#earthrunes

*****

Emma may be surprised to find Caspian in her healer's hut, badly wounded but patched eneough to keep him from expiring.

The possum tuts as she bedecks him with... Doc McStuffin's band-aids?

Oh, it's a bunk. Some dignity remains.

The eshu groans softly.

She spits on a kleenez, and daps at his knee before placing the last bandaid.

"Where?" a groan, unaware a bunk is being performed

"The writing under the hill." A sunny green wash of Glamour, bringing with is a wave of relief as her magic carries away the worst of the wounds.

"Oh thank you!"

He gasps for a time it seemed he was stunned into in action, "I need to see Zara Scwhartz"

"Well, I would not go to the Library..."

"Right, Librarians do tend to slum there" He gets up "Hope she forgives my not so fresh look" A sniff "And possibly smell."The Eshu gets up "Emma, what do I owe.. I mean... how can I repay?"

"Oh, little old me? Well, you know, the gumbo here is just like home..." Big sad eyes.

"Deal" He grins bends down and kisses her on the forehead "Gumbo for the Gumbo Goddess" And off he rushes

"And every piece of Okra in the bayou!"

Meanwhile, the librarian is... yes, in the library.

So when the mess of an Eshu staggers in... mind you, with DocMcStuffin Band aids likely the cleanest thing on him, how the Librarian or any of her guests respond? Well, he'll just have to see "Zara?"

A fussy little hiss of air, and Zara guides him to a suitable chair (before he can bleed on anything precious)

"Hello, Caspian. We had been expecting you, but you are not falling." Disappointment?

"I was starting to get into a rut. I thought I'd do my falling elsewhere then come here..well, get dropped off here."

"Indeed?" A cup of tea is placed in his hands.

"Oh tea, how nice, thank you" he says "Look, the evil looking snake pooka lady was ordered to kill me and she did.. kind of.. tied me up, threw me into the water... but she also told me a few things.. or passed on some things. She said that I had nearly ruined everything so sorry about faking my death. Then she said when I woke up I was to seek out the "Witch O the Books, the Ghost of the Library, the Raven of Secrets'.. well, I not a hard riddle to guess and here I am."

"Aye. I know the snake. Though she appears the serpent, she is the flower above it."

"Great.. I have no idea what that means beyond you know her.. and I'm not sure who pulled me out of the water... let alone brought me here and dropped me off at Emma's hut." The Eshu remarks "But I hope Emma can keep a secret... because there's no way she missed THIS." He turns around and carefully removes his shirt. On his back are written the words that seem a jumble. "But maybe you can make sense of it, I sure as hell can't"

Words? It's a paragraph!

Eyebrow.

And... she reads.

This is like the Swedish Chef was drunk off his ass..

no, not Swedish, Norwegian !

and it's scrambled!

"Oof, Fishie.."

And... Zara cheats. "Bork bork bork" She knows a bit, and Naming.. well. She cheats.

"What are you doing to my back, Zara? I'm attached to it" Caspian says

Zara transcribes!

THere were other words... no, not words, letters, but transalted to numbers they become latitude and longitude of a most exact nature

"My back's getting cold and I smell bad enough for my own nose to notice it. " Caspian sighs "Just once I'd like to be part of a story where someone ELSE gets their ass handed to them"

"Now now, August winds up battered nearly as oft..."

"And I think you smell lovely. Well-ripened."

"right, hot water" He says "lots of soap" a sigh "Thank for the kind words, I don't mean to sound ingrateful. And yes, August Is my 'bruise buddy'"

"I have it all, you may got seek a hot bath. Take the tea with you, if you wish."

He sips "Most kind, I'll return the cup or ask someohne to return it for me as soon as possible" He says "I never should have stuck around... I nearly died. On the other hand, if I can ever figure out who the players in this little drama are, It could be one hell of a story. Shoot.. my cellphone is missing. Drat. Hope PIper did all right"

"Piper?"

"Ah, there in lays a tale all her own... a troubadour of Rivervale's honor, but no troll. A satyress on her way to a tourney of songs but one who would reject any champions title because she must." A pause "Kind of cute too. The bottle was nerve wracking for her I fear. HOpe it didn't hinder her performance"

"Indeed. What bottle?"

"Ah, now, tell you what, let me get that hot tub, this hot tea, and clean myself, when I return, if you are interested, I shall spin the story of the bottle , the babe, and her boyfriend. Alliteration makes for good titles"

"I would like that, yes."

"Then I definitely need to take a long bath, anticipation builds for an eager audience" Shirt back in place, he waves and moves off

Leaving Zara.. possibly curious.