Goodie Dreamer's Arc

Chapter 8 of 13

Goodie stared at the tethered raft and her waiting guests. She needed a way to serve tea across open sky. She built a small cloud perch above the raft and called her stork to it. The stork landed, tray balanced in its beak, ready to ferry cups down. Goodie filled the tray with steaming cups. The stork glided from perch to raft, delivered the tea, and flew back for more. Guests sipped and smiled. The pink floss line held tight against the doorpost, keeping the raft close to shore. She pulled the rope hand over hand until the raft nudged the cloud edge. Then Goodie stepped aboard with a folded bundle under her arm. She shook it open into a bright striped tent and staked it to the raft. Inside, she set a second tea station with a low table and a kettle. A gust hit. The tent walls snapped and lifted. Cups slid. Millicent grabbed a pole and held it down. "Heavier shelter," she said. "Now." Goodie hauled out a wide canopy with weighted curtains and raised it over the tent. The curtains dropped and sealed the wind out. The raft steadied. Tea poured without spilling. Goodie looked around at her guests — laughing, warm, served — and realized the party was actually happening. Then she saw the floss rope fraying where it rubbed the doorpost.