January 31st, 2020
31 Jan 2020 · page 961 of 1306
Not your buddy, then, huh.
Cast: Harriet Barber, Nyree
Comments (49)
Events
ThoughtBubble
14 Nov 2026 – 15 Nov 2026
Harrogate Convention Centre
Manchester Megacon
31 Jul 2027 – 1 Aug 2027
Manchester Central
Oh, that's nicely set up.
...Also, Ms. Nyree: when you have a moment I would like to sit down with you and the other two witches to give a short presentation on futures markets, and how your unique access to one of the world centers for economic activity might prove to be highly valuable for your respective organizations and local communities.
I mean, if they wanted to get rich, they could probably pretty easily carry goods through to the other side of the planet and undercut every shipping company in the world. Or partner with said shipping companies maybe, since you'd need someone to transport the goods to and from the anchors. Not good for anything especially bulky, since it'd need to be transported by hand, but being able to sail to new zealand and zap a bunch of spices straight to england instead of needing a months long trip would be crazy profitable. Of course, this all depends on both witches being on board and not content hermits or flighty hobos... which might be asking a lot.
Problem: Nyree's nice little island looks like friggin' Singapore after a decade or three.
It's going to eventually, anyway. The real question is, will the flag over it be the one that Nyree likes? -- Because if her own people don't acquire the firepower necessary to secure the place, somebody else's people will.
The Island is protected from outside invasion as we know. And Nyree implies that only she can open her Door (in usual circumstances).
Yup and yup: I think that it might to turn out that Pryce is trying to figure out how to get around one or both of those protections, possibly in the context of the Fourth Anchor.
Traders trade in goods. MERCHANT PRINCES trade in information. I'm sure that it's faster to sail to Nyree's island with exceedingly profitable news of this year's China tea* crop than it is to sail to England. And from there it's just a handover of the relevant documents and brisk walk to, well, London.
I would sooner be *damned then help the opium trade in any way. I would be damned if I did, in fact. No slaves, either.
I get the feeling that's what Pryce wanted to talk to Mal about...
That's at least a definite maybe, although I like the idea that he has a lead on the fourth anchor (or think he does).
You'd be knocking for quite a while, I fear. Besides, you can't go back to Widdershins just yet... what, they're supposed to have three Harry Barbers over there?!
Also, interesting to hear that Nyree didn't open her door on purpose. I wonder...
Maybe the Fourth Anchor witch opened it!
Opening another person's door without permission is kinda impolite.
Honestly? a a third harry barber might solve everyones problem. but lets not forget that a fourth one also exists!
Who are you thinking of? Grandpa Henry?
Yep. As i recall he didn't die right? and all the original adventure books are based on him right?
We haven't heard anything since Nicola took him off to a doctor at the beginning of Curtain Call, but at that point it looked like he was going to be okay. He was never Harry Barber, though - all the books are The Adventures of Henry Barber.
Also a fair point. bet he could pass for a harry though.
"Three Harry Barbers,
Two nervous wizards,
And a pseudo-French sleuth-apothecary!
On my fourth day in Widdershins
This story gave to me..."
...four mysterious anchors
Three Harry Barbers,
Two nervous wizards,
And pseudo-French sleuth-apothecary!
On my fifth day in Widdershins
This story gave to me...
Getting back to Widdershins might be problematic. But knock on Mountain Witch's door and there's a train station just down the road. Shorter than a boat ride although you may need to borrow the fare. If Voss can do it, Ms Harry can do it.
Now that's a nice idea!
Harry does know how to hop a ride on a cargo train...
Yea, but didn't it take Voss, like, two years to get from the mountain to Widdershins? Granted, he wasn't in a hurry since he was trying to steal as much as he could in the mean time.
IIRC took around 20 days to month from India to the UK in the late 19th century, lot slower before steam ships and the Suez Canal
Harry doesn't seem to be enjoying her food. I guess Nyree has a limited sense of taste/smell too, then.
She's enjoying it fine. She's just worried about everyone back home, since Nyree brought it up. What with not knowing how it ended up after she was forced to flee.
My guess is that this is her 2nd or 3rd bowl. Nyree's bowl is empty, but Harry's still eating. Yeah, she probably found something edible on the island, but since she's totally unfamiliar with the terrain it might not have been a lot. And she's been there long enough to lunge at the offer of a hairbrush.
I kind of wish Harry hadn't interrupted, so we could have known what it was that getting her home would have been as easy as.
Stew. She doesn't strike me as a pie type.
Huh. I'd assumed that the other witches opened their doors on purpose to help Mal, along with leaving him the package and the note, but apparently not.
The package and note were from Mountain witch weren't they? Not Island Witch.
Good point. The note said "Island Witch and I will come knocking soon", so I assumed they were both behind it, but it was only signed by Mountain Witch.
Sadly her witch is no longer near the door. Though he may be by the time Harry helps with this monster thing.
Also not to sound like the American badguy but man they could make a lot of money using their doors to ship things instantly country to country (well, probably not her, but jack and the mountain witch at least)
Maybe that's what the Murican Businessman wants from the witch. :O
It actually didn't occur to me that Harry didn't know what happened after she left. They don't know if she's alright, but she doesn't know if they're alright either.
Treating that spoon like a pacifier. Probably because she's gone so long without her pipe.
I took that as the "camera" catching her in mid-bite.
Or she doesn't see it as a monster at all. Calls it Fluffy, she does. ^^
I was going to make the exact same joke, but you beat me to it.
A hrm sound effect in panel 2!!!
sorry for the lack of update today folks, was fighting a sinus cold all weekend :( will be back on friday!
Get well soon!
I'm out of range for a Remove Disease spell, so get plenty of rest and food and other good stuff, ya hear?
hope you start to feel better soon. if you have a Gren cuddle up with them if it helps.
No problem, get healthy. :)
Take all the time you need!
"The, eh.. the what now?"
"The monster. Biggun with feathers and a skull mask."
"Oh, you mean Mr. Cuddlesworth! Nah, he's fine."
Something very Carol Lay about Nyree's expression in the last panel.
By the way, maybe this is weird, but I just sent my boyfriend the first two volumes of Widdershins for Valentines' Day, because he loves comics, and introducing him to such a unique voice as yours that I was sure he'd love just seemed right. Maybe I should've gotten him Hangman's Knot, as the fluffy gay romance at the end of that would've been really suitable for the day, but the chances of him reading a book with an eight on the cover when he hadn't read the first seven seemed pretty poor.