Muted Mayhem and Merrymaking

Previously

…Barty snorted, a wet, miserable sound. “What else could it be? A particularly well-trained parrot?” “No,” Jon said, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Maybe… maybe it’s just about finding the funny in things. Even when things don’t go to plan. Even when you lose a barnacle-encrusted rock to the ocean.” He chuckled softly. “Like now.” Barty looked at Jon, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. Then, he looked at the spot where the rock had vanished, at his own soggy state, at the indifferent sea. And for the first time since Jon had met him, a tiny, almost imperceptible smile touched Barty’s lips. It wasn’t a giggle, not by a long shot, but it was a start. A very, very damp start.