|| -------- -- -----  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 51--"PINE RUN GLARA" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Goodbye Popcorn  ||  -------> (Cup SRgp051, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Granticaine nodded and looked around. "At least it's still out there." "Yeah." Daptin said getting up and moving over to a counter. "But I'm so wrapped up in this Creation, I can't really devote all that much brainpower to the issue." Daptin worked the espresso machine he had created and made a cup for himself. "Espresso?" he asked. "Why yes." Granticaine responded. I'm anxious to see what your conception of perfect espresso is." Daptin laughed a little and made a cup for Granticaine, then returned to the table with both cups. Granticaine took his and looked into it. "So what's become of the Cup of Coffee?" "I don't know. The part of it that was inside me merged back with the Cup. The funny thing is, that instead of wanting to bring me--us--back to where the Cup was, it tried to send me home. But it wasn't there. So the force of the Cup sent us toward my home--and then brought its pattern integrity whole again. But where is it? I don't know. I guess it's still back at my apartment in Greatwall. Or what's left of it." "Huh." Daptin started scratching at his ear again, and took a sip of the espresso. Granticaine tried his, too. "Wow!" Granticaine said, nodding. "Rather phenomenal! One of the fringe benefits of Creating your own world, I guess--really good coffee!" Granticaine laughed and Daptin took a sip of espresso, but he stopped in mid-sip and also stopped scratching his ear, staring blankly. Granticaine frowned. "Is everything okay?" "No." Daptin said, putting the cup down and standing up. "No--everything is not okay. I knew I felt something--but now--yes." He put his hand near his ear and seemed to be concentrating intensely. "Yes..." he continued. "Very clever. Very sneaky." Granticaine stood up. "What is it, man?" Daptin held his right hand out and said "Just hold on." Daptin then jerked his head a couple of times as he moved his hand into various positions near his left ear. Then all of a sudden, a multicolored sparkling ignited around the vicinity of his ear. "I got it." Daptin said, his voice sounding strange. He slowly moved his hand away from his head, and the area of sparkle, about the size of a baseball, remained midpoint between hand and ear. Daptin winced a few times, then nodded. "Okay, but how many?" he said, his voice sounding distorted. Granticaine began to speak, but stopped himself. Slowly, Daptin reached over to the sparkling area with his right hand, and with great concentration, still looking forward, grasped something between his thumb and index finger. "Got it." he said, smiling at Granticaine. "What?" Granticaine asked, bewildered. Carefully, Daptin placed the thing he held on the outstretched palm of his left hand, and showed it to Granticaine. It was a tiny gold-colored speck. "Uh." Granticaine said. "What might that be?" "You'll be amazed when you find out, which I think should be just about--NOW." Granticaine saw some movement from the other side of the kitchen--a doorway-shaped area in the middle of the floor, and the interior of some kind of cockpit could be seen through it. A tall woman was standing in the doorway, with lovely medium-length reddish-brown hair, wearing a revealing brown and white dress. Granticaine squinted and saw a tiny woman floating next to her. "Daptin?" Granticaine said worriedly. "It's okay Grant." Daptin said, then turned to face the doorway. "Spanking New Sarah and Pine Run Glara. What a pleasure to see you here. Welcome to my Land." "Thanks." Spanking New Sarah (the regular sized one) said with a smile, stepping through the doorway and into the kitchen. Pine Run Glara floated out behind her. "I guess you want an explanation?" Sarah said as she approached the table. Pine Run Glara flew over and alighted on the table, right in front of Granticaine. He regarded her. She was under a foot tall, wearing worn-out blue jeans, a green-and-black-striped T-shirt, and white sneakers. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----