At The End of a Busy Day

"I'm a bit uncomfortable over what was done to Zular," says Astra. "After all, all of we analogs were originally in the same situation - technically without any rank here - but were ennobled by the native Astra of this world, who as Queen of Aqualaria of course could do that." "Well, bearing in mind what his close analogs had done, I think that Queen Astra and Malachi Dronocis decided that he was potentially just too dangerous and that that danger might be reduced by making him a commoner and bringing him to Ethiopia. I suspect that Freds 1 and 2 may have had some say in the matter too. You've never met any of the Zulars, but I've met our own world's analog and he was a very slippery customer. So's this Zular by the sound of it. Did you know that he’s escaped from the palace?" 

"Really?" says Astra. "Tell me about it." "Well, I don't know all the details, but I understand they think he risked using the local slipgate. He could be anywhere by now, assuming that he survived. I gather that Malachi was not very pleased, and gave the guards who were supposed to be keeping an eye on the room he was in quite a roasting." "Not literally, I hope?" Astra jokes, affecting a look of wide-eyed alarm. Fred chuckles. "Not the best choice of metaphor, perhaps." 

"I've been thinking about Astra 5's situation too," Astra continues. "Does she need to wait until after Fred and Astra 4 and their children have been sorted out? I know that Moreau ensured that they would be a major task, but surely a single mage and Crystallic would suffice in Astra 5's case? After all, it did when we were changed back by 'our' Synizn. As for a mage to do the job, Malachi Droconis recovers very fast thanks to her link to this country. Or there's the Synizn who came with Fred and Astra 4. Or there's Inquirer. She told me that she's found that using a Crystallic requires primarily a great power of concentration, which is no problem for her given what she is." 

"I don't think it's as simple as that," Fred replies. "I raised that very point with Malachi a little earlier today. She said that there were some areas regarding Crystallic magic that they didn't totally understand, and that there were a couple of possible complications in Astra 5's case, which meant it would be wiser to use as many Crystallics and as many fresh mages as possible. One was that the Rift who transformed her wasn't a skilled mage. It was probably fortunate that he didn't accidentally kill Astra 5. The change he made in her could be much harder to reverse than one caused by someone who knew what they were doing. Secondly, Astra 5 has been transformed three times already: human to demifox, demifox to human, skin colour turned to black. Malachi fears that each transformation may 'muddy' a person's matrix a bit more, and so make each new change a bit more difficult or even dangerous to accomplish than the last." "Poor Astra 5," says Astra. "That sounds rather alarming." "Well, Malachi said that with enough Crystallics almost anything is possible. She's confident that if all the mages and Crystallics get together, they will be able to handle it." "That's a relief."

"It looks as though the researchers into the phage are very close to coming up with a cure now," Fred says. "And when I say a cure, I don't mean just for someone infected by the disease but something that will totally wipe out the organism so there is no trace of it left on this world. So that would mean our quarantine was over, and that it might be possible..." "For us to go home," Astra finishes his sentence for him. "Yes. Unlike most analog worlds, the Alliance knows how to get to ours. How would you feel about that?" "This might surprise you. In fact it surprised me, when I thought about it. If you are agreeable, I'd like to stay here. There is so much that needs doing, with the population reduced to one-fifth, and I feel we can make a valuable contribution. It would be far more worthwhile than anything we could do on our own world." 

"I'm glad you feel like that," says Fred, "as I feel the same way. Perhaps the Alliance would be able to get a message to my parents, though. I'd like to let them know that we are safe and well. As you'll recall, to avoid arguments we left in secret, though I did leave them a note telling them not to worry." "I did wonder about whether it would be fair on the children to stay here. This is potentially a very dangerous world. But we have a lot of mages and Crystallics to protect us. And besides, I recall what Synizn told us when we first embarked on all this, of how the Dragon Circle would be after us, to try to reclaim the Crystallic. They'd never believe we no longer had it or couldn't at least tell them where it was. And when we did tell them where it was, they'd never believe us. So I think we're safer here." 

"One more thing," says Astra. "I managed to get a copy from Inquirer of the - 'recording' I think she called it - that Probe made of what Tarin said in his vision [4032]. And she leant me a device for playing it too. Now, if I can remember how to work it... Yes, this is the bit I wanted." They listen to Tarin's voice saying the following: 

"Old enemies...new enemies...combined in alliance. Still have the great- aunt, when her great-grandmother was queen, slew Horkus the Wicked, only to be ensnared by Zerm the Unspeakable,who had trained him...and may hold her yet! He has all the versions, home and analog, in statis...statis....status.....stasis!!! Brags about it with...ghost of Dr. Vincent and...oh by the Forge...Turoc-Kith. Certain necromancer/ghost VERY pissed off right now...seeing Regent in Afrika..." 

Astra switches off the tape. "There are two important points there," she says. "First, it sounds as though Dead Vincent may be working together with Zerm - a name that all Aqualarians regard with dread - and Turoc-Kith. If no-one else has been able to make sense of what Tarin said, then Malachi needs to be told at once." "They have done and she has been," Fred tells her. "And Belboz has contacted her to confirm it as well. She told me that it is very bad news, and that were it not that our mages have the assistance of the Crystallics they would be outmatched. Apparently Zerm goes back to Atlantean days and is by a wide margin the most powerful mage living." 

"That leads me on to my second point," says Astra. "It was nearly eighty years ago that my great-aunt Helena disappeared. No-one ever knew what happened to her. But if Zerm is holding her, and her analogs, then we must free them." 

"Much easier said than done," Fred points out. "Anyway, it's late now, so doing anything about it will have to wait till the morrow," Astra concedes. "Come to bed, lover." Fred is only too happy to comply.

1. Next day... 

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