I hope everyone is having a fantastic day. Mine is going pretty well actually. The weather is fabulous so I plan to take my laptop to the back porch and enjoy it for a while. But lets get the timed writing done first. Keep the timers indoors So set them for fifteen and off we go.
I’m going to need definite ideas before I do anything with this. Once I clear the generalities away I think it could be fun.
Wednesday, October 16th: I don’t want to have this conversation a second time.
“I don’t want to have this conversation a second time,” he said.
Sylvie start to open her mouth and tell him that they weren’t having a conversation this time but catching the flash of anger in his eyes, she let the comment go. Figuring it was settled, he huffed, tugged his jacket straight and turned away. He walked out of the door, confident the matter was settled.
She watched him go. She knew that his reaction would be like this. Knew he would object and that his objections would be strong. She had prepared his arguments hoping that despite his stance she would be able to convince him using logic and persuasion.
She hadn’t gotten the chance.
He walked in, announced that he heard her research was delving into areas he did not approve and declared that she would stop immediately. He had even assigned her a new research topic. It was typed up and placed on the table before her. Sylvie eased forward and picked up the papers he placed down before declaring the topic closed.
She lifted them up and flipped through them. The topic was a fairly interesting one even f it was innocuous. It was also easy enough that she could do it while standing on her head It required no extra work decoding odd word usages in ancient texts. There was little translation of any kind actually, all of the documents she would need already had official translations.
Sylvie continued to look at the pages. He had already filed the research topic with the committee, had it approved and made official. This was the topic she would be expected to research officially. It was registered. It was done.
‘So this is the one I will have to work on if I want to stay in the University’s good graces,’ Sylvie thought. She knew with this on file they would accept no other topic from her.
‘But there is no reason I can’t research on my own,’ she thought. His topic was easy and would take little attention from her. She could be seen working on it, while continuing her own work. ‘I’d have to be careful though,’ Sylvie thought. She expected that someone would be watching where she went in the archives.
She didn’t know why her topic was frowned upon so fiercely, but it was clear that someone was watching her. She expected if she went into sections not deemed appropriate for her official topic, censure would be given.
‘But I have already collected enough to work on for a while without going to those sections,’ Sylvie thought. Avoiding them publicly for a while might be in her best interests. It would lull suspicions and make it seem as though she accepted their ruling. Their guard would be relaxed.
‘And by th time I make it through my collected research I might actually find out what they consider the problem.’
To Sylvie that was the real mystery. The topic she chose was on ancient dialects. The research would require she delve into the dustier and little used sections of the archives, but she couldn’t see how that would be considered problematic. ‘If anything it would keep me out of sight,’ she thought.
There were many, for various reasons who didn’t like to think of her researching in the archives at all.
Ten til Midnight 