Part 1, if you missed it. And Part 2. And Part 3. And Part 4. And Part 5. And Part 6. And Part 7. And Part 8.
“What other road?” asked Stumpy, the light from down the hall flickering, only for a moment.
“The ‘Stumpy Never Existed in All of Time and Space and So None of This Ever Happened’ road.” Stumpy couldn’t see it but she could have sworn Ida was tapping her foot.
“Oh,” said Stumpy.
Edgar, in a quick nod, pointed his beak toward the waiting elevator.
“Oh indeed. So have we a deal? I’m prepared to lose the sweetener. I’m prepared to lose the penguin entirely. I’m eating a decent meal one way or another tonight.”
“And I can go to that city? When I want to?”
“Chitroutgo. Yes. Why you would want to, I don’t know, but yes.”
“Krillamari sounds really interesting.”
Ida’s enormous face was pained. “It is not. Three seconds, Stumpy, and then none of this happened.”
The egg whizzed into the elevator, standing and waiting like a loyal dog.
“OK, fine,” she said, but it didn’t seem to matter, the polka dots of the egg sprouted like red, orange, yellow and blue arms, yanking her inside. This time, the light wove itself into a multicolored tapestry, fluid yet not, somehow, a shining cage.
And then the elevator dropped.
Down and down and down it went, for ages it felt like, as it probably was, after all, as Stumpy plunged through time.
And then, with a thud, it stopped, the cage of color holding her firmly, a little like a carrier. Instead of the doors opening, though, the whole elevator dissolved into tiny specks, flying off into the wind like dust.
“Gotta get moving,” said the unpleasant Edgar’s disembodied voice. “If you’re going to catch yourself.”
“If I’m going to…” Stumpy’s voice trailed off as first the egg within an egg merrily cruised past. And then, a few seconds later, there she was, tumbling along after it, oblivious to all around. In a flash of blue, Terry appeared in front of the First Time Stumpy.
“What are you?” Terry asked her.
“Weird, right?” Stumpy jumped at the deep voice behind her, leaping so high she nearly cleared the young ferns. She turned to find Terry’s head, down near her shoulder.
“But you’re there,” said Stumpy, pointing wing.
“I was there,” said Terry. “Now I’m here.”
“You don’t find this strange?”
“I did say it was weird.” Terry let out a little snort from their nostrils, the air forceful enough to ruffle her feathers. “Made a mess, huh?”
“I guess.”
“Figured. Always happens when someone comes back and changes things.”
“Always happens? This happens a lot?”
“More than you’d think. Someone’s always changing the history of those human things. Only met one, she seemed OK.” Terry’s eye shifted. “Better pay attention, because there you go.” Terry shook their massive head. “Time tourists.”
The before-Stumpy came past, completely oblivious to her, stumbling and unsteady. She called out herself, but she didn’t pause.
And then she saw it.
The leaf.
Any moment, it would slice into the before-Stumpy’s leg. Now-Stumpy dove to move it out of the way, more instinct than plan or thought, but as she landed, the whole thing went right through her.
As though she wasn’t there.
Behind her came a low rumble, enough for the ground to move, and it evolved into a deep, low chuckle. “Don’t know anything about time paradoxes, do you? Hey Stella, this penwhatever doesn’t know about time paradoxes!” Terry said.
“Of course I don’t know anything about time paradoxes,” said Stumpy, “how do you know about time paradoxes?”
The before-Stumpy brushed past, the leaf cutting her leg. “Ouch,” the before-Stumpy said. Blood rose in a sharp line.
“How am I supposed to fix this?” She raised her wing. “How? I can’t do anything.” Stumpy plopped down, her feet sticking out in front of the white of her stomach. In the distance, she watched then-Terry bend down to pick her up, before-Stumpy leaving a trail of blood in her wake.
“Unless it’s falling apart completely, time will resist a paradox.”
“Time can fall apart?”
“That’s a whole other story.”
“How do you know this stuff?”
“Do you want to go into that or do you want figure out how to fix things?”
“Both, kind of?”
“Short version, you aren’t going to be able to change your first visit here. If you do, then you’ll never be here the second time, which means you can’t undo the first time.”
“Huh? Is there a shorter version?”
“Time doesn’t like that.”
Stumpy drew her egg within an egg within etcetera closer with her feet, absently playing with it. It was all white again, but for the dirt and debris.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
From the undergrowth came a light scratching sound, slight ruffle. Stumpy caught a flash of fur.
“Well, Stumpy,” said Terry, “if you’re going to do something about it, you’d better do it now. Here it comes.”
“You know what animal I’m looking for?”
“I told you. This happens a lot. What are you waiting for? Now or never.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
A Bit to Read 
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