"Remind me," Ville asked as he reached for a cloth, "why did I journey into space again?"
"For honor, glory, and dirty weapons," Phantom replied. The pair were finishing up inventory of the armory, and took a few minutes to clean some of the swords the Wanderer stored. In light of Colicor's recent attack back at the Rock of Bral, Onestar ordered a complete inventory of all the Wanderer's weapons. Ville and Phantom were down in the armory double checking some of their older weapons, and giving them a bit of a shine.
"Oh, yeah, I must have forgotten." Ville finished cleaning the sword and replaced it in the wooden stand. He leaned against the wall for a second, deep in thought.
"Copper for your thoughts," Phantom asked.
"Oh, nothing," Ville responded. "I was just thinking about the new members of the crew. What could Onestar be thinking about, bringing a beholder onboard the ship like that? Isn't it bad enough we have a mind flayer onboard this ship?"
"Here we go again..." Phantom said under his breath.
"I mean, c'mon! How many demihumans and nonhumans do we have on this tub already? Half the crew? Elves, dwarves, that damned tinker gnome who'll no doubt blow this ship halfway across the known spheres! And, of course, that arcane." Ville threw the cloth down to the floor.
"Doesn't it bother you in the least that there's a scro onboard this ship? We've got halflings doing the cooking, lizard women in security and operations... Where does it end? I almost thought Hall was gonna bring that Neogi onboard!"
"Comhot was only trying to be helpful," Phantom finally replied. Too many times in the past few weeks he's had this argument with Ville. "He wanted to stop the fighting in Solaris. He'd given up the fighting years back, Hall said so."
"Yeah?" Ville said, turning away from Phantom. "It's a good thing that crossbow bolt found its mark when it did."
Phantom's mouth fell open in shock. "Ville, you're not... one of those xenophobes, are you?"
Ville whirled around. "Of course not! The Neogi have no place in this universe! They should all be destroyed! I am surprised you're defending them, after what happened back in Realmspace!"
"I'm not defending them, Ville." Phantom's voice showed slight agitation. "What has gotten into you, man? I know you don't like Blaise, and I knew for some time you've had something against Illithids, but recently, you've been sounding like someone from one of those humans-only extremist groups. I'm getting a little tired, my friend, of having to defend every sentient in the cosmos because...because...oh, to hell with it!"
Phantom tossed the clipboard he was using down to the floor, turned and stormed out of the room. Ville said nothing, but watch him leave. Suddenly, Ville tossed the cloth he held in his hands against the far wall, then punched the stand next to him.
"That might hurt," a voice said from behind him. Ville grabbed one of the swords and turned. When he stopped, Ville saw only an older-looking man in light, simple travelling clothes. The man was older, smaller and frail. He had the appearance almost of a father-figure. He stood there, arms crossed in front of him. The light from the candles lighting the walls flickered in his eyes.
"Who are you and how did you get here?" Ville asked, assuming a defensive stance. "I know every crewmember onboard this ship, and you're not a member of the crew."
"I'm a friend," the man replied. His voice was cold, impassioned. Ville looked him over carefully, trying to memorize his features.
"What do you want?" Ville asked.
"That, actually, was going to be my question. Ville Lavonius, what do you want?"
Ville just looked at the man.
"I've heard you, Ville. You feel you are alone onboard this ship, thinking Onestar has betrayed you. You think he's brought too many nonhumans onboard."
"So? They're all loyal members of this crew. I was just blowing off a little steam, that's all.."
"It was more than a little steam," the older man replied. "Even your friend, a human himself, disagrees with you. What kind of loyalty is that."
"Loyalty to the captain."
"Phagh! What kind of captain brings illithid and lizardkin on his ship? He is no captain."
The older man stepped closer to Ville, his eyes flickering red from the candles. He placed one hand on Ville's shoulder, and spoke in soft, quiet tones.
"I am your friend, Ville. I agree with you, that there are too many nonhumans in Wildspace, and that Onestar is the cause of all this discontent. I need your help, Ville. With you, we can teach Onestar the error of his ways. We can make the starlanes strong and safe for humans again."
"...what can I do to help?" Ville asked quietly. The older man reached into his belt pouch and removed an egg-shaped clear crystal. He gave it to Ville who examined it carefully. Within the crystal, shimmering flashes of blue and black could be seen. Ville placed it in his pocket.
"When you reach Omnispace, Ville Lavonius, you'll be there to help us. Just watch Onestar and all his friends. See what they do, their actions, no matter how small. Help me, my friend, and I'll reward you in ways you never knew possible."
With that, the smaller man disappeared. Phantom opened the door back into the armory as Ville just stood there looking against the far wall.
"Ville?" Phantom asked, entering the room. "Look, man, I'm sorry. I got upset, I know I shouldn't have."
Ville turned to face Phantom, and extended a hand.
"Don't worry about it," Ville responded, his voice relaxed. "Consider it forgotten. I think I've been in space too long, I'm letting things get to me. Whaddya say we finish this us and get back upstairs. We've got to be close to the..."
[All decks, prepare for flow stations. Ten minutes to Phlogiston.]
"I think that answers your question," Phantom said, as he reached over and blew out the candles in the room. Ville and Phantom put all the swords back, and then made their way through the deck making sure all the flames were extinguished.
Meanwhile, in the Repository, Hall, Normakon, Estress and Belieth were still looking pouring over the books, trying to see what else Lord Monitor's books knew of Athaspace.
Alas, most of the knowledge they found was information they already knew. Lord Monitor knew where the sphere was, some information (purely hypothetical) on how to possibly enter the sphere, some warning information on travel in the sphere (armor was a definite no-no), and tales on some of the races.
Belieth closed one book and placed it on a wooden, wheeled cart Arator used to reshelve the materials they finished. She rubbed her eyes and looked over to her husband. He was in his element: Although a bard by nature, Hall loved the feel of old books, the quest for references that endless hours of searching through old tomes required. She could think of other, more pleasurable things to do.
Which made Hall look at her, eyes wide. They shared an empathic bond, and occasionally Belieth enjoyed toying with her husband, sending definitely sexual signals his direction. She sat there, smiling seductively, making Hall squirm (as she knew he would) at the thought of what she was doing.
Hall smiled and shook his head. He wanted to concentrate on the books at hand, but Belieth added something new to her attack: she managed to get her foot out of her boot and started rubbing it against his leg. Hall was helpless. The book he was holding fell out of his hands and hit the table with a slight thud.
He looked over at her, eyes wide. She merely met his gaze, a pencil against her red lips, looking seductively into his eyes. He pleaded silently for her to stop, and she did. For only a minute.
Hall closed the book hard, making Estress and Normakon look up. Embarrassed, Hall thought for a few seconds, trying to think of some excuse.
"Well," he finally settled upon, "one thing about Athaspace Onestar would like. No gnomes."
*True,* Estress replied. *I've checked through twelve tomes so far and still no references to gnomes. Also no references to Illithids, Beholders, Lizardkin, Scro, but I see the Gith have a genetic offshoot there.*
"I agree," Normakon continued. "But the races that are native to the world appear quite powerful. And dangerous. Nightmare Beasts. Only one dragon. Silt Horrors. If these tomes are correct, this is one world I would rather not see."
"Some friends of ours just visited Athas," Hall commented, since Estress was familiar with the Calla Maraine's exploits in Athaspace and Normakon was...well, Normakon. "A few didn't make it back alive. Magic operates differently there, and aaaHHH!"
*AH?*
"Sorry, Estress," Hall said, blushing. "Nothing's wrong."
"Perhaps we have spent enough time studying," Normakon asked. "Does anyone know what time it is? Beholders aren't known for their use of pocket time pieces."
"It's getting late," Belieth commented. "I wonder what's keeping Onestar? He said he'd come get us when we got close to the spherewall."
"There might be something wrong," Hall said, putting a final book on the wooden truck. "Arator?"
(Yes, Hall?) Arator appeared behind the bard suddenly, giving no warning to his approach. Hall jumped slightly at the surprise.
"Arator, do you know how close we are to the spherewall?" Belieth asked.
(I have no way of knowing what is going on outside the Repository, Lady Belieth,) Arator replied. (I shall see what I can learn from the crystal.)
As Arator started back to another reference crystal, Hall stood up. "I've got a better idea. Why don't we just head back. Arator, where's the door?"
(Down that corridor, along the far wall,) the tasked genie replied, pointing. The foursome stood (several of Hall's bones cracked from sitting for so long), and made their way down a corridor. The corridor was silent, save for their footsteps. Normakon made no sounds as he floated ahead of them, all of his eyes scanning the shelves of books with more than a passing interest.
Beside Hall, Belieth took her husband's hand and held it gently. He looked over at her and understood the fear that she was beginning to feel. He now felt that something was wrong also, but didn't know what.
Estress brought up the rear, his robes swishing in rhythm with his tendrils.
Finally, they reached the door. Normakon moved out of the way for Hall to grab it. Hall tugged at the doorknob, but it didn't move.
*What's wrong?*
"The door's stuck," Hall grunted in reply, taking the handle with both hands. He pulled with all of his strength, but the door wouldn't open. Hall started to put his foot upon the wall, trying to gain leverage, when the door flashed a bright green. The aura flung the bard back into a row of shelves.
"HALL!" Belieth screamed as Estress moved to examine the door. The frame of the door now glowed a dull amber.
"Librarian!" Normakon called out, "We need you over here!"
Seconds later, Arator appeared behind the floating eye.
(You called?) Arator looked over to the door and shook his head. Hall sat up on his own, no worse for the wear other than having the wind knocked out of him.
"Does that mean," Hall began, worry in his voice, "what I think that means?"
(It would appear the Eternal Wanderer has entered the Phlogiston,) Arator replied. (You are now trapped within this interdimensional space.)
"Why didn't Onestar get us?" Belieth asked.
"There's something wrong, I can feel it," Hall replied. He stepped over to the door and began to pound on it with both fists. "HEY! LET US OUT OF HERE!"
(That's not going to help,) Arator said quietly. (This is interdimensional space, not on the other side of your library. All you're doing is pounding on a wall with nothing over there to hear you.)
*There must be something we can do,* Estress thought. *Isn't there a spell or something that can get us out of interdimensional space?*
"Well," Normakon replied, closing all his eyes save one. "A Wish spell might work, if phrased properly. However, you must be careful what you say. The wrong phrase might be disastrous."
"Arator," Hall said as he spun around to face the genie, "is there a Wish spell in the Repository?"
(Several, but it will take some time to retrieve the tomes and then study the spell.)
"Nevermind that," Hall replied. "I'll just read the spell aloud."
"For any other spell," Belieth interrupted, "that might work, but a wish spell is something entirely different. If not performed properly, it might backfire. Find the spell, Arator. I'll prepare for it."
Arator bowed, and disappeared. Belieth sat down on the floor and began to mentally and physically prepare herself. The others could do nothing now but wait until Arator returned, and there was no telling what was going on outside.
