The winter bear
August
3
Orion’s,
late morning. Third cup of coffee.
Some
much-needed head-clearing. Fucking
cards gave me a migraine yesterday, and by the time it passed I didn’t have
anything like the will to give them another try. Had a walk, lit up a really fabulous Dominican maduro I’d
been saving for a month, and watched a glorious sunset from a bench on Prospect
Street. I could feel the evening
wanting to get cool already, like autumn’s anxious to get started.
This is always a weird time – godawful hot days and chilly nights.
I’m looking forward to being able to just break out the Big Coat and be
done with it.
Came
back home and dreamwalked to a part of the Labyrinth I absolutely know I visited
not five days ago, and found it had changed – shifted around in a couple of
completely unexpected ways. It took
some doing getting out of there, and more than a little trial and error.
Not quite scary so much as disconcerting and weird.
I tried to investigate what was behind it, but when I went Deeper it
turned out the guardian had changed on the gate I wanted to use – a huge,
primordial bear in a starlit winter glade, pierced in the side by a spear. It asked my name and didn’t like when I gave “Jenny
Haniver,” so now I’m at a bit of an impasse.
I decided in the end to come back and look into it later, when I’m a
little less frustrated. Maybe
Murdoch or Jack will have some insight into this that will give me some clue to
unraveling it.
Speaking
of which, I went to Ashley House this morning to return Jack’s copy of of the Codex
and got a first look at the new lodger. Guy
named Ian who’s apparently a painter. Nice
guy, if not much of a morning person, and kind of cute and appealing in a
rumpled, bohemian sort of way. (Not
that I have a lot of room to talk.) Did
pick up an artist vibe coming off him in a big way, though there’s nothing
else about him I can really get a bead on yet.
Should
go home and get some rest. Doing a
shift at the Library tonight – not especially exciting, but the extra
money’s nice. It’s been a while
since I heard from the Old Man. I’d
be inclined to be concerned if I didn’t damn well know better.
On the other hand, as weird as yesterday was, nothing would surprise me.