The Ride of the Three.

723 words

Mrs. Frufrubottom hung from her place in the Goddess Housewife's apron and watched as Rumba cheerily patrolled the floor, sweeping up the dirt and other detritus of life within the Land of Home. He rarely came across things for which he had not prepared. The resting place of the goddess's feet sometimes was left askew and Rumba had to alter the course of his patrol. But even when he had to change his path there was something calculated in his movement.

Mrs. Frufrubottom rode in her holster as the Goddess Housewife danced with Sloppy over the hard floors. He splashed water and soap over the surfaces and removed the heinous tracks of the evil Dustbunny and the Hellhound. Privately Sloppy had confided in Mrs. Frufrubottom that he despised the Hellhound and the mud it tracked everywhere, despite the sacrilege of criticizing an object for which Goddess Housewife showed such great affection.

Once Sloppy had finished his patrol and Rumba had returned to his charging dock, the Goddess Housewife approached the terraced levels of Hutch, Bookshelf, and Entertainment Center. Mrs. Frufrubottom fluffed and preened her feathers. Now was the time of her patrol. Perhaps today she would discover the lair of Dustbunny and finally defeat it once and for all. The goddess lifted Mrs. Frufrubottom from her place and began the dance.

Mrs. Frufrubottom danced and pounced over the orderly rows of thimbles upon the highest shelves. There was much evidence of the Dustbunny's activities there, its powdery leavings had left a blanket upon the poor defenseless Thimblefolk. The dust layer didn't show a single pawprint that might indicate how Dustbunny had managed its evil mischief. The goddess drew a bare finger across the top shelf and rubbed it together with her thumb. She smiled and nodded before lowering Mrs. Frufrubottom to the next shelf to dance upon the collected families of China, from cup to bowl and plate. Each place setting sparkled as soon as Mrs. Frufrubottom lifted the veil of dust.

Over the next hour, Mrs. Frufrubottom and the goddess danced over each of the terraced lands and their grateful inhabitants. Each level Mrs. Frufrubottom hoped she would find that one critical clue as to where to find the lair of Dustbunny was. No clues made themselves available. The dance neared its end and Mrs. Frufrubottom despaired at once again failing in her quest. She prepared herself to be hung once again in the closet of preparation for the nigh,t when the buzzer of summoning sounded quite a few minutes early.

Usually, Mrs. Frufrubottom only heard the summons from within the closet of preparation. This time, the Goddess Housewife tucked Mrs. Frufrubottom back into her place on the goddess's apron and she headed to the door of mysteries. Rumba had explained that that door was where the goddess went when the buzzer summoned her. Mrs. Frufrubottom fluffed her feathers in the hope that she would see the Cavern of Mysteries.

Her hope was fulfilled as the goddess passed through the doorway and began descending narrow terraces just big enough for the goddess's feet. The cavern of mysteries was dark. The light of the Land of Home barely penetrated to the base of the terraces. The goddess reached above her head and pulled a cord. Light filled the space. It was at least as large as the whole of the Land of Home above.

To Mrs. Frufrubottom's, surprise and terrified delight, dust, and cobwebs covered nearly every surface. Mrs. Frufrubottom could spend weeks down here in the dance and not clear the work of the evil Dustbunny. How could this place have come to this condition? Then in a flash of insight and brilliance to rival the spark of a lightbulb, Mrs. Frufrubottom realized, this was the realm of the Dustbunny. It was his lair! Mrs. Frufrubottom was so enthralled by this realization she nearly entirely missed the goddess's purpose in the dusty underworld. She did notice that the goddess fussed with two machines and piles of wet fabric, but that really told Mrs. Frufrubottom nothing of the goddess's purpose.

The goddess pulled the cord again and retreated back up into the sunlit realm above. Mrs. Frufrubottom, obsessed with her discovery, considered what she and the other two guardians must do. Tonight as the goddess slept, they would discuss possible courses of action.