Keith and John nodded in agreement about needing help to fight Lord Rational and the cloud of darkness that was spreading across the universe. Paul reached into his pocket and took out some change, a bus token, a pack of chewing gum, keys, two toy soldiers and a tiny sentry box.

'Ah, there you are,' said Paul as he held up the tiny sentry box. 'Right, now I need a paper clip. I keep losing mine.'

'I have some in the desk,' answered Keith as he opened the drawer and passed a paperclip to Paul. Paul poked at the sentry box with the paper clip for a couple of minutes until a tiny door opened on the back of the sentry box.

'This is very important. I need you two to clear your minds and focus on the sentry box,' whispered Paul as he placed the sentry box on the floor.

Keith and John glanced at each other and then focused on the tiny sentry box. It seemed so realistic. The door looked as if there were a room behind it. Suddenly, the sentry box did not seem so small. Paul reached out a hand and opened the door farther.

'Come on, follow me,' said Paul as he disappeared inside the sentry box.

'Did that thing just...?' spluttered John.

'Um, yeah,' whispered Keith as he shoved John through the open door.

As soon as everyone was inside, Paul shut the door. Keith and John looked around at the strange room that was illuminated in a soft shade of purple. Paul flipped a few switches on something that resembled a video game console. The ground moved. Actually, the ground was where it belonged. It was the room that had moved.

'Make yourselves comfortable, it won't be too long of a trip,' said Paul, turning to Keith and John.

'How is it that we are in a toy, flying through space?' asked John, looking utterly confused.

Paul took a deep breath as he began to explain. 'This is a real space ship that can appear to be whatever won't be noticeable. I've told you before, Confuzzleites are different than humans. Thinking in absolutes is exhausting for us. You are going to have to relax and get used to the idea that logic works within parameters and the parameters are different on my home planet. Time and space have a different meaning to us. Wars are started because the participants can only see their own side, clearly. Pieces of land are fought over to prove a point. Sometimes what the world needs is a bit less clarity to soften the edges.'

'Is there anything we really should know about before we get there?' asked Keith with a note of worry in his voice.

Paul looked up to face Keith and said, 'No one is ever the same after having visited Confuzzle.'

The Caped Confuzzler Archive

Evangeline and
Cal Fortuneswell

05.10.06 Front Page

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