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On the other hand, ignorance was bliss.
As a doting…sperm donor, Ere would keep Benjamin innocent forever if he could. But the boy’s soul was already old. Always had been.
Ancient, in fact.
Ere had experienced Benjamin’s insight and wisdom, far beyond his human age, on many occasions.
“One last thing,” he stressed, waiting until Benjamin and Annie gave him their full attention.
“Rules are always meant to be broken.”
“Hmm,” Benjamin mused, scratching his chin, which was starting to show the beginnings of a golden five-o-clock shadow.
Since when did his boy turn into this strapping, facial-hair-growingman?! How had Ere missed the moment when little Benjamin’s balls dropped? And had his voice always been that deep?
For the love of Shakespeare, his son’s low, smooth timbre made Ere’s own perfectly masculine voice sound like a nasally soprano!
“That was clear as mud, Ere,” he said.
Ere. NotUncleEre.
At some point, during one of those inevitable moments when Ere blinked, his boy decided that it was uncool to put “Uncle” in front of his name.
How had this happened?
“Rules are all good and well,” Annie inserted, “but where exactly are we going? What are we supposed to find?”
The Master suddenly appeared directly at their elbow, putting his white-haired head into the middle of their huddle.
“Good question, girl,” he praised.
“Allow me to answer.”
They all leaned back, standing upright, and gazed down at him from their superior heights. Benjamin was almost as tall as Ere at six and a half feet, while Annie was about five-seven. The little old man reached barely over five feet.
The Master looked back at them steadily, stroking one hand through his long white beard.
“You are headed to Victorian Britain this time. Your task is to uncover and retrieve the Myth of the Pale Prince before time runs out.”
“Eh?” Benjamin blurted. “How are we supposed to bring back a myth? Is it an concept or a person?”
As Ere knew well, the Master wouldn’t deign to answer. He simply continued as if the question hadn’t been asked.
“Remember: The Fate of the Universe hangs in the Balance. Do not fail this time, as your sire has done on the two quests prior.”
Ere scowled at the old fuddy-duddy for the dig, but he appeared not to have seen.
Annie clapped her hands together excitedly, and even hopped a little with glee.
“Oh, this is going to be so much fun, Ben! Ilovethe Victorian era! Clara and I gorge on historical romances constantly. I know all about it.”
A look of exasperation briefly flickered over the Master’s face.
“Reality is often stranger than fiction, girl,” he warned.
“Now, off you go. Time’s a-wasting!”
And with that, they all disappeared to the course of their respective Destinies.
