Guy--Part Forty

Splog # 168

Forty

   "Now watch this," Bugs said as they landed on the sandy bottom. First he held up the package of four bags and separated one by twisting it on its knot so Guy could see it clearly. The bag was transparent and inside was what appeared to be a small thin flake of something. With the light emanating from his eyes, Guy could practically see through it.

   "Oogachaka," Bugs proudly exclaimed.

   "But - but - " Guy was disappointed in the prospective treat. "We can't eat that."

   "Why not?"

   "Well, it's so small. We can eat it, I mean, but what diff'rence will it make?"

   "Ah-hah! Watch and learn, young man."

   With that, Guy's hand took the corner of the bag diagonally opposite from where the knot held it to the others, and gave a sharp pull. There was a snap, muffled by the surrounding water, and the bag separated from the others, leaving a hole where it had been attached. The water rushed in and, as Guy felt a slight pressure push his head back ever so lightly, there appeared before him, seemingly from nowhere, what looked like a cake of soap. His hand reached out and grabbed it and held it before his face.

   "Voila!" his voice said, "Oogachaka!"

   Guy continued to look at the strange substance until Bugs remarked,

   "Well? I thought you were hungry..."

   Guy brought the bar to his mouth and lightly touched it with his tongue. The immediate impression was of raisins but there was another subtler flavor underneath. He took a small bite. The bar was dry, although immersed in water, and slightly crunchy. He started taking larger bites and was enjoying them quite a lot when he realized that as long as he was eating, Bugs wouldn't be able to speak.

   He swallowed the mouthful he was chewing, and then said,

   "Thanks a lot, Bugs. This is great."

   "I'm so glad you enjoy it. The flavors are varied and, supposedly, no two are the same. What are we partaking of presently?"

   "Raisin and...something that I've had with...it's not cinnamon...it's...um, I think it's sesame."

   "Quite interesting and pleasant. Well, you go back to your eating, old chum, and by the time you're done, we'll be ready for a spot of history. Excuse me," and with that he gave his little whistle and Guy and the Ling-Lings set out once more for the Black Gate.

   As Guy walked along, savoring his raisin-sesame oogachaka, he found that the area they were traversing brought to mind the ocean floor he was used to seeing in his imagination. No longer was it the dark desert that he had first been immersed into. He became aware of rocks of all sizes, from pebbles along the route they followed, to boulders seen only as large shadows near and far. There was occasional vegetation both above and below him, that would sometimes trail across some part of his body, though he only knew that when he saw it. Whatever had coated his body left it senseless to the gentle touch of the seaweed. When he looked up, he would see forms swimming around above him. Their outlines proclaimed them to be fish of various sizes and he began to wonder if there were any that he need be cautious about.

   "Bugs?" he said, when he had only a small piece of oogachaka remaining in his hand.

   "Yes, Guy?"

   "Bugs, is it completely safe down here?"

   Guy's head twisted around, giving him a view of his immediate surroundings.

   "Why? Are you aware of something that I'm not?"

   "No, no," Guy answered, "But in the ocean, where I come from, there are sharks and jellyfish and other dangerous creatures and I was wondering..."

    "Of course. Of course. Let me reassure you that you are quite safe once you've been burned."

   "Burned?"

   "Oh, no! Not - oh - " Bugs gave a chuckle. "I didn't mean to startle you. Burnished. I meant burnished. Burned is just a little shorthand I use. Goodness me! I didn't mean to make you think you needed to be burned!"