BY: DANAE CONRAD

The saga you've been waiting for continues with....

TWICE IN A BLUE MOON

Adena fearfully reread the letter that Jonathon had sent to her. It worried her tremendously because Jonathon rarely wrote like that. It said not to show it to Archimedes but she couldn't not show it to him. They were his children, too.

She glanced at the clock again - only five minutes had passed. Archimedes had gone to Furanose to check things out for her. He had refused to allow her to go - in her condition. That frustrated Adena. Everyone treated her like thin porcelain. Well, that's one thing she wasn't anymore - thin. She glanced in the mirror; the doctor had said that she should have gained more for twins and Adena had told him that she was large enough already.

A knock came at the door. Adena smiled hopefully to herself, she wasn't disappointed. Archimedes let himself in and came over to her.

"Hello, love. Everything went just fine back at the homefront. How are things shaping up around here?" He realized his pun and laughed.

Adena lifted her right eyebrow and her eyes went a smoky grey. "That's quite enough," she said coldly. "I am sick and tired of these twins being the crux of everything!" She pulled from him and went to the mirror.

Archimedes was puzzled. She'd taken all the teasing and pampering quite well. Why not now? he wondered and what did she mean by the twins being a crux? He got up to go to her and he saw that she was crying. He hurried to her side, "Adena, what's wrong? Is there something that I should know?" She started to shake her head "no" but stopped and began to nod as the tears continued to flow. "What is it?" No further answer. "Please, love."

She looked up at him with her tear stained face. She flung herself against him and he gathered in his arms. Through her sobs he could hear her saying, "Don't let them hurt them, please no!"

"Don't let who hurt whom? Come on, Adena. Take a deep breath and tell me."

She did as she was told and gave him the letter. Archimedes was also worried from the letter's tone. "When did this come?"

"Yesterday," she said softly as she dried her eyes. "Blue?"

He stopped reading to look at her. "What?"

"I went to apologize for snapping at you. I shouldn't have..."

"Love, it was totally understandable. Forgive and forget, don't worry." She smiled and lent against him. She suddenly felt very tired but refused to tell him so. "Adena, I think we may be able to free Iffley! Using the Note, I may be able to pull him from the crystal. I also think I can get to the box first. So there isn't a thing that that beautiful head of yours should worry about."

"Good. Let's go!" She turned to go.

"Correction, my love. I'm going, you're ..."

"in no condition to travel," she parroted the phrase she'd been hearing time and again during her pregnancy. "Have a good trip." She kissed him and left the study.

Blue summoned his dolphins and sent them to search for the mysterious black box with their sonar. Turq remained to carry him to Alarius. As he sailed off on his aquatic mount, Adena saddled her Danae, Equapo. Her centurain saw her and was horrified at the prospects.

"M'lady!" he shouted, "Do you think it's wise?"

"Mind your tongue," she responded calmly. "I won't be gone long." She boarded her Danae and urged him upward as the centurian stood on baffled as to what he should do.

The winds flowed through her hair and she thrilled to the steady gallop of her steed. Looking across the shimmering mirror that was the Sea of Discord, she spotted Archimedes astride Turq. She hoped he wouldn't be too angry, but she had to get out of the house.

Suddenly, she heard a roaring, pulling noise as if a stopper had been pulled from an enormous basin of water. Then she saw the sea level lowering drastically. It continued until there was nothing left but mud and dying sea life. She looked frantically for Archimedes. She saw him on the ocean floor without Turq. He was covered in the muddy ocean bottom. She commanded Equapo down to his site and halted him gently. "Want a lift, sir?"

Archimedes swung to face her. "I told you to stay home! Adena, this is no place for you to be!"

"Wrong there. Wherever you are, I should be. Come on, get aboard. I don't see your dolphin being able to carry you."

"That's true." They looked at the dolphin that was beginning to have trouble without his ocean environment. "What are we going to do with it?"

She shrugged. "Send it back?"

"How?"

"Well, I'll send for the Centurian and a Danae. They can carry it home." She rubbed the appropriate gems on her necklace as she spoke. "As for us, we'll take Equapo on to Alarius."

"You can't save all twelve of them that way," he said. "I'll have to use the Note. I'm going to be awfully tired."

The Note alternated between the golden sax and the red trumpet as Blue found each dolphin through farsense and then teleported them back to the Tigris, Euphrates, Gihon and Pishon Rivers right before the ocean's draining was completed. Blue nearly passed out as he finished but knew he'd be fine by the time his powers would be needed again. He turned to Adena and said with a rueful grin, "You always manage to get your own way, don't you?"

"Naturally," she laughed. They boarded the Danae which lifted off towards the setting sun.

"Yo, Blue!" Jonathon called as the Danae landed outside of his mansion. "What can I do for you?"

Adena pushed past her husband. "I showed him the letter Jonathon. It'll take both of us to get Iffley out."

Blue continued her thoughts. "How are things holding up around here?"

"As well as can be expected. Thank goodness Iffley didn't marry. The last thing I need is a hysterical wife in my hair."

"Don't be to sure that he'll never have a wife, Jonathon." Jonathon looked at her quizzically. "Woman's intuition," she responded.

They all walked into the mansion gardens where Iffley's other friends were standing around the statue of their friend puzzled as to what to do. Adena and Blue looked at the statue carefully to see if their plan would work. It would, they decided.

"Well, let's start," said Blue, "I hope this works," he whispered to Adena.

"No reason why it shouldn't," she responded. Unless I faint before we get started, she said to herself when a wave of uneasiness passed over her.

Blue produced the Note and changed it to the oboe. He nodded at Adena who activated her amulet and directed it at the crystal statue. Slowly, a perfect hologram of the Sceptre clutched in the statue's palm appeared on the ground. It shimmered with an eerie light and the jewels glowed brightly. Adena was beginning to perspire from the concentration required for such detailed work.

It was done, glistening with the light as it had the day it had been created. Archimedes began to play a melody on his oboe causing a haunting aurora in the room. The hologram began to solidify and firm into the actual Sceptre. He continued to play until Adena was able to pick it up.

"That's a nice piece of show," Jonathon commented. "But all we have now is a pretty bauble. Iffley and his magic still remain forever imprisoned."

Blue raised a hand, "Patience, my friend. You have on the Ring. I will need this for the next move." He extended his hand toward Jonathon who was looking suspiciously at him. "You can trust me."

Jonathon worked off the Ring of Ranet and handed it to Blue with a sweaty palm. "I hope so."

Archimedes slipped on the ring and changed the note to the violin. "Adena, let someone else hold the Sceptre."

"No." She retained a firm grip on it. "It'll work. There is no cause for worry." She raised an eyebrow which added a finality to her statement.

"Very well." Archimedes began to play and above the music a humming noise was heard. It gained in strength, swirling among the assembled and soaring to the ceiling. Then the Sceptre began to glow and shine. It continued to sparkle until the noise had completely stopped. Archimedes halted his song and handed Adena the Ring. Jonathon made a move to stop him but Campuria stopped Jonathon because she knew what they were trying to do.

Adena looked at Blue with a worry in her eyes that she couldn't hide. She slipped on the ring and took a deep breath. This would be the hardest thing she'd ever tried. She had four of the keys on her person and the fifth was nearby. The Power would be hard to control but it was needed to pull Iffley from the power of the Sceptre.

She raised the Sceptre and began to concentrate. The Ring began to shine, the Belt sparkled, the Sceptre quavered with great intensity and the Note broke spontaneously into a harmony. All eyes were on the Amulet that would tell them if they were successful. A cheer erupted as the emeralds began to glitter.

Suddenly, a form appeared in front of the Sceptre. It solidified and the Keys calmed to their stationary position. Adena smiled and handed the Wizard his Sceptre. She gave Jonathon the Ring and took a place beside her husband.

Iffley looked gratefully at his friends. They had rescued him from the clutches of a great evil. Now he could help them to destroy it. He looked at Adena. He knew she had risked more than Blue had wanted her to. He smiled at all the assembled. "Many thanks to all of you, my friends. Thank you for your sacrifices - especially Adena." She blushed as he embraced her warmly. "It is appropriate that the crystal remains as a monument." They all looked at the crystal form for a moment. "Now, we need a plan of action. Adena, apparantly you are disqualified for any offensive moves so I will speak to Blue."

As the men moved off, Adena glared in anger. This faded quickly as she felt suddenly weak and had to sit down.

Campuria had remained behind on Blue's request and came over to Adena. "Are you alright?"

Adena smiled weakly. "Of course. I'll be fine - just a touch of a headache."

"One doesn't turn ashen when one has a headache," Campuria said knowingly.

"I'm fine - honestly. I think I am going to go look at the outside gardens," she said, feigning cheerfulness.

"Would you like me to come?"

"That's not necessary. I can take care of myself." Adena left the rose garden with Campuria shaking her head in despair.

Adena strolled quietly around the garden. She wasn't feeling well at all. Perhaps she should tell her husband. No, it's not time yet, she thought.

She sat on a bench and drummed her fingers impatiently on it. The fountain in the garden was running gently, making a soothingly hypnotic background for daydreaming.....

....The outside world faded away leaving Adena with only thoughts and ideas. She thought of the carefree days before she was married and of the wonderful days since her marriage. She smiled at the thought of friends and shuddered at that of enemies. She dreamt about the twins - she hoped that they would be cute. They had to be - look at their father - they'd be intelligent too, for that matter....

A slight sound brought her back to the present with a start. The fountain continued to bubble and froth with its rhythmic beat. She looked warily around her and her amulet began to react to another's presence. Her muscles began to tense in fear. She looked keenly into each of the surrounding bushes. Seeing nothing, she turned back to the fountain. The amulet was still glowing green.

Another sound. She whirled around, frantic. Her pulse was racing now and she could hear its rapid pace pounding in her head. She began to approach the brush that the noise came from.

"Ready to go home, Adena?" Archimedes walked up behind her and she turned to him with wild-eyed relief.

"Yes," she nodded breathlessly. Without taking another glance at the mysterious bush, she took her husband's hand and returned with him to the mansion.

As the couple left the boundries of the garden, the bush parted slightly to watch their departure. Inside was a man, well, not exactly a man, but somone. Someone clothed in black and hidden from even Adena's discerning eyes. He spoke: "No, sir. They just left. No, the twins haven't arrived." and then disappeared in a shimmer of energy.

Equapo landed gently onto the island of Phire. Archimedes swung himself to the ground and took the horse's reins, expecting Adena to follow as usual. Instead, contrary to her normal assertiveness, she requested some help.

"Are you feeling ill?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Just tired. It's been a long day."

"I know. I'll go stable the horse and meet you inside." He kissed her cheek, then led the horse away. Adena turned to enter the castle. She bit her lip in apprehension. There is no way I am going to make it up these steps, she said to herself. Well, I'll give it my best shot. She started up the long staircase but gave up about the fifteenth step. She sat down in frustration. "Archimedes!" she called in a voice of honeyed impatience. She tapped her fingers on the cold marble step. A little louder, "ARCHIMedes!" Hurry, Hurry, she said to herself, willing him to come faster. She heard footsteps running towards her.

"What is it?!" he looked worried.

"I am having a slight problem."

"What?"

"I cannot make it up these steps. Might I impose upon you to give me a hand?"

"No need to be sarcastic." He bounded up the flight of stairs with ease and offered her a hand. "Madame."

She took it with a glare, "No need to rub it in - monsieur."

They went inside the castle, giving greeting to the palace staff. Campuria was inside waiting.

"Thought you might need me tonight, Adena."

"Thank you," Adena smiled warmly. "If not tonight, then soon."

"Oh, it will be tonight, I'll wager," she responded with humored sageness.

They walked to the study where Blue sat down to paperwork. Adena and Campuria continued to her study where they set up a klitik and began to talk. Klitik is a game of skill that takes shrewdness and intelligence to play. Adena and Campuria had mastered it early in life and had been opponents in it for as long as they could remember.

"Campuria, why did you cast that spell on yourself? You'd be my age today if you hadn't. The roles may have been reversed - you could have been having the twins."

"It was for the best at the time. However, I think I have come to regret my haste."

"Let me help you turn back the clock. You created the spell,.."

"And I must break it. You are a dear friend but concern yourself with your life now. Mine will come later. Besides you have an advantage over me, eternal youth."

"It can be both an advantage and disadvantage. I am afraid though I haven't found any drawbacks yet." The two women laughed but Adena sharply drew a breath. "I think you'll win your bet."

"But I think you have won this round of klitik." They reset the game and began again.

The lights of the palace had long been shut off but Adena still lay awake. She couldn't sleep, it was time she knew. "Blue?"

He was up like a shot. "What?! Are you okay?"

She smiled to herself. He was even more nervous than she was. "Let's get Campuria and go to the Room Without Doors."

"Right!!" He grabbed his robe then stood disoriented.

"She's down the hall. Get her, then me."

"Right!!" He threw open the door and galloped down the hall. Adena laughed softly to herself, she wondered if her father had acted the same way. "We're back!"

Campuria put a hand on Adena's shoulder to steady her. "Are you ready?"

"I hope so."

Blue sounded a clear note on his clarinet and the trio was standing in an elaborate alcove. Plush carpet and velvet tapestries lined the room. It was as richly adorned as the rest of the palace. The only odd thing was that there were no windows or doors. This was the fortress of the palace. The room only Blue could enter. Or guests if he accompanied them. Campuria pushed Blue into the second section of the room and told him to remain calm. She returned to her friend. "Now comes the wait - for him and us."

The night drug on fitfully. Archimedes started pacing the floor and Campuria was becoming irritated by the noise. Adena had fallen asleep once again.

"If you keep that up, you'll wake your wife. She needs her sleep," Campuria hissed at Archimedes impatiently. He almost made a sharp retort when Adena cried out and both ran to her. She was biting her lip-hard- trying to stop the pain.

"Hi," she said weakly. "What took ya'll so long?" Suddenly, a baby lay in her arms. "That wasn't too bad. Campuria, how did you engineer that?"

Campuria was shocked. "I didn't do a thing!"

Archimedes and Adena looked at each other in delight. "Transportation!"

"The kid has the power of transportaion. I don't believe it!" Archimedes was every inch the proud father.

"...and it's a girl, too." Adena was smiling at their new infant. She had her father's dark waved hair and Adena pointed this out to Blue. He took his daughter in his arms and she cried slightly.

He held her towards Adena. "And your eyes." They were a deep sparkling green like Adena's down to the golden flecks. Adena suddenly was reminded of the other twin. Campuria's face was white when she first held the infant. "What's wrong?" Blue demanded.

"You're the proud parents of a blue dolphin," she said quietly.

"Give him to me." Campuria placed the baby(?) in his mother's arms. "Well, he's got your eyes, love." The dolphin lay quietly in her arms gazing at her with crystal blue eyes. "Hello, little Kyan." She looked questioningly at her husband and the little creature followed her gaze. Upon seeing his sister, he appeared very startled. At the movement in her arms, Adena looked back down and found a perfect little boy looking up at her apologetically. "And he has transmutation," Adena said breathlessly.

Archimedes let out a yell of joy and Adena hugged her son gently. Campuria stood by with a smile of tainted memories. "I'll go now."

"No. It's late. Please stay," said Adena.

"Iffley will be expecting the news; take good care of them."

"Thank you." Blue gave the first twin to Adena and showed Campuria out. He returned quickly and sat on the edge of the couch. They watched their twins with fascinated love. A soft, high voice broke the silence.

"Do I get a name?" The older twin spoke looking up at her parents.

Adena glanced at Blue. "Of course, darling. Your name is Kirstie. We had it all picked out."

The child nodded and fell asleep next to her brother who was watching his parents. "Good night," and he too fell asleep.

"Archimedes, they're wonderful and simply brilliant."

"I wonder how high their intelligence rates."

"It's got to be high. Look at their father,"

"You stop that. Those kids owe just as much to you."

"I love you, Archimedes."

Embracing her, "I love you," he said.

Suddenly, the amulet began to glow green. It reached a frenzied intensity and then stopped. "Archimedes! Stop him," Adena choked a scream.

Blue couldn't see the images she was getting but it was obvious that she was terrified. "Who Adena?! Who?!"

"Kirk Jameson!! He's here!! Or he was, he left something!" She flung herself toward the wall, where a door should have been. Than, remembering where she was, "Archimedes, hurry! Find out what he left!!!"

Archimedes quickly produced the Note and left the room. He ran to the front hall of the palace. A scroll lay there and he quickly opened it, scanning its contents:

ARCHIMEDES LEDIC: YOU WILL DO AS I ASK OR YOUR PRECIOUS WIFE AND CHILDREN WILL BE NO MORE. COME TO THE DEVON WOODS. IF YOU DO NOT, I WILL LAY WASTE TO THE ISLE OF PHIRE AND WILL HOLD YOUR BELOVED HOSTAGE. IF YOU DO, I WILL DO NO MORE THAN TAKE YOUR WIFE - AS SECURITY OF COURSE. KIRK JAMESON.

Archimedes was furious and crunched the scroll in an angry fist. He heard Adena's voice suddenly and returned to her and the children.

"What is it?" Her eyes were wide with fear.

"Calm down. He left a letter."

"Let me read it." Archimedes hesitated but she insisted.

"I know where we can go. We'll be safe. Furanose." Adena's mind was already making plans and Archimedes agreed with her. She summoned her Danaes and sent a hologram to Iffley stating their plight.

They turned to the children who were sleeping angelically. "Came on, Kyan. Kirstie." They woke them and wrapped the sleepy bundles in extra blankets to cut out the night chill.

Archimedes produced the Note and sent them into the palace hall. The twins sensed the electricity of the situation and began to whimper. "Shush," Adena tried to calm them without much success. "Archimedes, take them. I'l1 go ahead and see if it's safe."

"You most certainly will not!"

"I will too. I can sense another through the amulet. Here hold them." She kissed the twins and then smiled at her husband. "Won't be a minute."

She slipped into the velvet darkness cloaking the castle. She tensed as she strained to hear anything - anything at all. Hearing nothing she moved slowly toward the landing point. A voice - she spun quickly and without a moment's thought turned the amulet and fired a warning laser towards the offending noise. In the situation, her speech was reverting back to the stilted style of her family. "Come forth. Be ye friend or foe." She waited for a reply.

The dazzled face of Iffley appeared. Following him was Jonathon. Both looked like they had received the fright of their lives. "Never underestimate a woman's wrath," Iffley said under his breath.

"That is sufficient. I will tolerate none this tonite - ye have been warned." Her panic was subsiding and her tone returned to normal. "Archimedes! It's alright."

"What's all the shooting about for crying out loud?"

"Your wife's fast temper. Nearly blew our heads off," said Iffley.

"That's enough. I didn't know who you were. I had to protect myself..."

"and your twins." Iffley smiled at her as she took the children from their father's arms. He pulled the blanket from Kirstie's face. Her right eyebrow raised skeptically and her green eyes studied him. "Another Adena. This world will never be the same."

"Enough!" A horse's whinny was heard and the party quickly saddled and boarded the prancing Danaes. Adena gave a command and the horses lifted in unison towards the land of Furanose.

Night still cloaked the air as the group flew on the Danae. Their heavily feathered wings scarcely made a noise as they pulsed the cold air. Kyan had pushed back the covers from his face and was looking into the bright moon ahead. Kirstie was in her mother's lap looking over the horizon, following her mother's gaze to Furanose. The horses began to descend and the clouds swirled threateningly around them. The twins gripped their mother's hands as the landing Danaes pranced softly before touching down.

"Here, Archimedes." Adena handed the children to him. She approached the palace followed closely by the remainder of the group. They made their way to the main study where the polished mirror glistened brightly. Adena calmly reached through the mirror, "It's safe-everything is as I left it." Adena and her family went into the room. Archimedes placed the children on the bed where they promptly fell asleep. Then he turned to his wife.

"I'm going with Jonathon and Iffley to try to stop Kirk."

"I know I'd try to follow. I don't want you to go."

"You've got to stay with the children."

"I know. Be careful and take this." She removed the Amulet from her neck and placed it on his. "I can see through it and be with you."

"I know." A moment of quiet passed. "I'll always love you, Adena."

"I know - but please try to come back. I don't want to raise these kids alone." She choked on her attempted humor.

He caught up her hand and kissed it. "I've got to go..."

"I know. I sound like a parrot. Oh, Archimedes!" She tried to pull away in anguish but he grabbed her back. Then he kissed her with the intensity of knowing this could be their last. They broke and he faded through the mirror leaving them imprisoned within.

Adena quickly dried her eyes and turned to her children. Kyan was awake and was looking at her with his alert blue eyes.

"Hello, Kyan. What are you doing awake?" He raised his arms in a gesture to be held. Adena lifted him to her lap. "Leave it to your father to vanish without giving me a chance to get you two some decent clothes. It's no good for you two to be wrapped in just baby blankets." She went to the dresser to find some of her old clothes. When she opened the top bureau there was a brightly wrapped box. She pulled it out and sat Kyan on the floor. Opening it, she found that Archimedes had done the clothes shopping. She dressed Kyan in a skyblue smock and Kirstie in a green jumper. Then she had to choke back the tears once more.

"Mother - that is what I call you isn't it?" asked Kirstie.

"Yes of course," Adena smiled at her daughter.

"Where's Father?"

"Out hunting for something."

"What?"

"Something dangerous."

"What?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to frighten you."

"Oh. Where are we?"

"My homeland-Furanose. We are in the palace in my old bedroom."

"It's nice, I like it."

"Good."

"When can we go out?"

"Not for a while."

"Oh. Kyan?"

"What?"

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?"

Adena was about to create some holograms to keep them occupied when she remembered that her Amulet was gone. She felt quite helpless without it. Even with her innate abilities, her amulet was her stronghold.

"Mother?"

"Yes, Kyan."

"Where is that thing that you were wearing around your neck?"

"It's called an amulet and I gave it to your father."

Adena suddenly felt as if she were being watched. She slowly turned so as to not alarm the children. Behind her, Kirstie mirrored her mother's moves down to the skeptically raised brow.

No one was there, but most certainly something. "What is it?" asked a wavered voice.

"I don't know - yet." Adena began to recall her natural abilities to the surface. She sighted a slight anomaly in the room's atmosphere and she approached it. Reaching out, she tried to grasp it. Nothing, but something. Suddenly, her arms were pinned behind her and a harsh voice grated near her ear.

"Do not move or your children will die."

Adena didn't answer but concentrated and slowly she was able to push out of its grasp. It roared in surprise and she turned to face it. Suddenly it became visible. It was someone, no, something - Adena couldn't be sure. It slapped her across the face driving her to her knees. Her face bore a burn of searing electricity.

"I am KErk, I shall not be disputed."

"Right," she said sarcastically. "You're out of your mind -if you have one that is."

"Suffer the consequences, then." He raised his hand and sent out two bolts of static towards her. They were designed to cause no damage but much pain. She deflected them mentally but she soon had to give way as he sent them again and again. Finally, her defenses exhausted, the bolts struck her and she screamed...

...The amulet flickered with a bright green fire. "Archimedes! Where did you get that!?" Iffley noticed it as it began to glow.

"Adena gave it to me to safeguard."

"But it shouldn't work on you."

"Why not?"

"You're a man. It belonged to Wisdym and never works on men. The stones reaction can mean only one thing..." he broke off in a worried tone.

"What??!!!" Archimedes suddenly began to sense feelings of electricity surges.

"Adena is using her own power and the Amulet is sensing its owner."

Suddenly the Amulet went dark. No sparkle roamed its facets. No sound hummed from it. "What's wrong? The warranty expired - right?" Iffley turned away. Archimedes grabbed him and whipped him around. "What does it mean?"

"Adena is dead."

Archimedes felt the ground rushing and bucking under his feet. His thoughts were in a turmoil and the air felt like a miasma to his lungs. He felt himself screaming to the sky as if that would bring her back. He lost himself to senseless agony.

Adena felt the same as she pushed herself to her feet. The creature hadn't touched the children yet but was speaking to someone else..."Chief from base one. All secure." She was drained. There was nothing to do except get to the children. She dove towards the bed and put herself in front of them.

The being had turned at her movement. "Fine. Stay with the kids. I'll send a babysitter for all of you." A clone of Kirk Jameson appeared as KErk disappeared. Adena stayed in front of her twins but collapsed from exhaustion. Kyan and Kirstie fell asleep warily behind her.

Iffley and Jonathon hauled Archimedes to a sitting position. "You've got to go on - for the twins!" Iffley said urgently.

"And what about their mother?!"

"Archimedes, what's done is done. I'm sorry."

"Sorry," Archimedes scoffed. "She's not your wife."

"She might have been," said Iffley with a glint of challenge in his voice.

Archimedes shook himself. "I'm sorry now."

"No need to apologize. I'd have done the same." The two men shook hands in a firm grip of friendship.

"Touching," snarled a voice. They turned to see Kirk standing there. "You, Archimedes Ledic, will come or your children and wife will die."

"You've already killed her; what's to say you haven't murdered my children as well."

KErk shimmered into existence next to Kirk. "You killed her! You fool!"

"I did not! She was alive when I left." KErk and Kirk held this exchange under their breaths. Archimedes felt hope surging within him but it died as Kirk lied to him, "She may be, but the children will soon be if you do not come."

Archimedes saw no alternative. He said farewell to his friends, entrusted his children to Iffley and joined the evil-grinning Kirk. Then they disappeared into the air as Iffley and Jonathon stood on in grieved dispair.