The causeway to room 512- laaaaaaaaate Monday night
Once things had been settled with the Band, Death told Susan he was taking her home. It wasn't till Binky landed on the causeway that she realized he meant Fandom.
"All right," she said as Binky came to a stop. "And now what happens?"
Death was silent for a moment. HISTORY TENDS TO SWING BACK INTO LINE. THEY ARE ALWAYS PATCHING IT UP. THERE ARE ALWAYS SOME MINOR LOOSE ENDS... I DARESAY SOME PEOPLE WILL HAVE SOME CONFUSED MEMORIES ABOUT A CONCERT OF SOME SORT IN THE PARK. BUT WHAT OF IT? THEY WILL REMEMBER THINGS THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.
"But they did happen!" said Susan.
AS WELL.
Susan dismounted first. She felt slightly annoyed that she was still so aware of everything, even of the ground beneath her feet. Who even thought about that? It was ground. End of story. Susan wished she could go back to that.
"Grandfather?"
YES.
"You're back?"
IT SEEMS SO. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY.
"So I can stop?" she said. "I don't think I was very good at it."
YES.
"But... you've just broken a lot of laws..."
PERHAPS THEY'RE SOMETIMES ONLY GUIDELINES.
"But my parents still died."
I COULDN'T HAVE GIVEN THEM MORE LIFE. I COULD ONLY HAVE GIVEN THEM IMMORTALITY. THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WAS WORTH THE PRICE.
"I... think I know what they mean," she admitted.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME AND VISIT, OF COURSE.
"Thank you."
YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A HOME THERE. IF YOU WANT IT.
"Really?"
I SHALL KEEP YOUR ROOM EXACTLY AS YOU LEFT IT.
"Thank you."
A MESS.
"Sorry."
I CAN HARDLY SEE THE FLOOR. YOU COULD HAVE TIDIED UP A BIT.
"Sorry." Susan stared out past the causeway in the dark. "So I've... also... been here all the time?"
YES. THE HISTORY OF THE LAST DEW DAYS HAS BEEN... DIFFERENT.
Death swung up into the saddle.
"Just a minute," said Susan. She knew she had to say it.
YES?
"What happened to... you know... changing the fate of one individual changes the world?"
SOMETIMES THE WORLD NEEDS CHANGING.
"Oh. Er. Grandfather?"
YES?
"The swing... The one down in the orchard," she said. "I mean... it was pretty good. A good swing."
REALLY?
"I was just too young to appreciate it."
YOU REALLY LIKED IT?
"It had... style. I shouldn't think anyone else ever had one like it." She spoke nothing but the truth. "But... all this doesn't change anything, you know. The world is still full of stupid people. They don't use their brains. They don't seem to want to think straight."
UNLIKE YOU?
"At least I make an effort. For example... if I've been here for the last few days, who's in my bed now?"
I THINK YOU JUST WENT OUT FOR A MOONLIGHT STROLL.
"Oh. That's all right then," she decided.
I SUPPOSE...?
"Sorry?"
I KNOW IT'S RIDICULOUS, REALLY.
"What is?"
I SUPPOSE... YOU HAVEN'T GOT A KISS FOR YOUR OLD GRANDDAD?
Susan reached up and pulled his head down and kissed the top of his skull. It was smooth and ivory white, like a billiard ball.
She turned to look back at Fandom, wondering exactly what it was that she was going to say to people now. "Granddad-"
When she turned back, Death and Binky were both gone.
Susan sighed and headed into town, to the dorms, up the stairs to the fifth floor, and slipped into her room. And, after a while, the sound of someone sobbing and trying not to be heard. It went on for a long time. There was a lot of catching up to do.
[NFB, NFI, AND WE'RE DONE. Thanks for not stabbing me, game! Dialogue and one little bit taken from Soul Music by Terry Pratchett.]
"All right," she said as Binky came to a stop. "And now what happens?"
Death was silent for a moment. HISTORY TENDS TO SWING BACK INTO LINE. THEY ARE ALWAYS PATCHING IT UP. THERE ARE ALWAYS SOME MINOR LOOSE ENDS... I DARESAY SOME PEOPLE WILL HAVE SOME CONFUSED MEMORIES ABOUT A CONCERT OF SOME SORT IN THE PARK. BUT WHAT OF IT? THEY WILL REMEMBER THINGS THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.
"But they did happen!" said Susan.
AS WELL.
Susan dismounted first. She felt slightly annoyed that she was still so aware of everything, even of the ground beneath her feet. Who even thought about that? It was ground. End of story. Susan wished she could go back to that.
"Grandfather?"
YES.
"You're back?"
IT SEEMS SO. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY.
"So I can stop?" she said. "I don't think I was very good at it."
YES.
"But... you've just broken a lot of laws..."
PERHAPS THEY'RE SOMETIMES ONLY GUIDELINES.
"But my parents still died."
I COULDN'T HAVE GIVEN THEM MORE LIFE. I COULD ONLY HAVE GIVEN THEM IMMORTALITY. THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WAS WORTH THE PRICE.
"I... think I know what they mean," she admitted.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME AND VISIT, OF COURSE.
"Thank you."
YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A HOME THERE. IF YOU WANT IT.
"Really?"
I SHALL KEEP YOUR ROOM EXACTLY AS YOU LEFT IT.
"Thank you."
A MESS.
"Sorry."
I CAN HARDLY SEE THE FLOOR. YOU COULD HAVE TIDIED UP A BIT.
"Sorry." Susan stared out past the causeway in the dark. "So I've... also... been here all the time?"
YES. THE HISTORY OF THE LAST DEW DAYS HAS BEEN... DIFFERENT.
Death swung up into the saddle.
"Just a minute," said Susan. She knew she had to say it.
YES?
"What happened to... you know... changing the fate of one individual changes the world?"
SOMETIMES THE WORLD NEEDS CHANGING.
"Oh. Er. Grandfather?"
YES?
"The swing... The one down in the orchard," she said. "I mean... it was pretty good. A good swing."
REALLY?
"I was just too young to appreciate it."
YOU REALLY LIKED IT?
"It had... style. I shouldn't think anyone else ever had one like it." She spoke nothing but the truth. "But... all this doesn't change anything, you know. The world is still full of stupid people. They don't use their brains. They don't seem to want to think straight."
UNLIKE YOU?
"At least I make an effort. For example... if I've been here for the last few days, who's in my bed now?"
I THINK YOU JUST WENT OUT FOR A MOONLIGHT STROLL.
"Oh. That's all right then," she decided.
I SUPPOSE...?
"Sorry?"
I KNOW IT'S RIDICULOUS, REALLY.
"What is?"
I SUPPOSE... YOU HAVEN'T GOT A KISS FOR YOUR OLD GRANDDAD?
Susan reached up and pulled his head down and kissed the top of his skull. It was smooth and ivory white, like a billiard ball.
She turned to look back at Fandom, wondering exactly what it was that she was going to say to people now. "Granddad-"
When she turned back, Death and Binky were both gone.
Susan sighed and headed into town, to the dorms, up the stairs to the fifth floor, and slipped into her room. And, after a while, the sound of someone sobbing and trying not to be heard. It went on for a long time. There was a lot of catching up to do.
[NFB, NFI, AND WE'RE DONE. Thanks for not stabbing me, game! Dialogue and one little bit taken from Soul Music by Terry Pratchett.]