<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0134</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0135.txt">Next (Page 135)</A><BR> As he turned to Emily, she threw her hands forward and a shower of sparks fell all about her. With alarming suddenness, Amnifaoz grabbed Emily and tucked her under his arm.<P><P>"Harf, harf! Silly minor occult entity, hedonist. You're out of here," the monster said.<P><P>The sparks fizzled out, and Amnifaoz turned toward the door, but it was far too small to allow him to pass, let alone with him holding two people. So he turned toward Hate.<P><P>"May I demolish walls/doors as needed to pass?"<P><P>"Go ahead," Hate said.<P><P>"Hey wait a minute, that's--" Bodoni began.<P><P>"--oh shut up," Hate said. "What does it matter now?"<P><P>With this, Amnifaoz emitted some sort of sonic burst which leveled half the wall in front of him, and then strode through the debris.<P><P>"But we could have used them!" Bodoni said. "To drive police cars and stuff!"<P><P>"Screw that," Ferrajalt said. "I couldn't stand that bitch. And what she did--that's gross. Going back in time to have sex with herself. I mean, screw that. I want no part of it."<P><P>"They're fully within their rights to excise that creep, you know," the little cat lady Ann Saply said to Bodoni.<P><P>"I know, but c'mon! We could have used them!" the scientist complained.<P><P>"This situation is fucked up enough, without someone like that," Hate said. "I just couldn't stand listening to that scumbag anymore! And when I found out she was Noaster Sitar--well, let's just say there were no options left."<P><P>"The Noaster Sitar--the one you told me about?" Ferrajalt asked.<P><P>"The same," Hate said. "Back on Red Alley Earth. I was taking a well-deserved two-week vacation, living with some Aconck-wise kids in a dorm."<P><P>"But isn't that--I don't know--a little too weird? I mean, a time traveller, yeah, but we're pretty far out into Aconck," the Prince said.<P><P>"I know. I don't like it either," Hate said.<P><P>"I'm starting to really hate all this supernatural shit," Ferrajalt said. "I remember a time when my life was enjoyable."<P><P>Hate glanced at the Prince.<P><P>"I wish I could say that."<P><P>Injure Bodoni turned to Ledrant Hate.<P><P>"So what was it that happened with you and that previous version of that girl, Noaster Sitar?"<P><P>Hate stared at the scientist.<P><P>"The thing is, I had to kill him."<P><P>"You killed her?" Bodoni exclaimed. "I mean, her in a former incarnation? Cool! I mean..."<P><P>"I was not 'cool'," Hate said. "A lot of people got hurt. And I don't feel like talking about it--we have other concerns at the moment. Such as--what sort of timeframe are we looking at here? Are we in a hurry, or might we as well take our time?"<P><P>"My calculations conclude that the state we're in is a stable-answer state. That is, the ways things are now, they're going to stay. The sun will not come up, and additional transformations from baseline will not occur," Bodoni said.<P><P>"But what about the building?" Hate asked. "You told us that getting rid of Office Complex at Gumhanshire could cause reality to come back. Is there a time limit for that?"<P><P>"Oh," Bodoni said, nodding his head. "I didn't put that into the calculation."<P><P>"Why not?" Prince Ferrajalt said.<P><P>"Because! I don't know!" Bodoni said. "That wasn't the question. It was just whether or not it would work."<P><P>"Crap!" Ferrajalt said. "So already, it might not work anymore!"<P><P>"Scientists often lack common sense," Ann Saply said with a smile.<P><P>"Thanks a lot!" Bodoni said.<P><P>Suddenly, the central kemig communicator started ringing and beeping. All four turned toward it.<P><P>"Another alien?" Ferrajalt asked.<P><P>"Let's hope not," Bodoni said, turning toward the device. "If V and Nevrippa don't call in soon, we're in big trouble--we need them for this whole boat thing of yours, Prince."<P><P>"Of mine?" Ferrajalt said.<P><P>Bodoni switched on the kemig, and V Sincein appeared on the screen.<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0135.txt">Next (Page 135)</A>