Chapter 129: Chapter 129

I learned later that this space filled with stars is called The Between. It acts like the front reception for the Board and is actually not that impressive compared to some other places I’ve been to now, but it’s still very pretty.

You know I’m pretty crap at astronomy, but I was pretty sure that the night sky surrounding us was not the same as the one that greeted Earth each evening. This one had pinks and purples and reds and blues, and all kinds of swirling things all over the place. And stars. Not just the usual sparkly, white ones, but different coloured ones and with different sizes.

There was a kind of ’ground’ in that space that my feet touched and could walk on, but I couldn’t see it and even when I crouched, I couldn’t touch it with my hands.

In front of us our frog guide drew himself up tall, or at least as tall as he could, turned, and gave a little bow. "Please wait here," they said, then vanished like he’d never even existed.

"I feel like I’ve walked into a Lewis Carrol novel," I murmured and Morgan laughed.

"You haven’t seen anything yet," he said.

I looked at him, then looked where he was facing. The stars twinkled back at us, but otherwise nothing happened.

"So what’s this ’board’ business?" I asked after a while.

Morgan sidled over to Choco and poked her in the arm. "Why don’t you explain it?"

Morgan pointed at me. "Because he doesn’t like me very much."

"I don’t like you very much."

"What a coincidence. I can see you two getting along well."

Choco rolled her eyes at me and I smiled. "Choco, what’s this ’board’ business?"

The woman gave a deep sigh.

"In this sector of the galaxy," she began, "there are twelve seats of power and the holder of each is the Administrator for a world, or a dominion.

"Administrator? What does that mean?"

"Like overseers," said Morgan. "You know all those conspiracies about secret organisations controlling the world? Well, it turns out it’s true, except the ones in charge are aliens."

Choco gave him a quick rap on the arm. "Stop giving the boy the wrong impression," she scolded before turning back to me. "There is a creed of non-interference, so Morgan here is not correct in saying that we ’control the world’."

"I know the idea of an organisation you did not decide on or even know about is upsetting from a culturally human perspective, but I must emphasise that this system was constructed for a very good reason. There is, in the greater universe, more diversity of existence than you or even I can imagine. It is a world of wonder but also danger. Just as there are those with altruistic desires, there are those who only think of their own benefit." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel•fire.net

"Let me guess. The system with the Board and the twelve thrones is there to protect Earth from beings who want to exploit us?" I didn’t mean to get snappy at Choco but she was right. The idea of being watched from the shadows by beings far more powerful made me scared and angry.

Choco pursed her lips and her eyes looked between mine, clearly thinking carefully what she said next.

"There’s a treaty," said Morgan, taking the baton from Choco. "All beings are beholden to it. It’s a kind of gentlemen’s agreement between those that create and those that consume, that only worlds that have reached a certain size and have passed a certain threshold are allowed to be exploited."

"Allowed to be exploited?" I asked, horrified.

"Don’t worry. They’re not served up on a platter to the devourers. The worlds can fight back and do," said Morgan. "The loot can be pretty sweet."

Choco gave him a glare. "Those beings and civilisations who feed on others," she said, "should not be completely expunged, no matter how much we dislike their existence. In the eyes of the Great Dark, they too are a part of the weaving and they have seen than the loss of them would bring an end to everything. Does that make sense?"

Great Dark? I didn’t even bother thinking about asking what that was. I was already trying to hold it together after finding out that the ’world’ was a lot bigger than I’d thought. You’d think I’d not be surprised by that by now, but I was.

I cleared my throat. "So it’s like the circle of life, except on a cosmic level?" I said.

"So I guess, the Board has something to do with this?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied. "When a world is detected to have reached a certain threshold, they are assigned to an Administrator to be monitored. When they have been deemed to be sufficiently advanced then they are added to the directory."

"And when you’re on the directory, that means you are up for grabs?" I said darkly. It was a chilling thought to suddenly find out that you might be on the menu.

Choco nodded and I saw in her eyes that she too shared my feelings on this. Had she lived on Earth too long, I wondered, then I recalled that she’d spent the last I don’t know how many more years being the main dish on someone else’s dining table.

"So how did you call a Board Meeting?" I asked. "Could I call one too?"

Choco laughed. "Not unless you become an Administrator. I can call an emergency meeting, that’s what all this is, because I’m the holder of Maloneer’s Dominion."

"And Maloneer is... one of the seats?"

I turned to Morgan. "You said earlier that you’re a relative of Choco’s, does that mean...?"

"Ah... That..." Morgan glanced around, clearly not so willing to explain.

And lucky for him, he didn’t need to.

From below, a troop of frogs suddenly croaked to life, forming a circle around us.

"The Board Meeting shall commence," came the surprisingly guttural voice of one of the frogs. "In three... two... one..."

The starry sky around us shifted and suddenly we were standing in the centre of a circle of large but empty thrones. Outside the circle gathered hundreds of small woodland animals - frogs, mice, foxes, and so on, all neatly clothed and clearly intelligent.

To the side of the thrones, a creature that looked oddly similar to an emu (I say ’emu’ and not ’ostrich’ because the colour of the neck and legs were more in line with an emu’s though the overall shape is the same), pecked at a typewriter set atop a table.

"Barroloth’s job is to take the minutes of any meetings that are convened," Choco said quietly to me.

Indeed, there was a long ream of paper both going in and going out of the typewriter, all kept running smoothly by small platoon of frogs in waistcoats who hopped about and somehow got things done.

"Why do they all look like animals?" I asked Choco.

"Animals? Ah, I see. Your experience is limited, so the forms you see are the best your mind can do to interpret reality."

"So they don’t actually look like animals?"

Choco gave a little laugh. "No. They do not."

Neither she or Morgan moved from the center of the circle so I didn’t move either and just turned my head to look around.

There were twelve thrones in total so this must actually be the Board. Or at least, it would be once they turned up. I glanced at Choco. Was it normal for cosmic beings to turn up late?

But then there came the crack of thunder and a blinding light shot down from the sky and when I could open my eyes again, the seats were no longer empty.

"Ch’lokoloccath," intoned the occupant of the largest throne. "Strider of stars and holder of Maloneer’s Dominion, you dare bring an Earthling human into our midst?"

They were a giant, humanoid with bull-like horns projecting out from either side of their head and a veil covering their face. They sat back in their giant throne, with an air of ultimate authority.

But before Choco could explain herself (or before anyone could explain to me what on earth was going on), the glossy blue, avian-like creature to the left of the giant took off and landed right in front of me. The bird was taller than me and wore large, thick glasses.

"No, he’s not a human, clearly," said the bird. "He’s a star strider, just like our dear Ch’lokoloccath, isn’t that right?"

"But can one truly be called a star strider if one manifested on a planet?" piped up a snake creature coiled in front of the throne on the other side of the giant, surrounded by books. They hadn’t even looked up when we entered. "Surely-" they went on.

"Oh, shut up!" shouted the horned giant. "No one wants to hear you spout on about definitional purity. We haven’t the time."

Now the snake looked up. "Oh! Ch’lokoloccath, you’ve returned. It’s been so long since we’ve seen you in these halls."

"You are correct, Elder Casimi," said Choco, smiling.

"It is good to see you, young child," said the snake kindly. "But pray tell, where have you been all these years?"

"I have been on Earth," replied Choco.

Elder Casimi rose suddenly, the frills down their back expanding in agitation. "On Earth? Why that is...!"

"Irregular!" roared the horned giant. "Can no holder of Maloneer abide by the Code?"

"Please," cried Choco, "let me explain!"