nineveh_uk | Wimsey ficlet: Things to do in Denver when you're DEATH

As opposed to Thing to do in Denver when you're Dead*.

As prompted by recent sad events.

Death in Denver

The golden dust swimming in the light of a warm March morning suddenly parted, as a presence entered the library and coughed.

AHEM.

‘Oh,’ said the Duke, laying the Caxton he held gently upon the table. ‘Death, as the psalmist says, is certain to all, but I was hoping to have a bit longer. That is,’ he added, turning white as if suddenly frightened by something inside his own head, an impressive feat for a man confronted by a seven foot skeleton, ‘it is me you’ve come for?’

YES.

‘Well, that’s something. It’s not been a bad innings. A lot longer than I thought it might be, at times. That spot near Caudry was dashed tight.’

I REMEMBER.

‘I suppose that you would.’ The Duke straightened. ‘Have I time to say goodbye? Or doesn’t it work like that?’

PERHAPS YOU COULD LEAVE A NOTE.

‘That might be – ’

AFTER ALL, YOU WILL BE BACK IN A FEW DAYS.

‘No. No, I’ve never fancied being a ghost, not even for seeing Harriet. I rather thought I’d make it the outward voyage only.’

I THINK, said Death, looking as embarrassed as an expressionless skull can manage, THERE IS SOME MISUNDERSTANDING, YOU HAVE A GOOD DEAL OF TIME LEFT. THAT IS – a spectral hourglass materialised in a skeletal hand – AS LONG AS YOU KEEP TO THE SPEED LIMIT.

‘I shall certainly do so in future. But if I’m not to die, and you’re not here for anyone else, what is, if you don’t mind my asking, your business in my library?’

I REQUIRE YOUR SERVICES. SOMEONE HAS STOLEN MY HORSE.

*Gosh, that fic is old. I really need to do an index.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

caulkhead

Old, but splendid. Thank you!

nineveh_uk

Thank you! (Though this one is new, it is the linked fic that is a bit frighteningly ancient.)

Edited Date: 2015-04-17 04:32 pm (UTC)

lizvogel

*snort* Very good!

Thank you!

commodorified

SO. MUCH. LOVE. MY. CHEST. HAS. BURST. OPEN. (Painlessly)

I am happy to please :-)

tree_and_leaf

Oh, this is splendid!

pensnest

Ah, this made me smile.

castiron

Brilliant!

ankaret

LIKE.

eglantine-br.livejournal.com

Oh Peter. Even faced with death he is no one but himself. Did you write the rest? Does he actually find Binky?

nineveh-uk.livejournal.com

Of course he will find Binky! Though I regret that you will have to imagine it ;-)

white_hart

Spoilsport! Love this, though :-)

adaese.livejournal.com

Lovely!

From: (Anonymous)

I was expecting a play on Peter's name, but this - this is so much better! Peter! And DEATH! So perfect! I say this for EVERY fic of yours I comment on - but your Sayers voice is SO SO good!

Now I want to see Peter meet Susan.

-M

Now that you mention her, I want to see Harriet meet Susan. Though I'm not sure whether they'd get on or really annoy each other.

sam-t.livejournal.com

I suspect that Susan might be inclined to underestimate Harriet at first, and Harriet would feel rather prickly and have to remind herself to be rigorously fair about Susan being good at what she does even if Harriet finds her intensely irritating. But it might be fun to watch...

That sounds highly plausible.

dichroic.livejournal.com

:-) :-) :-D

;-)

mme-hardy.livejournal.com

That is perfect. As perfect as the watch carved from a single emerald in the Cheapside Hoard.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/day-in-pics/june-06-2013/colombian-emerald-watch/slideshow/20466842.cms

That watch is absolutely beautiful and extraordinary. I had never seen it before, thank you!

(I had a period of getting annoying spam links, so set to filter. Must switch that off.)

That was as perfect as the watch carved from a single emerald from the Cheapside Hoard. (I linked in my original post, but that sent it to the spam folder.)

dbassassin.livejournal.com

Lovely! I really, really needed a good laugh today and that did the trick. Thanks!

I am delighted to be able to oblige!

sonetka.livejournal.com

Awesome. A nice ending to a very long day of travel. (And I trust Peter does keep to the speed limit after this!)

It's certainly a powerful motivation - though he might need to come up with a different reason to give Harriet.

azdak.livejournal.com

Talk about privilege - who else has Death as their driving instructor? Not that anyone else could have persuaded his grace to stick to the laws of the land. I love the way he's thinking about manners even in what he believes are his final moments, and that he assumes he can direct his own fate even in the afterlife - "No, no, I've never fancied being a ghost". And I didn't see the twist coming at all! Thank you for a lovely start to the day :-)

Imminent demise is no excuse for lack of consideration.

It's a suggestion that's difficult to ignore. Now that you mention it, I wonder who taught Peter to drive in the first place? Perhaps his insecurities are because this is something that his parents didn't arrange specialist instruction in Paris for, so he is self-taught and spends all his time behind the wheel afraid that he's going to be found out and so drives too fast in over-compensation.