(Contains *minor spoilers* for "One Of Our Thursdays Is Missing" by Jasper Fforde.) (Yes, we're doing *this* again. Sorry. Portions of this fic may become vaguely comprehensible if you've read "Next Time Round" and "Whatever Next".) This Time Round: One Of Our Theories Is Missing In Nameless Public Library, the Sixth Doctor finished flicking through "One Of Our Thursdays Is Missing" and snapped it shut. "Well, *that* certainly confuses things. It would, however, appear to rule out one of the theories previously espoused, albeit at the expense of creating an even more perplexing possibility." "Go on," urged the Unitary Authority of Warrington Cat. "Well, previously, the assumption was that there was one of two possibilities. Either the Thursday Next novels were simply another fictional source for Nameless, in which case you were the Cat from the books, or the Bookworld was the underlying reality of Outside, in which case you were the Cat from the fictionalised versions of Ms Next's adventures, described in 'First Among Sequels'." "It was also suggested that I might be the *actual* Cat from the Bookworld, but that was dismissed as unlikely," the Cat reminded him. "And at first you assumed I was simply the Cheshire Cat from 'Alice'." "Indeed," the Doctor acknowledged. "Although if we *were* within the Nextiverse, both of those scenarios would amount to the same thing." The Doctor paused to collect his thoughts. "But this new book defines the place of fanfiction within the Nextiverse, and this makes the second theory untenable. Instead, if Outside is part of the Bookworld, it exists on Fanfic Island, and you are a mere copy of the fictionalised version of the Warrington Cat, just as he is a copy of the original Cat from 'Alice', who now runs the Grand Library. And since, in this scenario, I would likewise be a mere duplicate of the 'real' Sixth Doctor, I must regard it as false. Ergo, Outside is *not* part of the Nextiverse, and you are simply the Cat from Fforde's book. Thereby confirming Ceannaideach's original claim that Ms Next's presence in Nameless as a Jurisfiction agent was 'a weird glitch'." The Cat looked thoughtful. "Are you *sure* you can dismiss that scenario? Haven't you ever felt ... what did the book call it? ... *flat* compared with the TV Sixth Doctor?" The Doctor harrumphed. "My dear Unitary Authority of Warrington Cat, I *am* the televisual Sixth Doctor and I can assure you there is *nothing* flat about me!" The Cat's grin widened again. "Yes, Mel's pointed that out as well. You should really stick to the carrot juice." Disclaimers: Sixth Doctor property of the BBC. Nameless Library created by Vicky J. Unitary Authority of Warrington Cat created by Jasper Fforde, based on the Cheshire Cat created by Lewis Carroll. Everything else is my fault. -- Dave Demons run, when a good man goes to war...