The West Throckmorton (UK) Library holds a secret - it's an Intergalactic storage facility for dangerous creatures, magically kept in its tens of thousands of books. But there are those who would release its frightful inhabitants upon Earth. Enter t...
Amber is a living legend of the Universes – one that, most remarkably, is human in origin. A favorite version has her as an incredibly lucky hunter of fabulous lost treasures; another, as a mother who wanted to return to Earth to give birth there, increasing her child's chances of survival; and one of Solarea's favorites has Amber being romantically pursued by over a dozen alien Gods and two goddesses – and that the chase is still ongoing.
How do I know this? I may be a Gulper, but Gulpers retain the memories of everything and everyone they consume. Most Gulpers didn't know that, because we existed solely to eat. When I became a familiar, much of these memories would flood back to me while I tried to sleep. One of the humans had been obsessed with Amber.
And then, of course, the witch I serve counts Amber as her friend. That alone makes High Watcher Eliza almost one, perhaps even two thousand years old. The library was buzzing with anticipation. Because we had to split our time between moving the Literature-Bound to safety and making accommodations for those who were going to help us, we had to use magic for frivolities like cleaning!
I was just putting out the fresh baked scones and butter when a rollicking fanfare of Zondzorgian tubas announced Amber's arrival. A cone of rainbow light appeared at the library's front desk. Seconds later, a figure jigged her way around us, spinning so fast we couldn't make out any features except a mass of luxurious, brown curly hair. She ended by picking up Eliza in the air and hugging her, much to Eliza's delight.
"There is nothing more delightful than seeing you whole and hale, my beauty! How long has it been? Six decades?"
Eliza laughed. "Six centuries, you absent-minded putrescent old prune!"
"You brain-starved numpty of a necrotic nematode!" shouted Amber.
"You curmudgeonly craven old pestilential crow!"
"You malignant gob of freshly horked cat hair!"
"You festering boil of bilious beetle pus!"
"You astoundingly stinky pile of Blackwellian space dung!"
"Oh! Oh, that's a good one, that is!" They cackled as they collapsed, then stood apart as if appraising each other. This was followed by an intricate and devilishly difficult handshake.
Elder Holly set a pitcher on the table beside the teapot. It was filled with a clear neon pink fluid and ice cubes, crushed mint leaves and a few other herbs. Three tall glasses shaped like upside-down conch shells also appeared, and she poured them halfway full.
Amber turned to her, and gently took hold of Holly's blue-veined hands. "My dear sister, you look well. Your great-great-great nephew sends you his warmest regards, and asks when he might be granted the happy news of a forthcoming visit?"
"When Mercury freezes over!" she responded with disdain.
"Now, now. That's no way to treat our family. You forgave me, as I recall."
"It wasn't your fault that stupid sex-mad god's curse made you immortal and unkillable!" Holly cried. All this time, the apprentices and I were shuffling our feet, as if we were eavesdropping on a conversation that we shouldn't have been privy to.
"Well, on the plus side, my life is never boring. And the spider-folk always make things interesting. And who are these delightful young ones – part of the Coven?" Amber's eyebrows were raised in curiosity.
"Forgive my manners. These are my apprentices, soon to be Acolytes: Veradrimel, Solarea, and August. The Big Bunny is..."
"...Fluffy! The last of your kind, if I remember. The universes rest easier knowing that you are their friend. A pleasure to meet you."
Auggie was vibrating as he said, "You s...s... said that y... you had presents?"
"You are the techno-mage! I did indeed say I'd have presents. It's been so long!" she said to herself. She reached into the pocket of her very stylish space suit jacket and emptied its contents on the table. There was a twig, a spyglass, one jellybean, a nut with bolt, a piece of what looked like shortbread, and a bottle cap.
I think even Eliza was astonished. We knew that Amber was eccentric, but these were decidedly not what any of us were expecting. She gave the twig to Vera and the spyglass to Solarea; the nut and bolt to Auggie and the jellybean to me. She then gave the shortbread to Holly and the bottle cap to Eliza.
I was about to pop the jellybean into my mouth when I was hit with a stun spell. I tried to open a pocket universe but couldn't. "Stop!" laughed Amber, "Don't eat him!"
Her index finger was glowing white, and the finger had lengthened into a birch branch – a wand very difficult to master, as it becomes a part of you. I stopped struggling, and she released me. Then she doubled over in laughter. "Oh, my, you must all think I'm quite, quite mad! These are not what they seem to be. No, not at all. They're from the Seeress of Theta Prime. They're dormant now. But each one will awaken when it's time."
"What exactly are they?" asked Solarea.
"How should I know! She gave them to me, saying 'they told me they will find their home' if she gave them to me. And during your last call, they swooped at me and hitched a ride in the transport. Damned if they didn't exert a pull directing me who to give them to."
"But, what..." Solarea began again.
"You're the one with foresight. You tell me!" She poured herself another Strawberry Mollusk mojito - a full glass this time - and sat in Eliza's big comfy chair. "Now, let's sit down and you tell me what your dire problem is!"
Because of her phenomenal memory, Eliza let Veradrimel tell the tale. Amber listened intently, pausing to ask pointed questions about who and when. She requested we explain our suppositions, knocking them apart when they didn't stand up to scrutiny. When we told her who we thought the villains were, she didn't blink. She did, however, click her tongue on the roof of her mouth and lightly drum her fingers on the table.
"Can we take a break, my beauties? I need time to think." Her skin, the color of rich, just-watered loam, glistened in the candlelight. She went out back to sit in the Arden Garden, so named for a favorite location of old Billy Shakespeare. There was a fountain with a statue of Bottom and Titania. Bottom looked very much like the Assetters of Mulea-12, minus the hooves and ears.
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"I know you're there, Fluffy. You can't sneak up on an immortal, so don't waste your time. What do you want to ask me? C'mere, my lap is cold." I disengaged myself from the lawn and leapt onto her lap, as requested. She reached down and scratched me in the perfect spot, making my leg thump.
"How do you manage being in two places at once?" I whispered.
"What makes you think it's only just two? They're synth-clones. Yes, I know they were outlawed. But who was it that outlawed them, hmm?"
I stood abruptly. "The International Council of Worlds?"
"And take a guess who, in all the multiverses, has the most 'illegal' synth clones?" she asked coyly.
"The Outer Space Sports Society?"
"Yes. Very Good. Now gather everyone inside, and I'll tell your mates what I think they - no, damn it – what I think we are going to do."
