It wasn't really Derek's fault. Well it was, he'd done
it but it wasn't his fault he was the person he was. Not really up to
full 'Bull in a China shop' standard but certainly if the proprietor
of any such establishment saw him coming he would have at least
tensed up and held his breath. Imagine an enthusiastic Great Dane pup
and you'd be close. All arms and legs with not quite full control
over any of them. His Uncle really should have known better than to
leave him in the room with something he valued so much but he tended
to think the best of his relatives and it had been that many years he
assumed Derek would have grown out of it. Derek had really done no
more than nudge it but as he stood there open mouthed and heard his
uncle's hand turn the door knob he knew he'd be getting the blame but
somehow it seemed unimportant.
“Jesus Christ what have you done” was all his uncle
managed as his jaw dropped to match Derek's.
The old globe had been in the family so long nobody
could remember where it had come from. It stood (had stood) in the
corner of his uncles study about waist high and had acquired a patina
of age rendering it nearly the same colour as the Mahogany frame
that had contained it. It blended in perfectly with the study which
was lined with old books and smelt of pipe tobacco and library quiet,
a study which even the great Holmes himself would have approved of.
The edges of the continents, such as they were thought to be all
those years ago, had still been visible on the globe and some of the
words. Most noticeably and to the delight of children in the family
down through the generations the disclaimer, common in those days for
unexplored areas, “Here be Dragons”. This had been the starting
point for many childhood fantasies which involved plenty of plank
walking, pieces of eight and as much “Arr Jim lad” as young
throats could stand. Derek couldn't ever remember being able to turn
it in it's cradle though as it had always been somewhat misshapen
which he had assumed was due to age, though had he asked his Uncle he
had never seen it move either.
Well it had moved now, tragically, the frame lying on
it's side and the globe itself smashed all over the floor. The pair
of them stood, open mouthed staring at the remnants whilst a small
dragon of some two feet long stood amongst the shards, hiccuped,
belched an apologetically small jet of flame and stared back at them.
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