Untitled

East of OZ By Mark Jenks

East of OZ
By
Mark Jenks

Disaster

Chapter 1

Excerpted from the Police Reports
 of Detective Tacoma Barker

Every life has a story, and ours begins with the end.
We never saw it coming.  Maybe we should have expected something like this since the Cubs won the World Series last year, but we didn't.  One day we were so absorbed in our own miniscule lives that we would get out of control over some idiot who was driving too slowly, and then in the next moment all life on Earth has ended.  Indeed, the Earth itself has ended and what do you do after the end?  That is our story.
	I used to be a cop…  I'm not sure what I am now…  
Let's step back a little further first.  You need to know about the E'Qwan.
It was about seventy years ago, that the E'Qwan first landed on the Earth.  They said that they came to enlighten us about the Universal Facts of Life, and they brought us amazing scientific gizmos that could do just about anything: we were amazed.  They opened clinics and hospitals to increase our standards of health: they showed us methods of producing food that we never would have thought of on our own and since they needed to bring us up to speed, they built better schools. They trained our teachers and college professors to update their curriculums so that they might better disseminate all of the new knowledge, which was now being made available to us.  It was a great time to be alive.  They asked nothing in return and we strove to learn all that we could so that we could join them out in the civilized Universe.  They were mankind's greatest friends.
Well, most of us thought so anyway.  There are always a few nut cases that fight progress or are worried about "losing their heritage", or some such nonsense, but no one really listens to them anyway.
My name is Tacoma Barker, Detective First Class, Midwest District of the International Peace Keeping Force, or IPKF.  My partner for the past seven years has been August Washington.  From the moment that he was born he lived under a lucky star.  Even his name is lucky.  The E'Qwan have said that, on many worlds, the inhabitants believe that it's a good omen to have some aspect of the circumstances of your birth encapsulated somewhere within your name.  After being told of this, many Earthies have adopted this practice also.  With me, Tacoma is the city of my birth.  August was born in the month of August, but he also was born in Washington, which just happened to be his family name too.  Not many of us are born with both a descriptive first name and an equally descriptive last name.  I always envied him a little for that.  Boy, talk about being born under a lucky star.  But on one day his luck failed him big time. 
Like any other day it began with a good breakfast at Gail's Diner.  Gail was a strange duck.  She was one of the few people who never embraced the E'Qwan.  She was so old fashioned that she made my Mom look cool.  Still she was a looker and was always more polite to Auggie and I than most other waitresses were; and a cop needs a little appreciation once and a while.  She had long brunette curls and filled out her checkered waitress' uniform well.  Her pleasant smile was the best garnish that her old fashioned breakfasts could ever have received.  Therefore we always started our days at Gail's place.
The Diner itself was one of the ancient diners that were made out of a railroad car or something.  Until I found this place, I would have sworn that they had all been leveled a century ago, but no… here it was.  Gail once told me that it had been in her family since the First World War, which I thought was kind of strange since she also once said that she was raised on a farm.  I can't quite figure her out, but like I said… she's a strange duck.
This morning she was arguing with some of the Amish steelworkers that frequent the place.  They tried to explain that since the E'Qwan showed up, they've realized that any non-Earth technology is sinful, but if it's from the Earth, it's OK.  Gail wanted them to see something about losing their old Amish roots, but they weren't buying it.
Auggie was absentmindedly playing with his breakfast while like he always did while he was concentrating on a particularly distressing issue.  I could tell that he was as bothered by our most recent case, as was I; but he was taking things a little harder than I did.  L'Dahl was a mentor of his, so it's only natural that this case would be more personal for him than it was for me.  Still the E'Qwan always said, "The Universe is vast and cannot be moved by small events." We are small events to the Universe.  Even without L'Dahl, the Universe progresses.  They say that no individual can be that important.  I'm not completely convinced about that yet
Still, this was an E'Qwan that disappeared, not a lowly human, so it's extremely important that he be found.  Besides, he's probably OK.  This is an E'Qwan that we're talking about: not one of us.
Auggie was stirring his eggs, lost deep in thought, when he stopped and looked up.  "Hey Barker.  What can take down an E'Qwan?  They're faster than us, tougher than us and they have their Genetic Force Fields.  How could anyone overpower their GFF?  Our scientists don't even have a clue about how the GFF works."
That was one of the things that most surprised us after first contact.  The GFF acted much like the exoskeleton on a bug.  It held them together but was made of some sort of energy.  It gave the E'Qwan their golden glow, which is one of the things that makes them so attractive.  Some people even took them to be angels after first experiencing their glow.
I for one never thought of them as divine beings.  But I knew my betters when I saw them, and I quickly learned my place.  They never tried to take over the world or anything, but we all knew that they were better than us, and we'd do anything that they asked of us.  When they asked us to help them find L'Dahl, we jumped at the chance to try to please them.
The steel workers roared with laughter so Gail must have said something funny.  How could people like that reject the E'Qwan?  Could it be someone like them hurt L'Dahl?  Not likely.  "I don't know Auggie, nothing human.  Maybe another E'Qwan, but I sure wouldn't want to be the one to suggest that to them."

We dropped a hundred on the counter to pay our bill, and made sure to leave Gail a generous tip. After breakfast we went down to L'Dahl's office by the river.  Most of the E'Qwan officials had human offices. L'Dahl was the only E'Qwan with an office here in Kansas City, but his possible death brought hundreds of E'Qwan investigators to the area.  They didn't usually live among us but they needed to have places to meet with us.  They kept their settlements on tracts of land that they had purchased in places where no human wanted to live.  Since they didn't mind a colder climate, they settled mostly in the Northwest Territories of Canada, in certain parts of Greenland, Siberia and in Antarctica. 
Most people were pleased that those useless areas were now being put to good use.  I suppose that there were a few Eskimos that didn't like it, but there were more E'Qwan than Eskimos, and you know how the saying goes, "The greatest good for the greatest number."  Besides, if I were an Eskimo, I'd rather live on the lands provided for them in Texas, rather than in that cold wasteland that they used to live.  I'm sure that they're much better off in their new homes in Texas.
L'Dahl's office was spacious and well decorated.  Normally, the Office Manager did all of the decorating, and L'Dahl's OM, Triplet Johnson, was extremely competent.  He was a slight thin man with a bureaucratic air, and blonde thinning hair.  
After the usual greetings and small talk, Auggie embraced the OM tearfully, his large gangly frame dwarfing the petite OM.  "Want happened Trip?  How long has It been gone?"  (Since they only had one sex, E'Qwans were usually referred to as "It"; which is always capitalized.)
The OM wiped his eyes and said, "Auggie, It left here Thursday night at seven.  I stayed around to finish up a few things and then I left at eight thirty.  When I got to the garage I noticed that L'Dahl's vehicle hadn't been moved. I thought that was really odd.  When the vehicle was still there the following morning, but It wasn't, I got worried.  I contacted Pod-Master Zh'Fyt, to see if they knew anything.  They said that they didn't, and they seemed more alarmed than I was."
"Has It ever disappeared like this before?" I asked.
"Never.  The E'Qwan seem to have a hive-like mentality.  They seem happiest when they're working.  If they didn't view rest and nourishment as being as necessary and therefore as noble as work, they'd probably never leave.  The only thing more noble to them seems to be the need for survival, which is why they swarmed to the city when one of them appeared to be in danger."
Noting this I continued the questioning. "Why should they be so concerned about survival, they appear to be indestructible?  They're not like us, they've got their GFF."
He nervously pulled on the fabric of his tie.  "Oh they're not indestructible, that's for sure.  They generally don't talk about it in front of us, but sometimes they don't seem to realize that I'm present and they talk among themselves.  Maybe they think that I can't understand their language, but I've been around them for a long time and I've picked up enough to know that they've suffered plenty of loss.  Do you know why they came to Earth?"
Auggie answered before I could think of a good answer. "I assume that it was to bring us up to their level and to impart some of their culture to us.  That's what they've done."
Shaking his head, the distraught OM replied, "That's not really why they came.  With their work ethic, benevolence isn't a strong motivator for them.  They came here because something horrible happened to them back on their home planet. They're refugees.  But once they were here, they needed a purpose for their existence, and civilizing us became their new purpose.  They love to work with us, because they love to work; that worked out well for us and we've benefited as a result."
Although I was personally a little shaken to find that my E'Qwan saviors were not really all-powerful, I couldn't be mad at them; I loved them.  " Can they get sick, Trip?  Could something have happened to It that way?"
"The E'Qwan are mostly composed of various forms of energy.  Earth organisms wouldn't phase them in the least.  Heh, heh.  Phase them… get it?  Phase?  Energy?"  I thought that showed a little bad taste but he continued as if he hadn't seen it on my face. " Oh well.  Either way, I don't know about their own natural sicknesses, but I've never heard of one of them being ill, they…"  He would have said more, but circumstances suddenly made that difficult.
Sometimes when we are comfortable in our lives, something that we couldn't possibly have imagined grabs those lives and forces them into an entirely unexpected direction.
Abruptly the ground beneath us tilted sideways and threw us one way before picking us up and tossing us violently in another direction the next.  Furniture fell and ceiling plaster nearly flattened Trip.  The lights and power ceased: only to have the room flooded with a crimson light that shone through every window.  The sounds of thunder and explosions rattled the entire building.  
No one was able to rise among this incessant clatter for the space of three hours.  I wondered if the E'Qwan were taking out a horrible vengeance over the loss of L'Dahl.  I called out to them for salvation, but was unheard. I looked over and saw Auggie applying a bandage to the head of Triple Johnson.  Trip had his head gashed open above the right temple from falling debris.  Auggie seemed to have gained a slight limp, but I was relatively unscathed. 
Crawling my way to an exit I saw a sight that terrified me more than the ear-shattering noises around me.  There in the corner, were two E'Qwan, huddling together in fear: my blood ran cold.  In that instant I became truly lost.  The last I remember of Trip, he was crawling toward them.
As I neared the front entrance, I got my first glimpse of the incomprehensible horror before me.  From horizon to horizon loomed a small portion of the body of a creature so vast, that I couldn't discern its shape.  It wasn't E'Qwan and it certainly wasn't anything Earthly.  I was seeing it through a ruby haze that seemed to be keeping this monstrosity at bay. 
Hideous tentacles snaked their way down from the monstrosity above, only to be blasted from existence, by energies from an unknown source.  With each bolt I was tossed back to my knees, or slammed sideways into the nearby walls.  There was a continual rumbling so deep and intense that my insides felt like they would be rattled from my body. 
Scarlet lightning was everywhere.  I couldn't see where it was coming from, but it was directed upwards towards the immense entity.  With every lightning strike the creature recoiled in apparent disbelief. 
Suddenly a glimmer of hope rose within me.  " Maybe," I thought, "the E'Qwan are doing something to save us."  Slowly the vile beast was driven by the crimson energies back, inch by tortuous inch.  
After long painful hours, the shaking lessened to the point where I could again stand.  Desperately I looked I around seeking out our unseen savior with tearful eyes. When I rounded the corner I saw her.  Bathed in crimson fire and standing amid ruby lightning stood a goddess of immense proportions.  Lightning encompassed her and in the midst of such a maelstrom of blinding scarlet energy, it hurt my eyes just to look at her.  I was amazed to see that our savior wasn't E'Qwan.  She hurled blood-red lightning with one hand and she strengthened her crimson barrier with the other.  
After a three-hour battle, the enemy was eventually driven away, and our Goddess regained her human dimensions, and finally settled to Earth not far from me. She collapsed. Quickly I ran to her, and lifted her from the rubble.  As the glare about us receded, I looked down into the sweat stained face of the waitress Gail.

Chapter 2
       
Excerpted from Amish Church Records of
Interviews with Brother Jakob

We steelworkers left a generous tip for Gail and began the long trek back home to the Seven Springs Amish Community, where we lived.  It wasn't a long trip home, but after a difficult night's work, we were exhausted and quite ready to retire.  We got into the truck and headed out of town.  The skies were overcast as we turned off of the main trunk highway, onto the connecting road, which would take us back to our own people.
Since the E'Qwan came to Earth, many of the Amish have embraced progress, so long as it was progress based on human ingenuity and God's inspiration.  Those of us who have done so have been named Neo-Amish by those who follow the old ways; to the rest, we are just Amish.  Man was made in God's image; who's to say what these E'Qwan creatures are the image of.  The non-Amish have always had a hard time understanding this philosophy.
	It had been long rumored, that we were at the core of an underground movement, which had a goal of expelling the E'Qwan from our world.  Though, for myself, I would be pleased by their departure, I wish no creature harm. 
My companions on this shift were Seth and Joseph.  I was named for the great patriarch Jakob, Seth for the scion of Adam and Eve, and Joseph was named for that ancient son of Jakob who saved Egypt from famine.  These were the names of great men, the names of men that we respect, not the names of places and things that relate to our birth.  These are men that a man can emulate: these were men of God and men of faith.  Why should we be reminded of something that is a meaningless circumstance of our birth, just because it is the way of the shining men, the way of the E'Qwan?
We had finished the night shift, had a glorious morning repast and the journey home had begun. Although we were twenty miles out of the city, we still had another ten until we reached the community.  The city somehow seems a little out of place amid the green of growing things…almost a cancer on the landscape.  
We enjoy working on the new skyscrapers because it is honest work and it is still construction.  We Amish have always been hard workers, and in this day and age, contractors have had a difficult time finding people to do manual labor.  Thus they found us.  We supply hard labor, and they supply generous remuneration, which we use to support the community.  Since the E'Qwan arrived, our communities have grown, so we are in need more funds.  We are not generally a missionary people, but the converts have sought us out.  
Seth is of an old Amish family, but Joseph and I are of the new Amish.  Old or new, we love the land and we recognize the importance of staying true to our God.  The communities have banded together to protect our ways from the encroaching E'Qwan philosophy.  Though we are not strong numerically, we are strong spiritually.  Much of humanity has lost what it means to be human, but we have retained our way of life so that some day we will be able to restore that which the E'Qwan have taken from so many.
From above we heard, "Amish, halt!"  It was the voice of one of the shining men.  We stopped the truck and waited for them to land.  Finally one of them approached us.  "Most humans like to stay close to home and their entertainment centers, why are you on the roads today, and quickly, tell me, what is your cargo?"
Dropping into the expected archaic forms Seth answered. "Why hast thou asked this of us?  Surely, thou knowest that there be many Amish employed in yon city.  Yet thou hast selected my companions and I to accost.  Why do ye so?"
"Most Amish have already arrived at their destination.  What have you been up to that makes you so late?  You wouldn't understand the complexities of our situation, so I'll simply tell you, that one of our number is missing.  Again I'll repeat, where have you been, and what is your cargo?"
With that, Joseph pulled back the tarp to reveal the tools of our trade.  "What beholdest thou here that would indict us?  Is it now a crime to stop for us to stop for a morning repast?" The E'Qwan were always condescending, which was funny, since we also were condescending, in our own way.
The interrogation proceeded, and my mind wandered.  I glanced upward.  "Where is the moon" I thought and then noticed that the clouds were parting and that a wall of granulated whiteness surrounded us.  I heard a rumbling in the distance and gaped at what I saw.  The wall of whiteness reached to the ground and was swiftly approaching.  Where the wall touched the ground the world crumbled and vanished from view.  As I was about to hail my comrades, and convey a word of warning, there was a crash and I was thrown to the ground.
The sky turned crimson, and the advancing wall was halted.  The E'Qwan screamed and curled up into balls.  Joseph and Seth dove for the nearest ditch swiftly followed by I.  Any good Amish knows to seek the shelter of an open ditch during a bad storm.  For three hours we lain in safety viewing the titanic battle that unfolded above us.  We saw things no man was intended to see.  We saw the instrument of ultimate evil reach down from the sky like a million headed Hydra attempting to crush both the dirt that is our bodies with the wall of whiteness while, Satan's Million Serpents reached down from above to break our spirits: but we also saw that God had provided us with deliverance as scarlet lightning blocked each and every Serpent's strike.  A crimson wall stopped the encroaching whiteness: eventually dispersing it entirely.  When it was finally over, we arose and surveyed our situation.
The sun shone crimson above us and the azure sky was replaced with a pink vista, devoid of clouds.  The pinkness was more evenly spread than is that pinkness that graces  one at many a sunset.  This was more like the view one has when looking through a welder's mask, only a cheery pink instead of a drab green or gray. 
Like a rainbow the strange sky seemed to touch the ground, but it was just out of reach.  There were cracks in the road, but none that would prevent us from traversing it.  The oddest thing was that the Moon could not be found, and there were thousands of points of light glittering in the sky above.  It was so beautiful it was almost sinful.  If it wasn't for the whimpering E'Qwan at our feet, I would have ascribed the effect to their efforts, but they were clearly not in any condition to be responsible.
We resumed our journey, leaving the glowing alien creatures to fend for themselves.  Joseph finally broke the silence, "Strangeness, that's what it was.  Jakob, what doest thou make of what happened back yonder?  An earthquake, though they be rare, I can understand, but what makest thou of the red sky and crimson lightning?"
"I cannot know, beyond the strangeness that thou hast mentioned."  We continued on in silence for a short space.  "Look at the sky.  Perhaps I am imagining things but it appears to be coming closer.  I thought that the pink sky was something akin to a rainbow, but a rainbow always flees at your approach."  More silence.  The closer that we got to the reddish wall, the slower Seth drove, until he stopped.
Then we were there.  We were at the wall.
We had seen some strange things that day, but nothing so strange as what our eyes then beheld.  We approached the scarlet bubble that stretched from sky to ground and beyond, and looked beyond it into the abyss.  The Earth ended at the dome and we could see over the edge.  Ten feet in front of us the Earth dropped away, and only space reached before us.  Shattered rubble filled the sky, twinkling in reflected sunlight.
We sat for hours staring off into the abyss, numbed nearly into insensibility.  Eventually, Seth commenced to weep, joined by Joseph and I.  He whispered, "The community was out there."

Chapter 3

From The Reconstructed Racial
Memories of Podkeeper X'Pao

As Podkeeper, it fell to I, X'Pao to seek out our lost podmate, L'Dahl.  We are few enough that it is unthinkable to lose any more of us.  The humans think that we cannot be harmed, and that is a fallacy that we see no reason to disavow.  They are many and we are few, so if they think us greater than we truly are, it can only be to our benefit.  
	As a general rule humans aren't too bad.  A little simple for my tastes, but with our teachings, they will become better beings than they presently are.  Some of their philosophies are strange; but with our ministrations, I'm sure that they can be made to embrace our greater truths.  Although they are a lesser people, I'm sure that the Universal Outlook will bring them comfort.  Not to the degree that they would receive if they were E'Qwan, but some small degree of peace nonetheless.
	L'Dahl's OM for example, Triplet something or other, he truly loved L'Dahl.  I suppose that L'Dahl probably had some feeling for him, but I really couldn't say for sure.  We had just left his office in our search for podmate L'Dahl, when my assistant Z'Tkk, stopped and looked around and spoke up.
	"X'Pao, something feels wrong.  Do you think that the Earthen investigators, who we saw entering L'Dahl's office after we exited, are somehow dangerous?"  We listened at the door for a while, but they seemed to be genuinely concerned for It's safety.
	The dread feeling continued to grow.  I too felt the unease that Z'Tkk complained of feeling.  It became almost overpowering.  Stretching out my senses to the limit of my abilities I touched something familiar.  In a moment of overwhelming terror, I knew what it was.
	"Z'Tkk!  It's the Destroyer of Worlds!  It has found us!  I fear that it's already too late, but we must flee."  At that point the pain began.  Something had done the impossible.  Something had harmed the Destroyer and the psychic backlash seared our minds.  Every stabbing jolt that it received, was also felt by us.  This creature had easily obliterated our home system.  If we, with all of our glory, were unable to impede its destructive orgy; how could the children on this paltry planet accomplish anything?  Nevertheless something was hurting it and therefore hurting us.  The agony continued for what seemed to be an eternity.
 	 I vaguely recall seeing one of the human investigators crawl past me.  How odd, I thought.  Why should this creature be crawling?  It has no telepathic abilities that I know of, so why shouldn't it be on its feet?  I later learned that the ground beneath us was suffering movement. 
	I feared that the overwhelming pain would crush my mind utterly and forever.  Finally the pain slowly abated and I was able to regain some of my composure.  Z'Tkk, who sparkled so in the infra-red, was still insensate, but starting to twitch.  I knew that our problems had become immeasurably greater than one missing podmate.
	I stretched my mind cautiously into the void, searching for the pod.  I found several hundred of us within a short distance, but nothing beyond that.  I didn't know if there was a residual psychic interference, which the Destroyer had left behind: or if it was something much worse. 
	The Telepathic Network, was established as quickly as possible.  The Network was a hereditary trait that allowed our ancestors to co-ordinate their construction efforts, before we evolved enough to have independent intelligence.  It's now generally relegated to being a survival mechanism, and is only established in times of imminent danger.  The fact that L'Dahl never tried to establish a local network is a good indication that It was never in a life threatening situation.
	The Network was weak, with few members.  This was disturbing.  Where was the expected chatter of updating each other to the individual situations of each one of us?  It barely existed.  Overall there was little serious physical damage that we each had sustained, but there was much psychic healing necessary.  Overwhelming fear was pervasive, but what bothered me the most was that there were only two hundred and twelve of us in the Network.
	The farthest Network members were twenty earth miles away.  It reported that It was at the edge of the world and that all beyond a certain radius had been obliterated, just as our home system had been.  It had described a crimson force field encompassing an area with a twenty-seven mile circumference.  This field was all that was sustaining a breathable atmosphere, maintaining a livable temperature and somehow was keeping a usual gravity field, despite the minimal remaining worldly mass.
	No one seemed to know what had happened, but it was decided that we should all congregate together as is common for our people, so that we may work together.  We can't count on anything useful coming from the humans, so we must band together.  The next order of business, as always, was survival.

Chapter 4

Excerpted from the Labor News Monthly's
"The Journal of Laura Nelson"

I've always identified myself with Don Quixote, and passionately felt that no one should go through their life without tilting at a few windmills.  Like Don Quixote, I have set myself the impossible task of showing the citizens of the Earth that which they refuse to see.  You see, it's terribly important that someone is willing to fight the unwinnable battles, because those are the struggles that need to be fought the most: and you know what?  Sometimes you're able to win the unwinnable battle.
I hope that no one will ever call Laura Nelson a terrorist.  I'm not…I'm a…social reformer!  An idealist.  Things were going along fine until that damned bug L'Dahl started screaming.  It was a hideous noise, but my folks raised me to be a tough woman, so I ignored it.  My cadre had performed their operations flawlessly.  We knew that we couldn't overpower the bug, and we couldn't hurt it in any normal way, so we surrounded it and captured it (and I won't capitalize it, so don't expect me to), by encasing it in metal bands, we kept it immobile.  We could pick it and the bands up, but it couldn't move until it dropped it's shields, and when it did we tightened the bands until it was completely helpless.  So much for their vaunted superiority.
	Most of humanity may have been taken in by them, but me and people like me, saw them for what they really are.  They're no different than the European settlers hundreds of years ago, who wiped out the Native-American culture: with us being the latter-day natives of America, or like them being the missionaries to foreign lands with us being the heathen savages. Either way they're here to destroy our culture and condescendingly replace it with their "more advanced" culture.  Well screw them!  We're not as ignorant as those others were, we know how to fight these threats to our culture.
	The world needs to be shown that they are not infallible and it's hoped that our actions today will open a few eyes.  We never really intended to hurt it, but sometimes things get out of hand.
	Everything went according to our timetable until the bug started screaming.  I don't know what set it off, but that's when everything started to fall apart.  Some of my people had hoped that maybe we could starve the thing to death, and at first that's what we thought was causing it to scream.  If we could have paraded a dead bug around, we just knew that others would flock to our cause.
	We tried to silence it until we were suddenly thrown sideways.  The old building began to crumble around us.  The ancient bricks and mortar of the three-story tenement were barely holding the place together under the best of conditions, but there was no way that it would stand up to this kind of battering.  
Leaving the bug to its fate we scrambled as best as we could to get out doomed structure.  A support beam fell in front of us, trapping Tommy.  Billie and Joe dragged over to Tommy, another beam that had fallen nearby, and we leveraged him free.  Dragging Tommy, we escaped the abandoned structure and surveyed the situation as best as we could.  
	Buildings swayed like trees in the wind.  What held them together I'll never know; but something seemed to be shoring them up; at least until those within the various buildings crawled out of them: all of them looking like wet whipped puppies.
	The sky was filled with a creature of such immensity that it was hard to discern any form to it at all.  It had a rough exterior, with probably billions of little fernlike objects growing out of it.  It was so vast, I couldn't even see an edge to it anywhere and for all I knew, it may have been bigger than the Earth itself.  I knew it was a creature, because I could feel it.  It was hungry and it was in pain, and it hated the E'Qwan.  I would have cheered for it except that it was hurting so many of my own people to get to them.  I remember thinking that all of this is the bugs fault and if I survive this I'll expose them to the world for it.
	Just then a bolt of purest red leapt from the city center tearing into the exposed underbelly of the massive beast and I felt it scream within me. Thousands of smaller bolts shot up from the same source and blasted away at the ferns, each causing more shrieks within me.  My confederates didn't seem to hear the leviathan, and they appeared more confused than I.
	Rising from the crumbling buildings downtown was the creature's adversary.  It was a woman of crimson fire with feet encased in ruby lightning.  She was our defender, and as she rose higher her dimensions grew to enormous proportions.  She was beautiful, and more importantly: she was human. 
	With a wave of her titanic hand she wove a barrier of scarlet energy that at once obscured our view of the beast and shielded us from its assault.  For hours she hurled bolt after bolt at the creature that could only be dimly perceived through the barrier.  Slowly it receded till it could not be seen any more.  The barrier faded to translucence and our brave warrior returned to the distant city center. 
	The stars began to show through the barrier, which was kind of odd, since the sun still shone in the sky above us.  Seeing my people rising from the rubble about us, I motioned for the others to join me.  We were fortunate, for after a quick head count we realized that we hadn't lost anyone.  There was a babble of everyone talking at once.
	When I finally silenced them, Billie spoke first.  "What was that all about? Who was that?  What was that?  Laura what are we going to do now?  I don't think that we can continue as if that…whatever it was…never happened.
	I really wasn't sure how to answer her.  "I don't know what that was all about, but I'm going to find out.  Billie, you take charge here.  Keep the bug under wraps for now and Sam and I will see where that woman went.  Joe you help Billie to get things back into some kind of order, and follow her as you have me."
	"Sam let's go to the city center.  We'll follow this busted up road.  Let's be off to see that sorceress."  And with that our real adventure began.

Chapter 5

Excerpted from the Police Reports
 of Detective Tacoma Barker

As a detective I had been trained to take the facts as they were, without any preconceived notions: still I wondered, how anyone so obviously powerful, could seem so frail?  I lifted the exhausted Gail in my arms. Her sweat drenched waitress uniform holding the heat within her, making things even worse and headed for her Diner: but the crowds began to gather.  Everyone pressed close seeking answers to a great many questions that I knew that I couldn't possibly answer. "What was that…", "Will it come back…", "Why didn't the E'Qwan help us…", "How were you able to do that…", "Who are you…", "What are you…" and many others.  Gail was in no shape to talk.  She seemed to be concentrating as if she were still struggling with something. We were being hemmed in on all sides and I feared that we would be crushed for the press of the crowd.
	Fortunately Auggie was there to take charge.  He organized several of the other police officers in the area into a cordon to give us some maneuvering room, while I carried Gail to her diner and laid her down on the couch in the back room.  After quieting the crowd he addressed the people, " Don't worry folks, we've got everything well in hand.  When she's rested up we'll arrange for her to speak to you, but for now we need to organize work crews to search for any survivors who might be buried in the rubble.   Firstly, I want you to group yourselves by the building that you occupied when the conflict began and take a roll-call of everyone from your building; then these officers will circulate about you.  Tell them which building you were in and how many people are missing from your offices and buildings.  Select a crew leader from each building to lead the search of that building and its debris."
	Amazingly there was no-one missing from the buildings that were immediately surrounding us.   I gazed around thinking that the damage should have been a lot worse.  Kansas City was not built to be earthquake proof, and what we had just been through was much worse than any earthquake, but most of the city seemed to have escaped relatively unbruised.  Auggie then ordered the work crews to spread out from there to continue the same search process throughout the entire downtown area.  I knew that Auggie was a quick thinker, but until that moment, I never realized what a natural leader he was.
	While the populace was given instructions on how to widen the search, the officers began their co-ordination efforts and initiated the search for looters. 
	When I was finally assured that things were well in hand, I returned to Gail.  Wiping the continued sweat from her brow I asked "Gail.  Can you hear me?  Are you all right?"  After a weak nod from her, I continued, "Can you tell me what happened out there?"
	Weakly, with an attempted smile, she answered, "To be honest, I'm not really sure myself.  I was in the Diner when I felt the first rumblings and I hurried outside to see what was happening.  When I did see what was going on I just reacted.  I knew that, whatever that thing was, it wanted to kill us all, so I had to stop it first."
	"Oh, you stopped it all right, but what I want to know is how you stopped it?"
	She managed a slight chuckle "Well, I'm not quiet your average waitress."
	"No kidding?  Go on.."
	"Well…Ok.  How old do you think I am Tacoma?"
	"I don't know, late twenties, no older than thirty."
	Again she gave that husky chuckle and brushed an errant strand of her brunette curls from her eyes, "I'm a little older than that.  When I was a child I was whisked off to another dimension, where pretty much anything is possible.  While I was there, a great sorceress entrusted me with powerful mystic talismans, and the whole time that I was there I had to defend myself from an evil sorceress who coveted them for herself."
"Eventually, I was able to return home where I've enjoyed a quiet life ever since.  I suppose that I could have had anything, but I've got everything that I could ever really want.  I have my Diner and my friends." She put her hand on my arm, "Friends like you… and like Auggie… and like everyone that spends time with me each day.  You know, when we leave this life, the only things that we can take with us are; the character which we've developed, the things that we've learned and the relationships that we've built.  And I have enjoyed building relationships"
"So how old are you actually then Gail?"
""Remember how I told you that the Diner has been in my family since before World War One ?"; I nodded.  "Well, it has been in my family all of that time, but I'm the only member of my family who has ever owned it.  I was the one who bought it.  Like I said, I'm older than I look.  The talismans have kept me young and I've spent the past couple of centuries learning how to access and use that power.  When we were attacked I just did what I had to do.  Who would have thought that sorcery could defeat the ultimate non-mystical threat?  Well why not.  Mystic power is really just another form of energy: one that we have yet to be able to explain"
"So you don't really know what that thing was that attacked us then?"  She shook her head, so I continued.  "Do you know if it'll return?"
"I don't think that it'll return, but that is the least of our problems.  Did you see the barrier that I had to set up, and that I still must maintain?  It's not there for decoration, it's all that is keeping us all alive.  My dear, dear, friend: by the time I knew that there was a threat, it had already obliterated most of the Earth.  Kansas City and a little area around it is all that is left of our world."
My head reeled and darkness crept around the edges of my vision.  Tears welled in my eyes as I realized that my parents and everyone that I grew up with were gone.  I sobbed for what seemed like hours, (although I'm sure that it wasn't really anywhere near that long), with Gail patting my hand the whole time. 
Finally she broke the silence, "I'm sorry Tacoma, but we don't have time for grief.  There's too much to do right now.  We need to make some plans. I may be strong but I can't maintain this shield forever."
After a long pause I was able to manage a weak "How long?"
"Probably a couple of weeks.  The more practice I get maintaining the shields, the easier it becomes.  The problem though is that I still have to sleep sometime, and what will we do when I doze off.  The talismans will keep me going indefinitely, but without sleep, my mind will eventually lose its focus and I'll doze off.  When that happens I'll involuntarily drop the shields."
Before I could frame the next question, the lanky Sgt. Harkness entered.  "Sir, we've secured the area and surveyed the local populace.  Sir no-one seems to have been injured in all of that"
I was stunned until Gail explained.  "Tacoma, that was my doing.  You'll find that, except for a few people who were injured before I knew what was going on, no one has been harmed.  I just couldn't allow that."
Gaping I looked at her until the sergeant said "Sir?"
"Harkness, begin clean-up operations and keep your eye out for looters.  If you see any E'Qwan I want to talk with It too." Leaving I turned back to Gail, "What happens when the shields drop?"
"If we can't find an airtight place for all of the people, the creature will have succeeded in what it set out to do."

Chapter 6

Excerpted from Amish Church Records of
Interviews with Brother Jakob

It took my Amish brothers and I the better part of the day to survey the edge of the world.  Lucky it is that we had a four-wheel drive pick-up, or we would have gotten hopelessly mired several times over.  It appeared to be perfectly round; like a large soap bubble on washday.  I wondered what kind of a miracle it was that God had sent us.  Surely no human or alien science had created this wonder, for we saw how helpless those pitiful alien creatures were while this structure was erected.
	To the touch: the translucent red wall was soft and giving, up to a point, but the farther you pushed it, the more it pushed back.  I can't truly say how thick it was, because it appeared to be as thin as paper, yet it was as strong as necessary.  
	"Jakob?"  It was Seth. "Will the sunlight coming through be enough?  Will the crops survive or be withered and fruitless?"  Looking up I saw what he meant.  The rose colored light was not terribly bright, and I had to wonder if the crops could grow on the filtered red sunlight.
	"I cannot say, my friend.  Mayhaps it will be fine.  What great power sustains us now?  Who's to say what it will do to us.  Why did God spare us and not our brethren?  Why Kansas City and not Chicago?  Was it God's wrath that so many perished?….  I have no answers my friends."
	Joseph chimed in, "We have traversed a great distance this day and found no answers.  Let us journey towards the center of this small world in search of the answers that we seek."
	Together.  "Agreed."
	The city loomed ahead of us dark and ominous.  We knew that there were probably millions of people there, if they survived the event, and that the small amount of land about us wouldn't be enough to support us all. Undoubtedly people would be roaming the land like feral dogs, rabid and heartless.  When we left the community to work among the others, we were warned about the animal nature of some men.  Still I had to wonder: for in most disasters, there are always a few looters, but there are many more common people who display great heroism, as they pull together to rescue their neighbors and nearby strangers.  I hoped that this place can be led to that inner nobility rather than the looters debasement.
	Joseph nervously plucked at his coverall strap, while Seth prayed silently.  We talked little but decided that we would seek out others of our community, and of others of other communities.  We would band together both for mutual protection and to sustain each other temporally as well as Spiritually, through this time of trials.  
We must maintain our faith!  Only God can sustain and deliver us now.  Only God can restore that which has been lost and only God can protect us.  We must implore His Divine aid in this our most terrible hour.  If we do it not, who will?  Those who believe in the E'Qwan?  Phah!  Those who are so consumed with their own self-interests?  No.  Only we, and our Brethren, have kept ourselves pure enough to seek out the Divine.
What only we seem to understand, is that all of the suffering in the world is caused by somebody's selfishness.  God is Love; and long ago, we realized that the opposite of love is not hate, as most of the world thinks it to be.  The opposite of Love, and therefore, that thing which is the most opposite of God, is selfishness.  The t rue Love of God is to put the welfare of others before our own.  Everything else calling itself love is but desire.  Therefore putting your own welfare above others is the opposite of the true Love of God.  And hate?  That is but the opposite of desire.  It is selfishness above all else that has brought misery to the people of our world.
The world is only a sad place, because most of it has forgotten the importance of community, the importance of co-operation, the Love of God.  No doubt Kansas City is now a sea of violence and a place of misery.  Only we know the truth, and only we can save them.
After going a few miles we saw the E'Qwan that had questioned us on the side of the road.  Their vehicle seemed to have failed them, and they now walk as do the cattle. I was tempted to not pick them up, but we remain a friendly people.  Perhaps to a fault; so I slow to pick them up.
"Hail bugs.  Needest thou conveyance into yon city?" (We do need to keep up appearances after all.)
"My podmate and I thank you humans.  We have gotten so used to anti-gravs, that we now find it hard to be deprived of them."
"Well sometimes the old ways are still the best.  Doest thou know what has befallen us?  We have traveled but a short distance and found there the edge of the world.  Beyond where yon bubble touches the ground, the Earth ceases to exist for we have circumscribed the City and found naught more."
"We thought that might be the case.  We were briefly in contact with others of our pod and they speculated that it was so.  Although we cannot fathom how such a dome has been established nor what sustains it, we can guess at what it was that attacked us."
"Tell us pray tell, what could or would do such damage?"
"Long ago this selfsame creature came to our home world and obliterated it.  We know not why, but it did come, and we were as nothing compared to it.  It consumed our world and moved on to the next.  Those of my people who were able to escape fled into space and wandered for ages in search of a new home. Although we found many habitable worlds, fearing that it would pursue us to their homes: those worlds had rejected us and we had been driven from place to place.  Amazingly, your people opened their hearts to us and gave us a home.  Throughout the universe, beings are generally controlled by self-interest.  We are a people who believe in community and co-operation.  Only on Earth did we find a people that valued those attributes.  Your people are a truly wonderful people."
I couldn't believe it but I was beginning to like this bug.  I wanted to understand It better, and I wanted It to understand us better.  Dropping the archaic speech, therefore, I said, "That's nice of you to say so.  What happened to your craft?"
"We're not completely sure.  Our bodies generate a form of power, that when the energy generated by us all is combined, it is more than enough to power the number of craft that are in movement at any one time.  We suspect that either there are not enough of us left to supply adequate power, or that the focusing node that concentrates our combined energies has failed.  Perhaps both events are true.  It is fortunate that your crafts are independently functional."
"Well, we try to keep our machinery as simple as possible." I couldn't believe that I was preaching Neo-Amish gospel to a bug!  "We Amish value peace and contentment highly, and we have found that technology can be detrimental to those attributes.  Take your vehicle for example; the more complicated a piece of machinery is, the more likely is to have problems and break down.  The more things break down, the more frustration is built up in the person using it, and the more frustrated a person is, the more likely it is that he will project those bad feeling onto others.  We desire only the best for all peoples, so as a community we try to keep things as simple as possible in a effort to prevent those bad feelings."
"Your position is very interesting human.  We too value peace and co-operation.  I am intrigued by your philosophy, and would like to learn more of it.  Many of my people have looked down on your people.  Everywhere we look we have seen people treated poorly, and it has disturbed us as a people generally.  Your philosophy seems very enlightened.  Will you teach me more?  I am called Y'Zakh, and I wish to be your friend."
"Y'Zakh?  Friend, my name is Jakob, and I was named after a great man whose father had a name very similar to yours.  Perhaps we were meant to be friends."
Before we could pursue this further, we came to a roadblock manned by armed Kansas City police.  We stopped the truck to see what was happening.

Chapter 7

From The Reconstructed Racial
Memories of Podkeeper X'Pao

The pod wove the energy hive on the roof of L'Dahl's office building.  We needed to extend our hive mind to its furthest reaches.  We must be warned if the Destroyer returns and only with the increased sensing power of the hive mind will we be able to search for others of our kind who have survived the monster's passage.
	To establish the hive-mind, we must be in physical contact.  Over long distances we are able to have some contact, but building a full group mind requires greater intimacy.  I am no longer only X'Pao, I am the Hive.  We are no longer we, we are I.  Not all of us can be in the Hive at the same time, for if we were all together and something befell us, we would cease utterly.  This is why some of us scatter.  This is why we have survived beyond the destruction of our home, and it appears, beyond the destruction of the Earth as well.
	I am told that the Hive, from the outside, looks like a golden sun, though not as bright.  As others come and go from the Hive we can see it in all of its glory, even though we are within it.
	We stretch outward and see some of us riding in the back of a human truck, and we now see L'Dahl, and know It to be well, though restrained.  We find the mangled bodies of our brethren in the cold of surrounding space along with the shattered remains of our Earthen friends.  The energies of the E'Qwan sucked from their lifeless shells, by the merciless beast.
	We see the beast receding from the Earth, in search of a place to nurse it's wounds, and we somehow know that it will return.  It was driven off and it wants its revenge, but for at least a short period we are safe.
	We scream into the void, hoping that we may be heard by any far off podmates that we may not know about; podmates that have somehow survived in a distant corner on the universe.  We are alone.  We are afraid.
	Looking inward we try to discover the great power that saved us.  Was there some unknown race that felt pity for us and intervened on our behalf?  Will they do so again when the Destroyer returns?  Are the humans correct; is there some higher deity that in rescuing the humans has inadvertently saved us?  What great energies were those that were directed against our common foe?  The Hive can perceive no residual traces of any kind of energies that are known to us.  
	Now the humans of this city have seen the Hive…  They know not what it is and are frightened.  They too fear the return of the beast and in that at least, we are kindred.  Perhaps we have misjudged them, for the Hive senses within them a compassion and community, in the face of adversity, that we would hardly have expected. 
 Their literature would have us believe that they would degenerate into barbarism and savagery, during a period of disaster such as this.  But we perceive little of those qualities.  It seems that, like us, in times of emergency they rush to each others aid.  How very interesting.  Humans seem to generally have an inborn need to help each other.  Perhaps they forget that during times of prosperity, but it seems to come forth when needed.  We have misjudged them.
After watching them for a period I feel I must separate myself from the pod and relieve their fears.  They must understand that the Hive will not harm them.  
Separation from the Hive can be, for some, a depressing experience.  The intimacy and expanded consciousness can be addicting, and some E'Qwan have a difficult time with the separation: which is why we form the Hive so rarely. For myself it is more akin to the experience of falling asleep, and losing the greater acuity gathered from the higher level of awareness.  But in both the case of sleeping and separation the lesser states also have their pleasures. 
Upon separation, I worked my way through the corridors and stairwells of the structure until I attained street level.  At that point I encountered human peace officers, who understandably, had some questions.

Chapter 8

Excerpted from the Labor News Monthly's
"The Journal of Laura Nelson"

Leaving the Cadre behind, Sam and I worked our way through the rubble that was once downtown Kansas City and my mind raced with possibilities about what had really happened.  At least it wasn't the bugs that pulled our fat out of the fire.  It was a human that did what the bugs could never do.  More than a human it was a woman.  Being a woman myself, I had had a harder time gaining the respect and leadership of the cadre than I would have if I had been a strong stupid man, but I did it in spite of their biases.  Imagine how those jerks on the east side, who had opposed my leadership, must feel now!  The most powerful creature on Earth is a woman. Hah!
	I had to find her.  With someone like that on our side, we could get rid of the damnable bug's influence and domination once and for all.
	Sam was a good enough boy I guess, but he's awful stupid.  "Not that way Sam." I would have to say to him.  "The lightning came from this direction."  As usual, he had started to be distracted by something or other, and had started to wander in the wrong direction.  
	The power was off everywhere that we went, and when we tried to get a drink, we realized that there was no water pressure either. "Sam, I'm not sure how far these problems extend, but water is going to be very scarce, very soon.  It may become our most pressing concern." I thought.
	We saw broken gas mains too, but for some reason nothing was coming out of them, which was lucky.  If they had been leaking, many of the surrounding buildings would be in flames.
	Surprisingly enough, everyone that we saw was working well together.  There seemed to be a great co-ordination of relief efforts.  Whoever was in charge was doing a great job. We saw some people searching buildings and others handing out sandwiches, but we saw no looters.  My heart swelled with pride.  This is what being human is all about.  I also noticed that the bugs weren't anywhere to be seen. " They were no help at all."  I thought to myself,  "Damn things probably started all of this."  I said to Sam.
	After what seemed to be a long trek, we rounded the next corner and ran into a group of cops.  The one who seemed to be in charge demanded, "What building are you from?  Where were you when the trouble hit?"  Imagine that.  Calling it trouble, that's kind of understating the situation.
	"We weren't in any buildings officer." I had to lie. I couldn't have them looking into the building that we really were in and finding the bug that we were holding.  "We were outside and saw everything that happened.  We're trying to work our way downtown to try to find the woman that saved us." 
	"You saw it all?  Right from the beginning? That might be useful.  Wait here."  Talking into his handheld radio, "Detective Washington, Harkness here.  We have a couple of folks here who claim to have witnessed things from the beginning, shall I bring them to you?" After a little more discussion, he put us into the back of an electric police vehicle and started for the center of town.	
	"Officer," I queried, "What is this all about?  We saw that thing come at us and then saw the huge woman drive it off, but why did these things happen?  When will things get back to normal?"
	"Got a lot of questions there, don't you young lady?  I'll tell you though what I know, I don't know much more than you do.  That's why we want to talk to anyone who saw that thing in the sky before Gail did.  I can tell you this though, we're all that's left of the Earth.  It's all gone.  The Earth, the Moon, the USA, Kansas, all of it.  We're all that's left."  Then he started to laugh, maybe to keep from crying, "All of us in Kansas City, we're not in Kansas any more.  That's funny!"  And he broke into a combination of insane laughter and tears.
	I waited until he calmed down.  I really couldn't believe his story, but he might still have some useful information.  "Who's Gail?"
	Still wiping the tears from his eyes, "Who's Gail…why that's the lady that you're looking for.  She's an old friend of mine too, who'd have guessed.  She's been serving me breakfast for years.  Why would she put up with people like me if she could do the kind of things that she 's able to do?"
	"How about the red sky?  What's the story with that?"
	"She did that too.  As I understand it, that's all that holding the air in.  Without it we'd already be dead."
	With childlike eyes Sam pointed upward and said, "Look at all the pretty stars.  Why are the stars out in the daytime?"  He was right, and somehow that made me more uneasy than all of the talk about the end of the world.
	Looking at Sam he replied, "Like I said before son.  The Earth has been destroyed, and those stars are the sunlight which is reflected off of the rubble."  Casting my eyes upward my ignorance died in that moment.

Chapter 9

Excerpted from the Police Reports
 of Detective Tacoma Barker

I'm sure that there are a lot of people with better medical training that I received in the Academy, but I was determined to stay by Gail's side until she was stronger.  I watched Gail struggle to maintain her strength, and during the first few days she was actually making ground in refining her control, but as the weeks rolled on she was obviously weakening.  The first indications that her control was slipping, was when a few of the chunks of debris, from the old Earth, were able to pierce the dome.  Fortunately there were only minor injuries resulting from the mishap.  
	At first, she had to continually scan the vicinity of space which Kansas City occupied and when she found an approaching rock, she would just flick it away.  But as she wearied, her concentration began to fade, and a few rocks penetrated the dome.  Surprisingly, it was the boy Sam who came up with the solution to this particular problem.
	Shortly after the Event, Sam had arrived with another woman who was his guardian.  Gail took to the lad almost immediately, saying that his simple mind reminded her of a friend from long ago.  The guardian, seeing him safe and happy, left him in Gail's stewardship.  After a brief interview with Gail, she said that she had pressing matters elsewhere and left.  I think that I made her nervous.  Most people are nervous around cops I guess.  The boy had a warmth and charm that cheered and somehow strengthened the not so common waitress and she needed strengthening.
	After the rocks pierced the dome, Gail felt horrible.  Exhausted, she and those of us around her, debated for days on how to prevent it happening again.  Auggie wanted to build vehicles to shoot the rocks out of the sky, and I wanted a special radar system to be built to warn us of their approach.  Both were fine ideas, but we didn't have the time or the knowledge to build them.
	We talked of moving all of the rocks, but Gail said that it was too much mass for her to move and that it would require too much concentration to try to find each shard.  The first time the boy spoke up on the matter he simply said, "If the rocks are trying to hit us, why don't we just get out of their way?"  We blinked and looked at each other.
	After a pause, Gail said, "That'll work.  All of the rocks are orbiting the sun at the same speed, so they're all together as a group. The Mass of Kansas City is tiny compared to the mass of the rubble of the entire Earth, so all we need is a slight nudge upward to have an orbit that is different than the rest of the relics of the Earth's demise."  There was a slight rumble and brief feeling of increased weight and it was done: the falling debris bothered us no more.
	Gail would sit with Sam and tell him fanciful stories of strange places and even stranger people, of talking animals and beautiful cities.  He would clap his hand and laugh at some parts and sit in rapt silence during others.  I truly believe that she gained as much enjoyment as he did from the telling.  It gave her a way to relax, without easing her concentration, and it kept the boy out from underfoot.
	Since most of the top city officials had been away at a convention when the Event happened, the city should have been leaderless, but somehow, due to his quick thinking and strong leadership directly after the Crisis, everyone seemed to accept Auggie as the de-facto leader of our community.  Although in the old times, I was the senior partner, I now looked to him for leadership; at least it the temporal affairs of the City.  I still liked to think though that I am more spiritual than he.  I may have lost faith in the omnipotence of the E'Qwan, but I still cherish their values and their teachings.
	The E'Qwan have emerged from their hive and are now being integrated, I think maybe for the first time, with the natives of the Earth.  The strangest thing has happened.  The aliens have somehow established a strong connection with the city's Amish and Neo-Amish, and have begun farming the surrounding lands together.  I never really looked at Amish beliefs before, beyond their anti-tech bent, but for many it's really a rather appealing outlook. 
The E'Qwan, it seems, are able to use their GFF for burrowing and digging, which has saved a lot of fuel for other uses.  Fuel of course was a limited quantity, so finding other ways to accomplish a task, without using any gas or other limited resources, was important, and it seemed to give the E'Qwan a purpose which seemed to make them happy.  Unfortunately, we didn't have enough land to have farms big enough to support a city the size if KC, not for long.
Somehow the E'Qwan have located L'Dahl.  They won't say how they found It, but they did.  And even more remarkable is that they seem to have no interest in retribution.  I still don't know what happened to It, but they are no longer concerned.
The woman that had brought us Sam was the first one to recognize the problems that we faced regarding water; or rather the lack of it.  A floating city isn't something that is likely to have a large supply of free groundwater.  She had a group of people that she led in search of a water supply. 
As I understand it, there are still miles of earth beneath the city; and there is still some water in that soil.  Sam's friend, Laura something or other, organized the water, sewage and electrical departments.  They got a limited amount of power plants running, and that was able to run the pumps to some wells.  
Even so it was necessary that water be rationed, because we have no way of recycling the air to eliminate pollution.  It's a closed system and all of the pollution was settling into the city's air.  We've had smog before, but this would continue to get denser and denser.  Eventually it would have endangered us all.  Even with rationing we were consuming our food at an alarming rate and it was estimated that we had only enough for a few weeks more.  
The majority of the populace didn't really know what to do, so they continued leading their lives as normally as possible.  People generally resist change.  Although they complain about being in a rut, they rarely do anything to climb out of it.  In fact, they often fight to stay there.  Gangs would rather rule in their slum than leave it for greener pastures.  It's less scary to stay with the known than to chance something new and unknown: even if the old is uncomfortable.  Therefore most of the City folk acted like nothing too much out of the ordinary had happened.  It was fortunate that some people were able to rise to the challenges.
We were picnicking in the park near the Diner.  The air was getting difficult to breathe comfortably and people had to spend more time resting and less time exerting themselves.  Gail was laying on the park's brown lawn and was telling Sam another story which he seemed delighted by.  This one had something to do with a robot that kept freezing up, or something like that.  Sam giggled and clapped his hands when he looked up to Gail and said something: Gail hadn't seemed to have noticed.
She was in obvious distress.  The strain on her was reaching the point where she was on the verge of collapse.  Sam and I stayed with her continually to do what we could to keep her going.  If she stopped going, so would we.  She looked up at Sam and mumbled, "What was that Sam?"
He responded with "Can I meet the robot?  Can we go see him?"
"Sam I would love to see him again…"  She blinked and started to laugh feebly.  I was sure that she had finally broken.  She said, "Watch this Sam, I have a trick for you: I think that you'll like it."  She closed her eyes, groaned, smiled and collapsed.  I ran to her side, but she wasn't injured, only sound asleep.  I'd been at her side for months now, but never seen her sleeping before.  She looked like a helpless child.
Sam was jumping up and down laughing.  I turned away from Gail, realizing that we should be dead now, but we had somehow survived.  I felt a breeze: the first breeze that I'd felt in months.  Looking around, I realized that the red barrier was gone.  It was replaced by a bluish green sky, with wispy white clouds.  It had seemed to be forever since I had last seen clouds and we seemed to be at the edge of a valley in the mountains, but there are no mountains in Kansas.  Atop the highest mountain, off to the northwest stood a castle: an actual castle.  Where were we?
Sam pointed at the castle.  "Look.  There's Gail's castle.  That's the castle she won when she killed the evil sorceress.  Can we go to the castle?"

O'Dalan

Chapter 10

Excerpted from Amish Church Records of
Interviews with Brother Jakob

The bugs were hard workers, which is something that, before the trials that we experienced had began, I never would have expected, although my Amish sensibilities were overjoyed to see it.  Fortunately the crops had been laid in long before the event, with most of those who owned and worked the farms surviving.  We had been given the assignment of helping those farmers wherever we were able, and of tending to the fields of those who didn't.
	In the weeks since the event, we had found that the crops would survive on the strange reddish light that filtered through the dome, but that they didn't seem to thrive.  If they hadn't already seen the majority of their growth, I doubt that they would have been ready for harvest, and I wondered if new crops would grow at all.
 During the intervening period, the E'Qwan, I'Zak, had become my constant companion.  It had been a joyful experience for us both as we compared our various philosophies and I have found It to be an enjoyable companion.  I'Zak has preached the Neo-Amish tenets to It's podmates, with great success.  I don't know if a bug can be a prophet or not, but if so I'Zak is one most certainly.  
The bugs had divided up into two groups.  One group holding foolishly to their technological toys, that didn't seem to work any more; and the followers of I'Zak had come to a great farm to build their own community based on the Amish pattern.  
The few Amish and Neo-Amish that we have been able to gather, have joined with the bug's community to form the strangest community under Heaven.  Although I find it odd, everyone, human and E'Qwan, have found it to be a place of contentment and comfort.
We have adopted a nightly ritual of remembrance for those whom we've all lost.  It consists of sitting in a circle around a campfire.  We each express any feeling that we may have for who and what we've lost: then we smother the fire with green leaves, which makes a thick smoke rise to heaven.  We use many kinds of leaves to show that from the deaths of many, whose souls have ascended to Heaven, a single column of smoke has risen: this represents the rise of our community.
Rituals and symbolism are important in a society. This has been known throughout history, but seems to have been forgotten in the past century.  People have become too literal, and have lost the wonderment that comes from a developed imagination. Symbolism can teach lessons that are too deep to be able to be conferred with mere words and in the coming days we would need to be able to understand the unexplainable.
On the day of our arrival in Odalan, we were inspecting the fields that had been put into the care of the bugs.  At one time it had belonged to a large farming corporation that had its home offices in Chicago.  Most of the full-time employees were at a convention when we were troubled by the event, and the seasonal help had not yet been retained, so the farm was essentially unmanned.  This was where we built our community.
I'Zak and I were in the easternmost fields when something changed.  It happened so suddenly that at first it didn't register with me at all, but it quickly dawned on me that the red skies had been replaced with relatively normal skies: we were suddenly surrounded by verdant mountains that were capped with the whitest snow that I had ever seen. 
"Zak, doest thou perceive a change with our environment?"
"I do indeed Jakob.  The air is suddenly fresher than any that I have sensed since…ever.  The moisture content has been raised and the energy barrier has been removed."
"Doest thy podmates perceive a cause for these miracles?"
It tilted It's head as if listening and replied, "They do.  They say that it was through the efforts of Miss Gail that we have been delivered to this fine land.  They say that she has brought us to the dimension where she lived as a child and the place where she received her great power. They further state that the effort has exhausted her and that she is being taken to a nearby castle to recuperate.  She will be sleeping for weeks."
"I suppose that we'll just have to carry on without her for a while then.  She's more than done her part, let us make sure that when she awakens, we will have things well in hand."
We returned for a feast that was unsurpassed.  All talked of the wonders that we had been privy to and of the blessed miracle that delivered us safely to this land of unparalleled beauty.  Young Gideon sat quietly by his father's side.  
Gideon is a fine young man of great solemnity.  It is unusual for a lad of his age to exhibit such traits.  It may be blasphemous for me to say it, but he's too somber for my tastes.  A child should be full of wonder and perhaps a little bit of fire and Gideon has neither.  I feel sorry for him.  He needs to be a child for a while before he can be a healthy man.
The Elders decided that with the better sunlight we would not only be able to save the current crop, but that we could be sure that subsequent crops would succeed.  Gideon's father is the most educated of us, outside of our E'Qwan brethren, and he was given the task of plotting the lengths of times and the seasons.  
The amount of daylight seems relatively comparable to the Earth's, but we'll soon see how close it really is.  Will we have a 25 hour day, or a 22 hour day or something else entirely?  Will each day be the same length, or will it change with the seasons, as it did on the Earth?  The length of a day corresponds to the time that it takes for the Earth to rotate upon its axis.  On Earth that is 24 hours; who knows how long it will be here.
The length of a year tells how long it takes for the Earth to orbit the sun and the changing seasons are attributable to the amount of tilt that the Earth is tilted on its axis.  None of those qualities have to be the same here, although they cannot be too far off since it has does have Earthlike plants.
We're still alive, so the air must be breathable, but what about the water?  Are there dangerous animals in the surrounding countryside?  Since the E'Qwan do not have to sleep they have volunteered to stand guard this night while the rest of us sleep the first truly unstressed sleep that we've had in months.

Chapter 11

I awoke with a start as I heard the E'Qwan in a chattered discussion with a voice that I couldn't recognize.  Poking my head out the window, I saw a creature that was at least seven feet tall and apparently made of vegetables.  Wearing coveralls and a lopsided grin he seemed a ludicrous sight.  With carrots for hair and lettuce for a head he towered above the gesticulating bugs.
"Even for this land ye seem to be out of place.  Where do ye hail from?" He queried the bugs, but they just buzzed with one another, too obviously confused to do much."  I've found that the E'Qwan are nice enough folk, but they can't seem to grasp something that defies the laws of science.  The lettuce man scratched his head and muttered to himself.
I hurried outside to intercede.  "Hail friend."  I ventured, "How may I help thee?"
"Ah, ye look a little more like something that I've seen before.  Muh name be Digger, what be yers?"
"I am a human who is known as Jakob, my friend, and these friends are known as the E'Qwan."
"Pleased I am to meet you friend Jakob.  I saw your arrival to this place.  It was quite a thing to see.  One minute I was in the mountains looking upon the Great Desert and then a scarlet bubble deposited this beautiful place upon what was once the Great Desert.  It was really an impressive sight.  How did you do it?"
"Oh, it wasn't my doing I assure thee.  It was the Sorceress Gail, who owns yon castle there, who accomplished the feat.  I truly hope that we will not be an inconvenience to you and your people. "
"Don't ye worry about that.  No one lives in the Great Desert…till now anyway.  I'm happy the see the eyesore replaced with something attractive.  Here on the edges of the frontiers there are few people nearby, so ye won't be in anyone's way.  Usually the rain clouds just float beyond the desert, but as high up as ye all are yer sure to get lots of rain fer yer crops.  Welcome to O'Dalan."
"Is that what this land is called?  O'Dalan?"
"Well this part of the continent anyway.  There be other lands off to the west, and perhaps now off to the East as well, since yer land's bridged the desert.  What do ye call this great place that ye've brought with ye?"
"I'm not really sure anymore, what it is.  I guess that it's still called Kansas."
"Kansas is it?  What a strange name, but familiar sounding too.  Why should that be hmm?  Know ye why?"
"Mayhaps because the Great Lady who didst bring us to this land of O'Dalan, is from Kansas; although she is the owner of a Great castle in these parts also.  If thou hast met her, she may have spoke of it with thee."
"No, no.  Never did I meet her, but many stories of her have I heard.  She is supposed to be a source of great good in the land.  The Sorceress fore her was as bad as they come, but she freed us.  Many great adventures had she I hear, but none have heard from her for a very long time.  If she has really returned I gotta meet her.  Can you arrange it?"
"Perhaps later friend.  For now she is resting in isolation.  The Lady Gail had defeated a Great Beast and saved many, but the effort left her depleted.  When her isolation is o'er we shall most definitely take thee to her."
"Lady Gail?  Is that what ye call her?  I've heard lots of names for her, even some that mighta been Gail.  Lady Gail it is!  While yer waitin, would ye like me to give ye a tour of the nearby lands to the west?  If we'r gonna be neighbors ye better know more about where ye be."
This thought had occurred to me, and now that I knew that the land was occupied by such gregarious beings, I was anxious to go exploring.  "Let me get instructions from the Elders and a few provisions and we'll be off."
The Elders instructed me to take with me traveling companions; not simply for the message that it would send to those whom we might meet, but also for greater protection.  They selected I'Zak and Gideon to travel with us.  Far be it from me to question the wisdom of the Elders, but I'Zak is a bug and might frighten those that we wish friendship with, and Gideon is but an inexperienced lad. Both I consider great friends but I had a few doubts.  That's all.
By noon we reached the edge of Kansas.  It was the first time since our arrival that I had been to the edge.  I had expected to see a drop off that would fall for miles, but instead there was a gradual slope to an inviting prairie below.  Through the middle ran a cobblestone road that lead to the mountains far to the south of the castle. 
Digger chattered on about all sorts of subjects.  He was like a school child that rambled on excitedly and cheerfully about nothing in particular.  Every so often he would say something that he thought was witty and would burst into laughter.  The humor seemed to escape us all though, as none of us were moved to laughter, but that didn't deter our new friend.
As the green fields of Kansas gave way to the tall grasses of O'Dalan, Digger stopped us short of the roadway. Raising his hand he said "This's the land of the Odas.  They're not dangerous folk, just a mite annoying.  They like to hide out in the grass and surprise travelers, so don't be shocked if we see some.  They won't hurt ye, but they can be bothersome."
From Gideon, "How art they bothersome friend Digger?"
"Well boy, they're kinda like flies, always getting' in yer face, but not really hurtin' ye.  They're small but disgustin' little beasts."  With that he started walking again with us following close behind.
The land was a pleasant prairie with pleasant smelling grasses and the occasional flower that looked a lot like a poppy.  I was happy to see that there really was little difference between the plants of O'Dalan and the plants of home.  I bent and felt the soil between my fingers and found it to be a rich soil that would be wonderful for growing crops.
Suddenly a small animal burst through the growth onto the road, looked up at us and froze in its tracks.  I had to blink back a few times for I could not believe what it was that I was seeing.  There in the road in front of us stood an honest to goodness jackalope.  All of my life I have heard of these rabbits with horns like an antelope, but they're not really real.  At least I didn't think that they were, but there it was.
I'Zak looked down in curiosity, "Tell me friend, what is this creature called?  I don't believe that I've ever seen one of these."
Digger shrugged his shoulders, if you could call them that, and said "I don't know.  It's some kind of rabbit.  There's a lot of those around here.  I understand that meat-eaters think that they're very tasty.  Me?  I wouldn't really know.  I derive my nourishment by droppin' my roots into the ground when I sleep and and by saokin' up the sunshine durin' the day." 
"They're called Jackalopes."  I said quietly.
"Oh.  So they do have them on Earth then.  I guess that I just never saw one there.  We certainly never had them on my home world."
"No.  We don't have them, but we have myths about them.  I always thought that they were just some kind of marketing gimmick.  I never thought that they were real."
Leave it to Gideon to state the obvious question that I should have been thinking.  "Dost thou think that Lady Gail brought one to Earth as a pet back when she was yet a small child?"
"Aye.  That could explain it Gideon.  Perhaps she took one home and others saw it and the story spread from there.  When she's recovered we'll have to ask her if that be the case.  Mahaps we can domesticate them.  Gideon see if thou canst catch it." 
The somber lad gave me a "Do I have to" look, but still he complied.  Soon he was running back and forth in the field trying to corner the playful Jackalope.  The longer he chased it the happier he seemed to become.  I had never seen him look this much the child before.  I liked it.  After awhile he tired and collapsed laughing.  The Jackalope stopped, looked back, twitched its nose and bound into Gideon's arms.  It made a kind of purring noise and nuzzled his face.
Gideon succeeded in domesticating the Jackalope.  It might become a wonderful pet, but never would it be livestock.  Oh well. 
I decided, "I don't think that we'll get much more out of them today, and it's late.  Lets make camp for the night."  And that's just what we did.

Chapter 12

Gideon slept with his new friend nestled peacefully under his arm.  Digger had rooted in for the night while I'Zak and I built a fire pit.  After clearing an area of the prairie grasses which were so prevalent in the area (which we later used for kindling), I"Zak dug a nice depression for the pit.  We soon had a roaring fire.  I didn't know if there were any dangerous animals in these parts, but I felt better with a fire keeping them away… just in case.
	Zak and I sat around the fire and talked late into the clear and starry night.  I don't know about the bugs, but there's something primal about a group of guys sitting around a campfire together shooting the breeze.  There's a peace and contentment that exists in that place alone.  Too many people these days have never experienced that kind of calm that you can only feel with good conversation, in front of a roaring campfire looking up at the stars and sharing the company of friends.
	"Friend Jakob, have you noticed the stars?"
	"They're very bright tonight aren't they?  I suppose that must be so because there's no pollution here and very little light pollution."
	"That may true also, but that's not what I'm talking about.  Doesn't it seem strange to you that the stars of O'Dalan are the same as the stars of Earth?"
	It was right: they were the same.  That shouldn't be… 
	At that point a nasal voice spoke from the grasses…"Heddo!"
	A voice from the dark is always disconcerting, but here in this strange place it was doubly so.  
	"I said heddo!"
	"Who's there?" I whispered.
	Stepping from the bushes was a comical little creature.  Wearing only a diaper, it was three feet tall and covered in wrinkles.  It had one hair sticking out from the top of its head and was so thin that I couldn't see how it could support its own weight.  Its head was large for its body with large ears and eyes that were almost obscured by its wrinkles.  Its bony arms were too long and its hands and feet too large.  It was an altogether ungainly thing, but it somehow had an engaging smile.
	"It's me!  Adam Odaman!"
	So that was an Oda.  It didn't see so bad.  Maybe Digger just had something against them.  I held out my hand "Greeting Mr. Oda, my name is Jakob and my companions and I are from the land of Kansas.  We've just arrived in your fair country and we're exploring our new surroundings.  Hopefully your people and mine will become fast friends."
	He looked up at us in confusion.  Suddenly it seemed to dawn on him what I said.  "You wanna be buds?  Buddy!!"  With that he launched himself into the air wrapping his long arms and legs around my head in a gleeful embrace at the same time saying over and over again, "Pals!  Buds! Pal!"  He obviously hadn't bathed for quite some time as it left me a mouthful of dust.
	I now could see how Digger might find them a little annoying.  Myself?  I found him rather comical.
	He paraded around in his diaper telling us how tough he was and regaling us with stories of his physical prowess.  Somehow I couldn't believe much of his stories, but he was certainly entertaining.  He claimed to be thirty six billion years old and he said that he had one wrinkle for every year of his life, and he seemed very proud of how many wrinkles he sported.  I knew not how old he really was, but he truly believed his own stories of his great age.  About the only useful information that we got out of him that night was that he loved kittys, so we knew that cats existed somewhere in this strange place.
	When he walked he raised a cloud of dust, much like that kid in the old Peanuts comics that I've seen hanging on the wall of Gail's Diner.  I wondered how many of them populated this place and if we might meet more along our travels.
	"What is that doing here!?"  It was Friend Digger, awakening and pointing at the diminutive Oda.  "Beware these creatures.  They have a saliva that will dissolve most anything, and those over-sized hands are used to slap you silly!"  The Oda had looked so comical that I hadn't considered that he could be dangerous.
	"Friend Adam; is what he says true?  Art thou truly dangerous?"
	"I told ye I was tough!  I beat face, heh, heh…  But we're buds and buds look out fer each other.  I don't eat anything, so I only gum things that're gonna hurt me."  Without any teeth, I guessed that he would have to gum anything in order to make any use of the saliva.  
	Digger rose up on his celery stalk legs and glared at the Oda.  "Listen Oda;  do you swear to Dah'Dee that ye'll not harm any of us in any way?"  The Oda nodded saying "You're my buds." and Digger continued, "The only way to bind an Oda to your cause is to get them to swear to their Deity, Dah"Dee.  Only one Oda ever broke such an oath and he's considered a pariah by them."
	"And he's stupid too.  But I'm tougher than he is …" He chuckled and continued on with his endless stories, which helped us all to drift off to a deep and dreamless sleep.

Chapter 13

Since learning of this Oda God, Dah'Dee, I'Zak followed the hapless Oda around, seeking new spiritual wisdom.  "Friend Adam.  Will you tell me about your deity and beliefs?"
	"My what and what?"
"Your God."
"I got a God?  Why didn't you say so?…  Can I swap it for something?"
"Dah'Dee.  I want to know about Dah'Dee!"
"Oh.  Not much ta tedd."
"Ted?"
"Not ted.  Tedd.  Not much ta tedd!"
"Oh … tell.  Not much to tell."
"That's what I said.  Not much ta tedd.  I'm thirty six biddion years owd, but Dah'Dee was around before we were."
"We?"
"The Odas.  We're awd thirty six biddion years owd."
"Well that can't be.  When one of you dies off there must have been some new ones born."
"We can't die.  Where've you been?   And there are no Oda babies; that woud'nt make any sense.  If we weren't thirty six biddion, we woud'nt be Odas.  Only stinky old humans.  Don't you know nuthin', huh?"
Frustrated with this line of discussion, Zak tried a new tack.  
"Did this Dah'Dee create the universe?  Do you pray to it?"
"I pray he don't beat on me..heh,heh.  He didn't create nuthin'.  He's reedy tuff and he beats face.  Why you ask awd of these stupid questions anyway?"
"Can I talk to him?  How do you communicate to it?"
"I don't.  I stay as fer away as possibid.  We used to live with him, but we got away."
"Why does swearing on its name bind you?"
	"Cuz if he heared we did it and lied, he'd kick our butt!  I'm tuff, but not that tuff."
Finally even Zak gave up and just let the little Oda rant on.
We had packed up our gear and begun again our journey; with Gideon making as best a map as he could along the way, and the playful jackalope bounding along behind him.  The 'lope turned out to be more useful than we had expected.  By watching which plants it ate we found several edible local plants and were able to supplement our diets with interesting new vegetables: although I would have sworn that some of them were scowling at me.  We found spices that we had never imagined and collected enough samples to take back to our cooks at home.
It was expected that each evening Zakk would use Its telepathy to make a report to Its podmaster, who would in turn relay it to Detective Washington and the hastily established Council, but the farther we progressed, the harder time It had doing so. After four days of hiking, we had lost contact entirely.  
We debated on whether we should turn around or not but we were nearing the mountains and we dearly wanted to see what kind of minerals there were there that we could find.  Digger had cautioned us to beware of the Mountain King, who he claimed was the sworn enemy of all things both animal and vegetable.
"I myself am a peaceful being," the plant man said "a friend to all.  Well, maybe not to yon Oda, but to most anyway. The Mountain King though and his mineral people are where I draw the line."  
"They are immense creatures of a horrible demeanor.  They stand fifteen to twenty hands tall and their foul king is the largest of the bunch.  For many years the Evil Sorceress kept them in check.  They feared her awesome power and when the good sorceress defeated her they trembled, but with her departure, so long ago, they've become emboldened and have terrorized all around these parts."
"My people don't live in villages and towns, but we grow together in groves.  Peace and joy exists among us as we nourish our bodies through the soil and the sun: and as we nourish our spirits by communing with one another.  We need no other entertainments than the love of sharing our soil with one another."
"But then with one day of darkness and despair, it was all taken from us.  The foul rock beasts descended upon my grove like lightning and murdered the whole grove: all save I.  They may not be fast be we were blissfully anchored to the soil and were unable to pull up roots in time to save ourselves.  I alone survived.  I had been badly broken, but I was eventually able to heal.  The beasts spared not even our saplings, and I have feared taking deep root ever since.  I have wandered the land since that time, in search of another grove, so that I might once again enjoy the company of my own.  It is my greatest hope, my fondest desire that some day I might be able to introduce you to a happy functional Grove."
"I truly look forward to that day friend Digger." And Zakk hugged the vegetable man tenderly.

Chapter 14

The trek up the foothills was difficult, but not impassible.  Except for the jackalope, most of the animals that we happened across seemed of the normal variety.  Well, if you overlook the purple goat that is.  
The mountains edge sported many ancient footpaths and eerily shaped rock outcroppings.  Digger informed us that the evil sorceress was difficult to live under, but that she at least kept everything in line.  The Mountain King was never allowed a show of power during her reign: but when Gail defeated her, there began a time of great chaos.  For a while the Mountain King stayed docile: perhaps out of a fear that whoever could best the old hag must be more than enough to best him; but then she went away.  Some say that she just wanted to go home.
No one blames her, she never sought sovereign power over others, nor did she desire anything but the best for all creatures.  Still, she was but a child and therefore unable to conceive of so great an evil as the King had become.  When she left she could not know of his impending perfidy.
We therefore continued our journey with a wary eye.  We stopped frequently at each new outcropping of rocks to test their composition.  We saw rocks most ordinary and rocks most extraordinary, and along that simple path at the base of the foothills, we found a wealth of minerals to rival any of the great deposits on the old Earth.  We traveled in good spirits in this most refreshing of lands, whiling away our time watching Gideon and his new pet: which activity was a source of great joy to us all.  Glancing up at him, I realized that he had gotten farther ahead of us than we normally would have allowed.  At that point I caught sight of another of our party.  In a gully up ahead of the rest of us, Digger was gesticulating excitedly.
"My friends, come quickly.  See here, among the copper deposits lies a scrap of cloth.  It is made of the same material as is my coveralls.  Moreover it is of a pattern that I recognize.  It is the pattern that is used by the Hillcrest Grove, who are distant cousins of my grove.  Perhaps my long search will soon be over."
"When I was but a young sapling, the eastern valley groves all communed and shared the soil.  Many of the different patterns there I learned: including the Hillcrest Grove's pattern.  As I remember right, theirs was a particularly pacific grove.  Mine was a gregarious grove that loved conversation but theirs was more serene.  Still, I long for their company.  Mayhap I will soon get that wish." 
It was that pending culmination of all of his hopes and aspirations; which made the events that followed even more bitter.  He was soon engulfed by a torrent of what must have been the Rock Beasts sliding down the gully walls on top of him and he was soon obscured from our vision by a cloud of descending dust and debris.
Though I was a pacifist, Zakk and I surged forth entering the melee, with the little Oda standing behind, wildly jumping up and down shouting to us, "Git em Bud!  Beat their faces!  You can do it Bud!" and from his hiding place behind the boulders to the Rock Beasts, "Git over here and fight ya bunch of wusses.  I'm tuff!  Git over here and fight!" followed by him emitting a high pitched trilling sound.
Zakk went to work on tunneling out Digger, while I attacked them with my walking stick, which proved completely useless.  Zakk's shields protected him and Digger from their wrath, so they turned their rage towards me. 
The beasts truly seemed to be made of stone.  I previously had assumed that the stories that Digger regaled us with were mere exaggerations, but indeed they were, if anything, understated.  The beasts were at least twelve feet tall, with arms as thick as most trees.  Their faces had two eyes and a wide mouth without a nose.  Their broad teeth obviously made for grinding rocks pulled back into evil grins.
 The gray monsters lumbered forth as I backed away.  I pulled my hunting shotgun from my pack and opened fire hitting the lead beast square in the chest.  Although my religious beliefs forbade the action: it seemed necessary.  It was knocked back, more I think in surprise than in fear.  Then it laughed a gravely laugh.  "Is that the best you can do little creature? Your people won't even be useful as slaves, maybe you'll be cheap entertainment as we grind your puny bodies to mush."
Although it was slow, it had a long reach, and I had little maneuvering room.  Soon it had me in its massive grip.  I could feel the bones starting to crack as the foul thing laughed its inhuman laugh.  
Then the most amazing thing happened.  The miniscule Oda burst forth from its hiding place, leaping high and wrapped its arms and legs around the beast's head.  He took the scalp of my assailant in his toothless mouth and began gumming the Rock Man, who looked around in a startled silence and started to scream.
The universal solvent of the Oda's saliva, which Digger had told us of, began to take effect.  The Rock Beast burst into flames and dissolved into nothingness. The other foul creatures, seeing this, took flight with the tiny Oda shouting after them about how tough he was.  And for the first time I believed it.
"Friend Adam, I am truly in thy debt.  Thou art indeed as great a warrior as thou hast told us, and I am honored to call thee friend."
He flashed me his toothless smile and chuckled, "Bud!"
By this time I'Zakk had freed Digger and was helping him to splint his newly broken arm. "Friend Adam, you are indeed a surprise." From Zakk and a "Not bad for an Oda." From Digger.  Unlike we Amish the little Oda showed no humility at all.  He loved all of the attention.
It was a time of great triumph, but something still seemed wrong.  Gideon!  "Where's Gideon?  Do any of you know where Gideon is?"   A great silence came upon us as we all realized that he was nowhere to be found.
After a quick check of the area that assured us that he wasn't laying injured or worse, Digger said, "The cursed rock beasts must have taken him captive!" 
"But why?  He was the most harmless of us all, and see; here is his pet jackalope, totally unharmed."
"I should have protected him with my shields instead of looking out for myself!  If we get out of this in tact, I vow to work to become a better creature. "
Digger responded, "You were protecting me.  Berate not yerself."
"SHUP!!"  I blinked to see the tiny Oda wagging his finger at me.  "Why are we sitting here?  Let's git em!  They're sdow and we're fast.  They're uggidy and we rook mahvedous, so let's go git em!"
I didn't quite follow all of his logic, but he was right.  "Companions, our friend Adam is absolutely correct.  There is no time to waste.  Let's go get Gideon!"

Chapter 15

The Rock Men left a path a mile wide: so it really wasn't too hard to follow.  Along the way I'Zakk and Digger formulated a plan for dealing with the beasts when we caught up to them.  
If we had an opening, we planned that we would sneak into their camp under the protection of Zakk's shields and use the Oda's saliva as a weapon when necessary.  It was a simple plan, but those are often the best.  If we couldn't sneak in, we would gather reinforcements from Adam's people and mount a frontal assault.
After a three-hour trek we caught up to the creatures at a time when they broke to make camp for the night.  From the hills overhead we could see that there were far too many of them for us to simply rush in and save our friend.  Gideon was tied up to a tree in the center of their camp with more than an adequate number of guards to keep us away.  More importantly though: we could see that he was safe.
"The lad is very brave to bear up so well Friend Jakob.  If he continues to keep his wits about him we should be able to retrieve him.  Why don't you go off a short distance and make camp, I'll root in here and keep a watch through the night.
It was a long cold night.  We were unable to build a fire without alerting the vile beasts as to our whereabouts and I'Zakk could only generate so much heat without depleting Its energy reserves.  The jackalope nestled up to me for warmth, but was obviously missing its close friend Gideon, whom I also worried about immensely.  The Oda just wanted to rush in and attack them one minute, and then he would be crying the next as he stubbed his toe on something or other.
We awoke with sore bodies the following day and resumed our quest.  The Rock Creatures traveled farther up into the mountains than Digger had ever been before, and most certainly farther than Zakk or I had ever been.  Speaking about Zakk: he found that the source for the telepathic interference came somehow from the Rock Men themselves.  Once he realized that he was able to move far enough off to make a report.  We were ordered to continue until we rescued Gideon and then return as quickly as possible.  They also said that Lady Gail had fallen into a deep slumber and hadn't awakened since we had left.
We followed them for three days.  After a night spent in the snow, high in the mountains, the band that we were pursuing, arrived at their destination.  An old wooden fort, like those seen in colonial times, was spread out in the valley before us.  We could see humans and other creatures milling about in leg irons.  It was obvious that the Rock Men practiced slavery.  
Digger was both saddened and elated to see a grove of his people chained to the west wall.  "You will be free my people." He muttered convincingly under his breath.
"There they are, lets git em!"  We were going to have to find a way to keep this flighty little oda quiet, or the Rock Creatures would find us before we'll be ready to face them.
"Friend Adam, thou must keep thyself under control.  Hush thy voice …"
"Shup!"
"I beg you pardon?"
"I said shup.  Are you deaf or somethin'?"
"Well either way keep thy voice low…"
	"Shup!"
"Friend Jakob, odas are feisty, though generally harmless creatures.  They don't take orders well, and when someone tries to silence them, they feel the need to tell ye to be quiet. Shup means shut up.   It's some kind of dominance test within their ranks.  Odas have been known to hurl that word back and forth at each other for weeks before the less dominant oda will offer submission by asking that they but say it at the same time to end the cycle.  The weaker one will say 1…2…3…and then they'll both say it."  
"It seems kind of stupid to me, but I'm not an oda, thank goodness.  If ye want silence, be careful not to say anything like that in his presence, for fear that he may think that yer talking to him and he'll be provoked into a shouting out that word at an inconvenient time."
"An interesting ritual."  From Zakk.  "I wonder how it got started?"
After a long period of discussion, we decided that we would wait until it was dark out, and attempt to slip into the camp under the cover of darkness.  Coving our heads with our cloaks, and trying to simulate the shambling walk of the chained prisoners, we initiated our plan.
The Rock Men must have been very confident, for we had no trouble slipping into the camp.  I suppose that's to be expected though, after all, who would want to enter a prison.  It wasn't hard to see where to look first, since there were even stronger forces concentrated around the prisoners compound.
The rock creatures didn't seem to need the same comforts that the rest of us did, so they had no shelters for themselves: they only had large log benches to sit on and a small fire, which we supposed was more for light than heat.  We sidled up to some rocks that offered concealment and tried to listen in on their plans.  There were two large Rock men talking with an audience of another half a dozen.
The larger of the two seemed to be in charge.  "Ever since coming to this strange land so long ago we have been devoid of purpose.  Back home, we maintained our world at the order of our God.  We were but slaves to that creature that was our home and he was a cruel master.  We were wise to escape when we had the opportunity, for in this place we should have been unstoppable, nevertheless we were again enslaved: this time, by the evil sorceress.  We rejoiced when she was defeated and we were finally freed". 
"We hated our masters, but at least they gave our lives purpose, and when we were freed we had none.  The new sorceress had no interest in us at all, and told us to seek out our own destiny, but what is our destiny?  For many years we wandered, fearing that the new mystic would return and enslave us also, but it was not to be.  If we are not slaves, what are we?"
Then the smaller Rock Man took over.  "We are the enslavers!  One day while contemplating our fate, our great king had a revelation." With that statement, I'Zakk became even more attentive.  The Rock Man continued, "The King realized, that from what we have seen, the strong always dominate the weak, and use them to build greater things than they would have been able to build on their own."
A chorus arose from the audience. "We were the weak, but now we're the strong!!"
The small one continued. "We were indeed the weak, but with the departure of the sorceress, our great king realized that we were now the strong.  Nature he said abhors a vacuum, therefore, he said, it is our destiny to dominate the weak and build monuments for the future."
The large one resumed.  "The Mountain King has gone to co-ordinate our forces in the far lands.  The mountains are ours.  We have been left, with the task of protecting and enlarging our borders.  I am as you know the Master Builder, and the King has left me and the Slavemaster here, to run things until his return.  From this great mountain behind us, we will hew a citadel greater than any in the land.  From there we will go forth and conquer all of the lands of the east and in our dungeons and slave pens will our captives be shut up."
"SHUP !!"  Oh no, the oda.
The alerted Slavemaster jerked his head up and searched the hils of our place of concealment.  "Guards! We have intruders behind the rocks.  Beware.  One of them is an oda: bind its mouth shut immediately."
"Don't tedd me to shup.  Shup!" was the last I heard from Adam before I was clubbed from behind and succumbed to unconsciousness.

Chapter 16

I awoke in the pen where the slaves had been kept and quickly realized that Gideon was holding a cloth to my head to try to stop the bleeding from the wound that I had received at the hands of the rockmen.  Looking around at my surroundings I saw that I was in a wooden enclosure, which measured roughly fifty feet on a side.  Beside Gideon and myself, there were about two-dozen people about us.  Most of them looked like shabbily dressed humans, but a few looked to be the odd parodies of human beings that seem to abound in this strange world.  At least one seemed to be some kind of robot.
I looked beyond the bars into the camp and saw the Odaman bound tightly with a special binding that held his mouth shut.  Digger had been chained with his missing people in the grove near the wall, and only I'Zakk remained free.  It stood in the center of the camp, surrounded by rock creatures that blocked It's departure and continuously rained blows upon Zakk's shields with their massive fists.  I knew not how long Zakk could maintain the shields but It looked to be a heroic struggle to me.
"Come Gideon, we must do something to help I'Zakk escape so that It may bring us assistance."  Looking about we found little of use, but a few loose stones.  We hurled them at our foes, but they bounced off unnoticed.  Jumping up and down and shouting to try to distract them proved equally useless.  Their king was right about one thing: they certainly are the strongest creatures in these parts.
"Jakob, we're going about this all wrong.  Remember the story of David and Goliath?"  Indeed I did remember the story of the young man David and as I saw Gideon fashion a sling from a piece of material torn from his clothing, I also remembered the story of how the Biblical Gideon defeated an enormous army against overwhelming odds.
Gideon picked up several stones, running each of them through his fingers and selecting the best stone for his weapon.  With his stone in the sling he began spinning it and focusing upon his opponent.  Faster and faster it orbited his hand and greater and greater was his concentration.  I'Zakk seeing what he was doing, and knowing the story as well as we, tensed for the assault.  
The projectile flew fast and straight, hitting the closest Rock Man directly between his eyes.  Although it didn't succumb to death as did ancient Goliath, it did bellow with rage and bolted for the prisoners compound.  In that instant I'Zakk leaped through the opening vacated by the Rock Man and dove for the ground, looking for all the world like an Olympic diver.  In no time at all, It was safely burrowing beneath the ground and away from this terrible place. 
The remaining Rock Men turned towards us with murder in their eyes.  The following morning we were dragged by arms of massive stone and taken before the Slavemaster and the Master Builder and thrown like rag dolls at the feet of the bellowing beast.
"You puny things are more trouble than you're worth.  First you bring one of the accursed odas into our land along with one of the hated People of the Groves, then you cause us to lose the most promising slave creature that we've ever seen."
This time from the Master Builder, "The odas came from the old place as did we.  They are truly powerless unless we are taken by surprise, then they are deadly.  They are like the powerless mosquito that can be both annoying and have a bite that can be deadly."  
"The People of the Grove are the most peaceful of beings.  They are therefore beneath our contempt, but their roots are the one thing that will break up our brother rocks in this land, therefore they are, to us, both most useful and most foul.  For the offense of bringing these two with you we should have executed you immediately."
"Unfortunately, we wished to study the glowing insect creature that accompanied you so we kept you alive.  We had never before seen its like and desired to see how best we could exploit its talents, and now you have taken even that from us.  I see no reason for us to let you live.  It's obvious that you will never be useful to us as slaves; you're much too rebellious.  Therefore you will be executed."
Again the Slavemaster spoke.  "We know where the city is that you come from, and after you're gone we will enslave those who live there, whom we are able, and will exterminate the rest.  We are a patient people and will observe them until we are ready to strike.  Even now our great King is gathering our forces from the surrounding lands and seeking allies."
Stalling for time I spoke up. "Mayhaps thou mightst be able to silence young Gideon and I here, but thou shalt never be able to defeat us all.  We are many thousands and ye are but hundreds."
"True, but you are insects and we are unstoppable stone.  I have seen nothing from you that threatens us in the least.  The oda was the only threat and you brought but one of those and that one has been neutralized.  You are no warrior."
"No, I am a pacifist but all of my people are not so.  You are strong, but even if you can defeat us all, you'll never defeat the Lady Gail.  She has humbled far greater than thou."
"I don't know who this Lady you speak of is, but if she's like you she'll die with the rest of you."
"Methinks thou knowest her truly.  From thy earlier discussion, I would say that she is known to thee as the Sorceress."
That silenced them.  After many hours the Slavemaster broke the silence.  "I believe that you are lying, else she would have made herself known to us by now, but even so, she isn't here now, and she won't be able to save you.  You are obviously the leader of this group, therefore I will make you watch as I terminate this miserable youth. Child, prepare to die!"
Though I struggled; with vice strong grips was I held fast and forced was I to watch as the beasts held Gideon fast before the Slavemaster.  The beast raised its powerful axe above its head and with a bloodthirsty look of excitement began to swing the massive axe toward its tiny target.
There was a muffled pop, a whine and the Slavemaster exploded into shards and dust.  Another pop and whistle and the Master Builder was likewise blasted from existence.  The rest of the Rock Men scattered screaming.  Spinning around we saw I'Zakk with a squad of SWAT cops on their ElectraCycles, sporting bazookas
 "Detective Washington said through his bullhorn, "Let's get these captives free and get them to safety."  Though I am a pacifist, I was, at that moment, overjoyed that not all people were.  I would never again completely distain their modern science.

Rabbits

Chapter 17

Excerpted from the Labor News Monthly's
"The Journal of Laura Nelson"

It was bad enough that I had to put up with the bugs, but now I'd been assigned to scout out a new home for those worthless plant creatures too.  At least the bugs would do some work occasionally, but these things just seem to root into the ground and stand there. 
	When the Earth was decimated, I was given the task of drilling deep wells and connecting the cities water supply to the new water sources. Before we came here we had been able to get the deep wells pumping and we had water, at least for a while.  We all knew that there was only so much water in the ground and that there was no way to replenish it, but we were hopeful that we'd be able to find a way to recycle the water that we had available.  As a last resort we should be able to use what's left of the water in the river: but that's not the cleanest water and we hoped to avoid that option.
	I had been surprised that the bugs refused to press charges against us for bug-napping that L'Dahl character, and I was sure that they would come to seek me out and exact revenge in the middle of the night.  It never happened and I now realize that there are worse things out there than the bugs.  I was convinced that they were trying to secretly subjugate us through feigned kindness and philanthropy, and I'm still not completely sure that that wasn't the case at the time, but we both needed to survive, so I grudgingly found that we could work together when necessity required.
	On the day that we traversed the dimensions, I was in the well pits, deep below the city.  The huge pumps were operating well, and my crew was feeling pretty good.  It's a great feeling to be able to see the completion of something that you've worked long and hard to accomplish. Few things will bring people together like shared labor, and the completion of that particular labor was no different. 
	We had brought wine down into the pit for the occasion.  Although it was well rationed, I still had black market contacts and we felt the need for a celebration.  I had been assigned as crew chief and Billie was still my second.  In the old days we were labor leaders in the water department, so it was only natural that we would continue on in those capacities in our current situation.
	The party was in full swing when suddenly the entire chamber began to shake and rumble.  An entire case of '53 Dubuque, was rattled off the table and shattered on the floor.  A layman would have thought that there had been an earthquake, but anyone who had ever been around large pumps before, would have recognized cavitations when they heard it.  
	Billie leapt to the motor control center and threw the breaker slowing the pump to a stop.  Cavitations occur when air gets into a pump, and the air bubbles cause a hammering effect on the impeller.  If she wouldn't have stopped it so quickly, the pump could have suffered damage, and we were in no position to send out for new parts.
	Billie is a quick thinker and my closest friend.  She's pulled my fat out of the fire more times than I care to admit, and as much of a hothead as I am, that's a lot.  She's a wiry 5' 3" finely quaffed blonde who makes my massive 6' 1" frame and unruly raven hair look almost brutish.  I'm not brutish of course, but everyone thinks that I am.
	"Harry!  Get below and find out what's happening with the supply.  Billie, call the Control Room and see if this is the only pump that failed, or if there any others that went out when this one did."  I might look rough, but I know how to take charge.
	"Laura.  Control says that all of the pumps have failed everywhere, but they also say that there's a good reason.  I'm not quite sure what they mean, but they're babbling something about getting water from the mountains.  They were cheering and they left the Control Room and haven't returned.  Before leaving, they said that we should all get up there."
	Harry's head poked up from the ladder and said, "Laura, the pipes are all severed.  You can go down about a hundred feet and they're cut clean.  Below that there's sand.  I mean the kind of sand like you'd find on the beach; I'm not sure where it came from.  There should be rock and sandstone down there, not loose sand."
	"Harry, take these guys with you and shut down the other pumps, Billie let's get up to the Control Room and see what's going on."
	I figured that Gail must've done something, but I wasn't sure what it was.  I thought briefly that she finally fell asleep and that everyone above ground had suffocated.  I also supposed that the ground beneath us was falling off, but that wouldn't explain where the sand had come from.  It would explain the silence of the Control Room and the severed pipes, but not the sand.  
	Cautiously I opened the door at the top of the stairs, ready to slam it quickly shut if the air was gone; but there was plenty of air.  More than that, the sky was blue again, and there were clouds high overhead and sure enough there were mountains too.  The Control Room Operators had opened up a few beers and were dancing around outside in the sunlight.  I wanted to join them, but I was in charge and thought better of it.
	The water treatment plant was on the easternmost edge of the city, but we still had a clear view of the mountains far to the west.  I had always liked the crisp mountain air, so they were very inviting to me.  I'd wondered if Gail had built a new world for us, and if so, and also thought that she had displayed an exceptionally good taste.
	Then we felt a hot dry blast of air from behind us, and we turned and saw a vast desert sprawled out as far as we could see.  The dunes and scrub brush far below us, were all that could be seen beyond the cities edge.  Maybe she didn't have as good a taste as I had thought.
	Hearing the phone ringing in the Control Room, Billie had gone to answer it.  She informed the men below of what was going on above and told them to get up here as soon as everything below was secured.  The phone rang several more times before she returned.
	"Officer Harkness said that Gail has taken us to the dimension where she received her powers, and then she collapsed.  They've taken her to… a castle of all places.  They said that it's one that he said that she inherited from an evil sorceress that she had defeated long ago and he said that it now belongs to her.  The castle is in the mountains at the northeast edge of the city.  We're supposed to go there for a big meeting to decide where we go from here."
	"Well, I suppose that we better go then.  Let's leave Harry in charge here when he gets back and we'll be off to see the castle."

Chapter 18

The room was huge.  It had ancient stone ceilings that rose to a height of at least sixty feet.  There seemed to be many fine furnishings with rugs and wall hangings scattered profusely around the walls and they were all in immaculate condition.  I didn't really understand how that could be so, if she hadn't been here for over a hundred years; everything should have deteriorated and decayed: but it hadn't.  
	In the middle of the room sat a huge circular table.  I couldn't help but think of King Arthur as I saw it, and I really wouldn't have been surprised if we had been introduced to Guinevere and Lancelot.  Many of the City leaders had already arrived and many more were still on their way.  Unfortunately I saw plenty of bugs there also.
	Harkness directed us to sit at a four o'clock position to his noon.  The rest of the idiots from the City Engineering Department sat to our left and Waste Management was to our right.  It took another hour before the last group arrived and we were able to begin.  Of course they had to be the City Managers: you know how they are.  Politicians are always a dollar too short and an hour too late…except in an election year that is.
	Harkness began.  "Thanks for coming everyone.  As you've probably figured out by now, our situation has changed again.  I think that this time at least it's an improvement over the last change.  We've been taken to another dimension entirely.  Gail has assured us that it's perfectly safe, but I think that we should find out for ourselves if that's really true or not."
	"Gail has collapsed from exhaustion, and from what I hear she won't be up and about for weeks.  I've already sent a message to the Neo-Amish community to scout out the lands to the west, with special orders that they look for minerals and croplands.  We need to assemble teams to travel east and see the extent of this desert and to find out what is on the other side."
	"Here at the edge of the desert, there is no water, so we won't be able to dig a well deep enough to find adequate water, therefore I'm assigning the Engineering Department the task of building an aqueduct to carry water from the mountains."
	"Since it will be a while, until they're built, we'll have to ration what's in the reservoirs until it can be replenished from the mountain snows." Smiling he turned to my crew.  "Laura, that means that your crew will be free for a while.  Since that's the case, and since you've had desert training in the service, I'm assigning your people the task of exploring the desert.  Get a good night's sleep, take what you need and get started in the morning."
	"I'm assigning all crews an E'Qwan to provide communications under any circumstances." With a derisive chuckle, which let me know that he knew about my past discretion he continued, "Laura, since you're already established such a good rapport, you'll take L'Dahl with you into the Eastern Desert.  And Laura…nothing better happen to L'Dahl, if you want to find your way home.  We've found that compasses don't work here, and radios have a very limited range.  With It's connection to the Hive, L'Dahl will be the only way to find your way home across the desert, so take good care of It."
	He said a lot of other things and made a lot of other plans, but I stopped paying attention after that.  He'd sentenced me to hell.  I hate the desert, I hate the bugs and I really hate that particular bug.
	It wasn't too surprising, but I didn't sleep very well that night.  I had strange dreams of burning sands, hot suns and oddly enough, losing at poker.  Unfortunately the morning came way to fast, and I really wasn't rested at all.
	At 8 a.m. I met Billie and L'Dahl.  Tom Petersen, of the City Engineering Department was also assigned to go with us.  Tom was a likable sort, and knew how to have a good time.  His tall frame and lopsided grin was always disarming, and so was his outgoing nature.  I hated people like that.  As far as I'm concerned, there's too much wrong with the world to take life so lightly, and I've always been disgusted with people who couldn't see that.  I would have insisted that they send someone else, except that he was the only one who knew how to handle the camels.
	We had found that there was something about this place that prevented a standard gasoline powered engine from running properly.  Normally we would have just taken an 8-wheeler out into the desert, but we found that none of them were working.  We knew that eventually we'd get them working, but for now we either had to walk or ride camels since the police weren't about to part with any of their electracycles. Tom was the leader of the Shriner's Camel Patrol, and we needed their camels, so we needed someone to handle their camels too.  That's how we got stuck with Tom.  
	I couldn't believe that in this day and age we were stuck riding camels.  I'd ridden horses before, so I thought that I was prepared for this; but there's a big difference between horses and camels.  I understood the fact that camels can survive in the desert much better than horses, but I couldn't help but feel that we were shortchanged.  Here we are riding off to our great adventure, not on a magnificent stallion, but on a filthy beast.  
	As a local Labor leader, I'll let you in on a little secret.  There are two types of union leaders: the ones who are looking after their own interests and the ones who see themselves as the knights in shining armor who are coming to the rescue of the poor and downtrodden.  I am the latter and it feels good to be able to help my union brothers and sisters.  When someone has been wronged, or at least feels that they've been wronged, I and others like me, are willing to fight for them or if necessary to console them.  The age of chivalry has never left us; it's just taken on other forms.
	I've always identified myself with Don Quixote, and seen myself as a knight in tarnished armor, rushing off on a noble quest to save the world from its unbeatable enemies.  Someone has to be the one the fight the unwinnable battles, just because they need to be fought.  Like my ancient counterpart, I see myself as that champion who perseveres despite the derisions and shaking heads of those all around me.  And do you know what?  When you fight the unwinnable battles: sometimes you win them.
	That's why I have so little patience for those that are so light hearted that they refuse to see the windmills about them.
	Just for once it would have been nice to have actually been that knight leaving on a quest of great importance, perched upon my best friend, my noble steed, my beloved horse.  Instead, when I met my camel it spit in my face.
	After washing and loading up our supplies, we entered the desert.

Chapter 19

I never really liked desert travel all that much.  I hate sand and I really got to hate riding camels.  Billie and her camel, Gus, became quick friends, unlike me and my camel Fred.  (What is it with these Shriners?  Couldn't they come up with more inventive names?)  Billie is one of the people that everyone, including obviously animals, just loves to be around.  I've known her pretty much all of my life and I couldn't have asked for a better friend.  She always finds new things in life to be excited by.  I can get to be kind of moody and sometimes downright depressed, and she'll come up to me and have me feeling jovial five minutes later. 
	L'Dahl refused to ride a camel and walked instead.  It said that it wasn't right that one creature be forced to carry another and went on ranting about the dignity of the beast, and the human hypocrisy of demanding dignity for ourselves and at the same time denying it to these camels.  I never would suspected that It could feel as passionate about injustices as I do myself, and I couldn't help but develop a grudging respect for that nasty little bug.  Even so…a camel? Really.
	The Shriner though was a worthless human being, as far as I was concerned.  Tom Peterson rode along inanely telling one stupid joke after another and one pointless life story after another.  What did I care if he drove little cars in parades, I hate parades.  They're just there to make the masses feel good about their lot in life, without really changing it.  Even worse: he's a member of their clown patrol.  He probably believes in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny too.  What a sap.
	"Hey Peterson."  I sniped.
	Galloping up on his camel, Barney, he pulled alongside of me.  "What's up Laura?"  In his disgustingly cheerful voice.
	"What's the deal with these camels?  They're not from the zoo, and they've obviously been well trained.  Where do you get something like that in this day and age?"
 	"These are the camels that the Shriners use in parades.  We do tricks with them, so we spend a lot of time getting to know them and training them.  A good trainer becomes their camels best friend."
	Well if he can't have human friends, "Why do you spend so much time on such a pointless pursuit?"
	"Well Laura, I suppose that you could see it that way if you want to: but for myself, I see great value in developing new friendships and in performing in parades.  When I see the happiness and thrills in the eyes of the little children, I know that the world is a little happier, and therefore a slightly better place."
	"You sure that it's not just a chance to forget about the worlds problems and a time to have a drunken party with you buddies?"
	"I can't deny that it's always a good time being with friends, but most of us are too disciplined for the kind of activities that you imply."
	"Disciplined?  Hanging out with camels?"
 	"If you don't think that it takes patience and discipline to train camels, why don't you give it a try?"
	"Filthy beasts…I don't think so.  Thanks anyway."

It's usually a good plan to do at least some of your desert travel by night, but not knowing the terrain we opted for daytime travel, which made for a hot trip.  After a week of this, I was ready to turn around, but L'Dahl said that It could sense mental activity ahead, so we pushed on.  The next day we saw the edge of a distant forest, and after a few more hours we felt our first shade in over a week.
	The forest was much cooler than the desert and we could even feel dampness in the air, although that really wouldn't make much sense so near the desert.  We decided that it must have been our unconscious desires for humidity that made us imagine it.  
	Pushing on we found a small stream, that seemed to have good water, but Tom wouldn't let us drink any until he looked at it through his portable microscope.  I thought that that was pretty arrogant of him, considering that Billie and I are the ones who are trained to work with water supplies, not him.  Maybe he'd taste it first and keel over with something virulent, I thought, but L'Dahl scanned it with Its mind, for signs of life, and said that it was clean.  And It was right.
	We set up camp near the spring and rested.  L'Dahl contacted the Hive in the City and reported in while Tom watered the camels.  Billie and I set up the tents and the camping stoves.  I couldn't help but feel that the woods had a cheery feel to it.  The pleasant sounds of songbirds, and of running water, cooled the tempers that had been building while crossing the desert, nevertheless it was a strange forest and we needed to maintain our nightly vigil.  Our sleep period each night was ten hours long with each of us taking two and a half hours for guard duty.  In that way we all received an adequate amount of sleep while always keeping at least one of us awake at all times.
	At 2 am it was time for my watch.  I arose a little early and found Tom missing.  I wasn't sure if something had befallen him or if he had just abandoned his post, but I suspected the latter.  I put on, for the first time, the gun and holster that we each brought with us from the City and ventured into the woods.  
	I heard a noise a little ways to the east and decided that I'd see if it was Tom before waking the others to go looking for him.  The farther I went the more I could discern several voices.  They were all rather squeaky and giggly, and sounded rather like a bunch of grade school children.  I noticed that the multi-colored mushrooms and toadstools were huge.  In fact they were easily large enough for me to hide behind as I made my approach.
	The leaves hanging from the trees were also large and offered many opportunities for concealment.  The closer I got, the more I realized that it seemed to be a poker game in progress, but I couldn't tell what kind of stakes they were playing for.  Finally peering around a large mushroom I saw them.
	Rabbits!  There were rabbits playing cards.  There were four of them all sitting on their haunches around a flattened out table made of a yellow mushroom with purple polka dots, with the top leveled off.  They ranged from three and a half to five feet in height and each had an odd assortment of clothing on or about them.  I figured that I must still be sleeping and stood fascinated by the scene.  Every time one of them lost a hand they were required to put on an article of clothing.
	Finally one of them lost his last hand and was required to put on his last bit of the clothing from his pile of clothes.  The others all chittered and laughed, making jokes about Jak being a loser, but Jak rebutted them saying "No I wasn't!  Look at her!" pointing at me, "Obviously she lost before I did!" They all laughed louder and called him a sore loser.  I couldn't help but smile at such an absurd scene.
	"Well come over here Missy. I haven't seen one of your kind in a very long time.  Where did you come from?" said the Rabbit in the top hat.
	"We came across the desert." I said woodenly.
	"You must be mistaken.  Nothing comes across the desert, are you sure that you didn't come through one of the portals?  You look like you're from Earth.", chimed in the one in the top hat.
	"I am from Earth.  Look here, how do you know about the Earth."
	"If you came across the desert, you're not from Earth, uh, uh no way ma'am.  You must have come through a portal, show us where you were when you first got here and I'll send you home right away."
	Another one stopped munching on a hard-boiled egg, looked up and said, "No, no Hare.  Remember how I tried to use one a couple of weeks ago, but I found that none of them worked any more."
	"That's right.  How curious.  Now see here young lady; what have you done to our portals?!  They used to work just fine.  Was it you that broke them, hmmm?  Speak up."
	I'd had about enough and was just about ready to shoot them when the fourth one, much older than the others, spoke up. "Maybe she came from the same place as the sandmen.  Is that it?  Are you here to hurt us too?  Have we played our last game?"  At that possibility they all froze like deer in the headlights.  Whoever these sandmen were, they obviously weren't as friendly as my game-playing friends before me.  I must be a sucker because I felt sorry for them.
	"I'm not here to hurt you.  I'm just exploring, these lands to the east.  My old home was destroyed, and we're trying to find out as much about the surrounding countryside of our new home as we can."
	Jak bounced up relieved, "Was it the sandmen that destroyed your old burrow?  Did you say we?  Who's we?"
	"Whoa, slow down buddy!  First of all I have no idea who these sandmen that you talk about are, and secondly, I don't even really know where we are.  I have three others with me, along with our camels…"
	"Camels?  What's a camels?  Do they play cards?  How bout you, do you play cards?"
	"Lets try to stay on target here.  Camels are animals, that aren't too smart, and they carry things for us.  My friends are two other people who are humans, like me, and one E'Qwan, which is sort of like a large bug.  You do have bugs here don't you?"
	"We have caterpillars…and butterflies…like them?"
	"Not really.  I'll take you to meet them if you like later.  Let's start over again.  My name is Laura and I'm pleased to meet you."
	"I am Jak.  Jak Rabbit."  Of course he was.  "And my friends here are called Easter Bunny, March Hare and Peter Cottontail." I really felt that I must be sleeping.  "We are old friends and meet here for breakfast every morning.  We play some cards and talk about life and politics.  Meeting you may give us something new to discuss."
	"And meeting you definitely will give me and my friends something new to talk about.  Do you live around here."
	The old one spoke up, "Oh yes my dear.  We all have burrows nearby.  Would you like to see them?"
	"Another times perhaps.  Tell me about the sandmen that you spoke of.  I take it that they aren't as friendly as you."
	"Oh no, no, no.  At first, we thought that they might be OK, but they have no sense of humor at all.  As soon as they rose from the sands of the desert, they asked the nearby squirrels to tell them who was in charge.  The old queen was a horrible person, so when they said that they were going to depose her, we were pretty happy.  As it turns out though, they're much worse than she ever was."
	"Let me guess…The Queen… of Hearts?"
	"How did you know?  Did you know her?  Anyway after they locked her in the dungeon, they started locking up other folks.  They're dreadful creatures.  You don't seem to be though, you seem pretty nice.  Maybe not as nice as Alice, but we'll see now, won't we?"
	"I guess you're right about that.  I think that my friends will really take to you."
	Jak jumped up again, "Can I go meet em?  Can I?  Can I?"
	"Why not.", and with that three of them excused themselves and went home, so just the last two of us were off.

Chapter 20

By the time we had returned, Tom had also returned.  What with all of the goings on regarding the surreal card came, I had almost forgotten why I was wandering through the woods in the first place.  "Where the hell have you been Peterson?  I thought something had happened to you.  Were you off sleeping somewhere?  Is that how you stand guard?"
	Ignoring my tirade, he asked.  "Who's that Laura?  It sure doesn't look like an E'Qwan, … is that a …rabbit?"
	"Indeed it is sir.  Jak Rabbit, to be precise, but just call me Jak if you please.  And you sir?  What mayhap be your moniker?"
	"What a well spoken bunny.  I am called Tom Peterson my fine furred friend.  I just know that you're going to be a fun guy to have around.  Do you want me to scratch your ears?"
	"Only if you want to lose a few fingers.  I can see that you're also from Earth, as is that young lady over there," then looking at L'Dahl, " but what my friend is this interesting creature?  Is it a friend, a pet or perhaps a beast of burden?"
	"I am called L'Dahl, and I am an E'Qwan.  Although I am not a native of Earth, I have come to think of it as my home.  This is a very strange place, which we have found ourselves in.  Does it have a name?"
"This place?  Not really.  Many of the lands of our world have names, but not this one, although we border the Kingdom of Hearts"
"And your world?  Has it a name?"
"Many; although I like to call it the world of Imagination. It's a place where many things, if not all things are possible.  The only bounds are our imagination and our strength of will in bringing things to pass."
I'd had about enough.  I'm a person who has always had her feet firmly planted in the reality and I intended to stay there.  "That's a nice fantasy, but…"
"Young lady it is no fantasy.  I have a doctorate in trans-dimensional topography and I am no child, nor am I delusional.  If things here seem a little odd to you there's a reason.  All things are composed of many dimensions and each thing has its location in time, space and along a few other dimensional axis.  One of those axis is that of imagination, and our world has a higher intensity than yours along that axis.  Even in your own world imagination is powerful.  No buildings or other structures can be built if it is not imagined first by someone, nor will products be built or delivered if someone hasn't imagined it first, and then exerted the effort to make it happen.  The only difference here is that less effort is required to make the imaginary become real."
I couldn't let this drivel go unchallenged.  "That's true, but imagination needs the application of the laws of physics to make those things reality.  It's hard work and unchanging physics that accounts for what you say, not some zen philosophy."  
"Ah, a cynic!  Have you never thought about how it is that your na�ve Laws of thermo-dynamics state very clearly that everything tends from order to disorder, yet you stand there as an organism that has been produced over an enormous period of time that is continually becoming more organized.  How is that possible, you might ask?  I'll tell you.  Things become more organized by a directed external force.  That force is often the power of imagination.  Whether you became more organized by an external intelligence, or by the collected imaginations of lower beasts I cannot say.  What I can tell you is that those collected imaginations exerted have created a greater variety of life here in the Land of Imagination than may seem feasible to your more limited imaginations."
From Peterson, "I think I see what you're saying.  Everything is created mentally and spiritually before it's created physically.  But how does that account for the apparent breakage of scientific principles?
"You must be a builder of some sort.  Very good.  My friend, the only way to break a law of physics, is by the application of another law of nature.  The force that gravity exerts on a vegetable can be overcome by another force lifting it, and the vegetable need not fall.  Everything about you can be explained by scientific principles.  The problem that I've always found with you people from Earth, is that you are so arrogant that you assume that if you don't know about a force it doesn't exist." 
That actually brought a laugh from L'Dahl.  At least I think it was a laugh.  It sounded kind of like staccato buzzing to me.  "I've always found them to be like that myself."
"And you my friend are…?"
"L'Dahl.  My people are of a more enlightened and methodical race."
"Pity.  You're probably less likely to understand what I'm talking about than they are.  People who have their feet firmly planted on the ground are generally rather shortsighted.  Tell me friend, do your people enjoy poetry and fiction?"
"I have never known us to be so.  But we have discovered many great and wonderful things and built many amazing machines."
"Then you have never really created anything.  Discovering something is just a fancy way of saying that you found something, like a carrot laying in your path.  Anyone can be a discoverer, only very special people can invent or create something new."
L'Dahl looked crestfallen.  It was wonderful.
"Let me guess; your people communicate telepathically?"
"How did you know?"
"Only a being with an artistic flair can create something new.  Architects design a building, but leave the mundane tasks of filling in the details to the engineers around him or her.  The architect creates, the rest are just constructors.  Few people understand though what it means to be an artist."
"An artist is in all things a communicator.  It is their job to find ways to communicate to others the incommunicable.  A poet expresses feelings through poetry, and a painter through canvas and paints.  Writers create whole worlds through their use of verbiage and the reader experiences the impossible."
"Readers, and fans of the other arts are also artists.  They create whole worlds within their minds at the promptings sent forth by the artist or writer.  He who receives a communication must be as capable of understanding the message, as is the person sending the message: although sometimes the piece of art is meant to communicate only to the artist who created it, but either way, it is a form of communication."
"The problem my friend with telepathy is that telepaths rarely are able to conceive of the need for an artistic form of communication.  Telepaths express themselves directly and more accurately.  This means that they never find the need to develop their imaginations so that they can be artistic.  If you are truly telepathic my friend, I pity you, and your blindness."  Now I actually found myself pitying L'Dahl.  Absurd.
    	"Now tell me my friends, why have you come to this land?  Who or what do you seek?  And more importantly, do you play cards?"
Grinning broadly Peterson answered, "Friend, we love to play cards.  As for us; we're simply explorers.  We are on a quest to discover what lies beyond the horizon, and maybe to make a few new friends along the way."
"Wonderful.  It's always enjoyable to make new friends, but I'm really going to have to break you of that desire for discovery.  By the time we part you'll understand that we create our destiny, we don't discover it."
Stepping forward for the first time, Billi said, "Maybe we should clarify a few things for you sir.  We're actually refugees more than we are explorers.  Since you seem to know about the Earth, you should be informed that the Earth no longer exists, other than as floating debris and scattered rubble.  Of the billions of people and trillions of other life forms that once existed on the Earth, only one small city has been spared."
With tears brimming in his eyes Jak asked, "How did such a thing come to be?"
"The Earth was suddenly attacked by a creature that was as large as the Earth itself.  The malevolent beast obliterated the Earth, save for the small part that we were lucky enough to live on.  There was a powerful woman who rose from the city and drove away the creature.  It was she who brought us to this place.  We settled far to the west and crossed the desert to discover…oops, bad choice of words…to understand how far it stretched.  We had no idea that another land existed here."
"I know the creature that you speak of.  It came here centuries ago and came upon us with evil intent.  Its bulk reached across the sky from horizon to horizon.  It's said that the sorceresses of the west drove it away.  Until that moment, we didn't even know that there were lands to the west, but when the sorceresses rose into the sky from beyond the horizon we knew."
  "The evil queen, fearing that she might lose her kingdom to those from the west, forbade exploration; and it wasn't until the sandmen rose from the desert recently that there was any contact with the west.  Evidently the queen was right, because the first thing that the sandmen did was to depose her.  Even now the entire Royal Family reside in their old dungeon beneath the castle."
"Sir.  How is it that you didn't know of the lands to the west, but you knew of Earth?"
"Ah.  Well that was Alice's doing."

Chapter 21

We decided to travel to the Queen's castle and have a look at the sandmen ourselves.  Our new friend, Jak, was a strange duck…or rather a strange bunny.  One minute he's bouncing off of the wall, and the next he's rambling deeply into his odd philosophies.  I wasn't really sure at the time what it was that he was trying to tell us, but either of his personalities helped pass the time.
The forest was so dense that we had to leave the camels behind.  Being slightly claustrophobic, Billie wanted to stay behind with the camels, but I felt that they were Peterson's responsibility.  He protested, of course, but he couldn't argue with the fact that they really were his responsibility and not ours.
The forest was generally dark with a lot of patches that were open to the sky.  This gave the strange effect of seeing light streaming through the branches no matter where you were.  You were never in the dark long enough to get gloomy, yet you also felt closed in.  I'm not sure that any forest on Earth could have had the same effect.  In some places we had to push our way through the undergrowth and in others we had open spaces.  Many of the plants were familiar to me, but many weren't.  I could almost swear that some of them were even scowling at us.
For three days we followed what Jak called the "Bunny Trail", and yes it's the same one that Peter Cottontail hippity-hoppittied down.  The forest gave way to a steep sided valley that appeared to be the bottom of a large crater; whether volcanic or meteoric, or something else I couldn't be certain, but it measured at least twenty miles in diameter.
In the center of the crater stood a peak, and atop it stood a brightly colored castle.  The bottom of the crater was alive with the color of many and varied forms of flowers and other plants.  It was altogether the most beautiful sight that I had ever seen in my life.  
The air was filled with many interesting creatures bedecked all in colors, some of which I had never seen before and could never describe.  The floor was alive with color, both moving and immovable.  If I hadn't known how I had arrived there I would have sworn that I had died and gone to Heaven. 
The only blot on the scenery was a dark patch of something near the base of the castle's peak.  "Jak.  What is that ugly thing near the castle?"
"Be wary my friends, for that is the lair of the sandmen.  The old queen may have been evil, but it was contained within her.  The sandmen are so vile that they contaminate even the surroundings about them."
"How is that possible?"
"I have tried to make you understand the power of the imagination, and that is how that stain was created."
"Are the sandmen that powerful, then?"
"The sandmen?  Oh, no, no.  The sandmen are actually very dull, but their evil has activated the imaginations of the inhabitants of this land and it is their collective consciousness that has created that stain.  In this land we all have highly developed imaginations, and we can imagine as much evil as we can good.  Until the sandmen came, we had little exposure to evil.  Oh, the queen tried to simulate evil, but she has a one-track mind and could really only think up a few evil things on her own.  The sandmen though had a bigger repertoire.  If they remain too long, that stain will grow until it covers the land.  If that happens, all that beauty will die and it will be replaced with what exists within the stain."
"And that would be?"
"Pray that you never find out."
Just then L'Dahl burst in, "Someone comes, let us take cover."  And with that Jak and L'Dahl both burrowed into the ground leaving Billie and I to scramble for the cover of a nearby brier patch.
From the bushes we were able to see a procession of the absurd.  A line of a dozen or so playing cards walked along with their ankles in chains.  They were flanked on all sides by smirking dice whose blood red faces and glowing dots gave off a malevolent radiance.  Every so often one die would shout "Silence!" and roll over the offending card; its sharp corners slightly piercing the hapless card.  The inhuman laughter of the dice drowning out the screams of the injured member of the deck.  
Jak quietly popped up behind me.  "Did you see them?"
"Yeah.  Those aren't the sandmen are they?"
"Oh, no.  Those are just dice.  The dice have thrown their lot in with the sandmen.  They were never really very happy with the way that things have always been, so they threw their lot in with the sandmen."
"How could you not be happy in a place as beautiful as this place?"
"Simple jealousy.  The dice represent chance.  Nothing is left to the imagination.  The cards represent skill and imagination.  With a deck of cards and a little imagination, you have a lifetime of entertainment.  With a deck of cards you can develop your skills in any of thousands of possible games.  With the dice the only possible skill that you can develop, beyond the estimating of odds, (a not very imaginative skill if you ask me) is the skill of cheating; and cheating falls in with the thinking of the sandmen more that it does with the rest of the inhabitants of this land."
It took me a few minutes to digest what he had said, then I queried "Imagination is the currency here then?  It's a form of status?"
"Only to those who lack it.  Generally most of us are thrilled to see what someone else has imagined, it isn't a form of status, nor is it a currency, it is inborn to us all, and only coveted by those who lack it."
Then L'Dahl surfaced.  "There's something following them underground"
From Jak, "That would be the sandmen.  Did your tunnel suddenly fill with sand then as quickly have it ooze away again?"  L'Dahl nodded. "Yep.  That's them all right."
Billie generally stayed pretty quiet, but when she did speak up it was usually worth listening to.  "Where are they taking them and what are they going to do with them?  Jak, Shouldn't we try to free them?"
	"If they do with them what they did with the rest of the Royal Family, they'll be taken to the dungeon for interrogation and then chained up by that growing dark stain.  In the past no one thought that the Hearts could be questioned, but showing them humbled like that inspires the dark thoughts within the populous: and that causes the stain to grow bigger.  As long as that stain remains, it will inspire the darker aspects of our imaginations, and the land is doomed.  To answer your other question, we must free them."

Chapter 22

We radioed Peterson and told him of what we had found.  The interference had long since obscured our radio communications with Kansas, but our walkie-talkie was still able to contact him.  If I would have given it a little more thought, I should have realized how impossible it would have been for him to offer any assistance.
We moved as stealthily as possible following the path of the bizarre chain gang.  It ran through a series of switchbacks that lead down into the valley; at the turning point of each switchback was a tall tree, and in the base of each tree was a hole that led downward.  Jak had explained to us that before the sandmen came, there were wizened bunnies, stationed at each tree, who had lived in each of the holes.  Each bunny had a riddle that had to be answered before a traveler was allowed to proceed further into the valley. 
The sandmen had surprised them aged guardians by digging their way into the tunnels, rising from the holes behind the guards and capturing them before they could raise they alarm.  Normally, if a traveler had either refused to answer the riddles or if they were unable to do so; the sentinel bunny would raise an alarm and the inhabitants below would scurry for cover.  Since they had not raised an alarm, no one was prepared when the sandmen entered the valley and attacked.  Within minutes the royal family and their guards were in chains, and the land was lost.
Although I really felt the need for silence, there were a few questions that I had to have answered.  "Jak, how well do the sandmen see?  If we get closer will they be likely to spot us?"
"They might, but they're also pretty dimwitted, and they might not even notice us if we were standing right behind them."
"Are they really made of sand. Or is that just a name for them?"
"Oh, they're made of sand all right, but they can also make themselves as hard as rock if they need to.  They're really very versatile, although as I said before, they're not too bright.  No imagination at all!"
As we passed the second turn-a-round, I noticed the small dam in the valley's head.  "If we can break the dam while they are in front of it we might be able to wash them away and if we're lucky enough to catch them in their sandy form we'll be able to scatter their particles so much that they might not ever be able to reform."
"Wow.  You my friend are just like Perry Hatter.  I'm impressed."
"I just know that I shouldn't ask, but who is Perry Hatter?"
	"In a world, like ours, where anything is possible, there's no point in writing literature about the amazing and fantastic, because that's an everyday phenomenon.  Our writers write about worlds with unchanging natural laws and ingenious inhabitants.  There's a certain peacefulness about things that never change, when you live in a world of constant change.  Perry Hatter and the Scientists Store is a story about one of those ingenious people.  When I say that you're like Perry Hatter, it's a compliment. Believe you me."

Chapter 23

To make our plan work, I knew that we would first need to free the hostages and remove them from the path of the flood, which would be created when the dam was burst.  "We'll need to free the royal family first.  As bad as they might have been only they have the needed resources that can be rallied, if we're to have a successful counterrevolution.  Can you tell me where they're being held, Jak?"
	"Not really.  Are you sure that you want to free them?  Do you know what they're like?"
	"Let me guess.  The queen's favorite phrase is off with their heads, right?"
	"Hey that's right, how'd you know?  Do you know her?"
	"No, but Alice mentioned her, in her book."
	"Really?  How is Alice these days?  I haven't seen her for a while."
	"I've never met her.  I just read about her."  I really had no idea if Alice really existed, but I wasn't going to argue with a rabbit over it. "Billie, why don't you… Billie where are you?"  I felt ice running down my spine.  "Billie?"  I cursed under my breath.  Billie was my closest friend and I could count on her for anything.  The only problem with her is that she can be a little impulsive sometimes.  She has a habit of rushing into trouble without really thinking about what the possible consequences may be.  I never should have let her come along.
	"Don't be concerned for your friends safety, she's just in the hutch." Jak continued, "When we passed the hutch of the last Sentinel Bunny, I saw her enter the hole.  Presumably to investigate, but maybe she was looking for the tea party, I can't really say."
	"Can you say where those holes will lead her?"
	"Depends.  If she takes the straight tunnel she'll go to the land ruled by the King and Queen of Diamonds: if she goes left she'll find the land ruled by the Spades, and if she goes to the right the land of the Clubs.  Hopefully, she wasn't dumb enough to take the tunnel backwards into the Queen of Hearts Castle."
	"Why didn't you tell me that there were three other kingdoms in the land?  We could have appealed to them for help."
	"Everyone knows that there's four kingdoms.  Really.  Like your plane of existence, this is a universe with four dimensions.  Three of the dimensions we have in common, but where you have time as a fourth dimension of time we have a fourth dimension of imagination.  I thought that I already explained that to you."
	"Yes, yes, you did: but what does that have to do with how many kingdoms there are?"
	"I guess that I need to give you the rudiments.  Our Earth isn't the same size as yours is.  We are in the fourth dimensional world of imagination, so our Earth has four separate lands, and each land has four separate rulers.  Here we have the Kingdoms of Hearts, Diamonds, Spades and Clubs, and where you came from, just before coming here, there were four Sorceresses ruling the North, South, East and West.  Is that simple enough for you?  Hmmm?"
	I was getting a little irritated with his condescension.  "You should have told us this before.  What's in the other two lands?"
	"I'm not going to tell you.  I don't like your tone."
	"For all the…  All right, will you at least help us to follow her through the tunnels?"
	"I don't know about the Earth that you came from, but on this one we have manners.  This is a magical land, and you need to use the proper magical words to get what you want."
	I felt like I was a four year old being lectured by a scolding adult.  "Would the magic word perhaps be please?"
	"That's right.  Now shall we be off?"  And with that he hopped off towards the last hole that we had passed.

On the way there we had radioed Tom to fill him in on the situation.  Leaving the camels with the other rabbits, he met us at the hole and we all followed Jak downward.  The tunnel wasn't really a structure at all, like nothing on the old Earth, that I would have considered to being structurally sound.  It seemed to have been tunneled out by simply compacting the dirt into the surrounding walls.  The compacted dirt may not have been as strong as concrete, but it seemed to be sufficient.  The tunnel was plenty tall for Jak and L'Dahl, but the Shriner and I had to stoop the whole way; which forced us to stop often so that we could sit down and try to stretch out the kinks in our backs.
	"Hey rabbit.  Are you sure that Billie came this way?"
	"Indeed she has my dear, can't you see the scuff marks that her shoes have made on the floor?  All we have to do is follow these marks.  Bunnies don't wear shoes, so our toes leave these kind of marks here."  He pointed to a kind of trail that had sharp indentations at the ends.  I could see that there was only one trail that didn't have those indentations, so I understood that we were on the right track.
	Tom Peterson kept looking at the construction and shaking his head and muttering to himself about not seeing what's holding the whole thing up.  Finally he asked, "Where's the light coming from?"
	Jak answered, "From the sun.  It's just being diffused through the atmosphere, till it gets down here."
	"That's impossible.  Light doesn't diffuse that much."
	The bunny chuckled, "Maybe not on your world…"
	Just then we came to a spot where the tunnel had three more branches that we could take, just as Jak had predicted that it would.  "Which way Jak?"
	"That my dear depends on what you want.  If you want the shortest tunnel, we'll go to the right.  If you want the prettiest the left."
	"How about the one that Billie took?"
	"Then we go to the right, but before proceeding you must answer the riddle."
	"What riddle?"
	"The one that Sentinel Bunnies would have asked you if they were still here.  Even though the questioners have been captured, the questions should still be asked.  It's just propriety.  Rules are still rules, and since I am the only one here who knows the questions, I'll do the asking."
	Getting a little annoyed I said, "This is really stupid…"
	"Don't ridicule our ways young lady and I won't ridicule yours.  No, no: here's the riddle…We support all, we terrify all, we entertain all and we are one of four. Who are we?" 
	Peterson spoke first, "OK, I'm pretty good at puzzles.  The part about being one of four is easy.  It's one of the four suits.  Give me a few minutes to think about the rest."
	By now I was really fed up with this nonsense.  "This is really stupid.  Let's just follow her footprints."
	"If you do you won't know in advance what you're walking into." Retorted Jak.
	"Just do what he says." From the bug.
	"Hold on Laura, I think that I've got it." 
 	Lord but Peterson annoys me, the only one in this group that I liked was Billie and she's the one that's missing.  "Spit it out."
	"OK Jak here's the answer.  We support all, we terrify all, we entertain all and we are one of four. Who are we?  We're the Clubs, right?
	"That's right, you may pass."
	How did you get that Peterson?"
	"It's really very easy.  A club is and organization that supports people of like interests: it's also a weapon to beat people with: it's also an entertainment establishment as in a night club and finally it's one suit of a deck of cards.  Either way we can pass.  Lead on McDuff."

Chapter 24

The tunnel had led downward until we had reached that point where the four tunnels had all come together: from that point on it steadily rose until it came to a hole similar to the one that we had entered.  The whole trip had taken us only about three hours, so I realized that the entire land must be pretty small.  When I voiced this Jak replied that, "According to Alice the entire land was about the same size as some place called Texas."
"That's impossible.  There's no way to walk across Texas in three hours.  You must be mistaken."
"Did they have tunnels like these in this Texas place?" asked the Hare.
"Well of course not."
"There you have it.  We couldn't get around as fast as we did either without these tunnels, or others like them.  Every school bunny knows that: why do you think that we guard them so well?
"But…"
"The tunnels are shorter than the surface because we all agreed that they would be.  What's so hard to understand about that?"
I gave up.  We climbed out of the hole and the countryside here was much like the one that we left except it didn't have that air of decay about it that you could feel in the Kingdom of Hearts.  Obviously the Sandmen hadn't reached here yet.  "Are the Royal Family of this kingdom any friendlier than the family in the Land of Hearts."
"Oh my yes," said Jak, "but they're not as sophisticated either.  The Clubs Kingdom is more of a farming community.  They supply us all with the best clover and carrots that there are to be found.  They work the land unpretentiously beside their commoners.  Unlike the Hearts, their royalty feel that all members of the suit are of equal value.  They believe that they are stronger together, and powerless as individuals.  After all a pair of deuces will always beat a single ace."
"That's refreshing.  As a union person I know how strong a group can be when we work together.  By working alongside the lower classes they know what the people feel that they govern and they can govern well.  The best ruler is usually the best servant."
"If you say so.  Look there's the castle over there."  He was pointing at a slovenly pile of stones.  I didn't find myself too impressed with the castle.  The fields around it though were neat and well ordered, but that structure could use a little tidying up.
When Peterson finally spoke up he at least had something to say that wasn't as insane as the rest of this land.  "What a dump.  I doubt that these people will be much use to us when it's time to fight off the sandmen."
"You didn't say that you wanted warriors.  I thought that you wanted to find Billy.  If you wanted warriors you should have gone to the Kingdom of Spades.  They're the warriors." Announced Jak.
"Of course we want to find Billie, but it would have been nice to find both.  I would have thought that Spades would have been the farmers and Clubs would have been the warriors judging by their names."
"Oh no, no, no.  With that reasoning, the Hearts would have been the artistic sensitive types, but they're not.  The Diamonds are the sensitive artisans of this Land and the Hearts are the materialistic money-grubbers.  Here comes the King.  Maybe he's seen Billie."  Waving and thumping his feet he called, "Hail great King how are things in the land of Clubs?"
The King of Clubs was, as was by now no surprise, a giant playing card.  What was unexpected was that he was carrying a hoe rather than a scepter and he wore a set of dirty denim coveralls.  "My word if it isn't the old carrot eater Jak.  Things be fine here my friend, how go things in the Land of Hearts?  We haven't heard from anyone official there for quite a while."
"I'm sorry to report dire tidings Sire.  Invaders from the outside have imprisoned the Royal Family and are destroying the land.  A cloud of dark evil is growing in the heart of the land and is consuming it, but the card game continues."
"Well at least there's some good news, " chuckled the King, "anything I can do to help?
"No.  I suspect that we'll have to call in the Spades.  Have you seen a young lady pass this way?  Her name's Billie and these good folk are worried about her."
"That must have been the one that the Cat took to see the Caterpillar.  As I understand it she's dreaming right now, and enjoying herself.  Why don't we check on her and then you'd better tell me about these invaders."

Chapter 25

It turned out that Billie was fine, but it would also take her a few hours to sleep things off.  We decided to wait at the ranch house.  During planting season, the Royal Family of the Clubs lived in the ranch house with the rest of the ranch hands.  We washed up and had a sumptuous vegetarian feast.  Sitting around the table the King started the discussion.  "Now tell me who these invaders are?"
	I probably should have let Jak take the lead, but as you've probably figured out by now, I'm a little pushy.  "They're called Sandmen, and they came from the sands of the desert…"  The explanations went on for about an hour before the king ended it.
	"I think I've gotten all that I need to know about the Sandmen, now tell me about you.  I haven't seen any of you before: where do you hail from?"
	"Did you know Alice Your Highness?"
	"I've heard of her.  I think that my wife met her once.  Are you saying that you're her or that you're kin of hers?" 
	"Well neither Sire: but we come from the same world as she did."
	"Truly?  When all of the portals stopped working, we didn't know that anyone could come here any more."  I explained to him about the destruction of the Earth and the removal of Kansas City to the Edge of the Desert far to the west.
	"This all very interesting young lady, but where does this interesting looking creature hail from?" pointing at L'Dahl,  "I know that he's not a creature of your world."
	Speaking for the first time since the dinner began, L'Dahl said, "I sir, and my kind, are called the E'Qwan.  We came to Laura's world as refugees after our world was obliterated by an invader that we had never seen before.  We are not natives to her Earth."
	"Interesting.  And how is it that you can glow like a lightning bug?  Is it a chemical reaction like theirs or something else?"
	"My people have an exoskeleton made of energy, and as we put more energy into it glows brighter."
	"I thought as much.  So it glows as bright as you want it to, is that right?"
	"It is."
	"Truly amazing.  And these people are from Alice's land?"
	"And no one knows where the Sandmen are from, other than that they came out of the desert."
	"That's right."
	In a matter of fact voice the King stated simply, "I know enough.  I know how to defeat these Sandmen.  As soon as your friend awakes we'll take care of that task."

When the time came to execute the king's plan, we each had our own assignments and were well versed in our respective responsibilities.  Peterson was given the task of freeing the Heart's Royal Family, and took several of the King's men for the purpose: while he, Billie, and I distracted the Sandmen.  After waiting for the others to get in place we started down the slope into their encampment.
The beautiful Bunny Trail had become a rubble-strewn path.  The path was a study in contradictions.  It was a rugged broken stone thing that caused us, more than once, to slip and cut ourselves on the sharp stones.  Everything though on both sides of the path was incredibly beautiful, with colors more vibrant than anything on Earth.  With each step closer to the stain, the surroundings became less vibrant and more discordant, though no less eye-catching.  
The first flowers that we passed were singing cheerful songs.  The further we went the songs became less cheerful with each step and more dirge-like until at the halfway point the slightly wilted flowers were crying and in chains.  Further along they had grown evil thorns and fangs and cackled wickedly, sending vile curses our way.  I had never seen a more vile transformation.  Farther into the valley we could not go, because we could no longer countenance the evil which was all around us.
Thirty feet from the edge of the stain the sandmen rose from the ground: they assembled their sand particles into vaguely human form and bid us halt.  I could feel the evil influence from the stain trying to overwhelm my senses, and a part of me wanted to join with it.  Its darkness gripped my heart and subtly called out to me.  Looking about I could see that Billie was suffering as much as I was, although the King seemed serene.
Calling out the King proclaimed, "I am the King of Clubs, and my people are tied to the land.  You blight is not welcome here.  I, and my companions here, can resist your call, for we are motivated by the great duty of protecting and serving others.  True love is putting the welfare of others before your own welfare, and its opposite therefore is selfishness.  Love is the great creator and selfishness the great destructor."  Turning to the inhabitants of the land he continued, "These creatures gained a foothold in your land because your rulers were selfish.  But the people of this great land were never so.  Remember who you really are underneath all of this.  When you see the light, turn away from the darkness, and this stain can be transformed, as can your rulers."
While the partially transformed Heartlanders listened to the King of Clubs and as the Sandmen shambled forward: I could see L'Dahl and Jak, behind the Sandmen, climbing out of the tunnel that they had dug from below.  Jak quickly cut the bonds of the Heart Royal Family urging them to the higher ground.
At that time Johnson and his band of Clubs rode quickly in on the camels, grabbed up Jak and the Hearts Royal family and rode for higher ground.  Hearing the clatter behind them the Sandmen turned and attacked the only foe that was left behind for them.
When the Sandmen were within ten feet, L'Dahl put It's hand on the wall and flared It's shield to maximum intensity, burning a hole though the dam. The blast of water caught the Sandmen square in their faces and melted them into mud.   It didn't take long to shovel the newly made Mudmen into containers that they would not be able to escape from.

The rest was just, pardon the pun, mop up work.  It turns out that in addition to being a Shriner, Tom Peterson was a Knight Templar.  The Knights Templars, were at one time a necessary step in becoming a Shriner, but after that requirement was removed, the Templars went through a period of readjustment.  They decided to return to their roots: learning military strategy, and fighting practices until they became again the chivalrous warriors that they were fabled to have been during the Crusades.  Recognizing Tom's military prowess and leadership abilities, the King had put him in charge his men and of the rescue operations.  Maybe there's more to him than I thought.  
Surprisingly, the job of returning the humanity of the inhabitants of Heartland fell to the bug.  The King instructed It to flare It's shield to maximum intensity and to enter the stain.  Seeing the brightness start to wipe away the gloom, the good part of the imaginations of the lands inhabitants were excited and those combined imaginations fed the shield all the more.  L'Dahl grew to the intensity of the sun, It's telepathic abilities united the joy and happiness of all in the land and it became a place more beautiful than ever it had been before.  L'Dahl knew more elation and contentment that ever it did before: even as a part of the hive.  It joyfully knew that It would stay there forever.

Several days later, the King of Clubs, in an unprecedented event, held a conference with the Kings of all four lands.  The Clubs, Diamonds and Spades decided that the Heart's abuses allowed the stain to grow in their land.  They agreed to let the Hearts remain the Royal Family of Land of Hearts, but they placed L'Dahl as a Prime Minister, with power over them.
The King of Clubs also said that he would be glad to meet with the People of the Grove about relocating them to the agricultural Land of Clubs.  He wrote a personal note for us to confer to Gail when we returned, as well as a request for a treaty of friendship to be drawn up between our various peoples.  He then ordered the newly recreated Bunny Patrol to add a new tunnel to the tunnel system so that we could have a more rapid way to get back and forth between Kansas City and all of the Kingdoms in whole Land of Imagination.
After interrogating the confined Sandmen, we found that they were more henchmen of the Mountain King.  It was quickly becoming obvious that we needed to find out more about this creature. 
The day finally came for us to return home.  I was a very different person than I was when I got here.  We entered the new tunnel, with the promise that when the Sentinel Bunnies were reinstated, they would have a new riddle for the Bunny that guarded the entrance to the tunnel to Kansas.  I couldn't wait to get back there.  Although I enjoyed my stay in the Land of Imagination, there's no place like home.

Oddities
Chapter 26
From The Reconstructed Racial
Memories of Podkeeper X'Pao

As disorienting as it was when the Hive was broken into two Pods, it was even more so when we traversed the dimensions.  After all, even though the Pod that followed the strange teaching of I'Zakk had separated themselves from the main Hive, we still could reconnect with them if ever the need arose.  But to be cut off from the possibility of finding others of our kind who we might someday find in deep space, was deeply disturbing.  With I'Zakk's followers we might hope to be reunited, but now we will never be reunited with any of our lost podmates.  
	I had been separated from the Hive and was kept busy maintaining relations between the E'Qwan and the other people.  For months the Hive had been continuously maintained acting to coordinate communications during the long space voyage.  None of our ships had survived, so we were stranded unless we could contact others of our kind.
	The humans learned to exist with minimal electricity and machinery, to make supplies last as long as possible and to try to avoid over polluting our fragile balance.  That is why E'Qwan communications and power were so very important.
	On the day that we migrated to the new Dimension, I was tunneling beneath the city in an attempt to hollow out an area big enough to evacuate everyone to: in the event that the Lady of Light might be overcome with exhaustion.  My shields flickered briefly then flared with more strength more than I had ever known before.
	When I surfaced, I was surprised to find that the crimson skies had been replaced with natural blue ones with normal looking clouds.  I was equally surprised to see that the land now extended well beyond where the old dome had been.  To the west could plainly be seen mountains, and to the east a vast desert.  As it's last act, before dissolving into two separate Pods, the Hive ordered me to the Castle of the Lady of Light for information and guidance.
	Arriving at the castle, I was ushered in to a meeting, which was held in a large stone room, where many humans and several E'Qwan were given assignments: which seemed somehow improper to me.  Who were these humans to be giving assignments to any E'Qwan, it is we who should be giving assignments to them, and as one of the only surviving PodKeepers, that task rightfully should have fallen to me.  T'Zkk and I were not even deemed important enough to merit an assignment and left the meeting feeling somewhat offended.
	Perhaps it is time for the E'Qwan that have remained true to the Universal Outlook to physically separate themselves from the humans and especially from I'Zakk's apostate faction of the E'Qwan, and now I have heard that they have found these even more alien races in this new place.  How many more E'Qwan's belief's can these plantmen, rockmen and those other creatures pollute?  We were going to bring civilized thinking to these Earthers, and if the Destroyer hadn't interfered, we would have accomplished that task eventually.  It has shaken the faiths of many E'Qwan that the Universal Creator has allowed the beast to survive, much less the thought that It may have created the beast.  We were to bring faith to the humans, and we find ourselves on the brink of losing our own.
It was a quiet trek back to the temporary headquarters of the True Believers Pod, until Z'Tkk finally voiced what we both were thinking.  "X'Pao.  What are we to do now?"
"I've been thinking about that.  I think that we must find ourselves a new home.  We must find a place where we can avoid assimilation into the Earther culture.  These are very strange creatures with alien beliefs, and in this nation, they have a history of assimilating other cultures into their own.  Since we are now so few, we must safeguard ourselves against this ever happening to us.  We must find a place that is close enough that we may some day return for I'Zakk and It's podmates, but in a place that the humans cannot reach.  But where can this be?"
"I cannot say what the long term solution is, but for now we can move to the caverns underneath the city that we have been hollowing out.  Burrowing is natural to us but not for the humans.  We can lead our people there and make a temporary headquarters there until better arrangements can be made."
"You are a truly wise E'Qwan my friend.  It will be as you have said.  But first, you and I must scout out the caverns, close off the entrance that the humans know about and create new ones.  Will you select two more E'Qwan that we can trust to accompany us?"
"You are my PodKeeper.  As you ask, it shall be done."

Chapter 27

We met the next morning, Z'Tkk had with It, P'rll, one of the two remaining eggweavers, and B'rrs, one of the three remaining activators.  Our new home must be a place that will be compatible with our birthing practices.  So it was necessary to get their input on the selection of a new home, for we would eventually need to replenish our population. 
Unlike humans who have two sexes, we E'Qwan have a more civilized birthing process: which is one of the reasons that the humans can never truly understand all of the intricacies of the Universal Outlook.  When children are deemed necessary, an activator, (who is an E'Qwan who has been trained for that purpose) will activate the eggs that have been woven by an equally trained eggweaver and the entire community will unite their fields with the egg to create a new field for the young one.  The new field will come with all of the amassed community knowledge of the E'Qwan.  The entire Pod is involved with the creation of each new E'Qwan.  In that way an E'Qwan is hatched as a fully sentient being.
All E'Qwan have two types of memory storage.  The common racial knowledge, of such things as language, mathematics and history are inherent in their fields, and their personal knowledge is stored in their spirit, which resides, it is said, with the Creator.  When a new field is created, if everyone who assists in the creation of the new field has the same piece of knowledge stored in It's personal memory, but not in It's own field's memory: that shared personal memory becomes a part of the new field.  This is how our racial memory is able to grow, and include such things as mathematics, while we still each retain our individuality.  This is why we are better than simple humans who have to relearn everything with each new generation.
This is why it was so important to bring along an activator and an eggweaver.  For our culture to survive in a new place, that place must be conducive to the creation of a new shield, without outside interference.   This is why we four met that morning.

The first cavern that we had dug was unsuitable.  There wasn't the proper balance of minerals to properly nourish the new eggs, so we left the cavern for the human's use, since it was one that they had already known about.  Neither was the second cavern acceptable, but the deepest cavern: the third cavern, had the right conditions and would, we deemed, be our new haven.
Z'Tkk and I left the Eggweaver and the Activator there to lay out a plan for our new home, while we closed off the surface entrances to the other grottos.

We decided to close the portals to the forth and fifth caverns now, and close off the second and third after the migration of the rest of the Faithful E'Qwan.  We wouldn't tell anyone where we were going, although eventually we would get word to the Apostate and It's followers.
The operations in the fourth cavern went well, but when we reached the fifth, we found that someone had been there recently.  Sticking out of the wall was a pipe large enough for the largest E'Qwan to enter easily.  Although it looked much like a pipe that the humans might have used, it was made of a form of energy that was unknown to us, even though my Energy Sensing Stalks (or ESS) had sensed many webs and flows of many patterns of energies.  We called to P'rll and B'rrs, through the link that we had established: and asked them to join us, reasoning that perhaps with their training they might sense something more than we were able to do.  We told them how to find us and we waited.  
Just then we heard music and a furry creature rolled out of the pipe, stood and looked around, shook it's furry head and said, "Darn it.  Wrong place."  Seeing us for the first time it waved, bowed its head and rolled away back into the pipe, with the music fading behind it.
"X'Pao, did you see that?"
"Z'Tkk, I wished that I hadn't.  We can't migrate to our new home until we know how to close this portal, which obviously goes to some place with unknown sentient creatures.  If we can't close it we must ascertain whether these creatures might have beliefs which might pollute the Universal Outlook of the weaker E'Qwan."
When we were joined again with the Activator and Eggweaver, we had them examine the strange portal.  Neither of them had ever before seen its like.  After a period of discussing the various courses of action open to us, we decided that we needed more information and that we would need to follow the furred creature: so that we may see where the portal leads.
As we entered the portal, the same strange music that we had heard early returned and we were gripped by a force that seized us, sucked us through the glowing tunnel and spat us out on the other side, where the music abruptly changed to a different tune, running endlessly over and over again. It wasn't a long experience, but it certainly was a disturbing one.
Rising, we looked about us to see a landscape that was not possible.  All of our racial memories screamed at us to flee, for what we witnessed could not be.  We were standing on a cloud high in the air.  On the cloud were five more portals, with the one that we had fallen through hanging down from the cloud above us, just out of reach.  The sky was a brilliant violet, and what was worse that there was nothing below us.  Not ground, no planet, no stars, just the unending violet skies, and an occasional cloud with more portals rising up and hanging down from them.  The surrounding energies were even more confusing and disturbing: obviously of an unknown dimensional flavor.
I turned to see the other three E'Qwan huddling in fear and confusion and said simply, "We must flee this place."
We tried to jump up to that portal from which we had came through; but it was out of reach.  We climbed on one another shoulders until M'rll could reach it, but the portal wouldn't allow It to enter.  It was as if the portal would only allow a one way passage Finally we decided that we must try one of the other portals or stay there to die of lack of nutrients.  We couldn't risk getting separated, so it was decided that we would stay together, no matter what we may encounter.  A pod is always stronger, than a lone pod member.  We also decided to have the Eggweaver, weave small pieces of shell, with markings on it showing that we had been there.  In that way we could try to avoid traveling and circles, and if we are able, we can retrace our steps home.  
With those preparations in place, we chose the first portal and went in.

Chapter 28

The transport was the same as before, with the same eerie music.  We were disgorged onto a plane of glass, or perhaps ice.  It was as slippery as ice but warm to the touch and both the dimensional energies and the music, which seemed to emanate from everywhere, changed once again.  Our senses were again assailed, but we struggled to control our fear.  Looking behind us we saw that nothing existed beyond the portal.  Z'Tkk tried to reach in that direction, but hit an energy barrier that stopped It's movement.  It pointed in the opposite direction, "X'Pao, I think that we are being herded that way."
"We seem to have no choice then.  Let us discover who is herding us and to where."  I took a step and quickly slipped and fell on my shell.  My podmates helped me to rise and we linked arms and tried again.  We traveled perhaps a dozen steps more before we again lost our footing and fell once more.  This time there was no one to help us rise again, so we lay there on our back, like Earth turtles, unable to get off of our shells.  Does anyone have any ideas?"
We sat in silence for a long while before P'rll spoke up.  "I'm not sure how we'll get there, but turn your senses on that ice wall over there, " pointing ahead and just a little to the right, "do you sense the energies there?"
Z'Tkk answered first, "That spot doesn't look any different than the rest of the wall, but it has the same energies displayed by the portals."
I could see that It was right. "Anyone have any idea of how can get up so that we can get there?"
After a few minutes, B'rrs said, "If we link our arms and use our shields for propulsion, we should be able to slide ourselves through that portal."
"If no one has a better plan, let's give it a try."  Since there were no better ideas expressed, we linked up arms and energies and pushed off with our shields.  The glass beneath us seemed to have no friction, so we slid quickly and easily, and rapidly hit the portal and were whisked away: hopefully to safety this time.

We exited through a shear cliff face, into a jungle.  The sky was orange, and music was again playing, (although yet another tune) but other than that, things appeared normal.  Touching the cliff face, I could see that we could not re-enter the portal.  Unlike the first two worlds that we had visited, this one was full of life everywhere.  There were reptiles in armor and fish that would fly from one hole in the ground to another: lush red grasses and a bright blue sun.
Looking down on us the sun asked, "Who are you?  I've never seen your like before.  Are you lost?"
We should have been astonished by the concept of a talking sun, but by now we were getting acclimated to the strange and bizarre.  "Great being, you are very perceptive for we truly are very lost." 
"I thought so.  You have entered on a very dangerous journey, fraught with great dangers and many rewards.  Most creatures who begin this quest are of the human variety, but you four might have a few advantages that they wouldn't."
"We are on no quest.  We have no desire to be a part of any of these worlds.  We only wish to return to the rest of our podmates."
"Everyone is on a quest, even though some people don't realize it.  Many people are searching for their place in the universe, companionship, saving the life of another, entertainment, religion or something else and you too have a quest.  Yours will end when you defeat the Ruler of the Reptiles.  I'll look in on you and give you instruction from time to time, but you will need to find you own way.  At the end of this road you will find a guide that will help you find you way back home.  Remember, nothing here is as it seems normal to you in the outer world: even death.  Farewell.  I'll be watching over you."
"Wait…" With that the sun rose high into the sky and ceased showing any animation.  I've always been a calm and collected being, but I was getting very flustered.  Hearing a buzzing noise, the air shimmered before us, and the furry creature that had gotten us into all of this blurred into view.
"Darn it! Well maybe this time."  It said before it spun and noticed us.  Stopping and facing us, it said.  "I've seen you before.  What are you doing here?"
"Well could we ask the same question of you.  Where did you just come from?"
"I was trying to leap over the orange blob, when it caught my foot.  I was killed and had to start this level over again.  My name's Sport: who be you?  And when did you join the game?"
"I know not what this game is you speak of, but I am called X'Pao, and my companions are Z'Tkk, P'rll and B'rrs.  We are E'Qwan and of late from Kansas City."
"Cool.  I'm from Chicago myself.  Never seen E'Qwan used as avatars before, but why not.  Do you know what's been going on around here?  I've been unable to leave the game for the longest time, and none of the rest of the Avatars that I've run into have been able to either."
"Mr. Sport.  What game are you talking about?  We followed you here from Kansas City.  We know of no game."
"This is the interactive virtual reality game, Super Sparker 4000.  You must remember putting on the VR helmet before entering the game.  I'm really a 17 year-old guy who put on the helmet and entered the game when I was supposed to be studying for my history exam.  I figured that I could spare a few minutes for the game, put on the helmet and entered the VR world."  
"I've been trying to get out ever since, but I can't feel my outer world body any more, so I can't push the exit button.  I must've had a stroke or something.   What I can't understand is why no one on the outside has pushed the button to get me out of here."
P'rll spoke calmingly, "We can answer that question for you.  The Earth was destroyed, so I expect that your body, along with all of Chicago, have been obliterated.  Only Kansas City has survived, and only by being transported to a dimension that is ruled by the imagination.  You might be an Avatar but we are actual E'Qwan beings.  I can only assume that we were able to enter because we are partially energy beings.  What I fail to understand is how you were able to exit into Kansas City if you are only an Avatar."
"My avatar left the game?  That's really bizarre dude.  If what you're saying is true, and I really can't believe that it is, there are a lot of folks who need to be rescued from the game.  If our bodies are really gone, but we can make our Avatars real by exiting the game, we need to do it.  How do we get out?"
"The Blue Sun said that if we defeat somebody called the Ruler of the Reptiles, we can escape.  We need to find this Ruler and defeat it.", answered B'rrs.
"I did that once already: just before I saw you in the cavern.  I defeated the Ruler: he turned to dust: and I entered the portal expecting to go to another level.  That's when I saw you and went back.  Since I've already been there I can lead you to the Ruler of the Reptiles.  Let's go."
And we did.

Chapter 28

Being led by Sport, we followed the Golden Pathway that led to the Ruler of the Reptiles. We traveled from one unique land to another, starting with the jungle world that we were presently in.  
We were first challenged by a Land Shark: who would try to sneak up on us from underneath the velvety orange lawn.  Sport said that the computer generated Avatars, like the Land Sharks, were extremely limited in the places that they could travel and in the things that they could do.  In short, they had no imagination, whatsoever.  Our E'Qwan senses made it impossible for the Land Shark to catch us unawares.  Sport thought that that was a very handy ability, since many players fall again and again to the Land Sharks.
We were next accosted by an army of knife throwing turtles.  Sport reached into the bag that he kept slung around one shoulder and pulled out a ball with a burning fuse and tossed it at the turtles.  The ball flashed, the turtles had disappeared and a box with ribbons appeared.  Sport had explained to us that as we conquer the various obstacles along the way, we would be rewarded with a new Ability, which we would keep with us until we were killed.  He had P'rll open the box and It was given the ability to hurl balls of explosive energy.
Throughout the journey, clouds were attempting to drop boulders on us while plants shot lightning bolts at us, and all of the time the blue sun shined down on us.
Eventually we found our way to the Orange Blob that defeated Sport previously.  For an E'Qwan this was no problem.  We simply tunneled under it: rose behind it and Sport blasted it with his green lightning.  We had attained the portal out of this land, entered it and traveled to: first the land of endless oceans, where B'rrs gained the ability to make solid walls out of the air, and the gift of teleportation: then the land of pendulums and swinging axes, where Z'Tkk gained the ability to become invisible, and finally we reached the Snake World, where the Ruler of the Reptiles existed.
The ground there was composed of writhing snakes, and it was difficult to maintain our footing, so the going was slow.  We had to duck to avoid the snakes hanging from the ceiling and jump over the ones rising from the ground.  After defeating a carnivorous purple salamander, I received the ability to change my size, and added it to the one that I had acquired earlier, which was to create heat blasts.
Trying out this new ability I grew to enormous proportions, and saw what things awaited us ahead.  I also saw a furry Avatar, which looked similar to Sport, but of a lighter shade of brown, and longer fur with not as prominent a snout as the one that Sport sported.  This Avatar was trapped in the coils of a large red snake, a short distance in front of us.  With two steps I towered over the snake and used my field to encompass the Avatar.  I could sense that its energies were fading so I protected it until P'rll could blast it out of the coils of the snake.
The new Avatar brushed the loose scales from its fur and said in a decidedly feminine voice, "Thanks a lot, the one almost had me.  Name's Valkyrie, or Val for short.  It's not often that I get to meet up with other players, and I haven't been able to get out of the game for the longest time."
Putting on his most risqu� smile, Sport spoke first, "The name's Sport, and these are my friends, P'rll, Z'Tkk, B'rss and X'Pao.  They've figured out what going on and how to get out.  Where you from?"
"I live on a ranch, outside of Helena, Montana.  So fill me in."  We explained the situation to her and she didn't take it as well as Sport did.  It took us several hours to get her composed enough to stop crying, so that we could continue our journey.
The Ruler of the Reptiles was a fearsome beast.  A snakelike dragon with batlike wings, and large eyes that swiveled from side to side, blasting everything with its emerald laser beams which flared forth from the hypnotic eyes: its booming voice declared all sorts of monstrous oaths, but we ignored it, knowing it to be the mindless bit of programming that it was.
Sport said that he had defeated it before, and that the portal beyond it led to the caverns beneath Kansas City.  Before the destruction of the Earth, defeating the Ruler of the Reptiles made you the winner and ended the game: therefore it made an odd sort of sense that it would take you out of the game in this situation too.  Sport reached into his bag and pulled out an impossibly large ax, and he began hacking away at the dragon, while weaving from side to side to avoid its teeth and laser beams.  It was like watching the incredible mating dance of the Ring Moths of Tau Ceti, and more flowing than any Earth ballet.  Eventually the Ruler succumbed to the attack and disappeared in a glittering shower of sparks, and was seen by us no more.  
We had finally attained the portal home.  It was surprising how after days in this strange place I had come to think of Kansas as home.  I never had before, but at least Kansa City was familiar and things made sense there.
Along the way, P'rll had spun signs at the entrances to each portal that we found, explaining the way to return to Earth.  In that way the other Avatars, who were still trapped in the game, would know how to find their way out of the game.  There was an admonition that they work together and that the more proficient help the less skilled players to escape too.
P'rll spun one last sign the simply read, "THIS WAY OUT!"  We entered the portal and found ourselves, once again, in the caverns underneath Kansas City.  I led the way, was followed by Z'Tkk, P'rll, B'rrs, Val with Sport bringing up the rear.
"Looks like we all made it." said Sport.  "Let's get back to something familiar."
We traveled a short distance and the dark cavern flared with a bright blue light.  Turning we saw that the Blue Sun had followed us out.  Smiling he said, "What?  You didn't know that I was playing the game too?"  With that we became seven.

Chapter 29

We left Z'Tkk and the Blue Sun behind to welcome any additional players that might escape from the game before we could set up a communications system and lighting in the cavern.  The Blue Sun could provide temporary lighting, while Z'Tkk would be able to relay messages through the Hive despite the mile of rock above us.  Our people spent a lot of time underground back on the Homeworld: before it was destroyed.  That's probably why we evolved into telepathic creatures in the first place.
The rest of us set out on the long climb to Kansas City.  We took Sport and Val because they had said that they had relatives in Kansas City, whereas the Blue Sun, who it turned out: was from London, had no relatives in America.  
After a lot of discussion, we came to the conclusion that the game Super Sparker 4000 continued running past the destruction of the Earth because the Ultra Computers in which the game resided were at the offices of Interactive Recreations, which is located in Kansas City.  Therefore we had to make sure that they didn't shut down the computer until all of the players had been rescued from the game.
Reaching out I contacted the network that all E'Qwan use for communication, to see what had transpired in Kansas City during while we were gone.  The several teams that had been sent out to scout the area had returned, bringing with them more non-human indigenous creatures of this place.  They claim that there has been contacts with intelligent plants, rabbits, playing cards, several silicon based lifeforms and something called an Odaman.  I had been worried that no one would believe that the VR players could exist, but I then saw that that might not be a problem after all.  I told them that we were bringing refugees and asked them to have a human representative of the Temporary Governing Council meet us at the entrance to the tunnel that we had used to get into this cavern.
I asked Sport the name of his relative, and he said, "I have an Uncle Jim and Aunt Jenny.  I don't know their address, but their last name is Clancey.  My name's not really Sport you know.  It's Tim Berkin.  That's how Uncle Jim and Aunt Jenny will know me."
"Val.?"
"My names really Valerie Wynsten.  My sister and her husband are in Kansas City.  Their names are Meg and Peter Offerdahl.  I know her phone number. So if the phones are working, I'll give her a call when we arrive.  She's 23, only five years older than I am, so we were pretty tight until she went off to college and met Pete.  I'll be so happy to see her.  I hope that she'll be happy to see me.  She's gonna freak when she sees what I look like.  Meg was always too hung up on looks, and I don't look like much right now.  At least I'm Thinner now.", she let out one of those human giggles at that time.  I'm no expert, but I could sense some pain in it.
Sport spoke up, "You look pretty hot from where I stand." And he flashed her a toothy grin.  "Come on and scratch me behind my ears.  You scratch me and I'll scratch yours."  His banter seemed to put Val in a better mood.
"You Sport are incorrigible.  I'm glad that I met you."  
The conversation continued and I found that Sport had wanted to be a Computer Programmer when he became older, and Val wanted to get involved in politics.  They talked of the colleges that they had wanted to attend, and the careers that they had hoped to have.  It seemed to me to be an awful waste of time.  I told them how the E'Qwan had a better system, and how we were hatched with the full knowledge of all that we needed to begin a useful life.  I was very proud to be an E'Qwan and felt sorry for their limited state.  I told them that we didn't need to be taught, we had no need to learn new things: we already knew them.  
To which Sport simply said, "You poor things.  There is no greater experience than learning new things.  Your life must be really boring."  And with that, as the humans would say, my bubble had been burst.

Triplet Johnson met us at the tunnels entrance.  We explained the situation to him and then brought Val and Sport out of the tunnel.  He shrugged his shoulders, and said, "They're no odder than some of the other things that have been going on around here lately."
He called the engineering department on his handheld, and gave them directions to the tunnel entrance.  They were to meet B'rrs there, who would lead them to a certain place where they were to put a non-respiring generator, lights, a two-way radio to the Red Cross building and set up several signs with directions to wait there until someone came for them.  They were to set up a comfortable waiting room and to make it homey.  The engineers thought that it was a strange assignment, but they were too professional to ignore it.
He next called up the offices of Interactive Recreations and made an appointment with the president: a human named Jo Grant.  We all crowded into his van and made our way to our appointment.

Chapter 30

Interactive Recreations was a three-story structure on the riverfront, and I was happy to see that the river was a river once again.  While we floated under the crimson dome, it had been quickly becoming a stagnant pond, but when the Lady of Light transported us to this new dimension, she situated it so that the river fit into a large stream, coming down from the mountains.  Admittedly, the old part of the river is now a wide spot in a much smaller river, but it's nice that there is again a current: even a weak one.  
The building covered an entire city block, with a nice, though uninspired, glass architecture.  Our vehicle was parked in an underground parking ramp, and we took the elevator to the third floor.  Thinking it wise not to startle the employees, we left Sport and Val concealed in the van.  It was agreed among us that the darkened windows should keep out prying eyes.
Jo Grant had her secretary usher us quickly into her office.  As far as I could tell she was a typical female human, with short brown hair, although Triplet Johnson acted as if she were very attractive.  Beyond that I've always had a hard time telling one human for another.  I had agreed to let Triplet Johnson do most of the preliminary explanations, since he is much better at explaining these things to humans than I.  To be honest, I always feel a little nervous around them.  When he felt that it was time for me to speak, he would let me know.  I am not used to all of the nuances of communicating non-telepathically.
"Good evening Ms. Grant, thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice."
"Not at all Mr. Johnson.  Now what can I do for you?"
"Nothing much.  I need to make sure that you don't turn off one of your games.  As melodramatic as it may sound, it really is a matter of life and death."
"Well, the only game operated out of our Kansas City facility is Super Sparker 4000.  We thought about turning it off a few weeks ago, but our status boards continue to show it in constant use.  We've assumed that the people in Kansas had increased their use of the game, in an effort to keep their minds occupied during these difficult times.  Is there something else going on with it that I should know about?"
"Yes there is, but first, do you have any way of knowing how many VR players are using the game right now?"
She turned to her keyboard and typed in a few queries and answered, "Right now there's 961 users.  Is that important?"
"Ms. Grant, if you turn off those computers, all 961 of those people will be killed."  Pointing to me he said, "This is Podkeeper X'Pao of the E'Qwan, and he has a story to tell you that you may find unbelievable, but it is true nonetheless.  X'Pao…"
I related to her the entirety of the story of our journey.  She looked at me with that look which I realized humans occasionally display called disbelief, and finally she said, "I don't believe it."
Mr. Johnson (You know, I have always had trouble with these masculine and feminine pronouns.  Our neutral ones are much easier to use.) laughed and asked her if she wanted proof.  She said that she did of course, so we her took down to the garage to meet our VR friends.
"Ms. Johnson, X'Pao and I would like you to meet a couple of friends of ours." He rapped twice on the roof of the van and the slid side door open.  "Allow me to introduce you to Sport, " who waved genially, if not a little timidly, "and Valkyrie." Who nodded and said simply. "Hi."
She took a few steps backwards, and stuttered, "Is th-this a j-joke?  Those look like customizations on some of our standard Avatars."
Sport rolled out of the van and said "We are Ms. Grant.  I can't believe that I'm actually meeting the great Jo Grant.  I'm a big fan of yours.  You've done more for modern gaming and VR than anyone in a hundred years.  I read an article about you in VR magazine last year.  You're the reason that I wanted to go into computers."
"Yep.  He sounds like one of our players all right, but how do I know that it's not just someone in makeup or a special suit?"
Enthusiastically Sport stepped forward: and with a lecherous smile said, "Feel me.  Run your hands through my fur.  I won't mind."
Interceding between them, Val said, "I don't think so buddy.  I guess that becoming a VR character hasn't affected your hormones any.  You can check out my mouth and ears and claws: that should be enough to convince you."
And she was convinced.  "How is something like this possible?
Rapping on the van's roof three times, Mr. Johnson introduced, "Ms. Grant I'd like to introduce you to a friend who's also our expert on these kind of things, his name is Jak."  The door opened and very large rabbit with impeccable taste emerged.
He launched into a strange dialog, that explained, in a roundabout way, his theories about this dimension.  He may call imagination a force or energy, but it all sounded like what humans call magic to me: although my feeling may be clouded on the subject.  
When I explained how E'Qwan are hatched with all needed knowledge, he said that he felt sorry for me.  He may have had impeccable manners, but he can certainly be condescending.  Unlike the simple humans, no E'Qwan would ever think of being condescending.  We're better than that.
The rabbit explained that when Kansas City entered what he called the Dimension of Imagination, all things became possible.  The minds that had been downloaded from their human bodies into the Ultra Computers, subconsciously sensing the severed connection to their real bodies: therefore their subconscious imaginations created the physical bodies of the Avatars.  In the old dimension that would have been impossible, but in this one, all things are possible.
After successfully securing an agreement from Ms. Grant to keep the computers running until all of the Avatars could be rescued from the game: and after an unsuccessful attempt to secure a date with her, Mr. Johnson said that it was time for us to depart.  And we did.

Chapter 31

I longed to swarm with my own kind again, but there was work that needed to be done.  After a stop at the humans Red Cross building, and another involved explanation, we were able to ensure that future VR players would be cared for until further arrangements could be made. (And Mr. Johnson was able to secure a date for himself with the director's assistant.)
We dropped off the rabbit Jak, at the entrance to a tunnel, which was guarded by another rabbit, so it was time for Val and Sport to contact their relatives.  Stopping at police headquarters, Sport tried calling his aunt and uncle first.  
The officer turned on the speaker phone and dialed the number.  The screen showed a heavyset woman with longer hair, and at her side a young girl with yellow hair that was identified as a cousin named Carrie.  The officer said that he wasn't going to turn on our video just yet.
"Aunt Jenny?  It's Tim."
After a long wait, "Timmy?  It can't be Timmy."
"It is.  I'm here in Kansas City.  I'm calling from the police station.  I'm not here because I've done anything wrong: they're just helping me find you.  How's Uncle Jim?  The girls OK?"
"Yeah.  We're all fine Tim.  If you were in Kansas City all of this time, why haven't you called us before this?  Are you all right?  Is your mom and dad with you?"
"No I'm alone.  Aunt Jenny, I haven't been in Kansas very long, I just got here today.  As far as how I got here, that's an interesting story.  I'm feeling fine, but Aunt Jenny, I've changed a little since I saw you last."
"If you haven't been in Kansas, where have you been?  Why don't you have the video on?  Have you been scarred, or gained weight or lost your hair or something?"
He snorted, a nervous laugh, "No.  I don't think that I'll ever have to worry about going bald.  As for where I've been…you know how this new world's got a lot of weirdness going on?"
"Tell me about it.  Besides the E'Qwan, we've got rabbits and plantmen and all sorts of other creatures showing up.  What's that got to do with you?"
"Well, I'm involved in something else that's weird about this place.  I've been trapped in a VR game, and when I got out I came out with the body that I had in the game.  I don't look like your Timmy any more."  He nodded at the officer, who turned on the video.
The eyes of the girl Carrie opened wide and with a huge grin, she said "Cool!"  The Aunt asked, "Is that really you Timmy?"  Crinkling up her nose and flickering a lopsided grin she continued.  "You really have changed.  Well I guess that that's OK.  I'm just glad to have you back…  I mourned for you and your folks for weeks, I'm so glad to have at least one of you back.  Come on over.  We'll get a room made up for you.  Your Uncle Jim will be so excited, I can't wait to see his face when he finds that you're alive."
Sport had a look of what I've come to know in humans as shock.  Tears welled in his eyes, and his lip trembled.  Weakly he said, "Mom and Dad are dead?…Of course they are.  I knew that most of the Earth was gone, but…somehow I didn't…it didn't really hit me that that meant that they were gone…"
With a strong sensitivity in her voice, the Aunt comforted him.  "Come on home to us baby.  I need to put my arms around you.  I'll get Uncle Jim here by the time you arrive."  
Just before the officer cut the connection, the young girl said, "See you soon Timmy."  To which he answered, "Call me Sport, squirt…"  The connection was broken.
The turned officer to Val saying, "Your turn."

Things didn't go as well for her.  After a repeat of the explanation, to her sister, the video was turned on.  "Well Meg Here I am."
"You've gotta be kidding me Val.  You look hideous.  You get to choose your own bodies in those VR games.  Why'd you choose such an ugly one?"
Even I could see that she was crushed.  After a long wait, she asked, "Aren't you glad that I'm still alive?…"
"I suppose so, but…you are so butt ugly.   Where are you going to stay?"
"…I was hoping to stay with you…"
"Oh Lord no.  That'll never do at all.  I had a hard enough time explaining to my friends that I had a fat sister, but there's no way that I'll tell them that I've got a monster for a sister."
I felt so sorry for her.  I have a hard time understanding the concept of a human families: no E'Qwan would ever treat another member of their pod with such callousness.  I had believed that sisters were supposed to be as close as our podmates are, but obviously that's not always true.  I don't know how E'Qwan true believers will ever fit in on this planet.  I really felt the need to swarm after this.
She continued, "Well Val, keep in touch.  Just make sure that the video is kept off next time you call."
Through her whimpering, "…can't I come to you?…Sometimes?…"
"I don't think so.  I'm glad that you're not dead and all, …but I'm just going to pretend that you are.  Bye."  And she cut the connection.
I wouldn't have guessed it at first, but taking her paws in his, Sport then spoke with words of kindness and wisdom that his feral form belied.  Softly he said, "Val, listen to me.  I know that your sister spoke harshly to you, but she's still your sister, so I'm sure that she'll come around.  I know that it must really hurt.  We've all been hurt by comments like hers."
"It's a sad thing to admit, but almost everyone winds up hurting others in one way or another.  You're sister feels superior to you because of her vanity and her attention to her appearance, but she secretly feels that she herself doesn't come up to her own standards.  That's why she flaunts her perceived superiority: she's trying to convince herself, not hurt you."
"Almost everyone does it.  There are a million reasons for people to convince themselves that they are better than someone else, while at the same time they are tormenting those that they feel don't meet up." Glancing over at me for some reason, he smiled and continued.  "Some people feel that their technology makes them superior, while feeling that they are better because of their education, their breeding or their political point of view, and there are many other reasons.  Some people, buy into it and struggle with inferiority complexes and misguided hero worship.  Others respond with anger, or try to run away (as have most of us in the Vid games.).  The really sad ones are the ones who never even realize that their prejudices even exist, but occasionally, you find an individual that responds to feelings of inadequacies and persecution by growing above it."
"Do you remember the classic 2-D Movie called "The Wizard of Oz?  The story told of a little girl named Dorothy Gale who was stalked by the personification of hatred.  She surrounded herself with friends who all felt terribly inadequate for one reason or another.  They grew to love and support each other and by doing so, each one of them abandoned their self-doubts, and with the help of those that loved them they overcame their personal inadequacies."
"Don't pity yourself over what you've lost: pity your sister for the love that she refuses to take: simply because she has bound herself within her own prison of prejudice. Find those who care for you and grow from this experience.  Become the powerful woman that you chose to be when you entered the video world, rather than the helpless little girl that your sister would make of you." 
After that, Sport put his arm around a sobbing Valkyrie and said that she could come and stay with him at his Aunt and Uncle's place.  I'd wished that I could bring her into the Hive's mind, so that she could be comforted, and I wished that I could bring Sport into the Hive so that the E'Qwan could learn this great wisdom which I had experienced this day…

The Clancy's place was a simple two-story dwelling, white with blue trim, with two vehicles parked in the driveway.  As we pulled into the driveway, little Carrie came running, shouting, "They're here! They're here!"  When the sliding door of the electric van opened, she looked around expectantly, sighted in on Sport and threw her arms around him.  "Timmy, I mean, Sport.  I've missed you so much cuz."
Aunt Jenny came out the front door, followed buy a man that I assumed was Sport's Uncle Jim.  Uncle Jim, sized up his nephew, grinned and said, "Never got the chance to start shaving did you squirt.", and he poked him in the arm.  I'll never understand humans.  I thought that he would be glad to see Sport, and he did have a smile, but then he hits him.  No self respecting E'Qwan would every strike another.
"Uncle Jim, let me introduce you to Triplet Johnson.  He's the one who's been running us around Kansas City.  This," pointing to me "is X'Pao.  He and three other E'Qwan rescued us." The humans all rushed forward to offer me their thanks.  I appreciated it, but kept my distance from the one that likes to hit you unexpectedly.
"Finally, Aunt Jenny.  Uncle Jim.  I'd like to introduce you to Val.  She was rescued when I was.  She's got nowhere to go, and I was hoping that she could stay here with us."
Aunt Jenny looked her up and down, frowned and said, "Well my dear, if you're going to be staying around my nephew, we're going to have to get you into a bra real soon.  You two may be all covered with fur, but in this house we still wear clothes."  She laughed and continued, "For tonight, you two can wear some of Jim's and my clothing, but tomorrow we're going shopping."  Grinning she put her arms around the two VR escapees, looked Val in the face and said, "Don't you just love shopping?"  Turning to Mr. Johnson, she scolded him.  "I really hope that you see fit to properly clothe any other newcomers that we see in the future."
They turned and entered the house together, apparently as a happy pod.

Chapter 32

It took eighty-seven days, for all of the rest of the VR players to escape from the game.  There were eighteen types of highly modifiable characters, provided by the game (like Sport and Val), and about forty that were completely customized from scratch by the players (like the Blue Sun).  When Ms. Grant was positive that there was no one left playing the game, she had it shut off.
Less than seven percent of the players had relatives in Kansas City.  They were the lucky ones and had places to go and support systems in their families, but they were also less than a tenth: so a place had to be made for the rest.  After their periods of adjustment, it would be time for them to leave the Red Cross shelter and decide what they wanted to do with themselves.
But what do you do with close to a thousand, generally super-powered individuals: many of whom have been despondent and even self destructive, while others throw explosive fits of rage, tossing lightning bolts and bombs?
Some found useful occupations.  The Blue Sun, for example, went to live with the Amish.  He would shine brightly on their crops at night, while leaving the rest of the community in moonlight.  The crop yield was increased dramatically.
Nearly a half of them were young and returned to High School.  The schools had to take their word about what classes they had already taken, since there weren't any records for them available.  
Half of the adults were college students, so they re-entered the academic life and those that couldn't or wouldn't were hired by the city: ostensibly to guard the western border against the return of the rockmen, but in fact it just gave them something to do.  They were given an old abandoned military installation at the western edge of town to live in.  They renamed it Freaktown, and went to work refurbishing it.
Val and Sport finished High School, became engaged, and started college.  Val's Sister got dumped by her husband and is now living on public assistance.

And us?  The faithful E'Qwan have again found our way.  We came to the Earth as refugees, but quickly realized that we had work to do.  It was our job to civilize the Earthers.  In all of the craziness, we had forgotten the task that we had laid out for ourselves.  An E'Qwan lives for the task, and we, like the apostate's followers, have allowed ourselves to be distracted by the diversity of customs and beliefs in this place.  We are again focused.  Kansas City is a place of more confusion now than ever before, and it is up to the E'Qwan to hold fast to our beliefs while gently shepherding the rest of the city (or as I like to think of it, this MegaPod), towards the peace and happiness that encompasses all E'Qwan.  We are once again productive and happy.
Kansas is recovering after our troubles with the rockmen.  Our fossil fuels ran out half a year ago, but we have dammed up the river and now have hydroelectric power.  The Amish first harvests have come in so we won't starve and life is stabilizing.

The Lady of Light continued her slumber unabated, until the star approached us from the north.  It came nearer and nearer and resolved itself into the shape of a beautiful Human woman in a halo of blazing pink light.  She rose in majesty above the city and all could feel the love emanating from her.  Raising her scepter high, she looked towards the castle and commanded, "Young Lady, don't you think that it's time for you to get up.  There's work to do."

Trouble
Chapter 33

Excerpted from the Police Reports
of Detective Tacoma Barker

After we traversed the dimensions, I spent weeks watching over Gail.  Since all that was left of the IPKF was Auggie, the Kansas City office staff and myself, I had plenty of free time to be with her. There wasn't much international peace keeping to be done by the two remaining members of the International Peace Keeping Force, when only one city remained.  Auggie kept busy reestablishing the city government and organizing a regional one.  
In theory I was still his superior so he would call me each day to keep me caught up on all of the happenings but that was really unnecessary: we all knew that he was now in charge.  After the second week, I realized that she might be sleeping for a long time, so I started to take up more outside duties, although I would always stop on the way home each day to see how she was doing, I saw no reason to completely shut myself off from the rest of the world.  The doctors kept an IV on her to keep her hydrated, but she seemed to be continually being strengthened by the ambient energies of this strange dimension.
The boy, Sam, had to go to school when they were reopened, so his visits also became less and less frequent.  I understand that he's been very excited about the many new creatures that have taken up residence in the city.
Sam took these odd beings at face value, but I had a harder time coming to grips with them.  I was raised to think of the E'Qwan as our superiors, because of the wonderful things they do: but these beings are every bit as amazing as the E'Qwan.  My faith in the E'Qwan had been shaken, by watching them quake in fear as the Earth was destroyed, and by seeing them split into different factions afterwards: and now I see that their abilities and strengths aren't really that unique either.
I was there when the first of the creatures came into the city.  That grove of walking trees was bad enough, but that Odaman wouldn't shut up.  I could understand these people.  I decided that they were just a different kind of alien: kind of like the E'Qwan, but different. 
 I understood that this was their world, and to them we were the aliens.  We were their E'Qwan: and like the E'Qwan before us, I saw that we needed to civilize these creatures.  I had just come to grips with that, when we were introduced to the rabbits and playing cards.  
This was just insanity!  Everything I knew said that these creatures couldn't possibly exist…but there they were!  At least there were only a few of them, and they would be returning to their own lands soon.  If I ignored them, I might not have to deal with them personally at all.  I wouldn't have to deal with the insanity that I felt must be welling up within me.
Then the VR game players came, and they were more diverse and more impossible than the other ones.  To make matters worse Auggie put me in charge of integrating them into population of Kansas.  I was way in over my head.  
I went to Gail and pleaded with her to wake up and tell me what to do, but she showed no signs of ever awaking.

The next day I went to the Red Cross shelter to meet the refugees.  I dreaded this meeting.  Up till that time I had avoided them like the plague.  I'm not a racist or anything, you understand, but they weren't like me.  I wasn't sure how to react to them.  They had powers and silly as it may seem, me being a trained cop and all I was used to being in a position of power: but these creatures had more power and abilities than I and I was scared that they would lose control.  So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I took the assignment.
Only ninety-five of them found homes with relatives, so that left eight hundred and sixty nine of them with the Red Cross.  
It was fortunate that the Kansas City Red Cross Center had been upgraded eight years ago with a large storage and housing facility.  When it was built, it was assumed that it would be a regional relief shelter for tornado victims, but it looked like it will never have to be used for that purpose after all.  (I didn't think that this place has tornados, although Gail later assured me that they have in the past.)  During our time floating in space, and once again with the VR refugees, those facilities were used to their capacities and well beyond them.
I was really happy the Red Cross people had things so well organized.  It made my job much easier.  They had, as much as possible, sorted the various types of creatures into several categories, and put them in separate wings.  It was thought that by segregating them into like species, there would be less friction between them.  It was assumed that they would be happier among their own kind.  Each group had elected a representative to meet with me.  I met first with the human formed Avatars representative.
Captain Lightning was the agent for the Humies. (Human form VR players)  These included such things as super-hero Avatars, pirates, midget plumbers, soldiers and the like.  Some of the Humies could have passed for real humans, (such as some of the pirates) but it was thought best to not let them mix with the normal population: therefore they were kept separated too.  The Captain was an impressive specimen with impossibly large muscles, ridiculously exaggerated dimples, and long blond hair.  His orange tights and flowing black cape seemed to blow in the wind, even when there could be no wind.  Although many women would swoon for him, he still couldn't pass as normal.
He informed me that 212 of the VRs were Humies and that they expected to eventually be assimilated into the normal population.  I assured him that that is the hope of all of us. (Although I really had my doubts.  Most Kansans would really rather be around the plant men or the rabbits.  At least those they were born naturally.)  
Buzzy was the representative for the Furries, who were, as you can guess, all of the creatures that were based on furry animals.  There were 251 of them.  He was a short violet ball of fur and teeth, based loosely on a badger.  I listened to his demands and took some notes, but with the way he looked it was really a little hard to take him too seriously.
Slither was a snake who represented the Scalies.  His group of 218 included snakes, turtles, fish, frogs, lizards and anything else with scales.  This would be the hardest group to integrate into normal society.
Finally there was the Blue Sun, who represented the Oddballs.  The Oddballs were those beings that were just to odd to categorize, and I really held no hope for them ever to be assimilated into the population.
These four, with myself as city liaison, formed the relocation committee.  They would give me their input, and I would decide if it would be in their best interests for that input to be implemented.  I felt that to be the most equitable of arrangements.  I informed them that the City Council had found a new facility to move them to, where schools had been set up and a college extension was being prepared.  The City Council felt that in that way they could pick up their lives where they had left off, without having to disrupt the general populous of the City.
They were told that they would be bussed to their new home on the following day.

The camp had been an old military base until it had been closed about twenty years ago.  No matter what anyone could ever say about them, the E'Qwan brought peace to the Earth for the first time.  Once we realized that we definitely were not alone in the universe, differences between nations became meaningless, and there was no longer a need for bases such as these.
The place had been divided into four sectors.  The Humies were set up near the East Gate, which had the road to the city.  The Furries were by the West Gate, near the land of O'Dalan.  The Scalies were by the South Gate, next to the desert and the Oddballs were near the North Gate, next to the Amish.  Regular human police were placed at the gates to control the traffic in and out of, what came to be affectionately know as Freaktown.  The schools were placed in the Center of the compound.
The busses rolled in on a Saturday night and each creature was assigned a bunk in a barracks until individual homes could be made for each of them.  The E'Qwan would be coming to the schools each day as teachers.  Human teachers would have been provided, but the E'Qwan were willing to work for free, and the people of the city were already upset by how much was being spent on the VR creatures.
There was in particular one councilperson, a Benedict Weston, who seemed to labor tirelessly to have the city stop spending money on them.  It was his contention that since they came from a VR game, they should be returned there.  He felt that it would be cheaper to keep the computers running which would maintain their world, than it would be to sustain Freaktown.  Having been defeated in the Council chambers on that proposal, he lobbied successfully for the creation of Freaktown
It took us three weeks to get everyone settled in satisfactorily, and the following week the Town Assembly meeting of Freaktown was visited by Councilperson Weston.  He said that he wanted to see how we were spending the city's money.

I'm the kind of person that gives his loyalty passionately.  I believed in the E'Qwan with all of my heart, and found myself set adrift when it was made obvious that they were as flawed, in their own way, as we are.  I found myself in an emotional well of tornadic depression.  Watching over Gail was the only thing that kept me from toppling over the edge.  
I had a lot of time to kill while I sat by her side, so I did a lot of reading.  In particular, I found myself pouring over the on-line news journals.  (We had to go from paper newspapers to on-line journals when it became obvious that it would be a long time until new supplies of paper were going to be made available.)  I found that Ben Weston had long tried to warn us that the E'Qwan were not all that they seemed to be.  
I met him when I left the hospital to go to lunch one day.  It was shortly after we had first found the first VR people, and before I was assigned to work with them.  He was sitting in the booth next to me at Gail's Diner.  (Although Gail had been laid up, her employees continued to keep the place running.)  Seeing him there, and having read so much about him I stuck up a conversation.
"Excuse me, aren't you Ben Weston?"
"I am."
"My name's Tacoma Barker, may I join you?"
"Definitely.  Barker is it? … Oh sure.  You're that detective that's been taking care of the young lady who owns this establishment.  I haven't done something wrong have I detective?"
"Not that I know of.  I've been reading some of the things that you have said and written about the E'Qwan and I wanted to say that I'm sorry.  I used to think that you were a crackpot, but I see now how wrong I was.  It wasn't that long ago that I believed wholeheartedly in the E'Qwan, but they let us down during the crisis which wiped out the Earth."
"Well son, it's always hard when our heroes fall from the pedestal that we've placed them on.  I suppose that's why teen-agers are often so bitter when they realize that their parents are only human."
"Probably.  You saw through them though and you tried to warn us about them."
"Yes, that's true.  One thing that you must understand son, is that those creatures: and these newer ones that have shown up lately too: they haven't had the same genetics, the same upbringing, the same culture or the same history that we have.  They could never teach us to assimilate into their culture, because they could never really understand us.  The fact of the matter is that they were a small group trying to assimilate a large group.  It should have been the other way around, but even then, we can't really understand them either.  The best that we can hope for is to avoid conflict between the two groups."
A normal police officer, who had received more training in human history probably would has seen where he was leading, but as the IPKF was trained by the E'Qwan, we hadn't receive the same kind of training.  They taught us E'Qwan philosophies and techniques, which I see now, made me a better hero worshipper than a judge of human character.  By the end of the day, I had come to the conclusion that we should keep the various groups separated for their own good.
Councilman Weston and I became fast friends and we had lunch together every day at the Diner.  He would ask me about how Gail was doing and I would ask him about how the Council was doing.  When it came time to find someone to oversee the relocation of the VR people, it was Ben who nominated me for that post.  That is how I came to be the Superintendent of Freaktown.
Therefore it was no surprise that he would be invited to the first meeting of Freaktown's Town Assembly meeting.

The meeting opened on time with prayer, proper introductions and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America (Wherever that may be at the time.), although I wasn't sure what the point of the pledge was.  There were in attendance about a hundred and fifty of the town's residents, as well as dozens of important officials, from the city. (Which included one Congressman who happened to be in the City campaigning when the Earth was attacked.)
The reports were given by the various committee heads: that had, up till that time, had the responsibility to set up the town's several services and facilities.  New committees were created and several assignments were discussed that would allow the residents of the town to take over those services for themselves.  In effect, the town was to become a self-run municipal entity, and Kansas City's newest suburb.
When it was time for the recognition of visiting dignitaries, the Congressman stood and gave a long-winded exhortation on the bright new future in this bright new land: or some such bilge.  Then it was Ben Weston's turn to speak.
Councilman Weston was a dynamic speaker, who under other circumstances would have made a great preacher.  He had an almost hypnotic effect on people: they instantly felt that he was someone that they could trust.  His six foot two well conditioned frame, together with his classically chiseled features and striking red hair alone would have made him an imposing figure: but it was his oratory that captivated people.  He would have been a wealthy preacher if he only believed in a Supreme Being.
When he rose to speak, the Congressman shut up and sat down.  It was obvious that he was just happy that Ben Weston was contented to be a Councilman and never sought a higher office.  I don't think that a contest between the two would have been a fair contest.
"My friends," he began, "my esteemed colleague has spoken well about the long-range destiny of mankind and I applaud his sentiments.  I however would like to say a few words about the tough choices that we must make at this time, if we are to reach his inspired goals.  We have suffered much loss, and we have all spent many months in shock and grieving for our lost loved ones."
"We have all felt the blind rage of those who have been unjustly treated, and we feel the need to revenge ourselves against our tormentor: but the creature is gone.  We have no one to lash out at.  We must labor hard to not allow that anger to consume us.  We must not turn that red rage against each other.  Our fiery fury will fade with time: but until then we face the threat of self-immolation.  This is why this community was created: to reduce tensions between the factions, and to re-educate the refugees for that time when they will be able re-enter proper society."
"I am honored to have had some small part in this community's development.  I wanted to say welcome to Kansas friends and welcome home."  With which he gave a slight bow and sat down.
The room broke into a thunderous applause, but I couldn't help noticing that several of the VR people gave no applause: staring icy daggers at the Councilman.  I decided to speak with them on the way out, to see if there was a problem that I should know about: therefore I made it a point to see each person out to their rides after the meeting.  Ben Weston was leaving with the Congressman, so I made my farewells.
"Good speech Ben.  You to Congressman."
The Congressman nodded and Ben replied, "Thank you Tacoma.  I'm pleased with what you've accomplished here.  It's good that so many of them are enrolled in our classes here.  What have you got planned for the rest of them?"
"Well.  I thought that I would meet with each of them and see what they wanted to do with their lives.  Then we'd go from there."
"Give this a thought.  I'm working on a resolution to create a special county police force to make jobs for those who want them.  If tensions ever did flare between these two groups, a super-powered police squad might be handy.  If things remain peaceful, it'll be a cushy job.  Why don't you see how many of them would be interested in such a position."
"Thanks, I'll do that."
"Now tell me how is the Lady Gail doing?  Your work hasn't interfered with your duties in that area I hope."
"No sir.  She's doing well."
"Has she woken up yet?"
"Not yet, but the doctors are hopeful."
"Still up in that castle?"
"Yeah.  I'd like them to bring her down to the hospital, but they assure me that there is no need, and on top of that the inhabitants of O'Dalan insist that she will get stronger only in her castle.  They tell us that if she leaves, while she is recovering, she will continue to sleep forever."
"We better do what they say then.  We need the good will of our neighbors to the west.  Hopefully they know what they're talking about.  Do we need the city to send any security to protect her?  Maybe our new force can be given that job."
"It might give them a feeling of being needed, but in actual fact, there really is no need.  She 's been fine up till now without security, and I see no likelihood of a need in the future."
"She has no security at all?"
"We do have guards on the road to the Castle but why should she need security?  She everyone's heroine, she's powerful and access to the Castle is restricted at the city gates.  She's as secure as the threat demands."
"I'm sure that you're right.  I was just looking for reasons to justify my resolution in Council."
After a few more pleasantries they left and I met with other guests on their departure.  When the Blue Sun floated by, I stopped him and pulled him aside.
"Hey Sunny."
"Hey Barker.  What's up?"
"Just a question.  I could see that several of you seemed awful steamed at the things that Councilman Weston had to say.  What did he say that got you all so upset?"
"You know Barker, you seem to be a decent enough kind of a guy, but you seem to give your loyalty a little too easily.  I wasn't mad at what he said.  I'm annoyed by his hypocrisy."
"What do you mean?  His hypocrisy?"
	"What I mean is that it's kind of disingenuous of him to talk so much about how much he worries about us, when some of us remember that he wanted to see us all sent back into the game and left there to rot.  I can't trust a man like that.  Is there anything else?"
I hesitated to bring up the special police force after that, but felt that I must.  I explained the Councilman's proposal.
"You know Barker; if you would have made this suggestion, I might have gone for it: but coming from him I think I'll pass.  Besides I've been reading the Amish tracts, and I kind of like what they have to say.  I'm going to try to get a job with them."
"OK, well good luck with that then.  I appreciate your input."  With that he floated off to the Oddballs section of town.
I talked to several others on the way out and found, among them, more enthusiasm for the proposal.  It seemed that many of them were at loose ends and needed a purpose in life.  This, they thought, may be their purpose in life.  By the end of the night, I had enough volunteers to create my first squad.
I walked home making plans for the new force, and figuring out how to train them, as if it were a done deal.

Chapter 34

Over the next several weeks, the funds were appropriated, the squad was formed and training had begun.  The Sun got his job with the Amish and only returned during the days for rest and for town business.  I was made Chief, Captain Lightning, Buzzy and Slither as well as an Oddball called Sparx, became, funny as it may sound, my Captains. We had special badges made up that featured crossed lightning bolts over a representation of Gail's Castle.
Every day on my way home I would drop by the castle to look in on Gail.  She was continually getting stronger, but had yet to awake.  Every evening I would eat at the Diner and every morning I would return to Freaktown.

Three days before the squad's graduation, and prior to our deployment to active duty, while we were all on the training field, practicing for commencement: we heard the alarm.  The klaxon was set up as a way for the squad members who on duty in the Castle to call for reinforcements, should the need arise.  Except during it's testing period, we had never heard it before.  We shouldn't have been hearing it then.  We hadn't stationed any of the Squad up there yet.  The only people there were the Castle's cleaning staff and the medical personnel working with Gail. 
The radio blared. "Chief Barker, we need some of your men at the Castle immediately.  The Castle's being attacked sandmen.  Oh no…"  The transmission was cut off.
I reacted immediately.  "Sparx, take the teleporters up there now!" and he and a dozen other VRs winked out in a flash.  "Lightning, get the flyers in the air now!  Buzzy, take the vehicles to the City building and offer protection!  Slither, keep your men in reserve here!  Move it people!"
Although it was a little earlier than we had expected, this is what we had trained for.  The Council said that we were to train only for riot control and guard duties.  They didn't want us to become a military threat: but on the sly, Auggie told me to prepare them for sandmen and rockmen should the need arise.  It was beyond our directives, but I was glad now that we had made some preparations.

After a few more minutes, we received reports that the officers who were dispatched to the Council chambers were able to repel an attack by the rockmen, but that the enemy had kidnapped the Congressman.  Buzzy reported that the City Building was secure, so I made for the Castle.
I saw smoke rising from the South Tower of the Castle, and an icy shiver ran up my spine.  The Blue Sun had left the Amish lands and was floating towards the Castle.  He wasn't much of a flyer: he was a floater, so he couldn't move very fast.
The drawbridge was down and I was met at the gate by Sparx's lieutenant, Bob."
"What's the situation Bob?"
"It's not good Chief.  The Captain's been hurt bad, and the Lady's been kidnapped.  They rose up from the sand in the garden and took the Lady out the same way.  Captain Sparx got here first and blasted some of them, before he was beaten from behind by sandmen who had hardened themselves into rockmen.  I didn't know that they could do that.  The Captain melted several of them into glass before he was seriously injured.  One of the rockmen laughed and shattered one of the new glassmen.  The rockman used the jagged glass arm to stab the Captain through the chest.  I don't think that he's going to make it sir."
"The sandmen took the Lady and oozed back into ground leaving the couple of rockmen behind.  Obviously they can't change back once they've become rockmen.  We blasted them to pieces and took the glassmen prisoner.  I don't think that they knew that they could be turned to glass.  We have the Castle secure at this point.  We stationed lighningcasters at the garden and are working on putting out the fires."  
"Good work Bob.  Please.  Take me to Captain Sparx."

Sparx was in bad shape.  Up until that moment I wasn't sure that these VR creatures could be hurt like we real people.  He lay back on a divan with crimson light seeping out of the gaping wound in his chest.  His crackling beard had gone dim and had lost its static.  "Sparx?  Does it hurt badly?"
He nodded weakly and faded from view.  He was gone.  This hurt.  It was the first time that I had lost a man under my command.  Sure we lost billions with the Earth's demise, but that never really seemed real.  It was rather impersonal because I didn't actually see anyone die.  This was different.  I just sat there for a few minutes, then forced myself to rise. 
"Bob, we need to replace Captain Sparx.  As of this moment you are the acting Captain of this squad.  Do you have a code name like the rest of the squad?"
"Bob is my code name.  I hate my real name.  My parents used the E'Qwan naming plan of putting something of my birth in my name.  My real name really sucks."
I just looked at him.
"They named me Hardlabor."
"Bob it is then." I had to suppress a smile.  His parents did him no favor with that name.  "Please, bounce on over to the gate and let them know what's going on.  I'll inform your men about the change in command."  Bob looked like a giant multi-colored beach ball, with the most genial smiling face that you've ever seen.  He wasn't a teleporter, or for that matter a flyer either, but with his bouncing he could travel nearly as fast as the others.

We took the glassmen and the captured rockmen, from the City building to separate sealed, padded jail cells for interrogation. After the callous way that the rockman at the castle had shattered his glass companion, just to kill Sparx: we weren't going to chance putting the glassmen together with the rockmen again.
The rooms were each about ten feet square, with a table, chairs and two-way glass into a monitoring room.  The glassmen's room had a table that had padded edges and padded chairs.  As a precaution we made sure that there was nothing available which the glassmen could use to shatter themselves.  
The rockmen broke up their furniture to make clubs, and they tried to shatter the two-way glass.  Centuries ago that might have worked, but we've long known how to made truly unbreakable glass.  Still the clubs might hurt one of the interrogators, so we sent in an E'Qwan as the questioner.  It carried a two-way radio so that we could prompt It if It was at a loss for words, and It's force field would be proof against any attack.
As soon as the little E'Qwan entered the cell, the largest and meanest rockman leaped at It with his makeshift club, swinging it down on the E'Qwan's field, it stopped three inches above It's head.  Looking bewildered the enraged rockman hammered again and again fruitlessly upon the unyielding shield. 
"When you tire of this sir, I have a few questions for you."
The antagonist hammered for another twelve minutes before giving up and sitting down.  "What are you?"
"I am an E'Qwan.  My name is P'zzt, and you are?"
"I have no name.  I'm just a soldier."
"And you work for..?"
"The Mountain King of course.  You must have heard of him."
"I have.  Why has the Mountain King attacked the city?"
"Aren't you a nosey little thing?  Particularly when I can't even see a nose."
"I have one whether you see it for that or not.  Please answer my question."
"Explain."
"Explain what?"
"What does that word mean?  What is a… please?"
"Ah.  Please is a word that humans use to let someone know that they respect the one that they are talking to enough to request something of them, rather than to demand it of them."
"Huh.  I've never heard that word, and the concept is very strange to me.  I kind of like it.  So if I don't want to answer the question you won't force me?"
"Oh my no!  We would question your companions, and perhaps offer a deal to one of them."
"Because of the novelty of the Idea, I choose to answer your questions.  As for why the King attacked the City?  He thought that it was time.  He has already conquered the lands of the west and south: now it is the time to conquer the east, where we are now, and finally he will subdue the lands to the north."
"But why has he captured our people?"
"Because he is grateful to your sorceress.  He could have killed her.  She made it possible for him to come to power.  Hundreds of years ago she slew the witches who ruled the lands of the east and the lands of the west, but she refused to rule over them.  With those lands left unprotected, the Mountain King was able to easily conquer the lands of the west.  After all, power abhors a vacuum.  Thinking that he could just as easily take the lands of the east, since she had vanished from the lands, he marched half of his troops eastward."
	"Along the way he had to defeat the sorceress who rules the south and that took a long time.  Eventually the defeated mage flew to sanctuary with her sister in the north lands.  With the south lands subdued we marched north and was surprised to find that your sorceress had returned.  We have captured her now and will now take your lands before moving on to the north.  You might as well surrender now and save yourselves a lot of grief."
The E'Qwan looked up and replied, "I'm not sure that we can do that.  We don't even know who we would surrender to, or where to go to do so."
"Oh, I can tell you that.  The General is with most of his army in the southern pass, between the Monkey's Mountain, and the Avian Crest.  It's not hard to find."
"How big is the army?"
"Some are big, some are very big."
"What I meant was, how many are in the army?"
"I know nothing of numbers: only that there's many more than I can count on my fingers and toes."
"Aren't you a little concerned that I will use this information to attack him?"
"No.  If you did, you would die.  I think that that might make me sad. You've been very nice to me.  I know that there's nothing harder than rock, so they would squish you.  Besides that, by going through the Pass, we've avoided the land of the Odamen.  As far as I know, they're our only real threat."
"I see.  Well, thank you for you cooperation.  Once you calmed down we got along just fine.  Maybe our peoples will do so also in the future."
"I don't know that word either… thankyou."
"Oh.  That is another human phrase that expresses the good feelings that you have when a being has done something nice for you.  Again it shows respect."
"Well then… thankyou for explaining these things to me."
I could see that the E'Qwan resisted the urge to say, "you're welcome", and simply said,  "I will leave now.  Perhaps we will talk again at another time."  And It exited the room.

I was in the room behind the two-way mirror.  When It left the room I looked around at the other observers and asked, "Opinions?"
Slither hissed, "We know where they are.  Let us attack them: they won't be expecting it."
"Buzzy?"
"I agree, but first let's have one of the flyers, do some reconnaissance first.  If we're going to attack them, I sure would like to know a little more about them first."
"Me too. Lightning?"
"The VR squads should be involved with the attack.  Our powers give us an edge that they won't be expecting.  The Super-Heroes are generally invulnerable, so why don't you let me take a couple of my strongest guys up there for the recon: maybe we can just mop them up by ourselves, and save a general warfare." 
"Councilman?"
"It sounds like a good plan.  When will you make the attempt Captain?"
"How about tomorrow morning?  That'll give us plenty of light, for what might be a long day."
"As a member of the Council, I'll notify the rest of the Council of our plan.  Technically they are in charge.  By waiting till tomorrow morning, I should have enough time to notify everyone that needs to be notified."
After a few more fine points were worked out I concluded. "We've done good work here today.  Bob, Auggie and I will start working out some back-up plans tonight.  God speed Captain.  We all have a lot of work to do tonight, so let's get to it."

Eighteen hours later the strike force was on the front steps of the City Building. The strike force consisted of Captain Lightning, as strike force leader, with Wonder Warrior and Knight Defender standing on his left and right sides respectively.
Several Councilmen extolled their heroism and the great service to the city, which they were about to perform.  There were patriotic speeches about what our boys would do to the enemy and speeches of concern over our kidnapped Lady and Congressman.
Ben Weston made sure that the news cameras were on hand for the event.  Most inhabitants of the City had never had a chance to see any of the VR people, so it was thought that this epic event would be a good way to introduce them to its citizens.  A good first impression could go a long way towards smoothing the way for that time, when it comes time to integrate them into the city's general populace.  Ben had his doubts, but the rest of the council was adamant.
Additionally, there was another VR person involved, who was less photogenic and wasn't mentioned on camera at all.  The Blue Sun was sent ahead with long-range cameras and microphones to do recon for the strike team.  It was hoped that if he floated high enough and kept his flame to a minimum, they wouldn't notice him as anything more than a slightly brighter spot in the already blue sky.
His cameras were hooked to a large monitor with lots of recording equipment in police HQ, with another monitor in the council chambers.  They were already bearing fruit.  The enemy was an army of about two hundred and forty rockmen amid short scrub grasses on a sandy slope of the Monkey's Mountain Pass.  They were out in the open, and there were no places to hide additional troops.  Half a dozen captives were chained together to the cliff wall, including the still sleeping Gail and the congressman. 
The microphones showed that they weren't the smartest bunch, and that the general was the biggest of the rockmen.  Additionally there was some sort of flying ape that seemed to be giving a lot of the orders.  He seemed to be the only one that even noticed Sunny, but he didn't seem too upset about him.  They all seemed to be milling about waiting for something.  Our captive glassmen said that they usually just stood around a lot until someone would give them orders.
At the stroke of eight, our Heroes smiled at the cameras and with a gleam in their eyes and flew off to the southwest.  The news people droned on and on about how great it was that we now have real live super-heroes, and how every kid has always dreamed about their ilk.  They elucidated on how the children will be inspired by them in real life and dream of their real life heroism for the rest of their days.  As they lifted off, the city's populace shouted together in joy.  Kansas City's own super-heroes would save them and rescue the captives.  It should be a great day.

It should have been: but it wasn't.  The news media had hacked into the police video and audio feeds.  Everything that we saw at HQ was seen on every TV screen in the city.  Too bad it wasn't sweeps week, because we would have hade the highest rated show in the city's history.
After about fifteen minutes the cameras caught sight of the heroes, majestically soaring into the valley.  The Captain's cape billowing in impossibly sinuous ways, Wonder Warrior's golden gauntlets and belt reflecting the golden sunlight and the Knight Defender's armor shining of polished brass.  It was a sight to inspire awe in all that stood witness to it.  The entire city watched their heroes with pride.
They lit before the General and the Captain challenged their intentions.  "Ho General.  Cease you progress, and we will spare you.  We are the chosen defenders of Kansas City, and we cannot let you proceed any further: therefore we ask you, in friendship, to free your captives and return to the place whence you came!"
Several rockmen jumped on them, but the heroes shrugged them off like they were mere gnats.  The Knight Defender's glistening sword made one swipe that shattered half a dozen berserker rockmen into tiny pebbles.  Wonder Warrior's force beams flashed from his eyes shattering several more.  The rest of the rockmen backed away, while, at their homes, the inhabitants of Kansas City cheered their champions forward.
The ape, which most analysts who later examined the tape, was concluded to be some sort of stone-like gargoyle: landed next to the General and said, "These are the ones that we were warned about."
The General simply clapped his hands twice, and the sand at their feet rose and inundated the heroes, who valiantly swiped at the swirling piles of sand, bellowing their rage, while the sand filled their mouths suffocating them.  They tried to take to the air, but the rockmen held them down while the living sands deprived them of the life giving oxygen.
  Wonder Warrior collapsed first, sparkled from view and was gone, shortly thereafter the Knight Defender also passed from existence and finally even the noble Captain Lightning succumbed and sparkled out of existence.  Kansas City watched in stunned silence. 
The General faced the cameras and bellowed at the Blue Sun.  "Is this your best?  You are already defeated!  Surrender now, or all of your people will die in a like manner.  It must be horrible to suffocate like that." Pointing at the camera. "Is that how you want to die?  Or your young ones?  Better to live as our slaves than to suffer such a fate.  Surrender!  You have two days to make up your mind.  Swear fealty to the Mountain King or die.  Those are your only options."
He looked at the gargoyle and said, "Dispose of that final interloper!"  The ape lifted off and flew straight towards our Blue Sun friend.  Sunny floated as fast as he could, but the flying ape was quickly overtaking him.  At the last moment, he turned and flared to his fullest intensity.  The ape shielded his eyes, was melted into glass, fell from the sky and shattered on the cliffs below.  
He continued his flight and turned his cameras back on the laughing foes, who now were numbered with at least two hundred sandmen in addition to the rockmen.  Several of the sandmen were forming themselves into gargoyle shapes, so he continued his flight to safety.

Chapter 35

There was a pall over the city.  After all of the loss that the people of the city had sustained: they needed something positive to happen to them.  They had lost their world, they had lost their place even in the solar system, they had lost their Lady and they had lost their Congressman.  They had been on rations for almost a year, had no regular newspapers service, had little new manufactured goods and a less varied diet than they had been used to.  They needed something to boost their spirits. 
The temporary euphoria that they had felt, when their heroes flew off to their supposed rescue, was crushed.  Not only were they defeated, but the entire city watched them easily slain in front of their eyes.  Their hopes were dashed.  The low depression that had hung so long over the city became a pressure cooker of despair that desperately needed venting.  The hopelessness was a suffocating box closing in on a claustrophobic public. 
Riots broke out in a city that was not known for violence.  The city council and regular police force struggled to maintain order, but were out of their depth.  Eventually, as Chairman of the City Council, Ben Weston was forced to declare martial law, and institute harsh measures to regain control of the city.  
Fires were set that raged all through the night, leaving a crimson haze through the smoke and floating ash.  The police drove back the crowds with tear gas, and the VR troops contained the looters behind walls of force.  The rioters were demanding that the city start negotiating for surrender, but the Council would hear nothing of it.  We were wasting time fighting ourselves, while the clock was ticking down.

A clandestine meeting was convened between Auggie Washington, Laura Sergeant, I'Zak of the Amish E'Qwan, the Blue Sun and myself, with that annoying little Odaman tagging along.  We met in the Mess Hall in Freaktown.  The Council had ordered us to concentrate all of our efforts towards containing the riot, and then to worry about the deadline, but we knew that we couldn't wait that long.  Something needed to be done now.
We were all outside of the normal establishment.  Since the Council took over, Auggie and I were relieved of any authority that we had gained as IPKF Officers.  We were outsiders.  Laura was a radical labor leader, I'Zak was an E'Qwan reformer and the Blue Sun: though a nice guy but was pretty much rejected, even by the other VR players, as being too far from the VR norm.  I don't know how the Oda even got there, but he was.
Auggie stood to address us.  "Friends we are in a crisis situation, like we haven't faced since we arrived in this dimension.  While the people in the City are squabbling among themselves, the enemy keeps getting nearer.  The Council acts like ignoring the problem, will make it go away, but we all know that that's not true.  We seem to be the only ones who recognize the situation.  Any ideas?"  Seeing Laura rise, he queried, "Laura?"  
"It may just be that I've had bad past experiences with authority, after all, the Labor movement has been under attack by authority figures since its inception: but I have to wonder if someone isn't purposely ignoring the problem."
"What are you suggesting?" replied Auggie.
"I have to wonder if the Council, or at least some of its members, might not want us to delay so long that we'll have no other option than to surrender."
I'Zak buzzed in, "Being an E'Qwan, perhaps I don't have the proper understanding of human behavior, but why would anyone do that?  Wouldn't that be detrimental to the entire collective?"
Laura continued, "You probably don't understand:… sometimes humans can be self-centered and can act contrary to the will of the majority.  When we have a labor strike, for example, there are always scabs that cross the picket line."
"Long ago, when the Movement was young and people had a community-centered view to life, the Labor Movement grew, and all of the great inventions and achievements of mankind were built.  All of the Super-Highways, hydroelectric dams and inspirational monuments, such as Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty were erected during that time: but then we went from 'Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.' To 'Look out for number one' and 'The me generation' in just a few years.  It's co-operation that accomplishes great things, not self absorbsion."
	"Any E'Qwan knows this." Interrupted the bug.  
"Well that self-absorbed philosophy prevailed for more than a century.  That was when Mankind began 'The Great Stagnation'.  Very little changed in our lives during that period.  The only improvements that were made were just refinements on old themes.  Very little true innovations happened.  For example, the VR Net, like the old Internet before it, are simply the latest refinement on the ancient digital telegraph system.  Both are, at the core, digital communications through a phone line."
"The Great Stagnation came to an end with the coming of the E'Qwan."  She paused, as if lost in thought, then continued.  "That just occurred to me.  Until now, I hadn't realized the debt that we owed the E'Qwan.  We were lost in our self-absorbed society, going nowhere quickly: but then, when we met the E'Qwan, they returned to us our lost sense of community and we started moving forward again.  Thank you I'Zak."  The E'Qwan bowed It's head.
"To sum it all up: there are always people who continue to be self-centered, and there are also people who are afraid of change.  Perhaps someone on the Council continues with those outdated beliefs and has a selfish reason to force the City to surrender."
I had been listening to the conversation with interest, and something clicked in me.  "Things might be worse than we think.  Something just occurred to me.  Sunny, do you have access to the recordings of the failed attack on the enemy?"
"I can bring it up on the monitor here whenever you want."
"Good.  Focus in on the place on the tape just as our boys were landing."
Using his telekinesis, he manipulated the controls gingerly, his normally serene face tense with concentration.  "There this should do it."
A picture came on the screen.  I told him to amplify what the ape had to say, and we watched again as the flying sand ape said,  "These are the ones that we were warned about."  
"Turn it off Sunny.  Did you all hear what he said?  They knew we were coming.  Somebody warned them.  Friends, we definitely have a traitor in the city.  It was that traitor who really killed our companions, not the rockmen.  I don't think that we can trust anybody but those of us in this room.  The traitor doesn't know that we know that there even is a traitor.  Let's keep it that way for now."
"We need to find the traitor, and we need to come up with a way to defeat the enemy.  Any suggestions?"
 Auggie suggested that, if the traitor believed that anyone might suspect that there was a traitor: he or she would expect that Auggie and I would be the ones who might be leading the investigation.  Therefore we might be watched, so we can't lead the investigation.  It was decided that I'Zak and Laura wouldn't be suspected, so they would try to find the traitor, while Auggie, the Oda and I would plan our defense.  Sunny was a little conspicuous for a job that required stealth, so he would help us recruit our forces.
Laura had one last question before we broke up.  "Hey Sun.  Are any of you people telepathic?  It would sure make our job a lot easier if we could just read a few minds to find our traitor."
"Sorry ma'am.  A VR game is about action and adventure, with a little bit of brains thrown in to boot: but mind reading would defeat the whole purpose of the game.  There aren't any VR mind readers.  The closest that we have is that some of us won the power to know where other VR players are when we want to, but that as close as it gets.  I doubt that that'll be useful to you."
"I'Zak, any E'Qwan got telepathic abilities?"
"Only a limited ability to communicate with each other, and only then when both parties consciously attempt contact.  We have no ability to communicate with humans at all."
Turning to Auggie and I.  "Guys, I'm not an investigator.  Got any ideas where we should start?"
We told her to watch the Council.  They were the ones delaying us.  We wished each other well and went to our tasks.
Little Adam Odaman, gave us our password phrase, which would signal our attack, when he said, "We're tuff!  Let's beat their faces!"

Chapter 36

The enemy continued to advance on the city.  They moved in shambling ragged columns, displaying little discipline.  They held their clubs high and shouted threatening epithets, as if their show of bravado, by itself, would drive the city into surrender.  While the riots continued, and the council debated, the enemy was approaching the gates to the city.  
Auggie and I had made our plans, and Sunny had recruited those that he was able.  We had a few flyers to keep an eye on their troop movements, so we pretty much knew where and when they were at any given time: and more importantly, we could estimate when they would reach the city, so we continued forward our plans.
The investigation within the city was going to take more time than we had, so we concentrated our efforts on our defense.  If we survived, we would turn our focus on our enemy within, but for now we had to survive the enemy without.
Things were complicated by the fact that they had hostages.  We needed to see to their safety before we could really begin our attack, so like the campaign in the Land of Hearts, we needed a diversion, a rescue then an attack.
The rescue would be accomplished by several of the VR people which we had enlisted to our cause.  We couldn't send in teleporters because they need to be able to know where they're teleporting to, and the rockmen always surrounded the captives, blocking them from view.  If a teleporter tries to beam into some unknown place, he may wind up in solid rock, or in the air and fall, hurting himself.
Instead we would send in a VR with the power of invisibility, who could sneak in unnoticed, during the diversion.  We had two teleporters who also had the power to know where other VRs are.  They would home in on the invisible VR, grab him and the hostages and port out again: this time to another VR who is located in Freaktown.  Then we can begin our attack.  
If we succeed, we'll have ended the city's problem.  If not: since we're renegades and not officials of the city: the Council can then ask for terms of surrender, like they were planning to do anyway.
Our diversion will be provided by Adam Odaman and a few of his pals and we would watch its success or failure in the same manner that we saw Captain Lightning's failure.  The Blue Sun would again carry the cameras and microphones, which would allow us to direct our forces: as meager as they were.  Our defense would begin in two days, when the enemy reached the new aqueduct.

Little Adam called in two of his toughest buddies.  Besides himself there was an Oda named Joe Kood, and one named Joe Stone.  Personally, except for the way they carried themselves, I couldn't tell them apart.  They were all three foot two, eyes of blue, one hair, lots of wrinkles, lots of dust, bonier than I would have thought possible, and all clad only in a diaper.  They looked disgusting.
The way they carried themselves though was very different.  While little Adam bounced all over in a comical manner, his mouth moving a mile a minute, these other two walked purposefully, with an air of superiority.  They reminded me, for all the world, like the toughest punks in a street gang.  When they spoke it was like they were itching for a fight.  It was a good thing that Adam was so good at sniveling and groveling in front of them, or my people might have had problems with them.  I could see that these are the type of Odas that we want in a fight.
Of the two, it seemed that Joe Kood was the most streetwise of the bunch and probably the toughest.  They all had different gaits and different stances, so after a while, it wasn't too hard to tell them apart.  
They didn't care about the safety of the city so we had to pay for their services.  They wanted to be paid in kitties and leashes for the kitties.  What strange creatures.  Outwardly they're all attitude, but underneath they love kittens.  How odd.
It was time.  I gave the Odas their marching orders. "We're tuff!  Let's beat their faces!"
Watching on the screen, it seemed ludicrous to see the three little Odas advancing on the hoard of huge rockmen, and sandmen.  You could actually hear them chuckling and taunting the silicone based army.
"Git over here and fight.  We'll beat yer face!"
"What are ya, a bunch of wusses?"
And from behind the other two Little Adam shouting, "Yeah!  Yer a bunch of cowards hiding behind these other two.  Git over here and fight!"  The Joes turned and glared and him, and then when he cowered they continued their advance.
The enemy was actually backing away.  Couldn't anything in this ridiculous dimension ever make any sense?
Finally the General gave the order to overwhelm the Odas and to bind their hands.  Odas are invulnerable, and they don't need to breathe, so the rockmen really couldn't do anything to hurt them, but they could overpower them and tie them up.  If that happened we would need to free them too, but we could unleash all of our forces without having to worry about hurting our invulnerable little pals.
The first wave of rockmen were dissolved by the universal solvent of the Oda's saliva.  They caught fire and looking at themselves in bewilderment, they went up in smoke.  The next wave was more cautious.  Their approach was made with ropes and nets.  The Oda's would dissolve the nets, but the enemy advanced in greater numbers and faster attacks.  After a fifteen-minute battle, the Odas were subdued, and their mouths were tied shut, sealing the deadly saliva within.
During the battle, the invisible VR must have succeeded, because the airborne cameras caught sight of the two teleporters popping in, grabbing the hostages and the rematerialized invisible VR and popping out again.  
A call to Freaktown let me know that they had arrived safely.  I told them to guard the hostages with their lives, and not to let anyone know that they had been freed until the battle was over.  We didn't want the enemy within to undue what we had done until we had defeated the enemy without.

The city had all of the weapons tied up with the riots, so we had to use only those abilities available to us.  After the Oda's diversion, surprisingly, first blood went to the Amish.  They had set up a field of fertilizer-based landmines at the entrance to the valley.  When they left the pass, nearly half of the rockmen were blown to rubble by the Amish armaments.  
Laura had several of her friends in the water department go next.  The aqueducts were opened, which created a river that flowed around them locking them on an island.  The mikes could hear Adam taunting them through his gag, "Now yev had it.  My buds gotya now!  Heh!  Heh!"
The water was no problem for the rockmen, but the sandmen couldn't cross the stream without being washed away.  They had no choice but to make the one-way transformation into rockmen. 
The now full compliment of rockmen were about to wade into the stream, when they were assaulted from above and below.  Multi-powered VR flyers attacked from above, while Amish E'Qwan rose from the ground, their force fields fencing them in.
The VRs fired force beams and energy balls, shattering rockmen by the score.  One E'Qwan freed the Odas who attacked the rockmen from within.  The slow-witted rockmen didn't stand a chance, and when Ben Weston came out to surrender the City an hour later: he found that the enemy had been thoroughly routed.
The General had been taken captive and was now in custody of the International Peace Keeping Force: which now consisted of Auggie and I: and all of the Amish, Amish E'Qwan and VRs who had defended the City, who had been deputized by the IPKF just before the battle. 
The City forces complained that we had no jurisdiction, but during all of the squabbling in the city we came to realize something.  For months Auggie and I had been lost because we thought that, since the destruction of the Earth, we had no jurisdiction: but we were wrong.  The City police did have jurisdiction in the city, but we weren't in the City.  The Amish and Freaktown were both outside of the city limits and therefore outside of the City's jurisdiction.  This is our mission.  The IPKF is international in scope, so it's we who will forevermore deal with the outside world: whatever that may be.  Let the City police stay in the City.
The Amish, humans and E'Qwan, seek only peace: therefore they have the same purpose as we, and were gladly willing aligned themselves with the IPKF.
Our captive rock General was taken in chains to Freaktown for interrogation.  
The Blue Sun and several other VRs with heat making powers melted the entire battlefield into a molten state, in case any of the sandmen were still in a sandy state, and hadn't metamorphed into rock. 
The tapes of the battle were released to the media and the rioting populace.  The rioting changed from outbursts of anger and fear into rowdy partying; that were only a little less destructive.  The carousing ended two days later.
Gail was returned to her castle, and guarded over by a detachment of VRs that included at least one teleporter and one E'Qwan.  The E'Qwan would shield her in case she was attacked again, and the teleporter would take them to safety if it became necessary.  And through all of this she continued to sleep on.
One more interesting thing happened.  Sparx was found alive.  He was no longer a VR, but he was alive.  After he had been killed defending the castle, he found himself back in level one of the game, which fortunately was running at the time, while being studied.  
I guess that a VR has more than one life, and when they're killed, they have to go to the beginning and start over again.  That's what happened to Sparx, but when he used up his last life, before escaping from the game again, he found himself in the caverns beneath the city, in his human body.  He used the communicator and the Red Cross got him and brought him home to Freaktown.
Checking the records we found out that when Captain Lightning, Wonder Warrior and the Knight Defender died: three players appeared in the game.  It took them two weeks to escape, but eventually they were all returned to us, safe and sound.  They got out without using up all of their lives, so we have our heroes back again.  Maybe that's how they keep coming back to life in the comic books.
The Odas took their kitties back to O'Dalan on their new leashes.  I hope that they know how to care for them.
The General informed us that the Mountain King was far to the west and that by the time that he realized that things hadn't gone according to plan, it would be several years before he could decide to try another attack.  The General felt that he would probably just try to avoid us as he tried to avoid the Odamen.
It took several months to restore the city after all of the damage done during the rioting, but things were finally getting down into a comfortable routine.  That is until that day when everything changed again.

I was at Gail's side, in the Castle, one sunny afternoon.  She was still comatose, but even in that condition she was as lovely as the first day that I saw her.  Usually people in her condition deteriorate over time, but that wasn't the case here.  That rabbit, Jak, said that time doesn't exist in this dimension, so nothing deteriorates.  As I reflected on it later, I wondered if that meant that we wouldn't age in this place.
She lay there like an angel: I was looking down into her face when the blue skies turned a shockingly bright shade of pink.  I felt a sense of peace and calm, like I'd never felt before.  Basking in the love that I felt all about me, I head a booming voice as it commanded: "Young Lady, don't you think that it's time for you to get up.  There's work to do."
Appearing in the room was the most startlingly beautiful woman that I had ever seen before: bathed in a blinding pink halo, she smiled at me.
"Why does she still sleep young man?"
Numbly I answered, "I don't know.  She's slumbered ever since we came to this place."
"Why haven't you awakened her?"
"Me?  No one knows how to bring her back to us.  How am I supposed to wake her?"
"How else?  You may not know it, but in this time and place you are her prince: so you must awaken her with a kiss."

Honor
Chapter 37
Excerpted from the Police Reports
of Detective Tacoma Barker

The sorceress of the North Lands said, "Go ahead.  Wake her."
I leaned over Gail, feeling like something out of a fairy tale.  When our lips came together, there was a feeling like lightning and her whole life flashed before me.  All that she was and all that she had been was laid bare before me, and what horrified me even more, was that, I knew that all that I am or ever had been was, in that same instant, was revealed to her.
A feeble Gail opened her eyes, and gone from them was the exhaustion of those days before her collapse.  The sparkle that, for years, I had grown to look forward to each morning at the Diner had returned.
The Lady in Pink beamed, "There now.  That wasn't so hard was it?  Young Lady we need to talk."
Blinking the sand from her eyes, Gail finally sat up.  After almost a year, she rose, as if from the dead.  "I feel great.  How long have I been out? "
"We need to talk too Gail.  You've been out for almost a year, and a lot has happened."
"We will.  Where's Sam?"
"He's in school, where all kids his age should be.  We'll make sure that he knows that you're awake now."
"That's good.  He was a great comfort to me."  Turning to her fellow sorceress, "It's been a very long time my friend."
 "That it has.  Why don't we have your young man here fill you in on everything that has been happening in your kingdom, then I'll fill you in on what's been going on in mine."  They both turned to me.
"There has been a lot that's been happening, so it's a long story.  Why don't we get you something to eat and drink before we get started."
She looked at herself and smiled, "I could go for a long bath too."

After she was fed, bathed and dressed we sat down for a debriefing.  It took four and a half hours for me to bring her up to speed on the happenings in the city.  When she said that she had a pretty good handle on it, it was the Bright Lady's turn.  To be honest, I was just as interested in finding out more about the lands around us: and what was happening there, as Gail was.  Additionally, I was curious about who this woman was who could command her in such a fashion.
"Young lady, while you've been resting, I can see that your young man and his friends have been very busy.  I'm very impressed that they were able to defeat the minions of the Mountain King.  You've been shirking your responsibilities for too long.
The Mountain King came to power because of you.  When you defeated your predecessors in the west and in the east, but you left the talismans unguarded in the western castle: then you abandoned our world altogether.  Power abhors a vacuum and the Mountain King took power in the west.  His power has been growing ever since his forces surprised our sister in the south and she was driven from her palace."
Shaking out her long blonde tresses, she continued.  "Since he was defeated in the east, his remaining troops have been marching towards the north.  Our southern sister, who has been staying with me at my palace, should be able to protect my lands, but it is up to you and your people to defeat the Mountain King and to free the south."  
"This is a problem that you created, so it is up to you to solve it.  This is a matter of honor."
Nodding Gail answered her, "I see that this is true.  I will marshal my energies and assault the King in his own fortress, as I did the Sorceress who inhabited it before him."
"No you will not.  You and I: as well as our sister from the south: must conserve our energies, for a greater battle which yet awaits us.  The beast from the sky has been following the trail of your city, and even now approaches our dimension."  
"It took four mages to drive it away, the last time it was here, and now we only have three.  You will find that your powers here are not as great as they were in Earth's dimension.  In that place, although there were less mystical energies than in this place, you were the only who could tap them.  Here you are only one of many who can do so."
"Therefore, it will be up to your people to take care of the Mountain King in the south and in the west, much as they did in the east.  When you are rested, you will join me in my palace, so that we can plan our defense."  Turning to me she continued, "You will be in charge of the liberation of the south, and the strong-willed girl who first crossed the deadly desert to your east will lead the assault on the Mountain King.  If he is defeated, the mystical talismans which are held within the castle, and the forces tied to them will be available for our assault on the beast."
Her eyes locked on mine in a gaze that laid bare my soul before this embodiment of love.  "You my detective friend have tasted the nobility of your Lady's soul.  Will you fight for her honor?"
Without hesitation I stood, "I will!"  And it was done.

When the news media found out that Gail had awoke, they stormed her castle with cameras and microphones.  Our troops provided a cordon, and she gave them an interview.  Gail is at heart, a quiet country girl.  She has no taste for the limelight, but she could see that she would have to suffer it all the same.  After several days she became yesterday's news and they stopped hounding her.
She visited many of her friends, and after a weeks time, she left, with her sister from the north.  Many people wanted to travel with her to see the wonders of those lands, but she only consented to take along, young Sam and a few his school friends, as well as the VRs Sport and Valkyrie.

After they had left, it was once again time to call a council of war.  Meeting in the new IPKF headquarters, in Freaktown, I called again the same group together that had so successfully repelled the attack previously.  There were a few others that were added to the group who had been suggested by Gail before she left.

Chapter 38

Excerpted from the Labor News Monthly's
"The Journal of Laura Nelson"

That IPKF Chief, Tacoma Barker called us together.  He said to me, "Laura, we've got at least one more fight ahead of us."  And we all shortly find ourselves back together again.  After explaining the crisis ahead of us he gave us our assignments.  Some of them made no sense to me, but these were assignments made by the Goddess Gail, not by Chief Barker, and though I'm prone to distrust the politically powerful, she had proven herself to me.  On my honor, I would follow her into the jaws of death, and beyond.  Her cause was my cause and her honor was mine to defend as if it were my own.
Barker was given the job of freeing the country to the south, and was supposed to take that Amish guy, Jakob something or other, as his lieutenant.  He also wanted to take, Captain Lightning, Wonder Warrior and the Knight Defender, to give them a chance to redeem themselves after their defeat in front of the cameras, on the last outing. 
The E'Qwan called X'Pao was given the job of preparing the city, and the E'Qwan for the return of the beast.  He was also given the job of taking over the ongoing investigation, to try to find out who is our enemy within.
I was given the simple task of defeating the Mountain King.  And who did they give me as a lieutenant?  Tom Peterson!  Barker gets super-heroes, and I get a fool with a camel.  I trust the Goddess, but I gotta question her judgment in this matter.  They get dull-witted rockmen to fight, and we get the mastermind behind them, who from the reports that I get, is literally the size of a mountain.
But you know what?  I've had to fight hard all of my life just to prove myself, so if anyone's got the temperament for this fight, it's me.  I'll set up a meeting with Peterson for tomorrow morning, so that we can plan our suicide mission.

The Shriner sat before me in the Gail's Diner, wearing that lopsided grin of his that simply infuriated me.  We thought that we might as well have a nice breakfast while we talked strategy.  Sipping his coffee, he said.  "Well Laura, I guess that it'll be you and me again: just like old times, eh?"
Stirring my oatmeal I looked up.  "I suppose so.  Just get one thing straight: I'm the one who was put in charge, not you."
"Wouldn't have it any other way.  As a theoretician, I'm pretty good, but in practice, I'm just an engineer.  In case you haven't noticed, some of us are so highly educated in very specific areas that we can be totally ignorant in others.  You on the other hand understand people and are a generalist, while I'm a specialist.  A generalist will always make the better general."
Taking a bite of my eggs, "OK.  As long as that's understood.  During the land of Hearts expedition, I found that you had some training in military tactics.  How extensive is that training?"  I probably shouldn't have been talking with my mouth full.
"As I told you before, a couple of centuries ago, the Knights Templar rethought their focus, and became less of a service organization, and more of a group of guys who study and practice the chivalric codes and military tactics.  My knowledge of military practices are the equal of anyone on the city."
"Part of our training includes swordsmanship and horsemanship.  As a Shriner I was a part of the Camel Patrol, but as a Templar, I'm Commander of the Horse Cavalry of the Kansas City Commandry of Knights Templar.  I have a whole regiment of horse cavalry available.  The Knights of Columbus likewise have at least two similar regiments.  We have friendly jousts with them on a regular basis, and their Commander and I are on friendly terms."
I slammed the table, knocking over my cup.  The waitress helped me clean up the mess.  Tacoma Barker had super heroes and electracycles, while I get horse brigades and Knights.  "Do you wear armor?"  
"The Horse Cavalry does when in full dress parades, or at jousting matches, but not at other times."  Not just knights: knights in armor: like Don Quixote.
"All right Tom: how's this sound?  You're in charge of planning the attack and I'm in charge of recruiting for now.  I'm a people person, so you tell me what we'll need, and I'll find the people to fill the bill.  Now, what do you need first?"
"What we need are people who are good with reconnaissance, with transportation and with supply.  We found maps in the Lady Gail's castle, but she said that they are out of date.  I guess that in this place, roads and mountains tend to move around, so the maps are pretty much useless.  We need to know where the Mountain King and his forces are, as well as what the terrain is, at any given moment."
"You're joking, right?  Mountains and roads moving?"
"Not at all.  Even back on Earth the mountains were always moving.  They were just taking too long a time for it to be noticed.  It could take millions of years to notice that a mountain had moved.  And we relocate roads all of the time.  The only difference is that there is no time in this place.  We're in a constant state of now.  Things move here with the changing of the imagination, not the passage of time.  The imagination may change things here rather rapidly."
"So we need recon that can keep us current.  Any chance of getting up a satellite?"
"No.  But I do think that we already have something as good.  During the last skirmish with the King's forces, we used the Blue Sun.  He took cameras and spied on the enemy.  In some ways he was better than a spy satellite, because he had microphones and we could hear sounds as well as seeing the pictures.  If we can use him again we'll be well informed when we need to be."
"OK Tom, that's one person that we need to bring on board.  I think I know who we can get to handle transportation and supply.  Why don't you try to find out what attack forces we have available to us, and we'll meet back here for breakfast tomorrow morning, and compare notes."

I got to look forward to those morning breakfasts.  Not only was the food really good, but I was grudgingly gaining a little respect for Tom.  Over the next month we gathered our forces, studied the recon from the Blue Sun and several other flying friends of his, laid in our supplies and arranged our transportation.  Things were going fairly well.
We wanted to time our attack to be coordinated with Barker's assault on the south: so his people left for the south a week before we did.  He didn't have as far to go as we did, and he had the electracycles: but we found better transportation.  If all went as planned, he would be finishing off his foes at the same time that we would begin our assault.
We hoped that when the Mountain King received word that his forces in the south were under attack, that he would pull some of his forces from the west to strengthen the south.  In that way we would be attacking a weaker enemy.  In all that time we heard nothing from the mages in the northern palace.

Chapter 39
Excerpted from Amish Church Records of
Interviews with Brother Jakob

We Amish are generally pacific by nature, so I was somewhat at a loss as to why I had been selected for a military expedition.  We prefer to stay to ourselves, whenever possible, but we also know that we must live within the world.  Chief Barker assigned me the job of taking care of the non-combative aspects of our mission: therefore I was assigned as a supply sergeant and a cook.  I don't really think that he took my assignment too seriously.
The Great Ladies saw fit to entrust me with the position of second in command, and I don't take my charges lightly.  I don't know what the Ladies saw that we didn't, but I understood that I was to be more than a cook. (Although that is an honorable and righteous profession: don't get me wrong.)  
As always I would have to prove myself.  Sometimes a person can be the most talented person in the world, and be unable to exercise those talents as a consequence of the preconceived notions of those about him.  Human nature is a strange thing: before I became an Amish convert, everyone I knew expected me to do great things, but after my conversion, I found that, for all intents and purposes, I had ceased to exist.  All of my talents and abilities have been wasted through the actions of others.   
My life has been a crushing cage of continual frustration.  When I've tried to break out of my prison, someone always leashes me: not in malice, but even worse, in indifference.  I am attracted to the Neo-Amish beliefs, partially because we believe in supporting each other, rather than the constant competition that tears us down.  Unfortunately, in the rest of the world: the uncaring heart has replaced the helping hand.
And now I have again been relegated to a position, which will never allow me to soar with my abilities.  I had so many gifts to give, but it seemed that they would again be thrown away without being considered.  I wasn't sure how, but this time I would force this Tacoma Barker to notice them.

The morning came for us to leave.  Barker said a few words to his pet super-heroes (I swear that the man is obsessed with finding heroes to worship.  I believe that at heart, he's meant to be a follower, not a leader.), then to his driver.  The army moved forward on its electravehicles, with my people bringing up the rear.
We skirted the mountains, keeping to the plains that skirted the desert.  When the rockmen tried to invade Kansas City, they came by the mountain pass, and that's a good route if you're looking for stealth: but we wanted them to know that we were coming.  
We had already defeated two of their armies, (three if you include the one in the Land of Hearts), so we were counting on them being scared of us by now.  On top of that we hoped to inspire the enslaved inhabitants to rise up in revolt, when they saw that their liberation was nigh.  This was the basics of Barker's plan.
My plan had been rejected without thought.  I wanted to try to negotiate with them.  With their local leaders defeated, perhaps the ordinary rockman had no interest in fighting.  Maybe if we asked them, they'd just surrender without a fight.  I'd rather win a battle without anyone getting hurt, than die a glorious warrior any day of the week.
We were to enter the fray on our electravehicles, floating over the heads of the sandmen, so that they couldn't engulf us.  Our bazookas and heroes (Who had this time been equipped with breathing masks.  Just in case.) should be able to dispatch the rockmen without too much effort, now that we had the full support of the city's forces.  The heroes flew ahead for recon.  It was generally felt that nothing could go wrong.

The weather was truly bizarre in this place. (Like many other things in this strange land.)  Great blasts of dry heat would blow in from the desert to our left at one moment: while moist frigid air from the mountains would assail us on our right flanks the next moment.  Whirling winds appeared when these opposing forces collided.  I could see why the rockmen chose the path that they had.  Still, we were now committed, and there was nothing to be done about it but to endure it until the end.
After a weeks march, we had reached the halfway point, when the heroes alerted us to a disturbance to the north.  Climbing over the horizon were two impossibly beautiful stars, who continued to rise in brightness and beauty.  One of the most brilliant crimson, and the other was a brilliant sapphire blue.  As they approached, they resolved themselves into two personages, one was the Lady Gail, and the other was a Raven-haired goddess, which I had not seen ere this.
The ruby red star settled in the front of the column, near Tacoma Barker, and the sapphire star lit next to me.  
Smiling she introduced herself, "I am she who once ruled in the south.  You may call me Anella.  And you my dear, dear Jakob are well known to me."  She reached her hand to my face and gently ran her knuckles down my cheek.  I could feel her love and compassion, and I knew that I was here, only because she wanted me to be here.  I had no idea what was going on in the front of the caravan, but the real story was here in the back.

Chapter 40
           From The Reconstructed Racial
Memories of Podkeeper X'Pao

As podkeeper I was given the task of watching over the home nest of the humans, and E'Qwan alike.  A week ago, the first caravan left for the south.  This afternoon three lights approached the city, the red and blue ones continued, but the pink one settled to the ground near me.  The human strange-energy-controller from the northlands then stood beside me.
As before, I felt a great sense of calm and peaceful feelings in her presence.  She spoke to me of things both wonderful, and at the same time terrifying.  She warned me that the beast was returning, but that I was to warn the other E'Qwan and that we should not fear, for the creature had been at this place before and that the four sorceresses had driven it away, but that they had never really understood what it was that they had cast out.
She told me that she knew of our limited telepathic abilities, and she asked if the E'Qwan would be willing to share the knowledge that we had gained from our earlier contacts with the beast.  She said that it would help them to make sure that they not only defeated the beast, but that they would ensure that it never returned.   
I gladly accepted on behalf of all of the E'Qwan.
She held out a pinkish crystal globe, about the size of an Earth apple, and handed it to me, saying that this would allow any non-E'Qwan that we wished, to temporarily commune with the hive mind.  
She wished to be a part of the hive mind!  It was unthinkable: and the greatest of blasphemies!  The hive is the ultimate in E'Qwan intimacy, and no outsider may be allowed to contaminate it.  Even the apostate and It's renegade faction would be repulsed by such a joining.  I had to respond, but not let the anger show that I felt at that moment.
"My friend, what you ask is not possible.  It may be hard for you to understand why, but you must trust me: you could never become a part of the hive mind!"
"Dear X'Pao, you misunderstand me.  I have no desire to become a part of the hive mind, that would limit me too much, I only wish to commune with it.  What I'm saying is that after you form the hive, this crystal, let's call it the Heart-Toucher, will allow me to communicate with it: not be a part of it.  Would that violate your traditions?"
"I know not until it is formed.  I will call all of the faithful E'Qwan together that we might form the hive."
"Will you also ask I'Zak to form his hive?"
"His hive?"
"You must know by now that his people's thinking have sufficiently deviated from yours, so that they and you will be unable to ever again form a single hive.  There will now be two hives."
This though had never occurred to me and it broke my heart.  To be of a single mind is that which all E'Qwan strive for: that which makes us who we are.  "How can that be?"
In the past year of separation from your people, they have woven and hatched a new generation of Amish E'Qwan.  The beliefs of the convert E'Qwans have been added to their racial knowledge with the weaving.  From now on their descendants will think differently than your people.  Thus they will have a second hive, different and distinct from yours.  The Heart-Toucher will teach these two hives to commune with each other, and with other minds capable of such communion."
"That's monstrous!  It'll be the end of the E'Qwan.  Our unity has always been our strength."
"And your greatest weakness.  You have always lacked diversity.  This development is not a bad thing.  It will lead to the next step in E'Qwan evolution.  After today you will understand.  Now, will you contact I'Zak and It's people, or shall I?"

Chapter 41
Excerpted from the Police Reports
of Detective Tacoma Barker

The column left Kansas City on time, and after a weeks travel, we saw the lights approach us from the north.  The blue one landed at the rear of our forces and the red one, which I knew to be Gail landed beside me.  With a smile that could light up the sky she reached out and embraced me.
"How goes the war, old friend?"
"Gail it's going well so far, but we haven't encountered any of the enemy yet."
"Are you and Jakob getting along all right?"
"The Amish guy?  He's OK I guess.  I put him in charge of the supplies."
"You put him in charge…?  He's supposed to be your counselor and most trusted advisor, not a subordinate."
"That's always been Auggie's job.  I wouldn't deny him of this on the eve of battle.  The Amish guy will be OK in the back.  He'll be out of the way and won't get in any trouble back there."
"You've made a big mistake.  This skirmish cannot be won without him.  You don't even remember him do you?  He ate alongside you in my Diner for years: didn't you ever notice him?"
"Oh, I remember there being an Amish bunch that used to hang out there.  I Can't remember a whole lot about them."
"You have a selective memory then.  Don't you even remember him from your high school history classes?  Before he became Brother Jakob, he was Jacob Meier, a fellow classmate of yours."
"Yeah.  Now that you mention it, I do.  He was kind of a dull kid.  He was just one of those guys that was always there."
"One of the faceless masses?"
"Well… that's not how I'd put it, but yeah.  And I'm supposed to listen to him?"
"Actually, you were supposed to do what he told you to do.  There's more talent and ability in that nameless nobody, which you've relegated to supply, than there is in the rest of your column.  Well, your plans have been made, see them through, but if he ever comes to you and tells you to do something: you better do it immediately."

After a nice visit, she said that she had to return to the north, but that the southern Sorceress, Anella by name, would be staying.  She said that the south was her land and that we couldn't succeed without her.  As long as the mage protecting a land is working for its defense, her forces cannot be beaten.  The west was lost to the Mountain King because Gail had not been there to defend it.  If Gail had been awake, the rockmen would have stood no chance against us.  The Lady of the south was caught unawares, never made a defense and was therefore defeated.  Gail defeated her wicked predecessors because she wasn't threatening the land, only the evils ones themselves.  In fact, in a manner of speaking, Gail was protecting the land from them.
She said that Anella would not be doing battle.  Since she was no longer the ruler in the south, her powers had been greatly diminished.  When we placed her back upon her throne, she would again receive the full measure of her powers.  
Gail made it clear that we needed her full powers for their upcoming battle against the beast.  She couldn't waste what energies she had regaining her kingdoms.

Five days later Captain Lightning returned with word that the enemy knew that we were coming and that we would be upon them the following morning.  They had come up with an interesting new tactic.  They had locked arms and filled the spaces between with sandmen, creating an enormous wall.  It was like one row of bricks being laid with interlocking grooves, with another like row laid upon that and another on that, with all of the gaps filled with the sandmen acting as a cement.  Thousands of silicon based creatures forming a living wall of China, blocking our entrance to the land.
I asked the Captain if the wall could be breached by him and his fellow heroes.  He said that if they tried, the sandmen would again engulf them and stop them.  They could fly over it, but that would be pointless.
I suggested bazookas and dynamite.  Auggie said that there were no arms manufacturers in Kansas City, and that we were running low on bazooka shells.  A wall that was that size might be damaged, but not seriously, and there was always the possibility that this living wall might be able to reform itself into something much worse than a wall.
We'd defeated hundreds of them at a time before, but I wasn't sure how we were supposed to beat thousands of them.  I told the Captain to mobilize all of his flying energycasters, and to assault the wall from above.  
This tactic shone with some success, but the enemy learned to use the sand to completely cover the structure.  When something impacted with the sand, it simply reformed itself, protecting the more brittle rockmen beneath.  This could become a long protracted blockade.
I called supply, to see how long we could maintain our siege.  Jacob Meier was on the other end.  He said that we had enough for about two months, but then he said something that chilled me to the bone.
He said simply, "If they built this wall, they knew we were coming.  Who told them?"

Chapter 42

Excerpted from the Labor News Monthly's
"The Journal of Laura Nelson"

The first force left for the south two weeks ago.  Now it was our turn to assault the west and I called in a few old friends to help out.  The Blue Sun was bringing us up to date information about the enemy's forces and the surrounding terrain.  
Our plan to draw the western forces away to the south worked far better than we ever could have expected.  The Mountain King sent all of his forces to the south, with the exception of his honor guard and he left the defense of the west completely to himself.
This may at first glance seem like good news, but unfortunately, the Mountain King looked to be adequate to the defense.  Our first pictures of him, on Sunny's cameras, showed that he wasn't called the Mountain King for no reason.  He may not have been as big as an actual mountain, but he was as big as a large hill.  He was in fact a large rocky mesa, with caves forming a face with a rather foul disposition.  
Time-lapse photography showed that he was able to move about slowly and grow appendages as needed.  He appeared to be made of granite.  This would be no easy task.
Even though this land was far away, transportation turned out to be no problem.  My old friend Jak brought along a few of his buddies and they created a new tunnel shortcut for my forces.  Where Barker's army had a trip that took weeks, my people would be there in about three and a half hours.  It's nice to have friends that are willing to work in low places.
The King of Clubs, and his friend Digger handled supplies.  It seems that the tree people are working out well in the Land of Clubs, and are producing enormous quantities of fruits, and they said that L'Dahl was working out well as Prime Minister of the Land of Hearts.  Between the Grove's fruits, and L'Dahl's supply network, we were doing fine.
Tom Peterson's horse cavalry was ready to handle the honor guard: which left it to me to defeat the Mountain King by myself.  Well David slew Goliath with a sling.  All I needed was the right sling, and maybe a little help from my friends.
I was surprised by how much intel we were able to acquire before our assault.  I would never have entered a meeting for contract negotiations without thoroughly boning up on my adversaries strengths and weaknesses, and I certainly wasn't going into battle unprepared.  Sunny and a few of his friends provided aerial recon, and the King of Clubs supplied background info.
The King of Clubs had long ago known the Sorceress who had once lived here, (Though he said that he didn't care for her.) and he also said that she was close friends with the Queen of Hearts.  
We contacted the Queen of Hearts.  I found her to be a tough woman and a real pain in the neck, but she was very useful.  She was able to accurately describe the castle and outline its fortified and unfortified positions.  It seems that the Sorceresses had all counted on their own magical abilities as their first, main and last lines of defense.  They couldn't imagine a problem that they couldn't handle themselves.  This was an enormous weakness, just waiting to be exploited.  
The Queen of Hearts had long ago realized this and kept the information in the back of her mind, in case hostilities ever broke out between her and the Sorceresses.  This intel was vital, but even more importantly: she told us where the mage kept her mystic talismans.  
Tom's cavalry would distract the enemy, while Jak, the King of Clubs and I would sneak into the castle to acquire the occult weapons.  The King of Clubs would use them to defeat the Mountain King.

It was a partially overcast day when Tom Peterson and his three ranks of horse cavalry rode out of the tunnel at a full gallop.  The Knights Templar in their gleaming armor, with white tunics emblazoned with a large red cross, rode in the center, flanked on both sides by the Knights of Columbus in their shining armor and blue tunics sporting their large white Maltese crosses.  Behind them came a small detachment of pikemen from the Knights of Pythias, and one rank of bowmen under the command of the Jack of Spades.
Into the face of impossible odds they rose in futile splendor.  With shields held high, their lances slid off of the hard surfaces of their foes, in a shower of sparks.  They swung around for another pass, now that they had taken the mettle of their opponents.  The two armies crashed again, and a miracle occurred: their lances chipped off pieces of the Mountain King's Honor Guard.  In a land where stone was king: steel proved the superior of stone once again.
With a cheer they turned for another pass.

I hated to turn away from watching the battle, but I had my own mission to complete.  Jak, the King of Clubs and I stealthily crested the crags that separated the Mountain King from the old castle.  We could see that our foe had gained control over the old sorceresses guards, for we could see them plainly marching and singing as they guarded the gate that crossed the moat
The dark castle was a foreboding sight that exuded a feeling of hopelessness.  The king said that its old owner had cast a spell on it to make it so.  In that way it would be intimidating to anyone foolish enough to approach it.
I didn't know how Gail had been able to sneak through those lines and take the old hag by surprise, but I had other means.  With a few nice words to my friend Jak, a tunnel was made under the moat, and into the castle proper.
Five minutes later we were in the courtyard of the deserted structure.  It seemed that the Mountain King had stationed guards outside, but it had never occurred to him that there should also be a few inside.  Jak suggested that the enemy had probably never been inside of anything, so that he would never have thought of guarding the inside.  We climbed the aged staircase to the southwestern turret.
We could hear the sounds of battle outside as we rummaged through the foul castle.  Even worse than that we could hear the Mountain King taunting and laughing at our men.  His voice was like grating rock: a low groaning crushing din that hurt the ears.
We finally found the chamber that the Queen of Hearts had described.  There was a shattered hourglass and a large glass globe by the door, and over by the brooms we saw a small alcove with ornate inscriptions winding around the alcove. 
From the oppressing darkness of the alcove an emerald light shone through.  In the center was an ancient altar, with a glass bell jar: and inside the jar was a pair of the most hauntingly stunning pair of bracelets that could be imagined.  They appeared to be made of platinum, with the most intricate workmanship conceivable, with four huge emeralds girdling each wristlet.  They shone with a jade fire that quickly burned away the gloom.
Turning to the King of Clubs, I said, "OK friend, I got you here, now its time for you to do your part."
Lifting the jar, he looked at the gauntlets, but was unable to touch them.  "Laura, these aren't meant for me.  They don't want me to touch them, and even if I could, they would never fit my stick thin wrists.  I think that these are meant for you."
Jak chimed in, "Take up your destiny Laura.  Your men need you."  
From outside the castle's window, I heard a cheer, and knew that Tom Peterson's warriors had amazingly been victorious.  They had actually defeated the King's Guard.  The Mountain King roared and challenged them to battle, cursing foul epithets of their imminent deaths.
Jak continued, "Laura, you better hurry up."

I reached out and picked up emerald fire and lightning.  The instant that my fingers made contact with them I felt a resplendent chorus within my soul, which infused my every molecule with joy.  When I slipped the gauntlets onto my wrists they hugged them as if they had always belonged there: becoming as one with my body.  My total being crackled with energies that I had had never before experienced, yet I knew to be intimate long-time companions.
My very body blazed a bright green, and my ears sang with the song of elation, and I found that I was now clad with the most resplendent Jade armor, sword and shield.  As a union worker I always saw myself as a knight in shining armor, coming to the aid of the weak and protecting the innocent: and now in this strange place, and in this strange way, my innermost thoughts had become a vibrant reality.
Distantly I heard the enemy roar in anger and I rose from the ground.  I reached out my tendrils of jade energy like a child discovering her newly formed fingers.  
I could feel every iota of every atom and molecule of the lands in the west: every life and every speck of energy were connected to me through my new energies. There was so much to learn, for I had become more than I could ever have conceived myself to be, but I was also so much less than I would one day be.  I explored my energies, until, through the ecstasy of power, I distantly heard the roar, once again. 
I had only mastered the slightest beginnings of my new abilities, when I shot through the roof and confronted my foe.

Gazing down on the battlefield, I could see at once, that Tom's cavalry had indeed beaten the Honor Guard.  (What a strange thing to call creatures that had no honor.)  While the enemy had watched the battle, the tree creature, Digger, had woven a web of vines around the giant enemy's legs, and when the living mountain rose, he fell flat on his face.  
He had ripped up the vines and was about to crush the valiant treeman with a stone fist that was larger than a house.  Then he caught sight of me hurtling towards him like an attacking bird of prey: my verdant green flames flowing from fiery wings into grasping claws.  Picking up an enormous boulder he hurled it my way.  Without a thought, I reached out with my tendrils and swatted the ineffectual missile away.
Having seen what Gail was able to do to the beast from the sky, I knew that I could hurl fire and lightning at him, but I didn't yet know how to do that, so instead I reached out with my tendrils, like a giant hand.  I made them grow and grow, thinking of controlling them vaguely like I controlled my hand, I gripped him in my hand-like tendrils and started to squeeze.
The pressures engulfing the mammoth creature continued to build and the tendrils became stronger and finer.  I wove the tendrils into a mesh of constantly strengthening energies, that then pulled themselves tighter, completely constricting the Mountain King.   The evil giant screamed and began to break up.  Refining the grip, I crushed the chunks into rocks, then the rocks into pebbles, and finally the pebbles into dust.  When I was finished, there was no doubt that the Mountain King was no more.
Exhausted, I settled onto the battlefield: looking back,  the Blue Sun and his friends repeated their procedure from the Battle of Kansas City: and the dust that was once the Mountain King was fused into another large plain of glass.  Cheers of joy were heard from the enslaved castle guards, and glancing to the east I could see a golden star rise towards the heavens: and from the south a ruby star.
An exhausted and sweating Tom galloped up to me carrying the King of Clubs.  With that annoying smile he simply said,   "Good job Laura."  
To which I could only reply, "Yeah.  You too."

Chapter 43
Excerpted from Amish Church Records of
Interviews with Brother Jakob

After alerting Barker about the traitor in the city's contact with the enemy, there was a short lull in the fighting, but after a few minutes, the explosions and coruscating lightning resumed.  
Anella turned to me and queried, "What think you of the battle plan that your forces are implementing?"
"I begin to think that there is no plan."
"Why sayest thou so."
Hearing her formal speech, I naturally fell back into my public Amish manner of speech.  "Dear Lady, tis my belief that Captain Barker, underestimated the resolve and abilities of our adversaries."  There's always something charming about such speech.
"Didst thou inform yon Captain of this belief?"
"Nay, for he has yet to listen to my words nor has he yet considered my advise of value."
"Then tis time that thou must speak, not with thy words, but with the strength of thy heart.  Be unnoticed no longer.  Go to him and be true to thyself, and to all that thou doest hold dear."
She turned her head as if listening to a far away voice.  She smiled and turned back to me.  "The Mountain King is no more.  Mayhaps thou shouldst inform the gentlemen in the front."
Nodding, I got off the electravehicle and walked toward the front of the convoy.  We had brought a force of four hundred humans and about seventy-five of his elite VR troops.  We had tanks and cannons, but so far we had relied solely on the dozen or so super-heroes that we had brought along.  We tried to force our adversaries into submission with an inadequate force.
Arriving at the command vehicle, I hailed those within it.  "Ho the Captain.  Tis Jakob of the Amish, that seekest admission."  The guards turned and whispered to someone within the armored vehicle: after which the door was opened and I was permitted to enter.
Tacoma Barker stretched forth his hand.  "How goes supplies Meier?  Anything that I should know about back there?"
"There is truly much that needs to be spoken.  The Lady Anella, informs me that the Mountain King hast been defeated, and that the campaign in the west has been won.  Also thou shouldst know that I have not been Jacob Meier for many a year.  I am now and forevermore shell be Brother Jakob, or simply Jakob."
"All right.  If that's all, I've got to win the war on this front."  He started to turn away from me, but I couldn't leave things like that.
"That is not all.  We cannot win this war the way that you are fighting it.  I have studied the enemy, and you have not.  I have sat in their prisons and listened to their hearts.  They will not back down under a threat of violence, when you do not have a force sufficient to defeat them."
"And why should I listen to what you have to say?  I remember you, in high school, you were less than invisible: you were ineffectual.  Why should I…?"  He sat for a few seconds as if struggling with a dilemma.  "Gail told me to listen to you.  I promised her that if you spoke up, I would do whatever you required of me. Although all of my upbringing tells me to ignore you, I will not ignore her.  I hope that she knew what she was talking about, because as of this moment, this is your war.  What shall we do commander?"  Giving me a weak smile and a mock salute.
"To begin with, pull back your heroes and cease the attack.  Then bring me a bullhorn."

I approached the massive living wall, alone and unarmed.  My Amish heart told me that violence is not the answer to this problem.  If I hoped to avoid hostilities, I must look into their hearts.  Remembering the ritual that I had heard used by the rockmen in the land of O'Dalan, I raised my bullhorn and said, "Ever since coming to this strange land so long ago we have been devoid of purpose…"  Then I waited for what I had said to sink in.
One figure separated itself from the wall and shambled forward.  "You speak our sacred words human."
"I doest, because the sentiments apply to me and my people also.  Particularly this one…. "We were the weak, but now we're the strong!!"  Contact with thy people hast strengthened us.  When first our peoples met, we were weak, but now we are strong."
"This is true.  But we are strong!"
"Thou art strong, but we art stronger.  We defeated you in the land of O'Dalan: we defeated you in the land of Kansas and now we have defeated your King.  We are strong… but we are also merciful.  We have no wish to kill your people, only to take back what was taken from our friends."
"Our King is not defeated.  Our King is strong."
"Truly it is my sad duty to inform thee that thy King is dead."
"This is sad news indeed.  We are a people in need of purpose.  It was he who has told us of our purpose.  If his guidance was flawed, we are truly lost."
"All thinking creatures are in a constant search for a purpose.  Not all purposes are of equal value.  Wouldst thou return to thy old life of slavery, to fulfill thy need for a purpose, for that was once thy purpose?"
"Having tasted freedom, we could never return to that state."
My mind raced, looking for where best that this discussion should be led, I quietly asked, "Doest thou know that thy enslaver from the skies will return anon?"
He started to visibly quake.  "The beast is returning?"
"It is.  We are preparing to drive it away once again, but our preparations are being hindered by this pointless war with thy people.  The sorceresses didst repulse it once before, but unless we can return the rightful ruler to this land, she will not be able to access those energies that will be needed for our defense."
"Then we must stand down: but where are we to go?"
"Why shunnest thou the lands to the east?  It seemeth to me that the pristine sands of the desert wouldst be a most hospitable home for thy people."
"To be honest, many of us have wondered this same thing, but the Mountain King insisted that it was our responsibility to rule the lesser creatures."
"Thy King has led thee astray.  I will show thee a better way.  Thy new destiny is to create beauty from the barren sands and rocks of the wastelands.  Become creators rather than destroyers.  Go now to thy new home.  From the untouched frontier, thy peoples mayest build a great kingdom."
"But we will be alone."
"When thou hast each other thou art never alone.  Besides which my people and thine may, in the future, become close friends, and trading partners."  
Feeling that I had touched something within the rockman, I continued.  "We wish no ill to thy brethren, and would prefer it if we could part this day as friends: but if that is not also thy wish we can still do battle.  If we do that, thou shouldst know that we will be victorious.  What shall we be?  Friends or foes?'

We parted as friends.  It took several hours for them to move off into their new home in that desert which would be most deadly to any other creatures.  The new Silicon Nation was superbly suited to that environment.  They were unaffected by the extremes of temperatures, needed no water or shelter, and were sustained by the rocks and sands that were so abundant in that place.
Anella was reinstalled in her palace, and the doors to the prisons and slave camps were opened.  She resumed her throne, and when she replaced the azure necklace o'er her head, the palace blazed, with sapphire lightning, and a chorus of  a thousand part harmony was felt to the souls of all who witnessed the event.
While she gathered her strength, she called my into her throne room.  "Dear Jakob, I have a favor beyond measure that I must ask you.  While I was in the North, I communed with my sisters.  We realized that the lands of the west, south and, without the help of your people, the east, were lost.  This is because my ruby sister and I had not been there when the lands of our respective responsibilities most needed us.  To make sure that this never happens again, it was decided that we would share our power with another, who can help us to protect our lands, in the event of our absence."
Slipping back into her formal tongue, "Dearest Jakob, wouldst thou stay with me and help me protect these lands of the south."
I was stunned, and all that I could say was,  "Yeah sure.  OK."

Chapter 44
           From The Reconstructed Racial
Memories of Podkeeper X'Pao

I could sense the formation of I'Zakk's Hive, while I struggled to form the Hive of the faithful.  It took much longer to form than it normally should have taken, and the transition was less than intoxicating.  At the moment of transition, I realized the cause: P'rll, Z'Tkk, B'rss and had been subtly changed during our time in the VR game.  We had assumed that our modifications had left us when we returned to Kansas, but we were wrong.  Those changes made us subtly different from our podmates, so that it became much more difficult to form a viable Hive.  Nevertheless, we persisted and it was established.

We rise above the ground, the energies singing in our soul.  We look down on the city and see the human swarm, scurrying about their activities, and we realize that they are like the ants: who each toil at their individual tasks, but all serving the needs of the nest.
Within the city our slightly tainted Hive can see into the soul of the traitor.  Normally no E'Qwan could touch a human soul, but in our altered state, this was now possible. 
Councilman Benedict Weston had conspired with the Mountain King: planning that he would be made ruler of the eastern lands, under the Mountain King.  He had long been behind the movement to oust the E'Qwan from the Earth, and had easily allied himself with the E'Qwan's greatest foe: passing on information that would be detrimental to the city.  We will inform the authorities of this when we return, so that he can be incarcerated: for he is even now plotting further perfidy.
Glancing away from the city we see the Amish Hive, with it's spun silver energies, so different from our spun bronze energies, rising to meet us. 
The pink star also rising to meet us, carrying the Heart-Toucher in her delicate hand.  We met above the city, still unable to discern the thoughts of the others.
Feeling the skies above we can sense no trace of the approaching beast, and for the first time we begin to doubt the pink one, who even now approached us.
Reaching out with her arm, she placed the Heart-Toucher between her, the silver Hive and us.  
When a Hive is formed, all of the E'Qwan in the Hive must be in physical contact, until it is established.  The Heart-Toucher performed the same function.  When two Hives meet (an unprecedented event) and simultaneously touch the gem, both Hives can commune one with another.
We wondered why the pink one delayed the process.  We looked about and saw a brilliant golden star approaching us from the east.  It was a lone E'Qwan of enormous energies and expanded perceptions: it was the ascended L'Dahl who rose to meet us.
When It arrived, the pink one held out the crystal and a Union of the Amish Hive, L'Dahl, the pink one and the True Believers Hive was forged.  We became the Many, but we also maintained our separateness.  
Within the Many, the pink said, "I will now show you how to sense in more directions than just the spatial.  Imitate my energies… this is how we sense the nearby dimensions."  And we found that we could.  "Sense now in this direction."  The Many sensed, and recognized the beast hurtling toward them: smashing its way through the dimensional barriers.
She continued, "See how it continues to hunt the E'Qwan?  It tracked you to your homeworld, it tracked you to the Earth and now it comes here."  
"The E'Qwan have never known why the beast so hates them, so now I will tell you.  Long ago the beast came to this place and was driven away: but while it was here, it received a vision where it was shone than it would be killed by a single E'Qwan.  In this place time does not exist.  It exists outside of time.  From here it looked outward and saw its own death at the hands of an E'Qwan, and it has ever since sought to escape that fate by eliminating all E'Qwan."  
"It was always a killer of inhabited worlds, but from that point onward, its only goal was to exterminate all E'Qwan.  As you can see, it returns here again and is willing to risk the wrath of we who had driven it away before."
":When it arrived here for the first time, it had living creatures on its surface.  The beings that we have been waging war on were the slaves of the beast, living on its surface.  The Odamen too lived on its surface, though I am less sure of their function.  When we drove off the beast, we removed all living things from its surface.  Unfortunately the Mountain King, who was in actual fact, a piece of the beast, was also blasted from its surface."
"The Mountain King was always the beast's agent in this place, and he informed the beast that two of the sorceresses had been slain.  It still believes this to be the case.  It would have come for us eventually, but when our ruby sister brought the last E'Qwan here, the beast made up its mind to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak."
The silver asked, "Then the Many is to slay the beast this day?"
"No.  That is the task of a single E'Qwan.  The Many will stand witness to all that is about to transpire.  That is all."
  The pink continued.  "This is my land.  Mine and my sisters.  It is our task to repel the invader.  The day of its passing is not yet, though it is not known if it will be the day of our passing.  Behold my sisters as we unite to do battle.  Behold the Azure Anella, the Ruby Gail, and with her our newest sister the Emerald Laura.  Witness, but do not interfere."

The Many saw the four Ladies, blazing like suns rising together.  They used the Heart-Toucher to unite themselves and gave instruction to their newest.  Crossing the dimensions they shattered barrier after barrier, which the enemy had placed in their path to slow them: the energies continually rising within them until, even the senses of the Many were unable to look directly at them.  The song within them crescendoing first to a wail then rising to a shriek, tore at the beast's soul.
The tentacles of the beast reached out and hurled the vilest of ebon lightning, the gray forces of decay seeking out forms of the Ladies, only to be deflected by the scarlet lightning of the rainbow gestalt.  Ashen tentacles fried under cobalt flames.  
The battle continued for hours, as the creature was slowly pushed back.  The newly restored sorceress from the South, was weakened and collapsed, but the remaining three strove yet harder.
The Many could feel the screams of rage from the vile one, as verdant green force beams chopped up the surface of the creature.  The Ladies grew in size to an incredible height and bade the creature to retreat.
Within the Many, the bronze screamed disagreement.  A conversation ensued that was too intricate and involved to be understood by isolated beings, and would be impossible to relate here, beyond the simplest of summations.  
The bronze demanded justice and retribution.
The silver argued that it was enough that it be driven away and that safety be ensured.
The gold said that we should trust the Ladies.
Although millions of arguments and counter arguments went through those few seconds, these were the basic positions of the three sides.
The Many witnessed as the severely wounded beast screamed in frustration.
The Ladies told it to leave this place and never attempt to return.  On their part, they promised that they would not follow the beast and finish it off.  
At that, the Many felt the rising sense of victory within the foul one.  It realized that if all of the E'Qwan were here, and if it never returned here, it would never encounter another E'Qwan.  It exalted in the belief that it could continue to kill world after world unimpeded, for all eternity.
The bronze muttered within.
Signaling its acceptance it turned and fled.  The Many screamed and pleaded with the Ladies to not let it escape.  The Ladies said that their world was now safe, and that it was time to go home.

Yesterday
Chapter 45
Excerpts From Interviews of The Lady Gail
In the Kansas City Gazette

When I was a young girl, growing up in rural Kansas, the world was a much simpler place.  I was born in our apartment house in Kansas City, and when my parents had died: while I was yet at a very young age: I was sent to live with relatives on their farm.
As I grew I was constantly looking for my place in the world, and on one particular stormy spring day I found it.  I, along with my favorite pet, were whisked away to a strange dimension that was both wondrous and terrifying.  I made some interesting friends, and like all young people, I went through a stage where my friends were the center of my life and activities.  But then, one day, I came to realize that friends come and friends go, but only your family sticks by you forever, so I went home.
Along the way I was stalked by a couple of mystical hags that I was able to defeat, more through shear luck than through any well thought out plan on my part.  In the process, I unknowingly acquired great magical powers (being a child at the time, I was unable to access those abilities until I reached adulthood), and after I returned to the Earth, I lived for a long time, outliving even the Earth itself
I outlived my friends, and I outlived my family.  Although I made new friends, they would always grow old and pass away, leaving me more alone than before: and with each death, I built a stone wall about my heart, to distance myself from those about me: and in that way I would never again have to suffer the loss of a loved one.  It took the death of the Earth for me to again feel that I was at home.
I had new friends and new families, and in this place they would never age and die.  I could once again open my heart to those about me.

Five years had passed away since the destroyer was driven away, and the Silicon Nation was founded.  The city, which they were building with their own hands, was one of a hauntingly beautiful sculptured rock, highly polished like a gemstone.  They traded gems and minerals with the other kingdoms, receiving in turn teachers and tools. 
The Neo-Amish beliefs seemed to appeal to them and they were becoming a favorite tourist spot: the ornate sculptures and soaring turrets attracted many.  In fact, the VRs, Sport and Valkyrie, were planning to honeymoon there after the wedding.
Speaking of that event, I've rarely seen as beautiful a wedding.  They had both just graduated from college: he as a software engineer and she as a family counselor.  They attributed their success to his loving parents.  It made me wish that I had known my parents, and it planted a strange thought in my head, which I resolved to pursue after the wedding festivities had died down.

They were married by Brother I'Zakk of the Amish E'Qwan, and the union was blessed by me and my three sisters.  Anella was there with her consort, Brother Jakob: Laura was there with her consort, Tom Peterson: Glenda was there with her counselor, the once blue and now Pink Sun, and I was there with Tacoma Barker by my side.  We were privileged enough to be seated with the family at the wedding feast.
Freaktown had been renamed Avalon, as a place where dreams could come true.  Many of the VRs chose to purposely use up their lives and return to humanity, but interestingly enough, after Interactive Recreations decided to keep the VR game running we gained many new VRs.  
The people of the city were very excited that all of their fantasies could become, in fact a reality.  Anyone could be whatever they wished, within the strict guidelines that had been set: which prevented the creation of monsters and super-villains (Although many of the heroes role played those various parts.) and no one was allowed to recreate themselves as a real person.
After Tacoma and I adopted Sam, we took the boy with us and visited many of the old friends of mine that I had told him about while we were floating in space so long ago.
The enigmatic Odamen continued as they always had.  Most people assumed that they were just telling stories when they said that they were thirty-six billion years old, but my sisters and I scanned them, and before coming to this place they really were that age.  Oh well, it's a mystery for another day.
The Grove was growing and reproducing, in the Land of Clubs, to fill the void that had been created when the rockmen had killed so many of their kind.  
I've returned to running the Diner whenever I can, but too many people come there now just to see me.  It's not the quiet homey place that it had been for over two hundred years.  I miss those days.

The party continued for days, and I had the chance to dance with dozens, but it wasn't until the third day, that I was able find the one that I really wanted some one on one time with: and I was pleasantly surprised when I found that Jak Rabbit was a marvelous dancer.
"Jak my friend, I understand that there is no greater expert, anywhere than you, on the make-up and properties of this dimension."
"I have that great honor madam."
"We exist outside of time?"
"Most certainly."
"Things change here, but nothing ages?"
"All this I am sure that you know well.  Tell me what it is that you really wish to know."
"When we drove the beast from this place, where did it return?"
"To that same place whence it came, of course."
"I see: and when did it return to?"
"Ah, I see where you're going with this.  It went to whenever it wanted to go, but the beast was a simple-minded creature, so I'm sure that it returned to the same time that it left from.  That's just its linear thinking.  Theoretically though, it could have gone whenever it wanted to."
"Could a more complex being, I for example, travel to any place and time that I desired?"
"Yes and no.  You would reenter space in the same spatial location that you were when you left here, but since this place is not attached to any time frame, you could reenter your old universe at any time that you desired.  With my help of course."
"Of course.  Theoretically speaking, if I desired to make such a journey, would you be willing to help?"
"Buy me lunch tomorrow and we'll talk about it."

When you own a diner, buying somebody lunch is an inexpensive proposition, so we met there the following day: he had the house salad and, of course, the carrot cake, while I had the early bird special, even though it was almost noon.
I was a little surprised to see the E'Qwan, X'Pao, sitting in the booth next to us reading a book.  I've only seen an E'Qwan in the Diner once or twice before, and they usually had a specific reason for being there.
We chatted for a while about unimportant things.  He was fascinated by the jackalopes that had become such popular pets of late, and we determined to visit a pet store later and check them out.  Finally we got around to the topic that we met to discuss.
"Well my dear, enough of this small talk.  Why do you want to leave us yet again?  Are you unhappy here?"
"Not alt all.  I'm happier here than I ever have been, since I was very young."
"Then why do you want to leave?"
"Oh, I don't want to go away for good, I just want to go visit someone."
"And I assume that someone is dead, so you want to see them in the past?"
"That's right.  You see, I never really got to know my parents.  They had died when I was very young, and I was hoping to go back and see what kind of people they were."
"Ah, the love of family and litter-mates.  I have very fond memories of my youth.  Of course I'll help you.  We used to burrow portals to Alice's world all of the time.  Let me check my books and work a few equations.  All I'll need to know is when you want to arrive."
I told him the date, but he didn't understand the concept of the Earth's system for dates.  He said that he understood events, and needed to know how far away, (in time) the second event was from the first.  He said that he could create a portal near an event, but not put one out in the middle of nowhen.
I thought about it for awhile, and told him to put me in the same time that Alice was when she stopped coming here.  He had shown me pictures of her, and judging from the clothes that she wore, she was from about a decade before my time.  
He laughed and said that that would be an easy one.  Not only had he created many portals for her: but he said that it was close to the time that the beast had destroyed the E'Qwan homeworld, and that place in time is well documented. 
We determined to go ahead and try it six days hence.  That would give me enough time to free up an entire week for me to spend with my parents in the past. During those days I was like a young child, waiting for Christmas morning to arrive, and like a young bride with nervous anticipation for the coming event.

Chapter 46

I entered the portal to my past with an excitement and anticipation that I thought had long been lost to me.  Living for as long as I have, and having to watch as everyone and everything that you care about age, wither and die, can take the joy out of life.  I had long ago ceased to hope for this feeling to ever return.
Exiting the other side I found myself on the outskirts of the Old Kansas City in the late eighteen-hundreds.  I had meticulously researched the fashions of the era and felt that I had dressed myself rather smartly for the period.  I wore a long blue-checkered dress, an attractive tan coat, and I topped it off with a stylish bonnet and parasol.  
Finding the old town hall, I looked up my fathers name in the City Directory, and got directions to their apartment.  At this point they were still newlyweds, and I wouldn't be born yet for another five years.
When I arrived at the address, which had been given to me, I stood at the door of the modest apartment not knowing what to do.  After standing there for about five minutes, I turned the bell, and a woman, who looked younger than I, answered the door.
"Yes.  May I help you?"
"Mrs. Gale?"
"That's correct."
I knew my own family well, so I knew how to come up with a believable story to explain who I was, and why I was there.  "Mrs. Gale, I'm a relative of your husband's sister-in-law.  We've never met, but since I was passing through town, cousin Emma said that I should look you up and introduce myself.  I'm William's second cousin Dorothy."
"Oh, come in my dear!  Please, call me Daphne.  We're always happy to meet new family.  Willie's at work right now, but he'll be home as soon as the 6:13 comes in.  I was just about to leave for the Opera House, to meet up with a few friends of mine.  Would you like to join us dear?"
"Dear cousin, I would love to join you.  Does cousin Willie still work on the railroad?"
"Still?  He just started six months ago, he was a steamfitter for a while before that, but he's with the road now."
Darn.  Almost put my foot in it.  "But he's still happy there?"
"Very much so."  Hearing the bell of the streetcar, she had put on her coat and led me into the street.  We caught the car and were off to see the show.  We had a gay old time.  I got to meet my mother's friends, only a few of which I had remembered, and then, much younger than my memories of them had been.  
She was a musician.  I never knew that.  All of her friends gushed about her piano performances, and they said that I would be able to find out for myself that evening.  There was a gathering at the Olson's place, next door, and they always persuaded her to perform, at those functions. 
People were much more social in those days.  Cooking and cleaning up afterwards was a very difficult and time-consuming proposition, so they took turns.  She had a large group of friends, and they would take turns entertaining.  One lady would make dinner for half a dozen families one night, and then they would all spend the evening playing parlor games, talking about the latest news and gossiping: topping off the evening by having my mother play the piano as they all sang along.  The next night someone else did the cooking and entertaining, and the next another.  In that way no woman had to spend more than one day a week slaving in the kitchen, and everyone had a good evenings entertainment.
	The rest of the time was spent with friends and family, enjoying the local arts and civic activities.  I fondly remembered the lifestyle from my youth, and it was great to be there. 
My mother was a great musician too.  Besides the piano she could play several other instruments.  I was told the story about how she was once given a trombone: she spent three days figuring out how to play it, and she was playing trombone  professionally three days later.  She played at the Opera House on occasion and for her friends often.  She was vivacious and very popular.   I really liked her.
My father lit up when he was with her.  By nature he was a quieter man: very gentle and soft-spoken.  His job with the railroad took him away for days at a time, but when he came home, he would also stay for days on end.  He was harder for me to get to know, but I wished that I would have gotten the chance.  
He was active in the early labor movement.  He had almost lost his leg while hooking two cars together, which caused him to walk with a slight limp.  After the mishap he became an advocate for creating rail safety standards.  There was talk about running him for the town council, but he never got the chance.
When I was about a year and a half old, a railroad accident took them both away from me.  When I first met him he said that it was strange that I had the same name that they had decided to give their first daughter when the day came.
The week I spent with them was perhaps the most emotionally fulfilling that I had had in over two centuries, and it was difficult when I had to pass along my good-byes: but I had responsibilities, and had to leave my family once again.  
We embraced and I made my farewells.  I told them that I hoped to be able to return again some day, and after what seemed like the longest walk in my life, I returned to the portal for my trip home.

I entered the portal, but it wasn't at all like the previous trip.  Last time it was like stepping through a door, nice and easy.  This time, it was like I was being ripped in half, with a part of me trapped in a place that I couldn't access.  The rest of me was forced forward like molasses through a straw, with a forceful ejection onto the cold stone floor my castle.
I lay there gasping and searching inside myself for the missing piece of my soul.  I couldn't discern anything missing, but I knew that something had gone seriously wrong.

As soon as I was able to compose myself, I summoned the rabbit Jak, to try to find out what had happened.  He told me that the only thing that could cause my discomfort was if somebody had followed me into the past and was trying to drastically change it.  He said that if they succeeded, there would be two of me: one here, and one in the altered timeline.  He also told me that none dared to venture back to try to stop them, because like me, there were now two of everyone who came to this dimension from the Earth.  If any of us tried to enter that changed timeline, one of ourselves would cease to exist. 
Since no one from Kansas was unable to return to the past, without being absorbed into the new timeline, we asked Anella (who had never been in Earth's dimension before this) to make the trip and let us know who was making changes and why.

Chapter 47
              From The Reconstructed Racial
Memories of Podkeeper X'Pao

B'rrs and I followed the lady Gail into the doorway, which led to the past.  After she had crossed, we waited ten minutes and returned to the past behind her.  B'rrs and myself, X'Pao, had decided to change history.
When I heard her talking to the rabbit Jak, at the wedding, about returning to the past, I hatched an idea, which I took to the rest of my podmates.  We were in agreement that the idea, was good.  We knew that only the faithful E'Qwan could know what's truly good for all E'Qwan, so I was cautioned to keep this idea from the humans.
I followed the Lady around, until I overheard her firm up her plans with the rabbit Jak, while at her diner.  I was very slick.  She never even noticed that I was there.  After recruiting B'rrs to help me, our plan was set.
Before the fateful day, we had studied the star charts, and Earth conditions for the time and period.  Once we were sure that the portal would take us to a time, shortly before the Homewold was destroyed: we knew that all of the events of the recent years must have been fated to have occurred.  It was destiny that brought us to this point.  B'rrs and I would be able to right a great wrong, and save billions in the process.

We left the portal, and tested our abilities to make sure that nothing had been lost in the transit to the past.  We were still E'Qwan, with all that that entails, and on top of that, the powers that we had received in the VR world were still with us, so I shrunk myself to my smallest size, snuggled safely within B'rrs carapace, and established the link between us.
We secreted ourselves in the nearby brush, to keep us safely out of sight of the early human populace, until the home star could be seen visibly overhead.  B'rrs stepped from the bushes, and brought Its shield to maximum.  I added my shield to Its shield, and B'rrs teleported as far in the direction of the home star as It could, carrying me with It.
We had left Earth's solar system, but still had a long ways to go.  The bitter cold of the void struck us as a hammer on the shell.  I pulsed my heat blasts to warm the air within the field.
B'rrs steeled Its will and teleported us again and again.  After hundreds of jumps, we found ourselves at the outskirts of the home system, but B'rrs had finally collapsed from the efforts.  I maintained and heated the shield, and reached outward, through the link, in an attempt to contact another E'Qwan. 
The silence and cold were oppressive.  All around us was blackness and silence.  It was quiet.  There is no greater terror for an E'Qwan than to be completely and utterly alone.  We are hive creatures, and are used to the swarm.  We were alone, for what seemed an eternity.  Panic was but an atomic width away.
Reaching out again in desperation, I sensed in directions other that that where the Homeworld existed, finding a weak contact behind us, as an E'Qwan exploration ship entered the system.  Screaming towards them in desperation, a contact was made, and the ship turned towards us.
The Shipmaster brought us on board, and after we were released from the healers pod, we were brought to Its quarters.
"I am Shipmaster K'Zzt.  You are an E'Qwan that I do not know, nor are you known to the Greater Hive of the Homeworld.  You have been found in a place, which should not be possible for you to exist.  We seek illumination.  Please explain."
As Podmaster, it was my responsibility to speak for all of my podmates, which at the time consisted only of B'rrs and myself.  "I am Podmaster X'Pao, and this is B'rrs, an activator of the True Believers Pod of Earth."
"This Pod is unknown to me, as is this Earth that you speak of.  How can it be that you could be unknown, not only to me, but also to the Greater Hive?  Beyond this I sense that you carry within you strange energies that are not of the E'Qwan."
I realized that our plan had one great flaw in it.  We hadn't given much thought about how to explain ourselves to the E'Qwan of the past.  I assumed that once we became a part of the Hive, all of our knowledge would be known by all E'Qwan, and they would be able to flee before the destroyer made it to the Homeworld.
If I told this Honored Shipmaster the truth, It would assume that I was an insane E'Qwan, (It happens from time to time.) and I would be forever barred from the Hive, for fear that my insanity might infect all E'Qwan in the Hive.
My answer was feeble.  "This I cannot tell you at this time: for if I did, my mission would meet with failure.  Once B'rrs and I have attained the Hive, all that we know will become clear to all.
The Shipmaster mulled it over.  "I fear that this may not be possible.  I cannot in good conscience allow your meld into the Hive, without more information.  We will be on the Homeworld shortly, and I will turn the matter over to Supreme PodMaster V'TLL.  It will know how to proceed."

The Supreme PodMaster would not grant us our request, and time was running out.  There was only nine days until the beast would be sighted, and by then it would be too late.  We petitioned to be linked with some loyal E'Qwan, who could be trusted, but that too was denied.  
With all of our other options exhausted, we resorted to the truth, and for our efforts, the Supreme PodMaster, became convinced that we dangerously insane, and we were ordered confined.
We had made this journey in an effort to save our people, and it seemed that we were now destined to die in the greatest tragedy in E'Qwan history.  We sat in our confinement and tried to think of alternatives.  We considered teleporting to safety, but we didn't know where that would be.
On our third day of confinement, the door to our cell was opened and V'TLL entered, Its aura exuding humility.  "My friends: I have made a terrible mistake.  The beast that you tried to warn us about, has entered the system.  If we are destined to die, I wished to apologize and to invite you to now join the Hive and help us fight this destroyer."
I knew that that would be fruitless.  "History has shown that when the Hive attacked the beast, it was destroyed, along with all of the E'Qwan so united.  You simply do not have enough mass or energy to fight something of that size.  Nor do you have the speed to escape it, without help."
"B'rrs and I have devised an alternate plan.  Form the Hive and flee while we try to delay it enough for the Hive to escape.  One thing that we have learned from the humans: is the value of self-sacrifice and heroism.  Hopefully we will be able to trade our lives for the time necessary to save the Hive.

Chapter 48
Excerpts From Interviews of The Lady Gail
In the Kansas City Gazette

Anella spent two days in the past and came back and made a quick trip to  the other dimension, before she gave her report.  She said that she needed to give her report to everyone in the city, because it affected us all: therefore, on the following day, a city-wide broadcast was seen by all.  
The Azure Mage stood before the cameras and began to tell the city about the past.
"Dear friends, your world has changed about us, and you need to know about what has happened.  When our beloved Gail traveled into the past, she was followed, by two members of the group that have come to be known as the faithful E'Qwan.  Unbeknownst to Gail the E'Qwans, X'Pao and B'rrs had followed her into the past, with a plan of their own devising."
"They had overheard her conversations with the rabbit Jak, both at the wedding, and after following her, later at the Diner.  They hatched a plan, which affects you all.  Some of you will cheer their efforts, and some will not.  Either way I am here to tell you how they have succeeded and changed the past."
"After following Gail into the past, the two E'Qwan tested the powers that they had gained in the VR world, to see if they still had them in the past.  Once they found that they did, they linked their shields and B'rrs teleported them as far towards their Homeworld as It's teleportation ability would permit.  I had a difficult time following those jumps, I don't mind telling you."
"After almost a thousand jumps, they reached their Homeworld, about nine days before the beast would arrive there.  Unfortunately they were unheeded and eventually incarcerated.  When the destroyer finally arrived, things happened rather rapidly."
"As much of the E'Qwan population as was possible entered the Hive.  It blinding golden light rose into the heavens and fled as fast as it was possible for it to do.  Then the interesting part began."
"I saw B'rrs teleport to within a two thousand miles of the beast, and It tried to create a solid wall out of the atmosphere surrounding the creature: but the wall was shredded like paper.  It then released a tiny golden speck and teleported back to the Homeworld."
"This speck began to grow.  I saw that it was X'Pao, using Its powers to grow that It had acquired in the VR world.  It continued to grow until it was nearly as large as the beast.  I supposed that It had finally reached the limits of Its growing abilities because It stopped growing when It had reached three-quarters the mass of the beast.  I was very surprised that It was able to get that large."
"X'Pao began to hammer the creature with Its shield hardened fists, breaking off chunks and incinerating them with Its heat beams.  It tore out the vile ones face with Its mandibles."
"The beast, at that time, recognized that it might be in trouble and it tried to flee, but X'Pao reached out with all six of its mammoth appendages and held tight.  It burrowed into the beast and began to heat its interior until, strained beyond its limits, the destroyer, who had doomed endless civilizations finally met its demise at the hands of one lowly E'Qwan PodMaster."
"The beast ended its life in an explosion that would have decimated planets if it would have found its way into the inner system.  The heroic X'Pao, was mortally wounded by the heat and force of the explosion, but as It was dying, it used It's last reserves to vaporize the last remains of the universe's vilest creation."
"Upon Its death, X'Pao, resumed Its natural size, and was returned to the Homeworld.  Maybe if Interactive Recreations had existed centuries ago, It might have received another life, but instead dear X'Pao passed into oblivion."
"The Homeworld had been saved and B'rrs was finally permitted to join with the Hive.  Friends: in your home dimension:  the Homeworld is still there, as is the Earth: since they have slain the beast in the past, before it ever came to the Earth..  There are now two Kansas Cities: this one here, and the one that exists on an Earth where the E'Qwan never came.  An Earth with no Neo-Amish, since there was no E'Qwan to have a reaction to."
"You have much to think about."
Anella sat down and I rose to address the assemblage.  "My friends: our good friend here, Jak, tells me that we, each of us, has a decision to make.  As long as we remain in separate dimensions, nothing will change, but that may not be for all of us."
"Many people have never been happy here, and have longed to be with friends and family who died when the Earth was crushed.  Some of us may prefer to return to the restored Earth.  I have asked Jak to explain what would happen if you choose to return.  Friend Jak."
I motioned for him to arise and address us all.  He stood, took the podium and began.
"No two analogues of the same person can exist in the same dimension.  Here you are protected, and can live separate lives.  If you choose to go, this is what you can expect."
"You will be absorbed into your analogue.  All that you are now will become a part of the analogues subconscious.  You might have occasional flashes of memory, like a d�j� vu experience, and you will be master of the analogues dreams, but the analog gestalt will be dominated by the memories of the other half.  This may be enough for some of you, but if not: stay here and never return to the Earth."
He sat down and I arose again.  "Thanks Jak.  You've given us all a lot to think about.  The traitor, Councilman Weston has been tried and found guilty.  He has chosen to return to Earth.  Now before we…"  At that point, I saw something out of the corner of my eye and was startled to see above us  a hundred multi-colored Hives as they phased into our dimension."

Chapter 49
The Many

The Many attained the dimension that had been remembered by Revered B'rrs.  The Many hovered above the assembly seeking out the Faithful E'Qwan and the Amish E'Qwan.  The Many saw for the first time the fabled creatures that Revered B'rrs had informed us about.  Off to the east, Fabled L'Dahl sensed us and was rising to meet us.  He would translate for the Many, and tell all of the Fabled of the fate of the E'Qwan.
The Many explained to L'Dahl, that after Revered B'rrs joined the Greater Hive of the Homeworld, all of the Homeworld knew all the Revered B'rrs knew.  That knowledge was added to the Genetic Memory and studied for generations of E'Qwan.  The wisdom of multiple Hives was experimented with, and the E'Qwan evolved beyond what they could ever have known without the taste of the Many that Revered B'rrs carried in Its memory.  
The E'Qwan ceased being the end of Homeworlds evolution.  We had taken the next step.  The E'Qwan civilization remains, but now with the greater purpose of knowing that the E'Qwan is but the larval form of The Many.
The Many has become vast, encompassing millions of individualistic Hives, all connected through a trans-dimensional Heart-Toucher spanning the entire universe.  As we grow the EverMind grows too.
Out of respect, the EverMind has ruled this Dimension and the Earth, as well as all other lower beings, to be off limits.  The destroyer of worlds had always targeted worlds that were about to evolve beyond him, in order to place a ceiling on evolution.  That ceiling has been removed, and it is hoped that eventually many species will ascend as have the E'Qwan.
We come here this once, to offer to the E'Qwan here, the opportunity to join forever with the Many and leave this place.

Fabled L'Dahl translated the message of The Many to the crowd.  The faction called the Faithful joyfully joined the Hive, but the faction called the Amish E'Qwan, having found a place of contentment and purpose, stayed behind in the Dimension of Imagination.
The Many returned to the Home Dimension, as did about a third of the human population.  The Fabled Dimension was left to enjoy an eternity of peace and harmony.

Epilogue
Dorothy

I opened the Diner this morning as I always did, humming an old ditty to myself.  I always hummed because I couldn't sing well if my life depended on it.  The steelworkers were talking about the latest political scandal.  I think that this one had something to do with the space program, and whether or not life existed somewhere out there.  I chuckled a little inside, knowing that there are many dimensions, and many and varied forms of life, without having to look through space for them.  I suppose we'll never know for sure if there is life on other planets.
I loved my Diner, and the people in it and I loved these guys like they were my own children.  The bell rang, and I looking up I saw that Jacob and Laura Meier came in for breakfast with a friend that I had never met before.  
I've been married several times over the centuries (although I only had one true and great love), and each time I've had a hard time dealing with my husband aging and dying out from under me.  Ever since then, I've generally tried not to get too close to anyone: but somehow these two had gotten through that wall that I had put up.  Somehow there was some kind of a deeper bond with them than I understood.  I looked up and smiled when they came in.
"Hi guys, who's your friend?
"Morning Gail.  This is my college roommate and best buddy, Ted Barker, from Tacoma, Washington.  We grew up together, so we're pretty tight.  It's odd too, because back then we hung out in different groups.  If it weren't for his friendship and encouragement, I never would have gained the confidence to do any of things that I have over the years."
I looked at this Barker guy over and accused him, "So you're the guy that forced this guy into the Senate, huh?"  I chuckled,  "I'll get you for that one day.  Well, what'll you have today?"
"How about another one of those smiles?"
Laura chimed in, "Better watch out Gail, Ted's a real charmer."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Barker retorted, "You just watch.  I'll grow on you.  May I call you Gail?"
"Actually, Gale's my family name.  Why don't you call me by my first name.  You can call me Dorothy."

Click Here To Download This Story