milliways_bar | Barry and Eska Speak of the Phantom(s?), and Arsenal Says Hi

Barry and Eska Speak of the Phantom(s?), and Arsenal Says Hi

Barry sits at the Bar, in civvies, reading a book. On closer inspection, it turns out to be Silence of the Lambs. This time, he's reading it slowly, as much for the writing style as for the information about Clarice and Hannibal. Odd to view a book through two sets of eyes.

He will be careful, however, who he tells that this book is not entirely fiction. No need to make things worse for Clarice.

He sips at a cup of decaf mocha, and wonders about things. But he can be bothered, fear not.

[ooc: ~~Mun online for a couple of hours before jury duty once again eats him.~~ Free at last! But back at work so usual urles apply.]

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"Good book?" Eska slides on to a barstool next to him, resting a pile of books on the Bar

The bottommost book is a book of tranfiguration from the Wand World. The other is a leather bound notebook, and on the top is a square pad of bright yellow paper, the uppermost sheet at an angle from the rest and the note but how does it work? in copperplate script across it. The word 'work' is underlined three times.

"Hey Eska!" He smiles and takes note of her books and the note.

"Interesting book. Well written. But also a bit creepy." He puts the book down. "See, this is about two people in the Bar. Just like I'm fiction on some worlds, the events in this book are fiction on mine. And one of the people in here, she's a friend, and I'm hoping she'll be a colleague.

"And how are your books?"

"Oh," Eska frowns at the book. "That idea still sounds a little odd to me, I have to say. I really hope no one's written about my inordinately boring life. Does your friend know you're reading it?

"Inaccurate," she says, frowning at the last question. "Well, not really, but sloppy. Inefficient. No respect to basic principles. It's like someone's seen a spell for action A, thought 'well, that might be useful if it could do action B', then tried to add to the spell, instead of dconstructing it to find out what makes it do A not B to start with."

"My friend actually gave me the book. To help me understand what she's going through. She's a very smart, very capable young woman who also has been having a hard time of it here, in part due to the other person the book talks about. And she seems to trust me, so here it is.

"Did I tell you, by the way, that Tim gave me permission to form a small team of detectives? That's what she and I and Sara would be working on."

He looks again at Eska's books.

"Sounds like whoever did these books is either a lousy researcher, or a lucky one. Are these from your world?"

"It's good that she trusts you," Eska confirms, "and I think you did mention that. Is this for the Phantom investigation?

"No, it's not from my world," she adds. "Although some wizards from my world have been just as clumsy. It's from Lily's world - the one with wands? I'm just trying to work out the basic principles."

"It's for the Phantom to begin with, but it will be a permanent branch of security afterwards.

"Though that reminds me...you know anything about roses from the Disc with heads only visible in the dark? The Phantom - or rather, one of the Phantoms, as I think there are two people doing this - has been leaving such roses, and Ray's PKE test indicates it has Disc magic about it." Barry considers going to get the rose, but figures he can wait if he really needs it.

"Ah. Hagrid and Gil's world. Though I haven't actually seen any wands yet. And I'm afraid I don't know anyone named Lily.

"For what it's worth, some scientists also approach their studies the same way. Though a few manage to succeed since their insight into such things exceeds their skills for some reason."

Eska frowns. "Only visible in the dark? That doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard of. May I see?

"Well, the problem is of course that wizards have so much power, that they can use it without understanding where it come from, but that does mean they tend to use it innefficiently," and if only Eska understood computers, she'd be able to draw all sorts of anologies with people who crack programs without fully understanding the code.

"Hold on a second." Barry races off. About fifteen second later, he's back, headless rose in hand.

"Here you go.

"Is it possible that on Wand World, there's been some effort to make power be used inefficiently, as a safeguard? Perhaps their magic is so great that it needs to wasted away. That might even explain why they wands, as some way of forcing great power into a small vessel.

"Assuming, of course, that I have any idea what I'm talking about." Which he knows he doesn't.

"I don't think it's deliberate," Eska says. "I think it's just that they can get away wht it because reality's so thick on Earth. They run fewer risks by using so much magic for simple spells, than a wizard would on my world."

She stares at the rose, squinting at it.

"Well, it's not like any magic I'm familiar with..." she removes her hat and uses it to create a shade to have a look at it properly. "I see what you mean, but it's not my magic. It's not been created by a wizard, it's not a native Disc species and I don't think a witch had any hand in it."

She frowns. "I have no idea."

"You might consider looking for other Earth-based sorcerers and wizards. Odds are that the rules and principles on most Earth would match more closely than with the Disc. I bet Tim might have a few thoughts as well, given his power and knowledge."

Barry smiles without being seen at Eska taking her hat off. It just doesn't seem her, does it?

"This case gets more and more perplexing. Has a non-Disc wizard learned your ways? Or even visited there - as Fray tells me the Phantom has made an appearance at the opera house in your city? Or is it the other way around? I think I now need an expert on flowers.

"Do you think this is something Suti would know? He's got what is called on Earth a green thumb."

She grins. "If Tim has the time, I'm sure he'd be interested. I'm not sure how much of the theory he enjoys though, seeing as how he is magic. It's different from just using it.

"I haven't heard of any Phantom in our Opera House. I visited there a few months ago when investigating the Lancre Question.* I could go back and ask some questions if you want. I thought he came from Meg's world, though? Fray's not from the Disc, is she? What did she say about it?"

She flips her head back, brushes her hair back with her hands and replaces her hat.

"You could ask Sooty, certainly. There's a greenhouse outside with roses. Have you checked out there?"

*Not to be confused with the Muntab Question, although for all practical purposes they are the same thing.

"I don't think that the events at the opera house are from your time, since I met the person who told Fray about this, and he's from later. From the Sergeant Detritus Era." he intones this as if it defines everything there is to know about the next stage in Ankh-Morpork history.

"What Fray said was that this man - Salzella - told her about this problem, and that for a while she thought he might be the phantom. But she ruled him out. She also met the phantom, and he spooked her by knowing things about her he shouldn't. Or couldn't.

"But what this means, I really don't know. And then take into consideration that some roses are non-magical, and that there seem to be two different tones to the threats...

"It's confusing. I'm convinced we have more than one person, and that magic is involved, and that's all I have." And yet, Barry is smiling. Clearly he's enjoying this.

"Maybe a visit to to the greenhouse will help. Haven't been there yet, anyway, and this gives me an excuse." He finishes his mocha.

Eska's giggling her her breath at the idea of a chronology of the Disc being worked out based on Detritus' career [Although her mun thinks it's a fantastic idea].

"Oh Salzella, I've met him," Eska says. "He's not magical in the slightest.

"But go have a look at the greenhouse. I have some research to do, or I'd join you. Have a nice day, Barry."

"Dude!"

Barry hears the voice first.

"Fan of the book? Or the film, maybe?" And then he looks.

"Speedy?" Barry can't help it. Roy will always be Speedy to him.

"Yeah. It's Arsenal now but yeah."

He can't stop grinning. This is so friggin' cool.

"Arsenal? Hmmm. Dare I ask what Ollie thinks of it?" But Barry is smiling, quite happy to see another of the Titans grown up. He puts his hand out to shake.

"It's bit a while, Roy, hasn't it? Tim told me you were here."

"He liked Speedy better but he has a new one now. She's pretty good." Roy happily shakes Mr. Allen...er...Barry's hand

"It's been forever, Mr....er...can I call you Barry? I just found this place through my linen closet."

He raises both eyebrows at this.

"You're kidding! Ollie took on another apprentice.

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way, Roy, but he and you were probably the least suited of the teams. Arthur, even Bats seemed more appropriate for the job. You and he? Not so much. But that's Ollie. Never could predict him.

"And since there's a new Kid Flash and a new Robin, I guess a new Speedy makes sense." He pauses for a moment.

"Er, has anyone told you about this place? Or how not everyone here is...

"How this is me after my big death?" And then, to shake the tension.

"And Barry will do. Mr. Allen is something schoolkids and lawyers call me."

"Yeah. And his son's been helping him out too."

"Huh..." Roy's not sure how that makes him feel. Besides inferior. Mostly he just looks confused.

"Oh yeah. I know about that sort of thing..."

"How's that...er...working out?"

"Okay, sir."

Barry's turn to be confused.

"Son? I didn't know about that.

"Anyway, death is not what I expected. I'd go so far as to say I'm pretty much alive in all the ways that count. I just can't go back to our world. But it's good here. I have friends, I've met my grandson, even started over in terms of having a...well, a girlfriend. Not that I don't miss Iris. But that part of my life is done and as much as I want to go back, I can't.

"And I'm on the security staff here, so I still keep my hand in things."

"Connor's a good kid. Oh. Do you know about my daughter?"

"Oh...cool. Er. Well, I'm...glad you found someone. And you're doing good." It's still weird but hey, it's sort of a relief.

"I don't suppose Donna's here?"

"Your daughter? No, I hadn't heard. Congratulations?

"And I'm afraid I haven't seen Donna here. We haven't had too many people from our world in general. You and Dick, the kids who succeed you as the Titans, Hal for a few weeks.

"Oh. And a very young Bruce and a teenaged Wally." He almost adds this as an afterthought.

"Lian's great. You'll have to meet her soon." He resolves to bring her with next time.

"Ah...and Hal was here?" And now not here. That's depressing.

"Yeah I saw Wally....a very young Bruce?"

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