Dirk gently's holistic detective agency

‘Just making some tea,’ he called out. ‘Like some? Sit down, sit down, whoever you are.’

‘That would be most kind,’ returned Dirk. ‘We are two.’ Dirk sat, and Richard followed his lead.

‘Indian or China?’ called Reg. ‘Indian, please.’

There was a rattle of cups and saucers.

Richard looked around the room. It seemed suddenly humdrum. The fire was burning quietly away to itself, but the light was that of the grey afternoon. Though everything about it was the same, the old sofa, the table burdened with books, there seemed nothing to connect it with the hectic strangeness of the previous night. The room seemed to sit there with raised eyebrows, innocently saying ‘Yes?’ ‘Milk?’ called out Reg from the kitchen.

‘Please,’ replied Dirk. He gave Richard a smile which seemed to him to be half-mad with suppressed excitement.

‘One lump or two?’ called Reg again.

‘One, please,’ said Dirk, ‘...and two spoons of sugar if you would.’

There was a suspension of activity in the kitchen. A moment or two passed and Reg stuck his head round the door.

‘Svlad Cjelli!’ he exclaimed. ‘Good heavens! Well, that was quick work, young MacDuff, well done. My dear fellow, how very excellent to see you, how good of you to come.’

He wiped his hands on a tea towel he was carrying and hurried over to shake hands.

‘My dear Svlad.’

‘Dirk, please, if you would,’ said Dirk, grasping his hand warmly, ‘I prefer it. It has more of a sort of Scottish dagger feel to it, I think. Dirk Gently is the name under which I now trade. There are certain events in the past, I’m afraid, from which I would wish to disassociate myself.’

‘Absolutely, I know how you feel. Most of the fourteenth century, for instance, was pretty grim,’ agreed Reg earnestly.

Dirk was about to correct the misapprehension, but thought that it might be somewhat of a long trek and left it.

‘So how have you been, then, my dear Professor?’ he said instead, decorously placing his hat and scarf upon the arm of the sofa.

‘Well,’ said Reg, ‘it’s been an interesting time recently, or rather, a dull time. But dull for interesting reasons. Now, sit down again, warm yourselves by the fire, and I will get the tea and endeavour to explain.’ He bustled out again, humming busily, and left them to settle themselves in front of the fire.

Richard leant over to Dirk. ‘I had no idea you knew him so well,’ he said with a nod in the direction of the kitchen.

‘I don’t,’ said Dirk instantly. ‘We met once by chance at some dinner, but there was an immediate sympathy and rapport.’

‘So how come you never met again?’

‘He studiously avoided me, of course. Close rapports with people are dangerous if you have a secret to hide. And as secrets go, I fancy that this is somewhat of a biggie. If there is a bigger secret anywhere in the world I would very much care,’ he said quietly, ‘to know what it is.’

He gave Richard a significant look and held his hands out to the fire. Since Richard had tried before without success to draw him out on file:///E|/...cifi,%20Fantasy,%20And%20Classic%20Ebooks/Adams,%20Douglas/Dirk%20Gently's%20Holistic%20Detective%20Agency.txt[9/5/2013 12:20:28 PM]