TT 11 - Basil's Astrolabe

"Ah, you're back already. I thought you were staying to tea at the Carduggans." Eric says over the top of his newpaper as Basil is ushered into the kitchen by his mother.
"Basil is officially in disgrace." Eleanor says, taking off her coat.
"Oh dear. What have you been up to?" Eric asks.
Basil looks nervously at his father's face as Eleanor recounts his plan to electrocute Toffee.
"We weren't trying to kill him, we were trying to heal him." Basil explains, hurt that his motives have been misrepresented.
"By electrocuting him?" Eric asks, skeptically.
"It said in the book, electrification can help in the treatment of mental disorders."
"Hmmm," His father pauses, thoughtfully. "And what method of electrification did you use?"
"I wired up two spoons to a lamp base." Basil says. "They had non-conductive plastic handles and we put on wellies."
"And what was the voltage?"
"British mains voltage is 240 volts."
"And what is a safe and appropriate voltage for the treatment of canine mental disorders?"
Basil thinks, then looks sheepish. "I don't know."
"Ah, well there's the flaw in your project!" Eric puts his hand on his son's shoulder. "Your proceedures were reckless old lad. Don't attempt anything like that again, hmmm?"
"No Dad."

Eric senses that given Basil's present state of disgrace, Eleanor will disaprove so he waits until she goes upstairs before producing the gift from Geoffrey Lamb.
"Close your eyes." Eric says. He lifts the astrolabe out from behind the armchair and places it on the walnut bureau that stands in the bay window. A shaft of late afternoon sunlight catches in its metal spheres.
"Open them."
"For me?" Basil asks, his eyes huge with wonderment.
"It's from your friend Geoffrey Lamb."
"Geoffrey? For Me?"
"You're a lucky boy aren't you?"
Basil simply nods. He is already lost in the astrolabe's magic. He approaches it, mesmerised, and gently feels the engraved surfaces with reverent finger-tips. He might as well be touching the centre of the universe, spinning its power and mystery outwards from his own two small hands.
"You can measure how high the stars are with this." He whispers.
"You can indeed." Says Eric. The beauty and the antiquity of the astrolabe has touched him too, and he allows just a little bit of magic to gather around the scientific instrument. "And you can measure your own position on the earth's surface. We'll have to try and get some old charts."
"Oh, yes!"
"And no electricity involved." Eric chuckles and slaps Basil on the back.