CaptainWacky
I want to smell dark matter
"The imps...have wars?" asked Gombon, and it sounded strange to say.
"Why is that hard for you to believe?" said Jobbot, almost snapping, the composing himself.
"It's just...you're so small," said Gombon.
"Small. I suppose we are to you, in the most simple, visible way. There was nothing small about the great imp wars, I can assure you of that. So many died..."
"What was the war over?"
"Same thing all wars are over: stupid shit. Land. Religion. Money. Women. You know how it goes! Of course you do."
"These wars...I mean, how come we never heard about them here?"
Jobbot sighed. "The imps live in a different dimension. You know that! I suppose you forgot. We can only come here when someone says our name. I welcomed it, my visits here, taking me away from the death...from the killing..."
"Did you...did you kill?" asked Gombon, enthralled. Jobbot laughed, suddenly.
"You still think of me the same way you did during childhood, don't you? A magical tricskter. A ridiculous little thing, something to laugh at. I've killed more than you ever will, boy."
"I don't want to kill," said Gombon. "But I have. Once. We were attacked...it was a few months ago...had to protect my brother." He lifted up his shirt, revealing a large scar under his left arm. "I took no pleasure in it, even after what he did to me. None."
"Do you think I take pleasure in killing?"
"Well, you are...an imp. You take pleasure in chaos...it is said."
"It is said! So much is said! You people have forgotten all you once knew of us, and even then you knew little! Why are you looking around?"
"It's just that I'll be expected back soon...and I'm still surprised nobody has heard us out here."
"Oh, don't be surprised, I froze time." Gombon's jaw dropped.
"You did...what?"
"Froze time."
"You can...you can do that?"
"Obviously! Look around! Do you see anything moving? Do you hear anything but my voice?" Gombon did look around. He saw and heard nothing.
"You really did it. But...but before, you said you could only appear when one person could see you, the person who said your name, you would vanish if anyone else saw you..."
"That still applies."
"But if you can freeze time, why not always do that!? Then you could talk for so much longer..."
"Longer than that one night I spent telling you bedtime stories, you mean."
"I was a child."
"Yes, I know, and quite a bright one at that. It's a shame what happened to you. The dulling of age...it's more noticable in those who once had such potential. But to answer your question, I didn't have that ability back when we first met. I only recently acquired it."
"How?"
"How did I get it? What do you think? I'm a simple-minded little prankster, arne't I? I probably conned some fool out of it!"
"I don't think that's it." Jobbot laughed.
"Maybe you do still have some potential. No, it was because of the war. Spoils of war, you could say."
"Your side won?"
"Naturally. How else would I have become the king of all Imps?"
"Why is that hard for you to believe?" said Jobbot, almost snapping, the composing himself.
"It's just...you're so small," said Gombon.
"Small. I suppose we are to you, in the most simple, visible way. There was nothing small about the great imp wars, I can assure you of that. So many died..."
"What was the war over?"
"Same thing all wars are over: stupid shit. Land. Religion. Money. Women. You know how it goes! Of course you do."
"These wars...I mean, how come we never heard about them here?"
Jobbot sighed. "The imps live in a different dimension. You know that! I suppose you forgot. We can only come here when someone says our name. I welcomed it, my visits here, taking me away from the death...from the killing..."
"Did you...did you kill?" asked Gombon, enthralled. Jobbot laughed, suddenly.
"You still think of me the same way you did during childhood, don't you? A magical tricskter. A ridiculous little thing, something to laugh at. I've killed more than you ever will, boy."
"I don't want to kill," said Gombon. "But I have. Once. We were attacked...it was a few months ago...had to protect my brother." He lifted up his shirt, revealing a large scar under his left arm. "I took no pleasure in it, even after what he did to me. None."
"Do you think I take pleasure in killing?"
"Well, you are...an imp. You take pleasure in chaos...it is said."
"It is said! So much is said! You people have forgotten all you once knew of us, and even then you knew little! Why are you looking around?"
"It's just that I'll be expected back soon...and I'm still surprised nobody has heard us out here."
"Oh, don't be surprised, I froze time." Gombon's jaw dropped.
"You did...what?"
"Froze time."
"You can...you can do that?"
"Obviously! Look around! Do you see anything moving? Do you hear anything but my voice?" Gombon did look around. He saw and heard nothing.
"You really did it. But...but before, you said you could only appear when one person could see you, the person who said your name, you would vanish if anyone else saw you..."
"That still applies."
"But if you can freeze time, why not always do that!? Then you could talk for so much longer..."
"Longer than that one night I spent telling you bedtime stories, you mean."
"I was a child."
"Yes, I know, and quite a bright one at that. It's a shame what happened to you. The dulling of age...it's more noticable in those who once had such potential. But to answer your question, I didn't have that ability back when we first met. I only recently acquired it."
"How?"
"How did I get it? What do you think? I'm a simple-minded little prankster, arne't I? I probably conned some fool out of it!"
"I don't think that's it." Jobbot laughed.
"Maybe you do still have some potential. No, it was because of the war. Spoils of war, you could say."
"Your side won?"
"Naturally. How else would I have become the king of all Imps?"