Our Finest Gifts We Bring (short story)

	Arcbeatle Press
	various
	The Book of the Snowstorm
	26 December 2023
	Short story
The Book of the Snowstorm
← Previous	The First Noël

Our Finest Gifts We Bring was the twenty fifth short story published in The Book of the Snowstorm on 26 December 2023 and was written by various people. It is split into 25 distinct vignettes.

Plot

Vignette 1

The Palatium of the Consistency Imperium stands in a fortified bubble-reality, led by the Lord of the High Council Vertolin, attempting to combat dimensional rifts, though will soon cease operation after Christmas due to the end of the Rifts Crisis which they had unwittingly been worsening for centuries. The Imperial Alchemist Mandagora enters the room, stating that there has been a "great disturbance in the plotlines", a Hyper-class threat rapidly streaking through the unknown multiverse that they cannot chase with their Void Ships. It is cloaked in a "highly magnified protagonist aura" and appears to be a denizen of the 10,000 Dawns who is moving through meta-time as well as dimensions and their local times, and delivering Christmas presents to people.

Vignette 2

Urizen senses that something is trying to penetrate his domain in the Time before Time. He welcomes the being and sees a gift upon his throne, perceiving it as a gift of Michaelmas. He opens the gift, finding a glass which tapers in the middle and rises outwards, with sand encased within, and is pleased.

Vignette 3

On Gulliver's Rest outside the glass-domed city following the end of the Cosmic War, Tyron and Dionus argue about Tyron's people and the Opposition, as well as the unusual banishment or pardon they granted Dionus. They change subject, and Tyron states that "Gulliver's Rest will see no interference or acts of aggression from the reigning powers" before leaving. Dionus makes the trek back to his new home, but spots a Christmas present in the crevice of a rock. He opens it to find a pocket watch and chain with an ennedecagonal inscription reading "Dionusavarnapexiandal — when times get rough, may your hearts beat strong."

Vignette 4

Abraytha Janus Colefia makes his way to Katioka's steaming engines. His horns catch an extruding pipe, causing him to fall into an "artery" of the ship, though flies upward to an archive. There, he searches for The Cosmography of the Bellbeaker's Cradle and Related Worlds Thereof and finds a chapter on Alice in Wonderland and the direction of its transfictivity. The doorbell of Katioka rings, and Abraytha opens the door to the void to look out, finding a decorated package and card at his feet. He opens the card, which is from an anonymous future acquaintance of his. The present is a battered hat, featuring a note directing Abraytha to return the hat to the Mad Hatter in Wonderland, accompanied by some coordinates. He then begins guiding the ship to Wonderland.

Vignette 5

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Vignette 6

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Vignette 7

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Vignette 8

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Vignette 9

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Vignette 10

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Vignette 11

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Vignette 12

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Vignette 13

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Vignette 14

In the Hundred Acre Wood, Winnie the Pooh's walk is interrupted by Owl who tells him to come to see him and Christopher Robin at Roo's sandy pit by Kanga's house, and to fetch Piglet on the way. Joined by Rabbit and an unnamed feline, they see a present, but Pooh is wary that it may pounce on them; Piglet dives on the present, but nothing happens. Christopher Robin assures them that it is just a Christmas present. Opening it, they find that Owl received several books about the adventures of Biff, Chip and Kipper, Rabbit received a new apron, Kanga got a dress, Roo got a bouncy thing, the feline got a stretchy thing, Piglet got haycorns, Pooh got a jar of honey, Eeyore got a red umbrella, and Christopher Robin got a box of assorted writing equipment. Rabbit questions who sent them these things.

Vignette 15

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Vignette 16

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Vignette 17

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Vignette 18

On the Magic Island, First Narrator Ymetry Absinthe Wonglebongle Dooda Dodo Qualactin Rumplestiltskin Borridongdong Smeghead III, Mrs Furball, Mrs Supergranny, and Aquanafrahudy walk down the road with Pip the dog. Aquanafrahundy remarks that it is snowing while Mrs Furball notes that they are in a vignette in an anthology. The Evil Narrators try to kidnap the First Narrator, but they tell them they are not supposed to do so until the next book and they leave. Mrs Furball suggests they explain the premise of the Magic Island series to get people to read it, and addresses the reader to advertise the book, though notes to the First Narrator that the book hasn't yet been published on Earth, but has been published on Venus, Quytjible V, Betelgeuse Twelve and the Xargonian Empire. Believing they have messed things up, they go to consult the Wise Tortoise for advice.

After a long trek up a small mound to see the Tortoise, with the First Narrator feeling very proud of himself, they knock on the door. The Wise Tortoise tells them to go away. They have and drink tea, then decide go to visit Mrs Supergranny. Before that, they get stuck in a well, fall ill, and meet a dragon called Kelvin, before climbing a ladder pointed out to them by Aquanafrahundy.

At Mrs Supergranny's house, who is revealed to be Mrs Crumbshot from a previous vignette, the group have tea and then discuss the issues with the current vignette, which she reads over. The First Narrator gives the narrating to her, and she narrates the backstory of the Magic Island and those living there, and wraps up the story by narrating that the group realised the error of their ways and just needed to be themselves, and then went for a winter feast sent to them by an unknown gift giver.

Vignette 19

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Vignette 20

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Vignette 21

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Vignette 22

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Vignette 23

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Vignette 24

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Vignette 25

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Characters

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Worldbuilding

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Notes

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Continuity

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External links

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