Z: Sole of Riana

Annodyne whiffled from the musical wood, shedding twigs. She had to
find that secret passage and get back to Wolfman and the dwarf! After
many trails, tribulations and periods of boredom, she eventually fell
through a hedge and there it was - a rock face! However, clutching the
sacred gong of Zaflot, she willed her way to the passage and wierded
through.

Wolfman and Gimlet stood there as she had left them. "Well" growled
Wolfman "aren't you going in?" Once again, Annodyne was once again
amazed by the power of Magyk.

"I've been!" she laughed, tossing her lustrous hair attractively.

"Gor! I need to go now" Gimlet complained as he headed for a corner
"feel as if I've been standing here for days".

As the sound of tinkling water filled the cave, Wolfman said "so you
got it then?"

"Yes" Annodyne confirmed, holding up the sacred gong
triumphantly.

"Well, go on then!" Wolfman encouraged.

Annodyne was puzzled, but drawing on her mystikle powers, she
transplined herself. It was painful, but she needed to move fast.

Shock!!!

A mighty weight pressed on her, her ears hurt and misty light flickered
down through the thick water. Where was she? Butlin's?

"NO" a booming voice filled her head. "LOOK BEHIND YOU"

Annodyne did not want to fall for an old joke. So she stayed where she
was.

"OH, OK!" the voice boomed louder " GOD, ME AN ANCIENT, MOST VENERATED
OF ALL SPIRITS, AND I HAVE TO PADDLE ROUND THE BLOODY BLOCK BECAUSE
SOME BLOODY STUPID GIRL WON'T DO AS SHE'S TOLD"

"Can you stop 'booming'? " Annodyne bubbled pleadingly.

"oh of course, miss, anything for you, pardon me for existing the last
many millennia and causing this earth to be created. Sorry, I'm
sure!"

"Apology accepted" Annodyne chirpled, nonplussed.

In the left hand corner of Annodyne's vision, a flat grey fish paddled
laboriously into view. Annodyne waited until it got to the centre and
stopped, bubbling. It had a peculiar tuft of red hair on its
head.

"got the gong?" Annodyne caught the terseness in the voice.

"Here!" she blubbled , holding it up.

"Right, you get one question"

"But who are you?" asked Annodyne, before realising her error.

"I'M THE BLOODY SOLE OF RIANA YOU STUPID TART!"

"GOODBYE"

Annodyne was sure she saw the fish wink at her.

Back in the cave, Annodyne lay spluttering in a small pool of water
which spread across the floor. Wolfman looked at her enquiringly.

"I blew it!" she told him.

"Shit!" said the Wolfman, delicately stepping away from the spreading
pool. "Gimlet! can you stop that or go outside!"

"What are we going to do now?"

"Jeez!" Annodyne scratched her homunculus idly. " I dunno! Just go off
and find a more competent author I guess"

"Not a bad idea!" Wolfman nodded.

"Can I come too?" Gimlet squeaked cheekily.

They both looked at him and laughed patronisingly.

"OK, let's go!"

They trooped off - three characters in search of an author!

perhaps we'll go and see that Ari. Oh is she...
Yes!