page eight

[fantasies]

Okay, so, don't take this the wrong way or anything. I like having a break as much as the next kid.

[A pause, for emphasis. That's really important. He's in no rush to go back to school.]

But what are you supposed to do all the time when summer's over and it's not Christmas yet? This place is magic, there has to be something I haven't tried yet, even if I can't wish for things anymore.

Comments

[protosshaze]

What's Christmas?

dictated

[holyrabies]

Oh, man, I totally know what you mean.

[ino]

Don't you have any hobbies or anything?

[fantasies]

It's an Earth holiday. A really, really great one.

[A pause.]

It's kind of hard to explain, but you get presents for it.

[protosshaze]

Is Earth your home?

dictated!

[wheatdos]

Have you considered science, mate?

[A friendly British voice speaks as enthusiastically to you! It isn't hard that he's talking to someone who was literally created/i> for and by science. The passion was obvious.]

[fantasies]

Right?

I already kind of ran out of the stuff I usually do during the summer.

[fantasies]

[Henry's hobbies: reading.

breaking curses.]

I guess so. But I can't do that stuff all the time.

[fantasies]

No, no, I don't want to go to school.

[He's assuming Wheatley didn't hear him right, because science = school in a ten year old's brain, always and forever.]

[fantasies]

Yeah. It is for a lot of people here, I think.

[holyrabies]

Yeah, I was bored a lot at home. How long have you been here?

[protosshaze]

Wow... It must be a big place.

[wheatdos]

[He gawks a little.]

Wh-what? Ohhh, hahaha! Nononono, mate. S-Science isn't school! Science is fun...

And-and school... well, well school is considerably less fun, from what I've heard.

[whichwayyoulean]

There's probably a teacher in the castle if you're that desperate to fill your time.

[ino]

I guess that's true. You're probably too young to get a job, huh?

[fantasies]

Since June. However long that is. [a beat, while he counts it. He doesn't think about it that often.] Wow, five months.

[fantasies]

Oh, yeah, it's huge. I've only been to one tiny part of it.

[fantasies]

[The skepticism is strong with this one.]

We do science in school. It's not that fun.

[protosshaze]

How come?

[fantasies]

I want to fill it with fun stuff.

[holyrabies]

That's better than one-hundred eighteen years. But I understand! We'll have to find some fun stuff for you to do.

[wheatdos]

Well... what kind of science do you do?

[fantasies]

Yeah, I don't think anybody needs a kid to help them out. I'm too short to reach the shelves.

[fantasies]

Well-- it's complicated. But it'd be hard to go places even if it wasn't. I have to go to school and stuff.

[fantasies]

[Whoops, no, he's latching onto that.]

One hundred eighteen? I didn't think anybody had been here that long.