Desperate and weary as a trio of old work horses, they hung from the lip of the black hole. It tugged and dragged at them with ferocious greed. With a mighty, mighty thirst.

Jerico grunted, ‘It feels – like it’s tearing at my soul.’

‘Starving bloody thing, innit?’ said Constant, gasping with exertion.

‘Rats!’ said Jethrow. ‘We’re doomed. Doomed I tell ya!’

‘Shut it J. I’ll have none of yer wailing. There’s a way out of this.’

‘Oh really? What way, Constant. What way?’

‘I don’t know yet. But sommins bound to turn up.’

Jethrow moaned, sounding like a dejected rat what’s lost his gnaw. ‘oh, this sack of gold and midnight memories is too heavy.’

‘Mine too.’ said Jerico, ‘Damn, Constant. Why’d we have to come on this mission?’

‘Ye pair ‘o bloody pansies. Every adventurer’s gonna trip into past worlds at some stage in their career. It’s part of the bloody journey.’

‘But I don’t wanna stay! I’m gonna let the black hole have my sack.’

‘Jerico. You try un-hook that sack – your hold is gone. Gone baby gone. You wanna see what’s at the end of a black hole?’

‘No. But I can’t hold on any longer.’

‘If ye cease yer griping ye can. Let me think.’

The Thrill Seekers ceased their wailing and watched as little planets and moons were sucked past at an incredible speed. Whole constellations vanished into that hungry maw. Happy as Larry and mean as Dick the black hole took Jerico’s tears and he never saw them again.

‘Ouch,’ said Jethrow, ‘me soul, hurts me soul.’

‘Look,’ cried Constant, ‘It’s Knight Timothy and Paramount!’

‘Valiant,’ Jerico said, ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Fools.’ said the knight unfurling lengths of rope. ‘The Queen witnessed your plight in her Dreamscope and released our bond, much to my displeasure. So here I am to save your bloody fool asses.’

Even as he spoke the black hole tried to suck them away but the war horse Paramount galloped mightily, keeping just ahead of the lip. The knight cast out three lassos’ and caught the Seekers around their strong necks. ‘Now grab hold of the ropes!’

They did so and Paramount charged away from the vortex, straining against the heavy current. But the black hole began to drag them inexorably back. They were losing space.

‘Lose the sacks.’ cried Valiant, ‘Lose them now.’

Jerico and Jethrow gladly rid themselves of the weight and Paramount gained a little respite.

‘We’re gaining no space,’ said Valiant, ‘Constant! Lose your damned baggage.’

‘No.’

‘Lose it!’

‘I can’t. The straps have bitten too deep into my shoulders. They’re stuck.’

‘Cut ‘em off.’

Constant pulled out his dagger but before he could put the sharp blade to leather, the black hole ripped it away. He tried to draw his sword from its scabbard but couldn’t quite manage. Valiant drew his own sword. ‘I’m sorry, Constant, we can’t move with your baggage. I’ll have to cut you loose.’

‘No!’ said Jerico, ‘how many lives left, Constant?’

‘Who’s to say he’ll even die?’ said Jethrow, ‘what lies beyond?’

But the knight had no choice and sorrowfully cut the line. Constant fell away, sucked into the blackness.

‘Poor Constant.’ said Jethrow as they trailed behind the knight and his mighty horse, finally able to escape the black hole and speed back through the Big Wide Galaxy.

‘Wonder what’s going to happen to him?’ said Jerico.

Far, far away, nowhere, Constant looked about. He was lost. And he could not remember where he was going.