener]

"Time? We do have lots of time floating around in the Underside. But I don't know how to catch it."

[not_a_hologram]

"Nah, I meant... your time. Time with you. On my sister's birthday, I used to take her to the zoo, or we'd have a picnic in the park, things like that. The one thing that only you can give somebody is time with you--they can't buy it for themselves, or get it from somebody else."

[smallestopener]

"Oh. Oh! Maybe we could go somewhere special. Just us! Thanks, Mr- hey, what's your name?"

[not_a_hologram]

"That's the idea," he grins. "I bet she'd like that. And I'm Al."

[smallestopener]

"Thanks, Al. I'm Ingress. I can't wait to think up the present for Door. I have to go, but maybe I'll come say hi to you again soon."

[not_a_hologram]

"It's nice to meet you, Ingress," he says with a nod. "Good luck--come on back sometime and let me know how it went. I'm sure she'll love whatever you come up with."