<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0060</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0061.txt">Next (Page 61)</A><BR><P><P>"I mean, it would be inappropriate for me to intervene in such overt ways, don't you see it that way, Daptin?" Obfuser said, turning around and wearing an extremely frightful expression.<P><P>"I can see your position."<P><P>"Good," Obfuser said, clasping his hands together. "Then shall I try my method of replacing you afall?"<P><P>"You mean just send me back to where I was?"<P><P>"Now well--you had goodbyed with the popcorn, eh? And you weren't in a place you could return to. So I figure I should return you to an area in which you could have returned had you eaten the popcorn there. A hypothet construct, very easy to clay. You game?"<P><P>"Where?" <P><P>"My suggestion would be your apartment at Greatwall, but you might have a better idea."<P><P>"Back at Overwhelm, huh? I guess that might be okay, but what about my friends? At least, what about Fake? I was about to kill that Jerald myself, before that girl killed him."<P><P>"I would suggest drinking some of the Coffee you hold. See, though I know just a little about the Cup, it would allow you to travel cupward and then return to where you left from, since the pattern integrity of the Cup and its contents will manifest separately for a while."<P><P>"But--I mean, actually drinking some of this stuff? Wouldn't that be--I dunno--sort of a waste of such powerful stuff?"<P><P>"Not at all! It's pattern integritied--no physical harm can come of it, since its pattern is apart from the universe, just like the member of Cup's Club called Pattern Integrity."<P><P>"Um--should I drink it now?"<P><P>"No--go back, prepare yourself, and then drink some. The situation-to-reality aspect ratio is too low at Greatwall, but if you go through an Aconck bridge, that should do it, since they are temporary and a lot tighter than the Avert perms."<P><P>"It makes some sense to me, Great Obfuser," Daptin said with a sigh.<P><P>"Good! Then let us do it."<P><P>The next moment, Daptin found himself in darkness. Lights flicked on, and Daptin saw that he was back in his Greatwall apartment. Near the door, he saw Obfuser with his hand on the light switch, manifest in the same lanky college freshman form he had assumed in his prior visitations. <P><P>"And here we are," Obfuser said, his voice alarmingly mundane in this form. "It worked. Perfectly."<P><P>"I guess I owe you my life."<P><P>"You would if I could be owed anything, but I can't."<P><P>Obfuser closed his eyes briefly, and then opened them again.<P><P>"Can I do anything else before I go away?"<P><P>"Um--so all I have to do is drink some of the Coffee--how much?"<P><P>"A few mouthfuls. The amount really isn't important. Enough so there's definitely some in your stomach, inside of you."<P><P>"Okay--and then go through a bridge?"<P><P>"Yeah--but remember you just have something between eight hours and a day to find them. Just stay with them once you find them."<P><P>"What about those goons?"<P><P>"Oh yeah--I hadn't considered that. Uh, bring some of your Overwhelm friends. You will have to dispatch the enemies, won't you? Well, you can do it."<P><P>"Okay."<P><P>"Okay then? I'll be off."<P><P>"Just one more thing," Daptin said.<P><P>"Yes?"<P><P>"You said the universe was over with. But that it was, like doing something like purging sectors or something. Maybe you're like using the word 'universe' in one way, but... to me, if you were still in existence, the overall universe, the totality of existence, I'd think it was still intact."<P><P>Obfuser narrowed his eyes.<P><P>"I don't quite know how to put it into words, but you are both right and wrong. My kind of existing is vasly deeper than yours, but at the same time we are both bound by the same ultimate borders. Sorry I can't be more specific. But I hope this answer is helpful to you."<P><P>"Well, I don't quite understand it, but I think we're gonna hafta leave it at that for the time being. Thank you, Obfuser.<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0061.txt">Next (Page 61)</A>