Pack a Towel…

Artizza

Thank God!! But-but now what do we do with our time?

Later, when I look back at that half panicked question I have to laauuugh!

See, Eternity Incorporated does more than just Quests. There are day to day tasks that we do as well. Lot of us are heads of state, for crying out loud! Me, such thoughts of me doing that . . . almost moves me to tears from the thought of how . . . utterly boring that'd be for me and my love.

But as it happens, there are OTHER things out there to do that . . . are SO . . .

Look, as an elf (proto-Dark Elf or not) I and Fertal are now VERY in tune with nature. Prone to sing songs to the stars at night and dance in joy as Nature surrounds us, living.

But . . .how many elves do you know ever dreamed of TRAVELLING amongst the stars, let alone get a chance to do so?! Oh, believe me the Elves of Terra Prime are a LUCKLY lot!

Not that things are boring when we’re done. Seems that there were these two OTHER Earths that Inquirer and the Doctor’s group had somehow . . . managed to get warped not only into the Terra Prime reality (for safe keeping, long story) but into Terra Prime’s "orbital plane" (whatever that means). Still kind of new to this science stuff and am not exactly sure if I believe this stuff about Terra actually orbiting the Sun and all that (according to the "scientists" these new Earths are one third ahead and behind Terra Prime in her orbit . . .so we shall not be in danger of collision . . .whatever)….

But more personal matter concern me. See . . .

But do you remember that one centauress, Ravenmane, who we’d left with some dragon mages in a hope that her true memories could be restored? Well, they say that they’d come across a means . . . but the magical ingredients needed for the potion to fix our poor centaur’s mixed up memories are . . . hard to come by! All looks lost until one of our more furry (and pun prone) family members (Manfox Fred) remembers that such exotic herbs had been in the possession of this one . . . . exotic species he’d ran into whilst chaperoning for a Validation Quest. Might catch them at this one special Restaurant . . .

…

There are actually intelligent shades of blue out there in the multiverse?

. . . .

Sounds like a really weird place where we’re heading off to here… Then again, one could say that something seriously is WRONG with that universe, as any reader of that particular series of sci-fi/comedy could tell you . . . .

I find that out later, first hand…but that’s later.

So, next thing we know my group (which Andrea 2a and her husband Edward Solomon joining up when our newly Validated Champion and her husband leave to enjoy their honeymoon (can’t begrudge them their honeymoon, us elves) we find ourselves packing towels (huh?) and marching off to speak with Dr. Vincent about that wonderful hybrid magic/science teleporter. . .

While we’re doing that I ask Cuthbert (he’d read the series as well as the BBC teleplay) about this place and lose a beat or three when he says that that reality’s Earth gets blasted to bits.

"But don’t worry, the dolphins replace it with a duplicate so nobody (even the natives) are the wiser," he smiles at my strange look I give him. "Nobody loses their lives, so that’s not our worry. Just remember…."

Oh, must say I am asking myself why in the heck I must lay down on the teleporter on my towel when Vincent beams us directly into that one ship which had just blasted "Arthur Dent’s" world, but . . . Cuthbert had been rather insistent on that.

Dent and Ford Perfect only begin to register that they’ve got company laying next to their own towels when Cuthbert has to have the last word before the ship slips into warpdrive (or whatever).

"So long and thanks for all the fish," he says softly.

"What?" Arthur blinks, confused.

1. "You always did say that a lot throughout the book," Cuthbert quips, not looking over at the man in question. "Maybe the mice were right and nobody would notice if your brain was replaced with a simple electronic substitute!"

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