OOM: A Discworld funeral

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart lounges by the door to the inn, sipping a last cup of tea while waiting for 'Mr. Astaire' to turn up so he could follow him to the funeral.

He's got no idea what a funeral on the Disc would be like, what with polytheism and very real gods. So, after a pleasant and relaxing night (and brief jump from window to window, back and forth), now is probably the right time for business.

Comments

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart drifts with the main part of the crowd; and when he finds Harriet at the inn run off her feet and almost dropping a platter of cucumber sandwiches, he reaches over and starts helping with the serving instead of acting like an uninvited guest.

Moist seems to have the brothers well in hand.

[morethanprops]

He does, they're reassuring him that they'll still invest with him and he finds a seat to watch the crowd.

His nervousness is less than its been and he gives Harriet a smile and squeezes her hand when she brings his food.

She blushes and is giggling by the time she finds Urquhart again.

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart is calmly drawing beer for people, working the tap like an expert.

"Little pipsqueak banker getting uppity?" he smirks.

[morethanprops]

"No, just being nice. He's got good manners and is rather handsome when he doesn't look so pinched. Seems like he's got his money."

[scots_wolf]

"Money?" Urquhart asks, as if he knew nothing about any money.

[morethanprops]

"Mrs. Marple was thinking about investing with him and her sons are going to. They don't like having loose ends and he's been put through so much,"

She smiles at Urquhart and says, "Sure he's not half the man you are."

[scots_wolf]

"Well," Urquhart grins, "I can't tell -- I haven't had a chance to measure him intimately, have I?"

So Moist was going to get his 'investment' after all, and once they had been and fetched the money, they could get away separately, maybe creating a nice diversion, to meet up and return to the bar.

[morethanprops]

"Neither have I. Silly man's so shy, you'd think he'd never seen a woman before. Oh, I have to go,"

The inn is incredibly busy and she dashes off once more as the brothers enter and look content.

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart smiles at them, and offers them beer.

Being at the tap is nice.

[morethanprops]

"Did you get hired on here too,"

Henry asks with a smile as he takes his beer.

[scots_wolf]

"No, I'm helping out a pretty girl," Urquhart says.

[morethanprops]

"Harriet's able to get everyone to do what she wants. Mother kept trying to hire her for the shop."

[scots_wolf]

"She is very good at what she does," Urquhart says.

[morethanprops]

Henry smiles and says,

"Yes, she'll soon fill mother's place in her own way as we hope to. Now we must get back to our guests."

[scots_wolf]

"She'll do well there," Urquhart says, handing him his beer.

[morethanprops]

They nod and head off as Harriet returns and kisses his cheek,

"We might need to hire you."

[scots_wolf]

"Oh," Urquhart says. "What for?"

[morethanprops]

"You're doing such a good job here. It would be a shame if you have to leave and follow after Mister Astaire. Maybe he could do the banking for the Marples."

[scots_wolf]

"Weren't they going back to Ankh-Morpork?" Urquhart asks.

They will have to speed up their getaway before they become embroiled in permanent arrangements that would burn this pleasant little town for Moist.

[morethanprops]

"John's going to go back and finish his time at university but Henry's planning on settling in. He offered me a chance to run the shop as he says I'm so good at managing things,"

Harriet smirks, he wouldn't be a bad match.

[scots_wolf]

"You definitely are," Urquhart says. "You'll go far!"

[morethanprops]

"Thank you, so will you,"

With another smirk she returns to serving and the evening turns quickly from quiet discussions to good feelings as the ale and wine flow. At some point in the evening, Moist goes upstairs to finish the paperwork.

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart works hard and drinks only very little, making sure everybody notices how strong and friendly and helpful he is.

[morethanprops]

They do and when the crowd is thinning the brothers find him again. With some glances that aren't as covert as they think, they gesture to the back door.

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart quickly hands keg duty to somebody else, and follows the brothers out the back.