|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- GOODBYE POPCORN--CUP 3--"AGOOPISH" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Goodbye Popcorn  ||  -------> (Cup SRgp003, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The Sun was setting as they reached the Palace and flew into the same room Daptin had arrived in. Deskerhilm was waiting for them. He looked up from the book he was reading and greeted them. Daptin was a little shaken at Deskerhilm's appearance. He was a very short, stocky creature, with a barely humanoid shape. He was a brown-gray color, and his skin resembled a cross between rock and reptile. His face had an ancient, calm look to it and vaguely resembled a toad. He had an air of might about him, but also an air of patience and benevolence. Suddenly, the strange little fellow held up his hands and backed away from the two. "No! No! Cannot be!" Deskerhilm said, and like a video camera falling off a table, the world collapsed. Back in his hotel room, Daptin was shaken out of his musings by the sound of a massive explosion in the distance. From that weird bomb test place? Maybe. But now, he just had to make the call. Had to make the call... picking up the phone as confused memories danced in his head... home from the hospital and totally healthy... they all thought it was a hoax, that he did it for symapthy and to go on his "end journeys"... he had to leave his homeland of Arctica... he went south, to Baskonontana... to Thatterine College in Gullia Fair... Dialing... dialing... He heard the phone ringing on the other end as he twirled the cord around his arm. Out the window of the suite, he saw morning dawning over Agoopish. This had to be the most way-out phone call ever made, being that it crossed the boundaries of no less than five worlds. "Hello?" came the unfamiliar female voice on the other end of the line. "Uh, yeah. This is, uh, Daptin. Can I talk to Eb?" "Mr. Traipse is in a meeting at the moment... tee hee." said the voice, giggling. "What? A meeting? What time is it there? Tell him it's Daptin, he'll wanna talk to me." "I'm sorry." said the voice. "Look, this is a very long distance call, and I have to talk to him. Page him or something, y'know? It's like really important." "Chee hee hee!" "Now wait... who is this? Huh? Let me talk to Diorama or Bliss, or anyone!" Daptin heard more tittering and the phone being dropped on the other end. In the background, he heard some people talking loudly, but he couldn't make them out distinctly. "Shoulda known not to call Greatwall at midday." Daptin grumbled to himself as he stood up and walked over to the window. He surveyed Bright continuing to rise up over the diverse buildings of midtown Agoopish. Far below he saw hordes of denizens going about their mucky lives. Soon he'd be out there too. Mucky too? Not very. He knew this would be a fun day. "Damn." Daptin muttered. He walked over to the TV and switched it on, turning the sound all the way down. On the screen was an extreme close-up of a bearded fat guy, making all sorts of goofy faces at the camera. He'd seen the show before--a whole half-hour of this guy's silly expressions, accompanied by cacophonous polka. Another example of Adlai Blankablark's lack of firm footing in reality. Daptin wasn't the only one counting the days till Earth cable TV would be piped into Agoopish. They already had it in Boltpike, so the only barriers left were political. But he was sure Agoopish would get it before Ocpadusk, Blamnoom, or Felptash. A commotion like the sound of banging pots and pans came across the phone lines, and Daptin was about to hang up and try another Overwhelm number when he heard the phone being picked up. "Yes. Hello. Hello?" came the voice of Eb Traipse. "Hello." Daptin said. "Yes, who is this?" "It's Daptin! Daptin Gone. Remember me?" "Oh, yes. Hold on a second, would you? WE CAN'T HAVE THIS! TELL THEM TO KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL! I'M NOT KIDDING! MR. FIFE WILL NOT BE HAPPY! Daptin?" "Yeah." "How kind of you to call. We half thought you were dead or working for Thewsike by now." "No. I'm fine. But, like first, what the hell is happening over there?" "Oh. Well, don't spread it around but we have a faery problem here. A lot of them are running amuck all around here. You know we can't have this." "How the hell'd they get there?" "I'm afraid Ms. Arcomany is to blame. She uncovered a faeryland on Barley Sine Earth and a troop of the buggers stowed away in her cloak." "That was a faery on the phone before?" "My god they're answering the phones now! Letevs will have my head!" "I'm sure Treyess will own up to it." "That's not what I'm worried about. It's been a few hours and none of our anti-faery protocols are succeeding. This breed is respectably robust." "Hmm. Well, I'm glad I'm not there." "Where are you, by the way, my dear boy?" -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----