Not quite that long, Sam. But put it this way: we could see much of your world before I needed rest.
What about eating?
I do not eat, Sam.
This was news to me. I had always assumed the big fellow partook in a fat cow or two, at least every now and then.
Maybe back in the day, Sam. But not anymore.
I frowned at this. Or tried to frown. For all I knew, Talos's face did nothing at all.
So, what do you do for nourishment? Pardon me for pointing out the obvious, but you are a big son-of-a-bitch. And with all of this flying and spouting fire, well, I can only imagine the calories you burn through. No pun intended.
I heard a light flicker of laughter in my head. All good points, Sam. But those of my kind consume universal energy.
Say again.
Universal energy. A life source that is available to all.
Not quite all, I thought.
Not true, Sam. There are those on your earth who do not eat-at least, not in the traditional sense. These are what you would call a master's master.
Where is this universal energy?
It is everywhere, Sam.
Are you eating now? Did I just consume a universal cheeseburger and not know it?
More chuckling. In a way, yes. Those who are open to it are satiated continuously.
So, you are never hungry?
Never, Sam.
And your belly is full or empty?
My belly, for the most part, has been shut down.
Because you have no use for it.
Something like that.
And how often do you eat?
Continuously.
What does universal energy taste like?
There is no taste, Sam. There is only a sense of contentment, of nourishment, of strength.
Do I have access to this now? I thought.
Now? There was a long pause. A really long pause. I do not know, Sam. It is for you to decide.
I thought about this. I also thought about never drinking blood again. And I was intrigued. I asked: What, exactly, is it?
It is a source of well-being that permeates everything.
Is it God?
It is from God. From the creator. You have heard this before. This is not new information to you, Sam.
I did not know this well-being could also, you know, be a midnight snack too.
Like your kind says: you learn something new every day.
I thought about this in silence, flapping Talos's great wings, and soaring high over Southern California and its glittering, rolling hills.
Chapter Sixteen
"You have a question, Sam," said the young man who wasn't so young after we'd greeted. Archibald Maximus, the Occult Reading Room Librarian-or guardian-who didn't like to hug or shake hands, which was fine by me.
"I do, yes. And you don't say hello anymore?"
"Hello, Sam. My apologies. I was busy back... there." He gestured vaguely behind him, toward a short hallway with a number of doors leading off to either side, a hallway I'd never been down-or had even been invited down.
"And what is back there?" I asked.
"Doorways," he said simply.
I noted he didn't simply say doors. He said doorways. I found I had pursed my lips together. I might have scrunched my eyes together, too. A somewhat random thought occurred to me. "You are a teacher," I said.
"Headmaster, but close."
"Like Dumbledore," I said.
He smiled at me. "Maybe. Little does J. K. Rowling know how just much she drew from the real world."
"Is she a channel?"
"Yes, Sam. But more. A lot more."
I nodded as if I knew what the hell he meant. I said, "Why aren't you headmastering? Okay, that sounded bad. But you know what I meant. Why aren't you at school?"
"Because I am here, Sam."
"But you are not here all the time. Only a few hours of the day. And surely you aren't here when there are no needy library patrons."
"I suspect you know the answer, Sam."
"The doors behind you." I counted eight of them. "They are doorways to other places, aren't they?"
"Portals, and yes."
"You can pop in here whenever you need to, and then pop back out to the school, or somewhere else."
He nodded once. "Some of the doors lead to more doors, Sam."
"You be-bop around the country."
He raised his eyes a little, waited.
"You be-bop to other worlds?" I asked.
"Some worlds, Sam. But there are still more to explore."
"Am I really having this conversation?"
"You are, Sam."
"What am I taking you away from, presently? I mean, prior to coming here, what were you doing?"
"I was inspecting the security of the school. Making my rounds, so to speak."
"You really are Dumbledore," I said. "But younger. And cuter."