Unexpectedly vegetarian barbecue -- outside

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart reads books about everything that interests him, and he is interested in almost anything. And in MIlliways, you get books from everywhere about anything, even the few things Urquhart finds boring. This is the the candy-land of knowledge that the medieval Scottish murderer always longed for and dreamed of, in his long peregrinations. You don't get what you deserve, you merely get what you get -- and while many people that knew Urquhart briefly before their death would certainly agree he deserved to burn in hell, instead he got this.

There is a small fire burning right now -- in the round medium-sized barbecue which Urquhart has fired up outside, just beyond the kitchen garden. One of the things Urquhart is interested in is food, drink, baking, and cooking; and in one cook-book about the Mediterranean sea, Urquhart read about a kind of cheese you can fry or grill, from Cyprus. Which of course he had to try.

So, Urquhart has several pieces of halloumi, glazed with olive oil and spiked with twigs of rosemary, gently sizzling on the barbecue beside some slices of eggplant; he has a bowl of salad, a baguette or two, and a large bottle of crisp white wine from Greece.

He's sitting out in the sun, content and peaceful, with his dog by his feet  and a glass in his hand. If you happen to walk by, Urquhart will be sure to offer you some food and a glass of wine, too.

And the dog is most likely to wag his tail in friendly welcome.

Comments

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart sits down again with his food.

"Have a seat," he says, "and tell me what you've been up to, in your studies?"

[smallgayjew]

David settles in comfortably with his plate. "I think I'm narrowing down my focus a bit. I mean, I've been working in European history, but I'm starting to add in more literature now as well."

[scots_wolf]

"Of what time?" Urquhart asks. "From where you are, it is a wide field."

[smallgayjew]

"It is, and I'm doing smatterings from all of it, but the focus will be more on 19th and 20th century."

[scots_wolf]

"Still a wide field," Urquhart says. "From what I read, lots happened in that time, both in history and in writing."

[smallgayjew]

"Yes, but you don't really get more specialized than that unless you're working on a doctorate."

[scots_wolf]

"Of course they'll ask everything in an exam," Urquhart says, "but depending on the teachers and the things that interest you, can't you just find something that you get really good at?"

[smallgayjew]

"Yes, and when I do my dissertation, I'll have to. But that's not for another two years yet."

[scots_wolf]

"What do you like best, though?" Urquhart asks.

[smallgayjew]

"I don't know, yet."

And he really doesn't want to start thinking about it before he has to. He's overwhelmed enough as it is.

[scots_wolf]

"And beyond the studies?" Urquhart asks. "Anything interesting happening at your university?"

[smallgayjew]

"Honestly most of my time is spent with my school work. Except when Stuart makes me take some time away. I've been thinking of joining the choir, though. When there's an opening."

[scots_wolf]

"What choir?" Urquhart asks.

[smallgayjew]

"The, um, chapel choir. I'm one of the alternates."

It's actually quite competitive. Though joining would mean he couldn't attend the May Morning festivities with Stuart.

[scots_wolf]

"You are?" Urquhart says.

[smallgayjew]

"Yes," David says, nodding. "Is that surprising?"

[scots_wolf]

"Yes," Urquhart says. "It sounds so Christian."

[smallgayjew]

"It is. That's why I'm not sure."

[scots_wolf]

"You'll probably have to find out whether you find music more important than religion, or the other way around," Urquhart says.

[smallgayjew]

David laughs. "Oh, I don't care either way. It's just music." Which is, in itself, a sort of religion for David. "It's my parents I'm worried about."

[scots_wolf]

"Then the music is probably more important," Urquhart says.

[smallgayjew]

"To me, yes. But it's complicated."

He really doesn't like lying to his parents.

And Stuart is already trying to get him to be honest with them about...well, everything.

[scots_wolf]

"How that?" Urquhart asks, sipping his wine.

[smallgayjew]

"I could never tell them." He frowns into his salad.

[scots_wolf]

"And it would be that bad to keep a secret from them?" Urquhart says. "Don't you keep other secrets, too? I mean nothing big, just the usual small things that everybody keeps to themselves at times."