guppy_sandhu

As Guppy returns home to his new accommodation he hears a noise upstairs. He knows that Abs and Nina aren’t home yet, because he just saw them at work before he left. Going up to his room, he finds Mitzi head-banging to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Alarmed at the noise as he is, he still can’t suppress a giggle. The flamingo looks up, jumps and turns the music off.

"You need to keep the noise down remember. And make sure Abs and Nina are out before you start doing that."

Mitzi sighs.

’It’s boring in here.’

"Well there’s no reason why you have to stay in the flat, as long as you’re careful and aren’t seen. You can go outside as long as you don’t use any magic, except for shrinking yourself if you need it."

Mitzi likes this idea. She follows Guppy downstairs as he goes to the fridge. Getting out a couple of eggs for dinner, he goes over to the frying pan. Mitzi watches him curiously.

’You won’t get them to hatch by putting them in the big chamber of coldness. You need to sit on them.’

"I’m not trying to hatch them. These are for dinner."

Mitzi stares in horror.

’You can’t eat those! That’s murder!’

"They aren’t flamingo eggs, Mitz, they’re chicken eggs. I wouldn’t eat flamingo eggs."

‘I don’t see how that makes any difference. Please give all the eggs to me.’

Guppy sighs. He knows that if he persists in his argument he’s going to end up as a pond snail.

"They won’t hatch, Mitzi. They’re already dead."

‘Honestly and you’re supposed to be the one who saves lives. Please put them in our room.’

Too tired to argue, Guppy obeys. Once he’s put them down on the bedroom floor, Mitzi sits on as many as she can. Supposing that she’ll find out soon enough, he goes downstairs to find something else to eat. Opening the kitchen door he finds the bar and hesitates.

He’s not surprised. He’d been expecting it for the last two days. Before he was Bound, he used to find it about three or four times per day once he knew where the portals were. Now they’ve all moved, but he still hadn’t found any. He has a great dilemma. He wants to go back in; for a start it’s Gil’s birthday party, which he doesn’t want to miss. But he’s only been free for two days and he doesn’t want to be Bound again.

‘Come on. The other five eggs are dead but this one isn’t. I’m taking it in, and you’re coming. I know your scared and I understand why, because now that you’re here I can see this place is where you belong. But there’s no point in hiding from the Bar. If she wants you, she will pluck you out of this place any time she wants, so you might as well go in. If you are going to get Bound again, there’s nothing you can do about it. Get your coffee and that money to pay off your tab and let’s go.’

This settles it. Mitzi is right. If the Bar does want to bind him, she will, whether he goes in voluntarily or not. And he can’t miss Gil’s birthday, he has to pay off his tab and he’s got to give Asar-Suti his coffee. He could also do with rescuing his tie.

He takes a deep breath and steps inside. Mitzi follows with her egg.