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[Continuing to post blind, but this Qanteen Narrative popped into my computer earlier today. It was initially generated in the previous thread in a conversation with CJ Wolf.]

CJW:
...Any donuts left?

texokie:
LOL! Yes plenty! They are on the fireplace mantel next to the Q Clock.

CJW:
Thanks! I see there are no bacon crusted ones left. Glazed and confused is good.

Btw. When that thing rings. It wakes people up. Some people just think it’s just cuckoo, but they can’t help but hear the chimes.

texokie:
Oh good - glad that what is left is at least marginally suitable. Well, apparently the bacon crusted ones are popular.

Hmmmmmm well, I didn’t know it both cuckooed AND chimed! I’ll take a look at it.

*texokie goes to the mantle and inspects the donut box…. A couple of crumbs are left which she deftly picks up on the pad of her finger to lick. She picks up the Q Qlock and sits in a bean bag with it. There is a hatch in the middle, just above the face where the Q dates are arranged around the face of the Qlock, as one sees in the LexiQon Clock entry. Several levers not attached to the innards of the clock are arranged at various places around the Clock so that if FReeQs are trying to prognosicate with it, they can demonstrate the connections with these movable levers. It is really quite a clever device. Texokie works with the hands of the clock to make it operate the cuckoo/chiming mechanism.

Instead of a cuckoo coming out, it is an Owl, and it hoots loudly several times. There is another hatch which texokie had not seen before, and out comes a nest with some tiny owlets moving their heads toward the mama owl. They are also hooting raucously. She moves her head toward them, hoots again, and they all go back in. Texokie laughs uproariously. She had not had time to examine the Qlock the day before when one of the Qlock FReeQs had snagged a box of donuts and brought the Qlock in to set it up and place on the mantel.

As texokie gazes at the closed Owl hatches, a moment later, a tremendous racket comes out from the Q Qlock with the Big Ben chime melody being played. The chimes sound pretty, and for a miracle, they are in tune - but very loud! She has heard regular chiming mantle clocks which are not in tune. That of course, is crazy-making. We don’t need any of that here in the Qanteen!

The deep bass boom of the hour counting chime vibrated texokie’s bones to the very marrows. Texokie uncrosses her eyes and turns it over hoping for a volume control, but alas, it does not seem to have one. She decides if she ever builds one, she would put a volume control on it. They are electronic chimes, after all. There SHOULD be a volume control - or at the very least, an off switch*

I can’t seem to figure it out, CJ Wolf. Perhaps maybe one of our mechanic FReeQs can take a look.

I guess at night we can stick it in the pantry; there’s a shelf just right for it in there. I’m afraid to put it in the Qanteen Qloset because some shovels or the vacuum cleaner might bang it up.

Or ....perhaps, if greeneyes and the Qlock FReeQs agree, we can put it in the greenhouse. It is nice and tight and dry in there, and perhaps greeneyes might permit the minor invasion of a Q Qlock in there…unless with the aqua pond set up in there, it might disturb the fish. It’s fun to fish, you know, but we don’t want to drive them crazy either.

I rather suspect that Swordy won’t let it into the LexiQon office, and for SURE with the Owls and all, baggie won’t let it NEAR the Oracle office!

*texokie resets the Qlock to the correct time and since the day is just getting started, she places it back on the mantel until one of the Qlock FReeQs crosses her path, and they can consult about how to solve the problem.*

SAAAAAAY! TExokie! let me see that again!

*CJ Wolf sits in a bean bag next to texokie and leans toward the Qlock. texokie offers it to him, and he carefully takes it in his lap and looks at the side - not the back where texokie had been looking - and taps on it a little and makes a scratching sound with his nail. He shows texokie what he discovered*

There IS a volume control for both the Hoots and the Chimes!! And unless I miss my guess, THIS is the on/off switch for the Big Ben chimes!

*texokie grins at CJWolf. FReeQs are the best! She resolves to get an extra box of the bacon crusted donuts tomorrow. texokie places the Qlock back on the mantel in quiet mode with CJ Wolf’s approval. Whoever dreamed that up is surely reserving any all copyright on it!*