Part 26 (1/2)
I'd have been bored (not to ht as well have a snack
My s around Rumpock confirmed that this world not only lacked pizza, but oefully behind on the concept of delivery food, period If it turned out ere stuck here permanently I planned to correct that lack and o into partnershi+p with Cleood kitchen all set up I could be ”Myhr the Singing Pizza Cat, Your Order in Thirty Minutes or It's Free” Hon society Have to come up with a different pro cups this place had a different syste I never bothered to learn imperial or h Shankey knew a thing or three about baking ovens- for me Man, back home I'd have had to pay extra for the taste that would coh there were only two inabout pizza parlors back home as I mixed, rolled, and tossed It kept Fili the dough overhead like a juggler
I spread it out on a close cousin to a cookie sheet, poured on wolf apple sarlic, then loaded on toppings like sliced sausage, mushrooreat,” I said in response to their horrified looks Apparently no one had ever cole dish before I was the first ever to do so on this world and forMy audience ot another round of beer for the table
”What's going to happen to me?” Fili to do with how her digestion would react to the pizza ”In relation to?” ”When the town finds out what I've done What Botello did”
”They won't,” said Shankey
”They could,” she countered ”We all scry on each other unless we think to put up protections I'ht know already”
”I doubt it,” I said ”Botello had that spot shi+elded up the wahzoo or so down there would have been astrally noticed by soht”
Shankey agreed ”If anyone had found out, he would have stepped forward by now and spoken to the overduke”
”Unless it's that idiot Cadmus” Filiic all the tilethat could help us?”
She shrugged, her eyes dull from the beer ”He's the honorable sort ould have stepped forward by now He'd want to help out against the hell-river Even he's not that diht it would further his suit, I'm sure I'm certain he scrys on me all the time I put up protections, but he could find a way around the glance at me-”what if he's really in love with you?”
”I don't want to think about that Poor Botello's not cold in his tomb yet”
Poor Botello???
Shankey was equally scandalized ”My lady, Lord Botello tried to feed you to adeet involved with another ood and ready!”
That would be about twenty years fro behind Filiht the h women to understand when to shut up
”Wooo, that's sure se the subject I peered into the depths of the baking oven The crust was just starting to brown, the shredded cheese toof beer ”Takes longer to put it together than to cook,” she observed
”And less tie”
”We won't finish all that”
”No problee kid who's pulled an all-nighter” If and when Terrin co he'd want a sizable chunk of the feast too And speak of the devil, he sauntered in There wasn't a speck of dust on hie pizza,” I said
”Coolies” He sat at the table next to Filima If she'd just look atme with that kind of anticipation
”Well?” she deed ”You want the bad news first? Or thebad news first?”
”That's supposed to be good news/bad news,” I pointed out
”Not this time Got any beer left?”
”Didyou find out what Botello was doing?” she asked, eyebrows and voice going higher
”Yeah, and it ain't good frole”
”You broke the code?”
He curled his lip in disgust ”Code? You callthat a code? More like shorthand notes I didn't bother”
”But how did you-?”
”I just held the stuff for awhile and felt up the vibes he left behind He uys are in deep kion of beer ”You're scaring the lady”
”That's awright, she can take it But one thing-that little tiff in the base”
The offhand way he said it pounded the point home We stared at each other for a bad moment They went pale and so did I-under the fur It felt the way pale should feel, anyway ”Well, go on”
He slugged back the beer, all of it, and cut loose with a monumental belch I swear the walls shook
”That's better” He leaned forward ”Okay, it's like this: Botello's studies got hi portals between planes Myhr and I do that all the ti deal because I knohat I'”
I stifled a snort
He heard ”Iknohat I'ht he knew, but didn't really Most beginners are like that All they see are the special effects, they don't get the wherefores of the underlying work behind theroove to the flash and dazzle Lazy twits”
”The scrying mirror was a portal? Into hell?”
”Give the cat a kewpie doll Botello had enough personal power to open one and probably thought he could control whatever ca in a fast and dirty way, not how you'resupposed to All those jars and liquids and junk were part of his conjuring Amateur stuff No real wizard who knows his noodles has to bother It's a matter of poill, intent, and so-years of it, which he didn't bother with-you get those four working ss like props”
”Okay we get that, and that Botello was opening portals better left shut Why?”
”Oh,pul-ease ! For power, of course”
”Power” I felt a bit of a let-down ”That's it?”