Holes in The History of The Universe

14: In Which Samual and Alastair Visit The Patrician's Staff

The sun was low on the horizon, barely allowing enough light to see when Alastair shook Samual awake that morning, and he had to heavily groan just to sit up properly, "what's going on?" He asked, talking like a drunkard.

"We need to be up a bit earlier today I'm afraid, the patrician's staff do not appreciate lateness."

Samual stood up and began to pull his robes over his head, when Alastair stopped him with a quick grip to the fabric's hem, "not yet, there's a bath drawn in the garden for you."

He threw the robe back on the bed, pulling his limbs into his body from the cold, "What? Really?"

"Yes, really, now hurry up, an apprenticeship is a rather complicated matter that we do not have time to doddle for."

Samual nodded and ran out the back door, where a barrel-like wooden tub the size of a washing machine sat, he poked his head back into the house, "where did you even get that thing?"

Between the permanently annoying squeals of the pig, who was being dragged out into the garden, he was given an answer, "one of our neighbors brews wine and beer for a living, though the rest of the village borrows it so often, they can scarcely call it their own."

Returning to it, Samual cast off his undershirt, and laid it a strip of fence poking out from the side of the house, leaving him completely exposed to the late autumn weather. He probably spent a full minute staring deep into the water, knowing the longer he waited, the colder it would get. Finally, with a deep breath, and a tightened body, he flung himself in chest first, and continued flinging about until he managed to toss his head through the surface between futile kicks in attempt to stand. Somehow, he scrambled out of the tub, and into the house, screaming about how cold the water was repeatedly whilst behaving like an angry goose.

Alastair was there to greet him when he entered the doorway, holding a towel, which on closer inspection was actually the blanket from their bed, "alright, get by the fire before you catch your death," he handed him his undergarments, which had taken from the fence on his way back from letting out the pig, and together they sat down.

"You know, I was going to ask why you guys don't bathe more often, but I think I get it now."

He nodded, "well the main reason is because of the health risks."

"Yeah," Samual's teeth chattered, "no shit."

"Language, my boy."

"Sorry."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and then his robes were handed to him, and Alastair stood up, "get dressed, we still need to get to the palace today."

After they reached the town, Samual was led to the castle wall, where Alastair simply coughed to get the gaurd's attention, for he was deep in thought, as one would imagine happens quite often.

To Samual's shock, he immediately pulled off the mask, leaving his body prone to God knows what. "I beg your pardon, my name is Dr. Alastair Leigh, I am here to establish an apprenticeship with Samual O'Dally," he glared, "take off your mask, my boy, we don't need to insult anyone."

"Are you sure? This is like, plague central."

"Yes," he said firmly, "I am sure."

With a groan, he placed a hand on his mask, and slowly ripped it off his head, spending far longer than necessary straightening his hair, if he had to appear respectable, he was going to annoy his mentor in the process."

Once inside, they were escorted through the palace by the guard, giving time for a few things to become apparent. To Alastair, the palace must have seemed almost uncomfortably grand, but it was actually little more than what Samual had been expecting, in fact, if anything, it was a bit disappointing. The building was made almost entirely of stone, and was only slightly cleaner than their dirt floored hut. After they were inside, the only bit of grandeur which really caught his attention was the clothing.