Chapter 3 - Magical lands and parallel dimensions

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Disclaimer - I own nothing except Hilarity, Trin, Danny and the plot.

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Trin was not expecting a phone call that day. He had always made it pretty clear that

Sunday mornings were strictly 'Trin Time' when he would gingerly recover from his

hangovers and catch up with his favourite Mexican soap operas. He was slightly

annoyed when his phone started beeping in the living room of his tiny bedsit. Maybe

if he just ignored it, it would go away. No such luck.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" he moaned as he fiddled with the irritating contraption

only to find a hologram of his cousin staring back at him. "Have you any idea what

time it is?" he grumbled.

"It's nine thirty, you lazy git!" said Hilarity "I thought I'd catch you before 'El Noche

Bueno' comes on or whatever that absurd program's called."

"What do you want?"

"How would you like to come to a wedding with me?"

"Oh no! Last time you said that I ended up marrying an asylum seeker so she could

stay on the planet."

"She was desperate!" Hilarity cried.

"She had nine heads!"

"Oh come on dude! It's Jareth and Sarah's wedding. Free party, lots of booze,

bridesmaids." Trin wasn't swayed "There's going to be meat..." she said enticingly.

"Oh all right then." said Trin "Bend my rubber arm."

"Fantastic!"

"Why aren't you taking Danny? Have you two had a fight?"

"Not exactly. I just need some time to myself. I thought I'd take you because you're the

only person I know who doesn't have a partner that follows them round everywhere."

" Ah! You're having a mid-life crisis. So how do you plan to tell him he's not invited?"

asked Trin.

"It's on my to do list." said Hilarity irritably. She hadn't planned that far ahead.

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Hilarity sat down to breakfast, dreading what she had to say. Danny looked equally

nervous for some reason.

"Hils, I've got some bad news!" he said suddenly "I can't go to the wedding with you

tomorrow. I've got this big presentation to make at the office. We've invented this new

self-cleaning fabric and we're trying to get a patent."

"Oh that's wonderful." said Hilarity with relief "For you, I mean, not for me. Don't

worry, I'll go with Trin instead." that was lucky, too lucky. Dan looked relieved too.

"Speaking of work, I've got some news for you." she said after a slight pause "I've

been asked to look after the Labyrinth for a few weeks, you know, Jareth's kingdom. I

thought I could make it the subject for my next book, a study of magical lands and

parallel dimensions."

"A few weeks? That's quite a long time, isn't it." said Danny unhappily.

"It's not that long. Besides, a quick break from each other might do us some good."

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The next morning Trin and Hilarity were ready to go. Trin was wearing his best black

shirt with his only tie, which was white and made him look like a jazz musician.

Hilarity had no idea what to wear at a Goblin King's wedding so she settled for a

knee-length dark purple dress which was the least alien thing in her wardrobe.

She kissed Danny goodbye "Now, remember to install ZEMAC's new personality chip

when it comes, and don't forget that you have to take Thomas on his evening walkies

while I'm gone as well as his morning ones, don't take him in the elevator whatever

you do, and don't forget to give him his medicine otherwise he gets a little cranky

before seven, I always find it's best to just grind it into his food..."

"Hils, I'll be fine. Don't worry." said Danny reassuringly.

"Goodbye then, and good luck with the fabric deal." she went over to stand by Trin

and with the reading of a few magic words written on the invitation, they vanished.