(no subject)

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

The knock on Colin's door is loud and ominous.

- that doesn't matter much, however, as Mary marches in immediately after knocking and folds her hands neatly over her lap.

"Good morning, Colin."

Comments

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary's voice is stiff, though not because of Colin.

"Yes. It is -

It is very important."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"Well? What is it?" He pulls himself up into a sitting position, or a more-upright position, anyway.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I am going back to India," Mary explains, patiently; then: "But that is not the most important part.

The important part is that I must look through your books to find out about funeral rites."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

Now he really sits up.

"Why are you going back to India? And why do you need funeral rites."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"For my parents," Mary says. Still with great patience.

"I never did the rites for them, so they have become pisachas, I think," she adds, matter-of-factly, by way of explanation. "So that is a thing I have to fix."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"--What," he asks patiently back, "is a pisacha?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"It is a demon spirit."

Mary's pale pointed face is solemn.

"It drives people mad - and kills children, and makes people miss their carriages. People become them when their children do not perform the rites for them correctly, in India."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"--Are you certain?" he asks, a little dubiously. "It is not just natives, but everyone in India?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I met a pisacha," Mary informs him - with a certain amount of pride, admittedly, because not everyone can say that. "In the bar - and he was not a native."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

He considers.

"--Would my mother be one?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary considers this a moment, before shaking her head, knowledgeably.

"You were only so very small when she died - they most likely got someone else to do it. Besides," she adds, sagely, "you should have noticed if there were a pisacha about."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"I might not," he says carefully, in what may be the understatement of the fandom, "as I do not go out much."

It might not come to his room.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I have not heard about it - but I have not been here long."

Mary considers this for a moment.

"Well," she offers, eventually, "if we do find the rites, it would not be hard to do them here as well - for just in case."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"I suppose." He considers her. "Are you going to India to say them?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I do not think it would do much good for my parents to say them here," Mary points out.

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"Then you must tell me what I need to pack for India," he says briskly.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"We cannot leave now."

Mary tosses her head. "I must ask my friend to take us - and arrange things. I will tell you when."

Casually: "And you need not come, if you do not wish to."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"I am going." Very flatly.

He just is.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"All right, then," Mary says, still quite casually.

"You shall need to bring something that you can wear for shade - and a good deal to drink. And weapons to protect against the pisacha, for they likely will not wish to be saved now that they are demons."

She considers him for a moment, before adding, "and something to wrap over the handles of your wheelchair - for they will get quite hot in the sun."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"I shall have Martha pack all that," he says seriously.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary frowns.

"I do not know," she says, cautiously, "if I should tell Martha where we are going.

She would feel obliged to stop us, I think - because it is what Mrs. Medlock would wish."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"She would not if I told her not to."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Another pause, as Mary considers this.

"She would not if Mrs. Medlock asked her where we had gone while we were gone?"

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"I could order her not to."

He is Confident of this.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

A pause; then, a little reluctantly, "I suppose that is all right, then. If you are sure."

More brightly: "I shall have to tell Dickon, in any case."