T able-linens …

 
As the morning and the break-fast continues the talks are getting louder and livelier.

In the background I can hear Butler Gilbert whisper to the woman Professor Sideburns addressed as Hildegard,

»We must give Farmer Farnsworth a call. His sheep are in our yard again.«

»Escaped again?« Hildegard asks looking out of the library windows. »Better be quick before the whole place is full of sh…«

»Blood pudding, Hildegard«, Professor Sideburns shouts out, »bring more blood-pudding, Hildegard, my cook and housekeeper.«

»We don't have any blood-pudding, Master Claude. The pantries are empty as most of the times«, Hildegard explains, then adds in her sarcastic voice, »And why do your guests keep calling you 'Professor'? Isn't a professor usually an expert in his field and teacher of the highest rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions?«

Gilbert, the butler is smiling brightly, »I'm impressed, Hildegard. Where did you read that definition?«

»On the web. I read that on the interweb.«

»Now that we speak about it«, Kylie wonders, »at which college did you meet, Professor? Which is your Alma marter, KussKuss?«

The llama is leaning over the breakfast table to fish for another cookie from the cookie-jar with its' mouth and teeths.

»Don't be silly, Missy«, the animal smirks, »I am an animal, not a student. Who on this earth had ever heard of a camlid studying Archaeology or any other of the sciences?«

»But it can walk and talk«, Nigel says to no one in particular.

»Burnside and I met in a small and shabby pub at Islington. I had buckets over buckets of stale ale and good old Claude here had to help me with the bill or otherwise I would still be the pub-owner's beast of burden or dishwasher or entertainment playmate or something like that…«

The animal lays its' snout on Claude Sideburns' shoulder and bats its' eyelashes.

Hildegard coughs. And Gilbert turns to the wall with bookshelves to hide his giggling.

»But that is not worth talking about«, the co-called professor says trying to loosen and straighten the collar of his shirt at the same time.

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Today is Monday, the 23rd of January 2023.

A Pub in Winter