Prompt Word: Desert
Minervie and Chip 37
“Thomas Parnell? He died.” said the professor.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Minervie said.
The professor added with a bit more cheer, “They named this building after him when it was completed a few years back.”
Minervie was definitely having a lot less fun with this now. Getting back to her main story, “I heard there was a pitch demonstration to see, do you…”
The professor went into automatic mode, “Upstairs in the hall.” The professor continued with his business.
The professor walked out of his own class with a pile of papers. Deserted, she followed him out into the hall, and found a staircase up, she spotted the glass doored cabinet that held the demonstration immediately.
Next to the cabinet, she worked her magic as quietly as she could, to renew magic that would distract an observer just before movement. She noticed someone, approach but stand back at a respectful distance so she continued her mischievous mission.
A young woman was standing there observing, and when Minervie finished, she stepped forward, “Did you know the Professor well?” Minervie looked up and stared blankly. “You looked like you were praying.”
Seeing the out, Minervie nodded and said, “I met him once, fifteen years ago. I promised myself that I’d get back one day, but it seems I missed the opportunity. I’ve always been fascinated by this display. I hear, still, nobody has seen it fall.”
The young woman nodded, “Yes, it has never been observed. Honestly, we mostly ignore it.”
Minervie was curious, “Oh?”
“Like trying to watch a tree grow. Who has the time?”
Minervie nodded, satisfied she hadn’t been found out. “Thank you for your concern miss. I think I must be going.” At that, Minervie left.
Meta
The easily accessible records about the Queensland University Pitch Drop Experiment are not clear. Parnell died in 1948, but the second “custodian” of the experiment wasn’t named until 1961, so I’m taking the liberty that, at least through the 1950s, very few people in the faculty actually cared about this as an experiment, but instead treated it as an artifact of Thomas Parnell himself to be kept like an old trophy in the building that was named after him (completed in 1951).
Link to first post: https://wandering.shop/@vollink/115788610125790214