From: JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Jay Brandt (Thyra))
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Invisible Feathers
Followup-To: alt.callahans
Date: 10 Nov 1992 17:02:50 GMT
Organization: University of Oregon, Architecture
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: aaa.uoregon.edu

Thyra is lounging around near the hot tub, when she notices something
peculiar. There is some sort of distortion moving through the steam that is
rising from the warm water of the tub. At first she dismisses it as
Solution Myth playing in the steam, but then she realizes that the vaporous
Callahanner is at the other end of the bar trading jokes with Jake. She
watches the strange distortion, and realizes that it is in the shape of a
sphere, a little smaller than a soccer ball. It moves in and out of the
steam, disappearing for several minutes at a time and then returning. When
she can see it, the sphere seems to be bobbing near the heads of the
patrons in the tub, as if to get their attention. No one else seems to
notice it. 

"Hmmmm. Curious. I think I want to get a better look at that thing." Her
eyes and sapphire in the choker at her neck begin to glow with a soft blue
light. Her image of the bubble clarifies a little, and she can dimly make
out a small avian shape fluttering franticly within it. She walks closer,
until the invisible bubble is almost touching her whiskers. Tentatively
reaching out with one paw, she tries to touch the image. She feels a very
slight resistance, but her paw goes right through. However, the action
seems to have attracted the attention of the occupant of the bubble. The
small bird within wheels around in mid-air, facing Thyra. "Why, it's
Feather! What are you doing in there my little friend? Is this some new
psychic trick you have learned? It's quite a good invisibility spell. I
almost didn't see you." Feather's beak is opening and closing rapidly, as
if she is trying to talk, but no sound is heard.

Susan and Bear are beginning to wonder if Thyra has had too much to drink.
She seems to be chatting with a steam cloud. Then they faintly see the
distortion bubble in the steam. "Hey everybody!" says Thyra "Feather's
here, but somehow she's turned herself invisible!" 

She turns back, to face a very exasperated bird. "I can't hear you yet
Feather. Just a moment. Let me try something else. Didi-sprite! could you
dust the area in front of my face with a bit of your magic? I need some
help in trying to hear Feather." Didi-sprite flutters past, trailing a
glittering contrail of magic dust. Most of it goes right through the
sphere, but enough sticks to it for Thyra to barely make out the voice of
her little friend. "OK Feather, I think I can hear you now. What's
happened? You don't look very happy with your new trick."

Thyra hears a very muted voice coming from the bubble. "Thyra! This is
-not- my doing. Something is wrong...  I posted "can anyone hear me" in
Callahans and no one replied.  No one has been replying to -any- of the
words I have been trying
to say lately. You've confirmed what I was starting to suspect, that I am
stuck in some kind of invisible bubble or something.  There's nothing you
can do about it...  I will try to see what I can do about it...   In the
meanwhile, please tell the Callahaners what is happening with me? 
Especially let ArchTeryx know.  Thanks."

Thyra nods her head. "Consider it done little friend. You can still get
e-mail, can't you?" The little grey bird seems to have calmed down a bit.
"Yes, e-mail sent to me at <feath@agora.rain.com> is still getting through,
and Jason says he can receive what I send out via e-mail from there."

Thyra smiles. "Well, I'm glad we still have some means of talking to you.
Take care, little friend." The shimmering bubble flits out of the steam,
and Thyra's eyes stop glowing. "Well friends, It seems our Feather is
mostly ABEND. I hope she can return soon."

Purrs,
Thyra
.
Newsgroups: alt.callahans