Drosselmeier [29 Dec 2009|03:00pm] _anacrusis http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/2009/12/29/drosselmeier-17/ http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/?p=3898 “I stole it last year,” says Nussbaum, her young face strained. “But I stole it three years before that,” says Brocken. “I believe Professor Durchdrehn stole it almost a decade hence,” says Drosselmeier, “and Professor Buffalop still longer ago, a year before his tenure.” Buffalop’s eyes have widened. “But if Durchdrehn just got my decoy, then who’s to say the one I took was–” “Surely you can’t have believed you were the first to have this idea?” says Drosselmeier sadly. “A dusty and obscure article, of startling value to the right collector, guarded by a cheap lock: it practically stole itself.” post comment

Drosselmeier [28 Dec 2009|03:00pm] _anacrusis http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/2009/12/28/drosselmeier-16/ http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/?p=3896 Drosselmeier and the astronomer swept their gazes across the faces of the faculty. They’d used up their reservoirs of bluster now, and silence had slowly pushed them into shame. On the table between them were four nuts: one large, one small, one silver, one stone. Each had been purportedly found hidden, by one professor, in another’s chambers. “Shall we now produce a sledgehammer,” asked the astronomer, “to verify that none of these are truly the unbreakable Krakatuk?” One by one, the professors shook their heads. “You can’t all have stolen the thing,” frowned the astronomer. “Oh yes,” said Drosselmeier, “they can.” post comment

Drosselmeier [27 Dec 2009|04:51am] _anacrusis http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/2009/12/26/drosselmeier-15/ http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/?p=3894 “The search must be accomplished tonight,” said Drosselmeier. “We have arranged a diversion,” the astronomer said. “The quarters will be empty when the bell tolls nine.” “Such villainy! Such daring!” said the professor. “Yes, yes, of course I will aid you in ferreting out the nut.” “You’ll need to begin the search yourself,” said Drosselmeier. “Perhaps if you go early and hide in an alcove nearby…” “We’ll be along shortly,” said the astronomer. “I knew it all along,” said the professor, eyes cold with vindiction. “Oh yes,” they told Durchdrehn, Brocken, Buffalop and Nussbaum, each in their turn. “So did we.” 1 comment|post comment

Drosselmeier [25 Dec 2009|12:53am] _anacrusis http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/2009/12/24/drosselmeier-14/ http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/?p=3892 “Brocken and Buffalop provide each other’s alibi,” frowned the astronomer. “This may be problematic.” “The horoscope tells us that they will have a falling out in March,” said Drosselmeier. “The consequence of a heist whose loot they cannot sell?” “You suspect Krakatuk is still in Acornshausen?” “The roads are bad in winter, and it cannot be trusted to a messenger,” said Drosselmeier. “An accomplice would help hide the nut until spring.” “Buffalop and Brocken together,” said the astronomer, “or Durchdrehn and a protégé? His stars show a dependence on admirers.” “But our Professor Nussbaum,” said Drosselmeier, “has no friends at all.” post comment

Drosselmeier [23 Dec 2009|03:00pm] _anacrusis http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/2009/12/23/drosselmeier-13/ http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/?p=3890 The astronomer and Drosselmeier cast horoscopes for all the Society faculty, with particular emphasis on the position of Mercury, god of thieves. It took a week of hard work in the high tower of Acornshausen, but in the end they had winnowed the suspects to four: Professors Nussbaum, Durchdrehn, Brocken, and Buffalop himself. “See here,” they each huffed in various states of eye-pop and apoplexy, “I am clearly above suspicion–” “Of course, of course,” said Drosselmeier, “we seek only evidence to defend your good name.” “For which purposes,” said the astronomer, “you won’t mind detailing your whereabouts of Thursday last?” post comment

Drosselmeier [22 Dec 2009|03:00pm] _anacrusis http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/2009/12/22/drosselmeier-12/ http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/?p=3886 He was enjoying the hospitality of the Horticultural Society of Acornshausen, and he was deeply puzzled. “You say Krakatuk was stolen from its museum pedestal by night, and neither night-guard nor gatekeeper saw a thing?” he frowned. “We would hand it to you directly, if only we could!” said Professor Buffalop, Chair of the Department of Kernel Studies. “We are certain of only one thing–the scoundrel was one of our own faculty.” “Then we are twice obligated to help roust him out,” said Drosselmeier. “We’ll begin immediately,” said the astronomer. “Professor, if I may ask, what is your sign?” post comment

Drosselmeier [21 Dec 2009|03:00pm] _anacrusis http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/2009/12/21/drosselmeier-11/ http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/?p=3884 Now you already know that in their long quest for the nut Krakatuk, Drosselmeier and his friend the astronomer faced many perils, few more deadly than the twisted bargain of the rat Longtail and his pawn the Pistachio Queen. They escaped that trap, with luck and clockwork and a little knowledge of the minds of vermin–though it left them ragged, penniless and footsore in the Kingdom of Dates. It would be nearly a year before they managed to unearth another clue. So do you know what Drosselmeier was doing on his eleventh Christmas searching abroad? Well, then, I’ll tell you. 2 comments|post comment

The Gift [18 Dec 2009|03:00pm] _anacrusis http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/2009/12/18/the-gift/ http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/?p=3882 There are two possessions of the Dillingham-Youngs in which they both take a mighty pride. One is his gold watch, which was his great-grandfather’s; the other is her hair. Each of them, harboring a fond wish for vitality eternal, naturally chooses to invest their soul in a phylactery. She pours the sands of her life into the gears of his pocketwatch. While she sleeps, he weaves the strands of his own fate into her tresses. Their enemies wither before them. Undying, unliving, the Dillingham-Youngs rule a kingdom of shambling corpses. They are the wisest. They are the magi. post comment

Silhouine [18 Dec 2009|06:49am] _anacrusis http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/2009/12/17/silhouine-9/ http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/?p=3880 “I had to take it in trade,” says Dulap, “he said Mistress always did before, and if I didn’t he’d stop bringing me his custom. I can’t afford to lose customers when half the city has fled to the hills!” “Nor can anyone,” says Yael softly. “But it wasn’t his to give?” says Silhouine, still trying to work this out. “I don’t even know what it is, or why these other people want it,” says Dulap, rubbing his face. “Could you store it? Just until I can unload it?” “What did he call the stuff?” says Silhouine. “Ferrous alumen,” he says. post comment

A Horror Story [16 Dec 2009|03:00pm] _anacrusis http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/2009/12/16/a-horror-story/ http://www.xorph.com/anacrusis/?p=3877 The Higbee’s Santa lives alone, and keeps his red suit on a hat tree by the door. He’s eating dinner under a bare bulb when Ralphie’s face appears outside his window. “Jesus!” says the Higbee’s Santa, jerking back from the table. “All right, real funny, kid. You some kind of peeping–” He hesitates. Ralphie isn’t peeping. His eyes are ruined, pierced by the shards of his shattered glasses. “What the fuck happened to you?” he whispers. “He shot his eyes out,” says Flick, opening his tongueless mouth to disgorge a torrent of blood. The Higbee’s Santa screams and screams. Merry Christmas! post comment

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