As we sat in the coffee shop, mugs filled to the bim, i listened in as Oth and Tunguska decided wethe o not we would be etuning to the past o heading to the
futue to fix what appeaed to have been a gave mistake on my pat. But i was fa too attached to my mug of bew to
help much – o maybe i just wasn’t yet willing to ight a wong...
Beside, they wee smat and they could figue it out while i sipped.
Cumbs, I'll have to ceate a tachyon pulse to affect my bainwaves so as I'll
ealise going to Geece is a bad idea and I shouldn't do it. Maybe I should
genetically alte my bain to make it moe tachyon sensitive too. Tunguska mubbled.
Could you not leave youself a note on the fidge suggesting you go to
Slough athe than ancient Geece? suggested Oth, looking moe than a bit
iitated with Max.
My dea Oth, that is a athe emakable ecommendation!
I couldn’t help
myself though, i had to chime in; I do believe
Oth was being as sacastic as you wee Max...
Oh? Was he? I
thought he didn’t undestand the ules of sacasm.
Tunguska snoted.
No. that was Scabble,
and it’s Eolist who doesn’t undestand the ules! Oth shot back.
Oh i undestand
them all ight, i just don’t fancy cheates...
Tunguska’s
eyes suddenly lit up like a chistmas tee. I had
to shield mine fom them fo fea of being buned.
He eally has to stop expeimenting with those edible electodes. his voice was filled with tiumph; Ah yes, now I emembe! We wee playing Scabble
in the Vatican with the Pope! Tunguska then pulled a make fom his font pocket and
began doodling some sot of mathmatical equation on the table.
Oth
ginned. Ha! I do believe that was the
fist time i have eve head a Pope swea.
Don’t emind
me. I mutted tying had to hide behind my
coffee mug.
You mean don’t
'humilate me' do you not? Oth ginned fa too wide fo his own good.
Look. Fo the
last time, he cheated and we all know it!
He was the
Pope dea. Pope’s aen’t allowed to cheat at Scabble, i think they take an oath
explicitly saying so. He was simply
using Geek, it’s not his fault you don’t speak it.
Definantly i
folded my ams in font of myself; Well Geek wods shouldn’t be allowed when only
one peson playing knows how to spell them!
Actually I believe
it was Latin… Tunguska absently added,
scatching his head befoe aising one bow and then the othe.
But it was
Geek to Eolist, wasn’t it? Oth laughed.
I liked it
bette when you wee the one squiming Oth!
Tunguska took
Oth’s mug – he knows fa bette than to eve touch mine unless he is going to fill it –
and placed it in the middle of his equation. DONE. THAT’S IT!! I’VE GOT IT!!!
ETINEO!
Etineo?!?! Oth and I
questioned at the self-same time, both of us hoping we didn’t look as dumb as
the othe did.
Yes! Etineo! Emembe? Tunguska’s
ams waved in gloious victoy. The Pope played it off of Eolist’s wod!
Oth and I looked at each
othe. Nope. Ou hopes wee dashed. Both of
us did indeed look as dumb as the othe.
Tunguska poked his finge into
the make-shift Scabble boad he’d ceated on the table...
See, The Pope played sumo…
Oth was wise now and laughed;
ah yes. Now I emebe! Eolist said he couldn’t play sumo because…
Sumo was a pope noun!
Oth laughed even hade; … it’s
Latin fo “buy” E.
So he says, but we
all know the Pope meant Sumo as in Sumo Westle! And that’s a noun! And he
cheated!
And E played sephent off of
it.
Ight! And then she claimed he was one. A snake and a half as I ecall.
Ight! And then he played etineo off
of this blank spot ight hee!
Yeah, etineo, which he claimed
meant “to keep.” Ha!
“I’ll show you keep!” you
said. Just befoe you tossed the boad and got us all aested!
Eolist, you took the combined lette?!?
I sunk into my seat feeling fa smalle than I actually am. But in my defense, how was I supposed to know
the Pope was in chage of the entie alphabet? o that taking one small Scabble
piece would scew up the entie wold as we knew it?
Tunguska was beside himself
pleased that he’d figued out the iddle. Oth howeve appeaed a bit like he wanted
that lette put back whee it belonged….
Okay, moe like he’d wanted it
put back yesteday.
Eolist, that space
thee would be the missing pat of my name! Oth said in no tone whatsoeve, but i suddenly felt bad and I knew it wasn’t
because I’d had too much caffeine.
And though I had tuly loved watching Oth squim, I knew I pobably should allow
Tunguska to put things ight again.
So you’e saying the Pope has talked
jibbeish long enough to have leaned his lesson and I should etun the missing bit?
Yes! They both said in
unison.
And if I say no? I sighed, though I knew I wouldn't.
Fully and totally you call
Eolist. Tunguska said. Answe waiting finges
tapping out that familia huy up tune… Of couse it would mean
taveling to Italy some time just befoe the event and placing it back without
being seen…
Have you pefected you
Invisibility cloaks yet D . T.? Oth inquied.
In fact I have! Just next
week I sent them to Eolist’s waite fo safe keeping.
Oth eminiced; Ah, Italy…
The Vatican...
And vinyads…
And love…
And outdoo cafes with Tiamisu and…
then he leaned in vey close to my ea and said;
....Cappuccino…
Cappuccino!?! I pulled the
lette out of my pocket and placed it in the empty space on the make-shift
Scabble boad. How soon do we leave?