I wrote this book just over a year ago. I have submitted it to several publishing houses to no avail. I am posting the first three chapters here in order to get some feedback. Thanks for your time.

This book is my Homage to Roger Zelazny's the Chronicles of Amber.

I apologize for the formating, the cut and paste from Word didn't go as smoothly as I hoped. So I am putting it up a chapter at a time so I can manually format as I go.

All comments welcomed.




A slight warning......Grammar is my arch nemesis.

    Getting stabbed in the back is a lot like falling in love, you never see it coming, it hurts like hell, and once it’s over you’re really pissed off.

    Lying face down on the sidewalk with blood pouring out of my shoulder left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The realization that the bad taste was blood came to me as I lifted my head to stare at the man who had taken me by surprise. He was huge, close to six foot six I would guess. He had bright red hair and mustache that he must have stolen from the 70’s. I had no idea who he was but I swore to myself that I would find out.  He pressed his hand against the air giving it form as if he was pressing against a huge piece of cellophane. He looked down at me and laughed as he pushed his way through vanishing before my eyes. The sunlight reflected off of the rippling wall of reality like a drop of water into a pool until it stopped shimmering and became invisible once more. I thought only my family could do that. I realized then that I had a gaping cut on the back of my head but I didn’t give it a second thought. I was tougher than that. I would be fine. The last sounds I heard were of car horns and profanity as I drifted off into a happy place I would like to call unconsciousness.

    I awoke in a bright yellow hospital room to the sound of an IV pump that needed refilling. It was an extremely annoying beep. If only the millennium had taken out all technology then there would be no beep. Okay, so the apocalyptic end to society was an extreme request just to stop a beeping machine, but I had a headache that would kill a donkey. I kept waiting for Athena to spring forth from my head. Then she could kill the beeping machine. Just then a beautiful nurse walked in the room. She was young, tall and slender with curly black hair. She started a new IV drip and turned to ask me how I was. That was when I realized she was a he, in her late fifties, and I was extremely drugged. Good night tricky long-haired man.

    The second time I regained consciousness there was another bed to my left, in between the window and myself. The curtain between us was drawn just enough so that I couldn’t see a head, but they were snoring like the dickens. Did Dickens really snore or was that simply the reaction one got from reading his never ending stories? After I find the guy with the red mustache I’m going to ask someone. I am sure that last thought was the major cause of a book from ‘Christmas Past’ biting me in my dream. It was a big book and I think it had rabies.

    The third time I woke up I was clearly in better control of my senses. I guessed I had been here a couple of days at the most. It was early evening judging by the light coming from the window. The bed to my left was still occupied but the curtain had been pulled all the way across so I couldn’t see who was there. I just counted myself lucky that they weren’t snoring this time. There was a tray of food to my right. It smelled like hospital food. I lifted the lid to discover I was right. My ability to detect the obvious was still intact. At least the Jell-O looked edible. I was hoping for cherry but the shaky green made me think it was lime. I thought then of the jiggling Jell-O effect of the red mustached man exiting this reality. I had spent years traveling from one reality to another that way but had never seen anyone accomplish that feat other than my family. I wondered if any of my siblings would know who he was. I wasn’t sure they would tell me even if they did. My brother Greys was really the only one I had ever gotten along with. My oldest brother, Ares, hated me and I often thought Greys only took kindly to me so he could anger him. Whatever the reason, Greys was the only member of my family whom I trusted and I wished very much to speak to him at the moment. However, I didn’t have my Helios Specs with me and I was a long way from being strong enough to travel home. I nibbled on something reminiscent of mashed potatoes and got some more rest.

    The fourth time I opened my eyes upon that wonderful yellow wall I felt it would be the last. Sometime soon I was sure they would discover that I was healing faster than any human should be. My legs felt fine and my left shoulder had a clean bandage. I am sure there were a couple of stitches holding my head together so if I could just find my clothes I would be all set. It would definitely be a little more time before I felt back in top shape, but I was sure I could make it out of here to a more secure location. Just then a doctor entered the room. He looked at me for a moment as if he was shocked that I was looking back. He was a short Indian man, in his late fifties, with a very round frame and gray hair just above his ears leaving his round head shiny and bald. He wore a white coat over a shirt and tie, and was definitely curious about my speedy recovery. He quickly inspected my wounds and let out a little huff as if he didn’t approve. This was not good.

    “You seem to be feeling better?” it was more of a question than a statement. “We would love to know what caused the puncture wound in your shoulder, if I didn’t know any better I might have guessed it was a sword”.

    He was right, it was a sword, and I had no idea how to explain why someone was using it in the middle of downtown DC. In the twenty first century sword play was a little rarer than in my home world, so I figured I would also omit the part about the sword being silver and that the man was aiming for my heart. It was not the first time someone had thought me a demon who could only be vanquished by the holy silver. It was, however, the first time someone appeared to travel the multi-verse in the same way as I. I needed answers and I knew a place where I was likely to find them. But first, I had to get out of here.

    “I have no idea what stabbed me or why some crazy person would attack me” I said, “I just want to get out of here and head home if that’s all right?”

    “I informed the police as to my concerns and they would like to ask you a few questions before you leave. I was instructed to call them as soon as you awakened Mr…” he replied smugly.

    He believed that he held all the cards in this particular setup. Maybe that was part of the reason I felt like defying him. He was clearly upset that I didn’t answer his questions and believed he had me at a disadvantage.  The name I currently use on this Earth was Sage Michaels but I didn’t even feel like giving him that much, just being stubborn I guess. A little footwork and he should be able to track it down anyway; my information would all be on file with the DCPD as I have occasionally helped them on some of their cases. Not that it would be of any help to anyone as it was, not where I was going. Besides, names would just bring more questions and questions took time, not something that I had an endless supply of. Okay, technically time was the one thing I seemed to have an endless supply of but I was still in a hurry. I was impatient and there was something I had to go find out. My Dad always told me it was my greatest weakness, my utter lack of patience.

    I am the youngest son and always accused of being too quick to act. I remember spending afternoons with my brother, Ares, as he claimed to be training me in swordplay. He usually spent the whole day beating me senseless with a bokken and swearing that I had just learned something. I think he just enjoyed the excuse to batter and bruise me. I was a quick study so I usually spent the whole time demanding that he teach me more advanced techniques because I was bored with the simple stuff. Normally, he just hit me harder after that, family is neat that way. He never could beat it out of me though; I was still always in a hurry. That is probably why my current situation left me with the overpowering feeling that I needed to hasten my departure. This is the first time in years I have really given my family much thought; I guess I am getting homesick in my old age.

    “Look I just want to go home, call the cops or whatever you plan to do” I said.

    “One way or another we will find out what happened. Get your rest, it will be some time still before you can leave.” And with that he walked out of the room.

    I don’t know what bug crawled up the doctor’s butt to put him on a crusade to find out what happened to me but that was definitely my cue to get the heck out of here. I threw my blankets off and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Every muscle in my body ached from their lack of use. I had definitely been lying here a few days. I took a moment to stretch and tense my legs trying to get the blood flowing back through them. After a few minutes they seemed ready to provide me with stability and I walked towards the door. The first few steps were a little shaky but I seemed to find my balance by the time I got to the door. I put myself at the correct angles to look down the hallway in either direction without having to poke my head out. The nurse’s station lay down the left corridor and an information desk of some kind to the right. Just before the information station another hall branched off to the left but I was sure to be seen before I could get to it. If stealth was my plan then I needed a different route.

    I searched through the two drawers on the far wall of the room and did not find anything useful. My clothes had been covered with blood so I presumed they had been discarded. I hadn’t been carrying a wallet so the only thing I was actually missing was my car keys. Not that they would be much use since my beautiful ‘82’ Vette was still parked downtown and if it hadn’t been stolen it had surely been towed. A car wouldn’t be of much help where I was going anyway. Technology always worked kind of weird in the Labyrinth.

    I was still in need of a way out. The window did not open and breaking it would make way too much noise for a stealthy departure. If I pushed through to the next reality here the ripple would damage the room and possibly the other occupant behind the curtain. Plus I was not on the ground floor and if the next world did not contain a similar building I would be in for a nasty fall.  It is always best to move from world to world in open areas. I realized I might not have a choice as I heard heavy footsteps heading down the hall and knew they were coming to my room. Peering out the door I saw two large men in white coats heading my way. I had a funny feeling they might be more than just ordinary hospital staff. I had tried on a straight jacket before and it wasn’t very much to my liking.

    I still felt a little groggy from the drugs so running for it wasn’t my best option. I was on the fourth floor and jumping out of the window seemed like my best bet. Boy did that sound like the drugs talking. I would debate whose idea it was on the way down as I dove out the window surrounded by the sound of shattering glass. I had fallen just about a story when I pushed my way through the barrier of reality. I credit my next bout of unconsciousness to the three remaining stories.

    I awoke to find myself on a very soft combination of moss and grass. The gentle breeze reminded me that there was an opening in the back of my hospital gown. I blinked twice to make my eyes work again and glanced about at my surroundings. I was on top of a small hill with a few trees here and there. The sun was heading down but I could just make out some red and yellow leaves scattered around on the ground. I took a moment to enjoy the smell and feel of the crisp air. I am a big fan of autumn.

    I had several more reality jumps to go before I got to the Labyrinth and I would definitely need to find some more appropriate clothing to wear. I got to my feet and took a better look around. I was in a small park and in the dim light I could just make out a dirt path a few dozen feet in front of me. It was almost impossible to make out the road at the end of the park but I was pretty sure that the headlights I saw belonged to cars in the style of the 50’s. If memory served, this realm should be very similar to the Earth I just left; however, it will be running about five decades or so behind. The bad news was that my Vette wouldn’t even be built for another thirty years or so. The good news was that the men of this era had style. As soon as I acquired some money I was going to get a snazzy suit.

    I started down the hill, careful to step over the few glass fragments that had come with me through the reality wall. I headed over to take cover among the trees, leaning against one for support, as I slowly lowered myself to the ground.  My head was throbbing and I ran my hand over the back of it to check the stitches. They seemed to be no worse for wear after my little fall. I did notice that I was definitely missing a huge hunk of my hair where it was shaved for putting in the stitches. I was never a big fan of my boring brown locks anyway.

    I had just gotten comfortable and let my head fall forward when I heard a whimper in the distance. I was planning on resting here until full nightfall but as usual the hero in me was going to get involved in something that was none of my business. From where I stood I could see the path curve down through a thick grove of trees. The branches came together completely overhead making a dark tunnel. Seemed like a great place for an ambush. It sounded like the local gang of hoodlums had thought the same. I was really in no shape to run off saving someone but I was a nice guy and now I would pay for it.

    I made my way down the path as quietly as I could and found a large tree to stand behind that afforded me a much better view. From this distance I was able to hear the man begging for his life and several punks laughing. I stretched my left arm out trying to see how high I could lift it without pain. It was sore and I didn’t want to reopen the wound so I guess I would have to take them single-handed. It only sounded like a few of them anyway.

    I got to the edge of the natural tunnel and looked in to see four thugs maybe twenty years of age standing over the body of the aforementioned whimperer. They must have gotten tired of his whining and hit him. He wasn’t moving and I hoped he was just unconscious. They were going through his wallet and coat. There were four of them however and I had but one arm so I decided to play it fair. I stepped into the alcove and demanded their surrender. 

    At first they were startled by my intrusion into their little party, but quickly they recovered and all laughed out loud. I always did have trouble with that intimidation thing, something to do with my five foot ten frame I would imagine. The tall one in the back appeared to be their leader and instructed his fellow associates to deal with me. As they came forward I realized that this was in fact the first time I had ever fought someone while I was wearing a hospital gown. Damn that breeze.

    The first guy came at me with a small knife. I stepped to the side and grabbed his wrist twisting it enough to cause immense pain and make him drop the blade. I then grabbed his shirt and with a little strength threw him back into the punk behind him. They both collapsed to the ground giving me time to deal with the third. This punk swung a wide left hook which I stepped under and caught him in the kidney with my elbow. I then kicked out his legs and sent him to the ground with his friends. Just as I was attempting to show them the camaraderie of being on the ground together the first two had regained their footing. The first punk was gripping his wrist where I had twisted it and wincing as if in great pain.  His brother in arms was ready to come at me again.

    I normally enjoy a good brawl but these guys had no training to speak of and I was still slightly hazy so I decided to finish it. The second guy came running at me swinging his right arm like a club. I simply continued his momentum and turned his arm flipping him over and sending him careening into a tree. He smacked into the trunk and fell unconscious. The third guy who I had just put on the ground got up to one knee before my swift kick to his chest took the fight out of him. The first goon still holding his wrist hesitated for a moment and clearly thought about running when the large man spoke up.

    “Take him now or you fight me” he stated unemotionally.

    The guy ran at me swinging wildly. I blocked two blows before backhanding him with a bit of force and sending him to the ground a dozen feet away. I was hoping the display of strength would have dissuaded the last guy but I didn’t seem to have any such luck. He just smiled as he took off his dirty hat and coat laid them on a large log.  He wore a white tank top under red suspenders holding up his brown corduroys. He leaned his head from one shoulder to another stretching out his neck. He then took a boxers’ stance and added a bounce to his step. He came at me slowly; carefully measuring my reactions. This guy moved as if he had trained for a long time. He was clearly about to show me why he was the leader.

    He came at me with two quick jabs, one from each arm. He was much faster than he looked and I barely stepped out of reach of the second. He bounced back at me twice feinting both times before the third time when he came again with the jabs. I stepped out of the way of the first two but the third caught me in the chin. This brought forth the friendly reminder that getting hit in the face when you have a head wound sucks. I felt a little woozy and wasn’t sure I could afford to take another one of those. He was pretty fast for a mortal and I had to take him down quick. That was when fortune smiled at me and allowed his ego to throw the next punch. He swung with a fast right hook as I ducked under putting myself in the perfect spot to introduce my elbow to his face. He stumbled two steps and spun around to come back at me. I was not about to let up and as soon as he turned I caught him in the face with my right fist. I heard something crack and feared I broke his jaw. He hit the ground and tried to get up but just then his body reminded him it was naptime. I didn’t intend to hit him so hard but I was far from the top of my game and couldn’t afford to slack off. I decided to humiliate him just a bit more by leaving him in his socks and underwear as I acquired his pants and shoes.

    Two of the three little punks rose to their feet and thought about defending their boss. They must have been smarter than they looked because they took off running. I took the coat off of the log and tried it on. It was a little dirty and a few sizes too big for me but it would be better than the gown. I picked up the knife off of the ground and put it in my pocket. I grabbed the wallet and walked over to check on the poor business man who shouldn’t be in the park after dark. When I headed over to wake him I caught his eyes already watching me and as soon as I started towards him he began to panic. I put my hands up in a calming gesture as I handed him back his wallet.

    “You should be all right now, I took care of your friends” I said motioning to the two bodies.

    “Are they dead?” he asked.

    He had a slight accent that I didn’t recognize; some kind of diluted Italian would have been my guess. “No, they will live” I responded.

    “Thank you for saving me, how can I repay you?”

    “It’s no big deal I was just passing by and was happy to help. If you could just point me in the direction of the nearest diner we will call it even.”

    “Nearest diner? I will hear nothing of that. You must let me invite you to my house for a meal; my wife is an exquisite cook. Please, please come have dinner with us,” he begged.

     “Your offer is kind but I hardly think I am dressed for dinner besides I have a great distance yet to go.” I told him.

    “Sir, you must allow me to repay you, ‘tis a matter of honor. The Smithes are indebted to no man. It is the least I could do. I am a tailor and you will have a suit and meal, I will hear no more of it. My car is this way if you please,” he said with the politest insistence I have ever heard.

    “Well Mr. Smithe you’re in luck, I am in the market for a new suit.”

    Then we were off down the path. He rambled on the whole time about how his family had come over when he was four to start their own business and live the American dream. That had been forty years ago and now he had taken his father’s business and turned it into one of the most reputable tailor shops in the area. He was very proud of his suits and made it clear that I was in for a real treat as we arrived at his car. It was a large black car with silver trim sort of like a ‘57’ Chevy Belair except it had four headlights side by side and much larger tail fins. It started with a roar and off we went. He wasn’t very good at driving a stick.

    I must have dozed off and he woke me when we reached his home. It was a dark green Victorian-style cottage with maroon shutters and trimmings. I was exhausted but what I remember of dinner was this. A great deal of duck or chicken was consumed along with a terrific tomato soup, fresh bread and iced tea. There was some discussion of me being in no shape to leave, which ended with me awakening the next morning in their guest room.

    I awoke in a light blue room with one small window on the far wall. The bed was small and comfortable and seemed to possess an endless supply of blankets that I had kicked off of the bed in the night. I prefer to sleep uncovered. There was a small nightstand which held a lamp and a glass of water. I took a sip and got my bearings. The light from the window indicated that it was late morning so I must have slept for many hours. I felt much better, the food and rest had done me wonders. I sat on the edge of the bed for a moment letting sleep slip fully away then walked over to my clothes that I had laid across the chair by the window.

    I didn’t look out the window but instead inspected the clothes. In the pockets of the mugger’s pants I found seventeen dollars and a knife. The knife I had picked up after the fight. It was a switch blade with a black handle and a silver release button. I tucked it all back in the pockets and made my way down the hall to the bathroom. I had slept in the hospital gown and now it doubled nicely as a robe. It was still a little airy in the back but it covered me enough to suffice. There was a towel on the toilet and a yell from down stairs let me know to feel free to bathe if I wanted. It felt good to clean up. It had been a long time since I used a straight razor but I managed to get most of the stubble. I dried off and as I walked back towards my room the smell of bacon and eggs from downstairs caused my stomach to grumble. I got dressed quickly and rushed down to breakfast.

    I ate my breakfast in silence. There was some tension in the air as if the idea that they let a perfect stranger into their house had just occurred to them. I ate as much as I could since I had no real idea when I would get a chance to eat again. Not wanting to make them any more uncomfortable than they already were I stood up and said.

    “I thank you for your hospitality but now I must be going”. There was a long pause and I watched a slight smile grow on his wife’s face as she realized I was leaving. Not that I blamed her, the circumstances by which I met her husband were a little out of the ordinary. I had saved her spouse from harm by defeating four bandits while wearing nothing more than a drafty hospital gown. Okay, maybe calling them bandits is a strong word but you have to admit it makes it sound much more exciting and heroic. Sometime soon I really need to do a little swashbuckling.

“Wait” Smithe said “I still owe you a suit and then I shall drive you to the airport or train station”.

“Well I appreciate the offer but you don’t really have to do that, you have done enough. Besides, planes and trains are not my preferred method of travel.”

    “However you go, you still shall need a suit of clothes for the journey, then my debt shall be repaid and our friendship shall be cemented,” he proclaimed.

    He was very histrionic, and I wondered if it was his Italian parents or fifties upbringing that caused it, either way I was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Come to think of it I didn’t really want to look any horse in the mouth, except maybe Mr. Ed. You have to watch and make sure that his lips are moving with the voice so you know it’s really him talking.

    “Again, I thank you for your hospitality, shall we be going?” I asked.

    With that we headed into town presumably by the same route that I had slept through the night before. It didn’t look like I had missed much. I was riding through 50’s America, or at least a reasonable facsimile of it. I felt like it should be in black and white, that way I could save all the color for Oz. Twenty minutes later we arrived in town and after a few turns we parked behind his shop.

    The Smithe’s Family Suit Shop lay at the end of the block. It had a large display window to the left of the door edged with frosted glass. Two dark suits were on display, a blue pin stripe and a bottle green serge, either would look great on me. The door to the shop was green, wooden, and looked fairly sturdy. Smithe put a small key in the lock, turned it, and gave a little wave to suggest I should follow him inside. Before I stepped in I turned around to check to see if any eyes were upon us. I get paranoid when people are trying to kill me. I didn’t see anyone out of the ordinary about, even the park looked friendly in the daylight. With a wonderful false sense of security I stepped inside and began to imagine how good I was going to look in my new threads.

    Smithe turned on the lights and stepped into the back room so I took a moment to look around. It was a small store with several suits on mannequins and many more hung up along the back wall. There was a blue curtain separating the front of the shop from the back room. Smithe emerged with a measuring tape, pincushion and fabric samples. I picked out a nice burgundy color for the suit, my favorite, and a gold silk for the shirt. He spent the next couple of hours measuring and sewing and measuring again. Then I tried on and took off and tried on again. The whole time he continued relating to me his family history by telling me of the meeting and courting of his wife and then of his parents. I didn’t interrupt because I had nothing to say and the story did occasionally make me laugh.

    Two men came in during this time and picked up suits. He talked with each of them briefly before continuing his work on my suit. I didn’t take much notice of their conversations or of them for that matter. I was still a long way from the Labyrinth and figuring out the identity of Mr. Red Mustache. I hoped that after my suit was finished, I would have enough money for a night in a motel and a good meal. I was healing fast but I needed food to keep it up. One of life’s fun oddities, food is required in order to regenerawte. I was thinking of meatloaf with a little ketchup.

    It was something I had gotten hooked on years ago, especially meatloaf without onions. A chef once argued with me for hours about how meatloaf wasn’t really meatloaf without onions. I hated onions and I was not about to let them ruin one of my favorite dishes. The man was so upset he almost refused to make the dish for me the way I wanted it. It was not worth arguing over but I really enjoy a good debate. After it became clear that he would never concede, I punched him in the nose to show him that I was right. Okay maybe I didn’t punch him but after smelling his breath for all that time I sure wish I had. That was several hours of my life I would never get back and now I was wasting even more time remembering it. Damn I need a Coke.

    Shortly before Smithe finished I had him point me in the direction of a shop to get new underwear and socks and a clean tee shirt. When I got back my suit was finished and I put it on. It always feels so good to be in new clothes. Once he was satisfied that the suit fit perfectly we said our goodbyes and I was ready to be on my way. He was a nice man and if I hadn’t seemed to frighten his wife I might have visited him again sometime. But as it was, I simply avoided having to add one more person to my Christmas list.

    After I thanked him again for his kindness and convinced him that I didn’t need a ride to the train station, we shook hands and I headed out down the street in my new suit. Burgundy and gold might be an odd color combination here but they are, after all, my trademark colors. They would make me more easily recognizable once I got to the Labyrinth. I had actually debated wearing something different in case anyone was still actively trying to kill me but I decided if I was to be done in, I should at least get to pick the suit for the occasion.

    It was mid-evening when I got to the diner. I didn’t realize I was in the suit shop for so long. There was a good crowd in the diner. Red booths lined the windows along the front of the diner with several round stools at the bar and a few small tables towards the right. I spotted an open table in the back and asked the hostess if I could be seated there. She was a short woman in her mid 40’s with frizzy blonde hair. She had a plaid dress on and a white apron. She smiled at me and led the way. I sat down and scanned the menu for a moment quickly finding the dish of my desire. I looked up to get the waitress’s attention then thought better of it and scanned the menu some more. I already knew what I wanted but was afraid if I picked too quickly they might think I was some kind of meatloaf nut. So I counted to thirty and then called her over. My meatloaf came with mashed potatoes, green beans, and some honey-flavored gravy which was odd yet delicious. The soda wasn’t Coke but it was okay. When I was finished I tried the apple pie with some strawberry ice cream as I watched the patrons in the establishment. That was when I spotted her.

    She had on a black coat and black hat with a small veil coming just down to her nose. Deep red hair fell just over her shoulders and emerald green eyes glanced up to meet mine. She was strangely familiar and yet I had no idea where I could have known her from. It had been years since I had visited this realm and although I look exactly the same she would have been a child back then. She smiled a devious smile and got up and turned slowly towards the door. I had the horrible feeling I was being set up for something so I hesitated for a moment before following her. Just as she got to the door she let out an intoxicating laugh and that is when it hit me. I knew her from the Labyrinth. I jumped to my feet and bolted for the door. The waitress yelled at me and I halted for a minute to throw her the fourteen bucks that I had remaining in my possession. It was a hell of a tip but I was in a hurry. The woman had already stepped out the door and vanished to the left. An elderly couple entered just as I got to the door and I tried my best to politely part them like the Red Sea. I was less than graceful and the man let me know what he thought of me as I made it outside. I hated the universal irony that caused everyone in the world to be in my way when I had to chase someone. It was annoying.

    As I already expected she was nowhere to be seen. If she would have stepped from this realm into the next I would have felt it. The wall would still be healing but it wasn’t. The only other way I knew to travel through the cosmic web of realms was with a Helios Lens and as far as I knew they were unique to my family. But I thought the same thing of the ability to puncture reality and Red Stache had shown me otherwise. Even if she had used a Helios I should be able to feel the slight disturbance with a little concentration and there was just nothing here. I hate not knowing what is going on. I think it was a Tuesday so I decided Tuesdays suck. Clearly someone knew where I was so this was no place to hang out and wait for my next visitor. If I was going to make it to the Labyrinth at all I had to set out tonight. I started walking back towards the park. I needed a minute to clear my head and I didn’t want to vanish in front of any casual onlookers. The last time I did that I sort of altered the religious beliefs of some simple people. I still feel bad about that one.

    I let my mind race back to the woman I had just seen. I can’t believe that the red hair and green eyes’ hadn’t instantly jogged my memory but they do say the memory is the first thing to go. I had met her before…damn, I never did get her name. She was having a drink in the Dying Rat. Being the most popular bar in the Labyrinth means it is filled with the most interesting characters. I was shocked to see such a beautiful woman in there by herself. Back then she wore a skin-tight grey suit and black boots. Some red and black insignia was on her shoulder and belt but I can’t seem to recall it. What I do recall are those bright green eyes catching mine just as the first bottle flew by. I had an urge to charge to her rescue and save her from all the wonderful violence when she showed me why I really should take notice of her presence. She was very well trained and moved with a grace that shocked even me. She had taken down two huge pig men while making her way towards me. I knocked out the rowdy gladiator to my left and met her in the middle. She had simply said “let’s go” and we were off. Her room was simple and her skin was soft. After a long time she had exhausted me, not an easy thing to do to my kind, and when I awoke she was gone. I never saw her again. I inquired in the Rat for several days but no one saw her or even remembered her.

    I think it was the seventh day when I met Jessi-usia, an amazing woman with dark violet hair and lavender skin. That was the last day I even thought about the beautiful red head in the grey suit. Purple turned out to be a much more creative color.

    That had been many, many years ago for me but since time moves at a different pace in some realms there was no telling how long had transpired for the redhead. It seemed unlikely she would travel all this way for child support and, truth be told I had never met a woman who could bear my child, so I was pretty sure that was not it. My real concern at the moment was that she and Red Stache might be in league together, the two of them being related just because they both had red hair seemed far too obvious to be true so I discounted it. Although, he wouldn’t be the first angry brother that didn’t realize his sister was old enough to make her own decisions. Brothers never take that one well. For now, we shall consider them two separate enemies and plan on having to deal with them both. Assumptions were not going to get me anywhere right now. I was just about at the park and ready to get the heck out of here. It had been a good run. I got a new suit, a couple of good meals, a switch blade, and a dozen more questions than I had before. If only Alex Trebeck was here. I arrived in the park and found a spot out of sight of the surrounding buildings and gave reality a little push.

    The next realm was like something out of Earth’s Old West. I was standing just outside of a small town with one road and people traveling by horseback. I was sure I could have found a nice saloon and played some cards but I was in a hurry. I really wanted to just go to the next world and the next until I reached my destination but, in my current state of health, I had to wait a couple of minutes for the wall to settle. It is always harder to push through a reality wall right after it has been punctured, it seems to tense up while it’s healing. After a brief wait, I repeated my push and was almost run over by what looked to be a musketeer who was pursuing a crook. He glanced at my outfit and I think he laughed. A short time passed again as I stepped into a small glade with a green lake and deer a plenty. My next stop got me too close to a goblin that didn’t seem to like my swift kick to his head. He would wake up eventually. I repeated the steps time and time again until I finally got to where I was seeking. I had dodged four arrows, an axe, was bitten by two mean bugs, and been rained on twice before achieving my destination. I stepped through a huge stone archway, which marked this particular entrance, and I was finally in the Labyrinth.