Black Astra Tells Her Story

Are you sure you'll be safe?" Dredrick asks. Fred 2 winces at the question, guessing at the reaction it will get. Astra 2 looks at Dredrick with a mixture of amusement and indignation. "I am an Amazon from Aqualaria," she points out. "I might be a mother, and soon perhaps a wife," - Fred 2 looks up in pleased surprise at this remark, for Astra 2 hasn't yet had the chance to tell him of her decision - "but I haven't lost my fighting skills. And our visitors are unarmed whilst I have a dagger in my belt. I'll post one of the guards outside the room, though, if it will make you feel any better."

Black Astra comes round with a splitting headache. She has perfect recall of her strange dream, though (which will later be of great interest to the mages for the new light it throws on the workings of the Crystallics). She can feel a blanket covering her, rough against her skin. Didn't my clothes come through with me? she wonders. Opening her eyes, she sees a woman with flame-red hair looking down at her - her double she would have said prior to recent events. "Ah, good, you've come round," says the woman. "I'm..." "Astra 2," cuts in black Astra, putting two and two together based on what she learnt in her dream. "You have the advantage of me," says Astra 2, looking surprised. "You are?" "Astra too." Fortunately, in the language spoken by the Astras (the so-called "Common Tongue") this is not the pun that it appears to be when translated into English, so does not cause any confusion.

Initially startled, Astra 2 examines the woman more closely and realises that, if one could somehow ignore the skin and hair coloring, then there would indeed be a very close resemblance. "I should have guessed, given that you appeared with an analog of Fred by your side," she says. "But where have you come from, and how did you know who I am?" Black Astra tells her story to her fascinated and sympathetic listener. When she has finished, Astra 2 looks worried. "If 'your' Tarin really has murder on his mind, I am concerned. Though my memories of my 'own' Tarin are far from happy, this world's Tarin seems to be a good sort, and I wouldn't want harm to come to him. I must go downstairs and arrange for protection for him and to have the other apprehended. Don't go away; I'll be right back."

Astra 2 goes out of the room, telling the guard outside not to be concerned, and returns to the living-room. "It's yet more analogs," she tells them. "In spite of appearances, the woman is yet another Astra. She's pregnant with seven! Between us, we Astras seem to be doing our best to repopulate Terra all on our own. But here's the worrying bit. Apparently there was also an analog of Tarin with them, and he wants to kill this world's Tarin. We need to send a party over to Tarin's house at once, and if the analog is half as good with a battle-axe as I fear then I think we should arm them with some of those new-fangled guns. Be sure to warn them that it may be impossible to tell which Tarin is which, so they may need to take both into custody until we can get them sorted out. While you see to that, I will go back upstairs. I think it's about time that I got our guests some clothes."

Astra 2 visits first her own bedroom and then Fred 2's, and selects outfits for black Astra and her companion. Then she returns to the bedroom that they are in. "Though I'm afraid that any outfit of mine is going to be a very tight fit for you, it'll have to do until we can get something better made - or magicked," she says to black Astra. "I've selected one with a bit of stretch in it. Now, to avoid confusion we are going to have to choose identifying names for you and your Fred. How does Astra 5 and Fred 5 sound? (Astra 4 and Fred 4 would be the most recent arrivals that you learnt about in your dream)." The newly named Astra 5 nods her agreement, as she struggles to get into the trousers that Astra 2 has provided for her.

"From what you were saying about your reactions in your dream, it sounds as though you want to give birth and to raise your seven infants?" Astra 2 queries. "Yes, preferably after marrying Fred - if he'll have me and the babies. But how can I possibly give birth to seven? Unlike a demifox, a human isn't adapted for having anything like that number. I seem to have an unpleasant choice of giving birth very prematurely, in which case the babies won't survive, or dying in childbirth." "Well, with the number of mages and Crystallics we now have at our disposal, I'm sure a solution can be found. I think our first priority must be to get you and Fred 5 to Ethiopia, so you can meet our mages and decide what to do."

1. Mention of Fred 5 makes Astra 5 realise that, fifteen minutes after she herself came round, he is still unconscious. She is rather concerned.

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