Of Tea...and Things

On Uncles

"I still have a million questions," said Iris quietly to her brother.

He grinned at her, "nothing ever changes, dear heart, it is as it has ever been; I have never known you when you did not! But then did He not say that very thing?"

"He did indeed," said she with a wry grin, "but part of me had hoped it might not be so."

"What of all these books?" queried he, glancing about at the vast library housed in the little study.

She could not help but laugh, "did you not know I already carry Ultimate Knowledge in my very pocket?" At his odd look, she pulled forth both of her natural histories, handing one to him, as both grew suddenly to the size of an unabridged dictionary.

"What more could one desire!" said he in approbation.

"The right question," corrected she, "they are quite useless without it; we'd be as unhappy as the three gentlemen we saw when we came in, merely acquiring knowledge for knowledge's sake."

"You are truly learning wisdom," said he delightedly, "I only hope I am as quick a study."

"At least women are allowed to learn Things in this profession," said she ruefully.

"Not that we boys ever learned Things," said he with a shake of his head, "we were very carefully educated in everything but that which matters most."

"So I've heard," said she in disgust, as if a skewed education was worse than no learning at all, for in very truth it was. She merely had to learn Things; he had to unlearn much before he could start anew.

"Now what?" asked he.

She shook her head, "usually things just happen as they must, I've been swept along like a leaf in a windstorm from the start."

"I suppose we can start by finding our way back into our particular reality," said he.

"What think you of this house then?" mused she, "Is it or is it not part of our world?"

"There was some theorization," began he, in what she knew from of old as his philosophical lecturing voice, "from foreign philosophers of course, that perhaps there were other worlds beyond our own, and that if indeed this supposition was true, could there not also be some point of connection between them all? A neutral point outside all worlds but connected to them all. One such proposed a 'wood between the worlds,' but why not this rambling old house instead?"

She smiled in wonder, "at least you escaped your formal education and actually managed to find something far more practical."

He could not help but laugh outright, "milady! Have you any idea how impractical that idea would sound to our former acquaintance?"

"I see your point," said she dryly, "I might as well say all those fairytales of my ingestion are practical from such a perspective." Added she thoughtfully, "but then again, they have been of immense benefit upon this strangest of adventures."

"Truth can be found in the strangest places," whispered that beloved Voice, as the little bird flitted briefly above them, "even if most do not recognize it as such."

"Practical indeed!" said Squiff brightly, "I can't wait to discover what other surprises He has for us."

"I don't think there will ever be an end to them," said she in delight, whereat they both smiled like eager and happy children, as once they had done long ago before Society imposed itself upon them and forced them apart.

They somehow found their way out of the labyrinthine house and found the lady's carriage waiting, as ever was its wont. They hopped in and immediately it set forth, as was also its wont. Said he in wonder, "this is quite the conveyance you have."