We Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance, Charlie Boone! - 3. Part 3

"You think leaving your ship here will be okay?" Charlie asked Mike, as their group reached the spaceport.

"Oh, sure. Nobody will mess with it here on Engris. It would mean 'em getting kicked right out."

They had come back to Sefton's garage, said goodbye to the man, and promised to look him up when they returned, for another trip to the dead city. That the fellow was burning to ask how Gort had come to join them in the supposedly deserted dome seemed obvious; but his professionalism kept him from inquiring.

Their walk through town back to the port had drawn some small attention, in the form of curious stares from some that they passed by in the street. They were quite a varied group, now, with five humans, three elves, an alien wearing a koala for a body, and a robot from an old science fiction movie. Not that anyone knew these things; but that they were a unique enough group to command the curiosity of others was apparent.

They finally reached Pacha's ship, and walked beyond it to their own. Murcha dropped the boarding tube, and they were all wafted aboard.

"Amazing," the combined voice of Billy/Will said through Gort. "This is nothing like I expected a spaceship to be like."

"There's all kinds," Kippy said. "This one is kind of dark and creepy, but Murcha is a great host."

"Thank you, Kip." Murcha sounded pleased at the compliment.

"I know that voice," Gort said immediately.

Charlie grinned. "We've already been there, guys. It's the voice of the guy that sang the songs in How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

"No, that's not what I'm thinking of," Billy's voice alone said. "I know!. It sounds like Mr. Tremblay, down at the hardware store, when I was a kid!"

"It does," Will's voice agreed. "Old Mr. Tremblay. There was a strange man."

"Do you remember...?" Billy asked.

"I do!" Will answered. The two apparently took the conversation to an internal level after that, and no more sounds came forth from the robot.

Kippy shook his head, and smiled at Charlie. "And we're not even off the ground yet."

Charlie grinned, and then looked around at the interior of the circular chamber. Everything seemed to be in order. "Been holding down the fort okay?" he asked the shipmind, as they all found places in the circular command chamber of the vessel.

"Yes. I have been in conversation with Illia while I waited. We have been enjoying learning about each other, and discussing the universe in general."

"Who's Illia? "Kippy asked, cocking a puzzled eye at the overhead.

Mike snickered. "The mind on Pacha's ship. She's a handful, that one."

Charlie and Kippy grinned at each other. "She?" Kippy repeated, questioningly.

Mike shrugged. "Well, you know. Gender's not a real issue with a shipmind, other than as an accent. They can be assigned something other than the neuter state when they're installed, but it's pretty much up to the ship owner."

"Murcha is a dude," Ricky said. "Got a dude voice, and all."

Charlie laughed. Their own shipmind definitely had a masculine voice, no question about that.

"All Moth ship minds are male-patterned," Murcha explained. "Moth females are not allowed to hold positions of authority within the fleet."

Kippy curled his lip. "One more reason not to like them!"

Charlie had to agree. Any society where the genders were not equal was a primitive one, to his mind. The Moth might be technological giants, but socially, they seemed pretty ignorant.

"I never heard this Illia talk," Adrian said. "Not the whole time we were on Pacha's ship."

"There wasn't a reason, I guess." Mike shrugged. "Pach talks to her with mind-talk, so you don't hear that. I talk to her now and then, and she knows Australian" -- he grinned --"I mean, she knows English, but she can be kind of snooty, and I'll be stuffed if I'm putting up with that!"

Pacha gave out a little chik-chik-chik. "She is willful, but she is a very competent ship mind." The little koala blinked. and then turned to look at Mike. "Hmm. Perhaps we should bring her along? She could only aid us, with her knowledge of empire histories, and her skills with languages."

Mike opened his mouth to answer, his expression already saying no!, but Murcha beat him to the punch.

"Oh! That would be wonderful!"

Mike grimaced and made a face, and Kippy squeezed his eyes shut and laughed. It was so cute that Charlie's heart kaboomped within his chest, and he had to smile, too.

"There's one vote," Kippy said, smiling at Charlie. "Any others?"

Charlie nodded, looking sympathetically at Mike. "Sure, if she'll be a help, let's bring her."

Mike glared at him a moment, but then looked resigned. He let one eye wander up towards the overhead. "Uh, sure, if your Murcha wants the company." He turned to Pacha. "Shall I run over and get her?"

"No need." Pacha walked to the central globe, which displayed his own bubble ship nearby, and closed his eyes. Charlie and Kippy walked over, followed by Frit and Pip; and soon they were all standing around the globe, watching Pacha's ship. Charlie was again amazed by the central globe's ability to show the exact same view to everyone, no matter where they were placed around the globe's circumference. The secret if that technology alone could make him rich, back on Earth.

The hull of Pacha's ship dilated open at the base, and a tiny flash of light escaped from inside and arrowed straight at the Moth vessel. Murcha emitted an indescribable sound, and they heard the odd stretchy purr of their own landing tube extending. A moment later, there was a flash of light from the entry to the circular chamber, and something zipped past Charlie's nose and landed squarely in Pacha's outstretched hand.

Everyone bent forward to look. A tiny blue globe, almost an exact duplicate of Pacha's ship in miniature, now sat in the koala's tiny hand. It's diameter was no more than the length of Charlie's thumb, and he stared in surprise, having imagined something much larger and bulkier.

"That's it?" Kippy asked, giving voice to Charlie's own unasked question.

"Yes." Pacha nodded, looking at the globe. "Illia, this is..." and he began to introduce everyone to the shipmind.

"I am honored to meet you all," said a smooth, feminine voice. "Except for you, Mike, whom I already know all too well."

"Right back atcha," Mike said, grinning at Charlie's look of surprise. The Aussie boy gave a sigh, and then just laughed. "We play a lot."

"I see." Charlie noted Pacha's almost-a-smile, and nodded. "Great to have you with us, Illia." He looked about the room. "Now, where would be a safe place to put you for now...?"

A drawer slid out of the base of the central globe, revealing a small storage compartment with four small, cylindrical depressions arranged in a square inside. One such depression was occupied by a shiny black cylinder with rounded ends, that fit its niche perfectly. The other three compartments were all empty. But even as they watched, one compartment shivered, and then flowed into a perfectly circular depression that looked just right to accept Illia.

"I would be honored to share my space with you," Murcha's deep voice offered.

Pacha spread his fingers, releasing the globe, and it flew to the drawer and settled into the round depression, a perfect fit. The drawer slid closed with a small snick.

"What about your ship?" Ricky asked, turning from the screen to look at Mike. "Isn't it defenseless now, without it's mind?"

"Nah. Like I say, no one will bother it here. But even if that happened, the security center is more than smart enough to defend the ship."

There was a rumble from powerful machinery beneath the deck, and then Murcha's deep voice filled the room. "Ready to leave when instructed."

Max looked around at everyone, but no one said a word. He shrugged, and nodded. "You know where we have to go, Murcha?"

"Yes. The fortress at Challont, on Mufa'alatra. We will be unable to go and simply land there, of course, but we should be able to get to the Mufa'alatra star system with no trouble at all."

Max looked at the koala. "Pacha?"

"We are as ready as we can be, I think."

Max held up a hand. "Go ahead, Murcha."

The vibration beneath their feet increased, and then ebbed into an almost unnoticeable purr. On the viewing globe, the spaceport of Engris dropped away, the dark world quickly receded to a globe, and then vanished into the darkness of the Cooee.

They were on their way.

"I think we need to call a council of war," Max said quietly, moving his eyes from the now darkened viewing globe to those around him. The ship had adapted to their increased numbers, and an extra-tall pylon had been added to the circle of pylons around the central globe, just the right size for Gort to lean against. Next to the robot, Mike had the front of his jacket unzipped, and Pacha was tucked inside, with a good view of everything going on. Charlie smiled, once again marveling at the power of friendship.

"Agreed." Pacha's soft brown eyes moved among those watching him. "And I am not good at war, I am afraid. so everyone's input here will be important."

Max nodded. "It's not exactly something us elves have much to do with, either."

Charlie sighed. "None of us are experienced soldiers. We're going to have to make do with planning using things we have read, or just common sense."

Ricky laughed. "Good thing we have Britannica Brain along."

He had to explain that comment, as neither Will nor Billy nor the shipminds were familiar with it. Ricky frowned after he had done so, and shrugged his shoulders. "Although, even Charlie can't know everything."

Kippy reached over and patted Charlie's arm. "There there, Charlie. Ricky didn't mean it. I'm your boyfriend, and I happen to know that you do know everything."

Charlie grinned. "Oh, shut up." He looked over at Max. "Let's start with the obvious. Getting there."

"Yeah." Max considered that a moment. "Murcha is our resident expert on all things Moth. So maybe he can tell us what to expect as we approach this place."

"Very well, Max. To begin, Mufa'alatra is considered a frontier world, as it lies just fifteen light years inside the former boundary between Moth and Arpathant space. The planet virtually belongs to T'ath, and he is the only actual resident. There is a government zone, with a spaceport and warehouse facilities, and the port is used solely as a transshipping center for imports from deeper within the empire bound for other frontier worlds. The actual purpose of the port is to allow a government presence, as the Moth do not like the idea of any of their citizens completely owning any world. They feel that that breeds ambition, and there is quite enough of that within the Moth culture as it is."

"Greedy, huh?" Max shook his head. "Those can be the worst types to deal with."

Yes. As I mentioned once before, there is no official Moth fleet. Ships within Moth space belong to individuals, and will only assemble and work together under complex agreements, to defend Moth space in an emergency. Some citizens only own one vessel, while those with greater wealth may own tens, or even hundreds, of vessels. T'ath owns approximately two hundred vessels, all like this one, but varying in size."

"Warships?" Mike asked. "Anything like those big cruisers the Arpies had?"

"All Moth vessels are armed similarly. Moth technology is sufficiently competent that the smallest vessels are just as powerful as the largest. Unlike the Arpathant tendency to stack power systems and weapons arrays into vessels of increasingly larger volume, Moth power and weapons technologies are at the theoretical limits already, and are no longer additive. This small vessel is the equal of - and probably superior to - the largest cruiser in the former Arpathant fleet."

Ricky whistled. "Wow."

Charlie looked about the central chamber with new respect, remembering the mammoth size of Korig's Arpie cruiser, and unable to imagine that this small vessel was its equal. "Is Moth technology that much more advanced than what the Arpies had?"

"Only in certain areas, Charlie. The Moth are an extremely practical breed, and do not waste science where they feel it is not needed. Much of what you would consider to be consumer technology is not much more advanced than what the Arpathants possessed. But in areas of projecting their power and will, they excel, and their power and weapons technologies are second to none within the known areas of the galaxy."

Adrian patted the armrest of his pylon. "So are you saying that this ship is powerful enough that we can force our way onto Mufa'alatra?"

"No. The limits of transportable weapons and defense technologies do not bind planetary defensive technologies, where equipment size is simply not a factor. The Moth possess offensive and defensive technologies simply too large to be practical for ships of space. But in the defense of worlds, they can be - and are - used everywhere within Moth space."

Charlie frowned at that. "So how do we land without getting disintegrated or blown up?"

Gort raised a hand, and the combined voices of Billy and Will spoke out. "This is the reason we wished to come along, Charlie. We have certain abilities that, in combination with the abilities of Max and Pacha, should enable us to secure a landing on Mufa'alatra."

Max looked astonished at that. "Yeah?"

"Yes. Murcha, what would happen if you simply showed up at T'ath's planet, and said you had left Earth after the Moth crew had been evicted, and were now reporting back to your base?"

"Security protocols are always in effect. The vessel would be scanned, and the presence of unauthorized personnel detected."

"What if we were able to hide the presence of all life aboard this vessel?"

"The two Moth that I transported down to the surface of Earth left instructions not to depart without them. Under my old security strictures, I would still be parked in Charlie's backyard beneath my scat field, invisible to all until they actually entered the field and encountered the hull. The Moth in the orbiting vessel could have lifted the restriction against me leaving without the crew, but that task was omitted in their haste to depart Earth orbit, and would be a matter of record. The defensive mind on Mufa'alatra will be aware that I was not allowed to leave Earth, and the fact that I did so will be reason for alarm."

Kippy blew a burst of air between his lips. "It sounds like that old book, Catch-22, to me. Damned if we do, and damned if we don't."

"Can you just hide the entire ship?" Adrian asked. "So that we could sneak in?"

"I don't think so," Gort answered. "Max? Pacha? Anything either of you can do there?"

Max frowned. "I can make it invisible, but just because they can't see it won't mean they can't detect it. Visible light is just one part of the spectrum. We'd still show in the infrared, because of the amount of heat this crate generates."

"Well, what about your scat field?" Charlie asked of Murcha. "I thought that made your ships undetectable?"

"To a technology at the level of your Earth's, yes," Murcha responded. "This vessel would undetectable. Scat fields vary in capability, and the Moth version is superior to the one the Arpathant used. Arpathant vessels were still detectable by Moth ships. The reverse was not also true, however. That was one reason the Arpathant were such good neighbors."

Adrian grunted. "But the Moth can detect their own ships, even when they are hiding behind a scat field?"

"The Moth scat field incorporates a component that purposely allows it to be detectable to Moth scanners. This component is integral, and cannot be removed without disabling the scat field entirely. The Moth do not trust anyone, even each other."

Mike slapped his hands down on the armrests of his pylon. "So it sounds like we can't get in. We can't fight our way in, and we can't sneak in. What the hell is left?"

Gort pushed himself erect from his pylon and moved away from the central globe. "Max, we need a table. Can you make us one, with seating for all?"

Max grunted and pushed off his own pylon. He waved a hand at the open space nearby, and a large, ornate round table appeared, with equally ornate high-backed wooden chairs spaced around it. Each was lavishly carved, the wood of the armrests and backs lovingly worked into representations of dragon's heads, griffons, and nartheby sprites. The table itself was just as uniquely decorated, and boasted a white marble center suitable for flagons of ale and plates of boar and thunderbeast, and whatever other delicacy the imagination might provide.

Kippy literally bounced away from his pylon and went straight for the table, drawing his hands up to his cheeks in amazement. "Oh, look at this! It's beautiful!"

Charlie and the others followed, and Charlie inspected the table as he arrived beside one chair. The wood looked immensely heavy, and old; and yet, it was beautifully polished and well kept. That the thing was an antique was obvious, and it just emanated a splendor and power unlike any piece of furniture Charlie had ever seen before.

Max passed Charlie and went to another chair, and waved a hand at the others. "Gather round, gents, and find a seat."

One chair was a little larger, a little more splendid than the others, and Billy and Will, in Gort, took that one. Kippy rubbed his fingers over the polished wood after he had seated himself, and looked over at Max, his eyes shining. "I need you to decorate my bedroom for me, okay?"

"And I'm after him," Adrian added, his eyes large and full of wonder. "Where on earth did you get this?"

Max smiled. "Borrowed it out of history. We should have it back before Arthur needs it again. I hope he won't mind."

Charlie laughed, and Kippy turned to look at him, his eyes large. "Do you think he means...?"

But then Gort leaned forward, and the combined voices of Will and Billy spoke out. "Come closer, gentlemen, and let us lay our plans."

"What plans?" Ricky asked, sounding exasperated..

"Yeah, "Mike added. "We can't bull our way in, and we can't slip in undetected. What's left?"

It was Billy alone that answered. "History provides us with three tactics we can use here, and we have only considered two so far. It's time to consider the third one, I think."

"What are you talking about?" Adrian demanded.

If the robot's face could have smiled, it would have done so at that moment. "We know a frontal assault won't work," Billy continued. "And we know we cannot enter by covert means. So now it comes down to a method that humans have refined to an absolute art. Deception."

Now Will laughed, and there was something deliciously sinister about it. "We're going to play trick or treat!"

 

* * * * * * *

 

Kalaf had the duty that evening, and from what the transport logs said, it should be a peaceful shift. There were a dozen freighters due in over at the government port, but nothing scheduled to arrive at T'ath's personal field, there at the base of the Kadra'orif Mountains. That meant little for Kalaf to do in the way of actual work at all. The automated systems that T'ath employed to run and watch over his domain were of the latest type, and had reached a point where the average Moth had little power to second guess them. While that translated to less in the way of work, it also equaled a lesser level of authority, and Kalaf had gotten used to standing at his post and letting the minds that ran things make all the decisions.

Briefly, he considered his employer. T'ath was not the wealthiest Moth, by far, but he was considered to be one of the most dangerous. The information gathering abilities of the man were second to none, and the secrets he held closely, enough by far to guarantee him the tolerance - and even the patronage - of some of the wealthiest families within the empire. Kalaf would have killed to operate at the level that T'ath had attained, but to even voice such an idea on T'ath's own world would be to invite dismissal and a quick removal from his post. T'ath little tolerated competition, especially from within his own domain, and legion were the overly ambitious who had fallen by the wayside for trying to take too much upon themselves in the way of authority while in his employ. You either worked for the man, or not at all.

Kalaf turned his head, gazing out the tinted window at the citadel upon its mountain, that was Challont. The structure was copied from Moth history, an exact replica of the fortress at Marbone on the Moth homeworld, site of the infamous defeat of the triumvir kings. There, fifteen millennia past, the thief-prince T'ath'O'Mallor, direct ancestor of the T'ath of today, and his forces had defeated a continent, and founded a dynasty that would rule for two millennia after.

Not that the modern T'ath was half the man his ancestor had been - at least in Kalaf's opinion. Yes, the T'ath of today was a wily one, and the technology and methods he had gathered around himself to locate, trace, and steal the secrets of the five surrounding star empires, undeniably potent in nature. T'ath possessed information gathering abilities superior to anything else in known space, and that gave him immense power and reach. It could have made him even wealthier than he was - but T'ath was a man who coveted influence rather than material wealth, for with influence, the wealth of others was at his beck and call.

But the man also had a tendency to extravagance - look at the place where he lived. Briefly, Kalaf inspected the stark towers and sharp fortifications of the structure, noting the dark influence of the Monath nihilist thinkers in its design. The place was sinister-looking, even for a Moth abode. And to have constructed it so...talk about a waste. Recreating a fifth millennium citadel out of the native rock of a mountain had been horrendously expensive, and while Kalaf believed that wealth was to be used, he also believed it was to be used to good purpose. Creating a duplicate structure out of modern building materials would have halved the cost - rock was notoriously weak next to modern graphenes, and special design features and added materials had been required to make it self supporting. But T'ath had wanted the original feel of the citadel his ancestor had taken in order to begin his reign, and so volumes of credit had been expended in pursuit of relatively worthless faith to the original structure.

But who was Kalaf, to determine how the great T'ath spent his wealth? Perhaps, someday, his would be an opinion to be valued by such a man; but for now...it did not pay to be ambitious while in T'ath's employ. Kalaf had contented himself for now with being just one more cog in the machine that was T'ath's pocket empire, while working on the plans he had to elevate himself in stature elsewhere, someday.

A warning indicator suddenly glowed in the air before him, followed by a brief chirping sound. Kalaf leaned forward from his pylon to examine the hemispherical display screen, watching the information modules as they appeared, shifted, and linked to give an overall picture of events currently taking place well above the atmosphere, more than twelve planetary diameters out. A vessel had arrived, unannounced, and interdiction procedures had been initiated by the defensive mind.

The vessel, one belonging to T'ath, but currently listed as temporarily lost, had violated the criteria for a legal entry into atmosphere, and had been commanded to halt well beyond. Defensive weapons had been energized and focused on the vessel, and the crew was apparently trying to negotiate with the defensive mind, which was not the sort inclined to compromise.

Kalaf observed the video feed from the vessel, where two Moth were in place at the control center's command pylons, speaking earnestly, it seemed, with the planetary defensive mind. One of them even looked familiar - yes, it was he...one Marbola, a relative of Kalaf's, recently dispatched with a crew on an investigative cruiser to trace down some clue that had surfaced as part of the investigation into the disappearance of the Arpathant empire. The disappearance of the Arpathant and all of their works was simply too colossal an event to have been kept a secret, and the Moth empire was abuzz with the news and speculation from border to border, and at every level of society. T'ath had some inner knowledge of the possible events leading up to this amazing vanishing, it seemed, and had sent several crews out to trace them down.

But...the very crew that Marbola was a part of had returned, just the other day, and Marbola had been among them! The vessel had arrived on Kalaf's shift, and he had viewed the crew assignments himself, including a visual of each member. That crew had gone straight into information quarantine, and so far as Kalaf knew, they were still there. How could it be that Marbola was now returning in a lost vessel, with another crew member that had also previously come home?

Kalaf nodded at the console, issued the thought command to increase the volume of the transmission.

"...telling you, that that was not us that returned the other day! Those were clones, part of a diabolical plan to infiltrate the empire! The cruiser was captured in orbit, and the crew replaced. We were scanned and our genetic print copied, but managed to escape from the ground, and to flee the system after hiding several days inside the rings of a giant planet. And now we are back, and with a warning! You must let us land!"

The defensive mind was not interested in stories. "Your genetic signatures match your identities, but then so did the signatures of those that returned before. Your shipmind confirms your story, but scans of your vessel indicate an energy potential slightly beyond that which can be accounted for by all operating systems and the presence of the two of you aboard. This matter must be examined thoroughly before events can be allowed to proceed. Instructions have gone out to confine the crew of the cruiser that returned, and the vessel itself. You will not be allowed to land, but will remain in orbit until such time as the investigation here on the ground can be completed." The voice was cold, impersonal, and seemed utterly implacable.

The Moth that appeared to be Marbola looked irritated. "But by then it may be too late! We must ground immediately and report!"

"You are not given permission to land. If your vessel moves any closer, you will be fired upon."

Kalaf was in a quandary. Here was one of those situations that only came along once in a lifetime. He had the power to intercede - T'ath did not even trust his defensive minds completely, and, ultimately, they were subservient to the commands of the Moth on watch duty. But to interfere now...what could be the ramifications? If these were intruders of some sort, and he allowed them to land...it could mean his life. But, if, on the other hand, what they said was true, and infiltrators had already been allowed to ground, then T'ath, himself, could be in great danger. The man had enemies everywhere, and the disappearance of the Arpathant indicated a foe of great power and unusual resources. To not act might also mean his life - and those of every Moth on the planet.

His body decided for him, some stray, perhaps prescient current from his mind causing his arm to reach forward and his finger to depress the override. "Hold. This is Control One. Marbola?"

Two-way video was established, and the Moth on the unknown ship leaned forward. For a moment there was nothing; and then: "Kalaf? Is that you?"

A sense of relief washed through Kalaf. Marbola's genetic code may have been duplicated, but no known power could wrest the thoughts and memories from a Moth mind! "Yes. I have the watch. I have been listening, and have found the need to intercede. You now must convince me that this has been justified."

"I am aware of the procedure. Here are the facts: we landed upon the planet indicated in the Arpathant records. The world looked primitive, but it was all a cover, Kalaf. The primitives are hosts for a parasitic superior race of beings of great power. They captured the cruiser in orbit when it lowered its scat field to release our ship, and removed the crew. They sought our vessel on the ground, but apparently could not quite breach the scat field. We managed to lift off and escape, but were forced by pursuers to hide within a the ring system of a giant outer planet. Kalaf, these beings possess a technology that prevents vessels from entering voidspace! We were unable to make the transfer until they gave up searching the ringed world and moved on. A warning must be issued at once. These beings are responsible for the destruction of the Arpathant empire! And we are to be next!"

A sense of horror overtook Kalaf. Beings that could prevent a vessel from entering the void that allowed interstellar travel? They could shut down the entire empire, confine everyone to their worlds! And if they could so perfectly copy Moth personnel as to fool security minds...why, they could already be everywhere! A sense of paranoia grabbed at him then, one he had never felt before in his entire life. Invaders!

Another warning indicator lit in the air before him. "Marbola...your vessel is approaching the planet. You must remain where you are until final clearance is given!"

"Kalaf, you know it is I! Your brood brother, Enphid, attended lessons with my brood brother, Marmit. We share an Uncle each on the Council! Who could know this but I?"

That was true. Kalaf had not been allowed to speak to the Marbola that had landed the other day, but this one knew things that only a relative could know!

"Still, Marbola, you must wait for the proper clearances. If you make atmosphere before they are issued, even I cannot prevent the planetary batteries from firing upon your ship!"

"We will advance to the edge of the atmosphere, and wait. Hurry, Kalaf! Our lives may depend upon this!"

Marbola's urgency was dangerous. It might cause the man to do something regrettable, and the entire situation could spiral out of control. There were emergency measures Kalaf could use...but they were only indicated for the most desperate of contingencies. To use one now might be the worst mistake Kalaf would ever make.

And to not use one might also have grave consequences. For a moment Kalaf could not decide...and then the view of Marbola, and the desperate aura about him, was the determining factor. The Moth were not prone to displays of emotion. To see Marbola so obviously agitated gave weight to the man's conviction that T'ath - and even the Moth people - were in some kind of danger,

Kalaf issued a temporary clearance to the vessel that would stay the defensive batteries, at least for a time. Then he closed his eyes and linked to the defensive mind, and together they pored over the figures coming in from the scans of the approaching vessel: mass, density and constituents of hull materials, energy generation and consumption, life signatures of the two occupants, reference guides for the shipmind...Kalaf paused, looking at that last one. Strange.

Briefly he was aware that the vessel above had reached the outermost edge of the atmosphere and halted.

Kalaf reexamined the reference guides for the vessel's mind. Scans of the vessel reported an energy signature slightly elevated above what could be accounted for by the output of the ship's power systems, plus the thermal and bioelectric output of two Moth bodies aboard. The discrepancy was nominal, but consistent. What could account for that?

The discrepancy itself was less alarming than the fact that the shipmind aboard the vessel reported a normal output of energy. Scans could not be faked, whereas the output from a shipmind could be in error...if produced purposefully.

A wailing sound drew him from the link. Within the hemisphere of the viewer, the vessel above suddenly plummeted from orbit, heading for the ground. The link chimed for his attention, and the defensive mind informed him that the act had occurred at approximately the point where the vessel was farthest in its orbit from all the weapons batteries trained upon it. At its current rate of descent, it would very soon drop beneath the range of more than half of them to fire upon it.

This could only be a deliberate act! Again, Kalaf reached out for the console control which would remove his override and allow the defensive mind to act. But...his arm slowed, and then stopped, as if some invisible barrier had placed itself between him and the console. Fully alarmed now, Kalaf drew in his resources, closed his mind to tampering, and attempted to thrust his finger down on the button.

It moved forward, but slowly...ever so slowly. He redoubled his efforts, forcing his body to comply with his mind, even as the warning sounded that the ship had already dropped below the range of nine of the fourteen planetary batteries locked onto it. Kalaf strained with all his might, forcing his body to counter the mysterious power he could feel acting upon it.

His finger touched the button, and depressed it.

Outside, there was an enormous flash of light, and thunder reverberated down the valley as the king sized planetary batteries opened fire. The ship within the viewer was suddenly sheathed in flame, as the beams of three defensive batteries converged upon it. The vessel disappeared within the maelstrom of energy, which Kalaf knew that no vessel ever made could withstand. For five beats of his heart, the unknown vessel flamed; and then it dropped below the range of the planetary batteries. Kalaf turned to look out of the side window of his tower, and could spy the fireball as it arced down towards the horizon.

And then it was done.

"Impact," the defensive mind told him."All power output on the vessel had been neutralized by the batteries. Deceleration during final descent: none. Terminal velocity at impact: 900 anth per sil. Final inertial stress on hull: sixty gravities. Deformation of structure: absolute."

Kalaf shook his head. No one could have survived that.

Still, an inspection squad would have to be dispatched immediately to examine the wreckage. He saw to that, and then returned to his pylon and made himself comfortable, to await the inevitable call from the citadel. If he was lucky, he would still live tomorrow. But his employ with T'ath, he knew, was forever ended.

Briefly, he wondered who, or what had really been aboard that ship. There would be very little left to examine. They would probably never know.

He was still wondering, when the com link from the citadel chirped for his attention.

 

* * * * * * *

 

The amazing cocoon about them relaxed slowly, and then disappeared altogether, and Charlie immediately sat up. Kippy was there, next to him, and Adrian, and Ricky, and all the others. Everyone was rising to a sitting position now, everyone looked okay.

Unbelievably so.

"We need to get out now," Max said, getting to his knees. What light there was came mostly from a little glowing orb that floated above Pacha, and moved as he and Mike did, like a tethered dog moved with its owner.

The rest of the light came from a rent in the hull, through which rose-colored sunlight entered, almost timidly. Charlie looked up; they could not stand at all. The once high overhead was now squashed down to within four feet of them - the diameter of the magic cocoon that Max and Pacha and Billy and Will had somehow woven all about them, protecting them all from the incredible forces that had pummeled the ship, and then the impact with the ground at the end of their final fall from the sky.

Max got to his feet, and moved, bent low, to the great split in the hull and looked outside. "Geez. We're at the bottom of a whopping big hole. I think the sides aren't too steep to climb, though. Let's get going, before someone gets here."

Charlie felt the front of his shirt move, and opened it to look inside. "Okay, Murcha?"

"Yes, Charlie. I am still amazed that we survived our fall from orbit. The mathematics would seem to indicate the impossibility of this event."

"Mathematics doesn't take into account Max, Pacha, and our two spirit friends, either," Kippy said, smiling.

"Apparently so. Please...one moment while I go and check on Illia." The little cylinder zipped over to where Ricky was getting to his knees, and Ricky grinned and let the little blue orb out of his own shirt.

"I think it's love," Kippy said, smiling at Charlie. He got to his knees and reached for Charlie, who responded by opening his arms and allowing him in.

"We made it," Kippy breathed, holding Charlie tightly against him.

Charlie nodded, kissed Kip's cheek, and then his lips when he turned his head. For a long second it was just the two of them, alone together...and then Charlie felt a hand land gently on his shoulder. "Happy time later, fellas," Max said urgently. "Please, guys, we have to get away from the ship before these Moth boys get here." He turned and waved a hand at Murcha and Illia. "You two come here. I have the deepest pockets of any of us, so you two will be safest with me."

The two shipminds flew to Max, one landing in each hand. "You'll still be able to talk to each other, okay?" And then he stuffed them into his front pockets, where they disappeared, leaving not even bulges in the clothing that Max wore. That there was some magic to those pockets, Charlie had learned a long time ago. He had seen the most amazing things go into and come out of them since he had known the elf.

Charlie nodded, and he and Kippy got to their feet and joined the line moving to the rent in the hull.

Once outside, Charlie had to gape at the depression the remains of the ship lay within. It had been soft earth, fortunately, and had been blasted away from the point of impact. Charlie turned to look at the flattened remains of the dark hull, and could see then that the bulges and protuberances that had once covered the steel had all been reduced to random points of upraised metal, like a gentle sea of tiny wavelets frozen in time. The outer hull had melted, probably from the thermal energy content of the weapons directed at them, since Charlie knew that the materials science of the the starfaring cultures produced hull materials strong enough to withstand the heat of a normal reentry. Max had done his best to deflect the energy bombardment, but a good portion had still leaked through. It was enough to let him see that, without the protective cocoon created about them by their power users and Billy and Will, they would all now be toast in the literal sense of the word.

The crater was still hot, and they scrambled up the sides as quickly as they could, feeling the heat through the soles of their shoes. At the top, Mike turned, and Pacha waved a hand behind them, erasing any footprints they might have left behind. He continued to do this as they crossed the shattered remains of a once grassy field and reached a flat area of bare rock at the base of a massive hill.

"Quick head count," Max said, turning and rapidly making eye contact with everyone.

"I can't feel things," Frit whispered then, giving his head a little shake.

"Me, either," Pip said, looking panicked. "Am I damaged?"

"You are fine," Pacha said, from within the open vee of Mike's jacket. "There is some form of dampening field here that suppresses Ka. It is strong enough to suppress your abilities completely. My own are greatly diminished, as are Max's, I suspect."

"I got a slight headache, if that's what you mean," Max said grimly. He made a show of patting his pockets, and then grinned. "Never any aspirin around when you need it."

Charlie looked at Pacha, and then at Max. "How serious is this?"

"Less than you might think, Charlie. These Moth don't want their own kind to use magic around them, so they suppress it around places they want to keep secret. But it's geared to squash the abilities of someone at their level, not mine. Some of my stuff don't feel like it works as well, but I can still do plenty." Max turned to smile at Pacha. "You, too. I can feel it."

Frit touched Charlie's arm. "This must be what it feels like to be human." The last word was said with such trepidation that Charlie could not help but to smile.

He laid his hand atop Frit's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's not so bad. We'll watch out for you."

Pip came up beside his boyfriend, and they rubbed shoulders together. "Awful," Pip whispered. Frit nodded, but then smiled at Charlie. "We'll be okay."

"I sense their approach," Pacha warned.

Gort had been standing silently at the edge of the crowd; now he moved in among them. "Quickly. Everyone place a hand upon me. Max, you must transport us away from here. I will serve to focus your energies so that you can handle the entire group with your diminished capacity." He turned, and pointed to a barely visible ledge far up the side of the hill. "There is a cave there, at the back of that ledge. Once inside, Pacha will have sufficient power to camouflage us from Moth sensory devices. But we must go now, before they are in range."

Everyone pressed close to the robot, and laid a hand upon the cool material of its skin. This was the first time Charlie had touched Gort; whatever he was made of, it did not feel like steel. The skin gave slightly, but felt hard underneath. But it certainly did not feel like a machine, and while it looked like one, Charlie knew that the container bearing Will and Billy was something else altogether. Something alive.

Max was last to lay a hand on Gort. He closed his eyes, and Charlie felt the odd, fluttery motion of an elf transport. The world around him blinked, and then he was staring at a rock wall two feet away from him.

Mike backed away from Gort and turned to the opening of the cave, and Pacha leaned out of the vee of his jacket and made motions with his tiny fingers. The rough circle of light wavered, and dimmed considerably. They could still see out outside, but it now the world beyond looked liked late evening, with the soon-to-be-dark layer of twilight fast approaching.

Charlie released Kippy and moved to the opening and looked out. Despite the reduced daylight reaching them, it was still mid-afternoon, and he could see for some distance beyond. The great hill they were now high up the side of was part of a mountain range that grew precipitously to their left, while descending in height to foothills off to their right. The Moth ship had dropped at the edge of a wide field that extended for some miles away from them, sloping gently downward, to a great plain below.

"Do not pass beyond the edge of the opening," Pacha cautioned him, "or you will become detectable."

Charlie nodded. Kippy joined him, and the opening was wide enough for Ricky and Adrian to stand to one side of them, and Frit and Pip to the other. Mike grinned and found a large stone to sit upon, and began to absently rub Pacha's head. Max went and sat with them, while Gort stood nearby.

There was a flicker of motion outside, down on the plain, and then another, and another; and soon five large conveyances floated rapidly up to the grassy field from the plain below and landed near the shattered remains of the starship. The conveyances were cylindrical with rounded ends and open tops, and Charlie could see a half dozen Moth inside each one. As soon as the craft touched ground those inside leaped up and over the side, spread their wings, and settled easily to the ground.

Charlie could see now that each Moth was dressed in dark armor with helmet. As they alit, each one reached back over his shoulder and pulled a rifle weapon of some kind from a clamp on the back of the suit. The men quickly spread out and surrounded the downed space vessel.

"Look like they know what they're doin'," Mike said softy, coming to stand behind Charlie and Kippy and looking over their shoulders.

Charlie looked back, beyond Mike, and saw Pacha sitting atop the rock, quietly talking to Max. Gort also seemed to be in the conversation. Briefly, he wondered what they could be discussing.

"What to do next," Mike said, as if reading his mind. "We can't just sit here, after all."

Charlie nodded, and turned back to watch the Moth below. Two of them were now sliding carefully down the embankment of the crater, and approaching the rent in the hull. One was sweeping the ground before them with a small device he held in one hand, while the other kept his rifle at the ready.

"Good thing Pacha erased our footprints," Kippy said.

Mike grunted. "And not just them. He erased our presence."

"What's that mean?" Adrian asked. "What did we leave behind besides our footprints?"

Mike grinned. "Hell. Hair, skin cells, fibers from our clothing, material from the soles of our shoes.. People shed like crazy as they move around. Pacha wiped the interior of the ship, and our trails away from it. The moth will not know that anyone left that ship alive."

Ricky grinned. "They're gonna be confused as hell. No one on board, no ship mind - it'll be like they were talkin' to ghosts when the ship was up in space."

"They won't be fooled," Mike countered. "They'll know that someone real damn sneaky was aboard that ship. That they can't figure out how it was done will irritate them no end. But they'll be on the lookout for us, just the same."

"Are you always this positive?" Kippy asked, just a little acidly.

Mike shrugged. "I'm a realist. Kip. And I've been out here a lot longer than you. Even though these Moth are power users like Pacha, it's all science to them. They don't believe in magic, and they're going to have a hard time grasping that there are power users out there that are better at it than they are." He grinned, and jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Gort. "Or that there's beings like them that can come over from...wherever it was they came over from."

"I touched him," Frit said then, meaning Gort. "He doesn't feel like something artificial. Like a machine. He feels like something alive."

Pip nodded. "And I could sense them there, within, like they were both alive."

Charlie shrugged. "They are alive, in some sense, I guess. The patterns that were their living minds have remained, so in that respect, they can't be dead. They're just changed." He sighed. "I know enough to know I'm out of my depth with a lot of this stuff."

Kippy nodded. "We take a lot of stuff on faith, don't we, Charlie?"

Charlie considered that, and smiled. "I guess we do. Faith in our friends, faith in the people we love and care about." He smiled at the group. "Faith in all of you."

Frit suddenly sniffed, and then Pip. Mike rolled his eyes, but clapped Charlie softly on the shoulder. "You're a one of a kind, Charlie."

Kippy sighed, and leaned up against Charlie's shoulder. "Now you see why I love him so much."

Charlie felt his face warm, but draped an arm around Kip and pulled him closer. 'Same here, Kip. Same here."

"Psst!"

Charlie turned, and saw Max waving at them. He cast a last look towards the Moth. The two that had descended into the crater holding the ship were now edging carefully into the rent in its side. He grinned. They were not going to be happy with what they didn't find.

The group of boys walked back to Max and crowded around him, the stone that Pacha was perched upon, and Gort. Any sense that they were now beyond hope had receded from them. Whatever came next, they would handle it.

"What's up? Charlie asked. Murcha and Illia now floated in the air nearby.

"I think this place is a forza lair, Charlie," Murcha said. "We may be able to use it to our advantage."

Charlie looked to the rear of the cave, and only then realized that it did end just behind them. It gradually darkened, and looked to end; but he realized now that it was a tunnel, and led back into the rock and out of sight.

Kippy groaned. "What are forza? And don't tell me they're horrible monsters with claws and fangs."

"They have wings, too," Max said quietly. "And can fly."

"And they are extremely belligerent," Pacha added. "They do not like visitors."

"They are native to Mufa'alatra," Murcha explained. "and are fairly intelligent. They can learn simple procedures, and the trained ones are quite loyal to T'ath. He uses them as an extra layer of protection at his citadel. They have considerable night senses, and can detect even thermally shielded trespassers. This appears to be a lair of wild forza, so they will be less dangerous in that they have not been trained to fight; but at the same time, they will view us as trespassers in their domain, and will attack us on sight."

Kippy gaped. "You mean they really are monsters with claws and fangs?"

Max grinned. "Yep. Fortunately, they're only three feet tall."

"But do not let their small size relax your guard," Murcha inserted. "They are immensely strong flyers, and two of them working together have been known to carry off an adult katzel from the fields below."

Max's grin widened. "That's the local equivalent of a cow, in case you're interested."

Ricky frowned. "You seem awfully happy about all this, Max."

The elf shrugged. "I have a knack with animals, too. And a bunch of immensely strong monsters with sharp fangs and powerful claws are a heck of a lot easier to deal with than a mob of armed and hostile Moth." He smiled sweetly. "Don't you think?"

Kippy suddenly tilted his head back and laughed. Charlie stared at him a moment, and then smiled. "Something we missed?"

Kippy turned the smile on him. "I was just thinking of the elfdream we were having when all this started. Those big wolf creatures were charging us, and Frit and Pip waved their magic fingers and said nice doggie, and then the poor creatures fell all over us trying to love us."

Charlie laughed, remembering.

"That's a real power," Frit said. "Makes animals like you." He grinned. "It comes down from my gramp's line."

Max nodded. "Yup. Everybody's pets love me."

Adrian slowly shook his head. "You're not thinking of enlisting these forza creatures in our cause, are you?"

Max shrugged. "If I can get them to leave us alone long enough for us to get through this cave, that will make me happy."

"Actually, they are caverns," Illia informed them. "They were formed by water. Murcha and I have been imaging them using ultrasound, and they go back some distance and then downward, and then turn and follow this range upslope for quite some distance. As that is the way we wish to go to reach the citadel, this will be an excellent avenue for covert movement."

Pacha gave a very human nod of his head. "Hiding our group from Moth sensors will be far easier down here than out in the open. The intervening earth will greatly enhance my ability to perform this task with a minimum of power, leaving me able to perform other tasks as well. Out in the open, with my reduced abilities, it will be all I can do to hide so many of us."

"That's good enough for me," Mike said. "If Pach says it will help, it will help."

"As long as it doesn't get us all killed," Ricky said.

Adrian turned and sighed at his boyfriend. "If I didn't love you so much, I think I might hit you right now."

Ricky looked surprised, and then sheepish. "Sorry. Just the worrier in me." He reached out and pulled Adrian closer. "Hit me all you want. Just be gentle, and I can take it."

Adrian sighed, and grinned as he was pulled into a kiss.

Max rolled his eyes, and looked at Pacha, as if for help. "Aw, Geez!"

 

* * * * * * *

 

Once down into the darkness, Max and Pacha lit their way, each being followed along by invisibly tethered glowing orbs. The tunnel widened as they descended, and stalactites and stalagmites appeared - icicles of stone hanging from the roof of the cavern, often with opposing, inverted brothers poking up from the rocky floor beneath them. In some cases the two had joined into columns, and in other places there were mounds of multicolored rubble on the floor of the cavern, evidence that one of the stalactites had broken off and crashed to pieces below. The colors were fascinating, muted in the less than brilliant lights from the orbs, and tended to run in streaks and streams throughout the hanging stones around them.

"Dissolved minerals," Illia explained from within Max's left pocket, when Frit noted the beautiful striations in the rock formations. "This place was formed by water, carrying dissolved minerals, and carving its way mostly through limestone. It would truly be a beautiful place were it not home to such creatures as these forza."

Murcha made a surprised sound from within Max's right pocket. "You understand beauty?"

"Why...yes. Don't you?"

For a moment there was no answer; and then Murcha made a soft but pleasant sound. "I think I am beginning to."

Charlie grinned at that, but his next comment was lost when the sudden sound of giant wings came to them. The group stopped as one, and closed together automatically.

"I wish I had that sword from the elfdream now," Kippy told Charlie, pressing against him. "I'd feel a lot safer."

"I wouldn't," Charlie whispered back. "Neither of us knows how to use one."

Kippy gave his shoulder small smack, but didn't say anything more.

The sounds grew louder, and then multiplied. Charlie thought he saw motion just beyond the edge of the bubble of light that surrounded them, but when he looked, there was nothing there. Then another flicker of movement, somewhere else, and again, when he turned his head, there was nothing to be seen. But the sounds came from all around them now, and that could only mean one thing: they were being surrounded.

"Problem," Max said then. "My magic that makes animals likes us isn't going to work here. These ain't animals, they're people. Just really primitive ones. But they're too intelligent for animal magic."

Charlie sighed at that. What else could go wrong?

Somewhere out in the darkness there was a thunderous crash, and Charlie jumped, along with all the others. Then another sound, even louder than the first one.

"Stalactites, hitting the floor," Ricky guessed. "They're breaking them off, for some reason."

Max suddenly raised his hands. Something exploded not ten feet in front of them, and Charlie caught a glimpse of a brief burst of fire amidst a shower of sparks, as though whatever had exploded had impacted an invisible wall around them. There was another explosion, and then a chain of them, as rocks the size of Charlie's head impacted the invisible barrier that Max had placed around them. Charlie grabbed Kippy and pulled him down, and they dropped to their knees as a rain of fire began, with first tens, and then hundreds of the rocky missiles bursting against Max's shield.

The noise was incredible, the brilliance of the explosions so bright that Charlie had to close his eyes lest he be dazzled. He and Kippy held each other as the barrage increased in its fury, to the point where Charlie just could not believe that so many missiles could be thrown, so quickly.

He was ware of movement then, within their own bubble of safety, and he opened one eye just enough to see what was happening. It was Billy and Will, in Gort. moving to the front of their group. The figure of the robot went right up to Max's barrier, and suddenly lifted its arms up high.

A pulse of white light burst forth from the robot's body and raced away in all directions, and in an instant the entire cavern was filled with the light of day. The barrage stopped instantly, and Charlie opened his eyes and looked around them.

In every direction, seemingly frozen in the act of doing something, were small, manlike creatures, with two arms and two legs, and a head, and great, dark wings. Some of the creatures held rocks in their hands, some had their wings open, and others had them pulled in tightly behind them. There looked to be several hundred of the creatures, and their resemblance to the gargoyles that adorned churches and cathedrals back home was almost eerie. The dark eyes of all the creatures were fixed upon Gort, his arms upraised, and certainly a fearsome sight in the bright new light that filled the cavern.

The brief moment of frozen time suddenly ended. Those forza that held rocks suddenly dropped them; those with their wings spread suddenly made use of them; and those with their wings pulled in thrust them suddenly outward. And then, en masse, the creatures turned and fled. The noise was again incredible, as hundreds of sets of wings beat at the air of the cavern. The creatures all went one way, deeper into the cavern, along the route that they were traveling themselves.

And then they were gone. Echoes of their wings reverberated throughout the cavern for a moment longer, faded, and then died away.

Gort lowered his arms then, and Max stepped up to him and laid a hand against the robot's side. "I hate to tell ya this, but I think you scared them."

Frit and Pip both hooted, and slapped their thighs in amusement. "You think?" Frit asked, laughing.

"Sure scared me!" Pip added.

Charlie blew out a breath, and rose to his feet, pulling Kippy upright with him. "You okay?"

"Of course. The way you wrapped me up in your arms, nothing could get at me."

Charlie grinned. "Oops. Sorry to be so clingy."

Kippy sighed, and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Just you shut up, Charlie Boone."

Mike and Pacha came forward, and Pacha looked up at Gort. "Just the right action, at just the right moment."

"It was Max that gave me the clue," the combined voices of Billy and Will returned. "Once we knew they were people, and primitive ones, it seemed to follow that they might be awed, or even terrified, by having night turned to day by something that looks like Gort."

"Nice trick, too," Max said, waving at the almost sunlit cavern. "Awful lot of light here now."

"Interesting tactic, throwing rocks at us," Mike said. "I kinda expected them to do a blooie rush right at us."

"They're all too familiar with the range and deadliness of Moth weapons," Murcha suggested. "Much safer to throw stones from the darkness than to attack directly."

"They looked like gargoyles," Ricky said, shaking his head. "Creepy."

"They did, didn't they?" Adrian mused. He smiled. "This has certainly been a Halloweeny Halloween."

Charlie and Kippy both laughed, and Kippy reached out to pat Adrian's arm. "They keep getting better, too."

Adrian shrugged, but nodded. "Somehow, I'm still having fun. I mean, it's all scary, but I just have this feeling that we're gonna make it through."

Kippy smiled. "Maybe you're getting some Skwish, too."

Ricky slid his hand up Adrian's shoulder and rubbed the back of his neck. Adrian turned, and Ricky smiled at him, and offered a little pucker of his lips. Adrian sighed, leaned forward, and offered a brief kiss. "That's all for now," he whispered, pulling back. "I don't want to get Max after us again, complaining about happy time."

"I heard that," Max said, turning and smiling at them. "I think it's great that you guys are all in love. I just think you could put some of the stuff on hold until we get back home."

"I think we should be moving on, while we can," Pacha said. "The sooner we get through this cavern, the better."

They started off again, Max leading, with Gort just behind him. Charlie and the other boys fell in behind them, and Mike and Pacha brought up the rear.

For the next hour they moved along at a good pace, without being disturbed. The light that Gort had cast within the cavern stayed with them, and the way ahead remained bright and easy to see. The floor of the cavern was smooth, almost polished in places, and suggested the movement of a lot of water at some past time. The rock formations around them all glistened with moisture, and only seemed to increase in their beauty the deeper into the cavern they went.

Finally, Max raised an arm, and they stopped.

"What's up?" Charlie asked.

"We're being watched. Couple of forza up high, there near the top of that column."

Mike came up, bearing Pacha. "Pach has an idea."

"Gort, would you look towards that column, and raise your arms?"

The robot did so, facing the distant rock indicated, and raising his arms above his head.

Pacha made small motions within Mike's jacket, out of sight of watching eyes.

Ahead of Gort, a great, black form sprang into being. It was neither a bird nor a bat, but something in between, with dark, leathery skin, and large, slitted eyes. It spread its wings with sudden vigor, and leaped into the air, flapping mightily, and headed straight for the rocky column.

In the distance, they heard two strange cries, and a pair of forza detached themselves from the back side of the column and arrowed away into the depths of the cavern. The great black shape gave a brief chase to hurry them along, and then returned to settle to the floor ahead of Gort, where it vanished into nothingness.

"If they had any doubts before that Gort might be a supernatural being, they have surely been laid to rest," Pacha said, sounding just a little smug.

Mike looked down at the little koala. "That's fine, if they just stay out of our hair. But what if they get the idea that he's an evil spirit, and has to be destroyed?"

Pacha scratched his furry chin, and looked thoughtful. "Then we will deal with that when it comes."

They moved on, and traveled another two hours before stopping to rest and eat. Max made them up some snacks - little sandwiches and some cookies, and produced a large bucket of cool, clean water, which they used to fill the metal cups he gave them. The food was refreshing, and the water better than any that Charlie had ever had before.

"How do you do that?" he asked the elf, after they were finished. "That was some mighty good eating."

Max shrugged. "Aw, there's organic goop everywhere you go. You just gotta rearrange it into stuff the looks and tastes good."

Kippy's eyes widened, and he inspected the floor of the cavern at his feet. "Organic goop? From here, in this cave?"

"Cavern," Charlie corrected, automatically.

Kippy cast a brief glare at him, and then returned to Max. "What we just ate all came from organic stuff you found here in the cavern?"

"Sure. I'm a great cook. It was good, wasn't it?"

Kippy nodded. "I just don't...I just don't want to think that what we just ate was made from reconstituted forza poop, or something like that."

Max drew back, and placed a hand on his chest. His eyes sparkled, and Charlie had to grin.

"Now, would I do that to you?" Max asked Kippy. "I ate the stuff, too. Think I don't have standards?"

Kippy watched the elf a moment, and then nodded. "You do have standards. That's exactly what I'm afraid of."

Max laughed, and Charlie laughed, and Kippy just sighed at the burden of it all. "Okay, laugh. But if I sprout wings overnight, I'll know just who to come to."

They moved on, and made another three hours before Max called another halt. They were passing through a small, natural hollow within the cavern, and a semicircular depression in one wall easily large enough to hold their entire group comfortably now presented itself.

"We'll stop here for the night," Max decided. "We get inside this hollow, and we only have the front of it to defend."

"Is it night?" Mike asked, looking around them. "Sure can't tell it."

"The light will stay with us for as long as we need it, "Gort offered. "You cannot tell the time based on what you see."

Charlie dug his cell phone out of his pocket and checked the time. It said 3:34 a.m., but that was Earth time, and had no meaning here. But then he frowned, and looked again. It was still 3:34 a.m. on Saturday night, according to his cell. Did that mean that it was still the middle of the same night back on Earth? Was that all the time that had passed since they had left? Four hours? How could that be?

Max saw him looking, and nodded. "Told ya I'd take care of no one missing you guys. Relax, Charlie, okay?"

Charlie nodded, and placed his phone back into his pocket. He trusted Max, definitely.

Max created some pads for them to lay on, and Charlie and Kippy put theirs next to each other and snuggled together. Only then did Charlie feel how tired he really was. A lot had happened to them since leaving Earth. They'd slept once on the ship on the journey, but this was the first real rest they'd had since landing on the planet. He pulled Kippy close, and kissed him.

"Are you having fun?"

Kippy sighed. "Oddly enough, I am. You'd think I'd be scared out of my mind to be uncounted light years from home, in a cave...a cavern, full of monsters, on an alien planet, and making my way towards a castle that makes the wicked witch's look like a gingerbread house. But I am having fun." Kippy gently rubbed his cheek against Charlie's. "Everything is fun, when I'm with you."

Charlie closed his eyes, and breathed in the scent of Kippy's skin, felt the warmth of his face near. "That goes for me, too. Doing anything with you is what makes it special for me."

He felt the brush of Kippy's lips, and kissed them. "G'night, Kip. I love you."

"Oh, Charlie. I love you, too. Sleep well."

And he did.