The top of the building held a neglected rooftop garden, the long boxes of fallow and weed-choked earth serving only to conceal the armed man who rose from between them when Michael and Stephen passed within a few feet.
“Hold it right there,” he said, leveling his gun first at Michael, then at Stephen, and then settling it on Michael. “You’ve got the look of tribe, but that doesn’t matter if you’re here without any business.”
“Uh, do the names Marcellas and Bernardo mean anything to you?” Michael asked.
“Never heard of them,” the guard said.
“Well, at least they’re alive at the end of the play,” Michael said. “We’re sentries, here to relieve you, good watchman.”
“What’s the password, then?”
“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead,” Michael said.
“Sorry, friend,” the guard said, raising his gun ominously. “I don’t know where you got your information from, but it’s out of date. That was last week’s password.”
“Was it really?” Michael asked.
“No, I’m just yanking your chain,” the guard said.
“It doesn’t happen to be this week’s password, does it?” Michael asked.
“Sadly, it does not,” the guard said. “Who’re you really?”
“I’m the protagonist,” Michael said.
“Say that again?”
“The protagonist,” Michael said.
“It’s from the Greek,” Stephen added helpfully.
“Oh,” the guard said. “Well, she’s actually expecting you. Go on, then.” He pointed at the edge of the roof. “Watch that first step, though, and mind you don’t miss.”
“I’ll try to be careful,” Michael said.
“Wait a second,” the guard said, jabbing his gun at Stephen. “Who said you were going anywhere?”
“I’m, uh, with him,” Stephen said, indicating Michael.
“Who’re you, then?”
“The damned comic relief, apparently,” Stephen muttered.
“Oh,” the guard said, putting up his gun. “I guess you can go, too.”
10 Responses
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First!
Comic relief..
Oh, ok
Protagonist, comic relief… either we’ve seen the bad guy already or nottt yettt
Again, I say, it’s wonderful how everything is entirely logical, even when it would seem to be entirely not. The real question is whether the villain will play their part in the whole of the thing, or try to break the rules.
i think it says something that every other chapter of yours of anything that i read, i think, damn, i want to use that line. in this case, that was last weeks password. really? no.
“The damned comic relief, apparently,” Stephen muttered.
“Oh,” the guard said, putting up his gun. “I guess you can go, too.”
Ha! That made me laugh.
He should be grateful – he made such a stink about protagonists, and yet he’s still relatively safe. The comic relief sometimes gets trouted, but not killed off like a redshirted extra.
@alianthe:
“The comic relief sometimes gets trouted, but not killed off like a redshirted extra.”
tell that to Joss Whedon…
I’m a leaf on the wind!
Oh man don’t get me started on Joss Whedon.
Haha, I love the fluctuating structure of this universe that allows exchanges like this to take place and actually make some modicum of sense. Genius.
Speaking of genius, I didn’t want to waste a comment just to cheer Michael on, but while I’m on the subject, he is rather awesome