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Authors: David Alastair Hayden, Pepper Thorn
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said. “Because for us to really go fast enough for this to work, stars and galaxies would go by so quickly we’d never even notice them.” Morgan slapped her forehead. “We are such idiots!”
“That is not true,” said Vassalus.
“It might be,” Lexi countered. “We might all be. How would we know? There’s no one to compare ourselves to.”
They all looked at her, and then she giggled.
With a sigh, Arthur said, “What is it, Morgan?”
“We’re traveling …”
“Yes, obviously.”
“Okay then, where are we going?”
“Oh. Um … we’re … I have no idea.”
“Precisely. I can’t believe it didn’t occur to me sooner.”
“It is a lot to take in, my dear,” said Vassalus. “You are being overwhelmed with new things.”
“True,” Morgan replied. “Usually I’d be having an anxiety attack right now.”
Arthur snorted. “I wonder what Dr. Tetris … er Dr. Edelman … would say if we told him a magic house flying through space cured what years of therapy couldn't?”
“Cured? I doubt that.” Morgan sighed. “My point was that wherever we’re heading, the Manse isn’t in a hurry to get there.”
“Maybe we aren’t heading anywhere,” Lexi said.
Morgan nodded. “Exactly. Maybe we just need to keep moving so more Entropians can’t find us.”
“You know,” interrupted Arthur, “right now I don't care. This,” he threw his arms wide as if to encompass the dome and the telescope and the Song Between Verses, “is too … wow … to worry about anything else.”
Arthur stuck his hands behind his head and watched the universe stream by, a big smile plastered on his face. After a while, he felt Morgan staring at him intently.
“What?” he asked.
“I’ve never seen you this happy before. Makes you look different.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Being happy?”
“No, looking different.”
She shrugged. “You really were born for this, I guess: traveling amongst the stars.”
“Maybe you were, too …”
Morgan shook her head. “No, I’m just lucky. Maybe the luckiest girl ever.”
Arthur looked over at her, staring up at the sky, the wild colors flickering across her face and flashing in her eyes. A big smile was plastered across her face, too, and that was something he'd never seen before. He was glad he’d run into her, and not just because he would’ve been screwed without her help.
“Morgan, I never actually asked you if you wanted to be a Paladin’s companion …”
She stared daggers at him. “Are you saying you don’t want me to be?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Good, because I’m not giving it up.”
“I just figured I should’ve asked you … officially.”
“The Manse gave me a room, equipment, a Companion number, and everything.”
“I know, I know. But I didn’t ask you, and that doesn’t seem right to me.”
She groaned. “Well, get on with it then.”
“Would you like to be my …” Suddenly, his palms and forehead turned clammy, and his heart began to race. His cheeks flushed. Those words made it kind of sound like he was asking her to be his girlfriend or something, and that wasn’t what he meant — not at all. He stumbled through his thoughts, trying to find the right way to say it so that it didn’t suggest anything or make him uncomfortable or her angry …
“Arthur, yes . Yes, I will be your official Paladin’s companion. I’d hardly turn it down. Happy now?”
Arthur leaned his seat back and watched a large sun flare past them. “Yes, yes I am.”
“You’re such a weird doof.”
Chapter Seven
Shadows of the Bath
A rthur sat up and rubbed his eyes. Despite the wondrous view, he had dozed off in the chair, with Lexi curled around his feet.
“What time is it?”
Morgan woke with a start — stepped on Vassalus’ tail by accident, and then clapped her hands over her ears when he howled.
“Sorry, Vassalus.”
He spun around and licked his tail twice, then breathed a sigh of relief. “I am okay,
“That is not true,” said Vassalus.
“It might be,” Lexi countered. “We might all be. How would we know? There’s no one to compare ourselves to.”
They all looked at her, and then she giggled.
With a sigh, Arthur said, “What is it, Morgan?”
“We’re traveling …”
“Yes, obviously.”
“Okay then, where are we going?”
“Oh. Um … we’re … I have no idea.”
“Precisely. I can’t believe it didn’t occur to me sooner.”
“It is a lot to take in, my dear,” said Vassalus. “You are being overwhelmed with new things.”
“True,” Morgan replied. “Usually I’d be having an anxiety attack right now.”
Arthur snorted. “I wonder what Dr. Tetris … er Dr. Edelman … would say if we told him a magic house flying through space cured what years of therapy couldn't?”
“Cured? I doubt that.” Morgan sighed. “My point was that wherever we’re heading, the Manse isn’t in a hurry to get there.”
“Maybe we aren’t heading anywhere,” Lexi said.
Morgan nodded. “Exactly. Maybe we just need to keep moving so more Entropians can’t find us.”
“You know,” interrupted Arthur, “right now I don't care. This,” he threw his arms wide as if to encompass the dome and the telescope and the Song Between Verses, “is too … wow … to worry about anything else.”
Arthur stuck his hands behind his head and watched the universe stream by, a big smile plastered on his face. After a while, he felt Morgan staring at him intently.
“What?” he asked.
“I’ve never seen you this happy before. Makes you look different.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Being happy?”
“No, looking different.”
She shrugged. “You really were born for this, I guess: traveling amongst the stars.”
“Maybe you were, too …”
Morgan shook her head. “No, I’m just lucky. Maybe the luckiest girl ever.”
Arthur looked over at her, staring up at the sky, the wild colors flickering across her face and flashing in her eyes. A big smile was plastered across her face, too, and that was something he'd never seen before. He was glad he’d run into her, and not just because he would’ve been screwed without her help.
“Morgan, I never actually asked you if you wanted to be a Paladin’s companion …”
She stared daggers at him. “Are you saying you don’t want me to be?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Good, because I’m not giving it up.”
“I just figured I should’ve asked you … officially.”
“The Manse gave me a room, equipment, a Companion number, and everything.”
“I know, I know. But I didn’t ask you, and that doesn’t seem right to me.”
She groaned. “Well, get on with it then.”
“Would you like to be my …” Suddenly, his palms and forehead turned clammy, and his heart began to race. His cheeks flushed. Those words made it kind of sound like he was asking her to be his girlfriend or something, and that wasn’t what he meant — not at all. He stumbled through his thoughts, trying to find the right way to say it so that it didn’t suggest anything or make him uncomfortable or her angry …
“Arthur, yes . Yes, I will be your official Paladin’s companion. I’d hardly turn it down. Happy now?”
Arthur leaned his seat back and watched a large sun flare past them. “Yes, yes I am.”
“You’re such a weird doof.”
Chapter Seven
Shadows of the Bath
A rthur sat up and rubbed his eyes. Despite the wondrous view, he had dozed off in the chair, with Lexi curled around his feet.
“What time is it?”
Morgan woke with a start — stepped on Vassalus’ tail by accident, and then clapped her hands over her ears when he howled.
“Sorry, Vassalus.”
He spun around and licked his tail twice, then breathed a sigh of relief. “I am okay,
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