Forsight Pt 1,2,3 By Bob A
  
  1 May 2113, 7:30 PM

     Nine-year-old Brett went to his mother after dinner. "Mom, I
need to use the holosuite tonight." he told her.
     Amanda looked at Brett. "You know we are going to see
Aunt Raven tonight- are you sure you want to stay here?" she
asked him, a note of concern in her voice.
     "I'm sure, Mom. I told Uncle Christian that I had to stay
tonight to work on some problems." Brett said. Uncle Christian is
Aunt Raven's husband, the father of his best friend, Robin, and
the Deputy Prime Minister of Sagania. The second one is the most
important to Brett emotionally, because Brett's grandfather is
Frederick M. DuQuesne, Jr.- the Prime Minister of Sagania.
     Amanda looked searchingly at her youngest son- youngest by
calendar, that is. She, through her empathic sense, could feel that,
underneath Brett's calm surface, was a storm of confused
emotions. She smiled at Brett and told him that it was okay to use
the holosuite- but only until 10 p.m. at the latest- reminding Brett
unnecessarily that he had early appointments at Government
House the next day. She knew that Brett has one of the highest
I.Q.'s in Sagania, rivaled by very few indeed, but, she was still his
mother, and acted that way.

     Brett went to the basement of the manor, to the holosuite
door. "Computer, activate holoprogram Fivesight." he stated.
     "Please state authorization code for access." the computer
voice said.
     "BMDQ-3, account PGPH 746-932518-08" was Brett's
quick response.
     "Authorization code noted. Program running. Enter when
ready." The holosuite door opened, and Brett entered the room,
the door closing behind him.

     The room was furnished with two comfortable chairs and a
small couch. A man rose from one of the chairs and walked over
to greet Brett. It was the persona of the Saganian master computer
complex, named Carl. He used as his persona the image of the
late astronomer Carl Sagan. "Hello, Brett. Good evening. Come
sit down." Carl said, guiding Brett to one of the chairs.
     Brett shrugged out of Carl's grasp and went to the couch,
sitting on one end. "Please sit next to me, Carl." Brett asked, with
a slight pleading tone.
     Carl's demeanor changed to concern- this behavior was not
usual, but not unknown, when Brett used this particular program.
He sat next to Brett and put his arm around Brett's shoulders.
"Tell me- what have you seen today?" Carl asked, his voice
showing concern, slight worry, and a willingness to listen to
Brett's story.
     Brett fidgeted slightly, thinking about how he could explain
his visions. "Well, it's Robin. He's finally figured out what
happened to his mother. I saw that he's going to lose confidence
in what she says. She's always going on about how we are to take
care of ourselves, but she didn't take care of herself, and now
she's in a coma because of it. He's blaming himself about not
seeing it coming, but he has- he's denying it, and it's hurting him!
In a month or so, when she wakes up fully, he's going to be so
hurt, it's going to affect him! He's going to do the same thing to
himself, and I can't stop him!" He stopped then, because he was
practically in tears.

     Carl held the shaking little boy close to him. This is the
problem with Fivesight- Brett can see the future with perfect
clarity, but, in cases of bad things, he could not take any direct
action himself- it only makes the problem worse. Brett's great-
grandfather, the first Prime Minister of Sagania, also had this
talent. He had set up this Fivesight program with Carl to talk
about his visions, and to get Carl's indirect help to avert many of
the bad things he saw.
     When Brett had stopped crying, Carl said, "Brett, you need
to talk more about this, but not to me. Your great-grandfather,
before he passed on, gave me a set of instructions concerning you,
when your talent developed to this stage. Right now, you need to
talk to him, not me."
     "But it wouldn't be him, it would be you!" Brett sniffed.
     "We both know that, but, he did a full emulation download
in his last weeks. He knew you would need it, and, in a short
time, you will go along with the persona. He did the same thing
with his mother after she died, and it helped him a lot. Your
parents and grandfather don't share the same degree of prescience
as you, and he saw that you would need the emotional support
and guidance. Now, Grandee is waiting to see you. Are you
ready?" Carl asked gently.
     "Yes." At that word, Carl's form shifted and mutated,
changing into the form of Brett's great-grandfather.

     "Hello, Brett! My, you've grown since I last saw you! Give
me a hug and tell me what's going on, okay?" Brett happily
hugged his great-grandfather's image, then began talking.
     Grandee stopped Brett. "No, don't speak to me, spiek to
me!" he said roughly.
     Brett paused in surprise. "But, you cant spiek and hier to a
holodeck image!" he stammered.
     "This is a secret you must not share with anyone- this has
always been a feature of the advanced-grade holodeck ever
since my father figured out how to produce them- he never
understood or even realized that the capability was there. Now,
spiek to me about what you've seen." Grandee's gruff tones said
in Brett's mind.
     Brett sent all the images he had received since Robin's
mother fell into a coma almost three weeks before. When he was
done, Grandee thought for a few minutes, never letting go of
Brett's shoulders. Then, he spoke.
     "For now, Brett, there is only one thing you can do to help-
be his friend. Stay with him when you feel he needs support- take
him for walks, play with him, and, most importantly, teach him to
spiek and hier. Especially, teach him on the special mental
frequencies that you can use, so normal thought-screens can not
stop them. Keep him playing with his cousins and yourself. You
can't stop him from hurting himself, but, you can lessen the
damage he's doing. Keep him near his cousin Delwin when you
feel he is getting especially morose. You need the play time as
well, young man- even though you have an I.Q. close to 300, you
still need to play! Get involved with your friends- it does help."
     "But, I've felt that I've grown past that stage, Grandee. I'm
working in Government House, and Robin is aging both himself
and me so we can keep up with Chad and the triplets! Do I really
need to?" he asked with a pleading tone.
     "Yes, you do. There's still a little five-year-old inside that
you cannot shut away- he's part of you, and he needs to play!
You know that, but you just didn't see- like Robin not seeing
about his mother. Now, you know- and you can help yourself.
And, in helping yourself, you can help Robin through his crisis,
not by doing anything directly, but just by giving him the support
he needs to fix himself. Do you see what I mean?" Grandee said.
     Brett thought for a moment. "I think I do, but it's not yet
clear. It will come to me, I know." he said, smiling slightly at his
great-grandfather's image.
     "That's good! Now, I've got a story to tell you..." Grandee
said. For the next hour, Grandee told a fascinated little boy about
how he learned to cope with his Fivesight. At the end of the time,
Grandee told Brett that it was time for bed, but he would be here
whenever Brett needed him. Sleepily, the tired little boy kissed
his great-grandfather good night and went to bed. The holodeck
shut itself off two minutes after he left- as hoped, Brett fell for the
illusion completely. Messages were left with his parents,
grandfather, and Uncle Christian, telling parts of the story to
each. As Carl expected, the four people compared notes, giving
them a clear picture on what was happening, both with Brett and
Robin, so they could take steps to help the boys, without trying
to change the Fivesight vision radically, which would only have
made things worse.


     For over six weeks, Brett worked with Robin- taking him for
walks, getting him involved with games, easing his workload in
Government House, listening to his worries, and watching Robin
sink into an apathetic funk.
     When Raven woke up in the middle of May, there was much
rejoicing among Raven's adult friends, as well as many of the
children, including Brett, but not Robin. He acted happy, but,
many people, Brett included, could tell it was a sham.
     The day after Raven woke, Brett and Robin were walking on
the mountain trail above Ravencroft Manor. "Robin, what's
bothering you?" Brett spieked. Teaching Robin to spiek and hier
had been very easy, and Robin had soon become very proficient,
but only at short range, no more than 15 feet at best. Brett's
range was about 50 feet. "Why are you not happy about your
mother waking up? She's getting better, and she'll be all right
in about a month, so, why aren't you trying to help her, like the
rest of us?"
     Robin walked without answering for a moment. Then, he
spieked, "She doesn't really care about me or the rest of us- if
she wants to lie to us, to tell us one thing and do the opposite,
that's fine by me. I don't care."
     "But, what about the rest of us? Sure, we care about your
mother, but we care about you, too! It looks to me that you're
making the same mistake she did- we don't want you to suffer
through that!"
     Robin stopped and sat down on a large rock. "You think I
haven't?" he wailed. "When she went through the fall and the fog
and the fire, I felt it as well! It's getting so I don't want to sleep
any more- I go through the pain every time and I wake up in pain!
She's hurting me and hurting me- and I can't make it stop!"
Robin broke down in tears, shaking and crying. Brett held his
friend close, then sent a call to his friend, and Robin's cousin,
Byron, who was keeping a telepathic 'ear' on Brett, at Brett's
request.
     "Byron, can you tell Ethan that we could use some help
getting home? I don't think he can make it down the slopes,
even with my help." Brett spieked, on the 'normal' telepathic
frequencies.
     "I have done so. Ethan will be there in twelve seconds,
mark." was Byron's response, then the link was severed. Brett
shivered- Byron is a powerful telepath, and has an I.Q. even
higher than Brett's, but his mental touch was like having liquid
helium poured all over his brain synapses- very discomforting to
all who experience Byron's mental touch.

     At the designated time, there was a disturbance in the
undergrowth, and a huge black wolf came charging into the
clearing, then it skidded to a stop, sending a spray of dirt and
stones showering into the forest on the far side. The wolf took a
couple of deep breaths, then began to change. In five seconds, the
wolf had vanished, leaving in its place Robin's half-brother
Ethan, an 8' tall muscular young man. He picked up Robin and
cradled him gently to his massive chest.  Robin soon settled down
and fell into a semi-doze- when Robin was younger, he wouldn't
go to bed without his big wolf by his side.
     Ethan continued comforting Robin, and he looked at Brett,
tilting his head in the signal that meant 'touch my mind'. Brett
told Ethan what had happened.
     "Good thing I was nearby, hunting some wild pigs. Want to
get on my back and hold on so we can get him back to the house
quickly?" Ethan asked, crouching down next to a large rock.
Eagerly, Brett climbed on- going for a wild ride on Ethan's back
was a treat, but not as fun as when Ethan was in wolf form. In
two minutes, they were back at the manor. Ethan let Brett get
down, and went to put Robin to bed. At home, Brett dictated a
full report of the incident into his diary, and, indirectly, to Carl,
who noted the incident and added it to his action file.

     Over the next month, Robin became increasingly apathetic,
not aging himself and Brett on schedule, eating less, and losing
weight. [This is noteworthy, because, due to his power of
temporal manipulation, his appetite is very large, while he
remains rather slender.]
     Others noted Robin's descent, but, the stubborn little boy
refused to eat much or take care of himself, saying that the food
tasted bad to him, and he wasn't interested.

     Brett was talking to Grandee in the holodeck when a
Fivesight flash hit him like the proverbial anvil landing on his
head. Brett lit up with a big smile, then spieked to Grandee,
telling him his vision. "I know how to help Robin now- this is a
good vision!" he spieked.
     "This is what makes our gift tolerable- when a good flash
hits, it makes all the bad flashes a little easier to take!"
Grandee sent, with a smile in his mental voice. "Better get to
work and make it happen!" Brett left the holodeck at a run, a big
smile on his face.

     In his room, Brett felt an icy touch on his mind. "What do
you need, Brett? It is not normal for Carl to break in to my
study programs with a message." Byron spieked.
     "I need to get a message to Stormlord, saying that I need to
speak to him immediately. Can you send that message?" Brett
sent. With Byron, it helps to be as formal as possible, because
Byron is a living computer, totally devoid of emotional content.
     "It will be difficult to get to where the message-sending
balloons are kept at this hour. Is the need truly urgent?"
     "Yes, it is. I found out how to help Robin, and I require
Stormlord's assistance. I repeat- can you help?"
     "Not directly, but I know how to do so, and who can. It will
take a little doing, but, if the need is that urgent, I will do so."
     "I tell you three times, I need to speak to Stormlord
immediately." Brett sent, keeping his impatience and annoyance
at Byron's imperturbability out of his spieking.
     "And what you tell me three times is true. I will email you
when the message is sent. Out." The mental contact was cut, and
Brett shivered uncontrollably for a few seconds- he felt frozen all
the way down his spine!

     Fifteen minutes later, an email message popped up on Brett's
computer screen. "The message is sent. I would appreciate details
at your convenience. Byron." Brett opened the window to his
room, and, ten minutes later, a wind swept in, bringing with it a
slim young man, with wind-tossed short brown hair, clad in a
form-fitting jumpsuit the color of an overcast sky.
     He looked at Brett, and speaking slowly, said, "I got your
message- how can I help?", enunciating carefully because he
knew that Brett was nearly totally deaf, and either lip-read or
heard telepathically. Seeing as Stormlord is the adopted son of
Mother Earth, he is immune to telepathic probes.
     "Mr. Pomeroy, I have seen how you can help Robin out of
his depression and feelings of abandonment. Will you help?"
Brett asked.
     Stormlord sat on Brett's bed. Extending an arm, he pulled
Brett next to him. "No need to be formal- my name's Simon,
remember? Tell me how I can help." he said in a soft voice. [it
was after 9 PM, and Simon didn't want to get Brett in trouble.]
     "Be nearby when Robin and I go for a walk tomorrow
afternoon. I want you to tell Robin your story about how you and
Aunt Raven met, and how much you trust her. Your story, from
your lips, is the jolt that Robin needs to realize he is hurting
himself, his mother, and the rest of us unnecessarily." Brett told
him.
     Simon grimaced. "That brings back bad memories. You are
sure this would help?" He looked at Brett's face. "I see it will.
Mother will help me, and I owe Raven so much. I know she is
hurt by Robin's behavior, and, if this will help her, I can bear
telling my story. You can count on me- I'll be there. See you
tomorrow, Brett." Simon rose, strode to the window, and jumped
out. Brett quickly shut the window, then raced back to his desk,
just before his mother opened the door.
     "Time for you to go to bed, Brett." she told him.
     "Yes, it is, Mom. Let me shut down and I'll get in bed. I have
a busy day tomorrow." he said, shutting down his console.
     Amanda looked piercingly at her son. "You had a flash,
didn't you?"
     He smiled. "A good one- ask Grandee for details." Under her
watchful eye, Brett changed into his pajamas and climbed into
bed, happily noting that there was no trace of Stormlord's
appearance on the bed.

     Forty minutes later....

     Raven is in her painting loft- a 25' high room that contains,
along the upper part of the walls, portraits of people she has
trained, known, loved over the years- people that are or were
special to her over the many centuries of her life. Some of the
pictures were of people only she remembered, many are in the
archives. She looked down from where she hovered to look at
Robin, sleeping limply in an overstuffed chair- her father had
given her a compound that ensured he got a full night's sleep.
Tormented thoughts slithered through her mind like poisonous
serpents- her little boy was fading, and he resisted attempts to
help. One disturbing symptom is that he refused to stay alone-
someone had to be with him at all times, or else he would throw a
tantrum.
     Raven turned toward the wall. The section she was near held
the picture of the old Phoenix base personnel, from 2027-2032.
This team has some of her best success stories, people she had
helped overcome some crippling problems and went on to lead
happy, successful lives. Like Christine Matthews, who overcame
her shyness and shame over being a very tall, gawky Saganized
teenager to become a very able commander in the Sagan forces,
rising to the rank of colonel before her death in the Great Plague
of '45. Anthony Marconi, who had suffered from an undiagnosed
form of epilepsy for many years before Raven deduced what the
problem was. He became the founder and owner of Marconi
Medtronics, leading a very long, and mostly happy life. [He had
died of old age last year, but, with some behind-the scenes help
from Raven, was transmogrified into a new, younger body. He is
now the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.] Charlotte
Miller, who came to the team as a frighteningly obese young
woman, traumatized by witnessing her closest friend's death in
New Orleans and blaming herself for not acting quicker. With a
lot of effort, she recovered enough to be swept off her feet by
Bjerke Lindstrom, living happily until her death in 2050. [For the
record, she did die of heart failure, not by being overfed to the
point where she exploded, as rumor had it.] Her gaze lingered on
a young Christian Somers, who came to the team with a rare
talent- he could be killed, but not for long. He looked no older
now than he did then, but lines have etched into his face now.
She looked down at Robin, then back to the portrait. Robin
looked a lot like a younger version of his father.

     Then, her musings [and gloom] was interrupted by a tapping
noise. She realized it was in Morse Code- o-p-e-n t-h-e w-i-n-d-
o-w y-o-u o-l-d b-a-t. She flew to the French doors and opened
them- nobody was there. Then, the tapping began again.
     N-o-t t-h-a-t o-n-e, she heard. "Which one!" she yelled,
becoming very annoyed. Then, there was a very bright flash and a
loud crack of thunder, which set the decorative glass statuary
dancing in their case. The flash had come from one of the
skylights. When Raven looked, she could see the outline of a man
there. She flew up and opened the window.
     Stormlord flew into the room, pausing to give Raven a joyous
hug in the middle of the room. "Hello, Raven!" he said joyfully,
holding her close. "I'm so glad to see you up and around again!"
     Raven returned the hug. "What are you doing here, Simon? I
know you're very busy this time of year." she said to him.
     "I demanded that Mother give me some time off so I can see
an old friend, and she graciously relented- I think it was the way I
threatened to hold my breath until I turned blue, or was it the
way I screamed and cried and tore up the rugs- I don't remember
which." he joked.
     Raven laughed at the feeble joke, then pulled free from his
hug. "Okay, Simon, you have something you're not telling me-
what is it?" she demanded.
     Simon smiled weakly. "Still can't fool you, can't I?" he
quipped as he handed Raven a 3x5 card. She looked at the card,
quickly recognizing the precise printing on the card, which
looked like it was printed on a computer, but no printer she knew
used a #2 pencil instead of ink.
     "Stormlord, Master Brett DuQuesne requests your immediate
presence at his domicile on a matter of extreme personal urgency.
I do not know what the need is, but the need is great. Byron Scott
Chambers." she read. "Turn the card over" Simon urged. Raven
did, and saw a series of pictures- not drawn on the card, but
actually part of the card!

     There were two sets of pictures on the card- a row of four
along the top of the card, and three more centered along the
bottom. The first of the four showed Brett and Byron's heads,
with ice-blue lightning bolts between them. 'Byron's calling
Brett' she thought. The second showed Byron handing Delwin
the card. The third showed Del sending the balloon up. The
fourth showed Del in bed, with a black cat curled next to him.
The second and third pictures also showed a small black cat face
next to Del. "So that's how he does it!" Raven exclaimed.
     "Does what?" asked Simon.
     "Never mind." Raven looked at the other pictures. The first
showed Robin standing there, but he looked terrible- ashen,
stooped, with cracks running through his body and head. 'Robin
broke.' Raven 'heard' in her mind. The second showed Simon
and Robin sitting next to each other. 'Simon help Robin' she
'heard'. The third showed Robin again, like the first picture, but
not as ashen, and the cracks were smaller and less numerous.
'Robin get better' she 'heard'.
     "I didn't know Del could do this- a new way to
communicate." Raven said quietly.
     "A gift from Mother- he can't speak or write very well, so
she gave him this way to 'write'- to paint what he thinks or sees
or feels directly onto a surface." Simon said.
     Raven set the card down on a table. "Just exactly how are
you going to help Robin?" she asked.
     Simon looked directly into Raven's eyes. "I'm going to take a
page from your book." he said slowly and seriously, his face set
and grim. "I'm going to do to him what you did to me when I
needed a serious boot in the butt- I'm going to tell him a story.
My story. The whole truth, verbally, with no sugarcoating."
     Raven took Simon's hand in hers- he was shaking. "Are you
sure you can take it?" she asked quietly. "I know you never really
got over those incidents."
     "I can handle it- Brett is sure of it, and, besides, telling the
story again may help me that much more." Simon hugged Raven,
then he began drifting towards the window. "I have to get ready,
and you need to go to bed, you old bird! Call me when you need
or want to!" he called as he flew out the skylight, shutting it as he
went through.
     Raven picked up her sleeping child and carried him to the
master bedroom, putting him in the big bed. Chris looked up from
the novel he was reading. "Coming to bed?" he asked.
     "Soon. I have something I want to do first." she said, tucking
Robin in.
     "Don't be too long- you need sleep, and lots of it!"
     "I will- if I'm not here in an hour, send Remmy to get me."
she said, adding to herself, 'as you're going to do even if I didn't
say so.'

     Raven went to the kitchen, where she began setting things up
for breakfast. Chris is a good cook, but tends to use whatever pots
and pans he could easily find, instead of the proper ones. As she
was putting the food in the small refrigerator from the big one,
Raven heard a familiar voice. "Is that salmon still fresh?"
     Raven turned to see a large coal-black house cat sitting on
the counter. It was obvious that Salem had just come from the
continuous poker game up in the tower loft, because his fur
reeked of firestone and cheap cigar smoke. "Up fleecing the fire-
lizards again, weren't you?" she said, taking the towel from the
rack and holding it open for him.
     He jumped into the waiting towel and accepted the vigorous
rubdown. "You think that after fifty years, they would learn, but,
there's a sucker hatched every day! How about that salmon?"
Salem said.
     Raven put the cat down and pulled out the plate of salmon
steaks. Taking one, she cut it into small pieces and put the pile
into a small crystal serving dish. "Your dinner is served, old
friend!" she said with a flourish.
     "Thank you, my dear." he replied in his most aristocratic
voice as he sniffed at the fish, then began to eat. "You're worried
about Robin, aren't you?" he asked as he ate. "Well, don't. He
needs to see that he is being a stupid, stubborn fool who is
hurting both you and him for no reason. It will work out, but he
will need lots of love and care. You want to give it, and, after
tomorrow, he will let himself receive it."
     Raven stroked Salem's fur as he ate. "Just why and how are
you managing to help Del sneak in to the house late at night?"
she asked, with just a touch of feral menace in her voice.
     Salem looked up from his dinner, looked Raven straight in
the eye, and said, "You needed him, he needed to help you, and I
just damn well felt like doing it, you stupid idiot! You've done
some dumb things over the centuries, but this has been one of the
dumbest! What ruffles my fur is that I didn't see it coming and
give you the stuff you needed to live! Seeing you in the Little
Death almost made me want to die with you, you young fool!"
Salem said with some heat. Salem is one of a very few entities
around who can call Raven 'young', being almost 1,000 years
older than Raven, but that's another tale.
     Raven said nothing, continuing to pet Salem. She knew he
was right. She had been torturing herself about that since she fell
ill. "Don't torment yourself too much, old friend, you'll get
better. You've nursed me through times when I've been badly
hurt, now, it's my turn. Go to bed- you need the rest." Salem said
tenderly.
     "Okay. Good night, Salem." Raven put him down so he
could finish his chopped salmon, then went to bed. 


     The next day, Robin and Brett were out walking on the
mountain. Robin was feeling very tired, but Brett talked him into
going. While on the trail near the cliff's edge, Robin stumbled,
falling over the edge. He fell about 50 feet before Stormlord
caught him.
     "You ought to be more careful, young man." Simon said
sternly as he set Robin back onto the trail.
     "I'm tired- just tripped. Thank you, Stormlord." Robin
mumbled, not looking at Simon.
     "Robin, sit down- we need to talk, and we're going to do it
right now!" Simon said roughly, with the sound of thunder
behind his voice. "Brett, you tie in to Robin and listen as well- I
want you to hear this, too.
     "Robin- tell me why you haven't been eating- you're a rack
of bones! Why are you torturing yourself and the rest of us like
this?" Simon demanded angrily.
     "I just don't care anymore- if my mother doesn't care about
me, why should I?" Robin muttered.
     "Doesn't care? Of course she cares! What makes you say she
doesn't care?"
     "She acts like she does, but she really doesn't- if she did, she
would not have made me go through the fall, fog, and fire like she
did. Her words don't match her actions- she lied to me!" Robin
wailed. Brett, hiering this, said nothing, but gave Robin a
'shoulder' to cry on.
     "She does care- why else has she helped me get through
troubles that made me want to die, but she wouldn't let me, no
matter how hard I tried to kill myself?" Simon said, his voice
betraying his tormented mental state.
     Robin, hearing Simon's pain, still had some curiosity left-
what could make the man who could control the weather
anywhere on Earth want to die? "She was told to help you by
Guardian and her mother." he said slowly.
     "Wrong- I only took this job, and was adopted by Mother,
only about a year ago. This happened 85 years ago, back in
Phoenix, when I was only 15.

     "Your mother, back then, was the 'camp counselor' in
Phoenix. I was assigned there because I wanted to- I grew up in
Mesa, which is a few miles away. Everyone else assigned there,
except for Kayla, was nutty in some way, but not me. I was your
typical genius teenager who could control electricity- I just
wanted to be near my family."
     Brett, feeding his curiosity, asked, "Do you have a big
family?"
     "I do now, thanks to all my big sisters, but, back then, yes,
my blood family was very big." Simon's tone changed then,
becoming very gloomy, like the thick, damp fogbank that sprang
up around them. "That all changed in February of 2028.
     "My family held a big party- all of us were there. My parents,
grandparents, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews. I'm the
youngest of five, and there were 23 of us there. I was called away
to help Tony Marconi work on a heart-lung machine that broke
down during surgery."
     "Do you mean Commissioner Marconi?" Brett asked. He
liked baseball, and the Commissioner, while he owned the Tampa
Bay Devil Rays, always made tickets available to the school he
and Robin attended.
     "Yes, but he wasn't Commissioner then- just a foul-mouthed
mechanic. Well, while we were working, someone fire-bombed
the house, killing almost everyone. The only one to escape was
my cousin Yarianna. Everyone was reduced to ash immediately.
Needless to say, when I found out, I was very, very hurt." Simon
said weakly, holding back tears.
     "Where does my mother come in to this?" Robin asked.
     "She cared enough to help me, when she didn't have to. She
spent weeks and weeks helping me, as my powers altered and
shifted in response to my rage and grief. It took a long time, but I
began to settle down. I caused her so much trouble back then,
hoping she would give up and leave me alone, but she didn't. I
did get better, because she would not give up on me. I trusted her
enough to go on the mission to Beijing in '32 that sent me to the
ionosphere for 80 years! When I finally got out, I found her,
because I knew, deep in my heart, that she hadn't given up trying
to find me, and she needed to know I was alive!"

     Simon paused to calm himself down- his rage was building to
the point that thunder was booming in time to his words. "You
think she is lying to you- well, think about this: what are the
chances that she just simply made a stupid mistake, is paying the
price for it, and, especially, doesn't need you to torture both
her and yourself all over again for absolutely no good
reason!" Simon roared.
     Brett shuddered at Simon's last sentence- he actually heard
him! Robin literally folded into himself, weeping.
     "I'm just no good any more- nobody cares- nobody cares!"
Robin wailed mentally.
     Brett then 'heard' a, well, a mental slap across Robin's face.
He 'saw' an old man there, wearing an old-fashioned suit and
bow tie, and holding a big cigar, which trailed a rather pungent
smoke. "Stop that right now, young man!" the old man bellowed
angrily.
     When Robin looked at the man, he then said, "Look into the
memory archives you have, Robin- look at them, thinking about
Simon, then look for 'trust', 'caring', and 'love', then report
back!"
     As Robin sank into a deep trance, one that Brett's link
couldn't dive in with, the old man looked at Brett and smiled.
"Sometimes a little shock treatment is good for the soul,
right?" he said, with an impish twinkle in his eyes.
     "I'm honored to meet you at last, Mr. Tophet. May we meet
on happier occasions." Brett spieked.
     "We will, now that you have let me in. Get back to me later-
I've got a lot of work to do, helping Robin." Harry held Robin
with one arm [the one without the cigar] and stood quietly, his
wrinkled face falling into a serious cast.
     After a short time, Robin looked up. "Uncle Harry, will
Mommy forgive me?" he asked, his mental voice very shaky.
     "Only if you can learn to forgive yourself, Robin. She
didn't mean to hurt you- apparently, she didn't realize how
close the two of you are. She's not usually this careless- I have
some suspicions. Right now, you better apologize to Stormlord,
and start forgiving yourself. You have a lot to live for, so stop
torturing yourself and start living again!" Harry's mental voice
was gruff, but there was warmth behind it.
     The deep mental link broke at that point, leaving just the
'hearing aid' contact. Brett saw Robin look at Simon, then he
hugged him fiercely, releasing his pain and shame.
     Simon held Robin close. Robin soon relaxed, falling partially
asleep. "I'm going to bring him home- wait here and someone will
come for you." he told Brett, speaking slowly.
     "I know. Thank you, Simon. Aunt Raven will thank you,
too." Brett said formally. Simon took off, carrying Robin. The fog
lifted, and, five minutes later, Ethan arrived to bring Brett back to
the manor.



     A week or so after Robin snapped out of his depression, he
felt strong enough to age both himself and Brett to the ages they
were 'supposed' to be, if they kept to the schedule. Seeing as
Raven was busy that weekend, [Robin knew why, and approved,
so he was spending the weekend with Brett], he just decided to
do it.
     Meeting in Brett's bedroom, the two boys held hands, and
Robin started the process. A silver glow enveloped the boys, and
time sped faster. Both of them felt their bodies changing,
adapting, growing. The process hurt, but not terribly so.
     Brett was monitoring the process when he felt an irregularity.
"Robin's losing strength- we still have six months to go! I better
give him the energy to finish the transformation- it'll hurt, but
we'll make it!" he thought grimly. Focusing his last reserves of
strength, Robin completed the process.

     When the silver glow faded, they collapsed, limp, sweating,
and exhausted, on the bed. Brett had grown six inches taller, and
Robin grew almost ten inches, to 5'6". Both of them had lost
weight, but Robin was especially gaunt- 'an advance agent for a
famine', Brett thought. The plan was for them to age to the
biological equivalent of 11 years. Brett was certain that it worked,
but he knew that Robin had pushed too hard. He struggled to his
feet, got to the house intercom, and called for his mother. When
she arrived, he telepathically told her what had happened.
     "Raven will be home in the morning- I'll leave a message
for her, so she can get him. We'll put Robin to bed here and let
him sleep- you can stay in the guest room tonight, okay!" she
told him.
     "Okay, Mom." Together, they put Robin into bed, then
Amanda helped Brett to bed himself- by the time they got there,
Brett was asleep on his feet.


     The next morning, Raven picked Robin up and brought him
home. He was still asleep, but, Raven could feel that he was
aware she was there, and was happy for it. It wasn't easy for her
to carry him- he wasn't heavy, but he was so much taller! "My
little boy isn't so little any more!" she thought sadly as he put
him in his own bed. She then went into the bathroom and pushed
the blue button, summoning the android medical team- Moe,
Larry, and Curly. Silently, the three looked Robin over, then
Larry and Curly sprang into action as Moe talked to Raven.
     "His two main problems are that he's exhausted and badly
undernourished- other than that, he's a healthy 11-year-old boy.
We're putting an I. V. in of pure nutrient fluid- just let it run all
day. He'll wake up about sunset- when he wakes, let him feed as
much as he can take, and do it often- he needs to bulk up! Got it,
boss lady?" Moe said.
     "I do. Thank you, boys!" Raven said, pleasure tinging her
voice.
     "Any time, boss lady!" Larry said as he and Moe walked out,
leaving Curly to gather up the tools and equipment. He looked
up, saw the others leaving, called out, "Hey, fellas, wait for me!",
then ran after them.
     Raven laughed silently at their antics- she remembered seeing
them live in stage shows back in 1932. The three androids made
medicine fun for children, and she never regretted purchasing the
set, nor mentioning the possibility of making these medical
androids to Tony Marconi back in 2057. The royalty check
arrived every two months.

     Raven went and cleaned up- she was spending this weekend
with many of her children- of both types- training her newest
'child', Dr. Harris. He's adapting well to life as a vampire now.
After her shower, she changed into her bedclothes and climbed
into bed next to Robin, pulling him close to her. "I'm here,
Robin. I won't leave you alone." she sent telepathically. Robin
didn't answer with words, being deeply asleep, but she felt a
warm, fuzzy feeling come up from the depths of Robin's mind
and brush against her awareness. Content, Raven soon fell asleep.

     Raven woke in the afternoon. Robin being still asleep, she
decided to get up and prepare dinner for him. Getting dressed, she
went to the kitchen and began prepping dinner- two large pans of
lasagna, another two pans of baked ziti, and six loaves of garlic
bread.
     While she was cooking, Christian came in. "How's he
doing?" he asked, after giving his wife a hug and kiss. She filled
him in while she cleaned the mixing bowls, getting him to grate
the cheese.
     He looked at the clutter. "You sure he can handle all this?"
he asked.
     "With room to spare- Chris, he's getting so big now- what
happened to our little boy?" she said wistfully.
     "I find it hard, too- we know what he's doing, but,
sometimes, it's hard to take. We only have a couple of years
before Freddy retires, and Brett has to be ready to take his place
as Prime Minister. I'm glad that Robin's selfless enough to help
out his country- and his father." Chris said quietly, hugging
Raven.
     Raven knew that Chris had no desire to step into the Prime
Minister position- he is certainly capable, but didn't like the
constant responsibility. Being Deputy Prime Minister was enough
for him. "Some things must be done, love. For the betterment of
all, some people must sacrifice. Robin's doing so willingly,
because it gives him more chances to learn, but it's hard on the
two of us." she said quietly.
     "You know, when this is over, I want a little boy who will
grow up at the proper pace- raising Sophie was fun, but I want to
raise a son the proper way- one day at a time." Chris said
wistfully, still hugging Raven.
     "We shall see, dear, we shall see." Raven kissed Chris, then
pulled free to finish getting dinner ready. She had Chris prepare a
huge green salad, while she fixed a pot of green beans.

     When she pulled the pans from the oven, Raven told the
house computer to redirect the ventilation to bring the aromas
from the kitchens to Robin's bedroom. Ten minutes later, when
Robin had not appeared in the kitchen, Raven went up to
investigate. She found Robin in his room, trying to find clothes
that fit.
     "I forgot about this, Mom- I'm too big for everything I have!"
he said, with a rather embarrassed look on his face.
     Raven laughed at the spectacle of Robin in a sweatsuit that
was far too small for him. Giving him a hug, she told him to wait
while she fetched something for him. Going to her room, she
picked out a sweatsuit of Chris' that would fit and brought it to
Robin. After he dressed, she held him again, marveling at the fact
that he now came up to her chin, when two days ago, he was
almost a foot shorter. He hugged her in return, then said, "I'm
real hungry, Mom, let's go eat!"
     The two of them went to the kitchen, where Chris waited.
After hugging his father, Robin sat down and began to eat. Within
an hour, Robin had eaten almost all of the lasagna, all of the ziti,
the salad, the beans, five gallons of milk, and everything else that
Raven could find ready.
     "The way he eats, I'm surprised he doesn't burst himself!"
Chris marveled as he watched Robin feed.
     "Hyper-efficient metabolism, and empty energy reserves, my
dear. He needs to feed like this all week to put on the weight he
needs. Also, I need to take him shopping for clothes soon- Brett,
too." Raven said quietly.
     "Okay- tomorrow afternoon, you take them shopping. I'll
excuse them from Government House." Chris said. At that point,
Robin stopped eating- there was nothing left!

     Robin looked at his parents. "I think that's enough for now- I
need to rest and digest this." he said with a strained voice. He
tried to get up, but couldn't. "I'm stuffed- can't get up!" he said
weakly.
     Raven and Chris helped Robin up out of the chair and half-
carried him to bed. The overstuffed boy fell asleep immediately.
"He needs to do this every day?" Chris asked.
     "So the doctors say. I'm going to design him a new sports
bottle, with a stronger mix of go-juice. That will save him time at
the table- and us the cooking time!" Raven said with a small
laugh.
     "Good. He's so light right now. Maybe you can speak to your
father about making some new fruit trees- he'll strip the ones we
have bare in a week, and Sophie's brood is straining her trees as
well, or so Evan tells me."
     "Then I'll make bottles for all of them." After Robin was
tucked in, Raven went to the holodeck, where she designed and
built six 1-quart bottles, with a tiny replicator built in. The
replicator has controls that would produce go-juice of different
flavors, and 15 different concentrations. The ones for Chad and
Alwin only have 6 concentrations, because the medical programs
warned that the higher strengths would be excessive for them-
they were already obese enough, with Chad weighing 140
pounds, and Alwin 185. Both of them are about 10 years old
biologically, with massive strength and damage resistance
potential. They were also aging at the rate of one year per month.
     When they were built, Raven brought one up to Robin. She
put it in his hand, and, still asleep, he turned it on and drank.
Leaving him to sleep, Raven checked on some other projects
before retiring to the rocking chair in Robin's room, to be with
him while he slept. He was still anxious about being left alone, so
she tried to be with him, especially while he was sleeping.

     During the night, a package arrived for Robin- some clothing,
of the jeans and t-shirt variety, shoes, et cetera- cut to Robin's
new requirements. The note that came with the package said,
"This should be of help to you. Consider it a small repayment
for all the help you have given me. Weldon." Weldon Germann
is the lead news anchor of SNH-TV, widely considered to be the
Walter Cronkite of Sagania. He also has some other secrets,
which Raven is well aware of. One of his talents is an erratic
precognitive talent, which seemed to work in this case.
     "That's nice of him- better get Robin to send him a note."
Raven said quietly as she checked the clothes out.

     When Robin woke, Raven told him about the clothes. When
he put them on, they fit perfectly. Robin sat at his desk, pulled
out some paper and an envelope, then there was a brief silver
flash. When the glow faded, Robin handed Raven the envelope,
neatly addressed to Weldon Germann, c/o SNH-TV. "I won't
have time to mail this today. Can you see it delivered, please?" he
asked.
     "I will, love. Now, it's time for breakfast, then off to school.
This afternoon, Brett's mother and I are going to take you and
Brett shopping for new clothes, so be ready for it." Raven told
him. They followed their noses to the kitchen, where breakfast
was being prepared by Ethan, who was looking especially
haggard today.
     "What's wrong with you today, Ethan? You look like you
haven't slept!" Raven said with surprise.
     Ethan looked down at his mother, eyes puffy with
exhaustion. "I've been up for almost two days caring for Melody-
she's getting too big to catch her food, so, I've been hunting for
and feeding her. I know that sea elves like her have rapid
pregnancies, but, it's only been three months, and she's huge!" he
said, his fatigue and worry plain in his voice.
     Raven signaled for Robin to finish cooking while she sat
Ethan down. "Who's with her now, Raia?"
     "Yeah. She dropped in, looked at me, and told me to scram,
so, I scrammed. She said to don't come back until sundown."

     Robin, by then, had finished cooking the eggs and bacon.
Taking the plate, he sat at the table, next to his big half-brother.
Touching Ethan, Robin looked in his eyes for a few seconds.
Ethan then said, "You're right." Getting up, Ethan gave Robin a
squeeze, kissed his mother, then plodded off.
     Raven looked a question at Robin. After swallowing, he said,
"I told him that my bed is still warm, and I miss the smell of my
big wolf brother. So, he's going to take a nap."
     Raven smiled. "You're learning how to cheat like I do." she
said with a mild accusing tone. At his nod, she told him to finish
eating and get to school. At lunch, he is to go to Brett's house,
where she will meet him and go shopping.
     Robin finished his breakfast, put his plate in the sink, then
grabbed his backpack and headed for the transfer booth and
school. Raven summoned one of the Zedd units to finish cleaning
while she went to the lake. Changing at the hut set up for that
purpose at the lake's edge, she jumped in.

     After pausing to empty her lungs of air, she swam down to
the cave where Ethan and Melody lived. Once there, she saw
Melody flat on her bed, her belly grossly swollen with pregnancy.
Raia was next to her, feeding her from a large bladder. Despite
her swollen belly, Melody looked emaciated and used up. Raia
looked up at Raven's approach.
     "She's not due for six weeks, but, I don't think she'll last
that long." Raia sent telepathically. "I'm certain there's at least
two babies, maybe three. I can't be sure about that, because at
least one of them has enough magic to cloud my wild magic."
     "From what I know about sea elves, the whole community
helps feed a pregnant woman, and having more than one child
at a time is very rare. Will she be all right?" Raven asked.
     "This stuff will help." Raia indicated the bladder. "But, the
children are draining her of her strength and vitality faster
than she can replenish herself. Plus, the children are very large,
almost too big for her." Melody, on dry land, stands over 6' tall,
but Ethan stands 8'.
     "Anything I can do to help?" Raven offered.
     "For now, tell Adam I can use him down here. Let Ethan get
his rest. We should not leave Melody alone until she delivers,
which I hope will be soon." Raia sent, lightly stroking Melody's
distended abdomen.
     Raven swam to the surface, coughed the water out of her
lungs, and dried off. Going inside, she called Raia's husband,
Adam, and passed on the message.


      That afternoon, Raven met Amanda, Robin, and Brett, then
they all piled in to Amanda's car to go shopping at the Tyrone
Mall in New Hope, the 'in' place for young people. While Raven
and Amanda had a telepathic conversation in the front seat,
Robin and Brett were conversing in the back.
     "All right, Brett, what's the big news?" Robin spieked.
     "I had a flash today- I saw who I'm going to marry in three
years!" Brett sent.
     "Who is she?"
     "She's your niece, the sea elf. She's not born yet, but she
will be soon. She and her brother will grow up fast, like us, and
she will be my complement in all respects. She also has a touch
of the wild magic, though her brother will have more of it.
Poseidon himself will bless the wedding, as a bridge between
the two cultures. This makes me happy- giving me a target to
shoot for, as well as making being Prime Minister more
bearable!" Brett spieked excitedly.
     "I wonder who I'm going to marry." Robin sent.

     At that point, a third voice intruded. "You really don't need
to know that yet, Robin. Just be content that you will find your
mate, in the fullness of time." Harry said, appearing to the two
boys.  "What else do you see, kid?" Harry asked, looking at
Brett.
     Brett paused while he looked at his inner eye, then spieked,
"I see some difficulties with her grandfather, Lord Mamani. He
will launch an attack on us all, which will cause many of us to
get hurt, but, there will be no long-term damage done. His
attack will bring down Poseidon's wrath on him. I will forget
about the attack until it happens, because, while many of us will
get hurt, it won't be permanent."
     "How will we get hurt?" Robin asked.
     "He will do something that will bring one of your mother's
greatest and oldest problems to the surface. The only ones not
affected directly by the attack will be me, Melody, Byron, and
Delwin. I can't see it clearly, but, we will all be hurt. Melody
will be able to take her father's place, but will choose not to."
was Brett's response.
     "Well, since we're all together, how about a lesson on
getting along with different species?" Harry asked. With the
boys' willing agreement, Harry held forth on his interspecies
dealings until they arrived at the mall. He is an excellent lecturer,
spicing his instruction with stories.

     At the mall, they first bought serious, sober clothing for their
work in Government House, getting several sizes to accommodate
their projected growth over the next few months. Then, they went
to the teen shops and bought modern fashions for them, again,
buying sizes that will fit both now and later. By the time they left,
both Raven's and Amanda's charge cards were smoking!
Afterwards, they went to Donati's All-Natural Restaurant for
dinner. Robin had been looking longingly at the food shops in the
mall, but he could not eat at any of them, because he is violently
allergic to artificial preservatives and processing chemicals, with
varying reactions, depending on what he ate.
     During the week, Robin ate prodigiously at every
opportunity, filling out enough to make his new blue jeans [the
ones that Weldon sent him] very tight. That next weekend, Robin,
along with Brett, Chad, and the triplets, went to Arizona to work
with Robin's grandfather, who was expanding his nursery to
include fruit trees for orchards. While the boys were away,
Raven, Sophie, and Casey went on a weekend shopping spree in
Singapore, Hong Kong, London, and Rio, spending enough to
scorch their credit cards! One of their purchases was an antique
Cessna 172 for Evan, which set them back $50,000+. In all, they
spent over $250,000!
     Early Monday morning, when Robin came home, he went to
his mother with some embarrassment- saying that Guardian and
his grandfather had made some new fruits for him, and he had
willingly stuffed himself, putting on enough weight to burst open
his new blue jeans!  The extra weight made Robin look better, not
as skinny.

     It was Thursday morning when the next incident happened.
Raven and Chris were waking up when they both heard a loud
noise from downstairs, followed by more noises from the stairs,
then the hall. Then, their bedroom door shattered inward in a hail
of splinters. Raven ducked under the blanket to avoid the wood
shower as Ethan, in wolf form, came sliding into the room,
bouncing off the big four-poster bed.
     "Mom! Melody is in trouble! Raia says we have to get her
to deep water immediately- the babies are too big!" he shouted
telepathically.
     "Go to her- I'll be right down!" she snapped to Ethan. He
ran off in a blur of shaggy black fur. Turning to Chris, she said,
"Get Robin and take him to the marina. I'll call you when we get
settled- I want you over us. Call Freddy and have him and Brett
join you on the boat. Call it an unscheduled fishing trip."
     Chris just nodded wordlessly as he rapidly dressed in his
fishing gear instead of his business suit- he knew better than to
cross her when she was in that type of mood. Raven, when
dressed, flew to her armory and picked up some weapons, then
went to the lake. Muttering to herself, she jumped in, expelled
the air from her lungs, then swam down to the cave.
     There, she saw Raia, Adam, and Ethan hovering around
Melody, who was twitching in pain, her belly titanically swollen
with pregnancy. After a quick telepathic conference with Raia,
she transported all of them to an offshore location, where the
bottom dropped away from 100' to almost a mile. Together, they
descended to a point where Melody stopped twitching.

     They were very deep- almost 1,000' down. Raven was
uncomfortable, thanks to the pressure, and Ethan was distinctly
hurting- the pressure was at the edge of his tolerance. "Melody is
comfortable now. We have to keep her here, feeding her
constantly. She needs this to get the strength for the delivery."
Raya  spieked broad-band, so all could hier her.
     "How long must we keep her here?" Raven asked.
     "As long as possible. She's very weak, and the babies are
far too large for her. She should have come deep long ago, to
keep the babies from growing too much."
     "But, she's been exiled from the sea elves for marrying
Ethan, because he's not an elf. They'll come to remove her now,
by force if necessary."
     "Then, we will have to stop them. If we bring her back to
the pool, there is a very good chance that the babies will grow
rapidly, thanks to the pressure drop, and Melody could literally
explode, killing herself and the babies!" Raia sent with concern.
"The wild magic in the children is blocking both my and
Adam's magic. You and Ethan hold them off while we care for
her."
     Raven looked at Ethan, who was barely visible through the
gloom. From there, Ethan looked totally feral, ready to kill any
thing that came near his wife.
     "Adam, how about some light?" Raven spieked. Quickly, a
warm, golden glow suffused the area.
     Raven took station at one end of the ledge, crossbow at the
ready, while Ethan went to the other end. Raia and Adam began
force-feeding Melody, who was resting comfortably.

     When she was sure that no one else was nearby, Raven began
laying a circle of stones around Melody, Raia, Adam, and Ethan.
When the circle was complete, Raven stood outside the circle, on
watch. About then, an anchor splashed down not twenty feet
from her. It was from Chris' yacht, and it had a TDD console
attached. Checking in, she found that Chris, Robin, Brett, and
Freddy was aboard, ready and waiting as needed. That was when
Raven sensed movement nearby- her senses are clouded
underwater. A group of sea elves swam up- Lord Mamani, two
aides, and ten goons.
     "Melani is to be removed immediately- she is exiled,
denied the freedom of the sea in this area." Lord Mamani sent,
his tone acerbic.
     "If we remove her from the deep, she will die, along with
her children." was Raven's response.
     "That is of no matter. I have pronounced exile upon her,
and my word is law, especially to my eldest child."
     "If you try to remove her, you will die where you are."
Raven sent, her tone becoming increasingly feral. Then, she spoke
five harsh syllables.
     Mamani flinched at the feel of the protection spell that
sprang up around Melani and her caretakers. Ethan swam out
from the circle to stand near his mother. She could feel that he
was ready to kill all that threatened his wife and children.

     Mamani gestured, sending his goons to attack Raven and
Ethan. As the goons closed, a deep mental voice bellowed,
"STOP!"
     Everyone froze in place as a giant man appeared, standing
over 50' tall. It was Poseidon, the Sea King. He informed all that
the union of Ethan and Melani has his blessing, and the children
have a purpose, ordained by both him and Mother Nature. They
were to be left alone.
     Poseidon reached into the circle and gently touched Melani.
Her emaciated limbs filled out to a healthy tautness. Poseidon
told Raven that Melani will be ready to deliver her children in
three days' time, and to have facilities ready on the surface, giving
her some details. After checking to make sure that the sea elves
had dispersed, Poseidon vanished.
     Raven went to make preparations while Ethan stayed with his
wife. Three days later, in a pressurized holodeck, Melani
delivered, by Caesarian section, a 10 pound 2 ounce girl, then a
16 pound 14 ounce boy. Both the children have trident-shaped
birthmarks, his high on his left arm, hers high on her right hip.
     After delivery and decompression, Raia moved Melani and
the twins to the lake, while Ethan was ordered to go to the manor
to rest and feed. He had not eaten in a week, and had lost almost
200 pounds off his 8' tall, 500# frame. Raven had butchered two
young cows, and their pieces were set in the manor yard, all set
for a hungry wolf, along with a pesky wild boar that had finally
been captured. Ethan shifted to wolf form and began feeding
himself.

     Early the next morning, Raven was in the kitchen, preparing
breakfast for Robin and Chris, when she heard a whimpering
noise from the back yard, like a dog makes when it was hurt.
Investigating, she found Ethan in wolf form, his belly so
incredibly distended, he looked like he was curled up next to a
huge fuzzy beach ball! Carefully, she dragged him to a shady spot
to rest. Checking, she found that he had eaten both cows, and
was trying for the boar!
     When Ethan woke up the next day and shifted back to
human form, not only did he gain back the weight he had lost, he
had packed on another 60+ pounds- of pure muscle mass. When
he went back to the lake to check on his wife and children, he
sank like a stone, unable to swim!

     Ethan's children were given names three days after they were
born, when Melody recovered. The boy was named Jonathan
Shawn, and the girl Mahreeanna. [Incidentally, Robin won the
bet between him and his parents about the names- they had
written their predictions down, and sealed the papers in a
mayonnaise jar three days before. He said later that Brett told him
two weeks before.]
     Ethan, a few days later, confided in his mother that his
appetite the day the kids were born scared even him. "Mom, I
know I have a big appetite, but, I was so hungry, I couldn't stop
myself! I wanted more, but, I couldn't drag myself over to get any
more food, even though I knew that I would have exploded if I
tried! Now, I'm too heavy to swim!" he said, shaking with worry
and fear.
     Raven comforted Ethan- he rarely let himself show his fear
and anxiety, and then only to his mother. She brought him to the
holodeck, where she summoned Dr. Andohar. After an
examination, it was found that Ethan was undergoing a Sagan
manifestation, adapting to living underwater, getting a
rudimentary sonar sense, as well as being able to adapt to varying
pressures. It was found that he has <4% body fat, so, he was given
a self-refilling bottle like the other children have, but, in Ethan's
case, the stuff was designed to put enough fat on his body so he
has enough buoyancy to swim better. Ethan was told to drink a
gallon a day until he was comfortable swimming.
     After Ethan left to get back to his kids, Andohar told Raven
that this manifestation is a slow one, as his body adapts. The extra
muscle mass was a result of his body trying to cope with his
sudden gluttony after a week of starvation. "He barely had any
body fat on him to begin with, and, after eating all that beef, it
added to his muscle mass. What surprises me is that he was able
to absorb all that without killing himself- by rights, he should
have exploded!" Andohar said with more than a little amazement.
     "That's my boy, isn't he?" Raven said with a smile as she left
the deck.

     A week later, Raven was preparing dinner for the tribe [as
she privately called Sophie's brood, plus Robin and Brett.] when
the house android, Zedd, interrupted. "Madam, a visitor." he said.
     "Who is it, Zedd?"
     "I don't know- the face is not in my memory. Zedd not know,
but he tries."
     "I know, Zedd. Show me who it is." Raven requested of the
android.
     An image formed in the air in front of Raven. To her surprise,
it was Lord Mamani- stooped, wearing a cloak of wet seaweed,
but standing at her door.
     "That's Lord Mamani of the Sea Elves- Melody's father.
What's he doing here?" she said as she headed for the front door.
     "Zedd ask, if you want."
     "No, Zedd, I'll take care of it. Watch, listen, and thank you."
Raven said as she approached the door.
     "Madam is kind to Zedd. Zedd do." the android said as
Raven opened the door.

     Mamani looked at Raven, then took her hand in both of his.
"Please, let me apologize to you, she who is favored by Poseidon.
My daughter is still banished from where I rule, but she may visit
the seas as she desires. Also, my grandchildren are welcome when
they are old enough to enjoy the seas, so I can teach them." he
said, his voice weak and shaky.
     Raven, taken by surprise at the change in Mamani's attitude,
asked, "Would you enter so we can talk more on this?"
     "No. I must return to the sea. My magic does not last long on
the surface. Again, my apologies to you." He let go of her hand
and shuffled down the walk, facing her. Then, he vanished in a
blue-green flash of light.
     "Well, that was interesting." she said to herself as she went
back to the kitchen to finish cooking dinner for six hungry not-so-
little boys.

     Ten more days went by- Shawn and Mahree grew rapidly, as
sea elves do. To everyone's surprise, Brett volunteered to be a
babysitter for the twins. The offer was accepted, because Mahree
was always calm when Brett was around.
     The boys were all down in the lake while Raven, once again,
was cooking. While she loved her new grandchildren, she didn't
like going underwater, and they were too young to come out of
the water.
     While she prepared the soup and sandwiches, Raven noticed
that she felt hungry herself, so, she went for a bottle of blood for
herself. When she checked the milk crate that held the bottles,
she noticed, with surprise, that 7 of the 12 bottles were empty!
Checking the cork spittoon, she found the corks, with fresh bite
marks! "I just refilled that crate yesterday- when did I drink all
that?" she thought as she drained the bottle she held. Then, she
noticed that she felt full, but still hungry!
     "Blood hunger- but why?" she thought as her hunger built
within her. She rapidly drained the remaining bottles, but the
hunger and fury and rage continued to build. Then, an icy
thought cut through the blood heat.
     "Grandmother, we have a situation down here in the lake.
Many of us are feeling very hungry, and those that can are
indulging their appetites. We have an injury down here,
assistance is requested." Byron spieked.
     "Who's hurt?" Raven asked.
     "Brett. He distracted Ethan when he tried to attack Melody.
Ethan slammed Brett into the wall, but Brett managed to kick
Ethan's bottle loose. The only people who appear to be
unaffected are Delwin, Brett, and Melody. I can feel my hunger
building, but, thanks to your training, I can ignore it. I am
protecting Delwin. Brett is seriously injured. Assistance is
requested."
     "What are everyone else doing?" Raven asked, heading for
the lake.
     "Gorging themselves from their bottles. The infants are
crying, and Melody is caring for them. I am holding Delwin,
keeping him calm." Raven had reached the lake by then. Chad
and Alwin were floating on the surface, their weight belts having
burst off their bloating bodies. Raven left them floating and
gorging while she dove in.

     On the bottom, Raven found Brett slumped against the wall,
blood seeping from where bone penetrated the skin. Ethan had
his bottle in his mouth, fully on, and his abdomen was distending.
Carefully picking up Brett, she told Byron to get Del to the
surface and care for him.
     Getting Brett to the surface, Raven called for an emergency
transport to the holodeck. Then, she knocked out Chad and
Alwin, who by then resembled beach balls. Then, she dove back
down, clubbed Ethan, and brought him up. Then, she went
looking for Robin.
     Raven found Robin behind some rocks, sucking on his bottle,
with an overfilled stomach. She carefully knocked him out and
brought him up. Melody had by then put the babies to sleep with
her magic.
     On the surface, Byron told Raven, "I will get these people to
medical attention. My mother is affected, and she is trying to
attack my father. Please help them."

     Raven flew to the house, which was nearby. She found
Sophie tearing at the wall, her face covered with chocolate, her
stomach bulging, and madness in her eyes. Evan had escaped into
the air ducts, thanks to his elastic body, and was keeping Sophie
distracted. It was an effort to knock Sophie out- before she had
her children, Sophie had been a graduate of Marine Corps
training.
     When Sophie was out cold, Evan slithered out from the air
duct. "What happened to her?" he asked.
     "Blood hunger- all the children have it- get her to holodeck
now!" Raven growled, the hunger building higher within her.
Evan's blood is particularly attractive to vampires, and it is hard
for Raven to ignore it.
     Evan looked at Raven's snarling face, let out a squeak that
must have been half terror, then he scooped Sophie up and
carried her downstairs, staggering under her weight. [Evan is
strong, but Sophie is 6'3" tall and over 200 pounds.]

     When Raven returned to the lake, Raia and Adam were there,
examining the patients. "Casey called us- Raehne also fell victim,
but Casey stopped her. She said that there's a heavy magic
component to this, and, she's right- you are all under a spell."
Raia said.
     "Who cast it?" Raven snarled.
     Raia began examining Raven. "You are the source- the spell
is being focused through you to your children and grandchildren.
I'm trying to track the source of the spell, because you can't cast
one of this magnitude. In fact, I can't, either!" she said with some
surprise.

     Just then, Delwin came running out of the house, Byron
three steps behind. "Grandma! Kitty hurt bad!" he screamed,
fright evident in his voice.
     Raven looked deep within her, to the place in her heart
where she could always reach her oldest friend, Haslem, or
Salem, as he is called now. Raven called, then listened. All she
heard was a very faint meow, which meant that he was badly hurt
and needed her help- immediately, if not before.
     Raven looked at Adam and snapped, "Find Salem! NOW!"
Surprised at the tone in her voice, Adam looked up, flashed gold,
and vanished.
     Glaring at Raia, Raven growled, "Who- cast- the- spell?"
biting off each word as her hunger climbed ever higher.
     "It's a mix- sea elf and..." Raia paused, not wanting to finish.
"...demonic magic."
     "Mamani. He's mine." Raven took off then, heading for the
sea shore. Half a mile offshore, Raven dove.

     In the water, she was joined by a great white shark, one that
is over thirty feet long. It swam alongside her, then a thought
entered Raven's mind.
     "Mother, what is wrong? You are ill with the blood fever!
Your rage equals my own!" the shark thought to her. The shark is
actually Raven's oldest 'child', Carcharo. He was 'brought over'
by Raven almost 6,000 years before, and found he could
shapechange into a shark. Since then, he has rarely shifted into
his man form, because his shark form is so much better. For
instance, the sunlight doesn't burn him.
     "Mamani's cast a spell on me and my children, inflicting
the blood hunger. My children are gorging themselves- to
death, if I don't stop this!" Raven thought fiercely.
     "I will take you to him. Hold on." Raven grabbed on to
Carcharo's dorsal fin, and they sped to Mamani's tower.
Carcharo was busy during the twenty-minute trip- he was
summoning all sharks in the area to converge on Mamani's town.

     When they arrived, the town appeared deserted, with sharks
cruising between the buildings. They entered the tower- Mamani
was in his throne room, with his attendants cowering in fear from
the sharks.
     "So, you are still alive. Soon, you will lose control of
yourself, and go on frenzy, killing many before you yourself are
killed. I am glad you are here, so I can tell you of this, defiler of
my bloodline." Mamani spieked, arrogance dripping from his
'voice'.
     "One question before you die- how did you get the power
for the spell?" Raven asked, chopping off her words, because the
blood heat in her was building to new heights, and it was taking
all of her control not to frenzy.
     "Oh, that. I cut a deal with a very powerful entity who was
willing to help my noble cause."
     "You sold your soul to a demon to cause many people to
die horribly, many of them children, including your own
grandchildren."
     "Of course. It is regrettable that children have to die, but,
they will die happy, feeding themselves like crazed sharks until
they burst. My grandchildren are half-breeds, not worth
surviving in any culture." Mamani spieked, cool, composed, and
confident.
     "Your confession is long overdue, Mamani. Face my
wrath and judgement now." a deep mental voice boomed out
over the assembled crowd. Then, Poseidon himself appeared in
the room, next to Mamani. Poseidon took Mamani in one hand,
and removed the coral coronet off Mamani's brow with the other,
crushing it to a fine powder.
     Mamani felt the power he had slipping away- the deal was
that the demon was getting the power of a sea lord, and, now that
Poseidon had dethroned him, the demon was leaving as well.
Poseidon tossed Mamani to Raven, who bit into Mamani's neck
and drank deep. Then, she tossed Mamani's still-conscious body
out to Carcharo, who took him with one gulp.
     Poseidon then held Raven, and she felt the blood hunger
fade. When rationality returned, Poseidon told the assembled
crowd [and the whole town] that Melani was now Lord, and she
can return if she chose. If not, she will name either a regent or a
new ruler. Then, Poseidon transported himself and Raven to the
lake, where Melody awaited with her sleeping children.

     Poseidon took the children in his arms and concentrated.
They grew rapidly, aging to about 12 years old. Shawn grew
beefy- not fat, but wide, with a shock of brown-red hair drifting
in the currents, while Mahree grew to be a stunningly beautiful
girl, with long greenish-blond hair. They both bowed low to
Poseidon.
       "I have brought them to this age so they can be with the
others. They will grow and age with Brett and Robin- she is to
be Brett's mate, to bring unity to both the surface and the
subsurface worlds. He is to be their protector, a guardian
without parallel. Raven, you will find him an easy student,
because he only needs to be shown a procedure once. They have
a touch of elven magic, appropriate to their destinies."
Poseidon spoke, then vanished.
     "I will take care of them, while you check on Ethan and the
others." Melody spieked as she hugged her children.

     Raven surfaced, looking for the others. They were all on the
lawn, under awnings to protect them from the tropical noonday
sun. They all showed signs of their raging gluttony- Chad had
gained 45 pounds, growing to 220, while Alwin shattered the
scales [and his belt] by gaining 70 pounds, swelling to 280. At
bio-ages of 13 and 12, those two boys have serious weight
problems- in fact, Chad has trouble walking, because his weight is
too much for his rubberized body. Alwin is strong enough to
easily move, but, he is so fat, his belly is almost too big for the
doors!
     Sophie's belly had stretched enough to pop her shirt buttons,
the result of stuffing 5 pounds of Swiss chocolate down her
throat. Ethan, thanks to his overdosing on his medicine, had gone
from very muscular to distinctly soft, and he was visibly puffing
up with fat! Robin was just waking up when Raven reached him-
for once in his life, Robin, instead of being very slim, now has a
flabby tummy, which bulged into his lap.
     "Mommy, what happened to me?" he asked, looking at
himself. "I'm fat!"
     Raven hugged him gently. "I'll explain later. How do you
feel, love?"
     "Heavy and clumsy- I just wanted to keep eating and eating,
no matter how full I was. I thought I was going to eat until I
popped, but I didn't care! Why?" he asked, scared and frightened.
     "Don't worry- it's over now. Look at Chad- he gained so
much weight, he can't walk- he has to gulp air and roll!" she told
him, pointing at Chad, who was inflating himself with air until he
became spherical.
     Robin giggled at the sight. "Look at Alwin- he's huge!"
     "Yes, he is. I'll explain later. I have to check on Brett."
Raven kissed Robin, got up, and went inside.

     In the kitchen, Raven found Byron demolishing a huge
sandwich. "Not you, too!" Raven groaned.
     "Not to worry, Grandmother. While I did feel the effects of
what happened to everyone, I realized that I am truly hungry.
Raia wants to see you- she is in the painting loft, with Delwin."
Byron said calmly, between bites.
     A chill ran down Raven's spine. "Salem." she said, her voice
almost a hiss.
     "Yes. Apparently, he is badly injured. Raia does not feel
much hope, but..." Byron trailed off, because Raven had
departed, in a hurry!

     In the loft, Raven found Raia, Adam, and Del on the floor,
sitting around a basket. Salem lay inside, his fur shaved, looking
like he went three rounds with a lawn mower- and lost. Del was
stroking Salem's head, crying quietly.
     "He's sleeping now." Adam said quietly. "I did everything I
could, but, he's just barely alive. He may make it, but, I have my
doubts." Adam is the leading veterinarian in Arcadia, the district
where he lived.
     "Why doesn't he heal himself?" Raven said, choking back
tears.
     "He's too weak- he can't focus his mind enough to cast even
the simplest spells." Raia whispered. "If I dull the pain, he will be
too fuzzy to cast spells then. I can't cast healing spells on a body
that's too badly damaged, like his is now. He has to heal on his
own to where we can help him."
     "But you don't think so." Raven whispered, her heart
breaking. Raia just shook her head. Raven sat on the floor,
cradling Del, and petted the sleeping cat with him. Raia and
Adam left, leaving them alone.
     Del looked at his grandmother. "Kitty hurt bad." he said. At
her nod, he continued, "Kitty wants to stay, but Kitty old, like
you. Kitty go to sleep, but, he doesn't want to. Stay, Kitty, stay!"
he cried. This was an exceptionally long speech for Del, who has
trouble with words. While his bio-age is almost 12, physically, he
is the size of a ten-year-old, and he has the mental ability of a
seven-year-old. They sat there for hours, petting Salem, until Del
finally fell asleep.

     For days, Raven stayed with Salem, keeping him near her.
She fed him finely chopped foods, milk and water through an
eyedropper, but, the cat did not 'turn the corner'. He seldom
spoke to Raven, sleeping much of the time, because of the
painkillers he was given.
     Sunday afternoon, they were in the painting loft, Raven
holding Salem close to her.
     "You're not going to make it, are you, old friend?" Raven
said gently.
     "I don't see how. There's just no strength left. I could
complain, but not to you. I want to sleep, but I don't want to
leave you." Salem said weakly.
     "I'm going to miss you."
     "I'll miss you too. You can't forget over 6,000 years of
friendship. Annanaya..."
     "Yes, Haslem?"
     "I'm scared. Scared of leaving. Scared of being alone. I'm
afraid that when I get to where I'm going to go, they won't let
me come back."
     "Is that why you're staying?"
     "Yes. I don't want to leave. I love you, Annanaya."
     "I love you too, Haslem. You can go. You have my
permission. They can't take away what exists between us.
Seeing you in such pain hurts me. End the pain, old friend. End
the pain, so you won't suffer." Raven said, openly weeping.
     "Okay. Goodbye. May we meet again, sometime. If not,
goodbye." Salem sagged limply in Raven's grasp, the faint light
remaining in his eyes fading. Soon, he stopped breathing. Salem
was gone.

     As Raven tenderly put the cat's body back in his basket, an
unearthly keening echoed from the turret loft, echoing the grief
she felt. It was the fire-lizards, mourning the loss of their friend,
who had taught many of them the joys of poker [and smoking
cheap cigars while doing so]. Raven then stood up, looked at
Salem's body, then let out a howl of her own. She took off then,
straight up, shattering the skylight.
     She flew on, tears streaming from her face, until she came to
one of her isolated perches, high up on the slopes of Mount
Dodge, above the snow line, at about the 3-mile level. Raven sat
there for hours, mourning the loss of her oldest and wisest friend,
the tears freezing on her face, then her face and body itself
freezing. [That doesn't do her lasting harm, but it makes it
impossible to move until someone thaws her out.]
     A little before sunset, a blue glow surrounded Raven. It was
Gwen Miller, Schuyler's daughter, who 'passed on' to being a
Being of Pure Thought about 30 years before. "It's time for you
to go home now, Aunt Raven." Gwen said telepathically.
     "Go away. I'm not done here." Raven said petulantly, her
heart still breaking.
     "You may not be done here, but others need you now. Salem
touched many people, not the least of which is a little boy who
doesn't understand why he can't stop crying, looking for his
kitty, and can't understand why nobody will let him go to his
friend." Gwen said. The blue glow intensified, and Raven found
herself at the shore, thawing rapidly in the tropical heat.
     "Why did you do that?" Raven asked, gingerly moving
frozen joints.
     "You are needed. Your family is looking for you, and Del
needs a hug from his grandmother. Want to hear a secret?"
     "What?"
     "Haslem actually atoned for his crime over 2,000 years
ago. He chose to stay a cat, only rarely becoming a man again,
because he thought you wouldn't love him any other way. He
will be back soon, but, only you will be able to tell it is truly
him until his soul awakes. The powers that be will never leave
you bereft like this for long." Gwen said, then, they were back at
the manor, Raven still cold, stiff, and very hungry, with her
clothes in tatters from her launch through the skylight.
     Raven was greeted, thawed, changed, fed, and cared for by
her family. Del ran to her for a hug, heedless of her cold body,
wanting to know why Kitty wouldn't wake up. He was peeled off
her and coerced into calling his brothers together to form
Timothy, who is a combination of Alwin, Byron, and Delwin.

     Late that night, with Raven in bed, Chris came to her,
holding a small ceramic urn. "This is Salem's ashes." he said.
"The fire-lizards cremated him, because they wanted to. Ramoth
said you would know what to do with them."
     She took the urn and held it close to her. "Would you mind
if I spent the night with Remmy? I need to talk, and you need
your sleep." she asked.
     "Not at all. He's outside, waiting. I'll be in the main guest
room, if you need me." He kissed her, not flinching at her cold
lips, then left. Remmy came in, and, until dawn, they talked,
Raven telling stories about Salem.
     The next day, Raven took Salem's ashes to the largest catnip
field in Sagania, and scattered them.

     For the next few days, Raven was very busy, checking on
Robin's and Brett's progress [thanks to the doctors and healers,
Brett made a full recovery.], marveling at Shawn and Mahree, and
spending time with Sophie's tribe. Shawn was indeed a pleasant
surprise- nothing escaped the husky youth's notice!
     He revealed that both he and Mahree were shapeshifters- she
could change into a dolphin, and he changed into a shark.
Poseidon had put a channel from the pool to the sea, so they
could swim and learn in the open ocean. One thing that worried
Raven was that Shawn appeared to have no sense of humor at all,
like Byron, but soon found that he was doing it by choice- when
he perceived that he was on duty, he was serious about it!
Another thing was his reluctance to wear clothing- he wore long
shorts, and that was it, unless convinced to wear more. Mahree
loved clothing, but, they both shared a problem- they had to get
wet after an hour or so. Shawn told Raven that the time will
lengthen with practice.

     Four days after Salem's death, Raven was in the kitchen,
preparing dinner for Chris and Robin. It was raining hard outside-
one of the afternoon summer storms. She heard a noise from the
door. When she looked, Raven saw a wet, skinny mama cat
coming in through Ethan's doggie-door. Raven knew it was a
mama cat because it was carrying a wet, soggy kitten in its mouth.
The cat walked up to Raven, dropped the kitten at her feet, then
scampered out the door.
     Raven picked up the kitten- it was sooty black, wet, cold,
hungry, and about five weeks old. She toweled it dry, then, struck
by an idea, felt deep within herself for that spot she and Salem
shared. To her immense joy, she felt him- asleep, but there! His
soul was in the kitten, who was crying for food. Warming some
milk, she fed the kitten until it was happy. Purring, he curled up
in Raven's apron pocket.

     For the next few months, the kitten was Raven's constant
companion, when she was in the house. He stayed with her
during her four-day nap, then when she was sick with flu-like
symptoms [which was a Sagan virus manifestation]. Whenever she
entered the house, he came running.
     Raven started taking pictures of the kitten in various
situations, posting them on the wall of the kitchen under the title
'Baby Book'. Some memorable pictures: the kitten sleeping on a
pile of poker chips, with a gold fire-lizard sleeping next to him,
with one wing spread over him [The Dragon, Friend, and Hoard];
the kitten perched on top of one of the bedposts, screaming to get
down [Mommy!]; Ethan, in wolf form, looking disgusted while
the kitten did a tabby-stomp on his back [The Things I Put Up
With!]; the kitten floundering in a toilet bowl  [Yikes!], and the
kitten, startled, looking up from Raven's sewing basket, covered
with yarn [I Didn't Do It!].


     By late September, Robin, Brett, Shawn, and Mahree had
aged to about 16 years old, and Raven was getting worried- it was
common for Sagan teenagers, at the onset of puberty, undergo
another manifestation. Robin, by this time, stood 6'4" and
weighed barely 130 pounds. Brett was 5'11" and 160#, Shawn
5'10" and 196#, and Mahree 5'8" and 110#. Sophie's triplets
were 13 [at their birthday, their aging slowed so that by their
second birthday by calendar, they would be 16 bio.], and Chad a
year older. Those affected by the blood hunger had either lost
their extra weight, or grew into it. [Ethan is another story.]
     One morning, Raven and the kitty entered the kitchen to find
the place a mess, and Robin sitting at the table, cramming
handfuls of food into his mouth. His stomach was stretched
almost to bursting, yet he didn't stop stuffing himself!
     "What's wrong, Robin?"
     "So hungry- need more food!" he gasped, stuffing more food
in his mouth.
     "You need to get to the doctor, and now!" Raven
commanded.
     "No time- so hungry!" he rasped. Raven quickly moved all
the food off the table. Robin tried to get up, but, his overfed body
betrayed him, and he collapsed on the floor, begging for more
food. "Mom- please- feed me- starving!" he gasped.
     Raven used a site-to-site transport to the holodeck, where she
summoned Dr. Andohar. They got Robin on the bed, and
Andohar began scanning. Fifteen seconds later, he grabbed an I.
V. bottle and tube, and inserted the needle in Robin's arm. He set
the bottle on full flow.
     "Is he manifesting?" Raven asked.
     "Yes, he is. That bottle is pure nutrient solution, series 200.
Just let it run- it will shut off when he doesn't need it any more."
he said, preparing a syringe.
     "What's that for?" she asked.
     "He needs some help- about 10 cc of your blood will help
him- two minutes more, and he would have ruptured his
stomach." Andohar said as he drew the blood from Raven and
injected it into the I. V. line.
     "What's happening to him?" Raven asked, but, before she got
an answer, Shawn entered the holodeck, looking pale, but still
standing stiff and erect, as usual.
     "Grandmother, I do not feel like I should. Father told me to
see you. What is wrong with me?" he asked, his voice betraying a
very slight tremor, totally unlike his normal level tones.
     "How do you feel?" Andohar asked, drawing his medprobe
and pointing it at Shawn.
     Shawn blinked at the probe, but did not move. "Weak,
unsteady, and I itch all over. It is distracting. Have we met?" he
asked the doctor.
     "Shawn, this is Dr. Andohar. We have used the program
before. You can relax around him- he is a friend of mine." Raven
said gently.
     "This is the first time we have met physically. Also, he is
more than just a friend- he is a descendant of yours. Permission to
go off duty?" Shawn requested, beginning to shake.
     "At ease, Shawn." Raven said. At that, Shawn collapsed,
Raven catching him before he hit the floor. "Another
manifestation?"
     "Yes, and with the same cause. I wonder what's keeping the
other two?" Andohar said drily, looking at his watch as he
summoned up three more beds. "5-4-3-2-1-0." he counted down.
     At 0, Brett and Mahree entered the holodeck, supporting
each other. He helped her to a vacant bed, then he fell into the
other. By this time, Raven had settled Shawn into the last bed.
Andohar set up I. V. lines to each of them, then added specific
medications, while Raven and the kitten watched. "What's
happening to them?" Raven asked again.
     "Well, the lovers are forging strong mental links with each
other- as one goes, so will the other. As one thinks, so the other
will know. They will maintain separate identities, but, they will
live in each other's minds, by choice."
     He walked over to Shawn's bed. "This one is developing a
tougher skin, somewhat like sharkskin. It should be able to turn a
knife."
     "What about Robin?"
     "He is finally bulking out- the added mass will extend his
stamina, and will increase his power banks, so he will not have to
feed himself so much, or as often." Andohar told his
grandmother.
     "Is that why he was stuffing himself?" she asked.
     "Yes. His body said it was time to fill out, but, normal eating
would not work fast enough. Like I said, two more minutes and
he would have burst his stomach, because his body needed food,
but could not digest it fast enough. He will be all right, trust me-
you always have." he said, with a slight pleading tone at the end.
     "As I trust your grandfather- how is he doing now, I
wonder?" Raven mused.
     "He is spending a lot of time in Tibet, with Chen, discussing
philosophy. Now that he is no longer a doctor, he is indulging in
a secret hobby of his- but one you knew all about."
     Raven looked at Andohar, with a look that would make most
men cringe in their boots, but he was not the cringing type.
"When will they wake up?" she asked.
     "The lovers will wake in four hours, Sharky in about ten, and
Stringbean in sixteen, more or less." Andohar said casually.
Raven moved to slug him, but her fist passed right through him, as
if he was a hologram.
     "Everything is on automatic, granny. They'll be all right,
so, leave them alone." he spieked as he slowly vanished.
     "Don't call me granny, Percy!" she spieked with some heat,
using his real name [which he hated with such passion, it brings
on an uncontrolled transformation], but he was gone.
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1