Pu

"Er..." stammered Fred, "What's your name old guy?"

"My name," sighed the man, "is not important."

Fred glanced back at his companions. "So, uh, do people just call you Not, or..."

The old man shot a strange look over his shoulder and hurried on through the darkness.

After several minutes of silent journeying, the foursome entered a large, barren cavern. "Wow," breathed Fred, and heard his whisper echoing off the vast walls.

"This is the Cavern of Pu," stated the old man with a majestic gesture. "From this point..."

"WHAT???" shrieked Fred, doubling over in laughter. "The cavern of poo?"

The old man sighed and shook his head. "P - U. Pu. Pu was a great man, my mentor, and the first to master the secret of these caves. From this cavern which bears his name, you may access any point in the vast network of caves which you are now in, if only you know how."

Fred nodded solemnly, then decided he had no idea what Not Important was talking about. "So, what if we don't know how?"

Silently, the old man withdrew a roll of parchment from his backpack. "This map will show you." With that, he placed the map in Fred's hand, stepped back, and seemed to glide through a nearby wall exactly the way a ghost wouldn't.

Fred stared at the wall, the map, Astra and the dog, then back at the map. Then he stared at Astra for a little longer, but eventually focused his thoughts.

1. Fred unrolls the map and examines it carefully.
2. Fred examines the wall through which Not Important left.
3. Fred submits to his overwhelming urge to indulge his desires for Astra.
4. Fred drops the map like a scalding potato with sharp teeth and leads the trio back the way they came.

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