GUT – Chapter 3

“Of course. We speak all the time. He worries about his heart being lost.”

This is so silly, Pippa thought. This is the G.U.T., an eminent technological institution, and we’re talking about talking to busts.

“It’s not silly at all,” said the old man. “Let me introduce myself. I am The Saint.”

“You’re a saint?” Pippa blinked and felt her head spin.

“Not at all,” the old man said with a chuckle. “My name is Theodor Saint, The Saint for short.”

Pippa laughed. “I’m Philippa Sandberg, Pippa for short. Nice to meet you.” This was the craziest thing that had happened to her all morning, well at least since her conversation with Alex Bell.

“If you like, I’ll tell you about where you’ve just been.”

Pippa raised her left eyebrow. She was good at that having practised it ever since an eyebrow had been peaked at her by a prefect at school. “In front of a bust?”

“My dear, you slipped into telepathy for a few moments, the next village on from telecommunications, McLuhan and beyond, if that means anything.”

Pippa blinked and glanced at her watch.

“Ah, I see that you must be getting on,” The Saint said. “Come by my office some time and I’ll tell you more.”

Pippa knew she had to get back to her drowning radio stations, but she was curious about what Theodor Saint had to say. “I’ll do that. Where … ?”

But the old man had already disappeared down the hall, leaving Pippa halfway between the past and the future.

Pippa came to in the basement of the Tusk, just below the bust of Samuel Morse. Her pants skirt was soaked. “I’m all wet,” she said aloud and looked about her.

“Only some bubbly. It’s not the Titanic,” a voice said.

Pippa looked up and saw the bronze bust of Samuel Morse shaking his head slowly. “But too much of that bubbly stuff can lead to disaster.”

Somehow Pippa wasn’t too surprised to hear the bust talking. I’ve already met Alex Bell, she thought, and here’s Sam Morse now.

She remembered how she’d practised the code, tapping out dah-dah-dah-dit-dit-dit-dah-dah-dah on a little tapper her father had set up in the garage where she and the other kids in the secret Kids’ Code Club had played at spies and robbers.

So this was the great Sam. Pippa stood up so that she could look him straight in the eye. “Your code didn’t help the Titanic much,” she said