Sat, May 19 2012
Then there was the list of directions in which the story could go:
1. The staff recognizes the boots as Phileas', and - at a loss to understand what they're doing outside of Jules' bedroom door -- decide that the master is taking inappropriate advantage of young Verne's good nature. It is up to them to remonstrate with the master, and "convert" Jules to alternate (i.e. more mainstream) pillowing habits. They unanimously decide to convert first and remonstrate later (time's a-wasting). The fact, as it comes out, that Jules does not seem to require much persuasion and also seems to have a natural facility for more mainstream pillowing habits does not stand in the way of the determined house staff, whose duty to their master requires them to take the very best care of his guest. (This is the "slash" version. It could be the SJJVA version.)
2. The staff decides that the boots are really too bad, and take up a collection to buy Jules a new pair of boots, presenting it to him as he leaves. Jules has a long talk with Phileas in London, and buys a really nice fountain pen. Probably a Waterman.
3. The staff decides that the boots are really too bad, take up a collection, and replace them with a beautiful new pair of boots carefully modeled on the old pair of boots, which will of course not fit Jules but how can he possibly not appear wearing them happily?
4. Jules has to wear the beautiful new boots in (3) above to avoid bruised feelings, and his feet are rather wider than Phileas' though they are shorter. This is the "get" version.
5. If Miss Sondra Chaffins is in the story and gives him a nice foot massage as a reward for being a good sport, this is the "hurt/comfort" version.
6. The boots disappear overnight. McIver puts out another pair of old Phileas boots, which also disappear. One pair of boots is found under one maid's mattress and the other pair of boots under another maid's bed. Jules has a heart-to-heart talk with a young boy over a bowl of plums (he is hiding out behind a hedgerow, temporarily overwhelmed, Verne, not the young boy) about why people have a need to acquire fetish items. The young boy's name is James (later Sir James) Fraser and he grows up to write a ground-breaking comparative religion text, but he changes the boots to The Golden Bough because the grove of Diana at Nemea I think it was is inherently more romantic than some Frenchman's boots.
7. Phileas mounts a ninja commando raid of Verne's bedroom and steals the boots. He covers up by pretending that assassins from Indja are on the grounds of Shillingworth Magna looking for the Moonstone (which is a diamond, go figure) which had been smuggled out of Indja by Sir Boniface hidden in a - in a - yeah! A boot! That's right. Jules is forced to let Phileas buy him a new pair of boots (and to wear pumps in the mean time) (but he absolutely draws the line at black satin pumps with a diamond buckle) (I mean, absolutely draws the line). Later, he finds the boots hidden behind Phileas's brandy- decanter in the library and becomes suspicious.
8. Jules finds the Moonstone in an old pair of boots that someone has placed outside his bedroom door for some inexplicable reason. English. He will never understand the English.
9. There really are assassins from Indja on the grounds of Shillingworth Magna. They kidnap Jules and feed him delicious curries, trying to get him to talk. The below-stairs maids enlist Rebecca's aid in forming a tribe of Amazons to go rescue him.
10. The house staff cannot stomach the condition of Phileas' old boots, and hide them in the stables, where one of the stable cats steps into them. The rest is history (or a French folk tale, at least).
11. McIver simply gives Jules a frank talking to about his responsibilities as a guest as regards observing the local customs (putting out of boots to be cleaned) and accepting small tokens (like new pairs of boots) from older and very much wealthier friends who love him very much and would never dream of embarrassing or humiliating him but who would really feel very much better knowing that he had a nice pair of good sturdy boots to keep his feet warm and dry in the Parisian winters, especially as Jules has worn his existing shoe-leather out assisting them on their adventures. This is the fantasy version.
Nice Daurmith liked Ending Number 7, but before I got started on it we had a chat on Sunday that went in an unfortunate direction and I ended up with Ending Number 1 instead. Film at eleven.
Seed Scene | Story Direction | Chapter 1