(no subject)

[emptychair]

[OOM: Do you hear the people sing
Lost in the valley of the night?
It is the music of a people
Who are climbing to the light.

...

Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that they bring
When tomorrow comes...
Tomorrow comes!]


He can hear a distant song, the fading echo of drums, and there is a light that is too bright to be of the world he knows. He stumbles toward it, eventually all but falling through a doorway into...

Well, into he isn't sure where. He looks around him. Surely his comrades should be with him also, if this is indeed the afterlife the priests often spoke of. But there are no faces he recognizes, and he does not believe that the world beyond would take the form of a wine shop even if such a place did exist.

Bloodstained, tattered, smelling of gunpowder, he weaves his way toward the bar, feeling an overwhelming need to sit.

Comments

[emptychair]

"Not something I'm terribly good at, I'm afraid."

[street_sparrow]

"Yes, I remember", he says teasingly. "There's a library upstairs if you want me to show you."

[emptychair]

"I would like that. Are there books from the future?"

[street_sparrow]

"Lots of them, about lots of different things, and you can get more from the Bar if you want. Just, ah... best to stay out of the magic section of the library."

[emptychair]

"I hope I know better than to meddle in that."

[street_sparrow]

"Sometimes it meddles with you. Just don't even go through the door to that part, would be my suggestion."

[emptychair]

"I shall keep to history and philosophy, I think."

[street_sparrow]

"Good plan." He glances towards the stairs. "Want to see it now? Make you feel at home."

[emptychair]

"Yes, all right," he says, then glances down at his clothing. "Perhaps I ought to clean up first."

[street_sparrow]

"Ah, as to that - Bar, a room key for my friend? And clean clothes on me."

[emptychair]

Enjolras frowns slightly. "Pride tempts me to refuse, but I fear I am at your mercy."

[street_sparrow]

"None of that. For once, I have money, you don't, and how many meals did you buy me back in Paris?"

[emptychair]

"When you put it that way, how can I refuse?"

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche grins. "Exactly." He picks up the clothes and key that appeared and holds them out.

[emptychair]

"My thanks, then," Enjolras says, accepting them both.

[street_sparrow]

"You're not going to believe what they've got here", he announces, bubbling just slightly. "Running water. Hot running water, as much as you want, and it's always clean. And showers that turn on and off."

[emptychair]

He laughs at Gavroche's enthusiasm. "Is this more of the magic?"

[street_sparrow]

"Oh no." He beams. "This is something people made in the future. They've got the same in worlds that don't have any magic at all."

[emptychair]

"Then I look forward to experiencing it."

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche makes shooing motions with his hands.

"Go on. I'll hang around down here, just come back down if you want to see the library."

[emptychair]

He nods and gives Gavroche a smile. "Then I will see you shortly."