Chase's Diary, Entry # 33

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The Society For Tower Keys and Amiable Humans, Emergency Meeting, as recorded by Co-President Big Gold:


OUR MEETING BEGAN WITH REMARKS ABOUT THE SNACKS BEING SERVED, MAINLY THAT THERE WERE NONE. THIS WAS EXPLAINED BY THE HASTINESS OF CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE SOCIETY FOR TOWER KEYS AND AMIABLE HUMANS, MINUS THE AMIABLE HUMANS, WHO WERE ABED AT THIS LATE HOUR.

AFTER CO-OTHER PRESIDENT LITTLE BRONZE RAIDED HIS MITT STASH FOR APPROPRIATE MEETING REFRESHMENTS IN THE FORM OF A BAG OF PEANUT BUTTER CUPS, GIFTED TO HIM WITHOUT EXPLANATION EARLIER TONIGHT BY MASTER DEACON, PRESIDENT LITTLE SILVER EXPLAINED THAT SHE HAD CALLED THIS MEETING TO DISCUSS WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED EARLIER THIS EVENING, WHEN OUR AMIABLE HUMANS SOJOURNED INTO A BOOK AS USUAL.

WE HAD BEEN ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF MASTER CHASE'S LABORS, NAMELY A LARGE AND MAGNIFICENTLY-APPOINTED WATER PARK CRAFTED ESPECIALLY FOR US. THOUGH THE WEATHER OUTSIDE WAS MOST FOULED BY STORM, WE WERE IN THE HIGHEST OF SPIRITS! THIS WAS MADE ALL THE MORE MERRY BY MASTER CHASE'S AGREEMENT TO DELIVER A LETTER FROM SILVER TO OUR SISTER VIOLET, AND POSSIBLY OUR OTHER SIBLINGS IF THEY WERE WITH HER. WHEN OUR HUMAN FRIENDS LEFT, IT WAS WITH THE INTENT TO DELIVER SAID LETTER AND ALSO TO INTRODUCE MISS PRUNELLA TO THE ONE KNOWN AS BUDDY, IN THE MOST CAREFUL AND APOLOGETIC WAY POSSIBLE!

ALAS, THINGS DID NOT GO QUITE AS PLANNED. WHEN THE OTHERS AND MYSELF EXITED THE BOOK, WE WERE SUBMERGED IN THE WATER PARK, ALONG WITH A VERY WATERLOGGED COPY OF CINDERELLA. THIS WAS QUITE UPSETTING! LUCKILY, OUR HUMAN COMPANIONS EMERGED FROM THE STORY UNHARMED. MASTER DEACON EXPLAINED TO US WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED, UP UNTIL THE POINT THAT HE AND MISS PRUNELLA WERE OVERCOME BY THE PAPER ROT THAT AFFLICTED THE STORYBOOK WORLD, DUE TO THE DAMAGE SUFFERED BY THE BOOK.

MASTER CHASE REVEALED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO END THE STORY IN AN IMPROMPTU MANNER, THOUGH HE DID NOT ELABORATE. HE DID SAY THAT BUDDY HAD HELP IN CREATING A HASTY, NOMINAL ENDING THAT WAS ENOUGH TO SATISFY THE NARRATIVE IN SOME SMALL WAY, SO THAT THEY COULD EXIT. WE ARE VERY LUCKY MASTER CHASE POSSESSES SUCH QUICK WIT AND CLEVERNESS! THE HUMANS, RATTLED AS THEY WERE, DECIDED TO RETREAT FROM THE TOWER SO THAT MISS PRUNELLA COULD BE ESCORTED HOME (AFTER ANOTHER THOROUGH VERBAL EXAMINATION BY SILVER AND THE OTHERS, TO MAKE SURE SHE WAS ALL RIGHT) AND MASTER DEACON AND CHASE WENT DOWNSTAIRS, AND HAVE NOT RETURNED.

PRESIDENT SILVER HAS THUSLY CALLED THIS MEETING TO DISCUSS WHAT HAS HAPPENED, AS WE ARE ALL A BIT SHAKEN BY IT. I KNOW IT WAS A VERY CLOSE CALL AND I DO NOT RELISH IMAGINING WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEFALLEN US, WERE OUR HUMAN FRIENDS UNABLE TO RETURN! SILVER HAS BLAMED HERSELF, BUT LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT IT IS NOT HER FAULT! THOUGH SHE SENT MASTER CHASE IN WITH HER LETTER, HE WAS ALREADY DETERMINED TO GO WITHOUT IT, AND SHE CANNOT BEAR ANY BLAME.

CO-OTHER PRESIDENT BRONZE, HAVING SECURED OUR MEETING SNACKS, RAISED A POINT THAT HE FEELS REMORSE FOR THIS SITUATION AS WELL, ESPECIALLY SINCE ONE OF THE HUMANS IS A CHILD. THOUGH MASTER CHASE AND THE OTHERS ARE WORKING HARD TO EARN A WISH FOR HIS MOTHER, THEY ARE ALSO WORKING TO REUNITE OUR FAMILY. TO HAVE THEM IN DANGER BECAUSE OF THIS SEEMS LIKE AN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION.

WE DISCUSSED, BRIEFLY, SOME IDEAS FOR LESSENING THE BURDEN ON OUR HUMAN FRIENDS AND MAKING THINGS A BIT EASIER ON THEM WHEN IN BOOKS. I PUT FORTH THE IDEA OF MORE THRILLING STORIES, WHICH MIGHT ELICIT EVEN MORE NARRATONIN, AT A FASTER PACE! PRESIDENT SILVER SUGGESTED NICER OUTFITS, OR POSSIBLY THE ADDITION OF HATS, FOR BOOSTING OF MORALE. CO-OTHER PRESIDENT BRONZE REMARKED THAT PERHAPS NAPS BETWEEN BOOKS WOULD LEND MORE STAMINA AND CLARITY OF THOUGHT.

IN THE END, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO REACH A CONSENSUS ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM ANY FURTHER. IT IS DEEPLY TROUBLING. WE HAVE DECIDED NOT TO LET THEM KNOW OF OUR CONCERNS, AS DOUBTLESS THEY ARE ALREADY AWARE, WITHOUT THE NEED FOR WORDS. WE DON'T WISH TO CAUSE THEM ANY UNDUE WORRY.

EVEN NOW, WE CAN HEAR MASTER CHASE PACING ABOUT IN HIS ROOM BELOW, WHICH HE HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN FOR SOME TIME SINCE LEAVING THE TOWER. DOUBTLESS, THIS INCIDENT HAS AFFECTED HIM IN WAYS WE CANNOT BEGIN TO IMAGINE.

THE MEETING CONCLUDED WITH OUR MUTUAL AGREEMENT THAT WE SHALL ATTEMPT TO MAKE NARRATONIN-GATHERING AS EASY ON OUR HUMAN FRIENDS AS WE CAN. WE ALSO REITERATED OUR DESIRE TO THROW MASTER CHASE A "SURPRISING PARTY" FOR HIS BIRTHDAY TOMORROW! I HAVE ASKED AGAIN FOR BRONZE'S ASSISTANCE IN DECORATING MY HOUSE AS A "POP STARS" STAGE, AND HE AGREED, THOUGH IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TONIGHT AND CUT INTO HIS USUAL LONG NAPPING HOURS. WE WILL FINISH AS PLANNED AND THEN LAUNCH OUR ATTACK OF JOYFUL MERRIMENT ON THE UNSUSPECTING HUMANS IN THE MORN!

AFTER THAT, WE MUST BE RESOLUTE IN OUR EFFORTS TO RECLAIM OUR MISSING FAMILY AND ASSIST MASTER CHASE'S OWN. WE SHALL NOT LET THIS SETBACK BEAT US DOWN...WE WILL STAY STRONG IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY, NOBLE IN THE FACE OF SETBACKS, AND UNBOTHERED IN THE FACE OF WET BOOKS! AS LONG AS WE ACT AS A UNITED FORCE, I AM POSITIVE WE WILL ACHIEVE ALL THAT WE SET OUT TO DO!

-Recorded by Co-President Big Gold. Proofread by President Little Silver.