<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0058</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0059.txt">Next (Page 59)</A><BR> Your father has been teaching you to drive it, hasn't he?"<P><P>The Prince looked around, angry as hell, trying to find the words.<P><P>"Why does it always come to me, to me, to do all your, your..."<P><P>"Now honey, if you can't drive it, the Polants will understand. They'll be a little disappointed, but they'll understand."<P><P>"Oh I can drive it. You know I can drive it. It's just, them!"<P><P>"Now, now. The Polants are very important people. And they're our friends. You used to be quite fond of their boys when you were young."<P><P>"We were all just kids! They didn't have the chance to become little evil clones of their parents yet."<P><P>The Queen gave a little face of shock, which implied concordance at some level, as she turned to leave.<P><P>"Whatever your problems with them, you will show the Polants a good time. That Balsativan costs us plenty, and I'll be damned if I let it rot out there."<P><P>"Don't worry. I'll make sure they're impressed."<P><P>"You do that," the Queen said, and she was gone into another room.<P><P>Ferrajalt walked slowly up the stairs, a draining wave of dread preying upon him. <P><P>As he approached his quarters, he felt something close to panic at the thought of driving the Balsativan by himself. He had no confidence in his ability to drive it, even though he understood all the controls, at least at an academic level. But the thing was so damn big and there were so many sheer dropoffs on the way down from the mountain!<P><P>But for the moment, Ferrajalt took solace in his amusement park studies, in his models, in his blueprints. And he thought, down at the Hay-Hengren Seaside, where he'd take the Polants, he could slip away and meet Martha, his secret girlfriend. He thought of her face and body, and his fear faded a little.<P><P>He could do it.<P><P>--------------------------<P>CHAPTER 14<P>--------------------------<P><P>"Daptin, of course this is unprecedented," said a voice which sounded like trees creaking in a thunderstorm.<P><P>"I was..." Daptin said, shaking his head to clear it. "I was okay?"<P><P>Looking around, Daptin saw he was standing at the edge of a parking lot overgrown with weeds. It was a chilly, overcast day. <P><P>Nearby, Daptin saw the weird dark humanoid void which was the Ultra Occult Entity, Obfuser.<P><P>"Do you know where you are?" Obfuser asked, approaching.<P><P>Daptin had never seen Obfuser in this form, but he recognized the voice somehow. In his previous encounters, Obfuser took the form of normal-looking person. But now, he seemed to be a great walking vacuum with jack-o-lantern facial features.<P><P>"Um, I think I was on some world that... I don't know."<P><P>"Do you know what it is that you carry?" Obfuser said, looking at the Cup of Coffee.<P><P>"This? The Cup of Coffee?" Daptin said, holding up the Cup. "Yeah. It's some sort of artifact."<P><P>"Yeah," Obfuser said with what seemed a shudder. "I was surprised to find you here, but even more surprised to find the Cup of Coffee."<P><P>"Isn't this the same world I was on?"<P><P>"Daptin, you've been playing with forces far beyond your scope. Your goodbye popcorn works fine in mundane spaces, but disappearing from the cupslipped world you were in, there was no way to return. Anywhere."<P><P>"I didn't return?"<P><P>"No. You were simply erased from all existence. And you would have remained so, else for the Cup you hold."<P><P>"Huh. At least this damn Cup has done something good. I wonder if I can still hear Tavmatey?" Daptin said.<P><P>"I wouldn't think so, friend," Obfuser responded. "See, the universe is ended. It's been done with for a long time."<P><P>"So how long was I gone?"<P><P>"Hard to say. From the time you left to the end was a few billion years. Afterward time hasn't meant so much. But quite a while."<P><P>"So that's it? I'm screwed?" <P><P>"Not really. You have me, don't you? I can put you back over there where you came from.<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0059.txt">Next (Page 59)</A>