An eleven foot python named Kuku, belonging to a travelling show has gotten out of its cage, and is missing.
"The Queen's teeth showed in a gleaming, contemptuous smile. "No danger. When they see Kuku outside they simply scoot away and buy bromides. There's a crick over between here and the river. That old scamp'd swap his skin any time for a drink of running water. I guess I'll find him there, all right."

A long obsolete tranquillizer.

Ha! And all this time I'd incorrectly thought that bromides took care of stomach aches. Live and learn.

I don't know how "Bromo Seltzer" got its name, but I doubt it had any bromides in it.If I remember correctly, it had
acetanilid in it that was very potent headache remedy, but caused methemoglobinemia which gave blue face to those dependent on it. (caused formation of an abnormal analogue of hemoglobin). I could spot chronic alcoholics on Washington Street's South End a block away.

Alcoholics became dependent upon Bromo Seltzer? And turned blue in the face? How bizarre! Gives a deeper, if more bizarre, meaning to having the blues...

blue face? maybe we're back to those Picts...

Yep. Some of the first photos I printed were on blueprint paper.

I sure wish I had some mental kind of visual puzzle-piece grouping to show me when the Picts and the Gaelics and the Anglo-Saxons and the Celts are were--and where overlapped. It is very, very confusing. All I do know is I love the man whom William the Conqueror conquered--and wish he had won if only because he so valliantly went from one huge battle, a victor, on, exhausted, to try to fight William.

Remember that Duke William had been planning the invasion for years. I have read that he know of the Viking raid in the north, and took advantage of it.
I also think it possible that Harold did not have the support of all the Anglo-Saxons. Those who didn't rally to Harold would have, had they known what the Bastard was going to do to them.