Two Unlikely Alternatives

"Nevertheless, that is what my magical tests have shown," Xyllis replied. "I can think of two alternative explanations for the dual Astras, though before today I should have said that neither was possible. One is that these two have somehow been sent backwards through time, the other that they have been sent here from an alternative reality. Philosophers have speculated about such things, though few have taken them seriously. But before we go any further, I think that we should hear their full story."

So Fred and Astra told their story, which naturally took some time. When they had finished," Xyllis said: "Though I cannot be certain, it seems most probable that the point at which Fred and Astra were either sent back in time or switched between realities was when the unknown wizard transported them to the desert. [232-1] By asking the right questions, we should be able to work out which has occurred. The obvious one to start with is: what is today's date?"

"It wasn't possible to keep precise track," Astra responded. "Especially as we can't tell how long we were kept as statues by Pronklezilch. It seemed to be summer when we were released, and the year must be the twenty-third of my mother's reign."

1. "So it is a case of time travel," Helia said. "This is the twenty-first year of my reign."
2. "That tallies," Xyllis said. "So we can rule out the time travel option. Now we must try to identify some discrepancies that would support the alternative reality theory."

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