The Age and Country Hotel - Part III; Evolution from the Glitch | Forums

[jahura]

"That's right," Jahura acknowledges to Zander, "my way. The way I've always done it. The hard way. I know that's unpalatable to you guys but cheating just isn't in my dossier. Check it if you like."

Zander blushes. First a loser, now a cheater. Will this day ever end?

"First," she continues, "assess the situation. Figure out where we are and what our options are. Then follow the string of circumstance back to where it all went to Sheol and determine if it can be salvaged. With any luck, there may be a jewel remaining in this Pandora's box that can be used as ransom."

"And then we take it back when they're not looking?" Tully asks with interest.

She shakes her head.
"This isn't Two Indian Horses, Tully." Jahura says, "although, that's an Idea we could put on contingency."

"Now wait a minute," Zander says, "I've never heard of Two Indian Horses. I may not be an expert on all the coups in the Library, but something tells me you're pulling that one out of thin air. "

Jahura smiles a wicked smile.

[jahura]

"Why don't we just let that drop for now," Jahura replies with nonchalance. "Tully, can you give me a rundown on all that happened when the Hotel went wayward?"

"Still trying to sort that one out." Tully answers, "there was a storm and we wound up in this place where there was a river, a caravan, and a stronghold of werewolves who seemed to be at odds with the fairies, and a mermaid, and...and the Vikings might still be there, and - "

"A storm?" Jahura asks, "what kind of storm?"

"Seemed to be your run-of-the-mill hurricane force storm until it cleared and we were no longer in Australia/New Mexico anymore. I was in the freezer at the time so I don't really know the details."

"Hmmm." She taps her lips in thought.

"Something about a werewolf cult taking us for ransom in exchange for a shard of some such that Toztabud supposedly had pinched."

"Did he have it?"

Tully shrugs. "How would I know?"

"Do you know where Toztabud is now?"

"I think he's still back there - wherever there is - with his sister and a couple of his friends. We split off."

"Maybe we need to find him." Jahura says with a low tone. "He might have the jewel we are seeking - literally as opposed to proverbially."

Zander coughs loudly.

"Or maybe not." Jahura considers.

[T.O.O.O.]

"I'm here to stop a slaughter," TOOO told the deity. She looked unconvinced. "Alright," he admitted, "I wanted a proper goodbye from Cannax. But I didn't expect to see her rushing off to war! She's going to invade a city - a city! You know, a civilian population! Jojo, we have to stop this!"
She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "For better or worse, this situation has to play itself out, TOOO."
"But you're a goddess! Can't you do some kind of...." He waved his arms uselessly. "Divine intervention or something? You know, put up some kind of barrier or something?"
She shook her head. "TOOO, Cannaxia is a coastal kingdom. Cannax will be attacking by sea. What would you have me do - a tsunami or a whirlpool to destroy the fleet?"
"Well, no, of course not." He sighed. "I don't want you to kill anyone, just.... Well, how can I make her see reason? She's changed so much--"
Jojo shook her head again. "This is the real Cannax you're seeing now - a side she's never shown you because she never had reason to."
He sighed again. "I miss the Cannax I used to know. My friend, my fellow adventurer. We traveled together, discovered things together. We were a team, a unit. Now, I'm afraid this power has gone to her head."
He dropped down into a chair. "I can't just let this happen. What can I do, Jojo?"
She knelt down in front of him. "Let events take their course. It will be hard for you, TOOO. But in the end, this isn't really about you. You - and Carlota - are outsiders here. Please don't interfere."

She took his hands in her own. "I'm so sorry, TOOO." Then she vanished.

[Zander Nyrond]

"Tully," Zander says. "I think we need a litte more detail. Imagine if you will that I am trying to get to a wedding."

So Tully tells the tale, while the water fails to move and the sun continues not to set.

"I honestly didn't realise the fairies wanted to get in to kill the werewolves," he says. "But that...forced time thing they did...that was scary."

"Not to mention hard to believe," Zander says. "Are you sure you didn't just...I don't know, fail to notice..."

"Loincloths, Zander," Tully says. "And they were run by a priest, only they called him a priester. And then suddenly suits and mobile phones, and the priester became an Alpha. It had to have been the fairies."

"And meanwhile this business with Toz and the shard...'

"I don't know what happened with that. But I don't think going back would help."

"Tully, think," Jahura urges. "Isn't it possible that the war, or whatever, would have happened even if you hadn't been there?"

"It would have been a stand-off, a siege at best. Whichever side won, after I let the fairies in, I'd have been responsible. Without me there to hit the last cloth..." Tully shrugs. "Still stand-off."

"And when the storm happened..." Zander says. "We, that is Jahura and I, were nowhere near. We were off doing our own things."

"I'll take your word for it," Tully says.

"So the hotel being lost is not our responsibility. Though Hugh may have been to blame for part of it."

"So it appears," Jahura says. "Let's move on."

[T.O.O.O.]

"TOOO?"
He woke with a start. He realized he had fallen asleep in the chair in Carlota's room, and she was waking him up. She stood before him in human form, a vision in satin and lace. "Did you sleep here all night?"
He rubbed his eyes and nodded. "I came in here to check up on you, and Jojo appeared. She told me not to interfere, to let events take their course. Then, I must've fallen asleep in this chair. What time is it?" He checked his KI, but the time counter was blank. Of course - time runs differently here.
"You'd better look out the window."
As in his own room, her only view was that of an arrow slit - but it was enough. There were four warships, loading up with what could only be described with a flood of fighters. "She's really going through with it, then. I've got to talk to her. Come on."
He led her out of the bedroom and down the hall, where they were stopped by two armed guards. "The Queen wants you to stay here," one told them.
TOOO and Carlota looked at each other, then headed back to her room.
"Carlota," he whispered, "can you change into bahro form and link us down to the ships?"
She shook her head. "I can only link to places I've already been. I probably wouldn't have even gotten here without Yeesha's help."
He closed the door. "Well, what about the spot where we landed? Then, you can fly me down to the ships."
"It'll be dangerous. We could be attacked by her guards. And what makes you think she'll listen?"
"Well, what else can we do?"
"I've got an idea."

[jahura]

"So now we're up to the Hotel split-phases into Pompeii and Hugh being the sole resident there, after checking on the condition of our room. Zander, what do you mean by Hugh may be to blame for that?"

Zander takes a deep breath.
"Well, what with the whole quantum theory of observation nonsense and those two thugs - sorry dear, I calls 'em as I sees 'em - running amok being thugs, then if there is any merit to the theory at all that would make Hugh the catalyst."

Jahura lowers her head slightly at him and looks up into his eyes.
"But is he to blame? "

Zander nods once. "I firmly believe he is."

"And apparently knowing about it, and sending those two 'thugs' as you call them, therefore verifying the event, shifts the blame back onto me."

The palm of Zander's hand flies to his eyes.

[T.O.O.O.]

Once again, TOOO found himself wearing Carlota's clothes over his own while she changed form. It was also the first time he'd ever heard a bahro laugh.
"Alright, alright," he grumbled. "Let's just get this over with."

---

They arrived in the alleyway in Nova Romae. As TOOO kept watch, Carlota got dressed.

[Zander Nyrond]

"All right, let's be clear about this," he says. "You didn't have any memory of issuing that order, did you?" Jahura shakes her head, starts to speak. "Bear with me a moment, love. So it happened--will happen--at some future point, yes? So it was a response to the situation. You didn't cause it, you were just trying to fix it. And if I'm honest, the trouble we had with Pinky and the Brain was my fault as much as theirs. They didn't tell us their mission was benign, but I didn't ask--I just assumed they were doing something nasty."

"But the whole theatre business--"

"Again, future you, nothing present you needs to do penance for. And you had a noble purpose, and who's to say it didn't work?"

"If I can have some talking room," Hugh says, appearing unexpectedly again, "I think blame is a bit strong. I may have caused part of the hotel to end up in Pompeii--I say may--but I had no intention of doing so, and no idea that's what I was doing. Responsibility I'll accept. Blame, no."

"Fair enough," Zander says wearily. "But the point I'm making is that neither blame nor responsibility attaches to Jahura here and now. All the time this was going on we were dealing with things for which we actually were responsible--the mess in Relto and here. So the question remains; for what specific act committed by you in this body and temporal frame of reference is penance being demanded of you...and who is having the temerity to demand it, when the only person who seems blameworthy here is, as we've established, my Writer?"

[T.O.O.O.]

"Which way to the docks?" Carlota asked. "You were here long before I was."
They stepped out of the alleyway. "Ummm... from here, I think it would be--"
Unfortunately, he never got to finish that sentence, as they were both grabbed by Imperial soldiers.

[jahura]

"Be careful, love." Jahura says with lowered brow, "you keep insisting your Writer did this. You're practically saying he sabotaged the whole thing. So, I will say this: if he did, why? If he didn't, why is he to blame? I would suggest you ask him before we move on any further. In the meantime, I'm going to fetch a dustpan for the cup I broke before Speedy has a fit."