SEEING DOUBLE

Finally. My first dedication in Volume II. I hereby dedicate this one to all my fans out there who cried after reading Eternal Happiness: Are We the Price?, and would just like to say that, well, even though a character may die, the author will live forever.

Also note that the official notation for naming clones is in this way: Name of body/Name of will. For instance, Archie/Taft would be translated "Archie's body with Taft's will."

Aven screamed again, his voice echoing thoughout the chamber. The sound, however, would not travel across the infinity. Aven was trapped in his own cage. A cage that would last an eternity...

He sat down in his cell, next to his stolen mistress, Wisdym. Next to him sat Blue Ledic; it seemed that all of them had given up hope. Aven/Taft&Aven silently thought glumly to himself. "How could she have broken my power? Am I not stronger than a mere mortal?" He thought and thought on this subject, but he could not come up with a reasonable answer. And then it hit him.

"Ozino! Of course! What? Could you not die? Could you not give up? Only you could have the power to break mine! Come out! Where are you? Hmm, I don't really care. But I will have my one last revenge! Take heed, Oh, you most sickly of Wizards!" With that ended, he concentrated with all the Power he had left: For not even the Ring could take away all the Power that he had obtained. The House began to vibrate; then it began to shake violently. Blue and Wisdym shrieked as the last remnant of the great House was destroyed: As the last of Aven's power drew up into the greatest performance of the Power yet, and Aven/Taft&Aven smiled as finally the culmination of his treachery ended in his greatest feat ever...

Wisdym's last words were "My husband, I now join you in death. I'm sorry about what happened 476 years ago..."

A small voice below the turmoil was also heard. "Adena, I never would have broken with you. Don't you remember our promise..."

And soon all noise stopped. "Remember..." A voice broke out. "The Punishment."

**T. G. Taft**

The scene on T'Mir was frantic as each tried to piece out his own thoughts. There were men frantically running all over the place; two men in particular were trying to get at the communications center to contact the Enchantress. "Quick," Meric Tartre/Enad the Encephalon shouted. 'We must take the ship to save my mother's galaxy!"

"No," Torquay Sharpe/Mij Slochin announced. "I must warn the people."

Another interesting conversation was taking place in a separate room above the Complex. Suralio Iffley/Enad the Great was talking to himself. "Yes, of course you like her. Don't be silly. She's like a child. A pretty one, nonetheless."

He was interrupted with a knock on the door. "Should we tell them to come in? Yes. I think so. Well, I don't know..."

The person entered the room despite the disagreement, and slowly paced the floor until she was directly in front of Iffley/Enad the Great. She touched his shoulder, caressing it, and gently moved her lips to touch his. Adena/Susan Smith V looked into his eyes, trying to find the satisfaction that she needed.

The door began to open again, and yet another personality came in. "Ruff! Bark! Growl!" It said.

Jonathon Pierce/Rex kindly bit the heel of Iffley/Enad. It seemed to do this out of a deeply implanted reflex. Iffley/Enad tried to bite it back, and a scuffle began. Then yet another person entered the room.

"M'Lady, how may I serve you best?" Said Dion Puriantio/Leffy, in a Jiffle sort of tone. Jiffles, as you will recall, are just plain fun.

"You may take me away to better hunting grounds." Replied Adena/Susan, after staring at the fight that Iffley/Enad and Jonathan/Rex were having.

"As you wish, m'lady." Dion/Leffy led Adena/Susan down to the first floor as Adena/Susan quickly began her work...

**T. G. Taft**

Meanwhile, on the Madison, things were shaping up in a much different way. It seemed that many of the crew had been mysteriously reported missing, and it was beginning to look as if Bronson's birthday was not going to be a happy one. Bronson/Slosh Gorshkin II stood on the Madison's bridge, carefully studying his fellow workers. There was a faint tone of reddish goo around his lips as he studied Madison/Fewo. "Come here, my mentor friend."

"I pwomise not to pway by the cwiff any more..."

**T. G. Taft *'*'

Deep inside of Phoebe's only escape pod, Enad the Encephalon/Bob the LXVII tried to piece things together. "Dad gum it! It seems like I'm always the victim...

Deep inside of the Cantible poor little Megan/Bronson tried to piece things together, too. "Wait! One chance! Madison, I need a spell. Madison! Oh, Madison..."

Deep inside of the Dimension field device poor Blotzfrig/Iffley stared with a distorted pain. "I don't get it. Adena! Is this another one of your cruel tricks?"

**T. G. Taft**

The problem seemed to span the universe as cloning began everywhere. Deep aboard the Slosh Gorshkin there was a skirmish going on as the last-minute preperations for Project Exodus continued throughout the night. "But Archie said that I would have control of this ship." A simple private/Jonathan Pierce was telling a tall doctor on the bridge.

"I don't care! I will have full command of all the ships! And I mean that! Don't argue with me!" Mij Slochin/Adena Ludit stopped and glared in the man's eyes.

"Wait! I can help!" shouted John Jemason/Madison as he raced onto the bridge...

**T. G. Taft**

Ozino quietly watched the actions that were taking place on his old world. Wisdym was right, he thought. The world had grown past what theirs had; the Wizards no longer belonged; they should no longer have effect on the present time. Yet he also knew that this new generation of semi-wizards were young; perhaps they had matured a little bit, yet they still fought. Yes, he knew that he could change what Aven had done, but, yet... It would be at the price of leaving an unguarded world. Unguarded from all sorts of evil. Unguarded from treachery, from the misuse of the Power... He consoled himself as he realized that the Punishment was finally over. Ozino reached back and touched his ancient, weary, bones. He was getting old. He knew he was the only true Wizard left. Only one, illegitate boy remained... and yet; he looked down on the confusion again. Aven must be put asunder.

He concentrated, as his nemesis had done, and a sound much the same as Aven had created resounded throughout the area where the House once was. He now silently amused himself of how he, Taft, and Adena had all shared the same body: How, after having his own body stabbed managed to sneak into Adena's. He remembered the time that Taft entered too, with his help: Both were victims of that evil Wizard, Aven. But now it was all to be over. All the good times... his mother's love... growing up in Seattle... the degree... the space mission... his love for his only wife... the heartbreak... the Punishment... his physical death... and now his mental death.... It was finally complete...

The universe nearly tore into two as all things were made as they were before Aven's plague. All except a few missing individuals, things were exactly as they had been; not only had the most powerful Wizard erased Aven's plague but turned back time as well. He had made it impossible for future will-switching, as it took a Wizard's special talent to perform such an action. You see, all was as before, but now there was no Aven. No Taft. No Blue. No Wisdym. And no Ozino. And yes, Adena: They are gone permanantly. Forever. They cannot be brought back.

**T. G. Taft**

The globe known as the Earth slowly turned in its orbit around the sun. It seemingly enjoyed its first freedom from the Wizards in 426 years. Well, yes, the Power still existed, as it had since the beginning of time, but now it was locked only in the Keys.

Yes, the universe was now totally independent; it was now free. But was danger not bound to arise? There was no more looking to Ozino when help was needed: The powers of this world would now have to make the decisions that would affect now, and eternity... and eternity...a n d  e t e r n i t y . . .