Storiesonline.net
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                                  Mage
                              by John Wales

Copyright© 2006 by John Wales


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Description: Adam Yates never had a break in life. That was until he saved an old man from being murdered. His reward was something he never knew existed.

Codes: MF fant ScFi TimeTr ESP rom magic
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[This story was submitted in one piece by the author. It has been divided into multiple chapters to provide compatibility with wider range of browsers, so chapter limits have no meanings. Storiesonline]

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Chapter 1


Adam Yates frantically pushed the brakes as his mind grasped the horrible possibilities. His car slid one-way then another as he quickly turned the steering wheel to avoid the car racing through the intersection. He remembered belatedly to pump the brakes to keep the car going straight. The small red Japanese car continued through the red light as if unconcerned about the consequences. Adam's 79 Ford Granada slid through the intersection then toward the right side of the road. There was a small bump and then the vehicle came almost to a stop. The back tires hung for a moment over the deep ditch and then it slowly tipped. The car slid down the snow covered incline and came to an almost gentle stop. It was resting half way between vertical and horizontal.

Adam shook himself and tried to get his hammering heart to slow down. There had been no violent shocks so there should be little damage but there was no way it would get out of the deep ditch without at least one tow truck. Adam thought of his finances and knew he had only a dollar and seventy-three cents in his pockets. His bank account had less than a hundred dollars and he was unsure if that would be enough to get the car out. His thoughts on the driver were harsh but not vicious. He figured that he or she should be forced to get driving lessons at the very least. More violent responses were not in his nature.

The engine had stalled again and Adam shut the car off and removed his keys. When he was sure everything was stable, he pushed hard on his door and it creaked open. It was difficult to slide up the seat and out the door. Once out he mentally kicked himself and had to go back in to get his lunch pail and thermos. With both secured he found the thermos rattled and he knew that it had broken even though it was empty. He took it anyway and looked for anything that he would need for the next few days. A piece of paper reminded him of his duties so he took a pen from the glove box and soon found that it would not work. A broken pencil was broken once more to expose some of the fresh lead. A short explanation of the incident then his name and phone number were written on the bottom. The note would hopefully stay on the dash for the police to read.

Getting out this time he dutifully locked the door then labouriously climbed three metres to reach the crest of the snow-covered embankment.

He was on Markham Road and wanted to head south to his home. Just behind was the intersection to Steeles Avenue and a six-kilometre stretch of open railway lands and industrial sections. Through his thick glasses he could see the snow blowing sideways in the strong wind. Far to the south he could barely see the CN Tower near Toronto's waterfront.

He looked around for some help but he had been on the afternoon shift and had to stay a few hours over to send a shipment on its way to Montréal. Nobody would stop for him anyway.

The sky was black with small clear lights both in the heavens and on the earth. His exhaled breath showed the frozen condensate. The cold wind quickly took the small cloud into the night. There were no pedestrians about and the only grouping of lights were in the distance. Even beyond this would be his home in Scarborough, a community in Toronto's eastern side.

Bundling up as good as possible, he looked around and started to walk. The toque on his head and his wool mitts were not enough for the biting wind. It went through his trousers and up the lining of his parka. If he was lucky someone would take pity and give him a lift but that never happened. The packed snow crunched under his feet but none of the cars or trucks going his way stopped at his outstretched thumb. He figured this was the way it always was. He seemed to have been born under a dark cloud. The buildings in this area were all industrial but became commercial closer to his home.

At 57 he remembered his youth. His features had been fair and to tell the truth he still looked at least common. Schoolwork had been easy but there were always bullies that found it necessary to make his life miserable. His father was arrested when he was just eight. His mother had told him that he had gone for and extended stay in the 'hospital'. His father had never returned though his drunken mother once mentioned that he had only been in there fifteen years.

Real friendships were never made but on occasion he would have an acquaintance to chat to for a few moments. When puberty arrived he was unprepared and had nobody to turn to, to find out what was happening. Girls that he suddenly found interesting wanted no part of him. The bullies seemed to find more ways of making his life a hell on earth.

Luckily he was an only child. This was preferable to having his home life made even worse. His mother collected welfare and either drank or smoked most of it. She had a weakening disease that would have kept her from working if a job had been available. Books were his sole refuge and his library card one of his most valuable possessions. Science Fiction, History, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry were studied far beyond his years. Reading an interesting book enough times allowed him to absorb the information even if it was by rote.

He started out as a paperboy then to a clerk in a grocery store so he could make some money but most of it went to his mother and her vices. She at least didn't bring men home, which Adam was happy about.

When he finally graduated high school it was necessary to work instead of going on to college or university. With a dependant he was not able to spend his money trivially on girls. When he was old enough, the welfare his mother got for him disappeared but she continued to get a lesser amount for herself.

At thirty five he met a woman that was interested in him. A quick marriage, against his mother's wishes, ended almost as quickly when Marcy couldn't put up with Adam's mother anymore. At thirty eight he had not risen from the bottom of any organization he worked for, they seemed to all find less work and have to cut back or go into receivership.

Four years later Adam's mother Rachael died of complications from her smoking that she refused to abandon. Adam was now free of her but now had an empty apartment to come home to every night. Employment was readily available but he always had to start at or near the bottom of the ladder. Some companies looked at his employment records and thought him to be a jinx though his work record was perfect. He began to leave out some of the companies that had gone into bankruptcy but that felt like lying and that left a sour feeling in his stomach.

He tried to help those in trouble in his neighbourhood. The pretty women or those with children got more aid but rarely did he get anything in return. He had to pay a hooker to relieve him of his virginity at almost thirty and to this day the only freebie was with Marcy but she took what money he had in the bank when she left.

Adam had to stop and rest even though he was not walking fast. A pain in his chest told him to watch out. Under OHIP, he was able to get medical attention through the provincial government plan. He found that he had a heart condition to add to his worries. There was very little that could be done and a rest with no money was impossible.

When he recovered he continued on his way. There was still an hour and a half's walk and though his ears, hands and feet were getting cold he figured he could make it. Of course if he didn't then that was ok too. Life was not that precious to him. Here his luck would probably fail him too. He figured he would end up being forced to live as a cripple or in pain and unable to end his miserable existence.

He was angry that he had to take his pail and thermos because his hands could at least be in his pockets. Forty minutes later his finger tips and his toes were numb. He figured he would get frostbite now. This would put him off work and that meant that he would get fired one more time. The present job was working in a warehouse and had risen to the position of dispatcher but that also meant that he had to do his share of loading and unloading stock. He had been late many times because of his car but he could afford nothing better.

Transport trucks came by more regularly now and the wind of their passage sent shivers down Adam's back. There was no sidewalk and the snowbank ruled out walking further from the road. After the latest truck went past he could hear a disturbance ahead but no distinct voices. Adam turned his head and closed his eyes to further concentrate on the sounds. He missed the silent flash of violet light from the construction area about three hundred metres ahead. No further flashes were seen and the noise had stopped too.

When Adam got close he found an area between two trailers that had no snow of any kind. Looking into the dark area he could see nothing amiss. The noises were dismissed and Adam resumed his trip home. He was twenty metres past this area when he heard the groan. His hearing was not that good but he seemed to hear this with his mind but this was stupid. He did suspect that somebody was in trouble and he looked for an easy way across the ditch beside him.

Adam ran or rather walked faster the way he was going and turned to the right to enter the construction site. All sorts of ideas were going through his mind but he had never failed to come to someone's assistance if they called to him. Walking through the deep frozen ruts in the land, he searched for the cause of the noise. When he got near the trailers he could see very little. Some areas were vividly eluminated and others not. With only a bit of hesitation he went into the dark area.

Metres beyond the trailers and beside a cement block wall he saw a leg lying on a pile of plastic covered masonry mix. A light on a pole partially illuminated this area. He rushed closer and saw three others dressed similarly in dark outfits that were unsuited to the weather conditions. He knelt beside the first and saw that the man's face was burnt completely off but the clothing was not even singed.

The chest was not moving and he didn't have to feel for a pulse to know that the person was dead. Getting up and looking around, brought him to one more dead person. The cause of death was the same and he looked until he found another. This one had been decapitated and one more seemed to be turned inside out. Organs, blood and bare muscle were all that he saw.

Adam could barely contain his gorge at the sight. These were the first people, other than his mother or a body at a funeral home, that he had seen. A small sound to his right alarmed him and he turned fearing that he too would join those already dead here.

On closer examination he saw an old man dressed in an expensive business suit but he too was out of place. Going closer he could see a small movement of the rib cage. Now hurrying he tried to see what he could do. His hands were free after leaving his lunch pail and thermos beside the first corpse.

The man was indeed old. He was short, had long white hair and his skin was wrinkled as only a very aged person could be. One hand when he moved it out from under the torso showed the typical disfiguration of age. Beside the man was an old wooden cane but on closer inspection was too long and must be a walking stick. On the other side was a leather tube almost a metre long and eight centimetres in diameter. It was capped with leather at both ends and had a strap as if it were carried over a shoulder.

The man's face suddenly reminded Adam of his long dead great grandfather. As a boy he had watched the old man dying and had been old enough to call the police and that was long before there was such a thing as 911. The ambulance had come and taken the old man away and he didn't even get a chance to say his goodbyes. His mother didn't take him to the funeral. He never got over his feelings of helplessness.

Adam had taken first aid courses when they were given free at his place of employment. He did what he could now. The man was in shock and didn't respond. Thinking about the man he took off his parka quickly even though the cold wind was still biting his flesh. It was placed over the man and Adam got up to run to find a telephone.

As he stood he could hear footsteps approaching in the snow and felt relief that he didn't have to run very far. He knew that time was important for the old man. The steps got closer as Adam approached them. He was phrasing the words about the man as he saw the clothing of the three newcomers. They had the same clothing as the dead men.

Adam saw the man in the centre who was a metre ahead of the other two, grin widely at seeing him. Adam said, "There is an old man on the ground. He's seriously hurt. I don't think he'll live without some medical attention."

The man he spoke to looked beyond Adam to examine the unconscious man on the ground and completely ignored the bodies. "I don't think you have to worry much about his health any more. He will be dead soon and it is about time. He has plagued us since Rome became a republic."

"I don't know what you are talking about. He's only around ninety. He needs help and if he gets it in time he may live."

The man smiled again and said, "That's all right, we don't want him to live."

Adam was shocked at this declaration. He had met some very bad people in his life but none seemed as bad as this man or his two attendants. All three took a step forward and out of the shadow. They moved as if given a silent order and Adam retreated. He looked around and saw a wide mouth shovel with a 'D' handle. He rushed for it and picked it up threateningly as he stood almost over the man lying on the ground.

"Stay back. I know how to use this and I will hurt you. Leave the man alone." Now Adam saw all three grin at him and it reminded him of nothing more than a group of three sharks ready to feed.

The leader was just three metres away and whipped out his hand. Adam had time to think it held a gun but he saw nothing. The wooden handle in his hands reacted as if it had been struck with an axe. Adam was pushed backwards a step and found he had two portions of shovel now.

Adam was now the most frightened he had ever been in his life. He didn't understand what was happening but he knew that if he failed the old man's life was forfeit. Brandishing the two portions menacingly, he took a step forward to his old position. He was sure that it would mean little to the three men.

The grins on the three got wider than before. Adam felt himself being picked up by invisible hands and thrown contemptuously at the cinder block wall six metres away. He had just enough time to curl so his head didn't hit. As he slid to the ground the only thing he could think of was his grandfather and what he had failed to do almost fifty years before. Blood was running down his face and his hands were slippery with the substance.

The work glasses had come off but the strap around his neck ensured that he wouldn't lose them. They were put shakily back in place. It was difficult to get back on his feet but he did. He was surprised to see the two pieces of the shovel nearby and he picked them up to fight with. The grip was not very good as the wood kept slipping. The man curiously hadn't moved and he got part way back to his position close to the old man when he felt a blow to his body. He bent over in encrusting pain. Tears were in his eyes but he knew that he had to get up quickly. He tried to gain his feet but stumbled twice before standing with a shovel blade over his stomach as if this would prevent a reoccurrence of the blow.

The three men said nothing but Adam took one staggering step toward them and felt his left arm grasped by unseen hands and twisted slowly upward. Adam screamed until he heard the unmistakable snapping of his bone. He felt the jagged end rip through his skin. He was released and fell heavily to the ground. The pain was so great that he should have been rendered unconscious but he couldn't find refuge there. His bad luck was still following him here and would not allow it.

The men seemed to look at the old man now as if ready to feed. Their opponent was now less than nothing. Adam had a great deal of difficulty but managed to get to his feet with one arm and a nearby pile of blocks. His left arm hung down towards his feet but that didn't seem to matter now. If he died now there would be nobody to mourn. A quick death would deny him the life of an invalid or a man that would not be able to end it all.

A wooden stake used for surveys was lying at an angle beside the blocks and he unsteadily reached for it. It was frozen into the mud and it was a torturous hell to get it loose. The old man was being raised horizontally from the ground by an unknown force as Adam got close enough to bring his makeshift club weakly down on one of the three men that now ignored him.

The old man fell back to the ground. Immediately the man he hit flung out his hand but this time a long bladed knife was there. He felt it slip between his ribs with very little pain or difficulty. When the knife drew back for another plunge he saw the old man slowly trying to get away now that the three had stopped focussing on him. Adam's life was over and all he could do was give the old man a few more seconds of life. He yelled as loud as his punctured lung would allow and he tried to bring his wooden lance around for one more swing at what the books called his mortal enemies.

The stake only came up a metre before Adam fell to the ground and the three men moved so his blood-splattered body didn't touch theirs.

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I woke up and felt pain in my arm and vividly remembered the fight. When the memories came to me, I wondered why I wasn't dead. My right hand felt my chest and only found a small lump like what I would get just after a scab had left. The left arm was still sore but I could flex my hand and that was something that could not happen with a broken arm. Though it was painful, I brought up my left arm and found it bare but whole. There was some new pink flesh where the bone ends had come through the skin.

I tried to get up but found I couldn't. There were no visible straps and my body seemed strong enough but I could still not move very much. Looking around the large brightly lit room I saw that I was in a large laboratory. Black topped tables sprouted a rigid framework and this supported all kinds of glassware. The room stank of chemicals and there were all kinds of apparatus around me being used.

Off to one side was a bank of computers and a large screen that must have been three metres across showing data with characters from languages I had never seen before. Turning my head to the other side I saw a long wall of cages. They were of all sizes, and contained all sorts of animals. There were hominids, reptiles, amphibians, and even some rabbits. Other cages held odd animals that he had not seen before and to be truthful I would never want to see. Some had large teeth and claws. It was the ones that looked helpless that were the ones that seemed to frighten me the most. They had the same kind of features as the three men that had almost killed me.

No sound came from the animals though I could see the animals mouths move to complain about their captivity. I looked down at my feet and tried to move them so I could get out of the invisible bindings. I was completely naked without even a sheet for privacy. I worked harder and harder to get loose until I started to panic. I remembered my bad heart and forced myself to calm down. I felt like one of the animals in the cages across the room.

As I relaxed, I noticed a very large rack of books that ran all the way to the very high ceiling. Behind this, there seemed to be another. There were books of all sizes but the vast majority of them were very old and bound with leather. Looking closer, I could see that one book had what looked like Latin text on the covers. None of the books had any inscription on their bindings. Two other had different embossing. The ink was too faded to make out. Another book had characters on the cover that I had never seen before.

It suddenly occurred to me that I was not wearing my glasses. They had been dark framed and had thick lenses so that I could see. They were the last thing I saw before going to bed and the first thing I fumbled for in the morning. Now I could see better than I had ever seen before.

I heard a sound as a door behind my head being opened. The approach was nearly soundless.

"Hello. Would you tell me where am I?"

The steps passed me and I caught sight of someone going to one of the tables supporting all the chemical apparatus. The person didn't have a lab coat on; in fact the person had no clothing at all. The back was all covered in hair and when the head was turned to one side, there was no bare skin to be seen. The lower portion of the body was hidden behind a table.

"Hello. I seem to be secured to this table. Would you tell me where I am and what I am doing here?" No reply came, the person continued doing something with the apparatus.

When the person turned around, I was about to voice another request but it died on my lips. The person was humanoid in shape and must have been two metres tall but the large mouth, open nostrils and the single large eye was proof that this was not a human.

I was now afraid this being was now going to come close. In seconds though, it glance at me as it left the lab.

My mind worked furiously. Was I captured by aliens? Was I part of one of their experiments? The thoughts went through my head so fast that I didn't realise that somebody else had entered the room.

A hand touched my head as if examining an animal. I moved suddenly and as much as my bindings allowed. The person looking at me was not large and covered with coarse hair. The face was almost human but not quite. The skin was all blue with darker areas that seemed to be veins or arteries. Even the hair was a darker blue. The teeth were a very bright white and except for the fact that they were more pointed they looked human. The eyes were very different. There was no eyebrow to soften them and they were a piercingly black in colour or very close to it. I didn't know how high off the floor I was so I didn't know how tall this person was.

I felt a tickling in my mind and a kaleidoscope of colours appeared. A montage of sounds soon rushed in but none of the latter came by way of my ears. The process went on for an indeterminate amount of time that could have been either minutes or days. Eventually simple geometrical shapes were seen that slowly rotated then faded out until a new shape appeared. The sounds too became vaguely understandable but on concentrating on them I found them to be of no language I had ever heard before. Simple ideas instead of shapes and sounds came to me and they were as clear as English. At first I thought they were from my own tortured mind but this couldn't be right.

"I will put a collar on you. It's a sort of visitor badge. You would die without it I am afraid. It also gives some measure of protection to the master. When that is done we will then get you up for your tests."

"Ah," then thinking to try this new medium, "ok... I will do as you want." I could detect some feeling behind the thoughts and didn't think that anything really bad was going to happen to me. There seemed to have been some information forced into my brain and this appeared to be a better way of communicating.

I felt hands putting something thin over his head and after some strange words it began to shrink around my neck. It was not tight or even uncomfortable. When the hands retreated the bindings holding me stationary disappeared. Instead of suddenly making a break for it, I tried to move my limbs further than I had minutes before. This was difficult to do. I then tried to get up but I could not do so.

In a moment I felt two hands assisting me into a sitting position. When I looked down, I could see that I was only a metre above the floor. Looking at the being beside me, I could see that this was probably a female. She was completely nude as I was. Her chest sported two large breasts and two smaller ones eight or so centimetres below the larger ones. The female, if that was what she was, was about 140 centimetres tall. She was taller than the usual midget but not as tall as the average female human.

"There now, are you stable?"

I was about to speak with my voice but decided to try to continue with my mind instead. "Yes, thanks. Ah... I... I haven't seen anybody like you before. My name's Adam. What's yours?"

The female smiled and said, "Caloona."

The name sounded odd and I had never heard anything even similar to it before. "It's a nice sounding name. I have never heard it before." I paused for a moment thinking of what I should ask and what I shouldn't. "You look a bit different from anybody I have ever met before too." Caloona was different but not ugly at all. In fact she was pretty in the sense that she was shaped correctly and had a grace about her that I could detect from only her posture. Then off that subject, "Could you tell me where I am and how I got here?"

Caloona smiled or I thought it was a smile and she said, "You're different too but there are a lot of different shapes and sizes around here."

"Where are we?"

"The master decided that he wanted to thank you for what you did for him. If you look at your body you will see that he has repaired it. This took a great deal of his energy but he is ethical and wants to pay you back with the same coin you paid him. To do all this he had to take you to his workshop for this procedure. Not many beings get a chance to see his main workshop but he thinks you will not abuse his hospitality."

"How is... your master? Last I saw he was in rough shape." I had to assume that the old man was the master.

"He is doing much better now."

I felt a lot better now myself. The 'repair' part sounded like he was a doctor but in that case I should be in a hospital. I was prepared to leave. After all, this guy saved my life and he was a busy man. Caloona's words made me think that I was imposing on the man's generosity.

"Could you help me find my clothes and I will be on my way? I don't want your master to start worrying about me. I really appreciate the fact that I can see much better now too."

"We don't wear clothes around here and I think the master had them destroyed. Only the master is allowed to clothe himself, I am afraid."

"Could you find something for me so I can leave?"

"The master doesn't want you to leave yet. He still feels obligated. He's a scientist and I think he has something for you that you may like."

"That's ok. I helped him out and he helped me too. I have to get back to work or I'll loose my job again."

Caloona only smiled and said, "The master will have to see you first. Now let me help you to the washroom I can feel that you're bursting."

I felt embarrassed about being naked and I felt even more so when this woman was able to read my mind and know that I needed to do as she suggested. She did help me up and I was thankful, because my legs didn't do what I wanted them to do. This got me wondering. My legs had not been damaged much. It was only my back, chest, arm and a bit of my head that had been hurt. Thinking of the latter I brought my hand up to my forehead and found no sore spots but did find a lot of hair that I hadn't had for many years.

"Caloona..."

"It's ok. The master wanted you to be as good as you were when you were young."

I didn't know what to say so I remained silent. When we got to the washroom I wasn't sure what was before me. There was no toilet but just some holes in the floor, some raised platforms and a hose with a nozzle. Caloona understood my dilemma and said, "You can stand and aim for the hole and after you can squat over the hole and test your accuracy there too. When you are done you can use the water. It is always warm to clean yourself and any mess that didn't quite make it to the target. I use the same arrangements."

"But..."

"This is the only type of washroom you will be able to use. Others have much different plumbing and you will not find them as nice as this is I am afraid."

I did have to go so I said, "Thanks Caloona but could I have a bit of privacy for a moment?"

"You mean you don't want me to stay here and hold you? There's a chance you may fall."

I could see the smile now and said in a low mental voice, "No thanks." When I finished I found the system odd but it did a good job. I looked around for a towel and then felt my backside and found it already dry. I smelt the nozzle and I thought that it was water. I didn't know why I would not be dry though. I washed my hands with the hose and found the water had disappeared after doing its job.

Taking a few cautious steps, I made it out of the room to find Caloona sitting on my former bed. "If this was where I was recovering, is there a place for me to stay until your master comes to see me?" I knew that my convalescence had not quite finished yet.

"There is a place for you. I will help you there." She came over and got on one side in case I needed her.

On the way to the door I asked, "This is a nice lab. It smells bad but I guess all of them do. What are all those animals and the old books for?"

"The master has very many experiments going all the time. He has some assistants to carry them out once they have started. The books are his notes and observations that he made when he was young. Some of them are notes that others made of their observations and discoveries."

"What are they about? I mean what fields is he experimenting in other than chemistry?"

"Oh, he is interested in everything there is. At times one field or another catches his interest but over time I think he has studied about every field there is."

"Those book look pretty old though."

"The master has been making his notes for a very long time."

This made me remember something. "That shark faced guy said that your master was bothering him since the time of the Romans. By the way what happened to them or the others I saw dead?"

"The master has had a long and exciting life. He was displeased with the Battro. He had to kill them instead. They are not nice people."

This made me pause. The feeling I got from her was that Caloona's master would rather have kept them alive and tortured them instead of just letting them die. I didn't know if the Battro were a race of people or just a gang of alien thugs. I said no more about this and judging from the apparent age of the books that they were at least a few centauries old.

When we got out of the room I found that we were actually in a long and very wide hallway. Odd characters were on the wall and even on the door we just walked through. The inscriptions were still odd but somehow a bit more familiar. I walked to the next intersection and found this area much busier. The beings walking or even slithered by. This made me very upset but Caloona encouraged me to continue. She didn't seem to be afraid.

"The only ones here are those of the master's choosing. They will not fight or hurt you unless ordered to."

"Who are all these... people?"

"There is a computer in your room that will explain much of the information you need to know. You will be here for a while because the master has left to punish more of the Battro and their master for what they tried to do to him."

We entered a small suite of rooms about five minutes later. Caloona sat me in a comfortable chair beside a table then said, "Think of what you want to eat and drink. Be as specific as possible."

I was hungry and for some reason a turkey dinner with all the fixings entered my head. I liked coffee and pictured a large mug with lots of milk. I was about to put my arms on the table when its surface started to shimmer and I brought them back quickly. It took almost fifteen seconds then I saw the dinner I pictured in front of me along with the drink.

I was very excited and disturbed at what had happened. Caloona said, "Relax, this is the way we get our meals."

"But this is like science fiction."

"Better than that. The master has studied all the fields of science but mostly he has been working on what you call magic."

I swallowed and tried to think of what she said constructively. Caloona said, "Relax, everything is as it should be. Enjoy your meal. When you are done say, 'computer!' as if calling a name. You can ask questions with your mind or voice."

I got the feeling that Caloona was going to leave. She was not human but she was starting to be my friend and my only potential ally. She was also my only hold on sanity. I eagerly said, "Do you have to go? There are so many things to talk about. I don't know anything about you."

She reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. "I have many duties to perform but I will see if I can get back to you when I have some free time. That is the best I can do."

It hurt to think that she was leaving but I had been reduced from being a man to a boy again and I never had anyone that was a real friend and I was not sure my ex was even that. "Ok, but I'll miss you."

"I like you to. Eat your meal then call the computer. There's information you need and probably some message from the master. I would like to see what you can do now that you are given a second chance at life."

I felt even more alone than usual when Caloona had left. I looked at the food and decided to try it. I was hungry. It certainly was good tasting and better than any other turkey dinner I had ever eaten. The coffee was great and when it was done I thought again for coffee and a second mug appeared in a vacant area.

When I was finally done I pictured the table now cleared of dishes and they actually disappeared even faster than they appeared in the first place. I was thinking of getting up to check the rest of the rooms but there were more important things to do first.

"Computer!"

"Yes."

This shocked me for moment for the voice sounded Human in every way. "Do I have any messages for me?"

"Yes, two."

I thought of getting it printed but saw no printer so I said, "Will you read the first one to me, please?"

Immediately I heard a man's gruff voice saying, "Adam, this is Erasmus Cloistus. I want to thank you for assisting me to get rid of some of my enemies. You risked your life in doing so. In return, I feel compelled to do something for you. You may have noticed some of the changes in your body but there are more you have not noticed yet. I am presently busy but I want you to start some initiatives of your own. Your body has been repaired but you need to acquire both muscle mass and speed so that you are not at such a handicap as you were when we first met. Your mind was... better than some Humans but you have been wasting your life."

I knew that this was true but I had been taking courses and studying what I could from library books.

"I have left some orders concerning you. There will be a great many tests on your body and mind. To do this you will be given some time with various tutors or testers. If you fail to attempt what I ask or not want to participate as fully as possible then you will find yourself back in your home. You will have some improvements and no memory of me or of what you have done. The spell that was on you since birth has been removed. If you work diligently then I will assist in your education. I may have a task for you that will be both rewarding and informative. Your acceptance is up to you though."

"I am presently... elsewhere and unable to thank you in person as it should be. Please accept my apology."

The message abruptly ended and I could see that the man was very testy and was no doubt was very used to getting his way in all matters. If he was really old then this must have been an understandable situation. I couldn't make a decision on something like this without more information. Learning was also a thing that I had never turned down. The thoughts of a spell sounded right even if I didn't believe in magic. Bad luck was another way of looking at it. I had no idea of who would put a spell on me. I had never been lucky so I had to assume it was on me when I was born.

The second message came soon after and this was actually printed out on a large piece of parchment and not even paper. I think it had to be saved so I would be reminded of its presence. It appeared on the table the same way as the food. I read the message slowly line by line and I was amazed at what the requirements were. What shocked me the most was that I could understand the symbols as if I had read this language for years.

I never had time or the money to go to a gym but now I was required to become what I thought was a body builder. I was to learn to fight too and this was not just with my fists, now I had to learn how to use a knife and even a sword. I had no idea how this would be useful for a person using a sword was an easy opponent to one with a gun.

There was a course of study in both 'Saranam and Fassie'. This I had to assume were languages but I was not sure. There was a great deal of other studies such as history, calligraphy, geography, customs, religion, and important individuals of a place called Sookra.

This course of study must have a bearing on where and what Erasmus would like me to do. I couldn't see a use for the information but if I was going to help the old man then it was probably essential.

I was a good student when I went to school. I was always afraid to stand up for myself. I had even been given bursaries and a full scholarship but I had not been able to take advantage of it. This course of study would take years and I thought of my job, my apartment and my property. To be truthful there was very little that I would lose and possibly a great deal to learn.

At the end of the list of requirements was 'mathematics', 'history of magic, ' and 'simple incantations'. This was very odd to me and I didn't know how well I would do even if I tried my best. I failed to see how mathematics would be tied to magic.

If I was going to do this then I had better start now. I called up the history of Sookra and actually found it fascinating after I began to read.



-------

Chapter 2


Hours must have passed but I had no idea of how many. I came up for air from my study when I heard a chiming sound. I had to assume it was the door and said, "Come in," after considering how to reply.

The door slid open and I got up immediately. There was a very beautiful woman that just stepped into my room and the door slid shut behind her. She was distinctly Human and perhaps the most beautiful woman I had ever seen either clothed or not. Her hair was very dark if not black. Her skin was tanned like she had been in the sun quite often. Her hips were wide and her breasts... Her breasts were large with large nipples that seemed to draw me. She had no hair below her neck and I could think of no reason such a woman would have anything to do with me.

I though for a second and said with my mind, "May I help you?"

The woman gave me the kind of smile that had never been directed to me before. "My name is Sandra. The master has sent me here to get some samples and do some tests."

I didn't know what to say but directed her in, and to sit at the other chair at the table. Sandra walked close to me and picked up my hand instead. I looked down into her eyes and saw that she was only just twenty if that. The feelings I got from her showed that she was for some reason very interested in me. She came a bit closer and stopped. She had to, for somehow an erection had sprung up between us and I was very embarrassed but this didn't help it go down, as it should.

"I am sorry Sandra. I'm not usually like this and I don't know what came over me."

The beautiful woman reached down and stroked my erection. I looked to see what she was doing and found to my surprise that there was more of me than there ever was before. It seemed that Erasmus had improved more than just my eyesight.

Sandra said, "You are right. The master wants to make sure that everything is working as it should."

"Ah, what things?"

"I will show you." She backed away just a bit and released my cock but pulled me by the hand to one of the rooms. I saw a low bed with cushions and even another computer.

Sandra sat me on the bed then sat down herself. She turned to me and her arms enveloped me. I had never felt this way before even when I was with Marcy. I felt myself going over onto my back but couldn't care what happened to me now. Sandra's lips never left mine and her tongue made tentative forays into my mouth. I had to assume this was to prepare me for I had not done this before.

I was a babe in her arms and let her do what she wanted. I didn't want to be pushy and frighten her off. I had no idea why she found an old man of 57 so interesting and was afraid to question it.

Staying passive, she kissed all over my face then moved to my ears, neck and then the chest. Her hands roamed my ribs and traced the recent scar that must have punctured my lungs. The skin of her hand felt so erotic that I wondered why I had not shot off from having just this stimulation. Her caresses told me that I had more hair than I ever had before but I was not too hairy.

Her hands reached further down my body until she found my enlarged equipment. After a few strokes I found enough conviction to restrain my release. Where this came from I had no idea. The control was even more pressed when Sandra slid down further and started to lick me. This had happened only twice before and one woman was paid to do so. Now the emotions going through me were many times stronger but still I found the strength to hold myself back.

Her tongue lovingly caressed the length and she paused at the head to lick any lubricant there. I heard her say, "Hmmmm that's tasty. Give me some more, please."

When her hands caressed my testicles I had no choice to give her everything I had. I tried to warn her but couldn't seem to even think it to her in time. When I did shoot it was seven times and I felt as if I were turning inside out.

"Yes, give me more. I need it so bad."

After an ejaculation like that I assumed I would look like a very full balloon that had just been punctured. I was amazed to find myself still hard. Sandra continued what she was doing even though after the third time I wanted to show my own appreciation. She simply said, "This time it will be this way. Later you can have me any way you want."

This made me feel better inside that a woman as beautiful as Sandra would come back. She left an hour later after relieving me seven times in all. I felt very drained and wondered how I had found the material to give to her.

We had parted with a kiss and I held her tight thinking of love but I was sure my emotions had just got screwed up again. I thought how good it would be to spend the rest of my life with this woman even if it were just for the sex.

I slept that night better than at any time in my life and I only regretted having Sandra in the bed with me even if it was just to hold her.

When I got up, I ate a breakfast of my choosing then used the facilities. With a little experimentation I found the shower and felt better. My mind brought up the idea of a comb. That article appeared, then hung in the air for me. This was getting to be understandable. A mirror came next then I had second thoughts and had the mirror made much larger.

I was amazed at the image that came back to me. My face was that of a very young man. I could feel no hair on my face but I could see the dark pores as if I had just shaved. The only article I wore was the narrow plastic like ring around my neck and I had to assume that this had to be. My skin was of a young man too and I was thinner than I had been before meeting Erasmus. The cock was as I remembered it yesterday but now I could see that the testicles were much larger than I had before too.

My arms and then my whole body were more muscular but I was still weak. The hair on my chest was thicker than before and when I thought of my back I saw that image as if my head had been turned around. The hair on my head was longer than I liked it but now it suited the body much better. The amount of time taken to heal me and grow my hair must have been at least three months if not more. I was not worried about this at all as if I had joined the military and now I just did as I was asked and would be provided with everything that was needed.

I just finished combing my hair when there was another chime. I immediately thought of Sandra and raced to the door. It opened when I commanded it to but instead of a beautiful woman there was a large grey chest. I looked considerably higher and said, "May I help you?"

"The master commands that you follow. We have work to do. Come!"

I was not sure of this but trusted Caloona's word that I would not be hurt. This person looked like a Human but he was both too big and his skin looked unhealthy.

I raced after the individual. He had long legs and others in the hallway got out of his way when he strode toward them. My body had not recovered and soon I had to slow down. I was worried about my heart but had to assume that with everything done to me that this would be taken care of too. The tall man was out of sight but I continued on hoping to find him.

The man had disappeared and there was nobody to help. Trying to put data together I said, "Computer, where am I supposed to go?" There was no computer around but I had no other choice.

An image came into my mind of where I was and where I was to go. Luckily there was only one turn and there were seven symbols I had to memorise so I would make the correct choice. It took almost five minutes to get to where I was supposed to go. At the large door I said, "Computer, please ring for admittance." I hoped this was how it was done.

The door opened and I entered to find a large gymnasium. Much of the area was sectioned off with just colours but many more were in areas of sand, rock and even water with combinations of each. The tall individual was at the machines or what I thought were something for working on increasing muscle mass.

When I got close he pointed with a very large finger to a spot on the floor and said, "Stand here while you are assessed." I did as I was told and the man looked at a large screen that formed from nothing. This I thought must be from laser projectors but it was in various colours and even shades.

"You are feeble. You have to work very hard before you can even begin your workouts. Your brain has not been used for anything other than the storage of data. Your reflexes are rated at 347. This will have to be improved to at least 106. If you are to remain alive for long it will have to be even lower. We should strive for 60. Your muscle mass has to be increased even if this will slow down your reflexes. You will not be as large as me but you should work to add fifty percent more body weight and grow at least 16 more centimetres."

There was a slight pause as I tried to digest what I heard. Before I was done he said, "On this machine now. We will see what your rate of growth is."

I stayed at the gym for almost two hours. The work I was obliged to do was impossible but thinking of Erasmus' words I worked until I could not do any more. In fact I found that I was waking up after fatiguing myself too much. I tried to do more but my limbs would simply not respond to any of my commands. They twitched in place and I almost started to cry that I could not do what I needed to do.

Caloona came in to help again. It was almost too difficult to think to her. She said, "Come, I will help you." She got under an arm and picked me up and I now realised how strong she really was. This time I was directed to a ring on the floor and I felt Caloona give a command. I was back in my suite or one just like it.

She let me down in the shower room and the water came on and she washed me like a baby. This short woman manhandled me and I next found myself in the bed. Caloona climbed on me and I didn't think of sex because of the pain.

Caloona ran her hands over me giving me much more pain but I stayed and took it. As she finished one part I found that the massage she had given me was helping.

"You should have quit earlier."

"I got a message from your master. He said either I give this all I have or I am out. I never thought I had a chance before and now I am going to hold on with both hands or die trying."

"You could have asked for some medication that would assist in adding muscle mass when you started this. Other treatments can be used to purge your body of toxins and waste matter."

"I didn't know of any of this. That big guy didn't seem to care if I made the grade or not. He just gave his orders and forgot me."

"He's a Plugga. There are not many of them, thankfully. They are a race of fighters that cannot be controlled. Every one the master has have been reanimated after death. There is no other way to control them."

"Dead?"

"Yes dead. The word you have is zombie. The master trades for the bodies and then animates them. They make good guards or in this case trainers. They are not very bright after reanimation but in their natural state they are very vicious. They are also very difficult to kill."

"I had no idea. I thought they were a bit odd but not that odd."

The chime came and for a moment I wondered who it might be. Caloona went to the door and answered it. I was afraid of who it might be but pleased that Sandra came in. She smiled at Caloona and greeted her warmly. When she looked at me she said, "Hello, I came for another sample. The master wants it taken regularly to build up your stamina."

"Ah, hello Sandra. I would love to oblige but I am bushed and I also have company."

"That's ok. All you have to do is lay back and continue your talk and I will work at getting what I need."

"But... you take much more than..." Sandra had bent down and began to fellate me. I looked at Caloona and tried to tell her that I wanted to talk to her but in seconds I was changing my mind and soon I didn't mind if she stayed or not. I was about to give Sandra what she wanted but I remembered her words about stamina. In just a few minutes I just had to release and felt as if I was being sucked through my urethra. Sandra just slowed down to let me recover.

"That was a good sized load. Your next one will be almost the same."

I had some strong feelings for Sandra. I had sucked on a few ladies in my time but I had never had the chance to find out how good I was. Perhaps if Sandra would stay still long enough I would get a chance to give her back a fraction of the joy I gave her.

"Sandra," I gasped. "Swing around. I want to make this enjoyable for you too."

Though her mouth was full she said, "I need to get this sample and that is all that is important."

"It is important to me too. If I make you happy then I will be happier."

"That is not important. I just need the sample."

"Sandra, if I do this my way, I will be much more aroused and give you a larger sample." She seemed to think on this a moment then swung her hips around to straddle my face.

I could now see very close and found Sandra dry. This meant that she was not excited at doing this or naturally produced less lubricant. I brought my nose close and didn't smell the scent of an aroused woman but I started to lick her to the best of my ability. This seemed to help a bit because she sped up on her deep throat tactics. I rooted around for her clit but found that hers was exceedingly small. It was long moments later that I had my next orgasm but was disappointed that Sandra didn't seem to get that excited.

I resolved to do all in my power to bring her off. I used my tongue on her lower lips. I sucked on her clit then tried to fuck her with my rolled up tongue but all to no avail. I had managed to last a much longer time but I only felt more depressed that I had not been able to bring my lover off, as I should.

I continued to strive for Sandra's joy but eventually I was dry. She now was happy and wanted to just leave. "Please stay Sandra. Perhaps if you could just lay back and relax you could enjoy this more."

"I'm sorry. I have a lot of work to do but I appreciate the thought. Next time I come we can try this differently."

Caloona was still here but I didn't feel ashamed of my body but ashamed that I had been powerless to make Sandra happy. I had not been able to do such a good job in my previous life and I may do the same here.

Caloona sat down beside me and put her arm around my shoulder. I was feeling pretty depressed when she said, "Don't worry about her. Her job was to get the sample and that was all that was important to her."

"But she was so nice to me and I couldn't please her in return."

"It's hard sometimes and at others it is impossible. Just take what she has to offer and be glad that you are on the receiving end."

"I just can't do that. All my life I have been the one to lose and I always try to help others. If I just let this ride I will just be like one of those mindless takers that I hate so much. I have to give and I want to give more than I take."

"That's admirable but it cannot always be. Now get up and have something to eat. You have a lot of studying to do. I suggest you take a break every hour and do some exercises to get in shape. Ask the computer to provide the supplements to put on weight and assist in removing the accumulated combustion products from your system."

I took Caloona's advice after she left. The dosages would be just put into my food but I had to take the cleansers just before a workout.

It was two weeks before I could manage a workout without having Caloona take me home. I still had to use the ring in the floor but it was nice to find I could get there on two feet. Caloona had explained the principles of the transporter and it was not that difficult to operate.

Sandra came like clockwork for her sample. For a few more times she fellated me but I found that I was losing the mental will though the body was still all for it. We tried making love a different way. She talked to me all the time trying to get me to do things differently and to stir her up more. I felt that the best sexual therapist in existence was now teaching me. It was great for a week but I got to see that she was just faking her excitement and my 'samples' must have dropped in quantity.

Sandra tried harder but it was not the same anymore. I loved her for her efforts but I was not content if I could not make her happy. With me unhappy, my efforts dropped a bit but I thought I was still doing fairly well.

I discussed my problems with the only person I could and Caloona said that she would see what could be done to assist me. The next day Carol came instead of Sandra and I found I could please her only as much as Sandra. She was a better actress but by now I could tell the difference.

Teachers of other subjects came to allow me to speak the two languages Saranam and Fassie. I had already found out that there was a major division with each side speaking a different language. The customs were different for each but not much. Each one though sounded crazy to me. This could only be understood when both of their historical figures were studied. It made what I knew of Human history sound almost rational.

The computer gave me facts and figures then tested me the next day before giving me new data. Mathematics was far beyond what I had studied but the computer made courses for me so I would eventually learn. This I soon found had a lot to do with magic. Incantation was practised with Caloona. She was able to read my mind and help me over some major misunderstandings.

My first success was two weeks later when I was able to elevate a small feather a few centimetres over the table. In an odd way it was magic that allowed me to see some of the things I was supposed to learn in mathematics.

Other women came to me to get my sample and I finally denied them this and had to physically deny them. All of them were strong and I had a difficult time doing this. If I was not so depressed I would laugh at myself for fighting of the most beautiful women in the world. My own body though fought me. I had a very strong appetite for sex now. Caloona mentioned that she would send a message to the master to see what he could do but as yet nothing had happened.

I tried to submerge my sex drive in work and exercise. It worked after a fashion but I was always sporting an erection and this along with the heightened hormone levels bothered my concentration.

Forty-three sleep periods after I first awoke in the lab I found that I was summoned to see the master, Erasmus Cloistus, the wizard. The message came by the computer but though it was veiled in politeness I knew that I had to go to see him right away.

I had to use the ring on the floor and found myself in an area I had not seen before. Here there were torches for light and even stone walls had arches for doorways. Two of the Plugga stood outside his door and both were very watchful of me. I had nothing to hide. I still had no clothes. I waited respectfully after asking to be admitted. It was almost five minutes later that the permission was granted.

One Plugga moved to the side only a bit and one of the double doors opened just enough that I could enter. The room I expected to be a mess with wizard paraphernalia all over the place but it was just a comfortable suite with a great deal more personal artifacts if not trophies. The man himself was sitting at a desk working on papers, or should I say neatly cut and sized parchments.

"What is this? I hear that you are not cooperating."

I swallowed, knowing how powerful this man was. I had also heard about his anger. When it got out of hand people began to die, sometimes very horribly. "Sir, I am trying as hard as I can. I am encumbered with many of my preconceived notions of gratitude. I am not a machine or a Plugga but a person that has to find a niche among my own kind." I hoped he would draw some parallels to his own gratitude to me. The latter though may have been what Erasmus was once like but that was centuries ago.

"That's no excuse. I gave you a choice of either working with all your might towards a specific goal or going back to living the way you once were."

"I could work much harder if the woman making love to me actually was able to feel the same emotions. If you are able to do such a fine job of repairing my body, why can't you do such a little thing to Sandra and the other beautiful women that are here?"

"That is my business what I do in my home. It is not your place to question this."

I knew that I was shot down and I decided to go out on a limb. "Sir, you asked me a question and I answered it to the best of my ability. I provided a possible solution though it may be too simplistic. I know you have reasons for doing what you do. My point of view is like a person that is for all intents a comparative child to you. I have not acquired your mindset or knowledge. It was love of my fellow man and love of my elders, specifically my grandfather, who forced me to assist you. It is that same quest for love that makes me reject a woman that cannot feel or appreciate what I do for her."

He said menacingly, "You would not want my knowledge. It would shrivel you up in seconds. Love is a foolish emotion that has done the world a great deal of harm."

When he paused I said, "Love is part of the herd instinct. It binds a group together for mutual protection and I believe that a group is stronger than one individual the majority of the time."

"You should have disregarded those minor feelings of inadequacy and embraced what you were given," he said with a stone face.

"I wanted desperately to do as you asked. You burdened me with overactive gonads then ask me to study. This was an oxymoron of sorts. Can this testing be in two stages so I can do one or another well?"

Rather than answer my rebuttal he said, "Are you related to William Butler Yeats?"

"I have some Irish blood but to tell the truth I have no idea. I have read his poems and tried to understand him. This was mainly done because of the similarity of names."

He said, "The young in one another's arms, birds in the trees -

Those dying generations - at their song, 

The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, 

Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long.

Is this what you call love?"

"Sir, that is the poet's preoccupation with life and thus with love. The first line says, 

'That is no country for old men.'

He goes on to say, 

'Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.

Caught in that sensual music all neglect

Monuments of unageing intellect.'"

"Perhaps he was saying that the 'give way for the young' so they can make their own mistakes in life. He was talking about his own passions now in an aging body and perhaps he was trying to gain some sense of immortality through his work."

Erasmus said, "I see you have read 'Sailing to Byzantium'. You have much the same eyes as William had though when I knew him he was already an old man."

I said nothing for the poem mentioned just might convince this aged man to find a way to help me instead of kicking me out. He stared at me a moment then said, "I have a lot of work to do. Perhaps I better get at it."

"Thank you sir for what you have done for me." I turned and the door opened with invisible hands.

The next two days found my worry of expulsion getting less and less. I was also not pestered by beautiful women wanting to drain my testicles but I also felt like a cow that was far past milking time. My studies were going well but my magic was not doing what I wanted it to do. I found myself with a demanding teacher. After a simple incantation a fire appeared on my fingers of my lft hand and I had no way to put it out. The burns were not extensive but the normally dower face of the teacher broke into a grin.

I was able to walk back to my rooms after my exercises with the still un-named Plugga. The workouts had become more strenuous but I was able to almost keep up. I noticed that my height compared to Caloona was changing and then I noticed that there was less room over my head as I entered my suite. My body though looked to be the same proportions so everything was growing with me. The muscles I was trying to develop were growing too and this was probably the reason I was surviving in the gym.

When I was almost finished for the day the chime sounded and I assumed it was Caloona coming for a visit. I had not mastered the spell to see for myself so I simply said, "Come on in."

It was not Caloona but Sandra and a dishevelled young girl behind her. I got up from my seat in front of the computer and said, "Hello Sandra. How are you doing?"

"I am doing fine but I miss you." I didn't know what to say so she continued, "The master has sent you a gift. He said it would be both a stick and a carrot."

Sandra moved aside and put her hand on a young and pretty woman with long blond hair and small breasts that fit her body very well. A ring similar to mine was around her neck and I could now see the alphanumerics that represented her body. She looked about fifteen and had just started to fill out into womanhood. She had smudges of dirt on her. Her hair was in disarray. There was even some bruising though I saw no blood.

"This is Sonya. She now belongs to you in every way. If you do not want her she will be destroyed and perhaps others found that are more appealing to you."

Sandra stopped to hear what I had to say but I was speechless. This didn't happen or I dearly hoped that it didn't. People were not given as gifts and certainly not with the stipulation that death was the outcome if I rejected her.

The girl though was terrified as anyone could imagine for her fate seemed to be in my hands.

"You can't just give her away like a slave and why does she have to die?"

"It is the master's wish. I have never heard of the master making jokes and I think he will fully do as he stated if you do not take her. He says that you have to clean her and feed her by hand to instill obedience."

"You mean feed her out of my own hands? I am fed here by magic myself."

"You will just order food for her and then you must be the one to put it into her mouth."

This I could do if necessary to save the girl's life. "What was the carrot and the stick about?"

Sandra seemed to be embarrassed and said, "I get my samples like it once was but now you are able to hold your new slave. You have access to all her openings but she is not allowed to take any of your seed yet. If this happens there will be a severe penalty and she will pay for it. You are getting someone to respond to you and love will grow. I will get to do my duty."

"That explains the carrot but what about the stick?"

"Sonya will always be yours. When you leave here, if you survive the training, you will be obliged to take her with you. The love that will grow will also force you to learn more and do it faster. Her life will be in your hands."

When I didn't speak Sandra said, "The master said that the slave is to stay with you tonight. Before leaving for your workout tomorrow you must decide what you should do."

For the first time I turned to the girl and said, "Hello, my name is Adam. What's yours?"

It took a moment to say something. "I think my name is Sonya but I am not sure."

"What do you have to say about this situation?"

The girl couldn't speak with her mind though I could read her thoughts though they were obscure. "I need you to take me master or I will die. There has been a curse put on me and I know for a fact that I will die tomorrow morning if you refuse me. I will do everything I can for you. I will stay in a corner out of your way so you can study. I will not be a bother at all." She paused a moment as tears ran down her pretty face. "Please take me. I think I have had sex before and I liked it. We can do this and both of us will be happy."

The girl was suffering and I was always a sucker for this. I helped all the women that asked me for assistance even if it meant that I had to tighten my own belt. This time it was much more serious and death was the only alternative. What I had heard about Erasmus allowed me to see his plan very well. He was vindictive, self centred and entirely capable of taking the life of a helpless young woman.

"I will take you at least until tomorrow morning."

"Oh master," the girl said as she ran to me and got on her knees in front of me.

I looked at the girl and felt a great many feelings. I wanted to help but I also wanted to nurture. The fact that she said she wanted sex and I was overloaded with hormones seemed to be good for both of us though I had never had sex with a girl this young. The customs I was studying on Sookra showed that a woman was a slave to a man much as it used to be on Earth until recently. There, it was even more dramatic. It was not that women didn't have to vote; they could be bought and sold as if dealing with new and used cars. I had some feelings about this place and how I would fit in. I was also ashamed of what I thought.

I said vocally and as kindly as possible to her, "Go into the washroom and get cleaned up."

The girl looked at me and smiled before saying, "Yes master."

Sandra had not left but got closer to me. She said quietly, "The girl will sleep in your bed tonight. You are almost bursting for release. If you slip into her you will ejaculate and this will hurt her as if you poured molten iron into her. Do you wish to take that risk?"

Sandra's mind was more open to me than usual and I knew somehow that she was not lying.

Sonya came to the doorway and waited with downcast eyes. I knew she wanted something. "What is it Sonya?"

"I don't know what to do here. Nothing will work for me master. I... I think you have to do it."

This was not that much of a chore I thought and walked into the room. Sonya retreated. I was not sure about Sonya at all and asked, "Do you need to have a pee or... ?"

She hung her head and said weakly, "Yes master."

"Get over the hole. This is what you pee and poop into."

The girl did but couldn't keep her balance and she was very embarrassed. I squatted down and held her steady. "Just let it go. Everything will get cleaned up and then we can do the rest of you."

"But I have not done it this way before and not in front of others." She thought for a second and added, "I think."

I just patiently waited while rubbing her bare shoulder until I heard water then a rush that quickly stopped. In a moment it continued and then lasted a long time. She wanted to get up but I just held her and said, "The rest Sonya."

Some noises came that embarrassed Sonya even more but in five minutes she was finished. I rinsed her off with a stream of warm water and used my hand to rub her openings to get them clean. One of her hands came to my knee to hold her steady, as she seemed to swoon from the feelings. I was starting to get an erection and I fought it down even harder than I had been doing it for the last week.

When I stood I looked into Sonya's eyes and I thought I saw love but it could have been trust, compassion or even lust.

I moved her over to the shower area and began to call for water then cleansers. I had fun now with this girl as I soaped her body and she just clung to me and shook. I was positive it was not all from fear.

When I finished her hair three times I called for a comb and worked out the tangles without too much pain. The girl clung to me and my erection grew to lodge on her abdomen. The girl held it to her as if a life preserver and didn't move so I would get over stimulated.

When she was finally done, I did myself and stepped out of the shower area and both of us were completely dry. Sandra was there waiting for us and she had a gleam in her eye as she looked at my cock. Instead of moving she presented me with a small and delicate leather sack.

"Take the pill out and place it in the slave's mouth. It will remove all her diseases and clear her mind."

I had no other choice and I did as she asked. Sonya must have known that this had to be and opened her mouth for me.

We walked to the bedroom and Sandra got on her knees on the bed and almost swallow me whole. Sandra seemed to be in heaven and I was nearing the same destination. I looked into Sonya's piteous eyes and said, "Sandra has to do this and when I am emptied we can have some fun. Remember that you would suffer if my seed entered you?" Sonya just lowered her head and said nothing.

We moved to the bedroom and then I laid on the bed watching both women come to me but luckily Sandra got there first and engulfed me all the way once more. Sonya just looked on in amazement as the other woman's technique. Sonya started masturbating and I moved the girl over my face and treated her like I did Sandra before I knew that she would be unable to enjoy my labours.

Sonya got very vocal and told me exactly what to do and where. She moved herself vigorously back and forth to get the maximum stimulation. With the high pressure in my testicles and a responsive woman I shot many times into Sandra's mouth. I even heard Sandra groan in contentment as she got what she wanted for so long.

Sonya soon had her own mini death and collapsed onto the bed. Sandra was into the next lap. When Sonya was quiet, Sandra slid up and got on her back in the missionary position. "Show me what you have learned."

I did this more readily than usual. I pushed myself into Sandra as I looked at the woman child near me. Sandra gave a few more pointers that should make her or any woman feel better. When I came the next time Sandra seemed content even if she had not come close to an orgasm of her own.

Hours later we had moved into many different positions where I enjoyed her other orifice as well. It didn't seem to matter as long as she got my seed. Sonya was constantly masturbating but couldn't get off on her own fingers. She only found pleasure on my lips or fingers.

When I mentioned that I would love to see two women making love, the girls complied. Sandra, I was sure was to get me excited while Sonya just wanted an orgasm. It did work and I emptied myself into Sandra's back passage one more time.

My erection never went down or even weakened. This was the usual way I was now. When Sandra certified that I was empty Sonya begged me to use her. I was afraid of a dribble but Sandra assured me that the girl was safe for the moment. I was then concerned with my size. I was larger than my previous life and had grown in length and girth recently. I went very slow and found that Soyna was not tight at all and seemed to accept me easily.

I gave Soyna one more orgasm before she pulled away and turned over. "This one too master. I want you in all of my openings."

I wondered about this request. Perhaps she wanted me to know that she gave me everything and I would thus look after her. I had my doubts about the actual act but soon realised that she was very open here too if not loose. She did enjoy her orgasm though as much as in her vagina. She would have wanted more but I had to study and exercise tomorrow. We all washed up and Sandra left but this time she gave me a small kiss, our first.

While Sonya rested, I asked the computer about slaves and their maintenance. I was surprised at all the information available. Most of the literature was like a dog owner's manual. It covered every facet of their life in a dispassionate way.

I found that Sonya was a raw slave that had just arrived. The literature gave me a list of what I had to do to keep her happy and healthy. Sterilisation was preferred it said and gave the small incantation necessary. With some searching I found a similar one that would not be permanent but had to be periodically renewed. This is the one I picked.

I saved my place and entered the numbers and letters on Sonya's collar and I got a concise three page summery of her life. It went on into detail later but it was enough for now and I went back to my 'Slave Owner's Handbook'.

A great many facts became clear now that I had not even thought of before. The major one was that magic had to be fuelled with energy. I had never thought of this before. I found it was mostly done by the energy given off during sex or other strong emotions. A good measure more was actually in the semen that was squirted into the slave. The power stayed even if it dribbled out. This explained about Sandra's efforts to make me feel good. She was simply collecting energy for Erasmus. This must go to the maintenance of this base and of course everyone in it, including me.

Another section talked about the different kinds of minds. Some could channel energy. Others generated the power during sex or when commanded to do so. Another kind was able to absorb the energy and give it up on demand. A great many people had none of these abilities and explained somewhat why there were so few instances when magic could be proven.

A mage, I found, was to take his slaves and have enough sex with them. He could use the energy produced to do what he wanted.

I went to sleep much later than usual that night. I was upset in a way at finding out how the real world worked. Rather than worry about it now I spooned up to Sonya but I stayed out of her though she tried to move to let me in.

The morning was much better than I have had in years. I was holding a beautiful female that depended on me and I had grown to care for greatly. I roused her up even though she would stay in bed. We washed again and I found I had to actually place the food into her mouth with my own hand or at least a fork or spoon. If she tried it the food would just disappear and not go down her gullet.

She had been sitting on my lap while she was fed and this made her squirm for a one eyed snake tried to find a warm home.

Caloona came for me early and she said, "Hi, I see that the master has given you the slave. Are you going to keep her?"

I looked at Sonya now and said, "Yes I will keep her. She is something I need in my life like I need you as a friend."

Both girls smiled at this declaration.

I asked Caloona, "Sandra said that if I survive my training, I will have to take Sonya with me on my assignment. I have understood that the training will be more than just rigorous but will I still have to take a child into danger?"

She said, "It is part of your camouflage and even there Sonya will depend on you though she will be able to fend for herself and even assist you most of the time."

I thought of possibilities and asked, "If Sonya has to go then she has to get trained to defend herself and at least learn the language and customs. Is it possible to have her take the lessons too?"

Caloona thought the said, "I don't see why not. You will not be able to teach her because you will be in training of your own. I am sure the master would allow it. It may go against the customs of the people of Sookra but it may mean the difference in survival or not."

"Good." I turned to the girl in my lap and said, "I hope you are going to start to exercise. You will learn weapons and both the language and customs of some odd people. When I go on my mission, you have to come with me. I may not be able to protect you all the time and you may have to be what they call a shield mate."

"Do you have to, master? I can cook and keep you warm in bed."

I said verbally, "You certainly do. You are not acting like the slave girl that last night wanted me to save her life. You are sounding more like you want me to do all the work. The work will be strenuous and you are going to be sore and think that death was a welcome alternative. I felt that way but in a few weeks you will be able to hold your head up. The education is necessary or you will not be able to make informed decisions."

I turned back to Caloona and asked, "Will you look out for Sonya too? You have many other duties but perhaps you will be able to help Sonya learn all she has to. We can then do whatever your master wants us to do."

Caloona gave some thought to this and said in a moment, "I will try to do what I can. I may have to call in some favours so others will take some of the load for me but I do not know if this will work. I am afraid that your slave will not be as adamant about her training as you are. There may have to be some stimulation that would encourage her to do her best."

I could already feel this and knew what the encouragement would be. "That is all I ask."

With my commitment voiced, I went for my exercises after explaining when I would be back. They only came close to killing me today but I gave a fair showing for myself. I started to learn a form of karate but had to wear a lot of padding. Even with that I was bruised.



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Chapter 3


When I got back to my suite, I found Caloona and Sonya. The latter was in as bad a shape as I was on my first day. Caloona was rubbing Sonya's arms and back and the girl did nothing but groan in pain. I must have been the same way. When I got close I bent down and Caloona smiled at me. I impulsively kissed her for her taking care of what was my slave.

The kiss shocked the woman but I could not see that she was offended. She just gave me a smile and went back to what sounded like torture on the young girl.

After Caloona finished, I washed Sonya and then tried to get some food into her. She was not too interested in eating but I made her eat. Drinking was much more her style and I ordered some concoctions that were blended with milk. After her meal Sonya was led to the washroom to do what was needed but this time I was not aroused by being cleaned.

Caloona knew a great deal about Sookra and many different ideas were bandied back and forth. None knew what the reason for the trip was or what had to be done once there. Later Caloona had to leave and this time purposely gave her a kiss and said, "Thanks for all the help you have given me. I doubt if I could have made it this far without you."

Sandra came in later in the day to get her sample. Sonya was sleeping and I just held her as Sandra took my first load into her mouth. Sandra got my attention but not as much fluid as she got last night. I did think of what Sonya and I could do if she were able to accept my sperm. All this practice would pay off one day though it was still good now.

I found from Sandra that Sonya was mainly able to generate power during sex but could hold a small amount too. She admitted to me that Sonya was simply a piece of equipment. I needed to do more experiments in magic.

My grasp of the principles of magic and my ability to do what was needed in a non-threatening environment left a lot to be desired. Unarmed combat turned to weapons and I was told that a sword was a difficult weapon to master. I was given a strong staff that I was to use. I was beaten brutally many times with a similar weapon and had to rely on incantations of my own to restore my health.

The academic subjects were easy and I seemed able to absorb all the data required of me. This, I was told, had happened because of my previous thirst for knowledge. Photos of various notables were provided and I learned what their strengths and weaknesses were along with the very large closets full of skeletons. The whole society was bad and to have something to hide made the crime even more hideous.

Sonya was not as interested to learn about our ultimate destination. I found that the collar she wore could give a great deal of pain or even kill. I had been eager for my courses and it had not bothered me. I was told that I was not compelled to follow the master's dictates so the collar was unnecessary in this regard. The collar also protected me from the automated defences of the base.

Sonya had been forced to endure the pain of getting in shape or brought a much sharper pain. She wanted to avoid this at all costs. I had deep feelings for the girl but I had to follow Caloona's advice and hook up her performance at absorbing knowledge to the use of pain from the collar. This was not an arbitrary decision and it was only arrived at after an assessment was made of what Sonya could do if she tried.

Sonya didn't know of her past. I talked privately with Caloona and discussed Sonya. She had led a very fast paced and destructive life. When she was about to be killed by a pimp, Erasmus had substituted a doppelganger in her place that did the dying for her. Sonya's memory was temporarily scrubbed and the pill I gave her cleaned many diseases and addictions. The memories would come back in time but not all of it. I knew Sonya was now in the hands of those that loved or at least knew what was best for her even if she didn't appreciate it.

Sonya continued to grow until I remembered to feed her different food. She had put on muscle and her reflexes were naturally fast already. We sparred together and this let us understand each other better and allowed us to get away with less pain and bruising. We didn't go easy on each other though. This was a serious game we were playing even if I didn't know the rules yet.

We practised magic together after Sandra drained me. I was able to make a circle on the floor with chalk and project into the floor itself the twisting of one more dimension. Sonya was facing the circle on her knees and hands. My position was right behind her. I would have sex in her back passage. We both found this more than just enjoyable. When her orgasm came, I would use the energy to bring test objects to the circle from a distance of over three kilometres.

It seemed to work best when I was using her ass. She was facing the circle and able to concentrate much better. Sometimes the power from the first orgasm was stored and the second one was required to do a more difficult task.

When we were given special dispensation I was allowed to give Sonya my seed for the first time. This worked much better. We both had a full orgasm that gave us a great deal of power to work with.

Sandra didn't like that I didn't use the permanent sterilisation spell on Sonya but my slave seemed to be thankful that I had given her an option.

Erasmus called me to him one day. Sonya was very nervous for her life. A slave was next to worthless. I hugged her to me. "You are a good slave. You are valuable to me in my studies and my life." I kissed her, "I always want you near me."

Nothing had changed as I approached Erasmus' chambers. It looked as if the guards had not moved a millimetre since I was there last time.

Erasmus let me in sooner and said, "I see that your studies have improved considerably. You have a similar thirst for knowledge as I had when young."

"Thank you sir. It is fun and that's why I study so hard."

"When I was young it was that way too but soon the thirst changed to a hunger for a way of using the knowledge."

This had not happened to me and I could only think that was actually a thirst for power. I purposely was on the lookout for this so it could be controlled. I knew it could not be halted completely.

"I have been thinking of your future."

I stayed still and quiet for this was a very important subject to my slave and me.

"I have delved into the matter of how we met."

I stood at attention and waited.

"To give you a bit of background, I was lured to that area but something altered my transport spell and that was how I found myself in a construction site. The four lads that attacked me were mid level apprentices. They were told that I could be defeated and they foolishly believed it. They were actually committing suicide. They had only a limited number of attacks. They used their combined energy to throw at me. I had not put up a strong enough shield quickly enough to deflect the majority of the blast." He sent me an image of the violet light that I had not noticed.

"A mage that took the name 'Maximus' for himself was behind all of this. He was almost as old as I am but had not learned over the years to let some things lie. He sent three of his better apprentices to finish me off if necessary. I was very lucky when you gave me enough time to absorb the stored power in an amulet. Again I was lucky that they were concerned with you and I was able to remove their influence. The coat that you put on me to keep me warm at your expense, shielded my hands to find the amulet."

"Anyway I took your dying form and cast a spell over it to keep you from getting any worse. The bodies were disposed of and you were brought here to be repaired. You have since learned about this type of business."

The pause lengthened and I asked, "What about this 'Maximus'?"

"He was well protected and waiting for me. It took a long time but eventually he made a fatal mistake."

Another long pause and I asked, "Has this anything to do with what you would like me to assist you in?"

"As a matter of fact it does. You have come very far and quickly too. I want you to go back to Earth eventually and see what you can find out about the surviving followers of Maximus. I have some sensors on Earth and see that somebody is back to their old tricks. I want you to clean up this matter for me. It may be looked on as difficult or impossible but it is actually much safer and easier to do than the mission on Sookra. Look on it as a project that has to be done for school. You will have some assistance from here but the fact remains that you could die in this effort if you are not careful."

This time it was me that had to have time to think. "Will you lay out the information I may need to do as you want and perhaps help me with some crystals? I have studied them but know that they are beyond my abilities."

"I will help you with that and other tasks. You have to be trained and that cannot be done in complete safety. I have lived a long life and know the benefits of being both cautious and prepared."

Though it didn't feel like it, a year had passed. My present academic studies had just finished and I had to master more magic and continue on with the arts of warfare mediaeval style. I was comfortable with the sword but told that I was not ready to go up against anybody with even a mediocre ability. My unarmed combat was rated adequate which seemed to help my use of the knife and the small weapons.

The Plugga were finally allowed to relax their babysitting duties and fight with me man to Plugga. I always lost but now the disparity was not as much as it used to be. The fact that I could use small magic tricks was all that saved me on a few occasions. I suffered wounds that would have killed me in seconds before and would only take a few more now. Magic healed me enough that I could to come back the next day or so and be abused and humiliated once more.

Sonya loved our lovemaking after Sandra got finished. She would usually join in to get me more aroused but I still felt it was for her own benefit. Our free time was watched like a miser and I heard that Sonya was looking at other males. I think she was still a junkie but this time only one looking for sexual excitement. I seemed to love the girl but it hurt to see her striving for something extra when I had more than she could handle at home.

Erasmus told me to report to one of his labs to continue our studies on a personal level. He must have had a great deal of experience dealing with people as inept as I was and not only kept his cool but treated me nicely.

He led me into another room with thirty-seven women in it. These as I learned were Erasmus' personal slaves. I had seen them before but never talked to them. Erasmus was not cruel to them but treated them as work animals. They looked around and I could see that they were no different than any woman I had ever met. They had most if not all of their memories and served here as if it were just a job.

Erasmus said, "The number of slaves is important but it is actually the number that can be handled that is really critical. Trying for too many can be disastrous for you."

Erasmus explained more about the circle even if I already knew some of this. He placed a crystal into the centre and walked out. He removed his robe then got behind one woman. He chanted some words that I knew would open the woman's back passage and get her to lubricate herself in that place. He stroked into her butt and chanted again to arouse her. The woman came to a satisfactory orgasm but so did the other women that were linked to her. Erasmus I think stayed with this woman because she was now well lubricated. He started again and after the second set of orgasms I saw a shimmering in the centre of the circle and inside the crystal.

Erasmus was a good cocksman for his age and at the culmination of the tenth orgasm the energy that was produced and stored recently was used to charge the crystal that lay at the centre of the circle.

When he pulled out he chanted another spell that cleaned him. He got into his robe and picked up the crystal to show me. It now glowed with concentrated energy. He completely ignored the twitching women on the floor and just walked back to his lab.

Erasmus ordered the computer to display the most common crystal to store energy. This must have been prepared and shown to many people. It not only gave the structural formula but the common name for the minerals and then the technical names. "Crystals all have these minerals but the relative percentages will vary greatly."

The screen scrolled down and there were the names of fourteen combinations. Seven more were beneath. These were not listed in the computer database I had been able to access. It gave not only the difficulty of production on a percentage scale but also the amount of power that could be stored per gram. It was easy to see that one combination was both easy to make and fair in energy retention. The seven additional substances would only be able to be produced with a great deal of energy and difficulty. I could see the reason for having so many slaves.

Erasmus and I discussed the pros and cons and he finally said, "Call your slave. I want to see you make a sample of some of these crystals."

I saw no problem with this and used the computer to call Sonya. She had been studying and was leery of coming but knew that she had to. Erasmus gave me a shopping list for each of the first five crystals. The various minerals were weighted then crushed and mixed together. Before we were done Sonya had arrived and now knelt on the floor waiting our pleasure. It took twenty more minutes until I had finished the five tasks.

"Make a circle in the next room. Make it big enough to hold one of the samples. Get your slave to convert the mixture into the proper form of the crystal."

"Yes sir."

I went to Sonya and signalled her to stand. "We are going to try to make some of the crystals we have read about. Are you ready Sweetie?"

Her eyes glanced at Erasmus but said bravely, "Yes master. I will do whatever you want."

I smiled and kissed her on the cheek. Her fear started to diminish. Sonya helped me carry the five experiments to the now empty other room. Circles of various diameters were already in the stone floor and all I had to do was to pick the correct size.

The first sample was spread on the bare floor after I used a spell to remove any dust. I knew I was being tested and used the natural currents in the room and gradually coaxed them to amalgamate and blow over the area I wanted to clean. It took a moment but I was satisfied with what I had done. It used little energy and only took a bit longer to do.

"Kneel here Sonya. I am going to show you the various molecules and then how I want to put those together. It's going to be like removing gold from its ore to start. Then it will be like a giant and very repetitious jigsaw puzzle that needs to be assembled. If we don't succeed then it won't matter for we will have four more chances with slightly different mixtures. Are you ready?"

"Yes master. This is interesting."

I used my hand to caress Sonya and kiss her body the way she liked. I pinched her nipples and stroked her clit and she started to respond strongly. I moved behind her and caressed her back before whispering the incantation to open her back passage and to supply the lubricant needed. When I knew she was very ready I slipped into her anus and rested until she was used to me. Again this took longer to do but it kept Sonya free of pain and enjoyed what we did much more fully.

I stroked from fully out to all the way in but did so smoothly. Sonya was responding nicely and I concentrated on the small mound of power before us. I used one larger piece of material that was the size of a piece of dust to be my base. Molecules of the correct substance were added one at a time. Sonya just followed my lead and gave me strength when I needed it and even started to hand me the various pieces and I would put them where they belonged. The crystal grew to a size that I had to flip it over and remove the base and cannibalise it to go into the crystal.

When the crystal was done I continued to work it to make it a homogeneous shape with no sharp corners. Again Sonya knew what I wanted and assisted me in doing this.

When we came to our senses I knew that my back was sore and so must Sonya's opening. Neither of us had found release in an orgasm. We were working on something different that might be love but it did the same thing.

We were not allowed to rest and we finished the remaining four. Sonya had provided most of the energy and was bushed. I think Erasmus wanted us to charge the crystals to but knew that when looking at me that he would have some opposition.

He did say, "All the crystals are within the basic parameters. The shape is adequate for holding their rated power."

When Sonya was dismissed Erasmus was back in his bad mood and snapped, "Why did you treat the slave that way? She would just have done as she was told. You spend too much of your time explaining to slaves and you will regret it. You could have done the job faster if you allowed her to orgasm."

The questions may be rhetorical but I said, "Sonya knew what I wanted much quicker than if she had to find out later while working. She did more than just power this process, she handed me the molecules and I put them where they were supposed to go. This resulted in her working with me toward my goals instead of fearing me and doing just what she was told."

Erasmus said, "You are not going to get far in this life with that attitude. You have to be in charge and hold the reigns of leadership tight in your hands. A slave has no place to lead."

Every month or so Erasmus would call me back to complete all the various types of crystals. He seemed to get angrier at my concern for Sonya. She worked well together and made the crystals as quick as an apprentice that had years more experience.

He called me in alone one day and said, "My slaves are in the other room. Select as many as you can handle and energise all the crystals you have made."

This was a tough test. My technique worked on some love and respect and not blind obedience.

All thirty-seven were in the next room kneeling in the slave position and ready for their master's call. Erasmus stood back and wanted to see how I would proceed.

"Ladies!" When they responded to me I said, "Your master has asked me to perform a test. There are a number of crystals that need to be charged. I have only one slave and have never tried this before. I would like to talk to each of you to get a feel for how compatible we are. Those that are the most compatible would be my choice in doing this task. I have no idea how many of you ladies I can hold at one time. I will do my best to see that none of you come to harm."

Some statement had to be made to let the women know that I was going to use them with their master's permission. I had stretched it a bit to let them know that they were not quite mindless slaves to me.

I talked to each of the girls and got their names. Some had difficulty remembering. Other apprentices had just taken each of the women and fucked them until their minds were easily accessed.

Erasmus left at this point but I was sure he was monitoring the situation. Eleven women were the most compatible but I could not use that many. I chose three and got behind the oldest and caressed her openings with my hand and try to arouse her without magical means. Not everything could be done easier with magic. The idea was to save your strength for the times when it would do the most good.

I used my hands and PK to stimulate Betty. I whispered her name and caressed her as a lover would. When she was responding favourably I added the other two one at a time. The feedback was strong. These women knew how to handle power. I opened my mind to them and let them know that I really cared for them and their safety. I was too inexperienced to think that I could have bluffed them.

The crystal was charging nicely and I did some calculations and worked faster on Betty. When her orgasm came so did the other two and me. The spurt of energy was just enough to fill the small crystal. I didn't continue but went to the next woman and started all over with a new crystal.

After the third charge I took the three away and used three more. This process went even faster. I knew the girls liked my attention and the fact that I caressed them both before and after they had helped me.

When these were done I took the remaining five and did the same procedure. I found that I was not pushing very hard for control because the women themselves assisted me in this. They didn't want to see me hurt nor their sisters.

After eleven crystals were charged I went back and talked to all those that had helped me. They didn't know what to make of me but they wanted to continue helping. I added the six that had already helped and now I was able to concentrate on my task. The women kept themselves together and all of us safe. This was not what a mage would do. He would not trust enough to let himself go like this. Some of the women felt inadequate and I used these again to build up their confidence and it took only a short time to finish all twenty-one varieties.

After thanking the ladies and giving them a kiss and a pat on the bum I took the charged crystals and gave them to Erasmus. He took them with a noncommittal look and said, "They are charged as good as any apprentice could. You are showing improvement."

The feeling I got was anger and this was nothing new. I tried to think of anything other than treating the slaves like Humans.

It was only a few months later that Erasmus actually came to the gym. The Plugga knelt and I bowed as I thought right. I was not a slave but he was my patron. Caloona and Sonya got on their knees.

Though we had been practising Erasmus said, "I want to see what you can do with my own eyes. Events are shaping up very well otherwise."

I didn't know if he meant the situation on Sookra but it was probably on Earth.

My Plugga opponent got up then bowed before attacking at his full speed. I had been expecting this and speeded up my own body as much as I could. Instead of seeing a blur coming at me I saw a very determined attacker. The Plugga were hard to understand but I got the feeling of what the attack was going to be like. This same scenario had happened many times before and I was able to get out of the way and actually trip my opponent. I was on him as quick as I could and brought down the handle of my knife as if I were holding it the other way around. The Plugga usually stabbed me but in a spot not likely to kill me right away. I was nicer to them. I figured that they would get very vicious if I incapacitated any one of them.

I was awarded a point but the Plugga got up and attacked again but with more anger because he lost face in front of his master. This time I was the one on the bottom but I had a hole in my shoulder that was bleeding profusely until I chanted a spell to stop the flow and start the healing. The complete healing would take days but usually one period was enough to use it again.

Erasmus seemed to be displeased but I didn't know if it was from the way I was easily defeated or the fact that I was now injured and not able to perform for him at my best. I was not that bad so I called, "Sonya come."

The girl flew to me and got to my back where we waited for the next bout. The Plugga came at us this time but a bit more wary. He knew that I worked very hard to protect Sonya. This time the Plugga came in and pretended to go for Sonya but knew that I was the one most dangerous to him. I could just about see his thoughts and this time it was Sonya that threw herself on the ground in front of the Plugga and cut him in passing and I used a high kick with both feet to his chest.

The Plugga was going to run into me but wanted to slash my legs. Sonya wrapped her legs around his foot that was moving forward and he was distracted and angry. He was going to stab Sonya and I threw my own knife and it lodged in his shoulder. If he continued with his thrust he would damage himself a great deal. When he was weighting the odds, I kicked as hard as I could and knocked him backwards dragging Sonya with him. Even before he fell Sonya was on him and plunged her knife into his other shoulder.

The Plugga was now very angry and it got up regardless of its wounds or the unofficial rules we worked with. He tried to grab Sonya who was closer and no doubt do some serious harm to her. I ran in and hit him with my uninjured shoulder, which sent pain through my body. I swung around and hit him with my heal and then went for his eyes.

Sonya saw that she was not going to be killed immediately and rushed in to do her own damage. A knife was pulled from the Plugga's shoulder and the Plugga was thinking of quite literally ripping off Sonya's head. Both came together as I rushed in to save her.

A pain shot through my body that blacked me out for a second. I saw that the same had happened to the other two but lasted longer. I stopped dead because I knew this was Erasmus' doing. The other two had the same thought and parted without inflicting any more pain or embarrassment.

Erasmus walked over to assess the wounds on all three of us and said, "Well Adam you have done what I wanted but that was what I considered would be a bare minimum for you to survive. Your academic subjects were more than fair while only your incantations was lacking but that was because you didn't have more than the basics. Even your slave did fairly well when she was inspired to work."

I said, "Thank you sir. We both worked hard. When do you think we will be ready?" He paused to think but I was sure he had already made a decision long ago.

"I think you and your slave have earned the right to a more difficult testing. I will send you back to your old home to ferret out those individuals we spoke of. You will get a chance to rest and enjoy yourselves. The stipulations on your slave are rescinded. You will also have to pick up some of your own slaves to do the necessary work. I will send a book or two along later with interesting incantations that will ensure your safety and a chance for you to learn if you apply yourself."

"When you have finished your R&R in a decade or so you will get a chance at a more difficult chore. This will mean you will have taken a more advanced course in magic. I will assess you then. That should be the last we see each other until you finish your mission."

"Do you have any current data that I can use?"

"I will tell you when the time is right."

Later Erasmus took me alone into one of his rooms and showed me all the data he had acquired on those we were to locate and put out of business. I had photos but they looked out of focus around the edges and I had to assume they were taken magically.

Erasmus claimed to be busy and I had to go through the data without assistance. I could see eighteen faces that brought out different feelings in me. Three brought out fear while one actually attracted me sexually and I wondered why this happened. The guy looked effeminate but I was not hard up enough to change my preferences. Not all were apprentices but these were the ones that were known to have significant power.

There was a list of areas each had frequented in the last month only and I had no idea if any one of the locations was a home, a base or even at workplace for any of the individuals. There were some companies that tied into some of the people and these ones would have to be investigated.

The various identities Maximus lived under were listed and it should be possible to have them traced to the others. Homes were listed and through a title search more information could be gathered.

I stayed in the room alone for hours going over all the data and trying to see some common threads. Erasmus didn't help or add his input. This could be from his old age causing him to act that way. It could just as easily be his anger at me for the way I treated slaves. I suppose an equal possibility was that I was supposed to work this out on my own.

That night Sonya and I were both excited even when Sandra came. I knew that Sandra needed me or rather my seed but now she would have to work for it. I pulled Sandra to our bed and pushed her head down to Sonya's very damp crotch. There was the unmistakable scent of aroused woman and fresh semen.

Sandra just groaned at the smell and started extracting what she could. I got behind her and worked vigorously to provide more for her body. Sonya got up and turned Sandra over. She then sat on her face to allow gravity to assist her. I simply went back to what I was doing while Sandra pulled Sonya to her open mouth.

Sandra got compulsory rest as I took Sonya and filled her bowels many times with my essence. When that was done Sandra again took over the job of extracting it as I tried to insert myself into her butt. The night lasted much longer than usual and I was amazed that I had ejaculated over a dozen times before running dry.

Sandra left happier than usual and I was able to cuddle up to Sonya but now had a special part of me parked where it belonged.

I woke up a few hours later with Sonya moving her hips. I knew that she was happy now and after she had her orgasm I allowed myself to come.

"Mmmmm I liked that master."

"I liked that too my pretty slave." She was allowed to call me by my name but liked the master/slave relationship now and practically wallowed in it. She still didn't have all the good sense she should but it was significantly better than what she had been in her other life.

We ate our breakfast but I enjoyed feeding her as she sat on my lap. She did too and kept her arm around my neck and gave me a kiss after each bite. While she chewed I bent my head and sucked on her small breasts and this just made her purr in contentment.

When we were both done, Caloona arrived with a smile for us. "You guys have to get a move on. We have a wardrobe for each of you as well as a bit of spending money. We want you in the right place at the right time."

"So this is not quite an R&R break as was mentioned to us."

"Well it's still a job but you will be monitored to see how well you blend into society."

"Where specifically are we going?"

"Just across from your old city hall in Toronto. We have an itinerary for the first three days then you can be on your own for a while."

Itinerary? I was on my toes now. This was a part of a test but I didn't know the rules. We were supposed to blend in but I knew that there was a trap or two that would let us use our knowledge and abilities to get out of without disturbing the city too much. It was contradictory but that was the way of Erasmus and of magic in general. I was fairly sure I would not have to find many of Maximus' supporters because they would come to me or the itinerary would send me to them.

We took a circle to another part of the complex. I had never seen a full map to know how large it was but I had my suspicions that it would hold the population of the Earth with every person having to hunt for hours to find another. This could only be built of magic and magic used to keep it alive.

There was clothing prepared for us and as master I had the pleasure of dressing my lady. I had taken very few in the way of liberties but Sonya ended up swallowing me for a few seconds that necessitated that we wait until I got my pants on. We were then given suitcases and I was given a large billfold with a great deal of money in it. Sonya was given a nice purse and both of us now had identification. There was no doubt that we would pass muster. We gave a peek at each other's name and smiled.

Caloona made an incantation and our collars finally came off. It felt odd to be dressed and even more odd to leave the reassurance of the collar. I could feel that my slave felt even worse.

Caloona brought out the necklace I had made months ago with the largest stone we were able to make. There was a good deal of magic and power wrapped up in this device. I took the necklace and placed it around Sonya's neck and then kissed that same neck. "I like my slave to be fashionable."

Sonya pulled the stone from her chest and looked at it as she started to cry.

I had a nice ring I had made with the type of stone that could contain the most energy for its size. Erasmus and I had to make this because it was too large for me even with his slaves to help me.

Caloona uncharacteristically reached up and kissed both of us. Before she could get away from me I caught her and gave her back better than she gave us.

"Well Sweet Lips, how do we get back?"

"Oh, you don't have to click your heals three times but you can make a circle then hold each other as you give the travel incantation. Just think of this base."

"What if I think of you instead?"

Caloona blushed a bit and looked at the floor. "That will work too, I think."

"When we have a base set up will you come and visit? Friends should not be apart for long."

Caloona blushed much more and said, "I will try. Some shipments need to be hand delivered. This will probably be done by others. I will probably not be able to leave."

I took a look at where we were to go and smiled at the choice. We said our goodbyes and I held my closest friend for a bit longer and wished that there were a way she could be with us too. We stepped into the circle while holding hands with a piece of luggage each of the other hands.

We were on the second floor of the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto. Instantly we used our minds and senses to detect if anyone was nearby or had seen us arrive. Apparently none had. We walked down the escalator because we were anxious to get registered. Across the street was Nathan Phillips Park and City Hall as had been promised.

I registered us as Mister Adam Jones and slave Sonya Madison. The pretty oriental girl was looking up to me thinking how large I was then gave us a double take when Sonya said, "A master needs at least one slave or he would not know how to find his clean socks."

We got a wide smile and Sonya held tightly to my arm.

We put our bags in the suite and hung up the clothing. Sonya was not as good with magic and tried a spell three times on her own before all the clothing fluffed up and the wrinkles disappeared.

My bag held a clay jar with runes on it. I put this on the dresser and opened it with a spell. There were small pills inside that were promised in the notes on making a base. There was enough to last until I acquired a good many slaves. With another complicated chant I took six out and put them into my pocket. The jar was placed in the drawer with two spells put on it. One would keep it hidden even if it were touched and the second secured it to the fabric of the room so it could not be removed.

Sonya asked, "Why are there two big beds? We only need one."

I smiled at her then gave her a kiss and said, "One to play in and one to sleep in." She returned the smile and kissed me.

Sonya was from the UK and didn't know much about other areas of the world. Her childhood was best said as underprivileged. Her father was a drunk and she was beaten many times. She fell into the easy life of prostitution at an early age. It was her constant need for stimulation that actually forced her choice. Her memory had been taken away after she was rescued but it was now coming back in small portions so sometimes she would just cry and I would hold her until the worst was over. Her accent then sounded British.

I had loved the National Geographic from an early age and I could still see the images in my mind that the magazine had so lovingly portrayed. The library had to be where I read the magazines because we could not afford them for our own use. I had actually never been out of southern Ontario and I had never even set foot into a hotel as ritzy as this.

Our luggage didn't carry any weapons but I felt the need for some when I was out of the safety of Erasmus' home. Failing some steel weapons I concentrated on some spells that could be cast quickly and kept my mental eyes open.

After checking the newspapers I found that it was a warm day in mid spring 2007. I had met Erasmus eighteen months ago in February of this same year. This went to show that time was not the same as the mathematics I had studied stated.

We walked out of the hotel and then turned south before going west to find the theatre district. We had two tickets and we were almost too late to get in. We settled in our comfortable seats and began to watch the play. The person behind me was angry because I was so large. This also kept him from voicing his opinion.

I had seen a few plays when going to school in my youth but usually had to avoid going because I could not really afford the cost. Other events I had to avoid too but some of the skating and a very few parties allowed me to pretend I was liked.

The play was nice and I knew that Sonya had not seen many in her life either. When we came out there was a lineup of fifteen rickshaws with some young men wanting to give us a ride. A restaurant I wanted to patronise was a few blocks away. I knew the vehicles intrigued Sonya and we went over to one cheerful young man. He actually spoke with a Scottish accent and we found he came here to make some money before going back home.

After we climbed in, the young man had to jump very high to come down with enough force to change the balance of the vehicle. He ran as fast as he could considering the traffic and brought us to the establishment I wanted. We got out and I paid what was required then gave a handsome tip for his good attitude and quick pace.

Sonya was very pleased with the ride and we watched the heavily breathing young man walking slowly to his next possible place to get a fare.

It was only our noon meal but it was later in the day here and we had to treat it like jet lag. When we got a table Sonya was nonplussed for a moment. She now had to eat by herself.

"You are going to have to get used to feeding yourself though I like you on my lap and me doing it for you."

"I like that way too. I guess we have to use this occasion to act like other people."

When our meal came Sonya had to think to use the implements provided though she could use a dagger or short sword very well.

When we got out of the restaurant Sonya hung onto my arm. It had gotten considerably cooler but she was holding on because she wanted to. It would be best to go and get a wrap so we could fit in with the people we were going to meet.

Once in the hotel room Sonya had other thoughts and it had nothing to do with putting clothing on. I had to guess that travelling through China Town was not on our immediate agenda.

Two hours later I took Sonya into the shower. She was leaking from the two lower openings and was slack jawed from all the orgasms she had. Her screams of pleasure were hastily muffled with my mouth or whatever body part or pillow that was available. Some of the energy was saved but most of it dispersed. It felt so decadent to let this happen.

This was the first time she had attempted to drain me by herself. I still had a few loads left in the cylinder so to speak but we had to get to the warehouse district.

I didn't molest my slave but cleaned her efficiently. I then had to remember to now dry her with the towels. I had a quick shower but Sonya had not moved. She was still on her back with her legs spread trying to catch her thoughts. When I started to dress her she said, "I think I am going to have to get some reinforcements petty soon. I didn't really know how much Sandra did to satisfy you."

I replied, "I enjoy the sex and the lovemaking but I can get by with less. I just thought you wanted more and I gave it. I don't want to hurt you. You are too important to me. How else will I find my clean socks?" Sonya laughed then tried to get up. I assisted and then she was able to continue on her own.

The plans mentioned the address and the time but also included the clothing to wear and what to do to get in. It was a martial arts exposition but it was not sanctioned. In fact it was illegal for many of the losers had broken bones or sometimes lost their lives. There were no officials except those that talked of the coming bout and then took the loser away on a stretcher or too a park where the body could be found.

This brutality didn't clash with our new sensibilities. We knew where we were eventually going. It would make this night sound like a group of old ladies gossiping.

We kept on the lookout for magic and hoped to get a trace on any of the followers we had been sent to find. The instructions though told me that we may pick up some slaves here. I had my own thoughts on this and tried to see a way of avoiding outright slavery.

The information packet told us where to get off the taxi then where to walk. The right choice of words along with what to pay. It was so nice when this was all laid out for us. I knew that something would have to balance the scales.



-------

Chapter 4


When we entered the large warehouse we saw a great many Orientals. This of course was their sport and they didn't mind a bit or a lot of blood. There were vendors walking about flogging their wares in various languages but mostly Cantonese.

It was difficult to do, but if I concentrated on one person enough I could get an idea of what they were thinking. I made an incantation of understanding that had to be constantly renewed because it lasted only a few minutes. I could hear Sonya doing the same chant but she didn't have the right pitch for the invocation to be as effective.

In fifteen minutes the crowd was informed in Chinese about what was to happen. The first two contestants came out. They were both young oriental men. They had leather wrapped around their fists but no gloves. The idea here was to use the hands for grasping sometimes but to allow the fingers to do what was required. The leather allowed the fist and the blade of the hand to be used effectively.

A gong was rung and the two men went at each other with a great deal of energy. They were not pulling their punches or kicks but they were definitely not first-string fighters. The feet were used along with any body part. The fists were held in reserve. One man was struck in the sternum and that was it for he was stunned momentarily and the opponent just beat him to submission.

When the gong rang there was a lot of arguing and people looking for their bookie. Sonya and I discussed the things each did wrong and did them verbally or we would be looked on as odd for not speaking. When the money had changed hands and new wagers made the next fight began.

The second and the third fight were short. The last ended in a broken collarbone and three cracked ribs. The previous one in a broken arm. The air began to really stink as this much humanity when it got excited and began to sweat. Sonya took to rooting for one of the fighters in each bout and I naturally took the other as we cheered on our favourites.

The forth round was more professional and thus more money was bet. Both fighters looked evenly matched. Those nearby told me that the favourite would win easily. Sonya made her pick and we rooted for our proxy as if this were important. It was lots of fun though and we pretended to be either in the pits of despair if our man lost or at the heights of ecstasy if he won.

The fifth round was more serious but both Sonya and I saw that one fighter was pulling his blows. Sonya was incensed because she had picked this man to win. She called out that the man was being paid to lose and that the fight was fixed. She stood on her seat and called out all the weak blows and the slow responses. Everybody was arguing or cheering but those around us started to listen to Sonya.

When the bout was won by a KO Sonya continued to rave about the fix being put in. Many others started to voice the same opinion and this caused a bit of confusion for the officials and the bookies before the official announcement of the winner.

In moments two large men came around the ring and came up to us. One said in accented English that Sonya had to leave. Nobody else had been asked to do so and I think she was being picked on because she was the one to bring the news to the crowd's attention. I was still sitting down but I was monitoring all those around us. Sonya had a temper but she was usually a rational individual.

Sonya said at the top of her voice, "Who had the most to win if the favourite lost? Who paid the best man to sleep? Why should the bookies make the money when the best man lost?"

The two men made the mistake of grabbing her and she went into a quick series of moves and both men were sleeping at her feet in seconds. "Anybody else think that they can shut me up with two boys?" When none came she said loudly, "Give the money back to those that bet. The fight was fixed and that is the only thing to do." Since most of the people lost they agreed with her and a mob was starting to form.

I was wondering at Sonya's aggressive attitude. I had never seen it before and looked for a cause. Magic was on my mind but I could not detect much with her necklace on. It occurred to me that Erasmus had a hand in this and he had to have a reason.

Sonya looked down to me as I sat comfortably in my chair with my jacket over my knee and a leg over my other knee, "Aren't you going to do something?"

I just smiled like a little boy and said, "You are doing just fine without me." Quietly I said, "I will back you up if it is necessary."

"Some master you are. I find a bad situation and you rest your butt on a chair."

A young and beautiful oriental lady came by in a very expensive silk dress. She looked at me and I just smiled. She then looked at the two large men having an early nap then she said to Sonya, "Please do not make a disturbance. Mr. Hatoia would like to have a word with you."

"Is he the guy that paid the fighter to throw the fight?" asked Sonya.

The woman was embarrassed but I was able to sense that she believed so too. "Please, there is a great deal at stake here."

"Yes there is. A lot of innocent people have been robbed. The proper response is to give the money back," Sonya shot back.

The woman was very upset. She was not the type to be in the centre of an argument. Her own disposition was to be meek and mild. She only came over because she was ordered to.

I spoke up for the first time. "Sonya, why don't we stop hurting this young lady and just go see what Mr. Hatoia wants. Maybe we will get season's tickets to this place."

Sonya just glared at me while the woman breathed a sigh of relief. I got up and put the jacket over my shoulder. The diminutive woman looked up then up further. I was a shade over two metres tall and that made me six foot nine. My weight was up to three hundred and sixty pounds or about a hundred and seventy eight kilos. A dramatic difference from what I used to be.

The woman led us over to a segregated area partitioned off with thick rope. We passed a few obvious bodyguards or bullies. I wasn't sure which but I still hated bullies since I was a kid.

Mr. Hatoia was short and going to fat. When he saw me coming he got a worried look on his face and gave some quick orders. I knew that he didn't feel as safe as he had at the start of the fight. There were six sitting bodyguards and an equal number of beautiful women. When Sonya got close he was unsure who to address. He mistakenly picked me, "Why do you allow your woman to disrupt this fight?"

"This woman is my slave. She hasn't learned many manners and I have given her too much free choice. She has voiced what we all know to be true though. If you have a question, you should address it to her."

The man stood now and stumbled a bit before saying, "That isn't what happened. Kuan-yin may have been feeling poorly but he didn't cheat."

Sonya said loud enough for a good many people to hear, "Then you know very little about fighting. The man was very quick at avoiding blows so the people got something to see but his own strikes were slow and weak. My aged mother could have beaten him. The guy he was fighting knew the fix was in because he didn't pursue when he should. Most of the people watching the fight know that you don't show weakness and you certainly take advantage of an opponent's failings. Are you trying to tell everybody that the two were sparing for fun?"

Sonya was showing more anger than she felt so she had her arms across her chest and glared at the man while tapping her foot waiting for an answer.

Mr. Hatoia was perplexed by what to do and I suggested, "Mr. Hatoia, the fighters were both not doing their best. I think that the wagers should go back to those that made them so they can wager on the next fight."

The man looked at me and disregarded what I said, "If this woman is your slave, you should make her be quiet."

"She is my slave but I am an undemanding soft hearted master. What say we have another fight? Pick your best man and Sonya will fight him. If she wins you give back all the money that was wagered and if she loses... she will be your slave for a week until she learns her place."

Word shifted back at the speed of gossip and the crowd wanted to see this fight. They knew Sonya was good to put out two unsuspecting men but not good enough against a professional fighter that was ready to beat her.

The crowd started to chant the word 'fight' in Cantonese. Mr. Hatoia bowed his head and said, "That is suitable." The crowd cheered in response and Sonya just stared at me in wonder.

"You want me to fight one of these cretins? You want to rent me out for a week?"

"Slut," I spoke loudly. This was enough to startle her into being quiet. She also seemed to like the word I used. This made me think of later being a bit more kinky. "Do what you are told. Fight one man and win all the money back that was lost. Just like the middle ages where God made the hand of one man stronger and allowed him to win."

"But..." she hung her head and said, "Yes Master."

Mr. Hatoia moved some of his flunkies so I could sit and Sonya demanded that another move so she could sit. Hatoia asked me, "Isn't she going to get ready?"

"Get the bets down and your fighter on the mat. She's ready to fight all the time." The man was unsure but in a few moments the bets were placed and a new man came out. He was not a lightweight like the last fight but was a heavyweight and the crowd seemed to know him well.

Hatoia smiled at me as if he had just won but I just ignored him and looked at his half dozen ladies and thought of the six pills in my pocket. This seemed to anger the man. He said loudly, "You can pull out now."

"I am afraid Sonya is still too angry. I may have to take her over my knee but I happen to think she should continue."

The man on the mat was making gestures for Sonya to come up. His tone and words were very derogatory and insulting. Sonya was just getting angrier. She finally looked at me and I said, "Fight the same way we always do."

"But?"

"No buts, you can wear your necklace if you want."

She thought about this for a moment then got to her feet then knelt before me. "Please undo my dress, Master. I do not want to get it dirty or have the blood from that man on it."

"Yes, my slave. I pamper you too much. I think I will have to warm your bum soon."

This seemed to excite her and she started to smile then hid it. "Yes Master, whatever you want."

I undid the clasp and Sonya stepped out of her dress. The warehouse now was very quiet. Some that started to hoot were silenced by others. Sonya made a production of turning so I could unhook her bra then took it off with a lowered gaze. Her panties came next and she did it slowly to arouse those around her and she looked to see that I was affected too. She gave me a smile and walked through the crowd and up to the platform.

Sonya was used to going naked and now that she was in an environment with other Humans she seemed to flourish. She just walked to the other side of the mat and bent down at the waist with widely spaced legs to inspect a bit of lint. Her vagina and anus were on display to the man she would fight. He had to wait a moment to think what to do next. He was not into beating women I think and especially in public. It was a good bit of strategy and I said, "Very good slut. He doesn't know what to do."

"Thank you Master," she sent me in a very subdued and slave like thought. She seemed to be getting off on been called disparaging names and of course her parading around to let everybody see that she was a beautiful and very desirable woman.

The announcer was ready to start the fight when Sonya interrupted and gave the terms of the fight. There was a good bit of cheering especially when she flaunted her status as a mere slave girl doing her master's bidding.

She kicked off her shoes and they flew directly to me one at a time. I simply put my hand up and they came directly to me as if by magic. I hadn't used any either; it was just that Sonya was good with her feet.

When I resumed my seat I turned to Mr. Hatoia and said, "I have ten thousand dollars in my wallet. Would you care to make a side bet?"

"What odds?"

"Instead of odds I was thinking of placing my money against the time with all six of your ladies for three days. I can try to make them happy and well adjusted little slaves."

I had been concentrating on the man very much and could only get his surface thoughts and then not clearly. Three of his ladies were rented so to speak and the other three were girlfriends. He could lose the first three easily but had qualms about the latter group.

"All six? You must have quite an appetite."

"I seem to get carried away sometimes and my slave suffers some chaffing and has sore muscles the next day. With a bit of help she can carry the load so to speak."

"I will give you three against half the money?"

"I can pick up ladies by myself but you happen to have had more time and picked out the very best. I would feel heartbroken if I didn't get them all."

The girls in question were shocked at my words. Some were professional and could deal in something like a monetary transaction. The other three were just in it for the same reasons but had not rented themselves out to anybody but their current employer.

Mr. Hatoia finally saw this as a win/win situation. He lost very little for a chanced to get his hands on a lot of money. "You have a deal," he said.

I stuck out my hand and we shook. I said, "I will pay immediately after the fight but if I win I would like you to drop off the girls tomorrow at noon at the Sheraton Centre."

He wondered about this condition and I could see him scheming to find a way to cheat me.

"That is acceptable."

The girls though talked quietly among themselves as if this were very important to them. Three of them didn't like the way they could be bartered for. I saw a great deal of similarity with what I had found out about Sookra. This may have been the reason for this to be added to my reason for coming to this city.

When the gong rang the bewildered opponent came at Sonya right away. Sonya pretended to cringe and put a finger to her mouth as if she were a child. The man's handholds never seemed to be able to grasp an arm or body part. The kicks and punches came later and were just avoided as if she didn't know what to do. She went into a flurry of activity that only stopped the opponent and none of them touched him.

He came rushing in again and this time Sonya turned and used her hands and feet to block or divert all of the blows. This time she was fighting in what her opponent and the audience felt was the standard way. When he rushed her she simply used her hands to propel him further in the direction he was going while staying out of his grip. She merely played a defensive role.

The fighter was fast for his size and quite strong but Sonya was not dainty for a woman. Our muscles were not normal but magically enhanced. Our training had improved our reflexes to such an extent that some moves would be almost invisible. It felt odd to see the crystal on her neck remain stationary because she didn't move her torso much at all.

I looked at the spectators when this was going on. Many of the men were aroused, as were Mr. Hatoia and all but two of his men. The women though were all excited and I wondered if it were the violence, the wagers or the woman that was doing the fighting.

Sonya had exposed a very wide streak of exhibitionism in her and she played to her audience as she played with her opponent. It was only when the man would dramatically loose face did she go on the offensive and in a few seconds he was on the mat. One final blow was enough to knock him out.

I gong sounded loudly. Sonya held one of her hands in the other over her head and walked around the mat to show that she had won. This presented her breasts to the audience and in a way she was saying how a female had defeated a male. I knew she would be very excited tonight and end up being sore for it tomorrow. She would try that particular bout with me and with the same idea in mind.

I threw her shoes to her and she quickly put them on and walked back as if she were at a tea party. She continued with her acting and knelt before me and said nothing. Her breathing was not even more than usual. I reached down to her face and raised her head by cradling her jaw. "You did very well slave. You spent a long time playing with him but you did your job professionally. I will have to find something special for you." Her head moved a bit and she just stared at my cock and licked her lips insolently.

I dressed her in front of the audience then patted her bum. The six girls took note of how gentle I was with her. Mr. Hatoia's man was being carried off and still unconscious. The spectators were holding their breath until Sonya was finally dressed then started clamouring for their money back or their winnings from Sonya's fight.

With Sonya now on her feet, I walked around to each of my rental women and said quietly, "Open." I threw a magic pill into each of their mouths and they accepted this as a master's right. I doubted if other races had women this amenable to a man, even if my bulk indicated that I should be obeyed.

Mr. Hatoia was very curious but said nothing about this. He was still in shock at what had happened.

Sonya and I left the fight after the announcer explained about the fixed fight being unfair because both men were sick at the time. Mr. Hatoia was still not over the fight himself and I doubted if he would make the same mistake again without better acting.

That night Sonya was insatiable but I went slow and made more love that the raw sex she craved. She did snuggle up to me tighter than usual and I hoped this meant that she wanted me more.

The next day was blustery but we walked west of Spadina and found ourselves in China Town. I may have been memorable by my size but word of Sonya's arrival went much faster than our walking speed. Sonya knew of my side wager and wanted to get back to the hotel before the women. She didn't think of them as guests but more as a lower level of slave. This way she would be a master in some matters. She was also curious of the specific instructions I had been given but I kept them secret. She was still a slave and I had to remind her of that for her own enjoyment.

We got inside the main doors of the hotel fifteen minutes early and I spotted four of the women from the night before sitting on some comfortable furniture but they looked nervous. They had not seen us arrive and stood up quickly as we got close. All of them were young and pretty. They were not beautiful but did hold themselves erect and wore clothing that suited their race and culture. Mr. Hatoia seemed to find the ones that not only appealed to his racial background but like the Caucasian women he now saw.

When I stopped walking, Sonya continued and stood before me with the girls. "Have each of you eaten your noon meal?" I scanned each of their faces until they nodded one way or another. "The proper response is either 'yes Master' or 'no Master' in the future. Is that understood?"

I was given, "Yes Master," from all four and even Sonya. She was going to encourage the girls as a role model.

"Good, then have a seat and we can get to know one another better." I looked at one of the professionals and said, "Tell me about yourself. Do not lie for I will know. There are no secrets between slave and master."

The first one was slow to start. Her name was Cong and meant cleaver. I asked if Connie was a good enough substitute. Normally I would not do this and rely on names chosen by their parents but I was a master now and needed to find ways to show it to the girls. I gave some encouragement by asking leading questions. The next woman's name was Jin which became Jen. Jun became June and An became Ann. The second girl was done talking about her history by the time the other two girls arrived. Sonya just patted the couch beside her for them to seat themselves.

The last two only spoke Chinese and had recently arrived from Mainland China. The women now telling her story had to do so in Chinese too. The last two when their turn came, spoke their native language and somebody else had to translate this for our benefit. The taller, more outgoing one of the two was Li Na which soon became Lena. The other was very shy and had the name Lin that became Lynn. The girls accepted these names but they also knew that they were just for fun at the moment.

From my observations and from reading their surface thoughts I saw that each woman had lied to me. Not all were whoppers but it did give me an opening to attach them to me more firmly and find some use for their services besides those they already believed.

I was getting hungry and as the master I decided that we go to one of the restaurants and I ordered for everybody. Slaves ate what they were given but nothing was objectionable. Sonya sat close and I fed her some food from my plate more from habit but both of us enjoyed it.

We made quite a sight with six petite women, one just a bit larger than normal. Then there was me. Sonya opened the door for me and did all the work. This was only calling for the elevator, punching the correct floor and then opening our door. Once inside Sonya wanted to get out of her clothes. This was natural to her but she wanted to see what was wrapped up in the other clothing. When she was done, she just knelt before me and the other women didn't know what to do.

Sonya turned her head and whispered to the girls, "Do this too." The rest started to comply and the shyest followed suit after they saw that the rest were getting this way too. None had any foolish thoughts that they were not going to have sex with me.

When all seven were kneeling before me I said, "I have won your services fairly. And you have to comply with my wishes." I pointed out one girl and said, "Translate for me." The girl did as I asked.

I continued, "Last night I gave each of you a magic pill." I let that sink in then said, "The purpose was to rid your bodies of disease." I pointed to the girl and she translated my words. "Each of you must have been sick this morning and the amount of sickness was proportional to the amount of disease you had. Your bodies are now purging dead cells and killing all the invaders." When this was translated I said, "The purpose was to keep me clean though I can do this on my own. I like to give gifts to my slaves and each of you have received something of great value."

When they had time to think on this I was sure they thought that I was lying to them. "I was also angry at each of you for lying to me." This was said to their minds so all of them understood.

I took off my clothes and hung them on a chair. The girls followed all of my moves while they tried to come to grips with my way of communicating. I sat on the corner of the bed and the girls had to shift to be before me. I pointed to Jen and said, "What is your real name?" I was not referring to the given name I had bestowed on her.

The girl was shocked again and gave me the same answer as she had given downstairs.

"Come here and lay across my lap."

She didn't want to move and was thinking of running. Sonya just pointed that she do as I ask. The woman got up reluctantly and came to me. I just waited and she eventually lay across my lap. I rubbed her bum with my hand. She was very tense and moved her body to rub my cock beneath her. "What is your name, Sweetie?"

The answer came out the same as before I brought my hand down on her fanny. She was not hurt much and she started to whimper. The hand came down three more times until I got the correct answer. Jen was then released and Connie was asked the question that she had previously lied to. It took only three girls until all of them came clean with me.

While striking the girls I analysed my motives and compared them to what I had to do on both this mission and the next whenever that happened. The girls had to get into the frame of mind of a slave for me to start this mission. I liked being a master but here I was a failure. I wanted compliance because they wanted to do as I said without threat. I wasn't afraid of being wrong and using a suggestion from another person. I didn't like hurting people and never did. The girls had to take the place of slave more readily and I was just played along long enough for them to learn that this may be nice for them. Those not wishing this had to be encouraged to comply because on Sookra, I would have no other choice. Erasmus had given me no choice here either. I had to test to find if any of these women were worthwhile.

Sonya surprised me by saying, "Master, I was naughty on the mat last night. Are you going to punish me?"

Sonya wanted this and I also saw it as a way of forming a solidarity with the rest of the girls. "Lay across my lap. You have a lesson ahead of you."

Sonya pretended to be frightened and did as she was asked. "Did you flaunt the body that belongs to me to all the spectators?"

Sonya started to show fear and said, "Yes Master. I belong to you and I should not have done that."

I started to spank her bum with a lighter touch and found Sonya getting very excited. I continued this while monitoring her. She cried but started to respond to my touch like she did when we had sex. Sandra had taught me to use my mind to see just want a woman wanted and then give it to her for her enjoyment. This was the same situation and I could feel Sonya heading toward an orgasm. I caressed her sore bum and then traced around her openings before bestowing another blow on her. The last one was enough and she had to bring her arm up and scream her joy. The muffled response would not bring the police but the girls before us seemed to change from fear of bodily harm to something more exciting.

When Sonya started to relax I easily moved her in my lap and tenderly kissed her on the lips. When she knew where she was she grabbed me frantically and kissed me back just as much. In a moment I said to her and the rest, "Slut, kneel at the edge of the bed."

I had to help her up then she readily got into position. I slipped up behind her and the girls saw the weapon I was going to use on her. I went in very slowly as if she were as tight as the others would be. Sonya provided vocal cues to how she was feeling and I knew that the others were responding to this. Sonya had a quick come and collapsed on the bed. I bent over and kissed her between the shoulders.

I pointed to Jen and said, "Get in the same position." The girl was frightened of me, of the size of my cock and of the feelings that may soon go through her if she reacted like Sonya. She along with Connie and June had been at this trade long enough to be accustomed to some of the larger men.

Jen did comply and I worked even slower until I was in her. I stopped many times until she was comfortable before continuing. When I did start I built up speed slowly and the girl started to respond like Sonya. My PK was not strong but I could use it when this close to caress the girl's clit and nipples. She was working herself up to one very large orgasm when Sonya got in front of her and muffled the scream with her mouth.

Hours passed and I went through all the girls twice. Each one had received my seed at least once. As the girls reacted to their orgasms their minds became clearer to me. All of them had more secrets but there was no point into going into them now.

Ann was the shyest girl. She was the one that had come to get us originally. She was also the most naïve. I treated her more gently but she still reacted as strongly as the rest. The last time was when I stood with her impaled on me. I just used my arms and elevated her body and lowered it when it felt the best for her. She just held me tight to her if she could and chanted a mantra of, "Master," in Chinese.

The girls were insensible to all intents and purposes. I placed those that were more into girl/girl sex so they had something to munch along with some handy protein supplement. They were given the command from their master to lick and they did.

Eventually we got onto the floor and there was a long chain that ended at its beginning. I went from one to another and kept them heated to a feverish state. Sonya pulled out of the chain after many orgasms and directed one girl at a time to me. I simply lay on the floor, spoke my incantations and the woman worked her anus down on my erection. They were out of it so much that I didn't think they actually knew what was happening. That fact that I had entered them this way without hurting them would have been a great surprise. Again I filled each of the girls and put this girl back into the loop with the rest.

Sonya took her turn and looked around us at the oriental girls pleasing each other even if they were very tired. "What do you think of your new slaves master?"

"Not bad for a diversion but I think I have the best of the litter in my arms."

She got a smile and said, "You like Ann a lot too."

"I like her because of her innocence and the way she reacts to me. I feel like protecting her the same way I want to protect and nurture you."

"Do you want to keep her? I am sure we could find a way. She does have the ability to store the power we generate. Watch what I show you."

I began to replay what I saw in Ann and asked, "When I take her next I want you to monitor her even more."

"Yes Master."

I stopped Sonya's hips from moving and kissed her. "I do not know if I am ready to keep her even if she wanted to stay. I don't want to use those spells Erasmus gave me to force those ones I pick to comply. I also do not want to bring in a comparative baby into a situation she cannot protect herself from. I need a woman that would get up on a platform naked and fight a man bent on her defeat."

"You have one."

"Yes I have one but only one and I worry about her all the time."

I went back to doing one of the things I do best. I then laid the unconscious and very sated girls on the beds. They needed something to eat and so did I. They were in no condition to go and get it. Room service was the obvious solution and they were called and I chose some energy-laden food to restore them. Going to my pants I picked out a gratuity and placed beside the door on a small table.

The food arrived fairly quickly and Sonya was instantly ready to fight or flee. It was a woman at the door though and instead of putting on my robe I simply called, "Bring it in."

The women pushed the door open wide then pushed in the first cart. A second one was being pulled. She pushed them around the corner and looked at us. She was a good-looking woman of forty. She stopped dead. She looked from one woman to another as she smelt the scent-laden air. Some of the girls had their legs spread and all showed that they had been well and truly fucked. Some had a copious amount of sperm sticking to their inner thighs.

Sonya walked across the room and knelt before me. She said loudly enough for the woman to hear, "Master, may your slaves eat now? We're hungry."

"Get my little sluts up. You better take them to the shower first or they will leak all over the carpets."

"They already have Master."

Sonya got up to do as I asked and the woman saw my flaccid cock lying on my leg and I could see that she to was getting aroused. I said, "Put the carts by the table please. There is something for you on the side table."

"Yes Sir. Oh, and thanks."

I could easily see her reluctance to leave but she did after another look.

I got up and went to the shower to get myself clean. Sonya passed me the girls and I cleaned them up. I got a new girl as Sonya dried each of them. They were not done very well but they were presentable for present company.

I had ordered some rice dishes this time but I got a thick steak and so did Sonya. We needed the protein to keep up our body mass and of course to replenish what I had been donating to each of my ladies.

The girls were not shy now but would be later if we got dressed. Sonya and I talked mentally with everybody so they would understand our ideas. The girls spoke now in Chinese and both Sonya and I were able to read the thoughts behind the words and reply. It was all so much easier after getting to know each other on the bed.

I mentioned about my training but not my past. The girls now believed in magic and in mental communication. I explained again about the pill I had given each and exactly what it had done to them.

Sonya was pleased to discuss my body as if I wasn't present. She encouraged the girls to comment. I was not seen as a tyrant but one that would indulge his slaves when they wanted to socialise. Soon enough it became a hen party with the rooster looked on with hungry eyes. Sonya was talking about how she had to take care of me alone and she was not enough. The girls naturally sympathised with one of their own gender.

When the sexual atmosphere indicator twitched from its home position the girls noticed right away. I was happy to see that there was no fear now but most couldn't see themselves going through a similar mini orgy right away.

It was now eight o'clock and getting dark. The instructions Caloona gave me said that I must take Sonya and all of my guests for a walk down Young Street. I wondered if this was another way for me to pick up some new recruits.

The street had a great many shops but also attracted a great many runaways, hookers, pimps and other unsavoury people. Some of these people never came out until it was dark and I felt that this was going to be a test for me. I still looked for some ladies to fill our ranks but I would not know about their abilities until I got them into bed. Most of my present ladies were unsuitable though they did have some talent and a possibility of improving. Ann was the one that showed the most promise.

"Ladies," I just couldn't call them sluts or slaves even if Sonya would like that. "I want to take a long walk after this meal. Young Street doesn't close up for a few more hours."

We did get dressed but my guests wanted to look their best and there was not time enough for that. The empty serving carts went out into the hall and we descended in the elevator. The girls were used to riding but they would survive on their feet. It had been chilly and everyone had brought a coat. We only had to walk a few blocks and then head either north or south on the street. I chose south so it would go toward the docks and Lake Ontario.

The street was fairly well policed and Canadians seemed to be a tad less impolite when it came to crime. So it was safer here than may places in the Unite States. That was not true of the entire city. There was a lot of gang activity in the Scarborough area I had lived in. Dodging bullets though uncommon did happen.

There were still quite a few businesses open and we stepped into a few and bought small gifts like gloves for the girls but Sonya and I didn't need such articles. Beggars were out in force but they didn't bother us at all. I guess my size intimidated them. At worse they would usually harass a person into giving them some money.

The pimps eyed me but then saw that I didn't need any female company. The hookers assessed the competition but could see that I was uninterested. It was only a bit more than a year and a half ago that I had bought some time with their sisters but then it had been with a girl that I thought was nicer than most and also in need more than the rest.

I had not had a civilised drink in a long time and one establishment up ahead caught my eye. I just walked in and the girls followed. Part of this I knew was to just show off my women. This is what I would have done before if my luck had not changed. I had learned a great deal since that fateful night but basically inside I was the same guy with my heart on my sleeve like Othello in Shakespeare's drama.

We found a table and I pulled another table close so we would all sit around it at one time. A cute waitress came up to me and after giving me the eye said, "What would you guys like?"

I eyed the waitress back and then said, "A draught will do for me. The girls can have anything they want."

Sonya wanted to continue playing games. She got on her knees before me and said, "Master, may I have a beer too?"

I smiled at her playing her game. I moved my hand out and cradled her jaw and she rubbed against me as if she were a cat. I said, "Yes my little Slut. I can deny my slave nothing."

"Thank you Master." She looked up to the waitress and said, "A beer please."

I looked at the other girls and said, "Order a drink even if you will not drink it. I just wanted to remember what it was like before."

There was a bit of a huddle and then they began to order but I picked Sonya up and put her on my knee. She just hung on me and seemed content.

When the order came I paid the tab and got Sonya to sit on her chair. Two televisions displayed sporting events but I had lost interest in sports when my life had so dramatically changed when I met Erasmus.

The talk was now verbally in Chinese and mentally in a pure thought form took place. I continued to explain about magic and made it scientific instead of their preconceived ideas of dead things. The new view in a sterile white environment was not as frightening because it suggested that anybody could understand it.

Sonya said, "Magic is founded in mathematics and two more dimensions as well as at least two more universes. When the mind is opened enough it will be able to manipulate matter from the nearer dimension fairly easily. To go beyond that takes a superior mind. Energy is difficult to handle in large amounts but easy in smaller portions. That is what women seem to be better at though we heard of men doing this job too."

Sonya waited until they digested this then said, "Magic is just controlling force. You will go a lot further going with the natural tendencies than to use a lot of power fighting this. It might be explained as going with the current of a river and just slide sideways a bit at a time to get to the other side."

She took two round toothpicks and after looking around made them dance on end around the table. The girls sat rivetted to their chairs at the simple sight. When the waitress came by they collapsed as if they were put there.

Lena asked, "Why haven't we heard this explanation before and why haven't we seen magic happening. Everything is explained away as fraud."

I had asked the same question just after awakening and I said now, "There are very few people that can perform magic and they have no reason to tell anyone. Many people striving hard to learn as much as possible tend to get very conservative in their outlook. Sonya and I have come back to search for some people and to have a bit of fun too. You cannot control any magic even if you had the right books. It would be like a blind person trying to find out what is on an ordinary book. Some individuals that Sonya was talking about can generate power during some activities. One of these is sex. This sex power can be used to supplement what I can visualise."

Ann spoke out for the first time, "Why are you telling us and not others?"

I felt that I had to talk this way so as to attract some of Maximus' followers. Word would get out no matter what we did. This way we would not have to go looking for them. "Ann, I simply think that you ladies may be able to help me. If you understand about it first then you will be better able to assist. All of you are very weak generators but you in particular are better at being a storage unit for the energy we make. At the moment you must feel full in a way and that is because you are charged from our love making."

I paused a moment then continued with more of the truth. "I'm basically a simple man that has been made young and strong. I must be a romantic at heart. I cannot have sex with a girl without having strong feelings for her. It may not be love but it is close in the case of Sonya. You would be the same way if you were with me long enough."

A loud noise then harsh words spoken further back in the room and I said, "Maybe it is time to leave before a fight breaks out." We got up and left our unfinished drinks as the other men in the room watched the women leave. The waitress looked surprised and a bit sad that her customers were leaving so soon.

I stepped out the door first and running man crashed into me. His hand held a gun and his mind projected some fear but mostly murderous tendencies. I heard the wail of a police car coming closer. The man snarled at me from the pavement where he had fallen as if it was my fault. He raised his gun to point at me and then a foot came out and connected with the side of his jaw. The head was now twisted at an odd angle and I knew he was dead even before he fell back to the concrete.

I had been daydreaming in a way and it was Sonya that had saved me from a hole in my suit and my body as well as an explanation why I wouldn't be immediately dead. I ushered the other girls out of the door and headed them south and around the nearby corner. I held Sonya's arm as she pictured the body that was recently a living person.

"Faster, we have to leave."

I pulled her at first then she followed but we didn't run. I was fairly sure that this happened so fast that nobody had actually seen what had happened. Even the girls with us didn't know that the hood had died. Belatedly I scanned the neighbourhood to see if there were any threats. I kicked myself, because I should have been doing this all along.

We caught up to the girls and I said, "The man you saw is now dead and I think it is better this way. I couldn't read his mind but I am sure he was bad to the core."



-------

Chapter 5


With a few blocks more between us and the bar I stopped the girls and said to them, "My deal with Mr. Hatoia was for three days. As I mentioned before I am soft as a marshmallow. If you wish to go home to friends or family you may. You are also invited to spend the next few days with us if that is your wish."

It was Ann that moved closer and put her hands around my arm. She said nothing verbally but I knew she wanted to stay. They all wanted to stay and would only like to make telephone calls to stay in touch with family.

Two cabs waiting for a fare came to our rescue and brought us back to the hotel. The girls entered the building in a tight group as if frightened. I was too and I kept my senses out as much as I could. My link to Sonya provided the additional power I needed.

Something didn't seem right. I needed more power and reached over and took Ann's small hand in mine. I was at my limit now and found a magic aura in one corner but I saw no person in that location.

"Girls, don't move for a moment. We are being watched. There's an invisible person at the far wall just behind me. I want to meet this person if I can."

It made me feel good that the girls did as I said and didn't look. "I am going to get him to run. That way if there is a scuffle then it will be out of sight or at least away from the hotel."

I ordered the girls to form a line with me closest to the door. When the girls did as I asked and started to walk directly to the person. I could detect some movement. Soon the glass door opened seemingly by itself then the next door. I was right behind before any of them closed.

We were not far apart and I could detect the magic with my own power. I actually held back to allow the person to run past three buildings so he or she could enter a service road. I rounded the corner from the far side so I was not surprised. The Plugga had not done too much of this because they like the straight up approach. The person I was chasing was not a Plugga or at least I hoped it wasn't.

A dumpster was only metres away and a natural place to hide. I could hear no running steps so I approached slowly. I prepared myself for a magical attack and put up a shield for that and powered it with my ring.

I had circled the dumpster and now saw the magic aura crouched down hiding. I effectively blocked escape.

"Drop the invisibility. We either talk here or I get angry with you and we do this the crude way." This was mostly bluster because I had not physically hurt anyone except the Plugga and they hurt me much worse.

After a pause with no response I added, "You have little choice. Talk to me or get hurt." With still no response I walked forward with my hands pointed down and to my sides to catch the individual when he fled.

I felt a sharp pain to my abdomen and I knew that I had made a serious mistake. I moved as quick as possible and grabbed the wrist holding the knife and pulled it back as my knee came up to strike the person. It struck nothing and my foot flicked out and now I knew that somebody was there.

I twisted the knife-bearing arm and heard a scream and a snapping noise. With the concentration lost the person became visible. This one was a he and also big and ugly. I only happened to be bigger.

I held the arm for insurance and worked on calling up a spell to repair the damage done to me. I had to do this three times. It was just that I had not been sliced in this area before and it took more work because of all the different portions damaged.

Running steps were heard and I kicked myself again for not considering more enemies. It happened to be the girls but Sonya was far ahead of the group by a wide margin. She ran up to me but kept a watch out for other adversaries.

"Are you all right?"

"I got stupid. I put up a shield against magic and I got stabbed with a knife instead."

Sonya looked at the big guy with me to see if he was going to be an immediate threat. He was dressed like a businessman and if he lost the beard I think I would have noticed his face from the pictures Erasmus gave me.

She asked, "Are you going to be ok?"

The bleeding had stopped and I had some control over the pain. "I guess so but I used up a lot of energy in the ring. We are going to have to fill it up again and we have some questions to ask this gentleman."

Sonya startled me by saying, "He had a backup and we dissuade him from following but he may have taken another way to get here."

I saw the remainder of the girls now and Sonya mentally guided them to us. I didn't like the fact that there was another around and the girls unprotected.

I saw the girls run to us and stop in a circle around the guy on the ground. Ann saw the blood on my clothing and started to come to me to see what she could do. It was Sonya that kept her away in case the guy had some surprises. In any event there was nothing she could do.

Sonya went through the guy's pockets and took everything he had. The knife and jewellery of every kind was taken because of the possibility of it having magical properties. The usual car keys, cell phone and possible house keys came next. I continued to hold the broken arm. It was doubtful if the man would start throwing spells if he had a great deal of pain to suppress too.

Sonya called Ann and took her hand and then she took mine. Soon we were scanning for magic and saw that the man's coat buttons and something in each shoe gave off a faint radiation. Sonya took these articles too after releasing our hands. The latter required her to twist the heals off the shoes. They came easily or I should say easily for her.

The questioning now had to begin but this was not the place. We had no secure area and I could only think of our suite. I concentrate on the spells I knew and selected one that would keep him unconscious. This would last a minimum of eighteen hours.

Sonya picked up the man and threw him into the hopper and closed the lid with care so we would not alert anybody. We walked back to the hotel with Sonya in front of me to hide the blood. In our room I noticed right away that something was wrong and again I held the two women by their hands. There was a type of magical residue and I looked for traps. I was not equipped to deal with this. I was basically just a strong guy now with a specialty of fighting. Apprentice mages were more cerebral and they could beat me with spells but I could beat them physically.

I searched the centre of the disturbance and found that the jar of pills was now missing. I was worried and looked further in case there was a subtler trap or device. When none was found Sonya ordered the girls to take my clothing off and they did with the care of concerned nurses.

Sonya put her hands over my abdomen and chanted her own remedies to heal me.

I said, "Form a circle. We need to summon that guy."

Sonya said, "Your tired Adam. Rest a while and we can do it later."

"We need to do it now before the guy is found."

Sonya helped me up then took some simple chalk and inscribed a circle on the carpet. She placed the girls around it and she took one of the positions. My ring was empty and I was sure Ann was drained so I took the former and placed it in the centre of the circle.

Getting behind Sonya I said to all of the girls, "We are going to make love and all of us will take part. The energy we produce will go into charging the ring and into putting some energy back into Ann. All you will see is a glowing ring that will slowly fade."

It hurt to squat behind Sonya but not as painful as it had been when I had been stabbed by the Plugga or when they broke both my arms one time.

I began slow and I found I had to get Sonya in the mood. She was still worried about me. I caressed her gently and it took a longer time to get her ready. I linked Ann to her first and began to slowly stroke into her. Sonya usually let me lead but this time she savoured the sensations going through her and began to link to the others. We had very little practice in doing this but it seemed to work.

When Sonya had her first orgasm, Ann was charged once more. Though it hurt to stand I went to Connie and chanted to open her up and soon I was stroking into her as well. She came very quickly. I should have controlled her better to make her turn last at least five minutes.

Each of the others was treated similarly and the energy we produced was fed into the ring.

When I stopped, I picked up the ring and put it on my finger. Beginning once again I entered Sonya. She was only a bit glassy eyed and responded immediately. I pictured the man in the garbage hopper and gave the image to the girls. When it looked like Sonya was ready I began to chant the summoning spell. A mist seemed to appear in the circle but remained stationary though the particles seemed to be boiling. I timed it so the last word came with our orgasm and this would include that of the linked girls.

Sonya groaned as she felt me spurt into her and I said the last word hoping that I got the correct inflection on it.

Mr. Hassan solidified out of the mist just above the carpet and fell a centimetre in front of us. The girls moved in fright but not nearly as much as they would have done if not told of what was going to happen.

I got the girls back at their stations and began again on Connie. She responded after a while and I began to chant a healing spell on the man. When this was done his arm was once again straight.

I was tired but elated that this had worked. I had never moved so great a mass though it was only for a short distance. Getting up I said, "Please stay where you are. I just want to get our guest out of the way." I dragged him to a clear area and left him there. I examined what was taken from the man and found some small crystals that were all but depleted. Three were for invisibility and two were just general purpose. I noticed that the buttons would be used to kill an opponent and they too had been depleted. I had to assume that the shield I made had served some purpose after all.

All of these articles went into the centre of the circle. "Ladies, we have to charge these up and this time I will do a bit more myself to assist."

Ann had the largest smile. I began again with the Lena and filled her with my seed as all of the girls in sympathy tried to fill the various articles. I was actually back at Ann when the last of the articles as well as her own body were now fully charged.

The ladies got up with me and I kissed each of them giving my thanks for what they had done for us and I guess for Erasmus too. I had gone around the circle two times so each woman had received fourteen orgasms and they were very tired.

Sonya was tired from her work but when I said, "Slave, take my other slaves and clean them up. You are in charge."

I was given a smile and she said, "Yes Master. I will treat your sluts like little babies and pamper them." I knew she would now.

I scooped up my ring and put the other articles in the drawer and out of sight. His compatriots also knew Hassan as Baal the god of thunder in Egyptian mythology. He looked to be about fifty but I knew that he could be just about any age. His driver's licence gave an address that I had not seen on my list. Being on paper didn't make something true as my own papers attested to.

There were some business cards and some credit cards along with a goodly amount of cash. There were no secret compartments in his wallet so I began to remove his clothing. The girls all fit in the small washroom and none had come out yet so I had to do this on my own.

This guy had been in fair shape but was now turning to fat. This made him heavy and a bit awkward to work with in my present condition.

It was only after the guy was naked did June stagger out. She looked well pleased with herself and headed for the bed to have some rest. She got most of the way when she spotted the other man and she came over to look. I beckoned her closer and held her to me as we looked at the man.

"I bet you didn't think you could move a large man like this?"

"Ah no Master. I wasn't even too sure about magic until this happened. What do you want him for?"

"His master and many of his friends tried to kill a friend of mine. His master died and so did the best of the master's pupils. I have to find the remaining identities and then guess we just ship these guys out after some questioning. Someone broke into our room when we were out and used two kinds of magic to steal the jar of pills I brought. It was good that each of you got one first."

"Ah, if you are going to question him I guess you will wake him up. Will he start to do something magical against you?"

"He would but I'll put a confusion spell on him. It is like having a lot of drugs or alcohol in him. His spells will not work but I hope my spells for truth will do just that."

With the Mr. Hassan at a disadvantage and with no protection I recalled the first spell and thought of all the details about where it should be used and under what conditions it would not work. I was fairly sure of the outcome and ran over the proper intonation that helped the mind somehow reference that fourth dimension of reality.

The words came out in early Latin and rolled off my lips easily. I had to feed it power and this time it came from my ring. It was important to concentrate effectively or this would not work. When the last tone left I felt that enough power had been used to complete the spell.

I relaxed now and looked at the man. He was no different and it would be hard to find if the spell worked without referencing the man's mind.

June had been snuggling to me a moment ago was now further away. The feelings from her told me that she was frightened of magic more than when she had helped us bring this man's body from the dumpster down the block.

I reached out my hand and June accepted it after a few seconds. I pulled her to me and wrapped my arm around her. "Casting a spell is not just the words. It is like your ability to speak more than one language. When I cast a spell I have to think and act the right way and in step. We have more than three dimensions around us and I have to reach into the next one to grasp power and to manipulate reality the way you do when you prepare a meal or walk down the street. The results are in all the dimensions but presently we are just interested in what it will do in the three we are familiar with."

June looked at me and I continued, "At one time you must have been very cautious of driving a car. This is more dangerous and more complicated but like the driving it can be mastered."

"What if something goes wrong?"

"I am not pushing much into the unknown here but using information that I think I know well enough. This man probably knows much more of magic than I do."

"How did you... beat him?"

"I am just very strong and very quick in my movements. It kind of shocked him that I didn't want to fight him the way he expected. What I am doing has been done for a great many centuries. It was not understood but it did work after a lot of trial and error. I just use a small number of tricks, that I know how to do very well, to make this work."

I could feel June relax and I said, "I'm going to chant a spell that makes him tell the truth. You can listen and remember it but it's no good unless you can both provide power to it and change things in the nearest dimension."

I chanted the spell after going over it in my mind. It drained more power from the crystal but seemed to work otherwise.

Looking around I found two more naked and gratified women. I signalled them to come close and I started to tell them what I had told the first girl. I stopped and called over another girl that just stumbled from the washroom. I began once again. I think being in a group like this with sisters for protection they accepted what I said easier. I tried to coach my words in a scientific matter so they would not think of satanic rites or sacrifices. The latter actually did work. The tortured or dying victim gave up a considerable amount of power when under extreme pain and even more when they expired.

I kissed and fondled the girls and got them to sit on the bed behind me so they could see but not be in the way.

The chant to make the man sleep was removed and when the power dissipated the man began to slowly awake. I gave him a minute to recover and said, "Mr. Hassan you have disappointed me. What was your mission?"

"Master! I am sorry. I was told to do this."

This was a stroke of luck. My thoughts were male in flavour and I started the questioning from a superior position. The befuddled man thought I was his master. It then occurred to me that the master might regularly question his slaves this way to get the truth. I paused to think if Erasmus did this to me or if I had seen him do this to others.

He had apprentices that I had only seen from a distance. I had never been introduced and I didn't know what they did for him. They must be strong though or they would be doing this job instead of me.

"You have all been too lazy to do the work right." I thought of Erasmus now and tried to just paraphrase what he would say in this situation. "First, who gave you this poorly thought out mission?"

"Your apprentice Francis Mordock, master."

"What were his orders and you better be accurate here. He will be punished or you will for being inaccurate."

"I will be Master. He said to just monitor this new guy at the Sheraton Centre. He had some magic about him and had what looked like a slave. I was told he was not powerful. I was to report to Mr. Mordock when the man came back to the hotel and I just did when he came after me. He... he."

"Stop your snivelling, worm. You had a fight and you stunned him then escaped."

"Yes... Master." I could feel him accept this reasoning and this led me to believe that this spell also had some hypnotic effect on the subject. This had to be investigated further. When he relaxed more I began to think more of what I was doing and what I would have to do.

I had not thought too far into this mission. I assumed the various followers of the dead mage would just be questioned, examined and either accepted into Erasmus ranks or altered to forget magic. It did occur to me now that they may be just questioned and killed. It was the safest way and the one that used the least effort.

Killing was not something I could except though I had been trained to do this too. The man with the gun outside the bar still made me feel very upset and disturbed that it was probably a good thing.

"Tell me about your home. You people have been getting away with too much. I have to make some changes around here."

The description started and continued for close to twenty minutes with all the small points clarified. The home was protected by magic and the spells were listed along with all the traps. What equipment and resources were listed and I could see that this man had learned a great deal in the last few years. This brought out more questions and I asked about how he started into magic but did so by telling him to remember the first time. This was a sordid tale if there ever was one.

Maximus happened to like boys almost as much as girls. The man before us happened to be homosexual. Maximus and he enjoyed each other and soon the young man began to learn his new duties when he assisted Maximus. This also explained about the way the slave was treated at the house. The slave was female but used only for power and rituals and there was no love at all. The woman had been blasted with a spell that changed her attitude towards serving this man.

This too intrigued me and I said, "You have to have your memory checked. Tell me the spell used and explain to me why you did each and every point."

The spell was similar to those given by Erasmus but not quite. The explanation seemed to indicate that the subject was much more of an abject slave and unable to do anything other than the basic things needed to care for her own body. This made me cringe. Erasmus treated his slaves like cattle but was not cruel to them. The slave at this man's home was like one of the cattle that had been modified so it could barely feed itself.

"List your other spells that deal with making a slave compliant. Some of them I will test you on to see if you are learning properly."

The list was extensive and covered the spells I already knew. Variations were mentioned along with ways of strengthening the spells to make them almost unbreakable.

All the girls were on the bed and listening to what was said. I could feel their revulsion of what this man seemed to stand for. He was not a good man but he was not completely evil either. It was also possible that Maximus had altered him to be the way he was and this may even be true of his sexual preferences. If the latter was true then this had gone on so long that it would be almost impossible to alter now. Nature sort of grew around the preferences and strengthened them.

I could also see that Erasmus would probably terminate this man's life because he was not useful but not for what he had done. After a bit of soul searching I could only see one alternative without blasting this man's mind and effectively killing him myself.

Hassan was put back to sleep and I said to Sonya and actually to all the girls, "This man is just a low level apprentice or a trainee. He knows more than I do. His spells though are not as smoothly flowing as mine and I think he is really not that proficient and only got the way he is by long practice.

"He is not a good man but he is not evil though you may think so. I do not think he will live much longer if we send him back or if we send him back out to the street. He will be killed for revealing too much about the group he is in."

I looked at the girls and said, "I have won three days of your time because of a bet. I have cured you of many diseases and you are now much more healthy than you were before. I have not used any magic against you. It's not something that I think I would ever do. All of you are poor at being generators. Ann does have the advantage of storing power. I am asking now if you will all stay with me for another week. Look at it as a job. I will give you money to pay your bills. You will get a chance to see something about magic. You then could see if this is the life for you.

"You would be my slaves but that is mostly just a word. I will have obligations to you and you to me but it will be more like an employer and employees in a small company that work hard to make the venture work. You will get a fair pay and freedom to have your own life when not working. If it does work out we will make love a lot and get to know each other a lot better. The reason I am saying this is that this man has to be dealt with. I think the best we can do is force this guy to be my slave. If I don't, I think others will kill him. I have never done this before and need your help."

I walked over and stood in front of Ann and looked down. "How do you feel about getting a job on a temporary basis until you see if you want it or not?"

It was easy to read her mind. The girl loved the sex we had. It was not like her relationship with Mr. Hatoia at all. I could detect that she liked to fit in with her own people but there were five others here that were like her. She had thoughts at one time of Mr. Hatoia taking her as a wife but those hopes had died early in the relationship. She looked at me as a possible husband but didn't think I was going to take her when I seemed to love Sonya so much more.

Her long-term prospects with her boyfriend were just a steady income for little work. Her memories told her that he had loaned the others out from time to time and she knew that the term girlfriend was really prostitute. She visualised that if she jumped ship for a week she could still get back to her old job though it would not be the same.

The thoughts of working for me were not bad. Magic was not as scary as it was before but it was interesting. The fact that she was also valuable and had a natural talent made her feel more important. Long-term commitment had not been mentioned nor the amount or type of compensation. She didn't even know how much free time she would get to visit friends and family.

There was a noticeable pause then as her mind went over the data and finally she said, "I would like to give it a try. A week more is not much."

I bent over and with a finger under her chin I kissed her on the lips. "Thank you Ann. This means a lot to me."

The professionals Jen, Connie and June followed suit with some agreeing quickly while others took much more time. It was Lena and Lynn, the ones that just came from the mainland, that were the most hesitant. They didn't have official status except as visitors sponsored by Mr. Hatoia. They were afraid that Mr. Hatoia would rescind his commitment and force them to leave.

When it looked like they would turn my offer down I squatted down and looked them in their eyes. "You told me about you only visiting Canada. I will take over all commitments. Whether you realise it or not Mr. Hatoia would begin to rent your bodies out to his friends then to anybody that would pay the price. The only man I can see using your body is me. If you think about it you are using my body too. I will give you my word that we will be much like a family and I will do what I can to make your life enjoyable. That I think is more than anybody else has promised you."

Lena looked up with her sorrow filled eyes and said, "I will be your slave, Master."

This commitment was very simple and left a lot unsaid but I bent forward and kissed her lips. "You are my slave now and I will look out for you and try to make you happy, at least most of the time."

This made her feel better and she wrapped her arms around me to show that she would do the same for me.

I looked at Lynn, the last girl and came to the same conclusion though she was not as sure as Lena.

I stayed squatting on my heals and said, "We have one more slave to add to our group but this one has to be forced. Let's form a circle again and use our combined power to hold this one too us."

Hassan was dragged back into place in the circle. I went over the strongest spells and thought it best to pick three that were closely related. They dealt with loyalty to me but allowed the man to think and act normally.

Sonya was told what I planned to go along with the rest but she would have to assist me in keeping the spell under control. To get the level of commitment as high as I wanted, I would have to be very particular on how I did this. It had to cut sharp and go deep as a razor blade would.

I got behind her and this time instead of entering her back passage I went for our more intimate approach, her vagina. Like a good woman she just acquiesced to my choice. She was already quite lubricated and she responded quicker to my movements. My cock slipped in to full length and slowly withdrew. Both of us savouring the exquisite feel this brought us. I luxuriated in another full stroke and said, "Bring the rest in, Love."

She seemed to like the term and now worked to draw in the rest one at a time while I assisted in settling their power into our grid. This took longer. The girls seemed to respond more after accepting me and the way they felt in their vaginas. This seemed to be a more sensitive organ for some.

When we were as one, I began to speed up and Sonya began to move back onto me in her effort to increase the sensations flowing through her system. I slowly recharged the ring on my finger then erected a shield around the man on the floor.

Stroking continued as the shield strengthened until Sonya could not take the stimulation any more and orgasmed. I avoided my own and manipulated the forces released so the shield would be the strongest we could produce. The girls had orgasmed in sympathy and put out more than they had done previously. I was well pleased with them and their efforts.

While the girls twitched with aftershocks to their systems, I contained the forces in the room. I released Sonya and moved around the circle one more position. Jen moved her butt very suggestively and I caressed her two openings. My fingers slid easily into the lower one and she let out a groan echoed by all the rest. I caressed her clit then slid forward when it looked like she was going to orgasm from this alone.

Once snug in this warm harbour of hers, I moved in short strokes that got progressively longer and more forceful. The energy started to form again and I directed more to the shield and some to the ring though it was not in the best place to get this power.

Jen began her orgasm early but I could not fault her. She squirmed and tried to straighten out and I had to hold her in position and let her thrashing diminish. Sonya helped a bit this time but she was enjoying herself too much to help to any great degree. The generators usually only had to enjoy their orgasms to the fullest to produce the power. It was my job as the conductor to keep the energy focussed in time with the chant and the work in the next dimension. The vessel held any surplus energy and provided it when needed but did this almost mindlessly when it was learned.

With enough work experience I hoped to enjoy some of these orgasms myself without having to watch out for all the details that could mean the difference between life and death.

Lynn was next and she eagerly awaited my touch as if she were already addicted to a drug in her system. I sawed into her and she bent over to get more contact and not have to worry about falling on her face. The energy started to build once more and I used it judiciously to probe the man before us. I had never been told, but knowing how paranoid mages were, I suspected a lethal trap to anyone wanting to remove the loyalty spell cast on a simple, low-level apprentice. This was the reason for the shield and the great strength I fabricated it with.

I took Sonya with me into my thoughts. She had to abandoned most of her link to assist me. I took each of the girls too but only to show them what was happening. They saw what I saw and taht was a large area that had to be minutely checked. It took long minutes to find a glowing area around a portion of the brain. It was very subtly done and used very little energy. I tried to remember the detail. I would have to emulate it if I could.

I found an easy way to defeat the mechanism but looked again because I had to deal with a paranoid person by thinking at least a little like them. There were two more methods of doing this but I continued until I saw one more. I pulled out and stroked quickly into Lynn as I opened our energy grid. This added simulation had the effect of allowing all of us to have a wild orgasm that left us all weak.

I had almost crushed Lynn but pushed off and out of the diminutive woman and sat back on the carpet. The girls had built up so high that they had collapsed on themselves. Some still groaned their joy. Some thrust their pelvises back and forth mimicking their thrusts but some were out of it completely. I found rest myself as I leaned back against the wall and let the energy flow through my body and to ground.

It took a few minutes but I went over what I had seen in my visualisation and then linked Sonya to me though she didn't want to join us on this realm. Eventually the two of us went over the construct in our memory trying to unravel it without it self-destructing and taking the man with it.

After a fifteen-minute rest we began once more just where we left off. June this time was the happy recipient. When the group was integrated I began at the last site I found and began to gently move the lines of force. This had been discussed but I had never tried any of this before. Sections were removed a strand at a time and I had to spend a long time looking for the correct end to match the one I had.

Again I pulled back to get a rest and now pictured how I appreciated and even loved my girls and their efforts. I pictured June as she now was and how erotic she felt and how I wanted to fill her womb with seed. The orgasm this time was like an explosion to us but at least I had fallen between Ann and June and both were safe.

When the energy dissipated I took the girls and put them on the bed and stroked them the way Caloona had done to me after the first serious workout with the Plugga. Most wanted to just go to sleep and I let them. They deserved at least an hour's rest and after that I took them to the bathroom and let them relieve themselves and drink some bottled water.

Another hour was past when I got them back to finish what we had started. This time it was Ann that accepted me but only after using my hands and PK to stimulate her to the utmost prior to entry. Ann rushed to her orgasm and I held her back and went back into our captive's mind once more.

When I was sure the girls had stabilised, I began to remove the last of the strands. When the final one was gone there remained a malignant aura. The girls shied from it but it had to be faced. I studied it intently and then picked it apart until it too was disapated.

I began immediately to put our own hold onto this man. For better or worse he would be ours. We would be the only force that would try to keep him alive. The controls looked grey in colour to show that they were mostly neutral. I could not make it any darker in colour. There was a surplus of power and I was able to redo the weave in style without doing it the same way it was before. When I finally finished this task I pulled my mind back and absorbed the energy from the shield and filled Ann's now very abused vagina with my seed.

This time it was not as bad and it took only an hour to get the girls back to rational thought. With one hand holding Ann and the other holding Sonya I removed the sleeping spell. If there were a problem I would have assistance in rectifying it.

It took a moment for the man to awaken and when he did he looked at me for a second as his mind made the proper connection. He got to his knees and raced to me and said, "Master, I am so glad you are back," and completely ignoring the girls.

I petted his head and he seemed to need this as a dog needs his master's approval. In a moment he looked at my flaccid cock and his homosexuality came to the front. I said to him, "Get up and have a shower. We are going out to eat."

He smiled widely and said, "Yes, master."

Sonya said after he was out of the room, "We might have some competition I see."

"Never for fun or love. I know it is done for power sometimes but I see no reason to use him like that. I was never very interested in my own gender though nobody is completely immune. Now get ready, we are going out and I want my slaves with me."

She smiled at me and said, "Yes master."

The girls all wanted the shower so momma Sonya took a clean damp towel and cleaned each of her girls. I monitored them and saw no aversion to this activity at all. This was the way slaves were supposed to be. They were either self-contained or with their master.

We checked the hotel for traces of magic and found none that we did not control. With a continuous watch now kept, I ordered a meal for all of my slaves. The waiter had served us before and knew better than to ask anybody but me.

When we were done I could see that the girls were tired. I was tired too though I had done little in the form of physical activity. Instead of going to bed I had the girls dress to leave. None of them asked what I was going to do but meekly followed my directions.

We found Hassan's car to be a large luxury model but still not large enough for everybody. Hassan called a taxi and some of the girls boarded this vehicle and followed the car across the city to an area called Rosedale. The homes were all in the multimillion-dollar range. It looked like the lowly trainee had his ways of gaining wealth. I paid the taxi and Hassan drove into the large garage and parked beside a yellow Lamborghini Murciélago. I could see that he liked his toys.

Hassan went through all the magical traps he had set and removed them so we could enter then he reset them behind us. I could see that he was fixated on magic and a mechanical or electronic trap might work just as well.

Once inside I said, "Call your slave."

The mental call went out and a bedraggled women came running to him and she knelt before him. She was dressed in a ratty housecoat and mismatched slippers. Her hair was in disarray as if she needed a bath.

She said, "Yes Master, what may I do for you?"

Hassan had no idea and turned to me. I said, "Pass her ownership over to me."

He actually smiled and said to the slave, "I am getting rid of you. You belong to my master now."

The frightened woman shifted her body. The fear was very great as though this could very well mean her death. I had no idea of her life and knew that I had to find out.

She said, "How may this worthless slave serve her new master?"

I reached out slowly and the woman flinched as if she were regularly beaten. She didn't move far, probably because of her conditioning. I put my hand under her jaw to look at her. She could actually be a very beautiful women and one that would be expected to accompany Hassan on any of his social engagements.

"You are not worthless. You have great value to me. Now stand and tell me your name."

When the woman did she felt uncomfortable because I guess she never stood this way except in public. "Sara, if it pleases you, Master."

"Sara is a nice name. Now Sara I want you to show these ladies the house. They are now your sisters. Sonya is my favourite and you will do what she says. We are all sleeping here tonight."

I said to Sonya and Ann, "Wash her up and give me a report in the morning. Sleep on each side of her. She needs some physical contact that is based on love and concern. Find beds for my other girls and my other slave. I'll set up my own wards for safety."

Sonya wanted to sleep with me as she had done since she we first met but now she had to be happy with just being close. She ordered everybody to follow her and they made a small tour of the large home.

I put a ward outside all the rest and it was as fine as I could make it. With the minimum power I was able to muster. I wanted this to be as invisible as possible.

The answering machine was blinking and I pushed the button to find any messages. A male's scathing voice came out of the speaker. It was threatening but the man overdid his anger and I could see that he was not as stable as he should be for a person ordering around Hassan.

There were two calls from Ryan. This one had an effeminate voice and I was sure it was Hassan's current boyfriend. He wanted to go to the theatre and then he was perturbed that Hassan had not returned his call.

Further back there were business calls and even the repugnant one heard a moment ago was asking for a meeting and only being a bit less than his objectionable self.

I found my bed and I also found two girls in bed already. I went to the bathroom and got in between them and pulled the comforter up. I was asleep in seconds.



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Chapter 6


It seemed like only hours later I smelt cooking and felt two small warm bodies snuggling on each side of me. It was hard to imagine that it was only yesterday at noon that they had come to me. We had been through a lot. One man had died, another had been made my unwilling slave and they had said that they would be my slaves for at least another week.

One small nipple was too close and too interesting so I sucked it gently into my mouth and took my time. My PK worked beneath both the sheet and the flesh to find the small morsel that was getting harder and harder all the time. Connie was breathing hard when she finally woke up. She was surprised to see me. This apparently didn't happen often. She did like the attention and pulled me close until she remembered that she was a slave.

"Good morning Connie. You may have agreed to be my slave but you are also my woman. Don't be afraid to act that way. We both lose too much if that happens." I paused and she came to understand what I meant. I continued, "At times like this you are my girlfriend that unfortunately has to share me with her sisters. Only when it's work or important will I be the master. I like that job but I am too soft hearted to take it very far."

She put her hand back on me tentatively then pulled me to kiss her. This is what we would both like and I did as she wanted. She kept the lip lock and now her hands went over my body to find if there was anything interesting. Her search pattern moved quickly to my waist and then further. She found me then and very erect. It flashed through her mind that I was too large for here even I had been in both lower openings many times.

In moments she was sliding lower and trying to get me into her. "Sweetie, let me lay on my back and you can climb on top of me." She felt this was not the way to have sex but she had felt the same way when I used her anus. I moved into a good position and Connie awkwardly climbed on top of me. I had to pick her up a bit so she could manoeuvre her opening over where it belonged. She came down slow and had a large smile on her face when she had managed this task.

She was not sure exactly what to do so I said, "Just make small movements of every kind and remember those that make you feel the best. I want you to enjoy this and I will get my enjoyment from making you happy."

Connie did move about and found that she had to put her feet on the bed to get comfortable then she began to make experimental moves. Once she found some she did a few and then branched out to find others. When she began to start doing her favourites I began to caress her nipples. She stopped immediately then began again after seeing that she was not quite alone in her world of sensual pleasures.

When she was back in her world once more I began to also stroke her clit with my PK and Connie began to mumble then just groan about the feelings within her. She moved faster and faster until she lost her coordination completely when she screamed her orgasm.

I held Connie to me when she finally collapsed and soon I found that we were the centre of attention. Some of the girls thought I was murdering one of their number. They only saw me rubbing the girl's back while she tried to regain her breath.

The other occupant of our bed brushed Connie's hair back and looked at the girl. When the eyes opened the two girls looked at each other and soon they shared a knowing smile.

Connie got back up and started once more. She was half way to an orgasm when she started but continued to push herself the rest of the way. My own hips pushed up into her and I groaned my own exclamations in time to hers and soon her climax rushed upon her and she screamed once more and in a second I started to fill her with my seed. She pumped even more then but had to fall back onto my chest with a contented sigh and a body that had uncontrolled twitches running through it.

I was content though I still had a considerable amount of hormones in my body and fluid in my testicles and prostrate. I slid Connie away from our bedmate and encouraged Lena to take her place. She was only hesitant for a moment then got on.

She rode out two orgasms and I filled her twice to keep both of us happy. Though I wouldn't make a good master I would certainly need a great many women to keep me sated and able to think properly.

I threw a girl over each shoulder and took them to the washroom. Some of the girls had not left when they found that the girls were safe and just stayed to be entertained. I cleaned both of my ladies and they cleaned me. Lena seemed to be more adventurous and tried to use her small mouth. She could not get much in and used her hands and tongue. I reciprocated by using my PK and even tried to enter her this way. I could feel that she had no pain but on the contrary felt satisfied with my endeavours. I gave up my seed after she had her come and it sprayed all over her face.

When I was coming down from my own heights Connie took over and it started all over again. We were quite wrinkled by the time we dried ourselves and walked naked to the source of the food.

The girls were wearing the same clothing as me except Jen who now wore panties because her period was coming on. Sara was at the stove cooking away and wore a large apron to protect herself. I kissed each of the girls then walked over to Sara.

I said with my voice, "You look a lot better today Sara. Your food smells delicious too. I am very glad I met you." I got a very weak smile and I could tell she was still afraid but not as bad as last night.

"I have kissed all my other girls. May I kiss you too?"

She just closed her eyes and puckered as if she didn't know how to do this. I took the tongs from her hand and handed them to another girl and very lightly caressed Sara with my hands. Her eyes came open and I had to assume she didn't know what I was doing. The fear stayed strong and no amount of stroking seemed to calm her. I did kiss her then but it was a chaste kiss as if to a child.

Hassan came out dressed in suit and tie as I was being served my breakfast. I was angry with him for the way he treated his slave. I think even Erasmus would not like it but it would be for different reasons. The knowledge I gained from him never mentioned his beatings of the woman so I asked, "Who beats Sara?"

The man replied in voice after thinking of a way to hide this information or make it less damning. "Some of my friends come over from time to time. They use her if they are inclined. Some of my business associates like her and they just like to get more physical than the others."

I didn't raise my voice but I asked, "List the men, their relation to you or your companies and then how much you think they enjoy causing Sara pain."

Again he paused but the loyalty spell in him didn't allow him to lie though he tried a great deal now. The list had his boyfriend Ryan about third and I asked questions to make sure Hassan knew exactly what I wanted to know.

We both ate a breakfast then I took Hassan into the study to talk further. "You are either an inherently evil man or one bent on using Sara in any way possible for you to rise in fame and fortune. I am angry now and I would like to beat you the same way Sara was hurt all those times but I am afraid you would not survive."

He quickly got on his knees. "But Master that is the way I learned when you taught me. I remember you saying that females are less than nothing. Your only exceptions were those of the two females that acted like men. You were the one to put the spells on her so she would never be a bother to us."

This made me hate Maximus even more. "I will clean up my house even if it has to be one slave at a time." The man was quaking now and I continued, "I will postpone your punishment to allow you to think on the error of your ways and see if there is someway you can make it up to Sara and any other woman you have wronged.

"I now want to know of all my other assets in this area. Start with my slaves, add the trainees then the apprentices. When you are done list all the real estate that they own and I own."

He wasn't thinking of a reason for me asking this but of his possible doom. Maximus must have been either killed on this plane or on another. No body was ever found. Hassan had already told me that one of the buildings Maximus owned exploded with the loss of thirty two slaves. The lawyers and the security service that Maximus owned handled the matter.

Presently the mage was thought to be out of town or in hiding. I felt like picking up the pieces to make my own base. At least I would get a chance at modifying the thinking of all those Maximus had touched with his evil hands.

Maximus had quite a few slaves I found and they were of both genders. They lived at his houses for the most part. He also owned a great many lawyers and accountants that kept the money growing and safe. Some of the businesses were world renown and I had shipped many packages to them during my old life.

Hassan was listed among the trainees though he was at it for many years. There was only one apprentice in Toronto and the name Francis Mordock seemed to fit the bill. The voice I heard and the picture that Erasmus had shown me matched in my mind. Mordock had been the one that detected my magic and sent Hassan to investigate. Murdock had not replied when we phoned his home and we looked on this that he was afraid. He had tried to hide the fact before but had not been that successful. I thought that this was one of the reasons that Maximus had not used him on the attack on Erasmus that had only happened two months ago on this time-line.

Miss Carboni and Miss Nesbit lived in Paris and London respectively. Adrian Malochuck lived in Houston while Mark Himmler lived in Berlin. Other apprentices lived in other areas but Hassan was not privy to much of that information. He has also said that the properties that he mentioned were only assets that he had discovered in many years of dealing with high finance. This was his way of saying that there was probably lots more.

I found Maximus owned at least two large homes in this country. One was north in cottage country and the other one in Vancouver. The rest were spread all over the Earth. He owned a great many businesses outright and had controlling interest in a great many more. I might have to fight a lot more than magic to take over this empire.

Hassan's assets were not paltry either. Most of it had come by him taking over some accountants and business leaders and getting them to either manage his money or to tell him of upcoming events so he could invest in them.

-------

Francis Mordock would be a much stronger opponent I found. Maximus had trained him more personally for the last five years but the man had been learning in a group for at least seventeen years before that. He was a true apprentice while I was not even up to Hassan's level. I had only succeeded on balls and speed.

In the next hour and a half I learned a good deal about Mordock. Hassan was not good but not evil either. Mordock was very bad if not evil and this may have been the reason whey Maximus had taken him under his wing recently.

Hassan was quizzed as if he was having a test and he told me how he would take out a person like Mordock if he had been magically compelled to try.

Hassan had spent a good deal of his money on mage stones or crystals. It was a way of hiding cash from the government making Maximus happy at turning such a good profit.

After lunch I took Sara and put her into the circle after rendering her unconscious. I began by sliding into Sonya. She was very horny and just groaned and the delicious feelings travelling up her spine to her head. When enough of a connection was reached with the rest of the girls I chanted a spell that would stop the periods the girls had until they wanted to start them again. As a master I had full control over them but deep down I didn't want to saddle them with something they didn't want. Sonya though had wanted a child for a long time and I thought it was just to tie me to her a bit more strongly.

When the spell was done, I shifted focus and worked on Sara the same way as I had on Hassan. Sara though had three magical spots. Two were like the one in Hassan and the other was much simpler.

I went around the circle taking up where I had left off yesterday. There was more work but now I knew much more on how to handle this. We stayed at it for three hours to remove all of the spells then had a break.

The girls were very tired but seemed to work harder knowing that Sara was a person that should get a chance to be treated right for once.

When Sara awoke she looked around for the first time with a much brighter light of intelligence. "Where am I?"

"You are safe. You have been under three major spells for a long time. My girls and I have removed them."

She concentrated for a while then said, "Where's Maximus? He said he would be waiting for me. We were going to..." she looked at me closely and blasted into my mind to see what I knew.

Sonya threw a lamp across the room and it struck the back of Sara's head and shattered. She was right behind it to give her a karate chop to put the woman out.

I was stunned by the attack. I could only sense a voracious beast wanting to devour me and my thoughts.

"Are you all right Adam? Did she hurt you?"

I got my thoughts more in order and stood. I had fallen in the attack. "I think so. Sara sure changed. She was a meek and mild slave one minute and a powerful like a full mage the next. I don't know what happened. Did we do something wrong?"

Sonya said, "I don't think so. She could have been a failed apprentice of Maximus. For some reason he kept her alive. I followed the steps you took in her mind. I think the second spell was something that Maximus could have used if he needed a strong weapon that nobody suspected all of a sudden. The other one was more sophisticated and probably made Sara even more her master's devoted tool."

I belatedly looked at the six others and found them in shock. Most had been out of the room getting a snack or going to the bathroom. They didn't seem to like swimming in sperm.

With Sonya holding my hand I put Sara under a sleeping spell in case Sonya had not made her strike perfect. I now thought of the spells that we had unravelled and went into detail on each point. Hassan had some books and programs on the computer and we went through this data to find all the ramifications. It looked like Sonya may have been right.

I couldn't turn Sara out on the world and I wasn't going to kill her so she had to go back to what she was but this time she would be able to use her powers and her mind for us. The weave around the commands would have to be very intricate. She may decide at some time to remove this herself and then we would have a lion in our midst and perhaps even unknown until she struck.

Both spell and protective weave took a long time to formulate and much longer to apply. It took more time to put one spell back than it did to take three out. I charged up the crystals owned by Hassan and made a complicated spell that only needed a few details to finish. If I needed to, Sara would be struck with enough energy to fry her.

We were all too tired to continue so we went to sleep once again but this time a great many wards were around Sara's form.

I slept fitfully between two of the other girls and got up early and went to see Sara in her own bed alone and looking peaceful. I began making coffee, tea and some breakfast for my girls. It was an hour later that the first got up to find some food and drink.

When all our defences were in place along with Hassan to assist us, I awoke Sara. This time she cried at being freed but I could not detect the hungry personality that had hidden there all along.

I had to be able to read Sara's mind. I also needed her talents if they could be trusted. This could be found out by simply making love to her. I moved in slowly and so did Sonya. I caressed the woman and she seemed to be responding to me. When it got far enough I put her on the carpet and entered her slowly. She had been used to this as well as pain and humiliation before. This was neither though and after two orgasms each I could see her mind as easily as I could Sonya.

Sonya came in with me and we went through Sara's mind when she was trying to get over the sensations that had peaked in her body. Sonya said, "Hi Sara. This man is our master and I am in charge of you among my other duties."

"Hello Sara. I am your master. You may remember this from before but I want to make sure you know. I want you to do whatever Sonya says."

"Yes Master. I will do whatever you want."

The spell we took so long to formulate and put in place seemed to be doing its job well. Complete trust on our part though would be a long time coming.

Sonya and Ann went back to the hotel to get our property and pay our bill. They came back with take-out Chinese food for everybody.

Hassan was chaffing because he usually had a great deal to do for business even though it was fairly well run. It was at three in the afternoon that Mordock returned the last call. Hassan had been coached on what to say and gave the performance very well. Hassan had a truth spell on him and I was sure the lie was believed.

There had been a fight where both of us were knocked out. Hassan had recovered first and put a sleeping spell on me and I was now locked in his basement along with one of the women. Only this one had come with me. The others were just so many sluts I had picked up to drain my balls.

Hassan said to Mordock on the phone, "Do you want me to take them up north and feed them to the bears?"

Mordock considered for a moment and said, "Better bring them here. I want to do a bit more talking to them. They may know something about Maximus."

Hassan tried to get out of the duty as he usually would but then acquiesced to the order. He would drop the two of us off after six when he got home.

Sara was a better conductor than I was and she was a good generator too. If she was going to be of use she had to be our secret weapon. If Sonya and I went in we would be basically defenceless. Hassan was not strong but he would help. It was the unexpected strike that I wanted to use to take him down.

Sonya rode in the back seat, accompanied by Sara. The latter was dressed as she normally would and was encouraged to act less proficient and even less bright. I rode in the large trunk because of the threat of my size and physical strength.

The trip took almost fifty minutes because rush hour had not stopped yet and an accident that occurred on the Don Valley Parkway. Hassan used a cell phone and the garage opened for us when we arrived. I could only look through Sonya's eyes and she kept her head down like a typical slave.

Mordock's loud voice questioned why the slut was here and Hassan had replied that it was to watch out for the other slave. The excuse was not that good but Mordock must still be interested in talking to me.

When the trunk opened I saw Mordock for the first time in the flesh. He was corpulent but dressed in a very expensive suit. A large crystal in his hand indicated that he had a spell just ready to be cast.

I acted fearful which was not too much of an act. My hands were tied as well as my ankles. Even my mouth was covered to keep me from mumbling a spell of my own. I was ordered out of the trunk but I refused. Both men sent pain into my body. Hassan did so at my order but Mordock seemed to enjoy this.

In the end they tried to drag me out with Sara's help but it didn't work well especially when Mordock used one hand to hold the crystal. He called out mentally and in a few moments two women came running into the garage. They smelt of recent sex and I had to assume they were pleasing each other.

Mordock said to the older, "Meg, drag this guy out. Linda, help her."

This didn't work and the women started to beat me even without direct orders. Hassan and Sara assisted and this effectively got me out of the trunk. My head hurt a lot when I had hit the concrete floor.

Mordock wanted me in his basement and I could not get there now if I continued to put up a fight. I wanted Mordock to put the mage's crystal down but he didn't. His paranoia at least this time was a good thing for him.

A short rope was put through my manacled hands and Mordock's two slaves dragged me along. Hassan went out on a limb in front of Mordock by ordering Sonya to pull the rope too.

I fought for each metre of the way. At the basement door Mordock thought a moment then went down the steps first. I was dragged down the steps but my feet still caught on the railing as much as I could.

Sonya was a good warrior and saw good situation. She released the rope but took the woman called Meg by the wrists and pinched the nerves that paralysed the hands. The woman was pulling quite hard and fell backwards into the one called Linda. The second woman lost her grip and fell backwards and into her master.

As the master started to fall a spell must have been triggered and Linda screamed for a second and started to turn black. Meg too felt the effects and screamed even longer until she suddenly stopped.

The mage crystal in Morcock's hand fell to the floor and even before it hit I could hear Mordock now scream as a burst of energy hit him from three sources. Sara and Hassan collapsed to the steps and Sonya fell on top of me.

I had to get out quickly and concentrated on my bindings and expanded my muscles as hard as I could and felt the manacles part. With my hands free I removed my gag and uttered a sleeping spell that would cover all those around me.

Wiggling, I got out from under Sonya and slithered down the last of the steps until I was able to remove the bindings on my feet. I quickly stood and looked for more threats but saw none.

Mordock was asleep but I strengthened the spell on him to be sure. His two slaves needed no assistance. Both were dead. I had heard of automatic spells but had not learned of any specifics. It appeared that the two women fell under the terms of the spell and paid for it. This double shot allowed me to cast my own spell without being attacked. It was very fortunate that Sonya was not chosen too.

This made me think and quickly I moved to see that she was still alive. A feeling of relief washed over me as I held her to me. I picked up the small woman that was so dear to me and I took her further downstairs to sit against a wall. Sara then Hassan were next. I dragged the two corpses into a large tiled washroom and left them.

It took a long time to revive Sonya. I pulled her to me impulsively when she opened her eyes in a stunned look. I guess it was the tears dropping to her face that got her to reach and hold me.

She eventually said, "Help me up Adam. We're still in danger."

She of course was right and I did as she requested. She analysed Mordock herself and I said, "Mordock had an automatic defences against at least two people and that was what the spells attacked. If you hadn't done this the way you did you would be dead and probably Sara too."

She bent over to revive Sara while I worked on Hassan. There must have been more power left after the spell killed the two women. The effects were strong enough to stagger those that were still standing.

When the two were awake enough I thanked them for saving their master. The two thought that this was high praise.

Hassan went to a wall and chanted out some words of a vaguely familiar spell and a large panel slid back. It was a magical freight elevator, which I had been told about when Hassan and I worked out this plan. It travelled through an insubstantial area of space, so the base and shaft were not really in our three dimensional universe.

I dragged Mordock into the conveyance and Sonya took the still partially charged crystal. We went down a considerable distance into what could be the bedrock but was actually in a modified dimension. We got out in a true dungeon. Torches were all around and the air was both damp and cold.

Mordock was stripped and placed on one of three tables. He was then manacled into place with solid beryllium. The metal was much better at controlling a person capable of using magic. The substance was basically immune. Through the ages some people thought iron was this way but it could be manipulated but with some difficulty. Beryllium was strong but brittle and Erasmus had made sure I knew of this. I could break the metal if I could strike it against something. My strength had been increased so this was possible. A mage could not hope to break the shackles.

A plastic ball on a leather framework fitted over Mordock's head and the ball went into his mouth. He could breathe but not talk or even scream loudly. This would be good for torture but in this case just to keep a spell from forming.

With this part under control, Sonya, Sara and even Hassan got around the table and began to undress. Convenient circles were already in place. I kissed the two women and hugged Hassan though he wanted the same treatment. I entered Sonya and soon felt the other two in our energy grid. Hassan, I had to say, was the strongest effected. When the energy and the stability were reached I began to explore Mordock's body mentally.

As a full-fledged apprentice there were two magical constructs similar to those that had been in Sara's brain. There were others too and some even in his feet. I had to assume that most people would not look further than the head.

I removed the small magical sites and assumed Mordock himself put them in. With only the two large ones left I released my energy into Sonya and the group had an orgasm while groaning on the floor. When we regained our senses we rested and went to a well-stocked cupboard to get drinks.

Sonya said, "That guy had a lot of constructs in his body. Two that had been used were the ones that killed his slaves." She looked at me seriously, "I hope you remembered all of the information in the ones we removed."

"Yes dear, I did."

She felt that she had overstepped her bounds as a slave and hung her head. I picked up her head and said, "You were thinking of our safety first. That is more than most slaves would do or are even able to do."

When we were rested I entered Sara and attacked the first of the two complicated spells. I was not going to assume anything even though they outwardly looked the same. I went slow and made sure of every step. It didn't take long. They were little different than the other two I had removed before and both as deadly.

We needed a break and I held Sara tighter and changed focus to her. I pumped into her back passage and she screamed her joy as I filled her up.

Again we refreshed ourselves with a drink and some talk about what we had just done. It seemed that not even Hassan had done this good before and I was not going to delve into Sara's mind to see what was there. I was afraid of what I may find behind her locked memories.

When it came time to remove the last spell Hassan presented his backside to me. I just patted his lower back and said in a whisper, "I am not ready for a man yet." He just hung his head and nodded that he understood.

The last construct was as easy as the previous one and I came out without an orgasm this time. Sonya and I had discussed situations like this earlier in the day. The spell put in would be the same but the binding had to be different much like a combination lock.

We started with me in Sara. The spell went in as good as Sara's and I built a weave that was hard to follow I hoped. It was constructed a special way so that I could use triggers on the outer shell much easier. This time. When a break was needed I again released into the woman and then had to rest for much longer.

Sonya now held the large crystal in her hands. I said to the others, "Sonya and I will finish. Go upstairs and drag down the two bodies. There is a place to dispose of them over on the far wall." This was the same as removing waste food and dishes after eating a magical meal.

I got two, "Yes, Master," replies.

Sonya and I finished up the rest of the weave and made I it even more complicated than what we had just done. I had thought of some ingenious traps and put them in so they would trigger those points on the surface we had finished previously.

Two more spells were added. The first was to make Mordock see me as his master no matter what mistakes I made. The second one was more complex. It gave him a new way of seeing the world. It was similar to his own personality but with most of the evil portions toned down to what they usually were in a Human. This would allow him to continue working and even acting like he had done before but only up to what a semi honest businessman would be like. Similar arrangements had been done by Maximus to Sara but I just allowed more intelligence. A switch was installed so that Mordock would assist me like Sara had just done.

When we were done and still in the grid I asked, "Do you want some more juice in you, love?"

"Oh, yes Master. Fill me up."

I did just that and felt like this was the way it was supposed to be.

We took a long break to recover and go over what we had just done. I wanted to search this area. Hassan had said the area underground was at least a million square feet on three levels but he was never sure because he saw so little of it. Hassan and Sara had returned with the bodies and disposed of them as I asked.

Getting up, I summoned the two and I held the crystal in my hand as I removed the sleep spell. Mordock awoke quickly and struggled violently to get out. When I moved into his view he stopped immediately. Now he was in some very real fear.

Hassan removed the gag and stood back.

I said, "I see you are up to no good. I leave you alone for a few months and you begin to take on airs and work behind my back."

"N... yes Master I did."

"Tell me what you have done. All of it!"

I got a long list and I saw that it started just after the fight with Erasmus. Most of it was just contrary to Human laws but he was cheating Maximus of money and trade goods from other worlds.

"Give me a list of all of your traps with both their activation and deactivation words."

This list was even longer and it was a good thing that I had not allowed my curiosity to lead me away. If I mastered it I would be able to change the activation and I would then be in charge of this area personally.

He opened his mind at my command and he hid nothing from me. Here I went in alone because it was like I was swimming through a septic pit. I wanted to stop just after I started but forced myself to continue. I remembered how Erasmus had said his thoughts would shrivel me. I believed him now without a word of doubt.

The list was just too long and I had to stop. I did find out that he was mine now. This was his mind, body and even his personality but I had manufactured it.

"Hassan, take off his bindings. We are going on an inspection."

"Yes Master," he said as he jumped to do what I asked.

Mordock got up quickly but I didn't blast him though I dearly felt like doing so.

Our first stop was the nearby cells. Six Plugga came to attention and another one came in from the back room. Mordock gave them the news that I was now their master. He then gave them a sleeping spell to release them from his will. I held the crystal and gave one of equal strength that would keep them subservient to me as those Erasmus had to him.

There were no prisoners but that had not always been the case. They would be quite comfortable in this area and in a way they were just prisoners too.

We came to walls and a spell was used to turn it into an archway. Here the lights were similar the illumination that Erasmus used. We walked down a long hallway with many rooms off to each side. They contained many articles but most were simply empty. Mordock traded with wizards and merchants in other worlds and dimensions. This was in addition to his business interests on this planet.

Double doors at the end reminded me of Hollywood. Mordock chanted the correct incantation and the doors opened. One more was chanted to allow us to live if we entered. This room was gigantic. It was Mordock's study. Books of all kinds were in old wood and stone cases. There were a few desks but only one made of black onyx. The stone was semi-precious and this must have been the largest piece ever found. It then occurred to me that it could have come from other worlds.

Off this room were six laboratories. They looked like the ones Erasmus used. The third one held a small box of mine. I left it in place and continued our tour. He had his own gym, and exercise room along with a hot tub and steam room. The other side had a very large bedroom but at the moment there was nobody on this level but us.

"What is the area of this level?"

Mordock smiled in pride and said 560 thousand square feet and this is only one of three levels. This also made it 225 metres on a side and of course three levels high.

We just hit the high points and then rose by one of the many elevators to the next level. This level was not usually used and usually it was empty. Mordock liked keeping his expensive stuff in the deepest level with him.

The level above was the slave quarters among his other property. We went to see his slaves first. A chant opened the door to one large room and immediately the slaves got up from their beds. They formed an arc and got to their knees waiting their master's pleasure.

There were seventeen young and very beautiful women that ranged in age from what I thought to be thirteen to nineteen or perhaps twenty. They were all naked and wore a ring around their necks as I did until recently.

He said to them, "You all belong to my master now. You will serve him... ," he paused and then said, "To the best of your abilities." I was sure he was going to threaten them and this is what he normally would do. His changed personality didn't allow this.

He chanted his spell to release them but I didn't replace it with any of my own. Mordock just looked at me and figured I did what I wanted.

I did say to them, "I will be a good master to you. My way of dealing with slaves is not harsh. I hope you will have a much better life. Now please go back to your beds and sleep if you can." They didn't understand me but did what I wanted.

Next door was another seraglio but this contained six young boys. The same procedure was followed but I could see that the boys looked hungrily at me. I turned to Mordock, "Have you increased their sexual appetite?"

"Yes, my Master. I have renewed it every few weeks and now the boys have no other thought than pleasing their master."

"Tell me about the spell's removal and the time taken for them to get back to normal."

"Oh it's permanent my master. I had only wished to deepen the commitment."

There was no sense getting angry. The personality that I was angry with was now sleeping, while this one I made was carrying on.

I turned to the boys and said, "I will be a much different master. I think you will be much happier with me. Go to bed now and try to sleep."

Sonya came up to me and hugged my arm. She could feel some of the emotions going through me now.

The next room was again very large and Mordock said, "Those inside this room are in a time spell. It is difficult to put in place and difficult to remove. Those inside will cry and be a nuisance. I can give an image of what is inside if that is good enough master."

"Show me."

The man went to the wall and called out a complex spell. I had never heard of a time stop spell or one that would see within an area covered by such a spell.

There were a great deal of cages. I counted almost fifty individuals. Some were in small beds for they were newborn or just about. Another area had children that looked very young.

I commanded, "Open your mind."

I searched through the muck and found that there were babies, children to age five, another area for those to age ten, twelve, fourteen and seventeen. This was bad but I found that the reason for them was twofold. Every one of them had some magical attributes. If they worked out they would join one of the two rooms I had just visited. The babies though were destined for ritual torture and death.

I held myself ridged and made sure neither Mordock or Sonya knew what I was thinking. This I had heard of and thought it gone out of style a long time ago. A ring of power was set up and the adults or children tortured. The power gained was very great. Their ultimate death provided even more power for some spells.

Sonya has stayed glued to my arm and looked into the room. I didn't want to look at what she thought because she may then know what was in my feverish mind. She didn't comment but I could feel her going ridged like me.

I pushed on to get the thoughts out of my mind but I knew that I never would even if I lived as long as Erasmus.

The next room was spartan in a way but held one large bed with some furniture around it. On the bed was a young girl of ten or eleven for she sprawled on the bed and showed no pubic hair. Her legs were spread obscenely and on the dresser was a harness with a large double-ended phallus attached to it.

"Whose room is this?"

"Meg I think, master."

"Will I find the same think in the other woman's room?"

"Quite likely though she likes to take one of the boys too."

I walked over to the bed and cast a healing spell on the girl though I didn't know how much pain she had been in. Sonya came with me and I could see tears in her eyes. She reached out and touched the child as if to bestow some strength on her. At my command Mordock remove his spell on her.

The other room was across the hall and was little different. On the bed were two children and when I got closer I saw that they were both younger and of different genders.

I cast my healing spell on both and hoped that this would hold them until the morning. Mordock removed his spell without being told this time.

When we entered the hall Mordock said, "There are no more slaves here master. There are spare rooms but nothing much of value."

I demanded, "Remove the spells that restrict movement on this area. I want the slaves to move freely." Mordock didn't seem to understand my reasoning but chanted three spells and I could feel a lessoning of tension.

We rose to the basement of the home on the surface. This was just a very large and expensive home with very little to incriminate Mordock with any wrongdoing. There was as little as possible to indicate that there was a large complex under the house.



-------

Chapter 7


We went through the building slowly. It made me think of the dungeon far below. A very great deal of money had been spent on building a mediaeval castle and courtyard. There were sixty-two rooms managed by nineteen servants. All of them were slaves but had different duties than those below. They were not much different than those of six centuries ago. I was told there was a kennel for the dogs and a stable for the horses that were used on occasion.

Mordock wanted to live the life of the fourteenth century gentry if anything. He may very well have had the power to do so if he could have gone back to that time and not been opposed by other mages.

I never thought of the possibility of good mages but I did think of mages in general battling each other to keep their numbers and mutual interests in check. Something like a group of lawyers governing their profession but only answerable to themselves and not the public.

Hassan used his phone to call the girls. I took the instrument and told them that we were all right. The address was given and they were asked to come out to assist us. It was three twenty in the morning so there was little traffic to obstruct them.

Mordock was put at a computer and he was compelled to call up all his defences of this property and print them out. He was still at it an hour later when the girls arrived.

They drove up the long winding cobblestone paved drive then over the drawbridge and into the courtyard. The Pakistani driver was in awe of this place and I had to push the money at him to get him to leave.

Mordock stayed at the computer much longer. He began a list of all of Maximus' followers and listed both their property and other assets. A separate listing he gave their strengths and weaknesses along with any personality quirks. When this was done he wrote out his opinion of how he would defeat the rest.

The girls stayed with us and I explained what they would find if they went deep into the earth. The plight of the slaves was openly discussed though Hassan didn't see much wrong with it.

Sonya wanted to go below and talk to the slaves but I held her off so they could get some sleep. I also talked everybody into finding a place to sleep for themselves now that the spells had been removed.

The staff got up at seven sharp and had their own breakfast. They found a message saying that there were ten more guests to prepare for.

I woke the girls who happened to all be in two adjoining rooms. They groggily got moving and came downstairs for their first meal of the day. After breakfast the stableman and groundsmen were called in with the rest of the staff.

Mordock said, "This is my Master. I am going to release you from your vows but you have to say them again to your new master." He immediately went into his chant and ended the first only to do the second one. He was even more careful of those that were able to leave.

I set my own spell but it was much more lax than the one they had been under. They would soon be able to leave but still unable to tell of this place or those that were here. I only wanted enough time for them to understand that I was not going to be like Mordock.

Mordock went to sleep after making a phone call that he would not be available for a few days. This only took care of his interests on this planet. Apparently Meg and Linda had been his assistants in dealing with the rest of this universe.

We went to the slave quarters next. They had already been awoken and had received their own breakfasts through magic. The facts of the new regime were listed point by point for clarity.

I went to the room with the single girl. She was very frightened and I sat on the bed and talked to her. She was very young and I coaxed her into my lap. Her name was Alexandra and she was eleven. After a few minutes of talk, I put her to my shoulder and carried her to the remainder of my family even if I called them my slaves.

Sonya was the new head of slaves and she was quick to say she didn't have sex with little boys or girls.

I went to the other room and found the same thing again. This time Mary was ten and Robert was just nine. Apparently all of the children had been very thoroughly trained in giving pleasure to a woman or even a man. Mordock enjoyed all of the children.

I made one more trip to the room with the six boys. They immediately got on their knees and mutely tried their best to entice me into taking my pleasure with them.

"Boys, I love you and I love the young girls but I have drawn a line as to what age I will ever have sex. You are much too young for me." The truth was that they did draw me the same as the girls of all ages but I had to keep my own morals or I would be lost. I also had to watch what I said. I couldn't let the boys know exactly how I felt. This would be devastating to them. I wasn't sure if they practised on each other but it was a viable substitute in my books.

I reached out to the two youngest and when they came with a smile I said, "We are going to see the rest of the people here. I have some more things to talk to all of you about."

We walked out the doorway that would normally magically keep them penned up. It was a short walk to that of the older slaves area. I started to get them to introduce themselves to each other but soon stopped. Some actually had no idea what their names were.

Every one of my slaves were told that they were at the same level except Sonya who would do as she thought right. I could be like Lincoln until things got too distorted with size.

Everybody in the room was ordered to sit. "I am taking over as your master as most of you have been told. It will be a lot different now. I will do my best to heal each and everyone in this room. Some of you have missed out on a childhood while others don't even know what that is. I want you to look on me as someone that is concerned with your welfare. I want you all to have a healthy mind and outlook on life.

"I am afraid that you will have to stay with me because nobody would believe the conditions you have had to live under. I am also quite sure that they can do little for you. I will use what magic I can to make you all happy and safe."

I would have promised to be a father but many of the girls were too old for this. It would have to be offered on a one to one basis and I hoped I would be able to control myself when they got older. That was not a problem before but now there were too many hormones flowing through my body and sex was always more on my mind. Their future positions though may have them remain slaves.

Hassan was eying the boys but trying to hide it. I said to everybody, "I am going upstairs. Do what Sonya says. Look at her as a smarter and more caring girlfriend that has your best interests at heart." I looked at the person in question and said, "Teach them some simple magic that they can use. Make it fun if you can. Call me if you need me and I will do the same for you."

"Thank you Master." She sprang up and kissed me with passion. "I know we will have some fun."

Hassan said nothing to me as we went to the house above. Once there I said, "Find a phone and do what business you need to do. I think you will be able to leave soon. We have found a new house that needs a lot more cleaning than your house did."

He wasn't sure what to say so he said, "Yes, Master."

I slept alone for the first time in well over a year but I needed my rest to and not exercise. My wards didn't wake me and I found June and Connie snuggling up to keep me warm when I felt it time to get up. I guess I still did not get to sleep alone.

&&& part 2

Part of me was already up and the girls assisted in trying to take the swelling down. They had to do it three times each and they were glassy eyed when I carried them to the shower.

They tried one more time but I had them just clean me and then do the drying. It was fun to be pampered this way. I found some clothing so I assumed that the dress code had changed. When we got downstairs I found children and slaves all around. They were dressed in new clothing and looked to be normal unless you saw their eyes.

Sonya came up to me and gave me a kiss then I received one from each of my playmates. She gave me her report. "Master, some of the slaves have not seen the sun for years. Some of the younger ones are even afraid to move about. None of them are used to wearing clothes. The staff have not known that there was anybody in the basement though they suspected a lot.

"The men have been warned about all of your slaves and especially about your boys. Mordock is up and continuing with the work you gave him. I put him in a far room because everybody is still afraid of him. Hassan needs to meet people personally or have them come here. I don't think you want the second choice. He will do what you want though.

"Your meal will be ready soon. The cook needed some extra help to feed us and I thought it good to have non-magic food this time. She argues with me about what is right and what isn't."

I pulled Sonya to me and kissed her soundly. Her eyes flew open because of the way I acted. "You're getting right into being the lady of the manor. It sounds like you're doing quite well. Later on tonight I want to form a circle again and see if we can integrate the new slaves into our group. It will mean a lot more power and we can begin to fix some of the damage Mordock has done."

I walked around the house and found people all over the place. They usually froze in place at seeing me but I stopped and talked to allay their fears.

A few of the boys had come to this level and were the ones that kept 'finding' me. The spell had changed them intrinsically and my only hope was to learn enough to bypass this programming or to find a way for them to be happy without me.

The young girls still saw me as both a master that magically attracted them and a male, like Mordock that could hurt them. There was nothing to do but win their affection the old way. The older ones were what was left of Mordock's coven and they would have to be courted by me. I needed their help and I needed their cooperation. I didn't have the knowledge or the dexterity to do what was needed.

The majority of this group were still on the level where they lived. Some had come up and then returned. I decided that I had to go see them. My order would get their compliance but I wanted their hearts too.

I walked into the female seraglio and all the people got on their knees including June and Connie. The children I found in the adult's beds were here too. They were still frightened.

"Get up and sit on the beds. It is a lot more comfortable there." They did this because it was an order. There was one empty bed at one end of the room and I moved it so it would be in front of them. I sat too, just as they were. It still looked like a confrontation between me and them. "Connie, honey, will you come over here and keep me company? I like a beautiful girl on my lap."

She was pleased with this too and snuggled close and I let the others see that we found pleasure in each other and not just me.

I said to the slaves, "I have to talk a bit more about us and where you live. Your old master is now my slave. He was a very bad man. With a lot of help from others we found a way to beat him. I made him change. It may not seem much to you but he would give me everything he has even if he doesn't know it. He now works for me. When he talks to other people he has to act like he did before but the rage. He pretends that he can still hurt people but he cannot do that any more. Think of him now as a guard dog with a muzzle over its mouth and a leash holding him in a small area."

I let them digest this for a minute as I caressed the naked woman in my lap. When Connie started to respond I just gave her a small kiss that tried to express how I felt about her.

When we came up for air I hugged her to me and said, "Now we get to where we now live. You must know that your home and all this area is made by magic. It means that magic is needed to keep this place from collapsing in on itself. It also means that it needs magic so we have lights, food, and even air. This magic comes from many sources. One of the best is our emotions. Making love is one of the most desirable ways for me." I smiled hoping they would agree but I was wrong.

"Making love is not what your old master did. He has sex and used spells to force your body to respond. I like to think that I am a better person. It makes me feel good to give others pleasure."

I kissed Connie and said to her, "Will you help me form a circle now? I want to show these girls what it's like."

She thought for a moment thinking of all the strange people that she would have sex in front of then I read in her mind the things she got out of our sessions. "Yes Master. I would love to help you." The last was said while looking down in embarrassment.

I kissed her with more force now and squeezed her to me. "Thank you Connie. You make our lovemaking always special."

I looked at the other girls and asked, "Please form a circle like you did before. Connie and June will show you the way I want."

Connie got up and I started to remove my clothing and Connie began to help me. When I was done I gave her a kiss on the end of her nose for the help.

The ring had already started to form and June took a position almost half way around the ring. I saw that the children and even the boy had got into position. I was about to ask them to leave but both my upper and lower mind spoke the same idea. If they stayed they would know how I felt about them even if I didn't make love to their bodies. They would know through their link to the others.

Connie was anxiously awaiting for me. I crouched down and said to everybody, "I have to say a spell that makes Connie all juicy and easy for me to enter without hurting her." I said the words clearly as I rubbed Connie's back and bum. When it was completed I heard Connie groan in want and I caressed her rear opening and she moved her body on my fingers. As more fingers entered her the more she groaned in pleasure.

Just when an orgasm was imminent I removed my fingers and a spell cleaned them for me. As Connie tried to reorganise her thoughts I shifted forward and slowly slipped into her. She groaned and shook but I hoped it was obvious that it was not in pain.

"Tell me how you feel Connie. Are you full?"

She spoke in Chinese but her thoughts were broadcast too. "Yes, I am so empty when you are not with me. I need you Master. I need you in me to make me whole. Make me come Master. Do this please." More mumbles came but I began to stroke into her and slowly withdraw. I was able to hook up June with ease and then I had my first trouble.

"Will you look at me, please?" The message was sent to all of the people present. They looked up and I could see that they could feel something of what Connie and I had. I picked a blonde haired girl beside June and as I concentrated on her eyes I tried to find a connection. It took a while but it did happen. I moved the energy around and strengthened the connection to our grid.

I picked another girl on the other side of June and did the same thing. I thought of how pretty they looked and how I would love to caress their bodies with my hands and tongue.

One more girl was added and stabilised before I saw a faint grid of lines. I closed my eyes and worked on one after another to encourage them to grow and contribute what they had to this montage of faces and personalities.

It must have taken over an hour but I saw everybody in the room in the grid. They took their feelings from Connie and then amplified them to make the union much stronger and powerful. I shared some of my own feelings. It was not just the sensation of mating but the way I felt about everybody here. I opened myself wider than I think I had ever done before. They saw my faults, my weaknesses, my joys and I think mostly my love.

The power was very high before but still grew dramatically. Connie was starting to show the strain so I pulled back and warned the rest before working harder on Connie as I thrust repeatedly into her. Her orgasm had been physically denied her and when I released the hold on it she screamed. I heard the others in the room do the same. The noise was deafening.

My own orgasm mimicked the rest and I too added to the roar that would be heard throughout this level. I pumped load after load into Connie's rectum before I felt sated. Connie continued to move in the small movements she had done before and I looked into her mind and saw that she was only working on nerve impulses from her groin. There were no higher functions working.

I lowered her to the floor and wanted to collapse on top of her but restrained myself. My own hips continued to work but in a slower rhythm. When I slipped free I heard a complaint from those on the circle. I too felt that way but I had to let them rest and me too.

Mary, the ten year old I had met yesterday on the bed with the even younger boy were crying. I couldn't see her problem but I got up and walked over to her. Looking at her tiny form on the floor broke my heart and I picked her up and held her to me.

"Don't worry Mary. I won't let you get hurt." At the moment I actually meant it from myself and I intended to keep that promise. She continued to sob and I rubbed her back and whispered small endearments trying to get her to see that there was no need to cry. I would make sure that nobody hurt her and I would try to make her as happy as I could. The crying took a long time to taper off but I ended up rocking her back and forth until she was able to go to sleep.

The others were looking at me and I said in explanation, "Mary was crying." I got my feet under me with difficulty and carried the child over to a vacant bed and laid her down easily. She was reluctant to let me go even in her sleep but she had to.

I looked down to see a flat chest on a small body then a small swelling between her legs. She was pretty and probably one of the major reasons Mordock took her. There was a thin covering and I used this to hide her charms and I guess to give some privacy though she was probably only used to wearing skin.

I was thankful that my erection had gone down when dealing with the distraught child. I bent over and gave her a kiss and knew that I had to continue with what I was doing.

Others had arrived but now came into the room. They seemed unsure of themselves. There were most of the boys along with three of the young girls and five of the older ones that usually worked in the circle for Mordock. I said, "Please find a place in the circle. We'll make it larger to fit."

June greeted me a soft kiss that showed her love even if it was too early for her to have the real emotion. I asked, "You want to make love baby?"

"Yes Master. I really want to." She said with thought alone this time.

I kissed her lips and said, "Let me do my thing and then I'll be pleased to make you feel more than just happy."

The chant was quickly said and I was able to slip into her very easily. She constricted then and I felt that I was held tightly. By the time I had made a dozen slow strokes I was integrating the rest of the group, starting with the eager Connie.

The former grouping joined me quickly and I worked to fuse the thin strands of those that had just arrived. This went quicker and I had to assume that they didn't feel threatened.

I caressed June's breast with one hand and used my PK on her clit but didn't allow her to have the come she so desperately needed. With everybody now present and in our group I worked harder on my own satisfaction and added this to the sum total of our energy. The dam blocking June was released and she screamed even louder than Connie. I felt what the orgasm had done to her mind. My ears were assaulted too and I added my own call to show what I really felt.

I fell beside June and had taken her with me. I just held her close to me because I needed her presence to make me feel the way I wanted. As I basked in the feeling I found that the woman on the other side of me was holding onto my body. I could only move one hand down and behind me to caress her leg.

We stayed like this for a while and I could feel the rest sort of floating on an insubstantial cloud of emotions and sensory data. When the girl behind me relaxed I knew it was time for her.

I moved my hips and pulled out of June but she followed me to keep her filled. I had to push forward then hold her as I pulled back. I kissed her shoulder and said, "That was beautiful, Honey. I think there are other ladies that need me too." I got a groan but I knew that she would understand.

Turning around on the floor and held the girl's face in my hand that had been caressing me. "May I make love to you too? I will be gentle and try to make this as enjoyable as possible."

A smile appeared on her face and she simply said, "Yes," though this was the first time her permission was ever required.

Her small beasts attracted me but I began with her face and kissed very gently one point then another. I kept my speed very slow to allow her to savour the feelings I tried to show her. I remembered Sandra's words and tried to read what the girl I was holding felt. I did just what was needed and no more. She responded to me more this way and I just took my time to give all the joy she could hold.

She tried to pull me onto her so I could mount her this way but I had my reasons for wanting the other opening instead. I suckled her small breasts and caressed her nipples as she started to claw me to get me to do more. I pulled back and she didn't want me to leave. "I am going to turn you over Sweetie." It took little effort for she readily assisted.

I said the spell slowly as I caressed her back and ran my fingers across her anus. She seemed to get charged up and I moved forward so that I could penetrate her. She pushed back forcefully and I had to restrain her so she was not hurt. It took time to get the lubrication in place.

When I made it in as far as I could I just rested and the girl wiggled to get even more of me in her. I caressed her small hanging breasts and worked her clit before I started to move. The first few strokes were just for us then I started to let the rest in. This happened much quicker this time. They didn't fear the thoughts of an evil man in the grid or that of a person in temporary pain. I did everything I could to make everybody here happy.

I stroked slowly and I could feel the rest as if I was in them too. The older girls groaned in pleasure. The younger girls reacted with their youth and though they had been into may sex acts this was the first day that they had got something out of it besides pain and humiliation.

The boys were little different except they moved more violently because there must have been something stimulating their immature prostrates. I felt content now that I had so many that could escape their pain and feel accepted into a close community. This group would look out for itself and nurture those that needed it. This was one of the main components of healing.

Everyone was now feeling that exquisite pain of desperately needing release and I let them hover at this level for a moment before triggering their orgasm and mine. The girl under me moved frantically to get just that little bit more and then just collapsed as the sensations were just too much for her. I held her tight and filled her with spurts of my seed and just managed to not crush her with my weight.

The linkage to the rest had not lessoned that much. I could see that everybody wanted more. I went with it but I was worried. This new organism may want more from me than I was able to provide. This point had not been reached but now I was on my guard.

The next girl in turn welcomed me more aggressively than what I thought any of these slaves were capable of. I didn't fight this because I knew this magic structure needed much more energy to keep it functioning when I eventually had to leave.

Again my chant did its job but I tried to show some compassion and perhaps even love to this beautiful creature. Again my lips tenderly caressed many portions of her body. I strengthened the link now so all could feel what I was trying to do.

I stayed a long time on her face and upper chest before moving to the summit of her breasts. She groaned loudly and tried to pull me to her to finish the task that she was so close to completion. I resisted and had to use a great deal of strength to get free and continue my oral wanderings.

I moved lower on her torso and kissed her abdomen and even moved through the light hair to her opening. She would be the first of this group to get my attention this way. Her orgasm was very close and I held it off with my mind. It felt cruel to do this but I knew she would feel better about it later.

My lips caressed her outer lips and my tongue made quick forays into to the more delicate lips further in. The woman started to move more violently. I slid my finger into her opening so that the energy produced could be conducted to the grid. A tongue didn't always do what was needed though it would trigger the orgasm. I held onto her just enough to keep me from being thrown.

My PK now came into play as it caressed her other passage as I continued on the upper. Her legs were tight onto my head but I heard her mental moans begging me to let her come.

I thought of Sonya. She was the woman I did this most too and it felt less satisfying somehow to do this without her. There was lots of power in the room and I tapped it to go many metres up through the damp earth and through the magic shield that protected this area.

I found her finally. She was talking to some of the servants when I meshed with her brain and licked furiously on the girl I was holding. I could picture both her face in my mind and the area between her legs in great detail. Sonya began to respond much quicker than usual even at this distance. She formed her link to me and then to our grid.

The woman I was feasting on could take it no more and she surged over the barrier I established. I too felt compelled to add to her release and shot jet after jet into a pool on the floor and covered with my abdomen. Sonya too came and I could hear both the verbal screams in this room and the much louder mental scream of every one of those on our grid.

The power surged through me as I pumped more and more of my seed from my body. A peak was reached which was higher than I had ever reached before. I simply blanked out.

I felt my body being moved and my head pounded with the pain. I tried to remember just where I was and then what had happened. My thinking was very cloudy but the soft body beneath my head reminded me of my of my location. I got my elbow onto the floor and pushed up only to fall again. With a bit more determination I was able to get up. June assisted on one side and Connie on the other.

I looked down at the stunned young lady with her legs splayed obscenely reminded me of what I had been doing. The young lady now didn't look so obscene at all. She was not coming around very well and I said, "Girls, will you get this lady to a bed? She looks to be as stunned as I am."

The two girls released me with reluctance and helped the girl to an unoccupied bed.

People were all over the floor with only a few able to even stand. Mary had been in a bed and not directly in the group so she was doing her best to help but most were larger than she was.

I started to help those that were staggering to a safer position and began to think of what had really happened. The girls uniformly had a very damp area between their legs that had to be from the effects of their own orgasm. The boys for once weren't sporting wood and I helped those to bed as well.

The last one happened to be one about twelve with no name. He held me tight and didn't want to let me go. "Sweetie, I have to help the rest. I'm not leaving the room for a while yet." The look in his imploring eyes needed no ability to mind read but this time it was not just sex he wanted but something much more. I bent down and gave him a kiss on the forehead and he closed his eyes. With a hand on his shoulder I said, "You're not alone at least not anymore."

I went around to the worse effected and chanted a spell to promote healing. By the time I finished I was pretty tired myself. I had used up all of my own power to get this far.

Belatedly I remembered Sonya and cast my mind out very strongly to find her. I was very surprised to find her up and moving around helping people. What was odd was the fact that this room was not only protected by magic but actually constructed of those forces and impervious to my thoughts. I knew that Sonya was safe and dealing well with those upstairs. I sent a message that all was fine down here and she replied the same way from her perspective.

There was little else to do so I lay on an unused bed to see if my services would be required later. Hours later I awake with a headache and an arm around Mary and Robert. It suddenly crossed my mind that I had possibly done something very wrong then searched my memory and saw that they just picked me to sleep with. Instead of being erotic I felt privileged to be given their trust. I then knew a lot more of what a parent must feel.

I just stayed there as I did with my other girls and basked in the thoughts that ran through their heads. I was mildly startled when I realised that I could read their thoughts even better than those women I had made love to.

In Robert's mind I was not a lover which relieved me. We were friends though much different in size and age. I was teaching him in an odd landscape populated with giant trees and small monkeys. We made a hut in the roots of a tree and camouflaged it. Next we were using bows to hunt. A large animal came at me and I shot an arrow at it but it still came on. It was Robert that shot the fatal arrow that saved my life. He was very pleased that he had done so and I would love and respect him.

The dream had lasted ten minutes but had started previously. With Robert now dreamless I looked into Mary and saw that she was now grown much more. She was working in a strange home and I had come home to kiss her then pick up our child that played in the other room. We ate our meal and talked about our respective days. Soon after the dream ended and I was sorry to see it go. It was in many ways similar to the other women I had met in the last year.

I quietly chanted an incantation to heal me and this took care of the headache. I didn't have that large a repertory of spells but the ones I did know I knew well. When the throbbing ended, I moved slowly and extracted my arms. They had gone numb with the little bodies on them. The beds were firm enough that I was able to get out without waking them.

It was only then that I saw the others looking at me. My mind effortlessly slipped into one of theirs and then another. None seemed to be in pain. I did see that they didn't see me as an ogre or even a bad person. The jury was still out on how I would be in the future but they now had some hope. Nobody had any idea of what had happened and I could only guess.

The other beds were occupied and I found June and Connie in one. Though some were awake I walked over to the bed and kissed each one awake. When they opened their eyes I said, "I am going upstairs. If you two or anyone else wants to come then they may. I just didn't want to leave you without telling you where I was."

Connie was closer and reached up and put her arm around my neck and pulled me back to the bed. I was soundly kissed by both of them before I had a chance to get out of their grasp.

She said, "You make a good Master. I don't think I would mind being one of your slaves."

I really didn't know what to say to that and said nothing. The three of us went upstairs after finding our clothing. The spell for the door had been removed and the inhabitants of this level could go wherever they chose. Leaving the house would be difficult with the enchantments that were in place.

Sonya was glad to see me and stopped her quick movements to give me some of her time.

I asked, "How do you feel?"

"I was shaken by what happened but that's all." She hung her head and added, "I did have a wonderful orgasm though. Some of your slaves up here were affected as well. I tried to find out what they think but it's hard. I think you have to do it."

"So nobody was hurt?"

"Nobody though a few of the girls fell to the floor when they were unable to remain standing."

"That's good. I'll check with the servants."

Sonya kissed me once more and then got back to her tasks. She even took Connie away for a job. She was truly becoming the lady of the manor and had a hand in most tasks. Some of the erstwhile slaves from the lower level were now doing household tasks that they did or should have known how to do.

Any of the boys or girls that were not below with me were not immune and were given jobs of cleaning up and dusting. The boys had stopped to look at me as if they were normal and I was a pretty girl. Though not all of them had been below in the circle I could read each of them with ease.

"Boys, your momma wants you to work and you better do it." The request worked and they went back to their tasks but with no fear of me.

Mrs Cardinalli was in the large kitchen with some of the servants and a few of those that were slaves. I was happy to see that nobody got on their knees in front of me. They did stop nervously waiting to get orders.

I smiled at everybody and said at large, "Hmmm something smells good." I turned to the old woman and said, "Thank you for taking on some apprentices. They need to learn some everyday jobs to round out their education."

The woman was flustered. She was afraid of me because of my position as master and still not sure how I was going to treat her after the novelty wore off.

"Your wife told me to give them a job to do. She said that they were causing more work and had to do something to even the load. She's a nice lady."

"I think she is a nice lady too. She isn't my wife though but very close to it. I also think you are a nice lady. Your husband is a lucky man."

"He is letting his eyes wander since all of you came. I am getting angry at him."

"Mrs Cardinalli, your husband is only looking and building up an appetite. Do you know where he will go to eat?" The woman blushed now. "He is a healthy man and you have to admit that there have been a lot of changes since yesterday. It will all settle down again but not like they used to be if I can help it. I don't need servants and slaves, I need friends that are working with me to build a safer place for all of us. There are a lot of bad people out there and some are very powerful. If I am able to get control of them then some of the worse abuses will stop."

"Was Mr Morock a bad person?"

"He was very bad but I am afraid to say that there are worse. Magic is like science and can be learned by some that can manipulate it. Tonight I want to have a Magic Workshop. We will teach you to do some small tricks if your brain is capable of doing this."

I could see that she was thinking of the church now and was starting to be afraid for her soul.

"Mrs Cardinalli, I want to show you how to make a healing spell so that a sick person may get better. If you get a burn then you can not only make the pain go away but heal the blister. I want to show you how to stir the bottom of a pot of sauce so there is no sticking. You will be far enough away so you do not get splashed by hot sauce because you will use your mind to move the spoon. The idea is to teach you what you can learn so you will see that it is all natural. It is only unnatural when people make it that way."

She was not sure of this but asked to get me off the subject, "What happened to us after you went downstairs?"

I smiled at her. "Magic is powered by emotion. It can also be powered by sensations like pain, sorrow, happiness, basically any strong feelings can provide the power you need. The one I like best is love." Before she went off on the wrong track I said, "I do not mean sex though that works well too. When I make love to a lady both of us give off a lot of energy. If there are a lot of people nearby they can become involved with what we are doing. Well there were a lot watching and all of them got to feeling excited. When that special time came we all had it at once."

"What about us though?"

"The one I love the most was up here. I was thinking of her when the time came and she happened to be thinking of all of you. I think you must have felt this building and started to feel excited without knowing why. When the big bang came you had your own explosion here too. I am just glad nobody was hurt."

There was a long pause as I waited but Mrs Cardinalli finally said, "It wasn't bad. I was just frightened that it came so suddenly. I only wish I was with my husband when it happened."

I held her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "Maybe next time I will try to give you an advanced warning and you can get ready. You may be able to add to our magic with some of your own."

For the next hour I walked through the house. I tried to touch all the slaves so they would get used to my touch without jumping in fear. I gave small suggestions but usually gave them a range of choices so they knew I was not quite ordering them on what to do. I did get ready for our magic lessons that night.

I sent Hassan off on some errands and allowed him to take care of some business. Mordock had completed his tasks. I had a better idea of how to attack the rest of Maximus' followers if I took them over one at a time. If I took the weakest first then I could gain their power and abilities. One may be weak but all of them would be much stronger and able to strike from many directions.

Mordock had his meal alone but we had a banquet. He was presently working with his tamed lawyers to transfer some of his properties to me. This gave me a base and the tip of the wedge into parting him and the other apprentices of some of their ill-gotten gains. They couldn't complain because they had done much worse to get where they presently were.

Manners were not those of the high society people that usually sat around the large table but it was more like family. Everybody was dressed this time and some of the servants sat with us. Mrs Cardinalli had a seat but was usually running around to make sure everything was done as it should.

My family had been very small and even smaller when my dad left. I had been sad all those years though I didn't see it that clearly until now. Those around the table were now my family in a way. Maybe I wasn't a parent or a child of any but long lines of commitment lead from every one back to me.

The servants were like uncles or aunts though the ones I did have were always very distant. The older women from this house were like friends that happened to be girls. Sonya was different and much more like a girlfriend or possibly a wife. The six orientals I saw as something between the last two groups and I knew that if they stayed the ties would get even stronger.

The children presented a conflict. Erasmus had changed me to want to have sex constantly. This I knew now was just to provide power first for him then for me. This caused me to see younger ones with a lecherous eye. The girls I knew would welcome me after they learned that I was not going to rape or hurt them. There was no way I could not keep them from moving up to the circle and in my heart when they got older.

The boys had been conditioned to love their master and pander to his ideas of sex. I had always thought that I was 99% heterosexual but now with these girl like boys I saw that this percentage was not true. It didn't mean that they would be raped or abused but I knew this craving was not the way I wanted things to be. Forcing myself to ignore this natural feeling would be difficult.

I couldn't see a way to free the boys yet but I had not really begun on the task. I saw clearly that if I weakened in any way they would all join the women of the circle and I felt very reluctant to do this. Not that they or the women would object but I knew from my upbringing that this was wrong.

To complicate matters the children needed parental figures to let them grow as they should and not warped figures bent on perpetuating this sort of behaviour. It made sense that I be at least one of the figures but that would lead me into temptation. I also realised that it would not be one sided. They had been conditioned either by Mordock or nature to want me.



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Chapter 8


When the meal had been put away and then the dirty plates and cutlery, I brought out a cart used to carry food. On it an one other were the props we would use. Chairs were brought in so most had a chance to sit though the boys chose the floor close to me. I was to learn later that this had been programmed into them by Mordock.

I began my discussion on magic by telling the audience, "All of us when young saw the world through our eyes and found it beautiful and complicated. The fact is that we were mostly blind. There are a great number of forces around us that we cannot see or feel. It is like we are two dimensional people on paper trying to contemplate the third dimension."

"Another way is to think of us as fish with a small brain trying to understand that area above the surface of the water. Not only is there one dimension but two. Likewise there are two more universes. It is actually possible, with enough power, to simply step from this room into another world and from there into another seemingly without end."

"It is a scary thing to contemplate but it is still our natural world. We just have just not seen beyond our usual three dimensions. To use what is around us requires power and an understanding how to use it. The first is a mind capable of manipulating what is really there. Not everybody can do this but it is in may of us to some degree at birth. It can also come about if a person with the knowledge and a strong mind can straighten out an existing mind to see what was hidden. This happened to me."

"We need the power to do this moving of forces that we cannot quite touch. This comes from a wide variety of sources but you already know that sex or better love can generate a good deal of this power."

"We channel the will to explore into experimenting with some of the power and see what can come of it. If the person is intelligent they will write down their findings the same way a chemist does an experiment. When enough tests have been conducted then some rules seem to appear. Over a long time a great deal can be found out about what can only be slightly seen by only a few people."

"The male to do this is called wizard, mage, archimage, conjurer, occultist, enchanter, magician, magus, necromancer, sorcerer, warlock or male witch. The female is called witch, bruja, enchantress, occultist, necromancer, Wiccan, hag, hex, lamia, sorceress, or witchwoman. The ideas behind all of these words bring up the idea of evil. The truth of the matter is that there is no evil. It is the same as a gun. It can be used to protect or to hunt for food but it can also be used by evil people for evil ends."

"Manipulating the real five dimensional world about us is not evil only if it is done with an evil purpose. Just as a stone can be used to build, it can also be used to kill."

"What I wanted to show you tonight is some of our real world. I will let you see what it can do for us without getting into silly superstitions that knew very little or nothing of magic and painted it all with one brush."

I brought our a dozen crystals and said, "These crystals have a special property that allows them to store and discharge power on command. Rather than making love on the floor, this is what we will use tonight."

Sonya and a few other made sounds indicating that they thought this was unfair. It did bring on a few chuckles.

A white board had been placed in the room previously and had been used for business purposes. I used a marker to phonetically spell the words of the incantation with some symbols that indicated stress and intonation. Taking some paper towels and one of Mrs Cardinalli's paring knives I cut my arm. There was a lot of gasps from the group. It sounded like they were worried about me and didn't want to see me hurt.

I said the words of the incantation that was written on the board while displaying the long cut to the most people. When the last syllable was spoken, the wound began to stitch itself together. Sonya took more paper towelling and wiped away the blood to show a fresh pink scar that would be gone completely in a day or so.

The oriental girls got up first at my silent urging and inspected the wound. Soon everybody had a chance to see. I said, "This comes in handy in saving a person's life. I used the power in one of the crystals to move forces in the true universe around us. The wound healed and I even used the power to take away the pain though that is second nature to me now."

For the next few hours we practised doing some spells that I figured some of the students could do. Healing was complex but I got thirteen people including the gardener to sprout a seed. It didn't grow very much but that was ok for now. It was the children that had the strongest ability and this was because of their age and the fact that Mordock had chosen them for their potential.

Sonya performed with pieces of wood that would dance across the table as she did not too long ago. Four people including Mrs Cardinalli held a crystal and were able to move very small articles but they happened to be small feathers or dust. It was inside an overturned tumbler so nobody could say it was the wind. I mentioned how Mrs Cardinalli might possibly help the gardener shooing away unwanted birds, insects and even small rodents.

By the end of the night we had the children pushing a ping pong ball across the floor and avoiding obstacles as it travelled. The entertainment seemed to go over well and I promised to have more classes later to bring out what talents were available.

When the servants went to their quarters the rest of us went to the complex that was far below our feet. Part of this was to put more energy into the magical construction but to be honest Sonya and I wanted to make love. This was not a private affair by any means and I knew that I would be suitably drained to sleep well.

There were quite a few people partaking and I wanted to try something new. Erasmus didn't mind some discomfort to his slaves for it reminded them of their place. I gave my orders, "Everybody that wants to participate has to get their mattress and pillow and take them to the gym. I want to make a large circle and I want all of you to be comfortable." I reached down to pinch a young girl's bum and she squeaked and hurried to do as I asked.

Sonya did the straightening out of the circle and gave her ok to the places each person had to take. The boys and young girls were spread out evenly along the circumference at my urging.

When the time came to begin I did so with Sonya. I treated her now as I did many times where we lived with Erasmus. This meant a long foreplay which is what I wanted. The grid went up very quickly and became strong right away because everybody wanted to participate.

For some odd reason I was still able to go beyond the boundaries of our environment and knew that Mrs Cardinalli was getting it on with her husband. With a little extra energy I linked the women to us but tried to do it subtly.

I kissed my way down Sonya's body but let her orgasm and the rest followed to put them in the right frame of mind for what was coming. When I got to the juncture of her legs she had her knees up to her breasts and her back arched to give me everything she had.

I teased her unmercifully while capping her ability to have another orgasm. With lips, tongue, fingers and PK I got her so high that I had to release her and the rest. This time I made sure her thighs were wrapped around my ears.

My own release was held. I had a specific place to put my seed. When Sonya came around I was looking down at her and my cock at her portal. Instead of pushing in I looked down at the woman I had known for over a year and said verbally and in a whisper, "Do you love me Sonya?"

In a second she pulled me to her and in doing so I was in her now very lubricated sheath. "Oh, yes, yes I do Master. I would have it no other way."

"That is good because I love you too."

Her love too was a part of our grid now and I could feel everybody grasping this idea to them. I did start to make love again but this time I would have my release too. It was much easier on the mattress and Sonya was forcefully pushed along the length as she wanted stronger strokes.

I moved to different positions and usually pulled her further toward the foot so we could start working up once again. It was when she had her legs over my shoulders that the time came for her release and all of ours too. She screamed loudly in the large room but not all the sound was echoes for every other person including myself did the same.

I had just enough functional neurons to drop her legs and crash to her mattress beside her. We held ourselves so tightly together that nothing else was possible. When I recovered enough I saw a small smile on Sonya's face and knew that I had made her happy and in doing so I was more than satisfied.

When I was able to get up I saw that the ladies and even the gents would like to continue. Now that everybody was comfortable with me I had the young girls take their mattresses into the centre of the circle and just sit and face me. They did this quickly and I was happy to see that they were not that worried.

I moved to my right to the next girl and it happened to be one of the many that I had not had a chance to meet intimately yet. I gave her a kiss which she returned avidly. I said, "I have some work to do, Sweetie and I just want to get around the blocks that are placed on my little girls."

"I will help Master."

I kissed her again and said, "I knew you would be kind enough to assist me."

With only a little foreplay I was in her vagina. Mordock was not as large but the girl was not uncomfortable with me. I sawed back and forth to give some of this act a personal touch with just this girl but soon I had to set up the grid once again. In no time, she was wreathing as the sensations went through her body just like the rest on the perimeter.

When the power was at its highest I looked at one of the girls in the centre. I concentrated on her face, her eyes and even her lips and nose as if to memorise her features. This girl like all the rest had a secret place that held their memories of the time before Mordock. They each had controls placed on them and I began to remove them when I saw that it was safe to do so. When this was done I started on the main block but not to remove it yet. They were protected by the strong spell that didn't allow for a simple removal. I was able to get around the shield and examine the memories of her earlier life.

Some observations were not good but I did get names and other data that would allow me to find her past. Each of the other girls were done the same way. None of the information was shared with the rest or the one who owned the thoughts. Some was just too bad to be known.

The girls in the centre were now allowed to join our grid. When they were as aroused as the rest I knew that it was time. The orgasm came when all of this was complete and I emptied myself into the twitching woman beneath me.

Later when we recovered, I looked down to the girl and kissed her lips tenderly. Her arms wrapped around my neck with surprising strength until she came to the realisation that she had to release me.

I concentrated on the complex and a bottle of water came to me. I needed the liquid and the rest called for their own refreshments. In a few minutes I called the girls and their mattresses back and sent the boys out with their mattresses.

The next girl was very anxious to get me and moved her body to engulf me in one swallow up to her uterus. I had a few words with her but she wanted the real thing and wanted it now.

In moments we had begun and the grid once more in place. The boys had better blocks and this was additionally complicated with all the spells Mordock had put on them. These spells were studied and removed. There was no extra security here and each of the boys had the same group of spells. What I found under the block was as bad or worse than the girls. Only one of the girls had a family that would have worried for her while the rest were just the issue of slaves that did this at their master's orders. There was little or no love and I could see that this would tear the mother's heart out if she invested her affections in a person that would soon be ripped from her arms.

I cringed at the thought of treating babies like livestock. Most had not even been born on this planet but were obviously very Human or extremely close. Some of the odd ways of thinking was due to what they had learned at their original home. I remembered those others still in the time vault not too far from where I was now.

Those around me had not all been assessed yet and I felt very responsible for them. I concentrated more on the lovely lady beneath me then sent more of my thoughts to the boys instead of the ones the females would prefer. In moments all of us had our climax and I was able to see the boys reacting no differently than they had when they felt a female's sensations.

I went around the entire circle that night. The youngsters were excluded except for a kiss and a caress. The older girls went into groups in the centre and I examined all of them. The majority of these women were no different than those that were younger.

Sonya, Sara and all of the oriental ladies went there too more for solidarity but I did find some hidden areas of Sonya. This was the only time I felt reluctant to peak at least until I had a better chance to think about it.

By the time I was finished I was completely dry and only kept going to make sure all of those that had not had a chance for an intimate moment with me would now get the turn.

When I woke up I had one arm around Sonya and an unnamed boy was holding onto me. He must have woken in the night and been drawn to me for some type of comfort. Many of the children had only been given names by their master and that was well after they should have had a strong identity of their own. I could imagine that any slave would remain a slave if he had to thank his master for even a name.

I got up and moved the child closer to Sonya. In moments I had a coffee compliments of the magic food service. Only a few minutes later some of the others woke and then had to look around. They had not been sleeping where they usually were. Some saw me and smiled. I wished each of them a good morning but some I had to do so with me looking directly at them. This situation would not change until I gave them names myself.

Mordock was very meek around the house and this is the way I forced him to be. Over breakfast upstairs I said, "I think you should go back to work today. You have done everything I asked of you."

"Thank you, Master," he said sincerely.

"Send over your lawyers. I want to have a chat with them and get the title to this home transferred. Tonight would be a good time."

His eyes brightened up. He knew he would make me happy with this gift.

"Is there anything else, Master?"

"Yes, I think there is. Get one of them to give me a call first. I want to set up an organisation."

"I will call right away."

"I may need you to say a few words tonight though I doubt if there will be much to sign."

"Yes, master. I will be here."

I wasn't worried about a lawyer losing some sleep or to have to cut into his private time. I never did like them but at least they now had a chance to earn my trust.

Part of the morning was spent learning more about everybody around me and staying out of the clutches of the girls that suddenly found themselves free to pursue me.

I got a telephone call from an obviously worried lawyer and not from his secretary. "Hello my name is Woodrow Vidmar. Mr Mordock asked that I contact you as soon as possible. I am sorry I was late. I just got back from a vacation."

"That sounds like a good enough reason Mr Vidmar. My name is Adam Jones. Mr Mordock is donating his house and lands north of Toronto to an organisation devoted to the care of homeless children. The charity has not been set up and has no status whatsoever. I want somebody to register the charity and perhaps even sit on the board of directors. The pay I am afraid is not much. Once the charity is in existence I want the title transferred and Mr Mordock credited with any tax breaks. Are you capable of doing any of these two tasks?"

There was a pause then, "I or my staff could do just what you want. Is it possible to have a meeting to iron out details?"

"Yes, come to Mr Mordock's home around six tonight. I suggest you bring any staff you need so we can get a comprehensive view of what we are undertaking."

There was a longer pause and this time I thought it was related to him coming to me as opposed to the other way around. "Yes Mr Jones. My staff and I can make it there at that time."

When the conversation was over Sonya asked, "What was all that about Master?"

"Mordock has been castrated in a way. Magic is something he cannot do without my permission. His drives for power have been channelled into business only and then it has been muted to what a standard businessman could or would do. The idea now is to allow him to continue with his businesses and not disrupt so many lives. This home will allow us to help some of those he has hurt but I am afraid that this is only a small fraction."

"Why is that?

"He tended to kill all of those in his way. Even this property was gained through death and intimidation."

Sonya and I went over Mordock's notes looking for the next candidate to our group of happy former followers of Maximus. I had my sights on Houston and Adrian Malochuck in particular. Sonya said, "Master, you can't do it. Hassan was really just a better trained trainee and you beat him with muscle and your ability to take pain. He lead you to Sara and it took all of us to defeat Mordock. You now need this man as well as all the ones with lesser power to take down the apprentices with more experience and power. This means that we go slower and take over all the trainees we can and bring them with us. Any other way and you will be hurt."

"That's going to take months if not years Sonya. I like Earth. It's my home but I also want the other job that Erasmus offered me. That means that I get this job done as quick as possible."

Sonya had a tear on her face but she tried to hide her thoughts but I could see them anyway. She saw that this job was still very dangerous no matter what was said to me by Erasmus. We both knew that the next would be many times more dangerous and she feared that there was little likelihood of me making it back. She didn't see her own fate as something to really worry about.

"Master, you have to take your time to learn. Everybody else has had years if not centuries to learn magic. There is so much we don't know that I am surprised we got this far. You're young and can afford to do this right even if it takes longer. Erasmus was not being nice to send you even to this job. You have no mage to learn from so you must learn yourself. Please look into what Hassan and Mordock had to learn then see how you match up."

Sonya had valid points but I still felt as if I was being held back. Against the urge to move quickly I decided to learn more about magic at least in that it would help me attack or protect myself.

Sonya almost dragged me down into the lower section then had me repeat all of the spells to allow me to get to what had been Mordock's personal quarters. The Plugga stayed in their own section and I had no idea what they did with their time but they didn't bother us.

The computer in this section was very powerful and the various passwords had been demanded of Mordock. I went into the machine and used it like one that I used to track orders. It had voice capability but as yet I didn't want to use it. The feeling for this was unfounded but my fingers could still do the walking even if it were slower.

There was a large database of spells that did a sizeable number of tasks. The difficulty of each spell was one of a great many determining factors to its choice for possible use.

Sonya and I started small and listed our own spells and then looked to see what the best one that we could do considering who we might be going up against. We had run through the spells that we could perform. Sonya and I started in with various attacks when we could get a warning first. The actual text was listed in the old tomes on racks about us. These were searched to see if there were variations that were not listed in the database but anything we found was minor.

Time had certainly flown and the lawyers were presently driving up the roadway to the manor. I shut the computer down and we hurried to get upstairs to greet our guests.

The housekeeper brought nine men and four women into the sitting room. Mordock was soon with them and acted as host until I got there.

Drinks and a snack were brought out and everybody stood as I arrived. I found that Mordock had insisted on this. I just stood for a few moments and looked at each of the people present. All of them had some magic about them but it was minor. When I was introduced I looked deeper and saw that it was mainly what Mordock had himself placed on each of them.

Mordock spoke the words I sent to his mind. The words said that he wanted to move to a different home and wanted this one to be given to a worthy charity. The house would be assessed along with all the furniture and other chattels. It was now up to the lawyers to get the best deal they could with the tax man. A fund was set up with ten million dollars to keep the charity going as well as an annual gift of an additional million dollars.

The structure of the charity was clarified and Mordock would be one of the board members though not the chairman. Lawyers, accountants, and some particular business people would fill the ranks. Two hours later they all left to get this expedited.

I said to Mordock, "You did very well. You spoke with authority but you didn't threaten or even ridicule any of them when they made mistakes."

"Thank you, Master. It is hard to adjust to this new life but all it really is a lessening of what I have done before. I don't feel like hurting anybody now and I can see that I am actually happier this way."

"That's good. If you started all over again you would still raise to the top. You are dedicated and have a mind that keeps you very focussed on the task before you. That is one of the reasons I want you to work with me on some of the stronger spells."

This admission would have ruptured his belief in me being a mage but the other spell forcing him to overlook this came into effect. "I would love to Master."

In the next few days Hassan worked with us showing what he knew. With Mordock's help I was able to alter my mind after another week. This ability would allow me to stare into a person's eyes and then manipulate their brain to straighten it out. This increased their intelligence and allowed them to perform magic. This had happened to me when I had first awoken in Erasmus' base and now could be expanded.

The only one I trusted to do this to was Sonya and I was deathly afraid I would make a mistake and damage her mind. She had grown in importance and was very precious to me the day after I met her. After a year it had only got stronger.

The trick I found out was to grasp some knowledge of the fifth dimensional constructs to control those on the forth level. Once that was accomplished then the rest was simple.

Sonya lay on her back on a large bed. We had made tender love to both make us closer but to give me strength. The work of altering her mind without damaging anything took twenty minutes only because I wanted to be perfect. Immediately after she began to sleep and I just stayed with her until she awoke the next morning. I might have catnapped but I didn't sleep much.

When Sonya opened her eyes the next morning it was like looking at the sun for I loved her so much.

She hugged me fiercely and said, "Don't worry Master. I'm just fine. In fact I don't know if I was ever any better."

We had breakfast together and both the slaves and the servants saw that she was much different. When we went back to the lowest level I insisted that Sonya learn the spell that had been used to change her. She found the fifth level much quicker than I did and learned the spell itself in less than an hour.

We used the computer then to search out the derivation of the spell and other spells of a similar nature. There turned out to be a great deal of them. I still didn't trust the computer and checked each of the spells in the large books and compared each reference to as many others as I could find.

That night we were very tired but the slaves were restless and needed some diversion. Again everybody was present and I went through the entire group in six hours. I had been drained after the first fourteen ladies but I continued. The children were doing better and just turned to jelly after ten communal orgasms. When the session was over the lights were very bright with power and now all the slaves were liquid flesh that I had to check to make sure they were safe.

I slept with Sonya but again I found a different person on the other side of me when I got up. I didn't peak but I think Sonya was the one to do this so everyone would get a chance.

Ann and the other girls had been allowed to go but did have a spell on them like the servants that kept the secrets here. They took with them some of the slaves so that they could get an idea to how the ordinary Humans lived.

The status of Lena and Lynn were now handled by the lawyers that worked for me. Mr Hatoia had not even been too angry when he found that he was getting none of the girls back. He had already found replacements in any case.

Hassan and Mordock had been used to frequent sex even if the latter was usually with a male lover. Mordock liked young males as well as females in general. I simply put a glamour on Hassan and soon the two worked hard to relieve their own frustrations. I didn't invite them into the group or even use any energy that they made. It did make their stay with us a easier to take.

Television was introduced but only for movies that were suitable for the children. The servants began to take on extra duties as they taught the children how to read and count. There had been no need before and all the slaves needed was a live body and a waiting orifice.

The Lost Children Society was officially formed. The young women in our group were given identities which matched their new names. Many were not yet eighteen but it did state the older age on paper. We didn't need any child welfare people coming around and giving us more aggravation than we needed since everybody would be classified as an adult.

An unofficial school was started and I modelled it after the school Harry Potter went to. The movies were watched extensively but it was only a way of showing the servants and the children that this could almost be a logical situation. Most people were fool enough to believe what they saw in newspapers or on television. Here it would serve my purpose.

Mordock and Hassan began as teachers too in their spare time but this didn't happen much. They were much too busy running their respective empires. We had regular magic classes for all those that wanted to attend. The servants liked this time the most but classes tended to be small when Mordock taught.

On June 15 Mordock, Hassan, Sara, Ann, Sonya along with Joan and Megan, two of the slaves went with me to Buffalo New York by car which took two hours. Hassan got across the border easily now that he looked very blonde. It took only twenty minutes to find Manny Goldstein. The man was more powerful than Hassan but not as powerful as us together.

Private investigators had been following the man over a week, the same as other men were followed in other cities.

The man came out of a restaurant with three other men late at night. They were hit by five of us. The girls supplied power from their bodies but we all carried crystals as back up. One of the men was similar to Ann in that he supplied power when needed.

All four went into the back seat of two cars and driven to an area that would give us some privacy for a half hour or so.

Erasmus had not given me a great deal of information. I had to wonder at his reasons. The way I took Hassan and Mordock was not that bad but very crude. What I did later made them mine in every way. What I had failed to recognise was that the apprentices met once in a while and any changes would immediately be seen. There were a large number of trainees that may or may not get to be apprentices at some future date. They were tied to specific apprentices. This was the reason Mordock was able to compel Hassan to do his bidding.

Trainees could shift allegiance unless the apprentices saw this as a threat. Though Goldstein was much closer to Mordock geographically, he was actually under the auspices of Adrian Malochuck out of Houston. My thoughts were that this trainee was here to keep an eye on Mordock and some of his activities.

The same kind of threat had caused the downfall of many mages by a group of apprentices. There were many instances where an apprentice had taken over another for various reasons. The same was true between mages. Some worlds had regulations on this sort of activity but most didn't. There was simply no way to enforce it without a united band of mages.

The spells controlling Manny's mind and actions were minutely studied. All but one particular spell were not much different than what had been in Hassan's mind. This odd spell we studied and then we shared the details of its construction with the remainder of the group. We had been prepared for Mordock to removed all of the spells after we memorised their construction. I would rebuilt the spells one at a time but now I would be the master. This fact had to remain hidden. I wanted to continue with the face of Maximus. This would change if I was present. This allowed the trainee to act normal to his colleagues, others versed in the magic arts and especially around an apprentice. It looked now that we had stepped into a trap.

The fact that Goldstein had been struck by magic may already have been too late for us. The spells could be interlocked more than usual and if they were tampered with then this too would send out a warning. We now needed much more time than we had intended in our planning.

Hassan worked in the other car and removed the memories of recent events from the two men accompanying Goldstein. Other memories were substituted. He was not good at this but the men had been drinking and this could be thought of as a reason for any discrepancies.

Goldstein's vessel remained with us but now we did a good check of his mind. Paranoia seemed to be common to mages and I could now see why.

We drove back over the border with our two guests in the back seat. Instead of putting a glamour on the two we worked on the guards at the border so they didn't see our guests. Two hours later we were in the underground complex north of Toronto.

Everybody was asleep and I woke up four of out best generators with a kiss. They were not frightened at this which made me very happy at what I had been able to do to them. They got up and went to the gym with the rest of us.

We formed a circle with on a new mattress formed in a large ring. Jacob was a short thin man and Goldstein's vessel. We put him into the centre of the circle on a mat.

Mordock and Hassan got in the circle as slaves. I had never been happy with this when we experimented but it did offset much of my failings. Sonya was my first choice this time. I didn't mind at all taking my time and working her up with my kisses and intimate caresses. Though it took longer it was still a joy to hold this woman to me.

I kissed down her body and she began to respond strongly to me. When I got to the juncture of her legs she was very ready. I ran my tongue up the hairless outer lips and I could feel Sonya urging me to do much more and quickly too. The other females in the group felt what Sonya felt and responded just as much. The two males just accepted the sensations and didn't return their own. I had failed each and every time we had tried this before until they could keep their thoughts out of the matrix we formed.

My lips moved around Sonya's now very wet opening many times with only a short incursions to caress her delicate inner lips. When this happened she usually shivered and more moisture was expelled. When I moved to this inner track she moved herself forcefully to get some portion of me into her.

When her emotions got high enough I moved slowly to her clit and she knew of my goal and got very excited. When I sucked the small morsel into my mouth and laved it with my tongue she started to buck and thrust at me as an orgasm went through her body. It was only my strength and size that kept me attached to where I wanted to be. I continued my stimulation but tapered it off until Sonya was able to relax.

I got off my chest and moved over her. Her arms came up to envelope me. Her kiss was strong. She loved the taste of herself on me but this time didn't notice this. She was still very aroused.

"Are you ready, Sweetheart?"

"Oh, more than ready, Master."

I moved my lower body and found her opening unaided. Pushing slowly so not to bring her discomfort I heard Sonya and the other girls groan as they felt me entering them too. When I was all the way in I stopped and just looked down to the woman I loved. Her look at me conveyed the same feeling as her mind and I knew that she loved me just as much.

I began to move back and forth slowly. The grid was already in place and then strengthened by others. I before my strokes got stronger I used one hand to caress Sonya's face and move some errant strands of her hair out of the way. When I finished I had to bend down and kiss her gently and say, "I love you my little slave."

"I love you too, Master."

Her mind had grown as well as her abilities but she still wanted to be my slave. She seemed to get some type of satisfaction from this arrangement and I was happy to assist. Being a master was what I wanted but not to be cruel or even uncaring.

When the level of new power had risen enough I pushed my thoughts into the man in the centre of our ring. The spells wrapped around his mind were no different than any of the other minor slaves and when this determination was made it was easy to remove all of them.

The rest of the body was checked but nothing else was found except for a ring with a stone to hold additional power.

With this now done I looked down at Sonya's face and pushed my hips faster into her the way she liked and her body started to respond. She gasped, groaned and mumbled for her mind was not able to focus but the orgasm started and her actions got stronger and stronger until she screamed my name and arched her back trying to get even more of me into her. She relaxed only long enough to try this again and again but always weaker. I felt my own orgasm approaching and then so did Sonya. She renewed her efforts and we came together strongly and I spurted into her many times trying to get my seed as far back as possible.

When my own orgasm had passed, I looked down to see Sonya with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. She looked so beautiful to me I just had to kiss her again. When I got close her arms held me tightly to her and kissed me back with even more ardour than I was going to show her.

"Hmmmm, I liked that, Master. It was a good one. Just stay here a minute. I like you in me."

I honestly said, "I love being here."

When her body started to relax I was able to move back and pull out of her opening. I got further back and then stood. Sonya put her hand over her opening and closed her legs. The damp fingers went into her mouth and I saw that wanted to keep my seed in her as long as possible.

Joan and Megan were beside me but on different sides of Sonya. They had been the best vessels we had though Ann seemed to be shaping up well. The two didn't hide the fact that they had fallen in love with me. The other slaves had been the same and I thought it was just because I showed compassion for each of them. I didn't quite think of them as slaves but that word did have some of the feelings I had.

Jacob was pulled by Mordock and Hassan out of the ring and Goldstein put in his place. Megan was to my right and this was the way I usually rotated.

I sat down beside her and said, "How are you doing, Sweetie? Would you like to make wild and passionate love to your Master?"

"I think that can be arranged," she said with a giggle and she looked away when she said it in embarrassment.

This was far different than any of the slaves had been before and I felt good to have caused it. "May I kiss those pretty lips?"

"I think you should. You made me all wet for you."

"Hmmmm, does that mean you want me to put something bigger into you?"

"I can't wait."

My kisses didn't last long and I fit myself into her warm depths. When I saw that she was comfortable I began to move.

When the proper conditions were met I entered Goldstein's mind. He seemed to be able to hide his thoughts better and this was the first thing I studied. The mechanism was analysed but it was very simple and might be able to be used for me.

The man had no direct knowledge of the spells on him. The spells themselves were studied for traps. There were only two links to other spells and I began to see a pattern. I started at one particular spell and after memorising it as good as I could I removed it. The next spell didn't seem related but had a link to it. This one was next.

I removed two more spells before releasing my seed into Megan to give her a chance for a rest.

Jennifer was the next to my right. She and Barbara, Samantha and Laura were the ones I had awoken to assist us.

More of the spells were removed until only the two main ones remained. We stopped to have a break and I got some water for the girls that still had not recovered yet. I saw clearly that they liked this attention and I was happy to give it.

When we felt better we resumed and removed the two blocks along with the complicated weave about the spells. It took a considerable amount of time with Sonya, Sara, Mordock, Hassan and myself in conference to understand everything and to devise a suitable replacement. The other girls in the circle were looking at what we found too but they couldn't understand much of it because they hadn't had the education yet.

When we formed our circle again I continued the direction of rotation but avoided the two men. They had not been expecting me to stop anyway and they were not upset about this.

The spells were put back into Goldstein as we had discussed with the exception being that I was now the master but my identity was hidden beneath that of Maximus. A false memory was put in where he was hit by a taser outside a restaurant and robbed. This would explain about the flare in magic if it was even discovered.

I went in alone now into Goldstein's hidden and public memories. He too was rotten to the core and I saw that he was a very poor excuse for a Human being. He had three slaves that he beat as if to justify his position as master. They were very docile and just took the abuse. Seven months ago he had killed another in a fit of madness. I too had to control my rage. The man would die even with all the work we had just done.

He thought of himself as very superior to other Humans and made abundantly clear to all those around him that they knew his position. I could only think that they knew that he was crazy. Beneath even this muck was even worse but most of it could not be put right. I did vow to myself to do what I could.

I took a different vehicle with Sara and Sonya in it in the front seat and the two men in the back. The trip was done mostly in silence. I was still angry at Goldstein but I had to remind myself that he was no worse than Mordock but at least that man had changed even if it had to be that forced him to do so.

Goldstein chanted his words for the spells and allowed us into his home. I kept very good track of the spells. I may have to overcome them one day. The three slaves were awoken but this time by Sara and Sonya. The slaves cringed and one even peed herself. There were a great many spells woven around all three that I simply put each of them to sleep and carried them to the front room.

I had said few words to Manny Goldstein and at present he didn't see me as his supreme master but as a full apprentice. "Goldstein, you were committed to send a slave out in three days. You will not ship any slaves off world again unless you are told by me."

"Yes, Master," he cringed.

"You will refrain from getting any new slaves for your own purposes."

"Master, I have to send packages to the others."

"I am well aware of that. You also have a large collection of power crystals. Give me all those that have been depleted. Form a circle with your man to send me the ones you empty and collect the full ones at the same time."

"Master, he's not a woman."

"You deserve far worse. I would give you swine to mate with instead of Humans. I have looked into your last slave's mind and if I see that you beat him or even treat him badly I will know. The pain you have inflicted on others will all come back along with usurious interest."

The man did fear me and it was hard for him to adjust to an inferior position.

The girls and I went to his circle and inspected it carefully. This was important if we wanted to come here through our circle we would have to be familiar with this exact location. I had already understood all of the traps and failsafes around this site. This was the usual place to make a first strike.

I sent the two men off to collect more crystals and I used Manny's spell to remove the energy around us. When it was drained into a crystal I restructured the spell and put it back into place. Now someone could make it through and if the password was given, the trap would deactivate.

Manny was left with a list of objects I wanted him to give me for supplying him with power and taking over ownership of his slaves. The first must be the most galling. He now had to keep a journal with everything he did in it. This would be faxed to me daily so I could see that he was doing as he should and give me the opportunity to ask deeper questions.

Manny had a collection of old books on magic and some of the better crystal for storing power. These would all be shipped to me. Part of it was a punishment for his actions but it also restricted his actions in learning more. A mage or in this case a trainee cherished books and the information they contained.

Sonya and Sara took the still sleeping slaves into the shower and cleaned them. They were dirty and so were their quarters. The rest of Manny's house was clean though and I saw this as just his way of heaping more abuse on his slaves.



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Chapter 9


The six of us rode home with no problem at the border. My two girls were upset at the slaves conditions and Sonya even cried for a while. One woman was about twenty four and looked many years older. The other two were fourteen and seventeen with the younger one being black. These two had been runaways that never made it back to the parents they thought were abusive. They didn't know anything of the Manny's of the world.

I carried the oldest one in my arms and through the house. Some of the servants saw them and their condition. They had been appraised of what I had intended to do when I found abused slaves.

The three were put in our circle and when the rest of my family got up we started work before even eating. The erotic situation was not as it should be and all of us were depressed about what had happened. There was enough love and power though to remove all of the incantations and then I put in our standard set.

When this was done Sonya, as lady of the house or head slave, gave orders and the three girls were put in a quiet place to sleep and start their long recovery process.

Manny assisted in this the next day. He made his own circle with Jacob. We strengthened it at our end and extracted all of Manny's old books. He got in return some fully charged crystals to let him continue the functions he had to for the other apprentices.

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For the next few months we picked off seven more trainees. Most were not quite as bad as Manny. We would transport through the ring to various cities in both Canada and the United States. Our private investigators did the leg work and we just called them back just before we attacked. We could have used our own resources but the amount of magic used would warn those more adept at magic that something was happening.

There were only two cities with trainees in Canada and they were Vancouver and Montreal. The United States with its much larger population had more of those trained in magic but they tended to control their own numbers as if they needed a very large feeding ground.

After learning about the way Manny was protected, we came back with our captive or captives and worked on them at our base. It was getting down to just over an hour and a half to process one of the trainees so they would not appear altered. In every case their slaves came back to us as a way of regaining their sanity.

Virginia Sutton lived in Mobile Alabama. This was the first mistress I had run across. She ran her operation more efficiently than Manny but kept more slaves of both genders to assist her. One of the facts to generating the maximum power requires that there be a solid contact between at least one generator and the conductor. Virginia didn't have the right equipment to get the needed power. A plastic dildo would give pleasure to both her and her slaves but not the power.

Virginia used her hand and fist to enter her slaves. Over enough time the slaves openings could become accustomed to this. What I had objected to was that she would enjoy using her fist on a young girl or a boy and rip them unmercifully. The pain was excruciating and this too was used to gain power.

She would kidnap locals and subject them to this torture then heal them before release. Her goal was to take every young person in the city of two hundred thousand.

Virginia was treated like the rest and now she found males to supply power. The contact now was into her body which was not what she wanted before. Those slaves that were not suited for release came to me while the others were healed. I thought it ironic that the males used her anus for the first time to her pain and humiliation. The temporary spell on her caused her to heal up after a few hours and every new intrusion was as bad as the first. This sex would be her only way of gaining power until the spell faded away.

The population of our base shot up to ninety three individuals and that didn't count those in the time vault. The various masters had female slaves that ranged from a maximum of thirty down to babies. The male slaves were never older than thirteen. Sutton though was the exception in that her older males were released after they performed or were raped. The younger males kept as backups suffered the most until their anus stretched enough.

I went into father mode somehow and provided toys and play areas that kept the youngest away from the area we used to generate power. Some areas were very large and had swings and other large devices that the children had to power. Many were still frightened so I made a labyrinth of small areas where they could hide or simply play with their new friends. The small openings ensured that an adult could not get in.

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The time vault had piqued my interest and there was also the fact that people were locked inside. Mordock had not been able to explain the principles of the construction to my satisfaction though he tried. Apparently Maximus had helped him to set it up and showed him the spells for collapsing and raising the vault again. This could only be done because the preliminary work had already been performed.

We went through the computer and our growing collection of books but could only find some vague references to this. Mordock and Hassan had their own empires to run but they did help me set up my own experiments in altering time.

I had been working on the first of seventeen similar spells. It was not just the words but what I had to do during this intonation that had to be completed also. The first spell had been a failure and I had to perform ninety three subtle variations to find this.

That night I cuddled up against Sonya and one of the new girls when I thought of some interesting ideas. Rather than bother the rest I went down two more floors and began the new spell with the first of the variations.

Before I started I saw the books nearby and reluctantly stopped. I wrote out the spell as I devised it and listed the many variables I would try to handle. In ten minutes I knew this would not work and went back to my notes and added the new variations. I felt confident when I was almost finished for some reason. I chanted the last syllable and waited to see what would happen.

I was shaken by a hand that instantaneously appeared. My mind reached out and I found Sonya suddenly present. Behind and to one side was Sara, Hassan and Mordock. They looked worried and I wondered how they got here so suddenly. I thought they had used a circle to transport here.

Before I could look into their minds I felt a flood of relief come from all of them but especially Sonya. Rather than look I just waited a moment and asked, "What's wrong?"

Sonya sobbed some more and hugged me to her. "You were gone when we woke up. It took hours to find you. When we did you were frozen in place. I had to get some help. We have been at it for three days now. If you hadn't made those notes we wouldn't have had a chance to bring you out of this."

I ignored the words and I could only see how frantic she had been. The rest had been driven by her to find a solution. The result required all of them to work very hard together to do this. I simply bent over and picked her up in my arms. A short distance away was a large bed that Sonya and I had used a few times. I put her into it and said, "Go to sleep slave. Thank you for my rescue and I love you."

"But..."

"That is an order from your master, Slave."

I picked up Sara too but she didn't have the airs that Sonya had. I put her naked frame into the bed and said verbally, "You sleep too."

She had big eyes and said, "Yes Master."

There was a large couch and a reclining chair. I pointed to one then the other and said, "Sleep. We will talk later and thank you for saving my life." They picked their choice and no spell was needed and they were asleep in moments.

I went back to my notes and found them moved. Going through them I tried to think of what had happened. Whatever it was it took very little energy on my part and now it was another job of finding the dynamics of the spell. It would not work well if the one casting it was the one that found himself frozen in time.

The list of the spells that were used to break mine was truly impressive. The majority of them were spells from the various books but with twists to indicate time. None of the books had any true time spell and only mentioned the possibility in passing.

The latter spells had been all created from scratch. I followed most of them. The quartet had learned like me to write everything down first. The last spell held my interest but I didn't know if that was it or not. They may have written the spell after it was tried.

Matching up what I had done to the last chant seemed to work but it was not elegant. It was more of a rough and dirty solution but I had to assume it had worked because I wouldn't be here otherwise.

Thinking of my enforced dalliance I opened my mind to some of the family and told them what had happened. I got a tremendous backlash of emotion from simply saying I was alive. I found all of them had been worried. Even the servants had been told that something was wrong and I heard that Mrs Cardinalli had been praying with some of the others.

I felt pulled two ways again. I wanted to lay with Sonya and Sara but I wanted the rest to see that I was ok. The first choice was just greedy so I walked down the hall then up the elevator to the top level.

Once I was spotted the rest ran to me and I hugged them to me. Quite a few had tears in their eyes and I felt like a heel for putting them through this. Ann pulled my hand toward the gym and I knew now what she wanted to do. It was a good idea and would get the rest of the family to settle down.

Because Ann brought me here I began with her and the rest got into position. I tried to go slow but she pulled me into her vagina and said with a sigh, "Now Master, make us feel that you are really here." The thoughts in the back of her mind were instinctive and she would happily have my child to carry on if I were killed. This didn't filter to the front of her mind but now I felt even closer to her.

The grid formed very strongly with no input from me. The people around the circle knew what to do and did it almost unconsciously. Ann started to come too soon and I held her off. I could hear her thoughts giving thanks. I moved to a different position and thrust into her as I read her feelings. Today she wanted it rough and to strike her clit hard and push fast into her depths. If I bent down a bit I could rub harder across her 'G' spot and she began to get very excited.

To be different I held onto her back and I was able to get to my feet. She held onto my neck all the time. My hands went to her small bum and I picked her up and let her drop onto my pelvis. She had cooled down when I gained my feet but now she was almost too hot to touch.

I put more barriers to her orgasm and bounced her harder and harder onto me until she broke through the barriers and screamed her joy only to be cut off as the sensations got too strong for her.

The others in the room screamed but not all fainted. I filled Ann's unconscious form with my seed and just moved her a few more times.

I laid her form back on the pad and gave her a kiss though she would not know of it.

I began my moves to the right and felt compelled to now make love to them the same way as Ann. They were slaves in name but they were now family too. Those that wanted it this way got it but I had to quit after thirty. My arms were just too sore. My testicles and prostrate had given out at sixteen but I continued to give pleasure.

The children were still bypassed but they usually didn't last too long. They had their sympathetic orgasm along with the rest and couldn't take the pace. I got eleven more and found that all of the family were just twitching on the pads and didn't know if I was in them or not.

Getting cleaned I dressed and went upstairs. Mrs Cardinalli saw me first and raced to me giving me a kiss but more than what she would have given a son or close relative. I whispered after giving her a similar kiss in return, "Your husband will get mad now."

She pulled back with a smile and said, "It is nice to have you back."

"Getting a kiss like that means a lot to me too."

"Silly, You deserve the kiss and you deserve a spanking too. Every time you go down under the basement you do that thing with the girls and you make me weak in the knees."

"Hmmmm, weak in the knees? Don't you mean something else a bit higher?"

She slapped my arm and said, "That too and I am old enough to be your mother."

I bent and kissed her but didn't tell her that I was actually older than her. I found the coffee pot and drank as I walked around the house and talked to all the servants. Soon I had others that usually lived and stayed in the servant's quarters, came by to tell me that they were glad I was back.

Mrs Cardinalli promised me a good meal but I said, "It's Wednesday now. Why don't you plan for one tomorrow? You can get a lot of help and we can go outside and eat it like a picnic. Most of the children have never seen the dogs or the horses. We can exercise all of them at one time. She liked the idea and so did the few adults nearby that heard.

When I went back to the complex the family had seemed to have recovered. I removed my clothing to fit in and began a class in mathematics. At the moment we only relied on our own ingenuity and knowledge. After a certain point education had to be structured and real teachers introduced.

The family liked magic and did consistently well in it. It didn't though give a well rounded education. This would put these people into a group of other magically inclined people with little else to talk about. The fact that they would become paranoid after some tried to kill or control others would reduce the amount of talking and the actual information passed.

I loved every one in my family even if a few were less inclined to do what they were told. They would say, "Yes Master," to my face but not try very hard to accomplish what I set them out to do. Sometimes this had to deal with interactions between individuals in the family. The girls held a special position though I tried not to let this happen. They would make love to me if they were old enough but then all the girls could make love to each other too with no stigma associated with it.

The boys had been conditioned to only please a master. This had been strengthened by Mordock to the point that they could not please each other. Their only outlet now was in the circle where they were allowed to share what the older girls felt or what I felt as I moved myself in a warm willing body. Both were more than acceptable.

The womenfolk tended to be a bit greedy when it came to sex. They had lovers and changed them often. The problem arose when I was the only male to have fun with them. Hassan and Mordock were definitely not on their list of eligible males after they knew what they had been like.

The only other way would be to get the boys to play in the girl's games but the boys were not suited for this because of their conditioning. When I had removed all of the conditioning from all of those in the family this didn't bring them back to the way they should be. It took a long time if ever to get past the conditioning in a person.

The way a child was raised in the outside world was a good example. Their heads were filled with some good data and a lot of garbage and even more contradictory conditions that would cause any half way sane person to act irrationally. Religion, was one of those examples. It was good to have because it guided all of the believers into a path worked out by a long period of development. Some new facts had changed though in the last few hundred years to put a strain on the old rules. Too many people were going to be born and most would be into poverty. It was good to find ways of limiting births. This of course was against the rules of some religions.

Culture itself changed but it did so slowly. The speed was both a good and a bad point. If it went too fast bad ideas would be incorporated into it and then the culture would fall apart. Sometimes change had to move fast so that a culture could survive.

We basically consumed too much and wasted a great deal of it. We were not like a few hundred years ago when there was little waste when the size of the population was considered. Now we were running out of space to put our garbage because we refused to recycle or to refuse products that promoted this idea. People bought flashy boxes then threw them away when they were empty. People also threw away automobiles the same way.

One way around this problem was to have people control others. Politics was in a sorry state and we were led by thieves, people taking bribes, and those just inept. Having a local authority like me was unsatisfactory in that I had not found a suitable way to treat slaves correctly. I too was not always right but I did try. Feudalism didn't work well unless the serfs were uneducated and forced to work at simple jobs or die of starvation. Likewise the gentry had to be responsible which history told us that they had not.

Things just seemed to work best in small units of people. A small town may seem cramped to most residents but it is a much saner place than a large city. The checks and balances in a small community came into play and there was less conflict with local customs simply because everybody knew what everybody else was doing.

This was the way our own community was being run. We all shared ideas and I tried to form a set of goals for the whole community. If we strived toward this then we would prosper. This was the same way all the great civilisations started but they usually grew too big and then stagnated. Actually it had to because that many people could not continue to burn hotly with a single purpose without running into an immovable wall or just burning out. Society had to change from what made it great in its youth. Controlling the aims of a society as it grew was a challenging concept.

When the math class had ended I began a new one on the outside world. I showed horses being ridden in races and just out for a trip. Their size was shown against Humans. The family had all been to the stables but had not rode the horses. I just went into a listing of the tack used and what it was for.

I had never had to opportunity to ride a horse before through commitments or just he cost. The latter was not much but I usually had to work hard to put two quarters together.

I wondered how a bad luck spell had been cast on me and why it had been done. I could see that it may have been done to my ancestor and it had just followed our line until it was removed. Erasmus had later surmised this and said that it had been cast on my family a long time ago and was actually tied to my genetic structure. He had of course removed it along with giving me all the opposite effects. This genetic storage gave me hope that humans could change for the better if it were done correctly.

Horse riding now was a possibility and I had studied from a book and from Mordock's mind. He kept the horses as a status symbol but then had to ride them or seem a fool to those he was trying to impress.

After this lesson I wanted to get more study time in. I went to the vault and looked to see the construction one more time. There was no change or even an inspiration on my part. I did cast the spell that allowed me to look inside. Nothing had changed for those inside though the situation had improved for those of us on this side of the barrier. There was still no satisfactory way I could find to look after the infants though we already had a few. The creche system where the children would have a multitude of mothers would probably be the best but not until the mothers were themselves healed enough to handle this responsibility.

I walked back to Mordock's former inner sanctum and checked on the four that I owed so much to. Three had been compelled to help through their conditioning spells. Sonya was not externally compelled or not very much but she was the one that drove the rest to work like they had done.

Everyone was soundly asleep and the two ladies almost beckoned me to get between them but I resisted. Back in my laboratory I now made sure all of the experiments were listed with as much detail as possible. This was actually laying out work for the days ahead and would take some time to just do this tabulation.

I performed some partial spells when the other task had been completed. Again the details were put down but now with even more elaboration. I couldn't do much except get a feel for the different forces I would have to wield when doing the full spells.

Later I ate with the servants in the house. It was not as if I was acting like the lord of the manor but just an employer eating with his employees/friends. The air had been chilly recently but tomorrow promised to be warm for this time of year. There were a great deal of brown, red and yellow leaves and most of them had already changed colour. We talked about the details of the picnic to make the event run smoothly. This took a surprising amount of time when you considered all those that would be going.

The wooded section of the property was very large to be still free this close to Toronto. There must have been fantastic offers for the property and I was glad that Mordock had resisted selling. The previous owner had tried this and died as an inducement for those inheriting the land to sell.

I had to do my part and had the complex produce some outer clothing for everybody going on the picnic. It was still a lot cooler than what the environment in the complex was. Toys suitable for children of all ages and enough blankets to keep them off the cool ground or to wrap around them to keep warm if they wished.

That night I had another circle to replenish the energy used though we did have a good surplus still. It was not the same without Sonya or even Sara but there was more than enough substitutes wanting to keep my mind on them instead of my troubles. The toys and equipment was shifted from where I stored it and placed out on the grounds without anybody knowing what I was doing. Surprises were still nice if they were not threatening.

Hassan and Mordock were shifted to their own beds after a sleep spell was used to make sure they were not disturbed by the move. Finally some depleted crystals were charged. I was still not done though and just treated those ladies that could handle more orgasms to some quality time with them alone. The rest were twitching so much that they were now out of the circuit so to speak.

I was tired myself and completely drained but very happy. After a cleaning spell I went around to all of the bodies and put them in comfortable positions. My ladies looked well sated too and didn't respond much. The girls that were too young for me were very similar but usually they were more like a puddle for the orgasms put them out. The boys at this time didn't have their little erections poking at me.

I took some of my ladies if they could walk and made the rounds of the younger children excluded from the circle. They had done so with their former masters. It was not late yet and they were usually awake though not all. Some had to go to the bathroom before anything else. By now the majority of them didn't see me as a threat. Some had been damaged enough that they would take a lot longer time to come around.

My reading skills and improved as well as my memory as I sat among them and told stories. It felt good to have a formerly distraught and very hurt child climb into my lap for some comfort. I was close enough to them for long enough to read their thoughts and project my own to them. This was better than what a psychiatrist could do. I was able to see each of their problems and tailor my stories to the group. This way they could come to grips with at least a fraction of what had happened to them and perhaps grow up without being twisted.

Before I was finished some of the 'mothers' came to the nursery to look after their charges. The girls did this in rotation along with the boys even if some were not much older.

When I left the children I went to take care of two of my other girls. I took Sonya and Sara to the bathroom individually then back to bed. There they ate and had something to drink before I put them back to sleep with a spell. I slept between them and I couldn't see how I could ever sleep alone again.

I woke up later feeling a lot of movement on the bed. Something soft and wet was enveloping a hard portion of my anatomy. I heard, "He's awake now. Sit on his face slut."

I heard, "Yes Mistress," in reply but it was a game Sara wanted to play.

The girls settled into place and just savoured the feelings. Though my mouth was full I said, "Good morning, girls."

Sonya said, "Good morning, Master," but master to her didn't mean the same thing to everybody else.

Sara said, "Good morning, Master," then a, "Ohhhh," as I stabbed my tongue into her opening. She was beginning to see me as something much like what Sonya saw. They loved me like a wife would but one that let her husband make most of the decisions while they carried them out. It was not the best solution but the only one that could work in such a large grouping like we had. Her mind had been broken into being subservient and though it had improved markedly it would always bow to my wishes.

The two moved in unison now as each felt what the other did. After a languid start they began to get excited. There were quite a few others awake and I hooked up to those that wished some lovemaking in the morning.

When my girls orgasmed I restrained myself. When they recovered they changed places very happily and started once again. This time when their release came so did mine. I could feel others joining our lovemaking and enjoying themselves too though the lines in the grid were tenuous.

When I moved out from under the delightful female flesh I positioned Sonya so she knelt at the edge of the bed. Sera was put in front of her. Sonya just put her head down on Sara's abdomen and waited as I slowly slipped into her. After a few strokes Sonya began tasting Sara to keep her occupied.

My strokes were varied as I found the way Sonya liked it best. She in turn saw what I was going to do and experienced my sensations of entering her. Sara joined in and the feedback got very strong for all of us. The rest of the family seemed to have stayed with us and they clamoured for more. Sonya now had to be fortified to resist as the women wanted her to come desperately. When it was too much I just released the barriers and she screamed into Sara as all of them came at the same time.

I filled the women three times before I let them rest in each other's arms. I cleaned myself and then the girls. They were not ready for anything yet so I threw them over my shoulders and started to carry them to breakfast. In a few metres I had to put them down. They now wanted to walk though I still had to support them.

We had our breakfast together though it was just as easy separately. The youngest were assisted by the older ones as usual and we could almost be mistaken for a very large family. We talked as a normal family too though it was mostly with our minds. When the meal was for the most part done I said, "We are going outside the house today." Everybody looked at me but there was not that much fear. "We are going to eat outside and play a few games and try to have some fun."

Sonya had looked in my mind but had to be the stalking horse and said, "What are we going to do out there?"

I explained with my mind some of the activities I wanted to try. Most of it were team sports and now their coloured jackets would come in handy. I pictured other children having fun in a similar situation but none of them had as many members as all of us had now. When I talked to some individuals I suggested ideas they could try until they seemed to get infected with the prospect of going outside. I was able to sit back then and just listened to the conversations going on and thought myself to be the patriarch though a sultan would not be far off the mark.

The older girls got the younger ones dressed while the boys seemed to get ready by themselves and continued with their ideas of what to do later. Sonya wanted to dress me but I knew that this would take a considerable amount more time than me doing it alone.

The servants were appraised of our progress and what I had done. Mrs Cardinalli told me about her preparations of the food while others gave me their status where they were concerned. I took two of the youngest children in my arms and went to the elevator to the surface.

When I got to the main floor I saw the servants ready as if going on an expedition to the darkest sections of Africa. I thanked each of them for being thoughtful. When enough elevator loads of people had arrived I walked out onto the flagstone in the courtyard. The children followed me and so did the servants. The boys came soon after and scooted around the rest to take the lead.

It was an expedition now and I walked around the large stone home and across the grass. The air was cool but promised to warm up later. The grass was wet with dew and those not used to it inspected the results. The boys broke up and shuffled their feet and looked at their tracks. I could see them doing this when snow fell.

When they finally saw the colourful and massive structure behind a row of trees they all ran directly for it. This had taken a considerable amount to magic to produce. It was many small buildings that were accessed by ladders made of wood, rope or metal bars. It would take a lot of work to get from one area to another and this is what I wanted. Slides went to the ground from may points but that only meant that they had to work hard to get up to the top again.

Large swings were attached to this area with some at one end devoted to the youngest. The highest point was actually a spar going up to a small platform with four strong ropes leading off in four directions with smaller lines just above. There were some snatch blocks with handles and a harness. The children could hold on and let gravity take them for a long and fast ride to the terminus while they hung underneath. If I knew my boys they wouldn't use the harness unless forced to.

Two platforms were mounted in the ground and spun very easily and the child was then obliged to jump on and then get dizzy and probably puke out their breakfast.

Sonya had caught up to me carrying one of the infants and just stared at the construction. "Did you make all this?"

"Well, I thought of the ideas then used our home to make it. Late yesterday afternoon I used our circle to put it in place."

"It's beautiful. I have never seen one as large as this."

In a moment I said, "Most of this would never be built in a public place. There are considered too dangerous and have been banned unless it is for private use."

The boys were far ahead and just stopped to stare at the equipment. It took only a half minute before the first moved then the rest hurried right after. They attacked as if they were pirates boarding and enemy vessel. They tried the shorter slides after deducing what they were for, then they had to climb again to see what the next larger one would be like. Crossing the rope bridges ensured that they kept their balance.

The younger girls were right behind them swarming the ramparts. They had not even explored half by the time the rest of us got there. The youngest with us wanted to get into this too and I put my two down. The youngsters tried to do what the older ones had done but were not as coordinated, strong or as big. The older girls now went on too with the thoughts of helping the youngest but they too wanted to explore this new environment. A large maze with coloured balls had to do for the younger group.

I brought myself up short for a moment. For the most part none of these children had ever had a chance to see something like this before. Some had been born on other worlds and some even on this one but they had not gone through a simple childhood at all. They had been sold as slaves then used as such by their masters. It was only after I came that they had a chance to act at what I considered a normal childhood. Then I had to correct myself again because they lived in a magical fold in space where they were fed and clothed with magic and powered by emotion through sex or I hoped love.

Sonya came up to me and held my arm to her. "This was nice to do, Master. I have never seen playground equipment that is as large or as colourful as this. The children love it."

I looked down at her upturned face and said, "I want all of them to grow up healthy in the mind as well as the body. I do admit though that I have never really been on equipment like this before and in a way I am living through the children and their joy."

One of the tractors pulled a large trailer with much of the heavy articles on it. Further back another tractor was pulling another load. The servants put some of the larger containers of sports equipment on the grass for the children to get when they finished exploring. It wasn't that long ago that they were frightened of even being out of the complex they thought of as home.

It didn't take long until we had our first injury. Janice, a girl of five fell to the grass. She cried and many of her mothers ran over to see what they could do fo her. They of course checked her out and brought her to me. Mrs Cardinalli was taking insulated containers out of a large box. I sent one of the girls over to bring her here.

I held Janice as her sobbing diminished along with the pain and fright. When Mrs Cardinalli came to me she said, "Yes sir."

"Janice has hurt her knee. You have been taking lessons on magical healing for quite a while now and I want to see what you can do in a real life situation."

"But I was never that good."

"That was because you were afraid to really work at it. It conflicted with your religious beliefs and you did the least possible. Now I want you to look at this child. She is much the same as any little girl walking the streets. She is hurt and needs some first aid. Do you want her to suffer longer than she should?"

"But you can heal her faster and better than I can."

"What happens if you are the only responsible adult around? What if this were life threatening? Would you let her die?"

"No, never."

"Then show me that you are able to help by starting with one young girl in trouble." The woman looked at me as if beseeching me to do this and not her. She looked at the girl with tears still on her cheeks and a small trickle of blood still coming from her small wound.

Mrs Cardinalli put her hands above and below the wound and concentrated like she was taught and I fed her a little more power than she had in her body. The spell was not going right and she thought about it very hard trying to remember all the small details. The wound stopped leaking first then the pain lessened even further causing Janice to stop all of her fidgeting.

We stayed together for almost ten minutes until the spell started to take hold and the wound came together. In only a minute more the torn skin was whole and the area only pink in colour.

Mrs Cardinalli took her hands away now and exhaled. She was tired now and would be much more so if I had not been able to give her some of my power.

"Thank you Mrs Cardinalli. You did a very good job now that you saw a worthy way of using your natural talent. Why don't you sit for a minute with Janice and recover you strength?"

"I am fine sir. There's lots to do."

I took her hand in my free one and took her over to the trailer on the second tractor. I used my PK to bring out two large blankets. This at one time had been frightening but had become common enough when the servants were taught. I took one of the thick and colourful blankets and put it in the sun with the use of one hand and more of my PK.

"Please have a seat Mrs Cardinalli." She didn't really want to but did as she was asked. I put Janice down on the woman's lap and the older woman held the child to her. After I took the second blanket I wrapped it around them and said to Janice, "Stay here for a few minutes, Sweetie. Your Aunt Concetta is tired and I need you to hold her down until she feels better."

The girl smiled at the job she was given. She also liked the term aunt. She had no family being the product of a breeding farm. She saw us as her family and now she found she had a relative she only thought of as a nice woman that fed her some very nice food.

The woman had been a little shocked that I knew her first name because I never used it before. She liked the term aunt even better though.

Janice was a heavy load on the woman's lap and I got them to lay down beside each other with the girl holding the woman so she would not get up and hurt herself. The woman smiled at this and saw it for what it was, just a way of making sure that the girl stayed with the woman for a moment. She was not completely correct though. I wanted both of them to relax for a while and the woman to understand that magic could certainly be used for good.

The girls as well as Concetta's husband watched everything from a distance. When I parted from the pair on the blanket the husband got back to work and the girls clustered around me. They liked the way I handled this and wanted to show their own appreciation.

More injuries occurred and I had to attribute this to the fact that they had not had very much experience in how to control their bodies. Sports and exercise had been a good idea to introduce but they should have had it as they grew up not just since meeting me.

Some of the other servants had to assist but this time I had them lay on new blankets. Elbows, shins, knees and a nose were treated by the servants but Mark had slipped and fallen so his scrotum was hurt. This one I had to treat myself and the boy's tears changed to relief. In a moment I got an embarrassed smile and an erection.



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Chapter 10


When the spell was over I just held the boy in my arms for a few more minutes before putting him down and saying, "Do you feel better now Mark?"

"Yes sir but I feel better when you carry me."

I smiled to him and said, "I enjoy carrying you." This was the truth but I enjoyed caring for everybody under my care including the servants.

I added as I pointed to the highest point on the equipment, "There are some equipment hanging high in that thing that looks like a crow's nest. You or any of the rest know what they are for? Let's go up and I will show you." I got a wide smile and a nod.

When we got to the gym I said, "Show me how to get up there. I was never on one of these before. Is it scarey?"

"No silly, it's easy." The boy scampered over the rope net with the wide openings where he had just got hurt and I followed as if I was both frightened and uncoordinated.

The other children and even the girls stopped to see me making my slow progress as if I had difficulty placing my hands and feet. With a lot of questions and answers from a great many children I made it to the very top. Others had been here too but didn't understand what could be done.

There were snatch blocks on all four ropes. The other ends of the ropes lead off a great many metres from the gym we were now on. I reached up and put my arms into the two loops and then grasped the two handles hanging from the blocks. Nobody seemed to know what I was doing or why until I pushed myself off the platform. A boy and a girl were there with me to show me what to do up to this point. I flew above the heads of the others far below and sang out like Johnny Weissmuller in Tarzan as he called a herd of pachyderms to get him out of a jam.

My feet landed on the grass and I ran to slow down. Turning around I saw that everybody was staring at me and some had their mouths open at what I had done. I released the handles and the device returned to the top of the spar pulled by the small rope suspended over the large one. When it docked into place I saw that they were too shocked to do much.

I hurried back up to the platform but took a route the children could not match. Soon there were a great many people clamouring up to the platform with me. Since there was magic involved here I made sure that none of the blocks could leave unless the safety straps were in place. I showed the children what to do then pushed them off before they had too long to think of what as before them.

Those waiting saw no hesitation on any of the children and just followed when the blocks returned. One young girl came up and I strapped her in but then she started to cry. I undid the straps quickly and got into them myself. I picked the girl up and said, "Hold onto my neck." When she did I held the handles and brought up my knees. The girl now had a place to sit and a place to hold onto me. It was only later that she found that we were travelling down the rope and held me tighter. We landed with me running and the girl just holding onto me. She now had a smile.

At my urging Sonya went up and took the younger children down the rope too and she seemed to have as much fun as the children after the first time. My other ladies were encouraged to try it too and they were excited at this simple pleasure. Some of the staff did this too but Mrs Cardinalli and many of the others would not, claiming age or infirmities.

The younger children were pushed on the swings while some of the more daring tried to see how high they could go by themselves. I had to treat one girl when she was hit in the head when she walked through the area the people were swinging in. She just didn't understand the danger because the activity was just too foreign to her.

We kicked the soccer ball around and played with a very relaxed set of rules. Nobody kept score anyway. Sonya started a cheering section and the players worked even harder. Water was quite high in demand until the game ended.

It was time to eat even if it was a bit early. The children had worked up an appetite from the exercise and I hoped the fresh air. We all ate together and again the older ones helped the younger. The staff went to the line first after I whispered to them. This was cafeteria style and the children then saw what to do without being told.

The boys pigged out and some of the girls too. I got the girls to clean off the two wagons and after some blankets were placed on them they sat with the youngest children as the drivers gave us a tour of the estate. At one time it had been much larger and portions sold off. Mordock had acquired the 72 acres and bought up the surrounding area but under different company names.

The four horses were brought out and the groundsman rode one while I took the second with a child in my lap. Two other adventurous girls got to ride the other two animals. None of us had been on a horse before but I was not about to let the experience go by me.

I kept in mind that the Sookra world was not as far advanced as present day Earth and was much more like the thirteenth century Europe in most ways. Horses were used by those that could afford them. This task Erasmus had set me to was always in my mind. A chance to ride a horse I thought would be a good idea.

We followed the two tractors and I found I had to get off the horse to let my passenger ride by herself. I was becoming even more domesticated now and even let the children boss me around.

We stayed outside until it began to get dark. The horses had been rode by everybody and I even got a few minutes. The horses went back to the stable and those that liked the animals the most got a chance to help the groundsman put away the tack and curry the horses.

Mrs Cardinalli and some of the girls hurried to the kitchen to prepare a quick meal of spaghetti with our cook's own homemade sauce. The family was all cleaned by magic except those that liked the occasional shower like me. Sonya and Sara joined me but it was more for company and companionship instead of any erotic thoughts. They were tired too even though there was very little we had done to warrant this.

When it came time eat everybody was sitting down at the many large tables with us. Mrs Cardinalli sat with her husband as usual and she now looked around the large table she was at and I could see that now she was much better adjusted. Her thoughts now had the children much more firmly entrenched as grandchildren or even great grandchildren though she was not that old yet.

Mordock and Hassan came home later and went downstairs to get their meal the good old fashioned way; by magic.

Events seemed to settle for the next few days. The staff now were happier than before and I think it was that they saw us more like a real family though we used magic to do some tasks. The spells working on them to keep them tied to me and placid now would not be needed as much.

I listened to the news on CBC and a comment about vacations reminded me that I knew very little about the staff's arrangements. Mordock was doing some of his financial work so I just walked through the house and asked those individuals I found. I saw that Mordock gave the servants the minimum and this had to do with appearances too I thought. His visitors would wonder how his people never left.

Mordock would not have collected much data on those he chose so I called Sonya over with a notebook and pen. I gave her some pertinent questions to find the answers too and I left for the lab once more. I studied many of the casting spells to see the mechanics of having the work done away from the person formulating the incantation. There were a few more ways than I thought. With very good notes now and even the time I began to work on my time spells.

Almost two hours later I found that a faucet dripping water would slow down. This spell was written up and the set continued. Sonya came to get me later with Ann but I had only the one partial success.

She said to me, "The girls are tired tonight and so are the children. We came to take care of you."

"Take care of me? Do you mean that you are going to ravish my body and make me shoot all over or in you? Will I be forced to perform a lot of sexual acts until the two of you are satisfied?"

"That about sums it up. Get on the bed and lay on your back."

I pretended to look worried and said in a submissive voice, "Yes, Mistress."

They did have their way with me but I was the one that had to carry them with me as we went to sleep with the rest of the family as we usually did.

Over breakfast the next morning Sonya gave me a rundown on the way the staff were treated. They did have bank accounts that were regularly added to and they got two weeks vacation but the vacation was usually at their home on the property. The staff were usually older but not all. It seemed like Mordock encouraged them to cut their ties to their families or at least make it very difficult to get together.

Funerals and weddings were attended. To not do so was to draw attention. It amazed me at how cruel or heartless one man could be. I sat down with paper and made up a number of points. I had been in a union and knew what was important. When I was done, Sonya went over the document and made a few suggestions. She was always intelligent but brighter now that I had opened her mind a bit more. It looked like each of the staff deserved more back pay and time off.

One of the lawyers were contacted that wrote up the charter for the charitable organisation. I would be faxed the data on each of the present employees. On a hunch I got him to add any former employees.

Sonya went back to the lab and the two of us began where I had left off last night. Sonya made some of her own observations that showed she had even more insight than I had thought. These were recorded and inserted into our schedule for things to investigate.

We had some minor successes in the next few days and we worked hard on finding a pattern. The difficulty I thought may be that there were simply more than one way of doing this. We were trying to find just one common root when there were many.

The information had come in about the staff. There were no retirees but the benefits the staff got were not commensurate with what they had to do to get them.

With Lena and Lynn now conversant in English, I wanted to give them a job that would not only look good to the government but also help me. I called the servants in after doing some serious thinking and informed them of how I thought they had been cheated. They thought that this was not true but I had to consider that this was part of the spell that they had been under since coming to work for Mordock.

"There are four telephone lines coming to this home. I will get two more installed for staff use only. I want you to talk to your relatives and friends. I will also purchase two company cars for your use. You can work through Lena or Lynn for bookings. You each have a large amount of vacation time coming to you as well as more money that should have been paid before I came here."

They didn't understand this but I continued, "You are not obliged to stay on this property all the time. Your previous employer wanted you here in case somebody important came and he needed some assistance in making him seem important. Now you can visit others when you wish or even have them visit you. They of course will have to remain ignorant of what our family is really like."

Each employee got a personalised listing of what additional monies and benefits they would receive. The two Chinese girls were amazed to get similar sheets. The other Oriental women had moved in with us but they only got an allowance. Managing money was a good lesson to learn so they too would be getting a regular pay even if the government now would take a bit out of it.

Most of the other family members were not in any Earth registry. They had just been getting an allowance too and going out with others to learn how to spend it.

Sonya and I added others to our investigating team. Some were not only generators but conductors too. This attribute was encouraged to grow because I needed ideas faster than just I could produce them. Sonya once again was altered and I tried to stimulate this area. I was more comfortable with her than I would be any other.

The first week in December found our first good spell. It could be cast from a distance and it had a easy to use a trigger. A good magician had many spells formulated in his mind and only a trigger was required to cause them to work. This also required the magician to have a great memory and a mind that was always working to hold this group of spells together. I was gaining experience and skill but I was not up to what an apprentice would be like or even a good trainee.

I cast the spell at inanimate object and even animals. Most of these were squirrels I found raiding the bird feeders that Sonya had put out. The animals were not hurt in any way and I just used the release spell to see what they would do.

We tried the spells on each other and I tried to detect what had happened when I was brought back to our time. All I could feel was a split second of disorientation, otherwise I would not have known that I had been suspended.

This success didn't stop our investigations though. I could see this as a good way to take out a more powerful opponent such as an apprentice.

The time vault had been studied but nothing new was found. I reluctantly came to the conclusion that I had to empty it and find out how it was made. To do this would require taking care of all of the present inhabitants. I didn't feel right about taking them out and then putting them back when I was done.

The population in the vault was segregated according to magical purposes. There were seven babies to one year old and four more that were up to age five. Seven children were in the next group and the oldest was ten. Thirteen were in the prepubescent group up to age fourteen and finally eight mature girls with the oldest being seventeen. There were nineteen boys and ten of those were under five years of age. The total population was forty nine.

The main difference in this group was that they were all raw slaves. This meant that they had not been broken and would probably only had a spell on them to make them obey. They would not understand English or any other Earth language. It would be a shock to them to go into our family but it would have to be done eventually.

We had a family discussion that meant all of us. The people coming out of the vault wee sure to disrupt our lives. Our youngest members were encouraged to gave their opinions when asked as well as everybody else. All sorts of problems were voiced along with possible solutions. I was in a hurry but not so much that we couldn't mull this over long enough to come up with a good plan.

The babies had to be taken care of and the rest basically needed to be educated and steps taken to keep them from unduly disrupting our lives. The number being awoken were going to make our population grow by half.

My oriental girls had the most normal upbringing. They had brothers and sisters which they looked after or at least babysat. Barbara and a few others had a rough life on Earth but she was the most suitable to be a new 'mother'. With their ok, they found their breasts growing and milk starting to flow. This process would take a few days to finish and I am sure the novelty would encourage some large children to see if they liked to be breast fed.

When the time came, Mordock was close in case he was needed but he kept out of sight. I went over the spell and said it as I manipulated what I was told to do. I felt a surge of energy that went into a depleted crystal. We heard the crying of babies but I waited a moment for any residual effects of the spell to dissipate.

I went in alone and tried to act nonthreatening but I chanted a spell to put all of them to sleep when I felt them feeling too much anxiety. The family came in now in an orderly procession and took out those individuals they were supposed to assist. The babies of course were taken first. The room was emptied in a matter of minutes.

The situation was now well in hand so when the room was empty I walked to the centre and just cast my mind out to find and analyse the spell. It was much clearer now but it was still wrapped up in a mass of lines similar to what was used to keep a spell from being understood.

I heard babies starting to cry but then felt the new 'mothers' settling into a comfortable position as they did what nature intended. I knew that the next oldest group would be awoken too and integration begun.

I went back to the spell and tried to discover the way to remove the bindings without destroying the spell itself. It looked similar to what was in Mordock but I wasn't going to take anything for granted when it came to a mage.

The process was tiring and I decided to take a break. I checked the babies first and found them sleeping. It was difficult to read their minds. This was because of their unformed thoughts and the fact that they had not bonded to me like the rest had.

The next group had been broken up so one child would not upset another if he or she started to cry. They were uniformly frightened of me when I came into the room with them and their caregivers. I stayed ten minutes in each room and when I left they were not as frightened. Usually this was accomplished in how I talked with those of my family. Seeing one of the youngest members crawl onto my lap for some attention was the best way I knew to show that I would not hurt anybody.

The six to ten age group were more difficult. They had old memories of their growing up. A master was usually bad in most cases but not all males were masters. The family tried to present me as a caring male only. The seven youths took longer to get to understand that I was not going to hurt them.

I worked throughout the day and it was very tiring for all of us. The oldest group were the hardest to calm. They were all used to being abused but I had a lot of experience so far in dealing with this.

The entire group could be read once I could get through their fear. It was not clear as my family but clear enough for now. It seemed like the forty nine individuals came from thirteen planets. A twelve year-old girl spoke Saranam and a fifteen year-old spoke Fassie. This placed their world as Sookra.

One of the babies happened to come from Earth. This one was too young to know anything and I had to get some detectives to find out more. The ones I could get enough information from looked to be simply breed to be slaves.

After a hectic night I went through the older groups and fogged their memories and simply planted some new ones. We had too many refugees for us to handle at one time and this was the best way I knew to get them to adjust. Like the others this fog would lift slowly and they would have a chance to adjust to it. The two girls from Sookra didn't get as much of this fogging. I had to learn about where they used to live.

The next day I found not only Sonya but Sara studying both the Saranam and the Fassie languages with the two girls that spoke it. There would be a lot of language lessons now that so many had to learn from scratch.

I spent much of my own time in the now inactive vault. Mordock and Hassan worked with me when they had time to see what they could find. The three of us worked out the weave of the bindings on the spell but it took us two days to accomplish this. The spell itself was difficult to comprehend. There were forces manipulated in the forth dimension and even a minor alteration of the fifth. I had not worked in this area much because of its difficulty.

Our repertory of time related spells grew. I wanted to know exactly what happened. They seemed to work but we did not know why. This was all in the nature of experimentation and I was still optimistic that we would do well.

Time was even less mine in another fashion because I had to integrate those that had been in the time vault. I had to be seen and also seen as benevolent. Those that had experienced sex even if it was a form of rape were allowed to view the workings of our circle. They were not encouraged to join because I was trying to offer them a choice.

I chose Sonya first again and made slow passionate love with no thought to the time taken. Here it was a matter of quality that I wanted to express. When she blended into the grid the energy was almost as if we were just rutting for love had deeper meaning for all of us. Those that had been in the vault were examined like all the rest and they had only the basic spell to obey.

Sara tried to be very subtle and slowly brought one after another into our group but only on a surface level. There was no need to push. The fifteen girls and four boys just started to get excited but held it in check which was all that I really wanted.

The youngsters in our own group dropped out by the time I had gone through a dozen of my ladies. Three of the newcomers had left and I was sure it was to masturbate in private. By the time I had gone completely around the circle the remaining newcomers were either subtly masturbating where they reclined or had left to do it in private.

This night I cuddled on the gym floor with Sonya and one of the young girls at my back. This had nothing to do with sex and all to do with love. Some of the newcomers drifted back with their new friends. In half an hour everybody had found a bed and most were asleep. The night was only disturbed with the crying of infants and this required those producing milk to tend to their charges.

With Christmas coming on I knew that not only the servants above but some of the children would like some gifts. I was not religious in any sense but that did not mean that I had to ignore how others thought.

The older girls went in groups with the children to shop even if their religion had nothing to do with gift giving on this occasion. It was a social ocassion and I found that no matter what world they lived on they liked seeing what was different and what exciting. Sonya and Sara had the extra duty of buying presents in our name for the staff. It was easy to see that this was not an onerous task at all though they did complain a bit for show.

When I had a few minutes I went through the reports that the trainees were obliged to send in every day. Some of the girls had the job of checking but most were too young and not as suspicious as I was. I just hoped that this didn't mean that I was going to be like Erasmus or some of the other mages one day.

Not only crystals but also slaves were bought and sold. Usually they were young women and children but older women were sought for breeding. Older males with good blood lines were bought the same way a farmer would pursue a prize rooster or bull.

I bought some slaves in the trainee's names or there would start to get suspicious but there was little I could do otherwise. When I heard that Adrian Malochuck had purchased some infants I knew that it was time to go after him before it was too late.

Mordock, Hassan, Sara, Sonya and I had a quick meeting trying to work out how much time we had. There was no benefit to an alignment of various celestial bodies but we had to assume it had to do with some project that needed a lot of energy.

I would have visited Malochuck's lawyers and accountants to find out but I knew that my prying would be discovered no matter how I did it. Private investigators had to stand well back but from this position they would not find out much. We did have an idea of his usual routine and a list of the places he haunted.

Various scenarios had long since been worked out and as we learned more, some were dropped and others advanced. Mordock was instructed to purchase crystals and pay for them with a lesser number of charged ones. Those same charged crystals went to all the trainees that now had no slaves unless they were ones that I allowed.

Virginia Sutton lived in Mobile Alabama and was as close as we dared go. The woman expected some charged crystals but got me instead. She had three young men ploughing her back passage to her obvious pain and they all stopped when I arrived in the centre of the circle.

"Hello Virginia and the same to you three gentlemen. Please continue. There are more people I have to transport."

"But..." The woman was very frightened. I had put a considerable amount of fear in her to keep her honest.

"But you just expected your crystals? You will get your crystals, I just want you to keep this portion of the portal open for us. My own circle will supply all the power we need to send the people and your cargo through."

"Yes Master," came from her frightened mind.

The man behind her looked at me and I just used my hand as a gesture for him to continue. He too was frightened but did start to thrust into the woman in his arms. In a few moments each of the others came through along with a large number of charged crystals. Ours were hidden in suitcases to avoid giving Virginia any idea of our plans.

The four new arrivals stood along the wall with our property. A small pile of charged crystals appeared in the centre of the circle that belonged to Virginia. She pushed herself forward to dislodge the man behind her and she stood up to greet us.

There was a considerable amount of pain showing in her face but none of it was undeserved. She didn't care who suffered as long as she was allowed to get the energy she desired.

"Master, is there anything I can help you with?"

"No Virginia. We are just using this site to get us closer to our goal. Your itinerary said that you would be home for the next three days. I may need a locus to return to my base. Be here if I need you."

"Yes, Master."

I didn't really care if I was imposing. In my opinion she should get much worse.

We took a taxi to a local mall then called another taxi to take us to the airport. There was no sense giving Virginia an indication of what we were doing without reason. A flight was ready to take us to New Orleans. An hour and a half later we were on a flight to Houston.

Adrian Malochuck lived in a large sprawling ranch north of town as well as a much smaller beach front home thirty miles to the west. He also had a penthouse condo in a building that he had owned and converted before selling the units. He had no particular girlfriend but he did have a slew of beautiful women that would grace his arm and any social event he went to. Social gossip showed that he was a very gracious man that treated his dates with compassion and a great many women were looking to get their daughters presented to him if not themselves.

None of them knew of his darker side. If they did, they would run the other way screaming at the thought of even coming close. His habits were known to Mordock because the man apprenticed under Malochuck for a total of four and a half years. The acts he did to gain power and learn his trade would make even the old Mordock seem like a saint.

Malochuck was usually protected by upwards of twenty bodyguards but they worked in rotation so none were too tired if they were needed. We hoped that tomorrow the number of security people would drop a bit and we would have a much better chance of taking him captive.

He was to fly to San Francisco tomorrow and we hoped that he would send some of his own people ahead to check out the security arrangements. Later today he was to be guest of honour at a benefit for battered wives and children. If only the organisers knew of this man's real thoughts and objectives.

Ralph Toopic was temporarily one of his new bodyguards, do to a death in another guards immediate family. As a temp there was a good chance that the man would not be altered or even warded as the regular detail was.

Toopic lived in a good neighbourhood with a wife and two nice kids. Two hours before his scheduled start Sonya, dressed in a nice dress, went up to the front door.

The lady of the house answered and Sonya used a compulsion spell to get into the house. The pretty blonde haired woman stepped back with her mouth open and said, "Please have a seat. I'll call my husband."

Ralph came out to see his wife looking oddly and a very pretty girl sitting on his couch.

"What can I do for you miss?"

Sonya just held a small stone in her hand and cast a spell to befuddle the man and began to give him explicit instructions. Two youngsters, two boys aged five and seven, came running through the room and out the back door without the parents even noticing. Mrs Irene Toopic was given simple instructions to forget that she had a visitor. Ralph was told the same. Sonya just got up and left the house and closed the door behind her.

"How did it go, Honey?"

"Just fine master. He will do what he is told but you may have to do some reinforcement later."

I gave her a kiss and said, "No problem."

Mordock, Hassan, Sara along with Sonya and I drove into town and stopped at a small Italian restaurant. Watching the clock we ordered a light meal. I knew our stomachs were too queasy to handle anything more. Hassan wanted something to drink but all I allowed him was one beer.

At four thirty-seven a tall broad-shouldered man came into the restaurant and bypassed the waitress until he found Sonya.

Sonya said, "Wait outside Ralph. We'll be just a minute."

"Yes misst... yes I will."

I paid the bill in cash and left as soon as we could. Ralph was waiting at the front door and followed us meekly to the parking lot beside the building. Sonya commanded him, "Stop and just relax, Ralph."

I cast my own spell now and examined the one put in by Sonya. "You did it as good as I could, Honey."

She smiled at me as if she were a young girl but then again she was just sixteen and a half though her mind was now quite adult. A much more subtle spell was put in after examining the one put there by Malochuck. I did my best to camouflage my spell behind the apprentice's but this required time and I had to unravelling the bindings on the his spell before adding ours and then wrapping it up once again.

Mordock and Hassan gave a casual glance as if they were Malochuck then a much thorough one and found the spell well hidden. Sonya now removed her spell and then tidied up after herself. Sara giggled and said, "That was done very well."

Sara and Sonya got into the trunk of Ralph's large car. Sonya had given orders that it be cleaned and a blanket put into it before he was to have left the house. Each of the girls took a heavy briefcase Hassan and I had been carrying for their needed supplies.

Ralph drove off with the two women while we called a taxi to meet them at Malochuck's condo. The taxi arrived ten minutes later and I was worried all the time that the two women were out of my sight. The three of us got out a block from the condo.

Hassan and Mordock would use phony identification so they could get past the security at the front door. Our investigators knew of may people that were presently away on vacation and a search warrant had been issued in one of those person's name. The building superintendent would be forced to let the two 'officers' in.

I brought out a small transceiver that each of us carried. Cell phones would work but these were encrypted and looked just the same.

"How are you doing Sonya?" I said into the instrument after the receiver was activated.

"Both of us are doing fine. We got held up a bit in traffic but everything should be ready. We are sitting in the car now."

"Did you have any trouble getting into the underground parking?"

"No, but the security was as tight as we feared. There were two guards at the gate and there are a lot of cameras all over the parking garage. We are parked in a small blind area. Ralph placed three of the crystals for us while straightening his clothes before going up in the elevator. He has the other two in his pockets. He put two cameras into place but they are not pointing exactly as we wanted. I have to cross in front of a security camera if I wanted to fix it. The view is not good but I can see if there are people moving into range."

"Good. Can you sense Ralph?"

"No, he is too far away. I just hope he comes down in the elevator with his boss. He does have the signalling device and I think he will use it when the time comes. We can see two elevator doors by eye from inside Ralph's car but the third is behind a column."

I could detect some fear in Sonya's voice but not that much. Sara got the transceiver next and I said, "How are you holding out Sweetie?"

"I... I am doing ok... I guess. I don't know what I would do without Sonya. She is very brave."

"You are going to do just fine. Nobody would expect two very lovely ladies of being in on this."

"I... I'll try."

Sonya took the transceiver and said, "I will calm her down for you Master." After a small pause she said, "Sara, take off your panties."

"What!!"

"Slut, do as I say!"

There was a bit of rustling and then I heard, "Yes Mistress."

"Watch the elevators, pick up your skirt and turn sideways."

This time I heard a much quicker, "Yes Mistress," and it was said with a voice that was now excited for other reasons. Sonya had not keyed off the transceiver and I heard clothing being moved and directions given as to where to move and how. The, "Ohhhhh, ohhhhh ahhhhh," coming to me had to be from Sara and I was sure she was not worried now. Some of the noises made me think that she was using the transmitter as a dildo but she was probably just holding it close for me to hear.

I listened for ten minutes to this brand of phone sex before another beep told me that one of the others wanted to talk. Mordock said, "We are in the condo. The super left us but there is a guard outside the door."

"Good, it looks like everything is working out fine."

"Hassan is in love I think. The tenant is shown in pictures with other young men his age. There are no pictures of young women except children or perhaps older relatives."

A beep sounded and I said, "Sonya's calling," and switched to the other line.

"Yes?"

"Master, Sara fogged up the windows."

I had to laugh at this and said, "Take out the dome light and open two doors to let some fresh air in."

"Yes Master," I heard then some noise. Then, "Sara, I have this itch. Will you scratch it for me, Sweetie?"

I heard in the back ground, "Yes Mistress."

With a bit more rustling I heard, "Ahhhh, yes. Right there Sweetie. You know I love you." After a very mumbled reply, Sonya said, "I can see the elevators and everything seems to be working... fine." More rustling was heard and then, "Ahhhhh, that is good Sweetie. Master, your slave Sara is very good. I think we should do something nice for her."

"I thought you did a few minutes ago."

"Well... yes I did but I mean something much nicer."

"We can talk about that later. Hassan and Mordock are in position. I have to get into position myself when the first signal comes."

The conversation continued as I waited but it was clear that Sonya was very distracted. I moved my own position as I walked by the building they were in. The basement level was not devoted to condos but to one of three levels of garage. Concrete openings with steel bars over them allowed air to remove the exhaust but it did give me a glimpse at the elevator that Sonya could not see. The feed from the cameras would also be intercepted by Mordock's receiver and we could be where we needed to be in less than a minute. It was that lag that bothered me. The girls would be alone until we got there.

A strident sound came from my receiver and I knew that time was now short. I hurried to the front door of the complex and presented my own identification. The guards looked up to me and I could detect a bit of fear. I was sure that my young looking face would not work well with a high ranking police officer so I was just a low ranking detective.

One of the guards took me to the condo supposedly being searched by Mordock and Hassan. Mordock was right though because there was a plain clothed security person trying to look like he belonged there.

When I was allowed in the guard at my side found Hassan taking pictures and Mordock taking notes as if they were real police.

"Detective Jensen, look at this... ," Hassan said.

Mordock looked up at the guard and said, "I need to see the tenant's car."

The guard pulled his lapel close and bent to talk into it. In a moment he got a silent reply and he said, "Come this way." He was not happy at having to babysit us.

When Mordock left I watched the image from our cameras and saw Mordock leaving the stairway beside one of the elevators. He walked over to a car with the same number painted on the floor and wall as the Condo he was supposedly searching.

The car was inspected though it was out of our line of vision and we could not use magic to see because any oddity detected would make Malochuck very suspicious and us probably dead.

Five then ten minutes passed and it would be difficult to justify Mordock's position any longer but luckily the next signal came that Malochuck was going to the elevators to get to his own vehicle.

Hassan walked to the door after a nod from me and looked both ways as if he didn't know where the anonymous guard was. "We need to go to the garage. We might have found something."

The man tried to deny that he was security and Hassan said, "Do you think I'm a fool? We are going there now and you can accompany us if you want."

"Yes sir."

The man used a similar instrument on his lapel and lead us to the stairs. Hassan and I stalled. We didn't want to be early. The locks and doors were inspected as if this would be pertinent to our investigation.

The guard asked, "What are you guys looking for?"

Hassan tried to look sad and said, "I can't say now but it may have to do with this guy being able to get where he is not supposed to be."

With a knowing nod the man allowed us to stall even more until a third signal came from our receivers. My hand shot out and struck the guard and he crumpled to the floor at our feet. Hassan propped him in the doorway of the stairwell so the door would not close and we ran to the other end of the hallway.

Even before we got there we felt a gigantic surge of magical power that hurt my mind. Hassan was even more effected but both of us were up within seconds and ran past the unconscious guard and down the steps and into the basement.

We rounded the corner and saw three people laying on the concrete and two more staggering from some blow to their minds.

I cast a spell and everyone now fell unconscious now that it would be safe to do so. The cameras were hopefully knocked out in the surge of power and even some of the lighting. Ralph's car was close and we heard running steps as security came to find out what was wrong. Mordock cast a glamour on himself as I took Malochuck and put him close to the car then returned.

Hassan and I revived the guards and they began to stand as the other guards came running to the scene with guns drawn.

I yelled, with a badge out in one hand and a gun in the other, "Police! Put the guns on the ground now!"

They did stop and saw Hassan in the same stance as me and with Malochuck apparently unhurt and unconcerned. Mordock used a voice like Malochuck and said, "Put them down."

The guns went onto the floor but they stayed near them just in case. One of the bodyguards said rhetorically, "What the hell happened?"

Mordock as Malochuck said, "Somebody made an attack on me and failed. The police helped me." He pointed at the three that had been knocked out by the surge of power and said, "Come with me. I want to find out what happened."

Mordock then said to security, "Go back to your posts. I'll look after this."

"Yes sir."

All the rest of us followed Mordock up to the condo we had been in and the bodyguards were ordered to pick up the one unconscious in the stairwell. Mordock used a silent chant and the door opened for us. He pointed to the three effected by magic and said, "Come with me. The rest of you stay here."

I said, "There is a police investigation going on in this condo. We have to go in too." Hassan brought out the search warrant and Mordock read it with a dissatisfied look and said, "You can come in. The rest of you stay here and look alive."



-------

Chapter 11


When the door closed all three men stood and looked around unsure of their duties but knew enough to wait for orders. Each of us looked to see what we had caught. The surge in power was caused by fully loaded crystals that had been destroyed by good old human technology. It would normally only effect those that could sense magic but a great many could do this without knowing. It was Hassan that had the chauffeur. He was also a vessel used when the need arose.

Mordock took the power from the man and used it to compel him to remain silent. The rest still were in the dark. Mordock walked over to a drawer and opened it. He pulled out a cut glass bottle that was melted at the top. He had put it there when he came in the first time. He took a piece of cloth from the drawer and wrapped the glass.

Hassan said, "That is police evidence. Give it to me."

Mordock just growled at him and he froze in place as I did. He said to us, "Leave me now."

We both tried to look meek and we left. Before we got to the end of the hall the door opened and Mordock said to the bodyguards, "We don't need everybody." He looked at Ralph and said, "You can leave. You will get your full day's pay."

Ralph said, "Yes sir."

Hassan and I walked out past the guards and I cast a spell for them to see Mordock with us. I called to Sonya, "How are you doing?"

"We got Malochuck into the car."

I mentioned, "Ralph will be out soon. Mordock sent him away as planned."

"Good, we have headaches from being too close to the energy surge."

"I have something for both of you to make the you forget the pain."

Ten minutes later Ralph appeared with one of the security staff. Malochuck was laying on the floor in front of the back seat and the girls crouched down. Ralph got into the car as he waved to his escort. He ignored the two women in the back seat as they cast a glamour over the contents of the back portion of the car. Getting out was not as hard as getting in but it still required one guard.

Some thought had been applied to where to interrogate Malochuck. A hotel or a motel would not give us the needed privacy we would need. We could go out into the country and four more hours we could begin. There was no need for a building but the girls would get cold after the sun dropped. Another possibility was to use Ralph's home as long as we could remove the owners for a day or so. This had the added benefit of allowing me to pay Ralph for his assistance and give him some quality time with his wife and young family.

Hassan and I took a taxi to Ralph's home and found that the man's car had already arrived. Sara was still in the back seat ensuring that Malochuck stayed asleep.

Sonya made sure that Ralph and his wife Irene would want to go for a short vacation and possibly loose a day's pay because it was Thursday. The two children stayed around to see that the young lady had come back. She was entertaining them with her version of a magic show.

When we knocked on the door we were invited in and Sonya said, "The Toopic's just told me that they are going on a short vacation with the kids. When I explained we would be finding a hotel room they invited us to use their home for a few days when they were gone. Isn't that nice of them?"

I said, "It sure is. They know you but not us." Turning to Ralph, I put out my hand and shook his. "Thanks Ralph. It is always more comfortable to stay in a home than a hotel when we can fend for ourselves. When will you be leaving?"

The two adults smiled and said, "As soon as we get the bags packed and the kids dressed."

During the rush we got our own guest out of the car and into the basement. Our own equipment came in too while Hassan went to the airport to retrieve the rest of our luggage.

I used our communicator to call Mordock and I found he was doing just fine. He was going to accept the accolades in Malochuck place and then slip off though that was not usual.

I said, "Better to take some guards and just go somewhere with them so they cannot contact anybody that may know that Malochuck was acting too far outside his normal routines." We discussed the possibilities then Mordock did what he was told.

The Toopic's left soon after and the three of us began our cursory inspection of Malochuck. We had enough charged crystals with us until Hassan got back but the girls wanted to generate fresh power for some reason.

We moved the furniture in the family room to the side and I got some cushions for my girls. All the masters I had ran across had not minded if their slaves were a bit uncomfortable. I seemed to be the only exception.

Malochuck had the same constructs as Mordock but I had to assume that there would be some variation for Maximus favoured Malochuck over Mordock because he was both more powerful and more vicious. This also lead to Malochuck having a more substantial leash if Maximus ever needed it.

We did nothing until Hassan returned but we did have time to make love and this seemed to be even more important to the girls and in a way for me too.

Sonya rode my cock while Sara rode my tongue. They were very excited at what we had accomplished and I think the danger caused them to orgasm even sooner than usual. We shifted around three times before Hassan called from outside, "Can I come in now?"

"Sure can and set the wards before coming to the basement."

"Yes, Master."

The first thing I did after opening our luggage was to remove the Beryllium manacles and put them on Malochuck. Sonya's soiled panties and some duct tape would keep him from mumbling a spell once we started.

With the power crystals in place we formed a circle. A shield went around Malochuck and we now began in earnest to remove his blocks and find out what he was really like.

The crystals helped a great deal and after processing Mordock and all the trainees it was not that difficult a job. It was tedious though and a thousand details could go wrong and I didn't want Malochuck to die, at least until we found out all about him. He was by far the worst one we had captured so far and that was just hearsay.

The bindings on two spells were very intricate and required a long time to find a satisfactory solution. A mistake here would fry Malochuck's mind as sure as the electric chair would.

Malochuck was partially aware of us because we had to integrate the spells with his conscious. Because of the man's power I did one spell at a time then put in my own as soon as possible. As it was, the man was weakly trying to escape even in the condition he was in. This showed this man's determination and drive and I only wished it could be harnessed for something good.

By the time it was getting dark the last of the spells had been applied, Malochuck was awakened. He was questioned for hours with a short time for all of us to have a breather and it was desperately needed. The man was many times worse than what Mordock had been.

He did special jobs for various mages in three universes where even a hardened individual might quail. To do this he needed a large slave population and some very powerful spells to destroy those stronger than he was. This took many forms but usually the most potent was where a person was tortured to death for their life force. Many times it took a considerable number of deaths to assure that his magical target died.

Many runaways had been kidnapped to fulfil this need. Many times it was infants that died. For some reason there was more potential the younger they were. It was well known that a person made more of themselves and lived longer if they were born with more of this essence.

Sonya didn't like going near him but when we saw that he would be able to do nothing we removed his manacles and allowed him to dress in his thoroughly inspected clothing.

He was now compelled to make a listing of all of his defences and all the problems we may encounter when we tried to straighten him affairs out.

Sonya and Sara pulled me aside when Malochuck was busy writing the information we wanted down on paper. Sonya said, "Malochuck is too dangerous and to tell the truth I want to go in there and kill him even if I have to use my own hands. The things that man has done deserve killing a thousand times over. He reminds me of are those that ran the Nazi death camps. Will you get all the information you can then stop his heart?"

Sara piped in immediately and said, "I want him dead too. There may be people more evil than he is but I have never heard of them. He has to die and the sooner the better... Master."

They waited for me and I knew they were right. I had the same ideas and had to restrain myself from just pounding him to death with my fists. The only reason that didn't was because the man's knowledge had to be harvested. It reminded me of the Nazi doctors when Sonya talked about death camps. They killed and tortured many helpless people to find out minor pieces of information like if an eye could change colour. The research though was condemned by the entire world after the war but the research on a freezing body was still studied today but only one step removed from the good doctor's notes.

"It was the personality that did all those crimes. I think that he may suitably be punished by death but if we build a completely new personality then the body can stay alive to mitigate some to the horrors this man has perpetuated."

Sonya said, "The man has to die... master. Not just the man's identity."

I replied, "What happens when some of Malochuck old customers come and find he's not available? They may decide to take over the same way we have. Those same customers are no different than Malochuck. If the man is allowed to live with a new personality then we have a weapon that can be used if it is necessary for our own survival. The reason this planet has so few mages is because Maximus was so brutal in suppressing any threat to him."

"So we just let him live because he can be useful? That..."

I grabbed Sonya's shoulders and looked her in the eye and said, "He will die and only his body will live on. That is the best I can do and if you take the time to think about it then you will know that the body is not the man."

Sonya was angry now and turned away. I had never seen her this way before and it hurt me to see her so upset but there was nothing more that I could do.

Mordock reported in and said he was renting a room in a hotel just to be away from those that intimately knew Malochuck. The excuse being that he was attacked and wanted to think about the situation before meeting with possible assassins. Malochuck was given one of our transceivers and ordered to answer all of the questions asked to the best of his abilities. Mordock knew the man before and now only refreshed his knowledge of current affairs as they had to do with some important employees and acquaintances.

Our present guest reminded me of Mordock when we first took him. Even with all the preventative measures I could not trust our present captive's condition though Mordock looked to be coming around.

Malochuck was six foot even with wide shoulders and a handsome face. I could see how he would go far on his features alone. His age was a hundred and seventy three but looked a respectable forty five. An impartial observer would think the man possibly a military officer with the best thoughts of his country in his mind. A knowledgeable person would want him put to death as soon as possible.

Every few decades he willed all his visible valuables to himself with a younger looking body and found somebody or a doppelganger to die for him. Some mages just called themselves mages and flaunted their abilities but Humans had increased in their ability to kill and in Malochuck's case he thought it quite counterproductive.

His assets were very amazing considering the time he had to accrue them. He owned stock in many multinational companies and some of his own were employed for consultation purposes. He gave his own input to individual politicians and even world situations. Much of this was simply to stir the pot and make more money from hysteria. The scramble for petroleum reserves and the terrorist campaign were fabricated by him and he was quite proud of the fact.

When Mordock was finished asking questions, I had our man again start to scribble down all the pertinent data that had been of lesser importance like the three trainees that he was currently teaching. These three individuals in Malochuck's opinion were strong but not driven very much. In this case I had to assume that it was all comparative. Even a quarter of Malochuck's ability would be a serious threat to us.

We slept fitfully. One was always watching Malochuck. He was busy with his notes and getting more tired by the moment and this is what we wanted. We ate in the kitchen and I was the only one that would feed our guest. My slaves were getting restless and I had to tread lightly. This was quite a change from what it had been like even two days before.

Mordock called us on my communicator and said, "Master, the first of the trainees has been captured. A second one is in transit from Mexico City and the third cannot be found."

This could be bad. If this third one was just incommunicado but aware of us then this could cause some very active resistance to our plans. "He may be at the ranch. What does Malochuck think?"

"The relationship is loose. The trainees have questions and Malochuck tells them or write them down and at a convenient time they are answered but always at the price of doing some tasks for Malochuck."

I asked, "Is there a safe and easy way to get the trainee to us?"

"The easiest way is to keep him semi-lucid and send him over with two security people in one of their cars. Malochuck's people know about magic but not the details. Everyone of those has a spell on them to keep quiet about it."

I thought of our own security and that of the Toopic family. Ralph seemed to be a conscientious person and I may as well hire him. "Send him over then. We will process them like the rest."

"Yes Master. He will be there in a half hour."

I informed my ladies about the new developments and they seemed to be getting over their miff but there was still some lingering effects.

The rest of Saturday and Sunday we processed as many employees that were free to wander into our clutches. When it looked like there was nothing more to be gained by waiting, Mordock came over with his ever-present security. It only took a moment for Mordock to return to himself and the real Malochuck to start parroting our orders.

The penthouse was the first order of business. The entire building was warded with magical traps and it was a very good that we had burnt out most of them with our crystals. Those spells remaining were nullified or altered to allow us to work in this building.

The condo was as beautiful as money could buy. It was larger in area than many homes. Art was casually displayed throughout and after some questions it was learned that not all of this came from honest sources.

There were three servants in attendance. The cook, butler and the chauffeur were all males. This didn't seem right but then again I had found out about a major improvement in transportation. Malochuck had tried to keep this a secret but I doubt if he could against his master Maximus but Maximus was now dead.

The three came at a command and the five of us worked on them to remove their old conditioning then replace it with our own version.

Malochuck found a way to making a short tunnel from any two places. This had been done before but now the tunnel stayed open until it was closed thus making it a two way affair. It could be used by anybody as long as it had been opened by magic first. It required a large amount of magic to place the original construct but little in the way of maintenance. This was different than the vertical tunnel between our world and the area under Mordock's home in that it didn't leach as much power.

We found a hidden door in the kitchen that led directly to a magical realm similar to the one under Mordock's home but considerably smaller. It did though have thirteen women and two infants. The former were very subservient in every way and trembled when Malochuck was seen. The slaves were released and given to me and again we put our own spells into place.

Slaves here were treated as lowly animals and it was easy to see the physical abuse these women had to live under. Like Mordock they were restricted in where they could go even in the magical realm. I had seen similar situations with the slaves serving the trainees but not on this sort of scale.

The women would not be made healthy in any short time and would require a great deal of assistance. That help was in Toronto though they were already overloaded with frail or mentally crippled individuals.

The two infants were all that remained of a previous consignment purchased by Malochuck for a complicated spell used to destroy a strong enemy of one of his customers. I had known of this on Saturday and I was only just able to not side with Sonya or Sara on killing the animal as he sat on his heels in front of us.

Malochuck cringed at our apparent anger but didn't seem to think anything was wrong in what he had done. Maximus had continually pushed him to do even more. Now he saw that because of a change in masters that he was doing just something that was just unpopular with the new management. I knew the fate that awaited him and didn't lash out.

The average age of the women was higher than other groups we had run across and I already knew why. Malochuck had his own view on eugenics. He had a great many women at his beck and call. He used them like cattle with him being the prized bull. The offspring would be assessed for certain strengths and the rest culled and sold. At least he didn't kill his own children. I didn't think I could even hold myself back then.

These women here would provide a source of power and a chance to get pregnant again. Only two of the youngest had not caught yet.

I felt extremely sorry for what had happened to these women and I was not sure how much I could help them with all of the scarring in their minds. The link in the grid though would allow them to see that they were not as forlorn as they thought.

Sonya called the girls at our base in Toronto to get ready for more refugees while Sara got the women to form a circle. This time we used all the available cushions and even mattress pads available to make the women comfortable. All of our depleted crystals were put in the centre and I began to make love to Sara with my hands and mouth. The rest just looked at us wondering what to make of this. They did start to join us as Sara pulled them in one at a time. Soon Sonya came back and she too joined the grid.

I continued to please Sara and in the best way possible to pay her back in part for all the things she had done for me and the people we had rescued. It was later that she pulled my lips away from her opening and me into what she considered my proper place.

"I love you Sara. Just let it happen and it will. We have all the time we need."

"Oh, Master it has been so long."

"For me too Darling."

It took a considerable amount of time to get Sara to orgasm with the blocks I had put on. Only Sonya and the two youngest members though contributed to the power generated because they were still too stunned with the changes in leadership here.

When I pulled out of Sara I introduced myself again to each of the girls on a one to one basis. When they saw that I was doing something both different and nice they started to respond. Sonya worked hard to bring this group together for me with Sara assisting where she could.

The next orgasm was satisfactory enough that everybody was able to enjoy it with us. All thirteen new women grew closer to us as they enjoyed their time with me. I would have continued to go around one more time but one of the babies began to cry. The women began to get very worried thinking I was going to act like Malochuck.

I had our environment provide a meal for the child as I cleaned and diapered the little boy. Before I was done the second, a girl, needed the same treatment. Sara helped feed one while I fed the other. The women just looked in wonder that this was happening. Even when the baby burped I was not upset and just cast a small spell to clean myself and provide a clean cloth for each of the infants.

While the child was curled up in my arms as she avidly drank her milk I said, "I am not the animal Malochuck was. That does not make me perfect but just better. You will only find out what your new environment is like if you ask questions and then try to improve it with me. There are a great many women, boys and infants that needed some help. I am giving what help I can. I need your power and some of your love. Others are in situations similar to what you just left. I want you all to be healthy and well adjusted humans, not the animals that Malochuck saw in each of you."

I left Sonya and Sara to talk to the women to get their background so that it could be entered in our records. It seemed that I was getting a great many dependants and didn't see any way of it even slowing down until the last of Maximus' apprentices and trainees were captured.

With the slaves starting their recovery I investigated the rest of the magical enclave. Hassan and Mordock went with Malochuck to see what they could learn too. The information about the particular spell for the portal; was investigated. It was on the computer but again I was apprehensive about using voice and awakening the intelligence there. Computers were very intuitive or at least the magical variety. I knew that they could tell the difference in voices even if we used a glamour for our features.

Malochuck though could and did use voice which sped up the processes. The questions though were limited to those that would not arouse Maximus if he were still alive. His financial records covering all of his assets were here and safe from the tax man. His holdings in stock was impressive and so much so that he was actually one of the world's richest people. That was only from the aspect of those funds that were known.

Hassan and Mordock asked their own questions and the replies this time were reinforced with the computer's printout. Both of them were still businessmen and saw profit in another's misfortune. This didn't bother me at all. I still remembered what Malochuck was really like and how he would not around much longer or at least not his personality.

We went back to the circle this time and brought some of my ladies from our own base to supplement the power and give some encouragement. A few of Malochuck's women went into the centre where they were straightened out a bit better then sent off to Toronto while others were brought here to take their place. Inside an hour there were none of the original inhabitants left.

The butler admitted one of Malochuck's four managers to the condo. He just looked at us with distain and went to his master. Mordock began to set the man straight and his face fell at the enormity of what was happening. It was easy to see that he thought he would die to protect what was happening. Before he could escape we worked on Mr Smith to change his allegiance. This individual was very slippery so I made sure he was adequately covered in spells that would not allow him much wiggling room.

Mr Smith's view of the world was more down to earth. He was one of the people that had to actually carry out the ideas and orders of his master. We got more names and ideas of our own now and the man, like his master, had to show us his notes and any data that we may find informative.

Calls were made and important managers were brought in to be reprogrammed. This was a quick process. Most of the residents of the condos were in fact Malochuck's employees. While I was at it, I changed the amount of ruthlessness that each was allowed to use to accomplish their ends. Some was necessary but the way their former master wanted would bring this enterprise to a rude halt one day if there ever was a government housecleaning.

Sonya and Sara did their share of this work and towards the end of the day our crystals were again depleted. This necessitated that they be charged, a task none of us thought was too onerous.

This process went on at a hectic pace for three more days with the only large fish to escape our net was a man by the name of Vessio the third trainee. Other small fry had slipped through but this I had to assume was just due to coincidence. The federal and state government leaders had come in if they were available and these too were reprogrammed. The military and police were done similarly.

The forth day found us with a small amount of spare time to look at the mountain of notes we had acquired from each of people we had processed. Some of my ladies were able to scan some of the pages and put the information into files but most had to be transcribed.

Sleep was a rare commodity but was coming more often now that the worse was over. Mordock worked with the new slaves and tried to keep his own financial house in order at the same time. Hassan was the same way and worked hard to make money for himself and keep Malochuck from floundering as the head of the empire changed hands.

This brought me to realise even more deeply what I was doing and becoming. I would be in charge of Malochuck's empire as well as any of the others if they could not be taught to take much more of the animal out of them. Mordock was a good example. He was bad but now reformed or at least the spells on him forced him to be rehabilitated.

Hassan was not nearly as bad and thus had less restrictions other than to not stab me in the back. He did know that I held his life and future in my hands. This if anything else would cause him to watch closely what he did that may impinge on me or my family.

I remembered when looking at the security roster that I wanted to hire Ralph. He had been paid very well for his work. When he first went to open his wallet he would find a lot more cash in it than there was earlier. Vacations, I knew, were expensive and that was why I never allowed myself to do more than go swimming down in the lake before it got too polluted.

I had the head of security locate the man and offer him a job. While I had the man present I asked about the ranch north of town.

"I have been there at least a dozen times sir. It is more than just nice. Many important people go there for a rest and to talk of various deals I suppose. I have even been allowed to take my wife on occasion, but she doesn't usually want to go." A smile had dropped from his face as he found that he had said this.

I asked, "Why do you think this is?"

"Ah... I... don't think she likes the way some of the servants are treated."

"By Malochuck?"

There was a long pause then he just nodded his head and looked at the floor in front of his feet.

"Don't feel bad. The man's a rabid animal at best. He puts on a smile and pretends to be human but he is nothing of the sort." The man just nodded his head in agreement. I added, "Send word to me about Ralph as soon as possible and bring a few maps of the ranch and the outbuildings if there are any."

"Yes sir. We have a large book of areal photographs so newcomers can see what it really is and come and accept Mr Malochuck's hospitality."

"Get them, please."

I had a short conference with two other men before the local head of security came back. The area was very large and must encompass fifty thousand acres. From high up it was easy to see the large number of out buildings. Three klicks away from the main ranch house was a village but it was actually fully on Malochuck's land and was there to serve his employees without bothering him too much.

The main ranch had two large swimming pools and even a large private golf course. Malochuck knew that his companions liked guns so he had a wide assortment of weapons and a place to shoot them. I doubt if he had any friends because he would have to let his guard down to them.

A large brightly coloured tent stood out, no doubt for guests. There were two stables of about the same size along with a great deal of land fenced off for horses. A large race track with bleachers served to make sure his horses and any other's would be well exercised.

Behind a hill was a large hangar with a well equipped runway for a fleet of private planes. This apparently was what Malochuck played with when not making money or ruining people's lives. I already knew that he owned two very large yachts but those were used more for making his influential guest see that he could make them or break them as he chose.

In all this I saw nothing for children and I knew that Malochuck had some though I tried to stay away from the subject for fear I would get the feeling back that I was trying to suppress.

A group of oil man came in and I had to leave the study of the ranch to see how they were involved with the animal that ran this empire. Lawyers had been here all the time and we were nearly tripping over them. The two groups fit well together like two species of piranha intermingling as they swam in the same direction.

The next morning we ate breakfast prepared by a world renown chef. All of us were still tired even though we got our first full night's sleep. Worrying and trying to think of too many details can tire a person out more than simple exercise.

Sonya asked, "When is all this going to end? This man has corrupted so many people that it will take months and that is if they co-operate."

I suggested, "We could start working on Malochuck and let the new personality deal with all of this." Sonya and Sara were going to object so I added, "We leave some people here that have as their only job to make sure the new entity does what is right. If a spell is slipping we can get back here very soon "

Sara said, "I am afraid of someone that knows as much about magic as we do may free Malochuck and then we have two enemies that now know a lot about us."

I didn't have any reply to this. There were three more apprentices and an untold number of trainees and those of even lesser abilities loose on the world. "The best I can do is make a great deal more spells and wrap them with more ingenious traps. Malochuck though will not be our enemy. I do not plan to leave his personality alive when we go. The new person will have only those memories and abilities we wish to allow him to own."

The local head of security came in and said, "I am sorry to interrupt your meal sir but you asked to be informed of Mr Toopic. They seem to have been involved in a traffic accident while coming back into the city. A drunk drove directly into them. The drunk thankfully died but the three other members of his family are in the hospital with Mr Toopic. The wife and one child seem to be in very bad shape.

Everything seemed to slow down so I could handle it easier. I said much quieter than I thought, "Get the attending physicians. I want to know exactly what they are doing."

I turned to a shocked Sonya and Sara, "Take your jewellery and try to stabilise them only. We will move them to someplace out of the way to allow them to recover fully. Take two of the security people with you when we find what hospital they are in."

I turned now to Hassan and Mordock, "The best place will be the ranch. Get Malochuck and a lot of security and let's go there and see if that is where the trainee is. We may have to do a bit of cleaning up but nothing the three of us cannot do."

Security was almost stripped for the condo after the information came in about the condition of the four patients and their location.

I rode in the armour plated limo with Mordock, Hassan and Malochuck. I found out later that Malochuck usually called for one of his helicopters for the trip. Behind and in front were three other cars with a total of twelve more security personnel. I wanted to make sure nobody got through our fingers that shouldn't.

We had a longer trip and would only have to put up with somebody possibly wanting to kill us while the girls had to put up with medical people and bureaucracy. I was glad I got the easier job.

The trip was close to an hour and twenty minutes. We spent our time adequately by putting another spell on Malochuck that would cause him to vigorously fight anyone that may try to 'save' him. If all else failed he was to die and I was not worried in the least for this to happen.

With one of the crystals in my hand I said, "Sonya, how are you to doing?"

"We had to push our way into ICU. The old battleaxe was putting up a good fight until she got a big cramp. Ralph is safe but still drugged from his medication. Irene is in worse shape and we managed to put a healing spell on her before the hospital security clashed with ours. We have to get to the two boys yet."

"Call me when you find anything more. It may be better to fly the Toopics out in a air ambulance. It would be quicker and easier on them."

"I'll see what I can do Master."

With the air ambulance in mind, I quizzed Malochuck on transportation and that was when I found out more about the nice machines he owned. Malochuck used his cell phone to order a unit to get ready but didn't say that he was arriving by car either.

When we were about to leave the highway, the head of security phoned ahead to the first checkpoint and gave a small lecture about Mr Malochuck wanting to get into the compound anonymously as possible. He alluded to an attempt on his life but this could be taken as the man going into hiding but not likely that he was after one of the possible perpetrators.

There apparently had quite a few deaths caused by Malochuck and many of them by his own hands. The bodies were destroyed if necessary but this allowed the ones to know this information to not cross the man in any way.

The road to the village was a mile long and we just raced through the two check points. One car of security people stopped at the village with a list of those we had not found yet. Our car and one more continued to the ranch while the last car went to the air craft to forestall any moving that were not supposed to.

We raced to the house and any servants that saw us stood straight in terror. Some bowed but I knew this was not allowed with strangers to see. They would be punished later if Malochuck had anything to say about it.

All four of us held spells ready but Malochuck's had to be directed by me. The head of security for the condo talked to his boss and the boss came to me, "None of the people you are looking for have been at the house since the attack. The trainee though left at almost the same time though. Do you want me to send out patrols?"

"No but circulate his photo and keep me informed of anything odd."

The two men from security huddled and I was sure that one was being informed that I was the new boss.

The butler rounded up all the non-essential house servants including security and Malochuck gave them the speech that I know owned everything he had owned including them. He cast his spell to remove the first part of his previous spell then did another to fully remove it. Mordock, Hassan and I held crystals and put back my own lighter version.

Security then went out to organise the rest of the employees so they could come to a special 'meeting'. This would have to be done a few times because they were all over the place doing many jobs necessary to run a ranch and all of the extra equipment.

I was in the second batch of employees when I saw and heard the large Russian helicopter trying to land near the house. I heard in my mind, "You going to move so we can land?"

I replied, "Yes, Milady."

People were moved out of the way and the machine landed. Sonya and Sara had already talked with security and arranged to have the stricken family placed in the house. They would be well taken care of now and I continued with placing the spells on the ones I had missed and of course the pilot too.

It was late in the afternoon by the time we were done. We moved our meetings to the large tent used to shade influential guests. Overall it looked like everybody was happy to get rid of Malochuck but were not sure of his current status.

Ralph came out while we were doing one of the groups. He was assisted by two of the security people. Sara was with him carrying a large basket with what I hoped would be food and drink.

Ralph said after stammering a bit, "Thanks for what you did for my wife and me. All of us were in ICU and now we are moving around. One of my boys was... He might not have made it."

"Ralph, we took advantage of you though we gave you money for doing it. That didn't make it right. You needed a job though and I knew I could find one for you. Just look at it like the medical plan is better than most."

"But Aaron was going to die and he is sitting up now."

"If you take the job, and your family agree then I will explain more. You don't know it yet but there is such a thing as magic. It is as controlled as any field of science but it has not been tested as much to find out its limits. We used magic on you to get your cooperation and then used magic to cure all four of you." I looked into his mind and saw that he didn't have the current employee spell and I asked, "Are you an employee or not now?"

I got a big smile and he said, "I need the job and this one at least will be interesting."

We worked on the rest of the group including Ralph. The group left but I invited the now three member security detail to stay and help me with the large lunch Sara put out for me. I gave the bearer of such good foods a warm kiss and a hug then said, "Thanks, Honey."

Sara smiled but I could see that something was wrong. "What is it Honey? Something is bothering you."

"It was the slaves Master." She smiled a bit now and said, "The Mistress said that you should continue here and you could find out later when you are done. The man hurt his own slaves even worse here."

Sara liked to be a slave too and this gave her a reason for doing exactly what Sonya said. Usually this was just what Sara wanted to do anyway. The problems with the seraglio, were the same as others we had been in but probably worse because it was Malochuck's sadistic ideas.

The portal to the slaves area was examined and then I worked with Malochuck to remove his spell that kept it locked. When he was sent away I put my own spell in place. I would be happy that Malochuck would not be able to get back in and the people beyond the portal would be even more happy.

That night I slept with the slaves as my custom and I had two naked bodies on each side of me keeping me warm. I wondered how my old values had slipped since meeting Erasmus. I was very shy but pushed when it was necessary to help others. I had dreams of finding a woman that would be my life mate but now I had hundreds of women and children along with these two girls that would do anything for me without being compelled in any way.



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Chapter 12


My views on family had shifted but not my perception of how the members interacted. I had seen most other families from the rich to the poor but they didn't have the same glue to bind them. They also didn't have all the sex that was usual in a harem, or a master that had forced this to happen. I didn't force any girl/girl sex recently and regretted doing so with my oriental girls. Now I was forcing all the girls to love other girls by simply having too many woman to comfort and not able to do the job adequately.

I had to take the remaining apprentices and trainees. If they did not treat their slaves right, I would have to take the slaves from them. This lead me to where all of this would ever end. Being one man, even one that had been enhanced magically, was not enough take care of a family the way it was necessary to do so.

I woke up to Sonya investigating my growing erection. It had been very sore last night.

She said, "The spells worked and he looks as good as new. I had him the last time in the morning and now it is your turn."

Sara bent over and kissed Sonya and said, "Thank you Mistress." She then moved to stimulate the needed muscle group with her hand and mouth. Only a few seconds later she was positioning her body over me and slowly settling herself into position.

With only a contented sigh she stayed still. Sonya looked at my face even though I had my eyes closed. "I am going to ride that tongue of his slut. I get my turn where you are too."

"Yes Mistress. I love sharing with you anything I have."

Sonya's weight shifted and I knew they were kissing and Sonya said, "You give me all of you and that is all I need my little slut." This was all said with love and affection and not the way some harsh words would have otherwise sounded.

The two started out easy on me. I assume they were pretending I was asleep but they knew also that this had not happened except at the start of our relationship. The two tried to work independently until my hands and PK started to work on them. Their concentration and coordination suffered and soon they were holding each other for stability and no small amount of comfort.

I monitored each of my girls thinking, for at least the thousandths time, how lucky an old man like me had to be to get these two young girls. Sonya was just sixteen now though in April she would be a year older. Sara was twenty one and her birthday had just passed. Though they were slaves, with one compelled by magic to do what I said, they did what was best for me and what I wanted to accomplish.

Sara was getting ahead of herself and I worked more diligently on Sonya. It took only a minute but they seemed to approaching that point of no return now in tandem. I felt the grid forming now though it would not supply power. The thoughts of all the women around us started to flood in until I made a strong effort to restrict the flow. The connection didn't otherwise falter though and when Sonya and Sara went rigid so did a great number of those nearby.

I had to fight for some air but the girls didn't seem to know of my problem. When they recovered they simply helped each other up and changed places. At least before Sara sat, Sonya was able to look at my wet face and said, "Good morning Master. I hope we didn't disturb you much."

"Not at all my Love. You know I like my girls happy."

"You do that for sure, Master."

They rode me to completion though I only got satisfaction through them. After the second time it was my turn. When the girls recovered I was over Sara and about to enter her. With my member stroking around her portal I said, "Good morning Sara my love. Would you like me to continue?"

"Yes," she said forcing her pelvis around me.

She was well warmed up now and I could see that she wanted some real action. I moved forcefully into her and we changed positions often. When I knew she would have to have her own release I picked her up in my arms and settled her on my erection. With only my hands I elevated her rump and she settled back onto my pelvis with a shock. This happened thirty more times until started to go rigid on me as she pulled me violently to her.

Her come lasted almost a minute. Part way through my own release came and this only made her more wild. I slowed down my actions for our own gratification. I found that all the women around us had their own orgasm too. I just held Sara to me and would love to give her a hug but my hands were holding her up. Her body slowly drooped from fatigue and I lowered her to the floor beside a glassy eyed Sonya.

Sonya was next and by the time we were done the air reeked almost as bad as it had last night. I cast the cleaning spell over everybody present and found that I had encompassed some infants and young girls. The later group were not effected by our link though even the toddlers seemed to have flushed skin. This was not right by the morality I grew up with but I was sure it was no different that the way humans had acted in caves until just recently. A husband and wife simply didn't have the privacy that we now enjoyed and children knew much more about the birds and the bees at an earlier age.

I gathered the dozen older children around me though they were frightened but not as much as they had been earlier. I formed my thoughts and a large meal was delivered onto the floor in front of where I was sitting.

A large pile of pancakes on a large platter was smothered with maple syrup and not an imitation. Beside it was a bowl of warm water and a cloth towel for cleaning. I used my PK now to slice some of the hot cakes and a portion drifted across the floor to a young girl of three. My own mouth opened as I wanted hers to do and I made faces at her. When the hotcake touched her lips with some syrup and pulled away she had a chance to taste it. The next time it was offered it disappeared.

I fed the older ones though it took time for them to get used to me. The more the first ones were fed the more they wanted the food I offered. The worried mothers were watching me, afraid of opposing me but wanting to protect their children.

The pancakes were disappearing and I used the feeding to play a game. The food now tried to avoid their mouths and the girls had to move to get it before it got away. Smiles came where there were few before. When the cakes were done I brought another in with fresh fruit. Christmas time or not was no reason why I couldn't have any fruit I wanted. This time the fruit evaded their mouths but it was not difficult to catch. Many of the children had juicy hands and faces but seemed to be getting full. Chocolate milk washed it all down but this time they did this themselves.

There was some fruit remaining and I sent pieces to Sonya and Sara then to some of the original seven from last night. Everyone ate what they were given but I didn't push any more onto them.

Looking at the large open area and circle in the room reminded me of a gym. A gym though needed equipment. I visualised what I wanted in detail and it began to form just like the food. The first was a small play set with ropes, rooms and slides similar to what I had made before. It grew in modules but soon I had to stop. It was tiring doing this all at one time.

Sitting back now and concentrating on those around me I saw that they were utterly confused at what I had done. Only a few were born on earth and none of them had seen this sort of contraption before. Toys or anything special for the children had never been supplied so the residents didn't know of its loss.

Looking at Sonya and Sara I said, "Well you better show them what to do. I'm too tired." I got only demure smiles from each of them. Sonya took one child and then Sara took another and they walked to the gym. The girls explained what to do then did it themselves. Sonya bent over to climb the rope net and exposed her openings to me. She must have kept tuned into me for she looked back and made sure her legs were wide enough for stability and to give me a nice view.

Bare bums didn't work very well on the slide until I did something to the surface. Then it worked too well. I had to go back to work giving longer slides and a way of slowing them down without hurting their skin on the now frictionless surfaces.

The children and then some of the mothers and older girls investigated what I had made. Sonya and Sara whooped and hollered on the slides though it wasn't that exciting to them. The rest did the same and the rides became infectious. My girls soon slipped away from the rest and came to me.

Sonya said, "They had never seen toys before. Their childhood would be bad even without all the other horrors they had to endure."

Sara said, "I at least grew up with toys though my parents were distant. I don't want any of my children to have to grow up the same way." She looked at me thinking that the secret wish was out and hung her head.

She said to get me off the track, "You haven't seen the three males yet Master."

The males were down a long hallway with a large room of their own. There was a spell over the doorway to keep people from moving in any direction. When one saw us then the other two turned abruptly. The first scampered toward us in an ambling gate that seemed odd. He stopped just before us and stared at the two girls. His erection formed very quickly. A few seconds later the other two were beside the first and just as ready to treat the women to some fun and games.

I tried to read the first young man's thoughts and found them strangely simple. I must have stayed there for a good ten minutes before I came to the conclusion that the men had been seriously altered. They were much more like animals. They could mate and take orders but didn't have much in the way of higher brain functions. This was not normal and has to be what Malochuck wanted. The young men were certainly no threat to him mentally or magically though each of them were in great shape. I had no idea what to do to rectify this situation.

Sonya tugged my arm and said, "Let's see the rest." As we left I heard whining as a dog would when his master left.

There were labs and a large office like all the other mages or apprentices had. Some of the experiments would have to be explained further because they looked like Malochuck was experimenting with more human beings. I didn't want to destroy them now but that may end up being the most humane course.

There was a group of four Plugga troops in a well secured area. With the girls help I took them over one by one though they had been hardened against this. It was assumed that a mage would be too worried about an attacking Plugga to try to control them before he was killed.

There were large storehouses but I would find out what was in them from the listings in the computers or from Malochuck's memories.

We came back to the main room and saw the children and young women playing on the gym. We were close to the exit and quietly slipped through with no notice. Servants were already in place and they hustled us to the dining room where our own breakfast was being held.

On the other side I gave the new spell that would allow them to enter but it had been tailored to them alone.

After we ate I called a meeting of the various managers. Many had been called before and I just got a clarification of the questions that I had wanted answered. We went on to all the other properties and offices that Malochuck stayed at. Malochuck was with us and explained in detail what each was for. Notes were taken of what he said because all of the assets would have to be accounted for.

The various businesses had been visited now by my managers and the only outstanding items were the two large yachts. Mordock and Hassan stayed nearby but tried to handle as much of their own business over the phones as possible. Schedules were made so more of those altered by Malochuck could have their programming changed. None would be removed for security reasons.

Mordock had much more experience in business and I gave him his head. Some of the managers were given other duties to go on top of those they already had. Many of those duties had been held by Malochuck but now that would not be the case. It did allow the managers more flexibility within the new constraints I put on them.

The rest of the day I spent looking at the assets on the ranch and taking care of those stragglers we found. Most of this was done from one of the helicopters and it sped up the visiting immensely.

Malochuck was busy with the lawyers transferring his legal and illegal property to me. Again Hassan and Mordock were at his side. They had been offered tidbits for their help and they were very anxious to do this now.

We came back for supper and I found the Toopics up and around with no apparent problems. Irene came up to me with a serious look as if what she had to say was distasteful.

"Hello, I am sorry but I don't remember your name."

I smiled and said, "Adam."

"Well thanks Adam for what you have done for my family. It appears that we were very seriously hurt and now it is as if it never happened. I am now told that it was magic that cured us. Would you explain this to me?"

"Sure, it was certainly magic. There is simply too much that is not understood about this subject. This is like mathematics taught in advanced classes in university. You know it is there and it is too hard to understand but some people can. Magic is the same way. Some people are born with minds that can manipulate figures and others that can manipulate forces that we cannot see."

"Malochuck is a very bad man. I stepped in and started to correct the problems I found and used your assistance even though you did not offer it. As partial payment I offered Ralph a job but I could not stand by and see people suffer and possibly die. I cannot and should not assist most people but the ones I have met mean more to me than those I have not."

"You and your family are free to stay for a while and free to leave my employ. All that will be required is a small spell to ensure that you do not breathe a word of what you know to about us."

Aaron was the seven year old and he just stared at me with his mouth open. He had been the one most likely not to have lived through the night. Jason the five year old stood no differently though they were not as frightened as their mother. Irene was not too difficult to read her surface thoughts and she relied on what fictional books and movies had to say about magic. To her all of it was bad and how people were sacrificed to appease demons. She was right about this but the demons were within all of us.

Important people came around that night to be reprogrammed and informed of what and how they would do business in the future. Some had fit into Malochuck's old scheme very well and needed little encouragement. Now those same people had to be compelled more forcibly to go against their evil natures.

Plans already in place had to be altered or scrapped. Some were very unscrupulous and these were summarily dropped. In one case I felt compelled to pay one man for his company that was ruined but I knew that this would be only one of many.

Instructions went on until late and I was getting a headache from people supposedly working for me, fighting what I wanted to accomplish. The managers had fought for Malochuck so long in the way that he wanted that a spell was not always enough. When the meeting did break up, Mordock and Hassan assisted me in altering the spells on those most important to us then reinforced them.

I was angry at how slow some tasks were being done but Sonya lead me into the complex and our bed. Instead I found the circle ready and a grinning Sara letting me know that I had work to do instead of sleeping.

The circle had all sixty five women on air mattresses facing the centre and their rumps high ready to receive me. Sonya helped me remove my clothing then guided me to the only empty mattress which happened to be beside Sara.

I worked methodically again but showed love and caring for each and every one. After the first two dozen it was not needed and perhaps counter productive. Sixty six women had been drawn very tightly into the matrix of our emotions and each had their own climax along with the woman I was currently with. Sonya had to have thought of this and I let her guide me when it came to loving those people, it hurt so much. The women could not take that many strong comes so closely together. When just over half were done, I had to stop. They were all quivering masses of jelly and unable to continue.

I cleaned myself up and wanted to just slide between Sonya and Sara when I found some little spies. There was nothing I could do but wave to them and say, "Your mothers and the others are just fine only tired. We will see you in the morning. Good night girls."

They had hurried off at the first mental call but they did hear what I had to say. I tried to be the least threatening as I possibly could.

Early in the morning I found myself surrounded by a pack of children. Without opening my eyes I investigated what they were thinking. My anatomy was now a bit more interesting and a bit less threatening. Others liked to be fed and were hungry. They could get their own meals but liked when I did it. Others just saw all the women sleeping on the odd mattresses and wondered about the noises they heard last night. They had seen this before but it had never been this exciting or animated.

In the distance I knew that some mothers were awake and tending to their infants. Their minds though were very clear and they seemed to be a little happier than they I had seen the day before.

There was never enough sleep recently but I had to do something to heal the children and possibly their mothers too. I concentrated on an individual child and what she was like inside. When I extracted twelve sets of data, I made twelve dolls made of soft material that best represented each of them. When they were all done they appeared in front of each of the girls when the first were thinking of leaving. There were squeals of fright from some but one adventurous one picked hers up. She made a few comments and two more were investigated. This made me pity the children even more. It was hard to imagine how a child could not understand a doll.

One of the mothers of the infants came to the circle and then came over to see what the girls were looking at. It was a little surprising to see that she vaguely recognised the doll for what it was.

The woman's name was Monja. She was a native of a much dryer world and had skin similar to a Polynesian. Not all women were born into slavery the same way. The children around me were but had some idea of a normal family setting. Monja and her parents were slaves but to some nomadic tribesmen. Their living conditions were always tenuous but some did have dolls even if it were tufts of grass tied with other grass stems. She remembered her own grass infant along with her mother before she was sold to someone that allowed her to end up here.

The woman whispered her suppositions to the children after examining one that a child was carrying. "They are pretend babies. They are good to hold onto when you feel bad."

"Why are they here?"

There was a pause while the woman thought and she now was certain that I was awake and also the benefactor. "Our master wants you to have them."

The girls now looked at me and I had my eyes open and a small smile on my lips. "Children need to be protected, cared for and cherished. The age doesn't matter. The child can be younger than Puella or older than Fay that stands with us. Older people should have had a chance to grow up in happy surroundings. I want all of you to be happy and be part of my family. That means from the youngest baby to the oldest adult."

The children were not too upset at me being awake even though it was early and unexpected. Monja was one of the original seven that were less beaten by their old master. I would like to explain more of my feelings and said, "Monja, you have known me for only a short time. I have not hurt anybody and have no plans on doing so unless they are very bad. Will you let me look at the child in your arms? I will not hurt her in any way."

The woman was startled at this request. A master taking a child usually meant that the child was to die. Emotions and thoughts ran through her mind for a few minutes before she came to the unescapable conclusion that she had to do what I said and she was powerless to oppose me.

The baby was placed in my arms very hesitantly. She had a diaper on and a cloth around her to keep off any draughts. The woman stayed very close now as if she would jerk the child from my arms if there was any danger.

I carried the child in one arm and pulled a piece of cloth back to see the child's face. The baby was only a month old but did have expressive eyes for her age. There were some small blisters on the infant's face and I said a small healing spell to do what I could for her.

An odour came to me and I shifted my position and placed the child on the air mattress. Opening the cloth showed the child more awake now and looking more intently at me.

"Well little one, you did make a mess," I said to the child as if she could understand. I touched her feet with a finger and her feet kicked strongly. The complex delivered some items for me after I formulated my request. They were placed on both sides of me to give me a little room. When I went to open the diaper, Monja wanted to stop me as if this were a prelude to sacrifice. She did stop though when I looked at her.

The diaper was opened and I folded it to keep the discharge from being spread by the baby's actions. I cleaned the bum with moistened wipes then held her tiny legs in one hand while I moved the dirty diaper to one side and slipped in a clean one. There was a bit of skin infection that would soon leave with the spell but I put on some cream anyways. The diaper was closed and Puella's arms started to flail about.

She had long nails that could hurt her eyes or other delicate spots. I captured a hand and concentrated on one nail at a time and with my PK trimmed them carefully. The child relaxed when I did the second hand and I said to her, "I am not your father Puella but I would love to watch over you to see that you grow the way you should. Family is important to me because I had so little of it when I was a child."

Picking up some of the brightly coloured clothes I had ordered, I spread them out on my lap and placed the child in the centre. I ordered a comb and some colourful toys that a child of this age could chew on. The comb though went through her fine hair in just a moment. The first toy though was eagerly grasped but fell from her poorly controlled fingers. The hand naturally went to her mouth when she was able to get it there.

The mother was anxious to get her child back but not as anxious as just a few minutes ago. "Monja, sit here please."

I moved the old cloth and dirty diaper and the woman sat. It was too close to me but it happened to be closer to her child. "In the last year I have found a lot of slaves and took them for my own." This was completely clear to the woman and it was like saying that I talked to a person. "Some of those slaves were children. When I was young I helped some young mother's like you with their babies and I got a lot more experience in the last while. I clean dirty diapers like Puella's and mend scrapes and cuts on the older ones. Over a short time the slaves, whether they are old or young, stopped being just slaves and began to be my family." The woman looked at me as if I had just grown an additional head.

"Family is somebody you trust. The other part of my family live near a large city. I send my family out to escort the ones like you to visit. I want everybody to learn more about life. I want my family here to learn too. You have been out under your sun where you came from but many have never done so. There is so much you have to learn and the children have to learn even more.

"All of the people in here have been kept in the dark about magic. You didn't even know that when we make love, it is to give us the power to allow you to eat and breathe. The power that all of us make gives us everything we see around us. I want to teach you about that too but you are all too afraid of me to do this at the moment."

I looked down to Puella as she started to make a fuss and I could feel that she was hungry. Bottles here were not used so I picked the child and the cloth up and said to her, "I see you are hungry. I am giving you back to your mother but I want to talk to you again when you have some time." The baby was put into Monja's lap and I said, "She is getting hungry."

I disposed of what I didn't need but thought of the other hungry children around me. Their food was bland and I would like to expand on what they liked but it was hard to do so. Some fruit had gone over well and I now thought of some sweet pineapple cut up small. It appeared in a large dish and thin forks all around the interior of the bowl. The amount of fruit was not much as it was going to be just a sample.

Taking a fork I skewered a larger portion and popped it into my mouth. The next one I got was held in front of me as I looked from face to face. I turned and put it in front of Monja's lips. It took a moment but she opened her mouth and I extracted the empty fork. Reading her mind I saw that the food was very rich tasting and the sweetness was uncommon to her. She chewed the odd food and swallowed though it wasn't her usual fare.

A fork was given to each of the children. They mimicked what I had done and their reaction to the food was not that different from Monja's. I ate another portion and fed Monja more. It was food and this was what was available so they ate.

Puella was now in her mother's arms being fed herself and I continued to feed the mother.

Seedless grapes, strawberries, blueberries, split cherries without a seed, raspberries and portions of peaches fell into the bowl when the last of the proceeding fruit was removed. The fruit was assessed by all thirteen panellists but no fruit was completely ruled out or in.

Sonya was now awake and I started to feed her some too and then I had to add Sara. I was like a big mother bird now feeding her three chicks. When the children were full I called for a bowl of water and washed their faces one by one. Their fear in me had dropped dramatically and I wanted to keep this up.

Fay was the oldest child at seven and I called her to me with her doll. More cloth similar to what Puella was wrapped in appeared. I took her doll and pretended it was a baby and wrapped it up in the cloth and handed it to her as if it was a young life. The other children got their babies and sat beside Monja as if they too had a lot in common with the mother.

Sonya pushed me and looked at the opening to the slave quarters. "We have work to do Master, even if you don't want us enough any more to make love to us."

I said but in a public way so all could hear, "Sonya, Sara, I love you more than you would believe possible. There is nothing better than being with you. The trouble is that I love everybody here and it will only grow stronger as time goes on. The problem arrises though that I am only one man while there are sixty six hungry girls that will want me soon. How can I keep up?"

Sonya smiled at me and said, "Just do what you have been doing Master."

We ate breakfast prepared by our chef and I talked to him about bland foods that could expand a slave's repertory of tastes. He gave me some dishes and I tried to use simple examples like fruit. I was given some ideas that I had not considered and the chef was happy to have helped.

The slaves in the complex reminded me of those that were in the condo. They had gone to Toronto while some of those had come to take their place. I had been away from them for a few days now and they would be upset at being so alone. The portal idea that Malochuck used came to mind. It drained little power from the complex but took more power to set up. It was a security matter to have this. It represented another way that an enemy could get to us. Getting the girls to come here though was a good idea though to try this type of experiment out. The portal could always be taken down later.

The three of us went back into the complex and to Malochuck's chambers where his books were kept. Some were the exact same as I had already read but there were some new tomes. The three of us went over them in detail and I had to send Sara for Malochuck for assistance.

Malochuck came in and immediately went to some books and put the ones he wanted on the large table. He opened them to different passages then turned to me and explained what he had found out and how. It was an orderly progression that led to a good deal of manipulation of factors in the fifth dimension. One spell that I found was close to the one we had made concerning time. It could now be also used for distance it appeared.

After going over everything a second time I asked questions about other forces that were or could be manipulated. None of this was in the various book here but was in the man's mind.

We devised our own strategy now and left to take care of other business. More people had arrived and patiently or not too patiently waited for us to greet them. Mordock and Hassan acted as my representatives but some jobs I had to do myself. When this was done I called an early night and went back to the compound and my other plan.

Standing in the centre of the circle I said, "There are a dozen more young ladies nearby that would like to be brought here." I thought of the weather and then about Toronto too. "I want to make some changes here to our home. A portal is just like that opening I use to leave this place for another. I want to make one or two more. Part of it is a test but it will also let all of the family come together. Your old master just did his work. I found that if you explain yourself first then there is a better chance to make something without problems."

The new girls around the circle knew next to nothing about magic though they had been raised within it since birth. I explained in more detail what was needed and more importantly, why. I took my place with Sara to start this out and our lovemaking went on for a while and the grid was set up by Sonya. I let the other know more about how I felt about Sara and she about me. Sonya was working very hard now pulling in the rest of the girls more strongly than even last night. This meant that they felt more but also produced more power before burning out sooner.

Malochuck had not done it this way. He had to be in control and he had adequate reasons for fearing retribution. My life had been put into the women's hands ever since I first met Sonya. They trusted me and I trusted them. Any other way would not have got us where we were now.

All of our crystals had been fully charged previously and even the compound we were living in was nearly saturated with power. We now added to it and I looked to a wall past the part where the Plugga lived and started manipulating the surface. A similar wall eighty nine klicks away was similarly searched out and soon altered.

Sonya, Sara and I tried to work as one and it seemed to work for us. The plan we had worked out earlier made one wall in the condo complex the exact same as the wall here. Some of the forces to be moved in the fifth dimension were very difficult to manipulate, and thus took a good deal of energy. None of us were strong enough to control this much but the three of us may just be able. First one door then another were completed. We didn't want to stop and start again. The work restarting would be too much in our present state.

I could feel the girls around us giving what they could and we even took a great deal from the complex itself. We relaxed when the last portion was put into place.

It was exhausting but eventually looked over to see what we had made and check to see if everything was perfect. The spell itself held the power to keep the portal open and this should last for years. A final nudge of one aspect would make them exactly the same. This effort was nearly too much for us but it was complete now.

When the grid connecting us together collapsed, I looked down at Sara and saw that she was now in pain. She was bruised on her hips from the imprint of strong hands. I pulled mine away quickly but I was far too late. "I am sorry, Sara." I cast a healing spell and tried to make it as comprehensive as possible. I was appalled at what I had done.

Sonya pulled me to one side and got me to lay down then she went to Sara. She put her own spell on her then checked the rest of her body for damage. I felt sick at what I had done. How could I have done this to someone I loved? I had been taught to kill but now I felt like crying. Sara was hurt. She was one of the women I had vowed to protect with my life if necessary and I had hurt her.

I felt hands on me but I still hurt myself for what I had done. I heard, "Master, it is only some bruises. They are fading already. It only hurt for a moment then you took the pain away. Look and see, the bruising is not bad."

Another voice said, "Master, sit up and see. Everything is getting better."

In my mind I kept saying, "I hurt her. I hurt her..."

I felt a sharp pain to my cheek and immediately sat up. The Plugga did this to get my attention after they beat me. Sonya said, "Master, Sara is almost all healed. We were all under a lot of stress. We now have to look at one more variable when we do some difficult work. You won't do it again."

I looked from Sonya to Sara and said, "But I hurt her. Did you see the bruises? They were done with my bare hands. I squeezed her and could have hurt her very bad."

Sara said, "You didn't hurt me bad. Don't you remember where you found me? I was hurt for fun a lot worse than you hurt me. Sometimes it looked like they did it to see who could do worse. I left that all behind when I met you. You love me more than I knew anyone could love. I am loved in a larger family which I never knew could exist. When we do this again we will just watch that you don't squeeze so tightly but we will try again. We depend on you too much to let you quit or give in because of a little pain. We are doing some dangerous work. What if one of us got killed? You have to go on for the rest."

"I am sorry Sara. I didn't mean to do that."

"I know that Master. Now fuck me. Let me feel you inside me." Her hands came out and pulled me into position even if I was not ready. When I heard her groan I stopped until she let me know that I was doing something good not painful. I treated her now like a virgin on her first night and she was insistent that she got all that she felt coming to her.

Sonya strengthened the grid and I felt all the others now too. They could see my shame for what I had done but also my love to do what was right. The orgasm came to both of us and Sara demanded more and more.

I was pulled from Sara and another woman took her place. I made love to her as if she too were Sara. I wanted to take all her pain away and make her love me as much as I loved her. Her face changed but my thoughts didn't. On last time I was pulled around the circle and I think it was Sonya pulled me down on top of her. She moved me where she wanted me and I began again. She held my face in her hands and I remember then her telling me, "I love you master."

When I awoke most everybody had left. Sara and Sonya were still with me though I knew somehow that they were quietly talking to each other. Sara caressed my face with one hand and she said, "How do you feel Master?"

"Tired and sore. You?" I started to cast a spell on myself when I felt her hand move and she cast one on me herself. I felt better right away. My pains had gone though I was still tired and still sorry for what I had done last night.

She must have been monitoring my deeper thoughts and said, "I'm in perfect shape. Forget about me. I said I had been hurt by real sadists and not by accident either. When you are up and about we have to check what we had done last night then make the new portal."

"But..."

"No buts. You fall off a horse and now you have to get right back on. Things happen sometimes and now we just have to watch out for them. Now get up and eat. We have a lot of work to do."

"Yes, Mistress," I said in all seriousness.

After a late breakfast we went to where I put the portal. A bird in a small cage went through the mirror surface and when I drew the bird back the mirror took on a dark tinge. The bird though was alive and apparently healthy. Before my girls could stop me I put my head through the surface. I could detect the twelve girls I had left here a few days ago.

Pulling back I said to Sonya and Sera, "It is the right place. I could feel the girls but not too clearly. Let's go get them."

Sara pointed a finger at my chest and told me in forceful terms, "You wait here. I will go get them."

Instead of being foolish I allowed her to take some of the risk though it hurt to see her go. Sonya said, "Now you know what we feel like when you go off on your own. You may be big but your brain has not been improved and your skills at staying alive in a magical realm have not improved that much."

We waited for almost five minutes before I saw the surface get dark and then Sara reappeared. Behind her, and at one at a time appeared the twelve girls I had left in the condo. They came to me and I kissed and hugged all of them. I loved all of them though we didn't have that much time together. Being in mental communication was a lot more intense than just talking or even touching.

Margot was one of the more feisty girls an I noticed some bruising on her arm. This sort of damage attracted my attention much more than it would have. I asked, "How did you get hurt?"

The tall brunette looked at the arm then moved it about. Looking at the other arm had some additional bruising. She said, "I don't know Master."

I checked the other girls and one more had a slight bruise on her face as if slapped recently. I asked, "Where did you get this?"

The girl turned to the mirror and inspected the damage then replied, "I have no idea Master."

"Come with me." I raced through the portal now and up the corridors to the main room. In seconds I was in a smaller closed off section with a glamour over a hidden doorway.

The girls were all behind me now and I activated the machinery that monitored this complex. Security had their own monitoring system but Malochuck had one of his own that only he knew about until he was forced to tell me. It took fifteen minutes to find a stranger in the complex. I backed up the recording and followed his movements. It was the missing trainee and he came here. He must have some balls to do this on his own unless he knew that Malochuck would not be able to get him.

We watched him come on the girls and get angry at Margot. Questions were asked but the answers were not forthcoming. I saw the one girl get slapped. The questioning centred around what and who we were and what we were after. He ate a meal then cast a spell to get better information but what he got was filtered out through some of the spells I had placed on the girls. He left after two and a half hours but not before using a charged crystal to force the girls to forget that he was here.

"Wait until I get my hands on him again," came from Margot. She was a simple slave and he was a trainee. The outcome would not be as she wanted even if I had taught her a few things.

Sonya came up close to me and put her arm around my waist. "What are we going to do about Mr Vessio?"

"We find him and I think I know where he is."

"Where?"

"Did you notice his head and his feet?"

In moments I got all of us dressed in new clothing. The security in downtown Houston was very surprised to see us. After some questioning, I understood that Mr Vessio had cleaned up his tracks very well.

The fifteen of us got into three large vans along with what available security we could get and headed for the docks. At a distance we stopped and I watched the dock that I now owned. Only the Suulas Soona or Lucky Lady in Saranam should have been here but now Fastopona Sucra or Sultan's Fist in Fassie was here too. Adrian Malochuck was quite emphatic that the latter was to be a good deal westward of here.

If the Fastopona Sucra was out of place it was a good probability that we now knew where the trainee was. Sonya, Sara and I held hands and linked as tight as we had been last night. I felt safe and secure but that may not have been my thoughts at all. Our minds reached out and we searched the vessel with a very light touch. There were a goodly number of spells that could bring a backlash of grief our way if we did anything wrong.

There were three magical sites but one was stronger than the rest. Though it was tiring we checked Suulas Soona and found six more weak sites. When we pulled back Sonya said, "Those are probably vessels. With that many there must be a few dozen generators too. Do you know if Malochuck keeps slaves here too?"



-------

Chapter 13


"I am not positive but I think he brings those he wants with him. Those must be ones controlled by the trainee."

Security called the ranch and soon Hassan, Mordock, Malochuck and a lot more security was coming our way. This time they would use the helicopter because I didn't want them running through the complex and disturbing the family. The term family seemed so right on many levels that I had to smile.

While the ship was watched from a distance we had a meeting about what to do. Malochuck of course wanted to go in, guns blazing and kill all those responsible. An alternate was to just rush aboard with spells primed and Vessio would concede defeat when faced by those against him. He did have some good comments on Vessio. The man was very good and would be elevated to an apprentice in a few years when Maximus came back. They didn't know he was dead and it was a good idea to keep secret.

Hassan wanted to use the charged crystals again while Mordock told me privately to try the time spells. I had my own ideas and explained to them that a person proficient in magic looked for magic attacks more than conventional. That was why our attack on Malochuck was so well done. We used radios and a mechanical means of breaking the crystals instead of magical. One of my old ideas for using a narcotic gas to take down Malochuck was not suitable then but may be better choice now.

Malochuck himself kept some of the gas we wanted and I sent for it. It would not usually kill unless someone was allergic to it. It had a smell of fish and was colourless. Being close to the ocean made the smell a non issue. There were six masks with the proper filter that would neutralise the gas but a contained air system used by fireman would be better.

Malochuck mentioned how Vessio was usually a night person and had a sit down supper at six and with control of a ship I could see him getting service too.

The plan hinged on Malochuck, wearing a disguise, meet the captain and make his orders verbal. We could work from there. Malochuck was not a coward and did get changed into a cheaper suit and wore nothing of magic. We waited patently for nearly twenty minutes before four men in waiters uniforms came to us.

When they stood at attention I said, "We have a job for each of you."

They were fitted with a small tank of gas and a triggering device that allowed the gas to escape through a muffling device. The reason we needed so much was because the room was so large and there was a good chance the man could escape through one of the hatches. With the devices in place, the men's allegiance was changed to me and they would not really know what they were doing when the time came. It was more of a post hypnotic suggestion.

The men hurried back onboard and prepared for their duties without even recognising they had a part to play.

At fifteen minutes to six we all made it onto the ship in small groups to allay suspicions. Our own magical paraphernalia had been removed so we would not be discovered. The ship had a well stocked arsenal and both Sonya and I stocked up. Instead of all lethal weapons we each had a taser. I didn't like to kill but I would if I was forced to.

Two of the waiters came into the room pushing squeaky carts and trailing a plume of invisible gas behind them. When they stopped they simply took a lungful of air and waited instructions. The windward side of the salon a wooden bar kept the hatch from opening while gas drifted in through the open portholes. When the waiters and guests started to fall into their soup, Mr Vessio ran for the lea side of the ship. This was the closest hatch and the only one unlocked. He came out in time to receive a fist into his abdomen and he silently crumpled onto the deck.

I said my own spell to keep him asleep and gave the mental signal to stop the gas and flush it from the room. With my contained air supply I was able to pull Vessio upwind a bit and went back into the room to remove all the people. There happened to be over twenty individuals. The captain and some of his officers along with some young and pretty ladies that I had to assume were part of Vessio's harem.

An antidote was injected into each but everybody but the crew stayed under a sleeping spell. Hours later Vessio awoke to find that I was his rightful master.

When his eyes opened he saw the five of us and Malochuck watching him. "Master," he cried as he tried to get onto his knees. Part of this was a guilty consciousness but more was because his former master was there along with me.

I said, "What were you doing on this ship?"

"Master... I came when I heard that there may be a problem. My... former master may have been in trouble and I was trying to see what I could do to help him."

Vessio's mind was very quick but while reading it I found some very small gaps as if he had a great many strong spells like mine put on him. He looked young and Malochuck had never looked too diligently into his past. Erasmus had trained me to fight and use my senses. The human senses are very acute if we adjust our mind to use them. I could detect an odd smell from the man and from two of the women still unconscious.

"What was your objective?"

"I was in Houston when I felt the surge of magic. A quick search showed me that there was a takeover happening. I fled to one of my homes and tried to think of what to do. The Fastopona Sucra was just up the coast and I wanted to come back here but also have a safe place to stay. I thought that if I rescued Mr Malochuck then I would get some kind of reward.

His mind was searched as he spoke to us and the words and thoughts jibed. The problem arose with the ship. The Suulas Soona was already here and just as available as the Fastopona Sucra. He didn't need to get the other ship.

"Tell me your whereabouts for the last two months."

The man had been all over this planet trying to make a few measly million dollars here and there. Other planets were listed but not the world of Sookra. The smell of the noja spice on him was only from that location but it was shipped to many other worlds that had something to trade.

"Who are the people with you and tell me all of their history."

From Sonya I heard privately, "What are you after Master. He sounds honest to me."

"Smell him love."

The crew as well as the women were listed where it looked like he was giving as much information as possible. Two of the women who just happened to have the smell of the spice had a form of an epicanthic fold. Both the Fassie and the Saranam had this feature but slaves had been sold from Sookra for a very long time.

The two women called Elaine and Alison had a much more comprehensive history with a good amount of detail. The rest of his circle were less well known though he had them for a lot longer. This sounded like he had been prepared for this questioning and the two women mentioned by name were more important than he wanted to talk about. All this and he was under a compulsion to tell the truth.

I had not gone over to The Lady Luck or Suulas Soona but I still didn't know what was in their hold. "What is the nature of each of the six magic sites on the Suulas Soona?"

This shocked him but it was only a momentary thing. "I have no idea Master. I have not been over to that ship in at least a year."

Vessio went back to sleep and we put some beryllium manacles on him. If he could lie to us then he could do much more.

In the now empty salon we sat down and talked. Sonya said, "The man smelt of noja. It is not that uncommon in areas that trade magically."

I replied, "The two women that he knew for the least amount of time happened to have the best history. They also smelt of the same spice."

Hassan asked, "I have traded with both Fassie and Saranam on Sookra. The spice is good and brings a good profit but what is so special about it?"

"Nobody ever goes from one country to the other. They always go off world to get to the other country. Their mutual hate is very strong. It is only the Fassie though that sell the spice. It doesn't grow well enough for export in Saranam."

Sara said, "I noticed the surprise when you mentioned the six magic centres on the other ship."

"That is our next mystery and I think it may be a dangerous one to play with."

The twelve girls had not been sent home yet and were being escorted all over the ship by very eager officers. When they were called for they came into the salon and they each looked very happy to be out and around especially in a place like the Sultan's Fist. This ship was not the largest yacht around but it was four hundred and sixty feet long. The Lucky Lady was a minnow by comparison and just exceeded three hundred feet.

The girls took off their pretty clothing and we formed a circle when the officers left. There was no way to absorb the power so we just did this for fun. We were able to stay as far away as last time but our perceptions were somewhat clearer. Hassan, Mordock and Malochuck piggybacked our view and tried to make out the six magical sites. They were not that strong and could represent crystals, or vessels but the latter would move around unless they were restricted. They could also be spells but only the strongest would leak this much energy.

Working with the worse case possible we went closer and tried to catch more detail. We went from right overhead to water level. The locations were easy to find but more information was not forthcoming.

Alison was awoken and questioned by me. Her answers mimicked Vessio's almost to the letter as if they had already worked out what to say. When I started to yell at her in Fassie she automatically replied in the same tongue.

An hour later the same thing happened with Elaine. Something was very wrong here and from my point of view I had very little understanding of it. Nobody should have been able to lie but they were.

The most direct way to find out was to pick through the spells the weakest of them had. We could find out more by getting into the hold of The Lady Luck but that could be dangerous too.

Alison and Elaine now got the came restraints as Vessio now wore. There was something here that I didn't understand and smelt as much as the rotting fish in the harbour.

The three remained unconscious and were moved to a large helicopter and escorted to the ranch. I was very uncomfortable about each of my guests and they were soon stretched out and had a gag in their mouths even with the sleep spells. I had only succeeded before because of surprise and now I didn't have it. Vessio had a lot of time to contact others and by now the other apprentices could know of my intentions.

Sleep that night was not as it usually was. Worry clouded my dreams. The next morning I felt better but not much. I put on a smile and fed the children and pretended to feed their dolls to.

When the rest were awake we had a quick breakfast and got right down to work opening as portal to the Toronto base. I needed help and it had to be help that understood enough about magic to actually help me.

By noon a portal existed and we used the rest of our recently acquired power to tune the portals. After the bird, Sara quickly went through again and she came out seconds later to say, "Everything looks find but you put the portal into the lowest level. It is just outside your quarters."

She had to have hurried so I would not be first. I couldn't read those thoughts though because she kept them hidden. We would have to come to some arrangements in the future where we found other ways to test experiments without using our lives.

"Is everything else fine?"

"Yes, Master. They want you home though. You are missed."

After thinking on her first words, I had no idea how the portal got there. I was visualising the gym on the upper floor. For a moment I considered a node or perhaps something in the lab that complicated this but it didn't matter.

Elaine went through with my ladies. She was still unconscious. She went onto the rack that Mordock had graced not long ago. When she was secure I went to meet the family and let them see that we were alright.

I let Sonya choose some of the ladies that could help us and we went to what had been Mordock's torture chamber. They were not pleased with the surroundings at all.

"Ladies, I am not here to torture anybody. It is just a more secure way of holding someone in position while their secrets are revealed. Apparently this woman is able to lie while under a truth spell and I just want to find out the method but also what is so important that it was hid so well."

What we had done and what we found was introduced so the women had a chance to understand as much as possible.

Sonya empathically said for the group, "The woman won't get hurt?"

"There is always a danger but we have unravelled quite a few spells recently and this should be no different."

Air mattresses now appeared after the girls had a chance to talk. A real master would not allow this but I wanted them to know that they had a say in what and how we did this.

Hassan and Mordock got in the group because I needed their expertise. Only a supreme egotist would believe that he could do everything right.

We charged up some crystals for any sudden needs and I built a shield around the woman the same as I had done to Hassan and everybody since. This woman I knew had to be dangerous even if I didn't know why.

Hours later we had to call a break. We found small spells as all those magic practitioners had but this woman had a camouflaged shield over her mind that protected everything. I had never even heard of this before but the mages in Saranam and Fassie were the best. Their world may be in the Middle Ages but the magic was the best. Scholars from three universes went there to study.

For a second I thought of sending the woman and her two partners to Erasmus and let him get by the blocks but I quickly saw that he may well do that but destroy them in doing so.

Hassan went back to Houston and brought the other prisoners and we worked on them with no further success. Vessio's shield was different and we had some edges to pry against but I was not going to start pulling stings at random to see if I could defeat his shield.

The Plugga got some guests and they were warned to leave them alone. They were treated like hospital patients but ones I wanted sedated all the time.

We went back to the slave quarters here and we slept in the gym like we had done so many times. I was tired but there were so many expectant faces that I had to do something to make them happy.

The energy we produced went into a way of closing the portal quickly as well as the magical equivalent of a door bell. It would be nice to know we had visitors.

The next morning the girls that were in the penthouse in Houston went back to the ranch with me to talk about Toronto. By noon all the slaves had left so their education could begin and what help we could give was handed out.

With no further leads we had to go back to the Lucky Lady even though many complications had to be tied up. One of which was Malochuck and the new personality we had to fashion for him.

We arrived by helicopter and once I was standing on the dock I knew something was wrong. Holding Sonya and Sara's hand I scanned the ship very carefully and found the six magical sources missing. I hurriedly scanned the rest of the ship then did the Sultan's Fist but they were gone.

Security was called and they didn't see anything amiss. At almost the same time I got a call from security at the ranch. Malochuck had somehow gained some of his freedom and was keeping security at bay.

We hurried back to the ranch. Malochuck had been altered a great deal and it would take a while for him to regain all his old powers. I just hoped that the spells I put on him that made me his master were still working. We found the man barricaded in an office. He had tried to get into the complex but couldn't.

I called out, "Malochuck, it is your Master. Come out now."

There was no answer but I could feel that the man was confused. Being as intimate as I had to be when I controlled him made me able to read his thoughts much better. I raced in followed by Sonya and Sara then the rest. The man managed to look at me with something like his old face and I snarled, "Submit!" This was the command of a good many of the spells put on him.

An empty hand came up and the man snarled. Ralph was right behind me and pushed me to one side and shot at Malochuck. The man stared at the hole in his arm and we rushed him. He cast out a weak attack but it was Sonya with her hands that hit him first and put him out. Again he had not thought a conventional attack threatening.

It was when Malochuck was being moved past me that I detected the noja smell on his breath. I held my ring for power and looked into Malochuck's mind. I looked at the constructs I had put in and found them slightly different. Looking around I found a lot of other minor differences. I had been in the man's mind to a great depth and could see that there were too many changes for this man to be Malochuck. Erasmus doppelganger came to mind but they were not bright enough. The only conclusion I could think of was that someone must have made a quick copy of Malochuck's mind and put the copy over their own.

The person impersonating Malochuck was taken into the slave quarters after giving the incantation to open the portal.

I thanked Ralph for his quick action. "It looks like Malochuck was going crazy. He was going to cast a spell at me and I am sure that it was not one to make me fall asleep."

"You are welcome sir. That is my job after all."

Inside the complex I said to the rest of our group. "This man may not be Malochuck. Again I smelt the noja. The constructs in his brain are similar but not the same. The brain underneath is well protected like what the two women from the boat had."

We all looked into the mind again and I pointed out differences that I found.

Mordock said, "You're right. It is possible this is Malochuck and his brain has been changed but I doubt it. This leads to the question of where exactly the real Malochuck is."

We all knew how easy it was to remove a body after a person got to a certain proficiency in magic. This didn't mean the Malochuck was dead though.

I placed a healing spell on the man but I could see that it was very ineffective and had to do it a great many times to get his wound to start to heal. This was noted by the rest as a shield we could not detect protecting the man from external magic.

We stripped the man before us and examined all of his clothing. The smell of noja was not on them but the material appeared to be newer than what Malochuck had been wearing yesterday.

We found an amulet hanging from a chain around his neck but none of us touched it directly. I picked it up with my PK and put it to one side. His buttons though were very well disguised by spells to hide the magic they contained. If we had not been looking closely then we would have missed this.

We formed a circle and studied the constructs of the man's mind after putting up a shield to protect us. The outward form of the constructs were similar to what I had put in but there was a difference. We worked for hours just investigating and then very tentatively started to undo the bindings.

It was very late by the time we had finished the first one and this looked like the easiest. It was constructed by a master and it was only our recent work and the efforts of five of us that allowed the bindings to be removed. There were many tricks here that I didn't know of but would in the future. The obedience spell was very different too and again it took hours to study it before it was removed.

We rested often to eat and drink. The girls were tired and so was I. They were chaffed by my constant attention and we had to use healing spells on ourselves. During one rest break, Sara went through the portal to Toronto to bring in some reinforcements. Thirty three volunteers came through and we began once more.

During my next break Ann said, "Three men came looking for Mr Mordock. They were quite insistent about finding him. All of us that were in the house were asked a great many questions. They went to the portal but didn't enter."

Mordock and I were very angry and concerned. The girls had spells on them to keep them from talking about this but they did speak. The men went to the portal but probably mistook my lack of security for much stronger spells that were hidden from their senses.

Mordock was all for going back and having it out with the men. I got him focussed on why the men came instead. It could be an attack from the other apprentices of Maximus but we had to face the fact it could be another mage moving in. If they knew Maximus was dead then the territory was ripe for the picking. They would move quickly and then prepare for others trying to take the spoils for themselves.

This was discussed and we saw that our Malochuck could have been one of the people taking over here. This would also mean that the other apprentices were in danger of being replaced. I now had to think of what to do.

Erasmus had charged me to take over all of Maximus' property on Earth. If another mage was moving in then it would be even more difficult to do. I reluctantly decided that taking over an apprentice later was easier than a mage. Mordock got on the phone and made a conference call to London, Paris, Berlin and three other apprentices in Kuala Lumpur, Bombay and Osaka.

Four out of the six came to the phone even if Mordock was one of their number. When the four were on the line he talked about the men coming to his property to get him. There was no proof at all of anything then he mentioned what happened to Malochuck. He claimed this happened when he was visiting and attacked Malochuck when he was acting as irrational.

Mordock continued by mentioning what the brain structure of the Malochuck substitute looked like. He then went on to describe the amulet though anything could be used. Reluctantly the noja smell was mentioned that could indicate that one of the mages from Fassie could be involved.

Mark Himmler from Berlin said, "There is much you are not telling us Mr Mordock. First of all why are you coming to us with this story?"

"I would rather have Maximus here to lead us or failing that we would go forward alone. We cannot do so if we are dead. A powerful mage from Fassie would not give me the option of working for him and I cannot fight without assistance."

"What do you propose we do?"

"For now, anything you want. One or more of you may already be a substitute and we have no way of telling. I am not one now but at some future date, I too could have a somebody take my place. The two that have not answered my be indisposed, uninterested or dead. You have my warning and that is all I can do."

The talking continued now with more questions. These went into a lot more detail of what exactly tipped Mordock off and what he had seen in the mind so that the others would know what to look for.

When the call ended we discussed its usefulness. The apprentices were be much more careful and that was all I could hope for. Cooperation now would look like a trap to them.

We went back to studying but this time it was the amulet. This could have been one of the six magical points in the Lady Luck. We soon found a danger with just touching it but we stayed at it much longer. The girls's didn't grumble and neither did Hassan or Mordock but they did mention that there were no other traps. They were proved wrong though. Spells were used to hide spells.

The last two were found, only they were put back on the man acting as Malochuck. Other facts became clearer too and we stayed up much of the night.

By early morning the three spells had been removed and their fabrication studied in detail. They had to have been made by a master mage because they were far beyond what an apprentice could do. I kept our group awake and we continued till we found the spell that allowed the man to wear the amulet without it killing him. After that we had to sleep.

I went through the portal to Toronto and worked very hard to make sure nobody would easily get into the complex. My time spell was used in this and I hoped to catch anybody near the portal if it was forced. This effectively segregated the servants from the slaves though.

I walked back to Houston and slept with the girls. The Plugga would guard the entrance to the penthouse till I got to it. I woke up in the early afternoon and then I got the girls up. We left to find a meal and this time we imposed on the chef. He was happy to see us but worried about what happened to who he thought was his former master.

Lawyers were still around getting agreements straightened out and usually in touch with those in their offices. Malochuck's 'bout of insanity' was not mentioned. They knew who was their master now and it was not Malochuck. My name went on many documents but usually a non-profit organisation took ownership. The great bulk of the properties would stay in Malochuck's name until they could be moved under the auspicious of different corporations.

We went back to work on our imposter and the amulet. Our thirty three girls grew and were allowed to walk back and forth to Toronto. Boys, infants and even toddlers came for a visit then returned. One complex was much like another except we had the Plugga that were still watching the entrance to the penthouse.

The circle got so big that I found we had to have two rows which seemed to work just as well. When everybody was over it climbed to five distinct rings. When we worked on our patient there was no shortage of ideas even though most were childish. Some of the younger girls formed their own ring and worked to help us. All of the suggestions were treated with respect and this brought some of the older women's ideas out.

The outer defences on the man were completely stripped. The inner shield proved to be very difficult. Sonya brought the amulet into the circle now. The change of pace worked. This time it was the young boys, with devious minds, that gave us possibilities. We followed them and late that night we broke the last of the bindings and understood the various spells construction. We didn't know what it could do but we knew how it was made.

My back was sore from almost non-stop work. So was the tool I was using. My head ached from all the mental work I had done and I was screwed up from the change in sleep cycles. The girls were much the same way except it wasn't their backs that hurt. I had outdone myself but the time taken was much longer. I hoped that some of the energy could be fed to the other complexes instead of being nearly all wasted.

It wasn't really power I was thinking of but my manipulation of it. I was at best a trainee myself. I did tasks the non magical way and this was unexpected by some. I knew very little actually and relied on others to do what was needed. The only requirement I needed now was a bit of luck and possibly the ability to make some leaps of logic to find what might be happening.

At the moment I didn't really know what to do and if I stayed still I was going to be a sitting duck. I had to do the unexpected and I had to do it quickly. If I allowed even a trainee close to me then I would probably loose. The only leads I had were the four captives and the possibility that some group may attack the remainder of the apprentices. The amulet and some spells may help me understand more though.

After checking with security, we went back in and studied my notes about the spells used and their possible use. Taking over an apprentice was not an easy or safe job and there were many things that had to be done.

The five of us went through the library and used the computer too. This helped because it narrowed the number of spells down that we had to check. One set of spells dealt with memory which was no surprise. Others had to do with putting the memory where it belonged. The rest of the spell and other spells were too confusing. The snippets could mean anything. This reminded me of reverse engineering a software program, and in a way this was very true.

I never tried programming and if I did I would still not know the magic rules for putting small sections together. It did occur that it was never too late to start. I stopped those with me so they could think on this. We thought of simple spells and then tried to see some orderly progression. This didn't work very well so we tried comparing similar spells. This gave us a bit of success but not much.

The one to ask would be Erasmus but he sent me here to work on this task and if I called for help then I would not pass. I could go back to check through some of Erasmus' computer files but that didn't seem right either.

We went back to the brute force method soon after but I now kept my eye out for relations between different parts of a spell.

Hassan said, "Why don't we just try the spell. We can get a feeling for it without it completing. We can also complete the spell to see what we learn."

I said, "That is foolish. I don't want my mind taken over by another or even get someone's personality dropped on top of mine."

"Let's look for a reversal of the spell. Many times it has a lot to do with the original spell. If that works then we can work on the portions of the spell at our leisure."

I considered this and asked, "Who do we try it on?"

"We have four people. I fancy giving Vessio the memories of one of the women and sending him back to Fassie. He might object enough to give us some information."

"Let's look for the removal spell first. At least we have a person we can use it on."

We brought our impersonator in and tried all sorts of spells that would remove the one making him appear to be Malochuck. With no luck, we revived the man but kept a gag in his mouth and his hands and feet secured.

He looked at us with little fear. I was sure he was formulating a spell right now. I said, "We have been working on the counter spell that would remove Malochuck's memories. I assume you know enough about magic to know that what we are doing is dangerous to you personally. Let's see what we can do."

Mordock started some spells while I monitored our guest. He was frightened of what we were doing and the third spell caused him a great deal of pain. We tried to reverse this but it took an hour's time. Again we proceeded and the man was getting very worried but I didn't think it had anything to do with finding the solution. It was more in line with the mistakes we could make.

The man seemed to loose much of his memories and again we worked to find a counter to our own spell. This didn't happen until many hours later and the result was not as good as it should have been.

I said, "Well you lost some memory but much worse could happen to you as you can well guess. Do you want to help us with the spell or let us continue. We either get the answers or a mindless hulk that will have to be put with the others we have. That will only happen if we know that there is nothing that can help you recover. If the block stays in we will just have to dispose of the body and we will have no more problems from you."

He was not sure now but he gave no indication that he was going to cooperate. Two spells later the man started shaking his head 'no' and I pulled back the gag just a bit. "Something wrong?"

"That spell can kill very easily, erase my mind completely or cause a lot of pain."

"Do you have a better substitute? We have very little to loose." He said nothing so we talked about the three choices and from the facial characteristics we may avoid erasure and death but not the pain.

Before we started I asked, "We are going ahead. Do you know anything to remove the pain? It may be hours or days before we come on a suitable solution."

He mumbled, "Why are you doing this to me?"

I had to improve on what we knew and hope that a bluff would work with some of the truth. "Your memories, stolen from Malochuck, must have told you that I am now in command of Malochuck's assets. All you got hold of was a slave. The lawyers signed almost everything over to me already and nobody is going to dispute whether I am the boss or not. We talked to the other apprentices already and the warning helped stop some of your friends. All of them are now dead. They acted a bit too prematurely. They want to have a serious talk with you though. The others died much too quickly. Vessio and the two women are sedated and in custody. They will undergo a similar procedure to remove their shield. If we fail, the body is easy to get rid of."

"I will be revenged as will the others."

"Spoken like a true Fassie. They will stop their take over plan and count their losses before even thinking of coming here again. It is they that should worry about revenge. I have a few spells for your world that may put your country back millennia. Erasmus has his own goals and he will be very angry when he finds out. Now there is a man that can do things very efficiently but usually the subject is not worth much after."

With no further comments from the man we continued with the spell. In seconds his neck convulsed as untold pain shot through his body. His back arched as much as his bindings allowed and we hurried to remove what we had done. I cast a spell on him to put him into unconsciousness but it didn't work as good as it should. It did give some relief.

It was three in the morning before the man collapsed as the spell ended. We went to bed because it was getting rough in the last few hours.

We all woke up with headaches or pains from the intensive magical work we had done. Healing spells were very popular at this time. After a good meal we got the circle started again but this time it was in the Toronto complex. With all the family present it was easy to charge up all the deleted crystals and the base itself. Quite a few of the crystals were in for the trainees had few ways of working without our services.

Vessio and the two women came back to Houston with us and were moved to one side. Our unnamed guest was still sleeping though he looked like he had not fully recovered yet.

I woke him up and I saw immediately that he was not as cocky as he once was. I let him see that I did have the other three to further demoralise him. "Mr Mordock and I think that it is a variation of the spell we used on you last that will work. Do you have any comments on this?"

"You are going about it all wrong."

"I hate just talking without mentioning names. Mine is Adam Yates." When nothing further was said we started the same spell that gave the excruciating pain yesterday. We stopped just short of it when the man thrashed violently from side to side.

"Did you have something to add?"

He wet his lips and said, "My name is Hondilas."

"I am glad to meet you Hondiles. What level of magic have you attained so far?"

He was not going to answer so I put the gag back but he thrashed so I said, "Yes?"

"I am a trainee first class."

I put the gag back and continued with the spell from the start once more. Again when it was almost done Hondlas started to thrash.

"I am an apprentice second class."

"That is better but I still don't believe you Hondilas. We can chat for a while where we learn what we need to know but eventually we are going to have to remove the memory from you. This one spell is going to be new to us but we are already close now. Save us the trouble and yourself too. Tell us what we need to know."

"I will be killed."

"Revenge?"

"Yes."

"You will have to be my slave then and we will protect you. It may be touch and go but I give my word to protect you if you tell us everything I want to know."

"You can't protect me. My master will kill me with just a thought."

"I am the one that holds your life in my hand now. Your old master may or may not be able to do anything. You will have my word which is perhaps better than your master's. Erasmus may send him a present and soon your master can do nothing but fertilise a garden someplace."

We sat down and waited while Hondilas came to his decision. "You have to untie me so I can show you how it is done."

"No we don't. Tell us about the spell we are after and what we are doing wrong."

Sonya was nearby and had a gun aimed at the man's head then she moved it to his scrotum instead. We could heal him from this but not if it was to his head. The spell we wanted to break was explained as we showed him that we knew what it was but not how it worked.

The lesson went on for hours. We wanted to know every last detail. Apparently there was a lot of new ground being covered that Hondilas' master Calldas didn't want released. For some reason I went into a lot of detail how I could perform this spell and what would happen to me.

I had been taking notes of even our mistakes to add to our knowledge and now I tried to get all the points as clear as possible. We broke for a meal and Hondilas was fed as good as we were. In a gesture of good will, I took the man to the washroom and allowed him to void himself then I cleaned him as opposed to letting him soil himself when we questioned him.

The man was six feet tall like Malochuck but I carried him easily. On the way back I said in a whisper, "I will do as I said. You seem to be assisting us and I will help you where and when I can."

Sonya never removed her gun when Hondilas had his gag off. When I was satisfied I had the spell we started on the counter spell. This was done in small sections and each portion was explained just as well. The amulet had to be used for this. Apparently the spell in it stored all of Malochuck's memories and Hondilas just had a linkage to it for what he wanted to know.

Malochuck was no more apparently and the best I could do was save the amulet. Before starting the spell I asked, "How can I access the amulet?"

"You can't."

"We were getting along so find. We could remove your linkage to the amulet but the amulet would be destroyed."

From the shocked look on Hondilas face I knew that I was right or close to it.

"Tell me how I can avoid this destruction?"

"You can't"

"We will have to think that you are being uncooperative and perhaps we should go back to our own way of doing this."

"No! No! I am not lying. You may be able to make another crystal and copy the memories into it first. You can read the copy then put it in a safe place while the original gets destroyed."

"How do we make such a large amulet? The crystal is very large and I have not seen any material quite like it before."

Hondilas went through this too and I found that a child had to die to get this crystal made. I didn't mind destroying it now. With the number of slaves I had no child would have to die. I could afford to put myself at the mercy of the slaves and get a great amount of energy.

The materials were at hand and Hondilas went for a nap while I went back to Toronto. The family was preparing for sleep but didn't mind helping me.

I started with Sonya this time but she was on her back as I began my foreplay. She didn't want this and wanted me to start. I said, "I'm the master here, sometimes, and today I want to do this my way, slave. I enjoy making love to you."

"I am sorry, Master. It won't happen again."

"Ha, not till next time you mean. If I didn't love you so much I would trade you in for a nice docile slave that does what she is told."

"I will do what I am told."

"You do what is right and that is why I will keep you for the rest of my life."

She kissed me passionately now and I continued with my unneeded seduction. My lips travelled down her body and she responded with a orgasm that was just for her. The grid was already formed and we only had to connect to it. The ring tonight was similar to before for now there were multiple rings and everybody old enough was allowed but not ordered to attend.

With Sonya, Sara and even Mordock and Hassan we built a crystal molecule by molecule and when we finished it looked much better than what the original amulet had been. I had brought more material in case we made mistakes but now I made eight more. The effort to make even one was considerable but not for the number of people contributing.



-------

Chapter 14


When the crystals were done I just continued to make love to my ladies. I didn't try for quantity this time but tried to express my love to each of them.

The boys had not been as happy with their lot so I did what I did to Sonya and while making love I pictured her face. I did this to the boys now and they felt the thrusts into their vaginas even though this organ didn't exist.

When we were done I just wanted to sleep and I did. There were warm bodies all around me and in a way the grid never completely left and I slept with all of them.

We had a fun breakfast. The children from Houston were not frightened of me, or at least not much. When we finished eating I made clothing for the children and even a sleigh that could be pulled by the horses but then stopped. There were too many potential attackers around to let the family go outside.

Mrs Cardinalli had been contacted and she hadn't seen any strangers coming near. If the strangers were other apprentices of Calldas then they could be right beside her as she told me this and wouldn't know. She knew of the danger to us and the majority of the staff had a light load and went to visit friends and relatives that were close.

We walked back to Hondilas and woke him up then allowed him time in the washroom. He could not touch our amulets but I could see that he thought they were very good. He did ask, "Did Erasmus make those?"

"No, we did last night. If I had more material I think we could have made double that number."

"You had that many sacrifices?"

"Yes we did. We just ran out of raw materials." I sounded as callous as the people he knew and possibly emulated.

Hondilas wanted to do this work but I would not allow it. He was not trusted yet. We used power crystals and the complex to provide power for the spell. The spell would go into the unknown to hold the memories. Hondilas had not quite lied because he didn't know if this could be done.

The spell to allow me to interface with the amulet was complex too and I found out about the shield around the newcomer's minds. Apparently it was a way of increasing the mental powers and keep the deepest secrets hidden. This procedure had to be done first. I was wholly inadequate for dealing with the data.

I didn't trust Hassan and Mordock too far even though their conditioning had been holding so far. Sonya used her fingers on Sara for additional power as I lay in the centre of our small circle. There was going to be a lot of pain and I was made unconscious.

I woke up and quickly looked around. Sara and Sonya were next to me and close by was Mordock and Hassan. The first spell seemed to have worked. I was thinking even clearer now. My own mind had the shield over it the same as I had seen recently.

The bathroom drew me and when I came back I saw the girls sitting up. Hassan and Mordock had been doing things for themselves.

Sonya said with a suspicious voice, "How did it go, Master?"

"It looks like you girls did very well. I felt no pain that I remember and my mind works much better. I can access my own memories much better but I haven't tested my mind yet to see if my intelligence has increased."

Sonya said, "It may take a while. My I look into your mind now?"

"Go right ahead. I will open it to you then close it to see if you can get in."

The test worked very well but the girls were able to defeat my barrier. I said, "Could it be that you have been in my mind so much and the fact that I love you both have anything to do with this?"

Sara said with a meek smile, "That could be but I think it is because the process takes time to complete."

We woke up Hondilas and asked him about this but he had very little to add and basically he just didn't know. It was done to him and eventually it was like it was now. He did complain that he could have done better if he had been allowed to try.

When Hassan and Mordock came back we worked once again. This time I was to interface with the second amulet. It had to be on my body to function and after the spell I could dig through all of Malochuck life. I was prepared for the horrors and I just try to avoided them like the plague. It was not as bad as I thought. I could exclude his methods but I knew that if I studied what he did, I would have to see torture and death on a scale I didn't want to deal with.

Mordock asked me questions that only he and Malochuck would have known and I answered them for him. In some cases I was able to give Malochuck's real thoughts on the matter.

I went further into the base and made a time spell and hid the crystal in this till the other was destroyed.

The spell to separate Hondilas' ill gotten memories worked very well and he was now just himself.

"Will you let me go now? I cannot access the amulet."

"Not yet, but soon. Lower your shield. You have probably lied to me and I forgive you ahead of time. I want to know who I am dealing with."

"But you got my help. I gave you everything."

"Hondilas, you simply have to do this. Our future relations are all based on how you really think. You may hate me with a passion but I will still protect you. You have to give my your cooperation and I give you my help."

"But..."

"There can be no buts Hondilas. Lower your shield. I will not hurt you on my word."

He did reluctantly and I found that Hondilas was actually a recently advanced mage and not an apprentice any longer. There was more but I simply put a spell on him to sleep. Since I was in his mind I kept the doorway open so to speak. I took a blank amulet in one hand and an crystal in another and recited the spell that would copy Hondilas' memories into the amulet. This took nearly ten minutes and a few more for the actual transfer.

Another spell gave me access to this amulet and I read this instead of Hondilas' mind. It was much clearer and his subconscious was not constantly trying to cover his failings.

His memories were very extensive. Getting to be a mage in Fassie was not as easy as other places. I went back into Hondilas' mind and used a much better spell to make him my slave. It allowed him more room to manoeuvre and he could think more efficiently. Mordock and Hassan always thought of me and this hurt their performance.

Hondilas was awoken and his faced changed at seeing me. He was quite worried but I didn't know if he knew that his memories were copied. I went to him and removed his bindings with my own hands and helped him to sit properly.

"Hondilas, I found a great many things about you and I was happy to see them."

"What were they, Master?" He thought on what he had just said but being a slave was not that odious to him if it was to me.

"When I made the amulets I worked with my family and not slaves though some like to be called that. I have not killed any child and find the idea more than just abhorrent. I see that you think the same way and hide the facts from those that taught you. I love my family but I have drawn a line to who I will have sex with. Your line is drawn at a younger age. You have done some bad things but it was done because you would die if you failed. The mages on Fassie are not a sympathetic lot."

I opened my mind to Hondilas now and allowed him to enter. I had to trust the spell now that he would not kill or hurt me. He worked very slow and searched out my motives and even my past.

When he came out much later he smiled at me and said, "You are not even a trainee. Though with the knowledge and abilities you could make an apprentice very soon and a mage a short time after."

"I find that the people that use magic think only of magic and not about simple ways of accomplishing a task."

The six of us walked over to see Vessio and the two women.

"What do you know of these three?"

"The man was the leader of this operation. The two women are Calldas' two favourite apprentices. They are very brutal though they do not appear that way. At one time I had some serious thoughts about the one you call Alison. When I found out what she was really like I quickly backed off. The one you call Elaine is just as bad. They both enjoy their work very much and seem to specialise in using pain as a power source."

"What about Vessio?"

"I know nothing about him. Calldas said that I was to treat this man as I would him. On the ship he gave orders like he had many years of experience and he reminded me of many of the mages I have met on Fassie."

"What can you tell us of their mental blocks?"

Hondilas concentrated on each of the people then said, "Their shields are very good. Vessio's is as good as any mage I have met but I was never allowed to linger in a mage's mind."

"Ok, tell us of the plans and a description of the ones that had the same job as yours."

We learned the details and we found that there were a great deal of them. It was very well thought out. The time table was only vague on when the five others would be able to meet the remainder of Maximus' apprentices.

Madrix was not quite a mage yet and this was the final test to becoming a mage in his own right. He was directed to take over Mordock's domain. He was very aggressive and also very proficient. He had a full dozen trainees assisting him. The four others had from ten to sixteen trainees each to make sure the takeovers went without a hitch.

We didn't know how successful any of them were and no way to find out with out meeting the apprentices or their imposters. Hondilas, by his own words was not the strongest of the six and weaker that both of the two women we had. This made our opposition able to beat us easily if there were more than two. If I could bring out the real Sara then there may be one more apprentice but I was afraid of her as much as I was of the remaining five.

The only logical recourse would be to gain more support for our side and this meant recruiting Vessio and the two women apprentices.

On Hondilas' information we started on Alison. We removed the remainder of her blocks except her mind shield. My own in the next few days had been strengthening and knew that hers would be a major obstacle. When she was conscious we had an electrical device fixed to her vagina that could give a mild electric shock. Its location though would cause a great deal of pain that would stop her from finishing any incantation she may wish to throw at us.

It took a whole day to get her to drop her pose as a nice woman and begin to act as Hondilas said she was like. I was a poor master in that I didn't want to cause harm to anybody though I might threaten to do so. I put Sonya in charge and she worked with Sara and Hondilas to break the woman's will.

Mordock, Hassan and I worked on Elaine but this was done in the penthouse. This way the two women couldn't communicate. I only had to release Hassan and Mordock from some of their conditioning before they acted the same way. Their old spell was removed and the new one like the one Hondilas had went in its place. Perhaps what I was doing was just distancing myself from the responsibilities of what my slaves were doing.

I was very worried about my new intelligence. I knew that the changes were quite advantageous but the results I came to went against everything I grew up with. I was constantly checking myself to see if magic and the quest for power was corrupting me. The militaries of this world and even the police had rules to go by or we would end up with a police state. I had to regulate myself but still get the results I needed. A soft heart could get not only me killed but also all of my family.

Three days after we started, Mrs Cardinalli told me in her report that the butler, a maid and three strangers were frozen solid where the elevator was in the house.

"We will be there to pick them up in a few weeks. Those effected will not have felt anything about the passage of time." She was still upset and I added, "Slave, do as you are told or I will sell you to the first person that asks for your old hide."

The old woman started to sob and said, "Everything will be as you wish it Master."

I had told the staff recently that I may have to say something harsh on the phone in case we were being monitored. She must remember this but I think I still hurt her deeply to hear it from me.

I had practice with my time spell on both women and Vessio. They would be immobile until someone was able to counteract my spell. I was not so foolish to think that it would take that long.

We walked back to Toronto and called Goldstein to prepare for a shipment. He got additional crystals and me. He was ready for this but not ready to fight. The five members of my troop came soon after. I made particular notice of his home. One day I may have to make a doorway to this area whether Goldstein was helping us or not. Mages were supposed to be able to fly but I had never seen any spells on this and doubted if this could really work.

We took a limo to Toronto this time and then rented a car. If I were Madrix, I would lay a trap and catch those that came to get his people. We rented hotel rooms for the night and the next day we got as closes as we dared and tried to detect any magic that was not our own. We could find nothing and at seven when it was getting dark, we called for a helicopter to fly us over the property. We didn't just go to our own but checked other nearby areas.

We found nothing but that was not that unusual when dealing with someone about to become a mage. Two hours later a taxi took me to the house. My mind was questing for any stranger and ready to hide behind my block if I had a chance to retreat that far.

Rather than hunt for Mrs Cardinalli's mind I looked for her husband's. With my lightest touch, I found something odd. My Pakistani driver gave a code unknowingly on the radio and I had time to check only two others before I got to the house.

Once in the house I yelled for the butler. "Where were you? You were supposed to be checking the property and those entering."

The man was very unsure now and said, "I am sorry Sir. I was trying to do the other tasks you have asked us to do."

"Get that lazy cook to make me something to eat."

"Yes sir," he said as he hurried away.

I sat in the study now and just ran my mind over the house. I had not even gone to see those frozen in time. It was not very long before I felt more than one magical presence coming my way.

The door to the study opened and a well dressed man in Fassie clothing came into the room. In his hand was a large crystal that I knew was fully charged. Around his neck was an amulet that was very similar to the one worn by Hondilas.

I said in Fassie, "Make yourself at home. Food is coming, would you like something to eat?"

He looked at me and could feel him trying to probe my mind. Three men came into the room and fanned out. It took a few minutes till he said, "I didn't think you were this capable. The people in this house see you as the master and the name you gave was simply Adam. You did take over Mordock though."

"The name is good enough for them. You didn't tell me if you would like something to eat?"

"I have already eaten. Where did you get the shield you are using?"

"Erasmus is generous to those that show promise."

"I have heard that Erasmus does not have as good a shield."

"He wears what clothes he wants others to see. How many of Maximus' apprentices have you taken over?"

"I can't see how that would help you one way of another."

"Then how many if it means nothing?"

"Four."

"Quite a feat if it is true. Which of the Fassie mages wants to take over this planet?"

"That doesn't concern you. Are you going to do this peacefully or do I have to use force?"

"Force by all means. With me dead you cannot use me for whatever plans you have in mind. The only way I would not fight you is if your master can find a place for me in his staff. Erasmus put no loyalty spell on me and I don't mind shifting allegiances if it will keep me alive."

"My master could use a person like you."

"That is good to hear but that is only your opinion or just your words. Perhaps a chat with your master could avoid this fight."

"There will be very little in the way of fighting. I have heard about you. You are not really that powerful at all. You are quick and strong; while most of us are used to fighting with our minds instead."

"I work with magic too. You might not know this Madrix, but the desk, chairs and those knobs on top of the bookcases all have bombs in them. Why do you think I came here first and not to see your men frozen in time?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Erasmus had some people from Saranam that work for Calldas. We know a great deal about your plan. Erasmus has even worked this attack into his strategy. Soon Saranam will be the premier country for Mages. Fassie has outlived its usefulness. Whether you know it or not Erasmus plans to take over the country. The only mages that survive will swear allegiance to Erasmus. He has an army and now it is on the move. There is nothing you can do to stop it."

Right on schedule the elevator from the complex far below started and the car came to the house. Madrix heard from his men but looked at me. None of them had understood the radio in my pocket and how the conversation went beyond the property.

I just continued to sit but I did smile condescendingly at Madrix. He gave some quick orders and his men left the room and ran to the elevator. It took seconds to travel and they never wondered how come it took a minute and a half with a lot of mechanical sounds about it.

I tucked my mind in as good as I could and tried to relax. The next thing I knew I felt a white hot searing bolt of power wash over me. The pain was excruciating and the darkness swallowed me.

My eyes finally opened. My sight was bleary and it was dark. Candle light allowed me to make out Sonya. She bent down quickly and kissed me. "Fine master you make. You go to sleep while we do all the work."

"You are too full of righteous indignation for me to get in the way. I assume everything has been taken care of?"

"We got them all but the wiring in your house is shot. Very little of the appliances will work again."

"What about the servants?"

"They were hurt by the blast but nothing was serious. Some of Madrix trainees were very close to the elevator when the crystal exploded. They are a lot more serious."

Sonya helped me to my feet. The light of a candle showed that Madrix was not present. My head hurt still and I cast a spell to remove the pain and so did Sonya. All of them had been safe in the complex after going back to base below by way of Goldstein. Sara was the one listening to the information on the radio. She used a telephone to contact Goldstein in Buffalo. He in turn sent a code word to the base for when to start our attack.

There were bright lights ahead and Hassan was coming out of the elevator with some magic globes that were as bright as sixty watt bulbs. It was difficult for a petrified man was right in front and Hassan had to work his way around. The staff was moving around groggily too but took a bulb to where it was needed.

When the staff had cleared out, Sonya put a plastic bag over the heads of the trainees and broke a capsule that contained a gas to put them to sleep. I concentrated hard and gave the counter spell. The servants just looked around at how everything had changed while the trainees instinctively took in a breath of drug laden air and dropped to the floor.

She said to the servants, "You better move back a bit unless you want to go for a nap." They moved quickly. I cast a spell on the sleeping men to ensure they stayed that way. I had to start a second time because I had to take power from Sonya to complete the spell.

Hondilas was in the main room looking after staff while holding a stone to supply him with power. He seemed to enjoy what he was doing and thought he missed his calling as a doctor.

Hassan and Mordock came up the elevator and saw the men on the floor and just put them into the car for a trip downstairs.

When everything was cleaned up I said to the butler and Mrs Cardinalli, "I am sorry for the way I had to talk to you. If those men knew how important you were to me then they could have used that against me."

Mrs Cardinalli said, "We know that Sir. It is kind of hard to accept sometimes. You sound very convincing when you pretend you are angry."

"I have to act that way and you have to as well. Again I apologise for what I am putting you through. It's only ten days until Christmas and I have a present for all of you if I can remove all the threats."

"Thank you sir. We will do what we have to do to protect you and the children."

Down in the complex the family came to greet me. They were upset because they knew of the fight that happened on the surface and the number of unconscious men coming down. I checked each of the men and found some hurt but proximity to the blast of power. I put all of them into the gym and got the family to make concentric rings around them.

Cong had been keeping her duties as timekeeper and talked to Sonya and it was Cong that placed the girls. I guess I was going to get shared more evenly. Though it was late I took my time and made love to each of my ladies and part of the time pictured one of the others that I could not touch. Sonya and Sara kept the grid functional and we tried to work on the worst damaged trainees first. The spells on them were fairly simple but they had to be exactly the same binding before I would remove it. It would be too much for a mage to make all of his slaves with individual bindings unless each was very important to him.

We had some fun in between times with the family experiencing quite a few orgasms. We went back to work then but soon returned to fun and games. I was able to remove all the spells from the trainees then added my own. Most of the trainees were proficient but evil people and I had to do some changes to their psyche before I would let them free. They were from Fassie and there pain and suffering was very common along with callousness and atrocities.

Madrix was only processed a little. He had the same shield as Vessio and the two women. It was very tiring by the time we called it a night and I went around to make sure everybody was safe. The trainees would have to go back into a time spell. I was not about to check to see how well the spell held when I was this tired.

Hondilas said, "I see what you mean about family. Those people all love you. I looked at a few and it was not a spell that you put on them. None of the mages would ever risk their lives the way you did. They have to keep an iron control and it is difficult to manage even a fraction of the people you have assembled here."

"Now you know my secret. I plan on setting you up with some slaves but they will have to be shown love. You are not the same as me and there is far too much Fassie in you but perhaps you can learn to let your heart guide you in some matters. Wherever you happen to be, you will be a very powerful mage. I just hope you accept the responsibility with the power."

The next morning Hassan and Mordock went upstairs to attend to business. They had missed a lot of opportunities for making money but I had given them some plums that had once been owned by Malochuck.

We took a short break after breakfast. I provided crayons and paper to the children. Most didn't know what to do with them but did see as Sara made some nice pictures. When shown butterflies then tried to make their own with fanciful colours. The four of us cut the shapes out and when we had almost fifty of them, we concentrated on them and tried to see how many we could influence with our PK. Hondilas could keep ten flapping their wings fairly well or eleven with less proficiency.

Sonya could do three and Sara could do eight. We had changed her personality and not her abilities. In this case she was happy to work hard for the children. I could do only five and they were none too stable.

Usually I had them land on the children's head that made them. There were a lot of glad children's voices in the gym. A lot of mothers looked very happy too.

We went back to work which required a walk to the Houston complex. Alison was taken from the time vault and again the girls began to work on them.

I pulled Hondilas aside and said, "What chance is there of finding all the trainees that came with you?"

"They only know this place and the ship. Their orders though were not that strict. If they were they would be at a severe handicap if something unexpected happened."

"What if you put back the facial characteristics of Malochuck and ran from the complex?"

"They would know that I have fled if they are close."

"Do you want to flee and see how many you can get?"

"I would like that Master. They are not suited for this world but I think they are no better than those you got yesterday."

"There was a man by the name of Nietzsche. He would have fit in very well with those of Fassie. He said, 'He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you'. This I agree with but he also said, 'Morality is the herd-instinct in the individual.' The latter I think you have heard in one form or another where you live."

"We have a lot of similar sayings. They seem to usually deal with those not strong enough to protect themselves."

"I have my own problems doing what I have to do and not becoming a monster. It is much easier to act a monster than to act morally. There are far fewer obstacles in the way of success."

Hondilas said, "I think it only gets worse with age and with power. A mage will have both and many times the mind cannot deal with it the way it did when young. This battle may not end till you die."

"I know that. I only wish I would know that I would always fight."

Hondilas said, "It is the strong that keep fighting their inner natures while the weak succumb to them."

With that depressing though in mind I picked up some power crystals and left the complex for the house in Houston. I was primed for another attack but none of the trainees appeared to be close.

Holding the crystals I opened my mind to find any other magical sources of power. Some were close. Ranch security was summoned while I went back to get Hondilas. Hondilas was sitting with me having some coffee when they arrived. He now had a glamour making him look like the former owner of this property.

Security didn't know who to address for sure and I had the three man detail sit in the comfortable chairs. I looked into their minds one at a time and saw that there had been some minor tampering.

I said to the detail, "We're dealing with magic and people that read minds. I have to tell you information in a special way because you may come up against some trainees again. They have already met all of you and left an instruction to contact them if this man beside me is seen again. You can't help it and in this case I want it to happen."

The three knew something of magic and I looked into their minds. They were pragmatic about this because of who they used to work for and who they now worked for.

"Mr Malochuck is going to run from this building soon. He will put a glamour on that will allow him to remain invisible. I will soon give an order for his recapture. You will turn the area upside down and make a lot of fuss. You have to treat this as if it is genuine."

The chief asked, "Won't they know we are lying to them?"

"Normally the answer is yes but I am going to give you some help. You will remember this conversation but as if it is a dream not worth mentioning. The reason I am telling you in the first place is that you now work for me for money and compulsion. I do not like keeping information that you should have to do your job. In years to come our relationship will shift a bit as you see that I am going to treat you and all the other employees as friends to a certain extent. Work still had to be done and I still have to be seen as the employer."

"When will this operation begin?"

I looked at Hondilas and he said, "Any time is good for me. You have those nice little radios so communications are not a problem. I would like the men picked up if they are in danger but if they are in a home I will just leave them for a day of so. Perhaps a low ranking employee can pick up some sleeping trainees and nobody will think much of it unless they see him carrying a person."

"That sounds good. I will get you some clothes and money because I like things paid for if possible. If you need help I can keep a squad nearby that will work directly for you."

"I can start as soon as I get the supplies."

One of the safes was open and I handed out some cash and explained a bit of the value of each bill and then the ideas of tips. Malochuck had a lot of clothes and Hondilas dressed as he thought best. He got some charged crystals and then shook hands with me then the three men before disappearing from sight. A few seconds later the front door opened then closed again.

"I think we should wait ten minutes then you can run out of here as if this were a life and death order to you. Many mages are that way but I am not. We all fail and I do too. All I require is a very good effort."

"Was that really Mr Malochuck? He never shook my hand before."

"Mr was killed in another power struggle. I was going to keep Malochuck alive but just change his personality to such an extent that he would not hurt anybody again. I am not going to cry over his death though. He was an evil man that you have no idea to the lengths he has done things to get ahead. He is not the only one though. I have recently found out that Malochuck was not even the worse."

I talked in generalities for a few moments concerning magic in general. The three men got a few more words so their orders would be very explicit. The chief was given a radio and told to forget it till it rang. I then moved the recent memories to the back of their minds.

I tried to appear very worried and put a minor glamour on myself to show that I was bleeding. "Malochuck has gone insane. He tried to kill my wife and nearly killed me. Get out there and see if you can find him. Shoot him on sight. I want his body dragged back here by tonight."

I got three excited people saying, "Yes Sir!"

"Then get out there and catch get him."

In moments the ranch was in turmoil. Security was now armed with rifles openly and speed off in every direction to find someone that was invisible. I had trainees of my own to process.

I was back in the Toronto complex in a few minutes. I went around to the family and greeted all those I met by name. My memory worked better now and even my thinking appeared quicker. More of the girls got dolls and so did the younger boys. School had kept going and those that recently came were integrated into the learning process.

When everyone was busy I took one trainee at a time from his time spell and worked more on his unconscious brain before awakening him. Each of them treated me like the dread master they had known from Fassie. They were now much different than they had been before. In a way I had killed each of them. Portions of their old personality was selectively scrubbed permanently away. I gave them the framework for the rest and it was up to each of them to continue the rebuilding. Some of the less objectionable points had to remain or they would never fit in with their old community.

All had slaves and children in Fassie but no wives. Women were little more than slaves without being given the name already. I didn't know what I was going to do with the men. If they went back then Calldas or another mage would wonder about their change of attitude. It would be best to find employment here and then keep an eye on them.

There were no jobs presently available for them. I would not allow them with the family. They were still animals in my opinion. I simply cast another time spell and procrastinated what I was going to do.

Madrix stayed as I put him. He was much too difficult to tackle alone. I could probably beat his shield safely but when there were more people a great many more points would be assessed. The power we would generate would make this difficult job at least bearable.

When I was done I walked back to the Houston ranch and contacted the captain of the Sultan's Fist.

"Yes, Sir. What are your orders?"

"I have some questions first."

"Yes, Sir."

"How many of the men have family that they would like to spend Christmas with?"

"I would have to say roughly half, Sir."

"Would you think the crew of the Lucky Lady is about the same?"

"Yes, Sir."

"If you amalgamated both crews with no family ties, would you be able to safely handle the ship. I have a lot of dependants and I would like them to enjoy a cruise. They will not need to be fed. I can supply all their needs. I would like them to learn about ship life as if this were a school outing. Others just need a chance to relax. Are you up to being the captain of a cruise ship?"

"Yes, Sir. The former owner had these sort of arrangements too. He supplied food and even the clean linen. We were usually told to stand near and perform any duties if we were asked."

I detected something in his voice and said, "There should be nothing objectionable. Many are infants and children. They are a pain sometimes but that is what parents are for. The remainder are young women and boys. These you would have seen before. The rest are servants that are just going to go on a cruise for a few weeks."

"I can have the ship ready in three days, Sir."

"There is no need for that speed. A week should do. I think I should have the Lucky Lady made ready to sail too. Your home port is Galveston so I propose that she sets sail the night school lets out for the youngsters. The ship sails to Galveston and picks up the remainder of the crews' families. They will be cramped but it will be a free holiday for the family and a paying holiday for the crew."

"That is exceptionally generous of you sir. I have never heard of anybody going to that expense for their employees. I will thank you now. I know everybody would love to hear this news."

"You are welcome. The Lucky Lady will have to be provisioned and fuelled. The sooner the families are made aware of this the sooner then can prepare. There will be some time restraints so the captain can use his own discretion for where to go and how long to take. I don't want a pack of irate teachers throwing erasers and chalk at me."

The captain laughed then said, "I am quite sure the families would protect you if that happened."

"That is good to hear. Please convey my wishes to your fellow captain so he can start. I do insist on an itemised list of passengers. I want their ages, likes, dislikes and pertinent points about each. Santa has his ways of doing things but I do not have his resources."

"I am quite sure the men can provide that even if they have to ask their wives for help."

This made me feel good. Family is important to the crew and important to me. If they didn't see me as a soft heated and soft headed employer after all this then I would be quite happy.

My happiness left me as I walked back into the complex. Sonya and Sera were still working on Alison or whatever her real name was. Here is where I was coming very close to what should not happen. The woman had to be under a great deal of stress so that she would lower her shield. This was actually torture. I could justify it because the women had done the same thing to others but that didn't make it alright for me to use it. It was a lot better than what would happen if I gave her to Erasmus though.

The girls knew I was coming and put Alison temporarily to sleep. Sonya and then Sara kissed me. Sara said, "This one is real tough. She not only knows how to dish it out but she knows how to take it."

"Did you try all the standard fears? I can't see her happy to be covered in rats that would gnaw at her body."

"We only tried a few. Some things are more effective than others but we haven't found the ones that she is really afraid of yet."

"Try an angry master. I have the crystal of Hondilas' memories and I can feed you the image of Calldas."

"That may work very well. We can try it now if you want."

I retrieved the amulet and saw the old man's face. He looked much younger than Erasmus but I knew he was a lot older. The girls looked into my mind to see the image and then Sonya cast a glamour so that she looked and later sounded just like Calldas.

There was nothing for me to do now so I found a quiet corner and looked much deeper into the memories of a young mage. Soon I was comparing spells with the memories of Malochuck from his crystal. This was the first time I had the time to leisurely study and it felt great. I had to work through the disturbed mind of Malochuck.

Hondilas had told me that time spells were very rare and the one that Malochuck had that opened a portal between two realms was amazing. I did a lot of backtracking to find out how Malochuck had come by it. He had got the idea from an old text but even there it said that this may be possible and gave some ideas how it could be accomplished. The long dead mage was never able to make it work.

This put me in mind of the books and knew that Malochuck had an extensive library. Some were even hidden in other countries so he would have something valuable to deal in if he ever needed the money. The computer now held all the information but some files were hidden very well. I had not known of their existence till going through the memories in detail.

I walked to the computer and soon was able to see the original work this spell derived from. Malochuck notes were here too and I saw all the experiments he made. He was an evil man but he was methodical in his approach to investigating.

Sonya came to me later and said, "Let's call a day of this. I need some sleep. Will you cast your time spell on Alison? I want her tired while we get our sleep."

I had not known that the time had passed so quickly and did as she asked. She and Sara heard about Hondilas and his attempt to bring in the trainees and my evaluation of those we already had.

"I thought of a nice present for Christmas. The Sultan's fist is going to set sail with all of our family and the servants from Toronto and a few from Houston."

"That's great. I was never on a ship that was going someplace."

Sara said, "Me neither. Where are we going?"

"Haven't figured that out. Could be anywhere I guess. The Lucky Lady is sailing with the families of the combined crews. They have to make their return trip over the holidays so the children can get back to school. We are getting the single males this time and no such problems with time."

"Will the ladies get their choices of the available men?"

"They can do whatever they wish. The children will have to be watched, especially the boys. They are conditioned to be sultry all the time."

Sara said, "The young girls are not far behind. They know that they are safe and are sharpening their nails. They want you too."

"That is still bothering me. I want the girls, that I see as my children, to grow up and have a family of their own but this may not be possible. It could not be on Earth but some world that already knows of magic may be the best answer."

Sonya said, "We may not be done with Alison yet. She may take more than a week."

"I have thought of that too. I have been reeding up on how to start a complex of my own. I want one on each of the two ships and a portal between them. Another portal can link to Houston or Toronto or perhaps both. Alison can still be broken and you can still get a chance to enjoy some of the cruise though that sounds very crass of me. I don't like hurting anybody, and a pretty lady is only surpassed by a child."

Sara said, "Some ladies want to make you work very hard for them tonight. In fact two are very close and don't mind starting right away."



-------

Chapter 15


We had our supper and both Sara and Sonya used the elevator to go up to the house. Electricians had been busy for a long time. Everything that was running at the time of the blast was burnt out. We had used much more crystals than we had used to get Malochuck. I didn't want any possibility of slipping up and erred on the side of more power. Some appliances it was much easier to just buy new.

Mrs Cardinalli got the kitchen the way she wanted but others picked what they thought right for their own quarters. When the tradesmen had left I called a meeting and had to wait for a few minutes so everyone could arrive. Mrs Cardinalli's fruit pies had to be sampled she said for magic food was not as good, she said.

"Mrs Cardinalli, it is your pies that are being made in the complex. I couldn't think of any better to pick from. The children are putting on weight from your cooking and I have to build devices that make them work harder to burn off the calories."

"I miss them. There are so many and... I miss them."

I put my hand on her shoulder and said, "So do I. There is just so much to do to keep them safe that there is little time to do what a family should."

When everybody had arrived I made my greetings and thanked them for their help through the last crisis again. "I have promised you all a Christmas present and I hope you can take advantage of it. I own two fairly large ships now and they are presently being made ready to sail. I want to bring all of my family and that includes all that is in this room. There is no work to do but you may want to be with the children. The rest are going to learn about running the ship which I hope will be interesting."

They were all happy and Sara asked questions for me so I could explain more. "When and where are we going?"

"There is lots of fuel and I don't really know yet. The food will be good but perhaps not up to Mrs Cardinalli's standards. I am going to make it rich tasting and because it is magical you will not have to buy new clothes when you get back. You will not need any warm clothing. You get to go down to the complex where we live and then walk less than nine hundred metres to a special door I made. Walk through and you will be in Houston. you will not see the ranch though because something is happening there. You will go through another portal directly to the ship."

"We will be sailing in the Gulf of Mexico and you can literally walk a few kilometres back to Toronto if you need to. There is no customs to go through but you may want to buy souvenirs if and when we stop."

One person asked, "What if we need passports to get ashore in a different country? You said you don't know where we are going but it may be Mexico or one of the Caribbean islands."

I said, "I am afraid we couldn't use passports because I don't want any of you traced back to me. I can get you ashore if it is necessary but we have to sneak. Our own medical will make sure you don't' carry anything to any others and they will not be able to effect you."

"This cruise is for those people that are already familiar with the use of magic. Another cruise on a slightly smaller ship will have the families that do not know that fact yet. Magic will be used a lot and we will continue with those classes if you wish to take part. I can give you a day or so to think on this offer. Nobody has to go but I would like you to come. The horses, dogs and mail can be still looked after from the ship. Somebody only has to walk back to do these chores."

A sampling of their minds let me know that they were thinking favourably of the cruise. We went back to our area after answering a lot more simple questions.

The family here was even more excited and frightened. Most had no idea of the size of the ships and some had never even seen a boat. Some of the worlds they came from were arid. Pictures had to be shown and then the complex that would be hid on the ship someplace. If I couldn't make a portal to a moving object then we would have to be shuttled to the ship in buses from the ranch.

They would go though because I asked it and they knew they could return to the new complex on the ship and it would be the same as here or any other magical realm.

With our ease at generating a lot of power I got the ingredients to make crystals but now tried for very large sizes. I wanted to make love but the power should not be wasted unless necessary.

Cong got everybody back where they belonged and I started where I had left off last time. This happened to be Ann and she was very aggressive in her lovemaking. While I was making love to her body she was doing the same to me. We both were so focussed on each other that I had not noticed the grid going up. From then on I focussed more on the powder on the floor. Sonya was in charge of this and there certainly was a lot.

I was pleased to see that Sonya and Sara were doing much more than just handing atoms or molecules to me, though they did that too. The others were constructing crystals too but at a much slower rate. Even some of the older children were participating in our communal project.

I found to my surprise that an orgasm was actually detrimental to the construction, though the ladies liked to have this common background of erotic feelings that kept them at it. It reminded me of them all working and just listening to some popular music. The women could probably do all this themselves while drawings power from the complex. This could easily be replaced by wild sex and a lot of love at a later date. A mage would never allow this. He would not be in power and would have to oversee the construction to keep his slaves from getting uppity.

The construction was nearly done and we pushed on another hour to finish the crystal. It was uncharged but it was certainly beautiful and large. It would weight over a hundred kilos and I was not sure if any crystal was even a tenth of this size. Once charged it would have an awesome amount of power available.

The next morning I was very tired from all the work we had done. I fed the children fruit and cooked cereal which they seemed to like as much as I did. I soon had some of my ladies come by for some food as if theirs was not as good enough. Before I was able to go I got some of the riper infants and I changed the babies as their mothers smiled and watched. It was their way of knowing that I was going to look after them even while the going was rough.

When I left the gym, I turned around to see more crystal material being deposited on the floor. Sonya and Sara just held my arms and hurried me on as if this was none of my business.

The girls and I parted company once more but after I removed the time spell from Alison. I went back to my studies of others minds.

A radio call came into the ranch from Hondilas. He said, after the pleasantries, "I found some of their equipment. There are at least three trainees here but they have not made contact. I have not made it easy for them and this is the way it has to be. I think they have gone back to the ship hoping for more instructions. They probably know by now that you have taken Vessio and the two women into custody. They may make an attempt to gain access to perform a rescue. They may also think that I have been compromised."

I said, "There are always people going to the docks. An invisible man could find a lift if he needed to."

"I will go if you order me but it is more in line with my previous orders if I stay here and claim that I am trying to complete my mission by going after you. Would you come out sometime and I can attack you? You can slip away or you can fight me off. They know I am a new mage and this means I am fairly powerful. It would put some authenticity into the act."

"It sure would. What have you in mind?"

"You simply go on a walking tour of the ranch with some managers and security. Behind the stables is a good place where I cast a sleeping spell on all of you. I come from the stables with the intention of transporting you away. You see me coming and shoot some Wizard Fire at me and of course you have to miss. You run to a parked vehicle and I hit it with Wizard Fire. It will be destroyed properly with a lot of noise and flames. You shoot back and I decide that this is not a winnable solution and leave."

I said, "I have to find out how to shoot Wizard Fire first and second the trainees may come out of hiding and assist you."

"I hadn't thought of that possibility."

"We can do this if Sonya and Sara are in my party but temporarily separated. If a trainee shows up and is captured, they will not think it is your fault."

Sonya and Sara were taking a break when I came into their room. Alison was naked and secured to a sturdy wood frame. The room had acquired some new dungeon paraphernalia since I was here earlier in the morning. We now had a brazier and some hot pokers getting ready. There was the smell in the air of burning flesh but the woman had no marks on her.

Sonya smiled at me through sweat drenched features and pointed at the brazier and shook her head. She knew I didn't like this but a good act needed good props.

"I have some good news about Calldas. Let me tidy up here and we can talk about it."

Alison moved at the mention of the name but she was too groggy and to understand much. It was only a bit of psychological warfare anyway. The girls moved beside me and I cast the spell over the woman stretched out on the table.

"What is it, Master?" Came from Sara with a cute smile.

"Nothing about Caldas. Hondilas has been unable to detect some of the trainees. Some he believes, are still here. He wants to set up the stage where he tries to take me but you and I fight him off. I am not seen as that strong and only won because of our numbers. The trainees will come to him for a second attempt and he will take them then."

Sonya asked, "Where do you think the others are?"

"Probably at one or both of the ships but that is a guess. Let's do a bit of studying on how to make the coming act believable."

We had some knowledge of rudimentary spells. We had to learn others but we all required charged crystals for the needed power. The casting of energy was very tiring and a shield was the same way. Usually a shield was in place all the time and only needed to be strengthened if there was time to do so. Mine had always been weak and sometimes nonexistent but I was working on the problem.

I did cast a very powerful spell on Sonya and Sara so they would have some additional coverage. It started to degrade right away and I would renew it before we left the ranch house.

My wishes to have a detail go with me when I made a walking tour were made known and a half dozen armed men were soon at the house. I checked their minds and saw that all of them had been altered as had the other three a few days ago. I gave my own orders and gave a spell for them to forget most of it. They had to know what was happening or they could be killed.

It was noon now and getting warm even if it was almost Christmas. As we walked I made notes for things that needed to be changed or done. This too made the walk plausible.

Sonya and Sara asked at the right time, "I want to check the mare. She is going to foal soon."

"I'll go check the dogs then."

My group made slow progress to allow the girls to get into position. When I rounded the back of the building I saw that there were a lot more vehicles parked here now. Hondilas must have been busy getting the stage set. This time I cast my mind out but saw no magic other than my ladies but had to continue with this. I strengthened my shield and drew power from the crystals in my pockets or hanging from my neck. The four remaining members of security spread out as their orders dictated. I was in the lead and five metres from the closest man.

The blast came out of the blue. I had no idea that it was coming and I was watching very carefully. A car right beside me had exploded and the car body was what partially shielded the detail. I had been blown three metres to the side and into another vehicle.

My shield had been taxed almost to the limit but I lowered it to get a reading of who was around. Three sources were coming my way and two more from the stables. The last group I hoped would be the girls.

I now used Wizard Fire to throw at the trainees. Cars and trucks exploded just like the one that had just happened. I shifted my position as I had been taught by the Plugga. I avoided hitting one man directly but waited until he was near some protection before destroying it.

I was the only one using energy and wondered where the girls were. When I called out with my mind I found them gone from my senses. Worry clouded my mind now and I got more aggressive in my fire. Many trucks were burning but I could take the heat with my shield but with the loss of knowing where the magic and thus my opponents were.

Getting around a shed I saw a man looking out the other side and I quickly used a time spell and moved on. My hearing and other senses were acute because of my training and I was able to use another time spell on a man approaching me from behind. Invisibility was usually used in my training but I wanted them to be drawn to me.

Another person was behind a car and I ran and jumped high. I was surprised that I was not hit when I was in the air. I came down on a man with my feet and this sent us both sprawling. My time spell was quicker and the man froze in position.

"Sonya, Sara. Talk to me!"

There was still no reply and I relied on my training to carry me through. I had to work fast and just wished there was a time spell for me so I would be the one to go much faster. I had to see what had happened to the girls. Security was bound to get here soon and they would get hurt. I also wondered about Hondilas and the loyalty spell I put on him.

A bolt of Wizard Fire came at me but it was the figure in the time spell that saved me from harm. He was safe and his shield was impenetrable. I jumped to one side and unleashed a bolt in return and heard a scream that suddenly stopped. There was one more magical source but I looked at it as a trap like I was taught and tried to see where somebody would position themselves to hit me when I advanced.

The obvious choice was the feed barn. It was still made of wood and had small gaps between the boards that was enough for someone to see me and still cast a spell. This time I went invisible and hurried to the barn. A door on the far side was open and I hurried in. It was dark till my eyes adjusted.

It was my ears that detected the breathing first. One person was on the main floor and there may be others. He was invisible too and I quietly enunciated the time spell. Moving away quickly was a good idea because a pitchfork came hurling where I was and carried by invisible hands or in this case, PK.

In a minute the breathing was heard again. With my own PK I moved a harness across the barn as I climbed the wood post supporting the level above. I was not so foolish as to use the ladder. Bails of hay were not quite at the edge here and I stood. A depressed section of feed told me where my adversary was and again I recited my time spell. A bail of hay came at me but missed as the spell was completed.

I moved again lest I be a target and listened for more breathing. Fire trucks were approaching and it was difficult to nail any particular noise down. I got close to the wall and saw the burning cars and trucks and one magical source. This time I used a lot of power from the crystals for the distance was much greater. The magic now stopped.

In a second I heard running feet in the barn and cast another spell towards the open doorway. The noise stopped and I moved again. There was no more visible magic. My worry for the girls drove me to the stable. The distance was only thirty metres but I felt exposed as I ran. Once inside I found people looking out to find what had happened but not foolish to venture out. I had to push some aside to get in then became visible. They moved back now as if I was going to attack them.

On the main corridor I saw two men were standing and looking at the floor while two more were kneeling. I hurried to them and found why Hondilas had not helped. He was not dead but very hurt.

"Move away now!" When the men moved I used another time spell and left him.

Moments later it was the smell of blood that brought me into a stall. The two girls were crumbled and blood was soaking the straw. Beside them were two of the security detail. They looked to be just unconscious. Again I used the time spell and hoped that they would be ok. Strangely I was much more dispassionate than I should be. Sonya and Sara were the two most important people in my life and yet I worked to go after enemies first. I was not that detached that I was not going to hurt those that hurt my family.

It was a single gunshot that drew me back to the ranch house. The trainees would want to rescue their leader I knew in hindsight. It took only seconds to get there and I was invisible now. Two people were in front of the house laying in the dirt. The front door was closed. I could not detect any magic but some had to be here now. I came in the side door to the kitchen. The staff were hiding in the corner and I passed them to get to the main room.

The opening of the connecting door brought Wizard Fire at me. My shield was at maximum and I cast out my time spell to where I thought the fire had come from. I didn't stop though and hurried to the entrance to the complex.

It was a picture frame that fell that alerted me to another attack and again my time spell lashed out. The entrance was open even though I had put spells against intrusions. I stopped to listen but heard no more breathing though there was now smoke. In seconds the sprinkler system was engaged in the other room. I put my shield at maximum again and entered the complex.

I heard mental voices in the direction Alison was kept. The Plugga had been alerted to the spells at the entrance and were looking for intruders. I absorbed some energy from the complex and moved forward. The room Alison was kept got a large blast of the time spell and I hoped that everything within was secure.

Another bolt of energy was heard but it was not directed at me. Vessio and Elaine were under a time spell in the Plugga compound. This was the direction the sound had come from. I became visible and directed the remaining three Plugga to look for intruders attacking their quarters.

I ran very fast but the Plugga got there first. One was wrestling with an invisible shape and I knew who would win this match. A Plugga blocked the entrance to their quarters but was not one of those that I had just sent. It looked dead.

There were no sounds in the vicinity and now I went into the Plugga domain with a satisfied sounding Plugga as escort. His own opponent was alive but in considerable pain now. The Plugga went right and I went the other direction. This was a large circle and our opponents were at the other side of the circle.

I passed two Plugga and one more looked like it may need reanimation. It took a lot to kill a Plugga and even more to kill one for the first time. There were human bodies around now too. The Plugga took their duties seriously and enemies that got this far were treated very severely.

A doorway was littered with more Plugga and I heard mental voices within. The Plugga that had entered with me now looked to have taken some damage but was ready for more. I cautioned him to stop and it was only the threat of me attacking him that caused him to remain away form the doorway. I called out the time spell and the mental voices stopped because they now knew that I was here.

They came charging out over the two Plugga to face me. The living Plugga behind them hit them with his one good arm. I cast the spell inside the room anyway and then relaxed.

I gave a mental request for a mirror and used it to look around the corner into the room but saw nobody living except for Vessio and Elaine. The Plugga were pulled apart and I again put time spells on each of them until I found out what to do for them. The lone Plugga stayed still long enough that I was able to put a healing spell on him then we went looking for those to help or pursue.

Anybody found that was remotely serious went into the much used time spell. The stable was my ultimate goal but I did take care of all those that needed my help. The trainee that I had blasted didn't survive and the others had been hurt and tried to escape. Security knew of the need for silence and had the muzzle of a gun in their mouths. Those too went to sleep so security could be used elsewhere.

Everything was stable but I was in no condition to take care of Sonya or Sara. Hondilas was even in worse shape and I would need help in treating him too. I went back into the complex and then to Toronto. It was only as I approached the portal that I remembered that the trainees could have got through this area and away. My family's safety was protected but the intruders had already breached stronger spells to gain entry through the ranch house.

In minutes I knew that none of the attackers had come this way. The women were in a circle when I arrived and were making crystals. They stopped what they were doing to greet me. Usually I had Sonya and Sara with me at this time. I had to rest and had a meal with the family and tried harder to show that there was nothing wrong. In an hour I had rested enough to leave. I took some charged crystals and with a fake smile left for Houston.

In the stable I worked on the two women first. Whoever had done this was sadistic. The two women were carried on stretchers into the house while the two men were able to get up and make a report. They had not seen anything until they had just awoke.

I used a good deal of power trying to heal both women and they started to come around ten minutes after they had arrived.

Sonya groggily asked, "What happened?"

"There were more trainees than I thought. They were not kind to you or to Sara. The two of you should be better in an hour or so." I put a charged crystal into her hand and she concentrated on healing herself. Sara came around moments later and received similar words and treatment.

Security came in to make reports but I stayed with the girls. We had three deaths and nineteen seriously hurt. The attackers were not particular if they hurt or killed. Two of the dead were married with children and this hurt me. The other was going to get married in a few months.

I had called Mordock but he was in Quebec City at the moment. He asked if I wanted him to abandon his work and come. I said, "Better to just carry on. They may know about you now and try to take you over."

The injured were treated by me. One more old man didn't make it. Four of the Plugga were dead but I was not sure about the reanimation procedure. Sonya and Sara come out with more charged crystals and assisted to speed those that could recover. It was very late when Hondilas was finally treated. He like all the trainees had a plastic bag and knockout gas in it. His last thoughts could have been to kill his attackers and I didn't want that to happen now.

There had been twenty seven attackers that came to the ranch. This was far more than the numbers of Hondilas' assistants. Hondilas had killed two and used my time spell on two more. Sonya and Sara had been like me and taken quite unaware. I had killed three with my Wizard Fire and the Plugga had taken out seven more permanently. Security had captured two alive but had suffered a lot to do so. This left thirteen to be put away and questioned later. They had all been gassed and stripped of magical paraphernalia.

The girls and Hondilas needed sleep but I wanted them healed more and that had to be in the Toronto base. The family got up but I tried to limit the numbers. The three were healed as much as we could and then put to bed. I continued and charged all the crystals we had used and a few of the smaller ones the family had made in my absence.

I slept but my dreams were all nightmares of what could have happened to everybody under my care from the ranch workers to my family. I could see a lot easier how paranoia was not that an unreasonable trait for a person working in magic.

Almost instinctively the next morning I continued where I had let off the few hours before. This time I was trying to say how sorry I was for endangering them. My movements were counterpoint to yesterday and I just showed my love and affection for each of those.

The boys and young girls orgasmed fiercely to this but that was not what I intended at all. I looked at all the younger children and just tried to say the them that I would try much harder to protect them because they were so precious to me. The guilt and the deaths were much too heavy of a burden to carry.

I must have done this for a long time becauase Sonya was the one now in front of me and said, "You did all that you could, Master. Now make me feel like a woman that is very happy to be alive."

I think I made her very happy then Sara needed the same treatment. The next girls in line wanted the same kind of therapy. I obliged until I was too tired to go on but I think more love had crept in that ever before and I felt our group pull even tighter into a cohesive unit.

After a little more sleep I found the children all around me. They had little bowl in their hands and soon they were feeding me with their fingers. They put the pieces of fruit into my mouth tentatively at first but then became accustomed to it. I chirped like a bird between bites and I then had to hurry because they were very insistent in feeding me now.

When I was truly stuffed I called for a bowl and cloth to wash my face and hands then take care of the children around me. There was so much to do. Instead, I sat with them and told them stories. My singing had improved because of the need to chant the spells. Simple instruments worked much the same. My audience didn't seem to mind my mistakes and I made a great many of them.

I found Hondilas and he said, "I am sorry for letting you down, Master. I thought I could take care of those around me. They seemed to know that I was setting a trap but sprang it on me instead. I was able to get a few before a great many of them overpowered my shield. I was very surprised to even wake up. They would usually kill somebody they were not sure of."

I said, "There were twenty seven attackers Hondilas. I could only detect a few myself. I had my shields up very high when the attack came and this saved my life. From then on I fought too quickly for them to follow. When Sonya and Sara didn't reply I got anxious and put even more effort into taking them out. I need you to go around and see the dead and those in the time spell. We can possibly find who sent them."

The four of us left on the elevator to the lowest level and the portal. The complex was fairly bursting with energy even though the family had used a lot yesterday. None of the family was a good conductor but some had the ability more than others. The best way to develop this trait was to use it. Now all of them had been generators and some were vessels but now they had to weald the magic they needed to take the job of conductor. A mage would never allow this but then again I wasn't much of an authority in magic.

Far from the portal, I stopped and put in a time spell that was the equivalent of that used in Mordock's old home. It was a new spell now and hopefully would stop some of the threats.

I gave the details to the other three since they would have to come this way on occasion. There were three counter spells. One let one person through while another let six in but the person casting the spell had to stay in position during the spell and use a lot of energy to keep the door open. The last spell took much more power and would allow more through. This is the one that would have to be used when we went on vacation.

The portal itself received more spells and this was done from both sides. A similar set of time spells were placed on this side of the Houston side of the portal to ensure that a threat didn't come from Toronto.

The portal to the penthouse was done next. I think the only reason it was not used because nobody thought a portal was possible. The portal to the ranch was done last and put a few more twists into it because it was so easily beaten last time.

The four of us went among those hurt and we did what we could. The three men that died with families were individually told that I would look after them and their children. It was lucky that all of them lived on the ranch. Funerals would be held for all of them here on the ranch. The police had come to the bottom of a cliff and found a car with the four men dead in it. The spell and another glamour convinced the medical examiner that all of this was just a terrible accident.

The fiancée came to the viewing though all of them were closed casket. She was a nice girl of twenty three with no magical attributes. She would find another mate soon enough. She followed me into a room with Sonya and we worked on her to compensate a bit for what had happened to her fiancé. She would now quit smoking and be much healthier overall. A few tweaks would allow her to approach life much better. She stood a much better chance of getting ahead.

Hondilas had gone through the trainees, both dead and alive. Some were his but we had some surprises. One of the dead was Milsa. He was a mage a bit senior to Hondilas. He had been in charge of taking Mark Himmler, who lived in Berlin. Some of the trainees belonged to other groups as if they were surplus. This still didn't tell us who of Maximus' old apprentices were still alive or holding onto their property.

Hondilas was probably linked to me now. He could not lure in anybody else unless they came to kill him. He went with Sonya and Sara to continue working on Alison. She was showing signs of breaking but the process may be a long time to complete. I took the thirteen trainees and processed them myself for information.

Miss Carboni from Paris and Miss Nesbit from London had been captured after a good fight but not killed right away. Himmler had taken the warning much more seriously and strengthened his defences and avoided anything that could be a trap.

Groups had been sent to take the apprentices in Kuala Lumpur, Bombay and Osaka. Only the one sent to Malaysia was not successful and he was now dead. With four apprentices now well financed I could expect a great many strikes against me and what was now my property.

The rest of the trainees were processed and I put them into storage the same as their brethren until I found a use for them. I might be able to trust them with a few more spells but there was just too many enemies around that could convert them back to my opponent's point of view.

With everybody knowing about me, I wanted to gather all of Maximus' considerable fortune. I hoped some of the information from lawyers and business people would get me a lead to his base, for it was not in any of the information I had received from Erasmus. All I could possibly do was to set up sham meetings. Once there I had to read the minds of all those around to find out how to access properties whether they were listed under his name or not. I knew there should have been a great many code words given but I could not find them. This necessitated me meeting the lawyers one at a time and not give them a chance to do something that may have been programmed into them.

I looked at the other dead attackers. Each was in a personal time spell. The dead Plugga were the same way. The Plugga should be revived and I looked into the Hondilas' and Malochuck's crystals to find out how this was done. Apparently it was not that difficult but required a lot of power. In times past a child had to be sacrificed to provide the energy.

The Houston complex was fairly full of power but I would rather have the family come here than me take the bodies the other way. I checked in with the girls and Hondilas and found that they had made little progress.

"I am going to bring the family here to charge the base and see if I can reanimate the Plugga. I think I want to bring the big crystal too. That kind of power can come in handy once in a while."

Sonya said, "Yes, when you have to destroy a city. Even the tiny crystal we used at the house are very dangerous. Be careful."

"I will."

I walked back to Toronto but now felt better about the spells I had put in place to protect this area. The family was all for a change but I only got fifty this time. Cong would keep track so others could go next time. They had made some crystals as large as a human head when I had been away the last few days. They could go bigger if they had enough time to do so.

When everybody was ready I carried the brightly lit crystal we had first made and walked to the portal. They got a warning about the new security measures and I opened the portals for them. I couldn't get much more through for the barriers were too close together. The large crystal I carried on my shoulder made the job the simplest possible.

We went to the gym here and formed a circle. Now they had comfortable beds. Refreshments were nearby. I had started to put scenes on the walls to make these complexes less drab. The scene of the snow covered Rockies that stretched to over a hundred metres contrasted sharply with the heat outside the ranch.

All of the original Chinese girls were here. Ann, Cong, Jen, June, Lena and Lynn seemed to be a special group. I was sure Cong planned it this way but it was fine with me. Cong was my first though she tried to give this spot to another. I didn't get down to business right away but worked hard to get Cong as receptive as possible. She like the rest had given up their former lives to follow me. I kissed her as if she was the only woman here and she responded beautifully.

She orgasmed three times and the last as I entered her vagina. Somebody was taking care of the grid and this was enough for me. With no restrictions I made love to one of my first slaves that soon turned to my family. As I released my seed into her I momentarily thought of how beautiful our child would be. The mutual orgasm shot up way higher than I had seen it before with just this many women.

Cong hung on to me and her vagina milked everything she could from me while her hips pushed up to make sure I was a far into her a possible. Her mind was saying a mantra in her Chinese dialect saying how much she loved me. I loved her too but I also loved all the rest of my family as well. This sorrowfully left very little for each of the individuals.

I made love to six more of my ladies then we had a break for something to eat and drink. The complex was fully charged now since the girls gave even more of themselves to this task than I think any mage could get out of them.

I talked about the Plugga and what they had done to save me and the base. The family had seen our own Plugga but they stayed apart. Their groups personalities were much too incompatible to react except under orders.

We started our lovemaking again. I used the base to transfer a body just after I removed the time spell. There was a long series of spells needed. Many only had to do with making sure the Plugga remained loyal to me and I added the family to make sure they got some additional protection.

The Plugga after twelve minutes moved of his own accord and healing spells were now put on him to get his wounds taken care of. The Plugga finally stood then looked at me and bowed which I had never see one do before. He walked out of the ring and we continued with his teammates. The other Plugga took slightly less time as I learned the ropes.

When they were all done I walked down the line of them looking for neurological damage or anything else that would bother them. I don't know what I had done. These Plugga seemed different than any of the others I had met. They seemed much more loyal and this could be attributed to the spells I used but they seemed to be much more intelligent too. I had not used the standard spells to revive them, but ones that would do the intended jobs much better. One I had to guess must lower their intelligence, remove their old memories but it also gave an extra level of loyalty.

I said to them, "You are all much different than all the other Plugga revived before. There were more loyalty spells put on you to protect me and my family but I didn't remove your intelligence to do so. This may have been necessary before because of bad masters. You now are able to remember your past or some of it. If any of you become uncomfortable I order you to come to me and I will see what I can do."

The one in front of me said, "What happened to my family, Master?"

I had to assume this was from when he was first killed. I regretted now reviving all of them the same way before experimenting. "I do not have your records. Usually when a Plugga dies his family goes to the victor or one of his relatives. I am reviving you for the second time but it may have been more. Do you wish me to find out for you?"

"That is not necessary, Master."

"I would like to talk more about your people. I had to retake this base and I have to thank you all. Those at Erasmus' base taught me how to fight. You five have even given your lives to directly assist me. It is not very often that a person can thank another for doing that."

It suddenly occurred to me that the dead trainees and possibly the dead mage could provide some information. "One of your number was seriously hurt when the five of you died in your duties. He was healed to the best of my ability. He still has the same memory as what you used to have. Talk to him and come to me later about any concerns you may have. That is an order. When I started I had slaves but they became family. I think there is a place for the Plugga in my family."

I added, "I would like to reanimate some of our enemies, to learn their secrets. There is no reference to how to do this in my knowledge. I require three of you to be here during this time as a precaution. You may leave now and I will call when I require you."

"We will be here, Master."

When they left Cong said, "They frighten me Sir."

"They frighten me less now. These five are different. I still cannot get very far into their minds but what I see is not that much different than the way humans are. They are aggressive and love to fight. They have pride in their accomplishments and feel sorrow in some of the events that have come to pass."

The girls called for some crystal material, then sat talking and eating while I went to the computer and the books to see about reanimating the dead. It seemed odd now in hindsight that this process was not covered. It also occurred to me that Erasmus may have had to reanimate me instead of just healing me when I was stabbed. This sent a chill through me though if it had happened I felt no different from my memories of what I used to be.

Malochuck's memories of the computer did not include any special programming that would be detrimental to me but I still used the keyboard until I understood magical computers better.

The files listed zombies and others but only in passing. All of them had a great deal of brain damage and were not suitable for many tasks. This may have something to do with the time taken before the reanimation spell was cast. The time spell I used was only known to my family though other types of time spells must be known to others.

The books themselves were little different than the computer files but I had to check. I could not peruse all the tomes in the library. I thought of the ethical ramifications in what I was about to attempt. Hollywood zombies would be of no use to me and I knew that I would be able to end their shadow existence if the need arose. Taking care of a severely retarded person was what I was looking at. One with a lower IQ could be tolerated if I could find some useful work to keep it occupied. Giving life in this matter and then taking it away did not feel good but it did fit into learning as long as there was little or no suffering.

The procedure I had used on the Plugga was recorded now. My observations and conclusions also dealt with how the other Plugga I had known differed from those I revived.



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Chapter 16


It was getting close to supper time when I returned to the gym. I sat among the girls and talked about what I wanted to do and why. With the Plugga as an example they came to understand that this may not be as bad as first thought. Some had the religious hangups of Earth, others had fairy stories to guide them and this had to be pointed out.

The two worse damaged trainees were too damaged to even attempt this type of spell. The next most damaged had been dead for twenty minutes before I had placed a time spell over them. This one would have mental problems if any of them did and I wanted to find out how much a healing spell would work after he was revived.

The Plugga came back and took up stations while the trainee's body was brought it. This happened only after I got both the girls and myself warmed up. A Plugga body is not as horrendous as a human one. Making love in the same room as a human body is not that easy.

I used the same spell as I had just used on the Plugga. The energy used though was considerably more. The large crystal had to supply most of our power but the procedure seemed to work. The trainee was now breathing and the heart was working. Reanimation had to take care of a great many details that were not encountered when dealing with a living creature.

The final healing was difficult too but after a certain point it was the same as repairing a damaged human. All the spells on the trainee had gone when his life was extinguished. If I had to deal with them then the process may not have been possible.

I took very tentative steps to enter the mind of the trainee. In a way I needn't have worried. He was now childlike in intelligence. The memories were still there but were not being accessed by Yossup. The trainee was not like Hondilas and was an evil man struggling to get higher in a corrupt society. On impulse I called for one of our amulets and cast the spell to gather all of his memories.

The former personality was completely absent. When the process was done I manufactured a new personality from scratch and used the better fragments of memory form Yossup's mind. I was going to do something similar to Malochuck and this would give some practice.

Yossup was allowed to sit up and had great difficulty controlling his muscles and I could smell excrement from him. Like an infant I called out a spell to clean him and his clothing. His voice had not come back but I thought it might in time. He said, "Master!"

"Hello Yossup. I want you to move over to the wall and sit beside one of the Plugga until I am ready for you. I do not think it is time to learn to walk yet."

"Yes, Master."

I examined the amulet and the information on it for depth and clarity and found it only a bit less concise than Hondilas' or Malochuck's. Both of course were more adept at magic though.

We had a rest then began once more. This time the mage Milsa was brought in. He had been exposed to time less and his injuries had been less too though they were still fatal. Again it was only the fact that we had the large crystal that allowed this to succeed. When he was breathing on his own I used another amulet on his memories before continuing.

Milsa was almost as bad as Yossup. His personality had died with him too. I made his personality the way I wanted. Since he was dead I thought it only proper to do this to him.

Milsa sat up easier than Yossup and his mind was much clearer. The shield that was on his fellow mages was not present. I saw variations in what Hondilas had shown me but nothing was important. I figured it was just a matter of perceptions when the memory was first stored.

I cleaned Milsa as I had the trainee and sent him to sit by the wall and out of the way. We continued to make love and try to fill what was taken from the crystal. At the same time I tried to quantify how Milsa was different from a human that had not died. Short term memory was completely gone which was understandable. The thinking process was not as good but there was a chance on improving this.

The health of the body and mind would have to be monitored. They at least were not grey of skin and the slight smell of corruption was gone from them.

With a few orders to Yossup and Milsa I had the Plugga assist them to where Sonya, Sara and Hondilas were working on Alison. Instead of barging in I called to all of them, "If you guys are not in the middle of something, will you come out into the hall?"

In a moment they came out. Hondilas immediately put up a shield and prepared to hurl a bolt at Milsa. His actions and frame of mind carried on to the girls.

"There is nothing to fear. Milsa and Yossup have been revived. I was able to use an amulet on each of them with no problem."

Surprisingly it was Hondilas that said, "They were dead. I saw this."

"They were, and so were the five Plugga. I modified the old spell that was used on the Plugga and found that their memories are still retained. They can now remember the past. We haven't found if this is beneficial or not yet but I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. This same group of spells were used on Yossup then Milsa. Their former personalities were totally obliterated and I made new ones for them. The same was true of the spells that were placed on their minds."

The three of them slowly explored the minds of the two that had been dead just a short time ago. Sara said, "I have never heard of reanimating humans."

I said, "It was not in the books or computer either but there is references to the process and the results."

Hondilas said, "This would sure be a quick way to work around our present problem."

"Let's talk to Alison and find out if she wants to give in now or later?"

Sonya came close and whispered so nobody else would hear. "Are you really going to kill her?"

In the same way I said, "No, but I can threaten." She seemed to relax then.

Alison was asleep when we came in. I could see that we were even closer to a break through than where we were before. I said to the group, "Let her sleep. Her mind is the way we wanted but it will take a conscious effort to decide whether to accept our offer."

I woke Alison up and said to her, "Hello Alison. Some of your friends came here to rescue you. While some of them had the misfortune of dying in the attempt, others are alive and in custody."

The woman groggily looked at the two carefully but her mind was not clear enough to think much on the matter. "These two died and I reanimated them like what is done to the Plugga. A curious thing happened. Death seems the negate their shields. When they were revived and all the other spells on them were neutralised too. I used two amulets to record all of their memories. You can think on this until tomorrow then you will lower your shield voluntary or I will kill you and get the same results." I just turned and left now and the others followed me.

We spent the next hour talking about what I had done and what I had done differently. The Plugga had been uncharacteristically nice in answering questions. They not only gave full answers but added points of their own. The remainder of the Plugga were ordered to come with us to Toronto. Yossup and Milsa went into storage like the trainees. I had nothing for them to do until tomorrow and that would be to talk to Alison.

It was a tight squeeze getting through and nobody wanted to be too near the Plugga. A similar thing happened when we arrived. The Plugga though sat with us and ate our food. We talked of our day but I glossed over the revivifications.

The Plugga were taken back to their quarters in Houston after they talked about their race to the rest of us. I found that what I knew about the people seemed to be slanted. They were indeed very vicious but not all the time. They were much like humans in this matter.

The next day Yossup fed Alison by hand while she frantically read his mind to gather all the current data. When she was fed she scanned Milsa even deeper. Instead of asking her now I just brought her to the gym and with some new volunteers brought in the next most damaged dead trainee.

She was very surprised with the size of the crystal we had. The closest one she had ever heard of was only a sixth of the size. She knew the body was indeed one of the dead trainees and watched intently as it came back to life. I used no amulet this time and contented myself with giving a new and much better personality.

When the process was done and Tanso communicated with us I said to Alison, "You knew the trainees, even if it was not well. Milsa had a shield that was similar to yours. I can only surmise this because I never made his acquaintance while alive. His shield is now gone completely."

"I am going to offer this once. You will lower your shield completely. I will use the amulet on you to get a copy of your memories. I will then remove those tendencies that make you cruel. You will then be my slave but you will have a chance to be happy and enjoy certain freedoms. The alternative is to die and give me everything you have but then you have to have a completely new personality. All of the old Alison your friends knew would be completely gone."

"Do you have some questions or anything to add?"

"You... you are not even an apprentice."

"That is true but it does not mean that I cannot do as I say. You saw that I have enough power to reanimate a body including your own. Do you somehow think that you can hold out against death or that I will not cause you to die?"

She was now thinking fairly clearly. She uttered two syllables before a Plugga reached forward and quickly twisted her neck. The snap was readily heard by all. I could feel the spell that she was going to cast and I foolishly was not ready as I should.

The woman slumped to the floor and the Plugga stood ready to die if need be. I said, "I thank you very much for saving my life. I was not fully prepared and it is a good possibility that I would have died."

I cast a time spell over the body and said to the rest. "Let's use the occasion to do what needs to be done."

It took much longer to get started. I was amazed at the woman's speed and at my own ineptitude. I should have been ready for this. You trap a rat in a corner and it will fight to survive without another way out. When we started we had to stop and have a break.

There was one possible good point in this and I went to get Elaine. She was standing alone in a corner still under the influence of the time spell. This was the room that the trainees and Milsa had worked so hard to get to.

Another Plugga got behind Elaine when I cast the counter spell but she was still asleep. She was simply picked up like a child and carried to the gym. She now wore some beryllium restraints and a ball gag. I was not going to allow her the chance to get herself killed before I was ready.

When Elaine awoke she found herself beside the body of her compatriot. It was easy to see how the face was turned completely around that the woman would be dead. I could feel her mind going out but rebounding off the field.

I said, "I brought you here to see this, Elaine. I have a good time spell. You have been under it for a while. I offered Alison a choice and she refused. Now that she has made her choice I want you to have the same options. With the cooperation of a lot of family members I have more than enough power to reanimate a body. I found out recently that when a person dies the spells and the shield on the mind dissipates along with the entire personality."

She mentally screamed at me, "What do you want?"

"I want you to lower your shield. I will make a copy of your memories. You will become my slave but some of your more detestable traits will be toned down considerably. You will be happy and relatively free. Alison will get a personality of my choosing and it will be far different than what it was. She didn't choose to cooperate."

"How can I trust you?"

"I have you in my power completely. One of the Plugga will gladly twist your neck as Alison's now is. You of course will get a personality with none of what you now are in it. I am not asking you to choose yet. You will see that it is indeed Alison when I remove the time spell then you will see how I will get a copy of her knowledge. You can ask questions to prove that it is indeed Alison before you are compelled to make your choice."

"I will do what you want. Just release me."

"Alison had her gag removed and she tried to kill me. That is why she is now beside you. You will stay as you are and observe. If you try to disrupt then I am afraid more people than you know how to inflict pain."

We had problems starting and Elaine was dragged from the circle. The Plugga casually kicked the head to make it face the right way. Out of the circle he held Elaine with one arm around her head and the other around her chest. She made no move to attack. Sonya and Sara stayed out of the grid and just monitored Elaine so she could not gain control of the power we were producing.

We had a practice run to generate power for the crystal then I removed the time spell on the body.

Sonya said, "Look now to see if it is not your friend. You will be the same if you don't do as you are told."

The spells began to be chanted. This was somewhat easier seeing as the woman had died so recently. When she started to breathe once more I called for the amulet and started to chant the spells.

Sonya got quickly to her feet and held Elaine by the hair on her head and put two fingers an inch from each eye. I heard her say, "Try something and I will pluck your eyeballs out of your skull." It was lucky that the spell to grasp the memories was simple and in a few minutes the process was finished.

More spells were now cast to hasten healing while I began to make a personality for the woman that tried to kill me. I was still angry and to tell the truth it was mostly at myself. Alison's real name was Uula. I made her the type of slave that most mages wanted. She would do exactly what was asked of her no matter what it was. For good measure I temporarily made her intelligence far less to emphasise the fact that she had been dead a few minutes ago.

It was only well after the spells were done that Sonya backed away from Elaine. Sonya said, "Look into this thing's mind. See if she has the same memories as the person you used to know." Elaine did as she was asked and started to cry. Uula did too when she was first questioned but it didn't work.

I too examined Uula and found that Elaine's real name was Sisla. They had both very bad childhoods. The two women were lovers. Uula thought that men had forced her to do all the despicable things she did but that was only partially true. There was very little we would learn from Sisla that would be new but I wanted to give her the chance.

Sisla eventually pulled from her lover's memories. The woman that now held them was not anywhere near what the former personality was like. She cried till Sonya slapped her hard.

"You have nothing new to offer us. Lower your shield and live with some of your personality or die and lose it all."

I said to Sonya, "Let her have some more time. Look at what I have found buried in Uula's mind. It is the identity of Calldas."

Everybody including Sisla followed my lead and found the various faces of Calldas. He had worked very hard to hide the identity. The two women we had were his favourites or at least that is what Uula thought. They were his extra hands and eyes and many people died in his name.

It was Hondilas that said, "What! It can't be."

I let them continue to find more and more small pieces of data until they all knew for sure.

Sara said, "We had him all along!"

I said to Sisla, "We have your master, Sisla. He is going to be offered the same options that you were given. He will probably die but he will still be my slave. You can save part of yourself and I will try to make you happy or you can be the same as Uula. Choose now."

It took a moment but she said, "I will try. There are many spells within my shield that have not been removed. I know they are there but I do not remember putting them in place. I can only think that my master put them there for his own reasons."

I said, "That sounds like a dangerous place for you and for me. From Uula's memory I know how tricky Calldas really is. I think he should simply die and we can remove your spells with his knowledge. You are going into a time spell until this is taken care of."

To the Plugga I said, "Put her gently on the floor and against the wall." When that was done, I chanted the words and concentrated on what I had to do in the forth and fifth dimension and Sisla froze into position.

Sonya asked, "Are you really going to kill Calldas?"

"I can see no other way. Uula has very good memories of what he is really like. I feel that it is more like stomping on a cockroach than it is a killing a human."

Hondilas said, "I agree Master. Calldas is a very bad person. For personal reasons I would like to see him dead. He will be the person coming after me now that I have shifted my allegiance to you. He is also the person that will look to kill you too."

Sonya said, "The world of Sookra will be thrown into turmoil if Calldas does not come back. Fassie is currently the stronger country but that is partially because of what Calldas does to make it strong. I think he has to go back and he still has to have the ability to fight and kill or he himself will die there."

Sara said, "Master, have you considered that he may have a spell that destroys his mind if he dies? I have heard of this when a mage gets strong enough to require this protection."

I said, "I have heard that too and now that we know about reanimation I can see the reason why. We can take some precautions but we have to proceed. He dies."

Calldas came back to us and his sleeping body was put on the gym floor. I still saw him as Vessio, a promising trainee that would soon make the apprentice level. I knew that in reality he was setting up Earth for a takeover. Maximus was the only person that stood in his way. Both were evil men and though I ordered an execution I hoped that I would not end up the same way.

With the intent in mind, it was difficult to get started and Sonya had to help me. We built up a very large shield around Calldas and looked again for small crystals. One was found under the skin of a finger but it was still the size of a grain of sand. Three smaller ones were found in his head and I worked to drain the power rather than remove them.

The only reason I had looked is because of the information in Uula's memories. The woman herself was now part of the ring and providing power with the rest of the women. She was shunned but she still knew her place. Uula now provided assistance of other tricks and we worked through them to remove other spells we had not known existed.

With the shield the strongest possible, a knife controlled by my PK stabbed his heart. It was distasteful to do and my Plugga training helped. It was also not a job that could be given to somebody else.

I waited three minutes and after a thorough check began the revivification process. As soon as possible the amulet was put in place and the memories extracted. This took much longer than any of the others. I continued with both spells but I knew that the amulet was the more important.

The healing spells had to be used very quickly now because it didn't look like we were going to make it. I realised that Calldas must be very old and he himself must have had many spells to keep away the ravages of time.

Hondilas and then Uula worked frantically with me to save the man that we wanted to die. The energy consumption went very high and we were taking energy from all the crystals we had. Sara and Sonya came in only slightly slower. The pain in my mind was excruciating because of the power I was handling. When the amulet finished I grabbed full control of the grid and shifted power to a shield to protect the amulet.

Calldas grew white hot momentarily then started to slowly dim. It was over a half hour later that I felt safe in keeping just a minimal field around the ashes. Everybody was nursing pains and we cast spells on each other to heal.

I was the only person working and I was just controlling the power from the crystal. I was very surprised to see just how much we had used. Working carefully I eased the protected amulet through the shield around the ashes. When this was done the ashes were compressed. Moments later the lump went into the recycler. Perhaps parts of Calldas could live on but thankfully not his personality and power.

-------

Three days later a call went to London. In moments code words were given and received. Moments later the same thing happened to Paris then Bombay and eventually Osaka.

I patted Hondilas on the shoulder when it was all done and said, "That was done very well. Calldas' own precautions are now working for us."

Later that day a dozen girls and I boarded a large helicopter and flew to the docks. We boarded the Sultan's Fist with me carrying a large wrapped bundle on my shoulder. We began to set up my first base. In the owner's cabin I began to make love to Sonya. She was ever ready to meet me thrust for thrust and it was her presence that pulled the rest together so quickly.

After the first orgasm we cleaned the hull below the waterline. This took very little time or energy. The base started as a mental seed. It grew millions of times until it covered all of the hull and up to the first deck.

We had to rest once this was done. There was no point in having more help and it was more intimate with just the girls I had with me.

Instead of staying aboard the 'Fist' I called two of my limos. The drivers were very tall and wide with a grey pallor to their skin but nobody but us saw this. We went to a nice restaurant. The girls were now dressed for the occasion and liked flaunting their bodies to the sailors on the ship then to those they met at the restaurant. A great many people looked at me too. They wondered how a young man of eighteen to twenty could have such beautiful women around him.

The maitre d' was expecting us and I seated all of my ladies. This meant that Sonya and Sara had to disengage their arms for a moment. Ann touched my hand with one of hers and caressed my face with her other as her way of saying thanks.

When I eventually took my seat I saw some well fucked women that looked to be in love with their man. If I had a mirror I knew I would probably look similar. Instead of going back to the ranch we went to the ship to spend the night. We could only capture a fraction of the energy we produced but it was fun to splurge.

The next day we formed a circle again and more family started to appear. The owner's cabin was very large but soon it was full and beginning to spill into the other rooms. When all the cabins were full we began in earnest to expand on the base we had made yesterday. It was only a micron or so thick if it could be detected but it extended into the other dimensions. All but the largest crystal went into the construction.

In three days we had a modest base of a million square metres on one large level. From inside it was rectangular with the length three times the width. The shape on the exterior of the hull was quite different and designed to allow the 'Fist' to move quickly and safely.

Everybody transferred into the new base and we made a portal to Toronto. With everything checked and rechecked they walked the distance and this time the portal opening was on the main floor in the gym. Cong, Ann and the some of the others went to escort the servants to the ship while another group walked up the gangway of the 'Lucky Lady'.

Twice the number of ladies didn't mean twice the speed but it was still fun. We made a modest base of only six hundred square metres and installed the large crystal in it for power. Two days before Christmas we were done and had a portal to Houston and one to the 'Fist'.

We left the 'Lady' after shaking the Captain's hand and let him get on with his work. Already families were coming aboard and I was happy to see excited youngsters running all over the ship. The Captain may have white knuckles with this situation but he had his orders.

The 'Fist' left as soon as we got onboard. Late arrivals would just go through the base to get here.

I disappeared into our complex and was soon in the ranch house. Hondilas was waiting for me. "Sir, it is good to see you back."

"It is good to be back here. It is like a home but only one of three so far. Do you have an changes in mind?"

"Only a few. The trainees have all left separately for the meeting along with Milsa. Sisla and Uula are staying with me and I like them close."

I said, "I know that they love you very much. Part of it was programmed into them but you have treated them nice and they can see that you are their hope of a bright future."

"I still don't understand your reasoning for giving me such power. I am not held tight to you and I could start to work for my own benefit."

"That is what I intended. You help me clean up my house then you can have the lion's share of what Calldas owned on Sookra. Remember though that I am going to visit one day and I want to see your house full of happy children and contented wives."

"I don't think I can keep up to you."

"Sure you can. You have a copy of Caldas' memories. He had so many faces that yours would just add to the number."

I talked to the two women that had worked so hard to kill me recently. They had changed dramatically. They were not quite slaves but more like Sonya and Sara. In time I was sure they would start to bear Hondilas some of his children. They were very advanced apprentices now and I had worked on Hondilas to increase his mental faculties. His copy of Caldas' memories though left out some important parts that I wanted to keep secret but would not endanger this part of the project.

The fact that one had been dead made no difference though there were some differences inside the brain. I didn't understand this and it would be just one more avenue to investigate.

We went over the proposed meeting again with those Calldas had sent to take over this world. Hondilas had to gain full control of them. Soon they would be our front line troops as we took over the two remaining apprentices in Germany and Malaysia. Before Hondilas and his people left for Sookra, I needed their help in finding and taking over the remainder of Maximus' assets including his hidden base.

An hour later a telephone call came from a place not far outside London. Hondilas formed a circle with his two women. They were laying on their back with an air mattress under them for comfort. I stood across from him with a crystal in my hand. All around both women were charged crystals in cloth cases.

Hondilas was very gentle with Uula and caressed her with a lot more love than I thought the woman had ever received from another human being. He slipped within her vagina and both women groaned in want. The grid had gone up very quickly and it was not Hondilas governing this but Sisla. Hondilas had the starting of a family and not a group of slaves.

The energy built very high and I was effected by the sight even though my family tried their best to relieve the pressure beforehand. When the time came, I got control of the grid and concentrated on where the people and cargo had to go. In a flash of light they disappeared with a small pop of in-rushing air. I felt more alone but I still had family to support me. The three had become friends even if I had to force the matter with spells but I knew that not all of it was external compulsion. All three and even some of the trainees had responded more to the kinder and gentler approach I had used. Most would not change voluntarily and Hondilas had his vicious front line troops to prevent discovery of his true nature.

I rested in the ranch house and studied the original copy of Calldas' memories. The man to my estimation must have been as old or even older than Erasmus. It had taken some very strong spells to keep entropy at bay that long. He had worked Sookra from both the Saranam and the Fassie positions to remove competitors. In this respect he was little different than his contemporaries.

His plans for Earth were not just a take over. Sookra was actually on the decline and perhaps in just a ten centuries it would die. The sun was unstable and the planets around it suffered. It was only minor events now but minor to a planet from its primary could mean drastic changes. Some areas that had been lush jungle were now desert. The temperature in the last few thousand years had risen alarmingly.

Work on the star had been undertaken but little could be done even with the prodigious amount of magic used. Those able to understand what was happening started to move to different worlds. This would be a gradual process but when the time came they would have a safe haven when the situation got bad. The world had a population of around three hundred million but the mages didn't think of anybody but themselves. I knew that the vast majority of the future inhabitants would die while a few fled.

I had much more proof now that Erasmus was after the power storage crystals. They grew naturally in the molten crust billions of years ago and were very prized by the present inhabitants. Much of the prosperity of the planet had to do with the crystals though spices and other raw materials accounted for a good proportion. Slaves were the major export after crystals.

The conflict between Saranam and Fassie began as a competition for markets but escalated into all facets of society. Wars had been fought but the mages saw a quicker end to their world in this and resorted to their version of a cold war.

Competition may have toughened the inhabitants but it hardened them too. The two countries were basically the same and very ossified. Change was not easily accomplished and any benefits that accrued never reached the vast majority of the people. People in general were looked on a breeding stock or perhaps raw material. They lived in squalor but didn't know any better. The aristocracy was little better. They didn't bother with anything beyond their petty intrigues. The rulers of the planet were the mages. They were the only educated group and wanted to keep it that way.

Calldas was not even in the upper echelons of leadership but actually placed in the lower twenty percent. He had a lot of ability to my way of thinking but to those on his world he was weak and ambitious. This made the mages he worked with or against very dangerous. Calldas considered Erasmus fairly competent but no better than he was. If this were not just pride then I knew I could not count on Erasmus for a great deal of assistance in the project he wanted me to eventually take on.

Mages were graded by their fighting ability and this broke down to how many spells they could control as well as the strength of a particular spell. The best were quick thinkers which in turn meant that they were more intelligent than their opposition. Secrets of offence and defence were kept closely hidden so they may have something unpleasant for an enemy if there were a need for it. I had all of Calldus' tricks but some were very difficult to manipulate.

Hondilas would allow me access to all of Calldus magic but I also knew of more literature squirrelled away for when it was needed. His portable wealth was same way. He had five hidden bases on Sookra but only two were in his country of Fassie. In his past he had been an agent of Saranam but this didn't matter. Every wizard was basically on their own. Cooperation happened but there had to be a good reason. The mage council supposedly had some power but in reality it just mattered who was in power at the time.

My studies were cut short by the doorbell. The butler allowed Ralph Toopic in along with two other security people. Instead of reading minds I said, "Good day gentlemen. Are you ready to begin your vacations?"

Ralph and the head of security had large smiles. The latter said, "I sure am. It has been a long time since my last cruise. The wife and kids are tickled pink. The kids are not babies anymore but they are happy to be invited."

I asked, "Any additions or deletions?"

"One family found they had a funeral to go to and sadly dropped out, but three others got brave and signed on. Some children from a separated spouses have arrived to take advantage of the offer. We ran security checks but we are not suited for dealing with magic. I am very interested in the classes you are going to offer though."

"Have you convinced all the families of the men that died to come?"

"Jensen's fiancée doesn't want your offer but she gives her thanks. The others are of long time employees and they feel obliged to come if you ask. Perhaps they will get a chance to loosen up a bit on the cruise."

"Bring them in. Somebody should introduce me to the employee and then he or she can introduce the family. I don't mind taking my time to do this but I don't want to be bogged down for hours with one family."

"I understand sir. A minute or two per family unless they are big or have some particular problem?"

"That sounds reasonable."

The first family to come through were some retirees. With no others in site I had a short talk. They had been abused by Malochuck and I had worked extra hard to repair some of the damage. The butler dragooned some help and refreshments were served.

I looked very closely at the three old men and two women. They were not healthy and on the trip I would offer to heal them but only to a point for they had to still interact with their peers and family. An old man able to act as if he were a young man would raise too many eyebrows. With the new knowledge I found in Calldas' memories, I changed their spells to be more secure but still allow as much freedom as possible.

The Toopics came next and I talked to Irene and then her two boys. Ralph knew what I was doing and why and just held his wife as I checked the two boys health. Irene sighed when I said, "You two are as healthy as horses. The broken bones are healed so well that I cannot find where they were fractured."

Jason, the older one said, "We are really strong. We take your classes and fight Kanjo. We are going to win soon he says."

I had assessed the Plugga and given them jobs outside the base. They drove the limos with a glamour and even learned to use the helicopters. They were not the rough and uncaring Plugga that had trained me but much more human. They loved children and I got a few to take self defence classes. The five and seven year old boys had to be treated like Plugga infants but it worked for both races. Parents had watched fearfully as they fought each other under the Plugga authority but soon saw the caring.

"Have you seen Kanjo fight any of the other Plugga?"

"Oh, they are fast. We had to film it then run it real slow to see what happened. Kanjo won I think."

"The Plugga don't like to play with each other and try hard to win."

I inspected Irene now from head to feet. She had four growths but one was in her uterus. I concentrated on her mind and saw that they had decided to try for one more child.

I scanned Ralph next and found the beginnings of some problems in his lungs.

"You are doing just fine Moma. You both should see me during the trip though to take care of some small problems."

Ralph said quickly, "Is there something serious?"

"Two to three minutes each. Minor problems only and would not be serious for another ten years."

"Thank you sir. I really appreciate you taking your time with us."

"That is no problem. The five of you should be very healthy by the end of the trip."

"Five?"

I looked at each of the Toopics and counted them off silently on my fingers and when I got to Irene I held the last two fingers together. "Yes five. I did the math three times to be sure." Apparently the parents were not sure yet and they hugged each other while the boys wondered what this was all about.

Before I left this family I changed the loyalty spells and planned on doing everybody else that came through the same way.

It started to pick up after this and I had less time to just talk. I was getting tired when the last surge came in but security made sure I got to see all of them. Three children and a new wife had not had any loyalty spell put on them and these I scanned very well. One girl of seven hung tightly to her sister of nine and for a split second I noticed that the spell slid around one area. I was not on my guard but tried to hide it.

I asked the father to keep the children close as I had not had a chance to talk to them before. I kept a good eye on all the family and finished with the rest of this group. Security said that only two families were late but not overly so.

Security was familiar with me speaking directly to their minds but I tried to use my voice in most cases. I instructed them of a problem that may be minor. "Keep the other two families waiting for a moment if they come. I have to investigate this family and the little girl. Go to the chef and ask him to come to me and get me to check some of his cooking in the kitchen. I don't want to disturb everybody at a time like this."

The men were close and smiled while quietly slipping from their groups to do what I wanted done. The worried chef came out and mumbled then had to start two more times until he said, "Sir, you asked to see the way this meal was put together. Do you have a moment to see the ingredients?"

"Yes, I do. Thanks." Turning to the family I said, "Will you come with me? I know this is going to be delicious. Maybe we can get a chance to sample it."

We walked inside the kitchen and three security people were ready but appeared to be just sampling food. The family of six collapsed to the floor but I use my PK to make sure none were hurt.

The little girl was checked first but now in the greatest detail possible. A small spell was in her mind and because of Calldas, I looked for solid matter. In the child's neck was a small grain of something. It didn't look magic until I looked very close then it looked to be cloaked in magic.

The child was put to one side and a time spell went on her just to be extra careful. The family was with Malochuck a long time but the children should have few spells on them but I did see some very similar to what the little girl had.

To the chef and security I said, "These people have some strange spells on them. I can only think that someone wants to plant someone that will record what I do. I need to remove the spells before we go on this trip." To security I said, "Go out the other door and put them in the chef's pantry."

The chef was very nervous and I said, "I just want to use your pantry for a few hours. I will move the rest of the people to the ship and then come back to see what this is all about. I am not going to hurt anybody and especially not the children." The man visibly relaxed.

The spell was removed from the girl to move her. In a moment I went to the room and saw the family comfortably laid out. I chanted the spell again and left to get back to the meeting. On the way back through the kitchen I opened one of the large fridges and took out a pastry. The guests saw me finishing this off as I came back.

I circulated and in ten minutes the two families came. They apologised for being late but I was the good host. I listened to them for a few minutes then put the new spell in place.

I said to them, "Well we should get moving." Turning to the rest of the room and those beyond, "We should go now. Please make a line where you are directed to do so. There is no chance of getting lost but I do want to help each of you through the threshold."

The fireplace was on the other side of the room and I chanted the spell to open the portal. "Ralph and Irene, will you go through with your family? You will find yourself in a large gym with a great deal of toys. The children are free to play but we will not be long. Ralph, will you see that people move away from the entrance once they come through?"



-------

Chapter 17


"Yes, Sir."

The family had to go through one at a time and I watched intently as they passed through the barrier. Again Calldas had found that some spells reacted with others in odd ways. Now a foreign spell may be detected as it interacted with the portal. I watched carefully but when the last person went through I saw no indication of a different spell.

When I went through there was a ring of people around the children's gym. It was much smaller than the one in Toronto simply because there was less need here.

Again they went through the next portal to the base attached to the Hull of the 'Fist'. The girls escorted the groups through this area and then out onto the deck. I called Sonya and Sara. "I found a family with a new girl trying to come on the cruise. They are in a time spell in the chef's pantry at the moment."

Sonya asked, "What do you want to do?"

"Some of us go back and investigate the spells. I think some are unique."

I called a dozen more girls and we sauntered casually back the way I had just come. On the way through the Houston base we picked up some charged crystals. The chef was happy to see us arrive. I removed the spell and we moved the family to the main room of the ranch and not the complex. It was wasteful to work here but I wanted to do this work before entering the base.

The male head of the family went into the circle but we just held crystals for power and formed a grid without generating new power. The spell was very intricate in nature and I commented on how we had not seen anything done this well before. It took an hour before we even tried to remove the bindings and I treated the man as if he were a hostile mage.

There was a lot of discussion about what to do with the spell. It had to be disassembled piece by piece and again I had to look for traps that would cause a death or worse. We did find what we thought were two but we were not sure.

The mother was done next but we took nothing for granted. The binding and spell though were the same and came off easily. The children were the same too. We looked at the tampering and saw that the girl was not even a relative but somebody placed in the family. This memory was erased though but it was enough.

After a rest we investigated the girl and her two sources of magic. I called for a break and put the child aside and in another time spell. The family was put on the chairs and couch and then awoken.

They looked around quickly. They didn't understand how they got here and how they were basically alone.

"Hi, I found a small problem and I held your family back for a few moments."

The man asked, "What problem?"

"Somebody was interested in my magic and planted the little girl in your family." They looked around but didn't see her but now knew that they were forced to accept her.

"We didn't know..."

"That is all right. I always expect things like this. Usually it is like industrial espionage but done differently. The little girl you know of as Diane is safe but we have to remove the spells then try to get her back to her family if possible. We would like to bring you to the ship now but I have to ask you to not talk of what happened to the others. None of this is your fault or Diane's. Think of it as somebody slipped a small transmitter onto your clothing when you went to a meeting. When we find out more we will tell you."

"Ah... why didn't you just put a spell on us to forget?"

"I could have but that is not the way I work unless it is necessary. You may see the girl again and know that I would not knowingly hurt her."

"We don't think that."

"I am afraid you do. It is not that strong yet, but it is still there. Now we need to get back because we need a rest and you need to find your berth. It is night now and the ocean is calm and very beautiful."

The family was escorted to the ship and again the girls found cabins for them to sleep in. We were fairly full and they were lucky to get some on the ship proper instead of the complex.

Instead of making love in the owner's cabin, we went to the base. This was much better. I tried to forget about Diane and I think I succeeded. The love making was slow and I tried to make everybody feel wanted and loved.

The next day I slept in. Some of the children wanted me up so we could play but I just turned over and got a few extra winks. One little boy started to pull my arm until I got up. He was put up to this by some of the older ones. "Yes, Jeremy?"

"I'm hungry."

I knew what he wanted and stretched. A portion of my anatomy had been nestled in a warm spot and suddenly sprang free. I heard some giggles but got up to use the facilities. In five minutes I was back and began to feed my children. Their mothers were elsewhere but they all knew that their children were very safe.

Portions of fresh fruit went into my bed partners' mouths as well as the children. The ladies seemed to want something with more protein but I commanded my errant member to behave.

Lynn came over and ate some fruit then said, "You said we were going to have classes and one is scheduled for here and in a few moments. You are going to have to put some clothes on or we will scare our guests."

I tried to think of a suitable place to continue this after the children were fed. The girls read my thoughts and seemed to move closer. Instead I regretfully said, "We have work to do anyways. It wouldn't be fair for some of us to have all the fun while the rest work."

I called for new clothing and it appeared. The girls helped me get dressed as the well fed children watched and snickered. We left and had our own breakfast then when well fortified left for Houston with a good supply of crystals.

The chef wanted to feed us again but I accepted come coffee and a croissant. In a few minutes I brought out Diane's sleeping form and again we investigated her. She had no additional magic spots that I may have missed. We looked at the two sites and discussed what to do.

The tiny lump was attacked first. The detail here was even finer than the one in her mind. This site took four hours to unravel. We had to stop many times because there were many traps in the bindings. The chef made us lunch while we discussed what we had done. The person that did this was very talented. This made me think of an old mage that knew all the ropes.

The spell was disassembled just as carefully. The first one was made to actually hide those underneath and there were a great many of them. Some I knew that would instill loyalty but others seemed to deal with storing data. These interested me a lot.

I took a calculated risk and worked on a spell that would allow the data already accumulated to be collected. We saw an old man giving orders which we had to assume was to Diane. The language was in Fassie. Everything the girl thought, smelt, tasted, heard, saw or felt came out. I heard more of the spells he used and guessed at their intent. A spell had to be used with the mental manipulation of forces in the three dimensions we knew of and two more. The words alone were useless.

An amulet was called and I used this to collect all of the memories. When I checked the mage's words were now in the crystal for later study. The retention spell was removed but then we had to do eight more that dealt with destruction of the data if she was caught. This we knew would result in the girl dying.

It was well past supper when we finished this one area. We had to admire the workmanship and hoped that I could duplicate the spells if it ever came to this. I didn't think I could do it alone but with the family I was much stronger and much smarter.

We had our late supper but decided to continue with Diane. The bindings were less difficult in this area. The spells in the head were odd. And it wasn't until I thought of the other spells and the mage's words that I had to assume it was a way of communicating her perceptions to the small recorder that was so well hidden. The child's brain would only be the backup storage container.

At midnight I put the standard loyalty spell on the child then awoke her. She was very frightened and had little memory of how she got here. I talked to her in Fassie and said, "Hello Tanta. You are not in danger." She looked to see if she could run but stayed where she was. She was born and bred a slave and though frightened would do what her master said.

"I am your new Master."

She got on the floor in the position of slave and I said, "Tanta please get up and come here. I will not hurt you."

She did as she was told and I picked her little body up and put her on my lap. "I have quite a few children. Some are younger than you and some are older. I don't hurt any of them. The ladies around me will be like your mother. Some have had babies and two are even as big as you. The big girls call me Master but they are just making fun. My name is Adam but nobody calls me that."

The girl was frightened stiff. "Now that we have had a talk we will be going home. If you stand now I can hold your hand." The girl got off my lap quickly but only hesitantly took my hand.

The women picked up our things and I talked to the girl about where we were. I watched very carefully as she walked through the portal and I saw nothing odd. She saw the children's gym but didn't know what it was.

Sonya took her other hand and said, "My name is Sonya. It's a hard name to pronounce in your language. I am going to be one of your mothers. What the man said is true. He doesn't hurt anybody. In a few minutes you will be with a lot of other children and be very safe."

Tanta said nothing though her mind tried to find dishonesty and couldn't really believe what she heard. Once through the second portal she saw the new climbing gym that wasn't nearly as big as that in Houston. Some of the girls had waited up for us and stopped when they felt the fear coming from the child.

We had our own private rooms but I was more used to the gym. Sonya made an air mattress, then got Tanta to sit with us. The girl had been asleep for many hours and was in need of some food. The girls all picked their favourite food and gave a sample of it to the child. It wasn't long after that she had to relieve herself and Sara took her.

Sonya said, "She is a nice girl. Obedience was beat into her as part of her training but I think she was naturally that way. She is very bright and that is why I think that mage selected her for this job. I am glad she is going to be safe with us now."

I felt odd about her words and said, "She is as safe as we can make her but the mage that had her is very adept at magic. I can see Tanta being used as a bargaining chip."

When the two came back I cast a spell on Tanta. She stood still and was very frightened about this and I could feel sympathetic fear emanating from my girls. The spell was similar to those used when I had brought back other slaves from abusive masters. When it was completed Tanta visibly relaxed. I added one more spell that would allow her to sleep and be in time with the rest of us.

The next morning the pad between Sara and Sonya was empty and I looked around the large room. Tanta was with some girls her age and exploring their climbing gym.

I made it half way to the washroom before I was spotted. They intercepted me soon after. From their minds I heard, "I'm hungry." "I'm lonely." "I'm bored," and the background interest in sex that had been put into them by various masters.

"Give me a few minutes and I will see what I can do. We are going out on the ship for part of the day. I am sure we can find some interesting things to do. You are going to have to wear clothes again though and so are the rest of us. There are a few more children that you haven't met yet and I have to introduce them to magic."

Going to the bathroom didn't mean I got any privacy. I had come to accept the slaves view on this and just did what I had to do then cleaned myself up. Some of the others did the same thing and I cleaned them before we left.

Back at my sleeping pad I produced the first round of breakfast and fed all of the children. Tanta was hiding in the back but she got her food just like the rest. The different courses came and they were used to stoke the little engines. Not a lot was given each time but enough to get them used to other foods.

The boys still stayed together as a group and they got much more to eat. Their metabolism had been severely altered to keep them as boys and not to grow but I did what I could to let them mature.

The girls formed different groups based on age or intelligence, and like the boys, unconsciously tried to get me interested in their bodies. The children produced a fair amount of power when I made love to their mothers and others. I at least was trying to push them to not just generate magic but to use it.

When they were full I sent food to the older girls lounging on the floor as they watched us. They usually hammed it up for the children when the food floated through the air and didn't quite make it to their mouths.

Next we had an impromptu magic lesson where the children showed me what they had learned. There were a lot of mistakes but nothing that couldn't get cleaned up. With mental communication there was no laughter since they all supported each other. Besides the more proficient members would get a chance to flub more complicated spells.

Sara took the ones with the least ability aside and tried to get them to do some of the simplest spells. Tanta was pulled into this group. She reminded me of a fish in a school of them. When I looked further into her reasoning I could see that she found safety in numbers but did seemed to be integrating. She was used to being in an environment like this.

I consulted the schedule and though I was a day late. I went through the portal and into the owner's cabin. Sonya and some of the others came with a sampling of the children.

Those new to magic came in shifts. This included the crew itself. They were just as uneducated as the rest had been. Magic was explained and some simple spells demonstrated. The children were happy to demonstrate what they knew and the visiting youngsters stared in amazement.

More girls came up from our base and started to conduct classes similar to what we had done in Toronto. I went on to my next class which was an introduction to magic. Everybody on the ship had to go through this including the Captain.

The days were calm and the nights perfect, though hurricane season was over there were still some storms the Captain was trying to stay away from. My days were filled with work of one kind or another. Those that came aboard were interviewed in family groupings or as individuals. Small and major maladies were removed but each person had a choice whether they wanted this done or not. The children's fate was usually up to the parents but after a few days I had no refusals though some wanted to think on it.

All of this meant that I had to hide my tracks. A new doctor had to be found and convinced to play along with me. People coming back from a cruise and not having tumours that they had before would be suspicious. Many of the older people had problem with cholesterol buildup and now this was buildup was removed.

The doctor on the ship might do but he would not be available most of the time and would look more suspicious if an investigation were ever started.

My children enjoyed the ship and the new friends but when the weather got a bit rough six days later they went to the base where there was no apparent motion. Some of the passengers came here too. Magic was taught and practised while some learned of how the ship functioned.

The captain said to me, "Sir the ship has been travelling much faster with even less fuel being consumed. Your improvements are simply great."

I said, "You have a clean hull and a field around even that. The field extends before the hull to gently push aside the water. It extends around the props for more efficiency. There is very little friction." I drew the basic hull outline and our field that just happened to be our home.

"Why don't you make some suggestions about changing the field design. Not that many Captains get to work as nautical engineers and the field changes quite easily."

"I would love to. I know lots of the men that would love to try too if they were allowed."

"Ask them if you want but I can only do about four changes a day. It takes some effort to alter the field and it has little bearing on the size of the ship."

"Do you think we could try a trimaran configuration?"

"A five hundred forty foot trimaran may be very stable. The strength of the field and the frictionless slide through the water may be good during rough weather. Make up your design and I'll see what we can do but let's work on other designs when we are still in calm water. It takes time to change configurations."

"Of course sir."

The passengers used the deck chairs and basically enjoyed themselves. They had some compulsory training but it could be in many fields not related to magic. I saw herds of children playing games with some harried women trying to follow. There was no way a child would fall overboard so all they suffered from was the occasional bruise or scrape.

I transferred to the 'Lucky Lady' when I could but only talked to those that knew about magic. I had no wish to put spells on a great many people. Those same people didn't know I was aboard but I did talk to my employees about doing some healing spells that would improve the lives of the family without tipping my hand. Serious problems were listed and would be presented after the voyage was over. Some of this was done through the doctor on board. He himself though had to be cured of pancreatic cancer and he knew all about the condition and thought this was his last trip on the ship.

I was on the lookout for magical talent here but also for those with the potential. My Chinese ladies had improved greatly and I think Sonya and Sera were doing some small tinkering to improve everybody's performance. For thousands of years it had been ingrained in slaves to assist the master in magic or to work in the fields. Those in the fields provided the sacrifices so most opted for the magic group if they could.

The crew and family on the 'Lady' were happy but not as much as those on the 'Fist'. A few words to Captain Harris and officers would have to be given to give the people some fun activities to do. We had an empty hold so I used power from crystals to make a gym for children and adults. With lights and some partitioning I made bumper cars for all sizes. A maze was made above that but it changed every hour. Adult and child alike had to climb and crawl to get through.

Captain Harris and some of the ratings had to go through first to the delight of the rest of the crew. They did seem to enjoy it.

This Captain knew about the shield to protect the hull and wanted to see what he could do. I would have to get one of the girls to shuttle the individuals back and forth between the ships so the actual changes could be better thought out.

When a week had passed I rotated some of those on the 'Fist' back to Houston. Some only wanted a week but many had other commitments. This also happened to allow others to board the 'Fist' in their place. I found nobody trying to slip onboard this time.

Hondilas had made his meeting with Calldas followers. Since they all thought that Hondilas was their mage the situation was easily controlled. The four apprentices were dead and a few slaves sold but that now stopped. Hondilas said that this was looked on as odd and he had to say he had new plans for the slaves.

The German, Mark Himmler, was solidly locked behind the walls of his base and there was no way of communicating. Yusoff bin Ibrahim was the apprentice in Malaysia but he had not been seen either. Teams were already out looking and I could do very little at the moment to assist.

When Christmas day rolled close there were a lot of gifts to be given. Many of my family had not even heard of Christianity but liked the gifts. Most of the gifts were magically made but not all. Months ago the girls had gone shopping for presents in Toronto, as a way of introducing the people we came across to something not relating to slavery. Those presents were now given but I received the majority of them. The clothing I received was not bad but was quite inferior to that made by magic. I smiled as I received all the junk a modern earth put out. In some cases, the givers just wanted to know what the present was for.

My own gifts were dolls for the children and jewellery for the rest. With a lot of thinking I got jewellery for the boys too. They still wanted me in the same way the women did and I thought it would be hurtful to not treat them is a similar manner.

The crew and their families came into the gym to get their gifts. They didn't see a large man in a red suit but that was ok. Some Christmas carols were sang which I didn't mind. Songs from other worlds and languages were sung too and I looked at this as a way of balancing out any one dominant culture.

On Christmas Day I flew in the helicopter from one ship to the other to make an official appearance. The people seemed happier now that they had something to do. I opened the owner's room and started a Christmas party. Presents had already been dropped off and I could say that they were there all the time.

I got a chance to get close to the people and found some that could work in magic if trained but would not be great. When the party was over I noticed the ship pitching. The 'Lady' was a little over three hundred and seventeen feet long and had stabilisers under the waterline. They were like wings that flew through the water to keep the ship from pitching. The shield expanded on their efficiency and I should not have noticed.

An officer came to me and whispered, "Captain Harris would like a word with you an the bridge sir. He has found something odd."

"Tell him I will be right there." I excused myself but tried to be a good host. When I had read the man's mind I knew he was worried about a storm.

Harris said, "Sir, no matter how we change course the storm veers to intercept us. I have never seen anything like this before and I don't think it's natural."

After reading the mind and seeing what he had seen, I had to agree. "The storm is escalating. This may be an attack on me. If I could I would leave and hope it follows but I doubt if it would."

The ship needed protecting and I could do only so much with what I had. I went to the small base in this ship then through the portal to the 'Fist'.

Captain Rhodes was informed of the problem and told to separate more. I didn't want all my eggs in one basket or even close.

I came back with the strongest generators in my family and began to charge crystals. The spell I had to cast was going to be strong and needed a similar amount of power.

The crew talked to their individual families and gave them a pill to get them to relax. Most accepted them. I had to cast a spell to put them all to sleep because a few would not take them. The crew hustled them all to the base where they would be considerably safer. The family and I looked through the crystals I had that stored memories. One spell was picked though it would be hard to do. With the family to help we built up more than enough power and the girls supported me as I cast the complicated incantation.

We were in the base during this time and when the spell was complete we left to find what was happening topside. The ship was pitching wildly even with the stabilisers.

Captain Harris said, "Sir, I don't understand this at all. We are in the midst of a full fledged hurricane. There are gusts of up to a hundred and fifty miles an hour. The weather service doesn't know what to make of it. I think the speed will only climb as the storm grows."

I said, "The ship is stronger now. There is a shield over most of the vessel but you can still communicate by radio. Just stay away from land. Our hull may be able to take a grounding but then I would have to explain how we were not severely damaged."

"How is this happening?"

"The storm came up much too fast to be natural. I just started into magic and I know that something of this magnitude requires a great amount of power. In our magic workshop I mentioned working with nature and just giving nudges, well this is far from any nudge. Someone either wants to test me or hurt me. I am sorry for getting you into this. If worse comes to worse you can go through the habitat I made and go to the 'Fist' or from there to Houston. If I have to I will put everybody aboard the 'Fist' and try hard to change their memories."

"Thank you, Sir but I don't think that will be necessary."

"If this storm gets stronger then it may well be necessary. I have heard of hurricanes reaching a hundred and eighty miles an hour and since this is magically induced, it may well get much faster. Its purpose may be to destroy this ship but in doing so it may well destroy many coastal regions."

"What are you going to do to the ship if they are trying to kill us?"

"If I have to I will ground her to let the person know he has won. I'm not going to risk any of your lives. The ship is your baby but if the need arrises, it can be repaired or even sacrificed."

"I understand Sir but try to think of some other means."

We tried to stay away from all the islands but at the same time we had to head into the wind. Sonya was beside me on the bridge and said, "This storm is going to kill a lot of people. The weather report says that the wind speed is over two hundred miles an hour already. It is remaining stationary though and we are in the worst of it."

"I went through the crystal with Calldas' memories and I know that the man that programmed Tanta is called Cartema. Calldas had thought him dead a thousand years ago and feared him greatly. He is ruthless against his enemies. There was a squabble back then and a lot of minor mages banded together to kill or seal up the man. It looks like they didn't do that good of a job."

"Why is he coming after us?"

I have no idea. He could think he is taking on Malochuck or even Maximus. He could also be looking for real estate. They are leaving Sookra for a reason and perhaps taking this world from Calldas' grasp could please him. I am not even sure if it is this man but he is the only one currently interested in us."

"Can we tell him it is us?"

"Mages don't seem to care. They don't like to be shown as wrong either. He would just continue."

The ship suddenly went into free fall and crashed into the water at the bottom of a giant wave. This would have broken any lesser ship. We pulled ourselves up from the floor. "We better get some help to strengthen the field."

"I'll get them Master."

Captain Harris was busy trying to find how much damage we sustained. Some people were hurt and a great many articles had broken loose.

"Sir, we can't take too much more of this. The internal structure of the ship has not been strengthened. There is a vibration in both drive shafts now. The shock from the fall bent the shafts. The diesels don't sound good either."

"I'll see what I can do."

I went to the cabin then to the base. There I found many of the family coming in. Not only the strong were coming but the children too. I was about to order them back when the portal abruptly closed. A young girl turned around and tried to claw her way back. I heard her calling a name. The other portal to Toronto closed too as if it was the shutter of a camera.

Taking power from the base I pushed my mind to the two portals and could not tell them from the wall. I could not tell what could have done this but my suspicions went to the same person that may be sending the storm to us.

The family formed concentric circles and I quickly took Ann to start. A spell lubricated her and I entered her vagina. I could sense Sonya trying hard to put us all on the grid but Sara was not here to help. Ann knew of our need and pulled Jen and June to her. The grid slowly started to take place and I did all I could to strengthen it.

The grid didn't grow very fast but I used the power anyway to feed the shield that we had made just a while ago. A few minutes later I could sense something wrong and sent Sonya to the ship so she could relay the information. When the shield was as strong as we could make it I continued to feed the crystals that powered this base. Much of the power had gone into producing the extra shield.

Sonya's thoughts were not clear. "Master, another wave hit us. We fell into a trough and then we were pounded by the wave. One set of the diesels is down and the other damaged. The ship is shaking itself apart. We cannot head into the wind and we're going to capsize."

Now was the time to leave. I focussed on the Toronto base and tried to make a portal but no matter what I did it would not even start. A similar attempt to Houston failed. As a last resort I called to Erasmus and then to Caloona for a place to transfer all those here. There was no response.

We had to get out of here and the portal was not working. A different kind of travel spell may work and tried to think of where to go. I could see Toronto in my mind and Lake Ontario. I had been no place else in my life. It may be impossible to remain anonymous after this but tried to shift the ship nearly a thousand miles and into a freshwater lake.

I came very close but there was no reference made to this location in my mind and no time to make one. Calldas had a few and I tried to pick which one to use. It suddenly occurred to me that this may be what the mage wanted in the first place. Sookra was over half ocean but full of mages and their magic. Somac was another mage controlled world but the living conditions were harsh to say the least. Even the air was not suitable to breathe for long. Consoda was mostly desert but had nothing to offer.

Sonya called, "Hurry Master, another wave is coming."

I needed safe refuge for my family and Sookra was the best. I could just imagine them dropping on me like hawks and taking everybody aboard as slaves. There was one alternative. There was no reference to it in Calldas' memory but it had to work.

We tried the transfer spell once more but this time I grasped even more of the power in the base and in the grid. We needed to go this time. I thought of the symbols for Sookra. The family helped me now for they saw a destination and the need for the surface of the ocean. Before the last of the spell was cast I reached into the fifth dimension and twisted brutally on the tenuous substance of time itself.

Power flew through my insubstantial grasp and I must have screamed in agony because the pain was so great. I took the pain for as long as I could then came blackness.

-------

I woke up to the worried faces of my family. I could feel strong magic in the air but it was fading fast. I turned a bit to look and my head felt like it was going to burst then miraculously the pain disappeared. I looked around now and saw Sonya so I knew that time had passed. I could hear mental communication but it was faint. This reminded me of my hearing after a small explosion at a plant I used to work at.

"I can only hear you faintly with my mind. How is everybody? Was there anybody hurt?"

Sonya said verbally, "You were the worst hurt. The others were cured and I put you in a time spell until we were ready."

"Was I killed?"

"No, but it was close. We used a lot of power to heal you and there wasn't that much left to spare."

I smiled at this and said, "We can always make more."

"You can but later. I want to get you up and we can talk about where you took us."

"Are we on Sookra?"

"I don't think so. There are some similarities but there are some very obvious differences too."

I tried to sit up and was immediately helped to sit. "Thank you ladies, now what are the differences?"

"First of all we landed in a very large landlocked bay or close to it. The ocean is near by but it is too shallow and narrow to get to deeper water. We found some nasty flying snakes about ten metres long. There is some type of very large cephalopod that is trying to eat us. The shield we put up has fallen. The tentacled creature has been trying to catch anybody that goes on deck. So far nobody has been eaten. The Captain made some probes hooked up to the generator and that keeps it away for the most part. There is a larger snake like creature that is similar to what is on Sookra but it hasn't bothered us yet."

I asked, "Did you check to see if the stars are right? We learned this in Erasmus' base."

"It looks close but I was never really on Sookra to know the difference."

"There are lot of family members that came from Sookra. Maybe they remember something."

"I did already. They say it is similar or the same but don't know for sure. What did you do anyway?"

"Help me up please." When I gained my feet I felt dizzy. I used my training to suppress it.

"It occurred to me that the storm was used to make me do what I was trying to do. I couldn't remember Lake Ontario very well, so that was out. I had been studying Calldus' memories and could only remember three of the worlds. Two were bad but so was Sookra. This planet looked like a trap. I hoped to throw a monkey wrench in the plans by twisting hard on the portion of the fifth dimension that I use for my time spells. I twisted the other way though. If I did this correctly we are in the future or the past of Sookra. Since there is advanced life here, and the sun is unstable, I think it is the past. Calldus predicted that in a thousand years most life would cease."

"How far in the past did you go?"

"I have no idea. I twisted as hard as I could. I had to drag the ship through with us and I was worried about not going far enough."

"Dorum said that she was in the capital of Fassie once and saw a picture of those flying snakes and they were fighting the larger one we saw. Perhaps they died off after a while."

"It is more likely that mages or hunters killed the snakes. Like all humans we see a threat and want to exterminate it."

"Master, they were trying to eat us."

"That shows good taste. I think all of you are quite tasty. Now how much of the family made it here?" Her face didn't colour but her mouth formed a little smile.

"Most of the adults and older children. It works out to a hundred and sixty two women, fifty six girls over eight and fifteen younger. All forty nine of the older boys and seventeen younger ones. Some mothers ran with their infants so we can add another thirteen."

"That are three hundred and twelve plus me. What about crew and passengers?"

"Fifty three crew and two hundred and sixteen dependents or retirees. Our grand total is five hundred and eighty two, counting you. There are a hundred and twenty eight family members unaccounted for. We think they may be safe. The 'Fist' was making pretty good time running before the storm and the her harbour is not that bad. The family can transfer to the bases if it becomes necessary."

I said, "The portals all closed as if they were cut."

"There is that but they were well before the storm and Sara would make sure the family found safety."

In a few minutes I was listening to Captain Harris as he talked about his damaged ship and what he was doing to protect her from boarders.

"What in the name of all that is holy, are those creatures?"

I said, "It occurred to me that the storm may have been a way to capture all of us. I couldn't allow that to happen so I had to try something drastic. I only knew the coordinates of three worlds. The only good choice meant we would be turned into slaves. I am able to manipulate time to a small extent. I used this knowledge to take us to the correct world but back in time. The mage or mages that were controlling the storm may not know where we went. We are safe now and we have a chance to regroup. The creatures we will learn about as soon as we can. The larger snake like creature, called a Colcha can be domesticated. Apparently they served the place of an aeroplane here on Sookra at one time."

"Can't you make one of those doorways to your other bases?"

"The mage was blocking me before. If I tried now he may then know where we are. I may be able now to form a portal but if we went back in time there is no reference to anchor the other end to. If we made it back, I have no idea what year it would be."

"What are we going to do in this godforsaken world? The wildlife wants to eat us and as soon as our technology fails we will all die."

"Captain Harris, first of all we have magic. You can learn to use it for protection. It can be used to sustain technology if necessary but technology was destroying earth last time I looked. With magic your lifetime can be greatly lengthened. With enough time I can learn a great deal more and then try to take us back to where and when we came from."

"Will I be alive to see it?"

"I don't see why not. It may take a few years to find a way to reach earth then I have to develop the coordinates. We can bring 'The Lucky Lady' back and try to determine the year. We then jump forward until we get it right."

"There are a lot of maybes there, even if they are unstated."

"Captain, I guided the ship here to save our lives. If I have the power for that, I have to power to return. Am I fully understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"By the way, your electrical probes were a great idea. If you did a good job, we would have squid or whatever for centuries to come on our menu if we can keep it fresh."

Later we tried to form a grid for power but it didn't work very well. I had done little with the grid after the girls took the job over but I must have been doing a lot more since it was not working now. I was worried but I was beginning to hear with my mind a bit more and hoped this would come back with the rest of my abilities.

Sonya could form a tenuous grid but little of the power we produced could be captured. We kept at it though. It was something we liked to do and it was a way for me to show my love for all those that came to my call when it was needed.

The older children needed reassurances. Once more their fate was cast into the wind but at least now they had family to fight for them.

There was enough energy produced to take care of our basic needs. Those sleeping had to be fed magically till we could put them under a time spell. The crew had the natural food and we ate this with them since it would go bad if we didn't. My mind had not settled back the way it should have been and no time spell was available. Sonya was now the strongest conductor and she hoarded the power we produced.

The crew were getting very jumpy after eleven days. The day before I was able to add to the current going to Charley our cephalopod. He or she backed off all together for a few hours. This brought the flying snakes down on us. I gave the Captain permission and he used a rifle to bring down one of the creatures. This was to find out how intelligent the creatures were and as a way of keeping them away from us. As soon as the thrashing snake hit the water, Charley found a use for it.

The crew were ordered to come to lectures on Sookra. Sonya and I gave most of them but former natives from this planet gave their stories too. They were mainly based on their experiences later in time but what they knew of geography, botany and zoology were very helpful. What information we had about mages was handed out so the crew knew what the present population could be like. They came to fear me even more because they likened me to these mages. I had a full time job trying to keep a healthy perspective on the matter.

We were eventually able to sustain a grid once more and the base got powered up fully. Some material was found for crystals and we made a great deal more then filled them to capacity. With what we might face I grew very cautious and made even more crystals though the crew wanted me to do other jobs.

The family and I toured the ship and we assisted the engineers in some of the grunt work. With a great deal of questions we found out some of the specifics of the diesel engines. We used a considerable amount of power to straighten parts and repair cracks. We had been able to do very fine work with a crystal and this was even easier.



-------

Chapter 18


With power readily available, we could break up into smaller groups and work an many small projects. Sonya worked on our present location and mapped out the bay and the surrounding land. This was put down on charts we made for this purpose. Some of the crew were very interested in this aspect because the bottom of the harbour was charted. She demonstrated how magic could be used to search out physical details but its range was limited.

The smaller snakes were now called Bomas. This was a Fassie word for small snake. The size could be up to seventeen metres and the weight four to five tonnes. They had rudimentary legs and arms that were well suited for feeding. Their main weapon was a very large and strong mouth lined with long teeth.

They attacked at any opportunity and one morning I killed one. It was not justifiable since they were not a real threat with the protection we now had but I wanted to find out about their physiology.

We did the dissecting on the deck while some of the crew kept a watch for new threats. Their brain was not that small. There was no poison but their saliva was acidic. They had some nasty organisms living in the pours of their claws that could cause death in a day from only a scratch. Their scales came in two sizes. This allowed them to flex but still provide protection from a larger predator.

The size of the eye led me to believe that they were well provided for. I could only find out with tests or through a living specimen.

This particular animal was a gravid female and the eggs were collected. Six of them looked to be capable of growing because the skin like membrane had formed already.

The testing went on through the day to learn as much as we could in the time available. The crew had their turn too to investigate this creature. When we were done, I sent the carcass off to Charley. This time I had it magically dragged across the water to see how our eighteen tentacled neighbour reacted and find the speed he could travel at.

The ship was repaired as good as new. In some ways it was like it was just built. The engines were not only more powerful but more efficient too. Three bare conductors were placed around the hull with insulators. These were hooked to the five hundred and fifty volt three phase generators the ship used. One of Charley's cousins would be in for a rude surprise.

Four months after arriving here, I began to take the families out of the time spells. It was much easier on them than to be kept asleep. We did this about five families per day. The procedure gave us a chance to control the consequences better and to have the next set of families see others that were not going hysterical over the news.

Those that I had seen that could conduct magic were immediately put into classes so that the rest could see that it was a natural form of science. The crew had shown some talent and they were the ones that did some of the training. I was quite sure that the men wanted to try to generate some power and relieve the pressure in their testicles.

There were two hundred and sixteen new people that had to learn magic. Paranoid or not I made sure everybody had a loyalty spell. Caloona had opened my mind when I first came to Erasmus' home. My family had a similar procedure done to them and then new ways were found to expand on their abilities. The same procedures had to happen to my much larger family now. Five hundred and eighty two of us made a strong power.

I was not about to add to our three hundred and twelve by involving the crew, wives and their children in our love making. Later on when we were a known quantity then the situation could change and all of us could contribute.

On the ship we usually wore clothing but the children would rather run naked no matter where they were. In the base though clothing was usually not worn. The crew and their family had to get used to a lot of this and our customs were just different. I hoped that the new children would eventually get used to watching their parents and others making love and gathering power.

Some people refused to believe in magic and I worked more with them. The old retirees were put through a great many healing spells and came out very young looking. Their minds were now very clear and it was hard not to see magic after this was done. Older couples came to me to get the same thing done to them. This was granted almost automatically as a way of tying them to me and our cause.

The new children were much more receptive to magic once they saw their peers among my family showing what they could do. They all took to the classes we offered and I had to work in slowly some of the details about magical abuse. Like a gun it was the intentions of the person holding the weapon that counted.

The complexity of magic was explained like how we dealt with technology. Most people used a computer or an automobile but didn't know, or care to know, how they worked. Other jobs needed to be learned and this was done one step at a time. This was compared to a doctor. He or she was not born that way but learned his profession after a lot of training.

It took time and we all began to use our minds to communicate. This was a second kind of nakedness. It was much harder to hide something that should be exposed. The children could get used to this new reality much better without the bullshit our culture had loaded them up with over the centuries.

The Bomas eggs were kept warm and we altered their development. I tried for more brain size and some major changes to their body. The creatures were normally ravenous because of all the food they needed to survive. I wanted the new generation to be able to soar on thermals instead of using muscle power. Their digestive tract was altered too so more of the food was digested and a greater variety could be consumed.

When the eggs hatched I saw that we had to do a lot more research because they all had to be destroyed. They could not survive and could hardly fly. We kept our eyes out for young Bomas now so we could experiment. I was not ethically worried about this. Man had done this for a long time and had domesticated many animals for his own uses. I was just going to try to avoid a much useless pain and suffering as I could.

The Colcha were hardly ever seen and then they stayed far away. We tried fishing for leisure but Charley or one of the smaller versions usually got the fish first. We cast our minds into the water and brought out animal life directly with either PK or a transport spell. Aquariums were already prepared so we could observe the life. This was turning out to be much better than any school I had ever heard of.

The children were given awards for learning and for their discoveries. When a similar scheme was used on the adults I found that they soon accepted magic much more.

The engines were started up and we cruised the bay, going very slowly. The shoreline next to the plain was searched for a good dock. There was a lot of sediment and the water was shallow. I asked for plans for a dock after listing what we could possibly do. Sonya worked with me and gave her ideas publicly and I commented on the good and bad points. The discussion started slowly but did heat up during the day and the remainder of the week.

Everybody was on deck later when we moved rocks from the bottom of the bay. The silt close to the shore was picked up by giant insubstantial hands and moved to a low spot on the plain. When enough had been moved, the rocks were put in place. Most rocks weighted many tonnes and we put them into position where we wanted the dock to be. There was no shortage of rock, though most was buried under the sediment. We just had to work so the bottom rocks didn't give way and sink too far into the silt as the years passed.

Rocks too large to move easily were sheered. This was something that I had not found in any books but came across it by accident when using a variation of the time spell. This could be used as a weapon too I thought but it was difficult to use. The crystal with Calldas' memories had been on the 'Fist' and we all had to rely on memory.

We had no cement so I relied on cut stone now to form the underwater wall. The children moved the smaller stones and they got some satisfaction from doing the same job that we were doing.

My family was growing as the children came to us. They had been bred by mages or the studs but I made sure everybody knew that the children were mine. I was surprised to find that two actually were. The girls Malochuck brought to his penthouse for breeding had been very fertile when I had worked with them. Two happened to catch. Sonya had later put the spell on the women not pregnant to stay that way.

The crew women had come to Sonya about their lack of pills and she gave them what I thought was best. Contraception would be learned but families could now grow if that was their choice. Some of the young looking old women liked this idea.

Some of the crews' children were old enough to have children. Only a few wanted to mate with other crew children. My own boys and girls were much more beautiful and attracted those members from the crew. I wanted to cut my boys loose but I could not do so. They wanted me badly and I wanted them but I was still not ready. The possible solution of reanimating them was too horrendous to contemplate.

Most friendships had to remain plutonic until I was able to find a solution. Some of those were also the crews' women and some children wanting to jump ship in some respects and join my family. I could get away with this if I wanted by increasing the loyalty spell. Instead, I took the men aside and gave them more pointers in making their mates happy. This was reinforced by the ability to fulfill what them libido wanted through another spell. I expected a bumper crop of babies after doing this.

We had been here a total of eight months when the dock was finally done. Parties had gone inland and cut giant trees and transported them to the dock so they could be secured against the side to prevent damage to a ship. Those same parties had done some exploring and small details were added to our charts as time went on.

The parties went well armed with various technological and magic weapons. The older children made up half of each group. It was a valuable way to learn. Some of my own family usually watched for anything dangerous. The Bomas now knew about us and didn't come too close. They were usually sent a small pain so they remembered about the distance I wanted kept.

A Bomas eyrie was found by one group and I hurried there. This was actually a large colony. The Bomas parents were getting very anxious that we were near. With shields and invisibility we entered some of the nesting caves and carried out a sampling of each brood. I figured a high percentage would die, and in a way I was helping those that remained. Some nests were too difficult to get to. The parents knew something was wrong but couldn't get close to investigate.

We had to resort to using a transport spell to do this work. I also took more than I needed but not what I figured would endanger the colony. I didn't know how often they nested. I too used the transport spell to the base. The young Bamas were making their displeasure well known when I got there.

A young one of only two metres long was selected. I worked through the oldest method known for making friends and fed the beast until it was nearly full. The other Bamas were treated the same way. None of them were smart enough to leave the food alone and we had to regulate them. When they quieted down I stared into the large yellow eyes and tried to find a way of communicating. Small pieces of bloody meat that was formed from magic was used.

An attempt was made to link the food with an emotion or thought but I couldn't find any. It was like trying to tune into a specific radio station with a short wave radio. I had to go very slow or I would miss it. In the end I conceded defeat and linked with a few dozen of the family and we tried to tune in as a group.

It was one of my boys, that originally came from Saranam, that found the thoughts. He had to show us exactly what he did. To reach these creatures I had to adjust my mind. This was like trying to sing octaves too high with my voice. We found only basic thoughts of hunger, pain and fright among others. The boy got a hug from me and he seemed to like this reward.

Geela smiled at me and said, "It was easy. Do you want me to do something else?"

"Yes I do Geela. This little snake here is going to be your buddy. I want you to feed him or her and try to make some sort of bond. You better learn some spells for cleaning up the cage. You have to follow a lot of safety rules to deal with these creatures. I don't want to see you hurt. You are to make notes of everything you do. A good mage keeps great notes and they are easy to read and very understandable. Look at it as if it is a lot of experiments you have to do. I think I will have to give out the rest of the snakes and we can have a Bamas club to pass around information."

"Is this one going to be mine?" He now had a very big smile.

"Yes, remember safety or I will pull you off the project for being foolish."

"Yes, Sir," the boy said proudly.

The names of children from the entire ship were considered then they were offered the jobs. This was along with their other duties. My own children were better suited for this but the others had to get their chance to learn.

The bay we were in, reminded me of pictures I had seen of St. John's Newfoundland. It was one of the best places on earth to wait out a storm and this bay was even better due to it's size. The mountains were taller with a narrow entrance. The bay was twelve kilometres long and had a dog leg half way down. At its narrowest part it was still a kilometre across. Around one side was a strip of land about three and a half kilometres wide while the other side was vertical rock. A river fell from a cliff and after flowing across the plain went into the bay. One other smaller river to the east did the same.

With no moon for tides the water level didn't change. As an additional demonstration of magic we picked up the large submerged rocks that blocked our path and I had them placed where I wanted to extend the dock. Some smaller ones were placed on a ledge far above the water. This would be a good way of effectively dissuading unwanted guest from coming this way by sea. That same small area above could effectively hold a garrison of troops. A rope bridge and a similar ledge on the other side would make this a very easy port to protect, at least from the ocean.

The channel was thirty six metres wide now. This allowed us just the barest of margins to get through. There was lots of room when I looked but Captain Harris was very worried about his ship. The wind could easily push it to one side or the other.

Before we left, we used a great deal of energy building a base on the ledge far above and then a portal to the base on the ship. You could not easily get to it and this way was undemanding. It also allowed us to find this area again. The area in the centre of the plain was laid out and with a lot of calculations we referenced this point so we could find this area too. Minor adjustments gave us the bay itself if we had to move the ship.

We left the harbour ten Sookra months after we arrived. If measured in Earth time it would have been ninety three percent of that. We had no charts after getting forty kilometres from the Fortune's Bay, as that was the name that was picked by popular vote.

Shoals and other obstacles were put on our new charts but we travelled at a leisurely pace since we were exploring now. With no satellite coverage we had to do this the old way and this took not only a long time but the accuracy was not there. Working from the land was easier as measurements were more accurate. We hadn't found anything that was magic related that could help us in this matter.

Sonya and I had maps of this world in our minds along with the two major countries of Fassie and Saranam. As yet we had not run into any humans or even old settlements and had no idea of our location. Before we made any major decisions we had to know a lot more about where and when we were.

Sea life was examined on the trip and we even had short forays into the land to see what was detected by magical means. The animals were readily seen as distinctly Sookra. The animals now were not domesticated and were much smaller than ones in our memories. Some of these were captured for study and some as backup pets for those that watched the Bomas.

A Sookra month after we had set out, we had covered over ten thousand kilometres. We came upon our first native. It was a person in a canoe fishing in the delta of a large river. We saw him with a telescope and he saw the ship with his unaided eye and he fled. I didn't blame him. I was actually amazed that he was fishing because we had been attacked by friends or near relatives of Charley on many occasions. The electrical conductors did a very good job of teaching them to leave a three hundred seventeen feet of ship alone. The canoe had no such device.

With our minds focussed on the delta, we plotted the best course we could through the deepest channels. Captain Harris didn't like this but we could push and pull the ship with our minds if it became necessary. Retracing our route in reverse should be no problem. The river did widen in areas though and we could turn the ship if it became necessary.

We found villages that were now recently deserted but assumed it was because of word of our approach getting there ahead of us. I overruled the Captain and we travelled at night for the first time. Mapmaking had to be done in the day time.

We found a village three kilometres ahead and we simply stopped the engines and pushed the ship with our minds. The props were a drag and the shield was now used to enclose them for ease of slipping through the water. We approached as close as we could then deployed the anchor as quietly as we could. It was even lighter than many of the rocks we had moved. The ship could not be seen readily from the village.

From the deck we moved people too so they surrounded the village. A gas was released that would render all of the inhabitants unconscious and we moved in to do a census and find out what was possible.

When word came back I knew we had twenty three very poor specimens of humanity. When daylight broke we had a large ox like creature found in the jungles slowly spinning on a spit. Smaller portions were precooked in the ovens on the ship for breakfast.

The gas wore off after three hours and the people were now getting up. Many dashed back into their huts or tried for the fields or stands of wood nearby at the first sight of strangers. They were intercepted by children but done so with care. During the night we were able to speak to a few of them with our minds but they had no awareness of this.

They were all huddled together with a few males on the outside trying to protect their families. My family advanced on them but it was only four women with infants in their arms and a few of the smaller children walking with them. The rest were watching intently from the ship or the woods ready to protect our people.

Tanta was now eight and though small went further than the adults and up to the man that would usually run this village if the need arose.

"Hello, my name is Tanta. We were travelling through this area and decided to stop and have a talk. Will you talk to my mothers? They will not hurt you and we even brought some food to eat."

Words came from the man's mouth. It was a dialect of Saranam. "How can you talk to me? I didn't see your mouth move."

Tanta said, "I cannot speak the sounds of your language very well. If I tried you would not understand. I can speak this way because my mothers taught me. Will you eat with us? We have a lot. We are not your enemies."

Dorum spoke a different dialect of Saranam and took a few steps closer and said, "Our daughter is telling the truth. She spoke to you first so you would have a chance to listen. We have our children in our arms to show you that we are not going to fight. Will you have a meal with us? I think we should be friends."

"How did you get here?"

"We have a boat."

"Where are your men?"

"They are on the boat waiting for us to have this talk. Do we look like a threat to you?"

Instead of answering he said, "Why are you here?"

"We came to make friends and learn of others in this area. We want to find a place where a lot of people are so we can live with them."

"There are a lot of people on this river."

"I am talking about more people than what you have fingers and toes. Some places are very large."

"Why do you want this place?"

"So we can talk to the people there and learn. We also know things so we can teach."

One of our young girls followed instructions and took some baked ox from close to the fire and brought it to Dorum. She ate a piece then said, "Take some to our friends."

It took time but soon everybody was sitting down to eat. We had most of the information they had to offer but we wanted to give some knowledge too.

There was nothing known of any sizable habitations though collectively the river had perhaps a thousand if we went far enough. We assumed that we were in the area of Saranam because of the language.

Draught animals were used in some villages but they were rare. A wooden plough was usually pulled by the family. This was still much better than using a stick to break the ground. We had some spare metal but it could not be magically produced. We had to find the ore then extract the elements we needed. As yet we had found very little. Sookra was not known for the heavier metals but did have some.

The wheel had not been understood but we made a cart with wooden wheels that could be copied. Four of the boys pulled this into the village. In the back was a plough, a half dozen shovels and an equal number of hoes. Lastly there were some seeds of fruits and vegetables that would grow here.

The four boys were first seen as a threat but they were not that big and didn't look to have any weapons. They demonstrated the tools and how they were used. The villagers were very interested in this. The plough would dig deeper to bring up minerals that the roots had not taped. The harness was of synthetic leather so they again could copy it with their own materials.

Late in the day the Captain and two of his officers came to the village. They held no obvious weapons though each carried a pistol each. The males drank some fermented beverage while the women were given pills that would remove parasites and cure any diseases. The village children got to finally run with ours but after they too got a pill.

When it was time to go, they said their final goodbyes at the shore. The villagers got to finally see 'The Lucky Lady' as she throttled her engines just enough to stay parallel with the village. The villagers would have fled but already the landing party was floating away from the land and towards the ship. We waved to the villagers and after a moment they started to wave back.

They were still by the shore as we went around the bend in the river nearly five kilometres further upriver.

I said to Captain Harris, "You were just like Captain Kirk there. You met an alien race on an alien planet. You and your party gave gifts and helped them to a better life."

He did have to smile at that. "The floating was not as good as what Scotty would have done but it was still good. I wonder if they will wave when we come back this way."

"We can hope, though I would like to educate more. I think we must have gone far back into the history of this world. If we had a chance we could start our own brand of civilisation that has no slaves. If we develop schools for magic then the world can start on the right path much sooner."

"Do you want to stay here instead of going home?"

I said, "I will do as I said unless everybody wants to overrule me. I might add that here you are a powerful mage that is also the captain of the most fantastic vessel this planet has ever seen. On earth you are the captain of a very large yacht. Here you can help shape a world and prevent many millions of deaths through slavery as the years roll on. Here you will learn to preserve your own body and perhaps live for a thousand or even two thousand years. I think as you learn more about magic, you will see how this world is something that you need very much. I know this world needs you."

Two days later we came on a village as we rounded the bend. Most ran but some were just too petrified to do so. We just waved our hands and called in Saranam dialect of the village we visited.

A day after this we entered a large shallow lake. This was difficult to get here. There were rapids to pass and it was much too shallow. The recent rains helped some. We could sail the perimeter in six hours. There were villages here but they were well spaced out.

One village closer to the mountains had just been attacked by a eight Bomas. It was the noise of our approach that frightened them off. A new landing party floated quickly to the village. They were met by sporadic fire from bows. Our shields were proof against this threat. Some people were dying or already dead. Those that could be healed were done so but they were also sedated so they would stay put.

I could feel one of the officers cradling a dead child and putting the body near the recovering mother. It was at times like this that humans acted irrationally and wanted to kill. Protection was one act but going after the predator was built into our genes. In a way I was happy when the Bomas regained their courage and came back. The officers used their weapons to kill all eight of the flying snakes and when bullets didn't work, magic was used to snuff out their lives. This also meant that some young Bomas would now starve to death.

Our own Bomas had not been favourably effected by feeding and I had to work on them a little at a time to get them to come around. This was all done after the children presented their own findings. Their alternative pets were much better.

The shore party came back very discouraged. Those villagers hurt would now recover while the dead stayed dead. Reanimating a child would be the first step in something I didn't want widely known. Soon I would be obliged to make sure nobody died and that was not right either. Death had to come to all of us and only the most determined should be the ones to hold it off the longest.

Nothing new had been learned from the villagers but fire was suggested to chase the Bomas off if they came again. The area was lush and would not burn very well.

The trip down river was much quicker. We had it mapped already. We had our possible location down to seven choices because of a range of mountains seen from the lake. The names of cities would be best but names change and even cities die.

The next major river was only seventy kilometres away. There were no cities but only a town where a city would one day be. Presently its population was just over three hundred and fifty inhabitants. The town would grow into the city of Redac on the Epoo river. Presently both the river and the town had different names.

We had come in the night and then the ship had withdrawn so she could do more investigating of the area. This time I was the one that got some shore leave.

Early the next morning, Sonya and I took Tanta as a way of appearing less threatening to the town. I was taller than any inhabitant by far and so was Sonya. We had packs on for travel and each of us had a bronze knife at out hips. Sonya had a heavy spear in her hand. When we got close and the gates closed. A squad of men on top of the mud brick wall wanted to know what we wanted in their city.

"I want a drink to wash down the dust and a chance to pinch the bum of the girl serving me."

"We will have you served outside the walls."

In a remake of 'Star Wars' and Ben Kinobi I put a spell on the men to let me in. "I need to eat and so does my family."

The head of the detail said to his men, "They're safe. Let them through."

To get through the gate the guard wanted money and in this case it happened to be copper but I scowled at them and they retreated. They had bows and bronze swords but it was usually spears I saw.

I was able to get some vague directions to the pub. I had to bend over quite a bit to get into the large hut. There was only a dirt floor and then the seats were much too small. We took off our packs but kept them near. A woman coming in to the common room from the kitchen screamed and dropped her clay bowls before fleeing.

A man came rushing out with a cudgel. He too stopped dead in his tracks when he saw us. Before he could run off I said, "What have you got to eat? We're hungry."

It took a minute before the man said, "Carva with fresh bread."

This was not Paris so I said while gesturing with my hands, "How much for this much?"

"Two coppers."

"Do I look stupid. I am not one of those half witted guards at the gate."

"One and I will give you a smaller portion to your woman."

"Hurry, I am hungry."

Sonya said to us, "You did that fairly well. I don't know if the usual male would be as belligerent at this time or not."

"I am big and used to getting what I want. I just have to act the part."

Tanta said, "This's fun. I'm glad you let me come."

I said, "You're a good girl. You work hard and your mothers all love you. This is just my way of rewarding you. Now try to read the mind of the owner."

The food finally came. I had a few worn copper disks but offered him three American and two Canadian pennies instead. They would more than make up for the weight of one large coin. The man did a lot of inspection before he agreed on the terms.

I tried the local beer with my meal. The bread was coarsely ground and had small particles of stone or sand in it. The meat was old and tough but it was edible. The beer was sour but I didn't want to alter it here. Tanta had to be fed from our bowls but there was actually too much to eat. It was fun being in a small family grouping too.

When we were done I called the barkeep over. He reluctantly came and even more reluctantly sat with us.

"We need a mage. Do you know of any?" The question gave me the answer easier than sifting through his brain.

"One comes through this area once in a while. What do you need him for?"

Barkeeps were a repository of knowledge and to get information I had to answer questions myself. "I have this pain in my chest that needs fixing."

"There is an old woman that can help you with herbs."

"I will talk to her but I want the mage. I want to start some trading. There are some places that pay well for metal. Is there places that you know where men take metal from the ground?"

"Ships come from up the river with metal. I have some if you have enough copper to pay for it."

"What metals do the ships bring and what do you have?"

"They bring iron, silver and some copper. Iron is useless and good bronze is much sharper and stronger. I have some silver and good copper."

I knew that his quantities were small and said, "I want to buy large quantities and have the boats take it to those that need the metal."

"You need that much? Is somebody going to war again?"

"Not that I know of but I have heard of a new kind of plough that uses iron at the front edge to cut the soil much easier for planting. There is even a device that will allow a man to carry more than what twenty other men could carry."

"Where have you heard of this?"

"This is the place that needs the metal. I want the profit so I will keep that information as long as I can. I will tell you of something called the wheel that gives a man the strength of twenty."

"Tell me Sir."

"Let's go out onto the street but what is your name first?"

"Vessdra, good Sir."

When we stepped outside with our belongings and I used Sonya's spear to draw a wheel in the dirt. The hub was drawn in very large detail though they didn't understand anything except drawing something the same size it actually was. This made a map very difficult to understand.

More people came and the barkeep wanted to keep the information to himself but I wanted it widely known. Tanta on cue said, "Daddy, daddy, I have the toy you made for me."

I smiled at her and said, "That is want I like a very smart daughter to make her daddy look good. Will you get it please?"

Tanta opened her hide bag and took out a wood box with the two wheeled cart inside. It was partially carved by hand but most was made with magic. Everybody got a chance to see how it worked. Tanta took it back and in a level section of the road loaded it with some rocks and the adults crouched down to find how easy it was to pull. Tonka Toys could be sold here very well but they would be Tanta Toys now.

Vessdra asked, "How much to make one of these carts for me?"

"I have more parts for toys in pack. Tell me of a man that is good with working wood and I will get him to make this."

Everybody used wood but one old man was better than the rest. The barkeep ran in his hut and then guided me to another hut down the winding street. The spectators came along. Village life was very boring.

The old man had to get up off the floor of his dirt hut. There were doors, shutters and wooden tools around the walls to be repaired. After we were introduced he had to be told why we were here.

"That won't work," was his simple statement.

Tanta handed him the small and delicate cart. The man marvelled at it then was shown how the wheels turned. In a moment he was back in the dirt pushing a rock across the floor and then doing it with the toy cart.

The conversation got around to draught animals and Sonya talked about she had seen whole villages using them and how the animals were domesticated. I knew that some types of animals were already used from the minds of the audience. One was as large as a rhinoceros and even looked similar while the other looked like a thin elephant with a trunk but stood like a horse. The last type was the size of a dog but had eight legs. It was very strong and could dig its claws into the ground to pull massive loads.

Currently a travois was used with all three animals. The loads were very limited in size and weight. Another rare method of haulage used a lead animal and a following animal supporting two poles and the load slung between. This was like two men using a stretcher.

I set my own pack down and reached in to find some of the parts of the toys I had made. A cart with no sides was attached to a similar one and I used a thin piece of split woods to cover both.

"You can put walls around this and with more animals you can have a big cart with four wheels. The front two have to be able to change direction though. A farmer can carry grain or flour, a merchant can carry what he wants to sell and his bed too. A brewer can carry beer. One man then can do much more work. The wheel carries the load and the man doesn't get crippled with over work."

The people were nodding at my ideas as the carpenter squinted at my toys. I had been reading the man's mind looking for ideas and knew that his vision was blurry. Judging how far he had to hold the model from his eyes I knew roughly what he needed. Sonya knew too and started talking about the benefits as I took my pack outside. I pissed on the wall like everybody else did because there was not even a latrine. I chanted in a low voice and a package of twelve spectacles came to me from the ship. Ten were made of wood while two had brass frames. A small pouch had ground glass blanks and some already turned into lenses.

I went back in and listened to Sonya continue her talks of a mythical village that had all sorts of wonders including eyeglasses.

"Husband, do you have any of those? The good carpenter might use a pair."

"These are for sale woman but he can try them if he wants."

I took the correct wooden glasses out and put them on myself then handed them to the man. He was so shocked that they fell from him and I had to catch them. He had words about magic and everyone was worried now.

They wanted to know about this and if I was going to hurt them.

I smiled and said, "Watch!" I took one of the carpenters well worn wooden tools and got some water. One drop was finally put on the handle, though I failed a few times for effect. "This is not magic. Look through the drop of water and everything appears bigger."

The tool was passed around and in a while they saw that this was true. Some remembered seeing this from a drop of dew or a raindrop. The blank glass was brought out then I had to say what it was and how it was made. A finished lens was then shown and how it magnified common things like a drop of water did. The lens was treated as magic but soon it became just very valuable until I got it back.

Holding the glasses in my hand I said, "This device has two pieces of glass and are held together by wood. They have to be different because everybody is not the same. This is like the way clothing is made for different sized people."

The carpenter put the glasses on now with some trepidation but soon overcame this as he looked at his hands clearly that he had not seen for a long time.

"How much do you want for these?"

I said, "Make me a cart." I used my hands to show that the wheels had to be two metres in diameter and the cart was a bit longer without the long tongue. "Make it this big. You need animal fat for the hub of the wheel. When I come back I will pick it up. If you want you can sell it and make me a new one. I do not want to wait more than six days for the cart though."

"Can I have these glasses to do the work? It can be done much better if I have them."

I turned around to everybody as if to call them to witness. "You may have these glasses to use. You will make me a cart in trade for them. You may sell the cart but another has to be nearly ready so I do not have to wait for longer than six days."

Vessdra said, "You have more of those glasses. Will you sell them to me?"

"I want to make these eye glasses. I watched as they were made and it is not that difficult. Some people may help me. I am quite sure they will sold everywhere there are people." I used the local names for sandstone, soda and lime. Then I went into what had to be done including skimming off the impurities. The clay pots in his business could be used to heat the materials.

I showed all of them the eye glasses with metal rims and said, "Brass or bronze can be formed around the lenses and arms put on to hold them in place."

All this was high finance and cost close to a hundred pennies. This required that I get more of the town's people involved in the project. I had to find some clay jars and lids that had to be re-fired to drive out all the moisture and fuse the clay particles much more than had been done before. The materials were readily available and I even had to pay for sandstone blocks to contain the fire. A chart was drawn of the proportions by volume to make the glass. Wood had to be purchased and then a man employed to skim the molten glass with an iron tool and feed the fire.

As a business venture, I was doomed to failure since I was showing everyone what I was doing but I wanted the technology spread.

We stayed the night in a tent. I had to use magic to clean enough land so I could set up our hide tent. Shit was everywhere and most of it didn't come from animals.

Sonya hurriedly got undressed and so did Tanta. I got in and looked through my pack and Sonya said, "Aren't you interested in having your way with a docile female? You mentioned something like this a few times today."

"You are far from docile but I love you anyway."

I used a spell to lubricate her more since I was full and she was the only receptacle. She called out in orgasm many times and even scratched my back. She didn't have to hold the grid or even use the power we produced. This was just raw sex and we both loved it.

Tanta was overcome with the love. I found that she had set up a mini grid to feel the same as Sonya. With at least the edge taken off I curled up between the two to sleep.

A sneak thief made an appearance that night. He was new to this sort of activity but was determined to get the fortune I must surely have. I simply placed the image of a Bomas coming after him in the dark. He fled very noisily for his life.



-------

Chapter 19


The next day I had to involve a metal worker to make thin metal ribbons for the frames. An iron blowpipe and shears were ordered after I drew some pictures in the dirt. Brass or bronze would conduct too much of the heat to the hands and were no good for glass. The glass was good enough that I could blow a vessel with an existing pipe though it was a larger diameter than I wanted.

The glass was coloured with impurities and those on the ship suggested changing the proportions of the three ingredients. This seemed to work.

Another furnace had to be made to anneal the glass which in turn cost me a lot more money for materials and help. If I stayed long enough I may even spend ten dollars.

Sonya and Tanta went to see the herbalist but they found she knew nothing of magic. Sonya though gave new information about different plants. When learning about magic more than mathematics had to be studied for drugs and plants were important parts. They stayed together for a while and they seemed to get along quite well.

Some of the land was cultivated but other sections had no claim on them. Sonya, Tanta and I put four cairns out that encompassed nearly a kilometre on a side. The cairns though were fused magically and anchored fairly securely to the soil. A determined effort could dislodge the units though.

The land was rocky and even had a few hills. I unofficially told the city fathers that I was claiming this land. None of them wanted it or anybody else they knew but some thought of wringing some money from me. My fiddling with my knife gave them a moment to think rationally. When I talked officially now they said that the land was mine.

I said, "I have been spending money and need a home. I am employing the people who in turn buy your goods. I will need to make purchases too and if you have what I want and at a good price you will make money. Nobody wants to get cheated and I have the benefit of doing something about it if I am."

We stayed one more night where I talked about grinding the blanks I had cast and annealed. A telescope was produced from my pack and the town got a chance to see what it could do. An albino boy of eight or so hobbled up for his turn but was not going to push anybody away for he was on the bottom of the pecking order in this town.

Nobody wanted him and he survived on handouts and the occasional sex with some of the men. After reading the boy's mind I knew that there were two more children, two cripples and four old adults that had a hard time surviving.

The boy finally got his turn and I said in a quiet voice, "What is your name boy?"

"Kosta, Master."

"I need people to help me. Do you want a job?"

"Yes Master. I can do anything you want."

The boy was very serious and I knew he would do his best. Soap had been invented though it was only in the liquid form. We walked to the river and I said, "Kosta take your clothes off. We need to get you clean."

The boy had no problem. All he was wearing was a loin cloth and a pouch that held his valuables. He went into the shallow water but kept an eye out for danger. I gave him some soap but he didn't do a good job. I called him back and used the soap myself on him and he had to rinse off nearly five times. The long hair was the hardest to clean. The boy liked the physical contact but because of his age, none of it was sexual in nature.

Getting back into the town was no problem now though I used the same gate. I was still seen as a threat but not one that was ready to attack just yet.

We walked to a house where the woman was handy with making clothing. We had a discussion and I paid half of what she demanded so that Kosta was clothed properly. She would get the rest when I was satisfied with her work. Part of the deal was that she fed the boy while she had him. This suited them very well and me too.

I checked on the glassworks and the three men were doing as I asked. None of them knew anything about this except what I had told them but they did follow simple orders. They were not disciplined in any way and it was hard to get them to understand much or to understand some complex ideas.

The carpenter was busy making the large axle for the wagon and I stopped him with another and easier project. I drew up a wooden wheelbarrow with only a front board to keep articles from rolling off. Sides would be something to add later along with a steel rim.

He didn't understand this very well but he did start making the wheel. Slaves used hand barrows that were two poles that were supported by a man in front and a man behind with the load put between.

Sonya was bring enlightenment to the town too. Dorum was a native of this world and knew of some plants that would rid the locals of many parasites without the use of magic. When Dorum communicated with Sonya she explained what the three plants looked like and what to do with them. Sonya and Tanta were now looking with the herbalist for what was needed.

The 'Lady' was gathering seaweed down the coast and on the lookout for other carbon based material. We could not manufacture atoms but we could move the atoms we did have. Diesel fuel was easy to make with the power we had and our purity was better than any Earth refinery.

Sonya gave a mental warning and I saw four men through her eyes. They were riding the horse like animal with the elephant trunk. The men came on Sonya while they were searching for the second plant they needed. I ran to the gate then even faster when beyond the walls of the town.

I caught glimpses of what Sonya saw and it looked like trouble. The men liked what they saw and wanted some of it. They caught sight of Tanta and thought an eight year old girl was nice too. I was worried about their safety but we had been trained to fight. When I got close, Sonya actually said, "Stay away for a moment, Master."

Three men closed in on Sonya and their weapons were still sheathed. One was going after Tanta. I readied myself but did as Sonya asked. She went into action and struck two of the men with her hands then turned and used her foot to catch the third. The one going after Tanta turned and drew his bronze sword and went wearily to meet the big woman that beat his three men.

Sonya tried talking to him but he didn't listen. I said, "Do you want me to help?"

"No, Master. He's clumsy and I can take him."

"If you allow him to hurt you I will turn you over my knee and beat your butt."

"I won't let that happen."

The man tried to force Sonya to retreat but she moved in very quickly and pushed the sword wielding hand to one side then used her elbow to strike the man's larynx. He went down in a flash just like the rest.

I came in now and so did a crying Tanta. The girl cried at what could have happened and Sonya crouched to hug the girl. I bent too so I could hug both of my girls as Tanta recovered from the traumatic experience. In a few moments of reassurance we stood to look at the four men. I wanted to hurt them because of what they were going to do to my family but the rational mind was still working.

Sonya called, "Soffie, it's safe. Come on out."

We looked at the line of trees and finally saw a head peer out from behind a bush. From the distance she was worried about me now. We both waved to her as we held Tanta between us.

Soffie took her time getting near and the four men had not regained consciousness yet.

Sonya asked verbally so Soffie could hear, "What are we going to do with these four. They do this all the time and nobody gainsays them."

I finished reading the men's minds and said, "You have the right to take them as slaves and confiscate all the property they have with them. The moddas are now yours and they may be useful as draught animals for a large wagon."

"What do I want with slaves." She too read their minds and said, "They are in the employ of a mage. Apparently he's coming this way."

Soffie was an old woman for this planet and wanted to run and hide. Her own memories of a mage were not nice. The man was needlessly cruel in what he did. Sonya moved quickly and stopped the woman. Soffie fought for a few seconds and then just collapsed.

I went to the men and disarmed them of even their eating knives. The Moddas were more interesting though. They were fairly intelligent for an animal. They stood over two metres high at the shoulder. To get on, the animal must crouch like a camel did. Staying a few metres in front of them, I tried to look into their minds. Again in the high octave range I found their thoughts but they were not just simple animal ideas. They were not great thinkers but I detected each one assessing me for danger.

They were all hobbled and I walked to one of them. Slowly I put out my hand and a trunk came up to smell me. When it had finished and stored my odour I got closer and rubbed the trunk. It was not like an elephant. It had some small horny plates similar to a snake or a fish in this area. The ears were not hanging but turned like a cat to detect danger. I reached up and the animal moved but I got he ear first. I just scratched behind it like I had done to a cat and the animal relaxed.

In a moment I had the other ear scratched and then I introduced myself to the other three animals. When they go their ears scratched they too relaxed.

Tanta was right behind me and I put her forward and she was sniffed by four long thin trunks. She reached under the trunks and rubbed the undersides.

I said, "Tanta, link with me and I will show you something." She did and I went up to that area where the modda thought at and assisted her in listening to their ideas. Tanta smiled both physically and mentally and now moved her hand where this particular modda wanted scratched.

Soffie was pleading with Sonya now to run away before everybody was going to be killed.

Sonya said to me, "The main body is coming this way in an hour. There is usually no opposition and the toughs are used to frighten the locals. The mage is not much and is even more excessive than some of the trainees. He has twenty seven slaves and seven of them are children."

I said, "If we remove him we have to put somebody in his place. We don't want a power vacuum or mage that lead others to follow in his footsteps."

"We can find somebody and train them. Maybe one of the slaves themselves could take over if they are trained first."

Soffie interrupted, "You can't fight the mage. He has magical powers and an army of followers."

Sonya said, "He has seven more thugs to keep order and a lot of slaves that are suffering. The mage is not as powerful as you think."

"I have seen him do things. He can kill with a look and move knives with his mind."

I was casting my mind so I could see further. I finally saw the procession coming down a beaten track that was called a road. Ahead of them were some areas that were overgrown and the road meandered between tall trees because they were too big to remove.

"Sonya, let's go now. Get Soffie to rest here."

"Ok but these guys have to stay asleep." She looked at them and cast a sleeping spell. Soffie's mouth opened for she now thought that Sonya had may have magical powers too.

Sonya said, "Stay here. Tanta will protect you if necessary. Do not leave. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress but she is just a child."

"Trust us Soffie. You will not come to harm."

We hurried off at a run. It was fun to be with Sonya this way and I could feel her contentment too. I explained what I had seen and the ambush was easy to do. The men were of no real threat and it was best to take out the main opposition first.

I had to throw Sonya into a tree so she could catch a branch. I climbed some smaller trees and then moved over to a larger one then eventually to hers. There was a large vine but it was not big enough. The joke would not be funny if I fell.

We had been trained to go on a mission here by Erasmus. One of the things we had to do very well was hide our abilities and even some of our memories. We did this now and at the very least the mage would think he was being attacked by robbers.

We waited as three men passed under us. There was a gap of thirty metres then there was a covered contrivance that was strung between two large moddas. Yossich the mage was sitting there being swayed by the movements of the beasts. I chose the range and shape and cast a time spell that would only encompass the mage.

The moddas came to an abrupt halt as they couldn't push or pull the load that was slung between them.

Sonya and I jumped down and she ran to catch up to the three guards in the lead. They were just turning their heads when Sonya was among them. Her hands and feet flashed and the three fell from their seats.

The screams of the slaves alerted the two following and they charged at me with swords drawn. I had two smooth rocks in my hand and threw one at a time but not as hard as I could. Even though the men were charging at me on the backs of running animals, the physics of the act were simple. The two fell from their saddles and I was close enough to give some small sleeping spells as I passed.

Further back were the other two. They had been stationed there to warn of an ambush from the rear. They saw what had happened to the other two and split left and right and I could sense that they were just going to flee for their lives. I chased the one on my left down and was able to jump on the moddas' back to take the man out.

The other one was tearing away at a fast pace. I considered sending on the modda range an image of an attacking bomas, but all of the modda in the train would try to flee. I dropped to the ground and ran for all I was worth. The rider looked back and after seeing me urged his mount on even faster. It took three kilometres before I could jump hard enough to pull the man from the beast.

One quick chop and he was out but now the modda continued to flee. This time I sent out the thoughts of a contented modda getting scratched and the animal slowed to a halt. I called, "Come, an I will scratch you," but the animal stayed put. I was able to walk to it though after continuing to send it thoughts. It was not that apprehensive when I approached and gave it a few complimentary scratches before leading it back. The unconscious man was thrown on the back as I fulfilled my promise to the animal.

With everything I set out to do completed I called, "How are you doing Sonya?"

"Just fine. I am having a nice chat and trying to explain how the mage is hanging in mid air. The modda bolted but didn't go far. I see you bagged your limit. When are you getting here?"

"Ten minutes I guess. The guard is laying across the saddle and I don't want to hurt him needlessly."

"Don't worry about that. The guards are as bad as the mage. If it were up to me I would turn them into capons."

"We will see what we can do to reeducate them. How is Tanta?"

"She is doing fine. Soffie doesn't believe we took the caravan but she did stay."

I picked up the other guard and the modda then returned to the road. Two more guards were thrown on their mounts and the four of them were led back into camp. Sonya had picked up her garbage too and they lay in a pile close by. I picked through the pile and took out weapons then cleaned the game I brought back and added to the pile.

The slaves were very frightened of me but Sonya did her best to allay their fears. She was explaining that since the mage had allowed his men to attack her she was justified in taking the mage and guards as her slaves. The present slaves were now her slaves thus making the change of ownership very logical.

"Master, what are we going to do with the guards and this worthless lump of shit fouling the road?"

The term master made the slaves turn to me and those standing got to their knees facing me.

Sonya said, "See what you did. I had them starting to accept me." I had done nothing since it was her words not mine.

"Let's get the train down the road a bit and I can remove the spell. We can deal with Yossich in private."

Sonya had the slaves strip the former guards and the clothing was put on one of the mounts. When this was done she said to me, "You better put a loyalty spell on them. I don't want to tie them up or chase them the way you had to do."

"Yes, Mistress. Whatever you say, Mistress."

The slaves were now looking at us differently again but did nothing new. There were some spells on the guards but they were very inefficient and almost worthless. I took my time and removed all of them then put my own in their place. The guards woke up and quickly got to their knees awaiting orders. I said to them, "Do what your mistress tells you to do." I heard a reply in unison from all of them.

Sonya had the naked men on their feet and then working hard to get the train going once more. When it had gone for five minutes I readied my spells and so did Sonya. The time spell was removed and Yossich fell to the roadway immediately. I had a spell on him even as he was falling. After he bounced a bit the spell set in and he looked at me as his new master.

I said, "Pick up the front of the palanquin."

The man hurried to do so and I carried the back. Sonya got in for a while but the mage was not strong enough to keep up the pace or do the work.

Sonya said, "This guy isn't a mage. The children on the ship could do just as much after a few months."

"He is a mage in his own mind. He has heard of others and they have similar powers."

"That means our job is easy. Reform them and see how long their training lasts."

"We may have to stay here to go back to our time. I can see the need to nudge the new ones back to the straight and narrow."

Sonya disgustingly got out and we continued. When we got close to the area where she was first attacked she got back in. The mage and I carried her to the encampment. Everybody was amazed to see Sonya get out and a bedraggled mage hardly able to stand.

Tanta ran to Sonya and hugged her. "We both stayed. I taught Soffie something and she taught me something too."

"You're a good girl."

Soffie came to within five metres and then came no closer. Sonya called her over but the woman came reluctantly. Sonya put her hand on the shoulder of the subdued mage and said, "This was a man that had just a little magical powers. He knows next to nothing and never would know much. His guards put the fear into you and he could do a few tricks."

"But he can kill with his evil eye."

"It is not the eye. He has to think the thought instead. He won't do that anymore. He is our slave, as are the rest of his party now are."

"What are you going to do with them?"

"That's a good question. We came here because one day this area will have a big city of more people than you can imagine. I guess we could build a home here."

Sonya turned to me and said, "Let's put the men to work clearing the land. We have almost a square kilometre to work on. The slaves can go to the ship for re-education and training."

I said, "Better to go to our property and make a base to work from. We can anchor it later to the building itself. Twelve men are going to do very little for us. A home that you imagine needs thousands of trained workmen. We can canvas but all we will get is labourers. We will have to train all of them. To make this successful we need to make this city grow now. Eyeglasses carts, herbs and domesticated animals will only go so far."

Sonya countered, "There is a small volume of metals coming down the river. We can process them ourselves and people will come here to buy and live. This city could be the one of your schools as good as the one further north."

I said, "I would rather spread out the wealth a bit better. One city getting too wealthy will attract too many greedy hands."

"One wealthy city can defend better and the other cities are of no threat if they don't have the money to hire soldiers. That doesn't stop groups from banding together under a charismatic leader to take the city and split the booty."

We had been speaking so Soffie would understand but she said, "What do you have planned for our town?"

Sonya said, "We want to make the city a place of learning. Magic will be taught but also how to farm. Farmers just guess about their crops. There are many tricks that can be done to bring in good harvests. We can build large ships and they will take what we make to everywhere possible."

Sonya turned to me and said, "It may be better to start fresh near the town and put in sewers and lay our roads with some foresight. Future generations would curse us."

Soffie was lost in what we were talking about. I thought of Sonya's idea of making a new city. There was only some farm land that could be purchased very easily. This decision precluded hunting for the other cities and starting to build now.

"We will do it your way. This city had some major roads and we will just have to build them sooner. I'll call the ship a few days from now and it should be here within twelve hours of the call."

"You better warn the residents or they will run for the hills as soon as the 'Lady' comes in sight."

Tanta was given the job of describing the ship to the slaves and Soffie. They didn't believe or even understand but they would be around as a welcoming committee.

I had made some rough drawings of the area around the city and now had to draw where the walls would one day be. With mages as part of the population there may not be a need for the walls or the expense in putting them up.

Sonya and I had seen maps of this area once while even natives in the future had not. It was a good starting point so the roads would make sense in the city. In this case we were going to make the same choices as Calgary Alberta and number the streets and avenues starting from the centre. Anybody could find an address easily this way.

Sonya and I inspected the slaves. Some were pregnant and half were sick. This was nothing unusual. Most of the town was that way too. The slaves were asked to gather around and we told them more of their future. It was only when we talked directly to their minds did they see that we may be telling the truth.

Soffie stayed with us though she wanted to scream as she ran away. Soffie was incorporated into our group as a person that would make all of the slaves healthy when the right ingredients were found. Healing spells worked but they could not be exported like herbs could.

The children in the group were cared for even more than the adults and Tanta made it her job to ensure their well-being. She started by getting them to start camp. The moddas had to be fed and watered. She had heard my ideas on grooming the animals. The moddas would not object. They liked to get scratched.

Part 3

To lessen the impact of the guards and the mage's presence, Tanta was asked to order the naked men around for the menial or hard tasks. I went hunting because there were now forty three of us. There were twenty one Modda and that number would soon grow. Three were going to have young soon.

When the mage's tent was set up we got into it while the mage and guards had to make do with what the slaves usually used.

I came back a half-hour later with some fresh meat. The mage this time had to cut it up and cook it over a fire. While he was doing this I was reading his thoughts. His loyalty spell made him want to do what he was told so there was no real conflict except when he thought of his former life. He was an entirely self taught magician. He couldn't read or write and had not bothered to record his experiments. His memory was fair enough that when he found something that worked he used it.

Over the course of his travels he had learned of more mages and only met a few. They were a solitary lot and didn't want to share ideas or spells. All of them wanted power and the only reason they had not fought much was because there was more than enough room without stepping on toes.

Yossich had all his wealth with him apart from some real estate he owned in some of the other towns. None of the towns were very large except for a few to the far north. It was too far to travel there for what the rewards would be.

I got a good grasp of local politics and most of the leaders were petty tyrants that lorded it over a small section of land. Tolls were leveed as a way of collecting revenue but this hurt trade.

In half an hour I learned that it would take a very serious effort to reform this world. The time taken would probably extend for well over a hundred years. This also meant that I had to use everybody aboard the ship as educators and administrators. Getting them to go back on the ship to find home may prove to be a very difficult if not an impossible task.

After we had eaten, we talked inside and around the tent about our future world but not up to the twenty first century of Earth but a few centuries from now and on this planet. Many things could only change slowly and some were very susceptible to slippage. A government gets propped up one day and it is overthrown the next year.

Sonya got Yossich's former slaves to form a circle though the shape was not really that important now. We made love while Sonya and Tanta tried to form a grid with my help. I could force them with my will but it was better to get them to cooperate at a low level first. The power we generated went to recharging our crystals and to heal everybody in our camp. This was not strenuous and we continued by working on the modda. People and animals had dead parasites in them that would be voided in the coming days. The eggs and young were similarly dead.

We allowed Tanta to be a conductor though we watched very carefully and she moved stones as a first demonstration. In moments she was manufacturing clothing from leaves and other carbohydrates.

I took over and sheared a large area of rock with my variation of the time spell so it was flat. Tanta then moved the rock and debris over to one side so we had room to work.

I sheared giant trees of their branches and Tanta moved the branches away. The trunk was lowered to the ground and then cut into boards and beams. Damp wood was a problem and the wood was held flat as I tried some spells to remove the moisture. One of the slaves started to give ideas which we tried even though I knew they wouldn't work.

After Sonya succumbed to many orgasms I moved over to the right. The woman was fearful of my size and the spell made everything fit well. We didn't dry the wood until six more women but they were not apprehensive now.

Wheels three metres in diameter were made and then reinforced with wood going in different directions. The dry wood meant that they would be dimensionally stable. Many thin layers were put on and bonded with magic until we made some glue. The hub this time was made of the bronze weapons we had seized from the guards.

The massive axle was dried then the ends were rounded to fit in the metal hub of the wheel. Another wheel was then made and fitted to the other side. We didn't have enough metal to do more. The long tongue was then made and attached to the axle. I was not sure about how to hook up the harnesses, and had to try to remember all my old cowboy movies.

The box was made on the axle and then seats were installed. We were late getting some sleep because we cut more trees and produced more dried lumber. Tanta worked on the branches and bark to make clothing for the children then Sonya did the same for the adults.

Insects were not a problem or predators because I had set wards when the camp was built. A sampling of the slaves showed that they were very happy with the major changes in their lives. Those slaves that could not produce power had been used to satisfy the guards. I had taken all of the slaves and improved their ability to handle magic. This was not known now but in a few days would be self evident.

The guards and the mage got dressed the next day but they now looked like local businessmen. The slaves ran around showing each other their new finery. Tanta and Sonya were thanked many times but they never came to me.

The former slaves marvelled at the giant cart they had made last night. The children climbed all over it and nobody got a splinter because the surfaces were like glass. I had made it to be a bus of sorts but I needed more metal so two more wheels could be made.

We ate breakfast of the meat that remained from last night. Sonya and I experimented with light rope to find what a harness should be like. There was a lot of fitting to be done. We knew a wide strap had to go across the front of the animal and more had to be used to support what we put on. A horse had a bit in its mouth but the riders had just tugged with one side of the bridle to change direction. They didn't have a saddle to sit on and had to rely on balance. Even on earth it was only a recent invention to have stirrups but this I had to save for another day.

At noon we got together again and made love. This time many metres of pseudo leather strips were made in various widths and thicknesses. The branches of the night before were almost all gone. A large container made of leather now contained grease for the axle. Finally we made food and served it all on wooden plates that looked beautiful to me.

We ate leisurely and the males were told to join us. They were hesitant this time because they knew my displeasure at what they had done to the women. The men thought that they had done nothing wrong because women were to be used the same way animals were. Many men on modern earth thought the same way.

That afternoon we contacted the ship and they sent us some metal to use in the harnesses and for more wheels. The area around the wheel that would touch the ground was now modified. I took off a centimetre of the circumference but left a shoulder on both sides of the cut.

The metal was formed into a long flat piece that would fit between the shoulders and stick up an additional centimetre. This metal was formed into a ring and the ends overlapped and drawn to a taper. Three rivets went through the joint so a regular blacksmith could copy this if need be. The iron band had to be expanded then shrunk over the wheel so it would not come off again. The wood creaked from all the pressure put on it.

It was late in the day by the time we started to make the harness again but we stayed at it. More massive trees had to be cut for lumber and dried so that we could use the branches for our other purposes. The slaves were now much like my family in that they were very eager to make power as long as they got their orgasms.

Sonya came to me and said, "One of the slaves was fertile. Do you want her to join the family like the rest?"

"I think they are already in the family."

Sonya smiled and said, "I will tell her."

I said, "Isn't it time you had one of my babies?"

"You have so many already."

"None from the woman I love the most."

She paused a moment then looked at the ground. "I will work on getting my period back. You better spend more time when your son comes along. You are spread too thin already."

"Ours could rule this world but I don't like nepotism. He or she will do what he is able to do. There is too much to accomplish and too little time to do it."

The two large moddas that carried Yossich now pulled the large cart. They didn't like this at all and had to be calmed by magic. We stopped our testing many times to make adjustments then make them again. It was a good idea that I used buckles so this could be done easily.

When it was all done, I made two more sets from scratch and used the buckles for other sets. A four wheel wagon was now made with an iron tire and a bronze hub. We were seriously depleting the ships supply and needed to find where the local ships got their raw materials.

The wagon was quite long and required eight of the moddas. I figured they were at least twice as strong as a horse but the wagon was heavy. Large bent frames stretched over the wagon and a light material we made to cover this. We had a real prairie schooner and not like those used in Hollywood because our wheels were about the right size. Like a prairie schooner we had a metal tipped plough in the back that would mean much more productivity to the land.

The morning of the next day we pulled up close to a farm and the family left their hut to meet us. When they finally came out to talk, I negotiated the price of the farm while the man would continue to have the use of it until it was needed.

I continued doing this and spending Yossich's money until I had what I wanted for the new city. When we came to the walls of the village. There was no way we could get in with the wagons. The town's folk came out and marvelled at what we had done. Word had already come about my buying spree but they didn't see how this could hurt them in the short run.

Some of the townsfolk rode the wagon and the cart and marvelled at the carrying capacity. The mage and the guards were recognised for who their were, and there was a lot of worry. I said that they had been beaten in a fight when they attacked Sonya and now they belonged to me.

The town's folk thought the wagons were the work of the mage but Sonya and Soffie straightened them out. It would not take them long to figure that I had to use magic to make the carts. It was only one more leap to come to the conclusion that I was a much more powerful mage than Yossich ever was.

In front of everybody, I claimed many square kilometres of land that had not been used so far. Nobody lived there that didn't get paid for their land. Areas on the other side of the village were not claimed because there were productive farms.

The plough was brought out and then it was attached to the two animals though one may pull it. We worked for hours to get this working correctly and I knew there would be a lot of tweaks yet to be done. We ploughed twelve furrows that were far from straight. The farmers saw the benefits and wanted a plough or one to be used in common with other farmers.

Sonya talked of the ship that would be coming but even with a plough and wagons it was not believed. Soffie now was reluctant to leave because she knew she would not be forced if she were involved with us.

Kosta was in the mob and dressed very well. "How are you doing son?"

"I have been doing very fine, Master. The widow has been feeding me since you left."

"That's good to hear and I will have to give her extra for feeding a strong lad like you. I want you to take this money and run to the widow and pay her all of it. Tell her that the extra is for trusting and for being a good woman. When you come back bring the other two children that don't eat very well. There are jobs for the two cripples that you know and the four old people. Tell them they do not need to take anything with them. I have good food and clothing."

The boy just had his mouth open and I handed him more than enough money and had to gently push him to get him going. The town was not that big but it took fifteen minutes to round up everybody.

When they came before me I said, "I have jobs for each of you. You will get fed every day and get to wear clean clothes. The jobs are not in the city yet but they are close by. If you want the jobs, climb into the wagon." Some had to digest this information but Kosta was first and helped the other two children in.

The plough and two of the smaller moddas were taken to the closest farm and they ran to get the other tenant farmers. The care of the animals, harnesses and plough were mentioned then I went around and asked questions of every male. They could not say they didn't understand the rudiments of what they had to do.

We made camp six kilometres from the town and close to the river. There was a lot of rock and the river here had worn through this material over the millennias. We found different minerals in rocks but it was the basic atoms we needed now. Sonya and I found the highest concentrations simply by concentrating around us. At the end of the day we had a good meal and then made the crystals. The men were not invited and it took a long time to get the women and children to learn how to assemble what was needed.

The cripples and the four old people were healed with spells though some would need more than one treatment. The children were similarly treated and fit in well with the other children. The adults were given jobs relating to watching the children because there was really little for them to do.

It rained that night but the wagon and cart had the coverings and nobody got wet unless they needed to relieve themselves. The next day it still rained and I wondered how the ploughing went in the rain. I had not tried it in this environment. The women asked why I didn't keep the rain away and I had to explain about living with nature and shifting things only when necessary.

The men went hunting to keep them busy or to take the wagons and retrieve all the now damp lumber we had stacked at our first campsite.

We made crystals all day and I had a great many satisfied ladies. One had her eyes sparkling all the time and I knew that this was the mother of my latest child. We charged the crystals the next day then while making love removed large rocks from the river and put them onto the land.

The crystals drained quickly then had to be recharged but the women were happy with what they had done with me. We had a magic lesson during our noon meal to break the monotony. I sheared some of the larger rocks in the river and brought the portions to the shore. The rock facing the river was cleaved and a groove cut in the rock to accept some large wooden beams.

It rained much of the week and we moved camp regularly so we were close to our work. Magic over a long distance was more tiring and needed much more power to do the same job.

We continued down the river removing rocks so the 'Lady' could come in close to shore. Sometimes sandbars had to be removed but the material was used with the rocks to build up islands for security. One day a lighthouse would be on them and probably a lookout for an invasion force.

We were in the village one day to warn the villagers of the ship's approach. They were all at the wall when the ship came into sight and they could not believe it. As time passed they saw it only growing bigger and belief was even harder to come by. Those on the ship waved as the ship went by and headed up to its berth.

The children came off the ship first and then we were mobbed. The villagers had hung back but seeing as it was children, they advanced. I made introductions to some of the family and the Captain gave an impromptu tour. This led to food and some drink though we kept the latter moderated.

The villagers got another great shock when they saw the cripples and the old folks that I had taken with me recently. Both groups were looking very fit and got around better than most of the villagers they had always lived with.

It wasn't long before the village was deserted and everybody was enjoying themselves on the ship. My new family was integrated with the old one with little problems. There were no outright questions about having slaves seeing as that was just a temporary arrangement. The Captain though wondered about how the newcomers were going to fit in.

The eleven guards and the mage were still a problem but they were loyal to me and didn't look to molest any of the women. They had not been allowed to work magic but perhaps one day I would find a use for them and allow it. Now they were basically security like the Plugga used to be.

The ship was getting low on magical power but the diesel fuel tanks were full and the reserve tanks for carbohydrate material was full too. The villagers were eventually hustled off the ship but they carried packages of special foods that they liked. The smorgasbord we provided made them think they had gone to some earthly paradise.

The family was all in the base and arranged on mattresses. The girls were on their backs waiting while the boys were on their knees. It made really no difference because the boys and the young girls were not touched other than through the grid.

The time taken to charge up the crystals was not long because of the great number participating. The crew had started to bring their wives and older children here but the wives felt me much more than what their husbands provided. The husbands participated by giving their energy too and in this way they stayed much longer to enjoy themselves. The compromise made us stronger and the wives learned a great deal more about manipulating what was needed.



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Chapter 20


Kosta was on the floor now too. He and the others had been changed to allow them to handle magic. Again the only nonparticipants were the men I recently acquired.

The next morning we left the dock. We were fully charged and used the power to sweep the large rocks to the sides of the main channel if it was necessary. We headed up the Epoo river to find the source of the metals we needed. By adjusting the speed we cleared the river, we were able to keep ahead of the ship's progress. Along the way we built places to pull in and tie up for the night even if we didn't use them. This was done for the same reasons a province or a state provided rest stops along a busy highway.

On the third day we spotted a wooden ship powered by twenty rowers and it had a simple mast and sail. When it saw us it pulled abruptly into the shore and the crew fled without even tying it up. Their ship was secured while some of us gave chase. We were able to stop five men and convinced them to return to their ship. They had been frightened of our size and thought we could only be magical to move the way we did. Magic was something a sailor wanted to avoid at all costs and a big ship equated with big magic.

The crew were told that a ship like ours could do what we did without the use of magic. They were also told that we used magic for providing fuel and food. This the sailors could readily understand.

On the return trip to their ship, we found where the various ores came from or at least where they were purchased. The information about the ore was vague and was probably a lie foisted on them. The place where metal was exchanged for goods or copper coins was a reality.

The five crew members stood by their ship as ours headed upriver. The waves of our children brought none in return.

The Epoo was quite long and wide with many tributaries. We passed villages but as before they were usually deserted by the time we got there. It was not only the fishermen spotting us but it was the throb of our diesels and the splash of our props. We might have done better with a glamour of a small ship or even used invisibility.

The water and sediment was tested as we travelled. It was not just the metals we needed but other important materials. The material for crystals was always in need. To perform some major spells we would have to rely on some stored power to augment our own.

The girls experimented with a divining rod trying to find minerals whenever we hit land. There was some information in the books we had read but we had very few magical books on the ship. Malochuck had only left some there to impress his guests.

Sonya and I had written out what we knew or suspected and this was available to the others on the ship. Some spells we kept hidden though. I knew that I had to have an edge even with my own family.

Everybody was doing experiments and recording the results. This was all public knowledge so the wording was critiqued until everyone became as clear as possible in their meanings. The bomas were not quite a failed project but less effort was expended on them. Other animals were examined that would do what technology had done before.

The spell that Tanta had on her could be used on a bird or a bomas just as easily. The creature could be sent out to record data then return to upload the information. We could cover a much wider area with their assistance. Our magical eye worked well close to the ship and some birds did bring back information if they could find the ship again.

The majority of the modda had been brought onboard and were now studied. The foals when they came were sure to be babied by a lot of children. The base on the 'Lady' had to be expanded from its humble beginnings to support all the people on the ship. Our menagerie had grown too and now looked like a major metropolitan zoo. We were currently covering three square kilometres in area and more was planned when enough crystals were produced and then powered up.

The mass of our abode was not transferred to the ship. She was still floating high in the water. This was beneficial when we travelled up some of the shallower areas.

Meetings I figured were a major waste of time but when you had dedicated people, the gathering could work. We listed our goals and an expected method to accomplish them. The family was then allowed to make suggestions or to even alter the goals themselves. This on the surface looked confusing but in fact worked fairly well. This produced a wide array of alternatives and it turned out that some of these were much easier to follow. This meant that everybody had a say in what was happening and worked harder when their own ideas were used. More meetings were needed to winnow down the ideas to what we could realistically expect.

We found the transfer site for the metals but it was only temporary. With a short debate a landing party was picked and outfitted with what we could afford to give. The modda, that were not ready to foal, were put ashore. Western saddles had been made much easier in the base environment and were fitted to the animals. Food and charged crystals went and so did our best camping equipment. Three of the former crew went with their wives and older children to find out what was needed but to also train all of them. A flock of birds much like hawks went as their extended eyes and ears. Two hyena like creatures would act as trackers and to spot potential trouble. Communications with this type of creature was tenuous but it did exist at times.

There was a great deal of hand waving when the brave explorers left. I was not worried about security. They were well protected but I felt like a father seeing his children go out on their own to work and wondering how well they would do or if they would get hurt in some accident.

Our present location received an upgrade to the dock and the removal of quite a few boulders that had been just beneath the water. After tidying up the area we continued up the river sniffing for what we needed.

The tributary we were on stopped at a falls. There was enough water falling and the height was good enough to warrant a generator. We just filled in the charts though and sent the birds and our eye above the falls. While we waited, the ship was evacuated and we set up a temporary camp just to be on land. Like the docks we built for permanence and for beauty now that we were not pressed.

It was just getting dark when some of the birds returned to be fed. We found the area of the river above to be much different than the deep gorge we had been recently going through. There was a large savanna and we found herds of many kinds of animals including the modda.

We would have sent a larger detail to find the mines but we didn't have the required number of animals. A large portion of the crew had been born in Texas. The two facts came together very quickly and I got hundreds of calls to gather in some of the animals.

I said at the meeting that had to be called, "The ship can make a three hundred and forty kilometre journey up another tributary in three days with no problems. If we have to move obstructions, we can be up to two weeks getting to that point. I suggest that all of those rowdy Texans climb the escarpment and proceed to herd the animals toward our staging area. The ground distance should be only a third of that covered by the ship. With a few modda domesticated as the drive continued, the more foot weary will get a chance to ride. I think that Captain Harris lead this drive as he has some vacation time coming."

There was a lot of cheering and some of it was directed at the Captain because he was stuck on the ship all the time. Mental communications showed that he was worried about the safety of the ship but he also knew that the ship would not come to harm.

The great exodus was planned over the next few days as more birds came and went with information. Equipment was designed and made because a great many others wanted to go too. Shore parties floated to the top of the escarpment and scouted the area before deciding on a staging area. People and material floated back and forth but eventually everything was in readiness.

Under a drizzle, five hundred and thirty seven individual started their hike. The younger children stayed on the ship and cried that they were not allowed to go on this expedition. It took a long time for that many people to leave and some had to stay. Some were either excited or sad but the majority were both.

Shipboard life had required that everybody keep in shape. The crew and their families had slimmed down and then put on muscle. It was regimented and should have been resented but when the truth was communicated the necessity was seen and accepted. Everybody that was going, was well able to finish the trip and look for adventures right after. Though I was not going this time there were a great many conductors available to take care of difficulties. Almost all of them were superior in abilities to what Yossich was.

The last person floated upward and formed security for the tail of the column with a dozen more. I was now the Captain of the ship or at least when I was on watch. The anchor was pulled aboard and secured even if we were not at sea. I followed all of the rules. I knew I would catch shit whether I was the owner or not.

We drifted backwards and used our minds to nudge the ship so it stayed in line with the current. Our speed was about seven kilometres an hour but still fast enough for me. I never tired of the scenery. Four hours down river we were able to swing the ship around in an area free of obstructions. We could now use the wheel to adjust movements as we were using the engines now.

Malochuck had installed bow thrusters because he hated people that had to come out to help him. We had improved on them and now they allowed us to steer from the front of the ship too. We followed the chart we had made but still watched the river. With the diesels doing less work we were able to come on more of the river folk. Some had hidden in the trees as we passed and again we waved at them if we knew they were watching.

Sonya took the watch after me. I loved to be with her but I also knew that she wanted to do this alone. She got a kiss and I left.

Instead of working on magic I did something much better and stayed with my children and all of the others that were too young to go on the expedition. We ate and exercised. A good many of the newcomers just stayed in their beds and slept. Magic was the best for cleaning up messes and even odours. This job was done even better than what a nanny would do on earth.

The activities were run like preschool but had to include higher grades because of age or intelligence. There was no shortage of articles and ideas to stimulate the young minds. PK was practised the same as finger painting had been in my day. Games with this in mind were done with two players or with teams.

The older boys that were conditioned to please males went on the hike. They took many of the other boys including Kosta and one of his young friends. The other was too young and remained here with us.

We passed the tributary we wanted then turned the ship around when we could to make the return. The first ten kilometres were easy with only a few obstructions that had to be moved. After that though it took more of our time to do what was necessary for the ship's safety.

This tributary was winding and it would be difficult to move a ship our size without magic though it possibly could be done. One section ran very swiftly and the gorge was narrow. The engines were running full out and we had to help them with our own efforts to get through this area. The altitude changed as we moved back and forth through the bends in the river. It was actually the bends that slowed the water as it cut one mighty grove in the rock.

As the days passed we transported food and equipment to the two groups. Some articles had to be altered only after they were tested more fully. Both groups had run across small groups of humans but usually they ran if they could. The ones that were stopped were questioned and then food given or something to compensate them for their troubles.

Some small groups of animals we wanted were surrounded and then rendered unconscious. Some of the young if small enough were sent back. It was a lot of work when the object was distant or massive. The young were put into our area for livestock and then treated for what ailed them. Experiments were done right away to see what we could do to improve the breed.

New findings came in all the time from animals to plants to insects. Samples came too if they were small. This was a great time to me and I was happy to learn. I think most of the others had the same feelings. The families were very close to one another which would not happen back on earth.

The next day at almost noon we rounded a bend to see what the birds had reported. There was a rapid change in elevation and a long stretch of rapids. To remove the rocks would destroy the land downstream because the water could run even faster.

We had another meeting and suggested using the spell I used before to move the ship but this time not tinker with time. The possibility of levitation was mentioned but there was no way to do this. The historic and none-magical approach was to make a set or two of locks.

The 'Lady' was anchored and we sent out more birds to get an idea of the land. Some of the family went ashore to see what was visible on foot. I insisted they go in large groups of adults and then they could take some of the older children.

We made our own discoveries and the children were proud to have assisted. We found the best way to climb the fifty six metres. A kilometre back was another possible way for the water to flow. It rose much more abruptly but there was room for locks. Most of us left the ship to walk the land and get a feel for the area. The proponents of this plan gave me all the good points though we would have to move more than three quarters of a million cubic metres of rock and overburden.

The committee mentioned that we could dig a long channel to be close to our work then build a gate to hold the water. We had to divert the water with magic to fill the lock. When we were at the correct height we made an additional step which required another gate and more water. Eventually we would be at a large bend that was above the rapids.

We were here to learn, so I voted on the matter but involved the other two groups so they could have some input. With no other options we started the work. One improvement I made was a tunnel dug through the rock from the water above and along the line of our excavating. Nature would fill the locks not magic.

There was room to place the rock we removed constructively. The land was terraced with rock we removed and the soil put behind it. The rock we cut was in standard sizes and like children we used it to construct buildings.

This should have been an arduous job but the family and even the children enjoyed the creative work. We made a giant edifice that made us feel good and I subtly reminded those on the expedition that this could never have been done on earth without alerting the world.

We made love a great deal of the time. We needed the power for the task at hand. Even with our full compliment we would have to stop and charge the crystals.

The gates were made of wood. If we had metal we would have used it but it was only available for the hinges. Gates were constructed in the larger gates to drain the water. This was all intended to be used by humans one day that had little or no magical powers. Docks were built below the locks to tie up boats waiting to climb the escarpment. Large stone homes reminiscent of what were seen on the 'Flintstones' were made to use up the rock. Some structures were three stories high with external steps.

Parties had to go and cut wood further from the gorge and I was the only one that could control the shearing action though the rest helped. When the wood was dragged back on carts we made just for this job. The locals came out to watch but stayed hidden far from the worksite.

Each of the second set of gates was heavier than the rocks we were picking up. We had to have a lot of power and be very close so this time we worked beside the articles we would be lifting. This was done quickly because it took a lot of power to just hover.

The ship was already in the lower lock. She moved into the next one when the plug at the upper end of my tunnel was removed. It still took an hour to raise the ship to the next level but it was much easier than moving the water too. The plug was reinserted and we began on the last lock. The stone here was much higher than the level of the river. To do a good job, we cut the rough top off all of the area then the new rock we cut and placed had a suitable foundation.

Over the next six days we cut and placed the majority of the rock. We made beautiful homes close by and stacked precut rock for homes to be built further away.

The last set of locks were just as large as the first and just as heavy. When the way was clear, we entered the last lock and the gates closed behind us. We rose twenty metres and faced the last section that separated the locks from the upper river. This area got a wide slot cut into each side in addition to the original cut.

Not only were the neighbours watching but the two other groups were looking through our eyes when the last portion of rock was removed from deep in the new channel we had cut. There was some celebrating done. In the process we made a lot of energy and I think one child. This made me doubly happy.

We tidied up the site the next day and left on our journey. There were more rocks in the channel but they were handled much more deftly with all the practice we had made.

Two days later we came on a large savanna. The drivers were not here yet. They had altered their assignment so that they would not be just waiting her for days. We continued with our river clean up until we got to a very large lake that must be the size of Lake Erie. Unlike that lake, this one was deep. Instead of just moving rock aside for the last ten kilometres, we deepened the channel but narrowed it considerably. I didn't want more water leaving the lake than what was now flowing out now.

This area had five more rivers flowing into this lake to keep the water level up. An island in the middle got a lot larger as we built a base for ourselves here too. The family was very interested. Some of the rock had the elements we needed for crystal production.

We actually had little time to do more. The moddas were coming close to the river. We headed back and in the best spot cleaned up the bottom and side so we would have a good dock. Since this may be a good inland port we made more docks for future use. This whole area now had to be prospected and we would now have a lot of moddas to carry us.

The moddas stopped a kilometre from the ship and were pushed from behind by those that were compelled to go further by our drivers. Before they would scatter I gathered a lot of energy and cast a spell to make the animals docile and sleepy.

With crystals carried by hand we walked to the animals and cast the spell again to those we could not reach. Behind came our people riding moddas bareback and seemingly enjoying it. We had a heartfelt reunion and listened to the women bragging that they had got pregnant somehow. It seemed to be a joke because the men were going to do the same thing before the women stole their fire.

Work didn't stop for long. The moddas were separated into those we wanted and those we didn't. Good stock had to be left for the next generation too. Our choices were headed to the ship and were transported magically to our modda section. There was not enough room for all of the good choices so a hundred or so stayed to watch the giant herd and we went looking for more of the crystal material.

I greeted Captain Harris warmly and saw that he now wore a Stetson and a pair of revolvers at his waist. A rifle was in a scabbard at the saddle. He wore leather chaps and what looked like a homespun shirt with a kerchief around the neck.

"I see you are going back to your roots Captain."

"Not really sir, I was born in Maine. The regilla just happened to work well with what we were doing. The rest are doing it for fun too and the kids love it. They're all strong and quick. They ride these funny horses as if they were born in this land."

"That shows good parenting too I think. They like to learn and they are given the opportunity. I am afraid you are going to have to make some wagons for the shorter members that had to stay with me so they can get to ride on the prairie too."

"That may be fun. If we had the time we could have a chuck wagon race and even a rodeo."

"Go for it. They will remember this for years to come."

It was easy living on the plain even though we were going into the dry season. This meant that it rained only every fourth day sometimes. The people promoting the divining rods made a few successes and then looked for more as we recovered what we wanted. In an outcrop of rock we found another treasure. The natural crystals were here that the mages fought so much over. Ours synthetic ones were so much better. I think Erasmus would have given up his quest for the Sookra world if he had known what we could do.

We cut deep into the outcrop and removed hundreds of tonnes of the material. It was very impure but still had the correct ingredients. The material was transported to the ship and over the course of two months made a great many tonnes of the pure crystals. This allowed the base to grow.

The dock was covered with the crystal material until we enlarged the base many more times. Not only did all the moddas fit in now but thousands of tonnes of crystal material did too.

The drivers had liked their job and worked with the moddas we left behind to remove parasites and disease. Some sorrowfully had to be spayed. They were weak and would hurt the herd if they mated. Other types of animals were rounded up after the remaining moddas were dispersed. Room was found for these too. My wagon was built magically and used in this type of terrain. Modifications were made that worked much better and could be copied by non-magical people.

The rodeo never officially started but it never officially ended until we left. A few people had to be patched up but thankfully none of them were killed.

Before we left, we had many tonnes of metals we needed for other tasks was gathered. It was not all that we needed by any means. The first small group had found the area being mined and stayed to see what they could produce by themselves. They already had some material and found the best way for us to get what we needed and more.

The lake and the island were visited and this time a large stone structure was placed on it. There were no doors or windows. The stone was close fitting and when we were done, it was fused to the rock of the island and to the rest of the structure. The inside had some of our charged crystals and a shield protected the structure from entry. The idea was to give a prospective mage something to contemplate about this time in the life of the planet.

At the dock to the plain, we built another high tower so it could be seen from a distance. It was as perfectly smooth as we could make it and stood a hundred metres tall. The top had just a cut glass sphere that would catch the local star and reflect the light. This was for a marker but again it was to make prospective mages think.

People had taken up residence at the locks and could not flee in time. We treated them like the modda herd and they didn't seem to be bothered much. They were allowed to stay here if they chose but I claimed this land and area forever so that it could be used for its intended purpose.

Those family members that had not seen with their own eyes what we had built, were amazed. They went through the buildings and inspected the locks with a lot of detail. Here too, peer pressure made sure we had built correctly in the first place.

When we were in the upper lock the portion behind us was filled with the pile of large cut stone. If the wooden locks rotted away there would be nothing to stop the torrent of water from destroying many villages until it reached the sea. As a further precaution a gate could not be opened if any of the others next to it were in the same condition. This could work just as quickly but catastrophic mistakes like this would not happen.

To get to the iron and other metals we had to go down the river and up another tributary. This was a better and closer route but had two sets of rapids facing us that were impossible to just bypass.

Our destination was just a hundred kilometres from the first group we sent out. They had done a great deal of scouting and made a lot of maps. To get to this location we had to build more locks along this river but they were not as large. New channels had to be cut but the water still had to be regulated so no extra would flow out.

The time taken was an additional two months as there was exploration too that had to be done. Many families now rode a few days out of the week. It was good exercise and allowed us to meet the neighbours even if they didn't want us as guests. We always gave more than we got but that was the way it had to be. One day they would be clamouring for our gifts, but they would get an education with them.

Sonya said, "Why do we have to make such a good road to carry back that metal?"

"It's like the dock, the locks and the buildings. We build good and they will use it. A road on the land is just as important as the one on the water."

Again we built a good dock with enough room for a few large ships or a lot of smaller ones. This place would eventually be a major city and we had to do this right.

The area was scouted for kilometres around. It wasn't for threats but to take advantage of the good points so we could make the best city possible. We had a meeting and the terrain was discussed in detail. We were not going to build a city but to just lay out some of the infrastructure. A government building and a latrine would have to do but now it was necessary to put up a tower of stone like we had done already. We were making a tradition and it would be best if we all worked together as one on a project. I was actually the one that didn't want to do this.

We had the city map drawn up in a day and we began to use the power stored in the ship to cut deep trenches that would one day be storm sewers. These led to the river. Other trenches lead to a valley and would get the effluent from the population. Stone had to be cut and fused in some locations so that the two didn't combine.

The major streets were laid out and some were even named. We had found that we could fuse soil to a depth of a metre and it could be used just like stone. It even turned white if we twisted a portion of the matter in the forth dimension. The streets were levelled and made wide with a boulevard in the centre. An elevated walkway was put on each side. A grating of the same material led to the storm sewers. A large hill disappeared as it was used to fill in the low spots.

The government building had to be grand and have many rooms. We made this of the same soil as the streets and turned it a more bright white. The family decided on a logo for us and it was put into the walls and a very large one in the main vestibule. The only doors we put in were the very large double set at the front of the building.

A large plaza was built outside the front with a large fountain. The family was able, and especially as a group to make this without me. With a bit of sneaking I was able to make a twice life sized statue of Sonya in a Grecian style. This was hid because I wanted to put it up later.

The road we had made grew wider as we went and the median stopped being put in. Now it was just a road. There was a hump near the centre to assist the rain to be shed. We put in twenty metres of all the branching roads but stopped or we would be here for years.

The tower was built but we made it the same as the other towers but it was made much stronger because of what we had learned. Again there was no doors or openings though it was hollow.

Carts were built now to carry those that had a sore butt from riding or to carry all the youngsters. The moddas had to be encouraged to pull and most were completely wild still. The cowboy was still in most of the Texans and it made life interesting in a way.

Some of our group fanned out in advance of us when we had first arrived here. Their job was to survey for better routes. We could simply make a straight line but that would mean constructing a lot of bridges and tunnels. Some would be unavoidable but we had to try to find a reasonable middle ground.

The ship was abandoned but had a shield put around it. The animals were all frozen in time to await our return.

On the trip, we soon found that we had to make an awful lot of culverts. We made big and a bridge of compact earth went over it. The layer at the top was our road material. Our stamp went onto the structure to say who made this. There was some friendly rivalry. Individual families would make the culvert and bridge their way. The stamp went in but they also put their names into the material.

These roads would one day handle truck and car traffic so they had to be wide. I knew that later they would have to get wider for intercity travel.

I sneaked back at the first opportunity and put the statue in place and adjusted the water to flow through the pipes and eventually fill the basin then out the drain and into the river.

The job didn't take long but the family looked at me funny. We were all important to each other and we liked to make sure that all of our members were safe. They just didn't know where I was and I made up the story of sitting beside a stream.

The lumber we made with the trees we had to remove. It was dried and carefully stacked at the side of the finished road. I wanted to pick this up when we were done.

A few days later Captain Harris came to me while we were alone. "Sir, we never put in mile markers or in this case kilometre ones. A few of us rode back to the city to put them in. We found some beautiful statuary in the middle of the square."

"I hope you will keep it a secret until we get back."

"Sure we will but I just want to let you know that your secret is safe with us."

We got more creative as we went. Areas were made every ten kilometres where a car could pull off one day. The families even made latrines that looked beautiful.

There was only one major bridge and two smaller ones that had to be made. The road was level for the most part and it was better to make a high bridge than a road that went far down a valley then had to climb the other side immediately.

We stopped here to discuss the problem. We had some very happy and excited people that simply loved civil engineering. The road material was permanently modified by our magic but had no residual magic in it. It was very strong especially when a few more tweaks were put into the upper dimensions.

We made good footings deep in the soil at both ends of the bridge and made one thin band that would stretch the gap of over a kilometre. It was only a half of a metre thick but exceptionally strong. The bridge was made in long thin strips that grew in thickness and of course width. It was now eight lanes wide with an ornate railing on both sides. An inner railing was made to protect the pedestrians or those riding bikes from the faster cars and trucks.

Pull-offs on both ends of the bridge had to be made because the structure was really a thing of beauty. It gleamed white like the government building and looked feather light though it was very strong. A pillar had to be set up here too but it was shorter. The other side had a different pillar with all our names on it and even those of our children if they couldn't do it themselves.

When I looked at the bridge I thought it much more beautiful than the city we had layed out. Perhaps it was because it was complete that I loved it so much.

A few small hills had to be moved and used to fill in hollows but that was fairly easy. The two smaller bridges were made the same way as the large one and had smaller pillars. We were all getting stronger in the body but also in the mind. I knew that I could do work now that I could not do before. Most were not new abilities but just in my ability to make a section of roadway strong and orientated with the rest. I could slice trees now with little or no help from the family. The rest of the family was getting stronger too.

At a meeting this was discussed. It was likened to simple exercises developing strength but the ones that thought on it more thought it was because of all the communal power each of us used. We generated a tremendous amount then used it. At night when we charged the crystals we found that it took a shorter time and the crystals were not completely drained either.

My memories of Erasmus, Calldas and the other mages or near mages I met showed that they had little of our brute strength. They had more finesse and a larger repertory of spells. They also had many years to learn and get stronger but hadn't. This didn't explain where our power came from until one of the youngsters said that we loved the work and this seemed to fit. Love was what powered our magic and instead of sex it was making beautiful works of art.

Our road didn't go to the mine site but toward the largest concentration of ore in the area. A side road led to our mine. The mine was certainly ornate too. They had come out to meet us and others had gone off to work on the mine. A mountain of billets of iron were stacked to one side. I estimated the volume at nearly ten thousand cubic metres of the metal. Which worked out to almost eighty thousand tonnes.

This weight would be too much to carry to the ship and it would require a lot of repetitious trips. A portal was the easiest way of doing this. Instead of just doing this task, the family wanted to remove all the iron and other valuable metals from this area. The strata with the elements was not deep so at a meeting the majority decided to strip mine the area. This meant a lot of overburden that had to be disposed of. The more enthusiastic among us wanted the overburden treated as an asset and to use it to make a city but on a much smaller scale.

Not everybody wanted this though. We had the city of Redac to build yet and that would take a long time. Again it was a child that said, "We learned a lot of different things coming here. Let's build the city and see what we can find that is new."

I reluctantly said, "Redac still has to be built. That city is to be the first so that it shows what can be accomplished. It would gall me to have to redo things because of a new development. It might not have occurred to all of you that the metal we came to collect was to be used in construction. I wanted bronze gates for the locks. On the way here we made some very beautiful bridges. That same material can be used for the locks and will not rot as wood does."

"We are still learning as we go. Let's take on smaller projects that one day far in the future will be called quaint. Mistakes on a smaller scale are much easier to repair than when we have a large city."

Sonya backed me up and explained how we had a lot more to do to change the history of this world. The future Sookra would make us slaves and we had to educate and nurture mages so those wild ones would never be able to take over.

In three months at the mine site. The much smaller city was layed out and begun. Now we would have the buildings completed too. I think that is what others missed too. We wanted something not just started but completed.

We recovered a lot more iron and then used our minds to process all the tailings to remove other metals and elements we wanted. The open pit mine became a sculptured lake in a park like setting. Houses were built among transplanted trees and both walkways and roads linked the homes. Plumbing was a problem because the valves took a long time to make but so did a lot of other articles too. As time went on, we found shortcuts then more shortcuts to speed up production. Bathtubs were out but showers went into the homes. Water was heated by the sun and fed by gravity from a lake just under forty kilometres away and with a hundred metres more elevation.

Sonya insisted on an amphitheatre then we had to put in statuary. Swimming pools and gymnasiums came next then large sports complexes grew from that. The city started to grow and take on a life of its own.

The locals had found us and then we encouraged them to visit. This took a lot of time. The visitors had to return alive and unchanged before more would visit us. Most of the visitors had only heard of mages but now got to see them firsthand. We tried not to be threatening and worked with their children to heal them. Food was a great inducement too.

Some of us left the city we were building to process the tailings from the other mines and to build some modern housing for the people that worked there. We found rampant slavery and abuse and through talk and veiled threats we let the owners of the mines know that we would not allow this to continue. As a carrot, we said we would buy their products if the owners became distributers for a great many more small time miners that were now slaves. They had seen the road and gone down it but had not seen it all or even the locks that we had put in. Transportation would now be very simple.

Sonya was with the team that was negotiating for the emancipation of the slaves. Six of the wagons were given along with a dozen moddas to pull them. The former slaves were given better housing and a thorough understanding of the rules they now lived under. This brought up a need for laws.

This was a real can of worms once we got into it. There had to be laws for everybody then a special set of codes within that for people dealing with magic. Many of the Texans had been in the military and we used military law as a guide to how to do this. Courts-Martial would now be done at a mage council but the councils had not been set up or even the mages informed of this. We knew that these two books would take a long time to complete.

To keep the new tenant miners from getting screwed we finally set the price for the metal and what we would pay the owners to deliver it to the depot a hundred kilometres away. The owners were instructed about how they may want to squeeze more profit out of the miners and what we would do about it. They were still free to use the locks and sell their metal to others but we paid a good price already.

We clinched the deal by taking over six abandoned properties and extracting almost two hundred thousand tonnes of pure iron. They now knew we could work without them.

The city continued to grow but law became the newest thing we were building. Some actually dropped out of making sewers, pipe and buildings to work on this abstract research. This along with some education and some infrastructure was all we needed to leave to the people of this world to allow them to grow.

As our thinking progressed we knew we had to have a mage presence in each city. I didn't know how I could keep mages from taking over but I did want them to have a say in the affairs of the community. We now built a chapter house with our symbol on it. The building was not that large or stately but was something that I would be happy to live in. A base was built within it and then a portal to the base on the ship.

At a meeting, we came up with the idea of something like train stations. You would walk to a city station and be transported to a provincial station then to a country station and eventually one servicing a whole world. This would allow us growing room for the future. The trouble as I saw it, was that the portal spell would have to be publicised.

I was now not as powerful as I was in respect to the group. The good point was that a future mage would not be that powerful either no matter what his abilities were.

The chapter house was completed and we used it to go to the ship but it was mostly for fun. The iron from the mine went directly to the ship and the small base was tied to the best home in the area. Already we were breaking up. It was seen as a crack in our family but others argued against this and said it was healthy. We would have our own homes and meet regularly and even visit. For now we would stay as one unit to build and the homes looked on as communal cottages all on a timeshare basis.



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Chapter 21


When the city was built, we found it had spread to cover a lot of ground. Everybody could live in a park like setting and tend a garden out the back but this didn't work for the present residents of this world. There were no office jobs to go to and no manufacturing jobs either. The entire city we found was just a bedroom community with nothing to keep it alive. For the city to live, we needed employment and transportation which had not been adequately addressed.

After working so hard to build the city, we put a strong screen over it so it would not be defaced and sadly left on our beautiful road system.

On the way back we found that our wood had been pilfered but didn't go after any of it. Some went into wagons while some of the smaller pieces were left. We did a lot of thinking again as to the direction to go and even more about law for the people and law for us.

Sonya finally saw the statue but I now knew that many others knew of it already. She just stopped and stared at it for a long time then said quietly to me, "Is that the way you see me? With all those children?"

"Not exactly but you are a very good portion of what holds our family together." She kissed me lightly but now kept her mind closed off to think.

When we got to the dock we unloaded the wood then built a chapter house and base then linked it to the ship's base again. This time only the chapter house and a small area were protected by a strong spell to keep out intruders.

We were not in a hurry to tackle building Redac so we replaced the locks we made with our new road material. We travelled back up the other tributary and changed the first set of locks we made and now removed the plug we had put there. On the island and at the dock on the plain we built chapter houses because of the prime locations.

I thought it important to tie all our locations together. Sonya and I were transported with the help of the remainder of the family to Fortune's Bay. The location we had worked so hard to find had made it far easier. The area had not changed any and there were no humans around. With some crystals we concentrated on our end of a travel spell and more of the family appeared.

A lot of thought had gone into this area. The city had been roughed out but now we just wanted the chapter house to be built with its accompanying base and portal. The tall column of fused stone was next as our standard marker.

The bomas were seen while we spent eleven days here but they never came close which made me think that they were capable of learning.

Above the narrow entrance was the ledge that could be part of the city's protection. The ledge allowed us to see a great distance and the cool wind was very welcome. This time, instead of making a building, we hollowed out the rock for a large set of barracks and mounted the base to the back of the room on the rock itself.

Some of the rock was fused but kept its original colour. It now spanned the gap to the other side. Another set of rooms were placed on that side too. The rock above was sculpted or added to so the base could not be taken by a team of attackers using ropes.

The portals first use was to provide two very good telescopes so they could be used to find any approaching ship.

With a bit of regret we left for the Epoo river and what would one day be the city of Redac. The villagers were happy to see the ship but not all of them. Magic was not understood and they had bad experiences with Yossich.

My cart was ready and portions of the farmer's cart had been incorporated into the ideas. The wheelbarrow had been done and it looked like it had been test-driven by everybody in the town.

With a lot more thought than any other city, we planned what this area would one day be like. Plans were laid out for smaller manufacturing and farming towns that would feed Redac what it needed. We scaled back on Redac but built the necessary infrastructure including the roads. Room was left for future expansion.

Six months after we started, we moved the dirty village into a modern town. They had slowly been coaxed to use the latrines and even have a shower. To assist the population we bought goods from them that we would not use. They made crude clothing and we even wore some on occasion. We supplied anvils and tools and encouraged people to learn about iron and its various alloys.

Yossich's former guards were altered just a bit to civilise them and then educated in various trades. We at least had a better tasting beer after a while. Others came to the city to see what was happening and were offered what they thought was paradise. They too were trained in something each found enjoyable. When they found a home they were instead sent out to recruit before coming back to stay.

Metal from the mines now came more frequently and the blacksmith bought all of it on credit from us. Ploughs seemed to be very popular and then so did the hand tools that we showed them. Brass and bronze was cast for bearings and then we had to show them how to make a simple metal lathe after giving them one to start with.

Our chapter house was very large here. I had given my secret of the portal out and a few could make use of the incantation. The 'Lady' had only stayed for a while to assist us with some of the major work. It was now continuing its task of mapping the planet.

The continent we were on and half of the other major continent had been mapped but only a few kilometres in from the shore. As predicted, we found many more cities that were even larger than our Redac. Chapter houses were built and linked to each other.

The next objective on our agenda was to teach the people to read. Only a very few could see a reason for learning. We could not stop slavery in the larger centres without a fight. We bought slaves then and trained them. It was a long process but this was the best we could do.

The portals were used a great deal, and the former slaves found a new life in a different city. Slaves disappeared from the worse of the estates to suddenly turn up on another continent. Brands were removed and the memory of their former status was obliterated as well.

There were a lot of kings and some sent troops to take one of our small families. The resident mage sorted through the captives and all that were not needed to support a family were sent away. Some of the soldiers even went and retrieved their families when they found out what was going to happen.

Five years after first coming to Sookra, we graduated our first class of teachers. They could hardly read themselves but had many other handy abilities that they could teach.

Religion has started to solidify and now these people came against us. We attacked back with our own miracles which the priests could not duplicate. With reason and the obvious ability to counter the priests argument, organised religion suffered.

Bright people from all over came to be tested to see if they could perform magic. Many could but because of their character-flaws their abilities were subtly turned down even more. Females were encouraged to try. They were a down trodden lot but with education they could help their gender.

My own ladies had given me nearly a thousand children. They were asked to cut back dramatically. I had difficulty to even touch the children. They didn't all breed true when it came to magical ability but they acquired it soon after birth with our spells.

The ladies didn't always stay with me. We had the creche system where working mothers could leave their children when they went to work. A large bureaucracy formed where the ladies left to do important work in reforming the world and were able to come home and exchange ideas and renew the bond with their children.

Sonya and I didn't have that problem. We made a very good wagon that was reminiscent of the gypsies. It was small but the inside had our base and the portal. Our children came with us or as many as could get out of school work. She had given me three children. Dylan was turning four soon, Lauren was ten months younger and Owen was the same way. We had decided that we should have the children quickly and they we could have some enjoyment with them until we started up another family in another fifty years or so.

Our wagon was five metres long including the seat where the driver held the reins. We had bunk beds for the children and a fold down bed for us. Usually we had Durra with us.

Durra was one of the many boys that Mordock kept for his sexual appetite. He was one of the most beautiful but also the most driven to be with me. In the course of finding a treatment for a moddas calf we stumbled on the makings of a spell that would change its gender. A year later the seventeen boys had been turned to young women. For some unknown reason it broke the conditioning most had been given. The spell was reversed on sixteen of them and now they were boys again but had an appetite for girls. Only Durra had wanted to stay in his changed form.

Durra was now six months pregnant and very happy. It got a bit snug on the bed but it was still the way we liked it. Sonya didn't even seem to mind. She had to share me with a great many ladies and now after I managed to tone my own appetite down I found that two were usually enough.

When Durra had changed, she looked like the normal girl with small breasts but she had a very large clit. It would extend ten centimetres when she was fully excited and this was the case most of the time. Pregnancy didn't slow her down in the least. The children loved her as much as their real mother but this was the norm when the children could read minds like the adults.

We were presently in what would one day be Fassie. Far overhead there were four mabomas or new small snakes. They were like their parent stock but were lighter. Their skeleton had been modified to be like a bird. The respiratory system worked much better because of the air sack and the improved lungs. The musculature had changed so that weight for weight the new animal was stronger than a young bomas. Their digestive tract had been likewise improved so they could get by with less food and their smaller size allowed them to chose the more abundant smaller game. The best improvement was that they were much smarter. They could communicate with a human as if they were a child of three.

Dylan was in the seat beside me holding the reins. He said, "Flossy is tired and wants to have a rest."

"Well you tell that chubby friend of yours that she is always tired."

"She isn't that fat."

"For a modda she is. It only takes two moddas to pull this wagon but we have four so they can last longer. Just promise to groom her a bit more tonight."

"Then I have to do the rest the same way."

"Are they your friends?"

"Yes."

"Well you have to curry them anyway and this way they become more of your friends."

"Can't Lauren do more?"

"Do you want to take her turn cooking?"

"No, but she could help a little."

"She already helps you. She feeds the mabomas and grooms them. She does the moddas too when she can."

"But Dad, she likes to do that and I never get a chance to explore."

"Remember what happened a few weeks ago?"

"But that was an accident."

"It may very well have been but you were not prepared and could have been hurt."

"You could have fixed me."

"What if you had fallen where I could not find you. You would be dead now and not hurt."

"But Dad I was exploring. That butterfly was not in the book yet. I wanted to be the one to find it."

"Quite commendable but you were not looking all around for danger. You only had eyes for the pretty creature. One day you will be an adult and along the way you have to learn to focus more on what is around you."

We felt a small tingle and looked into the sky ahead of us. The mabomas could soar while their ancestors could not. One was altering its flight and we saw it dive toward the grass covered prairie. One after the other the other three did the same. The first strike usually startled a family of large rodents into scampering away and this was the time the other three struck.

Dylan talked to the moddas and they shifted where they were headed just a bit. The reins were just for show. Humans saw us and marvelled at what we had but they had to see some way of controlling the animals. The mabomas that followed us were explained away as a way for the animals to hunt. We would make a lot of noise and the flying snakes would get to eat what flew from our path. We always pretended to be afraid of the animals but said that they were difficult to hit with a bow and almost impossible to kill.

The land was quite flat but we came to a ravine and a desperate mental call for help. Our defences went up very quickly. The sliding door opened behind us and Dylan was pulled to safety by Durra. The moddas had stopped and I put the brake on. I reached for the thin sword beside the bow just beside me. The blade was exceptionally strong and sharp. It was made from the white material for the roads and the material was jokingly called tar.

I jumped down and in less than a second Sonya was strapping her own sword on and advancing with me toward the plea for aid. Down in the ravine was a young boy standing over a carcass of a shem. It was a type of herd animal that were sometimes found in this region. Two of the mabamas were contesting for the kill. They were trained to not hurt a human unless ordered to but that didn't make them less hungry.

To the mabomas I called, "Flee. Food later."

The two looked at me but still watched the swinging staff swung by the boy. The mabomas took to the air but circled us. The boy looked down at the dead Shem. Our approach was heard and the boy picked up his staff and was ready to fight us too.

"It's alright. We heard the fight and came to see what we could do. You fought off the snake birds better than most would be able to. Are you hurt?"

There was no verbal answer. We heard Durra wanting information and if she should come out and assist. Sonya answered her and I tried to pierce the little one's mind. The he was a she, though it was hard to tell. The mind was very confused. She had been through a lot recently. I could see the attack from her point of view but also what had happened to her family very recently.

One of the shem had wandered off and fallen into another ravine. Petta had the job of watching the small family flock and knew that she had to recover the animal. She could not leave her flock and remembered that there was a low spot quite a few kilometres away. She took the animals with her and came upon the distressed animal that fled back into the flock for protection. It had been getting dark when the trek started and it was much darker when she returned to her camp.

Everything looked fine on her return except there were no family around. She called for her father and mother and heard nothing. There were three older brothers and a sister along with two younger members of each gender. The eight members looked as if they had just got up and walked away. The fire was still burning and the food was bubbling.

Petta knew about wasting food and took it off the fire and ate her share. She walked as far as she could and made a circle around the camp but found no tracks except those they had made the day before when they had arrived. The shem had compressed the grass too but humans footprints could still be detected if they were there.

She had stayed the night in the tent and cried a few time at the loss of her family. She didn't know much except to be a shepherd.

Sonya said, "Petta, come to the top of the ravine and meet our family. Your shem will be safe and my husband Adam will watch out for them. We have something to drink and something to eat too."

I backed up and Sonya just extended her hand for a moment until the girl reluctantly left the body of the shem and came to Sonya. The girl was independent though and climbed the incline under her own power and with the use of her staff.

There were only eleven Shem at the start and now there were nine left alive. I used my magical eye to locate them and then moved past the body of the shem. Looking through the mabomas eyes I saw that Petta had gone into the wagon.

I called to the mobamas. "Food here. Come."

The two dived to the shem and began to feed. The animal was big enough to feed both of them and I was happy that they had not decided to just drop on some of the shem hiding in the clumps of tall grass.

The sight of the mabomas must have frightened them quite a bit and they had spread out quite a bit. They were not like sheep but they didn't see a human as too threatening. I collected the first and had to guide it toward the next. I soon found a bit of PK helped even more. I watched from the sky through my eye from time to time and saw that the animals had not spread further.

After fifteen minutes I had six of the animals and found Petta's camp. The shem were finally gathered and I walked into the camp looking to see what could be the cause of the family's disappearance. Petta had tidied up to await the return of the family but I still searched for the tracks of some slavers or anybody else that would take the family. If they were slavers I felt they would have taken at least some of the property. Petta felt that there was nothing missing.

A warn staff was laying beside the dead fire and picked it up and continued my search. They could have been frightened off and thus leave all their possessions. The bomas could have come and taken the family but usually they fed first. The colcha have been known to eat humans but they were very large and looked for larger prey.

After circling the camp like Petta did, I returned but stopped to look at something strange. When we first came to this world we had bought a lot of new ideas and boots with heals was one of those. The natives wore a mocassin with a thick sole. Ahead of me was the imprint of a heal. I looked around for others and only saw where the matching heal could have been in a clump of beaten down grass. There were none ahead or behind these and couldn't see why this was so.

It finally occurred to me that it could only be someone using magic that had taken the family. A rich person would not have the need for the possessions of his new slaves. The fact that it was a heal would indicate that it could be some of my extended family but we always had more than enough volunteers and didn't take or want slaves. It wasn't the work of a deranged family member. The madness would be seen by the others and something done about it.

The local mages we found had not been very powerful and thus not able to transport themselves to this location or have enough power to transport everybody out again.

I called Sonya and Durra and gave them the evidence I had found and then my suppositions.

Durra said, "Nobody in our family would do this and none of the mages of this world could do it. I can only think that there are some mages we haven't found yet."

I said, "We better report this now. This mage is powerful and we have not been prepared for this eventuality for many years."

"Do you want me to go to the ship?"

"Yes, do it now."

Sonya said, "I think the children should go to. This sort of event was in the training we received. A mage would just take what he or she wanted. The mages on this world were the strongest."

"Ok, send them too but the mages you are talking about are far in the future."

Sonya didn't reply right away but eventually said, "We came back to this time. The Sookra world was going to die and the fact was also well known. Mages could have come back in time as well as looking for other planets."

"I think you're right. Send the children right away and make sure Durra gives them your ideas and stays to watch the children."

I was much more weary now and guided the remaining shem to move toward the wagon then to climb the embankment. The smell of the moddas must have been recognised as nonthreatening as they came closer.

When I opened the door I saw that the children were gone and Durra turned and hugged me to her. "I can stay and help."

"It will make me feel better if you go with the children." I looked at a very frightened Petta and I said, "You better take Petta too. It just looks like she was missed."

The girl was afraid of me but had not heard the conversation. I cast a small spell to allow her to relax. This made searching through her memories easier but soon she was led by Durra.

I said, "We better start acting like what Erasmus taught us. I'm worried now. If you're right, we have very little chance against a mage if he is prepared for us."

Sonya said, "We can't go as shepherds. This wagon and our weapons say we have a lot to do with people that deal in magic."

"I think we can get rid of our weapons and wagon but we need to have something to do with a mage."

"Mages produced amulets for protecting themselves and for those that can't use magic."

I said, "Erasmus had us make the weakest amulet that would do the job. Perhaps we have to consider what exactly we want to get protected from."

There had been thousands of scenarios where we had to choose just the right weapons and have the right defence. If the mage came on us then we had to have a Sookra personality even though we didn't look the part. There were some people far to the south of Saranam that were almost as large as me and we knew a bit about the present inhabitants. It is possible the mage would not look further.

If we looked to be just odd natives then there was a better chance of our attack being a success. Our swords would look out of place so we were going to have to stick with spears, knives and a bow.

The devious minds in our family had come up with some improvements though. A charged crystal could be used for the tip of any of our weapons. Many mages were arrogant enough to allow us to do our damnedest then he would show us what pain really was.

It was many hours later that we made our plan. The base and portal was removed from the wagon. The surviving shem and the wagon itself were put through the portal. The mabomas were ordered to stay but we knew the order would be forgotten by midday tomorrow.

When we got back to the ship we found a meeting going on and we were called to give any new evidence. The mage we figured could also gain entrance to our portals and then wreck havoc on us.

We told them of our plan and suggested others look to do better. They tried to find some improvements but they were minor.

Our weapons were altered but not all of them. We now had packs for one Modda and two more larger ones to ride. We said goodbye to our children and Durra then I had to say the same thing to a lot more of my children that were present. I never had enough time for them and deeply regretted this.

We were back through the portal as soon as we could travel. The base and portal were now attached to a water washed stone that was hung around Sonya's neck on a thong. Many women wore this for good luck. The spell to hide a spell was added after the base was attached.

We adjusted our own thinking now so that our real thoughts were beneath the fake surface thoughts. This was courtesy of Callas. He had done this too. Like Callas we were going to act the part of a trainee.

The four mabomas overhead didn't care and just looked for us and for their next meal.

Sonya and I looked at the single set of prints on the ground and tried to get a feel for it. I felt an arrogance while Sonya felt hate.

We took the images from Petta's mind and tried to use her need to locate her parents and both of us felt that we had to go east.

We rode hard and passed many groups that we would love to stop and talk to. This had been the reason for the wagon in the first place. Now we paused long enough to give our names and perform some magic to assist the groups of people. If there was little need then we did something that took power so that we would let others know of our presence.

Every morning and night we tried to use Petta's need but the direction didn't vary much.

The mabomas gave us advanced warning of large rivers and they searched for better ways to cross. We and the moddas swam the tepid waters and a spell kept the leaches and the water away from our skin. The savanna had changed to scrub land and our speed increased just a bit.

At night we would make love like we used to and then surreptitiously communicate through the gate to what we had done. Much of the area we were travelling had not been mapped and we could only give inaccurate measurements about what we had seen.

Days later the scrub ended and we were now in the foothills of some mountains. These were on our maps because they were a large feature we had remembered from our days of training. Their extent and information about the features was completely missing. All we knew was that there were some high mountains.

The mabomas found hunting better and usually shared their kills with us. We saw new animals too as we rode but took little time to record what we saw. Again the mabomas guided us to easier routes but when we got to the mountains we would have to guess or ask for information.

We had to veer north to get to what we thought would be an easier passage. When we had gone nearly a hundred kilometres in this direction we found a shift in the location of Petta's need. This meant that we were getting closer.

We came across some wide lakes and again we swam them but now they were not a tepid as the ones before. Larger predators were seen and we had to use magic to dissuade them from thinking of us as lunch. One type of cat was particularly bothersome. It had some immunity to our magic. PK though still bothered it enough that it ran when pain hit some sensitive parts.

The swamps were the worse. They were neither land nor water and had their own environment for nasty animals and insects. Some detours were rather long but it was better than slugging through the muck.

The people nearby were even less advanced than those we had met previously. It was as if they had been cut off from all the interchange of information. We helped out the villages and gave a bit of propaganda for our cause but now added that there were bad people using magic too.

Every group of people we had met there were slaves taken from other areas and each group talked about members missing. We had no way of knowing if they were taken by magic or not.

We did find some routes to use but the natives never travelled far to know a lot about them. They gave us some advice but it was the same as what we had heard in every other village. There were some bad people out there that stole people and killed innocent farmers. They didn't see their own slaves as being the same as what had happened to them but in reverse.

The people in this area talked more of the colchas than other areas. The giant reptiles looked to be related to the bomas but very distantly. Their tales of colcha ranged from horror to indifference. The giant lizards left humans alone for the most part but hated anybody coming into their territory or especially their nesting regions.

The last item made me excited. We knew little of the creatures and their habits. The stories we heard told of great bravery by the men but sometimes the colcha seemed to have some sense of honour. We knew little about them. Magic had been used to try to capture them but it invariably failed. Like some of the other animals, the colcha seemed to have some immunity to the magic.

The next morning we said goodby to those of the village and returned to our trek. The mabomas were soon above us then fanned out for surveillance. We followed the directions for the pass and though difficult was still better than we had hoped. We came down into another valley but walked on the incline rather than go to the bottom. This was difficult for the moddas but there was no other way.

The next pass we had to find ourselves and it took three attempts to attain it. This time instead of a rotting swamp we found a small desert. There was rain and water was visible but the place was strangely dead. I felt uneasy about this place.

Sonya said, "What do you make of this place?"

"The rock looks like it got so hot it ran like lava. Further up it looks like it just fused in the heat. I can only think of an atomic bomb doing this but that isn't right either. I think if we were to dig in the centre we would find a glass bowl but I can't think of anything with enough energy short of an atomic blast that could do this."

"Could all of us do this if we had enough charged crystals?"

"You and I could do this with enough charged crystals. Do you remember the size of the crystals we used to take out Malochuck? They were impure and small." Sonya didn't reply but we hurried across the sand as quick as possible and then we performed healing spells on both us and then the moddas just in case.

The next valley was lush but not a swamp. We avoided the small body of water at the bottom. A bomb made by mages could be just as deadly as that made by men. It may be good to find out how to do this but I also didn't want the information to get out. I knew that Albert Einstein regretted ever giving atomic energy to the human race. At the time though he was pushed and many soldiers and politicians thought that they needed this type of information.

The other disturbing thoughts were; who had made the bomb and why had it been exploded in the valley? This could mean that there were many more mages around and perhaps they had been here a long time before we arrived. The damage in the valley happened a long time ago.

We climbed higher each time we crested a ridge. Eventually we found a cave and decided to take a rest. The moddas were weary and after some serious thinking we opened up our base and expanded the portal. The moddas were led through and we had a quick chance to meet with the family and the children before we took fresh mounts back to the cave. The base and portal were sealed up once more and we hoped this type of magic would not be detected.

I worked on Sonya's physique so that her lungs could take in more oxygen while she did the same for me. The moddas were next and I could see that they rested better now. We stayed a day in the cave and with Sonya it was a home.

We climbed more ridges and found more caves in the valleys. Some were very large. Sonya and I had an aversion for these and we skirted the region as best we could. They did not feel natural. Three days later we were at the highest pass. It was the coldest I had ever felt on this planet and there was even ice for the last seven kilometres.

Sonya and I held each other and looked in wonder of what was before us. Before too long we had to get to work and we plotted out where we were going to descend. The need was still east, but more to the south.

Going down was even more dangerous than climbing until we got out of the ice. In one valley we turned south instead of going straight down the mountain. There seemed to be a long line of linked valleys that were easier to climb than the more jagged ones going east.

Six days after going through the high pass we found a valley where it looked like there had been a tornados go through. From the ridge we could see large trees snapped and laying flat while others nearby were standing tall. We tried to get a feeling for this but it was neutral and we decided to go through. We went back and forth down the incline until we got to the bottom. There was mud and turned over soil from the roots being pulled from the ground.

Sonya was in the lead. She stopped and when I caught up to her I saw what she had been looking at. There was a giant print in the ground. It had two forward toes and one larger one in the back. The length was three metres and it was sunk deep into the soil. It looked like a bomas track but it was many times larger and had to be a colcha and a large one at that.

Our own mabomas were ahead and to our left and making a lot of noise. Instead of looking through their eyes, we had been staring at the ground. When we saw what was ahead we mounted quickly but I wanted to go forward much more than Sonya.

With the mabomas giving us a layout of the land we picked the best route but at the last of the trees we secured the moddas securely and then put some ropes on their legs as hobbles. Sonya wanted to be triply sure and cast a spell to put the three moddas to sleep.

We could see through the trees a greenish grey hill and the wind thankfully was going toward it. We walked through the last of the trees to see what had to be a full grown colcha. It may or may not be dead. There was a black blood on the ground and on some of the scales.

Sonya asked, "What do you want to do Adam? I don't think this is safe."

"It probably isn't but I am very curious even if it killed a lot of cats."

We kept our distance and walked around until we found a very large eye looking at us. The mabomas had not come too close but were screeching far overhead. I called out to them, "Friend. Search for food." It took three more calls before the mobomas reluctantly left to find something to eat.

Sonya was beside me and said verbally for a change, "It is alive I think."

"I think so too. It must have had to fight off predators for a while and it is tired now."

"How do you know it is tired and not dead?"

"I have no idea. I would like to see if we could heal this creature."

"If it got up Adam it would eat us."

"Then we have to feed it too."

"That thing will eat tonnes of food and would kill us even if it was an accident."

"Let's try the healing first."

"Do you really want to do this?"

I thought now and said, "This is the first colcha we have found. Those villages didn't talk of this type of creature being a wonton killer. I doubt if he or she will want to sleep at the foot of our bed but I still want to see what we can do. If the healing works we can use the portal to bring in food and we can see if we can place it directly into its stomach. Water too may be necessary. When we're done we can get out of here and it will have a chance to recover. We'll be long gone by then."

"I have followed you for a long time and I love you more than life itself but I think this is too dangerous for the gains we will make but I will still help you."

We went back to the Moddas and took out our full supply of crystals. This would require a lot of magic for an animal this big. The colcha had a natural immunity and I had to see if we could defeat it this time or all our efforts would be for nothing.

The animal was alive because we came back from a different direction and the eye was still directly on us. I was not sure of the intelligence of these animals but perhaps there was a way to influence getting the natural resistance to lessen.

"Hello big guy or girl. We want to see if we can heal you. I'm not sure if you can understand us but if you do then you can blink an eye or something similar. My wife and I have just come to this world a few years ago with many of our people in a large metal home that floats on the water. We are trying to learn and to help the people on this planet. We even help those other people that are not as intelligent. Some have been healed and left to live their life but others have been healed to help us. For you, we just want to heal you. Do you understand anything of what I am trying to say to you?"

I had been talking into the higher realms where many of the Sookra animals thought. We just waited and waited and finally the eye closed all the way and slowly opened.

"I hope that was an answer to both questions. May we try to heal you?"

The eye closed quicker this time so the decisions were made with more speed. Sonya and I joined together and the power from the crystals went out to the colcha but when we were done I don't think much was accomplished.

"Sonya, it isn't working very well. I think we have to get closer and touch the colcha."

"He can jump up and eat us."

"He can do that right now. Let's ask and see if he or she is willing. It takes some higher reasoning to not bite the hand that is trying to help but I think that the colcha are intelligent enough."

"We can do this but if you are wrong I will be very angry at you and possibly dead too."

"You are the most important person in my life but I still feel a need to help. Let's try."

I said to the animal, "Our magic is not strong. May we get close and touch you? I think it is necessary for the healing spell to work."

The decision took longer this time but it did come and the eye slowly closed and opened. I stepped over the torn up ground and advanced on the colcha. Sonya was mumbling verbally but her mind was closed to me.

When we were close enough we touched the scales of the colcha and found them both beautiful and old looking. Wear was on them all and I wondered if they were shed like some snakes. They felt like warm steel plate though. They were very strong and dense. Sonya and I got fresh crystals and then touched the scales one more time as the healing spell was recited.

I wasn't sure but it felt like more was sinking in this time. When the crystals were empty we grabbed the last large pair and we did it again. This time it seemed to work even better.

When we were done we turned around and walked away but more towards the head. The eye this time followed us.

Sonya said, "How are we going to transmit food into its stomach? We don't even know where it is. I don't want to hurt this guy by mistake."

"If he will blink an eye he may open a mouth. We can set up the base very close then you throw the food to me through the portal and I will stoke the furnace."

"Will that really work?"

"I have no idea but we have to try. Healing requires energy from the body too and this is the only way I can think to do this."

"No intravenous?"

"We are just starting and I would not trust someone to stick something like that into me. Start with some thin leather bladders with water in them. If I were here and lost all that blood I think I would be thirsty too."

"What if he doesn't drink water?"

"Let's ask. This time you do it."

"Me? This was your idea."

"Yes and you helped just as much as I did. Now ask if our guest would like to sup with us."

"Sometimes you are very aggravating."

"But you love me anyway."

Sonya concentrated and asked if the colcha wanted water and we got an eye blink. We got another if we could throw this and then some food into its mouth. The base was set up and Sonya left through the portal. The colcha followed all this with interest it seemed. In a few moments Sonya poked her eye out and said, "I had to get help. Here comes the water." She looked at the colcha and said, "We had a better idea. We have a soft tube that we can push water through. You have to open your mouth a bit and we put it inside. You close your mouth on it but don't bit through. The water will come out. When you have had enough just open your mouth and we will stop."

We knew for sure that the animal understood because the head now moved slowly. It appeared to be in a lot of pain. The mouth did open. This new idea took a lot of trust but also had to have a lot of complex thoughts involved.

Sonya handed me an inch and a half fire hose with the end cut off. I pulled out more than I needed and tossed the end far into the colcha's throat. The animal jumped a bit but quieted. The jaw closed and I signalled Sonya and her head disappeared but the hose started to expand and I straightened it out so it would not kink. Sonya's head returned and then disappeared but the hose was pulled in a bit to remove the bends in it.



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Chapter 22


I didn't know the pressure or the flow rate but we were there over twenty minutes before I saw a lot of rapid eye movement. Sonya saw this too and disappeared. The hose slowly deflated.

She came back out and said, "Would you like some more after you have eaten?"

The eye blink came again.

"You better open up now. The food is coming."

I was handed a hind quarter of a large animal. I knew that we rarely ate real animals on the ship so I knew that this was magically produced. I threw one in the mouth and it hardly made a dint in the capacity. The mouth closed and in a second it was gone. I put two in this time and they disappeared just as quickly. It got up to five then back to just four at a time. I had not been keeping count but a great many went down the colcha gullet.

Eventually I got some rapid eye movement but I threw the one I had in my hand and the one Sonya passed me.

Sonya came out fully and said, "Would you like a drink now or to wait a while?"

It took a long time for the blink and Sonya said, "I think I am not asking the right questions. I wish you could send your thoughts to us."

I felt a scratching at my mind and had to think that it was the colcha trying to communicate. After ten minutes the colcha let out a breath and blinked its eyes three times.

I said, "I was not born to magic but my children were. They can communicate much better than we can. Can my child come here? He is much smaller than me and not very strong in magical abilities."

Sonya said, "What are you doing Adam? I don't want my children in danger."

"Keep them at the portal."

Sonya looked at me like an exasperated mother and disappeared. It took a few minutes but Dylan came out. He had one look at the colcha and said, "Wow!"

"Dylan this is my friend the colcha. We are having some problems talking to him. See if you can understand the way he thinks."

The two seemed to be trying while I had stayed still and allowed the colcha to do all the work. This time ten minutes brought a beatific smile to Dylan and the colcha closed its eye and let it remain closed.

Dylan said, "Its just like the mabomas but not quite. You have to push sideways a bit then wiggle around something that is hard to move."

"What does he want?"

"He says thanks first of all. He has two broken legs and wants to see if we can pull them straight so that the magic can work on them. He then needs a lot more healing spells. He was saying that he trusts us now and the magic will work better."

"We can pull but he has to move too. We cannot do this on our own and we need to have a lot more people come here to help. I don't want Mr Colcha to think we are attacking him."

Dylan stayed under his mother's watchful gaze and in a moment said, "You should move the portal to a safer place he says. He then said he will not harm anybody that is not evil to him first. He also says that he knows there will be pain and that he knows that we are going to be helping if we do this."

I said to Sonya, "Either take Dylan in or let him go. We have to move the base."

She looked at me then said, "Dylan, go to your father. I have to get some people ready and some crystals too."

Dylan was very happy now and ran to me and I picked him up out of the mud. The hose disappeared back into the base. Sonya came out in a moment and we folded up everything and moved the base nearly a kilometre away but in the direct view of the colcha.

As soon as it was set up the family started to come out. Some had to be pushed aside so others could come out too. Everybody had two charged crystals in their hands.

Dylan relayed orders and the colcha got on its side. We saw some very large wounds but they were not leaking blood now. With the same method we used to lift heavy stones we pulled one leg and listened carefully to Dylan's thoughts. When the bone was in place we got very close and touched the colcha with our hands and cast a healing spell into the wound. The leg shifted on us but just a bit then the wound began to close.

This was done one more time with the same results. The colcha had to move into some uncomfortable positions and we took care of other broken bones and open wounds. We had to go back many times to get more charged crystals but soon the colcha was able to stand. The wings were now stretched out and they covered a very large area. We healed the membrane and a few of the remaining bones until the colcha could stand tall and by itself.

"Thank you humans," we heard in our minds. "It has been a long time since humans have helped some of my kind."

Sonya said, "I do not think you are ready yet. We have prepared a lot more food for you and the water is ready too. You can then have a nap if your kind sleep. Healing spells work quick but take a few days to complete their work. What I am saying is that you should not try to fly for a few days."

"I will follow your advice. I am very hungry again and I would love to eat."

This time the hinds came through like the buckets at a fireman's brigade. The first one going out was numbered a hundred and sixty seven and climbed from there.

I didn't think our tanks of raw material were that full but it lasted until the colcha was satisfied. The hose this time was turned on all the way and the colcha seemed to be pleased with the flow rate.

When the drink was enough the colcha said, "Thank you once again. It has been a long time since I have really been this full. Usually when this happens we sleep for a while. I think in need even more sleep as I recover from my battle."

Dylan was close to the colcha and said, "Who did you fight?"

"I fought Meffost. My name is Prostana. When a male of my race gets old, a younger member fights for control of the females. I happened to lose but Meffost did not go unscathed."

"Are you going to fight him again?"

"No, young one. He won honourably and I will remain an outcast though I like to see my children once in a while."

"Can you talk to them the way we are doing?"

"This is something new to us. We could feel others and when it was important we knew what was happening but never this clear."

"Why don't you and I go and teach them?"

We all heard Sonya's mental gasp and I said quickly before there were some hurt feelings, "Prostana, we are willing to help but this one's mother worries about her child being hurt."

"Mothers are always like that. My own kind are very similar."

We managed to talk for another hour and found a lot of similarities between our two races. Prostana then walked further away to relieve himself then walked past us to find a comfortable place to sleep. He curled up like a cat but he was much more like a snake with wings to really copy the procedure.

The family started to disperse through the portal and soon it was only Sonya, Dylan, Lauren, Owen and Durra with me. We all looked at the sleeping form.

Dylan said, "I like Prostana. I'm glad he's our friend."

I said, "He is much too big to be an enemy."

We took the children back to the ship. The moddas and mabomas came too. I knew that it was time for a rest. I went back to the portal through the torn up valley. For a moment I watched Prostana myself trying to see how he fit into the scheme of things.

I walked nearly twelve more kilometres further along before I attached the base to a large rock and returned to the ship.

The family seemed to be waiting for me. We had a very large gathering with many rings of people. Sonya pointed to Durra to be first and she went to the left. I guess she was saying that she wanted a break.

Durra was ready to have our child and I was not going to enter her. She lay on her back and wanted me to try. Instead I lay beside her and was as tender as I could be. She turned out to be one of the most responsive of my family. The spells that had been placed on her when she was a male ensured that this would happen. The wives loved her too for the same reason.

Durra was now free to enjoy sex with more than just the master. The wives would suck on her very large clit and Durra would soon be in a world of her own. She was also able to enter the women though most could do better with a finger.

Durra's breasts had got noticeably larger and more sensitive in the last few months and I drove her to an orgasm that never seemed to end for her. I wanted to go further but she could not take it in her present condition. When I stroked her clit the stimulation was just too much and she passed out. When I knew that she was safe I still waited until she came around. With a final kiss I went on to the next of my ladies.

There was a lot of energy to replenish. The base had used quite a bit producing food for Prostana. If we had to do much more we would have to take diesel fuel to make what was needed. We stayed for hours making love but with diminishing returns because most could not take all that stimulation.

Four hours later Durra went into labour and in an hour presented me with a little girl. The labour was lessened with magic but it seemed to have worked on the child. She too had a very large clit. I knew she would be very happy with what she was born with and so would her family.

We all slept together as family should not be segregated as to who was more important. The former crew had large rooms where their ever enlarging families were housed. The wives usually found a good female from among the natives and if the girl liked the wife and the crew member she was asked to stay. The man of the family soon had to boost up his production of sperm to keep up to the women's demands. This produced all the children they wanted and they could add some of the power to the base. It was when we all got together that the atmosphere was so much more charged that we made even more energy per person.

It was a few days later that Sonya and I got ready to resume our quest. With full packs and now fully charged crystals once more we stepped out of the portal then the base. The mabomas came too and were happy to get into the sky once more. Sonya collapsed the base and hid it on her necklace. From the eyes of the mobomas we saw that Prostana was still sleeping so we didn't bother to disturb him.

It was only another kilometre until there was a sharp incline to the ridge. We had to get off and assist the animals to make it to the top. Petta's need was used once more. The girl now was happier than ever before. She had been adopted into all of our family but one in particular was more important to her.

Sonya and I checked each other to see that our real identity was safely hidden under our phony one. The straps on the saddles had to be adjusted. When we were done I rubbed Sonya's shoulder because she had pulled very hard on it.

"Do you really love me, Adam?"

"How can you think differently? You are the most important person in my life. Durra and our newest child does not take any love from you. All the women in my family look at me as their husband and I see them as wives. You are still the first one I think about in the morning and the last one I think about at night."

"Do you think we should have another child?"

"I will not love you more for doing this or less. You have given me three lovely and talented children. You have given me you and that's enough."

I got a kiss and a hug and I could see that Sonya was now much happier.

Over the next three days the terrain was easier to travel than what we had been used to before. The valleys were usually much longer than wide and when our route went along them we had less climbing to do. As usual we had a lot of predators interested in us and the moddas. The mabomas steered us clear and sometimes dined on the ones that wanted to eat us.

The valleys started to turn more to the west so we had to climb the walls going east more often now. We still found isolated groups of humans. Only a few were like the predators and we did what we could while spreading the good word. Usually they were in small isolated groups that were in danger of inbreeding too much. I cast some spells in this situation that did some minor adjustments. I knew that in a few years the children would look a lot different than their parents.

Some of the families got a plough blade if we had the time to make the plough itself. It was made of the tar. It was much better than steel or iron but could not be manufactured by the natives. When the wood rotted or broke it could be replaced but the blade would stay like new all the time.

One family that we gave this too gave us their greatest treasure to this time. It was a small coin about the size of a quarter. The writing on it was very clear because it looked freshly minted but I could not understand any of it. There was a human looking face on one side and a stylised tree on the other. By looking close a lot more detail could be found. We had no idea of even what it was made of.

I thanked the family and asked where they found it. They claimed it came from the next valley. The family unit had moved here six generations ago because of its larger size and fertility. Sonya and I decided to shift to that valley instead of going more east when we left.

Just over the ridge, we looked at the small valley below us. There didn't seem to be any difference between it and most of the others we had seen. The trees had taken over and it didn't even look like a former farm now. Petta's need had not changed but now I held the coin with Sonya and tried to find a new need for us. Surprisingly we found a strong pull and it was actually down into the valley.

We took our time going down the slope and then had to go east to get around a two metre drop. At the bottom we again tried to find the second need and were able to generally triangulate the position. Something was close but we could not narrow it down. I began to use some magic hands and fingers to pick up three tonnes of soil and move it behind us. When the need came we were able to narrow this down much better.

Sonya found a coin similar but not the same to what we had already found. I found some as well. We ended up spending the entire day here. We made some interesting finds. There were twenty three coins in what may be five denominations. There was a beautifully wrought knife that could be used for cutting food or for defence. It was when we found a ring with a power crystal that we began to sift the soil much finer. The crystal was without power but it was the kind of crystal that was difficult to make but carried the most power.

The ring fit Sonya and that night we powered it up and I put it on her finger. It was not gold or any metal we knew of and had to assume that it, like the knife and coins, were magically prepared material.

Our finds were placed well behind us but there was more in front and this was what caused our nebulous readings. I found a box about twelve centimetres on a side. It had clips to secure it to a strap but there was no strap evident. I could feel some residual magic about it but it was mostly gone. What I did feel was wrong or better that it made me queasy as if it was something I would not want. The lid was still closed and there seemed to be little in it now.

Close to where the box was found I discovered more crystals but these appeared to be jewels because they were finely cut and polished. They had no feel of magic about them.

The entire area had to be scraped until we were down to where the finds had been located. There were three areas with artifacts and it seemed that the deepest ones happened to be where soil could run off higher elevations to collect on the bottom. Some of the coins were found a few metres into the rocks on the incline at the end of the valley.

Eventually the only indication of this find was behind us. The need was only there and much more defined now. It was close to the end of the day and we decided to stay here for another night.

The maboma had fed recently and were perched in the rocks or a large tree close to our camp. The moddas could wander within the small valley but they now came when called. That didn't mean that they could be trusted not to panic so a perimeter shield was put up.

Sonya and I used every trick we knew to find out more about what we had found. The materials used intrigued both of us. We compared them with the tar. There were some obvious similarities but not many other than strength. On impulse I took out a penny used in trade and worked the same spell on it that we used to solidify soil. The copper changed but because it was not soil its new characteristics were different.

Sonya said, "I think the ring may be gold and the coins may be silver, gold or a different alloy of copper. If that is the case the knife may be steel, iron or bronze."

"That sounds reasonable. I have a feeling for great age but the depth of overburden could have occurred in just a few years if there was enough water to wash the soil down."

The characters on the coins were studied and compared to other coins but we could see nothing, not even the relative value of each. There were seventeen jewels and here they looked like what we might find on earth in a good jewellery store. After another cursory last look we put them away and went to sleep for the night.

The next morning we had breakfast but I dawdled to look at the box I didn't seem to like. There was some characters on it after it was cleaned a lot more but I could only add them to our collection of data. Similar but repetitious characters were on the hilt of the knife. We assumed that this was just a coincidence.

At each valley now we tried to find both kinds of need but the articles in our packs seemed to cloud any other articles further away. This side of the mountain range seemed to have many more large creatures that the colcha could feed on. Some of those happened to be other predators or we would have even more problems with security.

Weeks later we came upon a new artifact that was hard to miss. One canyon wall had some of the characters from the coins over an ornate opening in the stone. When we climbed to it we found it as perfect as the day it was built even to the small details but now sixty metres inside the walls had collapsed leaving a very large room with a beautiful floor and ceiling. I thought of a Greek temple but that was not as good as what we had here.

This was an important find and Sonya brought out her pendant and contacted the family on the ship. We spent a long time providing coordinates so it could be fixed on our maps. At the same time researchers came to inspect our find and actually touch what we had already found.

All our information had been forwarded about the land, people and the animals we had come across. Petta's need had not changed during all this time and that night we found that it was suddenly behind us.

Sonya's communicated this to those still inspecting the ruins. They left by the portal after learning what they could. The artifacts had inspired a treasure hunt and many other teams were finding other old artifacts. The characters on our coins matched what others had brought in.

The next morning we broke camp early and rode back along our path. Every hour we checked the need and found it shifting slightly. We came to a very high wall of rock and knew that the need was beyond this point. It took the remainder of the day to find a way beyond this massive obstruction. In the failing light we figured that the need was beyond the next small dry valley. To the north and south had much more green areas. It was much easier to travel there but we had been on the wrong side of a major ridge.

Sonya said, "We better prepare now. A mage will know we are close."

I said, "I love you," and began to adjust my mind to the native from southern Saranam. It was like putting on different clothes. Important facts had to be hidden away while a fictitious existence had to come out. I had to peek out from far back as the new me did what I urged him to do. All of my old existence was forgotten from my conscious mind.

I read Sonya with difficulty. She was not the same as I knew before. She said, "Come on Adamas. We have to get these valleys mapped too."

Somna was the leader here. She was strong, smart and good with magic. In a year or so I would like to be as good as her. I was promised more training when this job was done.

I followed behind Somna and admired her backside. I would have to ask her to marry me one day. We had lots of fun with sex but she was not ready to settle down yet. Her old husband had died along with her children in a sickness that destroyed half of her village in Pela, only a few days from my village.

The valley we were investigating had some water but not much and it was slightly brackish. We pitched the tent and let the moddas wander to find what grazing they could. The mabomas were majestic as they soared on the air raising from the rock and from the wind that was suddenly deflected upward. All this I had learned in the last few years ever since I met the strangers.

That night we had a good meal which I cooked and then we went to bed. Somna greeted me voraciously and I tried to meet her thrust for thrust. I knew she must be worried about something but I didn't know what it could be.

We wore ourselves out that night and the two small crystals we had were fully charged. Holding the woman close I said, "I love you Somna."

"I know you do and I love you to. Now go to sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow."

I woke up and knew immediately that something was wrong. My mind quested for Somna but she was not within range. I used my voice. "Somna, Somna. Where are you."

There was some light and I found that I was on a flat floor like that used in the school. When I got up I found I was naked, the same way I had gone to sleep, but there was no hide under me.

I strained my eyes to see better but there was little light to see. When I found a wall I walked around it until I found an opening. I tried to push through but there was a barrier I could not get through. Summoning all my magic I did what I had been taught at school but the barrier remained but this tired me.

The rest of the wall was covered and there didn't seem to be any more openings. When I got back to the wall I called out, "Somna, Somna, do you hear me?"

I got back a masculine voice saying, "You will not be able to reach her Adamas. She is too far away."

I was going to question the voice but I suddenly knew that it was my master's voice. "Yes, Master."

The room got bright and a man appeared in the centre of the room. He wore rich looking clothes that I had not seen before. I immediately got to one knee and bowed my head for this was my master.

My master walked around me a few times and said, "You certainly are big. Where did you say you came from?"

"I came from the village of Soka, master. I saw it on a map and it is in the south of the big island to the south of us."

"Yes, that's right. What was your mission?"

"The Great Map is only partially done, Master. We were sent out to chart this area and to talk to the people we found and to write about what we find."

"Why were you in the last valley that you remember?"

"We had to go south, Master, to complete another pass. The second pass should take another half year and at that time the mighty ship would come to pick us up for more training."

"Tell me about these strangers, Adamas."

"They look like us but are bigger than everybody but me. They have a great many children and very strong magic. I saw them..."

"Enough for now. Tell me about the old things which you had in your packs."

"We found something like a coin but no coin I have seen before. Samna is very curious and seemed to feel something nearby. We dug for days and found those things we brought. None of the things look to be magic but the box makes me feel odd. I don't like it."

"It is very old Adamas. Long ago it was used to store the words and ideas for spells. You could talk to it and it would answer your questions truthfully."

"A box, Master?"

"It had the mind of a slave in it. The slave was taught much and the master could ask for numbers to be computed or words to be stored or retrieved. There was a lot of strong magic tied up in that box."

"Yes, Master."

I was asked questions for what seemed hours and I answered them to the best of my ability. The master was mad at me sometimes when I was not able to give more information but the blows were not that bad.

Later I was given food and water then given a book to read while the master was gone. I tried very hard to read this book but I only knew a few words. I could guess at some words by those around them but I was not sure. When the master came back he asked what I had learned and was angry that it was so little. This time he used a long thin rod that looked like glass. He beat me with it for what seamed like hours for even the smallest touch sent excruciating pain through all of me.

The pain had been too much and I woke up where I had been beaten. My skin was not broke and there was no blood but the memory was as vivid as if I had been turned inside out. I had not been told to move so I stayed where I was but got to my knees in the proper form.

I was given a small room and told not to leave it. If I thought of a particular food or drink it came to me and then disappeared when I was done. I had never seen anything like this before.

The master sent an old woman to service me. She was not as good as Somna. I was very big but she didn't worry about any pain. She stayed with me for hours until I was empty. I had to help the old woman to the door because she could hardly walk.

I was given some small jobs to do and I did them to the best of my ability. I even had to beat some of the other slaves for not doing what the master had told them to do.

The master made some strong magic and sometimes I was asked to participate. I saw Somna at these times. I still loved her very much but she was the master's now.

He showed me how to use pain to get even more magic which is something I had not learned about before. I was even allowed to know that the master's name was Moldonia but I was not allowed to address him with it.

The Master worked on the things we brought and a few more now. Sometimes, when he didn't find out enough, he beat us but I was not sure it was to get more magic. I was taught to use a fantastic machine that must have a living person in it. I soon found it was very smart but also very stupid. I asked all the questions the Master wanted but did so in different ways but still I didn't make any headway.

All the slaves were gathered every other day and I had a chance to be close to Somna. She didn't look very good. She had lost weight. She was not looking after herself and I was thinking of talking to her or to the master so she would be more presentable to him. She didn't talk to me and I didn't talk to her though I wanted to very much. When the master came he pushed her down and then forced himself into her back passage. There must have been a lot of pain but the master needed all of it.

That day the master beat one boy to death and it was not done to get all the magic possible. The master had big eyes and drool fell from his mouth. I endeavoured to work even harder for the master so it would not happen to me.

The master brought in a chest one day and demanded that I try to open it. The master said some magic words and I knew he was behind a shield. I tried my best and used all of my strength but the old chest didn't open. I was only beaten a little with the wand for failing him.

Hours later when I had recovered I was summoned to the great hall once more. All the slaves were here and the chest was in the middle of the ring. There had been more slaves at one time but some had died. There was now around sixty.

The master held the wand and said to a woman, "Bring me your youngest child."

The woman shook visibly but did as she was asked.

He asked Somna, "Bring the knife."

Somna turned and went to a wooden chest and opened it. This is where the old things were kept. She brought out the knife we had found but now wrapped in a white cloth. Somna walked to the master with it cradled in two palms. I was feeling very nervous for the last few seconds for some reason. Somna stood ready and the master took the wand and caressed the back of the infant. He held the child with one hand. The infant gasped but no sound could come out. The back curved as much as possible to get away from the pain I knew so well.

I knew that something was perfect but I didn't know what. I ran at the master as fast as I could. I had to save the baby at all costs. I felt a shield come up around me and words come to my mouth that I had not known I knew.

The master had the child by the two feet and was startled to see me coming. Somna was waiting to hand the master his knife, but she took it and stabbed the master many times in the body. She then took the knife and sliced it along his abdomen and his intestines came out.

The master had an odd look on his face and started to crumple. I got there just in time to save the baby from falling on his head.

A pain went off in my mind like the pain that had been assaulting me as I ran at the Master. My memory started to fade and a new memory started to appear. The more that came the faster the process was.

The slaves and the old things were important. I called Somna by the name Sonya. I told her to bring the wooden case. When it was placed on top of the other case more ideas came and my voice spoke them. I took the rings and pendant off the dying master and held them tightly.

Somna or Sonya pushed the startled slaves close. She had to use the wand as a threat to get them to comply. We both said a complicated spell while drawing power from our new home and thinking of an old temple. A surge of power had gone through me and it seemed to burn me even more than I currently was.

When the surge ended I crumpled to the floor and blacked out.

I felt a lot of pain when I woke up and it took a while for me to concentrate enough on a healing spell. Sonya was close and still unconscious. The rest were standing but still stunned at what had happened. I cast a spell to heal Sonya then did it two more times because she was seriously burnt. She must have had a shield on during the attack or she would be dead now. I figured my own shield had spared me most of the death spell that had been cast at me.

The rings, pendants and other crystals were in my hands and I used more power to heal myself and then the remainder to heal Sonya. All this was too much for my system and I went back to sleep.

I awoke later with Sonya chanting one of her healing spells at me. I knew they were draining her and I said, "I am ok. Save your strength."

"You are not ok. I am surprised you're still alive."

I was not sure of this but went back to sleep.

When I woke up the next time I felt fairly good. When I looked around I saw that the rest had given me their strength. We needed food and water. The latter was abundant here but not the food. I called the mabomas but they didn't respond. Casting my thoughts out I found some small animals in the vicinity. I staggered with my first few steps but managed to stand erect.

The knife Sonya had used to slice Moldonia was on the floor but not good for what I had to do. I selected some rocks and tested their weight and balance. Outside the temple I concentrated on one animal and threw the rock. Before they started to run I threw three more rocks but only killed two more of them.

The three carcasses were dragged to the temple. The knife was cleaned on the hide of one animal then I began to butcher the carcasses. Sonya got the rest up and out to find brush to burn to cook our meal. Only a few were spared to look after the children.

The fire was made outside. I didn't feel right to do this in the temple. We ate lightly and often as we drank the same way. I did a count and found sixty four of us. More than half were just children or infants. Moldonia had plans for using a lot of power and got the equipment he needed to do this.

The man had been a very strong mage. My fragmented recollections of Calldas' memories said that the mage was one of the twenty or so leaders of the Fassie tribunal that ruled what would one day be Fassie and greatly influenced the leaders of Saranam. This meant that they basically ruled their world.

The meat was all eaten but there had been enough to fill all of us except for the infants. The women chewed the meat and pushed it into the infant's mouths. This had been done on earth too when the need arose.

Sonya looked very bad and looking through her eyes. I saw that I was even worse. Her long hair was not burnt as was mine. Our skin was covered in blisters because the healing process took time. Our fellow escapees looked little better.

I now knew that Perra's family was here and they had lost two of their members through the mage's quest for power. That afternoon Sonya and I recovered enough power to remove the conditioning from each of our castaways and install my own. I could not afford to have a fight now and we needed everyone to work together. Sitting in a circle I explained to our group who Sonya and I were and a long story about meeting Perra and coming to find her parents. The parents and siblings were finally able to cry at what had happened to them.

In an hour we talked about magic in general and how it was bad only if the person using it did so for evil purposes. The worse medical cases were treated first but we could do little at the moment.

Sonya and I were talking and I said, "We may be able to send a message through in a few days. They know where this temple is."

"I don't think that is a wise decision, husband."

"And why is that my wife?"

You do not know what happened to the base we escaped from. Moldonia had a spell on the base to destroy it if he died."

"Many mage's do that I guess."

"Moldonia was not a normal mage but when his base went it was more than anybody could expect. I didn't see the mushroom cloud in the mountain but those we brought sure did. There was a bright flash off the clouds and the noise was deafening. The ground had one great shock and then many smaller ones. The wind blew hot but I don't think there was any radioactivity, or I hope there was none."

"That reminds me of that valley we went through at the start of this trip."

"I think if we were to take a look we would find this one still glowing now from the heat."

"What could have caused it? A mage can't put that much power into a base."

"The only reason I can think of is that he had some more of the old equipment in his base or that it was our base and portal inside that did it."

I said after thinking, "We never put that much power into our base either."

"If it was our base then it may have had something to do with the spells on it. We tried quite a few new ideas trying to get power directly from the other dimensions."

"If what you are saying is true then some of the power may have fed back through the portal to the ship. We may have a lot of deaths on our hands and possibly even our children."

Sonya said, "I have been thinking of that but though that is horrendous, there is worse news."

"What can be worse?"

"When Moldonia was using me my real personality was able to influence me more and I could sneak a peek at the man's mind. Not only did he come back to this time but at the same time so did Caroshe, Kaffra and Samphic. They came back together with one spell. If one came back first then the rest may find that they were edited out of existence. There was also a need for a lot of power and control so the four came as a unit over sixty years ago. They were progressing in building their bases but were not working to take over the world yet. They were the strongest mages already and it was unneeded at the present time. When we came back they just thought it was another of their number. After the base exploded I am sure there will be a lot more interest in this area and with our entire family."

"I'm glad we only used healing spells or they might have found us."

"We are going to have to risk more. These people are our responsibility now and we have to not only feed but clothe them. They are not suited for travel but I want to get out of this area. I think the base was only a hundred kilometres from here from the description I was given of the cloud. Apparently it was raining rocks for up to hours later when you decided to get up."

I said, "I was doing some research in the base too. Moldonia saw me as more of a threat and monitored me a lot because of it. I learned that mages don't use Pentium chips for their computers but a living entity. At one time it was a human brain with the unneeded portions sheared from the organ. For the last seven thousand years they have been using a group of brains grown for the purpose much like we altered the brain and body of a mabomas. The bases the mages use are living organisms that have an ego that matches the tenant. I don't know if this is what promotes the mages' insanity but it may. I'm glad I didn't use my voice to ask the computer questions. It brings the mage's ego to search for my motives."

The next few days depleted most of the animals in this area. More had run when the base had exploded. Sonya and I had not seen it directly but it explained all the freshly fractured rock over the area. When the direction and distance to the mushroom cloud was given, I truly knew how much energy was used. The valley we had passed before came to mind again but there was no understandable reason for all that power.

We gained strength in the body. Sonya and I had talked to the former slaves and with their help we were able to make some clothing from the hides and power up the crystals. The slaves we had rescued before had a chance to recuperate first and have the support of better adjusted family members. We had to do with some spells only.

I wanted to keep our use of magic to a minimum but I could not do without it. We needed protection from the sun, rocks we brushed against and even more to the soles of our feet. The body needed to breathe and bring in cool air for cooling. Far back in the temple I worked on Sonya to give her this protection. We found a temporary solution and clothed everybody. We looked no different than the natives. We were all naked and the protection was invisible.

"I can live with this if I can see your body as I walk," I said.

"There are a lot of young ladies that catch your eye."

"My mind is open and you know that you stir me the most."

She hugged me to her and said, "I guess that's true. You can look all you want at my butt."

"There are more interesting places than just your butt."

I wanted to see what had happened to the area that had exploded but with the refugees under our care we had to think of them first. Mages could see better by day but they would be more suspicious of naked and unarmed people travelling by night. We buried the artifacts including the wand but the knife that pierced a shield was retained. We would have to do a lot of research on this as we travelled. Since I would be looked at as the leader, Sonya carried the knife casually at her waist. The wand was an artifact too and had not been listed in any of the information I had read before or in Moldonia's base. The wand though would be seen as something that was perhaps magical.

The group was kept fed by my ability to throw rocks though I did make some spears with simple heads made by putting the end in a fire and scraping away the burnt wood. The youngest got to ride in a handbarrow we made. All of the adults took their turn except the old woman that had come to me in the base. She was feeling better after the healing and looked at me wistfully many times every hour.

We were very lucky getting twenty kilometres a day because of our burdens and the fact that we had to climb quite a bit. Magic was used in small amounts when needed and in a week everyone was healthy though Sonya and I didn't look that way.



-------

Chapter 23


Predators had come at us all the time and my PK was enough to keep them away except once. I think the animal was too old to fight for easier game. This was a bear like animal that died to our spears. Sonya and I survived because of our shields but in retrospect we should have just picked the animal up and dropped it.

We ate the flesh and made packs with the hide and this allowed us to carry some of the children on our backs instead of on our stretcher like affair. More of the meat was dried to be carried as we walked. Children and adult alike were hurt and needed more healing spells. We tried to get as much distance as we could and this meant we went beyond what some could safely manage.

When we had doubled our distance from the destroyed base we called a halt in a small untenanted cave. It had been used by many creatures over the years but none recently. The bones and other detritus were thrown out. I felt safe enough to use magic to make a composite recurve bow, a few strings and two dozen arrows. This was done a little at a time and as subtly as I could. A small lake was nearby and the children and adults had a chance to catch the fish that were there. Sonya and I could have reached into the water and taken them but this was therapeutic for the refugees.

The next valley had people in it and either we avoided them or change our looks to suit a group of wandering people. To reduce the amount of magic we worked with nature. Tall water plants were used for fibres and woven both magically and by hand into a fair quality of soft cloth. It was magic alone that made the garments. Hide from other animals was thickened and used for soles while the usual skin was stitched for uppers.

A third of the people we found used hats and we chose to stay and make them too. We dried fish and meat and when the packs were as full as we could make them and still carry the infants we set off.

From the ridge we called out so we would not come at them unawares. They were waiting for us with weapons when we got to their farms. This was the usual way we were greeted and usually only lasted a short time. I didn't want to advertise our magic though so the procedure took longer.

There were thirty individuals here but mostly they were youngsters. The old died soon if they were not strong and quick. The parents needed lots of children to assist them when they got older and to handle all the farmwork.

We stopped about ten metres from them. My bow was unstrung and the spears were on my back. It was our children that showed them that we were not going to fight. A short conversation of where we were from and where we were going was interspersed with our own questions of what the valley and its people had for us.

It was not too long after that we were offered some food and we in turn offered some of ours. One of the questions asked me was if I would sell some of those with me. It was a way of mixing blood lines but was still slavery. I did some tinkering again so there would be more variation in the next and succeeding generations.

There were nine men though some were old. Their thoughts were leading to them taking me on and taking the women.

I said, "I really have little to trade you. We had some coloured stones but they were lost crossing a river. My bow is too important to me to trade for."

Sonya said, "Why don't you show how good you are at it. Once you are done I will show them how one of our women can handle a toy like that."

I said to the villagers, "Women get to be very pushy since I was a boy. Do you want me to show you what I can do with the bow?"

They had their own bows and used them a lot for protection. It was close to noon now and one of the village children set up a bundle of rushes. I had kept calling to him to go further back until it was beyond what the farmers could reach never mind hit.

The child put the rushes in front of a tree and I stuck eight arrows in the ground and took the ninth and put it into the bow. With just enough guidance from Sonya I fired one after the other very quickly until all nine had been shot. Everybody walked to see the target and they were very surprised to see that they were all within a six centimetre ring. The men took the arrows from the tree and found them buried deep. It had taken only seconds to loose all nine arrows and there were nine men so I think they would have second thoughts on acquiring some fresh blood.

Later that day, some of the men went with me as we looked for one of the bear like creatures that had been attacking them quite persistently. Even with their numbers they were reluctant to go after it. After an hour, we found the bear and the reason it was so determined. It was a mother of two growing cubs and these took a lot to feed. The mother was perhaps two tonnes or a bit more and the cubs though small were a hundred kilos each.

I knew that nobody was going to go into the cave so I asked one of the men to get Sonya as a way to stall. When Sonya came, I generated an illusion of the mother scrambling from the cave. Sonya happened to be in the way so I could not use my bow and the illusion started to run down a path. We all ran after but Sonya stayed behind.

The mother disappeared ten minutes later but Sonya was using all her tricks to get the three to climb the steep embankment and get to the next valley. Sonya caught up to us an hour and a half later with a large antelope over her shoulders.

"I thought you men went hunting. This was the laggard of a small group. They were so easy to kill that I used a stone."

The men didn't like this but the women did. We had a good meal that night and we left the hide with the village. Some of the women donated clothing to our children and our women thanked them for their generosity. On the way out of the village I put a healing spell on a woman with cancer and another with diabetes. We would be well gone and the villagers would just think their family members beat whatever was bothering them.

Three days later we came to a small river. I knew it would get bigger as more small rivers joined it. It was heading more east but it would still get us further away from the base and much quicker.

Instead of making a raft, I formed a shield in the form of a large boat. I had rested previous to this and would be able to hold the form for a few hours. Everybody got into the invisible boat and Sonya was the one using her PK and other abilities to push us. She tried her hardest to get the furthest possible and we made nearly fifty kilometres before we both had to rest.

Sonya found a small outcrop of the material we used for crystals the next day as we bypassed a set of rapids on a portage that had been used recently by somebody else. We took only two kilos to make some crystals. This would be a difficult task with the attributes of those with us.

We were getting further away from the destroyed base and figured that we could risk using more magic. There would be a lot of our family dispersed in small groups bringing the light to the people they met and we could now act just like them with impunity.

After two more trips in the boat we found we had made almost a hundred kilometres. When we pulled into the shore that night the family cut light poles from some saplings and tried their luck at fishing. It had been raining all day and everything was wet but those with us were not perturbed by a bit of moisture.

We found a good camping spot and rested while some fished. We heard squeals of joy from the children and just smiled. I wondered how our own babies were doing now and tried to guess the chance of how many could be dead when the mage's base blew up so spectacularly.

In an hour we had lots of fish but we made love instead of processing them. It was a relaxing pastime and Sonya and I were able to get the rest to assist us in making some good but small crystals. Our energy was rationed and attention now shifted to a very light shield to keep off the rain. Water left the hollow we were in and it also left the wood that the family had brought to cook it.

I held Sonya in my lap as she gently moved to keep both of us stimulated. A small fire was now cooking our meal but we were still in love even after what must be close to six and a half years. Food was brought to us and the older children took turns feeding us with their hands. We both liked this arrangement.

It looked like it would rain all night so the new family got into position and Sonya formed the power grid. The stone we had made was charged then all the other ones we had. I usually slept holding Sonya while my mind kept just enough of the power flowing to keep us dry.

Animals came during the night and Sonya or I shooed them away and went back to sleep. The next morning we powered up the crystals that we had depleted during the night and had a breakfast of fish.

Today, I made a boat that had a top to keep us dry. It was not that much extra work. We only got ten kilometres before it had to disappear. We had another obstacle to bypass.

There was a trail here showing that this portage was regularly used. Sonya was in the lead while I was at the end. I heard some loud voices ahead that were deeper in timbre than the women. I found nothing coming from Sonya and I started to run forward in fear when I heard, "Wait!"

I looked through the eyes of the women or children near Sonya and saw the backs of some men as they ran frantically away from us. There were weapons on the ground and some looked to be up the incline too.

Sonya finally said, "It was an ambush. Apparently this happens once in a while."

"What happened to them?"

"Some of those bears came down from further above and started to kill phantom men. The real men ran."

Part way down the path we came on a boy of twelve that had been part of the group. He had broken a leg and had been abandoned by his mates. Sonya just put him to sleep and stretched the leg as she cast a healing spell. When I got to them Sonya said, "You better throw him over your should. His village is ten kilometres down river and he shouldn't walk for a few hours."

The boy stank. I removed his clothes with a spell and cast a cleaning spell on him. The women were clustered around now and checking the new meat. The young girls that had seen me with the older women seemed to like what they saw in the boy.

It took fifteen minutes to get to the other end of the portage and ready to push off. The boat was made quickly and we all got in. Sonya pushed the boat hard and we passed some men in boats. The men quickly pulled into the shore and tried to flee. One boat was against a vertical rock face and couldn't make it. Sonya flipped their boat for good measure and all the rest she found.

The village turned out to be larger than we thought. It was more of a city. The natives of Sookra didn't seem to like congregating in large numbers. My eye showed that it was nearly three hundred people but again most of that was the young that would die off until only the fittest remained. There was no dock and everything was mud. Sonya and I helped everyone to shore then I went back for the boy and our packs.

There were gates around the town but they remained open. Men armed with spears were blocking our entrance.

The man in the middle asked, "What do you want here?"

"We came here to rest for a while and perhaps find a dry place to sleep. We were ambushed by some of your men and this one fell by the trail. We carried him here because the rest left him."

The man saw only four other men in our group and came closer to look at the boy's face. "You have Sodacka. It is against the law to capture someone from our village."

"It is against my law to be attacked. Perhaps I will go back and kill all the others that ran from us."

"That is against the law too."

"Who makes the law here?"

"Crasta is our leader."

"Is he one of those that ran and left a boy to his fate?"

"Crasta is out hunting."

I had read the guard's mind and not only was Crasta out hunting but I had his son on my shoulder. Down the river there was a similar village that followed the same practice as what Crasta did. If it were not for innocent travellers getting picked off it would be fine with me to leave them to their feeding upon themselves.

I cast a loyalty spell on this man and the guards behind him before we marched into the village. Whoever knew of us which by now was the whole village was out in the rain to look at us. Crasta's home was large but the majority of it was still a dirt floor. At least he had the foresight to build up this area to keep the water away.

There was a lot of us but we fit in if we stayed standing. The woman of the house was frantic then even more so when she saw that I was holding her naked son.

She was a woman but did have enough courage to demand, "What are you doing with my son?"

"I was thinking of keeping him for a slave. He was caught attacking us."

"But... he's my son."

"It is your husband and his men that are to blame. They attack to rob strangers. This has to stop."

"Did you kill my husband?" She said in a piteous voice since she figured that we had already.

"The coward ran with his men and left the boy to us."

"He would never leave his son."

"Ask the coward when he comes back. There is a good chance he will hide until we have left. Now get us some food."

Sonya sent women to help and we basically cleaned the cupboards out. Sonya and I went to the waterfront and didn't see any boats yet. We pulled rocks from the river and made a dock but as yet it was only good for shallow draught vessels. People on the wall had seen us and soon we had the entire village watching us.

The river was wide and slow here but there were still a lot of fish, especially in the deeper areas. Sonya and I pulled twenty out of the water to wiggle on the land until I used a simple command to end their lives. The fish floated in the air behind us as we approached Crasta's home. The woman was to clean and cook the fish and her now awake son was to help. All the rest of the children in the house had to assist.

I took copper from Crasta's treasury and we went around town finding places to house and feed my family. The word had spread very quickly and I got a lot of obedience. I wanted the leader to find some penalty in what he had try to do to us.

One large hut was a tavern with a few men seated at the three tables. I spent extravagantly but only sipped the very poor drink. Sonya had found an old woman and she was forced to follow her to see me. She was put on the table and we both looked at her legs. They were in poor shape and the woman would die in a few months. We cast some healing spells on her and ordered food so she could get a good meal.

Sonya went out and found three more that needed our care. The last two were children. When they left, Sonya didn't have to go for more, they came to us now. We fixed bad teeth and poorly healed fractures. Open sores were cured. One girl of three had only one eye and we spent a long time on her and needed to take a break after.

Food came unbidden and it was the best they had to give. Sonya went out again to move our people where they would have a roof over their heads during the night. I continued to treat some of the ailments the people had.

The guard came to me around supper time. He got to his knees on the dirt floor as he had to do for Crasta. "Master, Crasta is at the gates with his men. He has heard about you and would like to know what you would do to him."

The man was brave to even do this. "Tell him to come here and kneel as you have done. His men will stand. Also tell him that I can throw a rock bigger than his house at him if he runs."

The guard was visibly shaken and said, "Yes, Master." He hurried to his feet al left.

There were people around me and they were very worried now. I continued to work on those that needed me. I was now down to minor medical problems but I did them anyway until Crasta appeared. I had a boy on my lap and I was casting a spell that would remove lice and other parasites from him.

Crasta hurried forward and got to his knees. The men that tried to attack us hurried into the room too. I treated more patients and the last was a young woman with a cleft lip. When she was done I said to the kneeling man, "I heard that you pass laws here then don't abide by them yourself. I think one of your penalties is to be burnt at the stake for robbery and trying to murder."

The man shook in fright but said nothing. His eyes were still on the ground.

"What would you do if you caught someone from Osani after he tried to take something destined for this village?"

He did not say anything though his mind was working very fast to come up with an answer. "Answer me. What is the penalty?"

In a low voice he said, "We would kill him but not by fire. We would use a spear."

I just looked at him but read the minds of his men. He was not a bad leader and his men would follow him if he asked it. None of them were saints but this world was not ready for any of those kind of people yet.

I said as if giving a sentence, "I will think on this matter and talk tomorrow at this time. You have at least that long to live. You are a hard man in a hard world but you do not even do what you expect your villagers to do. All of those that tried to attack me will stay here tonight. Do not drink any of owners wears but your families may bring food and water."

With that I moved through the crowd and to Crasta's home to sleep under his roof tonight.

Our love making was different and even more care was shown for the women. The husbands that had been captured wanted more wives but I had not allowed it unless I knew that the woman would want the man over me. So far I had been the overall winner.

A few small crystals were made and powered up. Some of the married women got these so they could practice. Sonya's magical knife was duplicated and worn by the married women. It was just my way of removing the uniqueness of the article by making a lot of them.

When the lovemaking was over I listened to the thoughts of the people of the village. Some were angry at me taking over but it was very deeply hidden. They did have reasons to thank me for what we had done. I was sure they wouldn't try anything nasty.

There were few qualified hunters in the village that had not been in the band that attacked us. Those that were came to my summons. I made a quick map of the area on paper that I made from leaves. The men had difficulty seeing this map as representing the land. Once that got across to them, I pointed out where they could be successful in hunting. They seemed happy now and left to feed the village we took so much food from.

Our family had to stay here and see what they could do to help the village while Sonya and I went down river to the village of Osani. Some of the boys of the village saw the imprint of the magic boat as it pushed into the water. Sonya pulled out two large fish for them to work on and we left.

We needn't go fast now that we had a small boat and the trip was short. Sonya said, "We should make some fishing hooks and line for the village. What they use now is poor to say the least."

"Tell them about nets and how to knot them. That means you have to teach them how to make better fibres for string and then invent the shuttle to carry it."

"I like that idea too. Some of the other groups have done that. Captain Harris knew exactly how to make nets."

"He is not here now and I guess we'll have to see what we can do."

We looked at the area we passed to see what could be made of it. There were clay deposits that would make better pottery and far ahead was a beach with white silica sand suitable for making glass.

Eight kilometres down river a new river branched in from our right. It was just after this that the village appeared also on the right and on the other side of the main river we had come from. The walls were not as good though. There was just as many guards that came out to greet us.

I was interested in results and just made the guards loyal to me. We learned about the ruling family and saw some obvious discrepancies right away. The family led by Pontak was not as good at leading. The man was a slob and the village was like that too. The huts were similar but the village seemed to be worse. Perhaps it was the thickness of shit around the huts that did it. The last village it was only half as deep.

People came out of their huts to see two strangers walking in their village. The largest hut was actually three stuck together. If anything the shit was deeper here than anyplace else. It had been raining a lot but not nearly enough to wash away the effluent and the stench.

Sonya asked, "How are we going to do this?"

"You watch our backs and I dangle the mayor or king by his ankles till we get his attention."

"That should do it, and the amalgamation?"

"We have to see what there is to offer."

I called out in a loud voice, "Where is the leader of this village?"

It took time but a man came out with a heavy sword and a dozen people with spears. Most of them were his sons.

"What do you want stranger?"

"Crasta and his men tried to rob us. I know that you do this too. All of you are going to stop."

"We do not rob anybody," was all he said. In a second he fell to the ground and then rose a few metres into the air.

"Tell us the truth Pontak. I am not in a mood to listen to your lies."

"We are not robbers, we are not robbers."

He went up higher and by this time a few spears were thrown at us. Sonya took the spears and beat the men with the weapons that threw them.

"The truth or I drop you. One of your sons will then deal with us."

"We... take from the other village sometimes when our own people are robbed."

"I will ask you one last time. Do you rob travellers?"

He slipped just a little and after the scream he said, "Yes! Yes! We rob travellers."

I lowered him to the ground and gave him a chance to recover. I said, "Tell your family to come out."

One of the younger men left to do this and soon we had a lot more people in front of us. This was all of the oldest sons and daughters and I studied the oldest of both genders. I compared them to the oldest of both genders and found a fair match with the oldest of Pontak's daughters and the oldest son of Crasta.

The young woman, Foonda was as much a slob as her father but she was smart. I called her over with my hand and she came after being ordered to by her father. While looking into her eyes I put the loyalty spell on her and gave her a lot more drive to get ahead. More would come but not yet.

I said in a rational voice, "Foonda, you are going to marry Matteo from Crasta's family. You will start a new village across the smaller river next to the village. It will be much better than any village you have ever seen before."

"I wanted to marry Leeo."

"This is impossible now. Your new family will rule much more than a few small villages. I will give you trade items and your family and village will be very rich."

Orders were given to Pontak and the best builders came to meet me. There was a lot of fear but it also made them much more eager to follow my commands. I made another map similar to the one given out this morning but it listed the clay beds and the silica sand.

The three men that could work with wood the best were instructed how to make homes that stood off the ground on rock. The first building they were going to make would be a latrine. Sonya and I assisted by taking the entire village with us as we sheered some tree roots off under the soil then pushed the tree over. We cleared a lot of land and dried the lumber before making a lot of holes in some for some stone pillars.

Sonya and I enjoyed making miniature buildings that the craftsmen could look at to see what had to be done.

Other men were taken to see the deposits of clay and then sand but some of the deposits were on the other side of the river that I wanted a new village built. I shuttled over a hundred people but had to take them in two loads.

While a lot of people found wood to burn I explained about potash and how to prepare lime. The four men took some assistance and hurried to gather the ingredients I wanted.

The glass making was the same as we taught in Redac. While all of this was being prepared, I took Pontak, Foonda and a half dozen sons in the boat and headed upriver to see Crasta. The man and his henchmen were as I left them and I casually walked into the tavern. The men looked like they were on death row and I didn't let them off easy.

I sat in a chair and after a pause said, "Crasta I have decided that you will live." He perked right up at this. Before he could thank me I said, "There is going to be change here. Your village and the one down river are going to join. There is an area across from the other village with materials that everybody needs. Everybody is going to build a new village on this land. It will be done the way I want and you will find that there will not be as many children dying from disease."

I looked behind him at Matteo that had been with the attack party. "Matteo, you will marry Pontak's daughter Foonda very soon and begin to make the new village."

The young man was stunned. He too was going to get married to somebody else. I had to do a little tinkering again and the young man would think of something other than hunting and females. I wanted a good leader and he and his future wife would make a good team.

"Come outside now and meet Pontak and some of his family."

The two had fought before but were now on the best of terms with me around. We stayed for the meal that the hunters brought back. During this time Sonya explained what the buildings were going to be like and what changes had to be made to improve the health of the villages.

Sonya had seen movies of old Cuba and other Caribbean Islands where there was a wide veranda and a railing with the house proper tucked far under the overhanging roof. If this is what she wanted then this is what she would get. The problem was that we would have to make the first one.

Pontak and Crasta's families were turned into labourers as Sonya and I found trees to slice while others found poles to use for the framework. I put the two men together so they had to assist each other while Foonda and Matteo did the same. We stripped two existing homes for raw materials. The boards were used for the floor. But everything else was thatch like the other huts in the village.

We worked into the night and only got the roof on. The workers got to sleep together after we were all fed. There was a fireplace in the middle with flat stones in front of it. The animals that had been killed today provided furs for the two that were to be married for a bed.

Sonya and I went to Crasta's home to rest and recharge the crystals. More crystals were made and charged before additional knives were made. Those that we had left enjoyed the last few days but I had to get them to work tomorrow.

We had a large breakfast and found Crasta and Pontak working to get the home completed. I felt good about this. We all pitched in and by noon it was done. There were even rushes made in a roll that could cover the opening for the windows and doors. More rush mats covered the floor. Some wide planks made up a very large table and Sonya and I made chairs with other parts.

Crasta's wife was summoned though she had already seen what was happening. I said to everybody, "This house belongs to this woman. If she feels like it she can keep her husband here with her."

This was against custom. A man owned everything. I gave my rendition of the laws we had put together about dual ownership. It was when I said, "We have to go down river now and build a house for Pontak's wife. When this is done we cross the river and make one for Foonda."

They were all tired but would still work. Before I left, Sonya and I dug a deep trench in a compacted ridge and built the basics of a latrine for the village. Now the villagers would have to copy the design we had made so that rain would not get in or the sides collapse.

Sonya and our family had not been idle. They had made a boat out of clay and straw. She had then used the technique we found to turn it to tar. When it was roughed out she had put in holes for oarlocks. The tar material was difficult to work with once part of it was fabricated. We had to make new boats instead. The mould got to be quite long in some cases.

Children and adults were encouraged to make oarlocks out of clay and we would change it to tar. When we picked the boats up we found they were heavy as the dry clay they were composed of but still light when compared to what could have been used.

When we fashioned a few oars and attached them to the oarlocks, I sent Pontak and Crasta out as test pilots in small boats and they seemed to enjoy this activity. With some material from the floor left over I made a dozen more oars. Pontak and Crasta had to be called in to discuss the boats to see if they felt there could be some improvements. The only one was to have the seats permanently mounted.

Sonya and I did this but made air chambers to keep the boat afloat even if it had overturned. Rings were installed so that rope could be attached to them for transport

We made a sight floating down the river in a fleet of white boats. By the time we got to the village everyone that was rowing had a chance to learn the finer points of the technique.

It was late but Pontak and Crasta started building the new home. Since Pontak's wife was going to own it, it was going to be done even nicer. The planks had already been cut and the men worked together to put up the framework. Sonya and I still made the table and chairs and when the time came we laid the floor and assisted in being masons so the chimney would be built the way it should.

Our own people were not that good at building but were ready hands. It wasn't long before the entire village was working on this or the public latrine.

Matteo and Foonda were pulled aside and Sonya talked to them in private. I read their minds and knew that Sonya said, "Your home has to be bigger. You will have two sets of grandparents living with you one day."

She drew pictures in the dirt with a stick and asked for suggestions including the nursery which happened to be a new idea. The two young people were not sure of each other but did wants some improvements. A private outhouse for the family was just one.

Sonya made a scale model with magic and changed it as the ideas came and went. The resulting idea turned out to be a larger home with a covered and elevated walkway to two smaller homes for the parents. The walkways would serve as emergency shelters or to let the children play.

Our family camped on some clean ground that night as it was not raining. Our lovemaking was more subdued because of the spectators but it was still nice. Everybody was up bright and early probably at Pontak's orders. Last night, torches had been brought so more could be done in the dark. The villagers were sleepy but still excited to continue the work.

The house and latrine were finished that day and the next we would cross the river to begin the new village.

The next day it rained lightly but the building would proceed. Almost the entire village got to cross the river in the new boats. Matteo and Foonda were given authority over the building, they got assistance from their fathers. The main building went up much faster with the experience gained from the other construction.

Priority was actually given to the public latrine then to the private one close to the house. In a cruel touch I had Pontak build Crasta's future domicile and then I did the reverse. It may give two old men something to bitch about when they were old. Conversely if they cooperated now they could be proud of their work.

In three weeks the new village had been built. Matteo and Foonda were very proud because they had picked where everything should be layed out. Crasta's entire village as well as Pontak's was in the new village to see the wedding. Sonya had done a little tinkering too and the couple were actually looking forward to what they could do.

Glass and good pottery had been made and even lens ground. Better boats had been made with thinner clay so they would be lighter. We talked about trade now and the need to protect and improve the trail. They agreed to punish all of those that preyed on the travellers. They knew that trade made money and they had articles to sell, not just buy. Their boats would be the best on the river and could carry much more. If they protected the boats they could then portage without carrying the boat if there was another waiting.

We thought of a lottery to pick the new villagers but instead we left it entirely up to the people. Pontak and Crasta had become a sort of friends especially when I introduced better tasting beverages.

A mage tower was built though it took more time with fewer of us and most not trained very much. Close to this was a chapter house made out of tar. In the weeks after the marriage we built a small base. Sonya and I were very worried because we could not connect to the ship. Instead, we connected to the barracks at Fortune's Bay but the existing portal back to the ship was not working. We were both very worried that the base on the ship had been destroyed.

We tried the base at Redac and then others but we could not connect to any of them. Sonya cried for our children and I was near to this point myself but I had to hope that it was a safety precaution and that all the portals leading to some habitations were closed.

Sonya reminded me of the chapter house near the mines and the other at the docks where the 'Lady' had been tied up waiting for the metal. Nobody lived at either location and should be vacant. The mine connection would require a hundred kilometre walk to another river but there was a chapter house there already. We could make a boat to sail down to Redac directly.

Pontak and Crasta sent some of their men as well as some of our adults back along the path we had used to get here. They were to gather some of the crystal material we found along the way. It was a large enough group that they would not be attacked we hoped. They had to carry canoes with them but this time they had ours made as light as possible.

The new village became the only village as the two homes and latrines we had built were moved. There was no king though because Crasta would rule for a year with the rest of the people as councillors. Pontak would rule the next then it would be Matteo and finally against all customs, Foonda. After that the cycle would repeat.

The crystal material finally came. Everybody was healthy and had a chance to learn what we knew about clay, glass and health. The family lived in our chapter house all the time and worked on the crystals we would need and then to power them.

We came out when we were done to say our goodbyes. Many people were upset that we were going. We turned around and went back into the chapter house and emerged in the building near the upper Epoo river. Though it was morning when we left, it was night when we arrived. We had lots of experience making boats out of tar and made a comfortable one with seats to hold all of our number. The back had a rudder and it was controlled by a wheel and not a tiller. There was lots of room and we made beds for some.

Sonya and I both pushed this time until we came to the locks. After we were through I went for a rest because there were only two of us that could push with any force.

Eventually we came to Redac. The 'Lady' was not at the dock like I hoped but it was too valuable to just leave tied up. Those in the town were questioned but they knew nothing about the ship.

We got into the chapter house and found it undamaged but the portal was again inoperative to the ship. Sonya and I searched to find a reason why we had not been able to connect directly. It was as if it was slightly out of phase with the base we once knew. We tried to use this same amount of difference to access other bases but we could not do so. It was as if each had their own code now.

Sonya and I could not drag the families and infants all across the country on this quest. Caroshe, Kaffra and Samphic were still out there even if Moldonia was not. This brought up the knife that killed Moldonia. We had tried with our own shields at maximum and the knife had come in and touched our skin. It was magic in some way but we could not see it. Sonya and I had spent a long time studying it but now we stayed at it undisturbed. Even after a full month we knew little that was new.

In desperation we left with transport spell to retrieve the other artifacts. The family would carry on business with the miners and the town while we were away.

The room we fled to just before the explosion had to be investigated. There was rock from a cave in and I wanted to see what was behind it. When we got to the site, we found nothing different other than an accumulation of debris. We had to remove the rocks that had fallen to the floor and probably blocked another passage. The first few metres could be moved by hand but only magic could be used to move the rest. This in itself meant something to us.

We now worked as if this was a trap and shored up the roof as we went. Not only did we use magic but we used tar made from the rock we removed. Some rocks had to be sheared because of their size so they could be transported out.

It took six days to get through nearly three hundred metres of rock. We could have worked faster but not safer. We came into a large hemispheric room that must be five hundred metres high and a kilometre across. The entire room had a very subdued light in it. There was little dust on the floor and there was no collapsed tunnel. It now looked like the rock was placed to restrict our passage.

I cast out my mind into the void and said, "Hello, we have come here to learn and to reduce the suffering of everybody on this planet."

Sonya knew why I had said that. Together we walked into the room itself but felt nothing wrong apart from a small tingling. There was magic here but it was weak now.

It was Sonya that suggested, "Do you want to power this place up?"

"You just want me to show you how much I love you."

"That too. You interested, big guy?"

"Only with our bedding. I don't want sore knees as much as you do."

Sonya and I left the room we could not see too well and got all of our property including the artifacts we had collected. If the base was computer controlled we may be able to find some information about each of the articles. This took a few trips to carry the two trunks.

Sonya could not resist and used her magic to cast a light that illuminated most of the room. The floor was clean but we could see four large arches in each quadrant. The floor was polished to a sheen with writing in the odd characters all around the room and even to the walls themselves.

The only artifact in the hall was over to our left and close to the wall. We looked at the writing on the floor but mostly we were interested in the only feature in the room. When we got closer we found that it was not just a sphere but a three dimensional representation of this planet. It looked like small jewels embedded in the sphere and one seemed to represent this base.

Sonya said, "The valley of sand we passed has a jewel in it too."

"There are an awful lot of other ones too. I think they must be affiliated bases for them to be all on one globe. I guess the locations of our chapter houses would look similar when they all get built."

"Maybe there's a portal here. We can go to these bases."

"Could be, but then we have to find a way out or back to this location. We know that one base is probably destroyed and others may be the same way. They may just have died from not having the power to stay active."

We studied the map for a long time but the most startling discovery was a small continent or a large island close to the southern pole.

I said, "That was not on any map I ever saw."

"It may have been like the story of Atlantis and not around any more."

"It could also have been cloaked but I cannot see a way to do that to such a large area. If I try I may be able to hide a small house but that's the limit."



-------

Chapter 24


"We may be able to find a portal to that position but I would not like to arrive under a hundred metres of water or even on the surface. I doubt we could get to land."

We tried to remember the shape and size in relation to Saranam. When the 'Lady' was found, if she could be found, we would have to make a trip to this location to see if the island was still there. Perhaps it still had some of the descendants of the mages there that had built this base.

It was getting dark by the time we finished our inspection. Sonya's light was not as strong and looking down the long tunnel we saw that light had fallen.

"I recall that my lady wanted to make love to me. Is she still of this mind?"

"It is about time. My back is sore from studying the globe. You are probably going to only add to my suffering."

"Perhaps not if my lady wishes to ride instead."

"That may be acceptable."

We set up our camp though there was no need for the tent. With a small spell I expanded a small strip of material to become a large and quite comfortable air mattress. We left to perform our ablutions outside. On the way back in I tried to be first but Sonya saw this as a challenge and we raced the last few hundred metres to reach the bed. We both threw ourselves on it and it slid across the floor to hit the globe we had been studying.

I wrestled with her until I was able to get my head between her thighs. She was very strong and fought dirty but I was stronger and knew her well. It was only when I was able suck her clit into my mouth did she finally admit defeat and pull less vigorously at my hair until she was pushing instead.

I claimed victory three times before Sonya managed to turn around and see what she could do to peek my interest. Her forth time and my first were at the same time though I liked to be a minute or so later.

With nothing to immediately distract us, we made very aggressive love interspersed with a kinder and gentler variety. Almost as learned reflex we charged our crystals and tried to feed the energy that would be wasted to this base but for some reason it would not accept it. When this happened we didn't worry and just forgot about our energy grid completely as I continued to make love to the woman I loved so much.

Sonya climbed on top many of the times and rode me the way she needed to have her orgasm without regard to me. This was the way I wanted it and came with her most of the time. There was something different. Our lovemaking was even more passionate and more stimulating. This made the bond we had that much stronger.

A very sated woman said to me after our last orgasm, "We better quit or we won't get any sleep."

"You tired me out." After a slight pause I held her to me even tighter and whispered with verbal words, "I love you Sonya."

She replied the same way. "I know you do and I love you just as much."

We woke up later than usual but that was ok. On the way out of the base we held hands as if we were newlyweds but we had done this a lot of times and it meant that we were extra happy. For breakfast we went hunting antelope. Since we knew where the animals were, we used rocks as weapons and took a fine young buck. We cooked what we wanted to eat then dried the rest as I did the slabs of lumber. The hide was good but not that useful to us. I was not wasteful though and preserved it with magic after scraping it clean.

Returning to the base again I found the tingle just a bit different than last time and for some reason it seemed to be just a bit brighter. Sonya said, "Perhaps it did take in our energy last night. I wasn't controlling it at all."

"You were a woman determined to get exactly what you wanted."

"I can do that again tonight if you are up to it."

"I may be able to stand up to your demands my lady."

"That sounds remarkably like a challenge."

"We lost sleep last night and we may have to turn in a lot sooner."

"You're on mister or more correctly I will be on you."

We tried the large arches on the periphery but they were as strong and as impervious as the wall itself. We knew they were portals but they would just not work for us.

I said, "This room reminds me of one of the stations we were going to make. You come in one portal and leave by one of the other three. I'm not sure about the globe but it could be a map that you would see in a bus station. This bus station though should have more than three destinations."

"Maybe you press a jewel and then we can go there."

We pressed a nearby jewel but saw or felt no change. The portals remained closed though we were only going to use the hide I just preserved. Instead of mechanical means we tried to press with PK or just choose a jewel with our mind. It was a fruitless search. We could not get the globe to interface with the portal or for the portal to work independently.

We made love that night and it was just as stimulating as the night before. I had to wonder if something nearby was causing this to happen. We weren't complaining though. It didn't hurt and made our relationship even closer.

The next day we took everything out of the one box and tried our way to open the one that Moldonia could not open. We were just as fortunate and the box remained closed. The characters on the wall and floor were our last avenue and we tried to make some sense out of them. There were spaces but usually then came after fifty three characters and up to ninety seven. We had to assume that the words were very long like some German words or a sentence had the words run into each other.

We counted a hundred and forty seven different characters and none looked like punctuation, though we had no idea what punctuation would look like. The paper with our transcribed information from the coins and box were compared and with only a slight variation they fit in with what were on the floor. The still unopened box was the same way though it had much more writing on it.

With nothing left to try we attempt to use the need. It had not worked on finding the ship or our family since Moldonia's base was destroyed. Soon we found that it didn't work in this case either.

Sonya and I were tired from ten days of research here with little to show for it. She finally said to me, "I wonder why those arches for the portals are so large?"

"A mage sometimes shows megalomania but I think it may be a very large being."

"The only thing that I think that is that large is a colcha."

"You may be right. Prostana would make it through but wouldn't have lots of room to spare."

"I thought Prostana was at least as intelligent as we are and he can read minds after he was taught. Do you think it was his people that used this place?"

I said, "They might but the globe and the writing are all so small. I can't see them building this place."

"A mage or a group of mages could have built this for the colcha. The globe and the writing look the right size for us."

"That is why I keep you around. You are a very smart woman. We just have to find Prostana now and see if he will cooperate."

"I think you want me around more for my body."

"That's nice too."

We took a long time to accurately lay out the coordinates of the centre of this newer room. They were only slightly different from the vestibule but if we were able to get a full grown colcha into the main room we would need to be exact.

The artifacts were left in the room we found and then we started the labourious task of putting some of the rock back into the tunnel to keep out intruders. Much of the rock had to be thrown out of the temple but for good measure we used some of the stones to block this entrance too.

Sonya and I made good time without the benefit of any modda. We had not found our own animals or the mabomas but didn't expect too after this much time had passed.

We avoided humanity for the most part except to stop a group from robbing an animal train. This happened off our path but the ambush was seen by our eye.

We hunted on the run and ate well. The strength built into our bodies was a match for what we were demanding of them and besides it felt good to just run. It was even better to be running with a full partner that I loved very much.

When we arrived at the torn up valley we found it deserted. We saw four large piles of shit and figured that Prostana had stayed just long enough to fully heal. During the trip here we had gone over everything that Prostana had said to us. He was not going back to his family because that would cause some problems.

The colcha lived in the mountains in some deep valleys with equally deep caves running into the heart of the mountain. The globe we had been studying so much was contoured so that we knew where the mountains were. None of them gave more detail than that.

At an area where Prostana had shed so much blood, we picked up some of the soil still containing some of his essence. We used the need this time and felt a pull much more to the east and south.

We plotted our course from the information we had. There was a river to the east and it went south and west but it was easy travelling until it reached a plain. Nearly eight hundred kilometres from there was another range of mountains and this we hoped would be where we would find Prostana.

Some of the valleys we ran through had sheer vertical walls. We could see one valley ahead most of the time and we could avoid the worst of the climbs. With the modda, we would have had a much more difficult time since they could not climb as well as we could.

The larger human settlements were far enough apart that we could rest for a partial day at each. Usually we did some good turns to some of the residents and plotted a location so we could drop in one day if we needed to.

When we hit the river we found that it was a rushing torrent. It had worn deeply into the rock. It would not only be difficult to get to the water and make a boat but if there was no place to beach the boat we would have troubles getting out. Travelling beside this river would be even more difficult and extremely slow.

We had to climb the ridges to follow the river for nearly two days before we found a place where we could get down but we were sure nobody else could.

A light but strong rope was made then a boat suitable for this type of water. We decided on a two man kayak. We lowered th boat down then Sonya climbed to the water's edge to steady the craft and wait for me. I came down quicker than I wanted to but was not hurt much. Since I was much larger, I got in first and used my PK to stay in place as Sonya settled into position.

The rope gave way far over head and fell into the water. I gathered this up for we may need it again to get out. It was a very wild ride. We tried to avoid magic for this was challenging without. In six hours we had shot two small rapids and covered a hundred and thirty kilometres. This was a fast river and we pushed the craft in the slower sections.

It was getting dark, especially how deep in the crust of the planet the water had worn. A small area no larger than we would need to pitch a tent came up and we aimed for it. We avoided three large rocks and an eddy before beaching the craft.

Sonya said, "That was fun."

"It was more fun being with you. Now catch me a fish and I'll cook it."

"Yes, Master."

There was some waterlogged wood caught in the rocks and a little on the section where we wanted to place our tent. There was no room for a fire, a tent, our boat and packs too. We had used little magic up to now and I sheared the rock of the wall in front of me. Sonya played out the rope and we climbed the rock wall. I moved our fuel and pushed the rock away so it would make a larger and higher place to camp.

Sonya and I climbed down on the freshly cut rock and didn't like the angle it was at. She got some rocks from the water and I had to pick the rock back up and she tucked them underneath one side. She then looked at the shiny rock wall. She told me what she wanted and we worked together to cut our own cave into the side. She did some tinkering and now we were out of the wind and had six square metres of room.

The rock we removed went to further adjust our stepping stone and then she wanted it grooved so it would not be slippery. After that she wanted a fire pit in it and a hole to drain rainwater if it collected. Since we were making a home I knew when to do what I was told and not to ask foolish questions.

Sonya caught the fish and I was able to cook it. My eye even found some large branches rushing by in the river. This came over too and when dried would make a nice to sit and hold each other.

That night I held Sonya close. It was quite cool for a change and the wind was strong outside our cosy home. I built a shield to protect us from most of the wind but not all of it. When it was time to turn in we made very tender love and thought of our own children and those others that I had fathered. They were all very important to me even when I had so many.

When we set out in the morning the back of our love nest had the outline of a heart and the words, 'Adam loves Sonya' engraved deeply into the rock. Sonya liked it too and used my mind to cut a similar heart that was interlocked with her own declaration of love.

We kept watch far ahead and occasionally to the heights above the river. I was steering and Sonya said, "A river is going to join ours. It is coming from the right and the water is turbulent." Sonya took over steering and I took a look and together we plotted the best course to take. This part was dangerous but I saw where the rocks were and we made it through on the strength of our little kayak and our arms.

We ate dried fish. We had soota or what looked like deer preserved since it lasted longer. Four hours later the river started to widen and come out of the mountains. The banks were now lower and more often than not they were covered with soil instead of bare rock.

Again when it was getting dark we looked for a place to camp for the night but when we got to it we found a much better place just a half hour further. It also had a lot of animals drinking from the river including some wild modda.

I said, "Do you want to ride or run? We can also do both if you want."

"I liked my modda. Let's get a few."

The animals were easy to capture for we used our PK to bring the boat close and we put a great many of them to sleep. We had to hurry to shore or some of the animals would drown. All the animals were compelled to not be frightened. Sonya picked through the group trying to find non-lactating females or young males. We were greedy and took six but if we travelled fast we would need all of them. They were all taken from the river so the rest would not see us.

There were a lot of tricks we had learned in domesticating these animals and we used all of them. We heard a loud thrashing from the river and used our eye to see what was happening. I was angry at myself. All the animals felt safe but a voso took the opportunity to have lunch.

The voso was similar to the Komodo dragon of Indonesia. This lizard could run faster than a man and was not a mere three metres but grew up to twelve or more in some areas. This one had taken one of the modda in its large jaws. The rest of the animals had fled by us and we had trouble with our own animals.

Looking into the water I saw that this must be a favourite hunting spot for them. The one to take the modda was only four metres long. I hurried to the shore and killed the animal with my mind then dragged the carcass to the land. It stunk too.

I butchered the carcass quickly and with my crystals converted the scaled hide into a type of leather that could be used for saddles. Sonya had to help me. We didn't want the flesh to linger here.

Sonya was artistic and made a saddle for her that reflected where the leather came from. I had to do another that fit me better and complimented hers. This was a good type of competition. We made three riding saddles this way but didn't need the other. Three more saddles were made but these would be used to carry cargo.

The remains of our pseudo Komodo dragon was thrown out into the river and in moments there was a lot of thrashing in that location as the rest of its kind finished off the tidbits. We had been careful and none of the saddlery had the scent of the lizard.

Our own animals were led down to drink and this time we were the ones that watched out for them. We left the kayak on a large stone that stood a few metres above the bank. It was nestled in but could be removed by anybody that wanted it. The moddas carried the saddles while we carried the packs much further from the river.

We set wards far out from out camp as we had learned long ago. The moddas were inspected already for diseases and parasites and taken care of. We now worked on conditioning them but we did it the most gentle way possible. In a few hours it was full dark and the animals thought we were part of the herd now.

We set up camp and hobbled the animals for the night. As usual predators came our way but the moddas were not bothered because the carnivores were shooed away before they got too close.

The next morning we continued with the saddles and put the buckles on from our limited supply of metal that we had. Tar could be used but metal felt right when working with this old medium of transportation.

Grass was changed into a pad for the animals because we wanted them as comfortable as possible. Sonya was the one that rode each of the horses first. She was not only kind but firm and the animals settled down much better with her weight. It was noon by the time the packs were placed on the animals and we rode them back to the river.

Mine was skittish. I was heavy but not beyond what the large animal could carry. The prairie reminded me of the wagon and the children but I tried to hide it. The animals were watered and the bags we made were filled with clean water. The spare moddas carried this commodity.

We took the sample of soil with Prostana's blood and expressed our need. This is the direction we were going to go. We started out slow but picked up speed as the animals learned how to react. In an hour we stopped and switched animals. This took time but it was better to have them all trained.

By the end of the day even the pack animals had been ridden but not as hard as the others. We passed some grasses that had partial seed heads. Our PK came into play and we harvested a lot of grain. The animals would need it when you considered how much work they were doing.

We ran into a very deep river and there was no way we could get down so we rode south for four days until it was passable. The moddas had to be sedated and put in a boat made of energy to get across the river. On the other side we had to pick them up and place them atop a ten metre cliff.

The prairie had some large predators besides the bomas. They kept us on our toes. Some would wait in hiding for us to pass and then attack. Sookra was a hostile place and the average earth human would usually die before they learned enough to survive.

It was good that we found small deposits of metal to replenish our stock. We found cities now that actually had over two thousand people in them if not more. The floors were still dirt and shit was everywhere but we had to show the flag in a manner of speaking. We never took more than a few days in each place. It was better to live on the open spaces than in a germ infested warren of humans.

We caught word of mages like us that had been through and this gave me heart. They could only be some of our people. Some of the dates were after the explosion at the base. The spells they did were what was expected as opposed to what the three Fassie mages would be like. There was no other news but now this was one more topic to ask questions about.

We provided plough heads and knowledge to these gatherings of people. The former article was very well accepted but the second was not the way this had been done before and thus suspect. We asked about artifacts and usually got them for a plough or other tool. There were never that many.

Maps were sometimes available but they were highly inaccurate. We provided copies of our own so just being able to see what they had. The talk of travellers over the years allowed us to swing around a swamp, another deep cutting river and three large tribes of hostile and irrational people. The mountains we were headed for were unknown but perhaps those closer to them would be able to help.

Slavery was common everywhere we went but something like that had to be cured with a very good dosage of force and education. The coordinates for the cities were recorded because I knew we would have to come back at some time to correct a few of the great many wrongs that were being done.

The eight hundred kilometres on the map were half as much again because of the detours but we finally headed east as much as we could before turning directly south. This was accomplished by now moving up a large river. The modda could help us in the valleys but would be a hindrance on the water. The animals were now the healthiest they had ever been and the modda in this area would welcome them into their herds.

The animals were loyal though and wanted to stay but I knew that when we had gone long enough they would revert to their wild past. We made a cache for our tack to keep it safe. This meant that we had to add one more set of coordinates to our growing number.

Sonya and I made a comfortable boat this time and it even had a deflector for the spray. With the two of us pushing the boat it was easy to make a fair speed against the current without tiring either of us out.

As the days passed the river got much faster and narrower. We had detected very little human habitations which was odd in a way. We soon found that the river had a lot more danger than its speed for the wildlife was very aggressive. Some of wanted to crawl into our boat.

Charlie's relatives lived here in the fresh water as he did in the fresh water bay. We had to use our own shocks to keep them away but we had to use our minds to do this.

The land was no more safe. The animals here tended to be larger and more combative. This was not like we had seen before and it began to dawn on us that they may have been made to be like this as a way of keeping humans away from this region.

There were some majestic obstructions in our way and once we found a path we usually used our PK to carry the boat. Sometimes I had to push Sonya up to a ridge and then she had to pull me up. This was frightening because of the distances involved. All the magic books had said that a person practising magic would have a great deal of problems using PK on themselves. We found nothing to disprove this. I could though pull down on the rock close to Sonya's position to help. The boat and packs came up the same way but we had to watch for some carnivore looking for an easy meal.

We rested a moment at the ridge and admired the view. I said, "This would made a great place for a lodge. People could come with their cameras to photograph animals that would eat any predator originating on earth."

"You may have troubles finding guides or even tourists after a few get eaten."

"All the more reason to train the guides in magic. By the way, we have a cat looking at us and wiggling its body and tail at the moment. I guess he or she is wondering to attack or to ambush us as we walk by."

Sonya said, "I like cats. Even ones that want to eat me. You had a bad luck spell placed on you that stayed in your genes. I can see a similar spell staying in all the animals. Any that don't have it are soon eaten."

The cat got a shock to its delicate nether region and it jumped nearly three metres into the air before leaving more quickly than it ever did before.

The next day the banks grew in height once more. From far over head we glimpsed what could be a colcha or a large boma but it was just too far away to tell.

We found a new species when a large ape dropped a rock toward our boat. Only a surge of power kept us from being killed. There were more here too and we now had to watch the heights. Our random changes in course kept most rocks from coming close. These apes could not eat us if we were floating dead on the river and this was just one more indication that magic was used here to keep strangers away.

At the next portage we had a chance to see these apes. They were taller than me and quite a bit wider. They were all light brown with a thinner coat of hair than apes on earth. They were a lot more intelligent because they ran at us at our most vulnerable time with rocks and a large branch that would be used as a club.

Sonya and I tripped a few and put them in front of the others. With them all incapacitated we proceeded to shock the ones on top until they fled. The last one was quite a bit smaller and this one floated in the air close to us as we examined it. Though frightened out of its wits I could vaguely make out the spell. It was as Sonya said and worked on their very genes. This one was eventually put down far from us and it left even quicker than its compatriots had done.

This portage was four kilometres long and we had to explore to find the best path. We had a chance now to be attacked twice more but by different species. In each case we found the same type of spell on them.

The conflict was not aimed at others though and all the residents made it their duty to go after us even if it meant to have an armistice with some of their enemies. Magic had a way of doing this and it meant that someone had a reason for this plan a long time ago for it to be still in effect.

When the path was found we also found that our transportation was buried under a lot of large rocks. It seemed like the apes wanted to break it up. Our packs were inside and safe and I kissed Sonya for having the foresight to put a roof on our little vessel. I was just as thankful that the apes had not thrown it into the river. It would be long gone by the time we found it missing.

Three hours later we pushed our boat through some mild rapids to find ourselves at the entrance to a beautiful looking lake. Water poured in from at least two smaller rivers and the place looked serene. This was more than enough reason to be even more cautious.

We pushed the boat to shore just before the entrance and looked around. Here again it was very beautiful and well worth the trip for somebody to see what we were seeing but not too many could survive to get here. Sonya started to find the coordinates so I assisted and didn't ask why.

We gave a fresh look a the direction of our need and found it roughly between two rivers. One was rushing into the lake while the other was leaving slowly from another exit. We decided to call it a day and set up camp. The lake was no barrier to our enemies so we climbed a small hill. The boat was anchored firmly this time and we set up a great many wards. The outer fringes just gave a shock without bothering us. It would be the ones that got through this that would be a problem.

There were so many interruptions even before we tried to sleep that we decided to stand watches. It looked like our shocks were not strong enough to discourage many. We got little sleep that night but slept in a few hours in the daylight.

The land around the camp looked like another war zone but there were no bodies. I had killed none of them though I think that some of the allies could not keep the truce for long.

Sonya and I decided to take the calm river if it looked favourable when we got close. We checked both rivers as far as we could tell and the calm one was actually better. The water ahead looked just like the lake with just a bit of chop from the fresh wind. I pulled Sonya too me as we looked far ahead at what must be a falls.

Sonya said, "This is..."

Suddenly we were falling. It took me a few seconds to comprehend this and I reached out to my side of the river and tried to find something for my PK to grasp. Sonya started to swing away from me and I wondered if we were now tipping. I didn't want her to die and I strengthened my PK and felt it hold something. We now swung differently.

Sonya followed my lead and reached out as far as she could and pulled with all her might. Holding on at two points was difficult but I reached out at a lower angle and found another anchor but this I pushed against. Sonya saw the reason soon enough to do what I did. I could vaguely hear her say that she loved me when we hit something very hard.

I retained enough sense to continue with my PK but Sonya had somehow lost her grip. She hurried to reattach her grip.

I said, "We better start climbing now. I think we sailed through a glamour and went over a falls."

Metre by metre we climbed the rock wall though we didn't see it because we were behind the falling water. We crabbed walked and found the going easier but everything looked the same.

I said, "I will hold. Use your eye to see above us."

"I can't see us. It looks like a quiet river."

"Go under the glamour."

In a few seconds she said, "We have to go in my direction."

It took more minutes before the water stopped hitting us and we began to climb. We came to a rock ledge but I didn't trust this now and sank my PK deep into the rock. It was over twenty minutes before we pulled ourselves over the edge and had a chance to finally rest.

Our energy was very low and I drew from a small ring to pull us a bit further from the edge then anchored the boat deep into the underlaying rock. From this side of the glamour I saw that we were on a small island at the very brink of the falls. This was at least fairly safe and put as good a shield around us as I could.

Sonya woke me later. She looked like a drowned rat but she was still beautiful. "We better get a move on. That other river looks a lot better now."

We drained the water from the boat and then fought the current back to the lake we had recently left. Sonya and I were now trying to sniff magic of any kind to see if there was another glamour close by or even if we were in another one and didn't know it.

It made a kind of sense that the animals would provide a low level of security for some place in this mountain chain. At some point a stronger defence would have to be instituted. We had not been prepared but our understanding of magic was not all encompassing. We had found, what we thought, were new tricks. The basics we were learning and most apprentices knew more spells than us. When the family was with us we were strong. Now with just the two of us we were far weaker than any mage we knew of. Detecting a glamour, especially one that was made so well would be a difficult if not impossible job.

Sonya and I investigated the glamour that nearly killed us. At the same time we had to protect ourselves from those animals in the water, sky and the land. We stayed three days in this location until we narrowed down the point the spell had to be projected from. This happened to be a large weather worn rock that looked no different than any other around here.

We made a shield and passed over the rock from three directions until we triangulated the location the spell was coming from. It turned out to be a small fragment of quartz that was common in this area. Studying the spell itself took three more days. We saw how this was made and then how it was hidden. The technique was different than I had seen anyplace else and looked more structured to me.

Sonya and I removed the binding then removed the spell itself. The land changed remarkably but the lake was still as it was. We put the spell back as we found it then put the wrapping back on. This last part had to be done six more times before it was as good as it had been. I guess as junior apprentices we were learning. Staying alive to learn more was an incentive we could not beat.

The larger animals were sometimes more immune to magic than others. It was also true that some were much more sensitive. One of the most was a type of vole. None of the smaller animals were set to attack us yet so we found a species of vole found here and tested it with magic from various distances. The animal tried to avoid those areas. The glamour of the waterfall was easily spotted by the small creature while we could not detect it yet.

Sonya and I went vole hunting but didn't deplete the area. They rode in small cages that hid the environment from them but we could still detect their reaction. The cages were small and we used our PK to hold them before us as we bypassed the rapids on the river leading into the lake. The animals paid for all the effort we put into them by warning us of a drop-off that did not appear to our eyes or other senses.

Our progress was slowed by half but we got a much better look at the country as we looked for more traps. The next day we had squirrels running ahead of us on the path and they apparently could see what was really there and avoid it too. The mage that set this up didn't want a mountain of dead creatures to point to his trap for people.

The voles worked on our boat too and the ones held out in front of us detected hidden rocks and whirlpools when the river changed directions. At one point we knew something was ahead and it turned out to be the apes again with rocks but in a much narrower channel. It looks like magic had tipped off the apes to be ready.

One of the apes in an effort to kill us actually fell in the fast water. They were just animals even if they were fairly intelligent and I picked it up out of the water and put it higher on the rock wall so it could climb to safety.

We let the apes run out of ammunition then hurried through as quickly as possible. The voles warned us again and we had to make a quick right angle turn or we would have hit a rock wall. This scenario had been worked out very well we figured. A mage figuring he was safe from one trap would run into the next before he knew it.

The next portage looked good but it was time to sleep. We progressed to the base of a falls and moored our boat to a rock in the very turbulent water. The boat itself we were able to beach between two rocks. Other than attackers from the sky we would probably have a quiet night.

Sonya said, "Have you worked out how the colcha can just shrug off magic?"

"Not yet. The magic in these mountains is very old but exceptionally good. The people that made these spells could just as easily altered more than just the animals behaviour toward humans."

"What if we put our own glamour on as apes?"

"Now that is an idea, but the apes don't use boats. If we could only alter our minds just a bit we could see what the ape sees and avoid the traps even better."

"That fellow that you rescued today; he could have led us around the traps."

"I didn't think of it for one. For two he is kinda big to be on this boat. We then have to find a way to interface through their brain so we can see out their eyes like the maboma."

"Are we going to capture one then?"

"They are semi-intelligent and I think it would be a lot like kidnapping."

We had a relatively quiet night and set off for the landing. We had to move upstream instead because the voles didn't like the easier place to land. When we gained the ridge we found another beautiful view and just had to record the coordinates. If for nothing else it would make our map making very accurate.

As we started down the other side my foot dislodged some debris from the path. A large leaf was caught in the wind and rose to six metres before being whipped to one side by the strong winds.

"Sonya, if we had a sailplane we could fly over the traps. Our PK can work like it does on the boat. We would just have to be very high since the wind in the mountains is very unpredictable and dangerous."

"I don't think any of the old mages would have thought we would come from that direction."

"That was what I was thinking."

"A sailplane has to be big to carry you and it has to be strong. What can we use?"

There was a lot of aluminum in the rock and I knew that one alloy used lithium to make the metal strong and very light. We would also be here half a year making it. The tar principle worked on everything so far. It got very strong though it kept its original weight and dimensions.

Sheet metal, like the aluminum would be light and extremely strong after conversion but we could make something much easier then make it strong enough to support us.

The leaf gave me an idea. We paused to gather a few dead leaves and tried to make a continuous sheet of thin tar. An individual leaf was strong but it had very little cohesion to the others.

We had been making maps as we travelled and to do this we took wood, leaves or just about anything organic and converted it to paper. We gathered a large pile of organic material and made a large sheet of thin paper. It was a bit damp and after it dried out we converted it to tar.

The dimensions stayed the same but now I could not rip the sheet though I probably could if it were the enhanced aluminum alloy. We had to convert the tar back to paper then form the paper into a papier—mâché model of a sailplane I had seen. This was converted to tar and thrown into the air. When we guided it with our PK, it flew almost out of sight. We called the model back and it flew directly to us then stopped. The unpredictable winds made this difficult to do accurately.

Sonya said as she converted it back to a good sheet of usable paper, "We need a lot of this and testing this in the mountains is not safe."

"We have this spot calculated, let's go to the prairies where all that grass is. We make our models until we get up to full scale. I like your idea about big but we can balance that against how heavy it will be. I just want to stay away from people as we experiment."

Sonya agreed. We finished up all our mapmaking we had to do then on a rock we sealed up our trusty boat and mounted it directly to the rock. Some traveller one day would wonder how it ever got there. Inside though they would see two hearts embossed into the material with each of us saying we loved the other.



-------

Chapter 25


The voles were released and we gathered all of our belongings between us. I held two of the crystals in my hands and concentrated on a good location. This one happened to be right on top of a very high cliff.

We felt disoriented. The sun was now directly overhead again but we were relatively safe for the first time in many weeks. We checked to make sure then looked at our location.

"You want us to fall off of this cliff and go all the way down there?"

This area was larger than the Grand Canyon in depth and breadth but was not as majestic for its full length. There was a lot of wind that rose out of the canyon and a sailplane could use this to gain a lot of altitude. The depth of this valley was enough that we would gain quite a bit of air speed and the width was great enough that we could do something with that speed once we got it.

I showed Sonya what I thought of much more clearly with my mind than my words.

"I read about sailplanes too. They work only in the daytime when the sun heats the ground. I don't know how high the vertical winds get to but we need a lot of margin to work above the mountains. I think we should see about pushing air with our PK first. When I do this it is tiring. We are going to need a lot of altitude and I doubt if we can push or pull against anything solid when we get that high."

"So, you're saying we need a motor?"

"Yes I do. Maybe even two. It will have to be more like a plane but we can build it light enough that it can use the thermals too. Have you ever thought of turning a shaft with a propeller on it?"

I took a dried stalk of grass and turned it with my mind going slow was easy but when I tried to do it fast it became uncontrollable.

"I don't think I can do this fast enough or long enough. We rebuilt the engines in the 'Lady' and didn't know everything we know now. We could probably build a lightweight diesel engine to do the pushing. I don't think it has to be very big if we have the size of wing a sailplane uses. If we use thin materials we can change them to tar. We would have no problem with heat or weight."

Sonya said, "There were all those other things that pumped the fuel into the cylinder at the right time. We had an existing design with a crankshaft and camshaft. We are going to have to make this from scratch. Then we have to make the plane from scratch and we will be here for years. There are jet engines, and some are very simple. One just has a flap in front of it."

"That kind is a lot simpler but it is very loud. I remember seeing one in a 'Popular Mechanic's' magazine once that powered a go-cart. We can make that even easier if we make propane, for that is what it used in the magazine article."

"Could we do the same thing with an electric motor. The power we make could be converted but I don't know if anybody has used it directly other than in an attack. Remember how it wrecked the house wiring in Toronto?"

"Yes, I do. It was a small group of crystals too. I have never heard of any research done on this either. An electric motor is much simpler though there are a lot of minor tweaks that are done to it to get improved performance and efficiency. A device using our power may be similar."

Sonya and I made a home and workshop first. We hollowed an area out in the cliff ten metres down from the brink. We made the area a hundred metres wide and deep with a headroom of only three metres. Posts had to go in until we converted everything around us to tar. The opening was partially closed with thin material to keep out the wind. We needed the room for a sailplane that we needed may have to have a very long wingspan.

Usually we worked together and this was no time to not do so. Sonya had a lot of good ideas and most of them were quite practical. At this point we could start with a clean slate. We knew of no information on how to use the power stored in the crystals.

When we really thought about it we used our minds to tap the crystal and this must mean that it used the forth or fifth dimension. It was logical then that our mind took this energy and channelled it the way we wanted. We wanted now to start the release of the power but to direct it other places to see how it effected matter.

The crystals we used were the smallest possible. The energy was still enough to give us problems if it rushed out uncontrollably. I held a crystal the size of a grain of rice but this was still too big. A smaller crystal required a way to support it. We simply bonded a crystal the size of a grain of sand to a large rock.

When I tried to release the energy the crystal disintegrated and I fell to the ground with a massive headache. Sonya was a safe distance away and came rushing to me. She healed me with her spells and then said, "What happened?"

"I don't know. It happened too fast to monitor. It just blew up."

We investigated the rock and found a large pit in it where the crystal was. "I see it effects matter."

"Maybe it is how you released the energy. I was monitoring you but it was too fast to see just what you did. I want to do the next."

"I was going to do that."

"We are partners or I am your slave. Which is it?"

"At times like this I like the second choice. You are just too precious to me."

"And what do you think when I see you experimenting?"

We made an even smaller crystal and mounted it to the rock but this time I used a time spell on some of the air so that nothing would hit Sonya. She looked a bit exasperated at me but kept her thoughts hidden. There was another blast but I felt most of it through our link. Sonya was still standing though she was leaning on the time frozen air for support. I had a healing spell ready when I got there and she now smiled at me gamely.

"It started the way I wanted but the energy rushed out so fast that the control I had on it was not enough."

We destroyed all of the smallest crystals and at noon we entered our subterranean home with a great view of the valley. I asked, "You want to make some whoopee?"

Sonya smiled and agreed. We made the crystals in a variety of shapes and in some we built a strong shell around the crystal to direct the discharge. In all the cases the shell was many times more massive than the crystals themselves. We experimented with tar encased crystals but these were difficult to make. We charged up all the new crystals and then did the same for the ones we usually used.

After I had nice meal of Sonya we had regular food and returned to our testing. We had some different results with the bare shapes and different again with those clad with regular and tar materials.

Over the next three days we found that Sonya had a better grasp of this than I did so I started working with materials for our powered sailplane. Glue was an important item. I rightly thought that the stronger the item was originally the stronger it would be after the conversion. The strongest thing I knew of was carbon fibre but this was a difficult commodity to make. A clear canopy would be great if we could shade ourselves from the sun if we wanted but I couldn't make anything that was clear.

I made models with a two metre wingspan and launched them from our home. Most plunged while making some very convoluted manoeuvres. Usually I just had to move the wings forward or back just a bit to make them more stable. To make the process go faster I just formed the shield I wanted over something roughly the right shape and put the thinnest paper possible on it. The wings were made separately then attached as was the tail assembly.

My glue was not bad but it was not good either. The parts were assembled and after being forced to dry were converted to tar. The weight of the ship was close to that of a balloon. Rocks were glued into the cockpit to represent our bodies and the plane was thrown out our large open window.

Sonya continued her research but looked on at what I was doing with a lot of interest.

I was up to models with a four metre wingspan when Sonya said, "I found out something about the crystals. The first is that we may not need an motor and propeller."

"Are you going to turn the shaft directly?"

"Something better. The crystals that were made like a teardrop work the best. I tap the energy at the tip. If it is inside a tightfitting tar container it will not rapidly disintegrate. It pushes the air at that point with a lot of force. We can have a rocket engine. The major problems is that the crystal heats up and breaks down from the inside. If I can get some cooling then this should go away. I have to start each of the crystals working individually."

She had her mind open and I looked at her research. It was a lot easier to learn this way and I pointed out, "Do you think you can you turn off the flow? The crystals may naturally cool this way. We can also make a metal device to help radiate the heat."

"I have thought of that too. While you were making carbon fibre, I was trying to make metallic hydrogen. As long as it is in the tar it will stay as a metal but it cannot radiate there. I used aluminum fins then but they had to be in a tar cage to hold the pressure. There is still a cooling problem."

We both went back to engine development and we made all of the designs that were in Sonya's mind and a few more that occurred to me. Sonya was happy with the results but I didn't pry into what they were.

I made a full scale model on the prairie. With my PK I gave it a good push to get going and it tipped over and crashed. Sonya had been watching but didn't let the smile reach her thoughts. She helped me move the wings forward and then turn the area back into tar.

It was two days later that I actually flew across the land at a height of a metre. I only went up to three metres as a safety precaution. It was nine days later that I had a similar sized plane but now I had the control surfaces that I would need to fly the plane. What I had before was the equivalent of a large paper aeroplane with everything fixed.

Sonya presented me with two tubes about ten centimetres in diameter and just under a metre in length. "These have a lot of thrust. I learned to turn the crystals on and off for cooling and the amount of power we want to use. When you are ready we can mount these on your plane."

I looked at her smiling face then into her mind and I saw how much thrust they really had. "Those would rip the wings off any plane we could build if we didn't have tar."

"We can use just a little of the power at a time but I don't know about charging them in flight."

"That may be fun but dangerous I think."

"We are living on the edge anyway."

I refused to have Sonya in the plane for the first powered flight and had a bag of rocks instead. It was good that I did. The acceleration was so much that the plane rose almost vertically and did a roll to crash into the ground. It was Sonya that caught the plane and kept me from being hurt.

After working out what went wrong we altered the design again. The design worked and Sonya demanded her place by me. I didn't want this but had no way of changing her mind.

We climbed to a hundred metres with a minimal thrust but when we increased it ten percent the plane became unstable. When we eased back she said, "This is a lot nicer than riding a modda. How fast are we going?"

"I'll find out soon." I swung around a marker that was ten kilometres from our home and headed back while using my internal clock. I was thinking of the time as we went over the edge to the large gorge. An updraft caught us and we almost flipped though we gained a lot of altitude.

I banked and tried to return to the prairie but the plane didn't react as I thought it should. I had never flown before and had to learn all this as I went. Sonya thought she would help and allowed one rocket to push just a bit more.

The plane now went out of control and spiralled towards the river so very far below. Sonya was frantic and so was I but I couldn't get the plane to straighten out even if it was in a dive. We were spiralling so fast that it was difficult to push against the cliff to slow our rotation.

The rotation slowed but our descent didn't. I forcibly grabbed Sonya's mind and tried to calm her as I used our combined push to get us away from the cliff and to widen our circle of rotation. There was no way I could stop the plane from rotating on its axis.

I tried thrusting with the engines to see if it would pull us out of our spin but it only brought our nose up. We were still falling with no airspeed. I used my eye and knew that the rocks were getting close very quickly. I pushed with both of our abilities so we would go over the river. With something to push on, I got the plane to stop the spin. I cut in the engines just before we hit the water. The shock of the landing was hard, even on us but then we were pushed back in our seats by the thrust. We gained altitude slowly but the bank was close.

Sonya used her PK to pick us up but that put another shock to us and the airframe. We gained enough height to miss the bank then we had to turn quickly as we were now aimed at the cliff. I banked once again but used my PK to make sure it went as I wanted it to be.

Sonya was shaking and I said, "I love you."

"I almost killed us."

"You were trying to help. This plane is experimental. We are learning as we go. We came out of this with our skin still whole. Now let's go home and see what we can do to make the plane more stable."

I stayed far from the cliff face and soon caught a thermal to assist us in climbing. I banked away from the valley only after gaining a lot more altitude and then flew low to the prairie and home.

I had to help Sonya into our home and we curled up on the bed. It was hours later that she was over the most of her fright and we made tender love.

It was five weeks later that we had a safe enough plane. The wingspan was sixty eight metres. And we could carry perhaps six more people if they stayed in place or a lot of cargo. We found that size equated with stability and size gave us room for a bed and lots of room for equipment.

Two more engines were added but these were to keep us flying longer without recharging the original set. We had not found any transparent tar so we made a large glass canopy that was specially treated to make it strong and hard.

The cabin could be airtight so we made a cylinder of air if we needed it. The day before the departure date we tried to find out our maximum ceiling. We took it easy as we circled for altitude. We were well above the clouds now and using only the engines.

Sonya said verbally, "I flew three times in my life, but I don't think I was ever as high as we are now. With a few more motors we may even get into orbit. I am not sure if the engines can give thrust then or not."

"We can try it later my pretty little engineer.

We landed and the ship was placed in our hangar. It looked small compared to the size of the opening. It was a simple arrangement but we loved this place. It was cool and had some very good ventilation if we chose to use it. For an aviation school it would be great.

That night we charged up all the crystals in the nicest possible way. We were going back into a dangerous environment and knew that we had to keep our guard up a lot more in the future. We held each other close as usual during our sleep and felt much more comfortable for doing so. I was sure our minds and dreams somehow were linked on a much deeper level.

The next morning, we showed more joviality than we felt. We tidied up the hangar of anything that could blow away after having a good breakfast. We got into the cockpit and Sonya kissed me tenderly with her mind tightly shut. She was worried.

The seats were strong because we accelerated the three hundred metres to the opening at one earth gravity. In less than eight seconds we were out the opening and into the thermal that came up this early in the morning. We circled within the thermal and climbed very quickly.

Sonya was in charge of the thrust and monitored it very carefully. She shut off crystals that had been on for a while others were turned on. It was a joy to fly this plane and I estimated that we were forty thousand metres which was higher than any planes that flew even the high altitude planes could not reach this high. It looked like we were going slow but the little motors pushed us at what I thought was three and a half times the speed of sound. At this speed the mountains we wanted came up very quickly.

We both focussed our need and tried to get a mathematical bearing. We turned very slowly at this speed and from a position more north and east we took another bearing.

With the motors now off we started to glide. We had no radar but I suspected that our glide ratio was at least seventy to one. With enough time and effort I knew we could get an even better figures.

We shot past the area we wanted at thirty thousand metres and had to drop much further so the thicker air could slow us down. We had no spoilers to arrest our speed but we could form insubstantial hands that cupped the air to slow us down.

Far ahead I saw a single colcha flying about twenty degrees off our course and looked as small as it appeared when we were on the ground. We were by him in seconds and I doubt if he even knew we were here. We used our speed to do a turn and lost more altitude in doing so. We were headed back the way we had just come but this time I think the colcha saw us.

We shot past the location one more time before making one more turn at only twenty thousand feet. The mountain we wanted was only seventy kilometres away now but we had a fast approaching colcha coming right at us. I brought my mental hands in and engaged the engines and climbed over the colcha. He could not move as we could but we got back on course for the mountain once more.

"Adam, I think that we better put a time spell on the ship. I was trying to say hello to that colcha at his frequency and I think he is very angry at us."

"We can fly a lot faster than him but he has a lot of weight and a lot of power in that jaw and claws of his. I think we better have a way of anchoring the plane to the mountain too."

We came to a high mountain valley with a lot of large caves. There was some level spots but they were all covered by some trees. I didn't know his this kind could grow at this altitude.

On a large boulder I brought the nose up to stall and we put out our PK to hold us. We slowly settled to the rock but there was very little room to even get out of the plane. Sonya got out first and cast a spell to keep us in position while I got our packs. Sonya caught them when they were thrown and I jumped out too. I reached back and closed the canopy then used the time spell to freeze the craft so nothing could disturb it.

Sonya and I got safely to the ground when a shadow came over us and in seconds we saw that colcha bank and come again. We moved only a few metres from the rock when the animal came to a rest not twenty metres from us. We could feel the thump to the ground and were buffeted by the wind from his wings.

I said, "Hello, we came to visit a friend."

The colcha tried to strike at us with its beak but we were prepared and moved. Sonya said, "That is a poor way to greet a visitor."

He seemed to suspect that Sonya was talking at him and he made a quick snap at her. I had no weapon that I wanted to use so I took a hefty limb and sheared it then cut off the smaller branches. He had tried for me now and Sonya had to distract him. When he took another snap at Sonya I rushed in and swung the ten centimetre thick club at the colcha's leg. It screeched and hopped out of the way.

"If you leave us alone we can talk. I have no interest in hurting you or anybody else."

Without knowing the thoughts of the colcha, I knew somehow that it was still very angry and not about to listen to reason. It took another try at Sonya and when I came in to bruise its leg more its tail came in to catch me instead. I had time to put up my shield and I was thrown quite a distance away.

When I got up in a few seconds I saw Sonya in close throwing rocks and dirt at the colcha to distract it. As I ran to the creature it used its beak and tail again but this time it used one of the two lower pair and was able to grab Sonya.

Sonya quickly said, "My shield is up. I am not in pain."

I knew this was not quite true but I raced forward with my PK, I was able to climb on the willy snake himself. My PK went out and I tried my best to squeeze the snakes neck. It twisted its head left and right very quickly trying to throw me off but I held on for not only my sake but for Sonya's.

The wings came up next trying to strike me and they did but my shield was ready to protect me. Sonya was using her PK to hold one of the wings a bit so the colcha would not take it into its mind to take to the air with us.

Our gyrations brought us close to the bolder supporting our plane. Seeing a chance I used one portion of my PK to hold the colcha's upper neck while I tried to draw the bolder closer. The colcha's head struck the bolder three times before it released Sonya. I did it once more and we both slid to the ground in a heap.

Sonya ran to me and helped me up. I said, "Let's try a quieting spell even if they are resistant." We did this again and again, hoping that a bit each time would take.

Sonya and I then tried to probe the mind of the colcha. Its thinking was now where we were comfortable at but we persevered. I caught the dream of the colcha ripping apart the bodies of two attacking humans but the dream then ended and we tried to delve into his memories. This was not easy when we knew so little about the species. All we could see was hate and the colcha rending human bodies.

Sonya ran for our packs and brought out a long rope. I tied it around the head and beak of the colcha then gaged the length and tied it to one of the four hind legs. The colcha was starting to come around and I waited until it straightened out and I finished the spell that turned the rope to tar.

The colcha saw us and immediately tried to renew the fight but fell when it brought its head up. Sonya and I just waited for the colcha to admit defeat but it thrashed for hours. We opened our packs and ate some food while the colcha got even angrier at our supposed insolence and tried to roll over on us.

It finally slumped to the ground, breathing hard and glared at us. I said, "Are you ready to listen or do you want to stay here a few days? It's your choice."

He tried to strike at us again but couldn't quite reach us. "Make up your mind soon. We are going to meet a friend and we may not get back right away. I hear that the colcha make a great store on honour. I will try to be just as honourable. If the rest of your clan see you like this you will be ridiculed for a long time. Especially if it was only two puny humans that did it to you."

We finally got, "How... how can you talk to me like this?"

"I think all of your kind can talk like this. You just have to take the time to learn. Now will you assist us in meeting our friend and promise never to try to work against us, unless we are hurting you or your kind."

"You cannot do this to me."

"We have done it to you. The mark of an intelligent being is seeing what is truly happening not what they want."

"I won't kill you."

"But you could hurt me or kill my mate. You may try to stop me from leaving.

It was a lot longer that the colcha said, "I will assist you to the best of my abilities while you are here in these mountains. I will not fight you in any way unless you are a threat to my kind."

"Good but the last part has to be that I have to be actively trying to hurt your kind. Just because the secret of your home here now known to two humans."

"I will not fight you unless it is under those conditions."

"I require something more."

"What!"

"My name is Adam and my mate is Sonya. What is your name?"

It took a few minutes then we heard, "Grossnia."

Sonya said, "Hello Grossnia. Will you try to stay still now? We need to cast a spell on the rope then we have to untie you."

She cast the spell and when Grossnia knew that it was only rope he snapped the length once then in a few seconds he did it again. I was ready for an attack but it never came.

"This is a foolish way of talking. Who is it that you want to see?"

"Prostana."

"I should have known. He brings only trouble."

Sonya said, "Why is that?"

Grossnia looked at her for a few seconds and decided to answer. "He is old and should be dead. He is now acting like a youngling and mating with the old females that cannot have young any more."

I said, "Grossnia, you are only as young as you think you are. If you act old you will be old. Prostana is hurting nobody but possibly making a few of your females happy in their last few years."

"It is obscene."

"Well we disagree with you. I do admit though that what is good for humans is not necessarily good for the colcha. That does not mean that everything is bad."

We had to walk about seven kilometres to one of the caves. As we got close we saw that some of the colcha were sunning themselves on the flat sections of rock and out of the wind. The colour on their back made them hard to spot.

They didn't get up until a vagrant gust of wind brought our scent to one of the nearby noses. There was a lot of mental screaming and some excited words in the colcha language.

There was a lot of words going back and forth and we let Grossnia be our spokesman. He didn't like this but had to do it because of his word. They would not allow us into the caves but one of the colcha went in to fetch Prostana.

The deep guttural speech ended as Prostana came out of one of the caves and eyed us. "Hello friend Adam and friend Sonya. How are you?"

"We are very fine friend Prostana. We flew to see if you were fully recovered and I see that you look very good. We made a new friend. Grossnia has agreed to assist us to meet you and has done a very good job." I could hear some gasps now. I didn't think Prostana let his new abilities be readily known. The gasp told me that others could hear too.

He replied, "How did you fly here? I do not see any wings on you. I am happy though that you have made another friend. I am a bit surprised that Grossnia has been so gracious but he comes from a good family."

"I think he must too, as do you. I can show you how we flew here if you wish. We know that the colcha are very good flyers. They climb into the air and search for the air that is rushing upward. With their wings spread they let the wind carry them upward as a fish is carried by the water it swims in. We have simply made a thin but strong shell with very large wings. We climb inside and with some push, we too can gain the air. We hunt for the air that you use and climb very high."

"That is amazing. I have never heard of this before."

"Please let us show you." Sonya and I collected some dry wood that had been used for bedding and turned it into very thin paper. We had done this many times and we cut the sheets and formed them around the shape of a shield. We used paper tape from my pack until we had a good looking sailplane. We had to hold it very daintily in many places but it was not the right shape. We said the spell that converted the paper into tar and let go. Instead of falling it dropped only a bit then flew forward to land close to Grossnia's feet.

I picked up the model and Sonya went close to Prostana. I took the plane and threw it to her but it was not perfect and veered off to the left. It did fly perhaps twenty metres, but that was enough to prove our point.

Sonya handed the plane to Prostana and he reached for it in his massive upper claws and inspected it in a lot of detail. When he was done he handed it back and said, "That was amazing. You used magic to make it but I do not think magic was used to make it fly."

Sonya said, "That is true friend Prostana. We used wood to make a thin sheet of paper. I do not know if you have books but that is what they are usually made from. When the pieces were in the right shape we froze them in place to make them strong and rigid. We made our boat for the air much the same but we used magic to push it when it is needed."

"I would like to see that but I am not being a good host. Would you like something to drink and perhaps something to eat?"

I said, "I would love some water friend Prostana."

We found that the water was inside the caves, but now those outside didn't restrict us from entering. The cave looked natural but it was still very high. When we turned a corner though it began to change in small ways until the floor was perfectly smooth with only a slight slant towards the middle. The walls were murals showing colcha in flight, hunting or fighting but always moving.

We went slow and Prostana let us have the time to admire his new home.

Sonya said, "This is all very beautiful. I would be very happy to live with something even coming close to this."

I felt something wrong here but it was not a threat. "This looks like a part of the history of your race. Is there more? Where I come from, people will pay to just see this with their own eyes."

"There is much more but please, your water is this way."

Sonya and I drank from a falls feeding an underground lake. The water was cold and tasted very pure. Prostana took us to where he lived and on the way he had a few words with others of his kind as we walked by.

Prostana had a small room but small was a relative word. The floor was simple but just as perfect as the floor outside this room. The walls were glossy as if they had been made yesterday but had no art on them.

Prostana reclined on a thick cushion of heavy branches that looked very uncomfortable to me but must feel good to him. We sat on the floor close to him.

"Tell me why you have really come here friend Adam. You may have come to see if I was safe but I have learned that there is more now."

I said, "There is lots to tell if you have the time. First I want to tell you about humans, whether they know of magic or not. Some a lazy and would like for others to do all the work. Some want to trick others to do any work that needs to be done instead of doing it themselves. Nearly all humans are only interested in themselves. I am not perfect either. I have my own wants and needs. I have the love of my mate and I return it as much as I can. I have children and treat them like the treasure they are.

"I am from the far future and not of even this world. I once came to the aid of an old man that was going to be killed. I fought for him and thought I gave my life so he would be safe. The old man did win and rewarded me with a new life as a young man. I too was getting old.

"The old man was a mage. He was a good mage but not one that thought a lot of the less privileged of our race. I soon found that some mages will do anything to gain power even if it means murdering babies. I set myself up as their champion. I found them where I could and gave them a good home with a lot of love.

"Some of those that had these people fought me and I was lucky. I had the assistance of those that loved me so that I could win my battles. One day I was on a large boat and a mage or mages caused a storm that would kill not only me but a great many people on the ship and a lot more on the land. I could not fight. The mage was very powerful but I did think of a way to escape. I not only brought the ship but many of my new family to this world but to the past. We travelled in time.

"In the future you will learn that your world is doomed to die because your star will send out some flame that will destroy all life. Four of the most powerful of the evil mages came back to this time too. After tending to your wounds we let ourselves be captured by one of these men. He killed a boy and I could not stop him but when he tried to sacrifice a baby, Sonya and I were able to kill him.

"We escaped with all of this man's slaves but his home was destroyed. You may have heard the sound or felt this world move."

Prostana said, "I felt this and knew that it was not the natural way this world moves. So you have three more enemies?"

"It is far worse than that. I tried to find the ship I came in and it is gone. My family was on it. The boy that talked to you has disappeared. Some of us were far from the ship and are still alive but my family is gone."

Prostana said, "I will help you look friend Adam. An adult needs a family as much as a child does."

"Thank you friend Prostana. We found some strong magic on this world that is very old. There is a room that can only be made for your kind. It may give me more information about magic so I can use it to find my family. I need you to come with me to this room and we can investigate it together."

Prostana indicated that he would do this right away but right away to a colcha was a lot different to us. He introduced us to the rest of his lady friends and they each heard the story as I told it. They had not known much of Prostana's recent history but now looked on him as a hero which the old snake liked.

Grossnia was not around. I wanted to try to put some healing spells on him if he would let us. From inferences we took from Prostana's words, Grossnia was a very conservative person that wanted the status quo to remain. The other colcha were evenly divided about Prostana giving us aid. It was not laziness but the fear that their world here in the mountains would change.

This settlement was actually the equivalent of a senior citizens complex for those that could still function. The ones that got sick or were too weak just died. Usually they had the decency to do this in an area similar to what the elephants were supposed to have in Africa.

We had to show our sailplane and then how it worked. We took off at three gravities so that we would not hit the ground. In ten seconds we were a kilometre and a half above the planet and we then cut back. We had taken the time to warn the colcha of what would happen but they didn't believe us until they saw it with their own eyes.

Prostana beat his wings very hard to come to us and I knew he was working hard. He was still an old being.

"You caused quite a stir when you took to the air. Some still expected your wings to flap."

"Living beings are very complicated and they can do that but a simple device like this has to rely of brute force. This shell is sleek but it is still something not finished. Your people have worked a long time to learn to fly and I see your body much more efficient and beautiful than this device."

"My body is old but thanks to your people it works very well considering all the years."

We flew slowly especially after finding a thermal. It was fun to fly with Prostana but I had the feeling that this was only done on a mating flight.

We landed hours later but now very close to the mouths of the caves. Our PK got us to stop and lower the ship just where we wanted it. The wings were a problem and I thought of the navy planes with folded wings as a detail to possibly change.

Prostana took us to see one of the old females and when Prostana politely left we talked alone to Hosmic for a few minutes before we started to chant a few health spells. It was only after the first one started to take effect did the old girl lower her shield against magic completely. The second worked much better and she thanked us for our help and wanted to come on our quest.

I was not opposed but she was still old and not fully healed. We had spent a lot more effort on Prostana when he was hurt and now he was like a he was in the prime of his life. We went around to the other old folks and talked about humans. They liked to listen and learn and to voice their own opinion too. We had some good natured arguments but it served to make everybody feel better after.

We met others like Grossnia that were not sympathetic to us but we tried to win them over. Sonya worked better at this. She saw them posturing much like a male human and knew what to do about it. We stayed in Prostana's room and charged the engines on out plane. We used magic here and there to do some minor repairs to the building because it was very old. Our immediate departure turned out to be a six night stay but it was good that humans were seen in a favourable light while the colcha were warned about some of the mages they might run across.

Sonya and I had not tried art for art sake but we tried to show our creative side by carving stone or making a mosaic. We left a large pictures in multi coloured stones in the bedroom showing Prostana and our sailplane circling to gain altitude. One other showed us sitting close to Hosmic when we were talking.

Hosmic turned all sentimental on us and thanked us for immortalising her. She said how people for thousands of years would now know of her. We used a bit more of our power on her. Usually Prostana was out all night and I was sure he was going to meet his match when the old widow got hold of him.

Hosmic and two of the other old females Beena and Pondy began to speak with their minds to us and then were surprised when they could do so with each other. This would really upset the conservatives I thought. We had done our best to heal everybody but these three got the majority of our help. Part of the reason was that they were now friends but another part was to show the community just what we could do to help them.

The whole community met to see us off and I got to meet Grossnia again. I said to him alone, "I am sorry we met under such bad conditions. I would like for you to be a friend if that is possible."

He simply said, "I will abide by our agreement."

"I always knew that you would.

He was not ready to accept us but events could change in time.

When the sun started to heat the land, we took to the air to find some good thermals. As we worked we continued to talk to those few on the ground that chose to learn this new way of communicating. When we were out of range we looked for thermals too but Prostana had many more years of experience. Instead of going to the base we had found, we tried to find the base that was about two hundred kilometres from here. It represented one of the gems on the globe and may yield something new.

Prostana had hunted the day before and would not need to eat for nine days. He had very good eyesight for finding his prey and he used it to search the mountains for anything that looked out of place. When nothing was discovered, we thought of the jewel on the globe and formed a need. We got a vague feeling but it was not specific enough to give a direction.

We searched for anything resembling the base we had found before. It was near dusk when the last rays of the sun illuminated the lintel over an opening that caught Prostana's eye.

We landed on a high rock a half of a kilometre from the opening. Some of the trees were so high that they were hiding the entrance. It was doubtful if we would have found it as easy. We came in a slow as we could and then stalled. As we fell ten metres, our PK went out and lowered us gently to the ground.

Prostana came close with his waddle. His long tail made walking not nearly as gracious as he was in the air. "How am I going to get inside friend Adam?"

We had talked as we landed and I said, "There is a possibility that there is an entrance for you. If you want, you can check but Sonya and I will be going to the main entrance for people our size. I think there will be a lot of work to do."

Prostana gave some thought then pushed off through the trees. He did this just like I would. He picked a direction and then chose the easiest Patricia to get there. The smaller trees could not stand up and in most cases they just snapped unlike when they were small.

We found our route to be much easier apart from the brambles we encountered on the way.

The opening was similar to the other we had found even to the glyphs. The inside was a different matter. Sonya said, "It looks like an earthquake or two."

"That is what I thought too. It could be camouflage but I do not think so. The roof has partially caved in."

We decided to work safely and turned the remaining roof to tar. Major sections of rock were pulled out but only so far. We would have to put them back later.

It must have been hours later that Prostana found his way back to us. We had made a large pile of smaller rock outside the entrance. By the time it got dark, Prostana was taking the rock that we passed him and placing it nearby. We made a camp but Prostana had to be content to be nearby because he would not fit into the adit.

That night we were visited by a portion of the same type of creatures that plagued us on our previous trip through the mountains. They circled us but did not come closer because of the presence of the colcha.

Sonya and I were tired from our lovemaking but I kept watch until Prostana said, "The creatures will not come near friend Adam. I sleep lightly and I will place myself closer to the opening." I gave my thanks but stayed awake for a bit longer. Prostana had moved with a lot of noise and his body nearly filled the opening. I heard a few grunts as he moved around to get comfortable and then it was quiet.

Four days later, we had made it to the large chamber but here we were disappointed. The roof had partially collapsed and some of the rock had crushed the globe. It did not look like this base would work even if we got Prostana inside. I knew the colcha was interested so I tried to project what I could see to him but this did not work. I could not even read his thoughts but only those he chose to send me.

Sonya and I tidied up somewhat and then tried to turn the remainder of the roof to tar but it was far overhead. The process worked much better when we were near to the rock. We closed up the tunnel to keep others out and this took another day. Prostana looked to be disappointed but then again so were we.



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Chapter 26


During this time, Prostana had not had a chance to get hungry. Some of the larger predators had to try to get at us. Prostana was quick and I was afraid he was going to get fat.

We flew to the next closest site and began all over again. This time there were no animals around with magical compulsions to kill us.

Sonya and I did some calculating and flew with Prostana to the nearest site. This one though was easy to find. There was a giant bowl in the crust of the planet. It must have been ten kilometres across and very deep. It would have held a good sized lake but the wall on one side had ruptured and now a river flowed out.

Prostana said, "What has happened here?"

Sonya said, "Moldonia's base must have looked similar to this but it was much smaller. This... hole must have been at least a hundred times larger and when it was destroyed, the hole was gigantic. What we see has been worn down and filled over the centuries. I feel that there was a lot of life lost when this happened."

Prostana said, "The power to do this is something I cannot imagine. I can see now why there had been no sign of the old mages from that time."

"There is a very large island that we think has a spell on it to keep it hidden. Adam and I think that there may be mages there. We were going to go there to see if they would help us find our family if we cannot do so by ourselves."

We circled a while then after a short discussion we headed to the next on our list. Two more bases that were in mountain chains had been destroyed but none had caused the size of explosion that the first had been.

One morning we shifted course to get away from the mountains. The nearest base was in much better shape. It was out of the mountains and in a large savanna with one large upthrust of rock. What was odd about this was that there was the remains of a large walled city nearby. Though the base was our goal we decided to see the city first. I could sense magic about this area but its flavour was different than what I was used to. Whatever it was it was old.

We flew over it many times while looking down. The buildings were not high and those we saw poking out of the soil looked in perfect condition. The soil must have been windblown for quite a few centuries to get the way it was now.

Sonya said, "Do you know what this city reminds me of?"

"What is that, Honey?"

"Some of the cities we made. They are laid out in a park like setting. The streets are straight except in some areas that are obviously made for living. There even looks like the remnants of a river that once ran through the city. I see bridges, large culverts, what looks like a weir. Over there I see a stadium and what has to be a park."

"I think you're right. The only other cities we saw were more like slums. Mages had to have had a hand in building this city. They then had to keep it from getting overrun with humans."

Sonya said, "Do you want to land?"

I thought for a minute and said, "Yes, but outside the walls. There has to be a reason there is no people living in the city or near." We talked to Prostana and then we all landed near one set of massive gates.

Prostana could stand and see over the walls. He stood by our plane and said, "This is a beautiful place. Why are there no people here?"

I said, "I'd like to find that out too, Prostana."

We all stepped back a few hundred metres and both Sonya and I dug out some of our charged crystals. We were trying to come to an understanding of the spell if their was one. We must have been at it for ten minutes but we had found nothing. We were about to give up when Prostana came close. We suddenly found something that we had not detected before. Prostana must have sensed something too because he stopped then backed up. The tickle we had found disappeared even if we knew what to look for now.

"Prostana, will you go back to where you were a moment ago. We were getting something."

"I will friend Adam, with pleasure."

When Prostana came close again we found the source of magic. I beckoned Prostana closer and we found that the closer the colcha came the easier it was to perceive the many sources of magic surrounding the city.

"What did you find friend Adam?"

"We were able to detect the magic in the city only when you were near. The closer you came, the more sources we could find."

"I do not know magic, friend Adam. I know of no colcha that are. That is something for your kind of people."

"You may not know magic but you make it work much easier when you are near."

"That may not be so. When we met, you used a great deal of magic to heal me."

"My friend, you did not know us well then. When we started, you had to let us help. I would trust you now with my life and I think the trust is returned. Perhaps that was the ingredient we had to have to make this work."

"Trust?"

"Perhaps trust and friendship."

Prostana turned to look at the city for a while then turned back. "You may be right. I would like to try more if that is permissible?"

"I would love to try that too."

Sonya added, "I would like to try too. Adam and I are much stronger as a pair and I feel that we will be even stronger when the three of us are near to each other."

We moved much near to the walls now and we were very near a magic source near the top. Sonya and I concentrated on this point. There was a very subtle weave to this spell. I talked to Prostana about what I saw and tried again to find a way to link to him. It did not work.

"Friend Prostana, there is a spell here but it is very convoluted. I would like to communicate with you on a deeper level. I usually am able to send my visions to others and they can work on the spells with me. Sonya is very good at this. If you would allow me to try I will promise to not harm you in any way. If you are able to see what I see, then you will understand what we are doing."

Prostana thought for a moment and then said, "This feels odd to me and perhaps wrong but I am curious. I will try to do this if you wish. My life has been much fuller since meeting you and your people."

"Thanks Prostana. I feel enriched by meeting you and your people too."

Rather than tackle a powerful spell, I produced a small flame like I had done when I was taught magic. "We will start small first, friend Prostana."

I tried for a while then Sonya took over. It was near nightfall when I made a tenuous link. From then on it blossomed. Over a small fire, we saw Prostana smile widely as he made a small flame appear. An hour later he had a flame over all six fingers.

"This is amazing friend Adam and Sonya. I had no idea that our people could do this."

"This is only the start. I think you have the makings of a mage within you. You learned this very quickly and then went on to control six flames."

"But friend Adam, it took a long time to learn this."

"It took us much longer to even begin to learn. I think your people are good at magic and only forgot this as you forgot to speak with your minds."

There was another long pause then Prostana said, "I hope you are right. This is too interesting to just ignore now. Will you teach me more?"

"I'll teach you what I can, friend Prostana. I'm not a mage though. I'm a trainee that has access to a lot of power. An apprentice or especially a mage is much more powerful because they know the spells."

"You can do some spells worth of a mage."

"I was lucky enough to find a mate that helps me discover new spells and ideas. It was this new information that I used. I still do not have all the practice I need. I only know some spells well."

Prostana said, "I would be happy to learn from you any way. You and your mate know the most about magic that I have heard of."

"There are three more real mages out there that know a lot more."

"I do not think I would want to be taught by them even if they were willing. They gain power through pain and death. Your way is much better."

Sonya smiled and said, "Maybe you can generate some power with your ladies."

This seemed to ring a bell in my mind. "Sonya, maybe that is the way to charge up those bases. They were not attuned to humans or humans do not have the power necessary."

"You may be right."

Prostana said, "What do you mean?"

Sonya said, "You know that we make love and the power goes into our crystals or into the base we made. The base we found did not seem to absorb our power very well but I think some was. The portals were only for people your size. It may be that those bases may be made for your type of people."

Prostana went into thinking mode and in a moment, said, "I would like to find out but I do not have my family."

Sonya said, "Your new family is back where you came from."

"They are old like me friend Sonya. They could not fly here very well. We could not make much power if they did."

"Friend Prostana, we healed many of those ladies. One in particular got a lot of our power. When we found you, you looked older but now you look much younger. Your ladies will too."

"I had not thought about that. I do feel younger and my body looks young too."

I said, "Let's find a base and see if we can bet one of your ladies to help us charge it up?"

"I would like to try that too. I miss them a lot."

We slept in out tent with Prostana nearby. I noticed that our crystals charged faster than usual and this must have happened before but we had not noticed the fact. I was wondering if Prostana was a voyeur but then again he was a friend that was interested in learning.

Prostana learned magic for the next ten days. He was an eager student. He learned quickly but he could not handle some of the more difficult steps. He seemed to be able to grasp forces in the forth dimension but none in the fifth. Through a lot of coaxing, we were able to interface with him. This is how he learned so quickly. The more he learned, the more he wanted to help and learn more.

We knew enough now to go after the magic spells on the walls. We were too far from them so we made a structure of tar and erected it near the wall so we could get a bit closer. It was good that we were cautious because it got very painful, the closer we got. Prostana didn't seem to be affected at all and only knew of this through our link.

We studied the spell in depth and treated Prostana as a student. He knew that we thought that the mages were devious and Prostana took our word for this. The spell took five hours to unravel and study. It was like the illusion spell in the mountains in that it was both simple and elegant. This we felt would be the way all spells should be.

The spell did not go back though. We had time for one more and this took an hour less. We did not take any shortcuts and it was good because the wrapping was not exactly the same. Prostana seemed to gain a bit more respect and perhaps a bit more fear of the mages that constructed these spells.

The next day was the same and at the end we had five spells in a row deactivated. Early the next morning Sonya and I made a device to get us over the wall safely. There was some feeling of animosity but that may have been what we put into the idea. Prostana simply flew over.

We used both magic and our senses to find any living beings or spells but the three of us could only find the small animals that we found on the open savanna. The larger buildings were constructed with magic, though it may only be a part. There was furniture inside but it was all rotted or eaten. What we did see was similar to what was available in the seventeen hundreds on earth. It was elegant and even ostentatious. I knew next to nothing about antiques but these pieces were beautiful even in their disrepair.

Most of the buildings were not constructed with magic and these were no more. They seemed to be the homes of individual families. I had hoped to find libraries or other information about what happened to the former residents. We found shelves for books and scrolls but none of the information. If there were I figured that rodents would have made short work of it over the centuries.

We looked for portals but found no indication of them. They used a small amount of power to stay open and by now they would have just ceased to be. We found one large field with some large smooth stones every thirty metres apart. These had glyphs on them but by now they were worn. I thought them grave stones until I saw a vague carving of a colcha. When I got Prostana to stand on one I knew that it was really a perch.

This could be something like an airport but not necessarily for the transport of humans. The colcha must be able to practice magic and not want to be used for transportation. There could be portals everywhere and also transport spells that could be used to locations that were plotted out before hand.

We slept within the city for a week before putting the spells back in place. Prostana had to go off to hunt and I guess we did too.

The old colcha did not act old when he hunted. He was all business. He killed an animal near his mass then tried his best to get around the majority of it. We got a few choice parts but this represented only a tiny fraction of the whole.

Prostana had to rest for a day as he digested his meal. After relieving himself he returned to the carcass. By the time we left, there was very little remaining.

We went to the upthrust of rock and found the entrance into the base proper blocked the same way the others had been. Prostana loaned us the end of his tail so we had his presence to assist us. We were able to move more of the rock than before and did it easier. Prostana used his hands because he was not as good at PK as Sonya and I were.

It took a day and a half to get deep into the rock and I was surprised to find that the depth of the rock nearly matched the thickness of the rock it was in. I had not noticed any corridor leading into the magic environment that I was familiar with.

The globe and the jewels were still here as was the four alcoves that would fit a colcha of Prostana's size. The glyphs looked the same for the most part and I had to assume the difference had to do with this particular base.

Sonya and I went out and discussed what we had found with Prostana. Later we searched for a possible transition into the base through a type of portal. There was magic all over here and more in the base but we could not find any particular source, just a vague feeling.

Prostana said, "How am I going to get into this area?"

I said, "We can transport you but the spell has to be very strong to get all of you into the base."

"Will you be able to get me out again?"

"I do not see why not."

"Would it not be better to transport mot only me but a female of my people?"

Sonya and I thought about this and she said, "Friend Prostana, it is not just your weight, it is producing the spell. Carrying two of you is only a little more difficult than taking just one."

"Then I should go back and see if a female will accompany me?"

"Friend Prostana, if you tell your friends that you can perform magic then those that are most conservative will try to stop you. They may even do so if one of your ladies want to follow. I am not asking you to lie but to not tell them everything. The lady though should be told everything."

Prostana had to think on this then said, "Let's visit my home for a short rest. I will do what I can."

We sealed up the base and then converted the rock to tar so that it would not come out. There were no people around but I wanted to make sure. We flew back in steps. A colcha had difficulty flying over five hours and we wanted Prostana to be rested when he arrived. Our own arrival was timed to coincide with Prostana's. This time we did not antagonise any colcha that was out hunting.

We greeted the colcha we met by name and most were polite back to us. Everybody wanted to talk to Prostana to find out what happened. He talked about the destroyed bases but mostly about the human city with a portion set aside for the colcha.

Prostana talked in detail and this went far into the night. The old snake was very observant and mentioned everything except his ability to perform magic.

Hosmic, Beena and Pondy were the closest to Prostana and listened avidly to his rendition of events. The three ladies were far more lively than when we had seen them last. Pondy invited Prostana to her room and instead of just accepting made sure Beena and Hosmic were invited too. We heard the mental communication of all three ladies giving the equivalent of a giggle.

Sonya and I learned what it was like to just watch. Prostana's mating ritual was violent. Bodies struck the solid stone walls and it was not just Prostana's. Sonya and I made our own music outside to charge our plane. Later we went inside and found Prostana still at it. We came close to him. Sonya tried to form a grid to capture the energy produced. This took a long time because the link had to be not only harder to establish, but different than the way humans did this.

Prostana and his ladies finished after dawn then went for a nap. Sonya and I did the same.

Around noon, Sonya and I got up and ate. We did some visiting of our own until near dusk. The colcha lovers got up then and we saw how they were wounded from their lovemaking. Prostana displayed his wounds with pride and seemed to strut as he walked. The ladies were not unscathed either but their wounds were much more dainty as if Prostana was careful to not harm them.

Prostana asked us to stay here and he went out to hunt. An hour and a half he came back and presented his ladies with a snack. He took a nibble and then went out again. We went close to the ladies after they finished and we asked if we could help heal them. There was a bit of talk then we started with Hosmic.

The second time he came back he was very tired. Sonya and I talked to him but touched him when we did so. We also healed him and tried to give him some of our strength. The old snake said nothing but soon left to hunt again. His ladies ate what they were given and huddled together.

The rest of the colcha were doing a lot of talking and Sonya was able to pick up enough for her to say to me, "Prostana is proposing in a way. He is saying that he can take care of three wives. The rest of the colcha seemed to be evenly divided. Half think this is a scandal and the other half are rooting for our friend."

The last load of meat came back and it was near the capacity Prostana could carry. We hurried to him and while congratulating him, we again gave what strength we could.

Prostana watched while the ladies ate then moved in to have some himself. When they were done, they went back to one of the rooms. Sonya and I had a lot of charged crystals in our luggage and used much of the power to heal all four colcha and a few of the others.

Sonya and I went out to out plane to make love and start charging our crystals again while Prostana worked to drain his testicles.

This procedure went on for tree more cycles. The ladies looked much better and seemed to be putting on some weight. We healed them during the day but eventually we started to catch up with the charging of our own crystals. This was done the second night because we brought the crystals with us when the colcha mated. It appeared that one of our friends had the power of twenty humans. We had used a great deal of power and now we were recovering it.

After a while, the colcha began to just have fun and did not go in for a full mating. By now the ladies were used to us being near. The first time we had to leave until Prostana got them too excited to notice us.

We walked with Prostana as we talked about what was happening until I felt some magic nearby. When I stopped talking, Sonya then Prostana noticed it too. Prostana said after a few minutes, "It is up one level." We had to be led the way he wanted. The corridor was empty of colcha living here and was dark. There was a long gentle spiral up nearly a hundred metres until we found more rooms for colcha to stay. It looked like this area had not been used for many centuries.

The magic seemed to be high in an already high ceilinged hallway. When we got closer we saw that there were smaller sources of magic in the form of an inverted parabola. This was the same shape as the portals and about the same size as the ones we saw in the old bases.

Sonya said, "Is this what I think it is?"

Prostana said, "What is that friend Sonya?"

"This is the same size and shape as the portals in the base we found."

"Why have I not seen this before?"

"You were not attuned to magic then and perhaps it is because you have been making love the last while and we have been forming a grid to capture the power. Some must have gone into your home. Next time I am going to direct more to these spells and possibly your home. We may have an easy way of getting into a base."

"Which base is it though?"

"I have no idea."

Later in the day Prostana brought his ladies up to this level. He must have talked to them because on the way up the dark areas, he had three small fires coming from the three digits of his right claw.

Prostana did not indulge in foreplay but got Beena to wrap herself around him. Sonya and I assisted in setting up the grid then linking it to the other two females. Prostana seemed to be mentally talking to his ladies in an area we could not seem to follow. They did get frantic though for their turn to mate.

We directed the power produced to the crystal at the very apex of the parabola. This in turn seemed to strengthen the spells around the portal. There appeared to be a lot of power produced and this was fed outward until we found a direction that seemed to suck it up more than the rest. When we found this, we aimed the power in this direction as if it was our own home.

The process went on like one of the first few nights a week ago. Prostana was... very passionate.

Sonya said, "Well big boy, we are in Rome in a way. Do you want me to wrap myself around you too?"

"Id like that but we better find a safe place. Lets set up a shield?"

We got into a corner and erected a shield to protect us from the thrashing bodies then I entered Sonya. She just gave a groan of contentment then I used my PK to caress her clit and both her nipples. Within a minute she was oblivious to everything around us. I kept part of my mind on the grid and moved languidly into the woman I loved.

We could not last as long as Prostana and his ladies. We just held each other and continued to support the grid. Sonya got some sleep while I continued. She went for her morning ablutions and brought me back breakfast. Prostana was slowing down now and the coupling looked to have a lot more love to it than raw sex.

Sonya said, "Hosmic sure is a changed lady. It looks like she got charged up like the crystals did."

"I think all of them got charged up with love. I wonder if we are going to be an aunt and an uncle?"

"Do you think they can? It can work with humans. I wonder if they want that. Children take a lot of time to raise and they may be happy to not go through that again."

"I don't think so. There is new love here and they want children if they can get them."

"You better find some big diapers then. These ladies are sloshing like you are now."

Sonya looked at me and said, "Do you want another child, Adam?"

I hugged the woman I loved so much and said, "Not until everything is safe. There are still three mages to get rid of and our family to find."

Sonya hugged me back and said, "After that?"

"I love my children. Lets wait until we see how things turn out if we survive."

"Ya, I am not too sure about that too. I would hate to see one of our children killed."

The other family tapered off and were soon asleep. On impulse I got up and used some of the power we had collected to heal the love bites on all four. They must have known we were doing this because the natural resistance was not here now.

I went outside for my own purposes and then returned to the portal to meet Sonya. I had a branch with me and I tried to push it through the portal but it didn't work.

Sonya said, "Think of the first base we entered. Maybe it has to be keyed."

"It may require Prostana to do this. We are in their home. We also better lay out a site here too in case I can't come back."

"We are both going."

We both thought of the first base but the branch would not go into the rock. We tried the coordinates like we did for a transport spell but this did not work either. We were at this task later in the afternoon when Pondy awoke.

She said, "What are you doing?"

Sonya said, "We are trying to find a way to get this portal to work. It is probably configured to accept the commands of a colcha."

Pondy had to go and relieve herself but came back in half an hour. She was now fairly trusting and our spells gained strength but we had no results. When the rest awoke, they too helped us but with no better results.

Hosmic said, "What has happened here? This place does not appear to be quite the same as it was yesterday."

Sonya did the talking to the ladies usually. "Your home is very much like ours was. We generate a lot of power and then we can use the power to provide light, feed and clothe us and then take away our waste. It is just like a living body in a way. We took the power we all generated and fed it to a place that wanted to accept it."

"Nobody will have to hunt for us? That does not seem right."

Sonya said, "The food is the exact same as what you eat now but those that take care of you have less to do. You can still hunt but those that cannot can still be fed."

"This still does not seem the way it should be."

"You do not have to request food but you can provide water to those that cannot make the trip to the stream very well. Producing more light is not bad."

"Make some of this light."

Sonya and I tried but we could not get the base to do what we wanted. I said, "Friend Prostana, will you assist us?"

"I will friend Adam."

The three of us worked until we found some type of control. This took well over an hour to even find then the same length to find the portion that provided illumination. When we were done we found the ladies curled like cats and watching us.

Prostana said to everybody, "Our home is a bit different now. It feels more alive somehow."

We studied this base in detail because it was much different than ours. We triangulated until we found the crystals but they were safely placed in the walls. This was not the usual way because we were not in our own magical environment but in the real world with some assist from magic.

The rest of the colcha had been upset about our tinkering but some were pleased to find that they could see a bit better. Prostana had to give a lot of talks. At no time did he say that he could perform magic. The rest knew of his lovemaking and instinctively knew that the energy had to go somewhere.

Sonya and I continued to assist the colcha in healing themselves but we did it slowly. Their caregivers were a different matter. They had less to do but they were angry that we were doing their jobs. We commented that the older ones needed help which the caregivers were not able to provide but it did little good.

During the night, Prostana continued to show his love but now the wounds were not as bad. We found we could provide heat for those that needed it as well as new bedding too. The debris of many centuries was cleaned up but the colcha were not really concerned with this.

The portal, if that is what it was remained stubbornly closed. It was only when Sonya used the 'need' once more that we were drawn to another part of the complex. We searched diligently and it was only when Prostana was very close did we find a spell. When one of us had a hand or claw close was it made clearer.

The wrapping was very complex. It reminded me a lot about the original time spell but the one here was even more of a mystery. It was another two weeks until we removed the bindings. A spell here was integrated so that it would be hard to find. This was much more elegant than what we had seen before.

Remembering all the details was difficult even though Sonya worked on my mind once more to increase my intelligence and memory retention capacity. This was my second time so I was up to the same level as Sonya.

The spell within the wall took another week to completely decipher. It was Prostana, his ladies and both Sonya and I that completed the spell. It was a portal spell that should have taken a lot of power but somehow took very little even with our increased ability.

Prostana and his ladies entered the portal with Sonya and I amongst them. We did not want to be excluded now. The possibility was that the colcha could be trapped too.

The area was dark and Prostana used his flames to provide light. It appeared to be a mage's library. Again we worked with Prostana to find the controls for the light and it grew much faster than it had before.

When the light grew bright, Prostana extinguished his flames. Prostana said, "What is this place?"

I said, "It looks like a library and a laboratory. The lab is made for people my size but the books and scrolls are made for the colcha and for humans."

Prostana hurried to the larger books and opened one delicately. He looked at the characters and I felt his disappointment. I said, "What is wrong friend Prostana?"

"I cannot understand these marks."

I looked at the page myself and only saw the same kind of characters I saw on the floor of the old base. "I cannot read this either. There are lots of books here and I am sure we will learn in time."

"The colcha are not like humans. We do not read."

"Friend Prostana, the books are made for your people. That means that they did read at one time. You just have to learn with us."

We searched the large room and made sure everything was put back where it belonged. The books and scrolls were old but somehow the room must have preserved them.

We looked for the any characters we had been taught before but it took a long time to go through all of the library. The colcha just snooped which was just fine.

That night we slept in the room. Prostana had a chance for a rest and his ladies slept close to him. This did not stop Sonya and I. Here the base excepted our power just like our own home.

Sonya and I both came upon a possible solution the next day. We were going to express our need to understand the books. There was some of the older scrolls near the floor that we had looked at but discounted. We layed this out on a table and tried to make heads or tails of it. When we expressed our need once again the document slowly changed into characters we knew.

Prostana and his ladies were looking at the document change with us. Prostana said, "What has happened?"

I said, "There are four spells laid out here. One claims to be an understanding of the language for people like me and another spell about people like you."

"Are you going to perform them?"

"I think we will."

Sonya and I read the spell and told the colcha what we understood. When the first spell was memorised and portions practised, I cast the spell on Sonya. The casting was very intricate and was similar to what Sonya used on me a while ago to make me more intelligent. Again it was much more beautifully crafted than what I had learned before from Erasmus.

Sonya suddenly collapsed as I completed the spell but I was able to catch her before she hurt herself. I sat on the floor and held her for twenty minutes. Her mind was working furiously. I saw nothing wrong her and felt no danger. When she awoke she spoke in a language I had not heard before. She smiled widely and then said, "It worked. I can understand the language now." She looked at the colcha and then had to say the same thing in her mind.

I layed down and then Sonya laid the spell on me. There was a headache when I awoke but I had strange thoughts running through my head now.

Prostana eagerly said, "Did it work, friend Adam?"

"Yes it did and now it is your turn."

"Thank you friend Adam. I never wanted anything more in my life but to learn."

The spell was more complex for Prostana. Two of the spells were suited to educated people and two were configured for those that did not know how to read. The colcha had to get this variety.

Prostana stretched out as his ladies crowded close. Sonya and I worked on our friend to make sure the spell was made as best we could. Prostana moved around in his sleep after the casting and his mates had to hold him from knocking bookshelves over. The recovery time was nearly an hour and a half and we were all starting to worry.

Prostana did open his eyes then closed them. "There is pain friend Adam." Sonya and I cast a healing spell and then did it twice more before he relaxed.

It took a half hour before Prostana sat up. The colcha did not smile but I felt that he was happy. The first thing he did was go to a large book. He joyfully said, "I can understand the symbols but I do not know much of what they mean. I will learn though."

An hour later Beena said, "Will we get a chance to learn too?"

Prostana said, "If that is your wish then I will assist."

The three ladies were treated one at a time and expressed their gratitude after the pain left. The each looked at the books and scrolls but I felt that they were not really that not interested in magic yet.

Prostana taught them how to make a flame but it took two days before Hosmic succeeded. Sonya or I took a break from our own studies to assist.

The books and scrolls were much the same as any other magic library we had seen but the spells were not constructed the same way. It was as if Erasmus and all the other mages had learned independently. There were many unneeded steps and a great deal of simpler methods of performing a spell. The result though was similar or the same. The spells on the 'Lady' and what happened to her were uppermost in our minds. Deducing some leads to the situation didn't seem to be in any of the books.

We searched for history books for some inspiration. We wanted to see how the humans and the colcha interacted. We also wanted to find out how the civilisation fell apart. We were sure that a war would cause similar damage.

It must have been a few weeks that I remembered Erasmus' base. After some consideration I called out, "Computer!"

Sonya said, "What are you doing, Adam?"

"There may be a computer here."

We tried but nothing happened. Prostana asked too and then he called out, "Computer." There was an immediate answer. I could not hear the conversation with any of my senses but Prostana seemed to be happy. I mentioned what I figured was happening to his mates. They were still concerned but not as much.

Prostana must have seen us looking at him then in a moment, we could hear both sides of the conversation. We listened to the history of the colcha and of men. From what we gathered, it was the colcha that thought clearly and streamlined the spells while it was the men that provided the original spells and the drive to do more.

We sat spell bound for hours. We came to the end of the long history to find that the war we always surmised was mainly between men. The colcha had facilitated the stronger incantations but finally objected to how some of the spells were used. They were of course logical and ethical beings. Most of the colcha banned together with like minded men to fight the madness working through humans. A war for supremacy broke out and many beings on both sides died. The good guys took a lot of abuse until they started to fight back. By then it was almost too late.

Most of the destruction was personal and the planet did not suffer. Some bases were abandoned to keep them from being targets. Finally a major transport spell was used to evict the enemy but a large number of the good guys including many of the colcha had to go with them to make sure they stayed. There was purposely no link to where everybody went. Even those that cast the spell made sure the enemy could not find a way back and a spell was cast on their memories.

We took a break now and the computer was now quiescent. We left the library easily now and cast a small spell to keep intruders out. It was in the late afternoon and Prostana said to his mates, "I need exercise. Let's hunt."

Prostana took to the air and soon his mates were with him. The colcha on the ledge were amazed. They figured the only way the females would leave would be in death.

Sonya said, "What do you want to do?"

"I need some exercise too. Let's run?"

"Where too?"

I pointed and then started. Sonya ran effortless with me and it felt good to have this simple pleasure. We stopped by a stream to drink then we ran once more. Rather than think of the library and out troubles we just focussed on our bodies.

We ran at a lope for perhaps ten klicks then we turned to the left and started a circle that would take us back. We got back tired after only thirty klicks. Our bodies were getting soft from all the easy life.

Sonya said, "Lets go and see if that computer will talk to us now?"

"It might happen."

As it turned out the entity did not want to talk to us so I mentioned Prostana's order not being followed. The computer reluctantly talked but it would not give us any new data. It did talk about history again and this was what was mentioned to Prostana before he ordered the computer to talk to us.

Prostana and his ladies did not come back but then again I did not expect them too. They were young again and needed to test their skills. When the computer finished giving its monologue it refused to give us any more. Sonya and I just studied this new magic. Most of the time we were comparing what spells we knew against what was in the books.

We made love that night and got up early to start all over once more. We had good memories now but we still made notes of what spell was in what book. I found that my spell for shearing matter with the use of a time spell seemed to be new. Flight and Sonya's engine seemed to be new as well. We figured that we could make our own books because of our prospective from a technical civilisation.

There was some information on starting a base but the linkages were not the same as what Malochuck had found. I did not know much about programming. I figured that a selective computer study of the spells would generate a much greater understanding of the underlying fundamentals.

With three mages still on the loose, we looked for strong spells that could be used for offence or defence. Sonya said, "We could take them out with a sniper rifle if we had one."

"I once saw a show where the heroine used a LAW to take out a daemon. He had no idea of its destructive capabilities."

"We could make one with a charged crystal as the warhead. It would not harm much but a mage would certainly be effected."

I said, "Make it. You have the engine. All we need is a spell that would take it to its target even if he is trying to evade."

"There is one. Let me check." Sonya found a book and looked through it until she found the spell. We read it together. It was put on an arrow to make sure it hit its target. It even provided extra power so the arrow would go further.

We looked through the books for a few more days. We were looking for a wide range of spells and one of them was like the one used on an arrow. We found two more near the end of the day. One worked on a spear so it had much more strength and another was an attempt to use it on Wizard Fire. They both gave us more ideas to follow.

Sonya and I took some crystals and formed them like the engines of our plane. Sonya had some new ideas on her crystals and we tried them. In a few days we found that the crystals did not overheat enough to break down and explode. They were even a bit more efficient than the ones we now used. These Sonya had to control herself to allow them to cool.



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Chapter 27


It was a week since Prostana left but the colcha were well known for their laid back approach to life. Prostana would come back when he was good and ready. We made a lot of designs and then flew into the foothills three hundred klicks away to do some testing.

We picked out a flat area with a prominent rock about ten klicks away. I painted a dozen large rocks and put numbers on each of them. Sonya had finished setting the missiles up by the time I got back.

She said, "You shoot one first."

"Sonya, I will shoot the second. You deserve the first and besides, you thought of it." She smiled at me because I guess she did want to go first after all.

Sonya looked in the distance and set the spell to the number on the rock. We were behind the plane when the rocket took off. It started slow and picked up speed. It struck the rock or near it so I flew down range. The missile fell short. Besides I figured it was too slow. A mage could move or transport himself not to mention have the chance to put up a substantial shield.

I set up my own shield and got Sonya to fire the second missile. This one was too short too. "We need more power. I still think they are too slow."

"Slow! Well I will see what I can do. Just wait there."

"Yes, dear."

A half hour later, I heard, "You ready?"

"Fire away."

I watched the missile come much more quickly this time. It missed the target though and hit above it. "More speed and I will paint a silhouette of a man on target number one. It will be life size with a one on its chest."

You paint them and I will see if I can hit them."

I went back to the rocks and now painted a white silhouette of a man on each of the rocks then went back and painted the numbers on the chest like I promised. When I was well back, Sonya launched her latest version. This one went straight for the target and hit it just as I would have hoped it would.

"That was great. It was dead on."

"You do some now."

I hurried back and looked at what the current design was. Sonya had made some long crystals. She used force to represent the crystals and then used a thin sheet of paper that was turned to tar.

I said, "If the crystals run cooler, we should be able to bundle them directly."

"That's a good idea."

Sonya and I stayed here for four days varying the design. Some thin rods of crystals flew with just the spell for guidance. They were very fast and they would kill by kinetic energy or stun a mage if there was any power left in the crystal. A mage would not do this because he did not have the power to waste. Crystals were difficult to make and very expensive to just destroy.

When our supplies of crystals and power got low, we flew back to see Prostana and his mates. Soon after we landed, we found that he still had not come back yet. Sonya and I made a small launcher under the plane as well as two double barrel devices to launch the missiles by hand.

After two weeks, we were starting to get worried. We had talked to some of the more sympathetic colcha about this and they felt it was natural. They figured we should get worried only after a year or so.

Sonya and I made love and studied for another week then we decided to go out looking ourselves. We left a message for Prostana to tell him where we were going. We said our goodbyes and then formed the need once more. We followed the course and must have travelled all the way across Saranam. The need was across the ocean and toward Fassie.

Sonya said, "Do you think Prostana flew across the ocean? He is pretty spry now but he is not old."

"I don't think many could fly that distance unless they had a chance to rest and I don't remember seeing any islands."

"I think he is less likely to have done that because he has his mates with him."

"I agree. You want to fly at night or wait for daylight?"

"I'd rather wait."

I was frightened but tried to hide it. We charged up the engines and then slept holding tightly to each other.

The next day we found one reason then another to go slow. We got into the air near nine o'clock. We flew high this time so we could go faster in the thinner air. We each kept our own council. I knew that Sonya was worried too.

Around three o'clock we found that the need had depressed significantly. We flew for another twenty minutes then cut the engines. We coasted again but we were near a hundred thousand metres and for all intents and purposes, in space. We were not suited for this environment and it took some fancy fiddling to get the rockets to slow us down and then push us toward the planet and some air.

We coasted over a mountain range but the need was still ahead. It was not far. I put out my insubstantial hands and we slowed even more in the thin air. It took another hour to circle a tall mountain at eight thousand metres. We could go supersonic now but we kept our speed down because of the sonic boom.

Prostana seemed to be in a lush valley with lots of large predators. I called to him but he didn't answer. I banked and flew back the way we had come but came in much lower. Sonya said, "I looked where the need was coming from. There was no sign of even a small colcha. In fact that area was clear except for two large trees. Could he be in a camouflaged cave or in another colcha home that is hidden?"

"I have a bad feeling. There is a base in there and Prostana is in it."

"But who..."

"Yes, them or at least one of them."

"What are we going to do?"

"If it is a base, then the animals around are to keep out trespassers and should have some resistance to magic like the way the colcha have. This rules out knocking on his door."

"The need must come through the link to this world. There is a crystal there that sprouted the base. Let's knock?"

"I hate to say it but I think you are right. A mage will come out to fight if he figures we can destroy the crystal supporting his base. If the crystal is destroyed, then it will kill everybody inside and make another explosion similar to a nuclear explosion."

"I think we better aim close but not too close."

We flew up and down the valley putting a time stop spell and everything we could see and lots we did not. A time spell was difficult to handle and perhaps the mage would not have produced a defence from it. This activity took almost until it was dark. We landed nearby the need in a small side valley. We had our double barrelled guns as well as six extra rounds of ammunition each. I had one grenade and so did Sonya.

We followed the need and narrowed it down to an area twenty metres in diameter. I started to place the grenade and Sonya said, "Put it a few metres away for me. I do not want to end suddenly as small packets of mass and energy."

I moved over and she smiled. This time I dug deep into the loose rock then I pulled the pin. We ran like hell and got behind a solid rock as a blast was felt. It was like tonnes of explosives going off and out heads hurt. I was not very good but I managed to cast a spell on Sonya then on myself. She did the same in return. In a moment we did the same thing again.

The need had not moved and we were still alive so I guess we were lucky. Sonya ran off to one side and I moved too so we could cover each other. We both erected a shield that Erasmus would have taught us. We also had another one ready that came from the books we had just studied. We had our spells out to warn us.

It took nearly a half hour me to get a feeling. I quickly raised my arm and threw the second grenade close to where the other one had been. At the same time I raised the other shield. The timer had been adjusted and seven seconds later the grenade exploded with mental energy. I felt pain and I knew that it was not Sonya. I healed myself three times.

There were a dozen Plugga. They were on the ground now and probably unconscious if not dead. I cast a time stop spell once more and laid it on the guards.

It was nearly ten minutes later that I saw a man in silk robes standing perhaps a hundred metres away from his base.

The mage threw Wizard Fire at me and I ran to one side as if trying to get away from it. I actually heard him laugh as he threw another then one more.

I heard in Fassie, "Come out and fight. Cowards rarely gain anything but death."

I stood for a moment and the mage threw another bolt. I had ducked down behind a rock and held my shield tight to me. The power of the blasts could still get through and the mage was not throwing weak bolts.

There was another large rock nearby and I was going to spring for it when I felt a double blast of physic energy. My head hurt and I guess I just blacked out.

I woke up to a bright sky. Sonya was cradling my head in her arms. I was able to see her face. There were tear stains. I was able to say, "I'm not too bad now." Then I think I went back to sleep once more.

It was now overcast when I woke up. I felt the best I had in a long time. Sonya was not near but she was close. I knew that she had used a lot of her energy to heal me. "Sonya, I am awake and feel like a million bucks."

"That is good to hear, Adam." I could feel her relief.

I asked, "What happened?"

"Holds on."

Sonya came to me and absently wiped some loose strands of hair from her face. She was walking fast and I guess I was too. I slowed down enough to gather the woman I loved so much in my arms. We just hugged for a few minutes and I could see how hurt she was.

Sonya brought me over to a fire that she was tending and got me to sit. Some pieces of meat were being cooked on some coals. She now gave me an expression saying that she was pissed off.

"Ok, I did wrong. Now what happened?"

"You baited Caroshe and he almost killed you. That's what."

"Did you get him?"

"Yes."

"Well tell me why you are upset?"

"You almost died again."

"Tell me how we could have done it better?"

Sonya didn't speak now. In a moment she said, "He saw you as the major threat, not me. He saw our equipment and must have thought it was just crystals for power. I fired away from Caroshe then fired right at him. The two missiles homed in on him at about the same time. I knocked him through a loop. He has a time spell on him now like the Plugga."

"I thought those missiles would kill him."

"I did too. Caroshe is just too old and experienced to be killed easily."

"What do you want to do now since you have had time to consider this?"

We have a lot of power tied up in our missiles but I want to save it. Caroshe is in pretty bad shape at the moment. I want to copy his memories. We then know how to get into his base safely. I would not trust him to help us. This sort of thing must have happened a lot over the centuries and he has to have a way of destroying us if we try."

"Ok, so we need a way of generating a lot of power. Prostana must be inside the base so he is out. That leaves the people in Redac."

"Exactly."

We had enough power for a transport spell that would carry Sonya, the mage and myself. Redac was the closest we had to a base so we came in expecting the worst. We were pleasantly surprised to find nobody wanting to immediately kill us.

There were some children near and as soon as they recognised us we were mobbed. That was until they saw Caroshe. The mage could not be transported while still under a time spell but we did make him unable to fight us. As soon as the transport spell was complete, he went back into a time spell.

It took a few hours to round up those we had gathered before. There were a lot of extras in the group but none of those that had been on the ship. Sonya and I had heard of them but they were scattered to the wind when the Lady disappeared.

It took a long time to get everyone settled down. We had tonnes of crystal material here and it just needed to be processed. We talked about our travels. We did not mention our plane or the effect a colcha had on our grasp of magic. We did praise Prostana and other colcha for being ethical. The people could understand us manipulating magic but not the fact that the large beings were intelligent as humans and even more ethical. Caroshe was just a bad man and his name was not mentioned.

Sonya got a circle formed and she was the first I made love too. This group was not as educated and some had no experience at all. We charged up our depleted crystals then rested before going into fabricating the amulet to store the mage's memories.

When the amulet was completed, we had a break. I told the story of Calldas and how he had to die so I could get his memories from behind his shields. I talked about Caroshe again but still did not give his name. I wanted to set the stage for a possible execution but look like it only came close. I did not want people to know about revivification because of all the problems it would bring. Lying was easier. If Sonya's knife could be used to almost kill then the process may work. At least this time I knew what was probably going to happen.

Caroshe was layed out in the centre of our ring. Healing spells were ready as well as the one to bring the man back to life. It was the amulet that was the most important now.

Like Calldas, I built a very strong shield and Sonya assisted greatly. It was me that used her knife to kill Caroshe. Again I had to wait for him to really die. This was tricky for different portions of a body died at different rates. The automatic spells to heal had to be factored in but eventually the man was dead enough for our purposes. The spells governing the shields around the man and his brain had ceased to exist.

Sonya and I cast very strong healing spells on the body. She would continue with this as I brought the amulet close with my PK and chanted the spell. It was not working well. I was getting the memories but Caroshe was breaking down. He used spells for a great many years to hold time at bay. I assisted Sonya now and used the revivification spell. This was touch and go for a while.

It took over an hour but Caroshe began to breathe on his own. We were tired and the crystals depleted. Sonya and I cast a time spell on the man and relaxed.

When I was able to stand I stretched to get out the kinks and then talked to the ladies of the circle. "We removed the spells and the shields from the man in the centre. We are going to have to make another amulet but the gathering of his memories will be easier now. Lets get up and have a break and start over again in half of an hour."

Sonya and I were weak now. It was not from the physical act of making love but from the mental acts of casting so many spells. The half hour turned out to be an hour and a half. We had another good meal before going back to our task. Sonya was on my left so she was saying she wanted a break. The girl in front of me was eager for her turn and it was fun for me too.

We charged all the crystals then built another amulet. This time I made more so they would be ready when needed.

The time spell was removed from Caroshe and the amulet brought close. I chanted the spell and Sonya stayed close to my mind to make sure it was done right. There certainly was a lot of data here but it was easier to retrieve than any time before. After some additional thinking, I copied the amulet into one of the other empty crystals.

Sonya and I now worked diligently on Caroshe to make him our slave. With his knowledge and drive we had to be very careful. We wanted his memories undamaged. We tamed his anger but the difficult part was bringing his sanity back. He was a warped individual that may or may not have been sane at one time. Now he would have his conscience guide him while it had never done before. This process took a long time and by the end of it I had gone around the ring and finished off with Sonya.

Caroshe was again put in a time spell and we relaxed.

We had a party then. It lasted long into the night but those were the kind that were good. It was well into the morning of the next day that Sonya and I went back to work.

I took one of the amulets and put it on. Like before I could bypass all the evil and look at the memories alone. Sonya was given the copy and I saw her shake. She was a hard woman when she wanted to be but all the deaths and suffering the man caused were hard on anyone.

It was much later in the day that we revived Caroshe. He immediately got on his knees and said, "Masters! What may your lowly slave do for you?"

Since he was now linked to us we searched his mind. The worse parts of the man were now gone. He still had to be effective as a mage though.

Sonya said, "You captured a colcha. We wish to go to your base and inspect this being. He is one of our allies. He should not have been harmed but you did not know at the time."

Caroshe was very worried about displeasing Sonya and relaxed a bit when she seemed to have forgiven him.

We constructed a transport spell once again and we soon found ourselves near the Plugga that were still in the time spell.

Caroshe told us all about his security. We came safely into his base and he proceeded to give us the freedom of it as his equal. I was sure that this had never happened to him since he gained the status of a mage.

We were taken to Prostana right away. He had been wounded with Wizard Fire and then healed even though he was resistant. He also looked in a sorry state. The room he was in was high but not enough for him to even sit up. He raised his head as I came into the room. Sonya stayed out of site with Caroshe.

"Friend Adam, I was hoping you would not be captured too."

I walked over to him and touched his scaled arm and said, "I was not captured friend Prostana. I came to get you out of this place."

"Did you kill that evil man?"

"Let's talk after. You need a bit of healing. Will you allow this?"

He looked at me for a moment and I could feel his resistance fade. I fed power from the base and into Prostana. I kept the process slow enough to promote good healing. When I paused I said, "Friend Prostana, do you remember me talking about following a need. It led me to a little girl's family and this time it led me to you. A very evil mage held you here and we defeated him. We gathered his memories and made the evil man only slightly bad."

I could feel Prostana's anger so I said, "The man is valuable to us. There is still Kaffra and Samphic out there someplace."

"He killed Beena and captured my other two mates. He has to die."

This was not news. It was in the memories I now had. "Is it not better to regain your mates? Your people are not really familiar with slaves but the man now is almost harmless to us. He will help us fight the other two mages. If you kill him then your other two mates may die or worse, be used against us."

Prostana did a lot of thinking and I went back to healing my friend. It was aq half hour later that he said, "I agree with you friend Adam. My mates are important but I want to kill this man when we are done."

"I understand what you feel like. My family was taken from me too. The fact is that the man is already dead. His body moves around now. It has the old memories and skills but the personality is not of the man that killed Beena. He is gone forever."

"This is hard to understand. I feel only pain and a wish to destroy my enemies."

"This I understand well. Will you eat now? You have to regain your strength."

It took a few moments until Prostana said, "I will eat."

"Let me put the food into your mouth like we did before. It reminds me of happier times and my son Dylan."

"I remember your son well. I hope he is safe."

I directed the base to put meat into Prostana's mouth. After only a tonne or so I brought water in a long hose that I had to request from the base.

When Prostana was fed enough I altered the dimensions of the room. I even produced some branches so that he could sleep. He said, "Why are you doing this? I need to get our of here."

"Friend Prostana, you are tired and need a rest. There are a lot of slaves here that are in worse shape than you were when I came. They need to be cared for. I need to generate a great deal of energy when that is all done we can discuss how to recover your mates. We cannot fight now because we do not know where your mates are."

"You are right friend Adam."

I did some thinking to Sonya and in a moment I said to Prostana, "You can command this base now. When you want food it will come. Let me show you."

I showed Prostana how to interface with the base and he got it to provide more water for him. He said, "This is good, now I will rest but please hurry with your preparations. I hurt because I know that they suffer."

I went to a transport circle and soon found myself in a large gym used by the Plugga. There were only four of them. I noticed that all of them were smaller than those that I had been familiar with before. There was also hundreds of female slaves and other beings that I had seen in Erasmus base. These too were a different in some ways.

Sonya was with some people that were crying as they held onto her. I did not have to get close to find that they were part of my family from the Lady. For a split second I wondered if my family had come back but I then recognised that these were the ones that had gone out to help the people of this world and were not on the ship when it disappeared.

I had everybody sit on the floor as Sonya and I described what had happened to us up to this time. Again some information was not mentioned. There was no telling if the two other mages could find a way of using this against us.

Our talk lasted a half hour then we listened to what had happened to the rest of our family and what they thought that had happened to the ship. Caroshe's slaves were released from their compulsions and mine put in their place. After a few hours I called for the children to come out. There were a lot of them but I knew a great many more had died to provide power for Caroshe's spells.

We talked for a long time then Sonya got all the humans to form circle. Sonya brought in my family first and only after it was well established did we bring in the rest one at a time. Hours later we were not getting any extra power but I kept up this so the slaves would know that I did not want to harm them.

After we awoke, I used lots of the energy we made to produce toys and equipment for the children. My family had healed enough to try to help the others while Sonya, Caroshe and I had a tour of the base. We only hit the high points because the base was so large.

Caroshe had his dungeon. We cured those that we could but some had to be reluctantly put out of their misery. We made it to the library which looked much more massive than what Erasmus had. The computer was accessed and we were given full access. This was out of character for Caroshe and this had to be addressed too.

The mage did not know what happened to the Lady but had his ideas. The computer added to them but it was not that helpful. On another topic, Caroshe had made a great many plans for destroying various mages including the remaining two. Some of his ideas were very innovative.

Caroshe had worked with Kaffra and Samphic to capture the colcha that suddenly showed magic. There was old information that the colcha would make spells much easier to cast. All of them were eager to gain more power.

The three mages had traced Prostana and his mates then tried to take them. There was no need for the forth so Beena had been sacrificed to show that they meant business. Once the colcha had been subdued, the mages performed a transport spell and took the colcha away.

Caroshe had a fair idea where they went but the other mages were very particular about security. Nobody knew for sure where another mage's home was. Caroshe even had crystals secreted all over the planet to give red herrings when somebody was trying to find him. Our attack on him was sure to alert the other mages to this spot in particular.

Sonya and I had been trained to fight and we saw this more as a benefit than a detriment. If the mage or mages came here then we might be able to take them.

We discussed with Caroshe how Kaffra and Samphic would probably attack. They would first try to be subtle but eventually they would attack the base itself. Caroshe had managed to bring the most back with him when he fled from the future. The books were valuable as was the computer, slaves and the base itself.

The Plugga and others were different because they had not had millennia of physical and mental development to gain their size. This indicated that the mages had raided other worlds just as they had done before but this time they would be the first to do so.

We got our first indication of how far back we went. The mages had planned their trip into the past and as best as they could figure it was eighty seven thousand years into the past. The mages' passage into the past had made a weak point that allowed our much easier passage sixty three years after their arrival.

Some of the people on the Lady had learned a few weeks after our arrival that there was no going back to the earth that they knew. Sookra had some dealings with earth for perhaps thirty thousand years. With life being changed on this planet then life on earth would have changed too.

We had an additional reason for going after Kaffra and Samphic. They had more of my family held captive in their bases.

Prostana woke up a few days later. We got him outside and the Plugga inside. Everybody inside the base apart from Prostana and Sonya thought of me as the master.

We reluctantly taught Caroshe about the weapon that disabled him. Prostana was interested too. Prostana also had a difficult time not killing Caroshe. I could still see him killing the mage when he was no longer useful. The four of us then tried to come up with a way of capturing the two mages. Killing was ok as long as they died outside of their bases. Doing it inside the base is what produced the near nuclear explosions.

Prostana talked to me every day about when we would be ready to attack the other two mages. I gave him basically the same answer. It was not his nature to wait for an attack.

The former slaves had a difficult time adapting especially with Caroshe still in attendance. They took to Prostana easier but not a lot. We formed our ring now and I actually got a piece of tail. Prostana stayed away as best he could but if his tail was close, we could manage spells much easier.

We made major crystals and charged them then built all sorts of missiles then placed them where Kaffra and Samphic were most likely to place themselves. The missiles would still hit but I wanted them to be even faster than before. Caroshe had his reflexes speeded up and he could actually see the first missile come from Sonya's gun. He just assumed that he could deal with something like this.

We made missile batteries then Sonya and I would produce a transport spell so we could test the different modifications. Unknown to Prostana, we used his need to fine Hosmic and Pondy. We had to triangulate their positions. Kaffra's base was where Caroshe surmised it was while Samphic's was listed as a dummy. Both, luckily were on Fassie so we did not have to cross the ocean if it became necessary.

Mages fought but they were individuals. At the first sign that they were going to loose, they would bug-out. It stood to reason that they would go to their home at the first opportunity. We were going to cover this eventuality too.

We experimented with crystals formed into needles instead of rods then we mad them hexagonal so we would get more density. The speeds shot up very high now. With a small booster working with the main engine, we could get the missiles to accelerate at nearly twenty gravities and had a range of three hundred and twenty klicks. We needed many more spells on them to reduce the forces acting on the crystals and the great heat that was being produced. The latter was accomplished by having two shells.

Caroshe had talked about riding the colcha as if they were horses. The fact that the mage would be in contact and his spells much stronger gave a good reason for this to happen.

Sonya and I had a long talk to Prostana. He reluctantly agreed to don a saddle and carry Caroshe around. The mage was going to use conventional weapons in an effort to show the other two mages that he was going to fight but not with anything they did not know of.

Prostana now wore a harness but it was full of crystals. The old snake now could use the power and produce Wizard Fire but it was done at low power. There was no sense frightening the mages. Prostana had two shields. One was the best of the old variety the mages would be used to but the second was the spell found in the colcha library.

Sonya and I let Prostana and Caroshe know that they were actually bait. Neither of the two felt bad about this. Caroshe was actually very close in power to the other two but not quite. Being third made any mage try hard to come out on top.

Sonya took a fix for Caroshe's base then we flew near Samphic's. Here we made another fix. We did not know where his base was but we knew it was near. We camouflaged the plane and mounted it securely to some rock and used a transport spell to bring us back. If one or the other mages decided to not fight then we would have a surprise for them.

Twenty four days after defeating Caroshe we found some flying creatures circling the valley. Caroshe usually hid his trail well but not as good recently. This could be looked on as a challenge which it was in a way. The two actors in our play worked hard at defeating two almost equal enemies. Caroshe threw some grenades but they were not very powerful at least when compared to what we used.

Six days later I noticed that Samphic's colcha, whichever it was had moved a significant amount to one side. This could be for practice or because at least one was on their way. I transported myself to one side and saw that Samphic had only moved a hundred clicks north. The next day something similar was seen from Kaffra's location.

Mages this old were crazy but they had learned patients. It was another ten days until the two sources came together. We were getting a lot of birds now but we had similar ones outside this ring to warn us.

The next day at dawn their time, the need disappeared and then reformed only a hundred or so klicks away from our location.

Caroshe did not come out to exercise until around noon and we decided to not change the pattern. Prostana was fit to be tied. He wanted to go immediately but he wanted his mates to come here so he could have the best chance of rescuing them.

Sonya and I transported to our plane. Everything looked undisturbed and we flew the short distance to Samphic's base. We used the need but it did not work. We had to use dead reckoning and all the information Caroshe could give us about this area. We placed four missiles here. Two were aimed at each of the two mages.

Kaffra's base we found was near a swamp. This alone may keep visitors away. We again planted four missiles and still did not know exactly where the bases were. Both areas were fixed in our minds so we could find our way here quickly if needed.

We flew back now and it was near noon. Sonya said, "You have any new ideas?"

I tried to come up with something but nothing new came. "Nothing."

Prostana could talk to us because we were not far away but he was quiet. He would mention anything new when the information came to him. We basically circled the valley at forty thousand metres.

Caroshe went out, exactly on schedule. Prostana materialised beside him and Caroshe climbed up into his saddle. There was a few minutes to warm up and I could sense that the two other colcha were on the move. After forty minutes the two mages separated so they could come upon Caroshe from two sides. We sent this information to Prostana.

One mage flew over the ridge of the valley. We figured this would be Samphic because he was not as strong as Kaffra. Prostana and Caroshe pretended to not see them. I knew Prostana wanted to call out to his mate but he did not do so.

The mage flew toward Prostana and at seven klicks, they decided to notice the attackers. Prostana called out to Pondy but there was no reply. This seemed to startle the mage but not for long.

Caroshe more or less stood his ground so that the approaching mage would be closer to our missiles. We knew that Prostana was fighting this. With only one mage, Caroshe had to fight alone until the other came.

The mage opened the fight with a bolt of lightning. Both Caroshe and Prostana had their shields up. Prostana released Wizard Fire as soon as he could but aimed high to avoid hitting his mate. Caroshe followed the script and used lightning too but his bolt was stronger because he used more of his energy reserves. This I guess was what was planned all along.

Spells and counter spells were thrown back and forth. Caroshe was the weaker mage but he had the stronger partner in this fight. Prostana seemed to get hit by Wizard Fire but his shield must have held. The fight lasted for ten minutes before the other mage decided to enter into it. So far both sides had been fairly even.

We warned Prostana and after some elementary math, we dove for the valley. We were supersonic in minutes and only increased speed more. We pulled out of our shallow dive at what I thought was one thousand four hundred metres per second. This was around Mach four.

One spell both Prostana and Caroshe had was to protect their hearing. There was no way the other mages would know this or why. At a half second to Prostana seven nearby missiles fired. A half second later six more took off.

I flew only thirty metres above the ground and within a hundred metres of both enemies positions. As soon as we passed, we clawed for distance. We did not ger far when we heard the crystals in the missiles explode. It hurt us and we were over a kilometre away. We flew out of the valley to loose speed then we returned. We hit the sonic boom and it was more than just terrifying even though we knew what it was.

We hurried back as quick as we could. Prostana was holding one of his to him then he would go to the other. I was finally reading Prostana's thoughts and not the words he chose to send me. He was very worried.

Caroshe was standing over one mage but the other was not around. I demanded, "Caroshe can you take care of the one you have?"

"Yes, Master."

"Who got away?"

"Kaffra."

We landed very quickly and almost recklessly. We jumped out of the plane with our packs. Sonya and I held hands as we formulated a transport spell for the swamp.

We tried the need and pushed it very hard. We could see nothing different but I felt that I should go north east. We raced as we put our packs on. Our guns were in our hands. I fired in the direction we were going and so did Sonya. We reloaded and fired again and again. We could feel the detonations in our minds but we still pushed on.

Animals were coming out of the swamp at us and these got time spells and one got a blast from Sonya's gun.

We came around a large rock and found a man in silk robes on the ground. Sonya and I quickly threw a time stop spell on him while looking around for more threats. The need was not strong and we had no idea where the base was.

Sonya and I stepped near the mage with some strong spells ready but we already figured he was dead. We removed the spell and investigated but Kaffra appeared dead. We immediately transported to Caroshe's base and reapplied the time spell.

We heard Prostana in the background wailing for the loss of his mates. We ran near and saw that only Prostana and Caroshe were alive but only just. Without asking, Sonya and I threw time spells on everybody individually.

The next few days were hectic. We needed lots of power and we used it to heal Prostana. He was grieving now. I said to him, "Friend Prostana, your mates are not dead. Their bodies just stopped working. They still have their memories. We can revive them."

He had heard this so many times before but he did not want to cooperate. Caroshe was healed as best we could. We still had to keep him out of the way because Prostana still hated him.

Samphic was revived. This time we did not try to capture his memories yet, just keep him alive. An amulet copied his thoughts and experiences then another copy was made in another amulet. Kaffra was a little more difficult but not that much. He was much older and it was difficult keeping him alive after all these centuries.

The two revived mages were now my slaves. I put both of them in a time spell as I prepared to work on Pondy. I still did not trust those that tried to kill me.

Sonya and I used a transport spell to check up on more spells from the colcha library. There was very little in it. The computer would still not give us any assistance without orders.

When we came back with as much information as we could find we formed a ring outside. This was a new environment to some and they had to get used to it. We had lots of power in the crystals but I needed control now and that is where Prostana and my new ladies came in. There was a lot of practice doing routine tasks until we were ready.

We built up a strong grid even before the time spell was nullified. Immediately we went for the revivification and then the healing. This took a lot of power because of Pondy's mass. The control though came from Prostana. He was very worried still and now also worried about who or what would awake in his mate's body.

It was twenty minutes later that we saw Pondy breathing on her own. As soon as we finished, Prostana was beside her. He said nothing but we could all understand what he did not say.

Pondy had not awoken two hours later. We had enough power to do Hosmic. This procedure was going to be slightly different because of the amount of damage her body suffered. Prostana took heart now because one of his mates was now alive. He worked even more when Hosmic started to breathe.

With both colcha now alive, we fed them with puree of synthetic meat and let them rest with Prostana.

With this job over, Sonya and I wore the other amulets. It was like swimming in a cesspool but we had to just look at what we wanted. We compared spells mostly. None of them knew what happened to the Lady and they had each tried to find out for their own purposes. I knew that they were going to look much harder when the two colcha regained consciousness.

Two days later the two female colcha awoke. Sonya and I hurried to them with crystals handy in case we needed them. Both of them were very afraid of humans now and Prostana had to work hard to get them to relax. I could hear their mind speech before but now it was much clearer.

Prostana got me to heal them. They were very afraid but my healing took very well as if they had lost their natural magical resistance. We stayed with them until dawn and by then they were over the worst part.

Sonya worked best with the ladies because of her gender. After a few days she said, "Hosmic and Pondy are different now."

"Their loss of immunity?"

"No, more than that. They are more demanding and I think more intelligent. I don't understand it."

"I was born with a bad luck spell. Perhaps the colcha have a spell built into their genes. I can't see how death will negate it but it is a possibility."

"I thought the same thing. Perhaps their genes will pull them back so they act the way they were before."

I said, "The war they were in may have changed them. Another possibility is that the colcha turned their backs on magic so they would avoid a similar war again."

"What if it was a spell meant to harm the colcha? They may all be under a bad luck spell."

We talked to Prostana about our observations. He didn't seem to be as happy as he was before. He would also not talk much about it. The same was true of his mates. I considered that it may be that the colcha had mixed with humans and then suffered for it.

Samphic took us to his base and admitted us. Sonya and I were given carte blanche. I gained a lot more refugees and seventeen more family members. The same thing happened with Kaffra but here there were only three because the rest were sacrificed in experiments.

Sonya and I started our own base and there was a place for everybody. The three existing bases had their spells changed so that only Sonya and I could get in.

Prostana and his two mates went off to hunt but it was not the same carefree way they went before.

With three powerful mages as well as Prostana, we were able to get into one of the rooms reserved for the colcha. We could read the writing now for what it was. With a lot of lovemaking Prostana and his mates were transferred back to Saranam. Parting was sorrowful but more so for us. Prostana gave us the use of the library and the obstinate computer.

We had to find the lady and the rest of our people then find out about a mysterious island that was not seen by anybody. Who knows maybe we could go back to earth and straighten that out too.


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The End
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Posted:  2006-12-20
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