Morning came, and people began waking up one by one.  Maura, having been the 
first to (intentionally) retire the night before, was the first to rise.  No one 
saw her wake, but the first things she saw when she un-anchored herself from the 
riverbed and pulled one leg onto the bank was Jonah lying face-down on the 
ground, trying to get up, but Shard had his front end on his back, keeping him 
down.  For a moment this seemed quite alarming -- What could be happening to 
cause Shard to behave like that? -- but then the realization came: Jonah was 
doing push-ups.  Shard was simply adding a bit more weight.

The Unicorn was still standing by the riverbank, in the exact same position 
as the previous night, as if it had not moved an inch.  It was watching 
Jonah's workout with what one could only guess was mild amusement.  Xyranthes 
and Justin were still sleeping.  

Since no one had seen her yet, she balanced comfortably on the bank with her
toes in the water and proceeded to tentatively try her human illusion.  She
felt tolerable, but as she felt at this point there were no secrets to hide,
and she couldn't be sure how often or for how long she might need it in the
future, she would rest for the present and retain her true form.  Besides,
after yesterday, who knew what emergencies might require serious magic?

Humming a little and glancing over at Jonah, she splashed her legs in the
water, remembering the Earth legends about creatures very like herself, though
evil -- Sirens and mermaids who lured sailors to their dooms.  Ruefully she
recalled her age and muttered that her luring days, had she had any, were long
past.  But she did like to think of herself as a mermaid, if not a Siren.
Playfully, she produced an illusion (the simplest one she could--no energy
loss at all) of a fishtail and long silver-blond hair strung with seaweed as
she remembered from pictures.  

"Good morning, Jonah!" she spoke at last.  Later that day would no doubt be
wearying travel.  She would rest now.

Still in the middle of his exercises, Jonah briefly glanced in Maura's 
direction and said, "Oh, hello."  Then, upon seeing her assumed appearance, 
he did a double-take, which suddenly shifted his weight.  His arms slipped, 
and he dropped to the ground.  "Oooof!"

Shard retracted from Jonah's back instantly, pawing him in concern.  Jonah 
rolled over, caughed twice, took a deep breath, then grimaced in minor 
discomfort.  He then grabbed Shard's paw and the Drake moved backward, 
pulling the boy to a sitting position.

"You just can't make up your mind what you want to look like, can you?" he 
fired in Maura's direction, his face contorting into a grin despite his 
attempts to keep it straight.  He then glanced at Shard and concentrated 
for a moment.  He then grasped the Drake around the neck, lifting himself 
a couple of inches from the ground.  Shard then carried him back into the 
middle of the campsite, and Jonah dropped to the ground.  As soon as he 
was settled, Shard bounded off into the woods.

"He's gone off to find some breakfast," Jonah explained.  "For those of us 
land-lubbers who need solid food, at the very least," he added with a grin.

Hearing voices, Justin pulled himself from his slumber and looked around.  
He was at first startled to see a mermaid in the river, but then figured 
out that it was Maura and said, "Cute trick, Maura.  Are you planning to 
travel like that with us today?"  He then walked over toward the stream, 
threw water over his face and hair to freshen-up, and then investigated 
the possibilty of reviving whatever was left of the previous night's fire.

"Errge ahhhaa," yawned Xyranthes as he stretched. The Cleric sat up and at
once began his prayers. Once finished, the cleric stood and walked over to a
nearby tree. "Good Morning everyone.  My what an exhausting day it was
yesterday.  I hope everyone slept well.  As for myself, I'm going to wash 
up."

Soon, a shower curtain popped into existance, and the cleric disappeared 
inside.  After fifteen minutes of washing, the Cleric emerged clean and 
refreshed.  Toweling off his long white hair, the cleric asked, "Where has 
Shard gone off to?"

Maura herself looked a little startled as Xyranthes produced his shower, but
she answered Jonah and Justin ably enough.  "No, just having a little morning
fun.  Good morning, all.  I was so refreshed by the night that I thought I
make a quick magic test.  However, at least until we are out of the woods, I
thought I'd just travel in my true form.  Who knows when I will really need to
exert myself today, if it anything like yesterday?!"  Dropping the mermaid
guise, she reached over and pulled her saltwater bag over and prepared her own
breakfast.  "Shard is out after breakfast--for you all too, I assume.  I am OK
with this, as usual."  So saying, she splashed her feet again and sipped her
breakfast.

"Yeah," Jonah confirmed.  "I didn't know how much was left of yesterday's food, 
so I thought a little fresh meat would be nice."

Just about a minute thereafter, Shard came loping into view, dragging what 
looked like a turkey along behind him.  He brought the bird to the campfire 
that Justin had revived and dropped it on the ground nearby.

"Alright!" Jonah exclaimed, then grabbed the Drake in a big hug.  "Good job!" 
As Jonah praised his companion, Shard sat down next to the boy, wrapping his 
tail around him protectively.

"Hey, Xyranthes," he called out.  "I guess you're the Cook of this team.  What 
d'you think you can do with this?"

* * * * *

Xyranthes cooked up the bird, and set the meat out for everyone else.  Jonah 
grabbed a drumbstick and tore in.  Shard trotted off again to get something for 
himself.

"Xyranthes, this turkey's pretty good," Justin commented.  Then, having gotten no 
response, "Xyranthes??"

"He is looking vacant," Maura said.  "Odd."

"What's wrong with him?"  Justin walked over and tried to shake him a bit, passed 
his hand in front of his eyes, and checked his pulse.  As far as he could tell, 
the old cleric was alive, just not responding.  Xyranthes had taken some food, 
and began eating it, but all of his actions seemed very automated and he didn't 
respond to anybody.

Maura pulled a tiny piece off and nibbled it.  "It's good--salty.  Phew, I'm 
full."

"Vhushah?"  Jonah asked though a mouthful.

"What?" Maura said, at the same time as Justin asked, "Vushah?" 

Jonah swallowed.  "What's with him?"

"Well, I'd say he's out to lunch, if you'll forgive the pun," Maura quipped, 
causing Jonah to start giggling.

"I don't know," Justin said thoughtfully.  "He seems to be in some kind of 
trance.  This is not good timing if we need to start moving."

"Well, he can eat in trance," Maura noted.  "Maybe he can travel--we need to go,"
she added, after looking at the unicorn and touching her head.

"Hey, maybe we can toss him on the Unicorn," Jonah suggested, then added,  "Well, 
assuming he's -- well, um..."

"Pure??" Justin suggested.

"Yeah, that's one way to put it," Jonah agreed.

"Yes, indeed.  How to know?"  Maura wondered.

"Does anyone know his past in detail?" Justin asked.

"Well, he was emperor of an elven state," Maura volunteered.  "Never mentioned 
any wife or anything.  And he's old now."

Justin hummed.  "Emperors often have concubines."

"I think he told me all about that, during our first meeting," Jonah said.  
"Unfortunately, I don't remember any of it."

"Yes, he told me too.  He never mentioned any close attachments," Maura added.

Just in time, so that question didn't need to be answered, Xyranthes got up, put 
away his belongings, then stood still.  Still robotically, but seemed to be ready 
to go.  Maura then refilled any water bags that needed to be and reloaded stuff 
on the unicorn.  Justin packed up the leftover turkey and looked for some salt to 
wrap it in so it wouldn't spoil, which Maura provided him with -- easily.

Jonah looked off into the woods, concentrating.  After a moment, he said, "Just 
called Shard back.  He should be here in a few minutes."

"Very well," Maura said.  "Hope he has as nice a breakfast as he got us."

As Justin finished getting his things packed and together so that they could be 
going, he said, "Thanks for the salt," to Maura.

"You're quite welcome," she responded.  "If I can make fresh water salt, it is 
not hard to make salt from salt water."

At that point, Jonah looked around to pack his things, then remembered he didn't 
have any.  He shrugged.

After a few minutes, Shard bounded back into the area.  As he came to a stop 
beside Jonah, he licked around his mouth.  Then, as Maura mounted the unicorn, 
Justin posed one more question.  "Well, which way are we headed?"

Maura looked at him.  "Justin?  You had the map and the unicorn will have an 
opinion, no doubt."

The Drake knelt down, and Jonah lifted himself onto its back.  "Well, the place 
Justin last heard she was headed -- where she and I got separated -- is 
approximately south and west of here."  He consulted briefly with Justin, who dug 
out the map and compared it with his compass.  "About," he said, then looked 
around, picked a direction, and pointed, "THAT WAY."

The Unicorn, moving its head and moving forward (nearly shaking Maura) concurred.

"Well, let's be off.  Will Xyranthes just follow on his own will?" Justin asked 
as the party began moving.  As if in answer to his question, Xyranthes fell in 
behind, just following along.

"Well, he's as good as a new puppy."  Maura smiled -- she was really in a good 
mood.  "Is this the way we entered?"  she asked, after a moment, looking in the 
direction they were headed.

"At the moment, yes," Jonah answered.  "To get to the river here, we did go a 
little bit in the wrong direction."

"Well, oughtn't we to look out for the townspeople then when we leave the forest, 
if we do?" Maura asked.

Jonah responded, "The townsfolk have gone back to their lives by now.  We just 
don't want to go back into the city any time soon..."

"By the way," Justin asked, "does this unicorn have any new information for us?  
That was the whole point in tracking it down, I thought?"

"It agreed with our direction, didn't it?"  Maura responded.  "It could not go 
where she was not, I don't think.  It misses her deeply.  As do I," Maura added 
quietly.  Nodding, Jonah agreed.  "Me too."

Looking from Maura to Justin and Xyranthes, then Jonah seemed to think of 
something.

"Justin, you want to take tail, to make sure nothing happens to him?"  And he 
pointed at Xyranthes with his thumb.

"Sure, I can take up the rear," Justin agreed, then smiled.  "Just don't take off 
on your mounts leaving me behind with an entranced cleric."

"No, Justin," Maura said.  "We would be as helpless as wanderers without 
weapons," she explained as Justin moved to the back with Xyranthes.  "I am... 
tired, a little, still, and Xyranthes is clearly not helpful," she continued, as 
the Unicorn picked its way carefully through undergrowth in the forest.  Shard 
moved beside the Unicorn, matching its pace.

Justin looked thoughtful.  "I wonder how old he is...Xyranthes I mean?"

"Older than he looks, if I remember correctly," Jonah volunteered.

"He is about 300-400, as I recall," Maura specified.

Jonah's eyes opened wide.  "Oh, yeah.  Much!"  Justin also looked rather stunned 
at the remark, and said, "300 to 400, wow."

"Younger than I am," Maura added, at which Jonah looked over at her, startled.  
"Really?" he asked, and upon hearing this, Justin was basically floored.

"Oh, Jonah, don't you remember?" she replied.  "I was 250 when I met you last 
time."

"Um, yeah, I think I remember that," Jonah replied.  "How long has it been since 
then for you, then?"

Seeing Justin's befuddled expression, Maura said, "Oh, Justin, I'm sorry.  Uh, 
Earth years are longer than mine and so I am--perhaps 650."  She then did a few 
calculations in her head and added, "52-3, earth years."

Jonah's eyes widened again, but all he could say was, "Whoa!"

"No wonder the guy goes into these weird trances," Justin said.  "I'm surprised 
you don't go with him on his little trips at 650."

"I know--I was the youngster last time," Maura said to Jonah, then turned to 
Justin.  "Hey, I am quite competent.  My people live past 1000 if healthy.  But 
lucky for me I can still look as young as I like."

Jonah nodded.  "Like my last incarnation..."

Maura then momentarily put on the illusion of a human child of about 10, with 
bright green eyes and blond hair.  Then her veined blue skin reappeared and she 
sighed a little

"See the veins?  This is how we age--I have aged faster than most of the people 
of my race," she explained.  "Less contact with water."

"Er, you get more as you get older?" Justin asked.  "Sort of like vericose veins 
or wrinkles?"

Watching Maura's illusion, Jonah seemed to get an idea.  He closed his eyes and 
concentrated.  After a moment, his skin turned green, but then slowly faded back 
to its natural color.  Seeing this change, Maura gasped.

Looking slightly sheepish, Jonah said, "Um, not quite the illusion I was trying 
for..."

"Well, Justin, rather they get deeper--ridges, you know?" Maura explained to 
Justin, despite her shock.  "It is dignified--not like those veins."  Then,  
"What were you trying for???"

Justin looked puzzled.  "I don't know.  This is just all too weird."

"I mean, Jonah, what were you trying for?"  Maura clarified.

"Um, three lives ago I was a plant creature," the boy explained.  "Kind-of 
like -- um, what was his name again?"

"Justin, tell me about it."  Maura turned from Justin to Jonah.  "P--phy--  Oh, 
bother," she added, having tried to come up with the name and failed.

"Can't we just play 20 questions or something like that, like my family used to 
on long trips?" Justin quipped.

"I know Justin," Maura said.  "Try leaving a water planet and living on a desert 
planet till you nearly get too sick to leave?  Culture shock.  I know what you 
are going through."

"Okay," Jonah interjected with a grin, "I'm thinking of something orange.  
Something ORANGE.  Give up?  It's an Orange!"

Maura laughed.  "You are absurd, Jonah!"

"As long as you don't make yourself orange, I think I'll be happy with even that 
lame joke," Justin added.

Jonah stuck out his tongue, then seemed to remember something that had been said 
a moment ago.  "Oh, yeah.  Maura, how long did you stay on...  on -- oh, Zark!"
And he smacked his palm against his forhead.

"Jonah, this is I gather your first experience with--what, Jonah???" Maura 
interrupted herself.

"Which what?" Jonah asked, looking back and forth.

"Oh, Vulcan, you mean," Maura finished, having finally realized what Jonah had 
been talking about.

"Yeah, that's it!" he exclaimed.

"Well, too long," she explained.  "I came down with something--I don't know.  
Caused fainting spells.  Related to dehydration."

"Oh."  Jonah looked somewhat crestfallen.

"But since I went to earth and had carefully prepared quarters, I was fine," she 
added.

"Oh, good."  And Jonah looked somewhat better.

"What is the matter, Jonah?"

"Oh, it's just that I didn't realize Vulcan might be so hard on you," he said.  
"Stupid mistake."

"Well, I didn't realize it either," she replied.  "It is not like you didn't have 
anything else to think of."  She smiled, a little wryly.

"Oh, yeah," Jonah said, picking up a bit more.  "The Borg and all.  Forgot for a 
moment."

About that point, Justin picked up a reed from alongside the road and started 
whittling at it as they walked along.

"Justin," Maura said, turning to him as she spoke, "I gather this is your first 
planet jumping experience?"

"Um, er.  Yeah," he replied.  "Oh, I'm fine, this conversation just means nothing 
to me, so I thought I'd find my entertainment elsewhere.  I'm making a flute."  
Justin held up the reed, which had the beginnings of a couple holes carved in it.

"Oh, that is lovely, Justin.  Play it when it's finished?" Maura asked.

"I will," Justin replied.  "I miss some music from my old world and thought it 
would be nice to try to play some of it."

"It has been a long time since I have heard any music besides the songs of the 
travelling storytellers here," Maura said.

"Don't get your hopes too high," Justin warned her.  "Wagner wouldn't sound too 
good on here even if I did want to play it."

Jonah glanced from Maura to Justin.  "Hmmm."  He then shut his eyes to 
concentrate again.

Maura addressed Justin, turning half around.  "No problem.  I am sorry Justin, 
that we keep talking about strange other places.  It is hard when we have common 
memories.  But you and Jonah could leave me out as easuly.  You are just more 
polite than I."

"That's ok," Justin said.  "I understand that you're discussing your past.  It's 
just a bit awkward."

"Well, I would be happy to make them your common memories too," Maura said, then 
noticed Jonah concentrating.

"Jonah, what is it?" she asked.

"I suppose we could," Justin said thoughtfully, "but your experience seems so 
complex, while ours, well it seemed to be a whole lot more sim...  What the heck 
was that!!!"

Justin interrupted himself like that because all of a sudden, a screech of 
hideous white sound erupted around the group.  Jonah suddenly opened his eyes, 
and the noise halted.  Maura cried out, and nearly fell from the unicorn.

"Sorry!  Just trying to make some music!" Jonah exclaimed.

"Oh?"  Maura panted and regained her seat.  "What music?  From where?"

"Maybe you could make a flute too.  It might be more effective," Justin 
suggested.

"Well," Jonah said, "I was actually a Rock 'n' Roll musician once -- right after 
the life where we met, Marua.  Now that I think about it, that wasn't too far 
off..."

"Oh, my word," Maura said, shocked.

"Rock and roll?" Justin asked, not familiar with the term.

"It's about what it sounds like, Justin.  Don't worry about it," Jonah explained.

Maura re-addressed herself to Justin.  "Whew!  I think I prefer -- what was it -- 
Wagner?"

"Actually, Justin, it really is not as complex as it sounds," Maura said, 
returning suddenly to a previous topic.  "Basically I traveled from my planet to 
Earth, via a desert planet Vulcan, and then ended up here on another journey.  
There it is at its simplest."

Justin, however, was still trying to stop his ears from ringing, and looked at 
Jonah.  "Ok.  I'll just forget it.  Wagner is definately nicer than that hideous 
noise that appeared, although I would prefer other musicians to him if you're 
going to recreate it."

Maura laughed.

"Well, considering that wasn't actually quite what I was trying for, I don't 
think I'm going to try again for a while," Jonah said.

"Thank you."  But Maura grinned, not to hurt his feelings.

"Are you familiar at all with any Earth composers from your stay there, Maura?" 
Justin asked.

"Well, something like well beyond 23rd century music," she replied, and listed 
some people/aliens she enjoyed.  "But I did hear some very very old recordings -- 
someone called Mozart."  Then, after a pause, added, "Very pleasant--almost like 
music on my planet."

Justin beamed upon hearing Mozart.  "Yes.  Mozart is quite nice.  We might even 
be able to adapt some of his music for reed flute."

Jonah started humming absent-mindedly, a tune he had picked up in another 
lifetime altogether which nobody else recognized.

"Oh wonderful," Maura said, in response to Justin's suggestion.  "Perhaps I could 
even play or sing with you."  Relieved at last at having made a connection with 
Justin, Maura sang a few bars of Mozart's DonGiovanni.  It produced an odd 
fluting, almost whistling sound, as she drew air through her gills.

Justin back and forth from Jonah to Maura as she 'sang', listening to each tune.  
He nudged Jonah and said, "That's a funny tune.  I think I kind of like it."

"It would sound different underwater," Maura added, once she was finished, and 
looked at Jonah as well.  "I like it too," she said.

"What?"  Jonah looked up, not having quite realized they were talking to him.  
"Oh, yeah.  I liked it a lot, once.  I think it's called 'Mad About Me'."  He 
paused and thought for a moment.  "Yeah," he then added.  "One of the greatest 
hits from Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes."

Maura smiled.

"That's an interesting singing technique, and I did recognize the tune," Justin 
commented to Maura.  "Was that from the Marriage of Figaro or Don Giovanni.  It's 
been a while?"

Now it was Maura's turn to beam.  "Don Giovanni--when he is dragged down to 
hell.  A hideous idea, a place of fire.  Reminded me of that planet."  As for the 
singing, Maura wet her throat and the whistle changed and deepened, sounding 
halfway between whalesong and a human voice.  A pleasant sound.  "But I could 
never forget the music," she added.

"So that's what this Vulcan place is like?" Justin asked.  "Why would anyone want 
to live there?"

"Well, the Vulcans of course are raised there," Maura explained.  "I went there 
to study--they are among the most brilliant of scholars, and absolutely logical."

Jonah was looking at Maura in amazement.  "Wow," was all he said.

"Wow, what?" she asked.

"I didn't know you could do that," Jonah replied.  "How come you never did that 
onboard the starship?"

"Well, I did, in my quarters," she explained.  "But it was too near--too close.  
My people so recently destroyed--I could not sustain it long without, well, 
hurting."

"Ah.  Yeah, that makes sense.  Sorry," Jonah said, retreating.

"Please don't apologize.  Any time, now," Maura said.

"Oh, okay," Jonah said, but didn't seem to entirely take it in.

Maura had turned back to Justin.  "Yes.  As an impetuous creature myself, I found 
the exacting logic rather--terrible after a while.  But it produced marvelour 
results.  And they were interested in my magic."

Justin nodded.  "I would imagine that extremely logical people would be 
interested in magic.  They would probably be interested in my life too," he said 
grinning.

"Oh, yeah, I remember that!  I remember Sobek being so FRUSTRATED during your 
work together, that he couldn't find any other explanation for the things you 
could do!"  Jonah interjected.

Maura laughed hard.  "Ah, poor Sobek.  He never did forgive me, as much as a 
Vulcan can express resentment."  To Justin.  "I have no doubt of it.  I would 
like to bring you there sometime, except I never could.  I'd get sick again, no 
doubt.  If I could even find a way to leave here."

"Well, you got here.  There must be a way to get back," Jonah stated.

"Yes, through the interaction of a god," she replied.

"If you could go anywhere, to any time, where would you go, Maura?" Justin asked, 
turning thoughtful.  Jonah's head turned slightly to the side and his expression 
went neutral, as he seemed to be thinking about the question as well.

"Hmm.  Well, I actually did see one very interesting time by accident," she 
began.  I had always been fascinated (a very Vulcan word) by stories of the 
original crew of one starship and once I suddenly met them.  Of all things!  But 
now, well, I think I have seen enough,  I would love to be home--with my people.  
I wish before they were destroyed, but that is impossible.  Just home."  And 
Maura sighed.

Jonah turned back.  "Huh?  Which starship?"

"If you could get home, would you be completely alone?" Justin asked.

Maura looked at Jonah.  "Of all things!  The Enterprise."  Then turned to 
Justin.  "No--there were three or four survivors and before I left that world I 
knew through my mind that they were not dead.  And I could help rebuild a 
little."

"No way!" Jonah exclaimed.  "I would have LOVED to have met them!  They were my 
boyhood heroes in that life!"

Maura turned back to Jonah.  "Would you believe?  After all that we had said, I 
met Captain Kirk and his crew."

"Aw, man!  And I didn't get the chance to come along!"  And Jonah snapped his 
fingers in semi-serious regret.

Justin spoke up again.  "Three or four?  In the whole world?  That's not many.  
Could they even start to rebuild?" he asked, but then Jonah butted in again.

"Wait, wasn't there a few more than that?" the boy asked.  "I mean, I think you 
actually introduced me to about that many.  Weren't there any more elsewhere?"

"Yes, in the whole world," Maura responded.  "We were very small as a race, and 
we were all working on a starship to attempt space travel.  The only ones saved 
were those in shielded areas of the ship, like me,  But our city was intact.  
Only the ship disappeared."  Then she turned back to Jonah.  "It was through the 
Guardian.  Yes, there might have been a few more, in the city, but not many.  
Young or old.  We live long, remember, though, and could do a lot."

Jonah looked puzzled.  "Guardian?  Of your world?"

"No.  I was referring to the meeting Captain Kirk, when I said that," Maura 
explained.  "The Guardian of Forever."

"Oh," Jonah said, but still looked confused.

"I don't remember anything about that," he added after a moment.

"Not meaning to get too private here," Justin said, "but how old can your race be 
and yet reproduce?  The women from where I come from can only have chilren for a 
period of about 30 years, even though they may live up to almost 100."

"Never mind," Maura replied.  "We are a little androgynous when it comes to 
reproduction.  But it would have been possible.  There should be many more now."  
Then she turned back to Jonah.  "Ah, well, perhaps you didn't know about it.  It 
was on one of my assignments--a portal where records of all times in history were 
kept.  I got caught in it once."

Jonah seemed to remember something.  "Wait, was that on UFP 465537?  I think we 
detected strange time waves coming from there once, but were harshly warned off 
by Starfleet under General Prohibition P-119 -- it was a restricted system."

"Yes," she said, then asked, "It was--restricted?"

"Yes, it was restricted, 'For Federation Security Purposes'."  Everyone could 
tell he was quoting from a regulation.  "But it wasn't strategically located, so 
everyone figured there must have been something important there.  I guess a time 
portal would do it."  Nodding, Jonah then said to himself, "I'd always wondered 
what was down there."

"Well, that's what it was," she confirmed.  Then, "Sorry again, Justin.  More 
aimless history."

"This guardian of time thing you're talking about, could you travel in time with 
it?" Justin asked.

"Yes.  That's what it did.  There was a library.  You could pick the time or, 
like me, careless as usual, get stuck in one," Maura responded.

"Oh, my!" Jonah exclaimed.

"When you were there, were you tempted to travel back in time to your world and 
warn everyone that the ship was going to blow?" Justin continued, at which Maura 
looked surprised.

"My word, Justin, you are brilliant," she said.  "No, it never occured to me--oh, 
of course, there were regulations.  No altering of history."  Maura looked sad, 
but then recovered.  "No, my people are all but gone, and that is a fact now.  
And you have no idea how hard I had to work not to alter history in that other 
time I got stuck in--with Captain Kirk."

"How long were you stuck there?" Jonah asked quietly.

"Well, pretty much until I caught up with my own time.  That perhaps explains why 
I am so old when I only spent about 20 earth years on Earth," she explaned.

"Oh!  They weren't able to pull you back?"  Jonah blinked.

"No," she replied.  "I was working alone and for extra time that evening and, 
well, they didn't know where or when I had gone.  It was a fluke, but the device 
which would normally hold the library disk and the window in time open didn't.  I 
could have been anywhere or when."

"Oh," Jonah said.

Maura turned, smiling, to Justin.  "Pretty out of whack, eh?"

"You might say that," he admitted.

"Well, I've still got you beat, age-wise," Jonah then said.  "Several 
incarnations that have gone past 100 years; and my lifetime just before this one 
reached about 600 itself," he stated.

"Hey, I'm the youngest one here at 30," Justin realized.

"Well, I will be humble for now," Maura said to Jonah, then looked at Justin.  
"Where would you go, anywhere or anywhen, young one?"

"Though, right now, physically, I am only about sixteen..."  Jonah interjected.

"And a very nice sixteen as well..." Maura winked in a grownuppish way.

"So I guess I'm both the oldest and the youngest," Jonah added, playfully.

"That's the long and the short of it," Maura commented.

"In more ways than one," Jonah quipped.

Justin had been looking back and forth between the two, and when he was satisfied 
that they were done, he responded to Maura's question.

"Since I am much more limited in my knowledge of alternate worlds," he said, "I'd 
have to say Earth in th 1920's or 1930's.  I think I'd try to convince my country 
of the threat that the Germans posed and hence bring about a better world."

"Yeah, that would have helped..." Jonah commented thoughtfully, wandering back 
into memory.

"Was there much chance of that, and of you surviving the effort?" Maura asked.

"I don't know," Justin admitted, "but that's the only thing I can think of.  If 
not that, then maybe whatever time in the future after the Nazis have been 
deposed to try to help rebuild, or so far back in time that I wouldn't have to 
worry about them, like the 17 or 1800s."

"An admirable attitude," Maura said.  "But changing the future is extremely 
dangerous.  Very little is easier than changing an event which, however remotely, 
resulted in your existence, or your being able to alter what you did.  An 
incredible paradox."

Jonah came out of his reverie, and looked at Justin.  "Actually, if you had 
succeeded, it would have improved things immensely.  I've actually lived on 
Earths where the Nazis did NOT win -- actually, those seem to be more common than 
ones where they did -- and they were much better worlds.  Not perfect, of course, 
but better."

Justin hummed.  "One of those worlds sounds pretty nice actually...." 

Maura said to Jonah, "Very little is perfect."

* * * * *

By that point, the group had made its way through the forest, past the 
old barn, and had gotten back onto the road.  They had headed north, 
away from the city, and turned off at a fork in the road that was just 
a bridge crossing the very river they had camped nearby, but upstream a 
ways.

Daylight was just starting to really take hold, and the cool of the 
morning was quickly giving way to the early summer's warmth.

As the early morning sky turned from gray to palest blue, and the heat began
ever so slightly to cover the morning damp and cool, Maura reached into the
pack in front of her on the Unicorn's back and pulled out her usual poncho and
2 filmy, though opaque, scarves.  The one she drew over her head, concealing
herself to her waist and covering her arms, and the others she wrapped on after
dipping them in her water bag.  One went around her throat and the other
around her head, almost turban-style.  That done, her blue green, ridged face
vanished and Maura as all of them first met her, with tan skin and hazel eyes,
appears.  Also her legs, still visible beneath her light skirt, took on a
human skin tone.  She smiled at her companions:  "Just in case we see anyone,
but as little illusion as possible.  I don't even have to manufacture hair
this way.  It is beautiful in the morning, but it will be taxing when the sun
gets hot today, and I have little energy to waste."  She turned to the east
where the sun was showing its smallest tip.  Sighed a little.

With a deep sigh, Xyranthes returns to the land of the living. 

"Your quite right in fearing my virginity," he began, without preamble.  "I was 
married in my 40th year, and at present have thirteen children.  So riding 
unicorns is out, at least on this world."

Maura was listening with eager interest.  Though she had heard Xyranthes's story 
before, she was glad for the refresher--and aghast at the thirteen children.  

She interposed the remark, "Thirteen!  You must be incredibly industrious.  On 
my planet, one person has one child at most, if they are indeed able.  Not 
everyone is, and not everyone can find the right arrangements."  Not to 
interrupt to much, she let the matter rest, but every now and then snuck an 
almost horrified look at the cleric.

"I guess I should straighten up a few things about my past. I am, as near as I
can estimate, as I'm not sure if I do any time hopping as well as world
hopping, I have lived now, ahhhh..." Xyranthes ticked off on his fingers, "498
years, 11 months and about 7 days. This is quite unusual for humans of my
world, who usualy live only six score years. I suppose that this is the
greatest indication that I am not what is considered normal, anywhere. The
fact is that I am a member of a very small group, who use our faith to do
things unimaginable, we are clerics. I remember the day I decided to dedicate
my life to Eral, the Creator of everything. It was during a lightning storm,
and I was eight. My horse spooked and carried me into the 'Boundry Lands', a
magic region where reality becomes skewed and warped. The 'Boundry Lands'
were created to keep the evil fiends of my world trapped, but it also worked
to keep others inside as well.  While I wandered amlessly, I prayed for the
first time, earnestly dedicating my life to Eral, if he would save me, and
bring me home.  Since I am standing before you, one can assume Eral kept his
part of the bargin, and I've kept mine.  I studied magic at the Acadamy of the
Arcania in Acadamaya, a great city dedicated to knowlege and academics. I
proved to weak to be able to acomplish any but the most rudimentary of spells,
and so I studied at the Monistaria, the training school for Clerics. Eventualy
I graduated, fell in love and married."

Jonah couldn't help giggling at a few of those names, as they sounded too 
much like what they were for.  Xyranthes ignored him, and continued.

"When Stelphina, my wife, died, I became a hermit, carving out toys for the
nearby village children. Over time I became quite a renowned toymaker, a trade
I still practice. Then one day, when I was about 90, I went down to the great
city of Merilion, to ply my trade, and earn enough for the spring planting. It
had been unseasonably cold, for it was May and frost still covered the ground."

"I led my old mule down the winding crevice, and into a wonderland.  The City of 
Merilion had been built on a major magic fountain. A vortex of energy fueled the 
Mages and levitated the Five Floating Islands, which where five nearby hills that 
had been uprooted and positioned in their orbits around the Imperial tower. 
Inside the massive sphere of green marble, that topped the white tower, was the 
Imperial Island.  Like its five sisters, this floating island once was a nearby 
hill. However this island had been shaped into the Royal palace and surrounding 
estates, instead of having structures built on top of the hill, like the other 
islands."

"I had paid the state tariff, and had begun to set up shop, when an Elf Merchant 
objected to a 'Human disturbing my customers, with its presence.'  Alas, I was was 
forced to move my wares elsewhere. This was common enough treatment by the 
elvish overlords in my homeland. Centuries ago we had fought off an invasion by 
the evil feinds, suposedly trapped permenantly in the 'Boundry Lands'.  A few 
years later our elvish allies turned their military on us and subjugated the 
human empires. But I digress. As I slept that night, Eral, Creator of all, 
appeared to him. Eral commanded that I led my people out of the Elvish rule."

"The next day, I made an appointment to see the Elven Regent. I was appalled
at the opulent splendor of the Imperial palace, while far below the human
populace starved on the minor rations the elven lords dolled out. I demanded
the elves to leave the land of Gondor."

"The regent had me thrown out of the palace. I came every day for ten weeks,
each day calling for the elves to leave peacefully. On the 71st day of my
entering into the city, I knelt down and prayed for Eral to show the elves a
sign. At once the sky darkened. The whole city of Merilion was plunged into
night.  Six hours later, the Regent summoned me."

"'Human, my Mages and Clerics tell me that you are responsible for
this sudden darkness over my city. Why?'"

"'Regent, for seventy days I asked you to free my homeland, to surrender your
rule to the rightful rulers of this land. Each day you refused. This I swear,
the Suns shall never light this city until  the elves surrender their power
and authority back unto the humans.' And I left.  Not very tactful, but I was
unskilled in diplomacy at the time. And the Elves brought magical lights into
the city, to light the streets. And so I prayed again to Eral, to give a sign
of his displeasure."

"The next day, a flock of birds, so vast that it covered the city, descended
on the houses of Merilion. The birds broke into the store houses of the Elven
merchants, and ate the bread of the elves. And again the elves summoned me for
questioning."

"'Human, my Mages and Clerics tell me that you are responsible for
these birds in my city. Why?'"

"'Regent, for seventy days I asked you to free my homeland, to surrender your
rule to the rightful rulers of this land. Each day you refused. This I swear,
the birds shall never leave a crumb of bread to eat on the elven tables in
this city until  the elves surrender their power and authority back unto the
humans.' And I left. And so the elves began to eat rice and other vegetables.
And I prayed again to Eral, to give a sign of his displeasure.  Eral sent
frost, heat, rain, fire, and lice. And still the elves did not leave the city."

"Finally Eral said unto me, 'The Elves' hearts are hardened against you, go and
bring the fear of the sword, and wash this land in blood, for the hearts of
the elves shall not soften until death walks among them.'"

"Ten long and bloody years later, the elves finally surrendered the land
of Gondor to the humans."

"I became king of the humans, and for three years reigned as a
good and wise king, at least in my opinion. I learned the intricacies of
political manuvering, and learned how to avoid political entangelments very
quickly. However all of my great knowledge was not enough to escape the
revenge the former Elvish Regent had planned for me."

"On the fourth anniversary of the independance from the elves, I met with a
cruel fate. The Regent of Gondor had been a powerful mage in his own right,
and had laboured for the last three years on a spell that would banish me
from the lands I loved. As the king, I greeted the guests as they entered into 
the grand ceremony. The mage Laufric, former regent, steped foward from his 
place in line, and released his spell, I disapeared from Aezia, drifting 
through the other worlds in this universe."

At this point, Jonah seemed to remember something, but kept quiet as 
Xyranthes continued.

The cleric looked about, sorrow creasing his face, and then brightened.
"I've been dabbling with my curse, the reason I blanked out, or sort of.
Tinkering with powerful enchantments can have dangerous drawbacks, which sneak
up on me, sometimes at the worst possible moment. I think I've almost got it.
Weird thing is, it will cause a time distortion. Maura, if you like we could
run some experiments and see if the time distortion could be controled enough
to send you back to your people."

"Hey, now THERE's an idea," Jonah commented.

After Xyranthes finished his story, Justin responded, "Wow, you've had a 
fascinating life, almost epic, if I do say so.  In fact it reminds me of 
a story I know from my youth on Earth, but I can relate that another 
time.  I suppose we have a bit in common, both being freedom fighters, 
although you were successful, and I'm afraid I have not been, at least 
completely."

Seeing Justin's flute, Xyranthes reached into his satchel and pulled out a
violin.  "Not my best instument, I'm much better with the Bagpipes.  Justin, 
once you're finished, care to have a duet, or maybe with Maura's voice, a 
tri-... a trip-... a three person harmony?  Wagner is a great composer, as is 
Mozart, but with only a flute and violin, I think Vivaldi might be the most
apropriate."

With that said, Xyranthes played Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee."

"Ahh, sorry thats not Vivaldi, It's been a while for me as well. 

While Xyranthes was telling the story of his history, the had sun climbed high 
into the sky, and by the time he was done, it was almost noon.

Maura had continued to listen, occasionally touching the Unicorn and 
communicating.  As the sun rose higher and higher, she opened her water bag and 
kept it open, moistening her throat and face.  More than once, she actually 
removed the scarves around her throat and head and dipped them into the bag 
before re-wrapping them.  

Jonah twisted around on Shard's back to face the others.  "Anybody have any 
ideas for lunch?"

Maura was looking weary.  "I am all for a rest, especially if it means shade.  I 
am very thirsty, but I have, as usual, my meal with me.  Though water of any 
running or pooled sort is always pleasant, if a little unlikely on this road.  
Resting would be nice."  She repeated.  "And maybe after lunch we could try that 
trio..."  She said to Xyranthes and Justin.  To Xyranthes: "I liked that melody 
too, very busy.  A pleasant change from my planet's music, and the rather solid 
music of this world."

"Okay," Jonah said.  "We'll do some scouting, and see if we can find a spring 
or a brook or something."  And with a, "Ye-ha!" the boy and Drake bounded off 
the road, into the woods.  Maura looked after Jonah, but said nothing.

After watching Jonah ride off, Justin turned to the remaining members of 
the party and said, "I suppose we could use a visit to a spring or a 
brook, but it would be a good idea just to eat all of this leftover 
turkey we have before trying to find something else to eat.  I suppose 
salted leftover turkey might get a little old, but it's convenient, and 
Xyranthes here did an excellent job of cooking it."

He then turned and looked back in the direction in which Jonah rode off and 
added, "I hope he's careful.  I don't look forward to having another 
run-in with a pack of wolves, thank you.  I don't have a lot of bullets 
left and I haven't had any time to practice with Xyranthes' bow.  
Speaking of which, Xyranthes, do you mind if I examine your bow a bit and 
practice with it, perhaps after lunch if we have time?  I need a bit of a 
refresher course in archery, and perhaps you could even give me some 
pointers."

"Well, I guess we really shouldn't go anywhere much until Jonah gets 
back, and we can't really set up any kind of camp until he gets back 
either, since he's basically choosing our site for lunch, so I think I'll 
just lean up against this tree here and continue working on my flute, 
unless you two have any better ideas."

And he did just that.

Maura guided the Unicorn over, and dismounted carefully.  She then sat with a 
sigh, leaning up against the tree, and closed her eyes.

Still with her eyes closed, she said, "Xyranthes, you cook turkey almost in a
trance better than any person I have ever met.  And I think it would be well
to eat it, though it will last a while in that salt.  Much better than finding
other food which we would then again have to preserve."  She patted the ground
beside her.  "Sit, Xyranthes?  You have been on your feet longer than all of
us except Justin, and you are, from our conversation on the way here,
considerably older!"

Xyranthes took Mauras offer of a seat.

"Yes, thank you, much better, I used to walk a good five miles daily, but that
was a good hundred or so years ago. I guess I should start up again." 
As Xyranthes recalled questions and statements from before, he halted in 
mid-thought.

"Water would be nice..." And the Cleric plunged his staff into the ground.
Slowly a gurgle of water began, and a small puddle of water appeared.
Soon a small brook trickled down the into a nearby gully.  Maura eagerly plunged 
her hands into the newly born stream, and, as Xyranthes talked, rubbed her face 
and legs, and refilled her water bags.

"Thank you for the cooking compliment," Xyranthes continued.  "When I get a 
proper stove before me I'll fix up a more apropriate meal.  Something with about 
seven courses and a side bar of deserts. Truly there is nothing as wonderful as 
cooking, except perhaps gardening."

Turning to Maura, Xyranthes replied to her earlier disbelief on fourteen
children.  "My dear, birthing is a highly developed skill on my world. I
shan't go into detail on pregnancy itself, but birthing is more or less
painless in Aezia. The great Cleric/Mage/Keeper/Emperor, and practicaly
everything else, Zargul developed a proccess of molecular transportation that
safely removed the Baby prior to birth. Midwifes still practice this proccess,
and it practicaly eliminates birthing pains. My own dear departed wife was a
practicing midwife, and performed her own birthing. I guess it is mearly a
difference in sociology."

"Looks like you can produce streams as quickly as children," Maura quipped.  "As 
for my culture, fourteen children would be not only unlikely and unimaginably 
painful, but a physical impossibility.  I don't disbelieve you--it's just, in the 
light of my old world, the whole concept of multiple births of any sort is 
horrifying.  As I learned from living among humans, their conception of children 
requires the coming together of male and female under the right conditions, but, 
if the conditions do exist, this can happen as long as the male and female are 
both capable.  Something similar does exist on my planet--childbearing, to coin 
the human term, can only happen when certain conditions exist.  However, my 
species, though in the habit of forming secure attachments analogous to human 
marriages and families, do not divide evenly into male and female.  Rather, each 
member of my species--including me--is both.  Or neither.  The young of our 
species are born (borrowing the human term, again) from the bodies of the parent.  
Not growing inside the female, as in humans, but actually a part of the adult
which eventually must be separated.  This sounds painful, but really is not,
for we have few nerves in the parts of our bodies from where our little ones
are severed.  This can happen only once every lifetime for a person, maybe
twice if they are particularly healthy or long-lived, and there is only one
place underwater where the child can be successfully birthed.  Why--it has to
do not only with the process of separation where the child takes on its own
identity but our religion and culture all the way back to the first of us.
Then the child and its parent usually make an agreement with a dear friend or
relative and through ritual become, in human terms, a family, that the child
may have more than one influence on it as it matures.  My family was
extraordinary, for my parent had two children--myself, the older, and my
sister Ysone A, who was 400 years younger than myself.  She was killed in the
starship accident.  I am still young enough to bear a child, though only just,
and am not sure whether I am healthy enough.  However," she added with a grin,
noticing the looks on her friends' faces, "no one has to worry about my
becoming, for lack of a clearer word, pregnant.  I have been out of water so
long it could never happen, and if it did, I would die, for there would be no
way for me to reach the place of separation."

Suddenly Maura laughed. "Xyranthes, how did we get into this personal
conversation?!  I hope I haven't embarrassed anyone.  Justin, are you finished
with that flute?  Do you want to try that trio, with Xyranthes?"

Justin held up the flute, which seemed to be coming along, tried blowing
into it and a rather uncontrolled and not quite clear noise came out.  He
then said, "It's coming along, but not quite done."

"Trio, that's the word," Xyranthes said.  "I hate it when you can't think of the 
word, especialy when it's such an easy word.  Tell me Maura, what instument do you 
play, or do you play?"

"No, I don't play an instrument," she said.  "But I do sing, as I did before.  
Oh, but you were in trance."  Rubbing the stream water on her throat, she 
proceeded as before to make the fluting half-voice, half-aquatic sound.

"As to embarrasing anyone," Xyranthes continued, "not at all.  I've had many an 
enjoyable conversation about many topics. Ideas need to be discussed, and topics 
need airing out, or they become stuffy and dangerous. Besides other cultures are 
a fascinating thing.  Justin, how is birthing on your world done?"

Rather surprised to find himself dragged into this conversation, Justin
paused a second, and then said, "Well, I imagine it's quite similar to how
things are where Xyranthes comes from.  Except we have no magic, so giving
birth is often a painful process, and sometimes very risky.  With advances
in medical science, the danger of giving birth is relatively low, but it
used to not be uncommon for women to die in childbirth.  Most couples tend
to have 1 or 2 children, although several have a few more than that.
Because of high mortality rates in the past, it was not uncommon long ago
for couples to have many children.  The 18th century (about 300 years
before my time) composer, J.S. Bach had 20 children by 2 wives, and the
Egyptian Pharoah Ramses II, who lived about 3200 years before me, fathered
100 children by many different wives and concubines."

"Do you know, your people are as bad as his?" Maura said to Justin, with a grin 
at Xyranthes.  "You'd think your men had nothing to do but make children!  
Perhaps in the case of the pharoah, I'm not far off."

After a few minutes, Jonah and Shard emerged from the woods.

"Hey, I found a..." Jonah trailed off as he looked at the spring that 
Xyranthes had conjured up.

"Gee, I go looking for one of those, and then you guys just go and 
make one.  Way to say, 'Thanks, Jonah,'" he said, trying to hide 
a sarcastic grin.

"I'd like to thank you anyway," Xyranthes said.  "Magic doesn't always work, and 
this little stream will dissipate very soon, so we'll need your stream if we're to 
have water for later."

The boy and Drake then made their way into the group, and found a spot 
to settle down.  Shard sat, and Jonah just slid off, bumping to the 
ground.

"Okay, where's that turkey meat, then?"

Justin, who was relieved to see Jonah return in one piece from his outing, 
quickly gathered up the bundle that contained the salted turkey meat and 
set it out in front of Jonah.  After Jonah took some, Justin took some for 
himself, ate it, and drank some water from the stream.

" ...I think I'd like to build a house here someday. If I'm still around after
this little jaunt. Good soil, and the shade is nice too. ...Ahh well, thoughts
for the future when we haven't even decided on lunch." And Xyranthes began to
delve into his satchel, pulling out four loaves of italian bread and jars of
vineger and oil. A wheel of provalone, some mustard and a jar of pickles soon
followed.

"Anyone care for a sandwich? And I think I know where my tea pot is. Knife,
knife, now where did I put the ruddy thing?"

He then asked, "So do any of you know what this unicorn knows about 
Crystal and her whereabouts, or what connection the Unicorn had with 
Crystal, or how long ago it saw her, or where it saw her?"

"I think I can answer a little bit of that," Jonah said, as he reached over to 
grab a few pieces of Xyranthes' bread and a hunk of cheese.  "You see, I had this 
dream last night, and I think that the Unicorn was trying to communicate with me 
through it.  I can't describe all of it, but I do remember one scene in 
particular.  It showed the Unicorn being approached by a girl, who was obviously 
Jodie."  Jonah then took a deep breath, and let it out in a sigh.  "Normally, I 
wouldn't have recognized her, as I haven't seen her in years, but in the dream I 
just KNEW it was her."  Jonah then paused again, to toss a thankful glance at 
the Unicorn.

"Apparently," he continued, "the Unicorns -- yes, there are more of them -- are 
on good terms with some nomadic people nearby, and they help each other out in 
certain ways.  Jodie had come to them for a magic test.  That is, the people 
would send their youths to the Unicorns to see which ones had magical ability.  
Jodie passed -- no surprise to me, as both of us were wizards in a previous life -- 
but the Unicorn sensed even more about her.  Must have been her old memories.  
So she allowed Jodie to stay for a while, so she could help Jodie with it a bit."

"Well, they got to know each other during that time, and became quite close."  
Then a wry smile appeared on Jonah's face.  "Again, no surprise to me, as she's 
always had a thing for horses -- even the normal variety."  Then he grew somber 
again.  "But she eventually had to return, and the Unicorns were moving on as 
well, but they promised each other that they'd see each other again eventually."

"Unfortunately, she couldn't show me exactly where that took place, as she 
doesn't think geographically like we do.  Neither could she actually tell me 
where she was going to meet Jodie again, for the same reason.  All she could say 
about it was that she'd find her, somehow."

As Jonah finished, he took another deep breath.  Letting it out quickly, he put 
his arm around Shard's neck and held it for a while.

Maura sat back, amazed.  "Jonah, I have had the closest contact with Her and then 
you know all this.  I am really impressed.  Even through my 'talking' with her, I 
had only gathered that she would never go where Crystal was not.  It must be your 
connection with Shard."

"I don't know," Jonah responded, then seemed to think for a moment.

"I don't think I would call it a contact, really," he continued.  "It was more 
of a projection, on her part.  Though," he said, looking upward, "I guess we 
do have a bit of a *connection* -- Jodie."  Nodding, he added, "Yeah, I think 
She," nodding to the Unicorn, "felt my relation to Jodie, and felt She should 
share that with me.  But that's about it.  I haven't gotten any other contacts 
from her, before or since.  Just the once in the dream, and that was pretty 
much one-way.  Looks like you're the only one She'll actually talk WITH, Maura."

At about that point, Shard shifted a bit.  As the sun moved, the shade of the 
tree had been creeping away, and his posterior had slowly come into the 
sunlight.  After the Drake was resettled, and Jonah had repositioned himself 
against him, Jonah glanced at Maura again.

"That reminds me," he saids.  "I was thinking -- dangerous habit, I know," he 
added with a wry grin.  "But if the heat and sunlight is giving you a hard time, 
maybe we should start traveling by night.  It might be a little more dangerous, 
but I doubt we'd come across anything that would want to tangle with a group 
of people AND a Unicorn!"

"Well" Maura looked thoughtful.  "I don't want to be the sore thumb here.  I
mean, it might be an unnecessary hardship on you all to travel by night, as
nice as it might be for me.  Besides, I don't really know why I am reacting to
the sunlight so strongly these days.  I mean, I am amphibious--I can spend
time on land.  It just really takes it out of me.  I really can't take part in
any vote--it is up to the group."

Justin said, "I certainly don't mind travelling by night.  Back on Earth 
the resistance did a lot of things at night and I'm quite used to it.  If 
it would help you at all, I wouldn't mind making that kind of sacrifice.  
Even if it is a little more dangerous, you would probably be considerably 
stronger at night without the sun and its heat, and I imagine that you 
could probably do your magic stuff better then.  We may even be able to 
move faster, because we wouldn't have to stop as often for water.  What 
do you think about this, Xyranthes?"

"Traveling by night is not a problem," the cleric replied.  "There are various 
ways we can navigate, and if neccesary I can whip up a little light."  And a 
small dim ball of light apeared in the cleric's hand.  "It looks a lot more 
impresive at night," the cleric replied sheepishly.

Maura looked very grateful at all these offers to accomodate her, but she waited
for Jonah to speak and see if they were then all decided.  She leaned back
against the tree, tempted to close her eyes again, but that time she watched.
She laid a hand on the Unicorn, as if drawing strength from it.

Jonah had been looking from person to person as each companion voiced his or 
her opinion, nodding as both Justin and Xyranthes agreed with his proposal.  
However, when Xyranthes produced the ball of light, Jonah looked away, 
apparently remembering something.  He looked around and picked up a small 
stone from nearby.  Then he just sat there, looking at it for a moment, 
until he noticed that conversation had stopped, and the rest of the group 
were looking at him expectantly.

"Oh, sorry," he said, and tossed the pebble over his shoulder.  He then 
took a moment to collect his thoughts.  "Well, it sounds unanimous, then.  
Nighttime traveling would be the best plan, and it looks like we should 
be able to do it.  Justin's used to it, and Xyranthes can produce light.  
I know Shard can get around pretty well in the dark too, and I'd be 
surprised if the Unicorn couldn't."

Jonah then looked up at the sky.  "If we want to move out tonight, we 
should probably rest up for the rest of the afternoon."  Then he yawned.  
"I know I'm starting to get a little tired.  Sleeping all day yesterday 
didn't let me get much sleep last night."  He then looked from face to 
face.  "Should we try to camp here, next to the road, or head off to 
that other spring I found?  It's just a few minutes off the road."

Maura smiled.  "You all are great friends, you know that?  And I think it
would be very wise to rest this afternoon.  Is there shade by the other
spring?"

"Oh, yeah," Jonah said.  "There's plenty of tree cover.  You'd almost have
to take a power drill to the canopy to get sunlight in there..."  Jonah
then drifted off again, as if remembering something.

Justin said, "Hey, that sounds great to me.  It doesn't make sense for us 
to stay right by this road all day, and a place with more cover would be 
good, especially if as Xyranthes said that his little spring will die 
after a period."

Jonah then snapped back, and looked straight at Xyranthes.  "Hey, I've been 
meaning to ask," and he glanced at Maura too, "Could one or both of you start 
teaching me some magic again?  You two have conclusively proven that it works 
here, and I've even shown some ability, but it's been, well, kinda 
un-controlled."  He grimaced.

Justin brightened up at that point and said, "Wow, magic can be taught?  I 
was thinking that it was internal and innate, but if it can be taught, I 
wouldn't mind picking up a few tricks myself, it could come in handy."

"Magic is a very intense art," Xyranthes responded.  "Actually, I also promised 
to teach Justin archery, so let's move to the new site, set up camp, and have a 
lesson.  Justin, if you like I can give you a medalion that will give you some 
magical abilities as well."

Justin replies, "Would you?  That would be great.  You'll have to show me 
how to use it."  He then gathered up his pack and got ready to head off to the 
stream which Jonah had located as soon as everyone was properly prepared.  
Xyranthes also began to gather his belongings.  Straightening after his task, the 
cleric turned to the group.

"Shall we away to Jonah's brook?" Asked the cleric, as his magic stream dried
up.

While everyone else gathered their belongings, the cleric walked over to Jonah,
and placed his hand on the boys forehead.  Closing his eyes, the cleric's hand
began to glow.  After a while, the cleric took his hand away. 

"Well my boy, you've definitely got the talent.  Now we've just got to get you
to focus."

"Well, DUH!" Jonah responded, with playful sarcasm.  "It's like I just said, I've 
already shown some ability.  I just need to get it under control."  Then he 
remembered.  "Oh, yeah, you were still tranced when I tried to create the music.  
Probably just as well.  But I'm sure I have mentioned the Fireball I tossed the 
other night.  You know, the one that made us have to flee the city?"  Then, 
without even waiting for an answer: "I know I've got the ability.  I mean, after 
all, I have been a Wizard several times in previous lives.  And I remember SOME 
from it, but not enough, so I just need a bit of a refresher course."

Justin then added, "By the way Xyranthes, when do you think we can work on the 
old bow thing?  That could come in even more handy, and probably be a lot 
quicker to learn that magic."

Maura had been listening with interest as she gathered her belongings and
followed the group to the new stream.  When teaching magic was discussed, she
responded readily.  "I think this could be worked out--why don't you and I,
Xyranthes, trade off sessions with these two apprentices? (No offense, Jonah,
to your former mastery.)  When you, Xyranthes, coach Justin in archery, I'll
work with Jonah, and vice versa.  If Justin has a medallion, I am sure I could
give him some of the things my people were adept in and he could do well." 

Xyranthes nodded in agreement.  "Yes I think that's a marvelous idea."

When they reached the watering place, Maura sat down with a sigh of relief under
a tree and dropped her illusion.  "Does anyone want to try some of my kind of
magic now?"  At the same time, Xyranthes pulled out one of the medalions he had 
selected the night when he had healed Jonah.  Handing it to Justin, the cleric 
then pulled out his bow.  After setting up the basics of the campsite, Justin 
took the medallion.

"Perhaps Xyranthes and I should work on archery first," he said.  "It's 
more pressing for me, at any rate, and if Jonah already has some talent 
which just needs to be honed it would be far better for him to start on 
that immediately, especially since he is perhaps the most in need of it 
because of the restrictions his damaged legs put on his activities.  For 
my part, I did not realize that some sort of inherent talent was 
generally necessary to use magic, after the comment that Jonah made about 
being taught, and thought it was a complex skill which took time to 
learn, like speaking another language.  I am excited about the prospect 
of being able to do some magic with the help of this medallion, as long 
as you don't need it for yourself, Xyranthes, but I do not want to make 
my desires too much of a priority of the group as a whole."

"Well, innate talent certainly helps," Jonah commented.  "Almost anyone 
can learn the principles and techniques, but if they don't have the basic 
ability, there isn't much they can do with it."  Looking at his own feet, 
he added, "It'd like trying to teach me to tap-dance."

Justin continued.  "But before we do anything, I think we should set up our 
minimal campsite.  I imagine doing it now would be better than waiting til later 
in the afternoon when we are more tired from other activities."  Having said 
this, Justin set his pack on the ground in the area that they had determined and 
started setting things up. 

Xyranthes then started speaking.  "For starters, magic, at least in my world, is 
quite a common occurance. On Aezia, each person is born, to a certain degree, 
with magic. Magic is,... well let me get something that might explain it 
better."  And the cleric began to rummage through his satchel.  Eventually, he 
pulled out a scroll.  "This should explain it better.  In a nutshell Magic is the 
attempt to shift matter into energy and back again, hence altering reality as it 
is perceived by those around you."

"In reality, there is free floating energy produced by the effects of entropy on
all things.  A Magic User is someone who has the ability to tap into this free
floating energy and use it to reshape matter.  Matter is, after all, energy
that has slowed down to a speed beneath the speed of light, i.e.. Einstinian 
relativity.  The mage applies the extraneous energy to alter the objects within
a certain limit ( based upon the amount of energy gathered prior to the spell),
or to use energy to speed up the matter reverting it into energy and than
altering the pattern, then slowing the energy down (like the transporters of
Star Trek)."

"I use a variation of this, because I am not powerful enough naturaly to control 
the process, I use an outside aid.  As a devout follower of the Creator, my faith 
acts like a catalyst, incresing my feeble skills to a high degree.  This is known 
as Clerical Magic.  As a cleric, I tap into The Creator's power, and channel it 
through myself, focusing this power on the object I wish to alter."  The cleric 
picked up a small stone.  "With a little concentration..." and the stone became a 
bird.

"However the fabric of reality does not shift well from its present course.
Therefore the reason why things sometimes do not work out, is because of the
will of the natural self, based upon the mental power of all creatures, to
retain its present shape." The cleric stopped in mid lecture.

Justin had been listening very attentively to the lecture, and had been 
nodding with understanding as Xyranthes explained (except for the bit 
about Star Trek which he found rather puzzling, but only expressed that 
in a briefly blank expression).

"But we're here for archery. I'll assume you've had previous experience."  When
Justin replied, "Yes, many years ago", and nodded, Xyranthes smiled.  "Good, then 
the hard part is over before we begun.  Now if you look at that tree over there, 
can you see the small knot in the center of the trunk? Try and hit it."

Justin carefully picked up the bow, weighing it a bit, tried pulling the 
bowstring back to his ear, and then let it back in slowly so that it 
did not twang like a harp.  He picked up an arrow, made sure that there 
was no one in a 90 degree arc in front of him, and fit the arrow to the 
string.  He then returned the bow to an upright position, looked down the 
arrow shaft towards the target, and made a slight adjustment upwards so 
that the arrow pointed upwards, not directly at the rather distant tree.  
He pulled the string back back to his ear with the fore and middle fingers 
of his right hand and let go.  The arrow sailed off in the direction of 
the tree, but hit the tree below and to the left of the knot.  Justin, 
shaking his right hand a bit to help it recover from the new stress of 
having to pull back the tight string said, "Not right on, but better than 
I was anticipating that I might do after several years of relying more on 
firearms."

"Well, that was great, Justin." Maura applauds his archery.  "Since he and
Xyranthes are occupied, Jonah, do you want to play around with some magic?
Probably better if you tell me where you are at--I have some idea, from the
stuff you have been experimenting with over the past few days, but I don't
want to patronize you at all.  After all, I can't help it that it is part of
me."  Maura grins.  "It's up to you...or we can start with a specific thing."

"Sounds like a good idea," Jonah replied.  "Well, as for where I'm at -- 
you've seen pretty much everything I've managed so far.  Up until a few 
days ago, when you all showed up and I started Remembering," and the way he 
said that word, everyone could hear the capitalization, "I didn't even realize 
that magic was real, or that I might even be able to do it."

He looked down and thought for a moment.  "Well, let's see.  I tossed that 
Fireball at the house," he said, beginning to run through his magic use.  
"That was kind-of accidental, though.  Then, I had that contact with the 
Unicorn last night, but that wasn't really my doing, so I guess it doesn't 
count.  Then, I tried making some music earlier, but that didn't come out so 
well."

"So, I really haven't DONE much -- in this lifetime, at any rate," he said.  
"As I've mentioned, I've been a Wizard several times in previous lives, 
including the one just before this one, actually -- which should help.  But 
since I don't generally bring much actual KNOWLEDGE from life to life, it'll 
probably just provide a base on which to build.  For that matter," he added, 
having just remembered something, "magic is sometimes different from world to 
world, so some of it might actually get in the way..."

Jonah looked from Maura to Xyranthes.  "You two don't seem to be having any 
problems, though.  So this world must work similarly to you guys' worlds.  
But then," he said, "you, Xyranthes, use Clerical magic, which comes from your 
deity."  His eyes then bugged open.  "Hey, how are you getting spells, anyway?  
I wouldn't think your deity has influence here..."

Xyranthes responded, "Well Eral is the Creator of all, so technically he should 
have power here, but for whatever reason, he doesn't.  So I receive my power from 
the Tennis shoe wearing God.  Sort of a temporary patron you might say."

"Well," Jonah commented, "he may be the Creator where you come from.  But this 
is a different world, after all, with a different pantheon."  Then his grin 
returned.  "Substitute, eh?  I've heard of that happening.  Especially in my 
last lifetime.  Then his brow furrowed as he thought.  "I've met that being 
before -- in my last life, actually -- and I'm pretty sure he told me what 
he was called.  I can't quite remember right now, though..."

Maura responded, though nodding at Xyranthes in case he was going to answer.
"All right.  Then you try something--not a fireball please--and I will sense
all I can about where you are at and what I can do to help."

Then, she turned to Justin suddenly, as if an idea had struck her.  "Say,
Justin, don't fire that bow a sec.  I don't think you need be cut off from
magic altogether, innate ability or not.  With that amulet, I am sure some of
those precepts and guidelines Jonah mentioned would produce results.
Especially if we talk a bit.  Oh, sorry." she looked a little embarrassed.
"Hope I didn't disturb your concentration.  But I had the thought.  Let's try
it later, eh?"  Then she turned back to Jonah.  "Sorry.  You want to try
something simple--I promise I'm paying attention now."

Justin indicated interest to Maura with a nod.  He then took a second 
arrow, aimed at the knot, and fired it, Xyranthes watching closely.  This time 
the arrow hit the tree directly above the knot.  "That's a little better," Justin 
commented.

Xyranthes clapped in approval.  "If you keep this up, you won't need me as a 
teacher, I'll need you."

"Er, thanks," Justin said.  "Hitting a moving target, or one that might
move is a bit trickier and it may be a while before I can get efficient at
that.  I guess I remember more about archery than I thought I did."

After pausing about a minute, Justin took a third arrow, adjusted for the 
previous problems, and fired.  At the exact moment he fired, there was a 
gust of wind from the right which made the arrow veer slightly off 
course so that it hit a bush, out of which ran a rather frightened, and 
very lucky, rabbit.  "Dang, I hate it when that happens," Justin said.

Meanwhile, Jonah had begun to look around for an idea when Maura interrupted 
herself.  Waiting patiently during her digression, Jonah grinned.  When she 
turned back to him, he quipped, "Glad to see I'm not the only distractable one 
around here."

Then as Justin had turned back to his archery practice, Jonah got down to 
business too.  "Okay, let's see.  Should probably start with something small."  
He looked around, and his eyes fell on the pebble he had been holding earlier.  
He glanced quickly back to Maura with a half-grin on his face, then back to the 
stone.  Unfortunately, when he had tossed it away, it had landed a fair ways 
out of his reach.  He tried stretching for it, but there was still about a foot 
between his fingertips and the pebble.

He turned back, looking somewhat discouraged.   Shard raised his head, 
evidently feeling Jonah's frustration.  The Drake looked like it was 
about to get up and fetch the pebble for Jonah when the boy had another 
idea.

"It's alright," Jonah reassured his companion, then turned himself so 
he was sitting in the direction of the pebble.  Then he closed his eyes, 
concentrating.

Almost a minute passed as Jonah sat there, with nothing happening.  Then, 
as Jonah's face contorted in frustration, the pebble twitched.  A grin 
started appearing on his face.  Suddenly, the stone leapt up off the 
ground and sailed straight for him.  It pegged Jonah in the middle of the 
forehead, and he fell onto his back.

After a moment, Jonah sat up again.  A large red bruise marked his 
forehead where the pebble had impacted.  Jonah blinked quickly, and 
shook his head.

"Ow!" he exclaimed after a moment.  He brought his right hand up to his 
forehead, then quickly pulled it away when it made contact, gasping.

Jonah looked over at Maura.  "So, were you able to sense anything useful?  
Aside from me feeling like an idiot, that is?"

When Jonah had begun stretching for the rock, Maura, like the Drake, started
leaning over to help him, but stopped when she discerned his intentions.  As
he began to concentrate, so did she, and only when he actually struck himself
in the forehead did she open her eyes with a little cry. 

As Jonah sat up with his bump forming, she panted slightly and then responded
to his question.  "Yes, I was able to get quite a lot.  It is mostly as you
said -- a lot of raw potential, but it needs time and practice to stabilize -- 
like to make sure you don't knock yourself silly every time.  I was so close to 
you, I practically felt the impact.  Well, that's a definite start.  I think I 
can help with refining the process so that it isn't so wearing or so long.  It's 
like any practice--once you have the feel, you can reproduce it."  She picked up 
the pebble from where it landed after bouncing off Jonah's head and tossed it 
back where it had lain before.  

"All right, try it again if you like.  And don't worry--it won't hit you."

Jonah closed his eyes to concentrate again.  For long moments, nothing happened.  
Then the pebble twitched.  A moment later, it hopped about an inch off the ground 
as Jonah managed to infuse momentum into it, but was countered slightly by 
Maura's mind -- or power -- almost like a magical hand were keeping the pebble 
from flying, so that this time it rolled in a mannerly fashion up to his hand.

"That should give you the old feel of control -- and now you can try to get it 
without me, if you want," Maura said.  "Maybe you want to try with something 
other than a pebble."  She added with a grin, dabbing her temples with water.

Jonah had kept his eyes closed as Maura spoke.  Only after she finished did he 
open them.  As he looked around he swayed, appearing ready to fall over.  He 
clutched at Shard's neck for stability, then dropped the pebble.

"Hot," he mumbled, as the stone fell to the ground.

Xyranthes then made a suggestion.  "Justin, with the amulet, why don't you come 
try out some magic, it'll help your concentration too."

Once everyone was gathered again, the Cleric picked up another pebble.  "Well as 
I said, Magic is the rearanging of matter with our mind.  However there are 
different kinds of magic.  Illusion is the easiest, and the least real."  As the 
cleric spoke, the pebble became a bird, a lump of greenish glowing goo, and 
finally a diamond.  "All of these are just illusions, superficial coverings that 
fool the eye and senses.  You could pick this rock up, and it would look, feel, 
taste smell, and sound like a diamond.  But it isn't, it is a peice of sandstone 
and silt.  In order to change the stone completely into a diamond reguires 
another field of magic, that of naming and alteration."  And the stone reverted 
back into its original form.

"Jonah was trying a form of naming just a little while ago, called summoning,"
Xyranthes said.  "Subconsciously, he retains the knowledge of the true name of 
the pebble, or 'Tolk'."  As he spoke, the pebble flew up into the cleric's hand.

Jonah looked up at Xyranthes.  His expression was a combination of puzzlement 
and disbelief.  "Gee, and I thought I was just trying to give it some kinetic 
energy," he mumbled sarcastically.

"Yes, well each aspect of magic is the imbuing of kinetic energy," Xyranthes 
replied, "but there's a bit more to it.  Each part is broken down into eight 
parts called, Illusion, Alteration, Conjuring, Divining, Nameing, Traveling, 
Abjuration, and Necromancy. Each field has a certain amount of Kinetic energy 
involved, as well as how much energy is used, where it is placed, storage 
capacity, permanancy, effect on the object, effect on the universe,  and many 
other factors.  Magic can become a complicated field of study."

The only reply Jonah made was a dark expression on his face.  Maura too looked a 
little annoyed -- merely because of the interruption in what she thought had 
been her session with Jonah.

"As I was saying," Xyranthes continued, "thinking and saying can be the same, if 
you're strong enough, and know what your doing, hence why Jonah was able to pull 
the rock to him.  Now, why don't we all try this little experiment.  Picture a 
rock, any rock, or whatever object you like. Think of its shape, its contours, 
its feel.  Once you have a picture in your mind, begin to envision the 
surroundings of the object, then think of the rock floating a foot above its 
surroundings.  Envision the rock floating, cusioned by a pillar of air, just 
air..."

Justin put the bow down and placed the medallion around his neck.  He then 
closed his eyes and thought about rocks.  He remembered a stone arrowhead he 
had found when he was a child in Montana and thought about the arrowhead, 
remembering the cuts in the stone, its shape and its feel.  He then thought 
about the Indian who had carved it and imagined the arrowhead fitted to a shaft 
and let go in a battle against U.S. soldiers, and then froze the image in his 
mind, with the arrow stopped in mid-air, floating and aimed toward a horse on 
which a soldier was riding.

Maura watched excitedly and concentrated herself as Justin worked through the 
medallion.  The image was forming in her mind, and the vividness of it surprised 
her from one who had had less than no experience.  She shut out the majority of 
Xyranthes' sermon and waited until she might respond.  However, when the image 
of the Indian actually appeared, she gasped.  She did not forget the interrupted 
session with Jonah, but was again distracted.

Meanwhile, Jonah was still eying Xyranthes somewhat darkly, but turned to the 
exercise.  He spotted a suitable rock nearby, and started concentrating again.  
After a few seconds, the stone twitched.  Then it hopped briefly into the air a 
few inches.  Straining, Jonah redoubled his efforts, and the rock rose 
uncertainly into the air.  It bobbed up and down a few times, then started 
turning color.  It began as a dull red, then got brighter and brighter.

Maura was about to suggest that he take a breather when Jonah suddenly gave 
out.  As he fainted backwards -- the only thing keeping him from bashing his 
head on the ground being Shard's well-placed tail -- the stone dropped to the 
ground, cracking in half upon impact.  Everyone could see that the core had 
begun to melt.

Hearing the crack of Jonah's stone hitting the ground broke Justin's 
concentration.  He opened his eyes and saw Jonah collapsed on the ground and the 
glowing hot rock split open.

"What happened?" he asked.  "Was he trying to melt that rock? Is he OK?"

Concerned, Maura reached over to Jonah to see what was the matter, then looked 
to Xyranthes.  Placing his hand over the boy, the cleric healed enough of the 
exertion so that Jonah awoke.  This went a good way to making Maura less annoyed.

"I'd finish the job, but sometimes the body needs to heal on its own," 
Xyranthes said.  "You won't have any further side effects from this encounter, 
but try a little less the next time."

Jonah listened to Xyranthes somewhat bleary-eyed.  When he was finished, Jonah 
just continued to sit there, watching impassively.

Reassured that Jonah had just overexerted himself and would probably be okay in 
a few minutes, Justin asked whether his concentration on an arrowhead did 
anything.  Xyranthes merely pointed to a wavery image of an American Indian.  As 
the group looked, the image disapeared.

"I think we've had enough of magic lessons for now, perhaps finishing our
archery lesson would be prudent, woudn't you say Justin?"

"Justin!  That was great," Maura exclaimed.  "If you don't mind, Xyranthes, and 
if you are up to it, Justin, may I try something?  Let's see -- how well are you 
versed in the physical sciences?  I think you are well versed in technology, if 
I remember right.  If there is one thing my people based their magic around, it 
was the knowledge of things -- not in name so much, as Xyranthes was describing, 
but in identity.  A very visual knowledge.  It is similar and, I have no doubt, 
ultimately grounded in the same thing.  Would you like to try something like I 
have been doing, while Jonah recovers a little?"

"I am intrigued by your description of magic, Maura," Justin responded, "and am 
interested to see what you mean.  We have a limited amount of time before 
sunset, though, and Xyranthes would like to continue working with me on my 
archery.  How about we give Jonah a few minutes to recover, during which Maura 
will work with me on her idea.  After Jonah has recaptured his breath, 
Xyranthes, you and me will work only on archery, no magic, for maybe an hour and 
then we should probably rest for the remainder of the afternoon.  Does that 
sound good to both of you?"

With a nod at Xyranthes, Maura replied, "Sounds good to me."

At about this point, while the others were occupied, Jonah slowly slumped over 
and fell asleep.  Shard coiled around him protectively, but somewhat uneasily.  
Maura looked concerned.  "Xyranthes?  Can you do something?  What is the matter 
with him?"

Justin continued.  "Maura, as far as my scientific knowledge of things I think 
that I have a fairly good foundation, although I'm sure it is not as advanced as 
the place you've come from, based on the gadgets which you demonstrated 
yesterday.  Before I entered the resistance movement, I was a programmer, which 
I suppose is sort of magical in its own way in how you learn a basic set of 
concepts and then manipulate those concepts to create something which seems to 
the outsider to transcend code and become another entitity entirely.  I don't 
know if that particular kind of knowledge would have any applicability in the 
practice of magic, but as a student, in order to study this field I had to learn 
much basic scientific knowledge, like geology, basic physics, biology, and 
such.  Don't ask me to do anything with electrons, quarks, and the like, 
though; never could quite fathom them exactly."

"All right," Maura continued.  "Actually, your work at programming might really 
help you--in that it encourages the type of thinking that we will be needing.  
And actually, as far as knowledge of physical objects goes, we can use whatever 
you think you know best.  Animal or mineral.  I thought we would start with 
something rather intriguing."  Then Maura stopped, and suddenly burst out in a 
laugh, obviously at herself. "This is incredibly backward!  Whenever teaching 
before, I have taught people with integral magic and therefore illusion always 
comes before transformation.  But it is absolutely the reverse in this case, 
because of your power through the amulet and your training, it is much easier to 
change reality -- something you are grounded in -- than appearance."

Maura recovered control of herself and picked up yet another pebble.  "Alright, 
Justin." Then stopped again.  "No, I have a better idea."  Reaching into her 
pack, she pulled out a little drawstring bag of colored stones and crystals.  
"These were a gift from Jodie the summer before she vanished."  Removing one of 
strong crystal formation, she hands it to Justin.  "Alright, what is that?  Or 
rather, what makes it up?  It is pure--no imperfections--so you don't have to 
worry about bits of sand or dirt or anything."

"Once you tell me that, and it might take a minute, I will show you how to
turn it to something else."

Justin took the stones and looked at them.  "They look like onyx."  He 
paused and thought a bit and then said, "If I recall correctly, that's a 
variety of quartz, which is basically silicon.  Plus, since it's colored 
it's probably got a few impurities in it to give it that color, possibly 
copper for green, iron for red, etc.  That's the best I can do without my 
old textbooks and a lab.  Is that adequate level of knowledge?"

"Right," Maura responded.  "Onyx is quartz, except when it's calcite.  In this 
case, you are quite right.  And not too much color, except a little iron.  All 
right, now take hold of the amulet and think the way you did when you were 
programming--taking steps to change a series of codes into something that looks 
nothing like what you started with.  Or the way you pictured the person who 
appeared when you thought of the arrowhead.  Think of this quartz and I want 
you to see it changing to amethyst crystals.  See the crystalline particles 
changing.  When you see it, believe it."

Justin took hold of the amulet and stared at the onyx.  He then started 
to imagine the microcrystaline structure of the onyx break up and reshape 
itself into the larger crystaline structure common in amethyst.  To 
finish the process, still staring at the rock, he imagined all of the 
various iron atoms bonded with oxygen which were suspended in the stone, 
and saw them break off their contact and change their atomic structure 
trading off protons and neutrons until their presence provided the stone 
with a purplish color.

As Justin concentrated, Maura closed her eyes and reached into his mind,
seeing what he was thinking and picturing.  When she opened her eyes, she gave
a little hiss of breath.  The stone had changed -- it had become a purple 
crystal, glittering with attractive warmth.

"It is true change," she murmured.  She looked at Justin and placed a hand on 
his arm.  "To tell you the truth, I didn't know whether you could do it or 
not.  Even with the amulet.  The mental energy you have expended is impressive 
-- I am, well, more than happy to have discovered this power of thought in you 
-- but it might make you very tired, especially if you try it more than once in 
a short time."

Justin let go of the amulet and looked at the amethyst crystal in amazement, 
spinning it in his right hand watching light flash off of its new facets.  He 
then looked at Maura and said, "Come to think of it, I am a bit tired now.  
That was quite draining to concentrate that heavily on the subject.  Having 
done it once just now, I see no reason to try it again immediately.  I'm just 
so amazed that I can do it.  I now wish I would have paid even more attention 
in my geology and chemistry classes, oh well.  I'll do what I can do.  Thank 
you very much for helping me."

He then looked at the crystal and handed it back to Maura saying, "This is 
yours, you can have it back now.  I hope any sentimental value associated 
with Crystal will not be harmed by my having changed it into a different 
kind of stone."

Maura then turned back to Jonah.  "Xyranthes, any idea what it is?  Oh, wait."  
Rummaging again in her bag, she produced the small humming device she had 
before and, cupping it in her hand, ran it over Jonah's form.  Then she 
examined it.  "I'm sorry, Justin, to be jumping all over the landscape like 
this.  Just that talking about weariness reminded me."  She looked from the 
device over her shoulder at him.  "How are you feeling?"

Justin replied, "I'm a little tired, but otherwise I feel perfectly fine."

After analyzing her initial scan, Maura ran the device over Jonah again and 
examined it more closely.  At about the same time, Shard uncoiled from around 
Jonah and began pacing around him, obviously agitated by something.  It didn't 
seem to be Maura's presence, though, because if anything, he was edging closer 
to her.

Maura quickly scanned Jonah again, stared off into the sky as if calculating, 
then looked again at the machine.  Had she been wearing her human guise, the 
color would have drained from her face -- as it was, the veins in her head 
seemed more pronounced and she quickly mopped her face with water.  She reached 
out a hand to the Drake and looked into its face, then with her back still to 
her other friends, said, "Justin.  Xyranthes.  There is something very strange 
going on here."  Her voice was low and deadened with concern.  Again she shut 
her eyes and concentrated hard.

* * * * *

Shard sat down next to Maura as she concentrated, glancing from her to Jonah, 
obviously agitated.  At about that time, the Unicorn snorted.  Justin's and 
Xyranthes' eyes were drawn to the Unicorn to see it glancing about.  It seemed 
to be following the movements of something, but neither man could see anything 
there.

After concentrating on Jonah for a few minutes in silence, Maura suddenly 
gasped sharply.  At the same time, a dozen small lights sprang from Jonah's 
forehead and spread across the campsite.

As each light hit the ground, it flickered and solidified into a small figure, 
each only a few inches tall.  Most of them seemed to be tiny men, though they 
all looked and dressed differently.  One had short black hair and wore a blue 
jumpsuit with purple stripes down the legs and yellow trim.  Another had 
close-cropped brown hair and wore a uniform that resembled a cross between a 
football player's uniform and a suit of plate armor.  The third had dark brown 
hair and wore a leather jacket, ripped bluejeans, an earring, and a Metallica 
T-shirt.  The fourth had green hair and a purplish complexion, wore black robes 
and a cloak, and carried a glowing sword.  Number five had long blond hair, 
pointed ears, and finely chiseled features, wore a purple tunic, black breeches, 
and an iridescent dark blue cloak, and was significantly shorter than the others.  

Most of the rest were similar, with some oddities, but the one that really caught 
everyone's attention was one that resembled a black, blue, purple and yellow toy 
robot which suddenly reconfigured itself into the shape of a grasshopper, and 
started hopping around.

Holding her head, Maura reeled slightly away from Jonah but still managed to
keep her balance and focus on the figures that had appeared.  She recognized
them immediately: "Jonah!  Oh, these are all..."  She gasped when she saw the
robot, and then, further down the line: "Captain Keith!"  Sitting down hard,
she just stared.  Her magic temporarily blotted out, she finally managed to
ask the little apparitions, "Are you real?"  (Her fogged brain thinking: Magic
at its weirdest!)

In response to Maura's question, all of the little figures suddenly started 
talking at once, resulting in an incomprehensible babble.  Startled by the 
sudden cacophany, Shard swiped at one of them with a forepaw.  This sent them 
scampering around the campsite like a swarm of drunken bumblebees.  Several of 
them drew weapons of various sorts -- the green haired one already had its 
lightsaber out; the blond elf drew a sword, and the two began dueling.  The 
football knight started charging and tackling anything nearby, while the 
grasshopper transformed back to robot mode and started shooting around with 
lasers.  Captain Keith, in his red-chested, black bodied uniform, drew a phaser 
and opened fire, while the blue jumpsuited one hopped into a heavily armed car -- 
which hadn't been there a moment ago -- and tore into the fray as well.

Two figures in robes -- one that strongly resembled Blue Jumpsuit, and one with 
short blond hair and wearing light chainmail armor -- began throwing magical 
spells at each other, while one with short brown hair and wearing military 
fatigues -- which Justin suddenly recognized as his friend Alvin -- pulled out a 
miniature machine gun and started trading fire with a hulking, bald-headed 
soldier-type on the other side of the camp.

Justin, who had been rather confused, though slightly entertained, upon seeing 
Alvin guessed that possibly all of these little people might have been Jonah in 
his previous lives, although he didn't understand the grasshopper one.  He 
watched the people, trying not to step on one, to see if they actually could 
damage or kill one another.

Meanwhile, a brown-haired, spandex-clad figure with a large backpack that had 
tubes running to its armbands; and a hispanic-looking figure in dark robes -- 
that Xyranthes recognized -- seemed to be trying to reign in the chaos.  
Considering the odds, that they were quite unsuccessful was not surprising.

Interestingly enough, despite the fact that explosions and energy discharges 
were taking place all around the campsite, the chaos wasn't creating any real 
damage.  In fact, while trying to dodge a miniature Shivan Dragon conjured 
by one of the mages, Justin took a blast of fire in the thigh and was completely 
unaffected.  Thus, the group began to deduce that the figures were at least 
partially illusionary, despite an occasional collision by one of the figures 
with someone's leg or foot.

Initially somewhat traumatized by this experience, Justin was amused by the the 
whole situation, to a degree, once he figured out that his leg had not been 
fried.  The Unicorn was still mostly standing by, watching, though occasionally 
had to dance to the side as one of the figures tore by.  Shard, on the other 
hand, joined the ruckus, batting and biting at the apparitions like a cat in a 
room full of mice.

As all the little apparitions, seemingly half-illusory and half-real, began 
pounding one another, Maura's head began ringing so that she slumped back against 
the nearest tree and shut her eyes.  Only for a minute, though, for it had no 
effect.  Suddenly, surging with adrenaline, she stood and said very loudly to
the little fighters: "Be quiet!"  And in case any of them were receptive to magic 
and missed her vocal pronouncement, she relayed it telepathically as well.  And 
just as loudly.

All of the figures stopped precisely where they were and turned to look at Maura.  
For a moment, there was perfect silence.  But then, all of the miniature 
Kickbacks sprinted for cover, babbling incoherently again.  Justin and Xyranthes 
suddenly found their legs being used as hiding spaces for a few of the 
apparitions, and the rest found stones, branches, and backpacks to hide behind.

Justin, still taking care to try not to step on the apparitions, grabbed his 
backpack, made sure there was no one hanging onto it or in it, and then swung 
it around his back, not being particularly anxious to have these strange 
leprauchan types getting amongst his personal things.

"I think I saw this in a movie once, on Earth, I think.  Subconscious 
manifestations or something like that," Xyranthes said as he looked about, 
recognizing a few of Kickback's previous incarnations; the Blood Bowl warrior, 
the Car racer, and of course the Ranger.

Once they had all found hiding places, they began peeking out toward Maura, 
who was standing near Jonah and Shard in the now-vacated campsite, watching 
attentively.

Maura looked surprised that they actually paid attention to her, but responded 
readily enough.  She looked closely at a Kickback seemingly trying to make
himself one with a tree root, and made sure he saw her.  He was the one in
Starfleet garb.  "You.  I think you can understand me, at least you did enough
to calm down.  Tell me now, what is going on?  And if you speak another
language, just think.  I think I will understand you."  And she relayed this
magically as well.

Justin, glad to see someone was in control, leaned quietly up against a tree 
and watched and listened to what these little people might have to say to Maura.  
Xyranthes, however, not willing to be used as a shield, played a lively ditty on 
his violin as he shrunk himself down to the size of the "Little People".  Upon 
seeing this, Justin yelled, "Xyranthes, what on earth are you doing?  You're 
going to get yourself killed."

Maura was a little astonished when she found herself addressing Xyranthes in 
the same manner (looking down) as the other apparitions.  But she let her
question, both verbal and mental, hang in the air to see if she would get an
answer from the apparition -- looking like Captain Keith -- she addressed.  She 
also wondered whether Xyranthes, at his present size, might not be able to 
communicate, if the little people were in fact entities, and not images of 
Jonah's thoughts.

As Maura singled him out, the Starfleet Captain figure looked around himself, 
as if to see whom she was actually talking to.  When he realized that she was 
addressing him, he began to speak in a high pitched voice, when another of the 
figures -- the one in the Metallica T-shirt -- pushed him aside, and began to 
reply himself.  He was also pushed away, this time by the wizard in chainmail, 
who had swooped in on an Ornithopter.  Just as he began to speak, he was 
tackled by the Blood Bowl player, who was in turn kicked out of the way by the 
robotic grasshopper.  Then all of the figures rushed the area, crowding in on 
Maura, and all babbling on at the same time.

Through the cacophany of chirping noises the apparitions made, Maura was able 
to discern some meaning -- and her mental probing helped considerably.

The figures explained, in their jumbled way, that they were spirits, playing 
with Jonah's memories.  No, they were not projections from his mind, nor were 
they parts of him from his previous lifetimes that had broken away, but rather 
they were outside entities, native to this world, that had entered Jonah's mind 
while he was attempting to practice his magic.  They had been attracted by the 
party performing magic -- something that not many mortals around here do -- and 
came to investigate.  Once they saw what was going on, they waited for one to 
become open, and when Jonah exhausted himself, they saw a perfect opportunity 
to enter his mind and find out more about these strangers.

They were not, however, prepared for what they found.

Once inside, these spirits were assailed by a maelstrom of memories -- various 
different identities all jumbled together within the boy's mind.  They quickly 
figured out what was going on:  Jonah's memories had been returning to him so 
quickly over the last few days that he was having a hard time assimilating it 
all into a single, coherent identity.

Realizing that this could be a problem for the boy, they decided to help.  Each 
one chose an identity and adopted it.  They were then about to awaken Jonah's 
current identity and begin assisting him in integrating the rest, when Maura 
noticed something was wrong and began a mental probe.  The probe would not have 
really disturbed the process, but it startled the spirits, and they reacted 
instinctively and fled.

Once outside, and in full possesion of the identities, they decided to have 
some fun with them, perhaps learning more about their capabilities in the 
process.  Hence the miniature war that broke out.

At the end of the explanation, they stressed that they meant Jonah no harm.  In 
fact, all of this was intended to help him; they were just enjoying things in 
the process.

Upon hearing the end of the explanation from Maura, and knowing now for sure 
that these creatures were a bunch of playful sprites, and knowing from Earth 
mythology what pains little playful sprites were supposed to be, Justin made 
double sure that there were none hanging around in his backpack (who knows 
what they might have done with his computer had they found it) and did his 
best to not do anything that might draw attention to himself, since they might 
start untying his shoes or some similar, annoying thing.

Meanwhile, Maura was considerably relieved to find out at last what the little
apparitions were, and she apologized for having disturbed the process.  She
held out a finger in an attempt at a hello to the Metallica Kickback, and by
default to all the rest.  "However," she explained, "one can't be too careful
around magic, as I'm sure you know.  But would you mind finishing the job--the
integration?  Then as far as I am concerned you can play as much as you like."

Maura noted with some amusement that Justin was standing well back from the
little chittering Kickbacks, trying to make himself as one with the tree he was
leaning against as possible.  Xyranthes for the moment seemed to not be in
trouble, though he during the explanation, a few of the miniature Kickbacks 
rounded him up in a game of 'tag'.

* * * * *

Raising his thumbs in some sort of salute, the leather-bound Rocker smiled in 
response to Maura's greeting.  All the rest greeted her in their own fashion -- 
bowing, saluting, waving, etc.  Then they turned to the others, and saluted 
Justin and Xyranthes in turn.  Maura smiled.  The cacophany was extraordinary.

Once finished with this, they all turned in amongst themselves and seemed to 
converse.  Their speech was a shrill cacophany of chirping that no one could 
interpret.  After a moment, however, they seemed to come to an agreement, and 
started moving toward Jonah.  Maura was relieved when she heard this through 
her mental powers.

She was settling back down, sitting back against her tree, when  one 
hesitated.  The Starfleet Captain paused in mid-stride, and turned back toward 
Maura.  It stood for a moment, regarding her, then raised its hand in a simple 
wave, as if bidding her the farewell he hadn't been able to before.  Maura felt 
sick again, but for the first time managed to make little outward sign except a 
small smile and pressing a hand to her forehead.  She waved gently in return.  
Then he rushed over to where the rest of the group had assembled. 

One by one, the figures arrayed themselves around Jonah's unconscious form, 
forming a ring of linked hands.  For a moment, they stood there, then rose as 
a group, the circle contracting, and dove headfirst into Jonah's forehead.  
With a flash of light, they were gone.

Shard padded over to Jonah, sniffing in the air and on the ground around him.  
One long minute passed, then Jonah's eyes fluttered open.  Shard leaned over 
him, looking him in the face.  Jonah smiled and sat up, taking the Drake's 
head in his hands and scratching above his eyes.

"Yeah," he said in a strong voice, "it's me.  Well, at least, the me you 
know is in here."  Then he turned to the others.  "I feel like a new person.  
Well, actually, more like many old ones melded together into a new one."  
And he grinned -- not the manicly silly grin he used to use, but a calmer, 
more sincere grin.

The minute Jonah's eyelids flickered, Maura forgot her weariness and was
kneeling beside him.  She jumped a little when his voice came so much stronger
and more mature than before he had passed out.  But she took his hand and when
he smiled, she did too.  "Jonah, you are looking much better.  You have
integrated, I think.  How do you feel?  DId you see the little ones here?"
She groped momentarily for the tricorder, but decided to let it rest.  And she
looked around for the little ones, so she could thank them.

Jonah looked off to the side for a moment, considering.  "I vaguely remember 
them being in my head," he said.  "Well, something, at least.  Didn't know 
what they were, at the time.  Then I felt them lock onto my memories, and there 
was a yank."  He then looked up at Maura again, and glanced to Justin and 
Xyranthes as well.  "Then nothing for a period, then they were back.  After 
they repaired things in there, they explained to me all about what happened, 
though.  Unfortunately," he said as he glanced around a bit, "I think they're 
just GONE.  They didn't really come back out, but they aren't still inside me, 
either."

Then he turned back to the others again.  "Well, looks like it's just about 
dusk.  We should probably get moving, so we can have a little time with light 
as we go."  And as the group looked around, they noticed that it was beginning 
to darken in the east, as the sun set in the other direction.

Upon seeing Jonah return to consciousness, Justin pulled himself away from 
the tree a bit and headed towards Jonah.  "I'm glad to see you appear to 
have come out of that mess ok.  I was afraid those little things were 
going to mess you up thoroughly.  I think I wouldn't be feeling too well 
after a bunch of little sprites danced around in my head and started 
playing with my memories."  After saying this, Justin glazed over a second 
staring into empty space until someone said his name or in another way 
grabbed his attention.

Maura let go of Jonah's hand and started to gather her own things together for
the night's travel.  Still in her true form, she felt tired but very happy at
Jonah's recovered condition, and said so.  The Unicorn nudged her, and she
turned in time to see out of the very corner of her eye, something small by
the tree where Justin had stood.  A mind reached and touched hers for a
second, then it really was gone.  She grinned--she could not help it.  The
mind had said, "Great game!" and then good bye to her in the way of her own
planet.  She guessed it had picked it up when she touched minds in Jonah's
head.  Still grinning about it, she stood by the Unicorn and looked around at
the others to see if anyone else needed help getting ready.  Magic or
otherwise.

Upon seeing Maura getting ready to head out, Justin wearily adjusted his 
backpack so as to make it comfortable and snug.  Jonah commented, "Maybe we can 
continue some of the magic practice as we move.  I think I should be able to do 
a fair amout better now."  And he grimaced.  "I was kind-of *distracted* 
before, with all my jumbled memories.  Now that they're in some sort of order, 
I should be able to focus better."

Justin said, "You can try whatever you please on the trip, but I think I shall 
abstain.  I feel a bit drained already and we really didn't get a chance to 
rest this afternoon before heading out again, so I'm anticipating a long and 
tiring night.  My trying anything else would probably not help anyone.  Lead 
on!"

Justin then took position at the rear of the group as soon as everyone was 
ready to head out.

* * * * *

Once everyone was ready, the group mounted up (those with mounts) and started 
moving.  Twilight quickly faded to nighttime, at which point the group began 
allowing the Drake and Unicorn to guide them.

Over the course of the night, the party heard noises -- animals howling in the 
distance, rustlings in the foliage nearby -- but nothing came close enough to 
threaten the group.

Dawn came, and as the sun began climbing into the sky, the group searched out 
a good place to make camp.  Justin slept.  He was tired after such excitement 
the previous day, and needed to rest.  Jonah spent some time on magic practice, 
and was doing much better.  He managed to levitate a few pebbles with no damage 
to himself, and even tried his hand at a simple transformation.  Unfortunately, 
the leaf he tried to turn into a berry ended up as a large mass of red goo, but 
he had managed to get the consistency right, if not the structure.

They then settled in for the day, and started out again at dusk.  The group 
spent two more days traveling in this fashion -- Justin joined in the magical 
practices, working with Maura a bit on more transformations, and also worked on 
his proficiency with the bow.