The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2864 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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We took our usual table and Tom held onto the file in his hands until after the waiter had taken our order—chicken curry and a tuna jacket with salad—predictable, I know.

“A wee birdie tells me ye’ve no signed yer contract.”

“Your wee birdie is well informed.”

“I presume there’s a reason?”

“Yes, it’s worse conditions of service than before.”

“But it confirms yer status as a full professor.”

“So? Money’s the same.”

“Dae ye no see it as a guid career move?”

“No. I have Jason coming to dinner tomorrow with an analysis of the bad points and offering the university a better version.”

“And if they don’t accept it, ye cud be unemployed at the end of term.”

“So?”

“Does yer department mean nothin’ tae ye?”

“Of course, but not at any price. If I go the department will be weakened because I’ll take the survey and hopefully the nature reserve study/visitor centre with me.”

“Ye’s dae that tae yer colleagues and students?”

“I’m not signing a contract which gives them my soul as well as my body.”

He chuckled. “Always thae drama queen.”

“But of course.”

The food came and we got stuck into it. Despite the worry of what was happening to me and possibly my department, I was quite hungry and had a cranberry juice while Tom had his usual Guinness.

“I thocht ye’d promised tae look efter ma department?”

I blushed, “I have done up to now, we have half as many students again as we did, so I’ll be leaving it in a good fettle but without the mammal survey—you see now why I got the contract for that to us individually rather than the university. It’s the only card I have to play and signing the new contract would effectively give control of it to the university and any kudos arising from it. The university hasn’t done the work, you and I plus one or two others have.”

“Whit wid ye dae?”

“I don’t know, perhaps look after my children, make films...”

“Or gang tae Bristol.”

“Bristol?”

“Aye,” he opened his file and slipped me a sheet of paper, an advert from Bristol University for a professor of zoology. “I got Pippa tae request a package for ye tae be sent hame.”

“You’d be happy for me to apply for that?”

“Cathy, Portsmouth wis always gang tae be tae sma’ f’ ye, I expected ye tae get Sussex in thae end, but Bristol is a high status department especially in mammal biology.”

“Wouldn’t Bradshaw be up for that, you know the chap who studies feral cat behaviour?”

“Against ye, he’s nae chance.”

“Even with my history?”

“Whit o’ runnin’ thae survey an’ makin’ films, plus the research projects which hae come frae the survey. Ye’re a minor celebrity in academic circles, no a Brian Cox yet, but ye’ll get there.”

“Dunno, Manchester is a huge university and he’s a bright spark with huge charisma.”

He rolled his eyes, “Ye’re nae sae bad yersel’.”

I blushed again. “Okay, I’ll go for it. If I get it, goodness knows what we’ll do, especially with the girls’ education.”

“Whit’s that school called, och yes, Bristol Grammar, I’m sure they’d tak’ them.”

“Maybe. I’ve got to get the job first.”

I sipped my drink.

“Ye look pensive.”

“With good reason, Daddy, what will happen to you if I go back to Bristol?”

“I expect one or twa o’ thae older girls wull stay, Julie an’ Phoebe hae their business here, perhaps Samantha wull tae.”

“I feel like some monster, destroying the family for my own ends.”

“I’m sure they’ll cope if it happens.”

“Yeah, if. A pretty big if.”

“Goodness is that the time?” I glanced at my watch, “I need to get back.”

“Aye, sae dae I.”

“Has he tried to renew your contract, Daddy?”

“He’s no that daft, at best I’ll only be there anither twa years, sae why bother, I’ll never run a department again.”

That made me feel very sad, I was no longer babysitting his department, it was mine but possibly not for much longer.

I drove us back to the university feeling rather despondent about my uncertain future and more so the realisation that his long and august career was coming to an end. That made me feel rather sad.

I pecked him on the cheek and as he got out of the car noticed the file on the back seat. “Daddy, your folder,” I called after him.

“Och thats f’ ye tae look at when ye get hame.” So why couldn’t he have just given it to me at home. I took it and locked it in the boot, it felt like there were several sheets of paper in it, probably to do with Bristol. Talk about going full circle. I strolled back to my office and Diane took one look at me and went to put the kettle on.

“You look like you dropped a tenner and found a fiver; here,” she handed me the mug of tea.

“That good, eh?”

“Your friend, Jason, called and said he was on for tomorrow evening but wouldn’t be able to get there until seven.”

“Thanks—that it?”

“Yes, now why the long face?”

“If I don’t sign the contract, I might be out of a job.”

“Oh, me too, then.”

“Why—you’ve got a contract here?”

“Having worked with you, I don’t want to work for someone else.”

“I’m touched by your loyalty, but not sure I deserve it.”

“I admire your sticking to your guns over the principles you feel are at stake.”

“What, even if it destroys the department?”

“One person shouldn’t be a department, even one as good as you?”

“Whatever happens, I suspect they’d want me to hang on until the end of the year, so June July time. They’d need that long to recruit, but I’m taking my survey with me and the patented software that Sammi wrote for it.”

“Have you asked your students to support you?”

“It’s not their fight.”

“A lot of them would die for you.”

“God I hope not.”

“They think you’re something special, someone who’s put this university on the biology map.”

“Was, I think is the term you need.”

“Cathy, you have a strong bargaining position, involve your students, get the publicity. Make them sweat for all the things they’re doing to this place and its staff. They don’t care a jot for anything as long as they make a profit. Rumour has it that the VC gets a percentage of any profit.”

“Does he now? You know he becomes more interesting by the day.”

“Watch out though, he’s dangerous by all accounts.”

“If you read my history, I think you’ll find that so am I.”

“Oh I know all about your escapades, someone should write a book about it.”

I laughed, “Why no one would want to read it?”

“You’d be surprised.”

I would.

I finished my tea did some paperwork and left to get the girls. As I was unlocking my car the Vice Chancellor came out to his. “Professor Watts, how nice.”

“Vice Chancellor,” I acknowledged.

“I think we’re still waiting for your contract.”

“I’m meeting with my counsel tomorrow to discuss it.”

“Why? It’s not negotiable.”

“Perhaps.”

“There’s no perhaps about it. Take my advice, sign it and enjoy a permanent status here.”

I nodded and opened the door of my car. “Oh, Professor, I hear someone is digging about in my affairs—I hope it’s no one you know. Perhaps you’ll attend their funeral, it will be coming soon. Do look after yourself, all those children of yours will probably need you for several years yet.”

“If anyone goes near my children or Tom, they may not live long enough to regret it.”

“Oh fighting talk, Professor—can you match your rhetoric?”

“Who said it was rhetoric?”

He smiled widely, “I do admire your spirit, sadly you don’t know who you’re up against.”

“Life is a constant journey of discovery.”

“In your case up shit creek without a paddle.”

I got in my car and drove away controlling my anger very well.