Mind-Reader He's Not

"Hello!" she cried out to the Doctor.

"Hello right back at ya, Aqua!"

"Aqua?" said Simon and Aethir and Astra simultaneously.

"Doctor Vincent Priceless," said Astra. "Don't you remember me? My name is Astra."

"Of course I remember you, my dearest! It's just that your name seemed to have given me the slip. Please forgive me, the most I could remember was where you were born..." Then the Doctor seemed to notice that Astra was not alone, that there were two men by her side. Both Simon and Aethir felt the stare of the Doctor as if it were a physical touch; the Doctor's eyes seemed to have a life far stronger than the wrinkled flesh that held them. "Blue is a good color on you," he said to Aethir. "Perhaps, before you leave here, you wouldn't mind painting one of my other pets?"

"You already speak of our leaving?" interrupted Simon.

"Arriving, leaving... its all the same when seen from the point of view of physics or metaphysics."

"Perhaps," said Simon. "But life is more than just bits and pieces."

"Yes!" agreed the Doctor. "You couldn't be more right. Now... where are my manners? Let us have some tea!" And with that a violet shimmer surrounded them and they rematerialized within the library of the Doctor. "I'm sure you'll notice, Astra dear, that the bed is gone."

"Bed?" murmurred Simon.

"It's not what you think!" replied Astra.

"And how would you know what I was thinking?" and then he chuckled, as did Astra.

Soon all were drinking tea. It was unique to say the least. "It's my own recipe," said the Doctor. "You know how hot it can get here... or perhaps you don't. Anyway, it gets really hot! So instead of drinking the tea boiled, I wait until it cools. Then I add the juice of the cactus fruit, some ice, and last of all black bubbles! What do you think?"

They had been sipping the cool concoction with vigor, it did taste good. Aethir, though, still didn't let the black bubbles touch his lips. "It's good," they said.

"I'm glad, yessirree, I'm very glad you all like it... Bobo, fetch us another four glasses." The ape-thing left the room as bid its master. "Astra..."

"Yes?"

"I had Bobo leave because I need to speak with you about something, something my dearest Bobo finds too upsetting to think about."

~~that thing thinks?~~ thought Aethir.

~~I'd hate to see it upset!~~ thought Simon.

"What is it, Doctor Vincent?"

"Fred is dead."

There was an uncomfortable silence followed by sighs.

"We were afraid of that," said Astra.

Just then Bobo came back into the room carrying a tray with four tall glasses of Dr. Vincent's Iced Bubble Tea. Not wanting to upset the creature, no one said another word about Fred.

One day later Astra, Aethir, and Simon left Dr. Vincent's Tower. During that time they had rested, washed, and eaten well. They had spoken about the metal insect [15519] and of the Hespan Marchavio. They spoke of their journey -of their trek through the desert- although they left out many of the fine details. The only thing they did not speak about was Fred, what was there to say? The Doctor had been quite the host; he gave them extra supplies, better clothing, some maps, and a few other things of import. He was most gleeful when Aethir had tatooed a swirl of blue along the left knee of the pink-furred Lulu reaching up along its outer thigh and culminating in a barrage of blue-green spheres, rays and spikes. Aeither could still feel the reverberation of the old man's vigorous and heartfelt handshake!

"Although we could not tell him everything," said Astra. "I am most grateful to know for certain that Fred died saving us."

"Aye," said Simon. "The Good shines upon us as we can now go forward with no looking back!"

"Yes," said Aethir. "The past is done and the future is what awaits us."

Meanwhile, back at the Tower, Dr. Vincent was busy washing dishes while Lulu rinsed, Bobo dried, and Dada put them away.

~~I am glad for that visit... it gets so lonely here I could go mad! I was sorry to have been the one to tell of the knight's death here on my table. One snip, two or three hundred... he died all the same! Oh, well.... life goes on! Now... where's that spatula?~~

And so one party went on its way while the other stayed where it was, but neither one was none the wiser...

1. ...and so the threesome head further on their journey, tugged as they are by the pull of the amulet...
2. ...back at the Royal Court...
3. ...somewhere else in the wide waste of a desert...

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