Could it be?

Gur Rathka

"You want us to sit on one of those carpets?" the princess queries. "What's the point of that?"

"Would you believe they're magic flying carpets straight out of Aladdin and the Forty Thieves?" the two headed one known as . . . . uh . . . (gods, my head is spinning STILL). . . .

Zaphod! That's his (or should I say their?) name!

. . .

Who is this Aladdin and why would anyone want to associate with thieves? Where's the honor in that?

. . .

Spinning head or no, I and the princess soon find out exactly what the point is! She gives off a short yelp of surprise as I . . . give off something more bordering a scream than anything, much to my shame.

....

I had laughed at the rumors and tall tales surrounding news of a far off war with unknown creatures who look like blobs of flesh and a man with skin coloration similar to John Carter (bless the day my clan joined his cause to rescue the princess of Helium!) who . . .

. . .

Head still spinning, trying to take it all in, I only note distantly that there suddenly seems to be dozens and dozens of duplicates of us suddenly appearing, careening off in all sorts of directions. The small part of me still paying attention instead of trying to digest the sudden . . . numbing dread I feel at what it all means . . . that the fetches make good distractions . . .

. . .

A war with monsters. Aliens! Creatures . . . much more vile than Barsoon has ever witness to date . . .

Oh, I had known that the relatively recent change from the traditional slug thrower to the "directed energy" weapon had haled from somewhere (mine had been traded from a far travelled merchant with wild tales indeed), but . . .

Gods, what have I awoken to today? At least in all Their mercies we appear to be getting away unscathed . . .

Before I can ask a question, one of them asks me the most startling and disturbing question!

"Uh Sir, what is the princess’ given name?" the one known as Fertal asks me, looking at a loss on how else to ask. "Got a question that I honestly don't know exactly how to ask any other way. The Princess."

1. "She’s suffering from amnesia so could not tell us and it would be so much BETTER than just calling her ‘hey you’ every time we talk to her, you know!"

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