Leaf and Artemis got in late that Monday afternoon, she had been let off work early, or was it late? She couldn't be bothered; the timing had been off all day. Her watch didn't work, the clocks at work didn't work, and the solar system even seemed confused. As far as she was concerned, in her own mind it was night time, in spite of the beaming sun outside, and Artemis should be finishing off his pizza dinner and going to bed right now. She trudged up the steps and changed quickly into Arthur's favorite blue flannel, in this way she could pretend he was still there. She settled into bed and shut her eyes tight. In the hall she could hear Artemis coming up, and before he went to bed he called out to her.
"Night Mom"
"Night Artemis" She called weakly. She hadn't even asked him how his day at school had been. Ashamedly, she was rather pleased that she hadn't been forced to talk to him much. He looked and talked and acted too much like his father for her to bear, and she just knew talking to him about anything would only bring tears. She wondered where he was now, at that precise moment, was he fighting off elusive nithlings? Any more encounters with strange beings? If he had been spending a lot of time with Suzy. She had never mentioned it or shown it but Suzy had always been her rival, even if Arthur hadn't seen her for near twenty years, and even more in that weird House Time, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Leaf shook her head and clung to her pillow. What did it matter? He was in another world now, one that neither she nor her son would ever enter. And if he had decided to begin a new life with Suzy, she supposed she couldn't blame him. He had given her the okay to remarry after he left years ago.
"I don't want Artemis to miss me too much. Your life should go on," he had said.
"Then why shouldn't yours, Arthur?" She whispered, burying her face in the sheets, inhaling deeply, and trying to hold onto his scent. The tears came without warning, the same tears she hadn't wanted Artemis to see. Her nostrils filled with the comforting smell of his cologne. Arthur had never liked cologne, but he had bought this specific scent one day and that was why it was so special. Leaf jumped out of the bed and ran to the washroom, moments later she came out holding the bottle, she sprayed herself with it twice and then set it on the night table. Now she had his scent and the comfort of his pajamas. And somehow, even with every essence of him there. Even though she could hear him laughing now, whispering in her ear, even though she could smell him, the scent he used on special occasions or fresh out of the shower, even though she could feel his touch, his arms wrapped around her even now, he wasn't there. And he never would be, again.
Tea Time
"Tea?" Suzy offered.
Arthur refused and read the letter again for what he was sure had to be the millionth time, and thought about what Dame Primus had said about finding Mistress Time.
"Seven dials could work," He ventured.
Suzy snorted. "They look out onto Secondary realms."
"Who's to say the Manor isn't in a Secondary Realm?" he snapped.
Suzy eyed him and continued to pour tea. "I don't think that'll work Artie." She sipped from the cup.
"The Raised Rats!" Arthur exclaimed leaping from behind the table.
"Watch it, watch it!" Suzy scrambled to keep the table from falling over and the teapot and the tea from spilling. Suzy shot him a cursory glance. "Now if you don't wants tea jus' say so, don't need to bust up my tea pot" she said, inspecting the peach colored sort of pot with a handle over the top. It was the best Fashion had been able to do with it, a sort of brewing pot, almost cauldron like really.
"I'm sorry Suzy. But how 'bout them then eh?" Arthur shut his mouth and made a face. Spend enough time with Suzy and sure enough you'll start to sound like her he thought.
"Don't know Arthur, but where will we find them?"
Arthur cursed. "Give me a minute," he thought. "Couldn't I just call them?"
"I'd ask Primey how to find them but you know, she ain't to righted in the head no more"
"Oh she's righted" Arthur growled. "She's just being stubborn about being smaller and people having a chuckle after her and whatnot" Arthur froze again.
I wonder if I can use the key to fix it so's I stops talking like Suzy. He gasped. I'm even thinking like her. He slapped himself hard across the face, the glove sending a zing of pain through his cheek. If that didn't snap me out of it, nothing will. "If I command her, Dame Primus will have to tell me"
"That's what you think. Old Madame don't do a thing that old Madame doesn't want"
Arthur frowned. "Go see if you can get Sneezer," he paused. "Or Doctor Scamandros"
Suzy drained what was left in the cup, nodded and placed her helmet back on. "Will do," She shouted as the chariot pulled off again.
Arthur paced the floors, wondering how much time he had. Just then a shadow appeared over his shoulder.
"Time is very coy" Dame Primus warned.
Arthur over at her, half stifling a giggle, her helmet was askew and her spectacles were half way down her nose. She still looked a bit tipsy in Arthur's opinion. "Do you know what she wants?"
"I know that she has to select a rightful heir. And was a thorn in the Architects side since creation."
"What made Time so bad?" he inquired.
"She wasn't necessarily bad. Just very opinionated. Very, free willed, and she just loved to challenge everything the Architect did."
"But she was around most of the time, before the Architect went away" Arthur ventured.
Dame glanced at him out the corner of her eye. "She was around, in her own way. Time is always around us, she flows through our clocks and our realms, but she was never one to listen to others. Here comes Suzy" Dame Primus observed. "I won't be accompanying you to find her" She told him, with that she nodded solemnly to Suzy and returned to whatever she was doing before.
Suzy came jogging up to Arthur, her armor clanging as she got closer, behind her a portly balding man with a long knit cap and rope struggled to keep up. "Got the Doc" she beamed.
"Doctor Scamandross" Arthur greeted, striding forward to shake the man's hand.
"Lord Arthur, my, I'm parched have you anything to drink?"
"tea" Suzy chirped.
"I'll have a cup of that and then we'll get started."
Arthur threw his arms up in the air. Delays! I hate Tea Time!