Annison answers the Matron, "No."

She has never seen such a face before,

it is completely alien to her,

wrinkled,

powdered and heavily painted,

all in an attempt

to disguise ridiculous age.

Annison peers at the Grand Matron,

"No," she says again, raising her voice,

"I do not know you!"

Annison Lake,

Grand Matron of the Permanent Now,

woke from her reverie.

Yes, she remembered,

she had broken the taboo,

in her first meeting

with the Grand Matron,

herself,

refusing to acknowledge

that they were one.

The Elders had whispered with suspicion,

but it had not mattered —

here she was,

the Grand Matron nonetheless.

Castle Brave Bone still quaked,

and the Doom Bell continued to

rupture atoms

with its hysterical warning.

But —

there was a knock on the door,

her protégé,

herself,

the girl came quietly into the chamber,

Annison Lake, of the Celestian-Lakes,

not raising her eyes,

every curve and crevasse

of her teenaged body

revealed by the hyper-translucent gown,

a girl, only fourteen —

but not bashful.

And the Grand Matron realized —

This one is pious.

Despite Castle Brave Bone quaking,

despite the tolling Doom Bell,

her protégé followed protocol,

saying nothing,

kneeling in the center of the chamber,

kissing the floor perilously close

to the Grand Matron's toes.

Rising,

never meeting the Grand Matron's —

a rule, the Grand Matron remembered,

she herself had never followed —

the protégé spoke in her crystal voice,

Annison Lake's voice,

"The ageless and intangible

Oracle of the Sacrificial Shaft

has made its estimation."

The Grand Matron spoke,

"Yes? What is it, girl?

Her protégé spoke,

"The ageless and intangible

Oracle of the Sacrificial Shaft

has confirmed that something

indeed has changed."

The Grand Matron spoke again,

desperate,

"What has changed?"

Her protégé's voice was emotionless,

zealous,

she thought herself filled with divinity.

"He-Thing is in mortal danger."

Annison,

the Grand Matron,

managed to keep herself

from revealing any sort

of emotional response,

despite this obvious evidence

of the Linearity

intruding into the Omniverse.

Yes,

she could play at zealotry herself,

like the young protégé.

The Grand Matron spoke,

"Bring me Zolantos and his daughter."

Now,

her protégé,

her eyes aghast,

did not listen,

did not follow protocol,

for the first time,

did not immediately carry out

the Grand Matron's orders,

but instead,

sat in shock,

did not move.

And the Grand Matron shouted,

in immolation,

"Did you not hear me, protégé?

Bring me Zolantos the warrior-poet!

Bring me Zolantos the Merciless Cripple!"

to be continued...