Chronos had just stepped out of his kitchen with an apple when Death materialized in his living room.
"Excuse the abrupt entrance, but I came to warn you—"
A second being solidified, this one dripping on the new shag carpet. Chronos watched a Chilean sea bass flop around on the floor for a moment before raising his eyes to greet the unexpected visitor.
"Poseidon, always a pleasure." He grit his teeth in an approximation of a smile. "What brings you here?"
"You know very well why I'm here, you snarky timepiece."
Poseidon plucked the apple from Time's nerveless fingers and took a bite. Chronos licked his lips as he mourned the loss of his snack. It had been the last one in the fridge.
"You only fixed some of the wormholes."
As Chronos shook his head in denial, Poseidon waved his trident in the air, ripping the chandelier out of the ceiling.
"Did you bother to look underwater? I can answer that. No. My domain is beneath your notice. Two of my best sirens—gone. Entire schools of fish vanished, to be plundered in some alien universe. I should—"
"Poseidon!" Chronos waved his hourglass to get the irate god's attention. "I apologize. I'll get right on it."
With a flash of St Elmo's fire, Poseidon left in a funnel of water, washing a new puddle into the already sodden carpet.
"It might be best to back time up to the spot before he lost his sirens, my friend. He seemed pretty mad." Death picked up the sea bass by its tail. "Do you want fish for dinner? I could make a salad to go with it."
Chronos grinned. "Let me go take care of his problem before that apple hits him."
"What do you mean?"
"It was one of my special apples, soaked in a timing solution. Since he's not used to it, the solution's going to give him a real surprise in about an hour."
Death dropped his jaw in a laugh.
"A most delightful payback for leaving your carpet sullied. I'll come help you. Maybe I can pick up some kelp for the salad while we're there."
©2010 Laura Eno
