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[OOM: A discovery is made in a bookshop in Oregon.]

The door opens on a hotel room like any other hotel room in the United States.

"GARION!" Ray yells- and the man doesn't yell often. "We have a problem!"

[OOC: Yes, the discovery is a plot. Yes, it has been cleared with the existing muns from that canon- all the muns- and has been since January.]

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He'd been sitting around the bar doing his best not to be noticed (which, really, when you're talking about a sorcerer is the best you can get) but the shout catches his attention.

He's up out of his seat and heading for Ray in less a minute, 'trotting' for him being pretty damn fast considering the length of those legs.

"Ray? What?"

He looks his friend up and down to make sure he's not bleeding blood or any other substance (this is Ray, after all) and then waits to hear what's got him so startled.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Ray says, and he is. He's not even slimed. Jhalak is asleep in her sling just at the moment, so the little alien isn't visible either. "You, however, might find this interesting."

He shoves a pale blue paperback book into Garion's hands.

He takes the book, but doesn't look at it quite yet.

"This looks, well, it's not leather bound. Or old."

Generally, books that caused trouble were.

"It's a reprint of a book published twenty-three years ago, in my world," Ray says. "Garion, open that thing up and turn to page six."

Page six is the page with the maps.

He sighs and does as requested.

"Published... in you world?"

"Afraid so. I was buying books for a possible train ride back across the country and I ran across this in the science fiction and fantasy section."

"The-"

He swallows and looks at the map again. It's an almost direct duplicate of the map he has in his office at Riva. Down to the handwriting.

He flips forward a few pages and his hands start shaking.

"What... Ray, what--"

"Your story leaked," Ray says. "Just like mine did. In more detail than either of us would've thought possible- well, in my case, anyway, I haven't done more than read the back and look at the maps, and seriously wonder about the cover artist."

He looks at the picture for half a second before he starts pawing through the pages.

His hopes, his fears, his discussions with the Voice. His stupid stubborn mista--

Sweet Belar, the rock. This stupid book even has the incident in the Vale with the rock when he'd buried himself up to his chest in the earth.

What is the meaning of this? he demands internally. Because if this was done without the Voice's consent, they'll have much bigger problems.

*Every story must be told as it truly is* comes the answer, soft, almost apologetic. *Somewhen, somewhere, usually on worlds beyond their own, every story is told as it truly is. Why do you think Words have so much power?*

Edited 2008-07-22 18:44 (UTC)

"That one-" It's Magician's Gambit, if it's the one with the rock. "-and this other one, here-" He holds up another paperback. "-are the only ones I could find at the store. There's five- and then there's five more. I thought you should know."

"Five... and five more," he says, ignoring the Voice for the moment. He'd get back to that point soon enough.

"This is number--three," as he's holding Magician's Gambit, "and that's--" he looks around "four."

He holds the book away from him.

"Gods..."

Did this man write the Story or did the Story come to the man?

*I can't answer that, Garion. You know the rules.*

Why? There's no struggle! There's no conflict! There's no opponent to overbalance!

*Some rules remain even when the only one you have to be careful of is yourself. You know that.*

Ray isn't sure what to say at this point. He's sort of used to the prospect by now, himself. Meeting Deadpool on his second day in the Bar was a big part of that. Although he has to admit, in all honesty, that actually winding up on the set of the movie- and then seeing it on screen- was more than a little disturbing. It takes some getting used to.

"...you okay there?" he asks quietly after a while.

He shakes his head with a sigh.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess. This is just a bit much.

"It's one thing to know that you have a job to do. Quite another to have to wonder if some author somewhere is the one who set you to it."

"If my own experience is anything to go by, he probably didn't," Ray says. "But given that I'm currently on his end of the continent... you could always ask him."

Now Garion's attention is well trained on Ray.

...perhaps a little too well trained on Ray.

"Oh?"

That is a King's "oh". The kind of "oh" that makes courtiers want to hide behind the tapestries and halts the fans of ladies even in the highest of summer heat. Even the Tolnedran ambassador would pause for an "oh" like that. Not because of any kind of malice or temper tantrum.

But because it was obvious that the king was considering.

Yeah, Ray maybe shouldn't have said that. And, y'know, therewas a time when he wouldn't have caught that look- but that was before he spent forty years in academic politics and six and a half years in Salmissra's Palace. He can pick up a few cues now.

Nevertheless he nerves himself and goes on.

"I'm in Oregon, on the west coast. I have a car that I should probably get back to Portland, at least. Or I could drive us both to Nevada, assuming you fit in the front seat and don't mind having Jhalak along for the ride. It'd clear a few things up."

You don't want Garion getting philosophically moody. Best to head it off now.

"It very well might. And I wouldn't mind any friend of yours. But I would like a chance to ask my wife about the trip.

"It'll be relatively quick. I promise."

"Fine by me," Ray says. "It'll give me and Jhalak time to get a bigger car."

By the time he sees Garion again it'll be a cargo van.

Garion nods to that and offers a smile.

"Thank you, Ray. For telling me... and for the ride."

It's genuine, even if it's also obvious that he's distracted somewhat.

"You're welcome," Ray says.

He'll introduce Garion to the Ghostbusters movie after he's dealt with his own issues. It's probably simpler that way.

He looked around the bar at large.

"Anything you might need otherwise?"

"No, I think I'm good," Ray says. "And Jhalak's already got plenty of books and fruit, so we're good there, too."

He nodded, rubbing at his forehead.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to act so grumpy about it. It's just a bit disturbing."

He tapped his temple.

"And a certain someone isn't being helpful."

"It's all right. I know how it feels," Ray says. "I've just had a long time to get used to it, that's all."

He looks at Ray.

"Do you think I could get the books from the bar? Only... I'd like to read them. Read through them."

See his life from the outside.

"Bar sold me a copy of Ghostbusters," Ray says. "I don't see why she wouldn't."

"...and do you think she'll provide me with some Atlantean afterwards?"

"That or a mallet."

"I'd probably have better luck punching myself," he admits with a faint smile.

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