Saturday Wordzzle 96

Yes, another Saturday rolls around - except that it's still Friday here. I'm posting a bit earlier this week as I'm going to be a bit busy this weekend. Check out Raven's Nest for the rules and whatnot.

Most of the words were tricky this week so I'm not singling any one of them out.

The mini (smelly, politician, favourite, token gesture, garden)

This is part of of an ongoing story. A blind seer has had a vision about a young man coming to some as yet unspecified harm from an old man living in a tower. To try to avert this fate, she has anonymously paid for him to take a holiday somewhere far away. The young man has arrived at the holiday town and has noticed an interesting tower, which he plans to investigate the next day. The seer has a nightmare which she believes is connected to the young man's fate and resolves to go after him...

The seer speaks...

What on earth am I doing? I’m lost now. Back at that rather smelly cheese shop they said it would be easy to find the tower. Just follow the lane, they said. I’m not sure if I’m even going the right way now. I can smell flowers, so I guess there must be a garden behind this hedge somewhere. Maybe I’ll come to a gate and find my way to a door and a friendly person to ask, that’d be my favourite scenario right now. I’m such a fool to have come rushing up here, hoping to save that young man. I thought I’d sent him far away from the old man and his tower. What are the odds that I would send him straight to it? Why couldn’t my vision have shown me where the tower was, for pity’s sake? The gods give me a vision and dangle the possibility of my being able to avert it but, like the promises of a corrupt politician, it turns out to be no more than a token gesture. No, there’s no gate here, maybe across the road then. I can’t hear any traffic but one has to be so careful. Ah, I hear footsteps approaching. Maybe it’ll be someone who can help.

The 10-worder (Badger, roll out the barrel, amazing, a lovely cup of tea, pressure, frozen, gandalf, pixies, top gear)

New to Harold? Click here to catch up.

“Work with a demon?” cried Mercury, “Are you serious?”

“Quite serious,” replied Baruthiel calmly. “The decision to combine forces was not made lightly, I assure you. Now I can’t put any pressure on you to do this, but I would strongly recommend it.”

The agents’ faces were so comically frozen in disbelief that Harold was tempted to whip out his phone and take a picture. He suspected that it would be a poor start to their working relationship though, so he didn’t. What puzzled him was that the female agents had changed their appearances. The older one – Agent Gucci, was it - looked amazing (for a human). The younger one though looked faintly ridiculous and distinctly ill-at-ease in her blonde wig, make-up and heels. He felt a smile starting a tug-of-war with the corners of his mouth.

For her part, Agent India couldn’t believe her ears. She couldn’t have been more surprised if Baruthiel had suggested they team up with Gandalf and his pixies or Hobbits or whatever . Surely Mercury would say no and then they could nail that – wait a minute – was that demon smirking? At her? The nerve! She felt the weight of the taser in her hand. Oh, If only…. Come on Mercury, just say no, she urged him silently. Just. Say. No.

“Does Opal know about this?” asked Mercury, apparently impervious to India’s thought-beams boring into the back of his head .

“He has been informed,” replied the angel. “He says that, as you’ll be the ones affected, you should decide whether you want to work with a Fallen.“

“I vote no.” said India, straightaway.

“Quelle surprise,” whispered Teatime.

“I would vote yes,” said Othello, “Except we can’t have demons running around unbound and I’m assuming,” and, he turned to Harold, “that you wouldn’t agree to be Bound?”

“Correct” Replied Harold

“Since when do we ask demons for their permsision before Binding them?” said India, incredulously. “Surely, we should just do it and then the question doesn’t arise!”

“I think it would be better if all parties in this arrangement were willing rather than coerced.” Interjected Baruthiel. “But your point is well made.”

Othello thought for a moment then said to Harold, “Perhaps as a compromise, you could base yourself at our HQ and an Agent could accompany you at all times when out and about.”

“I’d be Ok with that,” said Prada, “Besides, it’s about time we had some eye-candy in the place – no offence, gentlemen.” India shot her a scandalised look.

“I’d be OK with that too, I suppose,” said Mercury drily, “but not for the same reasons as Agent Prada.”

“Well?” Baruthiel was looking at Harold. The latter’s brain went into top gear as he tried to consider the ramifications of agreeing to this latest idea.

“Just a moment,” he said, walking away down the alley. “What do you think, Teatime?”

“I hate to badger you over this but I think you should never have agreed to work with these people in the first place,” replied Teatime sternly, “but that’s academic now. I suspect refusal to join their little party at this point would be unwise: these OGS lackeys on their own are dangerous enough but with Baruthiel as well.. No, we’d better make the best of it, old button.”

“OK,” said Harold, returning to the group. “I’m in.”

“Good,” approved the angel, “Now I must go.” He addressed Harold in Celestial, “The Penthouse has placed an unprecedented amount of trust in you, Fallen. Betray that trust and I will take it as a personal affront.”

And with that, he was gone.

“So, what now?” said Harold brightly.

“Back to HQ for you, then a good night’s sleep for us.” Said Mercury.”

“Will my room have an ensuite?” Harold asked Inida.

“Hardly.” She repleid sullenly, “We’re not going to roll out the barrel for the likes of you.”

“Could you at least run to a lovely cup of tea then?” Harold continued, “Only Teatime is rather partial to it.”

“Stop talking to me.” India snapped.

“Just being friendly,” Harold said, “We are going to be working together after all.”

“So? It doesn’t mean we have to do small-talk.”

Harold sighed. These humans were no fun.