The Rubbish Realm

Chapter 17

Lysander stuffed another spoonful of the stew into his mouth. Anticipating a elongated departure, they had sold the sheep, all except one... which was now the main part of the stew. It had been a while since Lysander had had such exquisite meat, but he was more interested in the conversation around him. Somehow, Clyde really didn't seem to know anything about, well, anything. Not affinities, not agriculture, not even cooking. How was he still alive? Had his wife died in the rubble and she'd taken care of everything? Even so...
"So you're telling me that I have the most powerful affinity you've ever seen?" Clyde looked appalled. Lysander didn't even have to read his mind to realize how worried he was, but yet at the same time, Clyde was fascinated, wondering what he could do now.
"Sir, your eyes glow so much they are basically torches. If we ever need to have a night-time expedition, either we'll use you for sight or we'll have to blindfold you." Theodosius chuckled weakly to himself. Lysander hadn't seen him talking so easily to anybody in years. Well, it was true that his eyes were flicking back and forth as if looking for an escape route and his thoughts were going so fast Lysander couldn't make head or tail of them, but usually he didn't talk at all, so...
Clyde put another spoonful in his mouth, accidentally reminding Lysander to do the same. He didn't want to look like he was simply there for the conversation, and besides, the stew was pretty good. "Huh." Lysander could tell Clyde had so many questions he didn't know which ones to ask. But how didn't he know the answers already? And it wasn't as though the stew was uncommon, but Clyde had said he'd never had anything like it before. Sure, his mother cooked well, but not that well, not well enough to make it taste like a different dish entirely, right? Lysander absentmindedly shook his head, then turned back towards the stew. It was certainly worth eating.
"Where did you say you were from again?" Theodosius's voice shook a little, but righted itself before the middle of the sentence.
Clyde looked up, attempting to make eye contact, but Theodosius was in no position to do that, his eyes flicking towards the doors. "1312 Central Street, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 54901. Need I say it again?" Clyde seemed to note the confusion in Theodosius's eyes and decided to go on. "Wisconsin?" No response. "In the United States?" They looked at him as if he were crazy. "The most important country on Earth? How do y-"
Theodosius seemed to fall behind the table, his spoon clinking on the floor before the chair followed it, ill-prepared for such a sudden shift in weight. Lysander knew he had simply turned invisible from embarrassment and anxiety, but the look on Clyde's face was priceless. Had Clyde really just said he was from Earth? Reading his mind, it seemed as though Clyde thought he was telling the truth. Earth?
"Is he-" Clyde looked under the table, then over the table, then under again, perturbed at Theodosius's random disappearance. Lysander would have laughed, but he was still too shocked to react. Earth? Clyde looked very unnerved, backing up slightly, seeing everybody staring at him. "Did I say something wrong?' he asked tentatively, sounding out each word as if he was about to get punched for them. "...aren't you from Earth too?"
Thoughts swirled through Lysander's head, finally making sense in one sharp sentence - He is the chosen one! Lysander fainted.