This one is to short.
But hey?

Ain't that just like life :)

And I was right, it was a veritable feast out there, and enough for us all I might add. Sadly my two lady's found the scones almost gone by the time their dainty eating habits allowed them to search for some.

Luckily for them I had already foreseen that problem and hijacked a bowl for our private consumption. But there was a price to be paid here I decided.

"Now my sweet ones?" I said as I offered them a look on my bowl of gold. "What you see here is a bowl filled with delicious, still warm and lovely tasting, scones. No no no." I said as I hastily had to move it out of reach.

"Ladies, your antagonizing attitude and slowness of acting in matters of weight have made me a very sore man ,indeed, both my muscles as well as my brain aches here."

Evelyn looked at me. " That your brain aches Joe is no surprise, stop trying to think and it will go away." Jéena nodded meaningfully adding "She's talking about your pain Joe, not your brain. But it's all the same. Boys should only be seen but not heard, now, give us the bowl Joe."

I smiled a vicious smile of victory ignoring their feeble tries of intimidating me. "Ladies, for a throughout massage, chosen at my discretion, there will be a pot of the most delicious magic awaiting you now and here. And an apology for your tardiness of course. So what do you say?

"Now it was Jéenas turn to answer. "one massage only, or one per person?" I hadn't thought about that actually but as she asked I fast realized that this would make my revenge even sweeter. "One per person of course." I answered trying to sound surprised. "So, what do you say?"

Needless to say, they did ask most reverently for my everlasting forgiveness and pleaded to me a most refreshing massage, at whatever time of my choice. With that said and done we sat down to a most relaxing and enjoyable tea break.

Coming back to the chamber hall refilled and much relaxed we sat down to listen some more to Alphonz and his companion thaumaturgists. Alphonz started with explaining that to, "truly understand the predicament we now had found ourselves in some more depth, some more understanding of the theory behind the creation of our worlds might be helpful"

He nodded again. "So without further ado, allow me to present my fellow compatriot Master Aloysius." Here he turned sideways and gave a small bow at an very old and venerable looking sage sitting just beside him.

"Hrrmphf" the old man begun. "As Master Liam and our own dear Alphonz already has explained, in the beginning there could be no time, as we know it, existing, or described differently, you could say that all time was there, but simultaneously."

Did they really explain that? I wondered, failing to remember any such description. "As the principle of geometry was introduced into the void, consciousness at last found it possible to differentiate itself into several separate nodes of existence."

"What we call geometry is something hinging on our concept of the universe, somewhat alike numerology but defined in all dimensions." Here he looked around, as if to see how many that still was awake.

Not that I minded listening as I sat there, comfortably relaxed in the sofa with Evelyn's head resting in my lap, and Jéena, ever so snugly reclining, snoring at my other side.

Who would ever have thought it? Me, the veritable studmuffin I mused wonderingly as I sat there. "With geometry came also the phenomena that we refer to as wrapping, namely how a dimension by wrapping into itself can introduce a geometric knot. Yes esteemed listeners, much of this you already know but bear with me for a moment."

He smiled as he took a swig of that dark green so tasty looking liquid that all except me seemed allowed to enjoy. I carefully looked down to see if Evelyn was awake. Hah, she was sleeping as a inocent lamb, soo, carefully untangling myself from them both, I sneaked off to fill a tankard of my very own with that enchanting fluid.

Coming back I found that they both now seemed to have fallen into each other. Realizing that there would be no easy way in between them, I decided to recline in a comfortable looking lounger instead enjoying my spoils of, ah, sneakiness? Stealthiness? Whatever.

Master Aloysius harrumphed some more waiting for me to sit down and then continued. "This geometric knot is what we call mass and mass as we all know, will demand space to exist. Therefore it is not wrong to say that mass creates space as well as controlling how we experience it. Even time adapts to mass."

Now Master Liam exclaimed loudly. "Hear hear." And I saw several others nodding, concurring with his acclamation. Master Aloysius smiled most graciously as he accepted the assembly's extolment and bowed several times at us before proceeding.

"Time finds mass to be of a longer duration than for example that what we call space. If one just remember how intricately interleaved in bend after bend a knot must be to be perceived as being mass, then this is no surprise." He looked at us searching his mind for an example.

"After all, if one would unwound just one knot out, the mass of a corn, its length could easily be measured in thousands of light years, So time will slow down at knots as they follow its geometry." Here all assembled nodded at his explanation, as if it was self-explanatory, not to me though.

"Now some of you may wonder why mass can demand space? That, esteemed listeners and colleagues is simple. As mass is consisting of a dimension bound into itself, it is consistent with that observation to look at how it can be at that precise location."

"When we do so we find that there must be something originating it and that is space. The less interwoven a dimension is, the more space and the more open its time." Here I couldn't stop myself. "Sire." I said. "Could that be what is troubling the Hinterlands?"

Master Aloysius looked at me much consternated. "Ah young man. Would you mind explaining your thinking in some more detail here?" I stood up. "Well Sire. What you are describing here rhymes with a lot of our Mundanian speculations about our universe, what we call spacetime."

Some of the congregation nodded at that recognizing the Mundanian concept. "We speak of time much as you do, but we also see it as something relating to mass, acceleration, and to motion itself. So my thought was this. Perhaps if time cease to exist or gets ensnared or estranged in some way, would that explain those different 'time zones' that journeyman Adrien sought to describe?"

Master Aloysius seemed most intrigued as he slowly digested my thought. "Interesting point." He said. "Make it an essay and deliver it to me in, hmm let's say, in two days time dear boy. There is hope for you yet." He now smiled benedictory at me.

Shit, did he expect me to introduce him to modern physics? Uh uh, no way. "Sire, what little I knew I've already told you. Sire." He seemed a little put off at that, well, see if I care you old geezer I thought snugly as I relaxed again.

But then he seemed to get an idea. "Mater Alphonz." He said. "Has the boy been apprenticed yet?" Alphonz looked at him surprised and then at me. Slowly a huge smile started to spread over his face as he answered Master Aloysius. "Now, when you ask, my dear fellow, I don't think he has, has he."

And I just knew in my heart that this time, this time, I was definitely up shit creek, and also that I just could forget anything concerning any paddle.

Well, that's hoping that the girls wouldn't find a need for one, nah they wouldn't, would they? I did have Internet when in Mundania, and some of those sites had found use for paddles in ah, ways. Well, let's just call them 'ingenious'? Thinking of it I realized that I better take up my taijutsu again...