| Phase 40 Before she could ask what he meant, Matik was gone. Elly looked down at Sala, who was happily bouncing on the bed. � He was all business, wasn�t he?� Matik returned to Bart�s room, where Sigurd was now having a talk with the young captain. The dragon laid beside his human, who began to pet him absently as he talked. � I don�t know exactly what your problem is, but it�s about Kris, isn�t it?� Bart was silent for a long while. � Sig, I have no idea how it happened. I just . . . opened my big mouth and told her in so many words that I loved her.� Sigurd was caught by surprise. He had expected an argument, not this. � So what happened? Did she get upset?� � Yes. No. I don�t know! I turned my back on her and left.� � Then why are you treating her the way you are?� � Because as soon as I said it, I realized how absurd it was.� � What did you say?� � I said that if I couldn�t marry her I didn�t want to be King.� Sigurd was rather surprised that Bart had made such a bold statement. Considering his entire track record with apologies and thank yous, declarations of love would be next to impossible for him. � And why is that absurd?� � I have a duty to be the king. I mean, it�s either Kris or Aveh . . . The decision was made for me when I was born! Besides, you and Maison wouldn�t let me marry a �commoner�, would you?� � We would only prefer that you marry a noble, Bartholomew. If you love Kris that much, we won�t stop you.� Bart finally looked up at Sigurd. � You won�t?� Sigurd laughed. � Bartholomew, you have to get along with your queen, even if you don�t love her. I get the feeling that any noble you married would be too stiff for your liking and you�d hate her. And you not only get along with Kris exceptionally well, but you love her. Personally, I think she would make a great queen. But, as usual, that is entirely your decision.� � You have to be kidding.� � Well I�m not. Maison and I talked about it last week in the hideout.� � I never heard it.� � Because you were in your room, snuggling with Kris.� � Oh . . .� *>*<* I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned. Who I saw made me jump. � Lyn! Don�t scare me like that!� � Sorry. Just making sure you knew that I upgraded Axyl for you. She�s Axyl S240 now, okay?� � Okay.� � I don�t have to explain everything to you again, do I?� � No, I remember.� � Good. Because I don�t remember what I said.� � Kris!� I turned. � Hey, Fei!� He didn�t notice Lyn until she moved. � Who�re you?� Lyn snorted. � I�m Lyn. And you are . . .?� Fei looked at me, then back to Lyn. He then proceeded to stick his arm through Lyn�s stomach. He yelped in surprise. Lyn growled and slapped his arm away. � Do you mind?! That�s my gut you put your hand in!� � You�re a ghost?!� Lyn rolled her eyes. � What was your first clue?� I shook my head. � Lyn, this is Fei, my brother.� � Okay.� Fei turned his back on Lyn. �. . .� Lyn snuck up to him and wrapped her arms around him. She put her head almost completely against his and said in quite a seductive whisper, � I like your hair, sweetcheeks.� Fei shrieked at an impossible pitch and ran for Weltall. Lyn turned to me and grinned. � He likes me.� I grinned back. � You bet he does.� She laughed and gave my shoulder a pat. � Well, good luck in the Tower. It�ll be worth it to get back to Shevat, right?� � Damn right!� I climbed into Axyl�s cockpit. � See you around, Lyn!� � Yeah right!� she called back. � I�m going to look for Roni!� � Good luck to you too, in that case!� � Thanks!� I put the helmet back in its place and reattached all the wires, then sat in the chair and fit myself into the harness. � Axyl, start up.� � Enter control code.� � Control code: 5-2-7-1, input.� � Control confirmed to Krista-Lyn Wong. Welcome aboard, Kris!� � Hey, Axyl! What can you tell me about Babel Tower?� [It�s old.] � And?� [Creepy.] � And?� [What do you want to know, specifically?] � Anything you can tell me.� [Haven�t you been through there before?] I guided Axyl out of the Yggdrasil after Stier and onto dry land. � No. The only reason I was there before was because I worked with Wiseman. He found me and requested that I be teamed with him.� [Oh. You�re worse off than I thought.] � Then tell me!� [Well . . .] So Axyl proceeded to tell me everything she knew about the Tower as we went through it. The whole place gave me the heebie-jeebies, but it was the rooms that I had to enter on foot that really got my skin itching. None of them were rightside-up; they were all on their side, like the one we called the shuttle from, or on their front, like the one that had the weird stairs and all those the panels in it. We finally got to the top and were met by a large blue Gear. � Halt! This is as far as you go!� That was . . . � Maria!� There was a surprised pause. � . . . Kris?� � Hi!� � Kris?! Kris! Queen Zephyr, it�s Kris! She�s back!� Shevat rose over the edge of the Tower. There was a soft laugh. � Is she? May I speak with her?� � Yes! Yes!� I turned on another COM link and bowed my head. � My queen.� � Greetings, Krista-Lyn! It�s about time you returned! We were beginning to miss you deeply!� � I am pleased to find that you enjoyed my company so.� � Come home, Krista-Lyn. Axyl�s stall is waiting.� � As you wish. Excuse me.� I cut the link and switched to the others. � Fei, Rico, Billy, follow Maria and me.� We flew up into the Gear bay and I directed the others to free stalls, then put Axyl in her own stall. I shut her down, then went to meet the others. � Come on, guys. I�ll take you to Queen Zephyr.� � You�ve been here before?� � Yes, Fei. Three of the six years I was away from the Yggdrasil I spent here, working as a secret agent like Father did.� We got in the elevator and went up to the palace. Once the barrier had disappeared, I started for the doors. � Wait!� Fei cried. He ran down to the nearest northeastern door and went in. The kitchen? I ran after him. � Fei, can�t you wait?� But he was in the back, talking to the cook. � Yui?!� She turned. � Oh, Fei! Hello! What a surprise to see you here!� He smiled. � I thought I recognized your cooking!� � How?� � I could smell it in the hall!� � Oh!� She laughed. � Well, it should be ready in a little while.� As they talked, my gaze moved over to the little girl in the corner of the kitchen. She was talking to a chu-chu, but not out loud. I remained a quiet outsider, listening to her speak. I miss my daddy and Fei, she told the chu-chu. You�ll see them again, the chu-chu promised. I had to add my piece. To see if I could fool her, I focused on Fei�s shoulder and kept from looking at her. Fei�s right over here. Her head snapped up and she smiled at Fei�s profile, then looked at me. Were you the one who spoke to me? I looked at her again. Yeah, it was me. Why are you with Fei? He�s my brother. It seemed to make sense to her. Do you know where my daddy is? He�s on the surface. Is he hurt? No, he�s fine. Good. She then turned back to the chu-chu, officially dismissing me. � It is you! The girl I saw after Fei had gone! You�re the one who was looking for him!� I looked back at the woman. Now that I actually paid attention, I saw that she was the one who had questioned me just before my whole life turned upside-down. I nodded. � Hello. My name is Krista-Lyn Wong. Kris.� We shook hands. � Yui Uzuki. Citan�s wife.� � Pleasure to meet you.� � The same to you.� The door opened and Maria appeared in the doorway. � Mrs. Uzuki, may I borrow these visitors?� � Sure. Fei, everyone, I hope to see you again.� � Bye, Yui! Bye, Midori!� Fei called. We went to the first set of doors that led to the Queen�s Room and entered. We went up the stairs, then toward the second set of doors. I noticed the person standing there right away. � Wiseman!� I ran over and threw my arms around his neck. � Hello!� He returned my hug. � Kris. It�s about time you got back here.� � You know him?� Fei asked. I looked at Fei. � Do I?! Wiseman taught me everything about being a secret agent so that I could someday go solo. I think I just slowed him down. Why?� Fei glared at Wiseman. � You turn up in too many places where I end up.� Wiseman shrugged. � As I said, I have been watching out for you.� I tried to diffuse the growing tension. � Look, we should probably go talk to Queen Zephyr. Bye, Wiseman. Come on, Fei.� I grabbed my brother�s arm and drug him to the doors, pushing them open. I went up to the Stepping Stones and knelt as the veil surrounding the wide platform rotated to the back. � I have returned, my queen.� She looked up. � Ah, Krista-Lyn. Welcome home. Raise your head, child. We are friends, aren�t we?� � Yes.� I lifted my head. � Zephyr, I cannot stay. I am being hunted once again by Solaris.� � Remain calm, Krista-Lyn. You are protected here. Solaris cannot reach you as long as you do not leave Shevat�s boundaries.� The alarms went off and Maria entered. � Queen Zephyr! Someone has gotten through the shield!� A Shevat guard entered. � Queen Zephyr! One of the Gates is failing! There has also been a breach in the number seventeen bay!� � Seventeen?!� Maria gasped. � Siebzehn!� � Maria, wait!� the Queen cried. � It�s too dangerous for you to go alone!� � I�ll go,� I volunteered, rushing out. � Kris!� Fei called after me. � Wait up!� I dove over the side of the elevator and down into the main shaft. I called the wings to slow me a little. Below me, the emergency shutter closed. I�d have to go through the emergency shaft. Great. Just . . . perfect. I flew up to the nearest door and opened it, then glided through the halls of the shaft, avoiding the crawlies. A loose forbidden clawed at me, but I dodged and continued. � Gotta fumigate this place when I have the chance.� <--Phase 39 Phase 41--> |