Slouching Towards Bedlam — 23 of 76

Section 4 - Du Monde

Section 4(a) - Ask

[Why does 'try asking Du Monde about "[dumonde]"' not work?]

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[self]", try asking Du Monde about "Du Monde".

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[dumonde]" for the first time, say "'Du Monde. Alexandra Du Monde - owner, proprietress, and chief mechanist. I'd shake your hand, but...' She holds a greasy hand up apologetically."

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'There is really nothing more to say, sir. I am what I do.'"

Instead of doing it for the third time, say "'Why so curious, sir? Certainly you are not so old-fashioned as to think a woman cannot understand machines as well as a man?'"

Instead of doing it for more than three times, say "'I am quite tired of speaking of myself, sir.'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[aetheric amplifier]" when the trade card is off-stage, say "'Hope everything goes well with it, sir.'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[aetheric amplifier]" for the first time, say "'Trouble with your magnetophone, sir? That happens often enough within the city limits.'"

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'An amplifier module would help, yes sir, but they're rather rare. I only get them on special order. And no use asking about that - I only just got my last order in. It'd be weeks before I could put in another.'"

Instead of doing it for the third time, say "'As I said, I do have an aetheric amplifier, but I can't just give it away. It was a special order.'"

Instead of doing it for more than three times, say "'There's really nothing more to say, sir.'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[loft]" for the first time, say "'You with the Bobbies, then? No? Well, it's not for let currently, if that's your question. Cleve was...forcibly removed, I believe the term is.'"

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'They left the place a wreck, broke the door right off the hinge. I had a devil of a time resetting it, wood just isn't as compliant as metal.'"

Instead of doing it for the third time, say "'If you want to take a look at it, come back next week. I haven't had a chance to clean it or change the locks yet.'"

Instead of doing it for more than three times, say "'Really nothing more to say, is there?'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[barthelemy]" for the first time, say "'What about him? He paid for his crime.'"

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'I would have attended myself... to see the fruition of many months work... however, business over pleasure. Who would mind the shop?'"

Instead of doing it for more than two times, say "'Criminals must pay, mustn't they?'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[bedlam]" for the first time, say "'Sad place, sir. Sad.'"

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'Well, as I understand it, the renovation was supposed to be a good thing. But what came of it, I ask you? All that money...'"

Instead of doing it for the third time, say "'They dump the mad there like they dumped the dead here, three centuries ago. You think anyone with money goes to Bedlam?' She laughs. 'They've got sanatoriums out in the country for folks like that.'"

Instead of doing it for more than three times, say "'I can't think of anything more to say.'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[basement]" for the first time, say "'It's where I keep my stores, sir.' She smiles proudly. 'I own the whole building.'"

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'Staff only.'"

Instead of doing it for the third time, say "'It's none of your business, sir. Leave well enough alone.'"

Instead of doing it for more than three times, say "'You've no business in my cellars, sir.'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[cleve]" for the first time, say "She give a short, barking laugh. 'You know about him, do you? Clever boy, that one. Too clever by half. Always knew he'd come to a bad end.'"

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'What a pompous little thing he was -- came to this cesspool with nothing to his name but a handful of books and an overabundance of [']education.['] Not a dime in his pocket or a useful skill. I must have had a feminine moment of weakness...' She smiles wryly. 'I felt badly for him, took him in like a lost dog.'"

Instead of doing it for the third time, say "'Made him my assistant, even let him the room upstairs. Thought I could teach him something. But he thought he already knew it all. Didn't want to learn. Then he went and destroyed...' She stops, frowns. 'Well, he made a mess of the shop *and* the apartment while I was away on holiday. My fault for trusting, I suppose.'"

Instead of doing it for more than three times, say "'That's all I'll say -- other than I'm not sure in the end which of us was the bigger fool.'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[cypherists]" for the first time, say "Her body stiffens ever so slightly.[paragraph break]'Cypherists? Not something I stock, sir. Never even heard of a machine like that.'"

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'Perhaps you mean programmers, the folks who build the brains on the analytical devices? I believe what they do is called coding...that's a bit like a cypher.'"

Instead of doing it for the third time, say "'I'm sure I don't know what you mean,' she says as the device she has been adamantly fiddling with snaps in her hand.[paragraph break]'Damn,' she mutters beneath her breath, and fishes a duplicate from beneath the counter."

Instead of doing it for the fourth time, say "'I told you sir,' she says firmly, 'I have no idea what you are speaking of.'"

Instead of doing it for the fifth time, say "'I sell machines, sir. If you have no business of that nature here, then I bid you good day.'"

Instead of doing it for more than five times, say "'Good day, sir.'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[drawer]" for the first time, say "'Bits and bobs, sir. It's my filing system, as it were.'"

Instead of doing it for more than one time, say "'There's really nothing more to say.'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[newgate]" for the first time, say "'Not my style of entertainment, if you don't mind my saying so, sir.'"

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'I'm not passing judgment, mind you -- I just have more interesting ways to pass my idle time, what little I am blessed with.'"

Instead of doing it for the third time, say "'It's a nice area, I understand. The prison aside.'"

Instead of doing it for more than three times, say "'Can't think of anything more to say, really...'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[pin]" for the first time, say "'A trifle, I assure you.'"

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'This is a mechanists' shop, sir - not a jewelers.'"

Instead of doing it for the third time, say "'It is mine, sir. I do not think anything more needs be said.'"

Instead of doing it for more than three times, say "Du Monde gifts you with the barest of glances before continuing her work."

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[queen]" for the first time, say "'God, what a prude.'[paragraph break]She blinks, as if suddenly remembering herself.[paragraph break]'Rather, God Bless Her, sir.'"

Instead of doing it for more than one time, say "Du Monde coughs, then returns to her work."

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[triage]" for the first time, say "[if Triage is visible]She gives Triage a professional glance. 'The Mark III - a nice model.'[otherwise]'Nice machine. None in stock at the moment, sorry.'"

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'It's fairly intuitive, really. Turn it on, and then point at whatever object you have a question about. It has a fairly comprehensive amount of data on common items. And of course the user can enter personal data.'[paragraph break]She lowers her voice to a loud whisper. 'Between you and me, sir, I find its [']ability['] to analyze data a bit sketchy. After all, it's not omniscient, is it? It only knows what it's told.'"

Instead of doing it for the third time, say "'You need an additional piece for data entry. Ivory, I think it is. Just a moment.'[paragraph break]She searches behind the counter, then opens a few of the drawers.[paragraph break]'Sorry sir,' she says, returning. 'We seem to be out of stock. Come back in a few weeks. I'll be able to fix you right up then.'"

Instead of doing it for more than three times, say "'Can't be of any help to you, sir - least not until the shipments come in.'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about "[zola]" for the first time, say "Du Monde lets out a huge laugh.[paragraph break]'If you want to waste your money sir, might as well just give it to me. I can burn it for you well enough here.'"

Instead of doing it for the second time, say "'Such nonsense.'"

Instead of doing it for the third time, say "'You'd be better of asking a Mechanist about the future than a fortune-teller any day, if you ask me.'"

Instead of doing it for more than three times, say "'I'm quite through speaking about *that* nonsense, thank you.'"

Instead of asking Du Monde about something, say "[one of]'I can't help you, sir. I am, after all, merely a mechanist.'[or]'I don't feel as though I'm qualified to answer that question.'[or]'I'm afraid I can't help you there.'[or]'Why would I know anything about that?'[at random]"