As Doll pulled the ginger man towards the ebony bar Hope sat at and Moth leaned on, both Hope and Moth sighed relieved.
"That's one fiasco we've avoided," Moth said. "You did great, Hope, that drink was spiked."
"Moth, tell me. That purple smoke... Was it the same as the Reaper's -?"
Moth nodded. "I'm afraid it is," he said as he gestured at the patrons laughing in their own little worlds. "Blissful ignorance, they call it, but is it truly blissful if they never got a choice?"
"So none of them-?"
"No, at least not since the last owner moved on."
"That's horrible!"
The ginger man chirped in the conversation. "It really is," he said. "So I hope you haven't accepted anything from" - the man quoted in the air - "Uncle Reggie?"
"I haven't."
"Good."
Doll took a seat between Hope and Moth as the man looked Hope up and down.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Even the oldest souls are still much younger looking," he said. "Are you the one Karma told me about? What was it? Hope?"
Hope glanced at Moth. Moth nodded.
The man smiled brightly. "I'm Frederick and you can get us out off here." He threw a towel over his shoulder and jumped behind the bar. "Can I offer you some milk?"
"How do I know the milk will be... safe to drink?"
"Watch this." Frederick placed the bottle of Scotch on the bar Reginald had used earlier to pour out a glass for Hope. He pushed it towards Doll.
"Don't you bloody know Uncle bloody Reginald doesn't like it when you bloody put the Scotch out of its bloody place? It needs to stay bloody cooled in its bloody special place."
Hope cocked her head. She wanted to scold Doll for their sudden horrible language, but Frederick only laughed. "I know, Doll, I know." He put the Scotch away and placed a glass of milk on the bar instead. He pushed it towards Doll.
Doll's eyes widened. "You know Uncle Reggie doesn't like it when you pour out whole glasses of milk. A little bit of milk in a coffee is good, but not an entire glass."
Hope tilted her head. No more "bloody"...
Why the sudden change?
She examined the milk. No purple smo- Hope's eyes widened.
Blood!
Frederick nodded at Hope while adressing Doll. "I know, Doll, but sometimes people don't like strong liquor, so they drink milk instead.
It's the only drink we've got around here that won't hurt Hope." Frederick winked at her and continued. "So don't tell Uncle Reggie, okay?"
Doll nodded. "I understand."
Hope remained silent for a moment. "I think I now do too," she said. "I owe you an apology, Doll. I blew up on you for cursing, but I now know you-- you were watching over me, weren't you?"
Doll nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Doll looked away.
Frederick rubbed his nape. "I'm afraid I'm responsible for that. I programmed Doll in such a way they can't ever express the real reason for their 'cursing'."
"You programmed Doll? Did you make them and Moth?"
Frederick shook his head. "I only found them out there, shut down and missing some pieces. I brought them to the Pub and got them running again; and flying in Moth's case." He winked at Moth.
Hope took a sip of the milk. "You said I can get you out off here.... How?"
"I hoped you would know. You're a goddess like Karma, right? She said you're much more powerful than she is. Can't you teleport us or something?"
"She said I'm more powerful than her?" Hope's eyes saddened. "The truth is that I'm the least powerful there is. I'm a weak, good-for-nothing deity. I can't teleport. I can't even grow a flower or get myself under control." Hope gestured at her visibly aging with every word she said.
Frederick looked at Hope. "How did you get here? In Limbo, I mean."
"That's a long story," Hope said, emphasizing long.
"I'm not going anywhere."