| When the hubbub caused by the bringing in of the two unconscious bodies
has died down a lirrle, Astra 2 takes charge. The guards who brought them
in are her people, after all. "Take them up to the spare bedroom,"
she tells the guards. Then, to her friends: "I'll go and sit by them, and
question them when they come round. You don't need me down here."
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."
-
 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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