How embarassing. I've just discovered that I've been mistaken for a UFO!
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I was flying back from Svaathor's last night - he'd invited me 'round to look over his latest research into the family tree and to sample his newest muffin recipe - and, feeling peckish, decided to partake of one of the oat & apple muffins he'd packed up for me. I should have known better than to even attempt to open a tightly sealed Tupperware container while flying. Especially after previous attemptsdidn't go that well...
Having extricated a torch from a pocket in my flightsuit, I had set about rummaging in my bag for the Tupperware encased muffins. Once found, I settled the container on my lap and set about opening it.
Now, I don't know how many of you have attempted to open a Tupperware container while perched on a broom hurtling over the countryside in the middle of the night, but it's not easy. After struggling to do it one-handed while holding the torch in my other hand, I popped the torch in my mouth and set to the box with both hands.
And what a disaster that turned out to be.
I yanked the lid off, but accidently knocked the torch out of my mouth with it, and watched in mild annoyance as the torch plummeted to earth turning end over end, the beam pirouetting like an out of control lighthouse. Needing some sort of illumination to ensure that nothing else had fallen overboard, I contemplated a spell to provide light but could only think of Hesprat's Incomparable Conflagration Hex. Quickly rejecting it as overkill, and being unable to think of any less explosive spell, the only remaining option was to charge the thaumic field surrounding Broom. So I rummaged once more in my bag, eventually finding Wand at the bottom, a bit sticky and covered in dust, crumbs and a couple of Fox's Glacier Fruits wrappers. Shaking off the detritus, I held Wand out until the tip came into contact with Broom's thaumic field causing a muted glow to surround us.
Of course, that was the ideal time to hit some turbulence.
As Broom pitched and yawed uncontrollably, the thaumic field's glow sputtered before finally giving out and plunging us into darkness once more. However, by this time I could see the lights of Cromer spread out a mile or so away, so I gave up on the notion of in-flight sustenence and directed Broom home to Castlette DeVice.
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So, this morning as I went outside to feed the birds, Inexcuseable was leaning over the fence talking to her sister-in-law's husband (they live next door). Anyway, he was telling her about the UFO he spotted approaching Cromer as he was driving back from Norwich last night. I just smiled in greeting and hurriedly went back indoors.