h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

sniff sniff
You should store emerald off the necklace when your not wearing it. Not till you know what it does. Pretty setting but it could get radioactive.

That's why you always find the best gems are loose. Dangerous sometimes. Just set it to wear it.

*nods and leaves*

Thanks for the advice, Styx. I'll take good care of it.

My friend Fern the Firelizard is coming over at the weekend to help me put the finishing touches to the shop. She knows a lot about magic gems. I will show it to her and find out what she thinks.

Chhhrrrrup! Chhhrrp.

[Ant telepathic frequency] ~~~{The rat need not worry. The gem is not radioactive. But it is magic. I will examine it carefully.}~~~

Didn't say gem was radioactive.
The magic in the gem could make the setting radioactive.

Chhrrup! Chhhrsssrrp?

[Ant telepathic frequency] ~~~{The rat can hear me? He must receive on ant frequencies! Or did you add subtitles to the tape?

Anyway, I have looked at the gem carefully and it is indeed magic. Just as with the ordinary universe, there are several forces at work. The most common magic forces are those which interact with hyperlife, hyperspace and hypertime.

This emerald communicates with and influences hyperlife. This is sometimes called the gaia force. You can see the gaia force at work elsewhere in the h2g2 World: the magic acorns, the majic forest, of course and Mt. Muwemu where the very fabric of the world is communicating through Mew. Every element of the planet, living or apparently lifeless, is part of the World Consciousness. The emerald links to that awareness and acts as a conduit for the World's thoughts and emotions. The emerald is a good thing for a map maker to have. It's particular strengths will become apparent in time. Whatever the Rat thinks, it will not make substances in the real world radioactive although it will be quick to make you aware if it detects any radioactivity in the vicinity.

There are other forces at work in the h2g2 World. The forces related to hyperspace are essential to smoothing over those little matters of spatial continuity that can cause so much bother. For example, Asteroid Lil must possess some control over hyperspace so that she can be both in the the Atelier and in the Aroma Café at the same time until she wants to meld herselves back together again. Perhaps she has a gem from Styx? Yes? The machine you are using for the Dynamic Art Gallery is another example of the hyperspace magic force. And I use those forces myself to move "between" places through the grey limbo.

The magic forces of hypertime are also at work. They enable Joanna to be online but not online at the same time. The IIEM at the Aroma Café relies heavily on hypertemporal forces and Menza must use some sort of hypertime magic to keep the Forum and Firkin open at all time. Although that doesn't explain why the service is so slow. Pearls influence hypertime magic forces. Do we know anyone with a magic pearl?

That's enough about magic forces for the time being. We had better finish sorting out the shop.}~~~

~~{BTW, you were using bird frequencies but I could hear you ok. I'm talented like that.

So my emerald is linked magically to the fabric of the World? I can't wait to find out what it does exactly. Perhaps Styx will have some ideas.}~~

~~{And what sort of magic stone will stop my posts appearing to come from you, Fern? }~~