Deep Sea Embers

Chapter 269 Alice With A Steady Head
Looking at Alice's confident posture with a straight neck, Duncan's emotions suddenly became incoherent - and he instantly realized that this simple posture is not confident or proud, it is completely stereotyped and unable to move...

But Miss Puppet herself seems to be completely unaware of the seriousness of the matter, and she still looks smug, while handing the newspaper to Duncan while laughing silly, obviously very happy that she can successfully go shopping alone: ​​"Here, Newspapers, and I remember the change!"

Duncan finally took the newspaper expressionlessly, and it took two or three seconds before he reminded the fool: "Alice, nod your head."

"Hey? Why?" Alice was stunned for a moment, but she immediately chose to obey the captain's orders. As a result, her head just shook slightly on the spot, and there was a strange sound near her neck, and she could no longer move. .

After two seconds of sluggishness, the puppet finally came to its senses and exclaimed, "Mr. Duncan! I can't move! Help, help!"

Duncan glanced at the doll exhausted physically and mentally, then turned and walked towards the antique shop: "Stop yelling outside, go back and study."

Alice hurriedly followed Duncan's footsteps, followed by Nina, who was also a bit confused and at a loss. The three of them entered the gate of the antique shop, and Nina, who was the last to walk, turned back and closed the shop door carefully. Well, I haven't forgotten to hang up the wooden sign for temporary rest.

Duncan casually threw the newly bought newspaper on the counter, and was about to check Alice's situation, when the corner of his eye suddenly glanced at a line of headlines on the front page of the newspaper.

His attention was suddenly attracted back by the newspaper.

There is a sentence printed on it in the largest bold letters:

"The Cathedral of the Storm will arrive tomorrow at Noon the Faithful Purand - the glory of the Stormlord protects us all"

Cathedral of the Storm?The mysterious "Sea Headquarters" of the Church of the Deep Sea?The messenger of the storm goddess Gomona is coming to this city... because of the previous historical pollution incident?Or for Homeless?Or both?
Duncan frowned, picked up the newspaper, and glanced at the headlines on the front page.

Alice, on the other hand, was running around anxiously. She finally realized that it was not wise to pour glue into her neck joints. After noticing that the captain had no time to take care of her, she turned to Nina for help: " Miss Nina, help me, save me, save me..."

Nina was also a little panicked. She stepped forward and grabbed Alice's head and shook it from side to side, only to find that the glue had already solidified completely: "This... this can't be pulled off! It looks like quick-drying glue!"

"Think of a way," Alice seemed to be about to cry, holding her head in both hands, "Miss Nina, don't you learn to repair some kind of machinery, you can repair such a complicated steam core, you repair me what."

"I don't know how to repair dolls either!" Nina was in a hurry, and finally turned to Duncan for help, "Uncle, please think of a way, Miss Alice's head is completely stuck..."

Duncan finally put down the newspaper in his hand, turned his head and glanced at the two noisy girls beside him, and his eyes fell on Alice: "How much glue did you pour, and what kind of glue?"

"A bottle, about the size of a bottle," Alice gestured, "I found it in your room, a small brown glass bottle."

"...you poured it all in?!" Duncan's eyes trembled visibly, "How did you manage such a big bottle?"

"Pull the head off first and put it upside down, pour the glue in and shake it, and then snap it on," Alice said with a cry in her voice, "Shirley said it's so secure..."

Duncan stared at each other dumbfounded, he could feel the grief of this beautiful doll, but the doll has no tears to shed, all the sadness can only flow in her empty heart - these words feel poetic and picturesque, if Ignore the detail that the reason the puppet is in grief is because she glued her head together.

Duncan sighed, threw the newspaper aside, stepped forward to untie the lace decoration around Alice's neck, checked the hardened superglue on the edges of her joints, and turned to Nina after a moment of silence: "...Where did Shirley go? ?”

"She...had a headache from reciting words an hour ago, so she went outside to get some air," Nina said, shrinking her neck. "Did she abscond in fear of crime?"

"I very much doubt that she didn't think that much at all. The thing she thinks about most now is just skipping class." Duncan sighed and shook his head, "No, it's completely dry, at least half of it. When I was young, it was quick glue, and now I can't pull it off with brute force."

"Then what should I do!" Alice looked at Duncan helplessly, "I... I have to take my head off when I comb my hair, I don't comb my hair with my hair on."

"...So you only worry about this after your head is stuck?" Duncan glared at Alice, and then waved his hands tiredly, "Okay, don't be so sad, although this glue is very strong, it is resistant to heat and water. It doesn’t work, soak it in hot water, and it will boil after a while.”

Alice felt as if she had been rescued immediately, and Nina, who was following anxiously, also reacted immediately, and quickly stepped forward to hold Alice's hand: "Then I will take you to the bathroom, I can heat hot water very quickly now!"

Sun Shards ran upstairs with the puppet whose head was stuck. Duncan sighed helplessly, and picked up the newspaper he had put aside just now.

According to the public information, the Cathedral of the Storm docking in Purland is just a normal berthing renovation. Pope Helena will visit the Purand Cathedral briefly during this period, and discuss some church issues with the archbishop and judges. As for the matter, the newspaper did not mention the previous historical pollution incident and the words related to the Lost Homeland.

But even if the newspaper didn't mention it, anyone with a discerning eye would know that the Pope of the Deep Sea must have come for these two major events.

Duncan didn't care about the belief in the Goddess of Storms, but he couldn't help thinking about how this matter would affect him.

In other words, can I take this opportunity... to collect some information?

He still remembers the message "thank you" that the Goddess of Storms suspected to have sent him before, and even without that incident, he is still curious about the gods of this world. The church is interested.

On the other hand, he is also very curious if the highest spokesperson of the Goddess of Storms comes here, whether he will find something strange about the city-state of Purand, and whether he will find him, the "subspace shadow" hidden in the city-state.

Things got interesting.

Duncan put down the newspaper, sat down by the counter, and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

The antique shop was very quiet, and the movement of Nina and Alice in the bathroom on the second floor was even faintly transmitted. The most clear sound was Nina's fussing voice:

"Hey! These joints are really amazing... so beautiful!
"Miss Alice, can your wrist rotate 360 ​​degrees... really?!"

"Miss Alice, there is a keyhole behind you, huh? You don't know what it's for?"

"Is there no problem with water entering the keyhole? Oh, then I can rest assured..."

Duncan rubbed between his brows with a headache.

He began to wonder if the two upstairs had forgotten their business.

But soon, the voices upstairs quieted down, followed by a rush of footsteps rushing to the stairs, followed by Nina's voice: "Uncle Duncan! No! Come and see Look, you can't get rid of it at all!"

Duncan: "...?"

He went upstairs in a daze, and saw Nina standing helplessly in the corridor. He looked up at the bathroom at the end of the corridor, and saw Alice looking around in embarrassment.

Then Miss Doll came out, her whole body was wet, she was wrapped in a bath towel, her head was still steady.

"Captain, it still doesn't work." Alice said with a sad face.

"It's not loose at all," Nina muttered softly, "I've been washing it with hot water for a long time."

Duncan looked at Alice, then at Nina who was holding onto the hem of her clothes, and finally sighed after a while.

"Use boiling water."

"Ah?" Nina was taken aback immediately, "Really...really?! Miss Alice can bear it..."

"She has fried her own head with oil, so I'm not afraid of the temperature," Duncan spread out his hands. "Looking at the situation, it's useless to wash it with hot water. There is still some hope for it to be boiled."

Nina's eyes seemed to be a little cloudy. She thought hard about the operation process for a long time, and said with some hesitation: "Boiling water is easy, and I can make it out quickly, but... our house doesn't have such a big pot, and there is no way to cook it." A tub where you can soak your whole body. If you want to soak your head in water to boil, at least Miss Alice will have to squat in the water, right?"

While she was talking, she made gestures. Although she was excellent in both character and academics in school, Nina at this moment still felt that her imagination could not keep up with the pace of reality.

But Duncan obviously didn't have Nina's limitations in thinking. He just looked up at the pitiful Goth doll wrapped in a bath towel not far away, then turned his head and said to Nina: "It's not easy, just find it at random. A cauldron will do, let her fall headfirst into it... In the worst case, I'll be by the side."

Nina imagined for a while, and there was a scene in her mind, but her tone was extraordinarily hesitant: "I always feel that Miss Alice is a bit pitiful..."

"Poor hammer!" Duncan finally couldn't hold back, and swears like never before, "She let an illiterate foolishly pour a whole bottle of glue into her joints, this is to give her a long memory!"

(Bad news, my wife is pregnant, the child is also pregnant, and I am not feeling well. It should be difficult to maintain the state of writing during this period... I don’t know if I can keep updating. Anyway, try your best. Try to write when you have energy , strive continuously.)
(End of this chapter)