Five Hertz of Separation

CHAPTER SIX

“I am sorry, Alex, I just do not understand how this ‘anarchist paradise’ of yours would work in the real world.”

“It’s simple, Johnathyn. There would be no organized government of any kind. People would be free to go about their daily lives with complete autonomy. Every man would be free to do what is best for him, to live by his own rules.”

“And what about women?”

“Unlike your world, it would be the same for women. The same freedoms, across the board.”

We were driving through a surprisingly beautiful landscape, along a ridge overlooking a river valley. It had snowed lightly last night, making everything look like a classic black and white photo with the slightest hint of blue. Johnathyn had said it might snow. I’ll be damned if I knew how he did it but he was right. The sun was bright, taking the chill out of the air. The solar charger was sucking in the photons, refreshing the laptop’s battery. I had given into Lee’s begging, letting her watch a Disney DVD last night.

I like the Pixar movies. So what? Sue me.

We all huddled under the blankets and ate parched corn while watching the show. Popcorn is a way better snack. It seems like Johnathyn is letting me deal with Lee more as she gets used to my presence. At first, she treated me more as a girlfriend but, lately, I’ve become more of an authority figure. With her father’s permission, of course. I’m not going to step on Johnathyn’s toes, not as big as he is.

Though, he seems to be more of the ‘gentle giant’ type. Probably because he’s had to be both mother and father to Lee since she was born. Playing that kind of maternal role likely has an effect on how a guy goes through life and reacts toward people. I’ve found he’s also got a lot of common sense. We’ve talked quite a bit in the last three weeks, about all kinds of stuff. I’ve learned a lot about his world and he’s learned a lot about mine. Today’s discussion is about my politics, a favorite of mine.

“So, you say that women would have the same rights and duties as a man.”

“Exactly the same.”

“And there would be no government to interfere.”

“That’s right.”

“So who protects the woman’s rights?”

“Who says anybody needs to? She can protect her own.”

“Alexia, if my world is proof of anything, it is that women cannot protect their own rights.” He always calls me Alexia when he wants to make a point.

“Are you saying women are inferior, that they can’t protect themselves?”

“No. I would assume from what you have told me that even though many women in my world have power not available to women in your world, they are treated quite badly, not as well as your women are. The difference seems to be that your government supports them and mine does not.”

“But there doesn’t need to be ANY government. That’s my point!”

Lee worms her way between us as we sit on the driver’s bench. “Are you two fighting again?”

Johnathyn glances over at me. He wants me to take this one. Fine.

“We aren’t fighting, Lee. It’s just a discussion. Adults discuss things all the time.”

“It’s a very loud ‘discussion.’”

“He’s not being loud, I am. I’m just very passionate about my beliefs.” She giggles. “What’s so funny?”

“You said ‘passionate’. I know what that means. I read about it in your dictionary.”

Maybe giving her unlimited access to that program wasn’t such a good idea after all. “Passionate can apply to a lot of things, not just men and women.”

She smiles at me, like she knows something I don’t. “If you say so. Can I use the computer?”

“No, it hasn’t finished charging yet.”

“Why not?”

“Because we watched your movie last night.”

“You watched too.”

“You asked to watch. Your father and I would have been perfectly happy to do something else.”

She smiles again. “Like what?”

I ignore that comment. “I gave you a choice last night. If you watched the movie, it would have to come out of your time today.”

“But I’m BORED!”

“You should have thought about that last night. You’ve only had access to a computer for, what, three weeks? Do what you did before then.”

“I was bored back then, too.”

“Then play with dolls or something, whatever girls do.”

“I’m too old for dolls!”

“Then read a book.”

She pulls back from between us with a disgusted “Humph” and goes to sit in the back of the wagon.

I shake my head. Johnathyn nudges me with his shoulder.

“You did that quite well, Alexia.”

“I’ve had experience. My brother was always expecting me to entertain him, especially when we were younger. I’ve heard that ‘I’m BORED’ complaint a lot.”

“Well, for whatever reason, I think you handled the situation quite well.”

“Thanks. Sorry about yelling back there. I didn’t mean to upset her.”

“Do not worry about it. Leeanna understands. It is just that no child likes to hear her parents arguing.”

What?! Parents?!

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

We continue along this road for several miles. We are heading for Shellcrest, a small to medium sized town for this world. We’ve stopped at a couple of really small towns along the way so that Johnathyn could do some blacksmith work. It helps with our cover and gives us a chance to resupply a little bit.

Johnathyn is very skilled. He can fix farm tools like plows, shovels, hoes and such but also household tools, more delicate items. He even did some gunsmithing, fixed three different rifles, the old, single shot, black powder kind. I haven’t shown him my Glock yet. Don’t know how he would react to it and I wouldn’t want him to think I was threatening him in any way. Big guy, remember?

Whenever we’d roll into a town, people would flock around like he was the Good Humor Man with ice cream for sale. He’d set up shop at the nearest stable and get to work. I liked watching him. The man is an artist. Unfortunately, the local men didn’t like a woman, even his “wife” hanging around so Leeanna and I had to spend our time with the women and girls. Thank Zaphod, this world’s version of God, Lee loved to talk. I just let her answer the questions and killed time.

This world does have money, mostly metal coins, but it seems to work more on the barter system. That’s how we resupplied. I also picked up some more clothes that fit me a little better than Johnathyn’s dead wife’s’ did. Her name was Leeantha. Not hard to figure out where Leeanna got her name. I think Johnathyn was happy to see me get a new wardrobe. I caught him looking at me kinda funny a few times dressed in his wife’s stuff.

Which were mostly summer clothes. The other women were aghast at how little I had with me and that they were out of season. I explained that all my own stuff had been lost in transit, a fire. The new, actually well used stuff, was heavier and warmer and I was glad to get it, particularly if I couldn’t wear pants. It’s surprising how warm a petticoat is.

Another thing we faced were several offers from the locals to keep Leeanna in their home for the night. Once the women discovered we were “newlyweds”, the offers poured in to keep Leeanna overnight so that I could have some alone time with my big, handsome, hunk of a husband. I guess he is good looking, in that rugged, outdoors kind of way, and Zaphod knows he’s in great shape. He pounds iron and carries anvils for a living, for Christ’s sake! I’ve seen the man without his shirt on. The muscles have muscles.

I managed to fend off the women’s offers. Apparently Johnathyn had to do the same with the men. Seems I’m quite the hotty too. I told him we were the Brad and Angelina of his world.

He didn’t get that one either.

Shellcrest is a different place. A mining town. Even I know that mining towns in the old days of earth were not safe places. Johnathyn says it’s the same story here. We’re following the road on the ridge of the river valley when it makes a bend to the right. As we make the bend, an ugly scar on the picturesque landscape comes into view. Down in the valley, a large portion of one side of the valley has been gouged from the earth. There’s a long fence around the area. It looks like an open pit mine of some kind. The road we’re on winds its way down to the site, crossing a bridge and then works its way around the perimeter, climbing to the other side of the valley, where a town sits on the edge.

“Shellcrest” Johnathyn says, spitting the word out with venom.

“What’s that?” I ask, pointing to the gouge.

“That is the mine that supports the town.”

I point to a structure on the opposite ridge, near the town. “And what is that?”

He squints his eyes, trying to get a better look at it. “I am not certain.”

“I am. That, my dear husband, is a solar array, likely a hundred thousand kilowatts. There is tech here.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

I have Johnathyn drive the wagon slowly along the perimeter road of the mine. I’m searching for wi-fi signals but am having no luck. The antenna in the laptop isn’t the most sensitive. I keep getting little nibbles but no more. It could just be background radiation. More disturbing than my failure to get a good wi-fi signal is what I can see on the other side of the fence. Women and children, digging in the ground with the most basic of tools, moving dirt and rock with wheel barrows. Hundreds of them. As we drive by and watch them, they watch us. Not openly, because the MEN in charge are watching them closely but they know we’re here. From the furtive looks we’re getting, I’d bet every one of those women and children would like to be on this wagon, riding away from this ugly place. I climb back up onto the driver’s seat next to Johnathyn.

“No luck,” I whisper. “Why are all those women and kids in there?”

“Debt labor would be my guess.”

“What the hell is that?”

“Their families fell on hard times, couldn’t pay their bills and now they are there to try to work until the debt is paid. But they never will.”

“You mean if the parents can’t pay the bills, the kids have to work it off?”

“Or if the husband can’t, so must the wife …” He glances back at Lee, who is intently watching the children working behind the fence. He continues in a quieter voice, “… if she can’t find ‘other’ work.”

I also glance back at Lee to make sure she’s not paying attention to us. “You mean … selling herself?”

Johnathyn subtly nods his head, barely concealed anger on his face.

“Should she be seeing this?” I ask.

“It is a part of our world. Another part of our shame. She must know it if we are to rid ourselves of it and banish it forever.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

We pull into town before sunset but the party has already started. If it ever stops in the first place. Lee is sitting between us on the driver’s bench, my arm around her waist. I’m not letting go until we have left this place. The Glock is in my “new” handbag, a gift from one of the ladies at our last stop, which is in my lap.

Along the main street of the town, there’s noise and crowds around what I’m assuming are bars. If Lee wasn’t here, I’d be interested in checking them out but I’m not leaving her alone for a second.

“Tell me again why you thought this was a good idea, Johnathyn.”

“It was not my idea. I was given a general route to follow to get you to Glory. It was my discretion but I was required to make certain stops. This is one of them. The first, actually.”

“Great. Check points. If the others are anything like this, it’ll be the last. What are we supposed to do?”

“Get a room at the ‘Black Horse Inn’ and wait for further instructions.”

“Don’t ya’ just love a mystery.”

When we arrive at the inn, there’s already a room ready for us. The “Black Horse Inn” appears to be one of the better ones we saw as we drove through town. It has a bar, of sorts and serves food. They have some burly guys at the door and in the bar so security is tight, for this world. I actually see one of the men with a single shot pistol in his belt. Probably the head of security. I think we are a little underdressed for the crowd but I don’t care. It is the best of a bunch of bad choices.

There’s a hot bath waiting in the room when we arrive. Lee goes first, I’m second while Johnathyn waits outside and he’s third while Lee and I hang around what passes for a lobby. Unfortunately, Lee had used some of her bath oils and Johnathyn came out smelling a bit fruity.

It doesn’t matter. The bar is so full of smoke you couldn’t have smelled a banana boat. Apparently, the custom is that men eat in the bar and the women folk eat in their rooms. Johnathyn begins to explain it to me but one look tells him that I’m not putting up with it. We catch a lot of stares but we’re served quickly, guess management doesn’t want to allow the disturbance to social order continue for too long.

The meal is actually very good. We had been eating a lot of preserved food while on the road and this was fresh. Mostly fresh. When we get back to the room, there is a note that had been slid under the door. Johnathyn picks it up and reads it.

“What’s it say?” I ask.

“My contact is at the ‘Blue Rooster’. I must go now.”

“Nice place, the ‘Blue Rooster’?”

“I have no knowledge.”

“Girls?”

“Again. No knowledge.”

“Hang on, I’ll be right with you.”

“It says that I am to come alone.”

“Like hell.”

“Alexia … please. I did not raise the point at the meal but you really must try to blend in if we are to safely travel to Glory. I am one man and can do only so much to protect you. I will be back as quickly as possible. I promise … no matter how pretty the girls are.”

“Father!” Lee shouts.

I grin and shake my head. “Bring back one for me.”

“Mother!” Lee shouts again, then claps her hands to her mouth, eyes wide. “I’m sorry,” she mumbles from behind her hands.

Quickly I sit down on the bed and pull her over to me, holding her close and stroking her hair. “It’s alright, I understand. It’s okay. I … I love you too, Leeanna.” She grabs me by the waist, laying her head on my breast, closing her eyes. I look up at Johnathyn. “We’ll be here when you get back. Hurry.”

He nods his head, grabs his cloak, opens the door, looks me in the eye and taps the lock with his index finger. I nod in response and he’s gone, closing the door behind him. I reach down and tip Lee’s head up. She opens her eyes. I smile down at her.

“How about a movie? We’ll use headphones so no one else will hear. What we don’t see before your father gets back, we’ll watch in the wagon tomorrow. How about that?”

“Thank you.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

We finished one movie and were well into the second before I finally face the truth. I’m going to have to find Johnathyn. It’s been way too long. Neither of us was actually watching by now.

“Leeanna …”

She clutches at me. “Don’t go! Don’t leave me!”

I hug her. “I know. You’re frightened. So am I but I have to go find your father. He’s likely fine but I need to find him.”

She starts to cry. “He’s dead. I know he’s dead.”

“Don’t say that!”

“Then why hasn’t he come back?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

“If you go out there, you’ll die and then I’ll die.”

Awww Jesus H. Christ. I’ve got to go find Johnathyn but I can’t leave her alone and I can’t take her with me. This place is as safe as any in this town, she just doesn’t believe it. Maybe I can make here feel safer.

“Stay right here, Lee.”

I go over to my hand bag and remove a small key. I’ve been locking the backpack pouch that holds the Glock with a small padlock since Lee began helping herself to the laptop. Unlocking the padlock, I remove the Glock, keeping Lee to my back so she can’t see what I’m doing. I pop the magazine out and empty the chamber, putting all the ammo back in the pouch and locking it again.

“Leeanna,” I say, turning to face her, “there’s no choice here. I have to go find your father.” She’s already starting to cry again. “Please Leeanna, listen to me. This is a very safe place. They have guards all over the first floor and we are on the second floor. But, just to be extra safe, I’m giving you some protection.” I lay the Glock on the bed next to her. “This is my gun. It’s from my world. It is much more powerful than any gun from your world. It can fire eighteen times without reloading.”

“Eighteen?!”

“Yes. You just aim and pull the two triggers.” I carefully hand it to her and place my hands over hers. “You just sight down the barrel …”

“Father has shown me how to shoot.”

“Good, then you know the rules. Don’t aim at something unless you intend to shoot it and don’t have your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot. You won’t need this. No one is going to bother you. I’m just walking down the street, find out what is going on and come right back.” I release my grip on Lee’s hands. I can’t hug her though I desperately want to, she might think it’s goodbye or something. I lift my cape off the hook on the wall, throw it over my shoulders and tie it tightly around my neck. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back as quickly as possible. I promise.”

“Won’t you need your gun?”

I force a smile as I open the door. “I’m a Seventy Seven witch. Who’s going to mess with me? Lock this after I’m gone.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

There are a lot more people in the street now than when we drove through hours ago, practically all of them men. The town is narrow and long, running along this side of the ridge of the valley. The “Black Horse Inn” is at one end, the nice end. I can’t see the “Blue Rooster” from the porch of the inn. A big flashing neon sign would be nice. There’s a man just getting off his horse in front of the inn. Maybe he’s from around here.

“Excuse me, Sir. Do you know where the ‘Blue Rooster’ is?”

He looks down at me, disdain written on his face. “You should know when to speak to your better, lass.”

Better? BETTER?! Who the Hell is this guy? I’m just about to give him my opinion about this ‘better’ crap when he stalks past me and into the inn, ignoring me completely. So, that’s the way it’s going to be. You don’t spend your entire life in New York City and not learn how to deal with pompous jerks. I’d chase him down but Johnathyn said I should keep a low profile. He’s probably right. Unfortunately.

He’s likely not the last guy I’m going to run into tonight with that attitude so I’d better break out the New York state of mind for the rest of the day. One side’s as good as the other, so I take the right side of the street and march off, checking out each building as I pass, looking for a sign, a name plate, something telling me what its’ name is. I pass what looks like a general store, a barber shop, “The Silk Garter”, “The Wolf’s Bane” and a clothing store before running into a crowd of drunken men. I try to pass them on the road side of the walkway but one of them grabs me around the waist, pulling me towards the group.

“What have we here, me boys? A fair lass alone in such a city as this. The poor girl needs our protection. What say you, woman?”

I reach down with my right hand, grab his thumb and bend it back towards his wrist. Even as drunk as he is, he feels the pain instantly, letting go of me, dropping to one knee.

“OOOWWWWW!! Release me you WOMAN! I’ll OOOWWWWWW! STOP THAT!”

His equally drunk buddies find it all pretty funny. They’re laughing and stumbling around. I press my advantage.

“Pray, kind Sir. Do you know where I might find ‘The Blue Rooster’?”

“UNHAND ME WENCH OR I’LL GIVE YOU THE BACK OF MY HAND! OOOOWW!! OOWW! OOOWWW!”

I release some of the pressure I applied after that last outburst.

“Ill mannered you may be, but surely you can be a gentleman and answer a simple question.”

He looks up at me, anger blazing in his eyes, the pain sobering him up quickly. One of his laughing friends touches my shoulder. I jerk my head around to stare him down, not losing the grip on my first friends’ thumb. He steps back, hands up and palms forward.

“Have mercy on my poor friend. He didn’t recognize Opulessa in this disguise of yours.”

“My name is Alexia and can you answer my question?”

There’s a lot of harsh laughter and eye rolling before the second guy quiets everyone down.

“Who are we to keep ALEXIA from her duty? The ‘Blue Rooster’ is just across the street.”

I let go of the thumb, its owner immediately stands up and draws back his hand to slap me. The second guy stops him.

“You were bested, Adrick, accept it.”

“It was a trick!”

“Aye, it was. One I wish I knew. You had better move along, lass, before the constables arrive.”

I don’t want to leave it at that, but I’ve got the information I need. I back away several feet to make sure I’m not being followed then turn and hurry across the road, dodging horses, wagons and the inevitable results of a lot of horses moving through an area until I reach the other side of the road. I check to make sure no one is following me. The group is moving down the street, making fun of the guy whose thumb I could easily have broken. That was a close one. Somebody grabs both my arms from behind.

“We’re not a group of Klatch sucking fools … witch.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

What is taking Pegues so long! I’ve been waiting in this stinking bar for over two cycles! At first I had to fend off the bar wenches but there were many more interested men and they soon discovered I was not going to partake tonight. Even if I had not been here on business, their charms are nothing compared to Alexia. So beautiful but so strong also. She is perhaps too certain of herself, but that is a folly of youth. Life teaches you humility over time.

Time! I have left Leeanna alone for much too long. Alexia will do the best she can to keep her calm but I should have returned long ago. Damn Pegues! Where are you?

“Tyber! You look well.”

He came upon me from behind. “Pegues, you are late. Very late. Explain yourself!”

“Calm yourself. All is well.”

“All is not well. I have left my daughter in this unruly town for far too long.”

“But she was not alone. The intrepid Alexia Thompson has been with her.”

“Leeanna is not Alexia’s responsibility, she is mine and mine alone.”

“That is why I picked the ‘Black Horse Inn’, the safest inn for miles around.”

“Still ….”

“Let us finish our talk and you can return to your daughter. Has Alexia displayed any mastery of magic?”

“None that I have seen. She is a remarkable person but no magical abilities, at least not yet. Are you certain she is the One?”

“Yes, I am. Everything depends on it. Perhaps she has not been challenged enough.”

“What do you mean, Pegues?”

“She may need the proper motivation to display her capabilities.”

“What kind of motivation?”

“We shall see.”

“What have you done, Pegues?”

“Nothing dangerous. Some of my men are … threatening Alexia, persuading her to show what she can do.”

“Are you mad! They could hurt her!”

“Not seriously. A little pain can be good encouragement to defend yourself.”

“Where are they?!”

“Behind this building. Wait! Tyber, where are you …”

I jump up from the table, grab my cloak from the chair next to me, run out the front door and around the building. When I reach the back, I see Alexia surrounded by five men. One is on his back, unconscious. A second is writhing on the ground, clutching his nether regions. The other three are in front of her, holding knives, shifting around while she wields a long piece of lumber, holding them at bay.

“Alexia!”

She looks up to see me, as do the men in front of her.

“Where the Hell have you been!” she shouts, stepping forward and swinging the piece of lumber with all her strength, striking the man nearest her who had turned his head when I shouted her name. She catches him in the side of the head, sending him sprawling across the frozen ground and his knife flying through the air, landing near me. I pick up the knife and slowly edge over to where she stands, watching the other men as I do so.

“I was detained. Do you want a knife?”

I point towards the knife dropped by the first man she had struck. She waggles the wood in her hand.

“No thanks. I’m doing pretty good with this, keeps them away from me.”

“Striking that man when he was not looking … that wasn’t very fair.”

“I’m from New York. There’s no such thing as a fair fight.”

“What do we do with these men?”

“Now that you’re here, I can beat ‘em to death.”

The two men opposite us turn their heads to look at each other then quickly run for it. I start to give chase but Alexia calls to me.

“Let it ride, Johnathyn.”

“Ride what?”

“Let them go. We need to get back to Leeanna.”

“Are you well?”

“I’m fine. They never laid a glove on me.” She tosses the lumber aside and smiles. “It’s been awhile since I was in an honest to God fight. Nice to know I’m not rusty. You done here?”

“Yes, I saw who I needed to see. Are you certain you are well?”

“Yes, I am perfectly well. Let’s go.”

She strikes out for the “Black Horse Inn”, walking quickly away, her skirt swishing around her legs as she strides first through the partially frozen muck and then along the walk as she reaches the street. I have to hurry to catch up to her.

“What happened back there?” I ask as we walk along, me donning my cloak.

“One of them grabbed me from behind. He and a friend drug me back behind the building. At least ten guys saw them do it and not a damn one of them said shit about it! What the fuck is wrong with this world? You don’t go grabbing women off the street in front of a crowd of men.”

“Agreed. Terrible thing. What happened?!”

“The other three were waiting for us when we got back behind the building. They let me go and told me to stand there and wait. The group huddled up and started discussing what they should do with me, ignoring me completely. What the hell were they thinking?”

“That you would do as you were told.”

“Somebody should have warned them then. There was a piece of wood about the size of a baseball bat in a pile of trash. I picked it up and clocked one of them in the head from behind and got another one in the balls before they knew what hit ’em. The other three pulled knives and tried to surround me but I held them off for a couple of minutes. That’s when you showed up. Thanks. I’m not sure I could have taken the other three.”

“What did they want?”

“That’s the weird part. I think they wanted to rough me up but they hadn’t decided how to do it. They were so busy talking they didn’t see me grab the bat. Idiots.”

“Thank Zaphod they were or you might have been harmed.”

“Maybe, but I got the impression they didn’t want to hurt me, at least not badly. Someone sent them after me.”

This is not good. “Did they say who it was?”

“I didn’t catch a name. We may need to be more careful. Did you meet your contact?”

“Yes.”

“AND?!”

“And?”

“What happens next?”

“All is as planned. We continue on to our next stop.” As we near the Black Horse Inn, Alexia stops, placing her palm lightly on my chest. My flesh tingles despite my thick cloak and woolen shirt.

“We better not say anything about the fight to Leeanna. She thought you were dead and that she and I were next. No use getting her all worked up. Just tell her that your guy was late.”

“Which he was.”

“That’s right. She doesn’t need to know the whole story. She was really worried about you.”

“And you, Alexia, were you also worried about me?” I look down at her as she glances up, our eyes connecting. She blushes.

“Me? No … I … no, I wasn’t … You’re a big boy, you can take care of yourself … though I did tell Leeanna that I was worried … I didn’t want her to think she was alone … that’s all.”

I smile. “That was kind of you. Let us go in and assure her that everything is well.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

Two of my men are waiting for me when I return to my room. One is well but the other has a black eye that appears to be in its early stages. If so, it will be a beauty before it is done.

“Pegues! Why didn’t you warn …”

“Be silent! Come in and we can talk.”

I unlock the door and we all hurry in, locking the door behind us. I drop my cloak on the bed and turn to face them.

“Now, Bailles, what happened?”

“What happened was that She-demon you sent us after nearly killed Dudian. Tarique may never father children and you can see for yourself what she did to Nuggent here.”

“Where is the fifth member of your party?”

“Tyco took Dudian to a Healer.”

“How did she do all this?”

“With a club of hard maple, that’s how. We might have had her if that bull of a man hadn’t interfered.”

“Any signs of magic? Any at all?”

“None that I saw,” answers Nuggent.

“How did one woman get the advantage of five men?”

“I don’t understand how. We followed her from the Inn, just as you instructed. She had a dispute with a group of drunken louts, besting one of them with some kind of grip on his hand.”

“Maybe that was magic,” says Bailles.

“Not likely. Go on, Nuggent.”

“After disposing of the louts, she crossed the street where Bailles and I caught her, bringing her to the back of the “Blue Rooster”. We released her, told her to wait right there and do nothing. We proceeded to discuss what to do next and she attacked us! From BEHIND! Dudian and Tarique went down almost immediately. We had recovered from that attack and were almost ready to take care of the problem when a big man …”

“The bull,” adds Bailles.

“… came around the corner of the ‘Blue Rooster’. I turned to see who it was and …” he gingerly touched his eye, wincing.

“Leaving Tyco and I,” finishes Bailles. “The bull picked up Nuggent’s knife. We ran for it but they didn’t chase us. We circled back and Tyco carted Dudian to the Healer. You know the rest.”

“No magic at all?”

“Other than how else can you explain one young girl besting five strong men?” says Nuggent.

“She had help.”

“Yes, Bailles. The bull. There is another explanation. Alexia was not raised as our women were. She had a different life before coming here.”

“You might have warned us, Pegues.”

“That was part of the test, Bailles. The results are disappointing but there is still time.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

We stopped at two more little towns over the next three days and Johnathyn did his blacksmith jack of all trades thing while Lee and I did the girl thing. Mostly Lee, I just stayed in the background as much as possible, though she did have me explain how I made a chicken casserole with rice and mushrooms. All the women seemed impressed. We got a fresh baked pie out of it along with other supplies so it was a successful couple of stops.

Johnathyn was driving on the fourth day out from Shellcrest while I sat next to him. It was a surprisingly warm day and we were heading into a high sun, so neither of us had our heavy cloaks or capes on. We were talking about guns. He had seen the Glock when we had gotten back to our room at the “Black Horse Inn” and insisted I show it to him, explaining how it all worked. He made me promise to let him try it the first chance we had, which turned out to be late on the first day out from Shellcrest. He felt we were far enough away from civilization, such that it was, that it was safe.

He was like a little kid with a new toy. I limited him to just three clips, didn’t want to burn the ammo on target practice. Naturally, he started wild but he quickly got better. Then he brought out his flintlock from a locked box on the side of the wagon. He said he made it himself. The man is a craftsman; there is no doubt about that. The wood polished to a bright sheen. All the metal smooth and clean, no sign of rust anywhere. Looked to be about .50 caliber. He showed me how to shoot it and I fired it several times, as did Lee. She was better than I, as was Johnathyn, but, to be fair, they had a lot more practice than I had.

Johnathyn was actually very good, and surprisingly fast. He could reload and shoot very quickly, but, obviously, nothing like a semi-auto hand gun. We were just rehashing the shooting excursion while we drove on when two men on horseback surprised us by bolting from a stand of trees by the side of the road, blocking our path. They are dressed alike, black pants and tunics with light metal yellow breast plates with some kind of insignia painted on the upper left corner. Johnathyn brought the wagon to a quick stop while I told Lee to hide the computer. She had been using the Britannica program to research about fruit trees.

“Where should I put it?” she whispers, wide eyed.

My pack is too far away. “Just hide it deep under those blankets.”

She gives me a quick nod and wraps a shawl around it, then stuffs it far under a pile of bedding. Unfortunately, the Glock is also locked in my pack. I turn back to Johnathyn.

“Who are they?” I whisper.

“The Queen’s Guard,” he quietly answers.

“What do they want?”

“Probably some of our supplies. They are worse than thieves. Just give them what they want and they will leave us alone.”

“You mean we’re supposed to let these bums just take what they want? How in the world do you …”

“Alexia. Please.”

They’re almost on top of us. “Fine,” I grouse.

“Good morning,” shouts the older guard. “Where are you headed this fine day?”

“We are traveling to Winstead.”

“And what is your business in Winstead?” asks the younger guard.

“I am a blacksmith. We travel about, making a living.”

“Who is ‘we’?”

“My wife and child.”

The younger Guard stays in front while the older one brings his horse around to the back of the wagon, where Lee is sitting.

“How old are you child?”

“Ten.” She answers, sullenly.

“The woman is too young to bear this child.”

“My child’s mother died in childbirth. The woman is my new wife.”

The young guard is giving me the once over. I’d be happier if I was wearing my cape. I’m sure the look on my face is not offering him any encouragement. It may not matter.

“Why do you stop us?” asks Johnathyn.

“We are authorized to stop all vehicles to search for contraband. There are rebels in these lands and we must root them out.” replies the older guard.

“We are not rebels,” says Johnathyn.

“Perhaps not,” says the younger guard. “We shall see what we see. Everyone out the back.”

Johnathyn steps off the bench , walking through the wagon. I follow him. When we reach the back, he jumps out. I help Lee out and then jump out myself. The older guard reaches to a scabbard attached to his saddle and pulls out a rifle … a M4A1!

How the Hell did this guy get a current issue US Army weapon?!

He indicates with the muzzle where he wants us to stand. Johnathyn and I stand together, Leeanna standing in front of us. The other guard rides around the back, dismounts, climbs into the back of the wagon and starts to tear it apart.

“What exactly are you looking for?” I ask.

The older guard glares at me for a second or two. “Contraband.”

“And what exactly is defined as contraband … Sir?”

“Whatever we think it is and you best keep a civil tongue in your head or I may cut it out.”

Johnathyn takes my hand, squeezing it gently. “Be calm,” he whispers.

The young guard continues to go through the wagon but doesn’t find anything he thinks is of value. The longer he goes without finding something, the madder he gets.

“Where’s your money?” he demands.

“We have no money” Johnathyn answers. “It is all trade. I work, they give me supplies. We have flour, beans, salt, sugar …”

“What do I care for flour and beans?! You best have something of value or we will take it out in trade ourselves with your pretty wife. And daughter.”

Johnathyn’s hand reflexively clamps down on mine as the other guard laughs. The one in the wagon returns to ripping it apart. Lee begins to cry.

The older guard points the muzzle of the rifle at me. “Woman! Keep the whelp quiet.”

I slowly squat down next to her. “These nice … men will be done soon. We’ll put everything back the way it was and be on our way. They won’t be much longer …”

“What is this?” shouts the younger guard. He comes to the back of the wagon holding my pack.

CRAP! I look up at Johnathyn. Our eyes meet and he nods his head slightly.

“They are my tools. I can carry them if the job is away from the road or the wagon.”

“Show me these tools.”

“As you can see, it is locked.”

“Then unlock it …” he pulls a knife from his belt, “or I shall open it myself.”

Now what? Either way, he’s going to find my other equipment and the Glock. He may not know what the other stuff is but he’ll be interested in that Glock. I stand up but before I can do anything else, something in the wagon starts beeping.

“What is that?” he asks. He starts digging into the bedding where Lee hid the computer. It only takes a few seconds for him to find it.

He looks the beeping machine over, moving it about in his hands. “A curiosity” he announces.

“Let’s have a look” the older guard says. The younger one jumps out of the wagon, but before he takes a step, Lee runs over to him and grabs the laptop.

“That’s ours and you can’t have it!” she shouts.

“Leeanna!” Johnathyn screams.

They both have a grip on it and each pulls but Lee manages to get it away from the guard, falling to the ground when he releases it.

“Stupid bitch! I’ll teach you some manners!” He lifts his knife and steps towards her.

“NOOO!” I bellow, making a slashing motion with my right arm. The guard pauses, his eyes grow wide and white … then his head falls off, the body staying upright for a few seconds before tumbling to the ground, spraying blood from his neck.

The other guard drops his rifle in shock. Leeanna screams as the blood hits her, then she faints. Johnathyn looks down at me.

“How …” he starts but the older guard points at me as his horse rears up.

“WITCH!” he shouts. “WITCH!!!” He spurs his horse and gallops away, rapidly speeding down the road.

Johnathyn grabs my arms. “We must stop him! He knows about us, about you! He will tell his superiors! You must stop him!”

“Me?! There’s a horse, you chase him down! You can take the Glock!”

“He has too great a head start and he is much smaller than I. I won’t be able to catch him. You must do it, Alexia.”

“I don’t know how!”

“You killed HIM!” he says, pointing to the body on the ground.

“He was going to hurt Lee! I don’t know how it happened, it just did!”

“Then it has best happen again because it is all up to you, Alexia.”

I look down the road. He’s at least half a mile away. I swing my arms but nothing happens. He’s getting farther away each second. I close my eyes and concentrate, calming my breathing, slowing my heart beat. I think of the horse and rider.

“Alexia?” asks Johnathyn.

“SSHHHH. Drop it.”

I try to put myself there in my mind. I can feel the wind, hear the panting horse, the jingle and rattle of the hardware on the saddle, the pounding of the hooves. I open my eyes.

I’m there. Right beside him. The guard is bouncing in the saddle but I’m tracking with him, smooth as silk. He’s talking to himself … or I’m hearing his thoughts.

“The witch will pay for this! She killed Thackery. I will report this to the Captain and we will get her! Her and that witch whelp of hers!”

“Not a good idea.”

He jerked his head left and right, panic clear in his eyes. He heard me.

“Where are you, Witch?!”

“Apparently right next to you. So … you want to turn me into your Captain?”

“NO … No … I would never do that. Never.”

“Then stop and let’s talk about it.”

“No. You’ll kill me!”

“I can kill you anyway. Stop and we can try to work it out.”

“No. No, it’s my duty. I must … Please! I have a wife, children.”

“Any daughters?”

“No, but …

“Pity.”

The horse rides on alone as the guard’s head goes one way and his body falls the other.

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

It took hours to clean everything up. We stripped and buried the bodies. The heads were buried elsewhere. We kept the one horse and both M4A1’s, along with the extra ammo and clips. I didn’t even try to get the blood from Leeanna’s clothes, we just burned them along with the uniforms the guards wore. Johnathyn said we should get moving as soon as possible. I agreed so I tried to straighten up the wagon while we were rolling down the road. Leeanna sat on the bench next to her father, wrapped in a blanket, still in a state of shock.

It was a full moon and clear skies so we continued driving past sunset, though at a slower pace. We finally pulled off the road near midnight, having pushed the horses pretty hard. We weren’t going anywhere tomorrow.

Johnathyn helped me fix a simple supper. He’d never done that before. We all ate in silence then Leeanna returned to the wagon, leaving her father and I alone around the fire. The clear skies mean a cold night. I’ve got my cape wrapped tightly around my shoulders and feel dead tired but have no desire to go to sleep. Johnathyn is pouring something from a brown jug into his metal mug.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“Klatch. It’s a local drink.”

“Why haven’t I seen you drink it before?”

“I try not to drink it very often. It sets a bad example for …” He tips his head towards the wagon.

“I see. It’s booze. Pass it over.” I hold out my hand but he hesitates. “What’s wrong?”

“Klatch is very strong.”

“And you don’t think I can handle it? Johnathyn, ol’ buddy ol’ pal, I’ve tried them all. I think I can handle Klatch.”

“Miran Pegues said your world had nothing like it.”

“I’ll be the judge of that. Hand it over.”

He carefully passes me the mug and I took a sniff. Nothing outstanding. I take a sip and my eyes cross, the burning sensation running from my mouth to my toes. I try to keep a straight face as I pass the mug back.

“What do you think?” he asks.

I don’t try to speak right away because I know that I can’t. It takes several seconds for my vision to clear.

“Miran is wrong, we have something like that. It’s called Everclear Wood Grain Alcohol, though I think Everclear has a more subtle palate and sophisticated aftertaste.”

Johnathyn takes a big swig and reaches for the jug to refill the mug. “I would like to try this Everclear. Our worlds have so many similarities.”

“Yeah. Death and taxes.”

He takes another big drink. The guy must have a metal gullet. He offers it to me again. I take it and sip. It leaves me gasping for air.

“Are you well, Alexia?”

“Yeah, just swallowed wrong.” I hand the mug back.

He takes it, rolling it between the palms of his hands while staring at the fire.

“Alexia, I must apologize for not protecting my daughter today. And you.”

“It’s not your job to protect me.”

“But it is. I am the man of the family and it is my responsibility.”

“Hey. I’m a man too, remember?”

“Somehow, I have a difficult time thinking of you as a man.”

“Well, I am and don’t you forget it, though, after seeing what the men of this world are like I’m not exactly a member of the cheering section. Present company excluded.”

“Thank you, Alexia. There are many good men in this world.”

He hands me the mug and I sip again. The effect isn’t as extreme when you’re expecting it. “Couldn’t prove it by me. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I scared Leeanna half to death when I … did that guy. I didn’t mean to do it, I mean not that much. I just wanted to stop him from hurting her, not kill him.”

“It did not matter. If you had used magic to stop him, they would have reported it and we would be running for our lives right now. They were dead men as soon as they discovered that bag of yours.”

“Johnathyn … you don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to … but, have you ever killed someone? Intentionally killed someone?”

“No. No, I have not.”

“Neither had I before today.”

“But you knew it would happen eventually, correct? You wanted vengeance on those who killed your mother and … sister? Surely, that means killing them, correct?”

“I guess so; hadn’t really thought it all through. Vengeance sounds good, like it’s what you should do, particularly if the cops aren’t doing anything, but the reality is harder than you realize. That first guard was practically an accident.”

“A happy accident, no doubt.”

“Yeah, I guess. Leeanna survived. I didn’t know what would happen. But the second one was a different story. I tracked him down from out of nowhere but I was trying to do it. When I got to him, I tried to settle everything. He refused to work with me, so I killed him. Just like that.”

“You had no other choice. They have fast horses and powerful guns. We have neither. You did it to save Leeanna. And me. And yourself. And, eventually, if we succeed, this world. A small price to pay.”

“No. An enormous price to pay. From here on out, I will take as few lives as I can get away with.”

He tips the mug back, draining it, then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “Then you had best learn how to control your powers.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

When we enter the town square of Winstead, it looks like the entire town is gathered there. I thought maybe word of Johnathyn’s skills had spread but as we got closer, I could see why the crowd was there.

A woman, stripped to the waist, was being whipped on the back. Her arms are tied to some kind of wooden frame, her back already covered by fine, bloody lines. I see just two more strikes, the woman not flinching at either one, before the man wielding the whip coils it around his hands and signals for her to be released. Several women rush forward and untie her. Two of them support her as she falls away from the frame, carefully setting her on the ground while a third begins to clean the wounds. I lose sight of her as the other women gather round. The men in the crowd start to drift away but the man with the whip walks towards us, along with two other men. Johnathyn places a big hand on my lap and shakes his head, warning me to say nothing. The man walks up to Johnathyn’s side of the wagon.

“Hail, friend. What business have you here in Winstead?”

“I am a blacksmith, traveling from town to town, applying my trade. Do you have a blacksmith?”

He smiles broadly. “Nay, we do not. You are most welcomed! You may set up next to my store over there.” He points towards a two story wooden building with an empty lot next to it. “You will find that we keep you quite busy. Perhaps you would care to stay awhile?”

“Sorry, but no. My family and I are headed west but I thank you for your offer. If I may ask, what was the trouble I just saw?”

The man frowns, hefting the whip. “A sorry business, that. One of the women in town has been unwilling to accept her lot in life. She has been agitating among her kind for a change in our society. We are a tolerant town but one can only take so much before needing to restore order. I hope that will be last of it.”

Johnathyn nods his head in sympathy. “A trend we have seen as we travel about. Alexia, go see if you can lend a hand.” He leans down towards the man. “My wife has certain talents. She may be able to help.” I climb down off the bench seat, the three men watching me with interest.

“Alexia. One does not hear that name very often. You have my permission to help if you can.”

I bow my head towards him slightly. “Thank you, Sir,” I say through gritted teeth. Johnathyn knows that I can’t likely help but I do want to find out what is going on. I hurry over to the group of women, the one who was whipped is now standing, still supported by two other women. The group is breaking apart just a bit as I approach.

“Can I help?” I ask.

An older woman looks at me, then gasps, her eyes wide with fear. The others don’t react right away, deferring to the older woman, She stares at me for a moment or two, then her eyes narrow.

“What is your name, child.”

“My name is Alexia. And I am not a child.”

Some of the women begin to giggle, but the older woman cuts them off with a look of disapproval. She turns her attention back to me.

“No, you are not a child. You can help Tarryn back to my home. Timara, you go fetch some more bandages. Alexia will help with Tarryn.”

One of the two women supporting the whipped woman looks at the older woman, eyes questioning her decision. The older woman nods, confirming her order so, Timara, I assume, steps away and I step in under Tarryn’s shoulder, helping support her as we slowly and carefully walk away. I have no idea where we are heading so I let the other two take the lead as the other women scatter.

It takes over ten minutes to move Tarryn less than a hundred feet, her moaning filling my ears. We pass several men along the way, some in groups, others standing by themselves. Most with smug looks of satisfaction on their faces, but some look away in shame. Johnathyn may be right, there could be some good men out there. Not good enough to put an end to this abomination though.

The older woman opens the door to a small white house and we ease Tarryn through the door and into a bedroom off the kitchen. The woman hesitates for a moment, then touches my shoulder.

“We will leave her with Bixia, for now.” The other woman smiles up at me as she begins to undress Tarryn, who is laying face down on a bed. The older woman guides me out and closes the door. She studies me for a moment, then turns to the stove, placing a teapot on it.

“Would you like some tea, Alexia?”

“I really should be getting back to my husband.”

“Please, stay a moment. You have helped us today, it is the least I can do. My name is Dierdra.”

She’s a little shorter than I am, heavier too. If I had to guess, I’d say she was early to mid forties, her hair a mix of gray and brown. Not a lot of wrinkles on her face but her hands show their age. She’s worked hard during her life. She’s got that tough Grandmother vibe, not the kind to pass out candy but chase you off her lawn. I give her a smile and a shrug.

“I didn’t really do much. We got here too late for …” I trail off.

“For you to stop it? It would have been foolish for you to attempt to do so.”

“Why didn’t one of you stop it?”

Dierdra sits down, indicating with her hand for me to join her. I do.

“Tarryn is a brave woman, not much older than you, I think. She was warned, more than once, but she persisted. She wanted, no, demanded that we allow her to face the punishment. ‘There can be no change without pain’ she said.”

“Civil disobedience. It’s the push for civil rights all over again.”

“I am not familiar with what you are talking about, Alexia.”

The teapot begins to whistle so Dierdra gets up, removes two small, light blue pottery cups from a shelf next to the stove and pours steaming tea into both, using a cloth to filter out the tea leaves. She sets one in front of me and remains standing, holding the other in her two hands. She brings the cup to her lips, blows gently for a moment then takes a sip.

“Where are you from, Alexia?”

“We’re traveling from New Amsterdam. We plan to stop at Glory before heading west.”

“Glory. An amazing place, that.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“But you are not from New Amsterdam. You do not speak like a Northeasterner.”

“No, I’m not. My husband is though.”

“Anyone who hears him can tell that is true. But where are YOU from?”

“Does it matter?”

“Perhaps not. I assume you know who else lives in Glory.”

“Do you mean the Queen?”

“Yes, the Witch Queen. Have you ever met a witch before, Alexia?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Does the Queen hold audiences for common folk such as myself?”

“For common folk like you? I would think not. I have met the Queen before. She is a powerful witch, unlike any seen before her.” Dierdra removes her hands from her cup but it just sits there, floating in the air. She lets it stay there for at least ten seconds, then she returns her hands to the sides of the cup, grasping it firmly again but keeping her eyes fixed on mine. “Until now.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Several other women have come and gone from Dierdra’s home, all bringing in supplies to care for Tarryn, who’s asleep right now. There has been so much traffic that I haven’t had many chances to speak with Dierdra about her little demonstration. She made me promise to visit her this evening.

“You couldn’t keep me away with wild horses,” I told her.

I rushed back to where Johnathyn was firing up the forge. There was the usual gaggle of men passing around a bottle but not the group of women. Today’s display probably took the festiveness out of the women. So I stayed in the wagon with Leeanna, who kept as far away from me as possible. I couldn’t even tempt her with music from my MP3 player, a sure fire bit of bait up until today. The killings must really have her spooked.

I look out occasionally to see what Johnathyn is doing. The first time I checked, he was working on mending the blade of a shovel, heating both pieces and hammering them back into one. The next time, he was working on a plow axle. Sometimes I think he’s got more magic in him than I do. I understand the science of it all but it’s still possible to be impressed when you see him in action.

Turns out that the smug little bastard with the whip is Jaylen Burket, leading citizen, business owner and all around big fish in a little pond. He’s also the self-appointed mayor of Winstead. There’s no outpost for the civilian police or the Queen’s Guards for many leagues in any direction. They’re mostly on their own. Johnathyn had accepted an offer to share supper tonight with Burket at his home. Luckily, I wasn’t invited so I made reservations at Dierdra’s for myself and Lee. Apparently, this is a common local practice when discussing business. I’d wager the local chamber of commerce is going to put the screws to Johnathyn to stay in Winstead. Good luck with that one. I can’t even get him to help with the laundry.

Today’s Evolved Man. Baagh!

I bring my laptop with me to Dierdra’s. It’s in my big handbag. Lee hasn’t touched it since the killing of the guards. I haven’t decided yet how much I trust Dierdra. Tonight will help me decide. When Lee and I arrive, I discover that we are alone, Tarryn has been taken back to her house, which isn’t far away, though Dierdra is on call.

“Are you certain you want the child here?” she asks.

“Lee knows as much as I do about what is going on.”

“Is that wise?”

“Her father doesn’t object.”

“But you are her mother.”

“Ahhh … more like step-mother, at least for now.”

“As you wish. What are you?”

“Excuse me?”

“I am a Fifty Two. What are you?”

“I suppose I am a Seventy Seven.”

“I knew it! As soon as I saw you, I could feel the power in you! It was easier to levitate that cup with you in the room. You radiate magic.”

“Why didn’t I sense it in you?”

“I don’t know. You should have been able to do so. How old are you?”

“Twenty one.”

“And in all that time you have not met another witch?”

Until now, Lee has been silent, just sitting and listening. “Tell her,” she says.

“Leeanna, I’m not sure if we should …”

“Just tell her, ALEX!”

Dierdra is looking back and forth between us. If she is going to help me learn what I need, she must know the truth.

“My name is Alex Thompson. I’m not from this world.”

“What other world is there?”

“This is going to be hard to explain. There are many other worlds, some similar, some quite different. I come from a world that is much more advanced technologically but there is very little magic. Other than that we’re pretty similar except, on my world, men and women are equal.”

Or at least a lot closer to being equal.

“How did you get to my world?”

“There’s a …. device, an invention that lets my people come to your world. I was brought here by one of your people so that I could defeat Queen Opulessa.”

“If there is no magic on your world, how did you become so powerful?”

“This is another tough one. When someone goes from my world to yours, they change sex. On my world, I am the seventh son of a seventh son. On this world, I’m the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. I’ve only had the power for over three weeks. I don’t know how it works or how to control it.”

“You are saying that if I would go to your world, I would become a man?”

“Yes. The man who first contacted me was a woman on my world. She didn’t bother to tell me about the change until I was already here.”

“Why did you come at all?”

“To be truthful, I was tricked.”

“So, when you discovered you were tricked, why did you not return immediately?”

“There are people in your world working with people in my world. The person who brought me here originally wanted my brother, the eighth son of a seventh son. People here found out about the plan and had people in my world kill both my brother and mother. I am here to make certain they do not get away with it.”

“If your brother had come instead of you … he would have been a Seventy Eight!”

“That’s what I’ve been told. As it is, they’re stuck with me.”

“And you plan to challenge Opulessa?”

“We are on our way to Glory now.”

“Did a man create this plan?”

“I believe so.”

“It must have been a man because it is utter madness!”

“What do you mean?”

“You have no chance, girl. None. Opulessa has been the ruling queen of this world for over two hundred years. She has exquisite command of her power and it is immense. Compared to me, my power is measured in drops and hers in buckets.”

“Don’t I also have buckets of power?”

“Yes, probably so but you yourself said you have no idea how to use it. Have you done a single magical act?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Why, unfortunately?”

“It was an accident … but I killed two men.”

“You killed two men?!”

“They were of the Queen’s Guards. The first was trying to harm Leeanna. I tried to stop him but … it went too far.”

“And the second?”

“He had ridden off to report us to his people. If he had gotten away and reported us, we would have been chased down and killed. I had no choice.”

“He had ridden away? How far away was he?”

“Half a league,” Lee answers.

“Half a league?! How did you do it?”

“I … cut off his head.”

“From half a league away? Incredible!”

“I have to learn to control it, Dierdra. I don’t want to do any more harm than necessary. I don’t have much time to do it.”

“I don’t know what I can do for you. I could never kill someone as you did. I could levitate a knife but I could never make it move fast enough to do much harm. To decapitate someone with pure magic … it is beyond me.”

“But I couldn’t levitate a feather. There has to be something you can teach me.”

She sits back in her chair, peering down at her lap for several moments then she looks up.

“Perhaps there is. There are two magical effects. This is the first.” She raises her right hand and a cup floats off the shelf, stopping in front of her, tumbling end over end in midair. Suddenly, it drops to the ground, shattering.

“This is the second.”

A second cup comes off the shelf, pauses in midair, then settles softly to the top of the table. Dierdra picks it up.

“What was the difference, Alexia?”

“I … I … don’t know. One broke and the other didn’t?”

“No. Magic permits you to do unnatural things. It is a tool, just like a knife or a spoon. If you use the tool to complete the action, once the action is completed, you can remove the tool and the action stays completed. If the action is not completed, remove the tool and the job fails. A cup will not stay up in the air without the continued application of magic. Remove the magic and nature takes over, the cup falls. If you complete the action, then remove the magic, the action remains.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Oh, oh, I know!” Lee exclaims.

Dierdra smiles at her. “What do you know, child?”

“Opulessa is a beautiful woman but she’s two hundred thirty years old. How is that possible? Look at you, you look very old and you’re not two hundred years old.”

“Leeanna!” I cry.

“Leave her be. The child is correct. I am … over forty. Go on.”

“She must use magic to look beautiful, but if she stops using magic, she’ll look all old and wrinkly. She has to use magic all the time just to keep looking beautiful.”

“What about when she sleeps?” I ask.

“She can’t ever fall completely asleep. If she did, all those things she does that require magic to fight nature would fall apart,” Dierdra answers.

“So, if you know how things work and why things happen, you can use magic to affect it permanently.”

“Exactly.”

I reach into my bag and remove the laptop. “I think I’ve got our secret weapon.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

It was the third time I’d crossed over and it’s still the strangest experience in all my fifty
years. I’d made a point to stay in good shape as I got older, but picking up fifty pounds of muscle and six inches in height in an instant is an amazing sensation. That and trading my pussy for a penis.

I would never have gotten this assignment if the Earth 2 people hadn’t categorically refused to deal with a woman, which is insane because I’ve been a woman for 94.36% of my life. The twenty seven months I’ve been over here doesn’t make me a man … though it has given me a new appreciation for the differences between the sexes. My predecessor couldn’t handle the strain. She said she was losing her self identity. My schedule’s been nine months on and three months off. It’s working so far.

I just got back from my latest vacation and have an appointment to meet with the First Minister at the Palace. The Queen has her quarters in the west side of the Palace, the government offices, such as they are, are located in the east side. I think the Ministers want to stay as far away from the Queen as possible but still keep an eye on her.

After catching the first Winthrop Group wagon of the day, I arrive at the Palace by 9:15 a.m., Earth time. They have a twenty hour day or a twenty cycle day by their language. Ten before Noon and ten after, though noon is midday. Midnight is still midnight. It always takes a few weeks to get used to Earth 2 time every time I return.

Two of the Winthrop Group guards stay with me the entire way. The wagon has five guards and they have outriders front, back and both sides, all armed with M4A1 Carbines. The wagon itself is like an armor plated pill box with a .50 caliber machine gun on top, pulled by a dozen horses. It’s a rough, dusty ride into Glory.

The two guards stay with me all the way to the First Minister’s office. His Secretary greets me as I enter through the large, double wooden doors. He sits at a table surrounded by boxes of papers stacked on narrower tables that line the walls.

“Good morning, Mr. White.”

“Good morning, Dilgar. Is First Minister Dupree in?”

“Always for you, Mr. White.” He stands up from behind his desk, walks over to the wooden door and opens it. I wait for him to introduce me.

“Mr. Don White, Regional Director of the Consortium to see you, First Minister Dupree. May I show him in?”

I can see Dupree over Dilgar’s shoulder. Dupree waives me in. Dilgar steps aside, clearing the path for me. As I walk past him, he steps out, closing the door quietly behind him. Dupree stands and offers me his hand. It’s not their custom to shake hands but Dupree has adapted.

“Welcome back, White. I hope you enjoyed your trip.”

I take his hand, gripping it firmly, a male bonding rite now in both worlds.

“I did, First Minister.”

“I don’t understand why you had to return to your world. We have many scenic and attractive areas you could visit.”

“You don’t have Las Vegas.”

“I have heard your people speak of that city before. It sounds enjoyable. I would be interested in visiting if not for …”

If not for losing his dick as the price to do so. We’ve offered practically the entire Ruling Counsel the opportunity to visit Earth but not a single one has ever thought twice about accepting. The thought of becoming a woman is so abhorrent to them, curiosity about my world, no matter how strong, can’t overcome it. I think they have to suppress a certain amount of revulsion to deal with me.

The Consortium makes it worth their while.

“You know that the offer remains open, First Minister. Just say the word.” I enjoy picking at that sore.

He looks down, shuffling papers on his desk, the suggestion clearly making him very uncomfortable. “Perhaps some other time … or perhaps the people who operate Las Vegas might like to visit us here. Help us duplicate their success in our world.”

I smile at his proposal. Dupree is always trying to get more from our world as long as it isn’t technology. They all fear the introduction of technology to their world almost to the same degree as they fear the sex change coming to our world. Almost.

“We can’t have a bunch of entertainment moguls seeing this world, First Minister. The existence of the portals must be kept secret at all costs.”

That’s the Consortium’s big fear. That someone on our side discovers what we’re doing and all we’ve done so far to keep the secret. A lot of people have disappeared over the years to protect that little secret.

“I appreciate your concerns, White, but I don’t see how you can keep such a thing secret. My government has to be eternally vigilant to protect our secrets and we don’t always succeed.”

“Governments can’t keep secrets, First Minister. Businesses can. We have different goals and objectives than governments, a different reward and punishment system. We can also move faster and more efficiently.”

He lifts a file off his desk. “Speaking of efficiency, here are the production figures from last month. I believe you shall be pleased.” I take it from his hand and leaf through it. “You will see new records in several categories.”

“Why is that?”

“We added a third shift to the Shellcrest mine. The lights you delivered were finally installed. We can now go twenty cycles a day.”

“Do you have the extra people?”

“Not enough yet but that problem will soon be resolved. There are a number of debt workers arriving in the next few days.”

“Women and children?”

“But of course.”

“What about men?”

“Men should not work along with women. It causes problems.”

He’s a real bastard, they all are but he gets the job done and that’s all the Consortium cares about. It’s depressing.

“Did I miss anything important while gone?”

Dupree frowns. “Just the Queen’s circus.”

“You mean a circus with acrobats, clowns and animals?”

“Not exactly. There were acrobats, of a sort and several kinds of animals, broadly speaking, at least until the Queen tired of them. It will only get worse as we near her birthday. Every year it’s the same thing. Her demands get wilder and wilder until it peaks on her birthday. It is as if she is trying to exceed Alexia herself.”

“Alexia?”

“You would not know of this. In the days before time there were Zaphod and Jillian, our great gods. But then came Alexia, a goddess of great beauty but no morals. She tempted Zaphod and, though he was a god, he was also a man and did what any man would do, he succumbed to her charms. Alexia was extraordinarily skilled and Zaphod became very enamored of her. Despite their frequent and extended couplings, Jillian waited for Zaphod to return to her, as a good wife should. Eventually, Zaphod discovered that Alexia was sharing her bed with others. He banished her and returned to Jillian, who welcomed him back with open arms. The poet Syzlack has written several lengthy and detailed poems describing the activities of Zaphod and Alexia. They are quite popular.”

“I can imagine. So Zaphod is …”

“The father of our world.”

“And Alexia is …”

“The greatest whore of all time. You should read Syzlack. Very entertaining.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

“Concentrate, Alexia!”

“I AM!”

“I am beginning to think you didn’t kill those men. You can’t even fold this sheet.”

“Can it, Dierdra.”

I had spoken with Johnathyn and we agreed that it was best that Dierdra join us and help train me as we drove onto Glory. She was willing to help and we couldn’t hang around Wintsead for very long. She wouldn’t leave until Tarryn had sufficiently recovered from her whipping, which took five days. She hadn’t fully recovered but she was past the danger zone so Dierdra was comfortable enough with her progress for us to leave.

I had continued to work on my skills while waiting to hit the road. I quickly got the hang of levitating things. Pieces of paper. Forks. Spoons. Knives. A chair, then two chairs, finally Johnathyn sitting in a chair.

He was a little nervous about that one. He wouldn’t let me try our wagon.

Now that we were back on the road, Dierdra was upping the challenge. She had me trying to fold a sheet while keeping it up in the air. So far, I’ve only been able to wad it into a ball. It’s been frustrating.

“Rest a moment, Alexia. You are too upset.”

“Fine.” I let the sheet fall from the air, landing on a pile of blankets.

She reaches out, patting my leg. “You have been working hard. Don’t worry, you will get it eventually.”

“How long did it take you?”

“That is not a fair comparison. I had to struggle for years to lift anything. You have come far in a few days.”

“But not far enough.”

“No, but I think it will be good for you. You will learn from the struggle. The more I consider it, the more I think that Opulessa’s power has handicapped her.”

I pull a handkerchief from the pocket of my skirt and wipe the sweat from my forehead. Concentration can be hard work. “What do you mean?”

“When you have little power, you need to be careful how you use it, you must not waste any.”

“You mean you have to be efficient.”

“I am not familiar with that word.”

“Being efficient means squeezing the most out of what you’ve got.”

“Yes, exactly. When you have so much power, you don’t need to be ‘efficient’, you can accomplish your objective easily. But what happens if you become stressed, if you are overwhelmed?”

“I know what you mean, though kind of in reverse. When computers first came out, they didn’t have much memory, much power. The programmers had to work really hard to get their programs to do all they wanted. They were always running up against limited resources. In order for them to succeed, they had to make their programs simple but elegant, no unnecessary steps, no dead ends. The problem that developed was that as machines became faster, more powerful, the limitations were lifted. Programmers could stuff more things into the code and the code could be sloppy. They didn’t care about beauty, about efficiency. All it had to do was work, at least at first. Sloppy programming led to buggy programs and crashing computers. More power led to crappy programs which led to pissed off users and you’ve got no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

She smiles ruefully. “I am afraid not but it appears we understand each other. I suggest that you return to your training but that we stop to visit the Miryian Waters when we pass.”

“The what?”

Johnathyn spins around on the bench. “Are we near the Waters?”

“Yes. This road will take us past them in a few cycles, just about time to stop for the evening meal.”

Leeanna is sitting next to Johnathyn. She begins to clap her hands. “Father! Can we stop? Do we have the time?”

“I do not see why not. I have always wanted to see the Miryian Waters.”

“What’s the big deal?” I ask.

“The Miryian Waters is a place of healing. Of miracles,” he says.

CHAPTER NINE

Ours was not the only wagon at the entrance to the Miryian Waters. There were five wagons similar to Johnathyn’s, plus several smaller ones and one very large one, all sitting in what could best be called a gravel parking lot off the side of the road. There’s a wooden shack standing next to a gravel path that wanders away from the parking lot. Several clotheslines are arranged behind the shack, about half full of what looks like towels. There is a distinct smell of sulfur in the air and I can see smoke rising from behind a group of low hills in the direction that the path is headed.

“Are these hot springs?” I ask.

“They certainly are warm, very soothing, medicinal for some people” says Dierdra.

“So you’ve been here before.”

“Twice. You can rent a towel over there,” she points at the shack, “and walk down the path to the Waters. This is not the time of year when they are busiest.”

“I can imagine.” It feels like it’s only about the high Forties right now, and getting colder as the sun starts to set.

A man approaches as Johnathyn brings the wagon to a stop.

“Welcome to Miryian Waters, friend. How many in your wagon?”

“Four, three adults and one child,” Jonathan replies.

“We have plenty of spots but we will be closing shortly after nightfall.”

“Then we best hurry.”

Leeanna had already leapt from the wagon and was bouncing with excitement. “Hurry, Father! Hurry!”

“Calm yourself, Leeanna. We have plenty of time. Don’t run off. Wait for Dierdra and Alexia.” He helps Dierdra out of the wagon while I jump out.

We all amble towards the shack, Leeanna leading but Johnathyn isn’t far behind her. I guess that in a world that doesn’t have movies, television, DVDs or the internet, a big pond of hot water may pass as entertainment. By the time Dierdra and I reach the shack, Johnathyn has already paid for four large, white, surprisingly soft and fluffy towels.

Lee grabs his hand and pulls him down the path. Johnathyn simply shrugs his shoulders, allowing her to do so. She couldn’t move him with a bulldozer if he didn’t want to, so it’s just a game he’s playing. He’d be running down the path if he could get away with it. They round a turn in the path and disappear behind a small mound covered in tall grasses.

“Men,” says Dierdra.

“And children,” I add.

“Sometimes one and the same.” She tosses her towel over her shoulder and follows them down the path. I fall into step with her.

“When you say medicinal, do people actually drink the water?”

“No. Well, some might but the taste is not good. It would not kill you if you did drink it, but even the few who do drink the water do it without enjoyment.”

“So people just sit around in hot water? What’s the difference between that and a hot bath?”

“Some say there is no difference but others claim to have been cured.”

“Any double blind studies?”

“Some claim to have their sight restored.”

“That’s not what I meant … never mind.”

We continue to walk along the path as it winds through the mounds, tall bushes popping up here and there. Several people pass us, heading back the other way, their hair wet and skin pink. They are all smiling. Some of them walk with a limp or don’t walk at all, they are being carried. Others have arms in slings or other parts of their bodies bandaged. But they are all smiling, some through obvious pain.

“Exactly what kind of problems are these waters supposed to cure, Dierdra?”

“Everything from a hang nail to paralysis.”

“Doesn’t this world have doctors, nurses?”

“Who are they?”

“People who care for the ill and injured. People who figure out what is wrong with a person and then give them something that fixes the problem.”

“Ahh yes, Healers. We have them. I am one. It is just that sometimes, we do not have an answer.”

“Do you have antibiotics available?”

“Again, I do not understand.”

Just then, a man passes us, returning to the parking lot, his arm clearly swollen and infected. I could smell it even over the increasing strength of the sulfur odor. He smiles and nods at us as he passes. I wait until he turned the corner.

“Did you SEE that?”

“Yes. Poor man. Hopefully, the waters will give him some relief.”

“Relief?! He’ll be lucky if he only loses that arm! He needs antibiotics right NOW!”

“I am sure that he has seen whomever he could for his problem. Did you see how he was dressed? A man who dresses like that can afford the best care. We are here.”

We round the last bend and I see a large, flat, stone area, at least three square acres. There are hundreds of shallow pools, some large, some small, carved out of the stone. I bend down, rubbing my hand across the surface. It’s warm to the touch but it feels like sandstone. It wouldn’t be so hard to carve it into theses assorted pools. Each pool is interconnected, so the water flows from one to the other. They are all arranged around a larger central pool of water that is bubbling, gasses and steam rolling off the surface and floating slowly upward until it clears the surrounding hills and then they follow the prevailing wind. The whole area seems to be the lowest point in a large depression. Looking back up the path, I can now see that it gently drops down from the parking lot, like one very long winding wheelchair ramp.

Beside each pool is a thick pole in the ground, standing about six feet high, with pegs sticking out, angled upward. There are about a dozen pools currently occupied, clothes hanging from the pegs. Some hold only one person, others two or three, still others look like an entire family. It’s a little hard to see the whole place because the swirling steam and gasses block the view. The odor is almost overwhelming. If you’ve got a cold, this would certainly clear a congested nose in seconds.

“Over here, Alexia!”

That’s Johnathyn’s voice. It’s coming from my left. The steam is particularly thick over that way.

“Here’s the path,” says Dierdra. We start walking that way but I still can’t see him.

“Where are you, Johnathyn?” I shout.

“This way. We are not far,” he answers.

We keep walking along, the fog completely obscuring our view at times but only for a moment as it swirls around. The air is getting hotter and my clothes increasingly uncomfortable.

“We are here.” Johnathyn’s voice again, but much closer. I turn to my right and see his face and chest. I smile.

“Well, there you … are …” The breeze whips the last of the steam away from his naked body.

Completely naked. Full frontal.

Damn.

Dierdra starts to undress.

“Wait one cotton picking minute. No one said anything about being naked!”

“What did you think it would be, Alexia?” she asks.

“I don’t know … bathing suits?”

“What are bathing suits?” asks Lee. She was already in the water, slowly moving her arms about, creating swirls of steam around her.

“Hold it! Johnathyn, you’re getting in the same pool as your naked daughter?!”

They all look at me like I’m an idiot.

“That is what you do at the Miryian Waters. It is the custom,” says Dierdra.

“Since when?!”

“Since always,” Johnathyn replies. “You are creating a scene, Alexia. I am sorry that we did not explain this to you. That is our fault. I sometimes forget about your situation. If this makes you uncomfortable, you can always return to the wagon but you will be missing one of the better experiences in this world.”

By now, Dierdra has hung all her clothes on one of the pegs of the pole next to the pool. She steps gingerly into the pool.

“OOOowww! You picked a hot one!”

“I know,” Lee giggles.

It takes Dierdra several seconds to ease down into the water, but as she settled in, she smiles and sighs blissfully. Johnathyn steps next to me. I fight to keep my eyes focused on his.

“It is your choice Alexia. We don’t have that much time left but, if you wish, I will dress and guide you back to the wagon.”

He would too. He’d probably been looking forward to this his entire life, there were only a few hours left, at best, and he’d spend a chunk of it walking me back to the wagon. Hell, he’d likely insist on it. I reach for the tie on my cape.

“Crap. When in Rome.”

“What?”

“Go on and get in the water, big boy. I’ll be there soon.”

Johnathyn laughs, turns and ever so slowly drops down into the pool, as if he is savoring the experience. Unfortunately, now that all three of them are in the pool, I have an audience.

Leeanna had seen me naked before. The night of my arrival at their house, at the “Black Horse Inn” and semi-naked other times when we took hot sponge baths on the road. Johnathyn was never present when any of that happened. I wasn’t comfortable about being undressed with Leeanna around but I accepted the necessity. Here, in this world, I was acting like her step-mother. To freak out about a little mother/daughter skin would seem weird, and, to be honest, seeing her naked didn’t do anything for me, except surprise me. I mean, she’s just a kid. I was into grown women back on home, not little kids, girls or boys. I was more worried what she thought about me. She knew that I used to be a man. I was afraid she might think I’d be getting off, seeing her without clothes … which I didn’t!

You’d think I’d be more worried about Dierdra seeing me naked. We’re practically strangers. She’s a woman and I’m a man … at least I think like a man. I see this world with a man’s eyes, even though that’s the only thing male about me right now. But no.

It’s Johnathyn who has me most bothered. I’ve been naked with guys before. Who hasn’t had gym class at school? I played sports too. It wasn’t a big deal then. Why is it a big deal now? I can’t explain it. He’s playing it cool, just relaxing, laying back in the water, not even paying attention to me. There are lots of other people around but they’re already naked themselves, besides, with the steam and gasses, you can’t see much unless you’re right on top of someone.

I could ask Johnathyn to close his eyes or look away but that would be making a scene. Something I want to avoid. Best do it quickly, like ripping off a Band-Aid.

I kick off my shoes while I take off my cape, hanging it on a peg. I pull my petticoat down next, stepping out of it, dusting it off and hang it on a second peg. I glance over towards the pool but Johnathyn and Lee are talking about something. I take the opportunity to hastily drop my drawers then pull my dress over my head, leaving me in a cotton chemise. When I look back at Johnathyn, he’s still not paying attention so I grab the edges of the chemise with both hands and lift it off over my head.

I manage to keep from immediately covering myself with my hands, though I desperately want to, as if it is instinctual. I always hated seeing a woman do that, it seemed so … submissive, hunched over, cowering, desperately trying to cover body parts with other body parts. Screw that. I walk over to the edge of the pool and dip my right foot in.

I instantly jump back “JUDAS PRIEST! You could boil a lobster in there!” Johnathyn stares at me. I fight to keep my hands at my side, balling them up into fists.

He smiles at me. “Something wrong, Alexia?”

“No. It’s just hotter than I thought it was.”

“Come in slowly, Dear,” Dierdra suggests. “Give yourself time to adjust.”

We don’t have five years, Dierdra. I extend my right foot again, barely touching the water near a shallow edge. It’s actually a little cooler, though still insanely hot. If they can do it, I can do it. Pushing my foot in further, it touches a sloped side. I can just very slowly slide towards the middle. The stone feels cooler than the water. Clenching my teeth, I continue to gradually lower myself into the water, pausing for a moment when a new part touches the near boiling water. First it’s my left foot, then my butt, quickly followed by my vagina.

That’s a treat.

Eventually, after what seems like hours under everyone’s watchful eyes, I settle in near Dierdra, who looks surprised.

“Would you prefer to sit with your Husband?”

“Not right now. Thanks anyway. If I move I’m afraid I’d explode in flames.”

“What a girl!” Leeanna exclaims.

“Now Lee, Alexia has never done this before.”

“Neither have we, Father!”

“Well then, she may be more sensitive. We are all different.”

“Thanks a lot.” Actually, once I get settled in, the pain subsides and I start to feel more relaxed. I even shift around a bit to find a more comfortable position for my head.

“They should have some kind of waterproof pillow. It would make this whole thing more comfortable.”

“I have a very good spot right here, Alexia. You are free to try it,” Johnathyn says.

“No, I’m fine. I don’t want to be a bother.”

He slides away from his spot towards me. “Nonsense, it is no bother. Just try it.”

“Fine.”

The pool is only about four feet deep at its deepest. I can’t cross over to where Johnathyn is without making body contact with him. A lot of contact. My shoulders and back touch his thighs and, as we pass each other, I can feel his dick slide down my spine where it rests in my ass crack, briefly, as our bodies turn together and then we’re past one another.

“How do you like it?”

“Give me a chance to adjust … oh yeah, I see what you mean. It’s very nice.”

“Not what you expected?”

“Not at all.”

I try to stay submerged as much as possible but the heat is too much, forcing me to rise up. Looking around the basin at the other people, I notice something unusual.

“Dierdra, no one shaves their legs.”

“What, Dear?”

“No one shaves their legs. I hadn’t had a chance to see it until now. Leeanna didn’t but she’s too young. With all the long dresses, this is the first time I’ve had a chance to see naked legs.”

Dierdra is confused. “Why would a person remove the hair from their legs? It is still quite cold. Hair is useful in keeping warm.”

“Not the men, just the women. Why don’t they shave their legs?”

“Why would anyone shave their legs, man or woman?” asks Johnathyn.

“It looks better, all sleek and smooth,” I answer.

“It does?” he responds.

I want to argue the point then realize that it’s better if I drop it. Why fight to convince someone to act in a way that I’d rather not do in the first place.

Johnathyn is looking hard at my legs. “Perhaps you could show us what you mean, Alexia.”

“Never mind, Johnathyn. My mistake.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

The manager came back to us and said that time was up, that he was closing for the day. We had only been there about an hour and a half. Johnathyn was clearly disappointed, as was Lee. I wouldn’t have minded another hour or so myself. One of the men with another group had to be carried, he couldn’t move his legs. Johnathyn jumped right in to help. Totally typical for him.

All of the large wagons left were staying parked for the night, as was one of the smaller ones. A total of five. The people in the small wagon didn’t seem equipped for an overnight stay, not with the weather as cold as it was. Dierdra went around and arranged a kind of pitch in supper for the entire group.

Turns out that they were all fairly nice people. One group was like us, just passing by and wanting the experience. The other three had people with medical problems. The guy who couldn’t walk, the man with the infected arm and a woman with lung problems. It sounded like the woman might have Tuberculosis. The guy who couldn’t walk had a bad fall, probably broke his back. The last guy cut his arm in a fight of some kind. I think Dierdra was right, he might be rich. He had a very fancy rig. Kind of a horse drawn RV. He had fresh meat, rabbit, for the pitch in. Very popular. He also had a brand of Klatch that impressed the men. Must have been top of the line. Naturally, the women didn’t get a taste. We probably didn’t miss much.

We were all gathered around one large communal fire and I was getting pretty comfortable when Johnathyn came up behind me and leaned down next to my right ear.

“I need the use of your flashlight,” he whispers.

“Why?” I whisper back.

He doesn’t answer right away, then whispers “Come with me … please.”

What can I do? He said the magic word. I get up and follow him back to our wagon. He stops just outside the back.

“What’s the big mystery?” I ask.

“I intend to go back to the Waters tonight.”

“They’re closed.”

“We will be leaving in the morning and I may never have another chance. I can likely find my way in the dark but your flashlight would help.”

“How much Klatch have you had tonight?”

He chortles. “You sound just like a true wife, Alexia. I have only had two cups. It has not affected my judgment. Dierdra is here to watch Leeanna. Why don’t you join me?”

“But they’re closed!”

“And you call yourself an Anarchist.”

Well, he’s got me there. At least he didn’t call me chicken.

“Alright. Exactly what do you have in mind?”

“I just want to sit and relax for an hour or so.”

That does sound kinda fun. It’s not like I haven’t broken and entered before.

“Okay, you’re on. We’ll need towels.”

He reaches over the end of the wagon and picks up a bag.

“I have everything we need except for that flashlight.”

“We need? You must have been pretty confident.”

He shrugs. “I think I know my Wife well.”

“Well enough … for now. I’ll tell Dierdra.”

“Make certain Leeanna doesn’t find out. She will want to join us.”

“You don’t have three towels in that bag?”

“Just two.”

“Fine. Wait for me here.”

“Don’t be long.”

I carefully return to the group around the fire. There are two children about Lee’s age, a boy and a girl. She’s been busy all evening with them. She’s a talker. She’ll be fine without us for awhile. I squat next to Dierdra.

“Johnathyn wants to go back to the Waters tonight.”

“It is closed, the manager said so.”

“I know but it’s not like there’s anything to break or steal. It’s a bunch of hot puddles for Zaphod’s sake. He said he may never get another chance.”

“Are you going with him?”

“Yes … but it’s no big deal.”

“Did he ask you to come with him?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a couple of guys, hanging out.”

“He doesn’t think of you as a ‘guy’. Nor are you a ‘guy.’”

“I know, female plumbing and all that, but I’m still a guy inside.”

“Alexia, you are not. I can sense how you feel about the world, about Leeanna … about Johnathyn. It is as if you were her mother … and his wife.”

“You’re crazy! We’ve never done anything like that! Not even close!”

“A shame. He is a very attractive man. And a good provider. And father. I did not say you feel as a lover towards him, but as a wife. In this world, they are not necessarily one and the same. I have known many happy couples in my time, more unhappy ones. You and Johnathyn are not unlike them.”

I’ll humor her. “Are we happy or unhappy?”

“Too early to tell. Why don’t you go find out? I will watch Leeanna, your daughter.”

“Ha. Ha. Funny witch. You should be on Letterman. We’ll be back soon.”

Standing up, I slowly work my way back to our wagon, not wanting to attract attention. Johnathyn is leaning against the wagon gate. He really is a big guy. I remember him standing next to the pool earlier today when the smoke suddenly cleared.

A really big guy.

“What did she say?” he asks.

“About what?”

“About watching Lee. What else is there?”

“She said she would. There wasn’t anything else.”

“Then what took so long?”

“I didn’t want to attract attention. We are sneaking off, remember?”

“Yes, good idea. We had better wait to use the flashlight until we are past the first set of hills.”

“Great. Let’s go.”

He grabs the bag and we move off, saying nothing as we carefully walk across the gravel, trying to tread lightly. It’s a half moon but there are few clouds so we can see pretty well, particularly with the white gravel as our guide. There’s no gate of any kind, just a closed and locked towel shack to indicate they are closed. Not even a “Closed” sign. I almost don’t feel the old thrill of an illegal act. We make several turns before running into some fog. Johnathyn switches on the light. It was never intended to be a really powerful beam, more general purpose, but it does help. We manage to get within fifty feet or so of the nearest pools before the fog gets so thick that I can’t see anything.

“Johnathyn!” I hiss. “Where are you? I can’t see a damn thing!”

“It is as expected. Hot, moist air. Colder temperatures.”

“Thank you Mister Weather Man. Where are you?” I feel his large hand gently encase mine.

“I am here. Do we go on?”

“Sure, just don’t lead us into some boiling pit of doom.”

Now I can see why there was no gate or sign. Most people would have stopped by now. Johnathyn pulls at my hand and I follow, heart pounding, waiting to step into a hole. The fog grows thicker with each step.

“Johnathyn, where the hell are we?”

“Don’t worry, Alexia, we are almost there.”

“How can you possibly know …”

Just then, we step out of the fog into crystal clear air. We’re almost in the exact spot we were earlier today but there are fog walls surrounding the pools with a fog ceiling. It’s an inversion of some kind, creating this pocket of clear but sulfurous air. What’s weirder is that the moss that grows between the pools is glowing, a soft, yellow light, illuminating the entire area.

“By Zaphod’s beard … “Johnathyn gasps.

“Ditto.”

“Have you ever seen such a sight, Alexia?”

“No, I haven’t. It’s … it’s ..” Go ahead and admit it. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Johnathyn looks over at me and smiles. “Ditto.”

I shake my head and laugh. We walk among the pools until he stops at one built for two.

“Shall we?”

“Why not?”

I realize that we are still holding hands. Johnathyn brings our linked hands up to my shoulder height then slowly opens his fingers, letting my hand slip free. We undress at the same time, our backs turned towards each other. As I hang my chemise upon the peg, I can feel my heart pounding. It’s more than we shouldn’t be here, more than we shouldn’t be here together, more than I shouldn’t be naked with a handsome man in an entirely different world than I was born in. It’s more than all that put together … but I don’t know what it is.

I take several breaths, attempting to calm down, pause, then turn around to face Johnathyn.

He’s standing less than two feet away from me, looking down at me and smiling, his dick at half mast.

“That didn’t happen earlier today,” I whisper.

“What didn’t happen?” I point to his rising cock. “Oh my!” He tries to cover up but it’s hopeless. I remember being caught with a growing erection at embarrassing times. The embarrassment only makes it worse. In seconds, he’s got a full on raging boner.

“Alexia! I’m sorry …”

“Don’t worry about it. I was caught after gym class looking at a Playboy someone left in a locker. Once it started, I couldn’t stop it, no matter what I thought or did. The little guy does sometime have a mind of his own.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Though I don’t think we can call yours a ‘little guy.’”

It’s ten inches long if it’s an inch and almost six inches around. I’ve seen bigger in some porn films but not by much. With his build and looks, he’d have been a porn stallion back home. He’s blushing but hasn’t shrunk a fraction of an inch.

“Please, Alexia, you must not tell anyone about this.”

“Why not? All the other girls will be sooo jealous when I tell them how well hung my husband is. ‘My husband is hung like a horse, girls. Muscles to die for, legs like iron, shoulders that don’t stop, an ass like no other and balls the size of oranges. And he puts it to me … every … single … night. Orgasms galore.’ Why wouldn’t you want a reputation like that? They’ll be all over you when I’m gone.”

“Stop making sport, Alexia.”

“Who’s sporting? It’s all true. Well, except for the sex and orgasm part.”

“Please, Alexia?”

“Fine. It’ll be our secret, but I think you’re really missing a great opportunity. I could be the ultimate wingman.”

“What is a wingman?”

“A buddy who helps you find women. He talks you up, makes you seem more attractive, a better catch. If a woman who looked like me told a great looking woman that she had found this great guy for her, she’d be all over you. Trust me.”

“Why would I want that?”

“You know something, Johnathyn. You’re hopeless. Get in the pool before you put someone’s eye out with that thing.”

He eases in, just as before. I let him go first because there is less room in this pool than the family sized one we used before. Once he’s down, he offers me his hand to steady myself. I take it, conscious of the slippery, glowing moss all over the place. You do not want to flop into one of these pools. It takes less time to adapt this time, the relaxing effect kicking in. My heart rate has dropped back to normal. Johnathyn’s still got that big boner, though it’s down a bit, so he’s relaxing too.

We’re very close in this pool, not on top of each other but there’s not a part of either ones body that isn’t within easy reach of the other. He reaches into his bag and pulls out his small jug.

“Klatch?” I ask.

“Yes, some of what Asgrip Tylen offered.” He lifts the jug to his lips and takes a swig. “Excellent.”

“Do you really need that stuff?”

“No, but I enjoy it, from time to time.”

“Haven’t you people ever heard of beer? Or wine?”

“What are they?”

“Fermented wheat and barley or grapes. As opposed to whatever the hell you use to make Klatch.”

“Do you want to know, Alexia?”

“Probably not. Pass that bottle.”

We sit in the water, passing the jug back and forth, me taking sips and him taking drinks. With the dome of fog and the glowing moss, it’s like our own little world. With its own rules.

“Alexia, why does the moss glow as it does? Is it magic?”

“No, it’s chemistry, actually biochemistry. I studied this in school. The moss contains certain chemicals which bind together, creating an enzyme. The enzyme oxidizes when it contacts air, breaking down but giving off light as it does. There are lots of creatures that can do that in my world, many deep sea fish. I don’t think we have this particular species of moss. I’d have to check the database on the computer to be sure.”

“But how does it actually glow?”

I scoop up some with my hand and hold it out in front of me. “Look, follow along. The moss grows, using the water and chemicals in the water, plus the gasses around here. While it grows …”

Suddenly, I’m surrounded by the moss that was in my hand. I can see the chemical process taking place. The creation of the enzyme, how it breaks down, exactly as explained in my biochemistry class years ago. I reach out with my hand and slow it down, then slower still, until the process stops completely, frozen in time. I can move around, examining it all from different angles. I then reach out again and restart everything, bringing it back up to original speed. After watching for a moment or two, I speed it up a little … then a little more … then more. The glowing increases, becoming brilliant. Then it burns out, leaving the ruins of the organism around me.

I return to the pool, Johnathyn shaking my shoulders.

“Alexia?! Are you well?”

“Yeah … yeah, I am. What happened?”

“You were speaking of the moss when you grew silent. The moss stopped glowing, then came back, then became so bright that it hurt my eyes to gaze upon it. Then it suddenly went dark. That is when I shook you.”

“I did that. I turned it on and off. Sped it up and down. I was there, in the moss. I happened once before, just briefly. I was inside my computer. I could see everything, feel everything. I didn’t make any changes, it only lasted a few seconds.”

“Try it again.”

I scoop up more moss, relax, concentrate on the mass of green glop in my hand … and I’m back in, just as before. I speed up the processes and the same thing happens, a bright, blinding light, then burn out. It’s as if I’m taking all the energy reserves and releasing them in a short burst, leaving nothing behind.

“Amazing!” said Johnathyn. “Can you change it?”

“I think so, but I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t understand the mechanism. If I do something wrong, I could create something deadly … or so prolific it could cover the world in moss. This is the second magic effect Dierdra was talking about, a tool that can accomplish a task, changing the nature of reality and then remove the magic, while the changed system moves on. This is powerful stuff. Insanely powerful.”

“Perhaps you should stop for now?”

“Good idea … though I could use the time to practice some other magic techniques. If you’re willing.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“I wouldn’t think so.”

He takes another hit off the Klatch jug. “Go ahead. Impress me.”

I take the jug from his hands and down my own shot. “Impress you, huh? Here, in our own little world with our own rules. Is that what you want?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Your wish is my command, Sahib.”

“What is a Sahib … oohh no, no, no … I didn’t mean …”

“Be quiet, Johnathyn. I need to concentrate. Wouldn’t want to break anything, would we?”

“No.”

I had reached out with my mind and grabbed his still hard cock, just as if I was holding a cup or folding the sheet. In my mind, it was my hand gently sliding up and down the wet shaft. It only took a few seconds and it was back to its full glory, rising above the water. I keep stroking it, the full length up, then down, repeating over and over. I can feel it in my hands, the slick, soft skin, sliding past my palms. Johnathyn is laying back against the rock edge of the pool, eyes closed, smiling wistfully. I lean in close to his ear.

“Do you like that?”

“Ohh yess.”

“Good. Keep your eyes closed. You’re gonna love this.”

I kept stroking with my hands but added my tongue to the tip, imagining that I was trying to swirl it all over the head. My lips feel the heat of the large head. It’s about the size of a golf ball. It pops into my mouth and I attack it with my tongue, lashing at it, then swirling it. Johnathyn groans several times as his breathing rate increases. I can feel the pressure of his cock against my lips and mouth, but I also know that there is nothing actually in my mouth. It is all transferred sensations, controlled by my mind.

I imagine sinking lower on his dick with my mouth, drawing him in. The pressure of his cock travels down my throat yet I have no trouble breathing. He, on the other hand, is beginning to gasp for air.

“My … oh … my … oh …. oh … Alexia”

“What?”

“How can you speak?”

“Magic. Keep your eyes closed. It gets better. I hope.”

“OH … oh … hope?”

I bob up and down for several minutes, first fast then slow, all the while I am actually sitting quietly next to Johnathyn in the pool. Eventually, I pull back, returning to a hand job. His breathing returns to where it was, fast but steady. Now, I swing my body over on top of his, rising up, resting my pussy against the tip of his cock, swinging my hips back and forth slightly until the tip settles firmly in the tight opening.

This is new for me. I haven’t even masturbated since the change. There really hasn’t been the opportunity. When have I been alone for more than a few minutes? I don’t know if my imagination can fill in all the blanks. I know what it should feel like from Johnathyn’s side but what does a woman truly feel during sex? What does it feel like to be penetrated, filled by a cock the size of his?

Our world. Our rules.

I start to drop down slowly, letting the wet pole ease past the lips of my vagina. I can feel it slip up my vaginal canal, pushing everything aside as it travels toward my uterus. Just using those words in my head makes me smile. Must be the Klatch.

Pulling partially back up, I begin to bounce up and down, slowly at first, gradually allowing more and more of his delicious cock access to my pussy, until, finally, I am stuffed full.

“Don’t move your hands, Johnathyn. It will destroy the illusion. Just let the feelings happen. Can you do that for me?”

“Yesss.”

“Good. Hold onto your hat.”

“My … hat … what …uuughh”

I begin to bounce on the full length of his big dick, pull almost the entire way up and driving down, adding the sensation of my breasts rubbing against his chest. His hands stay at his side but his fingers clutch at the air. I know that if I was in his position, my hands would be on my hips, holding on while driving up with my hips or squeezing my tits as hard as I could stand. My nipples are as hard as nails even now, the feelings of the skin on skin contact almost too much to bear, but I must keep concentrating or it all goes away.

I kick my bouncing into overdrive, alternating with rocking my hips. Johnathyn is almost there.

“Uhhh … Uhhh … UUUhhh …. UUUHHhhh …. HHHaaaa … AAAHHHhh … AAHHHH!”

He shoots cum straight up in the air, his hips thrusting up repeatedly. Stream after stream, arching high and falling back into the pool. The same pool I’m in.

Eeewww. Hadn’t thought of that. Oh well, it’s pretty hot. The little buggers won’t last long.

After a short while, his breathing falls back into the normal range. When you think about it, it’s been at least as long for Johnathyn as it’s been for me. If I couldn’t do anything because of not being alone, he’s been in the same boat. As much cum as he shot, it could have been longer.

He takes one final deep breath and exhales.

“I have never, in all my life, ever experienced something like that. Not with Leeantha, not with anyone before or since.”

“Pretty neat, huh? I’ve been working on my control and concentration. I’m getting better.”

“Did you … enjoy it as well?”

“Yeah, I did. If you mean did I get the big O, no but I wasn’t going for that. Frankly, I’m not sure how to do that in this body. Sure, I know the basics but not all the little details and secrets that no one wants to talk about. That just comes with experience. I’ve got a lot more experience with your side than mine. That’s why I knew what generally would feel good to you.”

“But you were not satisfied?”

“As much as I could be. I guess I could have waved the ol’ wand and said ‘be sexually fulfilled’ but what’s the use of that? It was fun, I enjoyed it, I picked up some new information, and you looked like you had fun too.”

“I can’t help but feel that I owe you something of equal value, though I have no idea what that could possibly be.”

“Like a post sex cuddle?”

“At the very least.”

“If it’ll make you feel better, just this once.”

He slides closer to me, extending his arm over my shoulder, pulling me tighter to him. I rest my head on his chest, letting my right arm reach across his body. This is nice, something this body … I … need. I didn’t realize it until just now. Though, again, it may be the Klatch talking.

Our world. Our rules. One night only.

That’s when the screaming started.

CHAPTER TEN

“AAAHHHHHH!! FATHERRRRR! AAAAAHHHHHH HELP ME FATHERRR!

It was Leeanna! She was out in the fog somewhere!

“I’M COMING!” screams Johnathyn as we bolt from the pool. He quickly pulls on his pants as I step into my shoes and throw my dress on over my head, leaving the rest on the pegs.

“PLEASE HURRY, FATHER OOOHHH PLEASE!”

“KEEP SHOUTING, LEEANNA! HELP US FIND YOU!”

We charge into the fog. I grab the flashlight but it’s too dense to do any good.

“HELP, FATHER! HELP ME!”

“THIS WAY! LEEANNA, KEEP SHOUTING!”

I stumble a couple of times but still manage to keep from falling down. Eventually, the fog thins a little and we can see where we are.

“LEEANNA!” Johnathyn shouts.

“Father! Help!” It’s her, but weaker than before. We run down the path. Around the corner, we find her.

She’s on her back, a big snake attached to her leg as she tries to shake it off. Johnathyn scoops up a large rock as he charges the snake. It manages to let go of Leeanna just in time for him to smash its head to pulp with several blows with the rock then tossing the body away. I run to Leeanna, kneeling down beside her. I inspect the bite mark

It’s bad, bloody and torn. There’s another one near it and a third on her arm. Either that was one determined snake or she ran into a nest. Johnathyn falls to his knees next to her.

“Leeanna, my baby, are you well?”

“Snakes father … I was just coming to … so many snakes … I’m sorry …”

She passes out and begins to tremble. Johnathyn is crying, holding her hand.

“Did you recognize the snake?” I ask.

“What?”

“What kind of snake was it? Was it poisonous?”

“I don’t know. I just wanted to kill it.”

“Check and see, here’s the flashlight.”

He runs over and takes a look, then groans.

“It is Woodland Adder, very poisonous.”

“Great, and she may have been bitten by three. Okay, pick her up and …”

“Yes! We’ll take her to the Waters!”

“NO! The Waters are a joke! They couldn’t cure anything beyond dandruff. Take her back to the wagon …”

“There are no Healers for miles. She will die before then! We must pray that the Waters will save her!”

I get up in his face. “Listen to me! Curing waters are a myth, they’re a scam, total crap! Dropping Leeanna into one of those pools just guarantees that it’ll take longer for rigor mortis to set in after she dies! She’s either suffering from anaphylactic shock, neurotoxin poisoning, or both, not counting good old bacterial infection. We are taking her back to the wagon NOW!”

“Who will treat her?”

“I will.”

“YOU?! What do you know?”

“Not much now, but give me ten minutes and I’ll be able to fix her. You got a better deal?”

“She is my daughter,” he sobs. “I cannot lose her.”

“I won’t let her die, Johnathyn. Not as long as I’m the baddest ass witch in this country.”

He quickly scoops up her trembling body. “Lead.”

I take off at a dead run, flashlight showing the way, Johnathyn right on my heels. As we approach the entrance, there are several people gathered there.

“OUT OF THE WAY!” I scream.

They all scatter as we rush through. Our wagon is the farthest from the entrance. Dierdra is standing next to it.

“I heard the screaming! What happened?!”

I vault into the back of the wagon and pitch several blankets out the back.

“Snake bite. Poison. Very bad. Wrap her up, keep her warm.”

My pack is still unlocked so I yank my computer out, press the power button and then start searching through the programs for the medical encyclopedia. I find it and load it into the tray. I jump back out while it loads. Almost everyone who had been here earlier was standing around.

“Does anybody here have any experience dealing with snake bites?! Anyone? Dierdra, how about you?”

She looks frightened. “Some, but I have nothing with which to make a poultice or …”

“Poultice. Wonderful. Anybody else? No. Dierdra, I’m going back to the wagon and learn what I can about snake bites and poison in ten minutes. You keep her alive until then.”

“How?”

“I don’t care how. Take whatever power you need from me but do it. Ten minutes.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

Ten minutes later, I’ve got a plan. Not necessarily a successful plan but it’s the best I can do. She’s likely allergic, that’s where the anaphylactic shock comes from, for that I want an epinephrine shot. Since we don’t have epinephrine, I’ll need to eliminate all the venom from her body. I’ve got to slow her metabolism down to limit the absorption of the about eight different toxins that are attacking almost every one of her major systems. Unfortunately, I also need to stimulate her immune system to create its own anti-venom. So the steps are; first, slow metabolism. Second, strip out toxins. Third, create anti-venom. Forth, restore metabolism. Fifth, clean out bacteria. Sixth, repair damage.

Simple.

I sit down next to Leeanna’s tightly wrapped body. She’s seizing so hard I’m afraid she might break a bone. I take Johnathyn’s hand in mine.

“Don’t panic. At first, you might think she’s dead. She’s not. It’s part of the plan. Just like the moss, I’m slowing her down to buy time. There’s lots more to worry about later on. Here goes nothin’.”

I close my eyes and try to get calm, to concentrate … but I can’t. It’s Leeanna! If I can’t do this, it’ll kill Johnathyn. If we hadn’t gone back to the Waters, she wouldn’t have come in after us. It’s our fault … my fault!

I shake my head, trying to clear my mind but it won’t work. I can feel the panic starting to build. I shake my head again, still no good. I’m running out of time! Oh God! No! I’ve got to … there’s a hand on my shoulder.

“Peace,” Dierdra whispers soothingly in my ear. “Peace …. be calm … you are a powerful witch. Peace … be calm … you will succeed … be calm … peace …” She keeps whispering. It helps. A lot. I feel a growing sense of tranquility, of confidence, of clarity. I open my eyes.

I’m in, blood rushing past me, carrying red blood cells, white cells … and molecules causing destruction to whatever they touch. That’s the venom! I raise my hands and slowly draw my fingers into fists, willing the blood to slow, her breathing rate to reduce, he pulse to drop back … back … back until all is nearly still. Just the occasional shallow breath and lub-dub of her heart.

The molecules of neurotoxin are hanging in the blood around me, floating, moving slightly every time her heart beats. I reach out and grab one. It’s an assembly of chemicals, almost crystalline. Beautiful if you ignore what it’s doing to Lee.

It disappears. I grab a second, then a third, making them also disappear. There are too many and this is taking much too long. I grab another molecule and move towards a cluster of white cells. I thrust it into their midst.

“This is the enemy, girls. Seek and destroy.”

They fall upon it, destroying it. There’s a subtle change in their appearance.

“Good. Great. We need a lot more of you.”

Suddenly, I am surrounded by masses of white cells primed to attack the neurotoxins. I move towards Leeanna’s heart but call for the white cells to come after me, to clean the venom from her system. I continue move through her circulatory system as the white cells attack the venom, moving faster as each second passes. In the end, I don’t see any more venom but I have seen blackened areas of her lungs, kidneys and even her heart.

Where ever I go, white cells follow me, attacking small pockets of venom until the cells are just floating around me. We may have gotten it all, stopping the allergic reaction. We’ll have to find out. I raise my hands again and bring her heart rate up, a little at a time, but not too far. I don’t want to stress her yet, not until I can fix her heart, lungs and kidneys. I quickly move from organ to organ, removing damaged tissue and stimulating the growth of new tissue. Concentrating on the bite sites, the white cells take out all the foreign bacteria and germs.

Making one last pass through her body, I don’t spot anything that looks broken or damaged but what do I know? This whole thing has been a crap shoot. Time to put her back online and hope for the best. Leeanna, please, for your father’s sake, get well. I raise my hands and slowly return her heart beat, and blood pressure back to normal, then close my eyes again, concentrate and pull away, the sound of her rushing blood and beating heart fading away, being replaced by the pop and crackle of the fire pit.

Opening my eyes, I see Dierdra, her hand on Leeanna’s forehead. Lee is quiet, no longer shaking violently. Her eyes flutter, then open. She smiles weakly.

“She still has a fever,” says Dierdra, “but it is slight. I think she will recover.”

I slowly stand, my legs weak and cold, my dress damp with sweat and getting chilly in the frosty air. Johnathyn drops a blanket over my shoulders then hugs me fiercely.

“Bless you, Alexia,” he whispers.

Simple. Nothing more needs to be said between us. I look at the people crowding around us, focusing on the man with the horribly infected arm and the woman with lung problems.

“Who’s next?”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

A servant girl wakes me out of a very sound sleep. Unfortunately, it is at the request of the First Minister. I dress hurriedly and walk quickly to his office, which is only a hundred decileagues from my apartment in this wing of the Palace. The First Minister often works late into the night, leaving a large stack of work waiting for me in the morning, but rarely calls for me.

I knock on his door and he bids me enter. I take up my customary position at the front of his desk and wait for him to finish reading the report in his hands.

“Did you read this report, Dilgar?”

“No, First Minister. It came by courier marked for your eyes only.”

He looks up at me from his chair. “That doesn’t usually stop you.”

I shrug my shoulders. “I had other business you assigned me to attend to, Sir.”

“I suppose it is just as well. It would seem that Patron Miller has found himself a witch.”

“How is that possible, First Minister? We were assured that Miran Pegues’ mission had been thwarted.”

“Apparently those assurances from the Winthrop Group were optimistic. Pegues did return with a … woman who might be able to challenge the Queen.”

“Where is she? Should we send the Guard to capture her?”

He picks up the paper he had been reading. “My source says that no one can be certain as to where she is, not even Pegues. The attempt to kill his witch while she was still on the other side has tipped our hand. Pegues suspects a traitor and has taken steps to hide her from us while she travels to Glory. If we begin an all out search, it will only confirm those suspicions and lead to a hunt for my source among the rebels. It would be best to let the plot develop while we keep a close eye on those we can identify. As we get closer to completion, more traitors will reveal themselves.”

“There is risk in that plan, First Minister. What if your source is unable to keep you informed?”

“My source is highly placed and loyal to our cause. He is being paid more than enough to remain loyal. I have told him that, should he fail, the Queen will be informed of that failure. She has a stable full of such failures and he is well aware of it.”

I have seen that stable. The creatures that used to be men and women that reside there are more than enough to guarantee loyalty to the Queen - or the strong desire to never be caught should you fail her. Sometimes, I feel the risks of this job are simply not worth the rewards.

“So, First Minister, your plan is …”

“Watch and wait, Dilgar. Watch and wait.”

“Is there something that requires my attention, right now?”

He grins at me, but it is not a friendly grin. “Why did I have you awoken at this ungodly hour? Is that your question?”

“If you say so, Sir.”

He points to a pile of papers on the table next to his desk. It is at least half a decileague tall. “You and I will be going through those reports looking for anything unusual.”

“Just us? We have many people capable of that kind of work.”

“You mean mindless sifting of reports.”

“As you say, Sir.”

“Do we have many such people you would place your life in the hands of? People you would trust to not miss anything, people you would trust to keep silent about this search? Do we have many of such people?”

I sigh. He has a point. “No, First Minister, we do not have such people.”

“I did not think so. Have a seat and begin.”

* * * *** * * * *** * * *

We have been on the road for well over two cycles but Alexia still sleeps soundly, despite the jarring of the wagon. Leeanna has not left her side for a second, cuddled up against her. I can understand why she still sleeps past daybreak. Last night was full of miracles.

After bringing Leeanna back from the brink of death, she proceeded to cure the woman who coughed black phlegm and the man with the badly swollen and discolored arm, the one she claimed would fall victim to a gang of green, though I don’t know what green things she was speaking of.

Alexia is not always completely clear when she speaks. It is endearing.

To top it all off, she was also able to cure the man who could not walk. She said he was the easiest of the three, just reconnected what she called his spinal cord. He was awake as she did it, responding when she asked him to move this part of his leg or foot. After a few adjustments, he was able to stand and, with a little help, walk.

I have never been a part of a more joyous celebration. The families could not offer Alexia enough and she refused it all. She was so tired that she had to sit and rest before finally falling asleep. Leeanna insisted on preparing her for bed and Alexia didn’t complain. When we awoke this morning, the other wagons had departed but they had left gifts of food, money or other goods in thanks. They could do no less, despite Alexia’s request.

Dierdra is accompanying me as I drive the wagon towards Sweetwater, our next destination where I am to meet Miran Pegues and provide information concerning Alexia’s progress. I feel guilty about keeping my meetings with Pegues secret from her. Not exactly secret but I have not been completely truthful with her. It bothers me, particularly after what she did for me last night. Both before and after the attack by the snakes.

“She still sleeps,” says Dierdra.

“Are you surprised?”

“That she sleeps? No. That she was able to cure all those people? Yes, your daughter included. Once I saw her, I was certain there was no hope. My guilt was overwhelming. You had entrusted her to my care and I had failed. She had asked me where the two of you had gone and I told her but that she was to wait with the others at the fire. She did not obey.”

“It is her nature to question everything.”

“I should have suspected as much, but did not. Her screams for help …” Dierdra shudders, “I could not describe my anguish.”

“Nor could I. To be honest, I was frozen with fear when I first saw her. I would have taken her back to the Waters if Alexia had not insisted she could save her. She was very insistent. Very. I have never had a woman be so forward with me.”

“Alexia would also insist that she is not a woman.”

“I do not know about that.” I glance back where she and Leeanna are sleeping. “She cares for Leeanna as any mother would.”

“Or as any father would.”

“Perhaps you are right but I cannot think of her as anything but a strong, remarkable woman.”

“Who is a powerful witch.”

“Is she that powerful?”

“Not quite yet, but her power grows along with her ability to control it. In truth, I have never heard of Opulessa curing people as Alexia did last night.”

“Has she ever tried?”

“Perhaps not. It would not seem to be her nature, to care for others.”

“Not as Alexia does. Did you know that she cared for both her mother and brother in the other world? Her mother had a problem with their kind of Klatch and her brother was looked down upon by society, though I am not exactly certain why that was. Alexia was as a mother to them. Possibly she was fated to come to this world? To embrace her true nature?”

“That is possible, though she does not think much of fate. She believes that one should have control in their life.”

“So she has told me. Many times.”

“What did the two of you do when you returned to the Waters?”

“Just as before, though the smoke and fumes were all around us, yet we had clear air surrounded by the thick air. There was glowing moss all around us, providing enough light to see. It was quite amazing.”

“Is that all you did?”

“Alexia practiced her magic by … moving things.”

“What things?”

“Different things. I really do not wish to say more.”

“I will ask her when she wakes.”

“She may not wish to say any more than I have.”

“Then I will have my answer.”

“I do not understand women.”

“Oh you understand women better than you think you do,” says Alexia.

We both turn to look. She is sitting up, stretching and rubbing her eyes. Her hair is mess. She pushes and pulls at it, moving it away from her mouth and eyes, eventually getting it clear of her face and pushed past her ears. She looks down at Leeanna who is lying next to her, gently stroking her hair.

“Is she alright?”

“Yes, Alexia, thanks to you,” Dierdra answers.

“I was lucky. Didn’t have near enough time to completely figure out what was going on. Got what I could and winged the rest. We were all lucky last night. I couldn’t have done it without your help Dierdra. That calming, whispering thing really worked. I was about to freak out just before you started it. Mellowed me out nicely.”

“I am glad it helped. It is quite useful to calm young mothers as they go into labor. I would be honored to attend you when you give birth to your first child.”

“That may be a very long time in the future. Like never. What have you two been talking about while I’ve been asleep?”

Dierdra looks at me, a satisfied smile on her face. “I have my answer, Johnathyn.”

Women!