Alice’s Green Door in the old Roman wall in the Garden at Christ's College, Oxford

Amorella here. We can see what is peeking up from behind the green door in the Roman wall. Reality suggests a stone building of classical form. This side and below the wall are five stone-lined steps in the Garden that inspired Lewis Carroll. It appears to be a path less taken as the grass has not been worn by human shoe soles. Is the green door locked? No one knows.

The Garden is a fine place. I would not want to open the green door even if I had the key. I had no desire then and none now. I think I walked up the steps towards the door but I do not remember. Stone steps are one thing and a green door is another. If the door is locked I would wonder why? If it is unlocked I would wonder why no one had enough curiosity to open it and walk on through; or, to come into this lovely English garden from the classically-styled building on the other side. I didn’t have enough curiosity.

Sometimes I am curious enough to ask Amorella an unusual question.

But you cannot think of any presently.

No, I can’t. I sit here thinking, and I cannot think of a one.

You boldly go where no one has gone before.

That’s funny, Amorella. Since its creation I always have liked Star Trek.

What if I presented myself as a doorway?

I am not into narcotics or opiates or illegal drugs of any kind.

You were into draft beer and Thunderbird wine in your college days.

No sense in denying it. What kind of doorway are you talking about?

How about an adventure across the Milky Way galaxy?

We did that in the books, with the marsupials-who-look-like-us. That was Merlyn’s fictional future section. I thought the marsupials-who-look-like-us up myself. I had three novels completed; their titles were Stuck, Home, On Earth. I had Stuck published by iUniverse when I was still teaching, and I have a copy in the basement. I suppose it is social satire. Stuck is part of what is in the “Pouch Text” selections in Braided Dreams. I don’t think we can do this, Amorella. Legally we cannot copy the books even though I have already taken a few quotes.

Why don’t we visit a planet very much like Earth. I’ll keep it satire so you won’t be uncomfortable.

It might be boring for my kind readers.

I’ll represent the first human explorer from Earth who finds other humans. Slightly different DNA, but who would have thought. I’ll keep it interesting.

This makes me a bit anxious, Amorella. You and I spent a lot of time putting the “Pouch Text” sections of the three books together.

Human and humanoid. I’ll even throw in a love story.

I’m no good at love stories.

Any time you don’t like it we’ll stop and move on to something else. There is plenty to take from those books.

No ‘R’ rated stuff. I don’t want to be embarrassed.

This will not be ‘R’ rated and it won’t be a novel either. A love story between a human being and a humanoid. I’ll even begin with “Once upon a time. . . .”

Okay, that sounds placid enough.

Good. As it will be Saturday, we shall begin tomorrow.