7 am, 3rd September. Parliamentary prison cell

[therealpm]

*Peter wakes up several times during the night.  The bright sodium glare of the streetlights regularly tricking his brain into thinking it's dawn.  Eventually, he gets up, grabs a spare blanket and hangs it on the highest window bar he can reach.  It doesn't block all the light, but enough to let him sleep until morning.

The morning is not a happy one, Peter's mental stock taking: 'Owner: one.  Practically incurable disease: one.  Means to contact George: zero.' does not lend itself to cheer.  Now that he's less furious, he can feel his magic roiling beneath D'Souza's binding, giving him a continuous need to figit or find some other outlet for the pent up force.  He paces the room.*

Comments

8 a.m.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John sees that Peter is awake. He thinks about attempting conversation, but Peter's still more than likely livid with him. Instead, he decides that breakfast would be a good idea. He calls Black Rod and puts in a request which the ex-army man reluctantly agrees.*

...good morning, Peter.

Re: 8 a.m.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter simply gives him a baleful glare and continues pacing.*

Re: 8 a.m.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John doesn't attempt conversation again until after breakfast has arrived and Peter is eating, seated at the table and chair John summons.*

Sleep well?

Re: 8 a.m.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter eats half the meal, then pushes the tray away.*

No.

Re: 8 a.m.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John just manages to hold back an exasperated sigh.*

*He looks at his watch. He really shouldn't be here - he's got to sort out the children and today is the first day sitting again and still hasn't managed to get through all his constituency correspondences...*

Is there anything else I can get you before I go to work?

Re: 8 a.m.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter ticks items off on his fingers.*

- my blackberry.
- removal of D'Souza's binding
- a pair of curtains
- an extension to the two dozen or so square metres of floor which currently comprise the entirity of the area I am permitted to perambulate.

...that should do for now.

Re: 8 a.m.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John summons a pair of curtains - House of Commons green and covered in portcullises, naturally. He also summons from an old cupboard one of Sally's worn out but working mobile phones. He holds it in his hand and charms it to block contact with The Machine. It may not be perfect, and Peter will probably break through the charm, given enough time, but hopefully the gift John ordered for the other man will arrive soon, and then John won't have to worry about his wards being broken again.*

*He hands the phone through the bars.*

That is all I can do for the moment. I cannot remove the Lord Speaker's charm.

The extension of the room we shall consider later.

Re: 8 a.m.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter accepts the phone with bad grace.*

Even double or triple the size, it will be the same four walls and I am tired of looking at them.

Re: 8 a.m.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

I'll call Frances later and see if she's free to take you to the little courtyard outside the librarian's quarters.

Re: 8 a.m.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter gives him a flat look, asking sarcastically*

...and will she be throwing a frisbee or a stick?

Re: 8 a.m.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

That's choice is entirely up to her, I think you'll find.

*John checks his watch*

I really do have to be going soon.

Re: 8 a.m.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

Toddle off.

Re: 8 a.m.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

I'll leave when Black Rod is able to take over the watch.

If the courtyard isn't enough space for you, I'm sure that Black Rod knows of a few very secure army training facilities to which he could take you. I'll ask him when he arrives.

Re: 8 a.m.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

Difficult, as both you and Black Rod need to be in the chamber at the same time at the opening of Parliament, but I'm sure you'll cope.

Re: 8 a.m.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John splutters. Lack of both sleep and coffee have not aided his wits one bit. He hopes he can pull back by the time Education Questions come round later. Merlin knows he's going to need to be on top of things today - outside the Chamber as well as in, if the gift arrives today.*

I'll call one of my deputies to sort you out.

*He gets out his own phone and sends round a text*

Text from 078## ######

Who's turn is it to be on guard duty now? And, whoever is meant to be on watch now - where the devil are you?

-John

Re: 8 a.m.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter raises an eyebrow*

I suppose I should be flattered that, despite being magically bound and warded in by the power of the mace, you still feel the need to post a guard. I never knew you cared.

Re: 8 a.m.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John ignores Peter's comments. That bloody thing had better arrive today, he thinks. The Mace will be busy once again with the Commons sitting. Thankfully the Lords aren't back for another month, though he tells himself, or we'd really be in a fix trying to keep Peter warded in.*

*Eventually, Black Rod returns and takes away Peter's things. he makes no comment, decidedly unamused by whatever it is that the damned wizards had got themselves into this time.*

*John nods his thanks, checking his phone frequently.*

Re: 8 a.m.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter considers antagonising Black Rod, simply for a change of pace, but decides against it. The two had never been on the friendliest of terms, as perhaps might be expected given that Black Rod's responsibilities include the security of the Palace, something Peter threatens routinely whenever he's bored.

No, Peter decides, reminding Black Rod of the heap of grievances between them under present circumstances would be most unwise. Better that he stay quiet and allow John to be the target of any resentment.*

Re: 8 a.m.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John gets increasingly irritated as no one shows. He may very well have to leave Peter by himself, at this rate.*

*He's been fine before, though, even when the wolf was stronger, John thinks to himself. And the bind that Frances put on him - goodness, he does glow in it, doesn't he? - will hold for a good while longer. With the partially locked off phone, it's incredibly likely he'll cause no real danger...right? Hopefully Osborne or Campbell or someone will show soon, keep him distracted.

*John checks his watch again, hoping against hope that it shows a different time to the blinking numbers on his mobile phone screen.*

I can't stay. Don't do anything you shouldn't - according to my standards, Peter, not yours - and I'll try and come back soon. We still need to thrash out the details of your potion's course of treatment.

*Before John leaves, he summons a manuscript.*

Sally's latest draft of her novel. She's asked me to look through it but I don't have the time. Read it for me, would you, and make any annotations you think relevant.

*John passes through the pages and a red pen. There. That should keep him busy.*

I'll be back as soon as I can.

*With that, John leaves to go about his Speakerly duties.*

Re: 8 a.m.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter waits for John to leave, then rips out the few blank pages at the back of the manuscript. He can't use his magic, but some incantations have weight all of their own. With the right arithmancy, he might be able to divert power from the binding spell or wards to crack the charms John's placed on the phone. Brow furrowing, he notes down some equations and gets to work.*

[dasouzzle.livejournal.com]

*Frances wanders in for her shift. Her eyebrows shoot up when she finds the room empty except for their prisoner, but he is still in his cell and the wards appear to be intact.*

Hello, Lord Mandelson.

Does this afternoon find you in a more civil mood?

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*He hears footsteps approaching and quickly slots the sheets with equations on them into the middle of the book.

Baroness D'Souza.

...more contained than yesterday, certainly.

[dasouzzle.livejournal.com]

Good.

John should have spoken with you about this yesterday, instead of dropping it on you and then running off. Did you get a chance to talk this morning?

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

He informed me that I would be granted the freedom of the librarian's court, under your supervision, and that until then I should occupy myself with annotating his wife's manuscript.

[dasouzzle.livejournal.com]

*Frances rolls her eyes*

I'll kill him. All right, in that case I suppose I'd better speak with you.

We had to get the papers filed yesterday, and you were in no condition to make a decision. Someone had to take responsibility or DEFRA would have assumed custody. That is not, I think, an outcome you would wish for. But that doesn't mean you will be stuck with our stopgap measure indefinitely.

Do you want John to remain as your guardian, or should we initiate proceedings for a transfer of o- your guardianship? And if so, do you have someone to transfer it to?