But the rag doll before them did not look the least bit like a Jailer!
What in the world...
Just then, as he listened to the rag doll swearing, one of the Border Kings suddenly seemed to remember something. His expression jolted, though a trace of hesitation remained, and he blurted out:
"Are you... Lord Clown?"
At those words, the other six Border Kings shuddered and turned their gazes toward him.
The Clown Doll in Lynn's grasp froze as well, then instinctively looked toward the Border King who had spoken and said:
"You know me?"
The Border King gasped, his breathing quickening and his eyes filling with utter disbelief.
"It really is you?! How did you end up looking like this?! Have you forgotten? Over three thousand years ago, in Edge World Number Seventy-One, you came to collect taxes. I... I was the Governor there! I even bribed you back then! Have you forgotten? I presented you with a library full of musical scores I'd collected from countless worlds! You were so pleased that you slashed our taxes in half, just like that!"
Everyone around them reeled, their faces full of astonishment.
Clearly, they knew nothing about this.
Lynn was surprised too. He looked dubiously at the Clown Doll in his hand and said:
"Hey, didn't you say you'd never been here before? You seem pretty familiar with the place!"
Clown looked just as baffled, but after studying the Border King's appearance, realization dawned on him. Then he said with some uncertainty:
"You mean back then? But that can't be right. I remember going to a very remote world. That damned place was so far out it was practically falling into Chaos Deep Space. And I wasn't there to collect taxes... I was there to..."
He suddenly froze.
He remembered.