Drinks All Round

The door opened and McFizzer and i stepped over the threshold. At once i was hit by the dramatic change in the level of light and the brightness of colours. McFizzer still supporting me guides me the few paces to a leather couch nodding to an over sized guy dressed in black with an earpiece saying "sorry i think he may have had a few too many - we will just sit here and order some coffee."

"Ok," said the human mountain in black. "But any trouble and your both out."

"Thanks mate." McFizzer lowers me to a brown leather couch and pops a cushion behind my back and asks, "latte or cappuccino?"

"Well espresso if the coffee is any good - double please." Then grabbing McFizzer by the wrist i blurt out, "Where the hell are we? This is not 1874." The gorilla dressed in black who i now recognise as a bouncer shoots me a stare.

"Shhhhh - quieten down a little and read the paper and i'll go and get us some drinks." McFizzer points to a copy of the Observer on the contemporary coffee table in front of me.

I look up to repeat my question to McFizzer but he has disappeared into a crowd of people to my left. I can just see him order the drinks by looking through a cabinet that is made entirely of glass, the cabinet holds bottles of wine and champagne and creates a translucent barrier between the seating area i am in and the massed throng of drinkers that are gathered around a central servery having what i would consider to be a very good time.

McFizzer returns with a large glass of red wine and informs me that they will bring the coffee over in a few minutes, he sits next to me.

"I know this place," I whisper to him not wanting to arouse the interest of gorilla man. "I have been in here before, this is a bar - this is a bar in the 21st century in York."

"The wines good," smirks McFizzer and then adds rather too cockily. "Is it? ahhh here is your coffee." as a petite waitress approaches tray in hand.

"So are you gonna tell me what is going on - or do i have to beg?" I take a sip of the dark hot liquid noting that it has a good cremma before lifting the cup to my lips. "mmm good coffee," i have always had this thing for good coffee it is something i got from my dad - he had a great love of fine dining always extolling the quality and provenance of any particular dish or drink that he enjoyed .

"No need to beg," laughs McFizzer. "It is quite simple - you are back home. As i said temporal travel can happen at anytime without any warning, it would appear that we have fulfilled our purpose in the 1800s, well for now at any rate."

"So why dump us here in a busy bar, why not back to my home where i started from and no offence but why are you still with me?"

"Because of him." McFizzer points to a man sat at a table on an upper level reserved for dining . I turn my head to look to where his indicates, at first it is difficult to see who the person in question is then as i move my head slightly to get a better view through the glass case i can see the face of a man with shoulder length grey hair, hooked nose and full beard, although not dressed as a monk i can see beyond doubt that it is Drufus............