Moving pictures

and it's metamorphosed into these, er, things ... ' He looked at their uncomprehending faces. 'You can eat it,' he mumbled apologetically. 'If you put butter and salt on it, it tastes like salty butter.'

Silverfish reached out a chemical-stained hand and cautiously selected a fluffy morsel. He chewed it thoughtfully.

'Don't really know why I did it,' said Peavie, blushing. 'Just sort of had an idea that it was right.'

Silverfish went on chewing.

'Tastes like cardboard,' he said, after a while.

'Sorry,' said Peavie, trying to scoop the rest of the heap back into the sack. Silverfish laid a gentle hand on his arm.

'Mind you,' he said, selecting another puffed morsel, 'it does have a certain something, doesn't it? They do seem right. What did you say it's called?'

'Hasn't really got a name,' said Peavie. 'I just call it banged grains.'

Silverfish took another one. 'Funny how you want to go on eating them,' he said. 'Sort of more-ish. Banged grains? Right. Anyway ... gentlemen, let us turn the handle one more time.'

Lully started to wind the film back into the unmagical lantern.

'You were saying you knew a place where we could really build up the project and where the wizards wouldn't bother us?' he said.

Silverfish grabbed a handful of banged grains.

'It's along the coast a way,' he said. 'Nice and sunny and no-one ever goes there these days. Nothing there but some wind-blown old forest and a temple and sand dunes.'

'A temple? Gods can get really pissed if you-' Peavie began.

'Look,' said Silverfish, 'the whole area's been deserted for centuries. There's nothing there. No people, no gods, no nothing. Just lots of sunlight and land, waiting for us. It's our chance, lads. We're not allowed to make magic, we can't make gold, we can't even make a living so let's make moving pictures. Let's make history!'

The alchemists sat back and looked more cheerful.

'Yeah,' said Lully.

'Oh. Right,' said Peavie.

'Here's to moving pictures,' said Sendivoge, holding up a handful of banged grains. 'How'd you hear about this place?'

'Oh, I-' Silverfish stopped. He looked puzzled. 'Don't know,' he said, eventually. 'Can't ... quite remember. Must have heard about it once and forgot it, and then it just popped into my head. You know how these things happen.'

'Yeah,' said Lully. 'Like with me and the film. It was like I was remembering how to do it. Funny old tricks the mind can play.'

'Yeah.'

'Yeah.'

' 'S'n idea whose time has come, see.'

'Yeah.'

'Yeah.'

'That must be it.'

A slightly worried silence settled over the table. It was the sound of minds trying to put their mental fingers on something that was bothering them.