A/N: It became clear to me, and by now, possibly to you also, that this is
going to be quite a long story. I will soon catch up with Disc Wars 6, the
longest running fic at the moment, and my current estimate for total length
is around twenty-five chapters. Please keep reading and reviewing, though.
At this point it's all that keeps me going.
* * *
"So what do marines around here do for entertainment?" asked Rincewind, who had been unchained and was now politely examining a table map of the Counterweight Continent.
"Well," said Ptroleus, taking off his helmet and exchanging it for a cap with sergeant's markings on it, we'll go see an Animo show soon. Sometimes we get a comedian or some pretty dancers. But generally we just polish our weapons and set fire to trash. We have a trash fire that's been going for six weeks now. That beats our closest competitors, the Second Marines, by two days."
"Does Pseudoagatea have any wizards?"
"Well, a few. Local lore has it that the strongest of the Disc's wizards lived here at one point. Some say they made the pots in the valley, and that they have some sort of power. No one's been able to find one yet, though most people have one in their homes."
"So that's all that ever happens around here?"
"Yeah. Oh, before I forget." He grabbed Rincewind by the arm and dragged him out to the crossroads between 3rd, 3.14 I Hate Non-repeating Decimals, 4th, and 5th marines sections of the camp, where there was a large megaphone located on the end of a stick. Ptroleus ran over to it, climbed the ladder to the mouthpiece, and yelled into it.
"Would the Orange Agents please report to the 3.14 I Hate Non-repeating Decimals Marine Base immediately."
* * *
Uyidako sat with her arms around Xu Chu as they sat on her porch swing, watching the last of the Discworld's light dribble off the rim. It was as thick as bromine and pooled in places, forming light pockets that gradually evaporated.
"I fear for the country," she said, quietly.
Xu Chu hugged her tighter. "The war goes well, flower of beauty. We have one of their walking suits. Perhaps we can find a weakness they do not know of. Perhaps the scientist they call da Quirm can do it." He paused, and seemed to consider this.
"What id it's not enough?" she asked with tears in her eyes. "I have tried so hard. The country has tried so hard. The Ephebians have tried so hard. We try and try. They burned our capital city to the ground. I loved Yusay Wat. And now, if they capture Switch' off, I shall have to kill myself. I couldn't bear it. We cannot hope to win with just Fappondo. If we lose, I am broken." She shuddered with sobs.
"You still have me," said Xu Chu, and it was a mercy she could not see his eyes.
* * *
The Dean locked it. Gradually, through the open doorway, a new universe was coming in. They could see a hallway, with a great number of people with suits walking around talking to one another.
"Where are we?" asked Omar, stepping out into the new universe.
"Looks posh, doesn't it," said another student named Stu.
"Well, I think we had better go find the owner."
At that moment, a particularly dense crowd of people rushed by."
"Mr. President, wait!"
"What about the resolution. Should we start the strikes?"
A large man in the front of the group spun around and faced the rest of them. He didn't notice the Dean or the Students in the background.
"We will settle this in my office!" They rushed off again.
"Well we certainly aren't on the Discworld anymore," said Omar after a while.
"How do you know?"
"You catch the tall guy's name? Lyndon Johnson. I don't think there are any leaders where we come from with that kind of name."
* * *
The Orange Agents were gathered around the room. In the center were Ptroleus and Rincewind.
"Um, hi," said Rincewind.
"Rincewind, these are the Orange Agents."
"We're called that because of the uniforms the Ephebians give us," said one, languidly. "All the blue dye comes out of the brown cloth and they turn orange. Rincewind had to agree that this was true.
"Still working on that one back in Klatch," said Ptroleus. "Boys, this is Rincewind. Uyidako thinks he might in fact be the wizards of the prophecy."
The Orange Agents looked at Rincewind with considerably more interest.
"Hi." Said Rincewind again.
"We,' said one agent, are the descendants of the great wizards of the past," said one.
"You mean wizards have children?" it was Rincewind's turn to look surprised.
"Of course not."
"Oh. Okay."
"The women do that part."
"What?"
"Anyway," said Ptroleus, "To make a long story short, the Orange Agents are being trained to fly into enemy encampments and shoot fireballs at them. We're still working on that."
Outside, a voice funneled through the speaker on a stick cut in. "The Animo Moving Pictures show for the 3.14 I Hate Non-repeating Decimals Marines has begun. If you are in that platoon, feel free to come and watch."
"Oh boy!" said one of the Orange Agents, and as one unusually dressed man the rushed out the door before Ptroleus could stop them.
"Come on," he said, "Let's try to get a good seat."
* * *
"So what do marines around here do for entertainment?" asked Rincewind, who had been unchained and was now politely examining a table map of the Counterweight Continent.
"Well," said Ptroleus, taking off his helmet and exchanging it for a cap with sergeant's markings on it, we'll go see an Animo show soon. Sometimes we get a comedian or some pretty dancers. But generally we just polish our weapons and set fire to trash. We have a trash fire that's been going for six weeks now. That beats our closest competitors, the Second Marines, by two days."
"Does Pseudoagatea have any wizards?"
"Well, a few. Local lore has it that the strongest of the Disc's wizards lived here at one point. Some say they made the pots in the valley, and that they have some sort of power. No one's been able to find one yet, though most people have one in their homes."
"So that's all that ever happens around here?"
"Yeah. Oh, before I forget." He grabbed Rincewind by the arm and dragged him out to the crossroads between 3rd, 3.14 I Hate Non-repeating Decimals, 4th, and 5th marines sections of the camp, where there was a large megaphone located on the end of a stick. Ptroleus ran over to it, climbed the ladder to the mouthpiece, and yelled into it.
"Would the Orange Agents please report to the 3.14 I Hate Non-repeating Decimals Marine Base immediately."
* * *
Uyidako sat with her arms around Xu Chu as they sat on her porch swing, watching the last of the Discworld's light dribble off the rim. It was as thick as bromine and pooled in places, forming light pockets that gradually evaporated.
"I fear for the country," she said, quietly.
Xu Chu hugged her tighter. "The war goes well, flower of beauty. We have one of their walking suits. Perhaps we can find a weakness they do not know of. Perhaps the scientist they call da Quirm can do it." He paused, and seemed to consider this.
"What id it's not enough?" she asked with tears in her eyes. "I have tried so hard. The country has tried so hard. The Ephebians have tried so hard. We try and try. They burned our capital city to the ground. I loved Yusay Wat. And now, if they capture Switch' off, I shall have to kill myself. I couldn't bear it. We cannot hope to win with just Fappondo. If we lose, I am broken." She shuddered with sobs.
"You still have me," said Xu Chu, and it was a mercy she could not see his eyes.
* * *
The Dean locked it. Gradually, through the open doorway, a new universe was coming in. They could see a hallway, with a great number of people with suits walking around talking to one another.
"Where are we?" asked Omar, stepping out into the new universe.
"Looks posh, doesn't it," said another student named Stu.
"Well, I think we had better go find the owner."
At that moment, a particularly dense crowd of people rushed by."
"Mr. President, wait!"
"What about the resolution. Should we start the strikes?"
A large man in the front of the group spun around and faced the rest of them. He didn't notice the Dean or the Students in the background.
"We will settle this in my office!" They rushed off again.
"Well we certainly aren't on the Discworld anymore," said Omar after a while.
"How do you know?"
"You catch the tall guy's name? Lyndon Johnson. I don't think there are any leaders where we come from with that kind of name."
* * *
The Orange Agents were gathered around the room. In the center were Ptroleus and Rincewind.
"Um, hi," said Rincewind.
"Rincewind, these are the Orange Agents."
"We're called that because of the uniforms the Ephebians give us," said one, languidly. "All the blue dye comes out of the brown cloth and they turn orange. Rincewind had to agree that this was true.
"Still working on that one back in Klatch," said Ptroleus. "Boys, this is Rincewind. Uyidako thinks he might in fact be the wizards of the prophecy."
The Orange Agents looked at Rincewind with considerably more interest.
"Hi." Said Rincewind again.
"We,' said one agent, are the descendants of the great wizards of the past," said one.
"You mean wizards have children?" it was Rincewind's turn to look surprised.
"Of course not."
"Oh. Okay."
"The women do that part."
"What?"
"Anyway," said Ptroleus, "To make a long story short, the Orange Agents are being trained to fly into enemy encampments and shoot fireballs at them. We're still working on that."
Outside, a voice funneled through the speaker on a stick cut in. "The Animo Moving Pictures show for the 3.14 I Hate Non-repeating Decimals Marines has begun. If you are in that platoon, feel free to come and watch."
"Oh boy!" said one of the Orange Agents, and as one unusually dressed man the rushed out the door before Ptroleus could stop them.
"Come on," he said, "Let's try to get a good seat."
