lingonberry pickers

Pettytyrant101 wrote:I have rather a lot of reading to do!

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America specifies word lengths for each category of its Nebula award categories:

Classification Word count
Novel over 40,000 words
Novella 17,500 to 40,000 words
Novelette 7,500 to 17,500 words
Short story under 7,500 words

Part 20 wrote:"Hello again," Nora said
"Oh, hello." The younger of the two Americans smiled at her.
"Oh, you again." The older one said grufffly. "Oh, and nice to see you again Ms Herring, obviously." He quickly continued under the others harsh gaze,
"Excuse the Professor," the younger of the two said. "They don't teach etiquette at Amercan Universities," he said shooting his older companion another har dlook.
"Nice to see you again too," Nora only rolled her eyes. "And it's agent Herring, why does everybody always forget."
"I don't." Blue said. Nora rolled her eyes again.
"Well, appologies of course." David said. "Agent of what exactly?" He asked, his eyes suddenly sharp, his look quizzical.
"The inland revenue," Blue answered quickly, Nora shot him a look.
"Oh, so you're the taxman. I had no idea the taxman was so pretty." David laughed. "I think I might have some outstanding, but no money on me at the moment. Will you forgive me."
"Yes, yes. Very funny." Nora rolled her eyes as the younger of the two Americans sighed exhasperatedly.
"Now who is you're knowledgable friend?" Daivid asked. "I don't think we've met."
"Oh, I think we might have met in passing." Blue said grabbing Davids hand.
"Well, if you don't know, this is Blue. My err.. friend." Nora said in a formal tone. "Blue this is Dave and Eldo. They're American." She said shooting him another look.
"David, please." David could be heard muttering.
"Nice to meet you, nice to meet you," Blue said now shaking Eldo's hand vigorously.
"Now, Dave and Eldo." Nora said in a businesslike manner.
"David, please. David. Dave's my father." David said petulantly.
"Fine, fine. David. You're not tourists, are you?" Nora said, her eyes narrowing.
"Err.." The two Americans exchanged a look. "No... I guess you've twigged us."
"I wondered why you two only wanted to talk about herring and lingonberries." Nora said shaking her head.
"Yeah, sorry." The younger of the two said blushing.
"Though I guess you can't talk about it."
"No.. sorry."
"It's getting pretty cold, isn't it." Nora said suddenly all innocent, looking at the snow falling around them. "Now why don't we go for a drink. I know this place with a roaring fireplace just around the corner."
"Well.." David started.
"Why not." Eldo said agreeingly before he got to finish.
"You study biology, right?" Nora said to Eldo as they started walking to the bar.
"That and international politics." Eldo answered.
"That's really cool." Nora said.
"Oh, you think so? Most people find it pretty dull."
"I'm not most people," Noira smiled.
"I guess not," Eldo smiled back.

"Now this is what we're going to do." Nora said with a predatory gleam in her eye, as they had all settled down with a drink around the pub fireplace. "We're going to play a northern fjordlandian drinking game, that goes like this. We'll alternate asking questions, and if you don't want to answer you have to drink."




"That was impressive." Blue said as he supported a staggering Nora out of the bar. "But you could have answered one or two of the easy ones, no? What's your first name, and so on."
"Agents don't reveal schtuff like that." Nora said, her words a bit muddled.
The snow was fallling faster now. Blue wondered if there would be anything left to see come morning.
"It's certainly coming down," Blue said innocently.
"Sure, winter is coming." Nora said collapsing in a fit of hysterics.
"Hey, it's not that funny." Blue said sighing, although he couldn't quite hide a small smile. Noras enthusiasm was certainly infectious.
"Oh, but it is." Nora said wiping a tear.
"So, I guess we better get you a taxi." Blue said in a caring tone.
"Nooooo, no. Nooooo. Nonononononono." Nora said. "We have to.. get back to work.*hick*"
"Sigh. She did leave you in charge, didn't she." Blue sighed, a slight smile still on his face.
"Yess.. I'm in charge. And weeere going... this way." Nora did an expertly excecuted 360 piruette, her Sherlock coat flapping in the wind and snow, flinging her arm out in a seemigly random direction.
"Err.. you're pointing at a wall."
"We obviously have to go round the building first." Nora said assuringly.
"God, even when you're drunk you're adorable." Blue said.
"Hey... I'm not adora*hick*"
"Yeah.. not at all.."
"Here we go again. You think I'm cute."
"I never said you were cute. I said you were adorable."
"Right."
"You know what adorable means, right? It means you deserve to be adored. It means you're wonderful and deserve every good thing that could happen to you to happen. It doesn't imbue you with any sense of mawkish cuteness."
"Right."
*whosh*
"Now, should I help you out of that snowdrift?" Blue asked.
"Yes, please."

"You know, I'm getting tired being the sober one. Maybe I should have a drink too." Blue said consideringly.
"Good idea. I know this place right around the corner where they have a roaring fireplace." Nora suggested, the mischievous glint back in her eye.
"Are you going to pour a glass of wine over my head again?" Blue asked deadpan.
"Oh, but you had paid for it." Nora said innocently. "I thought it only fair. But.. no. Not if you don't want me to."
"Ok then," Blue said rolling his eyes. "And no drinking games."
"Of course not," Nora smiled if possible even more innocently.
"Those Americans are probably still there."
"Why did we even go outside?"
"Don't know. You?"
"No, me neither."
"What about that dinner with Amarië," Blue asked.
"Oh, don't worry about that." Nora said, making a big number of checking her stylish watch. "We have hours yet. It's only three."
"Three? But it's pitch black." Blue said shocked? Exhasperated?
"That's how it is here in winter," Nora said, encouragingly patting him on the back.

Bluebottle wrote:I did say that, didn't I. Um..

(Thanks for caring enough to complain. )

Part 21 wrote:"Are you two okay?" Amarië asked, a little worried? Amused? "You look a little worse for wear."
"Oh, we're fine.. fine.." Blue said, drifting off as he suddenly realized he had put his elbow in the butter tray.
"Never been better," Nora agreed, smiling widely.
"I ordered us a bottle of wine, but I'm not sure.." Amarië started.
"Great," Nora said. "What are we eating? I'm starving. I could eat a horse."
"I don't think Horse is on the menu," Amarië said, smiling one of her private smiles. "But you can have watever else you like. It's on the department."
"Great," Nora mumbled. Her mouth now filled with the complementary bread from the table.
"Why don't we order some of everything and share," Blue suggested, he was still trying to dap the butter off his elbow with his napkin.
"I don't want to share," Nora complained.
"Oh, I don't know. That sounds a very statesman like idea to me," Amarië said. "Can we have a bit of everything?" She asked a passing waiter.
"Everything?" He said. "Errr..."
"And quickly," Amrië said arching her eyebrow. "We're hungry."
"Err.. Of course, Minister." The waiter said.
"At once." Amarië smiled.
"Of course, at once." He said before he fled the table.
"You have to teach me how to do that," Nora said considering, looking after the fleeing waiter.
"Oh, you'll get there eventually." Amarië said. "I somehow think you have it in you.."
"Oh," Nora said self conciously, grabbing another piece of bread. "Thanks."

"This is 2005 Bordeaux. Saint Emillion to be exact," Amarië informed them as the wine arrived. Pouring them each a glass herself, as waiter had again fled the table after his attempt to pour had been met with another arched eyebrow. "You can hardly get it outside France."
"Oh," Blue said, grudingly impressed? sniffing his wine. "It certainly got a stunning bouquet."
"Bouquet?" Nora asked raising an eyebrow, taking a big mouthfull of her glass.
"It's the smell of the wine," Blue explained. Nora rolled her eyes.
"Like it?" Amairë asked Nora, looking at her over her glasses.
"Yeb, ids great." Nora gulped down the mouthfull she had taken, looking a little embarrased
"It's 50 kroner a sip," Amarië informed her not unkindly.
"Though I think you might have been closer top a 500 kroner gulp," Blue laughed.
"Gulp," Nora said self conciously.
"Well, I for one think wine should be enjoyed." Amarië said. "There's no reason to feel self concious."
"Well, I probably agree with that on reflection." Blue said with a slightly embarrased appologetic smile. "I'm sorry."
At that moment the dishes started arriving.
"Elk steak sprinkled with thyme on a bed of root vegetables", the one waiter said.
"Lightly salted cod with the accompaniments of the season," the other waiter said.  
"Cod and elk," Nora mused. "Yes, that seems a great combination."
"Surf and turf?" Blue suggested.
"More like pine and salt water," Nora said. Although she wasted no time in tucking greedily into the lightly salted cod.

"So, how have you been getting on with work?" Amarië asked, her voice suddenly very soft.
"We've made huge progress!" Nora said smiling broadly.
"Oh," Amarië said consideringly.
"Mostly thanks to Nora," Blue added.
"He said grudingly," Nora added.
"I didn't mean it grudingly at all," Blue complained.  
"No?"
"No."
"Really?"
"You did great, really."
"Oh."
"Well, I'm glad the two of you agree on that at least." Amarië sighed. "Well, tell me all about this great progress you've been making then."  


An hour later they had tasted their way through twenty courses of one of the most comprehensive northern fjordlandian menues in the world. Blue was looking quite content, but was still occasionally trying to get the butter off his jacket elbow with little success. On the other side of the table Nora had started snoring gently, although the only other outward sign of her being anything other than wide awake and perfectly attentive was her closed eyes. A skill earned through many years of agent activity, no doubt.
"Well, at least you can't complain about me being your boss." Amairë said, smirking like at some personal joke.  
"What.." Blue started.
"Well, if I had showed up drunk to a dinner with the Minister back when I was a lowely statssekretær.." Amarië said taking a deliberately slow sip of her wine glass.
"Oh.. um.. yeah.. sorry." Blue said self counciously.
"Oh, it's fine." Amarië surpressed a small laugh. "You're amusing company. When you're not actively giving me a headache, that is. Don't tell Ms. Herring I said anything though."
"She would probably like me to point out she's an agent at this point," Blue said carefully.
"Sorry, sorry." Amarië said. "Agent Herring, obviously. I don't want to make her self concious. And in all honesty, as long as you guys keep delivering results like this I won't complain about your methods."
"That's very.. err.. of you.." Blue attempted, the words seemingly not wanting to come out in any sort of semblance or order.
"Obviously," Amarië said with a small smile. "Anyway," she yawned. "I think I'll leave you two to it. See you at breakfast tomorrow. And I want those reports now, don't forget."
"Obviously," Blue said. "See you tomorrow." He said gently afer her as she was walking off.  
"Hei.. Nora." Blue said, nuding her gently as Amarië dissapeared from the room.
"What?!" Nora complained.  
"Err.. Are you asleep?"
"No." Nora said deadpan. "I'm not asleep. If I was asleep you obviously wouldn't be waking me."
"Err.." Blue continued, his voice still gentle, his tone explaining. "Your eyes are closed.."
"I'm resting my eyes, obviously."
"I just thought you'd like to know Amarië's gone."
"Oh," Nora said. Suddenly all awake. Years of agent experience springing into motion, she look ready for anything. If you could sit on tip toes that was what she was doing. "What.. How.. Where.." She said all at once.
"Don't worry," Blue said. "She seemed quite happy. She said she thought you did well."
"Oh." Nora said relaxing back into her previous pose, a slight hint of grumpiness over being woken creeping into her voice.
"I think she might even have been slightly impressed."
"Oh, right." Nora said, dragging the last word out.  
"She's certainly never had a dinner meeting like this before," Blue laughed.  
Nora threw the breadbasket on the table at his head.