| The adventurers finalise their plans before going their separate ways.
Whilst they cannot safely use the damaged slipgate system, they can be
transported by Crystallic with little risk (so long as the holder of the
Crystallic that is doing the transporting does not attempt to transport
himself). The Dragons Sigin and Synizn are available for ferrying purposes.
Should anyone be nervous of both of these two methods of transport, they
will have to rely on traditional means (horse or ship).
A substantial group are making ready to go to Walants. Meanwhile Astra
1 is talking to Alicia to find out what task the womanfox had in mind for
her.
Probe overhears an aside by Astra 3 to her husband that, if there should
be an increase in gravity, she is likely to detect it before anyone else.
It is about time that this world invented the bra, he thinks. At first
he considers asking his ship to make one, but then he realises that getting
it to Astra 3 could be a problem - it would be hard to justify a shuttle
trip just for that. Perhaps something can be produced using the Crystallic?
After all, he reflects, Arthur C Clarke might equally well have said that
a sufficiently advanced magic was indistinguishable from technology. He
gives a description of a nursing bra to Demifox Synizn. Using his Crystallic,
the demifox is soon able to produce something suitably sturdy - practicality
rather than fashion is what is important.
The demifox hands the bra over to Astra 3. When she is told what it
is for, she is delighted. She starts to put it on. "Er, the idea is that
it goes under your other clothes, not on top of them," Probe explains.
"Ah, yes, that would make more sense," Astra concedes. She turns
her back on the others, more to spare
them any embarrassment than
for her own benefit (after her experiences in recent months, it would take
a
lot to embarrass her). Soon the bra is in place and her outer garments
restored. "That is much better," she smiles. "Thank you, Probe."
As she turns round, Fred 3 can't help but gasp. If his wife's figure was
remarkable before, now it is even more so. She chuckles at the effect she
has had.
The conversation turns to what Fred 3, Astra 3 and Demifox Synizn should
do. Astra 3 raises again her idea that they should see if they can find
Dr Vincent. Fred 3 is not keen, having unpleasant memories of what happened
to him in the analogue Vincent's tower. "And what about the babies?" he
continues. "All this travelling from place to place can't be good for them."
"Well, they seem to be thriving on it so far, perhaps because they are
not exactly typical babies," his wife points out. "I'm hoping that I might
persuade Sigin to fly us to the Calamari Desert. Since I don't think either
of us can be sure of precisely where Vincent's tower was located
in terms of finding it on a map, and anyway it might be in a slightly different
location in this world, then searching the area on dragonback seems the
most practical way. Besides, I'm a little disappointed that due to getting
to Atlantis so precipitately we didn't get the chance of a flight earlier
on. It ought to be fun." "I'm not sure how useful Dr Vincent would be,
though," Demifox Synizn says. "I would have thought that the Alliance's
science must be far ahead of his."
It looks as though for once Astra 3 may not get her way (for she doesn't
often lose an argument), but then Probe - who has been listening to all
this with interest - chips in. "Yes, I'm sure that in general our science
will be well ahead of his. However, there may still be one or two specific
areas in which he is ahead of us, and for all we know one of those may
be important. And he is the only person that I know of, whether Terran
or from the Alliance, who has a good grasp of both science and magic.
We have many experts in one or the other, but none who are knowledgeable
on both. It may be that because of that he can spot an approach to our
problems that we have overlooked. I think you should look for him.
In fact I'm tempted to come along with you myself." Astra 3 smiles at this.
"So that's settled then - we're going," she says, and nobody contradicts
her.
We follow:
-
 Them ALL! The Bird's eye
option!
Go Back
|