"I'd have to be there to do it."

"How long would it take you? I can hold a temporary gate open for less than two minutes."

"Less than that but I don't know how long the Elf'd take to hermit crab his way into the body. Let alone walk here."

Nod. "What's the surrounding world like?"

Annie holds up the crystal ball. "It's pretty. Grass and trees and stuff. Doesn't guarantee the air's breathable, though, they're not recognizable kinds of grass and trees."

"There's a spell for that. I guess someone would need to stand by to cast it on him once he picks up the body."

"Should we try it now?"

"I want to know more about the world before we send people through to it, especially if someone's going to have to stay to take the Elf back once he's recovered."

"Fair. I could see if 'alt' is a conjurable parameter and check the place for them." His hands fill with plastic models - tiny Belmarniss, then a tiny person who looks just like Annie, then a blue quadruped. "...you're a centaur in this one."

" - huh. Okay. You're a human, though?"

"Looks just like Annie, yeah. Blue jeans and all."

"Then maybe we should get her and learn from there about how safe it is to go pick up the Elf."

"If the plants aren't recognizable there, and she's wearing Earth clothes and such, she might not know."

"And he might, if she doesn't, but he's also likelier to be dangerous. Seems harmless to message her and ask."

Belmarniss looks for her (in case it's dark there). It's not; she's in an office on the phone with someone.

"Input on the Sending?"

"'do you happen to know any blue centaur aliens?'"

"Same thing you told Annie about replies."

She writes a bit and consults with Annie on the languages the new one's paperwork are written in to fiddle with wordcount, and settle on: "Alternate universe yous accumulating elseplane with others. We can read written responses; outgoing messages more difficult. Seek information on: blue centaur aliens, desirability of transport." for a higher level caster than Belmarniss to Send through the ball.

New one drops her phone, picks it up, hastily ends the call, and

turns into someone else!

" - detect magic -"

Not a speck.

She's just sitting there, to all appearances.

<Hey, Finleran, a mysterious voice in my head wants to know if I want to come hang out with a bunch of alternate universe versions of me 'and others' and it's also curious about 'blue centaur aliens', any guesses what the fuck?>

<Thought-speech or something else?>

<Something else. Sounded like my own voice and spoke Chinese.>