Oddly enough things have become a bit more normal since that night. Normal, of course, being a relative term.
I seem to have passed some sort of test with Alucard. He is still cruel, brutally so at times, but he has begun to actually explain which lesson it is that will be hammered into me in a given evening. He also seems less inclined to frighten me at every turn but is still determined to push me to the breaking point and sometimes beyond.
Currently we are working on my ability to sense and communicate with the undead across distances. I can now always tell where Seras is anywhere on the estate and can even pick up on and send her some rudimentary messages, images mostly. I can still only sense Alucard when he is physically near or wants me to "see" him.
There is also something down there in the caves, it's faint but I can feel its wrongness. I keep telling myself that its just an illusion of Alucard's to scare me but I am too frightened of confronting him and finding out that I am wrong.
The Geese, of course, are unfazable (Note my heroic self control in not using the word 'unflappable' here). Two days after the grotto "party" Stewart and Zelig paid an unannounced visit to the lab towing an oscilloscope behind them.
While Stewart brightly explained to an interested Dr. Levin and a horrified Miss Pringle that they wanted to run some tests on my voice, Zelig wandered about the lab oohing and ahhing over some of the more intricate machines, an annoyed Andrew trailing him repeatedly saying things like 'put that down please sir' and 'don't touch that, it's delicate'.
Seras, who had been totally bored and asking for the last half hour if she could please just go to bed, suddenly perked up. She put down the "Guns and Ammo" magazine she had been thumbing through and asked excitedly if I was going to sing for them.
"Of course not!" Said Miss Pringle "Don't be ridiculous!"
"Why ever not?" Asked Seras annoyed. "Sounds fun."
"Yes, why not?" Asked Stewart.
"Well first off," said Miss Pringle "This is a professional lab not a science fair exhibit. Dr Levin is a very busy man doing very important work. We do not do things because they 'sound fun'."
"I can vouch for that." I said. "The no fun part that is." I muttered under my breath.
Seras giggled.
Miss Pringle narrowed her eyes at me.
"Well, I am a busy man." Said Dr. Levin unsure.
"Yes, Dr. you are." chirped Miss Pringle. "Besides, there are regulations to consider." She said meaningfully.
"Regu-whats?" Asked Zelig pondering a centrifuge while absently knuckle rolling a test tube between his fingers.
Andrew, his arms now full of assorted items he had taken away from Zelig, gestured with his head towards the prominently posted, engraved sign prohibiting singing, humming or whistling in the lab.
"That's a joke right?" Said Zelig. "I sometimes have trouble telling." He whispered to Andrew.
"Not in the least." Said Miss Pringle. "Posted regulations are to be upheld at all times."
"If it's on the wall, it's law." Seras and I chorused.
"Well I can understand that. Rules are important" Said Stewart locking his attention on Miss Pringle and attempting to charm her with a smile. but couldn't we just 'take down' the sign just this one time for a bit. You know, for science."
Miss Pringle pursed her lips clearly torn between rules and flattery.
"Unfortunately It's bolted to the wall." Remarked Andrew wryly, clearly forgetting Zelig's earlier confession about jokes and not getting them.
"Oh I can fix that." Said Zelig brightly. He stuck the test tube on the end of Andrew's finger and pulled out a long, wicked looking knife from his belt.
"Gaahh!" Said Andrew.
"Bugger." Said Stewart.
"Oooh." said Seras appreciatively. "Is that the D2 Extreme?"
"Mmmhmm." Said Zelig strolling past a terrified Andrew towards the sign. "Got it on eblade." He stopped before the picture and tilted his head appraisingly. He lifted his thumbs and forefingers before him like a director framing up a shot.
"Just what do you think your doing there young man!" Said Dr. Levin. He turned to Stewart "What is he doing?"
"Um.." Said Stewart
"Aha, right, got it." said Zelig.
"Berti, wait.." Said Stewart but it was too late.
Flourishing his knife dramatically, Zelig leaped up into the air then, in one blindingly fast move, swung his arm down sliding the blade between the sign and the wall. There was quiet 'pop, pop' noise just as Zelig landed lightly on his feet. He sheathed his knife then reached out his hand just in time to have the sign fall neatly into his palm.
Seras and I applauded as he spun the sign on his finger and bowed.
"What did you do? You horrid little man!"
"What?" Zelig asked confused. He glanced at the wall then back at Miss Pringle's angry expression. "Oh I see." he said. "Well, I can fix that." He started to hand the sign to Andrew only to find him no longer standing there. "Huh," he said. then shrugged and Frisbee'd the sign over to Stewart. He pulled out his knife, tilted his head, whistled a bar from the '1812 overture' and sprang once more into the air. 'Clink-pop', 'Clink-pop' two bolts flew from the wall caught deftly in Zelig's free hand.
The crowed (that would be Seras and I) cheered.
"That was so cool!" I said.
"Bravo, Zelig. Well done!" added Seras.
"Please don't encourage him." Said Stewart. "He's very literal." He said to Pringle and Levin. "He really means well." He added as a cheerful Zelig proudly presented miss Pringle with the bolts from the wall.
"I can Spackle the holes for you if you'd like, probably won't even need paint. Or..., " Said Zelig staring up at the wall a dreamy expression on his face. "Or you could put up a bulletin board. Better yet, one of those dry erase boards with the steel backing for magnets or, or," He said, pulling out a pencil and notebook from his pocket. "I could make you a custom board with a testing schedule organizer and a results tally space, ooh yes and little line of hooks across the bottom, in burnished brass of course," He continued, sketching furiously. "to hang your medical charts on and Velcro pen holders on the clip boards so you don't loose the pens, I love Velcro don't you?"
"Err, yes?" Said Dr Levin.
"And Perhaps I could rig up a few ticker tape type electronic banners you know, to monitor tests in progress. Yes, nice! " He said adding a few last strokes before handing the paper to Dr. Levin.
"Err.." Said Dr. Levin.
"What? " Said Miss Pringle. "Don't be ridiculous."
"Ridiculous?" Bristled Zelig.
"What she means Zelig," Said Stewart. "is that it's more than they need. "
"I know what I meant." Grumped Miss Pringle.
"But It would look so much better. Real, hi tech science-y like."
"That's not even a real word!" Said Miss Pringle.
Zelig looked down his nose at her disdainfully. "You, have no art in your soul." He sniffed, then turned to me. "You see what I have to deal with?"
"Most great artists are under-appreciated in their time Berti." I said.
"You see," he said to Stewart. "Corrine understands. That's cause she's got art in her soul."
"Thank you Berti." I beamed.
"Not helping." Said Stewart.
"I wouldn't mind a dry erase board." Said Dr. Levin.
"Yes!" Said Zelig."
Miss Pringle looked at Dr. Levin aghast.
"Well, maybe not the whole lot." He back-pedalled. "Afraid we don't have the budget. But those hooks sound jolly nice." He said to a crestfallen Zelig.
"Budgets," Sighed Zelig. "The unremitting bane of all true artists."
"Perhaps the Velcro pens too?" Piped up Andrew from the corner he had been cowering in. "I never can seem to find one when it's needed."
"And you could use the magnets to post your hourly updates." Said Dr. Levin placatingly to Miss Pringle. "So they don't get misplaced."
"True..." Said Miss Pringle pursing her lips in thought.
I seem to have passed some sort of test with Alucard. He is still cruel, brutally so at times, but he has begun to actually explain which lesson it is that will be hammered into me in a given evening. He also seems less inclined to frighten me at every turn but is still determined to push me to the breaking point and sometimes beyond.
Currently we are working on my ability to sense and communicate with the undead across distances. I can now always tell where Seras is anywhere on the estate and can even pick up on and send her some rudimentary messages, images mostly. I can still only sense Alucard when he is physically near or wants me to "see" him.
There is also something down there in the caves, it's faint but I can feel its wrongness. I keep telling myself that its just an illusion of Alucard's to scare me but I am too frightened of confronting him and finding out that I am wrong.
The Geese, of course, are unfazable (Note my heroic self control in not using the word 'unflappable' here). Two days after the grotto "party" Stewart and Zelig paid an unannounced visit to the lab towing an oscilloscope behind them.
While Stewart brightly explained to an interested Dr. Levin and a horrified Miss Pringle that they wanted to run some tests on my voice, Zelig wandered about the lab oohing and ahhing over some of the more intricate machines, an annoyed Andrew trailing him repeatedly saying things like 'put that down please sir' and 'don't touch that, it's delicate'.
Seras, who had been totally bored and asking for the last half hour if she could please just go to bed, suddenly perked up. She put down the "Guns and Ammo" magazine she had been thumbing through and asked excitedly if I was going to sing for them.
"Of course not!" Said Miss Pringle "Don't be ridiculous!"
"Why ever not?" Asked Seras annoyed. "Sounds fun."
"Yes, why not?" Asked Stewart.
"Well first off," said Miss Pringle "This is a professional lab not a science fair exhibit. Dr Levin is a very busy man doing very important work. We do not do things because they 'sound fun'."
"I can vouch for that." I said. "The no fun part that is." I muttered under my breath.
Seras giggled.
Miss Pringle narrowed her eyes at me.
"Well, I am a busy man." Said Dr. Levin unsure.
"Yes, Dr. you are." chirped Miss Pringle. "Besides, there are regulations to consider." She said meaningfully.
"Regu-whats?" Asked Zelig pondering a centrifuge while absently knuckle rolling a test tube between his fingers.
Andrew, his arms now full of assorted items he had taken away from Zelig, gestured with his head towards the prominently posted, engraved sign prohibiting singing, humming or whistling in the lab.
"That's a joke right?" Said Zelig. "I sometimes have trouble telling." He whispered to Andrew.
"Not in the least." Said Miss Pringle. "Posted regulations are to be upheld at all times."
"If it's on the wall, it's law." Seras and I chorused.
"Well I can understand that. Rules are important" Said Stewart locking his attention on Miss Pringle and attempting to charm her with a smile. but couldn't we just 'take down' the sign just this one time for a bit. You know, for science."
Miss Pringle pursed her lips clearly torn between rules and flattery.
"Unfortunately It's bolted to the wall." Remarked Andrew wryly, clearly forgetting Zelig's earlier confession about jokes and not getting them.
"Oh I can fix that." Said Zelig brightly. He stuck the test tube on the end of Andrew's finger and pulled out a long, wicked looking knife from his belt.
"Gaahh!" Said Andrew.
"Bugger." Said Stewart.
"Oooh." said Seras appreciatively. "Is that the D2 Extreme?"
"Mmmhmm." Said Zelig strolling past a terrified Andrew towards the sign. "Got it on eblade." He stopped before the picture and tilted his head appraisingly. He lifted his thumbs and forefingers before him like a director framing up a shot.
"Just what do you think your doing there young man!" Said Dr. Levin. He turned to Stewart "What is he doing?"
"Um.." Said Stewart
"Aha, right, got it." said Zelig.
"Berti, wait.." Said Stewart but it was too late.
Flourishing his knife dramatically, Zelig leaped up into the air then, in one blindingly fast move, swung his arm down sliding the blade between the sign and the wall. There was quiet 'pop, pop' noise just as Zelig landed lightly on his feet. He sheathed his knife then reached out his hand just in time to have the sign fall neatly into his palm.
Seras and I applauded as he spun the sign on his finger and bowed.
"What did you do? You horrid little man!"
"What?" Zelig asked confused. He glanced at the wall then back at Miss Pringle's angry expression. "Oh I see." he said. "Well, I can fix that." He started to hand the sign to Andrew only to find him no longer standing there. "Huh," he said. then shrugged and Frisbee'd the sign over to Stewart. He pulled out his knife, tilted his head, whistled a bar from the '1812 overture' and sprang once more into the air. 'Clink-pop', 'Clink-pop' two bolts flew from the wall caught deftly in Zelig's free hand.
The crowed (that would be Seras and I) cheered.
"That was so cool!" I said.
"Bravo, Zelig. Well done!" added Seras.
"Please don't encourage him." Said Stewart. "He's very literal." He said to Pringle and Levin. "He really means well." He added as a cheerful Zelig proudly presented miss Pringle with the bolts from the wall.
"I can Spackle the holes for you if you'd like, probably won't even need paint. Or..., " Said Zelig staring up at the wall a dreamy expression on his face. "Or you could put up a bulletin board. Better yet, one of those dry erase boards with the steel backing for magnets or, or," He said, pulling out a pencil and notebook from his pocket. "I could make you a custom board with a testing schedule organizer and a results tally space, ooh yes and little line of hooks across the bottom, in burnished brass of course," He continued, sketching furiously. "to hang your medical charts on and Velcro pen holders on the clip boards so you don't loose the pens, I love Velcro don't you?"
"Err, yes?" Said Dr Levin.
"And Perhaps I could rig up a few ticker tape type electronic banners you know, to monitor tests in progress. Yes, nice! " He said adding a few last strokes before handing the paper to Dr. Levin.
"Err.." Said Dr. Levin.
"What? " Said Miss Pringle. "Don't be ridiculous."
"Ridiculous?" Bristled Zelig.
"What she means Zelig," Said Stewart. "is that it's more than they need. "
"I know what I meant." Grumped Miss Pringle.
"But It would look so much better. Real, hi tech science-y like."
"That's not even a real word!" Said Miss Pringle.
Zelig looked down his nose at her disdainfully. "You, have no art in your soul." He sniffed, then turned to me. "You see what I have to deal with?"
"Most great artists are under-appreciated in their time Berti." I said.
"You see," he said to Stewart. "Corrine understands. That's cause she's got art in her soul."
"Thank you Berti." I beamed.
"Not helping." Said Stewart.
"I wouldn't mind a dry erase board." Said Dr. Levin.
"Yes!" Said Zelig."
Miss Pringle looked at Dr. Levin aghast.
"Well, maybe not the whole lot." He back-pedalled. "Afraid we don't have the budget. But those hooks sound jolly nice." He said to a crestfallen Zelig.
"Budgets," Sighed Zelig. "The unremitting bane of all true artists."
"Perhaps the Velcro pens too?" Piped up Andrew from the corner he had been cowering in. "I never can seem to find one when it's needed."
"And you could use the magnets to post your hourly updates." Said Dr. Levin placatingly to Miss Pringle. "So they don't get misplaced."
"True..." Said Miss Pringle pursing her lips in thought.
There was a moment of silence as we all contemplated the wall's potential then Miss Pringle shook her head and said, "Bah! That's not the point. The point is this man..." She said gesturing towards Zelig.
"Quite right Miss Pringle. Quite right. "Where would we all be without you keeping us on track?" Interrupted Stewart. "We were of course discussing the experiment we wanted to work with Dr. Levin on."
"Work on with Dr. Levin." Corrected Miss Pringle.
"That's the spirit Miss Pringle." Said Stewart. "Glad to have you on board. Isn't that right Zelig?"
"What?" Asked Zelig who, with the help of Dr. Levin, had begun measuring the wall.
"Experiment." Said Stewart, tapping the oscilloscope with a finger.
"Right!" Said Zelig. "The experiment." He put his arm around Dr. Levin's shoulders and walked him over to the device. "Your going to love this." He said. "We thought, if we could sync up the outputs of this device with your EEG, we could track both the changes in the sound waves as well as her brain waives when she starts 'broadcasting'. "
"Interesting." Said Dr. Levin. "How do you propose to synchronize the output?"
"We thought we could jack them both into my laptop." Said Stewart. "I've modified some music editing software. I figure I can rip the output from both devices then layer them into a single file."
"You can do that?" Asked Andrew from his corner.
"Easy!" Said Stewart. "Technically we don't really need the oscilloscope but the mic on my laptop isn't that great plus, It adds to the whole 'mad science' look of the thing."
"You've been reading my 'Girl Genius' comics again haven't you?" I asked
"No." He said. "Don't need to. "
I raised my eyebrows.
"I found the web-comic online."
"Ha!"
"Don't get off topic Corrine." Said Zelig. "She's so distractable." He said to Dr Levin shaking his head. "But she bakes great brownies...so I've heard." He added pointedly.
I opened my mouth to retort but he held up his hand. "As we were saying." He said turning back to Dr. Levin. "We thought we would start her off acapella then move on to acoustic accompaniment, then perhaps recorded music too see if effects the results."
"Hmm." Said Dr. Levin. "How long would it take to set this up?"
"The software is loaded and Stewart here is a passable guitar player so we don't need to wait for that part, we can just jack these puppies up and go."
"Passable?" Asked Stewart offended.
"Puppies?" Asked Seras confused.
"Of course," Continued Zelig tapping a finger on his lips thinking. "later we could have a real musician play an instrument, just to see if impacts her performance."
"I'd like to discuss my impact with you right now Cupcake." Said Stewart.
Zelig whirled on Stewart. "It was agreed that we would not be using that name any longer."
"Must have missed that meeting." Said Stewart.
" It's Z now."
"What? Sorry, can't hear you Cupcake. Probably because I'm apparently tone deaf."
"It's Z!" Shouted Zelig. Puffing up like an affronted rooster.
"Not," Said Stewart quietly but firmly. "until Sargent Marks says so."
I thought for sure Zelig would explode but instead he just seemed to deflate. "Not 'til I earned it?" Said Zelig despondently.
"That's right." Said Stewart.
Zelig sighed. "It's very hard you know, the Seeing?" He frowned down at his clever little hands "Hard to make people understand."
He looked so terribly sad it that moment it was all could do not jump up and throw my arms around him. Even Miss Pringle looked sympathetic.
"You'll get there Berti." Said Stewart gently. "You just need to concentrate more that's all. I'll help."
"I suppose."
"Come on, lets hook this all up so we can have Corrine sing."
"Much as I hate to ruin this touching moment," Said Miss Pringle with a gleam in her eye. "I don't think that we are going to be able run your little experiment today."
"Why ever not?" Said Seras bringing us full circle in a moment of deja vu.
"I'm afraid that our EEG is not equipped to connect to your machine." Said Miss Pringle waiving the cables at Zelig. "So sorry." She said not looking sorry at all.
"Well drat." Said Seras.
"What nonsense is this?" Said Zelig. "Let me see." He said wrestling the cables from Miss Pringle's grasp. "Ummm hmmm."
"Wait, I think I've got something here." Said Stewart diving into his duffel. "Don't do anything!" He said to Zelig.
"Uh huh, hmmm." said Zelig ignoring Stewart as he blithely began disconnecting the cables and humming snatches of 'A little Night Music' .
"What are you doing?" Said Miss Pringle. "Stop that this instant!"
"Zelig, leave it be! I think I've got an adapter somewhere." Said Stewart. He glance up at Dr. Levin. "He's fine as long as its Mozart. That's just his thinking music. It's Beethoven and Wagner you have to worry about."
"Look you..." Began Miss Pringle tapping Zelig on the shoulder.
"Mmm hmm?" Said Zelig distractedly. "No time right now honey. Here, hold this." He said handing the loose cables to her. "And this." He said, placing a flashlight in her other hand. "Just shine it right there on the panel for me baby thanks." He finished patting her on the rump and pulling out a screwdriver.
Miss Pringle's face turned bright red, she glared at Zelig, outrage apparent in every angular line of her body. The cables dropped to the ground with a thump as Miss Pringle straightened to her full height seething and towering over an oblivious Zelig. The only noise in the room besides Zelig's humming was a slight terrified chocking sound from Andrew's corner. She raised the flashlight slowly and dangerously over her head. We were about to witness the death of Cupcake.
"Yes!" Said Stewart pulling some objects from the bag. He straitened and turned back to face us. "These should wor... Oh, bollocks." He swore as Miss Pringle swung her arm down to brain Zelig.
Without blinking, he ducked under the blow then reached out with his hand and pulled Miss Pringle's arm further forward. Overbalanced she fell stomach down into his lap. "Oof! I told you no time to play right now honey. I'm busy. Now, if your not going to help," He said tugging the flashlight from her hand. "Your going to have to scoot!" He raised up his hand and swatted her hard on the butt then slid her off his lap depositing her onto the floor.
"Oh, oh dear." Whispered Dr. Levin. Miss Pringle?" He started towards her as if to help her up but was brought up short by her murderous glare.
"You horrible, demented, twisted little dwarf of a man! How dare you?" She screamed as she Scrambled onto her hands and knees."
Zelig looked at her, a mildly annoyed expression on his face. "If you didn't want to help you could of just said so."
She just looked at him stunned for a moment then gritted out between her teeth. "There is something very, very wrong with you."
Zelig just shrugged and turned back to his work prodding at something with his knife.
Miss Pringle rose to her feet with as much dignity as she could muster. "If you ever touch me again, I promise to un-man you with that knife."
Zelig looked up at her with renewed interest. "Really?"
"Yes."
Zelig rose up in one fluid movement grinning at her. "Promise?" He said balancing his knife on one finger and holding it out towards her.
She looked down at the knife, her lips compressed into a hard line. Her fingers twitched. For a moment I thought she might actually go for it. Then she looked back up at him. "Get out." she said grimly.
He twirled his blade back into his palm and looked at her askance. "You're just a bit too weird for me baby."
"Get out!"
He shrugged and turned to Stewart. "Maybe we should introduce her to Griffin, he likes them high strung repressed ones."
"Zelig!" I gasped.
"What? Well he does."
"Get out!!" Screamed Miss Pringle, her fisted hands banging on her thighs. "You delusional, talentless, disgusting hack!"
"Talentless?" Sputtered Zelig glaring at her with blood in his eye. "You little.."
"Steady Zelig." Said Stewart.
Zelig glared at Miss Pringle a moment longer then his expression went blank. "It's the mustard coloured Mini right?"
"Whoa! That's our cue I believe." Said Stewart, grabbing Zelig by the collar and tugging him towards the door.
"What? I was just asking." Protested Zelig.
"Yeah, right." Said Stewart. "Why don't we schedule a meeting for later?" He said to Dr Levin.
"I'll send you an estimate." Chimed in Zelig as he was dragged through the doorway. " Won't even let me chat up a bird." He muttered.
"Stuff it." Came Stewart's voice from the hall. "I can't take you anywhere."
"Your just jealous cause the girls all want me." Said Zelig as the elevator door chimed in the background.
"One more word from you and I'm telling the Sarge and he'll take away your blasting caps again."
"Aww, see, now that's just mean."
"Look Berti, I'm going to tell you one more time. It's like the Captain says; 'there are ladies and then there are'..." Said Stewart as the elevator doors closed cutting off the rest of his sentence.
"Hmm." Said Dr. Levin. "How long would it take to set this up?"
"The software is loaded and Stewart here is a passable guitar player so we don't need to wait for that part, we can just jack these puppies up and go."
"Passable?" Asked Stewart offended.
"Puppies?" Asked Seras confused.
"Of course," Continued Zelig tapping a finger on his lips thinking. "later we could have a real musician play an instrument, just to see if impacts her performance."
"I'd like to discuss my impact with you right now Cupcake." Said Stewart.
Zelig whirled on Stewart. "It was agreed that we would not be using that name any longer."
"Must have missed that meeting." Said Stewart.
" It's Z now."
"What? Sorry, can't hear you Cupcake. Probably because I'm apparently tone deaf."
"It's Z!" Shouted Zelig. Puffing up like an affronted rooster.
"Not," Said Stewart quietly but firmly. "until Sargent Marks says so."
I thought for sure Zelig would explode but instead he just seemed to deflate. "Not 'til I earned it?" Said Zelig despondently.
"That's right." Said Stewart.
Zelig sighed. "It's very hard you know, the Seeing?" He frowned down at his clever little hands "Hard to make people understand."
He looked so terribly sad it that moment it was all could do not jump up and throw my arms around him. Even Miss Pringle looked sympathetic.
"You'll get there Berti." Said Stewart gently. "You just need to concentrate more that's all. I'll help."
"I suppose."
"Come on, lets hook this all up so we can have Corrine sing."
"Much as I hate to ruin this touching moment," Said Miss Pringle with a gleam in her eye. "I don't think that we are going to be able run your little experiment today."
"Why ever not?" Said Seras bringing us full circle in a moment of deja vu.
"I'm afraid that our EEG is not equipped to connect to your machine." Said Miss Pringle waiving the cables at Zelig. "So sorry." She said not looking sorry at all.
"Well drat." Said Seras.
"What nonsense is this?" Said Zelig. "Let me see." He said wrestling the cables from Miss Pringle's grasp. "Ummm hmmm."
"Wait, I think I've got something here." Said Stewart diving into his duffel. "Don't do anything!" He said to Zelig.
"Uh huh, hmmm." said Zelig ignoring Stewart as he blithely began disconnecting the cables and humming snatches of 'A little Night Music' .
"What are you doing?" Said Miss Pringle. "Stop that this instant!"
"Zelig, leave it be! I think I've got an adapter somewhere." Said Stewart. He glance up at Dr. Levin. "He's fine as long as its Mozart. That's just his thinking music. It's Beethoven and Wagner you have to worry about."
"Look you..." Began Miss Pringle tapping Zelig on the shoulder.
"Mmm hmm?" Said Zelig distractedly. "No time right now honey. Here, hold this." He said handing the loose cables to her. "And this." He said, placing a flashlight in her other hand. "Just shine it right there on the panel for me baby thanks." He finished patting her on the rump and pulling out a screwdriver.
Miss Pringle's face turned bright red, she glared at Zelig, outrage apparent in every angular line of her body. The cables dropped to the ground with a thump as Miss Pringle straightened to her full height seething and towering over an oblivious Zelig. The only noise in the room besides Zelig's humming was a slight terrified chocking sound from Andrew's corner. She raised the flashlight slowly and dangerously over her head. We were about to witness the death of Cupcake.
"Yes!" Said Stewart pulling some objects from the bag. He straitened and turned back to face us. "These should wor... Oh, bollocks." He swore as Miss Pringle swung her arm down to brain Zelig.
Without blinking, he ducked under the blow then reached out with his hand and pulled Miss Pringle's arm further forward. Overbalanced she fell stomach down into his lap. "Oof! I told you no time to play right now honey. I'm busy. Now, if your not going to help," He said tugging the flashlight from her hand. "Your going to have to scoot!" He raised up his hand and swatted her hard on the butt then slid her off his lap depositing her onto the floor.
"Oh, oh dear." Whispered Dr. Levin. Miss Pringle?" He started towards her as if to help her up but was brought up short by her murderous glare.
"You horrible, demented, twisted little dwarf of a man! How dare you?" She screamed as she Scrambled onto her hands and knees."
Zelig looked at her, a mildly annoyed expression on his face. "If you didn't want to help you could of just said so."
She just looked at him stunned for a moment then gritted out between her teeth. "There is something very, very wrong with you."
Zelig just shrugged and turned back to his work prodding at something with his knife.
Miss Pringle rose to her feet with as much dignity as she could muster. "If you ever touch me again, I promise to un-man you with that knife."
Zelig looked up at her with renewed interest. "Really?"
"Yes."
Zelig rose up in one fluid movement grinning at her. "Promise?" He said balancing his knife on one finger and holding it out towards her.
She looked down at the knife, her lips compressed into a hard line. Her fingers twitched. For a moment I thought she might actually go for it. Then she looked back up at him. "Get out." she said grimly.
He twirled his blade back into his palm and looked at her askance. "You're just a bit too weird for me baby."
"Get out!"
He shrugged and turned to Stewart. "Maybe we should introduce her to Griffin, he likes them high strung repressed ones."
"Zelig!" I gasped.
"What? Well he does."
"Get out!!" Screamed Miss Pringle, her fisted hands banging on her thighs. "You delusional, talentless, disgusting hack!"
"Talentless?" Sputtered Zelig glaring at her with blood in his eye. "You little.."
"Steady Zelig." Said Stewart.
Zelig glared at Miss Pringle a moment longer then his expression went blank. "It's the mustard coloured Mini right?"
"Whoa! That's our cue I believe." Said Stewart, grabbing Zelig by the collar and tugging him towards the door.
"What? I was just asking." Protested Zelig.
"Yeah, right." Said Stewart. "Why don't we schedule a meeting for later?" He said to Dr Levin.
"I'll send you an estimate." Chimed in Zelig as he was dragged through the doorway. " Won't even let me chat up a bird." He muttered.
"Stuff it." Came Stewart's voice from the hall. "I can't take you anywhere."
"Your just jealous cause the girls all want me." Said Zelig as the elevator door chimed in the background.
"One more word from you and I'm telling the Sarge and he'll take away your blasting caps again."
"Aww, see, now that's just mean."
"Look Berti, I'm going to tell you one more time. It's like the Captain says; 'there are ladies and then there are'..." Said Stewart as the elevator doors closed cutting off the rest of his sentence.
