indicating Tellan.
"No, before that. I woke up and you smelled wrong, so wrong." Amanda peered at Dale suspiciously, too scared to get any closer for fear of reliving the nightmare all over again. Should she? Should she dare? No, if it was wrong again she knew she would freak out even worse. She gave it up as a lost cause and walked over to the kettle.
"It's just boiled," said Dale. "I put some Nescafe in your mug. And cleaned up the mess," he added.
"Thanks," mumbled Amanda, as she poured water into the plain mug and sipped it even though it scalded.
She leaned against the counter top and stared at the two men, who seemed to be feeling rather awkward judging by their frowns.
"Okay, what the hell is going on? Anyone?"
"I think you better start," said Dale, turning to face Tellan.
"Well, as I was saying before you ran away and knocked your head, Amanda, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. Or, maybe it's good news actually," he said, brightening. "You have to save the world. All of them actually." Tellan sipped at his coffee, Dale did the same.
"Oh, is that all. Right, I'm going back to bed, this isn't happening. Either you two are crazy, or I am, and either way I'm going back to sleep until this is all over." Amanda walked across the kitchen floor, realizing she was leaving tiny smudges of blood from where she'd cut her toe earlier. The carpet would be ruined and she really didn't care.
"Amanda, please sit down, this is as freaky for me as it is for you," said Dale. He pushed back his chair, got up and moved to give her a hug.
Amanda tensed, but let him do it, hoping beyond hope that it was her Dale, not some weirdo that just looked like him but had the scent of somebody from a different world entirely.
He still smelled wrong.
Dale let her go and looked into her eyes, worry written large across his face. Amanda was as stiff as a board, her arms hanging limp by her sides.
"It's me, honey. It's Dale. Look, sit down please. You will not believe what this... this Caretaker has to say." Dale pulled out a chair and Amanda sat opposite Tellan, with Dale to her left.
"It's The Caretaker," said Tellan. "Capital T, capital C."
"So you really are The Caretaker then?" asked Amanda.
"I am." Tellan sipped his coffee.
"You know what that means?" asked Dale.
"Of course." Amanda sipped her own coffee. "Don't you?" Am I really having this conversation? Shouldn't I be calling the police, or the psych ward anyway?
"No, I don't. And all he," Dale pointed at Tellan, "keeps saying is, 'I'm The Caretaker.'"
"Well, I am," said Tellan.
Dale gave him the daggers.
"Look, this is all very nice and all, but I don't believe for one minute you are him," said Amanda. "And more to the point, what's all this about saving the world, and why do you smell like somebody I should know but don't?" Amanda turned to Dale, waiting for an answer. He opened his mouth to speak but Tellan spoke first.
"I have just been explaining to Dale, once he got over the shock of me being here, and you running off and boinking your head, that all of this is to be expected, especially after Dale did what he did. After all you two have been through I'm surprised you've even ended up with a Dale that looks just like your true Dale." Tellan leaned back in his chair and finished his coffee in a few mouthfuls, then put it back down carefully. "I do apologize, but I must be going. Dale will fill you in on the details, it's best I don't interfere too much. Things are complicated enough as it is, I don't want to make it worse."
"Hey, what are you talking about?" shouted Amanda. She turned to Dale and said, "What is this Dale?"
"Ask hi—"
Tellan was gone.
"Okay, let's take this from the beginning," said Amanda, trying not to freak out completely. "Just what did that man tell you?"
"Let me put the kettle on first, we are both going to need another coffee, if not something stronger."
"I'm off the booze, no way am I ever having another sip."
"Don't be so sure.
"No, before that. I woke up and you smelled wrong, so wrong." Amanda peered at Dale suspiciously, too scared to get any closer for fear of reliving the nightmare all over again. Should she? Should she dare? No, if it was wrong again she knew she would freak out even worse. She gave it up as a lost cause and walked over to the kettle.
"It's just boiled," said Dale. "I put some Nescafe in your mug. And cleaned up the mess," he added.
"Thanks," mumbled Amanda, as she poured water into the plain mug and sipped it even though it scalded.
She leaned against the counter top and stared at the two men, who seemed to be feeling rather awkward judging by their frowns.
"Okay, what the hell is going on? Anyone?"
"I think you better start," said Dale, turning to face Tellan.
"Well, as I was saying before you ran away and knocked your head, Amanda, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. Or, maybe it's good news actually," he said, brightening. "You have to save the world. All of them actually." Tellan sipped at his coffee, Dale did the same.
"Oh, is that all. Right, I'm going back to bed, this isn't happening. Either you two are crazy, or I am, and either way I'm going back to sleep until this is all over." Amanda walked across the kitchen floor, realizing she was leaving tiny smudges of blood from where she'd cut her toe earlier. The carpet would be ruined and she really didn't care.
"Amanda, please sit down, this is as freaky for me as it is for you," said Dale. He pushed back his chair, got up and moved to give her a hug.
Amanda tensed, but let him do it, hoping beyond hope that it was her Dale, not some weirdo that just looked like him but had the scent of somebody from a different world entirely.
He still smelled wrong.
Dale let her go and looked into her eyes, worry written large across his face. Amanda was as stiff as a board, her arms hanging limp by her sides.
"It's me, honey. It's Dale. Look, sit down please. You will not believe what this... this Caretaker has to say." Dale pulled out a chair and Amanda sat opposite Tellan, with Dale to her left.
"It's The Caretaker," said Tellan. "Capital T, capital C."
"So you really are The Caretaker then?" asked Amanda.
"I am." Tellan sipped his coffee.
"You know what that means?" asked Dale.
"Of course." Amanda sipped her own coffee. "Don't you?" Am I really having this conversation? Shouldn't I be calling the police, or the psych ward anyway?
"No, I don't. And all he," Dale pointed at Tellan, "keeps saying is, 'I'm The Caretaker.'"
"Well, I am," said Tellan.
Dale gave him the daggers.
"Look, this is all very nice and all, but I don't believe for one minute you are him," said Amanda. "And more to the point, what's all this about saving the world, and why do you smell like somebody I should know but don't?" Amanda turned to Dale, waiting for an answer. He opened his mouth to speak but Tellan spoke first.
"I have just been explaining to Dale, once he got over the shock of me being here, and you running off and boinking your head, that all of this is to be expected, especially after Dale did what he did. After all you two have been through I'm surprised you've even ended up with a Dale that looks just like your true Dale." Tellan leaned back in his chair and finished his coffee in a few mouthfuls, then put it back down carefully. "I do apologize, but I must be going. Dale will fill you in on the details, it's best I don't interfere too much. Things are complicated enough as it is, I don't want to make it worse."
"Hey, what are you talking about?" shouted Amanda. She turned to Dale and said, "What is this Dale?"
"Ask hi—"
Tellan was gone.
"Okay, let's take this from the beginning," said Amanda, trying not to freak out completely. "Just what did that man tell you?"
"Let me put the kettle on first, we are both going to need another coffee, if not something stronger."
"I'm off the booze, no way am I ever having another sip."
"Don't be so sure.
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