The bright orange light caused King Rabletop III to run into the Great Hall. Queen Ellimayee swiftly followed. In the centre of the room stood a strangely-dressed woman, with green skin.
“Who are you?” Demanded Rabletop, with as much force as he could muster.
Mrs Sinster spun around quickly, causing her to feel dizzy. She wobbled on her feet, and Ellimayee dashed over to stop her falling. “Husband, quickly! Fetch some water! Here, take a seat.” Ellimayee helped Mrs Sinster to sit down, where she immediately felt better.
“Thank you dear. I’m not used to this portal travelling, although you think I would be from where I’m from.”
“And where is that, visitor?” Rabletop returned and thrust a goblet of water into Mrs Sinster’s hand. “Husband! Please! Cannot you see this woman is unwell? Look at her colour.”
“No, dear, I’m fine.” Mrs Sinster said, after taking a sip of water. “I’m usually always this colour! I’m a demon you see.”
“Husband! What have you done this time?”
“This has nothing to do with me, Wife. I can’t simply conjure people up from thin air you know. Nor demons.” Rabletop left the room in a huff.
“I’m Mrs Sinster, dear,” Mrs Sinster explained as Ellimayee sat beside her. “I’m looking for a key, the Key of Kamra. I’ve been sent here as here is where the key is. According to the map.”
“I’ve never heard of such a key. The key of what? Kam Ra?”
“That’s right, dear. It is here, you mark my words.” Mrs Sinster smiled. She placed the goblet on the side of her seat, but too close to the edge and it fell to the floor. “Oh bother! Sorry, dear!”
“Do not worry, it’s only water and it cannot damage marble. The Key of Kam Ra sounds like it has something to do with our God of the Sun.” Ellimayee bowed. Mrs Sinster followed. “But the Kam part seems misleading. Km refers to the colour black, so you appear to be searching for a key to the black sun.
Rabletop returned to the Great Hall with a scroll. He pulled up a heavy marble cube in front of Mrs Sinster and unfurled the scroll atop the cube. “I was listening outside the chamber.” Rabletop began to explain.
“What he means is ‘eavesdropping’” Ellimayee interrupted. Mrs Sinster smiled timidly.
“Anyway,” Rabletop ignored his wife, “I think this is what you seek.” He pointed to the centre of a roughly-drawn sky map. “This is my map of the Consternations. This part,” he tapped the centre of the drawing, “where there is nothing, is actually something. In the centre is a big black star, and this nothing keeps everything in place… until it sucks everything in.”
“So it’s a black hole?” Mrs Sinster said, trying to be helpful.
“No. It is a black star. Like our Sun,” Rabletop and Ellimayee bowed, “only black.”
“And it’s in the centre of the galaxy?” Mrs Sinster asked.
“No. It is in the centre of the Consternation.” Rabletop started to look frustrated. “Must you always question my words?”
“Ignore him, Mrs Sinster. He thinks he is always right. Your description of nothing sounds much better than a black star of all things. Here, take the drawing, if it is what you seek!”
As soon as Mrs Sinster touched the map, she was surrounded by a bright orange light and vanished, along with the sky map. She managed to fit in a quick “Th” before vanishing from view.
“Well, that’s gratitude for you!” Rabletop complained. “And that was my only map of the Consternations. I will have to create another now.”
“Constellations, husband. And she must have really needed that map for something…”
And that’s another part completed and another artefact found. The tale will be over long before Hallowe’en at this rate! Links below are to all of the parts so far!
The Mansionic Perspective 
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