Rundles In The Jungle: Episode 10

Randayl is back at the New Washington Embassy digging postholes, somewhat ~~ ironically ~~, under the circumstances. He discovered, when speaking with the lawyer, that his newfound fortune is likely to be a while arriving. He's therefore still required to do manual labor to pay his selyn taxes, for now.

Randayl still finds it hard to grasp that his aunt would restore the inheritance his father withheld.

Lusid is taking a break, and zlins that that stuffed shirt Saag is headed in his direction ~~ looking ~~ for something, and wonders if it might be him. Naah.

Saag is carrying a jug of ice water and some elegant tiny pastries, left over from an afternoon reception at the Embassy, that the cook gave him.

Saag: Hi, Lusid. Where's Randayl?

Lusid might have known.

Lusid: Here, there, everywhere. There are always more post holes to dig. But why do you ask?

Saag: I'm on my trin break, thought I'd come out here and chat with him.

Saag is curious about what Randayl learned from the lawyer, whom he visited first thing this morning, on the way to work.

Lusid: Mm-hmm. Everybody wants to "chat" with old Randayl these days, now that the word is out.

Saag: Well, I knew him even before he changed over. And we're sharing an apartment.

Saag is a little ~~ offended ~~ at Lusid's insinuations. He's also a little ~~ surprised ~~ that Randayl has let the word out about his inheritance.

Lusid zlins the mixed emotions.

Lusid: What can I say? It's not just the bureaucrats that can add two and two and make five.

Saag shrugs, and zlins around for Randayl, not detecting him.

Saag: I guess I'll try over that way, if you don't know where he is. Maybe that gardener will have seen him.

Lusid: Naah, you're a good enough guy, I guess.

Lusid tells Saag exactly where to find Randayl.

Saag: Thanks, Lusid. You want one of these goodies?

Saag opens the napkin they are wrapped in and shows it to the other Sime.

Lusid: Don't mind if I do. ~~ greed ~~ gratitude ~~

Lusid picks out a goodie and consumes it in three bites.

Saag refolds the napkin and heads in the direction Lusid described.

Lusid waits a bit, then follows after Saag within zlinning range but too far away for conversation.

Saag is ~~ annoyed ~~ that Lusid is following him, and regrets giving him the treat.

Randayl pauses to wipe sweat from his brow with a faded rag -- lacking a proper handkerchief -- and then stabs the posthole digger into the ground. He zlins a better excuse for a break than sweat approaching.

Randayl: Hi, Saag.

Saag: Hi, Randayl. I brought you some ice water and goodies.

Saag offers the jug and napkin.

Lusid is ~~ disgusted ~~ at this blatant sucking up.

Randayl: Thanks. How was the luncheon?

Saag shrugs.

Saag: Well, everybody seemed polite and quiet. No fist fights, no attempted Kills, no drunken hilarity. At least from down the hall where I was. ~~ humor ~~

Lusid catches up to the pair.

Randayl: I guess that's as well as can be expected. Maybe it'll be more interesting next week, when those musicians come through.

Lusid: Hey there, Randayl.

Randayl: Hi, Lusid.

Randayl takes a pastry and nibbles.

Randayl: Might as well fortify myself: it looks like I'm going to be digging holes for a while longer.

Lusid: The law grinds slowly, huh?

Randayl: Yup. I can't see this will not being challenged. I'm kind of surprised my father hadn't filed an objection even before Peychaud got here.

Saag is ~~ sympathetic ~~.

Randayl: Peychaud said the will should hold, but the right judge could delay things quite a while.

Saag: But it will come out okay in the end, right?

Randayl: If it's decided according to the law as it stands now, yes. Of course, the law can be changed.

Saag: They can't change it retroactively, can they?

Saag says 'retroactively' in English, since his Simelan vocabulary is less complete.

Lusid is glad he's been able to keep the law far away so far.

Randayl: Not if they follow the rules. But the Senate does consider the law its servant, not the reverse. If enough of them find Aunt Matilda's decision offensive, they could find some reason to overturn it.

Randayl has some ideas about how to counter that, but they are still in a very preliminary stage.

Randayl: It would set a bad precedent if they overturned the will, at least according to Peychaud.

Saag: Yeah, I bet.

Lusid: ~~ sympathy ~~ Oh, I wouldn't worry about that too much. If all else fails, you can always move in with me.

Lusid hopes to get a laugh.

Randayl has learned not to take offers of lodging lightly.

Randayl: I appreciate that, Lusid. Although I hope I'll be able to, say, enroll at the University before Saag tires of me.

Lusid: Oh, by all means. Still, I do have a bit more space, you have to admit. That makes for flexibility.

Saag: Me and Randayl are doing okay. I like having him living with me.

Lusid shrugs.

Randayl: Umm... I wouldn't want to get in the way of your social life. Saag and me get along great.

Lusid: As you wish.

Lusid decides to back off from this display of solidarity.

Lusid: Anyhow, my break's long over. Hi ho, hi ho....

Lusid wanders off.

Randayl looks at Saag.

Saag: He thinks everybody is sucking up to you to get your money. I think that's his own plan.

Randayl: Possibly. It doesn't bother me all that much: to some extent that's what I did, mooching off you. Although having someone from home to talk to has been great.

Saag: You're not mooching. I like having you around. And I'm sort of mooching off my sister, aren't I? My selyn taxes all taken care of? It makes a huge difference. You didn't have that luck.

Randayl: All Simes have to mooch that much. When we can. I wish someone from my family loved me that much.

Saag: Yeah. Me too. ~~ sympathy ~~ Your dad is being a real jerk, trying to take your aunt's gift from you. She must have loved you, right?

Randayl: She liked it that I wrote to her, after my changeover. My father didn't bother with her much.

Saag: Maybe if there'd been a Sime Center around where she lived she'd have assigned you her donations, too.

Saag is trying to buck up Randayl's chronically gloomy spirits.

Randayl: I dunno. She was pretty sick, by that time. She probably wouldn't have been able to donate, even if she could have made it to a Sime Center.

Saag: Yeah. Or maybe the channels could have helped her get better.

Randayl: I've also wondered if she changed her will because she wanted my father not to get her fortune, after the way he treated us.

Saag: Could be. But she could have given it to charity, if she just didn't want him to have it. Instead, she made a point of giving it to you.

Randayl: Well, if she wanted to spite my father, she did the right thing.

Randayl chuckles.

Saag smiles.

Randayl: I'd have given a lot to have been around to zlin him when the will was read.

Saag: Not me! It would have been intense.

Randayl: Yeah, but I've dreamed of seeing my father... well, in the sort of position he delights in putting me.

Saag: Hm. You'll be richer than he is, won't you?

Randayl: If the will stands, yes. I think.

Saag: How does it go? "Living well is the best revenge"?

Randayl: Yeah. It took sprouting tentacles, but I finally escaped him.

Saag laughs.

Saag: Yeah, look on the bright side!

Randayl smiles in return.


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