My favourite bits (so far)

Here are my two favourite bits (so far) from the Michael Innes book I'm reading at the moment. I'm reading it sloooowly, because it's my last one.

The nethermost of Bultitudes's chins contrived a caressing movement across his chest. It held the negative significance which a physically more reckless man would have achieved by shaking his head. (p. 84)

The Provost reached for a decanter. 'I attribute the still comparatively unclouded state of my faculties to the observance of one single rule. I have taken to nothing but solitary drinking. Drink does no harm if you are in a position to give your mind to it. Moreover the habit is very inexpensive. Two glasses of brown sherry - or, for a change, of light hunting port - consumed slowly between 11 a.m. and noon: I do all my work on it.' (p. 193)

The other thing I'm loving about this book is the characters' names. I keep having to look them up in the dictionary, and sometimes they're not quite there, but almost. The main character (for the first part of the book) is called Routh. There is, of course, Bultitude (which is a real name, but sounds like a mix of multitude and beatitude). Then there is the Marquis of Horologe, who is related to Adrian Chronogramme. Not to mention Geoffrey's aunt (Geoffrey is a major character who hasn't appeared yet, three quarters of the way though), Clepsydra, who is related to almost all of the aforementioned.

And so on.

I'm having a very good time not doing any work. Tomorrow I will be very busy indeed. I finally got around to sorting out exactly what needs to be done, and discovered a whole other pile of homework that hasn't been marked yet. I thought I did it on my last day at work, but I didn't. I probably thought, Ah, what the hell. I have two weeks. Why kill myself doing it all now?

Why indeed? I've had a lovely two weeks of not thinking about work and sleeping half the day every day. What's one day of hellish panic after that? I've earned it!

At least ... well, yes. I have, haven't I?