Tweedledee and Tweedledum turned to each other.
–What shall we do?
–You should go call the Professor, Tweedledee. I don’t want to end up disposed of just for opening up an outside line without official clearance, you know.
–You’re right.
Tweedledee pushed up against the ledge of the pool and jumped out.
He brushed the water off his body and slipped into his pants.
–Wait here, Balot. I’ll introduce you to the god of Paradise.
He headed off straight back into the rainforest, leaving Balot behind.
Balot swam with Tweedledum as they waited for Tweedledee’s return.
As she gave herself up to the water, her medicinal compresses began peeling off, and even the bandages on her wrists started to come loose. Eventually all her bandages started floating to the surface, and before long they were swallowed up by small contraptions at the edge of the pool that looked like miniature garbage disposal chutes.
It truly was a well-designed pool. The water was maintained at a perfect temperature, and it was kept constantly clean.
–What did Tweedledee mean by “god of Paradise”?
–Oh, just that he’s easy to anger—the wrath of god and all that.
Then Balot heard laughter. Through her earphone, but also with something at the back of her mind, using her interference abilities, her snarc. It was almost like telepathy. And it seemed to be unaffected by whether she was on the surface of the water or underneath it.
–He’s the Supreme Warden of all of Paradise’s creatures—that’s one of his titles, anyway. If I said that he was one of the Three Magi, would that ring a bell?
–I heard that the Three Magi made this place…but I don’t know the details.
–Not to worry, babe, all will be revealed shortly, Tweedledum said as if to say that was the end of the matter, and dived below Balot. Her body was lifted up, and Tweedledum’s head appeared right in front of her, nostrils flaring.
–Are you the only one who lives here, Tweedledum?
–Nah, there’s plenty of others, but I’m the best value. Should I call the rest here? Some of them are at death’s door, though.
–It’s okay. I don’t really want anyone to die on my account.
Tweedledum laughed again.
–Not many of the others can really speak like me, anyway. It probably wouldn’t be much fun.
–The others—are they all dolphins too?
–The majority, yeah, but not all. There’s also whales, but they’re too big to make it into this section. There’s also sharks and orcas, but they’re in the minority, and they’re blocked from entering here, so don’t you worry. I don’t really get on with those guys, truth be told. Tweedledee is pretty good at handling them, though.
Balot was clinging to Tweedledum’s back now, and she snarced Tweedledum’s silver sunglasses directly.
–You know Oeufcoque, right?
–Yeah, I know him. He was here up until about six years ago. He’s just like me, a creature that was created to order on commission from the military.
–Did you get along with him?
–I got along with him well enough, yeah. I have no problems with that type of person. He’s a good egg. Handy having him around too. He’s not perfect, of course, plenty of character flaws, but basically I’d say he’s a good choice for a lover, babe.
