Sentence The Thirteenth
“Do tell,” urged Roxy, and Maude, undisputed aficionado of all things Late-Early Mediaeval and Romance, asked her if she knew the story of how the Black Douglas carried King Robert's heart to the Holy Land and then brought it back for burial in Melrose Abbey, in accordance with King Robert's wishes - “of course I do,” snorted Roxy, her Freudian 'id' turning somersaults in her psyche at the implication of ignorance contained in Daphne's enquiry, “doesn't every Scottish schoolgirl, who walked five miles from Tomintoul Castle to Tomintoul Village School, carrying her books buckled to the ends of a tumpline, suspended from her head, know the tale, of Douglas's trials and tribulations,” to which Maude retorted that it was more complicated and included much devilment and underhand tactics by some leading figures of the time, though she did not mention that – as Godmother to Roxy and her twin-sister Trixie – she knew the girls had been taken to school in a dog-cart, with a liveried footman carrying their books; “but what's that to do with an Organ Grinder, a Mince-Meat Maker and a Mogul?” enquired Roxy, for she was truly mystified; and Daphne began to explain, but first asked Roxie how it had come to pass that she had encountered all of the people she had, that very morning
and Roxie replied that she had been attending a Leaders' Debate, along with Ginger Goldfish, barnstorming leader of the resurgent Nationalist Party; The O'Raeahilly, staid leader of the Scottish Branch of the Workers Party; someone she could not recall from the minor party in the current Coalition, who may have been called Jim; and Leigh Waters, rotating Chairman of the Ethical Gardeners Party who could rhapsodise ad infinitum on the benefits of abandoning all cities and living on the land, or, as he was wont to summarise – Going Back To Our Roots; and the names she had given Daphne were of persons present at that debate, in the Free Church College at the top of the Mound, “but what have they to do with King Robert's Heart? she repeated for the umpteenth time,' and Maude nodded sagely, intoning the words: “it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing!” to which Daphne concurred: “exactly,” she said.
“Do tell,” urged Roxy, and Maude, undisputed aficionado of all things Late-Early Mediaeval and Romance, asked her if she knew the story of how the Black Douglas carried King Robert's heart to the Holy Land and then brought it back for burial in Melrose Abbey, in accordance with King Robert's wishes - “of course I do,” snorted Roxy, her Freudian 'id' turning somersaults in her psyche at the implication of ignorance contained in Daphne's enquiry, “doesn't every Scottish schoolgirl, who walked five miles from Tomintoul Castle to Tomintoul Village School, carrying her books buckled to the ends of a tumpline, suspended from her head, know the tale, of Douglas's trials and tribulations,” to which Maude retorted that it was more complicated and included much devilment and underhand tactics by some leading figures of the time, though she did not mention that – as Godmother to Roxy and her twin-sister Trixie – she knew the girls had been taken to school in a dog-cart, with a liveried footman carrying their books; “but what's that to do with an Organ Grinder, a Mince-Meat Maker and a Mogul?” enquired Roxy, for she was truly mystified; and Daphne began to explain, but first asked Roxie how it had come to pass that she had encountered all of the people she had, that very morning
and Roxie replied that she had been attending a Leaders' Debate, along with Ginger Goldfish, barnstorming leader of the resurgent Nationalist Party; The O'Raeahilly, staid leader of the Scottish Branch of the Workers Party; someone she could not recall from the minor party in the current Coalition, who may have been called Jim; and Leigh Waters, rotating Chairman of the Ethical Gardeners Party who could rhapsodise ad infinitum on the benefits of abandoning all cities and living on the land, or, as he was wont to summarise – Going Back To Our Roots; and the names she had given Daphne were of persons present at that debate, in the Free Church College at the top of the Mound, “but what have they to do with King Robert's Heart? she repeated for the umpteenth time,' and Maude nodded sagely, intoning the words: “it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing!” to which Daphne concurred: “exactly,” she said.
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