|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- FOREMAN ITTENER PIER--CUP 22--"CARROLL MAMMOCK" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Foreman Ittener Pier  ||  -------> (Cup SRfi022, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "Okay." I said. "I'll listen--but you have to give me your word that you're no longer connected to Thewsike and that you mean me no harm." "Easy to do." Carroll Mammock said. "I swear by my name that I am no longer associated with The Unreal Sixty-Four in any way, shape or form. I also swear that I mean you absolutely no harm." "Okay." "But for clarity's sake, I want to make it clear that two of my current allies are in the same jam as me--but are similarly disconnected from U-64. They are Anderson Prickwood and Nesmith Strake." "Uh-huh. What costumes are they?" "Uh... skeleton and phantom, respectively." "Okay." I said. "Let's just sit down calmly and you tell me what you need to tell me." "That is agreeable." the scarecrow said, looking behind him at the chair. "Let me just turn this chair around." "Cool." He swung the heavy chair around with consummate ease--definitely superstrong, he. I walked around the bed and sat on it, facing him. Carroll stared at me with his frightening burlap visage. I sensed great energy and presence from him. I made a mental note to keep on my toes--I had the sense he might be dangerous, regardless of what he swore to. "To start off, Prince Ferrajalt, this is not a costume. That's the idea we wanted to put into everyone's head, but it's not true. So I'm about to give you a valuable piece of intelligence." He laughed briefly then--an odd, wheezing noise. Then he continued. "You see, this is what we call a 'panoply'. It's a puppet body animated with Realistic Forces. The idea is that the operative's body remains at a central location, and he operates the panoply remotely. Thewsike's major discovery was that of dimension doors--but unfortunately, they couldn't get much bigger than a few centimeters across. To make a long story short, he was able to use this invention to build the panoply system. Thus, his sixty-four Perfect Unreal Agents could stay safe in his central base while carrying out all manner of missions. This is what I did." "Did?" I asked. "Yes. A month or so ago something happened. Reality fell apart, but only for a few seconds. Right afterward, it seemed like everything was okay, but things were subtly changed. Clocks were all screwed up. The phase of the moon was wrong. Colors of things were inexplicably different, people who should have been dead weren't anymore. And... my body was lost." "What do you mean?" "I mean, my human body became gone. It no longer exists." "So where are you operating the scarecrow from?" "I AM the scarecrow now." "Yeah?" "Yeah. And I'm not really thrilled about it." "Sorry." "Well, that's the way things went. But this is not specifically what I came to you for--though if you have any ideas on how I might regain myself, I'd be glad to hear them." I waved my arms and gave a befuddled look. "No matter." he said. "Let me get onto the matter at hand. As you may know, I have a sister, Coltish, who is part of Overwhelm Associates." "I've--heard of her. Never met her, though." "I see. Now as I said, I have greatly enhanced senses in this panoply--I can see things across the enormity of Aconck. And I can--even now--see my sister. But she's a long way off. I have no idea what sort of a place she's in." "I don't either." "But you can still help me, Prince. For I see an energy signature all over you--the signature of Edkay Delvibane--also one of your comrades." "Yeah?" "Yes. How is it you bear this signature?" "Um... Well I guess I may as well tell you. I am the new owner of the Greatcoat." "Aha!" "What?" "That's what I suspected." "So?" "So, that means you can help me." "How?" "Let's not get ahead of ourselves now. What is the last thing you heard about my sister?" "I--okay. I remember hearing a rumor that she was involved in some super secret mission back at Greatwall." "Yes?" "Yeah. But I mean, it was only a rumor." "Did the rumor include anything about the nature of the mission?" "Well," I said, wrinkling my nose as I considered how much to tell him, "it was pretty weird." "You're in a motel room talking to a scarecrow. That's weird too." I laughed a little. "Yeah. Well, I heard it from a real strange guy in our organization, but well--here it is. I heard they were gonna kill God and the Devil or something." "WHAT?" "Yeah. See, I told you it was weird." "Kill God? And the Devil?" "That's what I heard. Not that I believe it though." "Hmm..." the scarecrow said with what seemed to be a sigh. "This adds an interesting spice to the mix." "Yeah?" He nodded and sat silent. "So." I said. "Does that help you?" "Yes." he said. "And now--I have another question for you. You've been greatly cooperative so far and I appreciate it. If it seems like I'm pushing too hard, I apologize. But somewhere in these questions I may have a great reward to offer you." "Oh?" "Yes. So my question is... do you have time travel?" I furrowed my brow. "Why?" I asked. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----