‘I AIN’T CALLING you sir all the time or nothing like that,’ said Suzy.
‘No,’ said the New Architect. His radiance had considerably dimmed. He had also adopted a shorter, more human size, and looked quite like how Arthur would look when he was about twenty-one. He was dressed comfortably in twenty-first-century clothes, and had cool sunglasses on.
‘And I reckon it’s time I grew up,’ continued Suzy. ‘I mean, I’m at least a couple of thousand years old!’
The New Architect handed over a mirror. Suzy took it suspiciously, then looked into it.
‘Blimey!’ she crowed. ‘That ain’t half bad.’
‘Indeed,’ said the New Architect.
‘Orright,’ said Suzy. ‘I’ll take the job. What’ll we do first?’
‘I think we will rebuild the House,’ said the New Architect. ‘Then populate it with Denizens. They can keep watch upon the Secondary Realms, particularly Earth, of course. Though we must ensure there is an absolute minimum of interference, given our pernicious influence upon the environment there. I shall look into that, though.’
‘Watching, but no interference,’ agreed Suzy. ‘I bags being Lady Sunday. ’Ere, when are you bringing back the Doc, Fred, and Giac?’
‘Soon,’ said the New Architect. ‘They can help design the new Denizens.’
‘Time for a cup of tea, I reckon, Art,’ said Suzy.
The New Architect, known to his friends as Art, smiled and nodded.
‘And a biscuit, I think,’ he said. ‘Or three.’