"Each day means a new twenty-four hours." Warble Oorah prated. "Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time," he paused for effect, which was morose silence from his audience of four, then continued. "It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters, in the end." He smiled, revealing a lot of teeth. "Our end, today, is D2D delivery implementation."

 Sure, you pompous ninny, Hooba thought. No wonder you failed to get a position as Priest to the Toad King. She sighed, resting her cheek on her hand. We're living on 7 gulders an hour plus tips. Tips customers don't give for your one-meat-slice subs and uncheese pizzas. And leftovers. Ok, you're my brother, but you're a jerk sometimes. Most of the time. All.

"Today we launch our new delivery program, Dog to-Door delivery." Warble preened, a smug look on his face. "D2D." His small and often hungry staff, whose perks included eating all they wanted, stared at him, horror-struck. He was serious. "First delivery order today gets a free sub or pizza every week for a year." Warble reconsidered. "Make that every month for a year."

Lucky them, Hooba snickered.

"Hooba Oorah is in charge of our delivery dogs." Hooba winced. She'd trained seven dogs to deliver pizzas and subs by voice commands over their Teslacoms. The mutts, selected from shelter leftovers by Warble himself instead of Hooba selecting promising trainees, had learned to drop off packages at the required addresses.

That the ever-hungry dogs usually delivered cool pizza and tepid, dry cheesesteak subs—or what passed for steak at Oorah's Pizza and Subs was ignored by Warble. He cut training short, wanting to start dog-to-door delivery immediately and make more gulders.

Warble rubbed his hands, flashing the toothy smile again. "GET TO WORK! OPEN IN THREE MINUTES!"

Hooba the delivery expeditor, Jack the pizza maker, and Nua and Fua, the twin sub makers, took their places and checked that everything was prepped and ready. At 11:00 the Tesla Order Vid buzzed and the first delivery order was posted.

Hooba passed the order for an Oorah's Special of a medium Tropical Pizza of ham-pineapple-coconut and Oorah's milk less (and tasteless) cheese to Jack. Jack grimaced, tossed dough into a round and made the pizza. He slid it into the fancy brick oven.

D2D delivery orders came in steadily, for Warble's relentless advertising, special offers and promises of a new menu for the first day got a lot of customers, hopeful despite all past experience.

With a prayer to the Toad King, Hooba attached the ham, etc. to Zippy, best of her dogs. Warble attached the coupon for the prize of a free pizza or sub every month for a year to the box. Hooba programmed the address into the Teslacom and sent the dog out. She watched as Zippy trotted down Cane Toad Avenue and stopped to sniff at a promising trashcan. The dog started to push it over when the owner came out and chased the dog away with a broom.

Zippy raced down the street and turned at the correct corner for delivery. Hooba sighed and returned to the Vid, pulling orders. Soon all seven dogs were out on delivery.

Zippy came back with a note saying Oorah's Special was the same old Tropical Pizza: pineapple and ham but with coconut added. There was no tip in the little envelope. Hooba sent Zippy out with a vegetable sub, heavy on the garlic and onion. Halfway down the block, she could still smell it.

Soon the calls came over Teslacom. Two of the dogs had run off and were mating in Red Spotted Toad Park, pizzas and subs cooling in their containers. Another dog had chased a squirrel up a tree, barking hysterically until Animal Control collected it. The other two dogs returned with empty boxes from which they had eaten the pizzas. Gigi, the last dog, had eaten the pizza and the box and was out of commission for the rest of the day.

Zippy went with a second order and walked down the street. No amount of yelling, coaxing, or commands over the com got him to move faster. Complaints of cold pizza and subs tied up the Teslavid and the coms.

Warble had used expensive Tesladrones for delivery, which delivered still warm food more quickly until another of the frequent power failures caused the aerial power flow to stop. He'd dreamed up D2D Delivery as the new, modern method.

When the lunch rush was over, Hooba announced she was going to pray before the Toad King. She kenneled her dogs, fed Gigi laxative, and dropped the lovers off at the vet for neutering on her way to the temple.

Hooba stood in front of the statue of the Toad King, thrice the size of a man, squatting, big mouth open for offerings from loyal Toadies. "Great Toad, hear my plea. D2D is a disaster but Warble won't give up. Help us. Teslascooters with backup pedal power. Something."

"Ribbit."

"I have a gift." She took a footlong cheesesteak—that she'd made herself with many slices of ribeye and real cheese—and tossed it in the open maw. A hand reached up and grabbed it.

"Knidip."

She tossed a bag of chips and a bottle of apple juice into the toad. Two hands caught them.

"Thanks, Hooba," said Small Priest Ossie. "I'm starving. Your brother's food is delish."

"Yeah, I made those. The standard order is not so generous," Hooba said. "How's work going, darling?"

"Same old, same old. Copper coins, old clothes, food nearing the expiration date." Paper crackled as Ossie unwrapped the sandwich. "Mmmmmm."

"Are you off soon? I need to talk to you."

"Ah mimid," Ossie said.

As he spoke Medium Priest George arrived, waved to Hooba and entered the statue through the back door. Ossie appeared, food in hand. "Let's go to the tadpole pond. We can talk there."

Hooba and Ossie sat on a rock by the pond while he finished his meal. "What's up?" he asked.

She explained the D2D delivery fiasco. Ossie munched sympathetically. As they were talking a dog ran by, cat on its back. The cat tugged the dog's ears and the dog stopped by the pond. The dog splashed in, snatched a fish from the water and dropped it on the grass. The cat grabbed the fish in its jaws, and, yanking on the dog's ears, rode it away.

"How can cats direct dogs like that? By pulling on their ears?" Hooba started to cry. Ossie handed her a napkin and she wiped her eyes. "If we don't get D2D working, or something, Warble and I will lose the restaurant. Our family will be homeless, and you and I can't afford to get married."

Ossie stared at the horizon. "Remember the legend? We were running out of power, pollution taking over, and so on. King Naz prayed to the Toad King. The Universes merged and the alien engineer, Tesla, arrived in answer to the King's prayers. He established the Teslas that use clean energy from the air all those decades ago. Then the M-Verse returned him to his planet, Manhattan, and his pigeons."

"Yeah, great when they work. All I need is a way to deliver pizzas and subs quickly and cheaply. And get Warble to made better food, pizzas with real cheese. That'll be harder. Sandwiches like yours, not meat-flavored bread." Hooba fingered the unicorn horn pendant hanging on her neck, an engagement gift from Ossie.

"It's worth a try."

A few minutes later Hooba and Ossie stood in front of the Toad King's statue. "Almighty Toad King, please answer our prayer. Hooba needs a way to deliver food that tastes good. More customers. So we can get married. And so on." Ossie tossed a 25 guldar note through the mouth.

"Ribbit."

Ossie tossed a ten guldar note and an unopened bag of chips."

"Knidip." A ripping sound was followed by crunching.

"Let's go," said Ossie.

Meanwhile...

In another universe far, far away and dimensionally, cheek by jowl.

Deneb Betelgeuse, superstar anchor of QARK, waited patiently for the broadcast to begin. He was back on Leviathan, planet of giant octopuses and jubjub birds. This time he was here to interview Polydora, his former camera operator, now a successful exporter of octopus meat, ink, jubjub, and surprisingly, tumtum fruit, among other products. She had put a tumtum near him for the broadcast from her luxurious office with a view of the Wabe and its octopus hatching grounds.

The tumtum trees migrated annually from the poles to the equator one year, and from equator to pole the next, dropping their fruit, called tumtum pears, very like a purple avocado, and better tasting. The trees dragged slowly down paths and fields until they dropped all their fruit, also called tumtum, then took root until the next migration.

Nurt was talking to Polydora as Stu, Deneb's telepathic rooster interpreter, led his harem of jubjub hens over to Deneb. Beverly, the alpha hen, went "Braaak", clacking at the other four nameless hens trying to get closer to Stu.

"Den," squeaked Stu, "I'm going to take Beverly and the hens over to the buffet. They can eat the bread crusts and other crumbs. It will be mating time soon, and they'll need octopus ink. Polydora has collected enough for this year."

"Right," said Deneb. He picked a tumtum pear as his universe merged with the M-Verse.

"Ow!" said Deneb as he fell onto the pavement in front of Oorah's Pizza. Stu fluttered down beside him, as Beverly and the hens flapped around. The tumtum tree plopped beside Deneb, then continued its migration by crawling around Deneb and heading down Cane Toad Avenue away from Oorah's.

"Pok, pok." Stu ruffled his feathers. He checked in with his hens telepathically, and satisfied they were all right, turned to Deneb. "What happened?"

"I don't know," said Deneb, sitting up. "Where are we?" He looked around, recognizing nothing. Strangely colored buildings, drones flying overhead, cars with no known power source rolled by. A dog trotted out of Oorah's, a sub bagged on its back and a pizza balanced on top. It trotted to the next store and stopped to rub the package off. It chewed the box open and delicately nibbled the meatball slices off the pizza. It ate the sub, then curled up for a nap.

Hooba came out of Oorah's.

"Who are you?" she asked Deneb.

"Deneb Betelgeuse," he answered. "Chief anchor of QARK."

"What is QARK?"

"QARK is the biggest news agency in the galaxy. I am anchor."

"Ahhhh. Anchor, there's no QARK here. Do you feel all right? We saw you fall from somewhere. Off your aircar?"

"No."

"Deneb, Deneb!" Stu squawked. "We're not on Leviathan! We're in another universe. The M-verse."

"Is that bird talking?" asked Hooba.

"Yeah," said Deneb. "Don't you have telepathic roosters here?"

"No. We used to have unicorns, but they were all killed off for their horns. My fiancée gave me a piece of unicorn horn for a present." She lifted the chain with the horn fragment.

"Beautiful," said Deneb. He reached out to touch it. His fingers tingled. "My fingers are tingling."

"Unicorn horn does that sometimes. Why is your tree walking in circles around the street sign?"

"It needs water. It's migrating to drop its fruit. Then it'll root till next year."

"Oooooohkay. Let's put it in the back yard so it doesn't get chopped down."

The dog woke up, spotted the tree walking towards Oorah's and went over to sniff it. The tree stopped and shook its branches in warning. The dog lifted a leg and did what followed. The tree dropped a branch on it. The dog picked up the branch, but unable to figure out who had tossed it, dropped it at Hooba's feet. She leashed the dog.

A harried collie, cat tugging its ears, shot past them, but no amount of speed would be enough to shake off its oppressor. Her kittens clung behind her. The cat hauled the dog to a stop at a duplex. The cat hopped off and led her kittens inside. The dog slunk off, tail between its legs.

"What was that about?" asked Deneb.

"Cats ride dogs and direct them by pulling on their ears."

"Why?"

"No one knows," said Hooba.

"It's just reality," said Stu.

"What?" asked Hooba.

"Cats go places by hopping an appropriate dog and riding it there. Dogs are ridden by cats. It's just the natural order of things."

Hooba stared at the black and white bird. "Is that bird serious?"

"Yeah," said Deneb. "Stu reads minds. Only telepathic roosters talk, but he can read other animals' feelings and so on. Do you know how we might get back to our universe?"

"You'd have to ask the Toad King about the next wormhole."

"Oooooohkay."

"I'll take you there after dinner. I want to see my fiancée. He's a Small Priest there."

"Oooooohkay."

"Want some pizza? Don't get your hopes up."

"Pizza! I love pizza!" Stu shouted, hopping from foot to foot. His hens crowded around him, clucking happily.

Soon the tumtum was roaming the small back yard, safe from getting chopped. It put a root in a bucket of water Deneb put out for it. Hooba brought out pizza and drinks and set them on a picnic table. They sat down to eat. Deneb placed a few slices on the ground for the birds.

Deneb managed to eat a slice. The birds pecked at their slices a few times, ate the "cheese", then ate tumtum pears.,

"Are those purple pears tasty?" Hooba asked.

"Yeah," said Deneb. He picked a few off the tree and showed Hooba how to peel them and squeeze the soft purple flesh out.

She ate a bite. "Hmmmmm. Delicious." She ate her fruit and peeled another. When she finished, she sighed. "That was good."

"They are good," said Deneb, giving a slice of pizza to Gigi, who had returned from a delivery of soda. She swallowed it in three bites and put a paw on his leg.

She gobbled another piece. "She really likes the pizza," Deneb said.

"She eats anything and everything," said Hooba. "Just don't give her any of the box." She shifted the necklace and the chain broke, sending the unicorn horn flying to the ground, where Stu and the hens pecked it to pieces, eating it all.

"They ate my unicorn horn." Hooba sighed. "It won't hurt them although unicorn horn does funny things."

Warble entered the back yard. "Who is your visitor? Animal control?"

"His name is Anchor. He came from another universe," said Hooba. "Anchor, meet my brother, Warble. I'm taking Anchor to the Toad King so he can ask for a way back to Leviathan."

"Is that his tree walking around?"

"Yes, and the fruit's delicious. Try some."

Warble peeled a fruit as Deneb, Stu and Hooba left for the Toad King's Temple, bringing an offering of tumtum pears. They passed a COVID shop, selling potions and cures for many ailments.

At the temple they stood before the Toad King statue. "Mighty King, hop this way and hear our plea."

"Ribbit. Speed it up," said George. "My wife wants me to stop at the store on the way home."

"Anchor and Stu came from another universe. They want to go home. Can you help them, Great Toad?"

"Knidip. Tomorrow, at midnight, when the Oorah Mothership passes, the wormhole will open again. They must be there and go then or stay here forever. Or until the Mothership passes overhead again next month."

"Great, thanks. Will it open in the same place?" Hooba tossed a pear in the gaping, toothless mouth. A hand snatched it. "Peel that and eat the flesh, George. It's delicious."

"Fennku," mumbled George. He swallowed. "Yeah, same place. Do you have another fruit?"

Hooba tossed another into the maw.

"Thanks. Oh, by the way," said George. "I'm being promoted to Medium High Priest tomorrow, so everybody below will move up a rank and we'll have an opening for Novice. I could put in a good word for Warble."

"I'll tell him. He's been wanting to be a Priest of the Great Toad King all his life." She tossed another pear through the toad maw.

Soon, Hooba and Anc—Deneb were back at Oorah's Pizza. Ossie joined them in the back for dinner. Deneb picked the coconut off an Oorah's Special, and gave most of the slices to Stu, the hens and Gigi. The dog gobbled her slices and tried for the box, but Hooba snatched it away in time and put it in the dumpster.

He, Hooba, Ossie and Stu chatted until the stars came out and the Oorah Mothership passed overhead, glowing blue and green among the stars. "Tomorrow at midnight that's your sign to go home." Hooba said.

"I know," said Stu. "I read minds, remember." Beverly came up and clucked at him. "Excuse me. The girls have laid several eggs and want me to see them."

"I thought the girls didn't have enough ink to make eggs," Deneb said.

"That cheesy stuff on the pizza has the same effect on the hens," said Stu, "and the unicorn horn speeds things up."

He followed Beverly behind some bushes where the other hens were gathered. After a few minutes he returned to the group. "Five eggs so far. They glow a little. Odd. Must be the unicorn horn. There'll be more eggs tomorrow. The girls are sitting on them for the night. I'll join them. I'm tired." Stu walked behind the bushes and sat down by the hens. Soon his bright, dark eyes closed.

"We'd better get some sleep, too," said Hooba. "Busy day tomorrow. You've got to be ready for the wormhole opening, unless you want to spend another month here."

"Yeah, thanks," said Deneb. "Why did George the Toad Priest say we'd be here forever if we didn't get the wormhole tomorrow?"

"Sounds better," said Ossie. "Show biz."

Deneb nodded slowly. "Right on, brother."

The next morning Deneb went in the restaurant where Jack was prepping pizza dough and Nua and Lua were chopping lettuce for subs. Deneb got a coffee and sat on a stool at the counter next to Stu. "Have you had breakfast?" he asked the rooster.

"Yeah," said Stu. "We ate. The girls are getting ready to lay more eggs."

A tuxedo cat strolled into the restaurant and rubbed against Deneb's leg. "MeOOOOW?

"What does she want?" Jack asked.

"The cats love that cheesy stuff you put on the pizzas and subs," said Stu.

"Oh. Okay." Jack tossed the cat a chunk of cheese. The cat squatted on the floor and gnawed it. When she was finished, she looked up. Jack gave her another piece. The cat finished eating, sat up and began washing.

Hooba pulled the D2D orders and set them on the counter. "Did that cat eat the cheese?"

"Yeah," said Jack. "The rooster says they love it."

"Good.

"Twenty deliveries for lunch today already," she said. "Dog to Door Delivery. People do not want to leave home to shop. They'd rather order an Oorah's pizzas delivered eventually."

"What?" Stu asked.

"Warble's idea. Have dogs deliver the pizzas and subs." She cried a few tears and wiped her eyes.

"What's the problem?" Deneb asked.

"Well, the food's lousy, the pizzas and subs aren't hot to begin with and are tepid when they arrive, if the dogs even get there without eating them. Dogs will eat anything."

"Maybe you should use drone delivery or guys on bicycles."

"Too expensive for Warble, for one thing. You'd need someone to run the drones full time. And Tesla power machines can be expensive, although the energy is free."

"Have cats deliver," said Stu.

Hooba shook her head. "Cats can't carry a load of pizza or subs. Even if you could get them to. Cats!"

"No, have the dogs carry the food and the cat rides along as a driver. The dogs will go straight there and deliver hot food. The cats will work for cheese and meat and milk. Right?" Stu peered out of his left eye at the tuxedo cat licking a paw.

"Meow."

"I almost think it would work," said Hooba.

"It would, I tell you. This lovely black cat can get you, what, nine cat drivers?" said Stu. "Two for a backup. Feed them and maybe build them a shelter under the tumtum tree."

Hooba stared at Stu. "It's worth a try, but how do we get a cat to try?"

Stu stared at the cat. The tuxedo cat nodded and left.

"She left."

"She's gone to get her friends. They'll be back. Make a test run."

Soon the cat was back with nine friends of all colors. Stu connected with the cats. "They understand, handle deliveries, and want fish, too."

"Ooooookay," said Hooba, eyeing the rooster suspiciously. "Warble's at the Temple of the Almighty Toad applying for the opening for Novice Priest. I'll send Ossie a couple of pizzas and subs. If they get there, I'll make a deal with the cats."

Soon the tuxedo cat hopped on a dog loaded with two pizzas, made to Hooba's standards, and a striped ginger hopped on Gigi, loaded down with subs. The cats yanked on the dogs' ears. The dogs shot out the door at a fast clip and disappeared in the direction of the Temple.

"So far, so good," said Jack.

In a surprisingly short time Ossie called to say the pizzas and subs were delivered hot and Gigi hadn't eaten anything. The delivery dogs and their cat drivers had left as soon as delivery was finished.

The cats guided the dogs into the restaurant and Hooba released them to take a break. The tip envelopes had guldars. Hooba stared at the cats for a minute and tossed each a piece of tuna. The cats gobbled it down. Hooba packed the next orders on dogs and assigned cats. The cats yanked on their dogs' ears and deliveries were on their way.

The lunch rush was on, and cat powered D2D delivery was a grand success. Hooba sent Jack to the store for more fish. She changed Oorah's Special to pizza with ham, tumtum fruit and two types of real cheese, coconut optional. It became exceeding popular.

When Warble returned, he was annoyed at the excessive toppings on pizzas and subs, but pleased with the increased sales and D2D delivery, cat powered.

"I go the position of Novice Toad Priest," he said. "I can't run Oorah's anymore. You can buy me out, Hooba." His staff offered the Toad King prayers of thanks. "You'll have plenty of money if today's sales are anything to go by."

The day passed quickly and D2D went well, in addition to customers carrying out or dining in. Finally, the restaurant closed, and the staff cleaned up. Cats were paid off and shown their new shelters. Dogs were rubbed down and kenneled. Jack, Nua, and Fua said good night and left.

Deneb, Hooba and Stu sat in the back, watching the stars as they waited for the Mothership to pass and the wormhole to open.

"Stu," said Deneb, "are the hens ready to go? How should we carry the eggs?"

"Beverly and the girls are ready. Can't take the eggs. They'll crack in the wormhole. Did you want to try to take the tumtum tree back."

"It's taken root. We'd have to dig it up and it might not survive."

"It's time," said Hooba. "I'll look after the eggs till they hatch. And the tree. There's the Mothership, just coming over the city." The Mothership, shining blue and green, was sailing over the city on its orbit.

Deneb and Hooba walked to the street in front of Oorah's Pizza and Subs. Stu was waiting there with Beverly and his hens. A faint glowing swirl showed the wormhole beginning to appear. Hooba backed away, not wanting to get sucked in.

The swirl grew brighter and soon Polydora's office on Leviathan appeared. "Goodbye, Hooba. Thanks for everything," Deneb said.

"You're welcome, Anchor," Hooba said. "Thanks to you both for suggesting adding cats to D2D Delivery."

Deneb said, "Stu, you and the girls go first. I'll follow."

"Hurry," said Hooba. "The wormhole won't last long." She waved as Stu led his hens into the wormhole. Deneb waved to Hooba and jumped into the wormhole.

He landed on the floor of Polydora's office on Leviathan. Stu and the hens were already checking the snack table for dropped food crumbs.

Polydora asked, "What happened to you guys?"

"We'll explain over pizza. Ham, two cheeses, and tumtum fruit. No coconut."

A few weeks later, in the M-Verse.

Hooba watched nine eggs left by Stu and the hens. The eggs glowed and sparkled. They twitched and shivered as the chicks inside pecked their way out. The first egg cracked, and a brilliant horn poked through. Odd, thought Hooba, I didn't know their birds had horns.

The egg cracked a bit more and another began to crack. Soon all the eggs showed cracks and the first egg split, spilling out a very small unicorn, purple with a tiny nub of horn. The unicorn rolled around, gathering strength. Soon the other eight eggs hatched their unicorns, with different colors and glowing horns.

The unicorns struggled to their feet and began looking for something to eat. Hooba tried many foods, but the foals would only take milk. Fed and full, they nestled for warmth next to the tuxedo cat and her two newborn kittens. She examined the horned foals carefully, purred, and began licking them clean.

Hunh, Hooba thought, unicorns aren't extinct. I'll have to take them to the Temple soon, where they'll be safe. Stu's hens ate unicorn horn and hatched unicorns. Interesting, she told herself, unicorn horn does strange things.