(Sorry; a silly idea subjected to *far* too much in-story analysis. I find metafiction *far* too fascinating. Contains spoilers for "First Among Sequels" by Jasper Fforde, and is probably baffling to anyone who hasn't read at least one of that series.) Whatever Next. The Sixth Doctor stalked up to the main desk of Nameless Public Library. "Can I help you, sir?" asked Dr Faustus pleasantly. "I am looking for a book, which is clearly listed in your computer catalogue as both present in your collection, and not currently borrowed, but which is not at the location its Dewey number would suggest." the Doctor said, in something that would possibly qualify as a quiet voice if you knew how loudly he *normally* complained about things. Several irritated readers looked up briefly, but their glares and tuts bounced off his Sixth-Doctorness. "Ah," said Faustus, "I'll just get the head librarian, shall I?" He disappeared through a door marked "Staff Only". After a moment, a broadly grinning mouth appeared in front of the Doctor. Gradually a face, and then a body, materialised around it, until a cat was sitting on the library desk. "Obviously," the Doctor muttered, "I suppose it's just a mercy you're not an orang-utan." "He works Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday," the Cheshire Cat explained. "What book was it you were asking about?" "'The Origins of the Universe' by Oolon Colluphid." The Cat quickly checked the catalogue. "Ah here we are. Yes, the book we have in stock is 'The Origins of the Universe For Young People' by Oolon and Lucy Colluphid. It's in Teenage Non-Fiction, which is why you couldn't find it." "I see. Well, thank you anyway. Although, if you don't mind my saying, it's a rather obvious idea to take the Cheshire-Cat-As-Head-Librarian gag from the Thursday Next novels." The Cat shook its head. "What makes you think I'm not *actually* the Unitary Authority of Warrington Cat, head librarian of the Bookworld?" The Doctor sighed. "Setting aside for a moment that the 'Round/Next crossover story is deliberately unclear as to whether the Nextiverse is fictional in relation to Nameless, that doesn't fit with the backstory of either this library or the Nextiverse. The characters working here exited from the library's own copies of the books, which in Nextian terms means that they can't be the 'original' version of the characters, in the same way as Thursday needed to enter the original manuscript to affect permanent changes in 'Jane Eyre'. And it would be very uncharacteristic for the UAoW Cat to leave the Grand Library and become a pagerunner, in any event." "You misunderstand. I could be the character from the Thursday Next books, rather than the character from 'Alice'." "Which raises the previously set-aside question of whether the Nextiverse is fictional in the Round, surely?" "Not necessarily; it's been established that the Thursday Next books exist in the Nextiverse, complete with fictional versions of Thursday herself. It therefore follows that these books would have duplicate Bookworlds, with duplicate Grand Libraries, and..." "...And duplicate Cheshire Cats. Yes, I see. So, either the Nextiverse is fictional here, in which case you come from the Thursday Next books written by Jasper Fforde, or the Nextiverse's Bookworld is part of the same continuum as Outside, in which case you come from the fictionalised accounts of Thursday's adventures, as described in 'First Among Sequels'?" "Exactly." The Doctor frowned, "Then, since you seem to be the only person in position to know which of these scenarios is in fact the case, could you be so kind as to enlighten me?" The Cat's grin widened. "Whichever you like. They're both mad." DISCLAIMERS: Doctor Who is the property of the BBC Nameless Library created by Vicky Cheshire Cat created by Lewis Carroll Unitary Authority of Warrington Cat created (sort of) by Jasper Fforde -- Dave "All those with psychokinesis, raise my hand." The Room With No Doors, Kate Orman