|| -------- -- -----  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 31--"WHALE" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Foreman Ittener Pier  ||  -------> (Cup SRfi031, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Prince Ferrajalt awoke with a shocking buzz in his mind. It was dark in his room in Deep Violt Junior, and Lunatether was in a deep sleep beside him. His eyes were wide open, and his brain was trying to grasp the nature of the mental shockwave now assaulting him. It was a plaintive, crying, primal signal. He shook his head, but he couldn't diminish the intensity of the wave. He took a deep breath and sat up, being careful not to wake up Lunatether. He closed his eyes and shook his head again, but it was no use. Then he got a strong feeling that whatever was doing this to him was outside. He stared at the window and then over at the clock. 3:40 AM. Then he quietly slipped out of bed, and as he did, he summoned forth some superstrength, just in case. Naked, he threw on some sweat pants and a T-shirt and then carefully approached the window. Looking to the street below, he saw it. Whale. Whale! His tock hound--little Whale--all grown up now. He locked eyes with the beast and he was overcome with emotion. The animal looked so happy to see him--happy enough to cry tears of joy if it were able. And Ferrajalt realized that since Whale was imprinted with him, he could serve no other. It seemed so pathetic and heart-wrenching-the poor dog wandering the streams of time seeking his long-lost master. The psychic pressure vanished, and was filled with an urgent sort of suggestion to go travel through time. He smiled. But then--what if Whale had come along with Hilltop Jone Rallity and her tock hound, Jilt? The adrenaline surged, and Ferrajalt felt a lump in his throat. The prospect of seeing Hilltop again... He looked over at Lunatether and felt so confused--would he now abandon her, as he did Hilltop before? Or--he wasn't romantically involved with Hilltop, so... And then he thought of Martha, his secret girlfriend at the Hay-Hengren Seaside back home. Something about her--no--wait a second. Something about her, similar to... to Lunatether. In personality... the way she walked... talked... No. No way. Lunatether was Martha? If Ferrajalt left Lunatether now, would she really seek him out in the past and try to get him that way? He narrowed his eyes as he glared at Lunatether's snoozing form. Yes. It seemed to ring true. And the more he thought about it, the more it clicked. The Martha of his past was this Lunatether in the future. He was sure of it. He looked back at Whale and tried to psychically inform the beast that he'd be down soon. He set about silently getting dressed, and he thought--Whale and Lunatether, two artificial constructs questing after his affections through time and space. Should he have to put up with all this? "Is anything wrong?" Lunatether suddenly said. He froze. "No." he said. Then, "Yes." "What is it?" she said groggily. He hesitated, then said "Whale has come for me." Lunatether sat up in the bed and frowned. "Yeah?" "Yeah." She looked him in the eyes and could tell immediately that something was wrong. "What is it?" she asked in a tone of dread. "Does the name... does the name Martha mean anything to you?" She bit her lip and looked down. "I guess it had to happen sooner or later." she said. "What?" "That you'd figure it out." "Figure what out?" She looked at him with those wide Hilltop eyes. "That I was Martha Henruletta." "What?" Ferrajalt said tersely. "I thought you just said if Martha meant..." "I did--it's just... I don't know." "What?" "I thought it was... I don't know. I mean, I thought it was something that would happen in the FUTURE, cuz..." "...you were planning on leaving me tonight." She said those words very mechanically, but tears started to well up in her eyes. And Ferrajalt, himself, began to cry also. He threw down the pants he'd been having trouble getting on and went to Lunatether, taking her in his arms. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----