It was a bright sunny day. The clouds streamed across the sky in long
rolls, like a baker's platter before cooking. They were on some sort of roof-lounge. Lined with wrought iron, with red grooves on the roof below. Thirty feet below that was a courtyard with tinkling fountains, rose bushes and gazebos. The three really couldn't see any farther then that. Stone walls and more red-grooved roofs blocked their view of pretty much anywhere else in all directions. It wasn't clear how to get off of the roof but Fred noticed a paticularly high fountain near one corner of the roof. Astra and Fred could jump to the top and make their way down. Either one could carry Velus. Still, Fred would have liked to know where they were. He voiced this question aloud. "The Enterprising Inn." said Velus. Said. "You can talk?" "Well, sure, here." said Velus. "Not suprising. It's some pretty powerful magic." "Just where is here, anyway." said Astra as she tried to pry loose one of the wrought iron bars. "My grandpa, on my mom's side, J.J. Jameson, told us stories of this place. We all thought he was nuts but the details match, even this little mystery platform we're on. The 'Enterprising Inn' is said to overlay several realities at once. Grandpa said he encountered many a strange person here. A man in red white and blue chainmail with a shield he could bounce around the room as if it was alive. A man with piercing blue eyes and a scar on his cheek who told stories of ships that traveled high in the air and traveled to lands and civilizations that no man had ever gone to. He said he met Grandma there and she had traveled to the inn by way of some red shoes that sparkled like diamonds. She did have the shoes but she never quite told us where she got them. Now I'm all confused. Grandpa said this place was okay for those who come in peace but he also said that there was a mighty battle that took the lives of half the staff who lived here. Grandpa told a hell of a lot of stories about this place. Mom and Dad always told him not to present such great fiction as 'truth' to us impressionable kids." Fred pondered. But right now the only thing they could do was get down from here. And once they did they saw the courtyard had two entrances. One was a dark tunnel that was lined with several doors. The other was a thin archway lined with vines that led to a larger courtyard.
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4/7/2003 6:08:16 AM
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