Chapter One - Hiccup


Hiccup

    Joshua’s bedroom was a mess; a total mess. Games, clothing and sheets of computer paper covered the carpet and nearly hid his bed. His bedroom had never been messier.

    Joshua knew the rules.

    “When you finish playing with one thing, put it away in its proper place

before taking something else.” His mother had told him, in those very words, many, many times.

    “Your room is a disaster!” was his father’s favorite expression. “Soiled

clothing belongs in the hamper and used computer paper belong in the wastebasket.”

    Joshua always meant to follow the rules. He really intended to put the first thing away before taking the second thing or a third thing or a fourth but—somehow, for some mysterious reason that he could never quite understand, he never did. As for his clothes, soiled and clean, the floor seemed to be the easiest and most convenient place to pile them up.

    He always promised himself that he would pickup every single item and put them away as soon as he had time. Somehow, his computer’s printer printed out more paper on to the floor, faster than he could manage to pick up at the moment. Joshua was certain he would find the time later when he wasn’t quite so busy. His problem was that the liked later better than now. So, whenever his mother or father would look into his bedroom, they woud say: “Joshua, cleanup your room!”

    And Joshua would answer: “Not now. Later”

    And his mother or father would say: “Now!”

    And Joshua would answer: “Just a second.”

    And his mother or father would always say: “Now!” (Much more firmly than before.)

    And so Joshua would grumble and complain but he would, somehow, manage to clean up his bedroom and get it into fair order. But today, now, was different. Much different! He had been scolded; first by his mother and then by his father.

    His mother had looked into his bedroom and became very upset by Joshua’s mess. “This is the messiest room I have ever seen. Get busy and straighten it up.” She said, sternly.

    It just so happened that at that very moment in time, Joshua was busy; very busy. He was right in the middle of a computer game.

  

“Stop what you are doing!” demanded his mother. “Turn around and look at your room!”

    Reluctantly, Joshua turned away from his computer and looked.

    “What do you see?”

    “My bedroom.” Replied Joshua, anxious to get back to his computer.

    “Is that all?”

    Joshua squinted his eyes and looked harder. “Just my room.”

    “What about your room?”

    “Looks the same as it always does.” Joshua answered.

    “That is just what I am talking about.” His mother reached down and picked up two hands full of printed-upon computer paper, some of which was stuck together by well-chewed chewing gum.

    Joshua had the knack of making things seem to disappear. As long as he could put off cleaning up his bedroom, the mess that filled it was quite invisible to him

    “Well?” demanded his mother.

    Slowly, the mess became visible to him. There were three board games that lay opened with their pieces scattered about. A guitar with one string lay across a tennis racket with no strings. One arm of a stained sweatshirt rested on a plate containing a half-eaten piece of pumpkin pie. One sock dangled out of a cloudy glass that once contained chocolate milk, the dregs of which had been absorbed by the sock. Joshua’s treasures abounded. Some had identities that only he could figure out. Some, he could not be sure. It seemed that his entire wardrobe had been dumped or thrown about as if some mysterious force was intent upon mischief. Mercifully, the uncountable sheets of used computer paper hid the worst of it.

    Joshua shuddered. Too much! There was much too much to clean up now. He turned to his mother and said, “Just a second.”

    “Now!” his mother answered in a rather loud and angry tone of voice. “Clean your room now!” Then, she went away.  

    “All I said was jut a second.” Muttered Joshua. “What difference does a second make?”

    Then his father looked into Joshua’s bedroom.

    “Your room is a disaster! Clean it up!”

    “Just a second.” Joshua was back to playing his computer game.

    “Now! And I mean now!” his father said in a tone of voice that Joshua knew meant business. Then, he went away “All I said was just a second.” Joshua grumbled. What difference does one little second make? He turned away from his computer and looked about his bedroom. It was then that he realized what a mess he had made. His father was right. It was a disaster. How could he clean up such a giant  mess? It would be impossible! The job would take forever.

    Joshua decided that it was just too much to do now. Suddenly he felt very tired. If only he could lie down and rest for a couple of seconds. Then, he would get his room in order. But, he couldn’t lie down. His bed was covered with games and computer paper. Besides, even if he did clean off his bed, his mother or his father was likely to come in and make him get busy cleaning up. He felt that he needed just a few seconds alone so that he could rest. He needed a nice quiet place where he wouldn’t be seen by either of his parents. Where?

    It was then that he thought of the grandfather clock; that big, old grandfather that stood on the stair landing between the upstairs and the downstairs. It had first belonged to his great, great grandfather and been in Joshua’s family for over one hundred years. The grandfather clock had stopped working almost fifty years ago. That was fine with Joshua for he had discovered the wooden door that opened up into the roomy inside of the big clock and he was just small enough to crawl in. He made believe that it was the inside of a cave and it had become his favorite playing and hiding  place.

    There was just room enough in there for him to crawl in and sit down between the two brass weights that hung—one higher than the other—from dusty old chains. The still, brass pendulum—which reminded Joshua of a very long-handled frying pan—was his back support. He decided that this would be an excellent place for him to rest for a few seconds without being discovered.

    No one saw him creep down the stairs to the landing where the big, silent grandfather clock stood. Joshua opened the creaky door at the base of the clock and crawled in, closing the door behind him. It was dark inside but he came prepared. He had taken his flashlight with him. Joshua turned it on and shone it about his make-believe cave. Now, this was fun.

    As he sat with his knees drawn up to his chest, Joshua directed his light up towards the two brass weights.

    “I wonder what would happen if I pulled down on one of those weights?” he thought aloud. Reaching up, he took hold of the higher weight and pulled. Nothing happened. It seemed to be stuck. He pulled harder. Slowly, it began to move with a clickety clicking of its dusty chain.

    All at once, the darkness in which he sat was flooded by a bright, pink light. It was coming from behind him, where his back rested against the pendulum. Joshua turned around to investigate. Just above his head, in the back wall of the grandfather clock and just behind the pendulum, was a

round opening out from which the pink light was streaming through. Cautiously, he raised himself up—pushing the pendulum to one side—and looked into the pink light. Joshua expected to see the wall of the landing, against which the grandfather clock stood, instead—there appeared to be a great, open space.

    He stuck his head through the opening, into what he assumed to be a huge room. However, he could not be certain it was a room. It was so huge that he could not see any walls. When he looked up, Joshua found that it was so high that he could not see the ceiling.

    “What kind of place is this?” Joshua asked himself, wondering at the mystery of it all. Had he discovered a secret room in his house? Not likely. Å hundred houses could fit in this space, maybe a thousand. It was then that the sparkling caught his eye. The floor of this space sparkled and glittered as if it were covered with pink diamonds. Joshua stared, wide-eyed, as if hypnotized.

    “Are you the Inspector?”

    A small, high-pitched voice called out to Joshua breaking the spell brought on by the pink glitter.

    Joshua looked over to where the small voice was coming from and saw the strangest looking creature peering out of the empty space of this strange place.

    “Were you speaking to me?”

    “I was, thank you.”

replied the creature politely.” I do hope you will forgive me for not bowing. I am afraid that I am stuck. Very stuck!”

    Joshua thought it peculiar that anyone or anything—and this case the creature appeared to be more of a thing—would want to bow to him. If it was stuck,  Joshua could not figure out what it was stuck in for it seemed to be standing on the pink, glittery floor surrounded by empty space.

    “Are you really stuck?” asked Joshua.

    “Very, very stuck.” Sighed the creature.

    “Stuck in what?”

    “A time/space slot.” The creature replied, sadly.

    Joshua squinted his eyes and looked as hard as he could. “I don’t see anything that looks like a time/space slot.”

    “Have you ever seen on before?” asked the creature, sighing louder than before.

    “I don’t think so.” Joshua admitted “I never heard of a time/space slot before.”

    “Please forgive me for asking,” questioned the creature, “how would you

know what a  time/space slot looks like if you have never seen or heard of one before?”

    “Well, I have a very good imagination and if you are really stuck in a time/space slot I am quite certain I would see it.”

    I do hope that you will excuse me for disagreeing with you. You could not possibly see this time/space slot.”

    “Why not?” Joshua asked, speaking across the short distance that separated him from that strange looking creature. 

    “You can’t see it because this time/space slot, like all time/space slots, is invisible. I should think you would know that.” Said the creature registering some surprise in his voice. “Here I am stuck, half in and half out.”

    “Can I help?” Joshua asked as he wiggled through the round opening, which was just big enough for him to get through. Once he was on the other side he found himself standing on the pink, sparkling glitter. It was like standing on a million pinpoints of flashing fire. The surface was soft and bouncy, reminding him of a trampoline covered with diamonds.

    “I will be right there to help you get unstuck.” Joshua called to the creature.

    Joshua never walked when he wanted to go from one place to another. He always ran. This time when he took his first running step, his foot came down on the glitter with a loud thump (sounding very much like the thump of a kettle drum). Before he realized what was happening, Joshua had bounced high into the air.

    “You do bounce rather well.” The creature called up after Joshua who was now starting to come down.

    At first, Joshua was too surprised and then much to frightened to utter even the smallest sound. He tried to think of something to shout. The word help came to mind. He was about to use it when it occurred to him that shouting for help wouldn’t do much good since the only one or thing around was the creature and it was stuck and needed help itself. Besides, it was too late for shouting. Joshua came down feet first with a louder thump than before. As soon as his feet struck the sparkling glitter, up he went again, higher than before.

    “Bravo!” shouted the creature from where it stood stuck, half in and half out. “It was very nice of you to offer to help me get unstuck.” It called up after Joshua who was making slow-motion somersaults as he went up higher and higher.

    “I accept with thanks!” It had to shout louder than before for Joshua was now ever so high. The creature watched as Joshua came tumbling down onto the glitter once again. It called out to him just before he started to bounce up   

for the third time.

    “As soon as you are  quite through with your beautifully, brilliant bouncing, your Inspectorship I would be most happy to accept your offer of assistance.

    “I don’t know how!” Joshua yelled out as he rose up like a helium filled  balloon.

    “You don’t know how—what?” the creature shouted up at Joshua who gave the appearance of swimming in a sea of pink light.

    “To stop bouncing!” Joshua shouted down to the stuck creature who was now just the tiniest speck.

    Joshua rose up higher than before. He was no longer frightened. Joshua realized that he couldn’t get hurt and in a peculiar way began to enjoy himself as he floated upward. As he started down towards the glitter—sparkling and flashing like brilliant, pink stars in an upside-down sky, far below—he began to worry.

    “How will I ever stop bouncing? Each time I bounce off that glitter I go higher than before!”

    Down, down he fell, head first. There was the stuck creature right below him! Suddenly, an idea flashed into Joshua’s head; an idea how he might stop bouncing. If he could only come down close enough to the creature he would grab hold of it. Since it was very, very stuck that would surely keep him from bouncing up again.

    “Magnificent!” exclaimed the creature as Joshua somersaulted down, almost on top of it, now feet first.

    Joshua’s feet made contact with the glitter. As he bounced up for the fourth time, he reached out with both hands and took hold of the creature. Instead of stopping, he continued flying upward pulling the creature up with him. Now, they flew up together with the unstuck creature held firmly in Joshua’s two hands.

    “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” exclaimed the creature, bubbling with gratitude. They continued on their upward flight, going higher and higher. “Permit me to introduce myself. I am Hiccup.”

    Joshua was so startled by what he saw clutched in his outstretched hands that he quite forgot that he was soaring, higher than ever. How strange! How very strange! Joshua could not believe that he was seeing what he was seeing. The creature looked much different now that it wasn’t stuck half in and half out. Now, he could see all of it. Why, it was shaped something like a very large mushroom and was nearly the same size as Joshua. Amazing!

    The first thing Joshua noticed were Hiccup’s eyes. There below two arched eyebrows were a large pair of oval eyes that kept changing color.

They seem to rest, quite comfortably upon full cheek that were rosy, then blue, then green, then yellow and back to rosy again. Joshua watched, spellbound, as the colors kept changing. Even Hiccup’s small, upturned nose changed colors, more slowly than his eyes and cheeks. The only thing on Hiccup’s face that didn’t change color were his white teeth that glistened within a big, broad, smiling mouth.

    His face was in the top part of the mushroom cap that came to rounded peak. The bottom part of Hiccup’s cap was wide and circular like—like a very, very big mushroom. Upon further examination, Joshua decided that Hiccup did, indeed, looked like a very strange, over-sized mushroom. A stem protruded down, out of his cap like a long, cylindrical foot. It was the stem that Joshua was holding on to while his chin rested on the wide, bottom edge of Hiccup’s cap.

    “Excuse me for asking,” questioned Joshua after recovering from his surprise, but—could you tell me what you are?

   They were still sailing up, higher and higher into the air. Joshua had, by now, become accustomed to the bouncing and flying up that, for the moment, he quite forgot about it.

    “I don’t blame you for not knowing what I am.” Sighed Hiccup. “I have changed so from the way I once looked. You would have known me then, of course before—Well, never mind about that. Why should I burden you with my troubles.” Hiccup sighed again. “I am a Second-Past.”

    “A second-past?” Joshua asked, curiously. A second-past—what?”

    “A Second-Past my moment.” Answered Hiccup with a note of sadness in his voice.

    “Oh! We are slowing down!” exclaimed Joshua, tightening his grip on Hiccup’s stem.

    Hiccup sighed more loudly than before.

    “The next time we come down on that glitter we are going to bounce even higher. It will never end! We will just keep bouncing higher and higher until we hit the top!” Joshua cried out in alarm.

    “But—there is no top.” replied Hiccup.

    “Then, we will keep bouncing forever!” exclaimed Joshua. He was beginning to feel frightened.

    “I hope not.” said Hiccup. “I certainly hope not for that would get me into a great deal of trouble. My instructions were to slide through the time/space slot—Imagine me sliding through anything with my shape.” Another long, sad sigh escaped the Second-Past.

    Joshua peered up at the unending space. Fear kept him—for the moment—from uttering a sound.

    “As I was saying,” continued Hiccup, my instructions were to slide through the time/space slot and bring the Inspector—meaning you—right back to the Supreme Second Selector.”

    “Inspector? I’m not the Inspector!” Joshua exclaimed, finding his voice. It was then that he realized that they were no longer flying upward. They had stopped and hung suspended in the air for the briefest moment before beginning their downward plunge toward the sparkling glitter far, far below.

    “You are not the Inspector? Oh dear! I will really be in trouble now!”

    “We are falling!” Joshua cried out.

    “Then, where can he be?” mused Hiccup.”

    “I’m scared!” shouted Joshua.

    “Could I have come through the wrong time/space slot?” Hiccup continued to wonder aloud. “There are so many; so very many! It is only natural to make a mistake. Don’t you think so?” he asked Joshua who was hanging on to Hiccup’s stem for dear life.

    “What’s happening? We aren’t falling! We’re floating down!” Joshua cried out in amazement. It was true, Hiccup’s cap was acting just like a parachute.

    “That is exactly what happened.” Hiccup decided. I went through the wrong time/space slot.”

    “We landed!” Joshua announced with relief. “And without bouncing up again. It’s all because of you!” he said, patting Hiccup on top his smooth, peaked cap.

    “Oh dear! What have I done now?” moaned Hiccup.

    You let us land so softly that we didn’t bounce up again. You were great! Laughed Joshua, lifting Hiccup up in his arms Hiccup as a little smaller than Joshua and quite light. 

    “I was?” Hiccup replied with relief.” I have never been told that before. Never in the 17 billion, 754 million, 768 thousand seconds that I have been a Second-Past.”

    Joshua whistled in amazement. “How many years would that be?”

    “563.” answered Hiccup.

    “Are you really 563 years old?”

    “Oh yes. That is if you don’t count the seconds left over. I really should you know.” Said Hiccup guardedly. “I certainly hope I wasn’t overheard. Then, I would really be in trouble. You wouldn’t say anything, would you?”

    “Not a word.” Promised Joshua. “Who would you be in trouble with?”

    “Secondra, the Supreme Second Selector, of course.” Answered Hiccup, rather surprised at the question.        

    “Oh, there you are Hiccup!” came a high pitched, scolding voice from behind them.

    “That is Sniff.” whispered Hiccup to Joshua. “She thinks that she is so much better than I am.”

    “Do you know how many time/space slots I have had to look through before I found you? One hundred and two, that is all! Is this the Inspector?”

    Hiccup turned to face Sniff. She was the same height as he but was narrower and curved gracefully like a crescent moon. Her large, almond-shaped eyes slowly changed from one pastel color to another. At the moment they were impatient, pastel blue. The rest of her was pale yellow except for her tiny, upturned nose and rosebud mouth. They were a darker yellow with a blush of pink. Unlike Hiccup, she had dainty arms and legs. 

    “No, he is not the Inspector sighed Hiccup.

    “Who is he then?” demanded Sniff in her sharp, high-pitched voice that sounded more impatient than before.

    “Joshua.” replied Joshua.

    “Joshua? Joshua? What in the name of exact time is a Joshua?”

    This was Hiccup’s chance to show how more he knew than that uppity Sniff. “You don’t know what a Joshua is? Hah! You don’t seem to know very much.”

    “Suppose you tell me.”

    “It just so happens that a Joshua is a—a—” It was then that Hiccup realized that he didn’t know what a Joshua was either. He turned to Joshua and whispered, “What is a Joshua?”

    Joshua was taken by surprise for he had never been asked that question before.

    “Joshua is a name.” he whispered back to Hiccup.

    “Joshua is a name.” Hiccup told Sniff in a very superior manner.

    “A name of what?” demanded Sniff.

    “A name of what?” came Hiccup’s urgently whispered question to Joshua.

    “A name of a boy.” Joshua replied in a louder whisper.

    “A name of a boy!” Hiccup announced triumphantly to Sniff.” Is he a boy? A real, live boy? Sniff demanded to know, her bow shaped body quivered in shocked disbelief.

    “Are you a boy? A real, live boy?” Hiccup whispered to Joshua.

    “Of course I am.” Answered Joshua aloud, forgetting to whisper.”

    “Of course he is!” repeated Hiccup.

    “Now you are really in trouble!” Sniff snapped back. “You know that humans are not allowed on this side of time. Especially boys!”

    “Oh dear! Oh dear!” exclaimed Hiccup in dismay. “I didn’t bring him here. I just found him after I got stuck in the wrong time/space slot.”

    “I hope for your sake that Secondra believes you.” said Sniff in a tone of voice that indicated that she didn’t think that Secondra, the Supreme Second Selector, would. “If she doesn’t, you know what that means.”

    Hiccup groaned. “Oh dear! Oh dear! It means that Secondra might not ever, ever trust me again. I could not bear that. Not at all.”

    “It is true.” Insisted Joshua. I got here all by myself.”

    “Well,” warned Sniff, ignoring Joshua, “it wouldn’t surprise me one bit that you will be in big trouble. Very big! You didn’t find the Inspector. Worst of all, you have a boy with you!”

    “Oh dear! Do you really think so?” asked Hiccup, shuddering all over so that his cap shook and shivered.

    “No doubt about it.” Replied Sniff, appearing to enjoy Hiccup’s discomfort. “You had better come back with me right now! I don’t intend to get into trouble because of you.”

    “You just wait a second!” demanded Joshua. He was feeling very sorry for Hiccup.

    “Wait a Second? Isn’t that just like human—especially a boy!” snorted Sniff. “You be able to say that on your side of time but, most certainly, not on this side. Wait a Second, indeed! Just wait until the Supreme Second Selector hears about this.”

    “Oh dear! You wouldn’t tell her, would you? Hiccup implored.

    Sniff smirked. “I am afraid I have too.”

    Hiccup shivered and sighed. “I am in very big trouble.”

    “Let us go!” insisted Sniff.

“I don’t know if I can squeeze through the time/space slot. I just know I will get stuck again.”

    “You had better squeeze through if you know what is good for you. As for you—Joshua or whatever you call yourself—you had better go back to your side of time where you belong.”

    “I can’t leave you now Hiccup.” Joshua put his arm around Hiccup’s cap. “Maybe If I went with you to see the Supreme Second Selector I could explain to her what happened.”

    “Oh, would you?”

    “I don’t think Secondra will be very happy to see a boy coming back with you.” Sniff warned. Particularly since you were sent to bring back the Inspector.”

    “I will explain everything to her.” Replied Joshua.

    “Have it your own way Hiccup.” Sniff warned again. “You know as well as I do how upset the Supreme Second Selector has been ever since her key to the Timelock Door was stolen.”

    What is a Timelock Door?” Joshua asked Hiccup.

    “The Timelock Door guards the Universe of Time.” Replied Hiccup.

    “The Universe of Time?”

    “It is there that the Supreme Second Selector has her source of Time Dust.” Hiccup explained.

    “Time Dust?” What in the world is Time Dust?” asked Joshua.

    “Well! I have never heard such ignorance!” Sniff sneered with contempt for the human. “Time Dust is not in the world! It can only be found in the Universe of Time, safely locked behind the Timelock Door. And—”

    “And it can’t be opened without the key.” interrupted Hiccup, hoping that Sniff had not hurt Joshua’s feelings. “Time Dust is what the Supreme Second Selector gathers to create Seconds.”

    “I don’t think that is any of his business.” Sniff chided Hiccup.

    Hiccup ignored Sniff and continued with his explanation.

    “Because the key was stolen, Secondra cannot open the Timelock Door. Without the Timelock Door being unlocked she cannot enter the Universe of Time to gather a new supply of Time Dust.”

    “So, without the Time Dust the Supreme Second Selector can’t create new seconds.” Said Joshua with new understanding.

    “Yes. That is why she sent me to bring back the Inspector. She was hoping that he would be able recover the key.

    “Who stole the key?” asked Joshua.

    Hiccup spoke up before Sniff had a chance to give one of her nasty answers.

    “It was taken by a trusted Second-Past who must have been created with defective Time Dust.”

    “Defective Time Dust?”

    “That does happen.” Replied Hiccup. “Not very often but it does happen.”

    “The traitor gave it to the Wicked*Witch*Watch!” exclaimed Sniff, angrily.

    “Who is the Wicked*Witch*Watch?” Joshua asked, his curiosity aroused.

    “You have never heard of the Wicked*Witch*Watch; the Evil One?” Hiccup could not believe that this was possible.

    Joshua shook his head.

    “Just like a human.” Sneered Sniff. “Boy humans are the worst! They never know anything that is really important to know.”

    “Well, how am I to know about the Supreme Second Selector and the Wicked*Witch*Watch?” protested Joshua.

    “Now you did it!” Sniff scolded shrilly.

    “Did what?”

    “You mentioned the Supreme Second Selector in the very same breath with you know who!”

    “Who?”

    Sniff let out her breath and took a new one.

    The Wicked*Witch*Watch, that is who!”

    “Oh dear! Oh dear!” exclaimed Hiccup. “You are not going to tell Secondra about that too, are you?”

    “It is my duty to tell the Supreme Second Selector everything. Now, I must hurry back and tell her that I found you; not with the Inspector but with a boy.”

    “Tattletale!” said Joshua rather loudly while wagging his finger at Sniff.

    “I had best be going.” Good-bye Joshua.” Sadly, Hiccup turned to leave.

    “Well, I am not waiting for you. You had better hurry Hiccup if you know what is good for you!” warned Sniff as she slid, gracefully through the invisible time/space slot and was gone.

    Hiccup took several, careful hops toward the time/space slot and stopped. He turned to Joshua. “I suppose it is best that you go back to your side of time.”

    “I can help. Let me come with you and explain what happened.” Joshua pleaded.

    “No, I can’t be selfish. It just wouldn’t be fair to have you get into trouble with the Supreme Second Selector or—”

    “Or—what?”

    “—Worse.”

    “Worse?”

    “Worse meaning that you might be caught by the Wicked*Witch*Watch.” Answered Hiccup grimly.

    “I want to help you.” Said Joshua. He had grown quite fond of Hiccup.

    “Thank you. Thank you. I am quite certain that I can manage by myself. Good-bye Joshua.” Hiccup waved the brim of his cap and attempted to squeeze through the time/space slot.

    “Good-bye Hiccup.” Sadly, Joshua waved back.

    “I—I think that I am stuck again!”

     Joshua tried to push Hiccup through but he would not budge.

    “Could you pull your cap in? It seems to be wedged between something.”

    “I would if I could.” groaned Hiccup. He was convinced that he would be stuck forever or even longer. “My cap just doesn’t pull in. All it does is stick out all around me and get me into trouble.”

    Joshua became very tired from pushing and pulling and sat down on the glitter to rest. He sat down a little too hard and bounced into the air. He might have gone quite high but just managed to grab hold of Hiccup. This time Hiccup was stuck so fast that he did not come unstuck and Joshua was kept from bouncing up and away.

    “If I hadn’t grabbed hold of you I would have started bouncing up and down again. It’s a good thing you are stuck so tight.”

    “It is?” replied Hiccup; not convinced that he agreed with Joshua.

   Well,” said Joshua, “in one way it is and in another way it isn’t.”

    “Oh, that Sniff is such a lucky Second-Past.” Sighed Hiccup. “She is so thin and graceful that she has no trouble slipping through any of the time/space slots.”

    “Is she Second-Past too?” Joshua asked, as he sat down, ever so carefully on the glitter.

    “Oh yes.” sighed Hiccup, having given up hope of ever becoming unstuck.

    “She doesn’t like a Second-Past. I mean, she doesn’t look like you.”

    “Lucky for her. Seconds-Past come in all shapes and colors.”

    “They do?”

    “Oh yes. Although exact time only knows when we were first created into Seconds-Before by the Supreme Second Selector—”

    “What’s a Second-Before?” Joshua broke in.

    Hiccup didn’t mind being interrupted since he decided that he would be stuck here forever or longer, anyway.

    “A Second-Before is a Second that hasn’t been used.”

    “And a Second-Past is a Second that has been used.” said Joshua with new understanding.

    “As I was saying, continued Hiccup, “when we were first created into Seconds-Before we were all the same shape and color.”

    “You were?” said Joshua, gently shifting himself on the glitter.

    “Oh yes.” grunted Hiccup as he struggled once more, without success, to get unstuck. “We all start out perfectly round and soft and silvery.”

    “What happened to you?” Joshua asked, finding it quite hard to believe that Hiccup was once round and soft and silvery.

    “It happened during my moment .” Hiccup said, sadly.

    “I don’t understand.”

    “It all begins when Secondra—”

    “She is the Supreme Second Selector, right?

    “Yes.” Hiccup replied, patiently. “It all begins when Secondra, who is the Supreme Second Selector, gathers together Time Dust to create Seconds-Before. I do believe I mentioned that.”

    Joshua nodded.

    “I was surprised when you first mentioned that.”

    “Surprised? What were you surprised about?”

    “I didn’t know seconds were made of anything.”

    “You didn’t?” Hiccup was more surprised than Joshua. “Well, you must admit that I am something—a silly shaped something—never-the-less, a something.”

    “I will admit that you are something.” Joshua agreed

    “Since I am something—a very stuck something—then I must be made of something.”

    Joshua thought about that for a moment.

    “That makes good sense.”

    “That is most generous of you. That something that I am made out of is      Time Dust; ever so many bits of Time Dust.”

    “That is really hard to believe. I mean— Well, a second is so little. What I mean is, a second is such a short time that—”

    “Short! Short! Now, you are saying a second is short!” Hiccup replied shrilly. His feelings had been hurt. “Had you ever seen a second, of any kind, before?”

    “No.” answered Joshua. “You are the very first second of any kind that I have ever seen.”

    “Then tell me how you could say a Second was short if you never saw one

before you met me. Unless—Unless you are saying that I am short!” Hiccup said, sharply. His eyes were changing colors very rapidly.

    Oh, no. I didn’t mean to say that you are short. Why, you are almost as tall as I am.”

    “What did you mean then?”

    Joshua thought hard.

    “What I meant was—a second is just a little bit of time. A second goes by so fast that you can’t do much with it, if you know what I mean.”

    “Can’t do much with a Second! Is that what you are saying?”

    Joshua nodded, forgetting that his friend was a Second-Past.

    “When you stop to think about it, a second is such a very little bit of time that it is just about useless.”

    “Useless! Useless!” shouted Hiccup, swelling up with anger. Hiccup swelled up so much that he popped right through the time/space slot.

    “I am unstuck!” came Hiccup’s muffled voice from the other side of the time/space slot.

    “Wait for me!” Joshua shouted. He felt around until he felt the narrow opening of the invisible time/space slot and squeezed through. The sight that met his eyes was almost too much to believe. He had entered a most dazzling and bewildering place that went far beyond anything he could have imagined.

 

         Joshua could not tell whether he was standing or floating. There, beneath his feet, swirled misty patterns of changing colors. The patterns appeared and disappeared. There was one odd shape after another, turning from one color to another. Sometimes they blended to maker the most mind-bending shades and hews. They actually caused Joshua to feel dizzy in the strangest way.

    The rising up of these changing, colored shapes from beneath his feet further heightened Joshua’s sensation of floating. Up, up they rose in rainbows of wavy vapors. Like countless magical fountains, they seemed to splash over Joshua and Hiccup, becoming mists of sparkling, gemstone droplets. The two of them stood in the midst of a mist of miniature diamonds, flashing blue-white fire; tiny sapphires, winking and blinking their brilliant blue eyes; flecks of rubies that sent shafts of dazzling scarlet in every direction; emeralds as small as dust particles seemed to light up like countless, green fireflies; and there was more—so much more.

    “Thank you! Thank you!” gushed Hiccup, taking Joshua’s hand into a curled edge of his cap.

    Joshua stared at Hiccup in wide-eyed amazement. His friend was reflecting all the colors that flashed about them.

    “Why are you thanking me?” Joshua asked, managing to speak at last.

    “I am thanking you for tricking me into getting so angry that I popped right through the time/space slot.  I know you didn’t mean those things you said about Seconds being useless.”

    Joshua decided that it was best not to admit that he had really meant what he had said. It was better to let Hiccup believe that it really was a trick to get him through the time/space slot.

    “Where are we?”

    “This is the far shore of the Sea of Time.” Replied Hiccup. “Thank you. Thank you.”

    “Why are you thanking me again?” asked Joshua.

    “I am thanking you for deciding to come with me to see the Supreme Second Selector.”

    Joshua looked about with growing wonderment at the shifting shapes and colors sparkling all about them. Where was the Sea of Time? He squinted his eyes but could see nothing that looked like a sea.

    “ Where is the Supreme Second Selector?” Joshua asked giving up on seeing the Sea of Time.

    “In the Floating Factory, of course.” Replied Hiccup, staring into the mist of gems as if looking for something.

    “Where is the Floating Factory?” Joshua queried Hiccup.

    “Across the Sea of Time.” Replied Hiccup as he continued to stare into the sparkling mist.

    “How will we get across?”

    “We will take the ferry as soon as it comes into the tick-dock.” Answered Hiccup. “There!”

    “Where?”

    “It is gone.”

    “What’s gone?”

    “Why, the tick-dock, of course.” replied Hiccup.

    “What’s a tick-dock?” asked Joshua.

    “A tick-dock is where the ferry docks.”

    “You said the tick-dock was there and then you said it was gone.” Said Joshua, very much confused.

    “Now, you are beginning to understand.” Hiccup answered.

    “I don’t understand at all. How can the tick-dock be there and then be gone?”

    Hiccup tried to be patient.

    “Time does not stand still. You should know that. Look about you. Do you see anything standing still?”

    “What has that got to do with the tick-dock?”

    “Like everything here, the tick-dock is part of time. Since time does not stand still, it moves on. The tick-dock has moved on.”

    “If it moved on, how are we going to take the ferry across the Sea of Time?” asked Joshua.

    “It always comes back. We must be ready when it does.” Hiccup replied.

    “When will it come back?”   

    “Now!” exclaimed Hiccup. “Jump!”

    Joshua jumped. He had no idea into what or where he was jumping for there was nothing in those changing colors and shapes that looked like a tick-dock to him. He and Hiccup seemed to be flying through swirling reds and wriggly greens and zigzaggy yellows as well as other colors never seen in a rainbow, zooming past them in the weirdest shapes. 

    “Will this take very long?” Joshua shouted over the whooshing wind made by the colors as they rushed by.

   “300 Seconds to be exact.” Hiccup shouted back.

    Joshua began to count. He was about to say 300.

    “We are here.” Announced Hiccup in a normal tone of voice. The whooshing colors and shapes had disappeared revealing amazing, new sights to Joshua.

    “Where are we?” asked Joshua. All he could see were geometric shapes. There were triangles of orange, circles of purple, rectangles of pink, squares chartreuse as well as hexagons and pentagons of colors Joshua had never seen before.

    “This is the lobby space to the Floating Factory.”

    “What happened to the ferry and the Sea of Time?”  Joshua asked in bewilderment.

    “We were on it and crossed it. Time marches on. Now we must hurry and see Secondra, the Supreme Second Selector. I am sure that Sniff has reported everything to her.”

    Joshua ran and Hiccup hopped through a square of chartreuse, into a triangle of blue, across a hexagon of bright pink. It was then that Joshua noticed that there was no floor between the multicolored, geometric shapes. All there was was empty space.

    “There’s no floor!” Joshua shouted out in alarm.

    “Of course there is!” huffed Hiccup without stopping his hurried hopping.

    Joshua had stopped on an orange oval too afraid to step off into empty space where the floor should have been.

    “Are you sure there’s a floor?” Joshua yelled after Hiccup.

    “Yes! Yes! Very sure.” Called back, impatiently. “The floor is invisible, that is all. Please! Come along. We are late!”

    Joshua swallowed hard and gingerly placed his right toe on to the invisible floor as if he were stepping out too test thin ice on a pond. Something was there all right. He had forgotten that only moments before he had been running the same, invisible floor until he discovered he couldn’t see it.

    “Please hurry!” pleaded Hiccup.

    It wasn’t easy but Joshua forced himself to run across the invisible floor to join Hiccup. Together, they continued on until Hiccup signaled for them to stop. They were standing a great circle of purple.

    “This is it!” Hiccup announced, nervously.

 

 ON TO CHAPTER 2


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 © robert 2014