dochermes

"My Reflection Is Laughing At Me"

3/22-3/25/2003

I.

It wasn't just that Megan and Ashley were two attractive young women walking briskly through the mountain town of Newkirk, Vermont that drew interested looks. Their contrasting color schemes were also striking. At five feet one, slim and waifish, Ashley Whitaker had shining silver-blonde hair, crystal blue eyes and skin its palest at the end of Winter. And she was wearing all white... high-top sneakers, jeans, blouse and light windbreaker.

A little bit taller and more solidly built, Megan Salenger had short black hair that was untidy as if she hadn't brushed it, dark thoughtful eyes and olive skin. Her clothing was black.. short boots, snug trousers and a waist-length jacket.

More than one passer-by seeing them was reminded of the old ads for Scotch that featured a little black dog and white dog, or a Yin-Yang symbol.

Ashley was on a rant about guitars. "...The annoying thing is that I can't get calluses on my fingers any more. The Tagra tea has elevated my healing factor so much that they won't form. Every time I touch the strings, it's like the first time. What am I going to do?"

"The benefits of our enhanced healing outweigh any slight drawbacks," Megan replied.

"There you go being reasonable again. You know what Jeremy told me? He said we would be wasting our time getting tats. He said Tel Shai knights can't keep tattoos. Our bodies just reject the ink in a day or two. Come on! Is that fair? I wanted something small and tasteful, not a whole sleeve."

"I do not see the appeal of marking one's skin that way," said the Trom Girl.

"And since my war name or call sign or whatever is Unicorn, I figured a small cute Unicorn up on my shoulder would be nice. I dunno about you, being raised by the Trom to be a world class genius in a hundred fields. Maybe a math equation? If you HAD to get inked, what would you choose?"

Megan slowed and tilted her head. "Ashley, you continually make me consider ideas that would never occur to me otherwise. There is a strong random element in your thinking."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the Unicorn smirked. "We mere Humans are creative and surprising in our humble way."

"Very true, but now we should concentrate on our assignment." Megan paused on the sidewalk next to a new elm. This was a rather upscale residential neighborhood where the houses and the cars were all well maintained and not a scrap of litter was to be seen.
They had left Megan's red Jeep Cherokee across the street in a convenient spot where they could pull out quickly if need be.

In front of them was a long one-story white frame house with a slate roof and a paved parking area big enough for several cars. Only a black BMW stood there at the moment. A discreet bronze plaque by the door read DR MYRON CRAWFORD, HYPNOTHERAPIST. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Megan took a step toward the door, but Ashley held her back by one arm.

"Wait a minute, Megs," said the Unicorn in a low voice. "I never asked you, what do the Trom think about hypnotism? Is it real or baloney?"

"We agree with the general consensus. Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness which affects the suggestibility of different people to greater or lesser degree. It is not an exact science with reliable results."

"Gotcha. Thanks, Science Nerd."

Megan had gotten used to her teammate's nicknames and was no longer annoyed by them. She pressed the round white doorbell twice and the door opened immediately.

"You're from the Kenneth Dred Foundation?" asked a mild voice. Myron Crawford seemed to be in his late fifties, well below average height, slight in build. Receding drab brown hair and a marked overbite did not add to his appearance. He was wearing a thick bathrobe over white flannel pajamas, with slippers.

By this time, Megan and Ashley had enough Kumundu training that they instantly appraised everyone they encountered. Crawford was not a credible threat. His body language indicated he was in considerable pain, favoring a stiff right leg and bending forward slightly. The subvocal tremors in his voice confirmed this. The two Tel Shai knights recognized that his discomfort was not from arthritis but from recent injury. A bruise up by his right ear added evidence.

"Yes, we called yesterday," Megan said. "Thank you for agreeing to see us. I understand your office is closed on Wednesdays."

"Ahh, the police have been here all morning anyway, and I suppose you are going to ask the same questions they did," he grumbled. "Please come in."

They were ushered past a waiting room with padded chairs and a wall rack of magazines into Crawford's office. Old-fashioned and reassuring with its wood-paneled walls and bookshelves, its furnishings included a long leatherbound couch with several throw pillows and two comfortable chairs. The desk was piled with papers, journals and a huge ceramic coffee mug with a picture of a total eclipse on it.

Lowering himself into the swivel chair behind his desk, Crawford sighed with relief. "Please make yourselves comfortable, young ladies. I have to say I'm still not quite clear on exactly what your foundation does? Or what it might have to do with me?"

Unicorn glanced over at her partner, who was turning one of the chairs to face Crawford. Megan took over speaking, "We're a non-profit research organization, doctor. One of our areas of interest is unusual crimes. Spree killers, impersonators, cults. There have been four robberies recently, with the common factor being that three of the victims are patients of yours."

"Yes, yes. You're Miss Whitaker?"

"I'm Megan Salenger. My teammate there is Ashley Whitaker. I doubt if the police are considering you as a likely suspect in these crimes."

"Indeed? They didn't give me that impression! They acted as if I'm as good as convicted but of course that's nonsense."

The Trom Girl was studying every detail of the room, from the titles of the reference books to a small ivory statuette of a rearing horse on a shelf to the conical lamp on a flexible stand next to the couch. But she replied instantly, "To gain access to George Schussler's window required considerable agility and forcing the gate at Dorothy Langhardt's house demanded respectable strength. Last night, the burglar was seen leaping down from a third story roof to a concrete sidewalk and running off. These feats could not be performed by any person not in peak athletic condition."

"Which leaves me out, of course," Crawford said sourly. "Oh, I know I'm not Olympic material. Have you spoken to my patients about their being robbed?"

"Not yet. I understand two of them were seeing you to quit smoking and one to lose weight. Is that accurate?"

"Oh, I can't discuss that," said Crawford. "That's confidential. You understand."

"Certainly. Dr Crawford, have you any conjectures of your own about these crimes?"

The therapist shrugged almost imperceptibly. "Nothing worth mentioning. I don't know much about crime."

At this point, Unicorn cut in, "I did want to ask you about your work. How does hypnosis work anyway? My mom thought it was some kind of sinister mind control."

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Crawford scoffed. "The truth is, the patient does it almost entirely by his or herself. The therapist just helps set up the relaxed and suggestible state of mind. You've heard the phrase, 'All I can do is help you help yourself?'"

"Oh, sure. You make it sound a bit like meditation," the little blonde said in a chirpier voice than she normally used.

"That's a fair statement." Crawford glanced back over at Megan. "If you don't mind my saying so, you ladies seem quite young to be investigating crimes. You don't seem to be more than college freshmen."

The Trom Girl rose smoothly to her feet. "We won't be taking up any more of your time right now, doctor, but I'm afraid we might have to trouble you again depending on developments."

Crawford got up to escort them back out, and Unicorn casually asked, "How'd you hurt your leg?"

"Tripped over my own feet like a fool," he laughed. "I'm no dancer. Well, good luck in your investigation, young ladies. My receptionist will be here tomorrow if you call. Goodbye." As he closed the door on them, Myron Crawford exhaled sharply and his face fell into a sullen scowl..

( the rest of the story )

"Passing Lane On the Highway To Hell"

3/28/2003

I.


"What is your knight even doing way over there? He's useless, absolutely useless. He can't even feed himself or wipe his own butt. I'd trade him for a used beat-up old pawn, if you asked me. Wait. When did you take my queen? I didn't even see it."

When the flow of chatter from Unicorn paused for a second, Megan Salenger looked up from the war helmet she was adding new circuits to. "Two moves ago. You were concentrating on trying to attack my rook on E4."

Ashley threw back her long platinum blonde hair and huffed."Are you sure you didn't zap me with your raygun and erase my memory for a few seconds?"

The Trom Girl replied calmly, "No. You are still reacting to moves as they happen. You need to look ahead four or five moves and position your pieces accordingly."

Studying her small magnetic chess set, Unicorn launched into another tirade. "I don't like the way your bishops work together. They're creepy. The two of them have got all the good openings blocked off, As soon as I learn some more strategy, I'll take out both bishops at the start of the game."

"You are both intelligent and adaptable, Ashley, but you lack patience. Your game will improve if you slow down and consider what your opponent is planning."

The little blonde pouted in a way that had melted many hearts. Ashley Whitaker had always been pretty and at twenty-two, she was gorgeous enough that people often forgot what they were doing as she passed by. She raised a piece, changed her mind and moved a pawn forward to block an advance.

"See, I know you're smarter than me," she said. "The Trom raised you to be a super-genius who could win a different Nobel Prize every year. But what I have is creativity! There's no way to predict what I'm going to next."

"You do have a strong random factor in your psychological makeup," the Trom Girl agreed. She clicked the chin bar on her helmet closed and painstakingly replaced the wire-thin tools to their case. Megan Salenger was a few years older than Ashley, a little heavier in build and a few inches taller. Her untidy short hair was black and she had dark inquisitive eyes to complete the contrast between the two of them.

Leaning over, Megan didn't even glance at the board before moving her queen down to B3. "That's mate. Your defenses are getting stronger."

Unicorn reacted as if she had been punched hard in the chest. "I am stricken, absolutely stricken. My life is ruined. I will have to wear a bag over my head so other players don't laugh at me."

Before Megan could reply, their captain appeared in the doorway of the office. "Glad to see you two are still here. I know this is your free day, Megan."

"Oh, no! She's got a clipboard..." said Unicorn. "It's not my turn to scrub out the refrigerator AGAIN?"

"Relax," Sable said as she crossed over behind her desk and settled into her swivel chair. "I've got a report from one of our observers of possible Midnight War activity. It might turn out to be nothing, most of our investigations do. But it might also turn out to be anything from Karl Eldritch to Red Sect to a pack of Skinwalkers."

"Better than putting on those yellow rubber gloves and kneeling in front of the refrigerator all day," Ashley grumbled. "Let me run up to my room and get my gear."

With the effortless agility of youth and regular exercise, she leaped up and dove out of the room. A second later, they heard her light footfalls racing up the stairs.

Sable tapped the small chess set and smiled. "She's been on this kick for a month now."

"Ashley tends to move from one hobby to another as soon as she feels a minimal competency."

"OH, yes. I remember her harmonica phase. Are you ready to go?"

Megan stood up, tucking her helmet under one arm. She was wearing her version of the KDF field suit, all black... boots, snug pants and a waist-length jacket. "My gravity shield is stowed in my Jeep, but my superiors have mentioned I should be more discreet about its use when I might be seen."

The Unicorn galloped back into the office and almost skidded to a stop. Instead of her usual all white outfit, she seemed to be going through a baby blue phase.. sneakers, jeans, T-shirt and denim jacket all that color with darker blue trim on collars and cuffs.

In her hands was a cylindrical white leather sheath three feet long, tapering to a point at one end. "Armor under my clothes, dart gun in the small of my back, emergency Kitkat bars in my jacket pocket. I'm bringing my Unicorn horn. If we meet any critters with gralic powers, I can shut them down. How about our briefing, captain?"

"Not much to go on, to be honest. One of our oldest observers reports a sighting in Jamaica.."

"Jamaica! We're going to Jamaica!"

"Jamaica, Queens. Calm down, Ashley. It's Bennett Ferguson, he was one of Jeremy's first observers and over the years he's been reliable. This time he says he saw a man standing by the rear wall of a pharmacy. As he watched, the man apparently melted through the wall and was gone from sight. A few minutes later, the man appeared again and ran off with a plastic shopping bag in one hand."

Megan had been listening intently and now she interrupted. "This would be the All-Stop Pharmacy at 446 Lincoln Avenue, wouldn't it? The staff is being questioned by the police because a large quantity of restricted painkillers is missing with no sign of a break-in. Fentanyl and Percocet were mentioned."

"Hey, wait," said Unicorn, "I didn't hear about this on the news."

"I skim a daily summary of police reports in the metropolitan area."

Unicorn pointed an accusatory finger. "Science Nerd, some day you are going to get in big trouble hacking into Pentagon and FBI and NYPD files the way you do."

Disregarding Ashley for the moment, Sable continued, "That's really all we have right now, I'm afraid.I want you two to go see Ferguson and get more details, look around the scene, ask some questions, the usual procedure."

Already moving for the door, Ashley was dangling her Unicorn horn by one strap. "On the job, captain! This guy will find me and Megan are a wall he can't walk through.

( the rest of the story )

"With a Name Like Holden MaGroin"

5/22/2003


I.

At eleven that morning, Jeremy Bane was met in front of the station by Lt Montez and escorted down a hallway lined with doors that had frosted glass panels explaining whose offices they were. At the end of the corridor was an alcove with a coffee machine and two folding metal chairs. At the moment, one of those chairs was occupied by a plainclothes detective who was sipping the coffee and staring morosely at the floor. He stood up as he saw Montez approach.

"Getting anywhere, Steve?" asked the Lieutenant. Joseph Montez would have been a good-looking man if he could have kept his weight down. He had glossy black hair and good features including a perfect smile. But he never seemed to be able to keep the pounds off for long. Right now, he seemed to be hitting 270. "You've been chatting with her all morning."

"Sorry," said the man unhappily. He was an average looking man, just over six feet tall and fit-looking. His most distinguishing feature was a lantern jaw. "Nothing seems to work with her. Offer carrot or stick, she just seems unconcerned. She did make her phone call and of course we got the number."

"And..?"

"A hotel in Times Square. 43rd and Madison, not that bad a place. Room 991."

Montez nodded, then turned to Bane. "If no one comes for her, of course we'll send two men to see who's staying there. Right now, we're a little short-staffed."

The Dire Wolf seemed expressionless, but then he normally kept a poker face when dealing with the NYPD. Six feet tall and thin to the point of seeming almost gaunt, Bane was wearing his usual outfit of black slacks, turtleneck and sport jacket. This was such a uniform for him that it would have unsettled people who knew him if he had shown up in colorful clothes.

"We might as well see if she's ready to talk," he said to Montez. Bane had cold grey eyes under heavy dark brows and he was intimidating without trying to be. "I'm not sure this is really a matter that falls in my territory."

"Wait and see," the Lieutenant answered, adjusting his belt in a futile attempt to be more comfortable. He opened a door that was not identified except with the number 4 and stepped through with Bane behind him. It was a standard interrogation room with a long table bolted to the floor and five of the metal folding chairs. One wall was taken up by the one-way mirror, the other side of which faced a darkened room where police could watch the suspects. There was also a painting opposite the door of a Western landscape for some reason.

The walls were covered with acoustic tile and, as the door clicked shut, the room was soundproofed. Montez heaved his bulk over and pulled out a chair facing where Sierra sat watching.

"Whoa, that poor chair," she said with a smirk. "Maybe you need a second one?"

Standing behind Montez, Bane took in details of the young woman instantly. From her accent, she had spent most of her life upstate. She was nineteen or twenty, a little over five foot eight and would weigh a hundred and twenty-two pounds. Sierra was a natural blonde, judging by the hairs visible on her bare arms, but that shaggy mane had been lightened with the contents of a bottle. Her eyes were dark blue with the shininess of youth, and her ears both were pierced with three holes. When she grinned, she showed good teeth except for one slightly crooked incisor. There was a faint white scar on the back of her left hand, mostly likely an old accident.

In an objective way, the Dire Wolf recognized she was very good-looking. Sierra had a babyface with plump cheeks and a soft chin, but her figure was exceptional. She was wearing cutoff jeans and a bright blue T-shirt, both too small for her, with apparently nothing under them. Bane did not react to her obvious sexy appeal, and he wasn't even aware that he didn't react. In some ways, he was so repressed and oblivious that he was unaware of it. He did reflect that the other strippers where she worked must resent her.

"So, you've had time to think, miss," Montez began.

"It's a good habit, you should try it," she interrupted.

He went on as if he hadn't heard her. "At nine-forty this morning, you rolled past a stop sign in full view of a police car. When you were pulled over, you had no registration or insurance papers for the car you were driving. Your license was valid, though."

"Hey, you wanna frisk me? Bet you'd enjoy it."

"And you were driving a new fire-engine red Maserati Ghibli. Those things start at a hundred thousand! You tell us it was a present."

"Men give me gifts, what can I say? I appeal to their paternal instincts." She turned her eyes over to Bane. "You've been quiet."

The Dire Wolf did not answer. He was watching her with his Kumundu training, judging the tension in her facial muscles, the subvocal tremors in her voice, the flicker of her eyelids. Beneath the wisecracks, she was seriously terrified. But of what, he wondered.

Seeing that Bane was not going to speak, Montez slapped a meaty palm on the table and went on. "Those are Italian plates on that car. That Maserati belongs to a CEO of a publishing house in Rome. How did you get possession of it?"

"How do you even find your thing to pee?" she asked. "My God, I thought my Uncle Ralph was fat but you..."

Now Bane stepped in, as Montez's face went red. He said sharply, "You're afraid of something, Sierra. What?"

"Me? What have I got to be afraid of? Maybe a zit before I go on stage."

There was a subdued knock on the door and the plainclothes Steve stuck just his head in. "Lieutenant, she has a visitor. He says he'll post whatever bail she wants."

"Holden! My hero," Sierra gushed as she jumped to her feet.

"You stay right there," grumbled Montez, pointing an accusatory finger. "Bail hasn't been set. You haven't even been formally charged yet. Steve, keep him out in the hall for right now."

As Montez struggled slightly to his feet, Sierra sang out, "Hey Steve, call for the crane!"

Bane moved over behind Sierra so he could watch both her and the people in the doorway at the same time. She leaned back her head and fluttered her eyelashes at him teasingly. The icy stare from those grey eyes seemed to unsettle her, though, and she settled down.

Standing in the doorway was a short, homely teenage boy in a extremely loud Hawaiian shirt and baggy cargo pants. He had a nose like a potato and an ugly haircut he seemed to have done himself with tinsnips. When he saw Sierra, he grinned lopsidedly. "Come on, babe, let's get out of here."

Just like that, Sierra vanished from the chair by the table and was standing next to the boy in the doorway. For the first time in many years, Bane's mouth fell open in shock.

( the rest of the story )

"The Ungrateful Dead"


2/17/2003


I.

When the doorbell rang, Jeremy Bane jumped up from behind his desk as if he had been stung by a scorpion. The newspaper he had been studying fell unnoticed to the floor. Crossing his office, he went through the open door to the tiny reception room, barely big enough to hold two chairs and a low table with a few magazines on it. On the wall was a 12" monitor and he checked the image on the security cameras he had installed himself in the hall outside. Two men were standing out there. Both were well-dressed and well-groomed, in early middle age, professionals or government employees in his estimation. Decades of training and experience went into the instant appraisal Bane gave them. The way they stood, the fit of their clothes, the degree of tension in their faces, the distance they kept between them... in a second, he had looked for a dozen clues that these two might be dangerous and he saw nothing to support the idea. And he suddenly remembered them from a decade earlier.

The Dire Wolf smiled faintly. A few years earlier at the KDF headquarters, he would have scanned these guys with sophisticated Trom sensors more detailed than CAT scans for weapons or poisons, and he would have gotten positive IDs if they were listed in NYPD or FBI files. But that was in the past. Now he had to trust his instincts. But then, most of the great villains were dead now and he mostly had to deal with lesser antagonists. He opened the door and said, "Good morning."

The taller, slightly balding man smiled politely. "Ah... Mr Bane, I hope?"

"I'm Bane. Can I help you?"

"I hope so. I don't know if you recall us."

"Absolutely," Bane said, gesturing for them to enter. As they passed through the reception room, the Dire Wolf glanced quickly around the lobby before closing the outer door just out of general suspicion. He followed the two men as they took seats in the two straightback chairs before the desk. Scooping up the newspaper and putting it to one side, Bane dropped down in his chair behind the desk. "Let's see, you're Francis Carnes and you- you're Barry H Sawyer. We met eight, no, nine years ago when I was tracking down Samhain. You were working for the Miami Attorney General's office, right?"

"Exactly," answered the taller one, Sawyer. "I'm impressed. We only met for a few minutes. We heard that Samhain was killed in a plane crash and you reported very briefly to the Attorney General before leaving the state."

"Samhain... well, that maniac has been reported killed a hundred times. The last I heard, he escaped custody by breaking both his thumbs to get out of handcuffs and jumping out of a police van going seventy on a highway. He hasn't been seen for a while."

( the rest of the story )

"Veronika Petrov and Her Killer Apes"

9/28/2003

I.

Crossing the Nebraska state line as dawn was coming up behind it, the CORBY maintained speed just below MACH-1. The black stealth copter had disengaged and locked its rotors. Its thrust came solely from the Trom impulse engines which worked on a principle Human technology did not even suspect at this point. Vibrations from air resistance were starting to noticeably shake the craft.

In the co-pilot seat, Lauren Sable Reilly turned her helmeted head toward Sheng. "Better throttle back a bit, Argent," she said quietly. "Either we break the sound barrier or we step down."

"Understood," said the young Chujiran. Sheng Mo-Yuan seemed to most observers to likely be Northern Chinese. His skin tones, facial bone structure, eyelid fold and coarse black hair indicated that. But he also had an arched eagle-like nose and higher cheekbones. That he actually came from the adjacent realm whose inhabitants were related to the Han people was not common knowledge. "Throttling down now."

From the rear compartment, Unicorn stuck her blonde head through the open clear divider into the cabin. "Hey! Someone stole the KitKat bar I hid back here."

"Ashley," said Sable with just a touch of criticism in her voice, "You know you should keep your snacks in your personal gear, not stowed in the middle of delicate scientific instruments."

"It was for emergencies," Unicorn muttered. At twenty-two, Ashley was the youngest members of the new KDF team and, at just five feet tall and barely one hundred pounds, she was also the smallest. In the all-white field suit she had ordered, with her long platinum-white hair and crystal blue eyes, she definitely had a snow elf look going. "You know, low blood sugar or the blues, something like that."

Gazing back in a equal mixture of fondness and disapproval, Sable asked, "What do you know about Nebraska, Ashley?"

"As if there's anything to know," she replied promptly. "HAH hah. No, seriously, right now we're deep in the Sand Hills in Northwest Nebraska. Umm, it's 20,000 square miles of grasslands and sand dunes with almost zero population. I think it's protected from development but honestly I doubt if anyone is rushing to put up towns or casinos or whatever here."

"I'm impressed," Sable said.

"Hey, I do my homework," replied the little blonde. "My mom raised me from infancy to be the second Unicorn. I know all kinds of useful information. Ask me about why you shouldn't eat polar bear liver."

"Maybe later. I think we're coming up on the site we were warned about. Sheng, what's our co-ordinates?"

As Argent read out longitude and latitude, Sable nodded. "Cut speed to one hundred. We're almost on top of it. Are you comfortable at the controls?"

"Me? Of course," Sheng scoffed. "If only Megan didn't keep moving dials and monitor screens around so often..."

That made Sable laugh. "Yes, our Trom Girl is constantly making upgrades and improvements. It's too bad she doesn't leaves notes taped to the controls."

Behind them, Unicorn rapped sharply on the compartment divider with her knuckles. "Oooh, look, look! There it is."

As the CORBY slowed even more, they spotted a narrow lake more than two miles long. It was sheltered between dunes that loomed up two hundred feet high. Sheng brought the craft to hover almost directly overhead. The vegetation on the perimeter of the lake was greener and more lush than most of the sparse dry grass which covered this upper half of Nebraska. "That's Dreary Lake, all right," Sable said.

As they approached they could see a wide expanse of stone ruins. It looked like an excavated ancient city, all flat platforms and broken columns and toppled statues made of pink stone. Standing apart at one end of the lake was a dark blue Bell helicopter. They could make out several dark figures milling around the craft but no details at this height. This prompted Unicorn to reach over and smack Sable on the shoulder.

"Hey, captain!" she urged. "Time for the ol' telescopic vision, eh?"

"I'm on it," Sable replied. Her special gift was enhancing her senses with gralic force and now she concentrated on extending her vision. The scene below abruptly seemed to leap up as if she was down at treetop level.

"There's a woman with red hair, she's wearing a flightsuit," she announced. "And... the others are three apes."

II.

"Wait, WHAT?" Unicorn snatched a pair of binoculars from where they were fastened on the wall and shoved her way through the divider halfway into the cabin. She gazed down through the windscreen, adjusting the binoculars.

"Ashley, dear," said Sable with remarkable patience, "There's only enough room for two people up here."

"Get OFF me!" Sheng shouted, leaning away from Unicorn and managing to keep control of the stick.

"Oh. My. God. They ARE apes," Ashley blurted. "They look like Chimps, maybe adults five and a half feet tall. But they have light grey fur? And they seem comfortable standing upright without using their arms? I don't even... Sable, what do you think?"

After a long hesitation, the KDF leader said, "I don't know. If they ARE chimps, they're an unknown species. I've never heard even vague references to grey-furred upright apes, either in legend or paleontology. But I do recognize the woman." Sable shook her head as her vision reverted to normal mode. "That's Veronika Alexandrovna Petrov. She's a Russian biochemist, her work is quite controversial. She's known by her first name like a celebrity. What she's doing here with three apes? I'm lost."

"She's obviously here for the same reason we are," Sheng put in. "The lost Zhune city. I vote we land and get some answers."

"Yes," Sable said. "Not too close, though. On the other side of the ruins, I think. They see us. Everything will depend on how they respond. Ashley, you ready?"

"Strapping on the wonderful Unicorn horn as we speak," the blonde answered. She took a cylindrical white leather sheath just over three feet long and fastened it across her back with a strap that crossed her chest. This was the talisman that her mother had used as the first Unicorn and which she had gifted to Ashley on her sixteenth birthday. Its ability to cancel spells and removed gralic abilities qualified her for KDF membership. "Thumbs up, good to go!"

In the co-pilot seat, Sable examined her gas-powered pistol again, inserted a clip and clicked it shut before holstering it by her right hip. "According to Jeremy, it takes five or six of the anesthetic darts to knock out a gorilla, and that's after more than a minute. I'd say three or four darts should incapacitate one of these smaller apes, but let's not take any chances."

From the back compartment, Ashley snorted. "I'm not letting them get too close to me in any case, I promise you that!"

The CORBY swung lower and they saw the woman and the three apes swivel their heads to watch it pass overhead. The Zhune ruins extended for almost a mile. As they flew by, the KDF members saw several buildings that had mostly collapsed, with the flat roofs partially caved in from weight of the sand that had covered them. There was a sort of amphitheatre with seats for a thousand participants arranged in circular benches at rising levels.

"Say, how come this place was never discovered before?" asked Sheng as he started to bring the CORBY down. "It's, you know, a little conspicuous."

"There were some strong tornadoes here recently," Sable explained. "I guess they blew a lot of loose sand away. A weather satellite picked up some anomalous images and the government flew a survey plane overhead. This was only two days ago. A spokesman from the Mandate called me to see if we were interested."

As the stealth copter settled gently onto its landing gear just outside the ruins, Sheng Mo-Yuan made a scoffing noise. "Unofficially and off the record, of course. No credit to us in the media, no support if we get in over our heads."

"Of course," Sable replied. "We wouldn't expect anything else from the Mandate." Her hatch slid open with a hiss as air escaped the pressurized cabin. "On your toes, team."

All three of the Tel Shai knights stepped out on the sand and sealed the CORBY. It would take hours for someone with a cutting torch to open the Trom-built craft now. As each of them lowered their visors, the field suits' systems kicked into gear to keep them cool and comfortable even in the desert heat.

"Zhune again," Unicorn mused. "Looks vaguely Minoan, don't you think? Those columns have Y-pattern tops."

"I thought we were done with Zhune. Or maybe it'd be more accurate for me to say, I'd hoped we were. With Karl Eldritch dead, no one knows the secret to charge up the Zhune artifacts," said Sable.

"That we know of," Sheng cut in. At five feet five, he was only a bit taller than Sable but much broader, with wide shoulders and thick arms and legs. He automatically took the lead to protect his teammates. As Argent, his specialty was that he could channel gralic force into his body to increase his strength, speed or durability.. but only one attribute at a time. It had occured to him, although he had not mentioned it, that he was the only KDF member on this case with physical powers. Sable had enhanced perception and Unicorn had the Horn which removed gralic force from enemies. But as far as physical prowess went, they themselves were just normal Humans.

True, he thought, both his teammates were wearing Trom armor under their field suits. The armor was thin and flexible as silk, yet provided better protection than Kevlar or ceramic plate would because it dispersed any impact over its entire surface and would do so repeatedly. In fact, they all had a second layer of the Trom armor inside their waist-length jackets for further protection of their vital organs. Argent still led the way. He felt better knowing he could survive more damage than they could and it gave him satisfaction. He liked protecting people and to be honest his ego thrived on it.

They strode across through the ruins, trying not to get sidetracked by curiosity about the strange fallen statues of men with bull heads or one-story buildings with open empty doorways and slit windows. Everything seemed to be made of the same rose-pink stone. "Say," Sheng asked after a few minutes, "Just what is the story with Zhune anyway? What makes it more special than Ur or Sumer or those other early civilizations?"

Hopping lightly over rubble, Unicorn took it upon herself to answer. "Well, as I understand it, Zhune flourished right after the Darthan Age ended. The world basically hit a cosmic reset button. Jordyn reshaped the lands and seas and erased nearly all evidence of the Darthan Age. Zhune was founded by Humans who somehow remembered it all."

"Really. So it's older than the Middle East societies that sprang up around the Tigris river?"

"By over twelve thousand years," Ashley said. "The Zhunites had some genuine geniuses among them. They discovered the ultimate secret of the universe, how to convert matter into energy and energy into matter. This charged their artifacts which what they called primal atomic fire. That was what made Karl Eldritch so dangerous."

"I've read what some of the Zhune relics could do." Argent sounded skeptical. "Whacky stuff. If anyone other than Jeremy had witnessed those effects, I would never believe any of it. A shrink ray. Switching minds from one body to another. Letting a person walk through solid walls--"

"Hush a second, please." Sable stepped around past Sheng and held up her gloved hands. She had raised her visor and, when she cocked her head, they both knew she was enhancing her hearing. "Wait. Veronika and the animals are just ahead of us. They're out of sight behind that building. They are moving around. Now they are standing completely still...."

As she finished speaking, an intolerable flare of pure white light flooded over them. Even through their protective visors, Unicorn and Argent were dazzled. Sable had turned her head and covered her eyes at the last split-second. A rushing sound like a great river passed over them, then there was silence.

"Come on." Sable took off at a full run, and her partners immediately followed close behind. They hurried around the corner of the final structure and came to an abrupt halt. There before them was an open flat area on which sat an elaborate apparatus made of dark coppery metal. Four raised discs big enough to stand upon were connected by thick cables, and the discs were themselves hooked up to a head-high post covered with small projections and incised patterns. Steam rose from this post swirled into the hot dry air.

Standing on three of the discs were the strange grey apes. This close, they seemed immensely menacing. They stood upright without discomfort, long arms down by their sides. The dark deepset eyes regarded the approaching Tel Shai knights with grave hostility. One of them growled deep in his chest.

On the fourth disc was a tall woman in a beige flightsuit that had a flap holster on its web belt. In her early forties, she was handsome rather than beautiful, with a strong jawline and beaked nose. Dark auburn hair hung loosely down her back. With a strong Georgian accent, Veronika Petrov announced, "You are too late." She laughed and snapped her fingers. "Too late!"

III.

Stepping closer, hand on the butt of her dart gun, Lauren Sable Reilly took command. "Veronika Petrov, isn't it? What are you doing in the United States?"

The auburn-haired woman could barely restrain her glee. "Oh, do not feign ignorance, Sable. You know quite well who I am. As I recognize you. The Midnight War is a small world. Come, my boys, step forward." As she spoke, she got off the slightly raised disc and the three apes followed her example quickly enough.

Watching the great beasts warily, Sable said, "What species are they, anyway? I've never seen anything like them."

"Nor will you again," answered Veronika. She stood with feet well apart, arms folded across her chest. "They came from Okali more than two hundred years ago. Russian biologists have been breeding them and training them all this time. There are less than twenty surviving and these three are.. more my family than my pets. Galuboi, Krahsnyi, Zhohltyi. Or Blue, Red and Green if you like."

Behind her teammates, Ashley unslung the sheath across her back and drew out the Unicorn horn. Three feet long, capped with silver at its flat end and tapering to a needle-sharp point, the ivory talisman felt almost painfully warm in her hands. It meant she was in the presence of a mortal threat.

"Hah," scoffed Veronika. "The young Unicorn. Just a child. And the boy from Chujir. This is your new team of Tel Shai knights? You are not as impressive as those who went before you."

"Never mind that," Sable said. "And never mind your presence in America for the moment. What just happened with that artifact? What was that flash of light?"

Veronika Petrov held out a hand and the three grey apes came closer to her. They walked like Humans, but with a noticeable rolling gait. Occasionally, one would drop down to support its weight on its arms. When they did this, they looked much more like normal chimpanzees. This close, it could be seen that each indeed had a narrow leather collar of a different color... dark blue, red or green.

"These are my boys," she said proudly. "There was still just enough charge lingering in that mechanism for it to work one final time. That was why it was so important for us to reach it before you Tel Shai people."

Sable felt her skin crawl at the way the apes were watching and listening. It was not the blank gaze of animals. There was obvious thoughtful intelligence in those eyes, even more than in normal chimps she had seen. "What did that machine do to you?" she demanded.

"Let us show you!" shouted the Russian woman. Even before she spoke, the ape with the red collar plunged forward quicker than a cobra striking. Argent had thought he was already on guard but he was taken by surprise at just how quickly the animal moved. Two open paws slammed against his helmet in successive blurs that rocked his head from side to side, then the grey ape lifted him bodily and slammed him against a broken stone pillar. An unprotected person would have been either killed by that impact or suffered crippling injuries. Even Sheng was dazed beyond fighting back as the ape continued to pound on him.

It had been less than a full second but Sable already responded by whipping up her dart gun and extending her arm, only to have the weapon slapped out of her hand as another open paw smashed into her stomach. A normal chimp is much stronger than any Human and these grey apes had upright stances for better footing which made their blows even more powerful. Sable's breath was forced from her lungs with a whoosh and a following slap across the head sent her tumbling to one side in a sort of cartwheel.

Everything happened simultaneously, as if the beasts had been given some silent signal. Ashley Whitaker was raising the Horn overhead when the ape with the green collar galloped up and landed right on top of her. Its weight left her stunned and breathless for a split-second, then the animal was smashing brutal open-handed blows against her helmet and all over her body. The slaps sounded loud as gunshots.

In the following instant, Veronika ran up, seized the Unicorn horn from Ashley's limp hand and dashed away with it. The green-collared ape, Zhohltyi, flung the blonde over its shoulder and hurried after the Russian woman with the other two beasts right behind it.

IV.

Almost ten minutes passed before Sable and Argent struggled back up into full awareness. They had not been knocked completely unconscious but had been dazed enough that they had trouble figuring out what had happened. Tel Shai knights had enhanced healing from the diet of Tagra tea, made from a plant found nowhere else but at Tel Shai. Both of them had been on Tagra for three years. Their recuperative factor was nowhere near at its peak yet, but it did allow them to bounce back from trauma that would keep normal Humans in the ER for a few days. Tiny bone breaks and bruising went away quickly.

Sable sat up, unlatched her helmet and took deep bracing breaths. Her thick black hair was tied at the back of her head, and her dark eyes were angry. Sable had a distinctive face with olive skin, a snub upturned nose and full lips as a mixture of her Irish father and Cuban mother. As she looked around, she said, "Unicorn?"

"I think the apes took her," Sheng Mo-Yuan grumbled. He shifted the gralic focus in his body to greater strength and stood up. With a thumb to his left ear pod, he caused his visor to slide up in its track within the helmet. He found his right sleeve was chewed up, exposing the sheen of the flexible Trom armor beneath. He was grateful seeing it, knowing that armor had prevented the ape's fangs from biting clear through his arm. "Let's go, captain. You can track them if anyone can."

"Yes, of course." She got to her feet and rotated her shoulders stiffly. "We took a beating but that never stopped us before. Now we know what we're facing." Sable drew her dart gun and adjusted its mechanism. "I'm setting it to automatic. Half a clip in each burst. Six darts in one of the animals will knock it out for hours."

"Got it," Argent answered as he did the same with his own weapon. "I didn't even get a chance to fight back but I'll be ready this time. Those apes will get a lesson in natural selection!"

Sable sniffed once and made a disgusted noise. "God help me, what a stink. I hardly need my powers to follow the smell. I doubt she shampoos those animals on a regular basis." She started off at a trot through the ruins.

As they ran, Sheng asked, "What do you know about this Veronika woman? I haven't heard of her."

"She seems to be distantly related to Seth and Ethan Petrov, the Weapons Masters. Ethan was a KDF associate for a short time but went rogue. Veronika has done some innovative work in biochemistry. I remember something about an enzyme that helped fight memory loss in the elderly. When she started working with trained apes for whatever reason, I can't imagine."

They paused for a second as they spotted bits of the copper metal behind a pile of rubble. There were only scraps of some artifact, bits and pieces that did not seem to add up to a complete mechanism. "I think we can ignore this. Unless Veronika finds another relic in better shape, she won't be gaining any weird abilities."

"You know, captain," Argent offered, "I didn't hear her give those apes any attack signal. Not even a hand gesture."

"That's been worrying me, too. I'm trying to figure out how that machine changed her and her friends but it doesn't make sense so far." She let out a deep breath. "Right now, our priority is making sure Ashley is safe." She set out again with Sheng right beside her.

As they rounded a long building that had its roof collapsed and one wall merely a pile of rubble, both KDF members came to halt with their weapons swinging up. Not sixty feet away were Veronika and two of the apes.

The Russian woman was holding a Parabellum in her right hand, extended but not aimed at her enemies. On either side of her stood one of her animals, obviously tense and ready to attack. "Not a move," Veronika warned. "Your teammate is in a secure place with Zhohltyi guarding her. If we are harmed, my Green boy will not leave much of her intact. My boys have each killed human beings many times."

"Yeah?" demanded Sheng. "And how will he know?"

"Because I am in telepathic control of my boys," said the Russian scientist. Her satisfied smirk was unbearable. "Isn't it obvious? I was always the only one they obeyed and now my command of them is complete."

The Chujiran took a defiant step forward. "So if you were to die suddenly enough..."

"Oh, please," said Veronika. "Do you take me for a fool? I know all about your harmless anesthetic darts. You are well known for trying to capture your opponents alive. See, here is my Red one, Krahsnyi, and my Blue one, Galuboi. Krasnyi has had his natural strength amplied a hundred times by the Zhune science. I think he could now lift a city bus over head. Galuboi is faster now, quick enough that he charge at you in between your anesthetic darts and not be hit."

"So that's what the Zhune relic did to you?" Sable asked.

"Hah! Yes, absolutely. So far, Zhohltyi has not shown any outward changes," Veronika adnmitted. "It will become clear in time how my Green one has been improved. For the moment, he can guard your little Unicorn."

"Time to get to terms," Sable said. "What do you want, Veronika?"

"I demand your surrender," the Russian answered. "To be prudent, I should execute you all immediately. You Tel Shai knights are well known for cunning and surprises. But I have always been too soft-hearted for this game. I will disarm you and keep you all under guard until I see if there are any more working relics in this lost city."

"And then?"

"We shall see," Veronika said with her smug grin. "Right now, unless you want my Zhohltyi to pull the arms and legs off your pretty blonde, place your weapons on the ground and then raise your hands. He has killed for me before." She extended her arm full length and aimed the barrel of her Luger directly at Sable's exposed face. "I have the upper hand, my friends. You have no options."

As the final words left her lips, her gun vanished in a flash of the blinding white light. Veronika gasped and fell back a step. At the same time, the dart guns also disappeared in bursts of the pure light, leaving Sable and Argent holding out their empty hands.

"What the hell...?" yelled Veronika, flexing her hand to see if it had been damaged.

From behind them came a deep, mellow voice. "There will be no more fighting."

IV.


"Aw, mom, five minutes more, please," Ashley Whitaker mumbled before rolling over and getting up on one elbow. Her head was clearing. She was lying on a cold bare stone floor in near darkness. Thin slices of daylight came in through narrow openings high up on the walls. Unicorn rubbed her aching chest and sat up. "Geez, it smells like a zoo in here.." she began to say before freezing in place.

Just beyond arm's reach, one of the grey-furred apes squatted on its haunches and stared at her. Everything came back to her at once. On her side away from the beast, her hand reached to the flap holster on her belt to find it empty. And her Unicorn Horn was gone.

"What's really funny," she said out loud, "Is that I said I wasn't going to let you guys get anywhere near me." The visor on her helmet was up and she considering lowering it just to cut off the smell but decided against any sudden movement. Her body ached all over, but she knew the enhanced healing would be kicking in at any moment. The pain and stiffness would go away, it was the immediate threat that concerned her.

Seeing that the ape appeared rather calm at the moment, Ashley did not intend to do anything to stir him up. In her sweetest voice, she whispered, "Aw, you don't want to hurt me, do you fella? I never did anything to you. Animals always liked me. Stray dogs followed me home all the time. I bet it's that mean old witch who made you do this..."

The grey-furred beast stood up and went over to shove aside the slab of rock which had sealed the doorway. Fresh air and sunlight poured in. He turned and watched Ashley with what seemed to be expectation.

"Thank you so much," she said with a smile. "That's much appreciated. I'm going to go with the assumption that you can understand me when I talk, despite no evidence that you can. But then I do that with a lot of people I know, ha ha." Thinking it might help, she unlatched her helmet where it fastened under the chin and lifted it up. The platinum hair gleamed like silver where the sunlight hit it.

The ape came closer, bending over and peering at her but making no move to touch. Unicorn decided to take a huge chance. She leaned forward and held out the end of her hair. He still didn't actually touch it but he did sniff and seemed to enjoy the scent of her conditioner. His reactions were difficult to read but the ape took a few more sniffs and then went over to plop down by the opening.

Ashley considered her options. The dart gun was out. If the anesthetic darts enraged the beast and took a minute to knock him out, she would be killed. She wasn't sure about using one of the dazzlers either. The blinding flash and deafening concussion might stun the ape, but he was blocking the doorway and she couldn't see how she could get safely past him even if he was dazed. The combination smoke and tear gas capsules had the same drawback.

There didn't seem to be a good way to escape at the moment. Unicorn sighed and settled back herself. She wanted desperately to know if Sable and Sheng were safe, but taking out her Link to contact them might alarm the ape. As she leaned back against the rough interior wall, something else occured to her. Reaching slowly into the inside left pocket of her field jacket, she drew out two large granola bars she had stowed in there before leaving the CORBY. She unwrapped one.

The ape sniffed audibly and got to his feet with a grunt. The bars had peanuts, oatmeal, raisins and coconut shreds in them. Ashley took a tiny nibble off one end and extended the rest of the bar. Without hesitation, the beast snatched it, stuck the whole thing in his mouth and chewed contentedly. After a few seconds, he spit out the wrapper.

This close, she decided that this was not a chimpanzee at all. She had seen both chimps and bonobos at close range. The hip structure was different, the arms were not as long in relation to the body and the hands had shorter palms. In fact, the hands looked as if they could grasp as precisely as Human hands. She also noticed the bright green leather collar with a ring attached.

What had that awful woman called this one? The Russian word for 'green,' that was it. "So you like granola, eh? Zhohltyi? You're a good boy, Zhohltyi."

Hearing his name, the animal gave a start and stared at Ashley even more intently. Then he became distracted. The ape pressed both hands to the sides of his head, moaning and rocking back and forth. She was terrified he was suffering an allergic reaction to the granola and would take it out on her. But the moment passed. Zhohltyi stood up and faced the open doorway for a long minute, then came back and took her by the arm. Unicorn knew not to resist. Grabbing her helmet in one hand, she went along with him as he lumbered out the door.

They had been inside a small structure made of the pink stone, with a flat roof and high narrow slits for windows. Leaning against the wall just outside the opening was her Horn. Ashley's heart skipped a beat in excitement as she dropped the helmet and managed to grab the Horn when they passed. The helmets could always be replaced, but there was only one Unicorn Horn like hers.

Zhohltyi kept a grip on her arm down by the wrist, not squeezing enough to hurt her as he strode through the ruins. There was purpose in his walk. She realized he had changed in some way.

VIII.

Everyone turned in confusion to see a nearly-naked elderly man standing on a broken column. The man was bald and skinny to the point of starvation, with space showing between each rib. His arms and legs looked like sticks. All he wore was a twist of white cloth wrapped around his groin. He should have appeared feeble and helpless.

And yet...

The old man was standing upright, head high, not resting for support on anything. In the bony face, sunken dark eyes gleamed with life and vitality. He stepped down off the piece of stone with an ease and confidence that a teenager might have envied.

"Hasn't there been enough violence?" he asked simply in a gentle tone.

"Galuboi! Krahsnyi! Rip him apart!" screamed Veronika.

The two apes did not respond. When the old man glanced at them, they whimpered and shrank back to hide behind their mistress. Veronika scowled down at them with barely repressed rage. She reached behind her and drew a combat knife with a serrated edge.

"I don't know who you are, grandfather-" She stopped with a gasp as the knife vanished with a burst of the fierce white light just as her gun had. "How...?"

"Matter into energy," said the old man. "Energy into matter. The ultimate secret of the universe, the greatest discovery of the Zhune philosophers."

Sable was first to regain her wits. "You found artifacts here that taught you that?"

The old man beamed benevolently at her as if she were a favorite student giving the correct answer. "Yes. I have been here for an indeterminate time. One of the first artifacts I uncovered was a helmet that taught me everything I sought to learn."

"Who are you?" asked Sable, unaccountably relaxing a little. As dangerous as the old man undoubtedly was, she did not feel threatened by him. Her instincts about people were invariably good. "What's your name?"

"Who was I? It does not matter. That person is gone now." He regarded her evenly. "I can see you have found some inner balance. You have found a cause and you try to be righteous. The young man is farther behind you but he is on the same path."

"Fair enough," said Sheng.

"Forgive me," Sable went on. She unfastened her helmet and raised it so the old man could see her face. As long as he was reaching conclusions about her, she felt her facial expressions wouldn't hurt. "But I don't understand. What abilities have you gained? What have you learned from the Zhune relics?"

The old man still watched her with what was beginning to look like affection. "I can not explain. Where would I begin? I'm sorry."

"That's all right," she replied, starting to lower her shoulders and feeling this might turn out for the best.

The old man turned his eyes sadly toward Veronika Petrov. A sterner tone came into his voice. "You have done so much harm, not for a greater good but only from vanity and malice. Your time has nearly ended."

"What...?"

"What am I going to do to you, you ask? Nothing. Everything already contains the seed of its destruction." He turned back to Sable and Argent. "There are no remaining mechanisms here which will function for anyone but myself. You should leave. I am going to convert these ruins and you would not survive it."

"Wait," Sable interrupted. "Isn't there wisdom you could reveal to us? Could you give us guidance? Even a few clues or hints?"

The skinny old man raised one gnarled finger to silence her. "You will learn what you need when you need to," he said. "We will not meet again."

The entire world seemed to explode into radiance that left them stupefied and confused. Because of the Tagra diet and their Kumundu training, Sable and Sheng were first to recover. They blinked and shook their heads and gazed at each other in wonder. There was no trace of the strange old man.

"Did he just turn himself into light?" demanded Sheng Mo-Yuan. "That's crazy. I never heard of such a thing."

"That must be how he travels. He reverts to his physical body when he arrives where he wants to go." Sable seemed shaken, she dropped her helmet and had to bend to pick it up again. "He apparently has learned more than Karl Eldritch ever did."

"And what about this Russian bad girl over here and her killer apes?" Argent jerked a thumb toward them. "Maybe the old man didn't feel like they need to be punished but I am not so spiritual."

"Stay back! My boys will rip you apart!" Veronika warned but the two apes were still cowering behind her, as frightened as toddlers facing strangers.

The young Chujiran laughed openly. "They are in no condition to rip anyone apart. Neither are you. Look at your hands. They're shaking so hard you couldn't hold a straw, let alone a gun if you had one."

Sable placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wait, Sheng. I hear footsteps. Yes. Ashley is alive and well, I'd recognize her gait anywhere. She's walking next to the third ape."

"Zhohltyi?" said Veronika. "Good, good, my Green boy will not let me down."

Over a head-high pile of debris, Unicorn and the grey-furred ape appeared side by side. Zhohltyi released Ashley's wrist and the blonde girl scurried down to join her teammates, holding the Horn in one hand as its sheath had been lost at some point. "Oh man, am I glad to see you guys! It's been an interesting day."

"You don't know the half of it," Sable told her.

Veronika Petrov gestured imperiously for the third ape to join them. "Hurry! Come down here, my Green boy. I order.. order..." Her voice trailed off into silence.

"NOW what?" yelled Sheng. "I swear, I understand maybe a third of what has been going on today."

Making its way down to join everyone, the third ape held up one hand and waved to his brethren. Galuboi and Krahsnyi straightened up and shambled over to join him. Then Zhohltyi beckoned Veronika to come over as well. She gave a pantomime of someone being forced against her will to take first one grudging step and then another. Every movement was jerky and forced. It was unsettling to watch.

The Russian woman turned pleading eyes on the KDF members. "Help..."

Sable responding by folding her arms and shaking her head. "It seems like the Green one has developed his new attributes at last."

"He has stronger telepathy than she does!" Unicorn chirped with delight. "He's taken control of her and the other two. Good boy, Zhohltyi. That's my pal."

Seeing the baffled expressions on their faces, Unicorn explained, "We got along fine. He's a great guy if you get past his looks."

Zhohltyi was leading Veronika and the other apes in the direction of the Dreary Lake, where their helicopter was tethered. He turned back to give the three Tel Shai knights a pensive look.

Surprising everyone, Unicorn ran over to hand him the remaining granola bar. He accepted it gravely, jamming it into his mouth with its wrapper still on, and bowed his massive head. The blonde girl said, "See ya around," and trotted back to rejoin her friends.

The Russian biochemist and three grey-furred apes walked off slowly into the distance. Watching them go, Unicorn fought down an urge to wave. They were after all killer apes that had been used by an international criminal.

Sheng Mo-Yuan found a flat boulder and plopped down heavily. "So that ape is going to use telepathy to force the Russian woman to fly their helicopter wherever they're going? Life gets crazier even when you think it's hit a top limit. I'm exhausted," he told his friends. "My brain is too full of things it can't digest."

Placing a hand upon his shoulder, Sable said, "It's not over yet. Ashley, run ahead and get the CORBY untethered and warming up. We may not have much time to escape."

Within a few minutes, they were settling at their stations within the stealth copter. The pastel lights all over the control panel glowed steady pale blues and greens. All the numbers on gauges and dials were where they should be. Overhead, the four rotors began to turn. Strapped into the pilot seat, Sable turned to her partners. "You guys set?"

From the back compartment, fastening the restraints on shins and across his chest which held him to the bench, Sheng answered, "Ready."

"Good to go," Ashley piped up from the co-pilot seat. "But captain! My helmet. We have to stop and pick it up. Not only don't we want anyone to find the Trom technology in it, paying for it would come out of my stipend."

"I don't think we have to have to worry about your helmet," Sable said as she pulled back on the cyclic stick. The CORBY rose smoothly straight up, then lowered its nose and rolled forward with increasing speed. As soon as the copter got a few miles away from the Zhune city, the cabin was flooded with intolerable white light. Everyone was dazzled once again.

Sable kept the craft flying level until her sight cleared. Nothing was ahead at their altitude for hundred of miles. As she blinked and wiped tears away, she exhaled in sheer relief. "Now it's over. Any expeditions coming out here will not find a trace of the ruins."

"Really?" Unicorn was looking back as the site receded into the distance. "Wow. Hey, you guys.. what did I miss?"

3/29/2017

"Doc Valentine and His Pal Bogus"

4/6/2003

I.


Eleven o'clock on an early spring evening, and Jeremy Bane walked quickly up 11th Avenue near 109th Street. It wasn't the best neighborhood. Two punks in a doorway fingered the knives in their coat pockets and wondered if this stranger had enough money on him to make it worth the effort. But something about him made them draw back. They could not find an exact reason. The way he moved, the confidence, the alertness in those grey eyes were all signals he would not be an easy victim. As he drew near, they actually shrank back a little. Bane was not huge nor muscular, just six feet tall and maybe a hundred and eighty pounds. He was not covered with tattoos that meant he had killed people, and he did not have visible scars. He did not need any of these to be intimidating.

The Dire Wolf turned left and went another block over. This was the last address he had for Doc Valentine. It was a weathered white stone building only four stories high, with two front doors and a sign ROOMS AVAILABLE. Between the two doors was a ledge bearing a row of pathetically dry and dying plants. One door was ajar and Bane pushed it inward to look at the row of pushbuttons with names. Nothing seemed likely. He tried the other door and found it was locked. Breaking and entry number nine hundred, he thought sadly. Without seeming to use much effort, he drew back his elbow and slammed the heel of his hand just above the doorknob. Metal snapped and the door swung inward. He checked the row of names and spotted "Obadiah Q. Sneed" on the third floor.

That had to be Doc Valentine, he thought sourly, him and his ridiculous aliases. You'd think a con man would use more plausible names. Bane trotted easily up the stairs and rapped sharply on the designated door. A nasal voice called out, "He's not here."

The Dire Wolf rarely evidenced a sense of humor. "I've got the money I owe you," he called.

At once, the door was flung inward and a round, blotched face thrust out. The bulbous nose had broken blood vessels and the blonde hair was thin. "You restore my faith in-- Great Caesar's Ghost!" Valentine tried to jump back and slam the door but Bane was already pushing him backwards.

"We need to talk." Bane closed the door behind him. The rented rooms were threadbare and dismal, with cracked plaster on the walls and dubious stains on the ancient couch. On a low coffee table was a nearly empty bottle of gin, a tumbler and five shot glasses.

He had to ask. "Why do you need all those shot glasses?"

"In case of guests," came the drawling answer. "Jeremy, you are like a son to me."

"No, I'm not. Anyone else here?"

"You are the first human being to step through that door in ages." Doc Valentine plopped unceremoniously down and finished off the gin as if he were afraid Bane was going to ask for some, then daintly wiped his lips with a handkerchief from his breast pocket. He was wearing an old-fashioned single-breasted suit with a carnation in the label. "Where's that money you owed me?"

"I don't owe you money. I just said that so you'd let me in. Listen, Doc. I just came from the police station on 20th Street."

"So glad they released you, my boy."

"I wasn't a suspect!" Bane snapped. He hated dealing with this old degenerate. "Lt Montez asked me to watch some video of a robbery. A man walks into a liquor store near Times Square. Short, dumpy guy with hairy arms and a gold watch on the right wrist. Looks Italian, in his forties. He snatches up a quart of gin in each hand, turns and walks right out the door. The owner of the liquor store squawks and goes after him. Here's where things get weird. The security camera shows the robber step out through the door and turn right. That man is not seen again. Through the front window of the store we see a tall thin man with with a beard walking to the right and he is holding both bottles of gin. The store owner has reached the door and he naturally turns right. No robber in sight. Standing on the sidewalk is a man who answers your description."

"Untenable blathering," said Doc Valentine. "I am certain there are many who resemble me in our fair city."

"Wearing a straw hat? With a sixty-inch waist and a walking stick? And that nose?"

"You hurt me, Jeremy. My nose was injured in the war."

"Montez is stuck for an explanation and I can't figure it out either. But then, he doesn't know you. You've pulled some cute swindles in your day, Doc. What's the story this time?"

"Ah, Jeremy. My conscience is as white as the snow on Christmas Eve. I am sure I have the receipt for that bottle of the life-giving liquid on the table, if that is what you are driving at. My doctor recommends it for palpitations."

To himself, Jeremy Bane began to count down from a hundred. Every time he crossed paths with Doc Valentine was a severe trial. Letting out a deep breath, he said, "What did you see in front of the liquor store?"

"Deny everything, don't leave tips if you're never going back there and always sit by the door, those are words I live by. I say, my boy, have you eaten? I could coddle an egg and make some pumpernickel toast if you like."

As Bane prayed for strength, he felt something funny about the chair he was sitting in. It seemed warm to the touch and a bit yielding for a plain straightback chair with no mat. He turned his head and looked back over his shoulder just as a living eye opened in the back of the chair.

It was the first time he had ever screamed in alarm that he could remember. The Dire wolf was up and on his feet in a tiny fraction of a second, spinning around with one of the silver-bladed daggers appearing in his hand from its forearm sheath. As he watched in horror, a second eye opened and the first slid over to make room. The chair stared at him for a second, then the eyes closed and left no trace behind.

Bane bent closer and peered suspiciouly. "Doc, what WAS that?"

"Did a flea bite you? Bought that chair at a flea market."

The chair seemed ordinary enough, even mundane with its varnish chipped away and a cigarette burn on the seat. "I know I'm not going to get any cooperation from you."

"Did I ever tell you about the curious customs of the Poodalompa people of Paraguay? They used to tie their unruly children to a chair much like that one and then soak them in tepid water-"

Valentine's unlikely reminiscences were cut short as Bane poked the chair with the dagger he still had, hard enough to try to chip off a splinter. In an instant, the object swelled up, expanded, became a manlike shape that shot out a hard square block on an extension like a thick tentacle. It caught Bane in the face with brutal force, snapping his head around and throwing him back off his feet.

"Time to vacate the premises," he heard Doc Valentine mutter. "Ah, the rent was due anyway."

( the rest of the story )