It has long been the holy grail of physics to find the Theory of Everything, indeed it was what Albert Einstein was working on when he died, as he wanted to fit Quantum Mechanics, which he hated to his General Theory of Relativity.

Then came String Theory, which led to M Theory and even a Quantum Foam where there were many ”bubble” universes

While not quite coming up with the theory of everything this search for the holy grail of physics, would lead to the concept of parallel universes.



For many, this remained a quaint theory for the cosmologists and the theoretical physicists, but it was very real.

For such another parallel universe did exist, and in it was a certain world. This world orbited two yellow suns and had four moons



This world was created, as a habitable world, formed by the collective unconsciousness of humanity to be inhabited by various creatures from our folklore, our fantasy stories, our nightmares and fears. Where even virtues and vices took on tangible forms, for they were born also out of the human collective unconsciousness, and were worshipped as the gods of ancient peoples, long dead.

As this world was born from this strange artefact of humanity, there were residents there who considered this a strange mystical quality of their world, and hence their world, was termed the Mystical Realms. They had no concept of planets, as humans do, so the name stuck, even when a human suggested they recall their world the planet Mystercon.

Returning to the ancient gods, once worshiped by ancient races on Earth, their reign as gods was not to last, for humanity grew up. These ancient gods retreated back to the world of the Mystical Realms, and became the major spirits of virtue or vice. Some accepted their lot; some did not two in particular wanted to resume their god like status amongst the humans, the Spirit of Lust and the Spirit of Malice.

Many of the other major spirits had their existence brought to an end, some say at the hand of the Spirit of Lust, some executed by the now dead Lord Low Troll, and some killed in the troll – orc civil war that had been started by the Spirit of Lust.

The remaining major spirits chose to live out their days in the Mystical Realms, while on Earth the legacy of some of their visits to our world, the minor spirits of virtue and vice, were tracked down by a human agency known as Inter Dimensional Entity Control. Once found, as they were part human, the minor spirits were only too eager to renounce their spirit side and embraced their humanity and became fully human, which they did with talisman’s of permanence supplied by the trolls, after they had been fashioned by elven magicians.



The Spirit of Malice, who had once been the Egyptian god Set, was captured by the trolls, the guardians of law and order on the Mystical Realms, with a little help from humans on Earth, and imprisoned by elven magic, where he remains to this day.

As for the Spirit of Lust, she was trapped by a human, in a virtual universe as it was shut down, so it was believed. This virtual universe was one among many that were formed out of the collective unconsciousness of the humans playing giant online computer games such as second life or the World of War craft. This collective unconsciousness of the game players had allowed residents from the Mystical Realms to enter them, fleeing at that time from the bitter civil war that was started by the Spirit of lust.

When the Spirit of lust entered this virtual universe, a human, by the name of Graeme Andrews, caused it to start shutting down and then left with a minor spirit of virtue, leaving the Spirit of Lust trapped inside.

As far as everyone knew, these two spirits were out of circulation, one imprisoned by the Elves and one crushed to oblivion, so everyone thought.

As for here on Earth, the defeat of the Magnus Timor, who had tried to destroy both worlds, had come at a high price with the loss of many human lives.


In America, the voices of those who once argued that all those from and all those connected, however loosely, to the Mystical Realms were a threat gained new strength. The only ace for those who believed in free and open co-operation and a more humane policy was the news that the drow, the ancient enemies of the elves and equal in their magical abilities, had made an alliance with Russia, leading to an uneasy truce between the two factions.

Meanwhile Colonel Samuel Peters, the operational director of the IDEC section, known as The Facility, which was once based in the UK, before it’s, destruction by a terrorist device, quietly grieved over the loss of his right hand man, and the young British woman he had recruited. He has seen both apparently blasted into nothing by the Magnus Timor in the final battle. They were dead, they had to be

As both worlds reeled from the aftermath of the encounter with the Magnus Timor and people, human or otherwise mourned their dead, what everyone wanted was a period of calm, so those on the Mystical Realms could rebuild a society shattered by war and then the evil cult of the now defeated Magnus Timor, and so those here on Earth who believed the authorities on the Mystical Realms could be useful allies, could silence those who would intern or exterminate even the innocent children who had once been minor spirits of virtue.

But aftermaths can be funny things, as out of the chaos new heroes can arise, or those long forgotten can return, but then so can new threats arise, or those thought long gone can return. But always there will be some who will capitalise on the chaos, to follow their own agendas, ready to strike and sometimes they will do this from the shadows . . .

Jenny Green regained consciousness and shook her head to try and shake of the feeling of disorientation from the blast that the creature known as the Magnus Timor had thrown at her, as they battled him to try and stop his plan to destroy both Earth and the Mystical Realms by dragging the Mystical Realms through a worm hole to crash into the Earth
.
“Jenny, are you ok” Command Mark Johnston asked her.
Jenny felt his loving arms around her, she was obviously lying in them as he held her. She thought it was such a noble, but stupid thing to do, to try and shove her out of the way of the energy bolt from the Magnus Timor, which was why she loved him.
“Jenny, are you ok” Mark repeated and kissed her forehead
“Yes love” Jenny groggily answered, and then she opened her eyes and saw the strange alien landscape.

Up in the sky was a red sun, and the sky was a crimson shade. It was nothing like a sunset or sunrise Jenny had ever seen, as the sun was high up and not at the horizon.

They were on some kind of plateau and in the distance they could see strange plants and what seemed to be flying creatures. Behind them were more of these strange towing plants.

Jenny stood up assisted by Mark.

“Mark, where are we” Jenny asked and hugged Mark.

Mark put his arms around Jenny, “I don’t know Jenny” he replied, “I only came round a few minutes ago myself”

Just then, in the distance they could hear someone approaching through the plants. Mark and Jenny stood to face them. Jenny still had her short bow and quiver, so strung up an arrow.

They listened carefully, it sounded like two individuals.

Suddenly Jenny felt the short bow ripped from her hands, the arrow with it by some unknown force.

Then Jenny and Mark came face to face with someone who was supposed to be dead. A certain man in his twenties, in jeans and trainers nothing else.

It was the former lab technician from the Facility, the UK base of the Inter Dimensional Entity Control organisation, now reduced to rubble by a lorry bomb on the orders of the Magnus Timor cult. Timothy Zachary had been the lab technician that had turned traitor and had used doppelganger assassins to attack Jenny outside her former coffee shop in the north east of England, as a ruse to get another one into the Facility.

“Timothy Zachary” Mark said in disbelief

“At your service Commander” Timothy replied with a smirk, and then he turned to Jenny, “A little over dressed are Miss Green, I hardly recognised you with your clothes on” he sneered, “Please could you remove all your clothes, I much prefer the Amazon look”
“In your dreams” Jenny retorted
“I thought you were dead” Mark replied and approached him.

Timothy pulled out a small derringer and waved it at the commander and then Jenny, “I forgot all about this at the Facility when I had the other gun” Then Timothy grinned and added, “Well as you can see commander, in spite of your best efforts, I’m not dead after all. I am very much alive and well and living here on what, if I remember our cataloguing convention, should be called Eye-Dee Double-you Oh, two”

Then the other person emerged from the alien forest. She was what looked like a woman in either her forties or fifties, and she had very cold dark eyes and was wearing black dress that clung to her figure.

“Who are these people?” the women in black asked.

Timothy walked to her side, still keeping the gun trained on Jenny and Mark, “They are old friends of mine from Earth” he said sarcastically, then he spoke to Jenny and Mark, “Commander, Miss Green, allow me to introduce my new partner in crime as it were” then he paused

Timothy then grinned, “The Spirit of Lust”.

Mark shook his head in disbelief, “You can’t be” he insisted, “Mr Andrews” he began

“SILENCE” The Spirit of Lust screeched in a voice that sounded like thunder, “I do not want to hear the name of that mortal that left me to die when he collapsed the World of War Craft on me”

Mark, then had a sudden realisation, “You did this” he said to Timothy accusingly, “You saved her from the fate she deserved”

Timothy just grinned, “Guilty as charged Commander”
“How and why” Mark asked
Timothy then explained smugly “When we had detected an upsurge in IDE activity in Cyber Space, one of the tasks Mr Blue asked me to do was to monitor which entities were there, and find a way to capture them. It worked out to be harder than we first thought, and when I detected that Mr Andrews had initiated the shutdown from inside, the capture device and software had yet to be tested”

“So you tested it on this” Mark continued, then he added, “Don’t you realise she is responsible for a civil war that cost the deaths of hundreds or…”

Timothy walked up to him waving the derringer in his face interrupted Mark. “Mr Blue knew all about her record, and if he was happy that I saved her, why should I be bothered. I mean I was able to pull an IDE out of a section of Cyberspace as it was being shut down, how cool was that?” then Timothy walked back to be beside the Spirit of Lust, who gave a contemptuous glance at the commander.

Timothy went on “Anyway, Mr Blue had a change of mind, thanks to Set, it seems the Spirit of Lust and Set have issues with each other and as she was in our virtual reality system, Mr Blue ordered her deletion after we got what we could get from her, but as with the doppelganger we had captured back then, I thought that was such a waste especially because of a personality clash between two IDE’s, so I transferred her to a specially modified palm pilot I had. I mean she is a major spirit of vice, capable of throwing fire balls at will”

At this, the Spirit of Lust held her arms out and two fire balls formed over her hands, instinctively Mark got between the major spirit and Jenny to try and protect her.

Timothy looked at the Spirit of Lust and shook his head and tut tutted. Jenny could have sworn she saw the Spirit of Lust glower at Timothy, but obediently the fireballs dissipated harmlessly

“And I am grateful to Mr Zachary for rescuing” The Sprit of Lust told Jenny and Mark, then with a barbed comment, “Even if he did keep me in that infernal device”
“Fair’s Fair Lusty babe” Timothy replied with a reckless air of disrespect, “I did manage to figure out how to get you out once we got here”

Jenny felt out of place, and eyed this woman with the cold dark eyes, “Excuse me, but who is the Spirit of Lust”

Before Timothy could answer, Mark put his right arm around Jenny’s shoulder, “She is the elder sister of the former Spirit of True Love”
“You mean the major spirit of virtue who was the birth mother of Fidelity and Caer?” Jenny asked

“Oh yes child” interrupted the Spirit of Lust, “My nieces who decided to renounce their birthright of being minor spirits virtue and become frail mortal humans. Mr Zachary told me what had happened to those two and that worked out better than I planned as they will grow old and die like you mortals all do, so when I get back I will not have to waste my time on those wretches.”

“But they are happy being ordinary humans like us” Jenny insisted, and then added “And I am not a child”

The Spirit of Lust looked contemptuously at Jenny, “My Zachary has told me many things, and even how his former leader Mr Blue was taken over by that jumped up Spirit of Malice”

This time Timothy interrupted, “Although I have to point out, Mr Blue was aware of Set and they actually got on quite well, it was a kind of symbiotic relationship of sorts and they did share quite a number of the same ideals”

“The Spirit of Lust Jenny” Mark continued insistently, “Had her sister and her brother the Guardian of Mortal Struggle murdered”

Jenny looked horrified at this female spirit, she had heard of minor spirits of vice, but had never met one, she had met minor spirits of virtue, and indeed unknowingly worked with one, Fidelity, those brief few months at the coffee shop. But she had never come face to face with a major spirit, of virtue or vice, unless you countered the Magnus Timor as a “jumped up spirit of fear”, as the late Dobian the drow had referred to him as.

Jenny remembered her encounter with Fidelity, her first minor spirit of virtue, which was when her former boss sent her out to buy underwear for her, as all she had turned up in that day was a medieval style smock and nothing else. She even chipped in for some socks and cheap trainers herself.

Jenny’s thought train was interrupted.

“My brother sold out” The Spirit of Lust screeched,” he had to die. He was the Spirit of War, a major spirit of vice and yet he chose to try and be a Spirit of Virtue. He refused to go along with my plans”

“But he was your own brother?” Jenny asked with incredulity

At this the Spirit of Lust fixed her gaze upon Jenny, “I believe Mr Zachary wanted you to remove your clothing to satisfy his lust of the flesh” and then she started pointing at Jenny.

Immediately Jenny was completely naked, and her arms forced down by her side so she could not use her hands to cover her self up. Mark was also thrown to the ground and pinned down, to keep him from helping her.

“You may take her now Mr Zachary” the Spirit of Lust announced

Timothy turned round to face the Spirit of Lust, “That is some party trick Lusty babe” Timothy commented, then added, “And that is how I so want to see women such as her I admit, but we don’t have time for this, well not here anyway, and given the terrain we have to go through, I will be curbing my lusts for the moment.” Then to Jenny, with what seemed uncharacteristic gallantry of this perverted lab technician, he pleaded with the Spirit of Lust in a mock pleading way “Lusty Babe please, pretty please, give her back her clothes and also that cute little bow and arrow set”

Then Timothy added, “And release the commander as well”

“Oh very well” The Spirit of Lust replied with an air of irritation, and instantly Jenny‘s cloths re appeared on the ground in front of her, along with her short bow and arrows and Mark felt the force holding to the ground dissipate.

Whilst Jenny grabbed her clothes and got dressed again, Mark picked himself up and asked Timothy, “What do you mean the terrain we have to go through?”

“Through these stinger fans” Timothy replied pointing to the tall plant like structures they had emerged from, “I know I’m not wearing a shirt, but I covered myself with gulphog pheromones, otherwise, well you would not want to know”

Mark and Jenny looked at the tall plant like structures



“But they look like some kind of tree” Jenny remarked
“Actually they are animals” Timothy explained, “You see this world must also have had some formation from a collective unconscious”
“But I don’t recognise this from any mythology”
“It seems to be based on one of my favourite Channel four National Geographic series” Timothy continued, “In that show they got experts to create two alien world and they called them Aurelia and Blue Moon. This appears to be based on Aurelia”
“So this is a world out of your imagination?” Mark sneered
“I suppose you could say that, but it was created by those guys on the TV show” Timothy replied, “getting back to these things, you don’t have clothing, or at least the blood of their predator they can get a bit curious at extra nutrition passing by”

“But I could clear a path through these infernal things” The Spirit of Lust replied
“And you tried that, remember what happened” Timothy replied in a rebuking tone

This was a major spirit of vice, Jenny observed, what did this vile jumped up lab technician who had had her violated by a doppelganger assassin have over her?

Jenny finally got completely dressed, put the arrow in her quiver and picked up her bow. With the Spirit of Lust around, there was no point in trying to put an arrow into Timothy, as much as she would like to, for what he had done to her all those months ago.

“We need to get out of here” Timothy told everyone, “You may not like this, but all four of us are going to have to work together if any of you hope to see the Earth or IDW01”
“The Mystical Realms” interrupted the Spirit of Lust
“Sorry Lusty babe, I mean the Mystical Realms” Timothy replied.

“If they are still there?” Jenny whispered
“What do you mean still there?” The Spirit of Lust replied
“What she means, Spirit of Lust” Mark said insistently, is we were sent here by the Magnus Timor, he was trying to bring your world into our universe to smash it into the Earth. For all we know, he may have succeeded”

“But our spell to keep him eternal sleep?” the Spirit of Lust replied with incredulity
“Was broken” Mark responded

“Well we can’t stay out here” Timothy interrupted, “We need to get back to our cave where it’s safe”
“What do you mean safe?” Mark asked
“Commander, this planet is tidally locked, and periodically that star sends out pulses of gamma rays or something, and unless you are a stinger fan you are fried if you are caught out in the open.
“Very touching of you to care about our welfare” Mark sneered.
“Sorry Commander, I know that to say we have history is an understatement, but believe me, we need to be on the same side this time if, assuming this Magnus Timor hasn’t destroyed the Earth, we are going to get out of this”
“How can we ever trust you again after what you did to me” Jenny asked angrily
Timothy shook his head and tut tutted, “Like I told you Miss Green, it was nothing personal” Timothy replied,
“I know” Jenny barked back, “I just happened to be convenient for your sick and twisted plans”
This time Timothy was more assertive, “Jenny, we don’t have time for this, we need to get back to that cave while we still can”

“Come on Jenny” Mark told Jenny and took her by the hand, “We better go with them.”
“Are you two love birds?” Timothy asked in a childish voice
“That’s none of your business” Mark snapped back
“Sorry Commander” Timothy apologised, “But all those months back, I thought you made such a cute couple, even though she is more my age and you are ten years older than her”

Then with Timothy leading the way and The Spirit of Lust following behind, they started their journey through the Stinger fans.





Felicity wiped the tear from her eyes and again looked at the letter from the specialist again. It was unequivocal, and she felt that there was only one way out, even if The Roman Catholic Church might consider it a mortal sin.

She looked up at the old meat hook in the kitchen ceiling where she would tie the rope to, just after her beloved husband Shaun had left to go into Dublin to speak to the solicitor about the farm in County Claire he was inheriting from his grandfather. Felicity gazed for a few seconds at the noose she had tied, it did not have the regulation thirteen turns, but it would suffice.



Felicity put her suicide note on the kitchen table along with the letter from the specialist and her wedding ring, pulled up a chair, that she knew would be easy to kick way once she had put her head in the noose. Slowly Felicity stood on the chair and fixed the noose to the meat hook, so it would support her weight. Then weeping as she did so placed the noose over her head and then as she stood there, slid the knot down to her neck. The length of the rope was such that she was just able to breath without standing on her toes.

“Lord, I’m sorry” she cried in despair, “But I love Shaun so much and he deserves someone better who can have his babies”. Felicity looked at the ring, and the two pieces of paper on the table, put one foot on the back of the chair to start tipping it, so it would fall and leave her hanging by her neck until dead, so she could leave this world.

Slowly two feet of the chair lifted off of the floor, then it balanced on the two chair legs at the chair’s back. For a moment Felicity hesitated, but this was short lived hesitation as the chair legs on the ground suddenly slid away, causing the chair to fall away as planned. Felicity was now hanging by her neck choking and asphyxiating as the noose did its job. Soon it would be over

“FELICITY” Screeched a male voice.

It was Shaun her husband of a year and two months. He had just arrived back home unexpectedly in time to see the chair his wife was standing on fall over.

“FELICITY” He shouted and with no time to loose, he ran up to his where his wife was hanging, picked the chair up and repositioned it and made sure Felicity was standing on it, holding it to prevent his wife kicking it over again and jumped up onto the chair and pulled the noose open, and then off of Felicity’s head.

“Please Shaun” Felicity pleaded, “Can’t you go away for half an hour. I’m doing this for you, it’s the only way”
“No way” Shaun insisted, and with his Stanley knife cut the rope just above the knot of the noose so she could not put her head in it again, and then held his weeping wife.
The chair started to creak so Shaun told his wife, “I don’t think this chair will support both of us” and jumped off of it and then grabbed his wife’s right hand to help her down.

As soon as Felicity was on the ground, he pulled the knot of the noose down and through, so it was now just a longish piece of rope and placed it in the kitchen bin.

“What did you think you were doing love” Shaun asked his wife, “Did I do anything wrong?” He asked
“No Shaun, I love you so much, but I can’t give you the children you wanted, I failed you” Felicity sobbed, “I know they would never grant you a divorce, so even though it would be a mortal sin, I figured…”

Shaun then completed what his wife was about to say, “If you killed yourself I would be free to marry someone who can have babies”

Felicity just nodded, “You deserve better” she whispered then added, “If I had known, I would never have married you, because I love you. Please, let me die, let me do this one act of love for you so you can find someone else who can have the children you want”

Shaun just gave his wife a big hug, “Don’t be so silly, I love you too and if I had known you were unable to carry a baby to term before I asked you to marry me, I still would have asked you to marry me because I love you Felicity”
“But you, you want children so much?” she protested
“Love” Shaun just replied, “I have something to show you”. Shaun then returned to the briefcase he had just dropped and pulled out a piece of paper, “Felicity, just because you can’t give birth, does not mean we can’t have children. You were in such a state last night about that letter from the specialist that I forgot clean about this”

Shaun then showed his wife the letter he had taken from his briefcase

“Our application to be foster parents has been acknowledged, and after a routine inspection, which I’m sure we will pass, we will get to look after a child, and that is sometimes the route to adopting a child of our own”

Felicity looked at the form, and then hugged her husband; “I’m so sorry Shaun” was all she could get out.

“Look, I don’t mind just being a foster parent love, but if we do this, we may get to adopt any child they place with us. Now dry your eyes and put your wedding ring back on, and we will forget all about this sillyness, just as soon as I get the rest of the rope down from that hook” Shaun told his wife, “In fact, I think it’s about time I got rid of that hook altogether”

“I’m so sorry Shaun, if you’re sure you still want me, I promise I won’t do it again” Felicity insisted.
“Of course I still want you” Shaun replied “I want you more than anyone else in the world, and I know you won’t try this again, but after this I just don’t want to see that hook, it will remind me of what could have been, if it were not for that strange lady at the end of the road.

“What strange lady” Felicity asked, “Is she still there? Did she see me putting up the…”
“No love” Shaun interrupted, “She just stepped out in the middle of the road, and when I braked the car, she came over and told me by name that if I did not hurry back to you there and then, then my destiny would take a sorry turn as it was not supposed to be your time”

“And?” Felicity asked shaking her head and rubbing her neck

“Well love, I briefly looked at my watch thinking about whether I would have time to make it to the solicitors if I did, and when I looked back, the lady had gone, very peculiar, so I thought I better do as she said. Looks like you had a guardian angel there”

Felicity just nodded and placed her wedding ring back on her finger.

Shaun then picked up the suicide note, crumpled it up and put it into the bin, and then held his wife, whispering how much he loved her and how she would make a great foster mother. It was only then that he noticed that he was crying too.

Neither Felicity nor Shaun noticed the two hooded figures outside the window looking in.



“I thought I was supposed to be escorting her from her body” said the male hooded figure
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I need them both alive. You will get your chance in the end, you always do” said the female hooded figure.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not disappointed;” The male figure replied then added “In fact I like it when they are saved at the last moment sometimes, like this. But as you say, I will one day have to collect her, in that you’re right as ever, but don’t let the new Lord Low Troll catch you interfering like this; you know what he is like on such things, now he has won the contract for the Manjura trolls to enforce the law back home”

The female hooded figure turned to the male hooded figure, “That troll is the least of my trouble’s I suspect, anyway his heavies are rather busy carting off the Spirit of Despair who was here just before you arrived. I pleaded with him not to do what he did to this poor woman, but, you know what spirits of vice are like, so I ratted on him”
“But why these mortals?” the male hooded figure asked
The female hooded figure sighed and then explained, “My friend I grew up with is expecting, and it looks like twins I believe, by a mortal father at that, and I noticed her sister was not too happy. I know the Lord Low Troll is never happy with me and my sister’s work, but we were there before he was even head of the Manjura, let alone the Lord Low Troll and these two mortals, if they are allowed to live will be crucial to my friend’s children. I just wish I could say more, but that would be unprofessional of me, if even if the mists of time were a bit clearer on detail”

The male figure just nodded, “I guess you’re right” he said, “This was only an appointment in pencil, as there was some talk that she would chicken out at the last minute”
“I had heard that too” the female replied, “But I could not take that risk, especially with The Spirit of Despair butting in like he did, and it looks like I was right, she was definitely going through with it.”

“You did a good job there” The male figure agreed, “I like working with you lot, especially you elder sister when she helps out in busy times, even though it is a wretched job we have to do”
“Oh!” added the female figure, “There is something important I have to tell you”
“When we get back to our world” the male figure replied, “I believe we are overstaying our allotted time hear”
With that the two hooded figures turned round and left through a blue wormhole that the male hooded figure had just created.







Paddy McPherson watched from the foyer of Limerick Colbert Railway Station the two seventeen year old twin girls, in matching tan jackets and light blue slacks, as they said good bye to their mother and brother before they went onto the platform to catch their train. The only way they could be told apart was that one was wearing a green scarf and the other a pink one.

Paddy was using his standard invisibility spell so not even the two girls who he was looking out for could see him. They would have a Leprechaun G2 officer watching out for them whether they liked it or not, even if the immediate emergency following the bombing of the Facility in London had been down graded.

Paddy moved off to follow them, when a man in a green parka jacket seemed to deliberately kneel down in front of him.

Paddy went to walk around him, when the man reached out and grabbed him, holding him firm

“Oh no you don’t you little eye-dee-ee” the man told him in a Belfast accent
“What!” exclaimed the leprechaun
“Handy things, amulets of detection” the man said smugly, then produced a small dagger. “I have a little message from my associate’s late boss” he continued and then for clarification, “I understand his name was Mr Blue, if that rings any bells”

Paddy eyed the dagger with alarm and was also shocked by the mention of the name of the former director of The Facility, especially the one responsible for running the policy of “Incarcerate, Interrogate and exterminate” anyone who had had any connection, no matter how tenuous to the Mystical Realms. Paddy tried to teleport out, but he was being blocked

“Oh I see we can’t teleport away now” the man told him, “how unfortunate” added, before plunging the knife into the leprechaun’s chest and twisting it.

Instantly the leprechaun turned to ash, which was carried away on the breeze.

The Belfast man stood up put his knife away and pulled out a cell phone and found the quick number dial as he started to follow the teenagers onto the train. “The two humans are leaving to go back to their farm in Shannon if you want to do anything with them.” He told the person on the phone “I’ve dealt with the IDE who was sent to guard the two half breed IDE’s; I’m meeting my associate from London on the train as arranged. I take it we just need the one who was there on IDW01, as you call it, you know, the one that was placed under that drow infiltrator”

The person on the phone then asked about the other

“Oh” The Belfast man responded, “She was left here as a baby, so she won’t have anything useful, but if you want we could take her as well and use her as leverage on the other, but I would have to get some more people in to help, as I was only expecting to take one of them.”

The response from the guy on the phone indicated they were not amenable to bringing more people in on the operation

The Belfast man listened then suggested “We could have the other one sanctioned, if you want”

More response from the man on the phone

“OK we will just take the one who was there and leave the other, but I warn you the other one will kick up a stink with the Garda”

More questioning from the person on the phone

“It’s not a problem sir” The Belfast man replied, “We are experts at going to ground, since that was what we had to do from time to time when on active operations south of the border, before the British Government sold us down the river with the Good Friday agreement” the Belfast man replied. The Belfast man then put his phone away as he went onto the platform to catch the train.





It was about the middle of the afternoon when the Spirit of Death materialised invisibly in the penthouse room of a London city block. A man in his fifties in a sharp black business suit was looking out at the river, and the London Eye.

The Spirit of Death was one of the few entities that were allowed to operate in the land of the mortals. He was neither a spirit of vice nor virtue, but he too had been given form out of the human collective unconsciousness that had formed the world of the Mystical Realms, the collective unconsciousness had created them to fulfil certain tasks. It was his task to cut a being’s silver cord of life and accompany mortals from their bodies at the appropriate time. He had been given this man as his next assignment, which seemed odd, as he was certain he was not due to pass over for a few years yet, but it was in the duty book, and that book was never wrong.



“What kept you?” The man uttered and then turned round to look at the Spirit of Death right in the face, still holding his glass of double bourbon
“You should not be able to see me” The Spirit of Death replied with some alarm in his voice

“It’s amazing what you can find on E-Bay these days” the man replied as he held up a slate talisman, “I believe the gnome who sold it got a really good price from me for this” the man then laughed and added, “Gnomes can be such mercenaries at times, just like us humans”

“A talisman of spirit detection” The Spirit of Death Spat back, “Humans are not permitted to have these devices”
“That’s just too bad” The man replied, “When I was a child, and I saw both my parents murdered by bandits, at an archaeological dig in Columbia, who believed in taking what ever they could, I learned a valuable lesson that day”

“Sir, if you are angry with me that I had to escort your parents from you as a boy” The Spirit of Death began, “I’m sorry, that was my job, and I had no choice”

“I realise that Death” the man responded, “It was those Columbian bandits who were responsible, not you, and believe me, if I could ever trace them, you would be collecting their sorry little souls if you have not done so already”

“But I’m sorry sir” The Spirit of Death replied, “It is your time”
“So Death, what do I, a healthy fifty two year old who works out regularly, die of?” the man asked, then he pointed to his glass, “This is my first today and I never go over my allotted weekly units, so it can hardly be alcohol related”
“I do not know sir, maybe an undiagnosed heart condition or a brain aneurism, I was not told, just that it is in the duty book for today”

“Well” Smirked the man, “For your information, it is not my time, far from it”
“But I have my order sheet, I have your name on the duty list” the Spirit of Death insisted waving a sheet of parchment with names etched on in gold leaf.

The man walked away from his window to his desk, while the Spirit of Death stood there perplexed.
“It’s amazing who you can bribe these days, Death”
“I do not understand, you bribed someone to bring forward my appointment with you? I hardly pegged you for being the suicidal type” the Spirit of Death replied with puzzlement
“No Death” the man replied, “I bribed someone to have you sent here, ahead of my time, because that way, according to your own rules, I can do this”

The man hit at a switch on his desk and instantly the Spirit of Death found himself surrounded by some cage constructed out of light beams.
“A cage of holding!” The Spirit of Death exclaimed, “What trickery is this”
“A simple spell from the drow. Not that they know it’s missing, but it holds you if you were to come for any being too early, something about cosmic fairness and all that”
“How”, screeched the Spirit of Death,”What about my duties” he asked in panic
“Oh don’t worry about that” The man replied, “My new associate will be taking over from you for the time being, and I believe you know her”

The Spirit of Death looked out from his cage, mystified as the man pressed a button on his intercom to his secretary. “Send her in”

In walked what appeared to be a young woman in her mid teens, with jet black hair, looking very much like a Goth
“Hello daddy” she said in a spiteful manner,
“Celeste?” The Spirit of Death said in astonishment
“You’re the one who told me and my long departed mother, the Spirit of Destiny that I would never amount to anything, and now I’m taking over your job, Old Man”

“Celeste my daughter” The Spirit of Death pleaded, don’t do this, this man is evil
“And people don’t think we are already because we take their wretched little lives from them?” Celeste snapped back
“We are not evil” The Spirit of Death insisted, “We just have an unpleasant but vital job to perform”
“And don’t worry daddy dear, I’m going to do it now, my way” Celeste sneered

“Welcome to the firm Celeste” The man said to her, and then took her hand to kiss it. Celeste let him do so and smiled cruelly at her father

Then the man picked up another pendant, looking like an empty old fashioned cotton reel from his desk and walked over to the cage.



“I believe you have something of mine” the man told the Spirit of Death, and then pronounced an incantation that sounded like a mixture of ancient elf and ancient drow.

Suddenly a glowing thread appeared wrapped around the cotton reel like pendant. “I believe you were going to cut this a tad too soon” the man told the Spirit of Death
“So is this what it’s about” the Spirit of Death asked, “You a mere mortal human want to be immortal”

The man mused for a bit, “That’s only the one part of it Death” he then said, and then he spoke another incantation, and the Spirit of Death found himself in a dark void, still trapped in his cage of holding

The man in the business suit put his glass down on the desk and turned to Celeste, “Can I get you anything?” he asked her
“Snakebite” Celeste replied

The man looked at his drinks cabinet, “Sorry my dear” he told her, “I will have to take you down the local pub for one of those”
“That’s ok” Celeste Smirked, “Have you got any Red Bull”
“I have vodka” The man replied and took out a clear bottle of Smirnoff
Celeste smiled, “Close enough” she told her new boss and then took the drink the man had poured.

“Now if you don’t mind Celeste, I have another call to make” The man told her
“That’s ok, I have to get on as well” Celeste told him, “As they say in your good book I have to be about my daddy’s business” with that she vanished into thin air.

The man then picked up a cell phone and tapped in a number. After the phone was answered he told the person on the other end of the phone, “Pick her up as soon as you can. I have arranged for the various devices to be delivered.”





The two seventeen year old twin girls watched as the train pulled up into platform one.
“Here it is at last” one of them said in a Irish accent, “It’s fifteen minutes late Fid”
“I’m sure they will wait” the other teenage twin replied in a strange European type accent.

The first twin grabbed at the door handle which seemed stiff

“Allow me” came a voice behind them. It was a man in a black denim jacket with some kind of British accent. He deftly opened the door and the two teenagers entered the carriage and started to hunt for their reserved seats. Neither of them noticed the man speaking into his cell phone, nor would it have meant anything to them.

The man in the black jacket found an airline style seat in the railway carriage, next to a man in a green parka sitting by the window.
“Is this seat taken friend” he asked the man in the parker
“How am I your friend” the man in the parka replied in a Belfast accent
“We met on Facebook remember?”
“That we did” the Belfast man replied, “I’m Johnny Adair, pleased to meet you”

The man in the black jacket sat down next to Johnny, “I’m Steve Swales” then he whispered, “It’s kind of bizarre that a former UK IDEC officer and a former member of the UFF are common bedfellows”
“More like we have a common benefactor” Johnny replied, “But then we do live in interesting times”
“In the Chinese sense?” Steve asked
“Aye” nodded Johnny.
“Did the IDE give you any trouble” Steve then asked
“Not at all” Johnny answered,”He’s dusted”

Steve looked down the railway carriage at the two teenage twin girls, “So which one is which?”



The twin girls sat with their back to the direction of travel. The coach was warm so they both took off their scarves. The one with the pink scarf sat by the window at the insistence of her over-protective sister.

An elderly woman came down the carriage and asked if the facing set of seats were taken, as she was only going as far as Templemore, .

“Not that I know of Miss” the twin by the window replied
“Sure help yourself” the other twin responded.

The woman was momentarily taken aback, “How come your voices are so different, yet you are absolutely identical?”
The twin by the window looked nervously at her sister, so the twin on the aisle seat decided to answer, “We were kind of separated at birth”

“Oh that must have been horrid” the old woman replied, “Was your mother unable to cope with twin girls”
“No mam” the twin in the isle seat replied, “a relative on our biological mother’s side was seen as a danger to us so I was removed and left at a police station in Dublin for my own safety, but my sister was taken in by someone who worked for that relative before she could be taken to where I had been left”

“That’s tragic to be left as a foundling” The elderly woman sighed looking at the twin sitting in the aisle seat, “So you got the better part of this tragedy” the woman then said to the twin by the window.
The twin by the window went quiet and gently shook her head, and then looked out at the passing countryside, suddenly unable to speak as she became choked up by emotions. Her sister, gave her a reassuring hug, “He’s gone now Fid, he will never hurt you again”
The twin by the window nodded and a tear rolled down her left cheek.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to upset you” the old woman said, then offered to move to another seat.
“Don’t be so silly” the twin in the isle seat replied, and then to her sister, “Are you ok Fid, it is nearly two years since you came to live with us”
The twin by the window nodded, “Sorry Caer, she sniffed, I really thought I had got over it after all this time”
“Oh I know about the nightmares Fid, mother told me” the twin referred to as Caer by her sister lovingly told her, “Did you have one last night”
Her sister just nodded and another tear rolled down her face. Some wounds never seemed to heal.
“I take it from that” The elderly woman said uncomfortably, “this person abused you”
“Yes he did” Caer said with anger in her voice and then insisted, “but not sexually”
“No not sexually” the other twin echoed shaking her head rapidly
“That’s something I suppose” The elderly woman replied.

There was an uneasy silence for a moment, and then the old woman spoke to Caer, “So your name is Caer after the Celtic myth about the daughter of Prince Ethal Anbuail of Sid Uamuin in Connacht”

Caer nodded then added, “And this is my sister Fidelity, but we call her Fid for short”

“So what happened to you?” the old woman asked Caer
“I was placed with foster parents in Dublin and because they had inherited a farm in County Claire, they then successfully applied to adopt me. They fostered and then adopted a boy when I was four, so I could have a brother. He was orphaned by a car crash when he was one and there were no other suitable relatives in his family”
Fidelity managed to recompose herself, “I came to Ireland just under two years ago” she uttered.

Caer then gave her sister another hug, “And Mummy and Daddy adopted my sister too”

“So” the elderly woman probed, “Where are you going to on your own? University?”

Caer shook her head, and then explained, “Some years back, they found who our biological father was due to some kind of DNA thing, but he was dead, killed in Afghanistan by American Friendly fire after he had saved a few of their guys, which made him kind of a war hero. Our biological uncle wanted to take me away from my parents as he insisted he was more family than they were”
“What happened?” the woman asked with a horrified tone, “Can he do that?”.
“We never found that out on the legal side of things, but our biological grandmother was classed as head of the family and said as I had settled where I was and it would be wrong to upset that, so out of a compromise either they would visit, or my parents would take me to see them in Dublin”
“But she died last month” Fidelity chipped in
“Yeah” Caer confirmed, “We were unable to go then because something came up”
“But we have to visit the family of our biological father or maybe our biological uncle will challenge our adoption” Fidelity added

“That sounds mean spirited” the woman replied
“I can’t wait until we turn eighteen, then he won’t have that hold over us” Caer told her with exasperation in her voice.

They then sat talking about the weather and other things until the train came into Templemore Station and the elderly woman got off.



Steve looked up at the twin girls, “When are we going to take her” he asked Johnny
“As soon as we get into Heuston” Johnny replied, “I have friend’s there with a van to get her away sharpish”
“Are we taking the other one?” Steve asked
“No, it would mean more personnel and our mutual benefactor wants to keep the number of people in this operation to a minimum for security reasons”
“Why not just kill the other one?” Steve asked, “I know the former management at the Facility downgraded her risk factor, but she is still an IDE in my book despite some light show at Shannon Airport, and as far as I’m concerned, there’s only one good IDE, a dead one”
“I asked our mutual benefactor that one too, he said a higher than needed body count at this time would be messy, attract too much attention” Johnny answered, “Besides with what we’re being provided with she or the Garda and even G2 and their leprechauns won’t be a problem”
“Ok, but if she does get in the way of the operation”
“She won’t” Johnny insisted, “We used to do this all the time during the troubles when we took out IRA or Sinn Féin councillors”

Steve then handed Johnny a talisman, “Compliments of our mutual benefactor”
“What is it?” Johnny asked
“It’s what some of the IDE’s use when they invade our world to stay unnoticed in plain sight; it’s called a talisman of distraction. It will help us when we take the IDE half breed”




It was early morning when Charlene Henshaw knocked on the front door of the house of Pete Smith and Sue-Lim Wang. Charlene had rented a jeep so she could take Sue-Lim shopping on their day off, to look at wedding dresses in down town Washington DC.

It took about five minutes for Sue-Lim to answer the door in her dressing gown. Her face betrayed the fact she had been crying.
“Sue Lim” Charlene began, and then on noticing Sue-Lim’s faced, dropped her voice and asked, “Are you ok?”
Sue-Lim just nodded, then whispered, “Pete’s still asleep in bed, he had a late night last night dealing with a crashed server” and beckoned for Charlene to come in.

Charlene stepped into the house and quietly hung her coat up in the hallway, while Sue-Lim vanished into the kitchen. Charlene looked up the stairs briefly at the closed bedroom door. It was an odd arrangement so Charlene thought, Pete and Sue-Lim were getting married, so were billeted in the same house, as like her they all worked for the Inter Dimensional Entity Control, but they were choosing at this time to sleep in separate bedrooms of the three bedroom house. It was, in Charlene’s view, some old fashioned morality thing on Sue-Lim’s part that Pete respected.

Charlene entered the kitchen where Sue-Lim was drinking a cup of tea.
“Can we not do this today?” Sue-Lim asked, with tears in her eyes.
“Are you and Pete ok?”
“Yes Charlene we’re fine” Sue-Lim replied
“Then what’s the problem?” Charlene asked, “This is the first chance to see DC since we got moved here from England”
Sue-Lim just shook her head, “It just did not seem right, not today”
“I don’t understand Sue-Lim, you were looking forward to this as well”
“It would have been Jason’s birthday” Sue-Lim replied quietly

Charlene sat down and reached out to take Sue-Lim’s hand, “He was the guy you and Pete grew up with who was killed in the attack on Karam Tag Chou ” she said softly

Tears dropped from Sue-Lim’s eyes as she just nodded, “We were also recruited to the IDEC together as well” she uttered, then added, “He would have been Pete’s best man”

Charlene sighed and shook her head, then added “And it’s Jenny’s memorial in England today as well”
“I wanted to go to that too” Sue-Lim said quietly, “but they said we were too busy with the transfer of the IDEC to Washington”
“Well at least the colonel got to go” Charlene empathised, then added, “We lost a lot of people to that Magnus Timor cult”
Sue-Lim nodded saying “Including our Jason”
“It’s probably not the same, but I lost my supervisor at CERN and Clover O’Leary to them as well” Charlene replied, then added with a touch of anger, “Even though my supervisor was working with them”

Then an uneasy silence descended on them, which was broken by Charlene, “I never asked before, but when your wormhole generator cut out up there in space, did you open it up”
“Not really” Sue-Lim replied, “There was a smell of burning and Ivan did not think it was a good idea to open it up in the progress craft, besides it was obvious it was down”
“We found a crystal of heat in ours” Charlene ventured
“But that’s a leprechaun device!” Sue-Lim exclaimed, “They are normally used by the G2 special section”
“That’s what Clover said” Charlene replied, adding, “Before she was shot dead, she said that someone had been using invisibility magic on the dragons that attacked us, but she did not say by whom”

Just then Pete came into the kitchen in his dressing down, “I thought you were going into DC today” he said blearily
“This would have been Jason’s birthday” Sue-Lim responded, “How could I”
“Very easily love” Pete insisted, “If you don’t, you give those who killed him a victory over you. He was my friend as well, and he would not have wanted you sitting here moping, now get dressed and let Charlene take you shopping”

With that, Pete walked over, lovingly put his arms around Sue-Lim and kissed her on the top of her head, “I want my future wife to have the best wedding dress we can get”, and then he turned to Charlene, “Make sure you get one that fits, I don’t want Sue-Lim starving herself to fit into one”
“Sure Pete” Charlene replied, then with a cheeky grin, “You could always save money and go Betazoid style”
This comment was met by a blank look from Sue-Lim and a red face from Pete.
“I don’t think so” was all that Pete was prepared to say







The special sitting of senior members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs was being held in private.

Kathryn Cooper, a woman in her forties was sitting before them. Beside her was a man in his mid to late sixties. He went by the name of Mr. Vee, his real name a secret, and there was no love lost between the two, well on Kathryn’s part anyway.

“So Miss Cooper” the elderly male senate chairman opened with, “You are the Chairman of the of the executive oversight committee of the organisation known as the Inter Dimensional Entity Control, but referred to in shorthand as The Committee?”
“That is correct Senator” Kathryn replied into the microphone
“I think we all find it incredible that not only is there the existence of a parallel universe with a world known as IDW01 to some and The Mystical Realms to others, but that there has been official treaties with what are termed the ruling authorities of this world”
“The reason is” Kathryn tried to begin, but she was interrupted by the Senate Chairman
“We know the reason Miss Cooper, that incident with the Columbian drug cartel”
“Well I hope you realise that by working” Kathryn tried again, but the senate chairman was having none of it and interrupted again.
“But it was so called working with these authorities that lead to a large contingent of marines being slaughtered in a turkey shoot, because they were betrayed by not one entity from that world, but I have just been informed, two entities from that world. And I must add, these were entities you and your UK director had trusted. Is that not correct?”

Kathryn was shocked, officially the report had said that there had been one traitor, which was Hadal an elf from the High Council of Elves, who had unknown to them been the twin brother of Zathan the leader of the Magnus Timor cult, but secretly she knew of one other traitor, Paddy McGurty a leprechaun with G2, the Republic of Ireland’s military intelligence service.

“Are you referring to the Troll Chamberlain?” Kathryn ventured, hoping they were referring to him; as he had assisted in the cult’s assault on the troll citadel of Karam Tag Chou.

“No!” The senate chairman barked back, “We have been informed that an entity who was working for one of our allies here on Earth was also complicit in this massacre of our troops”
“What!” Kathryn exclaimed How had they found this out, the acting director of the UK section US Marine Colonel Samuel Peters had persuaded even the troll Clan Chief of the Manjura to keep quiet
“You seem surprised Miss Cooper” The senate chairman went on, “Is this because your staff has not been as forth coming with information or is it because you have lied to this committee by leaving that out of the final report?” Then after a pause, “Which is it Miss Cooper, is this incompetence on your part or a cover up on your part?”

Kathryn looked daggers at Mr Vee, He had been involved with the IDEC under the old management when the policy relating to IDE’s had been Incarcerate – Interrogate and Exterminate. Mr Vee had even appointed the last director to espouse that policy, Mr Blue and his own aid had tried to return the IDEC to that dark path. they must have found out about the leprechaun from Mr Vee

Mr Vee looked at Kathryn with puzzlement as if he had been taken by surprise that the chairman knew of this other traitor..

“The committee is waiting to hear the answer Miss Cooper” the senate chairman pressed.
“Neither” Mr Vee interrupted, “Since the alleged traitor worked for the Republic of Ireland, an important ally, I felt it was expedient to withhold that information to avoid embarrassing them, and since a number of you are dependent on campaign donations from Irish Americans, I did not think you would want it made known either that this ally’s humiliation was recorded, but if you insist…”
“Are you trying to threaten us?” The Senate chairman asked in disbelief
“Senator, I am merely educating you in a political reality, when you are straying from the point, if we had not intervened to assist this other world, then this Magnus Timor would have succeeded and we would not be around to debate this issue”

Kathryn was perplexed as to why Mr Vee was helping her, ever since he used leverage of the disastrous mission to cancel the rebuilding of the Facility in London England, move the IDEC to Washington DC and maintain his seat on the committee.

Kathryn suddenly came to herself again and started speaking, “Senator, my colleague is right, it was our co-operation that allowed the operations director to neutralise this threat to both our worlds”

Another senator, an African-American then joined the questioning, “Miss Cooper, I find it disturbing, that your colleague here is censoring reports before you see them. I understand he may think he has our personal and political interests at heart, but does this not mean that you are not in control of this multi agency task force?”

Mr Vee interrupted before Kathryn could answer, “My colleague is very busy and poorly resourced, I myself had to come to her rescue from a shape-shifting assassin because she was inadequately protected due to budget constraints imposed by your committee. The operation would have been compromised more likely by the elf traitor than a minor disaffected leprechaun who was angry at not being considered suitable to join the IDEC special operations team. A team which may I remind the committee here were all but one of them, killed in action in order to save this planet and IDW01”

The African American senator still was trying to press Kathryn on her role as the chairman of the IDEC executive oversight committee, “That is all very well, and I would like to pay tribute to those who lost their lives defending this planet, but I still have concerns as to whether you are up to the job Miss Cooper and whether you are fully in control of this special organisation. May I also remind you of the two incidents when a subordinate was able to order retrieval squads to take into custody one civilian, one allied IDE and two half-IDEs. He was able to do this without your authorisation”

“That was my former aid” Mr Vee interrupted again, “I understand he and others who did not share the new ethos of the IDEC, took advantage of my colleague who was on a steep learning curve after the untimely death of the former chairman, the late Gregory Sanderson. I personally took responsibility and facilitated their removal including my former aid”

“And that was by extreme sanction on foreign soil” the African American senator pressed Mr Vee
“That is correct Senator” Mr Vee replied in a matter of fact manner, then pre-empting Kathryn, threw in, “For the record Senator, the half IDE’s as you call them are now classed as fully human, and the two you referred to are American citizens since with the help of the IDEC and our partners from Ireland, they willingly relinquished their IDE status and powers in return for their human souls, and I would like to make it crystal clear to this committee, they are not a threat to national security in anyway shape or form”

Kathryn was annoyed, relieved and puzzled all at the same time, Why was Mr Vee, formally her ideological opponent defending her and the former minor spirits of virtue, Mazy Schneider and Rebecca Sands

A female senator joined in, “Mr Vee, you seem to be speaking more than your chairman here, what do you make of her leadership of the IDEC, do you still feel you should be in charge?”

Kathryn looked at Mr Vee with a sudden sinking feeling, Was he after her position as chairman? He had been on the shortlist just after Gregory had died, but she to her surprise was the one appointed

“Senator” Mr Vee began, I have every confidence in our Chairman’s leadership of the IDEC, I just wish that you would be funding this vital department more than you are prepared to put resources into other areas”

The senate chairman then took back the questioning, “Miss Cooper, since we were, according to your report, saved virtually single handed by this operations director, where is he? Why is he not appearing before us this morning?”

Kathryn looked the senate chairman in the eye, “Because Senator, he has gone to England to speak at the memorial of one of his team members who was killed in action. If you wish to speak to him, he will be back sometime tomorrow evening”

“I think” the African American Senator replied, “We can adjourn and wait to question Colonel Samuel Peters on his return, given the loss he sustained, which included a decorated marine commander who served under him in operation restore freedom”

There was a nodding of heads from the senators present, although the senate chairman was last to acquiesce.
“Agreed” the senate chairman said reluctantly, “But I warn you Miss Cooper, we are seriously wondering if this treaty with IDW01 is a path we wish to continue to follow. There are voices that maintain that such powerful beings that exist there could be a clear and present danger, and we should use all possible means to break all links with that world”
“And that would be a big mistake sir” Kathryn replied, “From a strategic point of view sir, it makes sense to have a suitable bolt hole in time of national emergency. And even if we did want to have nothing to do with IDW01, there are other countries, including Russia who are now dealing with certain power blocks on IDW01, namely the Drow”

The senate chairman seemed to ignore her, and then proceedings were suspended.

Kathryn picked up her papers and slowly left the chamber, leaving Mr Vee pondering about something. There was clearly a leak at the IDEC, someone had talked about the leprechaun’s treachery, and apart from the Colonel, there was possibly one other person she knew who could have done so, but why?

Episode one continued in next posting

Episode one continued from previous posting
Also on first putting up this bit got truncated






Colonel Samuel Peters gathered his thoughts as he sat on the front pew in the old church building staring at the stained glass window above the altar as various members of the extended Green family left the church building at the end of the memorial service for Jenny Green.

A man of the colonel’s age came and sat beside him, “Thank you for that eulogy for our Jenny Colonel” he told the colonel
“It was the least I could do sir” Samuel replied in a subdued voice, then he added, “You raised a fine daughter sir”
The man looked at the ground, “Catharine and I did our best like any parent does” he replied wistfully
“I had a daughter once myself” Samuel replied
“Had?” queried Jenny’s father
“She along with her mother in the late nineties were killed by a DUI” Samuel answered
“I’m sorry” Jenny’s father responded, then he asked, “How old was she”
“Ten” Samuel replied
“That’s has to be worse Colonel” Jenny’s father answered and shook his head, “At least our Jenny had a chance to grow up and do something with her life”
“That she did sir” Samuel replied, “I just wish we had been able to find her body”

“I know” her father replied, “Catharine and I do understand, that was a very powerful lorry bomb to take out a building like that, there were bound to be only body parts left after that”
“That’s very understanding of you sir” Samuel replied

With that Jenny’s father made his excuses and left the colonel sitting in the church, staring at the stain glass, remembering his wife and daughter.

“Sir” came a female voice he did not recognise.

Samuel stood up and turned around and there standing in the aisle in bare feet and wrapped in nothing but a very light white hooded dress was what appeared to be a young teenage girl.

“May I help you mam?” The colonel asked
“They’re not dead sir” the young teenager said in a strange European accent that sounded almost like the elvish that was spoken on the Mystical Realms.
“Sorry?” Samuel said, confused. Something about this teenager seemed odd.
“Your friends for whom you are grieving” the teenager persisted, “They are not dead”

Samuel thought for a moment, this teenager must be referring to his former right hand man, Marine Commander Mark Johnston, and Jenny Green, whose eulogy he had given. Samuel shook his head, “I was there, and I saw it happen”
“Sir” the teenager insisted, “I do not know what you thought you saw, but they are not dead, their threads are not cut”

A chill went down the colonel’s back, this teenager was not who she seemed. “What do you mean their threads are not cut? Who are you?” he demanded
“I am one of three sisters, sir” the teenager replied, “We normally would deal with the lives and deaths of all, but for the last several years we have been living in exile here on the orders of that tyrant, the Lord Low Troll”



The Lord Low Troll?

Samuel then remembered, the Lord Low Troll was the father of the Clan Chief of the Manjura, the troll clan that now guarded the dimension jump orbs that facilitated travel between Earth and the Mystical Realms. The Lord Low Troll had been considered a vain tyrant ruling the Mystical Realms with a rod of iron, nothing like his son, but he had been dead for over two years, one of the first victims of the troll and orc civil war

“Sir” the teenager pressed, “We are in danger, and possibly all of you”

“I don’t understand” Samuel told her, “Why are you still here?”
“I came to you to get help sir, I tried to contact Mr Andrews with whom we were involved a number of years ago, but I was told he and his family were visiting his sister and their children in a place called New Zealand. It was suggested I seek you out instead sir. Please sir, someone is after us, and they have one of my sisters but not the eldest who we believe they really want”

The colonel shook his head, she had obviously misunderstood his question, “Sorry mam, but I meant that since the Lord Low Troll is dead, why have you not returned to the Mystical Realms.”

The teenager shook her head, “I did not know he was dead sir, but even so, his son the Prince Low Troll will probably still be in charge and enforcing our warrant of exile, I understood he shared his father’s belief that there should be no interference with the people of your world”

Samuel rolled his eyes up for a moment and sighed, “The Prince Low Troll gave up that title over a year ago, and he goes by the title of Clan Chief of the Manjura now. He has no power like his father did, you could all probably return. I could even arrange to get in touch with him and if required get you some kind of pardon to get your exile rescinded”

“That would be most gracious of you sir” The teenager replied, “But one of my sisters has been taken, by humans I believe and we do not know where she is being held. We were told that your former place called the Facility used to do such things, and if it was your people, please we were not causing any trouble sir, we were only doing the job we were assigned at our beginning”

At this the teenager got down on her knees and pleaded, “If it was your organisation sir we will do anything. I will even share my physical body with you for your pleasure if that is what you desire” she then offered, and then crossed her arms started to lift up the thin dress she was wearing, revealing she had nothing on underneath.

Samuel shook his head again, this teenage being was so desperate, she was even offering sexual favours. Gently Samuel took hold of her arms to stop her pulling her dress off and pulled the teenager to her feet, “You don’t need to share your body with me or anyone else” he told her quietly then went on, “and as for taking people like you, we don’t do that any more that happened under a former management. Besides, the Facility is no longer there, it was destroyed by the cult of the Magnus Timor using a lorry bomb”

The teenager put her hand to her mouth in horror, “I am deeply sorry, my elder sister did say she had been given a large assignment and my other sister the one who has been taken was upset about what was to be. They do not tell me everything”

Samuel frowned, “We were told it was the work of the Magnus Timor cult, which thankfully has been eradicated since I took that S O B down”

The teenager looked down at the floor of the church, “They probably were sir. We do not cause these things as far as I know, although some blame us, we just chart them and apportion out paths as we are ordered”

Samuel was beginning to get curious about this visitor “So which spirit are you? And are you a major or a minor one?” he asked her gently

The teenager looked up at him with tears in her eyes, “Please sir, we are neither spirits of vice or virtue sir” she replied, “Our job is to measure out the span and chart the life path of mortals such as your self, and other beings on our world, right until the end of their allotted span. We never asked for this job sir, we were ordered to do it”

“So someone has kidnapped your sister” Samuel asked
“Yes sir”
“I assume you have been living here in human form”
“Yes sir, we have been living here as your kind and when we can, tending to our duties, hoping one day we could go home”
“So” Samuel asked, “any chance this could not be related at all to your work. Could this be a matter for the local police?”
“No sir, the way that my sister was taken using a crystal imprisoning rod means they were after us for who we are” The teenager replied
“Imprisoning rod?” Samuel said in astonishment, “But those are used by elves to capture malignant spirits of vice”
“I know sir” answered the teenager, “But this one was being used by a human, and he was trying to take me, when my sister got in the way of the beam to protect me” At this the teenager looked at the floor, “I suppose it is my fault our middle sister is gone”
“Middle sister?” Samuel repeated out loud, “I seem to remember that designation being used of an infamous major spirit of vice.”

“That was the Spirit of Lust sir, and she we know of” the teenager responded with desperation in her voice and looking back up at Samuel, “My middle sister had a run in with her many years ago, she tried to arrange for the new born twins of her friend to be carried to this world and safety from her, but only one could be delivered to the humans in time by the fairies”

Samuel shook his head in recognition, “You’re talking about the former spirits of Fancying and Fidelity” he said then started to say, “which makes you” but he was interrupted

“Yes sir, but why do you say former? They are not dead, their threads are uncut”
“Because” explained Samuel, “They gave up spirit-hood and became normal humans”
“Well sir, they are in grave danger too from these men who have taken my middle sister, for one of those twins may still have the knowledge to track me and my remaining sister down”
“And?” Samuel asked
“And sir” if they capture my elder sister, then whoever is after us will have the power of death over every human on Earth and every being on the Mystical Realms”

“We better go” Samuel told her then added, “I was supposed to fly back to DC tomorrow, but as soon as we get back to my hotel, I will let them know of a side trip to Ireland, and then I better get in contact with the G2 over there”
“Thank you sir” The teenager replied, “And then I will need to contact my remaining sister”
“That would be a plan” Samuel concurred, “Maybe we can get you both a protection detail, and G2 could confirm that you will be free to return to the Mystical Realms”

The teenager just nodded and followed the colonel as they both left the church building. The sun was beginning to set, as they stood out side. Samuel pulled out his cell phone to call a taxi to the hotel and then took off his jacket and insisted that the teenager put it on, as she was shivering on the steps of the church building.

The colonel seemed oblivious to the gun sight of a rifle being targeted at his head.

To be continued

How well do you know someone? How well do you know yourself? It is said that we can only ever know a person when we have walked a mile in their shoes, but is that right?

We think we know our friends well, or even our relatives, but sometimes they can surprise or disappoint us. Sometimes they can ride to our rescue or stab us in the back. Do we truly know?

A father considers his daughter a waster, only to find that she has supplanted him, as Celeste, the daughter of the Spirit of Death has done.

Some divulge precious secrets to our foes, as someone has done concerning the treachery of Paddy McGurty, who had betrayed an expeditionary force to the former cult of the Magnus Timor, thereby undermining the position of Kathryn Cooper the chairman of the executive oversight committee of Inter Dimensional Entity Control.

Sometimes also we can be wrong about the things we know about ourselves for certain, like one twin sister believes she is the one to watch out for her twin sister, and one entity believes she and her sisters are permanently exiled to Earth by a tyrant she has only just learned is dead.

This entity has now appealed for help from a US marine colonel, the former UK director of Inter Dimensional Entity control. However as they are leaving a church building in the North East of England where he has delivered a eulogy to a fallen comrade, they are unaware that an assassin has been sent to kill Colonel Samuel Peters…







Colonel Samson closed his cell phone to put it in his pocket, “The taxi is on it’s way” he told the apparent teenage girl next to him.

Suddenly the girl seemed strangely distracted, ”Must be the cold” Samson thought, especially as he had had to insist she wear his coat as she was only wearing a thin dress and was in bare feet.



The sniper, had got his aim on the colonel’s head from his sniper’s nest in the building across the road from the church. Whoever his target was, he did not care, he was a former Soviet soldier from the Ukraine, now a hired hit man. He put his finger onto the trigger of his KSVK 12.9mm rifle.



The assassin was now totally focussed and totally oblivious to Celeste, the daughter of the Spirit of Death standing next to him. Even if he did look her way, he would never see her, as she had the ability to turn invisible to humans, just like her father. All he had to do was wait for that precise moment when the wind was right, just to make sure his bullet would find it’s mark.

Celeste looked down at the assassin, “What are you waiting for” she muttered under her breath, “I want to collect the soul of that miserable little mortal, the boss wants him dead”

Then Celeste looked across the street at the colonel, and noticed the teenager next to her. Suddenly her eyes burned with anger, “what is she doing here?” Celeste whispered through her clenched teeth.



“She’s here sir” the teenager told Samuel
“Who?” Samuel asked with a slight hint of irritation
“Celeste sir” the teenager explained, “The daughter of the Spirit of Death sir, I feel her presence nearby”

Suddenly Samuel had a bad feeling and started scanning the buildings and the horizon, then he spotted a house where the curtains were not drawn and the lights were not on, which was not how the houses on either side were. Some had curtains drawn or at least a light on. The milk bottles on the step indicated that they were not away. Then Samuel glanced at a top window, opened just a small fraction.

Samuel suddenly grabbed at the teenager and flung himself and her to the ground behind a parked car. At that point a bullet impacted on the wall of the church building, just where his head had been.



The assassin could not believe that his quarry had spotted him, and hated the fact that he had just ruined his one shot one kill record over his last ten contracts. It would be harder to take him out here, now he was aware of his presence. The assassin started to remove the magazine from the rifle.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING” Celeste screamed at the assassin, “SHOOT THEM”

The assassin could not hear her, as Celeste was still invisible and hidden from his conscious perception, but against his normal procedure, he found himself putting back the magazine and cocking the gun to put another bullet in the chamber. This man had to die, here and now, not at a more convenient time, as he would normally do.

He lined up at the car and then to the direction where his quarry was going when he and the girl had gone down, just in case he was going to crawl along the ground in that direction.

He fired again, and then reloaded.



Samuel heard the sound of the other bullet as it hit the car door on the other side and made its way to the wall just inches from his and the teenager’s head.
“If it were not for our exile” the teenager whined, “I could have teleported us away from here”

Samuel opened up his mobile phone and thumbed nine, nine, nine, he could not count on someone else reporting in a gun shot.

BANG

Another bullet came through the car on the other side, it was clear this gunman was using a heavy calibre rifle with some kind of armour piercing round.

If only he were allowed to carry his side arm, but with the removal of the IDEC to Washington, his licence to carry firearms in the UK had been revoked, but even with a side arm, it would be no match against a sniper firing from that location.

Samuel looked at the pathway back into the church building. To get there, they would be exposed, plus if the gunman had an accomplice, they would be sitting ducks

“Which service please” came a voice on the mobile phone.

BANG
Another round through the car

“Police” Yelled Samuel into the phone, before it was unexpectedly cut off.

Samuel noticed that the teenager was looking in horror up at someone near where his feet were, but he was unable to see who.

“What are you doing Celeste?” she cowered, then “No I can’t leave him, Please Celeste, I need him”

BANG

A bullet whistled just over the colonel and the teenager

“We’ve got to go” Samuel said to the teenager, who was obviously transfixed at some invisible creature.

Samuel pulled the teenager to her feet and started running long the pavement.

Suddenly he yanked her as he unexpectedly pulled her over the low wall of the church yard.

BANG

A bullet sailed past where they would have been if he had not suddenly changed course.

“He’s coming for us” The teenager whimpered, “She has sent him after us”
“WHO?” Samuel asked her
“Celeste has” the teenager tearfully explained, “She’s gone back to send him out to kill us”

“RUN” Samuel shouted, and pulled her back over the wall. If the sniper was coming out to hunt for them, then they had a few seconds window to get down the street, and nearer more hard cover, before he emerged from the building.

If only he had his side arm!

They made it along only fifty yards, when Samuel pulled the terrified teenager into the road, trying to make a zig zag pattern.

BANG!

A car’s back window shattered as a round hit it,

That was close!

At that point Samuel noticed the gunman walking along the road with his rifle. The gunman aimed.

Samuel again yanked the teenager, this time back the way they had come, and the bullet sailed past them, through the windscreen of a coming car, into the innocent driver.

The car went out of control, and gunman was almost transfixed at the oncoming car, but got out of the way, just in time, as the car crashed into a parked car next to him.

Samuel then saw an oncoming police car, an armed response vehicle.



Even for the Brits, that was quick! They must have been in the area by chance Samuel thought Evidently the sound of the gunshots had drawn the police anyway

Samuel, pulled the teenager to the side of the road to take cover by another parked car, while the armed response vehicle screeched to a stop, and an armed officer got out and yelled “ARMED POLICE”

The assassin lifted up his gun to take aim

BANG

It was over, as the armed officer was the first to let a round off



“S**t” Celeste screeched as she saw the assassin fall, and she was forced to eject his soul from his body, just after she had dealt with the innocent driver. This was not a good start. She would have to tell the boss, his assassin had failed. If only her boss had allowed her to do the job. That would have to be what she would tell him. That and the interference from one of those exiles.





It was getting quite dark as the train pulled into the railway station. Caer and Fidelity had got their identical travel cases and were waiting at the door of the train as it pulled into the platform.

From their position, Johnny Adair and Steve Swales had to use the door at the other end of the carriage.

Johnny took out his mobile phone, called one of his associates on speed dial and in his broad Belfast accent said, “The one wearing the pink scarf. From what we have overheard they will be meeting someone outside the station”

Caer had been feeling warm in the carriage so had stuffed her green scarf into her carrier bag. Fidelity’s pink scarf was hanging from her coat.

Fidelity got off of the train first, followed by Caer.

As the two twins headed for the ticket barrier, Fidelity’s scarf fell from her coat, without her realising it. Without thinking, Caer swooped and picked it up and held it in her hand.

They passed through the station and headed for the usual pick up point just outside the front entrance.

As usual, their “Uncle Gerard” as they had to call him was not yet there, which seemed galling as it was him who insisted they visit him, or he as their closest biological relative would institute court action to revoke their adoption by the O’Dochertys.

“He must be late Caer” Fidelity said out loud
“Again” moaned Caer, “He makes us come here, so is it too much to ask for him to be on time”
“Please don’t go on Caer” Fidelity whined, “I don’t want to make any more trouble. Every time I come here I get scared that they won’t let us go home”

There was no response from her sister

“Caer?” Fidelity asked, and then turned around to see her sister’s case on the floor and Caer not in sight.

“CAER” Fidelity screamed, and then she looked up to see the door slam on a red van with her sister inside being held by two hooded men.
“CAER” She screamed again, as she banged on the door and tried to grab for the handle, but they were too quick, and the van sped off, almost crashing as it passed between the traffic light and a bollard and headed off into the twilight.



Fidelity tried to run after them, but it was no use, they were gone.

Then she noticed her “Uncle Gerard” approaching, so she ran up to him and grabbed him in sheer panic

Gerard was shocked by this sudden greeting, but then he could sense something was wrong. “Fidelity” Gerard said with surprise, then he asked, “Where’s your sister?”





Timothy Zachary peered outside the lava tube, “We just made it here in time” he uttered as he pointed to some creature Jenny Green had never seen before. Timothy had called it a mudpod



The creature was screaming in agony as it had got caught out in the open, as deadly rays from the red giant star that seemed to be permanently in the same position in the sky burned it alive.

Within seconds, the creature was dead.

Mark came up and gave Jenny a large hug and tried to make sure her head was buried in his chest, but Jenny just looked into Mark’s eyes. “I’m ok Mark” she whispered, “I’ve seen worse”

The Spirit of lust stood in silence.

“We need to head in further out of the way” Timothy said to the group and pushed passed Mark and Jenny and headed deeper into the lava tube system.

Jenny found that the environment was getting quite warm, compared to the chilling air of the Mystical Realms. She undid her jacket and followed Timothy walking hand in hand with Mark, suspiciously eyeing the Spirit of Lust.

After about 10 minutes walking, they came to where Timothy had made his home on this wretched world. There was a small fire, but it was more for light than heat, as there was plenty of heat from the surrounding rock, most likely due to some low level volcanic action.

Timothy sat down on a mat made out of what; Jenny did not want to think about.

“We should be safe here for the duration of that storm” Timothy told Mark and Jenny.

“You knew that was coming” Mark replied, “So why save us?”
“Yup” Timothy answered, “As soon as I met up with you I spotted how the Stinger Fans were starting to get ready for that storm. They are the only species here that can detect it and can survive in the open what that star throws out. And as for leaving you to fry out there, like I said I need you and you need me if we are to have any chance of getting back to Earth or the Mystical Realms”
“How?” Jenny asked angrily, she could never forgive or forget how he had got a doppelganger assassin to attack and sexually assault her

Timothy looked up at Jenny, “Miss Green, I’m sorry you got hurt, but that was then and this is now”
“So that makes it ok” Jenny Screamed, She so much wanted to put an arrow through this man’s neck, but with the Spirit of Lust around she did not dare. “I was violated” she screamed at him.

Mark held Jenny in his arms as she dissolved into tears born out of anger.

Mark looked at Timothy with anger and also eyed the major spirit of vice as she stood silently by against the wall of the lava tube. “I can’t see how we can help you, even if Earth has not been destroyed by the Magnus Timor”

Timothy reached for a device that Mark recognised from all those months ago, the artificial wormhole generator. But it was different somehow, it had been wired into Timothy’s Apple Iphone, the one he had insisted on photographing Jenny with, when all she was wearing was a short skirt and absolutely nothing else all those months ago. Next to it was some kind of PDA.
“When you came through to this world” Timothy began, “I was able to get a fix on where you came from. All I need to do is program the reciprocal co-ordinates and open another wormhole and we land where you came from”

“Assuming it still exists” Jenny interrupted, through her tears of anger
“Come on Miss Green” Timothy smiled at her, “Where is your faith in the Colonel? I mean if he can stop me, I bet he could have stopped this Magnus Timor guy?”
“It sounds like you have everything you need” Mark said with contempt, “what do you need with us”

Timothy looked down and sighed

“Tell him” The Spirit of Lust instructed him.
To Jenny it seemed like Timothy was looking daggers at the major spirit of vice, then Timothy looked up at them, “I do not have enough power to open up the wormhole back to either Earth or the Mystical Realms”
“I still don’t see how we fit in?” Mark persisted
“The Spirit of Lust and I are assuming you still carry those amulets of empathic blocking” Timothy replied, “You know, the ones that look like discs of sandstone” he then added
“What good will they do” Mark asked
“They can be used to power one wormhole for us all to get back” Timothy explained

Jenny looked up at Mark; there was no way she wanted to help this pair leave this place. As far as she was concerned, she wanted the pair of them to rot on this forsaken world, but Timothy was right, they both had the amulets on them; it was standard kit for the IDEC special operations team.

“I want to discuss this with Mark” Jenny then said bluntly, and then added, “Alone”





Mr Vee knocked on the office door.

To the rest of the world, this was just the back office of a local taxi company

The door was opened and Mr Vee walked in to the smoke filled room where other associates of his were gathered and closed the door
“Mr Vee” said one of the men from his seat at a small coffee table, “What brings you here?” he asked as he lit up another cigarette

“I want to know why you kept me out of the loop” Mr Vee asked with a touch of anger in his voice.

“We were going to ask you the exact same question” said another man standing at the window.
“What do you mean?” Mr Vee challenged, “I have been very forthcoming in sharing information about the activities of Miss Cooper and the IDEC, including the details of that leprechaun traitor”

“Then why did you slip that information to the senator?” asked the man at the coffee table
“I didn’t” Mr Vee replied, “Like we agreed I was keeping on to that ace in the hole”

Yet another man standing by the office desk spoke up, “We hear you covered for Miss Cooper, we assumed you were trying to make her beholden to us”

Mr Vee pulled out a carton of orange juice from his coat pocket, removed the straw from the side of the carton and pushed it through the hole at the top so he could drink from it.

“Mr Vee” the man at the office desk spoke up as Mr Vee seemed to ignore him

“I was caught unawares” Mr Vee responded, as he sucked on his straw

“But she is not one of us” the man at the window protested, “She actually agrees we should deal with these IDE’s”

“I did what I did” Mr Vee said slowly and deliberately, “Because I thought one of you had been speaking out of turn and setting me up”
“What do you mean setting you up?” the man at the window asked

“Simple gentlemen” Mr Vee explained, “I was acting as Miss Cooper’s deputy and I was also called before the committee. When the senator revealed the information we were keeping under wraps, I had to assume that this was to get my head as well as hers”
“And why would we do that?” challenged the man at the desk
“You tell me” Mr Vee responded
“Some of us were, concerned” said yet another man who had been in the corner of the room, “That for personal reasons you may have gone native, maybe that was why”
Mr Vee looked at him with cold staring eyes, “If you are referring to Sue-Lim Wang, she was recruited when we ran the IDEC through Mr Blue. I’m not even sure she knows who I am, but if the IDEC were shut down tomorrow, I have friends who could get her into GCHQ back in England, so why should I go native? I have no need”

The man at the coffee table stubbed his barely puffed cigarette out and stood up and got between Mr Vee and the man at the desk. “Look” he said, “We know of your devotion to the cause, and it was a smart move to get your daughter into the IDEC, but we did not tell the senator either and we are just as angry that our leverage with Miss Cooper has been compromised”

“So” Mr Vee uttered as he crushed his now empty carton and dropped it into the waste paper basket, “It seems that there is a third part with their own agenda”

The sound of a blackberry indicating the arrival of an email broke the uneasy silence. It was owned by the man by the window. Without apologising he took it out and looked at it. “It seems, according to our insider at the NSA the call to the senator came from London, England”

“Well” Mr Vee replied, “To England we must go”





Colonel Samuel Peters looked across the table at the police officer across the desk in the interview room.

The police officer sighed, “Is there anything you can tell us Mr Peters that is not as you say classified and a matter of national security?”
“Not that I can think of” Samuel replied
“I was on the line to my friend in London” the police officer replied
Samuel interrupted, “Oh yes how is detective chief inspector Stewart Hayes?”
“Not happy” the officer replied, “Not happy at all”
“Tell him to get over it” Samuel said slowly and deliberately
“Get over it” the police officer said with incredulity, “The biggest terrorist bomb in London since the end of the IRA cease fire and the seven – seven bombings, and being ordered to stand down while American troops removed vital forensic evidence?”
“Yes get over it” Samuel insisted, “We all have our orders, and I lost a lot of good friends in that explosion, we were doing highly classified work there which he and his team were not cleared for, plus we found the dirt-bags behind that and dealt with them”

The officer sighed again, “Ok Mr Peters” he began again, “Getting back to what happened this afternoon. We have an elderly grandmother who was murdered so her home could be used by an assassin from overseas. We have a dead father of three, gunned down in his own car, and let’s not forget the assassin”

“Officer” Samuel began in a more determined tone, “I am sorry about the two dead civilians. I do not know why I was targeted for assassination. I have an idea, but that relates to what we did at our former place in London and so is still classified”

“That’s cold comfort for three young children you just lost their father and his widow” insisted the officer.

“I’m sorry officer, but that is the way it is” Samuel persisted, “We can arrange some form of financial settlement but I know that will not bring him back. I deal with things I could never tell my own wife and child, if they were still alive. I lost them to a driver who thought he could drive with a bottle of bourbon in him, so don’t lecture me about losing a loved one, I know all about it. I was recently on a classified mission and I lost a lot of people, one of which, this afternoon their family held their memorial service for, and I was invited to do the eulogy as her CO” Samuel added angrily

“I’m sorry sir” the police officer apologised, “We know what it is like to loose one of our own too”

“Are we done yet?” Samuel asked
“One more thing” the police officer asked, “Who is that young woman you were with?”
“She came to me for help at the end of the service” Samuel replied, “That was the first time I have ever seen her”
“She said she came to you because her sister has been abducted, Why would that be?, why not come to us?”
“I’m sorry officer but that is classified as well” Samuel replied
“A simple abduction?” the officer queried
“The nature of what they do has to be considered a state secret and it’s possibly related to their work”
“So you are telling me a young scantily dressed teenage woman is involved with something connected with national security” the officer replied with more incredulity
“At least her elder sisters are, and that’s me saying too much already” Samuel answered with a hint of irritation, “Can we go now?”

The officer looked at one of the other officers in the room and then looked back at Samuel, “We have an abduction case here and you are doing the same as what you did in London, taking over?”
“Why not say, I’m taking the case over for you to help ease your work load” Samuel offered
“That’s very generous of you” the officer remarked, “But it still doesn’t smell right”
“Then as I told your friend in London” Samuel began, “Get over it”

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and a junior officer opened the door, “Sorry sir, but we have an important call from Ireland for Colonel Peters”

I guess we’re done after all” Samuel replied and stood up to go.
“You can’t walk over us like you did in London” the interviewing officer said with annoyance.
“File a complaint like everyone else and get in line” Samuel remarked and left the interview room”





The businessman sat in his chair by the window as he spoke on the phone while gazing out at the boats on the River Thames. The city at night had a unique beauty so he thought.

He heard the quiet sound of an inter dimensional entity, as he called them, materialise by his office door.
“Just get it done” he told the person on the other end of the phone, then hung the phone up and without turning around, skilfully placed the handset on its charger.

“Celeste, Most people knock” the businessman chided

“Sorry sir” Celeste replied, “I thought” she tried to continue
“I heard” The business man interrupted.
“It would have worked if that b***h hadn’t stuck her oar in” Celeste replied angrily, then added, “She must have told him what we were up to”

The businessman turned his chair round to face Celeste, “Tell me something, why were you there anyway?” he asked her
Celeste seemed confused by the question, “To collect the colonel’s soul as soon has he had been shot, that’s what I do” then she added “duh”

The businessman shook his head, “I mean why show up before the trigger was pulled? You have the ability to appear at any moment in time and space just like your father the Spirit of Death”
“I wanted to make sure the job was done” Celeste replied, “I mean after the assassin missed with his first shot, he wanted to quit, so I got him to keep going”
“Until he himself was needlessly killed by a police marksman” the businessman cut in.
“Well...” Celeste tried to continue, but the businessman would not let her finish
“Celeste” he interrupted, “You must learn to trust the other people I hire. Your intervention too soon meant he was unable to carry out his job, and I ended up loosing a valuable contractor who has never let me down in the past”
“But...”
“You must also learn patience Celeste, Rome was not built in a day. You could have just appeared as soon as he had pulled the trigger, and by then it would have been too late, she would not have detected your presence in time”

Celeste looked own at the carpet and was quiet for a moment. He had a point. That other entity would not have been able to do anything if she had not been with the assassin, Celeste looked up and asked, “But with all due respect sir, why did you need to hire him anyway, it’s not like I haven’t killed for you before”

“Celeste, when you did that little job in your world, that was fine, I have no complaints, but when you dispatched the former head of the IDEC, that troublesome Mr Sanderson in the US it could have, to put it bluntly, threatened everything I have been working for”
“But sir, they were going to expose you” Celeste protested
“I realise that, and I except that sometimes you as the Americans put it, have to step up to the plate, for which I was exceedingly grateful to you” the businessman replied and then got up and walked towards Celeste.

Celeste just stood there looking at this man in awe and a little terror. After all if this man a mere human, now with immortality could entrap her father, what could he do to her?

“I’m sorry sir” she said quietly, “I do realise the effort you had to put in here on Earth to save me from the cage of holding for taking Mr Sanderson before his time”

The businessman put his hand on Celeste’s shoulder

Celeste thought for a moment, “Maybe there is something I can do for you to make it up to you sir? Give you something you might want” she offered, at that she closed her eyes and concentrated.

Celeste’s clothes started to turn transparent as she got them to dissolve into nothingness. Most men she knew of bragged about doing one thing in particular, and as she was a female and appeared to have messed up again, maybe she could appease her boss and make amends by letting him do that one thing to her that she believed that all men wanted. Then her clothes were all gone and she was standing there completely naked and fully visible to anyone who would care to look in upon the two of them, he arms by her side, not covering herself in any way. “I am all yours sir, you may take me now if you want” she told him, “What ever you want to do with me, I will do willingly”

“I don’t doubt it and I appreciate the offer Celeste, but as an employer I really could not sanction the sexual harassment of one of my employees from anyone” and then with a sarcastic tone, “after all Celeste it is against the law here” the businessman replied, looking at her in the eyes, somehow managing to avoid looking at her naked body. Then he went to the coat stand, removed an overcoat and gently put it over her shoulders and wrapped it around Celeste’s body.

“I’m sorry sir, I really thought” Celeste began as she held the coat closed around her body

“That’s ok” the businessman reassured her, “it’s kind of flattering to have a young woman offer to share their body with me for my sexual gratification, but there is a time and a place for everything”
“You name the time and place sir and I will be yours, I promise” Celeste insisted then added, “And I promise not to sue for sexual harassment sir”.
“Some other time perhaps” the businessman smiled, and then returned to his desk and turned back to look at her, “It seems the good colonel is headed over to Ireland tonight, and maybe we can salvage the situation”
“Yes sir” Celeste replied, “I won’t screw up again sir, but what about her, the one who ratted on me to the colonel”

“I agree, that could be a problem,” the Businessman replied, “But leave that one to me; I have a few connections with former members of the IDEC who may be able to assist us there”

Then the businessman pressed the switch on his intercom, “Janine, I believe the Canary Warf Metro Tesco’s is still open until midnight”
“Yes sir” came back the secretary’s voice
“Can you take Adrian with you and the company credit card and get a complete change of clothes for that young woman I introduced you to this afternoon, themed on the colour black, including a new black leather jacket if possible and shoes, not high heels”
“You mean the new intern?” the secretary asked
“She’s the very one Janine, you’re good at guessing sizes of people” the businessman told his secretary.
“But that’s only a Metro store sir” the Secretary told him, then adding, “If you need clothes the next nearest one is in South Tottenham on High Road”
“Very good Janine, go to that one then” the businessman replied before signing off from the intercom

“Janine’s quite a gem” the businessman told Celeste
“That’s very generous sir, but I can turn invisible” Celeste told him, “If need be I don’t need to wear clothes to serve you, and it will remind me of my humiliation in failing you today sir, I will do my job naked” she added looking down again at the carpet. Then she realised she had tears streaming down her face. It was true, she had let down the one person who had been more a father to her than her real father had done.
“I don’t deserve them sir” she then said after a few seconds thought.

“Celeste, Celeste” the business man tut tuted and shook his head, “I would never make one of my employees work like that, and I am certain you will learn from this. Plus, harbingers of death, needs to be clad in black, it’s a kind of image thing Celeste”
“Yes sir” Celeste responded

Then the businessman stood up and once more approached Celeste. He took from his pocket a remote device and with it closed all the blinds on the windows in the office overlooking the river.

Celeste looked up at him as he approached her while she held the coat around her body. She guessed, because he had closed the blinds, that this was now the time and place for him to have sex with her, or whatever he wanted her to do, and so she let go of the parts of the overcoat she had been holding with her hands and let it fall to the floor, and looked up into his eyes and mentally prepared herself for granting him what ever sexual favours he demanded of her.

To her surprise he just picked up the overcoat, opened it up and held it behind her so she could slip it on properly.
“I know we are alone together” he said quietly, “but I still feel it would be wrong of me to take advantage of you like this Celeste”
“Yes Sir” she whispered, then added, “I’m sorry I let you down sir”

“Your young, idealistic and eager to please like I was when I was your apparent age and these things happen” the businessman replied, “Stick with me and you will be an entity to be reckoned with. Now do that coat up, just in case someone drops by” he added and handed her a paper handkerchief to wipe her face

“Yes sir” Celeste replied as she buttoned up her coat and dried her eyes.

The man then went to the fridge in his office and opened it, “After this afternoon I got Janine to get in some Red Bull” he told her, “Would you like some?” he asked smiling at her

Celeste gave a weak but sad smile and approached the man, “yes sir” she replied quietly, “Red bull is something you humans do really well”







Kathryn as she sat at her desk was not happy to put it mildly

Someone had talked about the treachery of Paddy McGurty, the leprechaun from G2 and there were very few people who knew.

But there was one individual that Kathryn knew of, and their track record when they were in civilian life did not inspire confidence in their loyalty to an inter agency body like the IDEC.

Kathryn pressed the button on her intercom, “Get me Charlene Henshaw now” she yelled into the intercom

“Mam” came a female voice, “Charlene is on her day off today”
“Sophie, what part of the word now did you not understand” Kathryn replied
“I’ll try her mobile number” came back Sophie’s voice.
“Yes you do that, and while you are at it, see if you can raise Colonel Samuel Peters, I believe he is still in England, I need to confirm which flight he is on back to DC”

“Mam” came back Sophie’s voice, “the colonel left a message, that his trip back to DC has had to be delayed”
“That’s not acceptable” Kathryn replied, “The senate committee wants to see him tomorrow without fail. Did he say why?”

“Not really Mam” Sophie answered, “he just said that something had come up and he was just about to catch a flight to Ireland.”
“Ireland?” Kathryn questioned
“Yes Mam”
“Well after you have got hold of Miss Henshaw, get me line to G2 Special section” Kathryn ordered





“How could you be so stupid and get the wrong b***dy twin” Johnny Adair yelled at Gerry his associate as he walked away from Caer who was bound out and blindfolded and lying on the floor, “She is of no use at all” he added
“Cone on she was carrying the pink scarf like you told me Johnny” Gerry countered just as loudly
“I said wearing the pink scarf, not carrying it” Johnny shouted back, “The boss is going to be livid” he added

Caer was terrified, in the van when they grabbed her they kept calling her by her sister’s name, Fidelity, but they would not believe her until now, but what did they want with her sister and what were they going to do with her?

“So what do we do with her?” Gerry answered back, “We can’t just let her go can we, and they will bound to have got those leprechauns guarding the other twin now, or at least a human police guard”

“Maybe we could just ask a ransom for her” suggested another man on a stool, “I know it’s not going to get us anything from the boss, but at least we might be able to get weapons”

“And where from” Johnny shouted at him, “Ever since we were sold out by the British government and even our own leadership started putting weapons beyond use, it has been hard to get handguns let alone the heavy weapons we need to do the job. And also you do not double cross the boss and get away with it”

“Please” whimpered Caer, “My uncle will pay what ever you want”

Steve Swales walked up to where she was lying on the ground and struck her across the side of her face with the full force of the back of his hand, “Shut up you stinking half breed IDE” he yelled at her, then he looked up at Johnny, “I’m inclined to put a bullet in this one here and now, and then he pulled out his nine millimetre automatic and pulled the safety catch off and pointed it at the now sobbing Caer’s head.

“Come on” he said to the others, “I vote we kill this one now and get what ever it takes and get the other one. This one is expendable”

“And what of the boss’s apparent reluctance to increase the body count?” Johnny responded, “If you want your own little goody bag like he has promised our lot, we don’t need to go crossing him just yet”

“But I’m human now” Caer sobbed

Steve bent down and in a cruel voice growled, “Funny, I don’t believe you” and then walked away and stopped. He looked at the ground and grinned. “Do you guys still have that live streaming webcam set up?” he asked







Charlene entered Kathryn’s office, she had had to leave Sue-Lim Wang as she was trying on yet another wedding outfit, and was perplexed as to why she had to come in so fast.

Kathryn was at her desk as she entered, but instead of inviting her to sit, she let her stand for a moment before standing up her self

“Miss Henshaw” Kathryn began in a stern tone

Charlene felt worried by this tone of voice, it sounded serious.

“I know that in your youth, in the UK you demonstrated against American military involvements and against the war in Iraq, both of them, but I thought once you had joined us that you had left that behind”

“I did” Charlene insisted, still confused, “Ever since the day that leprechaun teleported me away from CERN. This has been a dream come true for me, working with parallel universes, proving that M-Theory is right, even though I will never be able to publish a paper on it”

“Then why did you tell the senator about Paddy McGurty” Kathryn persisted, “What were you thinking” she added

“What are you talking about?” Charlene asked
“You know very well what I’m talking about” Kathryn replied, “The senator heard this morning about a leprechaun betraying the expeditionary force we sent to IDW01 to try and liberate that city, he could only have heard about it from you”

“But Madame Chairman” Charlene insisted, “The only person I spoke about what I saw was to Sue-Lim this morning at their place, and Sue-Lim has been with me all morning and we never called anyone”
“So are you accusing Mr Smith?” Kathryn asked
“No!” Charlene retorted, “He wasn’t even there when I mentioned it”

Kathryn stopped and for a moment Charlene noticed her face go white

“Where did you say you told her?” Kathryn asked quietly
“At Sue-Lim and Pete’s apartment at the Quantico base” Charlene replied with a puzzled look
“Then it looks like I will need to speak to Pete after all” Kathryn replied
“But why?” Charlene asked, “I told you he never heard anything as far as I am aware”
Kathryn walked up to Charlene “I need him for one of his other skills” Kathryn whispered into Charlene’s ear, “And being a Brit, he is the only one I can trust”






Jenny and Mark came walking back hand in hand to where Timothy and the Spirit of Lust were sitting

“Maybe you can come back” Jenny told Timothy, and then with more venom “but she stays here to rot”

“What have I done to you child?” The Spirit of Lust asked, “Apart from disrobe you for the lusts of my associate”
“Not only did you kill the mother of a friend and colleague of mine and, but you also killed the father of a friend of mine, who was just a young child” Jenny screamed back

The Spirit of lust looked puzzled, “I was not aware my brother had any human or half human children”

“What?” Jenny screeched, “You killed the Spirit of Friendship, the father of Rebecca Sands, who used to be the Spirit of Kindness”

Mark then chipped in, “We had witnesses that you killed him”

The Spirit of Lust shook her head, “I know not what you have heard, but I most certainly did not kill that wimp, he was not worth my effort”

“But like the Spirit of True Love, we were told you were jealous that he was another spirit who vied for the affections of the human heart” Mark ventured

“No” Insisted the Spirit of Lust, “It seems like someone has been killing in my name, I never touched him, I had no need, as I could easily hijack his friendships, in fact he made my job easier, the poor deluded sap that he was”

“But” Timothy asked, “Lusty Babe, if you didn’t kill him, who did?”





Captain Gregory O’Doyle sat at his desk shaking his head in disbelief, why would anyone want a former minor spirit of virtue, they had no powers any more and were just as human now has he was. At least Fidelity’s adopted parents had had the sense to phone them straight away. The police were treating this as a straight forward kidnapping for ransom from the O’Conner family, the family of Caer’s and Fidelity’s biological father. Secretly he hoped it was just that, but that sort of thing was supposed to go on north of the border in places like Belfast, not Dublin.

Fidelity was downstairs in a waiting room with Shamus McTuckle, and very shell shocked



Fidelity was totally distraught, since Caer was supposed to be the dominant twin and the one looking out for her.

A phone rang on his desk

“O’Doyle” he said as he answered it

“I’m sending Fidelity and Colonel Peters up” came a voice over the telephone
“Why?” Gregory asked, “I could come down, this is the first time I will have met the Colonel in person”
“The kidnappers have made a demand sir, and they want you and Fidelity on the webcam feed from your office” the person on the phone replied, “I’m emailing you the link sir”

Gregory opened up his email program and found the email and opened it.

There was a knock on the door

“Come in!” Gregory yelled and in walked a very distraught Fidelity O’Docherty accompanied by Colonel Samuel Peters.

“Let’s get on with this and see what these dirt bags want” Samuel said curtly before Gregory could greet him, he was obviously in a bad mood.

Gregory and Fidelity huddled in front of the web cam, while the colonel watched out of sight of the webcam. Gregory clicked on the link, and the browser opened at a page with a streaming broadcast.

On the screen was a man in a ski mask
“So glad you could join us” he said in a distinctive Belfast accent, “Let me show you something” he said and then pointed the webcam at Caer

Caer was standing on a large block of ice. Around her neck was a noose, with the rope attached to the ceiling. The rope was barley slack.

“If you observe” the Belfast man went on, “When the ice melts, this IDE half breed will hang by her precious little neck until dead, unless you do exactly what we say”

“What do you want?” Gregory asked.

“Fidelity O’Docherty left at Phoenix Park, hands tied behind her back, blindfolded and her legs bound”

“You B*****d” Gregory muttered under his breath

“Now, Now” Said the man in the ski mask, “any more language and I might allow my associate to put a heater near that block of ice, once we get Fidelity, we will release Caer, the choice is yours”

Then the transmission stopped

“I don’t suppose we traced that?” Gregory asked,
“I asked that downstairs” The colonel replied, “Those dirt bags knew exactly how to cover their tracks, and from the sound of it, they were using a technology that was developed a while back at the IDEC, so I suspect they have teamed up with some former members who did not like our change in policy two years back”

All Fidelity could do was mouth “No” over and over again, shake her head and cry

To be continued

Sometimes things happen that make you re-evaluate what is important or challenge your believes, a sudden heart attack, surviving a car crash, the loss of a loved one.

Then the trivia and pettiness in our lives which consumes each waking hour is revealed for what it is.

This must be how Fidelity O’Docherty, the former Spirit of Fidelity must feel, as she has seen her twin sister Caer, the former Spirit of Fancying, on a live webcam feed after her abduction. Fidelity has been forced to see her sister made to stand on a block of ice, with a noose around her neck, so when the ice melts away, she will be hanged. The only thing that will save her, is if Fidelity is bound and gagged and delivered to the abductors in exchange.





Fidelity looked back up at the now blank screen, “I have to go” she wept, “we have to do as they say, we have to save her”

“Your not going anywhere” Captain Gregory O’Doyle told her “We never give in to extortion”
“But that’s not your sister standing there about to die” Fidelity countered

“Captain” Colonel Samuel Peters cut in, “Fidelity has a point. The clock is ticking, and we need to find out who is supplying these dirt bags and what they are really after”

“But” Began Gregory, “We have leprechauns plus the rest of G2 and the Garda”
“But like I said, not the time” Samuel insisted, “Plus they have got stolen devices from the IDEC developed for blocking any attempt at using magic to find their location as well as the technical ability to make sure we can not trace their communications. Oh and by the way, how did they even know about the G2 Special section?”

Gregory sighed, “That is a worry, and it does sound like your renegades have finally made it to Ireland”
“Do you think?” Samuel asked

“Please” Fidelity insisted, “My sister is going to die”

At this Samuel handed her a small capsule, “If we are going along with what these dirt bags want, you will need to swallow this, as it’s a tracker developed for CIA black ops”

Fidelity took it and went to swallow it

“Not now” Samuel told her, “When we get to the drop off point. I’ll take you there myself”

“No your not” Gregory insisted, “Your boss sent word that you are to return on the first flight out of here back to Washington”

“Not gonna happen” Samuel retorted and then added, “Just get your G2, Garda or whatever to run down every ice factory around Dublin. As far as I know we did not develop technology to make large blocks of ice they had to get it from somewhere” and then he pulled out his mobile phone, and taking Fidelity by the hand led her out of the office.







It was late in the afternoon when Kathryn’s private phone rang on her desk. Not many people had that number, as all other calls when via Sophie.
“Kathryn” She said into the phone
“It’s me” Came the colonel’s voice, “What are you doing telling me to come home, I left a message saying that something has come up”

Kathryn felt put out by this tone. She was the chairman of the committee appointed by the executive to watch over the functions of the multi agency inter dimensional entity control and this was technically a subordinate talking back to her.

“Colonel Samuel Peters” she began, “The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is expecting you to appear before them tomorrow, and you are going to be there”
“Stall them” Samuel replied over the phone

“You don’t understand, they are questioning our treaty with the troll government on IDW01”

“No Kathryn” Samuel replied, “You don’t understand, someone tried to kill me and it looks like we have renegade IDEC agents teaming up with a powerful IDE, and I suspect someone else higher up the food chain is pulling the strings”

“Colonel, then let G2 handle it, they are just as professional as we are and we already share with them all intelligence on the renegades and known HIDES” Jenny told him, “Now I’m ordering you back here, you have to appear before that committee”

“Then you’ll just have to have my resignation, I need to go and save young woman’s life” Samuel insisted, “Just tell those self righteous b******s in the senate to stick it, and don’t come running to us the next time Earth is threatened”

With that the colonel hung up

Kathryn was seething and being told off by a subordinate, although he did have a point, the senators had no understanding at how close the Earth came to being destroyed by the Magnus Timor and his plan to bring the world of the Mystical Realms in to this universe and collide the two worlds together. They also had no idea of the personal loss to the IDEC in the UK and the how the special operations team were virtually wiped out.

But then, the colonel had no understanding of the finer point of politics in Washington.

There was a knock on the door

“Come in” Kathryn yelled in an angry manner.

The door crept open as a nervous Pete Smith gently pushed it

“You wanted to see me Madame Chairman?” Pete asked, he had obviously heard how Charlene had been “chewed out”

Kathryn got up, walked around her desk and went right up to Pete and showed him a piece of paper on which she had written, “I understand one of your talents is counter-surveillance”
“Are you saying this place is bugged” Pete mouthed

Kathryn then wrote on the note, “Possibly, and your place as well”

At this, Pete felt a cold shiver down his back and a large sinking feeling. He took a pen and wrote, “I have just the thing to find out”





Jenny could not believe what she had just heard, The Spirit of Lust denying involvement in the death of the Spirit of Friendship, when excepted wisdom was that she murdered him because he dealt with affairs of the human heart, and the Spirit of Lust, a major spirit of vice was jealous.

“I have no idea who could have killed him” The Spirit of Lust told Timothy Zachary
“You wouldn’t lie to me Lusty babe” Timothy pressed

The Spirit of Lust looked aghast at being so accused, “Absolutely not” she said with indignation.

From what Jenny had heard of these major spirits, they had the power to hurl fireballs at will and could easily have dispatched Timothy and all of them for such a remark. The Spirit of Lust had been notorious for her vanity; after all had she not precipitated the civil war on the Mystical Realms to cause a feedback to Earth to get people worshipping her once again?

It still seemed a mystery, that this low grade technician from the Facility could exert such a hold on this major spirit, even presumably when he was asleep.

“It was Captain Strang who told me you killed him” Jenny accused
“Captain Strang ay” The Spirit of Lust replied, “He was a junior officer under the Lord Low Troll if I remember, how is he? Is he still the Prince Low Troll’s lover?”

It was Mark who answered this time, slowly and deliberately, “Captain Strang was killed when he tried to gate into our London headquarters at the same moment the followers of Magnus Timor destroyed it by detonating a large lorry bomb.”

This time it was Timothy who was visibly shocked, “You mean someone actually took out the Facility?”
“Like you care” Mark retorted, “You were going to kill everyone in their offices with phosgene gas”

“Oh I forgot about that” Timothy grinned, “Quite a lot of them were really up themselves, I mean they even thought I ought to wear a shirt and tie”
“A lot of those who died were friends of ours” Mark snapped back

“Did you ever analyse the gas in the canisters?” Timothy asked with a defensive tone of voice?
“No” Mark replied, we just removed them and sent them for toxic waste disposal
“I bet they had a surprise when they got them” Timothy commented

Mark was suddenly suspicious, “Why what was really in those canisters?”

“It was an experimental version of a knock out gas. Scran my doppelganger associate wanted me to kill everyone in the Facility, out of revenge for the one that was shot when he was captured, phosgene in those quantities would have generated too much interest, but as I was in R and D, access to the knock out gas was trivial”

“Yeah right!” Jenny cut in, “Pull the other one it’s got bells on”

Timothy put his hands up in the air, “That’s the God’s honest truth” he pleaded
“And what would Scran have said when he found out you had tricked him”
“I would have told him either the Phosgene failed, or that with that amount of slaughter we would have been hunted down”
“You would still have been hunted down anyway” Mark countered, “Your forgetting the other murders you and your associates committed and how you betrayed us”

“Hey Commander” Timothy responded, “Before you get on your high horse, wasn’t your country who lied about WMD’s that took us into an illegal war that claimed the life of my elder sister when one of your so called smart bombs hit a shelter where she was trying to do humanitarian work”

“Liar” Mark countered, “You never had a sister”
“That’s where you are wrong” Timothy replied, and to Jenny it seemed like he was genuinely becoming emotional, “We were separated when we were kids when we taken by social services in Brent Cross and put into separate foster homes before we were adopted out. I hacked into their system and found where she went a year or so before that incident with Mr Blue and we corresponded by E-mail as she was working for the UN”

“Oh Please” Mark replied, “Are you saying that you plotted to continue with black projects against orders and planned the murder of key members of the IDEC because your alleged sister was in the wrong place at the wrong time?”

“No, I probably would have done this anyway, but let’s just say, when you Americans took over, all I could think of, was how my sister died at the hands of their lousy war, and when the opportunity presented itself, I was more inclined to go for it.” Then Timothy was silent for a moment and then added, “Plus I really did think it was a waste killing off those shape-shifters and the other IDEs”

“This is getting us nowhere” The Spirit of Lust cut in

For a moment it seemed to Jenny that the Spirit of Lust was genuinely afraid of something, so what was it hat Timothy had over this major spirit of vice





Steve Swales sat on the camping chair looking up as Caer started to choke on the noose, as the ice block she was standing on continued to melt. If Steve had had his way, he would have kicked the ice block away as soon as the streaming transmission had stopped and let her hang until dead. After all, under Mr Blue, that was effectively what they did with these invaders from the other universe; kill them to make sure they were no longer a threat.

Now, the organisation he had joined to protect Earth had turned it back on him and his colleagues faithful service and had started collaborating with these monsters from another world.

“I really hope they don’t come for you, you miserable half breed” he taunted, “I want to see you die”

“I’m human” Caer could only just get out.

“LIAR” Steve screamed, “You are invader scum and I don’t care what kind of light show stunt you pulled at Shannon, you have no right to live on this planet”

Steve got up, “I’m fed up with this waiting” he said to Gerry Malone, another disaffected member from the UFF, “I say we kick the ice block away watch her swing and say they took too long.. I mean we are going to kill them anyway aren’t we?”

“I think we should still wait for Johnny to get back” Gerry countered, “after all what the boss..”

“I DON’T CARE WHAT THE BOSS SAID” Steve interrupted angrily as he walked up to where Gerry was sitting, “I want this IDE dead” he told Gerry in an angry manner. “Look at it, how do we know it is harmless as some seem to think” he added, “If I had my way I would hunt down every last stinking half breed and exterminate the lot of them”

“The boss is calling the shots on this one” Gerry persisted, “And he said he would be the one to sanction any killing, so I still say we should let her down”

Steve shook his head, “She stays right there, and you and the boss are fools, if you don’t see the danger they represent. I mean it was a bomb that was triggered by a device from IDW01 that took out the Facility in London”

“Maybe” replied Gerry, “But the boss is the one in charge and financing this operation, so we play it his way for the time being”

“I really hope they are too late” Steve stated, “I want to see this one hang slowly, Iranian style” he said cruelly

“I read about that” Gerry replied, “They put the rope around their necks and lift them up with cranes, so you can see them kick their legs in the air before they throttle”

“Yeah” Steve replied, “I always thought our old way was too quick, make them drop so they broke their necks, this way is more of a punishment”

Caer was listening to this and watching the two men. She tried to stand on her toes to relieve the constriction of the noose around her neck, but she was terrified she would slip off of the melting ice block. She probably had ten minutes at most before she would be strangled to death.

Then she felt something warm running down her leg. In her terror at being hanged, her bladder had released its load, further hastening the melting of the ice block.

Steve walked over to a small camping table where a small device was humming away.

“Is that thing still working?” Gerry asked him
“Yeah” Steve replied
“How do those things work” Gerry asked
“Not sure” Steve replied, “All I know is that it blocks scrying and deflects inbound teleports and wormholes. Back in the good old days, Mr Blue ordered it’s construction as a means of defending the Facility. If they had had this a month or so back instead of trusting those IDE’s the Facility would never have been destroyed”
“They may have used a conventional detonator” Gerry suggested

“Yeah I suspect you are right” Steve seemed to agree, “Sometimes you can not beat conventional means” While he was doing this he slowly drew his old IDEC service issue nine millimetre handgun and removed the safety.

Slowly he turned around and pointed the gun at Gerry, “Ok Mr Malone” he told Gerry, “What’s it to be?”

“What are you doing?” Gerry asked.
“I don’t like it when others are pulling the strings” Steve replied.
“You heard Johnny” Gerry protested, “You do not go against the boss”
“I am a highly trained former intelligence officer and a former member of the IDEC ” Steve insisted, “What can he do to me”
“Aren’t you forgetting what he promised you?” Gerry asked
“You mean, and artificial wormhole generator and a number of tactical nuclear warheads from the former soviet union?”
“Aye” Gerry replied, “Then you can take your war to the enemy, just like we get to take ours back to those who sold us down the river too”
“I suspect the warheads that will be so old and unstable that there is no guarantee they will work?” Steve asked
“They will work Mr Swales” Gerry pleaded, “The boss is clever that way. I mean he got you that thing on the table didn’t he?”
“Yes you are right Mr Malone” Steve added, “He did get it, which makes me all the more suspicious about who’s side he’s really on”

BANG

Gerry heard the bullet sale past him.

Suddenly there was the sound of something erupting into flames behind him

“What the hell was that” Gerry swore
“A leprechaun agent I believe, IDEs always burst into flames when they die in our universe” Steve replied as he holstered his gun, “Those G2 guys are good, but I’m better”

“How did they find us so fast?” Gerry asked Steve with a hint of suspicion, “I thought you said we could not be traced”
“I’m not sure” Steve replied, “Maybe you should check to make sure there are no others around”
“And leave you alone with her?” Gerry asked
“Well if you want to explain to Mr Adair why we got captured, and explain that to the boss as you put it, sit there and go right ahead”

Gerry eyed Steve with even more suspicion, and then reluctantly got up to start looking for other potential intruders.

Steve made sure he was out of the way and walked up to the block of ice Caer was standing on and looked up at her. “It’s amazing what you can do with a bit of White Phosphorus in a glass jar”

Then he put his boot on the block of ice, “Poor little EYE Dee EE” he then said in a cruel manner, “She just slipped off of the block of ice when she was all alone and hanged herself”

Then he gave a big shove with his boot, and pushed the block of ice away leaving Caer hanging by her neck asphyxiating to death and kicking he legs fruitlessly in mid air





Celeste sat in the corner of the office sipping from a can of Red Bull still wearing her boss’s spare overcoat, the trip by his secretary to a branch of Tescos to replace the clothes that she had disintegrated, was taking longer than expected.

Luckily her businessman boss was either not married or had a very understanding wife, as he worked away on his state of the art desktop, dealing with business interests in the far-east long into the evening.

Celeste had disintegrated her clothes when she offered to share her body with her boss for his sexual gratification to make up for messing up the assassination of Colonel Samuel Peters. To her surprise, he had turned her offer down and seemed to be very forgiving of her stupid mistake

Suddenly she had a strange feeling, the kind of feeling she got when it was time for her to carry out the duties her father the Spirit of Death would perform, were he not being held prisoner by her boss. She produced from thin air a small piece of parchment with gold lettering that normally gave the names of those who might be dead soon and who would need their soul ejecting from their mortal remains.

She read one of the names that sounded familiar and looked up at the businessman

“Sir” she asked, “Did you sanction anymore executions or assassinations at this time?”

The businessman looked up from his computer at Celeste, “Not just yet, I mean the colonel can wait a day, as I have everything in hand, why do you ask?”





“Sorry about this” Samuel told fidelity has he secured the cable tie around her ankles, after he had done her hands.
“Hurry please” Fidelity pleaded

Samuel gently tied a tie around Fidelity’s head to make sure she was blindfolded, “Did you swallow the tracker” he asked her

Fidelity nodded her head

It was a long shot, since if renegade IDEC people were involved, they would easily be able to block a tracker.

Samuel stood up and waved a signal for the marked police cars to pull away as instructed. Even the leprechaun members of G2 had to stay away, in case they had means of detecting them. With ex members of the IDEC, they could not be too careful.

Samuel left Fidelity at the Wellington monument got into the black Ford he had been given, beside him sat the apparent teenager he had met in England.

“I wonder if these are the same people who took my sister” she said as he got in.
“I wouldn’t be surprised he said in a distracted manner and started the engine. He had to drive off as well.

Samuel pulled out a small black box and switched it on and handed it to the teenager, “Make sure that green dot is still there and let me know if it goes out” he told her, as he drove out to the entrance to the park.

At the entrance he stopped the car, took the black box back off of the young woman and got out of the car. Another man got in and buckled up.
The young woman went to undo her seatbelt
“You say in the car” Samuel instructed
“I want to help” the young woman pleaded
“Then stay in the car and go back to G2, we need to keep you safe” Samuel replied, then turned to the driver, “Take her back to G2” Samuel instructed, and then made sure he had got his service issue nine millimetre automatic. At least the Irish government had allowed him to carry a weapon.

As they drove off, the driver in order to make conversation asked the woman, “What’s your name miss?”
“Clotho” the woman replied
“And your surname?” the driver pressed
“I don’t have one sir” Clotho replied

Back in the park, Samuel headed back towards the monument on foot, It seemed crazy to try and follow like that, but when the abductors show up, at least he might be able to use the special night scope he had to get a look at the vehicle licence plate.

Stealthily he continued to creep back into the park, looking to make sure Fidelity was still there.

Then he noticed a dog walker with their pet German Shepherd dog.

The dog noticed Fidelity and headed off in her direction. Instinctively from his hidden position Samuel pulled his gun and trained it on the dog, to try and protect the vulnerable Fidelity from a dog attack.

Suddenly the dog stopped and started whining, and then it headed back in the other direction, passed its very annoyed owner.

But what could have spooked such a large animal

And then he saw it, in fact if he had not seen it, he would not have believed it.

By Fidelity a green light appeared in thin air and expanded into a green vortex



Samuel recognised this, and it chilled him when he realised what it was. It was an inter-dimensional wormhole, used to travel between Earth and the Mystical Realms, but one that was artificial and manmade. The official magic ones guarded by the Clan Chief of the Manjura troll clan were blue. The artificial ones were first developed as an illegal black ops project by Timothy Zachary, a rouge, and presumably now long dead, technician at the Facility, and then developed further by Sue-Lim on the orders of Mr Davies, the enigmatic Mr Vee’s former aide.

That technology was restricted to IDEC USA, and someone somehow was using one!

Samuel thought about running up to the vortex to see who was operating it, but that could be risky, with the lives of two young women in the balance.

Samuel pulled out his mobile, activated one of the speed dials as he watched the vortex grow to the size required before it could be used

“Hello” came a voice over the phone that he did not want to hear, “The chairman is not in right now”
“Sophie?” Samuel whispered
“Yes sir,” Sophie answered, and then she asked “Is that Colonel Samuel Peters?”
“Yes” Samuel responded
“Well Miss” Sophie began, only to be cut off by the colonel
“Sophie, we need Sky Guard 5 on now. That should be over this part of the Northern hemisphere”
“Sorry sir” Sophie replied, “Only the chairman has the authority” she tried to say
“Get the damn authority, those dirt bags are using an artificial wormhole generator right now and we need to track them”
“Sorry sir I can’t” Sophie insisted, “But I will leave a message for” she got as far as saying before Samuel hung up in disgust. There was a reason he hated official channels at times. He just had to hope that the tracker that Fidelity had swallowed would be sufficient, but he had his doubts. To be honest, it was more for Fidelity’s benefit, to make her think they were able to do something.

Samuel looked around to see if he could get any nearer, but then two men in combat fatigues and ski masks with Kalashnikovs on their backs emerged from the vortex and grabbed Fidelity, dragged her back into the green vortex, and then she was gone, as the vortex collapsed

Samuel walked out towards the monument shaking his head and swearing. Even though the vortex would have gone to the Mystical Realms, he was almost certain they would use it to return to where in the outskirts of Dublin they were hiding out. If only they had got the Sky guard satellite online they would have been able to track it to where they would almost certainly be re-emerging on Earth, but because of red tape and an obstinate by the book PA, the opportunity had just been lost.

Both Fidelity and Caer were now lost

“Did you see what happened?” came a voice from behind.

Samuel turned around, it was the dog walker, “What do you mean?” he asked
“Did you see what frightened my dog off, I have never seen her so terrified of something. Looks like I will be out here all night looking for her”
“Sorry sir” the colonel replied, “I didn’t see anything”





It had been just under half a minute since Steve kicked the block of ice away and Steve grinned as he watched Caer choking to death at the end of the rope, soon it would be over. As her hands were tied behind her back, it would be quicker as she would not be able to try and struggle with the noose., he would just tell the others she managed to kick the ice block away, and if they did not believe him, then that was too bad. Earth was one less IDE and that was all that mattered

And then she stopped kicking, so she was obviously was dead at last, a lifeless corpse hanging there

“The only good IDE is a dead IDE” Steve smirked

Suddenly the rope broke and the body fell to the ground startling Steve completely, but somehow the way the body fell seemed odd. It did not seem to fall as fast as it ought, preventing Caer’s body from being injured by the fall.

Then Steve noticed the noose vanish from around Caer’s neck, but what did it matter the creature was dead.

So why was it not bursting into flames the way that all IDE’s did when they died in this universe.

Then Caer started breathing and gasping and coughing and sobbing. Somehow this stinking IDE was still alive

“What the hell were you doing you moron?” came a voice sounding like a young woman behind him.

Steve turned around and drew his nine millimetre automatic and found himself facing a teenager of about seventeen, completely naked. Near her feet was a black overcoat folded on the ground that was not there before. Steve went to pull the trigger, but the naked teenager waved her right hand and Steve felt his gun being wrenched from his grip as it was thrown across the warehouse.

“Another stinking IDE” Steve sneered

“Who also happens to work for the same boss that you are supposed to be working for” she spat back, “How else did I have the code to override that so I could teleport in here” she angrily stated pointing at the device on the camping table.

Steve shook his head, “No” he replied “He wouldn’t do that, he’s one of us, he’s a proper human” then noticing Caer was still lying on the ground sobbing, yelled “He’s not a stinking IDE like this thing” and went to give Caer, a massive kick to her head,

Steve found himself flat on his back looking up at this entity as she held him down with some kind of force field from her right hand, which she was pointing at him, preventing him from ridding the Earth of at least one more stinking IDE.

A phone in the coat sounded, and the woman, while still eyeing Steve, squatted down and fished it from the coat with her left hand, being careful to keep her right hand pointed in his direction.

Steve saw her flip the phone open and answer it.

“Yes sir” she said into the phone, “It was touch and go, she was just about die when I found her. Mr Swales here thought it would be a good idea to have her hanged”

Then after an inaudible response on the phone, the woman replied, “That’s right sir, she’s still alive, in spite of Mr Swales here and his stupid attempts to kill her”

The woman continued to listen to the person on the phone, and then said, “OK sir I’ll put him on” at which she chucked the phone at Steve and released him from the force field so he could catch the phone.

“Now if you don’t mind I need to put this on for a bit” the woman then said pointing down at the coat, “As this coat belongs to the boss I didn’t want to teleport in wearing it, otherwise he would not be able to have it back”

As Steve took the phone, he watched as the naked woman picked the coat up and put it on. Steve put the phone to his ear and ventured “hello”

It was his benefactor on the phone, well at least it sounded like him. “Mr Swales” the man on the phone asked.
“Yes” Steve replied slowly.
“Why were you trying to kill that young girl?”
“She’s and IDE, need I say any more”
“And so is my valued assistant Celeste who is with you” the man on the phone replied curtly
“But you can’t trust them” Steve protested, “two years ago two doppelgangers in London murdered two police officers and two civilians”
“Mr Swales” the man on the phone continued, “If we are to continue with this business arrangement, I will need you to follow my instructions to the letter. Now I instructed your associate Mr Adair not to harm the IDE half breed known as Caer.”
“Yes Mr, what-ever-your name is, but this was just one IDE” Steve tried to protest, “Remember what Napoleon said about omelettes and eggs” he added
“Yes Mr Swales” Replied his benefactor, “But I fail to see how that expression applied in this case and any way to make one omelette does not require you to break every egg in the box needlessly. Now I appreciate your concern about certain IDE’s but Mr Swales their existence is a reality we have to deal with, and if we continue to work together you will be provided with the means to ensure that the powers that be in that realm know better than to mess with us”

Steve was stunned into silence for a moment
“Mr Swales, are you still there?”
“Yes” Steve said bluntly
“I want you to follow the lead of my assistant and to follow my instructions to the letter. Is that clear Mr Swales?”
“Crystal” Steve replied
“Oh, and let my assistant know that her clothes have arrived” the man added before hanging up.

“Your clothes are ready” Steve reluctantly told Celeste and then he closed the phone up and slowly stood up. By this time the Celeste entity had walked over and had pulled Caer to her feet and was holding her arm so she could not run away. Steve also noticed that she had healed the bruising from where he had hit Caer around the face earlier.

Steve tossed the phone at Celeste, in a manner hoping to knock her off guard so he could rush her, but the phone just hung in the air and Celeste leisurely put it back into the coat pocket.

“I hope that clears that up” Celeste told him bluntly
“You poisoned his mind” Steve accused
“Get over yourself you moron” Celeste snapped back, “I mean if you kill her sister, now, what leverage, do we have over the other twin to get her to do what the boss needs done?”

At this Caer felt even more desperate, it seemed that the person who had saved her was also working for the criminal gang that had abducted her by mistake. Caer was normally the assertive of the two twins, and being in the state she was, was not like her, but she had never been this helpless and in a situation like this before. She had to try and regain some kind of assertiveness without angering her captors and making things worse.
“What do you want my sister to do” she said in a whiney voice, “She doesn’t have any powers any more. Neither of us do”

Celeste looked her straight in the eyes. Even though this entity had saved her life, healed her and even appeared to be about her age., Caer felt terrified of her.

“Spirit of Fancying” Celeste began then stopped, “Sorry I mean Caer, I forgot you two allowed yourselves to be stripped of your abilities”
“But we gained our human souls” Caer replied, trying to remember to be assertive, but not coming across as too aggressive, “We became fully human”
“Whatever” Celeste replied dismissively, “Your sister has valuable information for which special powers aren’t exactly required”
“But what could she know, she was kept most of her life before she came back to me under the thumb of that brute Yagel Penswift” Caer asked
“Are my dear Caer” Celeste intoned in sly manner, “that would be telling”

Celeste then sniffed, and then wagging her finger at Caer, “Shame on you, it smells like you wet your self didn’t you” then she turned to look back at Steve who was inching his arm to another reserve gun he concealed on his person.

With in seconds the reserve gun was in Celeste’s left hand, then speaking to Caer again, “Which given what this moron has been up to I’m not surprised”, then she said to Steve “Looking for this?” waving his gun in the air, before throwing it away in the opposite direction to where she had thrown his other gun

“What’s going on” came a familiar voice. It was Gerry Malone, “I didn’t see any leprechauns outside so I came back” he added.

“Well Mr Malone” Celeste replied, “It seems this moron here decided he knew better than the man who is paying you, and thought he would kill our hostage here”
“Who are you?” Gerry asked Celeste
“She’s another stinking IDE” Steve sneered
“Who as I said before, and you have had confirmed by the boss himself, also works for the person who is paying you” Celeste responded

“Miss?” Gerry asked
“Celeste” Celeste replied
“Well Miss Celeste”, Gerry replied, “I don’t have any problems with beings from other worlds like my associate here”
“Well I am so glad about that” Celeste responded with a hint of sarcasm
“We only have an issue with the way the British Government sold us out to Dublin and the IRA” Gerry added.
“Well Mr Malone, that’s not really my concern” Celeste answered, then she turned her attention back to Caer, “As for you” she told the terrified Caer, “I need to clean you up before I take you to the boss”

Celeste’s eyes went bright green and Caer felt the dampness where she had wet herself disappear. Even the smell of urine vanished. It was like it had never happened.

“Now Mr Malone” Celeste then said to Gerry, as she retrieved the mobile phone from the coat and tossed it to him, “I want you to take a picture on that of me and Miss Caer O’Docherty here”

Gerry caught the phone, opened it up, while Steve glowered at him for almost betraying the cause of all humanity, found the button to take the picture and took the picture of Celeste holding Caer tightly by the arm and saved it to the phone’s memory.

Gerry closed the phone and went to offer it back, but Celeste waved him away

“I won’t need it, you will” She said, “I’m taking Caer here to where we have the other prisoners where she will be kept safe. You show that picture to Fidelity when you go across to the Mystical Realms in a few minutes, to make sure she co-operates”

Celeste then turned back her attention to Steve, “As for you, since you so like to kill things, the boss has an extra special job for you”





Mr Vee arrived at the airport in the taxi. Packing for his trip to England had been relatively swift, since he always had a packed suitcase in case he had to leave a place with in fifteen to twenty minutes, a hang over from his days in the intelligence services.

Mr Vee paid of the taxi driver and thanked him, and left the taxi. His next task was to get to the American Airlines check-in desk. His bag small enough to be classed as carry on luggage, to save time at London Heathrow.

Mr Vee found the check in queue and waited patiently, exhibiting signs of stress would only attract unwelcome attention.

There was another player in the realm of relations with the Mystical Realms, but which side they were on was unclear. It could be they were on his nominal side, ever suspicious of all entities from that world and reluctant to trust any of them. Their one protégé in London had been Mr Blue, but it turned out he had become possessed by a hostile entity, called either The Spirit of Malice, or the ancient Egyptian god, Set.

His fall from grace over the affair concerning the minor spirit of virtue, the Spirit of Fidelity was unfortunate. They had forgotten how he had lead a team to capture a doppelganger assassin and kill it’s partner, which had between the two of them killed four people two years back, including two police officers.

But if this third force was like his group, sceptics, why had they not joined forces? Why did they not know about this third force? It was deeply unsettling.

They had gone after the other side; those who were almost in bed with the authorities of IDW01, but in the process had made the position of the sceptics more difficult. Maybe, just maybe, if this third force were sceptical of the pro-lobby, he could persuade them to join forces, that way unhelpful disclosures, like the one to the senate chairman could be minimised.

Mr Vee finally got to the front of the queue and handed the man at the check in a printout from his office computer giving the details of his E-Ticket and his passport.

The man check his ticket and asked him if he had any bags to check in
Mr Vee shook his head and explained that his case was carry on luggage, and that seemed to be satisfactory and handed back the passport and e-ticket. He then gave Mr Vee his boarding card and advised him which gate his plane was leaving.

Mr Vee thanked the man and left to find the gate

As soon as he was out of site, the man at the check in desk asked for a female colleague to cover as he needed to go to the bathroom.

As soon as he was out of site of his check in desk he found a quiet spot and got out his mobile phone and dialled an international number.

He waited for the call to connect.

“Sorry to disturb you” he apologised, “As I do realise how late it is over there in England”

The man at the other end accepted the apology and then asked him what he had, at which the check in desk attendant informed him that Mr Vee was coming to England and gave him the details of the flight. The man at the end of the line thanked him and told him he would handle it personally and then hung up.

The check in man closed his phone and headed of to the bathroom, to make sure he was not caught out in a lie.





Charlene and Sue-Lim stood together in the hallway with Kathryn whilst Pete used his trusty hand scanner to scan their kitchen.

Every one of them was absolutely silent apart from their breathing.

A green light lit on the scanner, and a needle flickered.

In silence Pete tracked around, looking if the needle was indicating a stronger or weaker reading, indicating how far he was from a listening device. Standard scanners would never pick up the devices used by the various intelligence agencies, but Pete had specially made his own scanner back in England, based on his inside knowledge of the high end of the surveillance industry.

He found it

Underneath the table

“Is that” Charlene began, but Pete immediately shushed her.

Pete removed the device and dropped it into a specially devised foil lined bag, designed to block the signal without destroying the device, so they could see who had planted it.

The green light was still indicating a remote transmitter coming from somewhere.

As he turned, it the flickering needle led him to the oven door, and then to the clock above the oven door.

Over the clock looked like the kind of film you get when purchasing a new appliance, put on to stop scratches. Pete carefully started peeling it off. The LCD display looked even brighter than he noticed, as the film had a very thin metal coating, with a barely perceptible layout of a circuit diagram. The film had a long line of film that seemed to be going into the clock assembly, obviously either a power lead or an aerial. He pulled at the film as near to the place where it went into the clock as possible, to get it off with as much of it intact as possible.

Charlene raised her hand, but the light on the scanner was still green, there was still a third surveillance device in their kitchen, and this one seemed to be come from the direction of up.

Pete pulled up a small stool to stand on, and examined the light fitting. Sure enough, there was a small micro camera. He pulled it, slipped it and the film device into the foil lined bag, and examined the scanner.

No signal

“That’s the kitchen done Miss Cooper” Pete said quietly, “Now we have to go and check the rest of the house”

Kathryn nodded in agreement, visibly shocked that someone had been spying on the British contingent brought over to Washington, why she could not imagine as Homeland Security had cleared them.

Maybe she thought it might have something to do with the fact that Sue-Lim’s deceased mother had been a Vietnamese refugee from when the communists finally captured Saigon in 1975. It was apparently Mr Vee who had got her out of the country after she gave vital information about the Viet Cong. It was rumoured that Sue-Lim’s mother may have been Viet Cong, but had defected, although that was never proved, even so at the time it was easier for her to be taken to the UK rather than the US.

Kathryn had suspected this parentage had caused unexpected problems for Sue-Lim when she had landed at Florida, as she had found herself detained by immigration, in a holding facility, as they said under some United Nations charter concerning the rescue of astronauts Sue-Lim had to go straight back to Russia and from there apply for a visa to re-enter the US. It had been a week before Kathryn had been able to get the State Department and Homeland Security to release her and join the rest of the IDEC UK remnant who had been shipped to Washington DC.

It was an experience that Sue-Lim did not talk about

Carefully and methodically, Pete examined every other room in his and Sue-Lim’s quarters, finding device after device. Each one clever and each one high end. It took an hour to declare the quarters clean..

“We’ll have to do Charlene’s” Pete then said, “She could be bugged as well”
“Charlene can stay with me” Kathryn told him, “It’s getting late and I would not want you to miss anything”
“Then I will have to sweep your house as well” Pete told her, “They might have bugged you as well”

“Yes your right” Kathryn conceded, and then turned to Charlene, “I’m sorry I accused you of informing the senator” she told her, “I owe you a big apology”

“That’s ok Madame Chairman”, Charlene responded
“This is not ok” Kathryn insisted, “This is meant to be a secure Quantico base, there should not be listening devices planted on anyone”

“Madame Chairman” Sue-Lim ventured, “I know Pete and I are not yet married, but I could share a room with Pete and you and Charlene could stay here for the night.

“I appreciate the offer Sue-Lim” Kathryn replied, ”But it would not be appropriate, Charlene and I will stay at a motel we will pick at random, now that Pete has made sure my car is clean”

Pete looked in the bag at the listening devices he had collected, “I wonder?” he said to himself, and then went to box of items he had and took out another scanner.
“Miss Cooper” he told Kathryn, “This will give us the frequency these are transmitting on”

“And the range?” Kathryn asked.
“Possibly, but that might not help”
“Why?” Charlene asked
“I’ve seen this before” Pete explained, “The main weakness of this kind of surveillance operation is that these devices are by necessity only short range due to power issues, which means you have to have a van nearby to receive the transmissions, which could be suspicious”
“Especially this being a Quantico base” Kathryn added
“Exactly” Pete replied, “These operations will most likely have something tied into some telephone junction box, so it is independently powered and relays the signals in a manner a scanner will not pick up, sort of like the old style infinity bug”
“So what will the frequency tell you?” Charlene asked

This time it was Sue-Lim who answered, “Who ever it is who planted it, Here in the US, the various law enforcement and security agencies are delegated certain frequencies. Those device supplied by private companies on the open market have other frequencies. Once we get the frequency we can cross check with a database and if it was supplied by a commercial company get a court order to see who they sold it to”

“You’ve done this before?” Charlene asked
“Yes” replied Sue-Lim, “But from the other side when the Facility was under the old management, the set up was something similar and we shared a frequency with MI5”
“Yeah, I remember those days,” Pete chipped in, then added, “they told us we were protecting the Earth back then, but the policy of exterminating captured IDEs did seem so “
“Over the top?” Sue-Lim suggested completing Pete’s sentence
“Yes” Pete agreed, “Sue-Lim, Jason and myself were essentially just filing clerks, but we kind of made a pact that we would never turn in any IDE we found if we thought they were harmless”

Then Pete stopped and said “Oops – perhaps I should not have mentioned that, I mean we never did come across any IDEs down at the Annexe”

“That’s ok” Kathryn reassured him, “Those were dark times under Mr Blue, I just hope we can prevent the IDEC from ever going down that dead end ever again”

Pete started scanning one of the devices and took a reading and then placed the device back in the bag and closed it up. Then he took the reading and took out a palm pilot from the box and plugged the scanner into it, to download the frequency.

After two minutes, the palm pilot spat out an answer

“Oh S***t!” Pete exclaimed

“What is it” Kathryn asked with alarm

Just look at who this frequency is assigned to” Pete replied and then showed the readout on the palm pilot to Sue-Lim and Kathryn

“You have got to be kidding?” Kathryn blurted out

Sue-Lim went white as a sheet and just started repeating the word “No” before rushing upstairs in tears. Pete put down the palm pilot and ran up after her.

“Who?” Charlene asked, slightly confused at the reaction of the others, and then picked up the palm pilot to see who had been spying on them. According to the database, the listening devices were working on a frequency assigned to the one organisation in the US that was considered by some even more secret than the CIA.





To be continued

Who is the enemy?

Is it the man with the long beard and a black round metal sphere marked “bomb”

After nine eleven many turned their attention to the Muslim community and treated them with suspicion, in most cases unjustly. The tale is told of a man being removed from an aeroplane as the pilot did not like the sound of his Muslim name. That man turned out to be a secret service bodyguard for GW Bush.

Surely, the true enemy must be unfounded suspicion, especially in paranoid times. During the cold war, we feared reds under the bed; now we fear young men and women of certain ethnic origins should they be travelling on the same form of public transport that we are on.

We can rationalise this all we want, even pointing out that there are those out there who would do us harm, but at the end of the day it is unfounded suspicion, be it suspicion of the lone suicide bomber or the Zionist conspiracy on the other side that is truly the enemy.

Often, these unfounded suspicion ends up with us at each other’s throats while those who truly would cause harm slip by unhindered. Or have I just added to the fear and suspicion there.

For Sue-Lim Wang, this suspicion has caused her great distress as they have discovered the quarters she is sharing with her fiancé Pete Smith, (although at this point separate bedrooms), has been bugged with high end devices tuned to frequencies allotted to the National Security Agency.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, What is Colonel Samuel Peters to make of the fact that criminals who have abducted first Caer O’Docherty, the former Spirit of Fancying, and now her twin sister, Fidelity O’Docherty, the former Spirit of Fidelity, have been given access to technology only available to those in the agency known as Inter Dimensional Entity Control. The very one of which he was once acting UK director





“So what the hell were you thinking last night” Gerard McConnell yelled at both Captain Gregory O’Doyle and Colonel Samuel Peters, “Not only is our Caer missing but now you allowed them to take our Fidelity, my other niece” he added

“We are doing every thing in our power to” The captain tried to say, but again was interrupted by the irate uncle
“Those are my nieces, the children of my brother who died at the hand of your so called friendly fire” Gerard yelled pointing an accusing finger at the colonel.
“The people who took Fidelity threatened to kill Caer if we did not hand them Fidelity with in a certain time frame” Samuel told him, trying to remain as calm and as dispassionate as he could given the circumstances.

“So you just caved into them?” Gerard shouted back
“Your niece volunteered to go” Samuel replied
“And you let her?” Gerard spat back with increased volume and incredulity
“Sir” Samuel intoned forcefully, “Loosing your temper does not help matters”

“The colonel’s right” Gregory interrupted, “you need to remain calm. We are liaising with the Garda about the initial abduction”
“KEEP CALM!!!” Gerard replied in a quieter but menacing tone, “If those two had been with our family where they belong and not some farmer and his wife this would not have happened”
“You don’t know that” Samuel cut in, “They could still have gone after them if they were with you. In fact it could be argued that by demanding that they leave their farm where they were more protected you put them at greater risk”
“SO IT’S MY FAULT!!” Gerard shouted back, “You had one of my nieces safe and you handed her over to a bunch of criminals and you say it’s my fault”

“We’re not saying that” Gregory replied, trying to use as calming a tone as possible, “All we are saying is that where ever they were these individuals were out to get them”
“And why would that be?” Gerard asked adding “And don’t give me that bull s***t about being classified, I know they were once these so called minor spirits of virtue”
“Then you should know that for their sakes you keep that information to yourself” The colonel replied
“But why take them?” Gerard insisted

“We don’t know sir” Gregory told him, “That’s what we have also told Mr and Mrs O’Docherty”
“And what have they got to do with this” Gerard spat back, “They had no right to those girls, as soon as we got the DNA match between Caer and my brother they should have been returned to us, their true family”

“Mr O’Connell” Samuel said in a formal tone, “Caer and Fidelity’s legal status does not concern us at the moment, only their safe return”
“Well if and when we can find them” Gerard retaliated, “if they are still alive I am definitely going to see my solicitor about revoking their adoption orders”

“Well as the colonel has pointed out” Gregory told him, “that will be your prerogative, but we have to find them first”
“And what are you doing to do that?” Gerard asked angrily

“Before she was taken, I gave Fidelity a micro homing transmitter to swallow” Samuel explained.
“And any sign of a signal?” Gerard enquired, this time not as angry, as he realised they were at least trying to be on top of things
“Not yet” admitted the colonel, “but we are listening out for it, and if it shows, we will have a location with in three minutes of acquiring a signal”

“You better” Gerard responded, “Because if anything happens to them, especially Fidelity, I will hold you personally responsible” he added pointing at the colonel
“Is that a threat?” Samuel asked
“It’s a promise” Gerard replied, and then got up out of his chair and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

“Jerk” Samuel muttered under his breath.
“Now that doesn’t help either” Gregory chided the colonel
“I Know Gregory, but that bozo really was beginning to annoy me” Samuel admitted, then asked, “So what do we know”

“Well” began Gregory, “I suspect they grabbed Caer by mistake and they really wanted Fidelity all along, why I have no idea”
“Yeah, I would have to agree, but why keep onto Caer?”
“May be we were just too late and she was hanged” Gregory answered

Samuel sighed and looked out of the window, “I would hate to tell the O’Docherty’s that. I had to inform the parents of my commander and the parents of Jenny Green they were lost in the bomb attack on the Facility in London. At least they had got to adulthood, but these two are just kids”

“I know” Gregory commiserated, “When I was in the Garda, I had to tell a single mother that her ten year old son had been knocked down and killed by a drunk driver, who insisted on complaining how the child had damaged his new car”

Samuel remembered his daughter and his wife at this point, as both had been killed by a DUI in his home state back in 1998 and shook his head. “Yeah that’s one hell of a job to do”



Gerard stormed through the waiting room muttering how he would take certain legal action against G2, passed a young woman in the waiting room. She was wearing just a very thin cotton dress with nothing on underneath and she had bare feet. Luckily she had an overcoat lent to her by someone at G2. A female member of staff was due to take her shopping for more clothes, as soon as they had found some old shoes she could wear.

As Gerard left, a man with what could only be described as dwarfism arrived.

The young woman was not fooled for an instance, this was a leprechaun, and from the way he was dressed an important one and not the usual run of the mill G2 leprechauns she had heard of.

“Hello?” She said to the Leprechaun in a nervous voice, , “I’m so sorry to cause so much trouble” she then apologised

“What do you mean by that my dear” the Leprechaun replied
“We were doing as we were told to sir” she explained, “The terms of our exile were we were to keep out of site, and we tried to do that sir”

The leprechaun looked at her quizzically

The young woman continued, “I only bothered the colonel because some one has taken one of us, and that was because she got in the way of a crystal imprisoning rod that was meant for me. Whatever crime we or I did to deserve this further punishment, I am sorry. Please tell me how we caused further offence” she pleaded

The leprechaun shook his head, “Allow me to introduce myself” he began, “I am a member of the Special Diplomatic Service for the Irish Government, and my name is Shamus McTuckle”



“Well” The young woman began, but was interrupted by Shamus

“Clotho isn’t it?” Shamus asked
“Yes sir” Clotho replied nervously
“Well Clotho I’m afraid it’s us who should apologise to you” Shamus told her
“What do you mean sir?” Clotho asked totally confuse, “It was Lachesis, Atropos and myself who were banished from the Mystical Realms several winters ago”
“By the Lord Low Troll himself” Shamus said completing her sentence for her”
“But I do not understand?” Clotho added, still confused
“Clotho my dear, when you and your sisters were expelled, the Lord Low Troll had a crack down on all cross traffic between this world and ours. We had the treaty with the Irish government long before he had ascended to the throne as it were, but he had threatened to tear that treaty up for us and send his Manjura troll goons along with his Delethon troll allies to arrest every G2 officer if we contacted you or Graeme Andrews. Some of us wanted to call his bluff, the courts would never have allowed it, but some thought he was responsible for the murder of the Spirit of True Love, even though at the time it was ruled a suicide”
“But I never believed she would kill herself” Clotho protested
“Indeed she did not my dear” Shamus went on, “But it was not the Lord Low Troll who did her in, it was her own elven lawyer, Yagel Pen-Swift on the orders of the Spirit of Lust, her very own sister, except Yagel was not even an elf, he was a drow”

Clotho shook her head as she stared down at the floor, then looked back up at Shamus with tears in her eyes, “I still miss her, and now her two daughters are missing, along with Lachesis. Do you think they are connected?”

“I don’t know Clotho my dear” Shamus continued, “after the fall of the Lord Low Troll in the coup and Orc and Troll civil war that the Spirit of Lust precipitated, we had all but forgotten about you, and when we did think of you felt you were safer here while the war raged, then there was the aftermath and what with the cult of the Magnus Timor, I’m afraid you just slipped off of our radar”

“Radar?” Clotho queried

“I’m sorry my dear, it’s an invention of the humans, it is used to see things far off” Shamus explained, “Living and working with humans, we start to pick up their quirky sayings as well”

Just then Colonel Samuel Peters came down.

“Greetings again Colonel” Shamus said
“Hi” Samuel grunted, then asked the dwarf, “Have you told her”

“Told me what?” Clotho asked
“I’m sorry” Shamus apologised, “I was coming to that”
“What?” Clotho asked

“Shamus has been in touch with the new Clan Chief of the Rachtal and the Clan Chief of the Manjura” Samuel explained
“Yes my dear” Shamus beamed, “You and your sister will be free to return home to the Mystical Realms, as soon as the Judicial Appeals Court of the Mystical Realms has convened. They are now supporting the cancellation of your exile order and nobody will be opposing it”
“But what about Lachesis?” Clotho asked, “It won’t be the same if Atropos and I have to return without her, plus won’t the people who took her come after us?”

“She has a point Shamus” Samuel replied, “Who ever took her could be still after Clotho and Atropos, and we can’t rule out the involvement of our former renegade colleagues”

“That is true” sighed Shamus, “And I suspect you would be better protected here than back home, with the confusion due to the aftermath of the war and that cult”

“Clotho” Samuel spoke up, “We need to get you and your sister into protective custody”
“If you think that is best sir” Clotho replied, “I will need to send word to my sister where she has been hiding”
“And I will be going with you” Samuel replied, “Along with a G2 Leprechaun”

“Oh No” Shamus cut in, “Not this time”

“Why?” Samuel asked with a tone of annoyance
“Because it was the diplomatic service al those years ago that showed an unwelcome streak of yellow when you were first exiled, so it’s only fair that I go along”

“No way” Samuel responded, “You’re a diplomat, not a trained operative”
“I used to be a G2 leprechaun in my younger days” Shamus insisted

“You said it Shamus” came a female voice from behind, “Your younger days Shamus, but now you’re old and slow”

Shamus turned around, “Rosie O’Brian!” he exclaimed



“I’m sorry about your cousin Hogan” Samuel cut in, “He was a fine member of my team”
“Thank you sir” Rosie replied, “He died a valiant death in combat. You spoke well at his memorial service”
“I’ve been speaking at quite a few of them” Samuel sighed

“Shamus here means well” Rosie went on, “But as you say, he is more a diplomat and with all due respect sir, you are a bit rusty”
“Rusty am I?” Shamus retorted
“Yes, rusty” Rosie insisted

“I suppose so” Shamus said with a twinkle in his eye, “I just feel so awful that we never stood up to the Lord Low Troll all those years ago. If we did maybe this would never have happened to Cloth’s sister”
“But to use a human term sir, no use crying over spilled milk” Rosie countered, “Samuel and I will go over and fetch Atropos”

“But I’m coming too” Clotho insisted, “You’ll never find her with out me”

“But someone found you and Lachesis” Rosie pointed out

“I know” Clotho replied, “But I do not know how. There should only be one way to find each of us, and those means are not here in this universe”

“What do you mean?” Samuel asked
“When we were exiled, the Judicial Court of the Mystical Realms had placed in it three orbs of location, to make sure each of us did not return secretly back to the Mystical Realms”
“And where about in this court were these orbs stored?” Samuel asked with a sudden air of suspicion.
“I do not know sir” Clotho replied, “They were stored somewhere in there, only those in the High Council of the Elves who were of the Law might know”

“Uh Oh!” Samuel whispered

Shamus walked up to the colonel, “What are you thinking there Samuel?” he asked
“Fidelity” Samuel replied, “She spent most of her life under Yagel Pen-Swift”
“That treacherous Drow ” Shamus retorted angrily
“Except for most of that time” Samuel went on, “Everyone thought he was nothing but an elven lawyer”





Mr Vee walked bleary eyed into the arrivals hall at Heathrow Terminal five, he had tried to get some sleep on the plane, but he had been put near a couple with a baby that insisted on crying through the night.

He had a telephone number to track down supplied by one of his associates, obtained by an un-named source in the National Security Agency involved in illegal covert surveillance of a US senator. Mr Vee had spent much time in the UK before, after all this was where he had taken his informant back in 1975, and where she and him had had an affair resulting in the birth of his daughter Sue-Lim Wang, although as far as he knew, Sue-Lim was not aware he was her father.

He headed for the entrance of the airport, where he was going to take the Piccadilly line into the capital and on to the hotel he had booked near Russell Square, and his favourite place to visit, The British Museum.

Just before the entrance there was someone he recognised from his old days working for one of the intelligence agencies, his old MI5 liaison officer.

“Sir Sidney Gerald?” he called out as he got with in three feet of the man

The man came up to him and held out his right hand, which Mr Vee grasped. “It’s good to see you again James” Sir Sidney said with affection, adding, “And it’s just Sidney, I only use the title to get a places at restaurants or to get into my club in London”.
“Let me guess” Mr Vee smiled, “It was the attendant at the check in at Dulles who tipped you off” Mr Vee added
“What makes you think that James?” Sir Sidney replied
“It was obvious to me, an old hand that he was probably CIA or at least Ex-CIA, the way he made sure he served me and took slightly a bit longer to process me than his other colleagues on the check in”
“We never could get one past you James” Sir Sidney laughed, “Actually he is Ex-Army intelligence, when he finished there he worked for me for a bit in close protection duties for foreign diplomats.”
“That would explain why he was so easy for me to spot” Mr Vee mused, “CIA operatives are more subtle. So why is he working for United Airlines” Mr Vee then asked
“More regular income than the close protection business and more regular hours” Sir Sidney explained, “Although I pay him a small retainer to alert me to people of interest coming and going”
“You never did really leave the business” Mr Vee said with a grin
“Well I like to keep a hand in sometimes James and it does mean that my old friends don’t get fleeced by over priced taxis” Sir Sidney replied and then released Mr Vee’s hand and motioned for him to come with him.
“Thank you Sidney, I did not expect a ride” Mr Vee said to him, “I was kind of expecting I would be travelling on the subway, or what you Brits call the Tube”
“That would never do” Sir Sidney countered, “I tried the tube once. Never again”
“That’s very thoughtful of you Sidney” Mr Vee replied, “We could catch up on old times before you drop me off at the hotel”
“Hotel?” Sir Sidney questioned, “No – No, you must come and stay at my place” Sir Sidney insisted, “or at least have dinner with me at the Garrick”
“It would be an honour Sidney” Mr Vee replied, “But I am here on business”
“Maybe you could tell me about it on the way into London” Sir Sidney probed
“Come on Sidney” Mr Vee replied, “You know I can’t do that”
“I’m sorry James” Sir Sidney chuckled, “Ever since I left the Business for the City it has been hard to get out of that mind set. I do miss it though. Those days were fun”
“But dangerous Sidney” Mr Vee countered, “Remember Brisbane?”
“Yes James, that one was a close call”
“Anyway Sidney, you’ve not done bad for yourself” Mr Vee smiled back, “A knighthood for services rendered to British Industry”

“Yeah” Sir Sidney replied with a strange hint of sadness and then led the way to the car park.







Sophie arrived at her desk to find that the chairman had turned up early, which was not that frequent, so gingerly she knocked on Kathryn Cooper’s door and ventured into the chairman’s office.
“Morning Miss Cooper” she opened with, “I’m sorry I didn’t realise you were coming in so early. Do you want me to get your usual coffee?”
“Not this time Sophie” Kathryn replied icily, “Get me the director of the National Security Agency”
“Do you want that on the MTAC?” Sophie asked
“NO” Kathryn snapped back, “I want him here, in person, today. He is cleared to know of our existence”
“Yes Miss Cooper” Sophie replied, slightly un-nerved by Kathryn’s angry tone, “If he asks why?”
“Tell him he will find out why when he gets here”
“Yes Miss Cooper” Sophie replied and then went back to her desk. She was uncertain that the director of another agency would “come running” at the request of another, but her boss seemed in so foul a mood that she did not want to put that to her. If only she would agree to an interview over the MTAC system that would have made life a lot easier.

A phone rang.

Sophie was going to answer it when she realised it was on Kathryn’s direct line, and not the others that went through her secretarial phone system. Carefully she got up and closed the door to give her boss some privacy.



Kathryn looked at the handset, the number calling was that of Colonel Samuel Peters.

She picked it up and answered it, “I hope this is to say you are at Dulles Airport and are ready to appear before the Senate committee today”
“Kathryn” Samuel began, “Tell them to wait, something has come up which is more urgent than pandering to a bunch of over cosseted senators with over inflated egos”

“I take it this means you are still in Ireland” Kathryn ventured, “Even though I said that G2 are just as professional”
“I’m on my way to London” Samuel cut in over the phone
“To catch a flight back to DC?” Kathryn asked

“I take it that means that Sophie did not pass on my message last night when you were out at some social function” Samuel replied with a touch of irritation in his voice.

Kathryn narrowed her eyes, breathed in and then answered, “Actually I was at the quarters of Miss Wang and Mr Smith with Miss Henshore”
“Very cosy” Samuel remarked sarcastically, “Meanwhile I was freezing my but off trying to save the life of the former Spirit of Fancying and witnessing the former Spirit of Fidelity being abducted by renegade IDEC agents using an artificial wormhole generator that was not developed until after they went AWOL when IDEC UK policy was changed”
“You’re saying someone was using an artificial wormhole generator” Kathryn asked as she had a sudden sinking feeling.
“Yes that’s what I said” Samuel replied, “And if you had not been at your dinner party we could have tracked them with Sky guard since Sophie does not seem to think she can ask for what we are paying for”
“I was not at a social” Kathryn cut in with a slow and deliberate tone, “Someone told the chair of the senate oversight committee about Paddy McGurty’s betrayal”
“How” Samuel asked with an angry tone, “We were keeping that under wraps”
“Last night we were at the quarters because Mr Smith was conducting an anti-surveillance sweep and we found numerous listening devices which seem to have come from the NSA”

“Are we being investigated?” Samuel asked
“If what you are saying about someone using an artificial wormhole generator, that could be a possibility” Kathryn answered, then she changed tone, “Samuel”
“Yes Kathryn”
“Last night when we found out that the devices came from the NSA, Miss Wang was very upset and went up to her room in tears and would not even allow Pete in to see her”
“I sense that is not all there is to this Kathryn” Samuel said over the phone
“Yes, Pete rang me this morning, Sue-Lim has packed a suitcase and left”
“I can see where this is headed, Sue-Lim recreated the artificial generators on the orders of Mr Davies after that traitor Timothy Zachary developed it. If one has fallen into renegade hands, she would be prime suspect”
“Don’t you think I have not just thought of that as well” Kathryn cut in
“Yeah but there’s one problem with that Kathryn” Samuel said over the phone, “She is no Timothy Zachary, she would never betray us like he did”
“I know that Samuel” Kathryn insisted, “But remember what happened in Florida”
“I remember Kathryn” Samuel insisted, “I’m assuming you’re calling in the NSA director”
“You’re darn right I am” Kathryn replied
“Then don’t tell him about what I saw last night, we don’t want to give them rope to hang Sue-Lim, she’s innocent” Then Samuel added a barbed, “I don’t want her hung out to dry like you did with Corporal McCaskey, remember her, sentenced to five years in a military prison and a dishonourable discharge because some moron lost a DOD laptop and her identity was stolen by a fraudster”
“She got a fair trial” Kathryn replied “and like I said it would have been inappropriate for us to act”
“Fair trial my a**s” Samuel swore, “Even though the civilian authorities said she was totally innocent all three members of that Courts Marshall said she was guilty of bringing the army into disrepute for being falsely accused of a crime that occurred in a state she had never been to while she was on active service in the UK. Are you going to let the same thing happen to Sue-Lim as well?”
“Not if I can help it Samuel”
Then Samuel told her “My flight has been called, I have to go” and then he hung up.

Kathryn sat there for a moment, and then got up and opened her door, “Sophie” she said in a stern tone, “I want to see you in my office now!”





Commander Mark Johnson held Jenny Green in his arms as they sat with their back to a wall. They could feel the heat from the low level volcanic activity. The pair of them had lodged in a small side tunnel suggested by Timothy, while he sat with the Spirit of Lust elsewhere in the cave system.

“Do you believe her?” Jenny asked
“I think I do” Mark replied, “We were taught to spot liars and she did seem genuinely shocked to be accused of killing the Spirit of Friendship”
“Why would someone do that?” Jenny then asked, “Remember how Rebecca was upset when she learned she was an orphan, I just wanted to hold her in my arms”
“I know Jenny” Mark replied, “I was there too”
“I’m so glad she found a home with her uncle and his family in America” Jenny went on
“I still think we have to go along with Timothy” Mark ventured, “Even if it does mean that the Spirit of Lust is back in circulation” then he added, “plus I’m not sure I can stomach any more baked Mudpod”
“Yeah Mark, that was awful” Jenny agreed, “How has he been able to live off of that while he has been here?” she asked. Then Jenny thought for a moment, “If the Earth is still there and we are able to get back Mark, won’t The Spirit of Lust just try and pick off where she left off” Jenny asked, “It will mean Mr Andrews stopped her for nothing”
“I don’t know love” Mark told her, “But look at it this way, someone murdered a major spirit of virtue and made it look like her, Whoever that was they could still be a threat and they need to be stopped and brought to justice”

Jenny suddenly felt concerned and looked at Mark in the eyes, “Do you think who ever did it, will come after Rebecca?”
“Well they haven’t so far” Mark replied, “And I would have thought they would have done by now”

Jenny turned back around and laid her head on Mark’s shoulder, “I just feel so helpless here”
“Well” Mark continued “He did say even if he had our talismans the wormhole generator will only work in the open, so we are stuck here until that solar storm passes”
“So what do we do until then?” Jenny asked

Mark kissed Jenny on the head, “Well he did say he would let us have time to ourselves”
“I just so want you Mark so much” Jenny told Mark, “But here, in this cave? What if He decides to watch?”
“Then” Mark said as he started to unbutton his shirt, “we will have to put on a good show”
“Yeah” Jenny agreed as she too started to undress.



“It is happening like you said it would Master Zachary” The Spirit of Lust said to Timothy across the embers of the cooking fire, “they are indulging their lust for one another”
“Feeling better now Lusty Babe?” Timothy asked, “Now you’ve had a chance to taste some genuine sexual lust”
“Much” The Spirit of Lust replied with a smile, “They are so into each other and I can feel that they have no inhibitions as they roll around on the floor, it is so exquisite”
“I know” Grinned Timothy, “I can just about hear them”

The Spirit of Lust stood up and breathed in deeply, then looked down at Timothy, “I sense you to lust after sexual union with the female as well”
“But she does not lust after me” Timothy pointed out, “For you to get your powers up to help make the generator work I need you at full strength and if she lusts after the commander, then while we are stuck here together, I am willing to make the sacrifice”
“And should we get back to our worlds?” The Spirit of Lust replied
“We go our separate ways if you want, I get to be back in civilisation and you get to play around with all the other major spirits of vice”
“And I will once again be worshipped by the humans”
“Except this time, you try a more subtle approach” Timothy went on, “Let us worship you without realising it”
“And you will fully release me?” The Spirit of Lust then asked
“I’ll think about it Lusty Babe” Timothy replied, then asked “How was your mudpod”
“Vile as ever”
“Yeah, I really thought so too, I mean after roast Stinger Fan it had to be an improvement” Timothy sighed.





Sir Sidney Gerald sat in the back of his Rolls Royce as he looked at his unconscious friend, Mr Vee, the slow acting knock out poison he had on his hand, had worked. While he had taken an antidote prior, the effects on Mr Vee after he got into the car were predictable. Mr Vee never saw it coming.

A phone rang in the back and Sir Sidney answered it, “Sir Sidney Gerald” he said into the phone
“Sir” an American voice came over the phone, “They found the listening devices we planted in the chairman’s office”
“So now they will think they are safe from our eves dropping then” Sir Sidney replied, “Excellent” he added
“Just like you predicted sir” the American voice replied, “We even managed to get a tap on her direct line”
“Anything of interest?” Sir Sidney asked
“I can play you it back sir if you want”
“Just give me the headlines” Sir Sidney told the man on the phone
“Well the colonel is headed your way on a flight to London, they found the listening devices at the quarters of Miss Wang and Mr Smith but they are blaming them on the NSA and Miss Wang has gone missing”
“Has she now?” Sir Sydney purred
“Yeah, the colonel obviously saw your associates in Ireland use the generator you supplied and they were speculating that Miss Wang might be under investigation for passing its details on to them”
“Really” Sir Sidney mused, then after a moment’s thought, “We’ve done this before to cause the IDEC some embarrassment so I suppose we can do this again”
“Sir?” the voice on the phone queried.
“Do we still have our little mole in the FBI?” Sir Sidney asked
“I believe so?”
“Well” Sir Sidney began with a large grin, “They have sown the seeds of the idea of their latest humiliation, why not run with that?”
“Yes Sir Sidney” the voice on the telephone replied, “I’ll get straight on it” he added before hanging up.

Sir Sidney then dialled a number on his phone, and after three rings it was answered.
“Charles?” Sir Sidney began, “It’s me, can you inform James’s hotel, that Mr Vee is indisposed and will have to cancel his booking”
“Yes sir” replied another English voice over the telephone
“And can you get in touch with Mr Swales and tell him the target is returning to London”
“Very good sir” the man at the other end of the phone replied, and then he asked, “Will you be wanting Celeste to be informed of any progress of your other matter sir?”
“No!” Sir Sidney replied, “Let’s not bother her with that for the time being. We can just let her keep busy with looking after her father’s duties while he is our guest. She may be needed should Mr Swales be more successful, but let’s cross that bridge when we come to it shall we?”
“As you wish sir” the voice on the phone replied, “How soon will you be arriving back at the office?”
“About half an hour to an hour, depending on Traffic over Tower Bridge” Sir Sidney replied before hanging up.

Then he poured himself a small brandy and raised his glass in a toasting gesture towards the unconscious body of Mr Vee, “Well James, to telling me everything I need to know and to ruling this world and the other one, the proper way. My way”




Johnny Adair looked at the city through his binoculars; in the air he could see the occasional pseudo dragon in flight and +the occasional exotic bird, but no full blown dragons. They stuck to the mountains in their wild state. The amount of traffic on the road was light at this time of day. They had come across the occasional goblin and Halfling traders. Some had tried to engage them in conversation, but once Johnny had shown them the Kalashnikovs, they kept their distance. Thanks to the former cult of the Magnus Timor they were well aware of the “metal rods that spit death”

They had expected a troll patrol but so far they had been lucky, as for orcs, they were few and far between, having been on the loosing side in the civil war.

One Troglodyte slave trader they encountered had asked how much they would be selling the slave girl they had with them, and even went as far as to say that they would get a better price if she was completely naked.

A warning shot at his feet from Johnny soon put him right about interfering

“Move you” Gerry Malone said to Fidelity in a cruel manner as he pulled on the leash attached to a collar around Fidelity’s neck

Fidelity tried to pick up the pace, but it was hard with her hands still tied behind her back and the collar and leash made things awkward. She was terrified of these two men. They seemed to hold all the cards. They had even fitted her with a collar that could be made to tighten up by remote control, so she would strangle to death if she broke free.

They had told her that her sister was still alive, and had shown her a photo of her next to someone she vaguely recognised from her time with Yagel, but could not place. They had told her that she would only stay that way if she did exactly as she was told. What that was at this point they did not say. She had tried to tell them she no longer had any special powers as she was as fully human as they were, but they just told her that she did not need special powers for what they wanted from her. What it could be, she did not have a clue. The only way to stay alive and keep her twin sister alive was to do exactly as she was told.

“I said move” Gerry repeated and yanked on the leash again.

Fidelity missed her footing and tripped over and fell on face on the ground. The pain was agony, as she had not been able to use her arms to break her fall.

She tried to get to her knees, with blood streaming from her nose. She was not sure if it was broken, but it felt like it could be. She had also bitten her lip in the fall badly. The last time she had felt this bad was when she had been beaten black and blue by Mr Blue in his “Robust Interrogation” of her at that dreaded place called “The Facility” in North London

“That was really clever Gerry” Johnny said to Gerry, “She’s not much use to us if you go and kill her”
“She’s dawdling” Gerry complained as if Fidelity wasn’t there
“I’m sorry” Fidelity whimpered. Her knees were also hurting as she had scraped them in the fall as well.

Johnny came and pulled Fidelity to her feet and then took the lead from Gerry. “Can’t you do anything right” Johnny asked him.

Fidelity just looked down and dejected. She was not even sure if they would kill her as soon as they got what they wanted anyway.

Suddenly there was a rushing wind, and behind them a blue dot appeared in mid air, which became a small vortex



Out stepped what appeared to be a teenager of Fidelity’s age, wearing a black leather jacket, black Jeans and a black tee-shirt. It was obvious she was braless. She also had Jet black hair. This was the young woman next to her sister in the image on the camera phone.

“Long time no see” The young woman said to Fidelity

“Celeste, what are you doing here?” Johnny asked, “The boss said we were just going to be on this little mission to your central city over there”
Celeste turned to face Johnny and Gerry, “I know” Celeste replied, “I had a brief lull in collecting souls from the recently departed so I thought I would drop by, and catch up with Fidelity here, I mean we did briefly meet many years ago at some convention of Elven lawyers and apothecaries”

Celeste then looked at Fidelity as Fidelity looked at the ground, tears mingling with the blood falling from her face.

“And it’s a good thing I did drop by” Celeste continued, as she walked up to Fidelity and placed her right hand lightly on the top of Fidelity’s head. Fidelity flinched, expecting further pain as Celeste caressed the side of Fidelity’s head “What did they do to you?” Celeste asked with a hint of anger in her voice.

“The clumsy b***h tripped” Gerry sneered

Celeste gave him a look of contempt, “You’re almost as bad as Mr Swales” she retorted.
“Please don’t hurt me Celeste” whispered, “I’ll do what you ask, just please don’t hurt me or Caer”
“Don’t you remember me?” Celeste whispered to Fidelity, in what Fidelity interpreted as a menacing tone
“Sorry, only vaguely Celeste” Fidelity replied, trying through the pain of her injuries to remember who Celeste was and her time with Yagel, which for two years she had tried to blot out.

Then Fidelity slowly remembered, “You’re the daughter of the Spirit of Destiny and the Spirit of Death” she mumbled, still looking down at the ground
Celeste gently lifted Fidelity’s head so she could look her in the eyes “Yes that’s right” Celeste replied with what seemed like a genuine smile
“I remember Yagel saying that your mother was dead” Fidelity went on, as more distant memories started to trickle back
“Yes” Celeste replied with a tinge of anger, “And daddy let her die”
“Please don’t hurt me or Caer Celeste” Fidelity pleaded, “I promise I will do what ever you want”
“Of course you will dear” Celeste said in a soft but menacing tone

“Can we get on now please” Johnny cut in
“In a Moment” Celeste yelled back. Celeste sighed and looked at Fidelity’s injuries, then she placed both her hands on Fidelity’s shoulders, and then Celeste’s eyes turned into two dazzling green lights.

With in five seconds Fidelity was totally healed.

“For old time’s sake” Celeste told Fidelity with a grin, and then as she removed her hands from Fidelity’s shoulders and showed Fidelity the homing micro-transmitter she had swallowed earlier, “And you won’t need this”

Celeste then dropped the homing micro-transmitter to the ground and crushed it with her shoe
“I’m sorry” Fidelity said trembling with fear, “The colonel told me to swallow it”
“And you’re a good little girl who always does as she is told” Celeste said back to her.
“I told you I will do what you ask” Fidelity whimpered, trying to guess what Celeste would say next.
“I know” Celeste whispered, “Even when we were growing up together you always did what ever Yagel told you to do”
“I didn’t want to get another beating” Fidelity replied with tears forming in her eyes.

Celeste then gave Fidelity a hug, “I wish it had been me that had killed that brute instead of the Troll Clan Chief of the Manjura” she whispered into Fidelity’s ear.
Then Fidelity felt the cable tie holding her hands behind her back vanish and the collar disappear.

“You don’t need these” Celeste called out to the two Irishmen as she held out the cable tie that had bound Fidelity’s hands and the choking collar and leash, “Miss Fidelity is going to be a good little girl and show you to what the boss wants you to get hold of for him”

Then the objects disappeared in a violet flame in Celeste’s hand, and then she told the two men, “Fidelity and I go back a long way, and as my old friend I know she will do what you ask”

Fidelity could only nod in agreement, from what she could remember of Celeste, she was always the one who was actually able to demonstrate any powers, because back then she had been told she was the Spirit of Fancying, and as a result she had never been able to be effective as a minor spirit of virtue. There was no way that Fidelity was going to cross Celeste

Celeste walked towards the two men, “I have to go now, but make sure you treat her right” she said with an air of menace.

Just then another blue vortex opened up, and Celeste was gone.

“Who the hell does she think she is” Gerry swore
“She’s the boss’s new fixer” Johnny explained
“Only for the moment” Gerry replied
“Until then we do what she tells us, just as if the boss had told us” Johnny replied and then he pointed his gun at Fidelity, “Now you, move we still have to make the city before nightfall”

All Fidelity could do was comply, her restraints had gone, but they still held all the cards, and if Celeste was working with them, what else could she do?





Charlene Henshore had had a hunch when she had heard Pete call on the Chairman’s cell about Sue-Lim going missing, as to where she might head, and she was hoping she was right.

She had never seen Sue-Lim in such a state before, even when she dropped in on her early in the morning the previous day to go shopping for a wedding dress. That seemed so long ago now.

As soon as Sue-Lim had heard that the listening devices were from the NSA she just about lost it. Sue-Lim had run upstairs to her room, closed the door on Pete, locked it, and sat down behind the door sobbing. Charlene had kind of guessed it had something to do with how she had been treated by the immigration authorities at Florida.

As far as Charlene herself was concerned, immigration had been a pain as well, even though she had been in the US briefly at the start of the ill fated excursion by US Marines to try and liberate the Mystical Realms Central City. It was probably her early activism against various actions by the US government, like the Iraq War and the Afghan war that had caused difficulty with her visa and her green card.

But this was nothing compared to what Sue-Lim had been through. She had actually been incarcerated in an immigration detention centre, even though she had helped save the planet! The crew of endeavour, much to their credit, had made a protest, which for security reasons had to be hushed up, but it seemed the immigration officials could not see it that way. Sue Lim had to go back to Russia according to some international treaty.

When Sue-Lim was finally released a week later, from bruising on her face it was obvious that someone had assaulted her and the way she was unexpectedly nervous about men, and even her reaction when Pete first tried to hug after her release her indicated something else unspeakable had happened in there. What it was, Charlene did not know for sure, but Sue-Lim did not want to talk about it and in some sense seemed frightened to talk about it. At least Pete realised something had been up and on Charlene’s advice had given Sue-Lim space for the first two weeks, by then it seemed things were slowly getting back the way they were. In retrospect, the two of them sleeping in two separate bedrooms may have been a big help for Sue-Lim

Charlene had sensed that Sue-Lim had been making great efforts to recover the intimacy she had had with Pete, such as it was before she had gone into space from the little time she had known them prior. Whatever had gone on in that detention centre, Sue-Lim still adored Pete, and Pete was devoted to Sue-Lim. But at odd times prior to this incident with the listening devices she had thought she had caught Sue-Lim crying, but Sue-Lim kept saying it just was a cold she had picked up at Baikonur Cosmodrome. A cold that lasted over a month?

Something must have happened to Sue-Lim in that detention centre in Florida, something that the shock revelation concerning the listening devices having come from the NSA, had brought back.

Charlene looked from across the road at the coffee shop, this was the one Sue-Lim had suggested they go to the previous day, before Charlene had been summoned over the issue of the senator hearing about the betrayal of a certain leprechaun traitor. It was obvious from the way Sue-Lim had suggested it, this was a favourite coffee shop.

Pete had wanted to go with her, but Charlene had told him, that as for some reason Sue-Lim had not wanted him to come into her room that night, as if she were suddenly afraid of him, so maybe it would be best if another woman tried to find out what was going on in Sue-Lim’s mind. Bedside’s Pete was supposed to be sweeping hers and the chairman’s residence for further listening devices

Charlene crossed over the road and wandered into the coffee shop. It was quite busy with the breakfast traffic. Charlene pulled out her cell and tried Sue-Lim’s number to see if she could hear Sue-Lim’s cell-phone’s distinctive ring tone.

And there it was, coming from a table near the doors to the staff room and the lavatories. There was her friend was seated at a small table with a small suitcase on the floor next to her chair. She watched as her friend picked up her cell phone from her coat pocket, look at it, put it back without answering and then rest her head on her right hand, with her right elbow on the table.

Charlene walked up to her friend and sat down in front of her, “Not answering your mobile then?” she asked Sue-Lim. Then she noticed Sue-Lim had red eyes from crying.
“Hello Charlene” Sue-Lim said rather tearfully
“I thought I would find you here” Charlene continued, then added, “We have all been worried about you, especially Pete”
“Oh sorry” Sue-Lim replied, then after a few seconds thought removed her engagement ring and passed it to Charlene. “Make sure he gets this back, I believe it was his aunt’s”
Charlene shook her head in puzzlement, “Why?” she asked
“Because I love him” Sue-Lim answered
“That doesn’t make sense” Charlene countered

“I don’t want to drag him down as well Charlene as it’s obvious they were investigating me” Sue-Lim replied and then broke down as she said, “He’s better off with out me, your all better off without me”

Charlene moved her chair around so she was sitting next to Sue-Lim and put a gentle arm around her.
“That’s not true Sue-Lim, he’s devoted to you” Charlene told her, “And we all care about you”
“But if they are investigating me and he is married or engaged to me, then they might investigate him and then he will loose his security clearance and he will no longer be able to work for the I D E C” Sue-Lim sobbed, “I can’t do that to him because I love him so much” she squeaked out then after a few seconds added, “It has to be, they think I’m a security risk because my mother was from Vietnam”
“That’s rubbish” Charlene replied, “They gave me a security clearance and I’m not exactly been seen as a fan of Uncle Sam” the Charlene gently asked, “What makes you think that anyway?”
“Because of what happened in Florida” Sue-Lim replied, trying to recover some composure,
“You never did say what happened there” Charlene pressed
“Because I thought it was over kind of when Miss Cooper got me out and I wanted to put it behind me”

Charlene thought for a moment, “That bruise you had on your face when you came out” she went on, “That was not caused by what happened in space like you told us was it? Come on Sue-Lim, you can tell me, did someone do that to you while you were in detention centre?”

Sue-Lim was unable to speak, but just nodded with tears dropping from her eyes.

“Is everything ok?” a voice came from behind; it was a barista from the store.

“My friend has had a nasty shock that’s all” Charlene explained and then handed the Barista a ten dollar bill, “Can I have a medium skinny latte please”

The barista took the note and said “Coming right up” and left

Charlene returned her attention back to Sue-Lim, “Was it a fellow detainee who hit you?” she asked.
Sue Lim shook her head very briefly, “No it was some of the guards” she squeaked out.
“What?” Charlene said in disbelief
“There was this one male guard in his sixties I think” Sue-Lim went on between sobs, “As soon as he saw me, he could tell at least one of my parents was Vietnamese. He said it was because of the Vietnam war, he lost his brother and hated anyone who was as he put it contaminated with Vietnamese blood and one of them”
“And he hit you?” Charlene asked
“With his fist Charlene, He did it as I was just coming out of the shower” Sue-Lim whispered, “And he got two other male guards to hold me against the wall while he did it, he also bribed another detainee to keep watch”
“They attacked you in the showers?” Charlene whispered back with shock, surprise and anger in her voice, “Did you manage to get a towel?”
“No, Charlene, I never got a chance to get a towel, I was still naked”

A sudden horrendous thought crossed Charlene’s mind which made her shudder and surge with anger at the same time. It was not a nice question to ask, but it had to be asked. So with gentleness and determination Charlene asked Sue-Lim, “And did this older guard rape you?”

Sue Lim dissolved into tears, and leaned into Charlene “I tried to tell them I was saving myself for Pete, but they wouldn’t listen” she sobbed, “The man said he wasn’t going to do it but there was only one thing our kind were good for and the two other guards raped me”

Tears welled up in Charlene’s eyes as well, some of sorrow and some of anger. Sue-Lim had helped save the Earth from having another planet crash into it and risked her life in a space craft that could never re-enter Earth’s atmosphere safely, endured the ordeal of a space walk, and this was how they treated her.

Sue-Lim then continued as she rested in Charlene’s arms, “The older man dragged me back into the shower and washed away the evidence. He said if I told anyone, he would say it was me who initiated it and that he had friends who would make sure I would never contaminate anyone else”

Charlene held Sue-Lim in her arms for what seemed an age, the Charlene said to Sue-Lim, “Come on Sue-Lim, we will finish our coffee and then I will take you to Kathryn and we will see what we can do about those guards” and then with her voice trembling with anger, “We can’t let the b****ds get away with it”

Before Sue-Lim could respond, Charlene suddenly noticed that the staff and other customers were being ushered out by men in suits showing badges.

Then two men approached Charlene and Sue-Lim with automatic pistols drawn. Charlene looked at the badges they were showing, they were FBI

“Sue-Lim Wang” said one of the men
“Yes?” Sue-Lim said tearfully and nervously
“Stand up slowly and hands behind your back, you under arrest” the man instructed

In a state of shock and utter horror slowly Sue-Lim complied, “What have I done?” she whimpered”

The second man stepped forward and placed handcuffs on Sue-Lim’s wrists and then grabbed her by her right arm and started to frog march her through the coffee shop to the entrance.

Charlene stood up and glowered at the first FBI man, “What the hell is going on?” she demanded
“What’s it to you mam” the FBI agent said bluntly
“She’s my friend” Charlene spat back

“Well your friend, a foreign national is being arrested under the patriot act for aiding and abetting terrorists and for espionage”
“What!” Screamed Charlene
“And I suggest Mam” the FBI agent continued, “You stay calm and stay back or I will have to arrest you for obstructing justice”

Charlene stepped back and in disbelief watched as the FBI agents dragged a terrified and distraught Sue-Lim out of the coffee shop and forced into the back an awaiting car.

To Be continued

Sometimes we have varying ideas of who we are our capabilities and our importance, and that could be seen to be ego. However Character is what we are, defined by what we say and do, not what we would think we would say and do.

Sometimes we are capable of things we could never imagine we would do, such as those test subjects in the infamous Milgram experiments, and sometimes we are not capable of doing something’s, like pulling that trigger to end the life of an animal or another person.

It is only when we are put to the test that we ever truly find out.

Sue-Lim Wang for example believed she was a strong confident individual until she was incarcerated due to bureaucratic issues in an immigration detention centre where, she has revealed to her close friend and equal at the Inter Dimensional Entity Control, Charlene Hensore, that she was viciously assaulted and raped. This has now shown to Charlene what a truly vulnerable person Sue-Lim has now become. This is hardly helped by Sue-Lim being arrested by the FBI on false charges of espionage and collusion with terrorists.

Celeste on the other hand, the daughter of the Spirit of Death, believes she is capable of carrying out her fathers duties and being a cold blooded taker of lives.

Sometimes we have to be put to the test to see our true character…





Celeste appeared in the intensive care ward where a number of young children were being treated. She took out a parchment of people most likely to die within the next few minutes and read the name. It was that of a Mexican child of about four years old, a boy.

Celeste was using her usual invisibility to mortals, human or otherwise to keep from being seen or heard by the hospital staff as she searched for the child from whom she was supposed to eject his soul by cutting his astral chord.

Then she saw him, hooked up to tubes with some kind of scope marking the beating of his tiny heart.

Celeste stopped in her tracks, there was the boy’s mother and six year old sister near his bedside, both crying.

A person in a white coat came and started speaking to the mother. Celeste could not hear what was being said but from the mother’s body language, it was bad news. Probably why the parchment had summoned Celeste to carry out what her father would normally do, had she not been complicit in the boss taking him prisoner.

She watched the mother pick up the young six year old who was also crying, and this made Celeste remember back to when as a child she had been told by her father that her mother had died before she was old enough to remember her.

Celeste turned and went back to the boy lying in the hospital bed, almost fighting for every breath.

Celeste took out a celestial knife, a kind of energy come psychic blade that would sever the thread of a mortal’s astral chord, thus ejecting its soul to where-ever. This had to be done at the point of death. Celeste had always been told by her father, that it was others that killed or it was other reasons, his job was to sever the chord to ensure life in the body was extinguished.

It was a horrible job, but it had to be done.

With her other hand, Celeste took out the parchment again, the gold lettering was insistent, this boy was to die, what ever it was that put him in the hospital, it would kill him and she was there to ensure his soul left his body by cutting the astral chord.

“I can’t do this” Celeste shouted as if to some un-named forces that decreed the child had to die.

Then, “He’s so young and his mother and sister love him so much, it would not be fair on them”

Silence apart from the beeping of the monitor which started to depart from its normal rhythm.

“WHY?” Celeste shouted.

“He’s innocent, he’s done nothing” she whispered.

Celeste put away the celestial knife, “I don’t care about balancing any mythical accounts do you hear? He doesn’t deserve to die and they don’t deserve to loose him” she whispered, “not this one, I won’t do it” she protested

Celeste then placed her hands on the boy’s abdomen and her eyes started to blaze with a green light.

The monitor started going erratic, an alarm sounded

The boy’s eyes flickered open and he started calling for his mother in his native Mexican language.

Celeste stepped back as the doctors rushed in and were amazed at the boy’s miraculous recovery. She looked at the parchment, for the moment it had gone blank.

Celeste stayed and watched as the mother was reunited with her son and his sister hugged her brother. There were loads of tears, even from Celeste herself.

But then the parchment called, she had to go, and so she left. Maybe the next person she was assigned to might deserve death, but for certain, that boy did not deserve it.







Kathryn Cooper sat in her office, still fuming at the NSA for planting listening devices to carry out covert surveillance on her people, and at Sophie by missing an opportunity to try and track down someone illegally using an artificial wormhole generator, although to be fair, only Kathryn had the authority to put in a request to use the Skyguard satellite monitoring system. It was obvious that that procedure needed to be looked into.

She looked at her watch, it was approaching mid morning and where was that NSA director?

Just then she heard Sophie send him through, so she got up from sitting at her desk, that way she should have more authority.

The balding man in dark blue suit entered Kathryn’s office, he was Walter Quentin the new director of the National Security agency and he did not look happy. As he entered, Kathryn walked up and closed the door.

“Hello Miss Cooper” Director Walter opened with, and then with irritation in his voice, “Now what’s this all about, you’re lucky this was on my way as I have a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, so can’t this wait”

“No!” Kathryn replied icily, “I want to know why the NSA is investigating members of my staff with out the courtesy of informing me first”

“What are you talking about?” Walter retorted.

“Would you even tell me if you were?” Kathryn asked with venom in her voice, “I realise we still get to work in the cloak of utmost secrecy, but we have always shared intelligence on any threats from IDW01 with the NSA, and I would appreciate the same co-operation in return”, then before Walter could reply, “Or am I under investigation as well?”

“Kathryn” Walter began, “You have me at a loss. I could contact my people after the meeting with the Joint Chiefs and find out if that would help, but I am not aware of any surveillance of your agency being carried out by our people”

“Oh really” Kathryn replied and went to a foil lined bag on her desk, “then what are these?” she asked and emptied the content of the bag onto her desk.

Walter came over and looked at the assortment of listening devices scattered across Kathryn’s desk

“All of them” Kathryn explained, “are set to frequencies allotted to your agency”

Walter suddenly latched onto the strange film device that had been fixed on the LCD display of the cooker at Pete and Sue-Lim’s quarters at the Quantico marine base. He picked it up and turned to Kathryn, “Where the hell did you get this?” he said angrily

“It was planted in the quarters of two of the technicians that were shipped over from England” Kathryn replied, “Put there by your people with all these other devices”

“Kathryn” Walter went on with now a more serious tone, “I don’t know about the other devices, but this one is still under evaluation. It’s not meant to be out in the field yet”
“What is it?” Kathryn replied, now confused.
“According to the manufactures trying to sell it to the NSA it captures and sends back Wi-Fi traffic to a nearby transmitter so we can carryout surveillance of Cyber cafes in places where the ISP’s are refusing to pass on details of their customer’s internet use”

The intercom buzzed through, annoying Kathryn intensely, what was it with Sophie recently

“Excuse me” she said to Walter testily and answered the intercom “Sophie Can this wait?” she asked her PA

“Given how you told me about important calls not being passed on Miss Cooper, I don’t think so” Sophie replied, “And I think you ought to have it on Speaker so Mr Quentin can hear this as well.

“Is this the colonel?” Kathryn asked?
“No its Miss Henshore”
“Can’t you take a message?”
“No mam” Sophie insisted

Kathryn sighed and with an air of resignation instructed Sophie, “Put her through”

After a few clicks, there was the sound of Charlene Henshore calling from her Cell phone as she drove in her car.
“Miss Cooper?” Charlene’s voice came over the intercom, “Are you there?”
“Yes Charlene” Kathryn replied, “I’m kind of busy right now can this wait?”
“They’ve taken sue-Lim” Charlene replied ignoring the question
“Who has?” Kathryn replied, now even more confused
“The FBI has Miss Cooper” Charlene answered, “They’ve arrested her”

“What?” Kathryn uttered, “Why?” she added
“They said she was being arrested for espionage and terrorism under your Patriot act”
“I don’t understand” Kathryn replied, “When was this?” she asked further

“Twenty minutes ago” Charlene replied, “I’ve been trying to call but the line was busy”
“You were there?” Kathryn said with an air of incredulity

“Yes Miss Cooper, I found her at her favourite coffee shop and I was talking to her when the FBI came up and arrested her”
“Are you sure they were FBI” Kathryn asked, suddenly remembering how across the Atlantic Colonel Samuel Peters was dealing with the abduction of the two former minor spirits of virtue, Caer and Fidelity.
“YES” Charlene insisted, “I was there Miss Cooper, I was talking to Sue-Lim when they came and arrested her”

Kathryn shook her head, “Where are you now?”
“I’m driving to the IDEC now” Charlene replied, “I don’t know what else to do”
“That sounds like a plan” Kathryn replied, “Thank you for informing me, I’ll see you when you get here” and then with a glowering look at Walter added “It seems there is another federal agency who is investigating us behind our backs”
“There’s something else Miss Cooper” Charlene added with what seemed like an ominous tone
“What’s that?” Kathryn asked with another feeling of dread at impending bad news.
“She told me that when she was at that detention centre in Florida she was beaten up and raped by three of the guards there”

Kathryn was shocked to silence for a moment by the horror of what she had just heard, “So that would explain why she had that black eye when she was released” she said in a quieter voice, “It wasn’t caused by the space walk from the Progress craft to the Shuttle after all” she then added

Walter shook his head, “I don’t think I was supposed to hear that” he whispered.

“Charlene, just get here as soon as you can. Don’t tell Pete what happened to her for the moment, let me do that” Kathryn insisted
“Yes Miss Cooper” Charlene answered then said, “I have to go, I’m coming up to a busy intersection here”
“OK drive safe and report to me as soon as you get in” Kathryn uttered as Charlene hung up

Kathryn turned back to Walter and with anger shouted, “So you are investigating us, WHY?”

Walter stepped a few paces back and put his hands up, “I told you Kathryn, I have not authorised any investigation of the IDEC or any of your staff. Someone is setting us up”

“Yeah right” Kathryn retorted and then pressed a button on the intercom to call Sophie, “Get me the director of the FBI now” she demanded
“Miss Cooper, they are already here and they have a search warrant” Sophie replied





The city seemed much bigger now they were closer to it, and it seemed a blessed relief to Fidelity not to be wearing the collar and having her hands tied behind her back, although the two men had the guns and her sister. She kept racking her brains as to what they might want.

She remembered this city, as Yagel based most of his time there while making pretence of practising law. For most of her life she always thought of him as an elf, and it was not until that time when she had been hiding in that artificial universe, known as the World of Warcraft, a giant computer game partly induced by the human collective unconsciousness, that she had discovered that he had been a drow infiltrator all along.

When she had left that universe with the adventurer Graeme Andrews and landed in London’s Hyde Park near a water body he called the Serpentine, she thought she had left the Mystical Realms behind forever.

But now she was back

“Move along” Gerry Malone insisted

Fidelity kept silent and tried to pick up the pace.

“Stop” Yelled Johnny Adair
“What is it?” Gerry asked
“Trolls” Johnny replied
“How many?” Gerry asked, “We could take them” he added
“Yeah and that would bring more running” Johnny answered

Fidelity looked into the distance and sure enough out of the city gates had come what looked like a patrol of trolls, possibly to do a spot check on travellers.
“Can’t we just gate back to Earth and then Gate into the city passed them” Gerry asked
“The Yanks would just pin point us with their Skyguard system” Johnny answered and then added “And if we gated into the city, the local Manjura trolls would pick us up, which was why we had to arrive well away from the city”
“So what do we do?” Gerry asked, “It’s not like we have regular traffic of humans to this world so their bound to ask questions”

Johnny took off his back pack and from it pulled out three identical talismans. “Let’s just hope that these items Celeste picked up for us work”
“What are they?”
“Talismans of distraction” Johnny explained, “Put these on and the trolls won’t notice us”
“But will we be able to see each other” Gerry asked and then pointing his gun at Fidelity, “especially her?”
“Yep, if you wear one you are immune to the effects of other talismans of distraction”

Gerry took one and put it on.

Johnny then put one on Fidelity before putting his own one on.

Now when the troll patrol passed by, they would be ignored as if they were not there. Not that Fidelity had planned on appealing to the trolls to rescue her, for one thing, the two men were well armed with guns and ammunition and the other, and they were still holding her sister as a hostage.





Timothy Zachary peeked from the cave and looked into the distance at the stinger fans



“Looks like the storm is over for the moment” Timothy remarked, “Although I would advise that you stick around here, just in case it returns”

Jenny Green came to the entrance to the lava tube and looked around, “There’s a lake over there “she said pointing to a large body of what appeared to be like water

“I would advise against swimming in it” Timothy answered back, “That body has a particularly nasty set of organisms that teams up into one large eating machine” he further explained, then adding, “When I get water I have to make sure it is no where near the shore before I get close. I saw it take a large gulphog, not a pretty sight”

“OK Timothy” Commander Mark Johnston cut in, handing him two sandstone discs, “Let’s get out of here”
“And I get a forty eight hour head start before you start hunting me down?” Timothy asked with a grin
“Assuming Earth has not been destroyed” Mark replied
“Yeah, I’m assuming that” Timothy replied
“That’s the deal” Mark sighed

Timothy put the artificial wormhole generator down on the ground, knelt down and opened up a compartment in the device. Jenny could see something looking like a grey metal rod in there. “Spirit of Lust” Timothy yelled.

Slowly the Spirit of Lust emerged from the lava tube, “Yes?” she said rather testily

“Lusty Babe” Timothy went on, I need you to transfer the power from these amulets to the grey metal bar”
“That it?” she asked
“For now”, Timothy replied and handed the Spirit of Lust the two amulets

“I thought you were going to put the amulets straight into the device” Jenny remarked
“It doesn’t work like that Jenny” Timothy replied, “The device can only be powered by that rod thing, but it got depleted, the magic from the amulet can be used to recharge it for at least one more wormhole, possibly two”

The Spirit of lust held the amulets in her hand; with her other hand touched the metal rod. Then her eyes turned red, and the grey rod seemed to develop a blue grey glow. After three minutes the Spirit of Lust told them that the job was done, and then the amulets suddenly crumbled to ash.

Timothy plugged in his palm pilot to upload the co-ordinates, with in a minute the wormhole generator was ready to use.

“Just in case” Timothy told them, “get ready to run back to the lava tubes”
“Why?” Jenny asked with suspicion
“Because if that Magnus Timor has succeeded, I could be opening up a wormhole to an area where there is molten rock and other nasties that might come through. “If that happens, I will try and turn it off as soon as I can”

“No way” Mark said, “For all we know, you might want to leave us her”
“I’m hurt” Mark said with fake wounded pride.
“I’m staying too” Jenny insisted

“Ok” Timothy conceded, “But don’t say I didn’t warn you”

Timothy closed the battery compartment and switched the device on, monitoring the readout on the palm pilot.

“That’s odd!” Timothy exclaimed
“What?” Mark asked
“The leading edge of the wormhole has detected another parallel universe in the way” Timothy explained
“And?” Mark pressed
“The problem with this one commander is that it is giving similar readings to the World of Warcraft” Timothy added
“Meaning?” Mark asked further
“Someone somewhere has set up another artificial universe along similar lines, and if that has been done by someone on Earth, then it could mean that your colonel kicked this Magnus Timor’s butt and Earth is ok”

“If we gated to that universe” Mark asked, “Could we gate to the Mystical Realms or Earth”
“Possibly, but there’s no guarantees” Timothy replied, “why would you want to” he asked.
“Because as IDEC personnel it’s what we do” Mark answered back, “Plus even if Earth and IDW01 are destroyed and that is a remnant, it has to be better than this place”
“Assuming we can survive in it” Timothy replied
“Just do it” Mark ordered
“Excuse me?” Timothy retorted, “Am I a member of the military?”
“No” Mark answered, “But you are still a member of the IDEC and therefore under our command”
“Then I quit” Mark spat back

“Timothy Please” Jenny pleaded, “Lets try opening a gate there”
“Ok Miss Green as you asked nicely” Timothy replied, and then started to amend the controls to lock onto the artificial universe he had detected.

Soon a green vortex was opening up



“There’s no sucking that would indicate the other universe is a vacuum” Timothy observed
“I will go first” The Spirit of Lust told the group, “I can survive in places where humans can not. If it is safe I will let you know” with that she disappeared into the vortex
“Mark I don’t trust her” Jenny whispered to Mark
“Well she won’t want me dying” Timothy cut in, “So yes you can trust her”

After half a minute, the Spirit of Lust re-emerged from the vortex, “You can survive, but something is very odd”
“That’s it!” Timothy exclaimed, “The vortex is going to fail, so it’s now or never”

“It was nice getting to know you Jenny Green” Mark said to Jenny and then held her hand and the pair of them jumped through the vortex,

Timothy shrugged his shoulders “I’ll kind of miss this place” he muttered and with the wormhole generator and his palm pilot jumped through the green vortex to the artificial universe”







“Hi Walter, fancy meeting you here” said Jack Maddox, one of the three FBI men as the NSA director and Kathryn came into the outer office of her PA, “How’s your handicap getting along these days?” he asked
“Probably just as bad as yours Jack” Walter replied, “It’s been too long since we last played, maybe we can have a round this Sunday” he added
“No can do Walter” Jack replied, “Janine wants us to go over to Maryland this weekend, maybe the next Sunday?”

Kathryn gave a large audible cough.
“Now we’ve had these pleasantries” Kathryn cut in, “Mr Maddox I demand to know what is the meaning of this is”

“Sorry Chairman Cooper” Jack replied, “I’m here on official business I’m afraid”
“So am I Jack” Walter cut in, “And Kathryn given what’s going on, I think my deputy can give the briefing to the joint chiefs” he added before turning to Kathryn and asking, “Your PA should have the number could you get her to call him and get him to fill in, I think I ought stay here to help sort this mess out”

Kathryn nodded at Sophie, which Sophie interpreted as an instruction to contact the deputy director of the National Security Agency to pass the message on.

“My office, Now” Kathryn said to Jack, the lead FBI man.

Jack motioned for the other two to wait in the outer office and followed Walter into Kathryn’s office, closing the door.

“What the hell are you doing arresting one of my people without informing me first” Kathryn said loudly at Jack
“So you’ve heard” Jack commented, “well we’re informing you now Chairman Cooper” Jack replied curtly, “Plus we have a search warrant to look through Miss Wang’s workstation, computer here at the IDEC and her residence at the Quantico Marine base”

“Based on what?” Kathryn countered
“We have received an anonymous tip-off that Miss Wang may have given information to terrorists to construct one of your gizmos to travel to that other dimension you deal with” Jack explained, “And you must appreciate that as the existence of this world and this agency of yours is very highly classified we had to move fast. Especially since your own operational director, one Colonel Peters suspects that it has to be her”

Kathryn was shocked, it was obvious that someone was still listening to her conversations, and yet the office had been swept by Pete Smith, Sue-Lim’s fiancé. “Where did you get that” she demanded, “And that’s not what he said”

“We understand the Colonel rang this office earlier today and relayed that a terrorist group, which we now believe to be some so-called Northern Ireland loyalist terror group, opposed to the peace process over there, used such a device last night. He also said that it was Sue-Lim that recreated the device after an original was built by another member of the IDEC who turned rouge” Jack explained

“That does not explain where you got this from” Kathryn persisted, adding “And for the record he said that she might be considered a prime suspect but then said there was no way she would ever betray us like that other IDEC technician did”
“With all due respect” Jack replied, “You don’t know that and after all she did have a mother who did work in the old Soviet embassy in London, who knows what ideology she was indoctrinated with”
“Her mother worked as a cleaner” Kathryn retorted, “And the British authorities considered she was suitable to be part of the IDEC when it was based mostly in the UK” she pointedly added

At this Walter interrupted, “Jack, Kathryn has a point, how does your source know all this? How come he is monitoring the phone conversations of the chairman of a highly classified government agency?”
“That’s not our concern Walter” Jack replied, “We were given a tip off, plus details of the suspect’s cell phone so we could find the suspect and make the arrest. I assume the informant was a concerned member of the IDEC”
“That call Mr Maddox” Kathryn went on, “came in on my private direct line from the Colonel. Not even Sophie out there has access to it”

“Jack” Walter added, “You may not be aware of all the facts here”
“What have you got Walter” Jack asked

Walter went over to Kathryn’s desk and picked up the film device and held it up, “Walter this surveillance device is still under evaluation by the NSA, we have not yet approved its use for the field, yet it was found planted in the residence of Miss Wang and her fiancé along with a number of other surveillance devices set to transmit on frequencies allotted to our agency”
“So maybe it was your agency who tipped us off?” Jack asked
“Absolutely not Jack” Walter replied, “There was no authorisation to carry out such an operation, and if we were officially investigating anyone from the IDEC I would know about it”
Jack shook his head in confusion, “So what are you getting at Walter?” he asked, then Jack suggested, “Have you considered that someone at the NSA has failed to keep you informed or the paperwork has gone missing. These things happen you know”
“Jack, your source had access to a phone intercept that not only did I not authorise but only our agency should have the ability to do. Jack, someone has been using NSA surveillance equipment without my authorisation on IDEC personnel.”
“Like I said, maybe things got lost in the paperwork, it even happens from time to time , I’m sorry to say with us at the FBI” Jack insisted

“Jack” Walter said with a more serious tone, “A while back there were voices with in the NSA that said that our agency should be the one to deal with Inter Dimensional activities, but I agreed that a separate agency with select people from the other agencies brought in was the way to go. Maybe someone in our agency is unhappy with that arrangement and has it in for them and by humiliating them they think they will get their work handed over to us”
“Well if you think someone is up to some extra-curricular activities” Jack replied, “Don’t you have your own internal affairs to investigate it?”
“Yes Jack” Walter agreed, “And I’m more than happy for the FBI to come in and help out in any investigation into possible malfeasance by operatives at the NSA, but I think whoever it is, they are also using the bureau to further their agenda”

“Yes” Kathryn butted in, “If someone is listening to my private conversations, it means that someone possibly in Mr Quentin’s agency has been out to bring down my agency. I believe classified information was passed on to the chairman of our senate oversight committee by persons unknown, that was why we did a sweep of our offices and quarters and found the surveillance devices. It’s the NSA you should be investigating not my people”
“I agree Jack” Walter added, “Come on, our two agencies have worked side by side before, so I’m more than happy for you to come in and investigate the NSA. I want those responsible caught and prosecuted”
“And I demand you release Sue-Lim Wang immediately”

“I can’t do that Chairman Cooper” Jack replied, “We have confirmation from your own colonel that someone used one of those devices you use for going to that alternate world of yours. And let us not forget, it was Miss Wang who recreated one in England against official IDEC policy”
“Only because a rouge aide of a committee member falsified an authorisation and ordered her to do so” Kathryn objected and then went on, “It’s therefore thanks to her, recreating the artificial wormhole generator, that we were able to deal with the situation with that entity who tried to destroy this planet, which may I remind you Mr Maddox, Miss Wang risked her life to help prevent happening”

“I’m sorry Chairman Cooper” Jack insisted, “But we have to investigate this, besides she is after all a foreign national, which means she can be declared an illegal combatant and sent to Gitmo”

Kathryn shook her head in disgust at the FBI man’s comments and went to her desk drawer, opened it and pulled out a small vial of blood and a file of papers, which she pushed into the hands of Jack.
“No she’s not” Kathryn insisted, “In that vial is a sample of blood from one Mr Vee, the paperwork is his DNA profile plus the one we have on record for Sue-Lim. When she was held in detention by immigration in Florida, Mr Vee gave this to me to help get her out as it proves he is her father. Fortunately I had friends in the right places and I never needed to use this until now. Whether Sue-Lim realises it or not, she has American citizenship and therefore she can not and should not be sent to Guantanamo Bay”
“All this means Chairman Cooper” Jack retorted, “Is that she can be prosecuted for high treason under the patriot act, which may I remind you is a capital crime”

“You mean you would sentence to death a woman who helped save this planet?” Kathryn shouted with incredulity in her voice.
“Ok. Just for you I could recommend life without parole” Jack answered back, “will that make you happy?”
“So you’ve already convicted her then” Kathryn snapped back.

Walter at this point got in between Kathryn and Jack. “Jack” Walter went on, “Think about this, you are being used to further someone else’s agenda here. Who ever planted these devices also passed on your tip-off. They appear to be reading our mail and if they are able to do that then they most likely managed to hack in somehow to the IDEC network and steal the plans for that device and pass it on.”

“I know Sue-Lim” Kathryn angrily insisted, “She would never betray the IDEC, she was the victim of unlawful NSA surveillance and why would she be involved with these loyalist terrorists anyway, if that is who they are, she has never had any interest in Northern Ireland politics”
“I don’t know Chairman Cooper, but after she has been photographed and fingerprinted we will be trying to find out why”

“Jack” Walter became insistent, “Have you listened to a single word we’ve said?” he said with exasperation in his voice, “Ever since I have known you, you have always been stubborn”
“I would say resolute Walter” Jack replied
“Ok Jack, resolutely stubborn” Walter replied, “You are playing their game. Whoever gave you the tip-off is playing you for a fool and you are letting them. Look Jack, I was the one who suggested Kathryn for the short list when Mr Sanderson died, and I trust her judgement on this. For old time’s sake when we were both at Yale, release this woman and stop making yourself look ridiculous in the face of the evidence, after all the FBI doesn’t want yet another expensive wrongful arrest suit do you?”
“We acted in good faith Walter” Jack insisted
“Of course you did” Jack replied, “And that is what they were counting on”

“I will go to the president if I have to” Kathryn insisted, “There is no way Sue-Lim would ever be involved in giving this technology to terrorists”
“But Chairman Cooper, they still got it and we have to find out how” Jack repeated
“And we shall” Kathryn told Jack, “I’m certain you can find some computer expert to find out where this hacker has got in to either our system or that of the NSA”
Walter then interrupted, “Come on Jack, I’ve offered you the chance of a joint investigation to find whoever in the NSA who is performing illegal surveillance, order this woman’s release”

“I can see about bringing her before a judge either tomorrow or the day after” Jack offered, “He may set bail for her, and we will consider if we oppose that or not”

“That’s not acceptable Mr Maddox” Kathryn retorted, “I want her released immediately”
“Like I said Chairman Cooper, that’s not going to happen. She is a prime suspect and until you can prove that someone else has leaked that information to that terrorist group, I’m holding onto her as right now she is number one suspect”
“Haven’t you got that the wrong way around”, Kathryn snapped back “don’t you have to prove she is guilty”
“Jack” Walter went on, “I’ll say it again you are being a stubborn fool who refuses to admit when they are wrong. Just say that the tip off you got turned out to be from a malicious source and release her. Don’t let the bureau be used by whoever is doing this”

“I have to go now Walter” Jack replied with equal insistence, “I have a search warrant to execute and a suspect to interrogate”

With that Jack turned and left

“I’m sorry Kathryn” Walter said to Kathryn, “He’s just determined to hang your Sue-Lim out to dry. Ever since we first met, he just does not like to admit to making mistakes”
“Thank you anyway Mr Quentin” Kathryn sighed, “It looks like I will have to see if I can attend Sue-Lim’s hearing when it happens”
“I’ll attend it with you” Walter added, “If one of my people has done this, it’s the least I can do”

Just then a breathless Charlene arrived, “Miss Cooper” She gasped, “They say they are still holding Sue-Lim, yet she’s innocent”
“We know Charlene” Kathryn replied, “We tried to make him see sense, but he’s determined she’s guilty already”
“Then Miss Cooper” Charlene pleaded, “At least tell them to put her on suicide watch. The state she was in before they arrested her, I don’t think she will be able to cope”
“I’ll ask them” Kathryn replied, “but don’t hold your breath the way they seem to be, they just won’t listen”

“It just occurred to me Kathryn” Walter spoke out, “They have a search warrant, which means it had to have been authorised by a judge” and then he raced out of the door saying, “I want to try something”



Walter ran through the corridors and finally caught up with Jack and the other FBI special agents as they headed to Sue-Lim’s work area.
“Wait up Jack” Walter called out
“I’ve got nothing more to say Walter” Jack replied, “We will not be releasing Miss Wang, we have an investigation to perform”
“I know Jack” Walter replied, “You’ve got a warrant”
“Yes do you need to see it Walter, it’s not your agency under investigation”
“Jack” Walter continued, “There are only a limited number of judges who are cleared to know of the existence of the IDEC”
“And we found one Walter, your point?”
“I have good friends in the D-O-J, who owe me a few favours Jack”
“And?”
“One call from me and your warrants for this search can be revoked and you will be ordered to release Miss Wang anyway. I’m sure they will only be too happy to hear how you have ignored evidence from me that your source for the tip off is more likely to be the suspect than this woman, especially a hero who helped save Earth. Do you think you will last much longer as director of the FBI?”
“So you’re threatening me Walter” Jack snarled back, “Just to satisfy your protégé Miss Cooper”
“Just to stop you doing something stupid” Jack calmly replied and then took out his cell phone and flipped it open, “So Jack what’s it to be?”

Jack looked daggers at Walter and then told the other FBI agents to go and wait in the car, and then turned back to Walter, “Tell Miss Cooper to collect her from the Hoover building in about one hour” and then started to walk off

Just before he left he turned to Walter and shouted, “This is not over Jack”
“I guess our golf match for Sunday after next is cancelled” Walter shouted back in response

Jack chose not to reply and stormed off leaving Walter to go back to inform Kathryn





Mr Vee came round; he was rather groggy and disorientated and felt himself sitting in a chair in restraints.

“Well James” Sir Sidney Gerald said to him, “You’re awake”

Mr Vee just glowered at him

“Come on James” Sir Sidney pressed, “Let’s not start the silent treatment; after all I have all number of drugs here to loosen your tongue”

Then Sir Sidney walked over to his desk and picked up a small pendant on a silver chain, “Or I could put this on you, it’s a pendant of truth from an interesting place called The Mystical Realms. I believe you call it IDW01. I much prefer Mystical Realms myself”, more poetic a name don’t you think?

Mr Vee shook his head, “Sidney I should have realised it was you”
“But you didn’t James that’s the whole beauty of this”
“Why?”
“Why what?” Sir Sidney asked, “Why have I done this to you or why am I doing what I am doing?”
“Why Sidney, if you feel the same way we do about deals with the authorities on IDW01 did you not come to me and join us” Mr Vee groggily asked
“Because I do not quite share your scepticism or the current chairman’s enthusiasm James” Sir Sidney went on, “Your side would like nothing better than for humanity to have nothing to do with them and for us to find a way to prevent travel to and from our two worlds. I, as a business man consider The Mystical Realms as a place to exploit just like any other resource. I also have views on how things should be run here on Earth as well, and I believe this world has provided what I need to ensure my views are carried out”

“So what do you want from me Sidney?” Mr Vee asked, “It sounds like you have everything you want”
“Not quite James” Sidney replied, “But I’m working on it. I wanted to know why your little cabal in DC had sent you over here”

Mr Vee remained silent

“Oh I can guess James, you and that delightful yet inexperienced chairman of the IDEC got some rather awkward questions from one of your oversight committees you have over there. From your question about me joining your little cabal, you came to try and recruit me, how very thoughtful of you James”

Then Sir Sidney knelt down at Mr Vee’s chair where he was restrained, “Thank you so much for the invitation, but as you Americans say, let me take a rain check on that”

Suddenly there was a wind in the office, and there stood what appeared to be a young woman in black clothes with jet black hair.

Sir Sidney stood up to greet this new comer, obviously to Mr Vee an inter dimensional entity.

“I’ve transported Mr Swales to London like you asked sir” the woman replied.
“Oh good, and he knows what his target looks like?” Sir Sidney asked the young woman.
“Yes sir, I gave him the photo you gave me, but he said he knew who he was anyway and that killing him would be a pleasure”
“I do so like it when people are enthusiastic and motivated about their work” Sir Sidney replied to her, and then turning to Mr Vee added, “Don’t you James?”

“Who’s this?” The woman then said and walked over to where Mr Vee was restrained

“Oh I’m sorry James?” Sir Sidney apologised, “I forgot to introduce you, this is Celeste, she has taken over from her father, the Spirit of Death, like you he’s another guest of mine”

Then to Celeste he said, “And this Celeste is James, an old friend of mine from way back when I dabbled in the intelligence business, although for his own reasons goes about by the name Mr Vee”

Mr Vee just kept silent, after all what could he say or do at that moment. It was clear his former contact in MI5 liaison officer was running the show and that somehow he had to be stopped.

Sir Sidney, then took from his desk a long silk scarf and gave it to Celeste, “Would you take this little present to another young woman in America. I believe her name is Sue-Lim Wang, I understand she is being held in custody by the federal authorities and if my information is correct, I think she will find it rather fetching”

Celeste for a moment seemed to be confused at this apparent generosity, but took the scarf and vanished into thin air.

“What are you going to do to Sue-Lim?” Mr Vee asked with concern in his voice.

“Me and Celeste, nothing, but a source of mine from across the pond revealed that just before her arrest they overheard an interesting piece of information about what happened to her when she was in that awful immigration detention centre. When people always visit the same coffee shop day in day out, it’s awfully easy to enable one to eves drop on certain conversations. If I read her profile correctly and my grasp of psychology from our days together in The Business, then we won’t need to do anything, she will do it herself, and there will be one less member of the IDEC to cause me trouble”

Sir Sidney spotted something was up by Mr Vee’s demeanour at this news, so then asked, “What’s it to you anyway?”





The Spirit of Lust watched as Timothy shut the wormhole generator down, severing their contact with what he had called IDW02. “We are here, so what is this place?” she asked

“Beats me” Timothy replied, then added, “You know what this reminds me of

“The movie Tron” Mark suggested
“Yeah” Timothy replied

“What movie was that?” Jenny asked
“It was a film from 1982” Timothy explained, “About a man pulled into a series of computer games”
“This is like the World of Warcraft was” The Spirit of Lust added, “But where are the trees, the buildings the people and entities”

“Could this be free floating after the destruction of Earth?” Jenny asked

Timothy came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. She squirmed so he removed it and apologised which seemed novel for both of them. Then Timothy explained further, “For an artificial universe to still exist and be gateable it means that the main world where it is generated from must still be inexistence”

“Yes I remember” The Spirit of Lust said with venom, “That treacherous Mr Andrews used his powers to shut it down on me”

“So Earth still exists” Mark suggested
“May be” Timothy remarked coming up to stand beside the commander, “But then it could be generated by an alien world entirely” he suggested

Suddenly the Spirit of Lust called out, “In the distance, over there” she cried

The three humans tried to peer into the distance where the major spirit of vice was pointing, but all they could see was some distant structures

“Lusty Babes” Timothy went on

Suddenly a bolt hit Timothy and sent him flying

“Now we are in this universe, you no longer have that hold on me you miserable excuse for a” the Spirit of Lust began

Suddenly she began to shrink as Timothy picked himself up, “Oh don’t I?” he told her, “It was my imagination that created IDW02 and helped get you out into my world, and I can still put you back” he told her

Jenny watched as the shrunken Spirit of Vice glowered at Timothy, So that was his hold – He had had to use his own collective unconscious as it were, to release her from the electronic prison but not fully

“We don’t have time for this” Mark cut in, and then to the Spirit of Lust asked, “What did you see”
“Tell him not to call me Lusty Babe” The Spirit of Lust insisted. Mark looked at Timothy
“I’m sorry oh Spirit of Lust” he said in a sarcastic manner, “I meant it as a terms of endearment, honestly”
Then the Spirit of Lust grew back to her previous size

“Ok” Mark spoke up, “What did you see Spirit of Lust?”
“They look like cages, three of them” the Spirit of Lust replied, “Cages of light containing three prisoners”
“Who?” Mark asked

The Spirit of Lust peered into the distance, “One looks like” then she stopped, “It can’t be”
“Who?” Timothy prompted.
The Spirit of Lust looked daggers at him then replied, “The Spirit of Death”

“Great!” Jenny exclaimed, “Another spirit of vice”
“No he is not!” Insisted the Spirit of Lust, “He is a spirit of necessity, neither vice nor virtue as is…”

The Spirit of Lust peered further into the darkness at the structures in the distance, “I do not believe it!” she exclaimed, “It is Lachesis the spinner of destinies, and” The Spirit of Lust shook her head, “She looks every bit like my deluded sister that I had killed, she is one of her daughters”

Mark frowned, “Caer or Fidelity?”
“I can not tell at this distance” The Spirit of Lust replied

“I’ve met them” Jenny ventured, “When the Andrews adopted their first child Sarah Smith in Ireland on her sixth birthday, I went over and met them”
“Well” Mark commented, “As she is now human, that means who ever is holding her here has to enter this universe to feed her”
“And if they are not?” Jenny asked
“We have to rescue her and get her out of here back to Earth” Mark answered, then turning to the Spirit of Lust asked her, “Do you have a problem with that”

The Spirit of Lust seemed momentarily taken aback by the question, then smiled a cruel grin, “Of course not Commander, which ever one it is, she has given up her birthright of spirit-hood, she will grow old and like you die. She is no longer a challenger to me”

The commander then turned to Timothy, “Once we get her free, can you make that generator open up a gate to Earth?”
“Sure Commander” Timothy replied, “But unlike with travel between Earth and the Mystical Realms, from here in order to get co-ordinates for where the wormhole is supposed to go, like when you arrived on IDW02, I need someone to enter this universe to get the reciprocal co-ordinates or else we could end up anywhere but Earth”

“So that settles it” Mark instructed the group, “We go to those cages and see what we can do about getting at those prisoners released, finding a way back to Earth and seeing who is behind this artificial universe”
“And you were appointed the leader by whom?” Timothy asked
“Any better plans?” Mark answered
Timothy looked at the ground or what passed of for it then looked up, “OK but I want three days head start before you start tracking me”
“Nice try” Mark retorted
“Mr Zachary” The Spirit of Lust interrupted, “One of those prisoners is my niece, and I would dearly like to see her released, if you understand what I am saying” she said with an air of menace
“OK I’m in” Timothy replied
“For the record so am I” Jenny piped up and then headed in the direction of the structures.





Sue-Lim sat there in the chair almost catatonic in front of the table alone in the room, her eyes red from crying.

The FBI was convinced she had been supplying terrorists with IDEC technology and would not believe her. What were they going to do now?

Extraordinary Rendition?

Camp X-Ray

Lethal Injection?

She just sat there shaking her head, thinking even her beloved Pete and her friends at the IDEC would most likely abandon her. All was lost

She did not notice Celeste materialise in the room. Anyway, Celeste was using her power to be hid from the sight of mortal beings.

“Hello Sue-Lim isn’t it?” Celeste said to her, not expecting to get an answer

Celeste walked around and leaned on the table in front of her. Sue-Lim looked straight through her. “Come on Sue-Lim” Celeste said to her, “It’s not that bad, if they send you to prison you will at least get regular meals”

Then Celeste remembered the silk scarf, “No hard feelings there Sue-Lim” she said, “The boss sent me to give you this gift” Celeste added, putting the scarf on the table.

Sue-Lim looked in amazement as a silk scarf appeared on the table out of thin air. She looked up at the ceiling.

The light fitting looked sturdy enough.

Sue Lim knew what to do

Celeste watch in astonishment as Sue-Lim picked up the scarf, tied a small noose which she placed over her head and around her neck and stood on the chair, and then on the table and tied one end securely to the light fitting, and then zombie like began to step off the table so she would be hanging by her neck with the silk scarf.

“Sue-Lim” Celeste screeched, “Are you crazy?” Celeste screamed, “It’s not supposed to be your time”

And then she was hanging and asphyxiating

“No way” Celeste shouted and went to intervene, but there was some kind of force blocking her like a force field.

Quickly she took out the parchment with the duties on, and there suddenly appearing in silver letters was the name “Sue-Lim Wang”

“No!” Celeste shouted in protest

It was clear someone or something wanted Sue-Lim dead before her time, and this time, like with the little child earlier, Celeste did not want her to die, but unlike that time with that child, Celeste seemed unable to directly intervene to save her.

To be continued

Today we live in a high pressure high speed world. The world of 24 – 7 365 days of the year, except leap years when it is 366.

In the olden times we could stop and think and smell the flowers. That was how it was many years ago. But then came the industrial revolution and people had to fit in with machines. Ever since we have been struggling to keep pace with what is euphemistically called progress. We have no time. We must get to work; we must get the shopping done. We must get down to the gym and on it goes.

Life has become one big treadmill, for which we have long since given up control of the speed switch.

Is this all such a bad thing?

Sometimes if we are given too much time, we never do anything, but then we can act in haste when we should have taken time.

One thing is clear, in the high pressure world we live in, time has become a limited and precious commodity and we are forced to act in a split second. Sometime that is a matter of life and death, as Celeste is now to find out as a depressed Sue-Lim Wang, while in federal custody has used the scarf Celeste has passed onto her by Sir Sidney Gerald to hang herself. This is made all the more worse, because some force is preventing Celeste from getting near Sue-Lim in order to save her as she asphyxiates at the end of the makeshift noose…





Celeste seemed to be watching helpless as Sue-Lim choked to death at the end of the scarf as she kicked her legs in mid air, unable to get back to the table and instinctively with her hands tried in vein to pull the noose open.

Celeste tried again to get to her, even if she fully materialised it would do no good, only a mortal human could reach her and intervene this time.

Why were there no other humans guarding their prisoner? – This was very odd

Celeste had no other option; she focused an energy blast at the door to the interview room and blew it away. She ran out into the hall and for a brief moment materialised fully to scream help.

A lone agent suddenly came running round the corner of the corridor, shouting about how he had heard an explosion, so instinctively Celeste went back to being invisible to mortal beings.

He looked at the door, smashed to smithereens, “What the hell was that?” he said as he squatted down to examine the wreckage of the door oblivious to the unfolding drama in the interrogation room.

“Forget the door, you moron” Celeste screamed, and caused a wind to blow at the agent as if coming from the open doorway

As he looked up a female agent came from the other direction attracted by the sound of the blast, looked into the interrogation room and screamed the male agents name and then ran into the room and began trying to take Sue-Lim’s weight to try and ease the pressure on her neck from the noose.

The male agent was seconds behind her, and took over holding Sue-Lim up as much as he could and pushing her legs back towards the table so she could be standing on it, while the female agent jumped onto the chair and then onto the table to try and pull open the make shift noose around Sue-Lim’s neck.

Both agents were shouting at the top of their voices for others to assist.

Another male agent arrived in the room, saw the struggle to pull open the noose, and jumped onto the table, which began to creak ominously, put his fingers of one hand just inside the noose, opposite from the knot and the other hand on the knot, and dragged it open and pulled the noose from Sue-Lim’s head.

Sue-Lim was just on the point of loosing consciousness as the noose came off and she was barely breathing and so had to be held up by the two agents on the table.

Suddenly as the noose was removed Celeste felt the force field blocking her dissipate, so avoiding the agents and sometime phasing through them, she reached across and placed her hand on Sue-Lim’s leg “Come back to us please” Celeste pleaded as her eyes glowed green as she healed what ever damage she could from Sue-Lim’s experience.

They had just been in the nick of time. Sue-Lim began coughing and due to the healing powers of Celeste regained more consciousness

The female agent stepped onto the chair and then onto the floor, while the male agent held Sue-Lim firmly in his arms

Amid her coughing and weeping as Sue-Lim just kept repeating “I’m sorry”

The female agent and the male agent who had been standing on the floor both took Sue-Lim’s hands and guided her down, via the chair and then onto the floor, while the remaining agent standing on the table removed the scarf from the light fitting

Sue-Lim was still fairly dazed, so they made sure she was sitting on the chair with the female agent on her left side and a male agent on her right side

“Do we still have that agent who is a medical doctor” the female agent asked
“I think she is on some investigation with her weird partner” said the FBI agent, who had been standing on the floor all the time,
“I think we need to take her to a hospital to get her checked out then” the female agent suggested
“Nah replied the male FBI agent, “She looks alright to me, just take her to another holding room and alert them that she is a suicide risk”

A number of other FBI agents poked their head around the door enquiring what had happened as they had heard all the commotion so the female FBI agent explained how they had had to stop a suspect from committing suicide.

All the while Celeste stayed in the room, hidden by her powers from the humans, and shaking her head, “I must have screwed up” she kept saying to her self, “He just told me to give her the scarf, he never told me to kill her”

Then Celeste walked in front of Sue-Lim as she sat crying on the chair between the two FBI agents. Celeste knelt down and went to brush away a tear from Sue-Lim’s cheek, “I’m so sorry” Celeste said to her, although she knew Sue-Lim could not see or hear her, “I know the boss has some issue with your organisation, but please, I don’t want you to die” Celeste then realised she was crying herself.

Celeste was supposed to be the daughter of the Spirit of Death, and yet as with the young child in the hospital in England earlier that day, she was finding it difficult to cut the astral chords of some of her supposed victims.

What was wrong with her – part of her wanted to heal and to save lives, yet she had so wanted to prove to her father she was not a waste of space by doing his job better than he could. Even worse the two lives she had taken so far kept haunting her, even though she did it to protect her boss

Just then a senior man came into the room, “What happened?” he demanded to know

“Sorry director Maddox” the male FBI agent who had removed the scarf from the light fitting replied, “This suspect tried to hang herself with this” he added showing the director the scarf.

“What the hell was she doing with it” he swore, “and where was the agent who was supposed to be guarding her? I want him on report”

The director waved the scarf at the three FBI agents, “Secure your prisoner so they can’t do this, that’s basic training from the academy. Someone in processing screwed up big time”

“With all due respect sir” the female agent spoke up, “None of us were assigned on this case; we just heard the explosion and came to investigate when we saw the prisoner hanging from the ceiling. We were lucky to get to her in time sir”

“No thanks to me” Celeste muttered as tears continued to roll down her face

“What explosion” the director suddenly questioned
The FBI agents then pointed to the remains of the door

The director looked at it and then at Sue-Lim, “Ok Miss Wang where did you get the scarf and how did you do that?”

Tearfully Sue-Lim replied that she had just found the scarf on the table when it seemed to appear out of thin air and that she did not know what had happened to the door as after she found the scarf she could not remember anything until she found herself hanging by her neck, but if it was her she was sorry. Then amid further sobbing she kept trying to tell them that she was not a terrorist and that she had never leaked any plans to the wormhole generators to anyone.

“Of course you didn’t love” Celeste found herself saying, “The boss had them in his computer”

“What’s a wormhole generator?” questioned one of the male FBI agents
“That’s highly classified Special Agent” he told him, “I would appreciate it if you forgot you ever heard that”
“Sorry sir” the agent apologised
“You weren’t to know son” The Director replied then he spoke to Sue-Lim, “It’s your lucky day, not only do you have, as far as the agents here are concerned a guardian angel to save your life, you have a powerful friend in the NSA”

“What?” Sue-Lim asked weakly, “I don’t understand sir; it was them who were bugging my home, it was them who put me under surveillance”
“Your director is coming to take custody of you up as we speak” the director told her with what seemed as an air of distain, then he added, “Cuff her, she’s still a suspect in my book” and left the room. As a parting shot the director then shouted, “And get this door fixed”

“Yes sir” said the female agent replied in a defiant tone and found a pair of handcuffs in her jacket pocket and handcuffed Sue-Lim’s hand behind her back.
“Why didn’t you let me die” Sue-Lim asked the male agent who had lifted her onto the table, “You all think I’m a terrorist because my mother came from Vietnam”

“We couldn’t do that mam” the male FBI agent she spoke to replied.

“Too right” Celeste remarked then walked up to Sue-Lim, “You’re not well Sue-Lim” she said, weeping openly, “No one in their right mind would want to kill them selves, and I almost helped you, I’m so sorry, I guess the boss did not know how sick you were” Then in a more stern tone, “I won’t let anything happen to you Sue-Lim, I’ll stay with you until your boss comes and gets you some help because that’s not something I can heal. I know you may not like me Sue-Lim but I would like to be your friend and friends look out for each other, do you hear”

“We better get you to another interview room until your director shows up” The female FBI agent told Sue-Lim, “Although I never knew the NSA interrogated suspects”

With that she gently ushered Sue-Lim out of the room, followed by Celeste still invisible to all mortal beings

The parchment then called for Celeste to attend another death. Celeste took it out and threw it on the floor in a rage, “SCREW YOU” she shouted at it breaking into tears, “I don’t want to take any more lives. Daddy was right I just can’t do this any more”

The parchment then faded into nothing, although in her heart of hearts, Celeste knew it would come back whether she wanted it to or not.





Colonel Samuel, Clotho and Rosie O’Brian finally cleared security and entered baggage retrieval, now the most stressful part of flying!!

Rosie had made herself look to others like a woman with dwarfism and trailed behind.

As they waited for the conveyor belt to be loaded, Samuel looked out at the grey leaden skies and thought of those he had lost when they had gone up against the Magnus Timor. The sound of the conveyor belt shattered his thoughts so he waited with Clotho and Rosie O’Brian for their bags to appear.

It took fifteen minutes for their bags to arrive, not that they were carrying that much. Samuel had wished he could have taken a side arm in the luggage but with the heightened security that was out of the question. He would have to try and arrange with the local law enforcement officials to be issued with one, but given his previous run in with New Scotland Yard, this was hardly likely.

They went through the arrivals tour into Terminal One and walked passed a coffee stand. In normal times Samuel might stop for coffee, but there was no time. Two minor spirits of virtue had been abducted and one of them might have knowledge to locate an artefact in the Mystical Realms that could track down Clotho’s sister Atropos and Clotho. They had already take Lachesis, for reasons yet unclear.

Samuel had asked G2 to try and contact the Clan Chief of the Manjura through diplomatic channels to alert them of a possible intrusion, but he had heard nothing yet.

As soon as they got on the Underground into Central London, he could ring and find out, so long as the carriage was fairly empty.

Samuel Clicked his fingers and led the way with Clotho and Rosie following behind as he made his way to the underground station.

Also following behind them, keeping his distance, was a man in black trousers and a black leather coat. As they approached the underground, the man pulled out a mobile phone and rang someone.

Samuel paid for the tube fairs and the three went through the gate instead of the ticket barrier and then down to the platform amongst the other passengers.

On the platform he handed Clotho and Rosie the tickets

“An all zones?” Rosie queried, “Do we need that for where we are going”
Samuel leaned over and whispered into Rosie’s ear, “We’re being followed; I did not want to tip them off to where we were going”
“Oh no!” Clotho whispered
“Nothing I can’t handle” Samuel replied reaching for where his side arm should be, “Well it would be easier if I had a weapon” he growled in a whisper like voice”
“I could call for back up” Rosie suggested
“Amongst all these witnesses?” Samuel whispered
“We can’t lead them to my remaining sister” Clotho whispered
“I’m working on it” Samuel replied

After a few more minutes the train arrived.



Samuel, Clotho and Rosie got on at the doors nearest to the middle of the carriage. The train was fairly crowded and Samuel insisted they stand, since it would be easier to move if they had to.

The door closing sound was made and the doors closed.
“Don’t look” Samuel whispered, “but our tail got on at the rear of the carriage. He looks like a real pro and he’s carrying which means he’s worked for an agency once”
“Which one?” Rosie whispered
“Most likely ours under the old management”





It seemed to take forever walking across the dark plane of the artificial universe. Commander Mark Johnston took the lead followed by Jenny Green. Timothy Zachary and the Spirit of Lust followed behind. Above them they could see the occasional pulse of light on some grid up in what passed for a black sky.

It was definite, this was an artificial universe of some kind created by intelligence, and the fact that the prototype wormhole generator could access it worried Mark. It seemed like two technologies had been welded together and yet the new artificial wormhole generators to get them to the Mystical Realms to take on the Magnus Timor had only just been built.

Or had they?

There was no way of telling how fast time on IDW02 had been compared to Earth and the Mystical Realms. Even with the Mystical Realms it was not until regular traffic between the two universes occurred did they finally get into a kind of lockstep.

By now the structures were beginning to look like cages, or to be more accurate forms of glass boxes, come prison cells. The one with the teenage former spirit of virtue, appeared to have a small door to a hidden room in it, probably a lavatory of some kind. She was human, where as the others were entities, albeit one of them had been living as if she were human.

It took a further hour to get up to the three structures. All three figures were sitting on beds, looking dejected, especially the teenager.

The teenager looked up and saw them approaching and ran to the glass wall of her own dungeon and banged on it. “HELP” She screamed

Jenny recognised her and ran to the glass box, “Caer?” she asked
“Miss Green?” Caer asked with incredulity in her voice, “I thought you worked in a coffee shop”
“I did Caer” Jenny replied, “But I became a member of the Inter Dimensional Entity Control agency, it’s a long story”

Caer frowned at Jenny, “That’s the organisation that abused my sister” she said accusingly

“That was under different management” Mark cut in, “So what are you doing here?”

Before she could answer the Spirit of Lust came to the glass dungeon, “So you’re the Spirit of Fancying” she said with a sneer, “You look as pathetic as your sister The Spirit of Fidelity”

“And who are you?” Caer demanded
“I am your aunt” The Spirit of Lust replied, “Your true aunt” she added

Caer backed away from the glass, “You” she said with horror in her voice and shaking her head, “You killed my biological mother” she added, “Have you come to kill me as well?”

The Spirit of Lust gave a small evil laugh, “Why should I, you have arranged that for yourself already by becoming fully human”

“That’s enough” Mark interrupted, “No we haven’t come to kill you Miss O’Docherty, but how did you end up here?”

“I was kidnapped outside Dublin Railway station” Caer answered, “But they wanted Fid for some information. This lady called Celeste, she teleported me to some office somewhere and this guy sent me here”

“Celeste?” The Spirit of Lust cut in, “Her?” she then asked
“Yes!” Caer insisted, “I thought she was nice because she saved me when one of the men who took me tried to hang me”

At this Caer suddenly broke down and wept. Through her tears she told them “He wanted to kill me because I was a minor spirit of virtue and he would not believe that I’m human now”

“No one does anything to my family except me” The Spirit of Lust growled
“Why?” Jenny then said to her, “Because you want to kill them yourself like you killed your sister and your brother”

“Calm down you guys” Timothy interrupted as he pushed his way between Jenny and the Spirit of Lust, “This is meant to be a rescue mission. Now Lusty, I mean Spirit of Lust, Who is Celeste?”

The Spirit of Lust walked away from Caer’s glass dungeon and walked over to a glass box with what appeared to be a hooded male figure sitting on the bed. “She’s your daughter isn’t she?” she said to the occupant

“Yes” the male hooded figure answered, “But she has been lead astray by a mortal human, and it is my fault”

The Spirit of Lust then turned to Timothy, “Let me introduce you to the Spirit of Death”

“How is it your fault?” Jenny asked him
“I did not make time for her” The Spirit of Death responded, “I told her she would never amount to much, but I was talking about the job I am burdened with”

“This Mortal” Mark asked, “Who is he?”
“He is Sir Sidney Gerald” The Spirit of Death answered, “He got my daughter to falsify the list of those souls I was due to release from their bodies, so I came for him before his time, which allowed him to capture me”

Timothy’s eyes went wide, “Sir Sidney?” he exclaimed, “Him?”
“You know him?” Mark asked
“Know of him Commander” Timothy explained, “Had I succeeded in my plans, he was due to be replaced by a doppelganger assassin as well”
“Why?” Jenny asked, “All I know is that he was in the top 500 Rich list a few years back”
“Yes Jenny” Timothy went on, “But he is also the head of several shell corporations and holding companies, all of which supplied equipment to the Facility. I know he tried to hide it, but I sussed out that every piece of our kit was provided by a company own by him”

“That’s not supposed to happen” Mark replied, “Different companies so no one company gets a complete picture of what we were doing”
“But he got around that with several shell and holding companies, making the occasional tactical acquisition should a company not under his control get an order. I tracked him, and I was going to replace him as well as the joint chiefs”

Then Timothy stopped, as both Mark and Jenny looked daggers at him, “I don’t think I should have revealed that”
“I’ll add it to the list” Mark replied.
“Celeste?” came the sound of another female voice.

Jenny walked over to the third cell, a middle aged woman was sitting in it. “You are?” she asked
“Lachesis” the lady replied, “I am one of the fates. Some men came to kidnap my younger sister Clotho, but I got in the way and they took me instead”

“I heard about you” Mark said as he came across, “You are the middle one of the fates, Clotho spins out the new threads of life for us humans, your elder sister cuts the threads of life at the end of their life and you”
“I am tasked with how much life they have and what destiny will befall them” Lachesis replied

“And she was charged with the offence of conspiracy to interfere in the affairs of mortals” The Spirit of Lust told the group, “And when my dear sister, the Spirit of True Love was found dead in her cell”
“We were released on a technicality but exiled by the Lord Low Troll to Earth” Lachesis finished.

“This is a very interesting reunion” The Spirit of Lust then observed

“So you know this Celeste as well?” Jenny asked Lachesis

The woman slowly nodded, “Yes I do” then she looked up with what Jenny thought was tears in her eyes, “She does not know it, but I am her mother. So we could protect her we had to make everyone including her think her mother was dead”
“What?” Jenny asked, “Why?”
“Because of the dictates of the Lord Low Troll” she said sadly,



Lachesis then continued “He had forbidden spirits of necessity virtues and vices from having children with one another, but we did not know of this rule until I had fallen pregnant. The punishment would have been the execution of the child. Only if the mother or the father had perished would he allow the child to live. We know not why he ruled such, but that was his law. Maybe he did not want our number to increase, who knows now. That is also why some of the spirits of virtue came to Earth so they could have children away from the laws of the Lord Low troll. Through out my pregnancy, I had to hide away until I had given birth; only The Spirit of Death and my elder sister Atropos knew”

“When she was born, because of her black hair it was thought it was best if she lived with me” The Spirit of Death said from his box, “We made up the story that her mother was the Spirit of Destiny, who had drowned as I had stood by as I could not swim”
“That way” Lachesis continued, “If the Lord Low Troll found out, then she would have been spared”

Jenny walked back to Caer’s dungeon and Mark followed
“Caer?” Jenny spoke up
“Yes Miss Green?”
“You said you thought this Celeste was nice, why?” Jenny asked
“Because she healed me, and” at this Caer looked embarrassed, “When I messed myself because I was made to stand on a block of ice with a noose around my neck, she cleaned me up”

“Celeste has the power to heal?” Jenny asked
“That is why” The Spirit of Death called out, “As a death spirit she will never amount to anything. She is another facet of facing death”

“What do you mean?” Mark asked
“How many times have you faced certain death?” The Spirit of Death asked
“Too many I would care to remember” Mark answered
“She is meant to be for those times when a mortal faces almost certain death and yet survives against the odds. She may think she is for death, but she is for life, and I fear she does not know it and is trying to do my job, and that will destroy her”

“Ok” Then Mark responded, “Our first task is to try and get you out of these boxes, and then find out how to get out of this artificial universe”
“And we must stop this mortal” The Spirit of Death called out

“That goes without saying” Mark replied
“And I agree” The Spirit of Lust chipped in, “We can not have a mortal treating major spirits with utter contempt”
“And murdering them isn’t treating them with contempt?” Jenny muttered
“By another spirit no” The Spirit of Lust retorted, “By a mortal, definitely”
“Oh yes” Jenny said sarcastically, “That makes it alright then!”
“But he is no longer mortal” The Spirit of Death piped up, “He took from me his thread, and while he has that, he has immortality. He can not die”





Kathryn Cooper’s chauffeur driven car pulled up outside the FBI building, with her was Walter Quentin the director of the National Security Agency. Both got out and headed for the public entrance to the building, showing their ID.

Jack Maddox was there to meet them, whilst two FBI agents held Sue-Lim securely. Sue-Lim just looked down at the ground, she felt deeply ashamed and utterly humiliated as a number of passers by stared at her from the main sidewalk.

Celeste continued to stand as near to her as she could, still hidden from all mortals. Why she liked Sue-Lim, she could not tell, she just did and felt deeply cut up and devastated that she had almost caused Sue-Lim’s death before her time.

Kathryn saw that Sue-Lim was handcuffed, with her hands behind her back like a common criminal



“Take those things off of her” Kathryn ordered angrily.

One of the FBI agents looked at Jack, “Sir?”
“I’ll send you the key when you get back to your agency” Jack sneered
“Come on Jack” Walter chided, “Don’t be such a sore looser”
Jacks eyes narrowed at Walter, “OK” he growled, “Remove the bracelets”

One of the FBI officials undid the handcuffs and removed them from Sue-Lim’s wrists, but both held onto Sue-Lim tightly

“Now let her go” Kathryn ordered
Again the FBI agents looked at Jack, and reluctantly he nodded and motioned for them to go back inside. As he did so the FBI agents let go of Sue-Lim, who continued to stand still, utterly shell shocked, and they went back into the J Edgar Hoover building.

“May I have a brief word” Jack asked Kathryn
“OK” Kathryn replied and then said to Walter, “Mr Quentin, could you please escort Sue-Lim to my car”

Walter gestured for Sue-Lim to go down to the car, which she duly did, again Celeste was in tow. She wanted to make sure Sue-Lim got back safely. Walter opened the car door and Sue-Lim obediently and silently got in. Celeste teleported in, so she could sit with Sue-Lim, even though Sue-Lim would not be aware of her presence.

“I’ll catch a cab from here” Walter called out, and then he went off to hail a taxi.
“Thanks for all you’ve done” Kathryn called out, then she turned back to Jack, “Ok what is it”
“I know you deal with all sorts of entities Chairman Cooper” Jack began, “So I would appreciate it if you could get word to them, not to fight their little wars in my building”
“What are you talking about?” Kathryn asked with a note of alarm
Jack produced the scarf that Sue-Lim had tried to hang herself with, “This was placed in the interrogation room with your Miss Wang by some entity and somehow persuaded her to try and hang her self. She would have succeeded were it not for some other entity who blasted our door away which alerted some of my agents who managed to get to her just in time.”

“I’ve never seen Sue-Lim with that scarf before or any scarf” Kathryn replied, deeply shocked that Sue-Lim’s arrest had driven her to the point of suicide, and that someone had provided her the means, “Let me take that and I will get someone on it to see where it came from”
“Be my guest” Jack answered back, thrust the scarf into Kathryn’s hands, turned around and left without saying another word.

Kathryn stood there for a moment and then turned around and went back to her car.



As she got in opposite Sue-Lim, Celeste felt the parchment return. It was insistent that it be answered, so Celeste looked at it. It gave the details of an elderly woman about to die on the other side of the world. Celeste sighed; at least this woman had had a life. “Sorry Sue-Lim” Celeste said to her, even though she knew Sue-Lim could not hear her, “I have to take care of some other business but I will be back as soon as I can. I like you and like I said I want to be your friend, and I want you to get better, I just hope my boss won’t mind about all this” and then Celeste was gone.

As the car started up, Sue-Lim just looked down with tears rolling down her face, she felt deeply ashamed and in disgrace.

“How are you feeling Sue-Lim” Kathryn asked
Once again Sue-Lim burst into tears, which was distressing to Kathryn. When she had first heard of her, Sue-Lim had been a very confident woman and quite a good technician to boot. Equal to Pete Smith her fiancé and to Charlene her close friend and confident. Now Sue-Lim seemed like a broken woman thanks to two rapists, incited by a third man as part of a hate crime and then by someone apparently in the NSA giving a malicious tip-off to the FBI.
“I’m sorry Miss Cooper” Sue-Lim sobbed, “I never gave any terrorist anything” she went on, “But I understand if you want my resignation”

“No I don’t, Sue-Lim” Kathryn cut in, and then leaned over and held both Sue-Lim’s hands in a gentle manner, “There is no need for that, but I am putting you on immediate administrative leave”
“But I never did anything Miss Cooper” Sue-Lim said tearfully, trying to regain some composure, “I’m sorry if I brought shame on the IDEC, I didn’t mean to” she said as she broke down again.

Kathryn asked the driver to stop, so she could change her seat so she was sitting next to Sue-Lim, so she could put an arm around her to try and comfort her.
“You never did Sue Lim” she whispered, “But you did lie to me”
“Miss Cooper?” Sue-Lim questioned with more distress in her voice
“That black eye and that bruising on your face you had when I collected you from the detention centre in Florida” Kathryn said gently, “It wasn’t from the space walk was it”

Sue-Lim shook her head as tears continued to run down her face, “Charlene told you then?” she asked
“Yes Sue-Lim, she told me, but please don’t be angry with her Sue-Lim. She only told me because she cares about you, like I do and she was very worried that you might harm yourself”
“I know Miss Cooper, she’s a good friend and her heart is always in the right place” Sue-Lim replied trying again to regain composure, “But she was right, I suddenly felt it was all hopeless” Sue-Lim added again dissolving into tears
“And you tried to kill yourself” Kathryn interjected
Sue-Lim nodded and was just about able to utter, “I’m sorry Miss Cooper”
“You don’t have to be sorry about anything” Kathryn reassured her, “But out of interest, why did you lie to me about you injuries”

“Because I was so ashamed Miss Cooper” Sue-Lim went on, “They ambushed me just outside the shower, there were three of them and I couldn’t fight back”
“Against three determined men Sue-Lim, no woman could” Kathryn empathised
“I was saving myself for Pete Miss Cooper, I begged them, but they still…”
“Raped you?” Kathryn completed her sentence

Sue-Lim nodded her head, momentarily unable to speak, then she whispered, “I suppose Pete will not want to know me now I’m soiled goods”
“Not true Sue-Lim” Kathryn insisted, “Charlene and I spoke to him personally, he’s angry at the men who did this to you understandably, but he still loves you and insists he will stand by you and that he still wants to marry you if you still want him”

“I do Miss Cooper” Sue Lim pleaded, “I wanted him so much when I was in there, even after they raped me I wanted him, and when I came out I couldn’t understand why I was suddenly frightened of him touching me”
“That’s a natural reaction Sue-Lim, it’s nothing to be ashamed of” Kathryn continued to reassure her, “And I know the effort you have made in getting things back to normal between you and Pete” she added. “But there’s one thing I was still wondering Sue-Lim, why did you not tell me when I collected you?” Kathryn coaxed her gently

Sue-Lim slowly sat up and turned to face Kathryn, “I didn’t have any proof Miss Cooper, they took me just outside the shower cubicle before I could even get a towel so there would be no forensic evidence on it and then they forced me into the shower to wash away any evidence of the rape and the older man threatened me. Miss Cooper, besides what’s the word of a foreign half cast Vietnamese girl against three white American immigration officers”

“Sue-Lim I have a few friends down in Florida” Kathryn went on, “Maybe they can find something those sorry excuses for guards missed”

“I’m sorry I lied Miss Cooper” Sue-Lim whimpered
“I understand Sue-Lim” Kathryn responded
“And I understand because I lied you have to put me on administrative leave for disciplinary reasons”

Kathryn gave Sue-Lim a hug, “I’m not punishing you Sue-Lim, I’m putting you on it so you can get treatment, and maybe we should call it paid medical leave. Sue Lim, you were attacked and violated and you tried to kill yourself. Regarding the rape Sue-Lim we need to make sure they never infected you with anything, to make sure they did not get you pregnant and so you can receive rape crisis counselling, which now I think about it may address the depression you have been suffering since you got out. Sue-Lim, we all care about you and we all want you to get well. We all want to see you get through this”

“Thank you Miss Cooper” Sue-Lim replied, “I kept thinking I had let everyone down” she added breaking down again
“No you didn’t Sue-Lim” Kathryn responded, giving Sue-Lim a hug and kissing the top of her head, “You helped save the world remember, it was our country that let you down”

With Kathryn holding a shell shocked and distraught Sue-Lim, the car headed back to the IDEC. How Kathryn held back her anger at the men who had done this to a fellow woman, she had no idea.





Samuel noticed the train was coming into Acton Town station, “Are you able to teleport” he whispered to Rosie
“I think so but won’t that attract attention?” Rosie whispered back
“This is one of those stops where lots of people get off as they also change trains to different parts of the Piccadilly line and onto the District line, their attention will therefore be elsewhere”
“But our tail over there will notice” Rosie whispered back
“Like he hasn’t clocked you already?”

Samuel then whispered to Clotho, “Take my hand and follow my lead, Rosie when those doors open teleport to the meet up point”

The train came to a stop and the doors opened.

Lots of people got on and then off, but Rosie remained
“Why are you still here?” Samuel asked
“I Can’t Colonel, something’s blocking it” Rosie whispered
“He’s definitely rouge IDEC” Samuel concluded, “ok, stay on the train and keep with as many people as possible, if you have to change trains.

“STAND CLEAR OF THE DOORS” the public address intoned

Suddenly the Colonel grabbed Clotho and pulled her towards the doors as they began to close.

He was about to pull her through the door when he reversed himself and stepped back in. As he expected, his tail had thought he was going to jump off at the last moment and had left the train and was now stranded on the platform as the train pulled out of the station and looking very angry.

“Double bluff huh!” Rosie commented
“It’s not over yet” Samuel replied, “I don’t expect that one was working alone. For all we know there could still be another rouge agent on this train” Then he asked, “Rosie can you teleport”
“No Colonel” Rosie replied
“That confirms that” Samuel whispered and he looked around the carriage at the other passengers, “there’s another rouge agent on this train hiding in plain site”

“What do we do sir?” Clotho asked
“Start by not calling me sir” Samuel retorted
“Sorry Colonel” Clotho apologised.
Samuel shook his head briefly then whispered, “At this time of day we won’t be stopping at Turnham Green, so the first stop we can get off is at Hammersmith”
“Won’t they follow us” Clotho asked
“I suspect so” Samuel replied, “If they have back up most likely they will be trying to intercept us there”
“Would it be out stop anyway?” Rosie asked
Clotho shook her head
“How far have we go to go” Rosie then asked
“Don’t answer that” Samuel cut in, “We don’t know who else is listening
“Sorry” Rosie apologised

The train continued to head towards Hammersmith. Colonel Samuel Peters had a difficult problem, leave and be followed or continue in a carriage where he was definitely being followed, and why was the leprechaun’s ability to teleport being blocked. If only the IDEC UK were still around, then they could have arranged something to deal with the rouge agents that were on their tail.





Celeste appeared in the house.

It was freezing as Celeste crept through into the lounge, and there was the old woman breathing shallower and shallower. Even though this was inside, it seemed to Celeste that this woman was to die from hypothermia. There was a fireplace with coal on, but it was not lit. It seemed that the old woman had had trouble lighting it and had given up and was sitting in her favourite chair with a threadbare blanket. Celeste looked carefully at the fire; it was definitely not gas, besides there were lumps of coal in a small coal scuttle

Celeste got out her knife to cut the elderly lady’s astral chord. Then Celeste put it away, “I can’t do this” she whispered as she felt pity on the old woman and then fired an energy blast at the prepared fireplace to set it alight.

The lady started to wake up startled by the fire starting up. Celeste materialised in front of her
“Are you an angel?” the elderly woman asked
“I suppose you could say that” Celeste said with her voice still betraying her emotions.
“You’re not a really happy angel” the old woman replied.

Celeste shook her head, still visibly upset
“Tell me all about it then?” the old woman asked

Celeste sat down in the other chair opposite, “I’m supposed to be a releaser of souls from the body when a person dies”
“Like the Angel of Death my dear?” the elderly lady asked
Celeste nodded, “That’s the Spirit of Death, my father”
“And you have come to release mine?” the elderly lady asked
Celeste nodded, and then added, “But I can’t do this any more, I thought at the beginning I could take over my father’s work, but sometimes”
“You want to save them?” The elderly lady asked
Again Celeste nodded, “This is stupid, and I’m supposed to be a releaser of souls but I just want them to live”

“Well if it helps you” The elderly lady told her, “I’ve had a good life, and if this is to be, let’s get on with it shall we?”

“But this doesn’t have to be” Celeste protested, “if you have a problem with health, I can heal you, you can have years more”
“And do what?” The elderly woman asked
“Anything you want?” Celeste pleaded, “I don’t want you to die, please”
“But I’ve had a good life and the fact you are here means it is my time my dear, I’ve done what I want to do” the elderly lady pressed, “My friends have all passed away, I have not any family here”
“You have grandchildren” Celeste objected pointing at some pictures on a side board
“Great grandchildren actually” the lady corrected, “And they are on the other side of the world in Australia. They have probably forgotten me anyway, they won’t miss me”
“But I can take you to see them” Celeste offered, “I can teleport you to them right now”

“They have their own lives to lead now, they won’t want me around, and I’ll just get in the way”
Celeste wept, “But you don’t have to die, it’s such a waste”
“You’re a strange angel of death my dear, you’re more upset about me dying than I am” The elderly lady said gently
“I would have to do it” Celeste admitted, “And I don’t want to take any more lives”
“And how would you do that?” The lady asked, ignoring Celeste’s protestations

Celeste once again brought out the celestial knife, “I sever your astral chord with this and that ejects your soul from your body” she said
“If you have problems with that pass it over to me and I can do it for you love” the elderly lady offered, holding out her hand, “Just show me where to cut and I will be on my way”

Celeste shook her head, “It doesn’t work like that, it can not be held by a mortal”

“Do you have a name?” the elderly lady asked
“Celeste” Celeste replied, then she went on, “You were dying of the cold, I fixed that. Your lonely, I can visit you. I can take you anywhere you want”
“But you can not bring yourself to take my life even though it’s my time”
“But it doesn’t have to be”

“Come, come my dear” The elderly lady pressed, “I have had a good life, but I’m old and all good things come to an end so let me go and I promise I won’t hold this against you”
“But we could be friends” Celeste insisted
“I know we could, and I believe we are” The elderly lady insisted, “and as a friend, please let me go”

It seemed useless arguing with this elderly woman, unlike Sue-Lim, she was not someone racked by despair; she seemed well in her right mind and eager to shuffle off her mortal coil. Celeste took out the knife and brought it up to the elderly woman’s astral chord.
“I’m so sorry” Celeste told her, and then said with tears streaming down her face “It’s not too late to change your mind, please”

“Maybe it can wait for a moment” the elderly lady conceded
Celeste took away the knife
“Tell me my dear, am I your first?” the elderly lady asked
Celeste shook her head
“So what made you not want to do what you have to do?”

Celeste sat back down in the chair and looked at the ceiling; “I was due to release the soul of this four year old boy” Celeste went on, “He was in one of your hospitals with all these horrible tubes in him”
“An intensive care ward?” the old lady suggested
Celeste nodded, “I think so” then continued, “I was ready to do what I had to do when I saw his mother and sister, and they were crying because they loved him and they were going to loose him”

Celeste broke down crying, “I just couldn’t do it” she wept, “Not to them, not to him
“So what did you do?” the elderly lady asked
“I healed him” Celeste replied through her tears, “I used my powers and I healed him so he could live and they could have him back”

The elderly lady got out of her chair, walked over as best as she could and put an arm around Celeste’s shoulders, “You’re hearts not really in this then is it”
Celeste shook her head, “But I’m supposed to be showing my father I’m not a waste of space. I should be able to take lives like he can, but I can’t”
“Maybe you’re meant to take another path my dear” the elderly lady answered back, Then she asked, “Would you like a cup of tea?”
“No thank you” Celeste replied

“Now I don’t like seeing people upset” The lady went on, “And I can see the prospect of you releasing my soul is a real problem. If you let me live, would you get into trouble”
“I don’t know” Celeste replied, “I never thought about that”
“If it won’t cause you a problem, I could hang on a bit more for you” the elderly lady conceded, “But if it is a problem, I don’t mind going and you could see if your father can do the job. Maybe you’re meant to be a guardian angel and not an angel of death”

Celeste took out the parchment and looked at it; it still had the elderly lady’s name on it in gold letters. “She said I did not have to do this” Celeste said to the parchment, “Take her off the list please”

“Oh dear” The elderly lady sighed, “It looks like I have to go anyway”
“No you don’t” Celeste insisted, “I want you to live”
Just then the writing faded to nothing and for the moment the parchment was blank
“Thank you” Celeste wept

“It’s ok” Celeste said, “Your going to live” Then she noticed the woman slumped on the floor and her astral chord detaching.

“No!” Screamed Celeste, “You b******s, she said she would live”, but it was too late, someone else had done the deed. Celeste was not the only one who released souls, but unlike Celeste the one who did this had done it from a distance

Carefully Celeste closed the woman’s eyes and then she went and opened the door so it would attract attention. This woman was not going to be one of those who would lie for a long time dead and undiscovered.

Then Celeste turned her thoughts to the boy she had healed, “Oh no!” she whimpered, “Please not him” and then she teleported to the hospital ward.
He was not there

Next the morgue – His body was not there. Celeste was getting frantic. “Please where is he” she pleaded “He did not deserve to die”

Then Celeste found herself transported to another part of the hospital. There was the boy, alive and well on a bed while a doctor was checking him over; in attendance were the boy’s mother and sister, wondering about his miraculous recovery.

“Please let him live, I beg you” Celeste pleaded, “I healed him, please let him live”. Nervously she took out the parchment; on it was another name, for now it seemed that the powers that be had allowed this appeal and the boy had been given a second chance at life.

“What about Sue-Lim” Celeste asked nervously, “I saved her, I healed her as well of any injuries”.

Celeste, then found herself outside the IDEC headquarters as she saw Sue-Lim being led from a car by a woman in her forties and being greeted by another woman, a platinum blonde, coming up and hugging her. Sue-Lim’s second chance at life had too been granted. Celeste put the parchment away and followed Sue-Lim. From what she could see this platinum blonde also considered Sue-Lim as her friend. Then Celeste noticed that the older woman was carrying the scarf her boss had sent her to give Sue-Lim. For some reason, something seemed odd about it, but as Celeste followed them into the building she could not work out why.





Gerry Malone, Johnny Adair and Fidelity slipped through the city gates as they were closing. The Talismans of distraction were working exactly as promised.
“Now Miss Fidelity” Johnny asked, “Which one of these building here belongs to the Judicial Court of the Mystical Realms”

Fidelity racked her brain trying to remember the layout of the city

“Come on we’re waiting” Gerry Malone insisted
“Give her some slack Gerry” Johnny told him, “She hasn’t been her for about two years, what’s got into you”

Fidelity then remembered and pointed in the direction. Then the three of them headed off for the building.



It took about fifteen minutes to reach it. On Johnny’s insistence they removed the talismans of distraction, since if they were wearing them when they entered the building, ironically they would bring unwanted attention from anti-magic devices.

As far as anyone was concerned they were two spirits of vice and one minor spirit of virtue. Hopefully the authorities would not be aware that Fidelity had given up her minor spirit status, anyway they would have though she was really her sister Caer, the former Spirit of Fancying.

As they entered the building of the Judicial Court of the Mystical Realms a troll guard blocked their way.
“What is your business here” the troll demanded
“We understand that Yagel Pen-swift owned this slave” Johnny replied
“He was no elf” The troll sneered, “He was a no good drow”
“Be that as it may” Johnny continued, “We bought this slave in good faith and now we are told we need a registration of servants document that was stored here”

Just then an elf came to the entrance on his way home. Fidelity recognised him as Umeric one of those who saw to the support needs of the Elven lawyers and one of the caretakers at the court.
“Spirit of Fancying” Umeric said with surprise, “It has been a long time and my how you have grown”

Fidelity did an instant courtesy; it had been what Yagel had instructed her to do. Usually if she did not do it exactly right, she would be beaten. Only now did she know why. Yagel must have been paranoid that if she did not follow protocol to the letter, then they may have seen through his deception.

“I am so sorry Spirit of Fancying that you were bonded to that deceiver” Umeric went on
“We have taken her over” Johnny cut in before Fidelity could respond.
“Are you after the registration of servants document then” Umeric asked
“Yes” Johnny replied, “We bought her in good faith and now we have been told to get this document so we can put her to work”

“Yes, Yes” Umeric answered, “I’m afraid the elven lawyers have departed until the morrow”
“The Spirit of Fancying will know his office” Gerry interrupted, “We thought we could look for it there”
“And who might you be?” Umeric asked

Gerry grabbed Fidelity’s hair and pulled her head back causing Fidelity pain and fear
“I’m the Spirit of Cruelty” he replied
“And I’m the Spirit of Anger” Johnny told Umeric, showing him his Kalashnikov, then to Gerry, “Let her go Cruelty”

Gerry released Fidelity

“Could you come back tomorrow?” Umeric asked
“We would if we could” Johnny answered, “But we must be on our way tomorrow to present the registration of servants’ document to the town elders where we bought this slave

“Oh very well” Umeric replied and waved at the guard to let them in and so they entered
“I will need to unlock his former office” Umeric told them as he followed them up a stone staircase
“Very thoughtful of you” Johnny answered
Fidelity kept silent, what was it they really wanted, an old document of her being owned by Yagel was of course, not it, although in theory the document really applied to her sister as that was who they thought she was. Only the fairies here knew the truth and a few trolls in the Manjura clan.

They finally found the office, and Umeric took out a large bunch of keys and opened the door.

Suddenly Gerry pulled out a knife and stabbed Umeric in the back.

Fidelity gasped as she saw the blade sink into a much loved elf and as she watched him die
“Why?”, Fidelity whimpered “He was helping us”
“Shut your face you” Gerry spat back, and then grabbed the bunch of keys from the body, then asked, “Why is he not bursting into flames”
“Because this is his universe” Johnny replied, “If you had asked me I could have told you before you made things worse. Now help me drag his body in here”

Fidelity watched as they dragged the body of the elf into Yagel’s office, and then they came out.
Gerry grabbed Fidelity by the hair and held his knife to her throat, “Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone” he threatened
“I won’t, I won’t” Fidelity whimpered back
“Let her go Gerry” Johnny told Gerry, “Your taking this Spirit of Cruelty a bit far you know” then he turned to Fidelity, “Now Fidelity” Johnny demanded, “We want the Room of Orbs”

“At the top” Fidelity nervously replied

Gerry grabbed Fidelity by her upper left arm, “How many floor” he growled at her
“Three” Fidelity replied
“We better get moving then” added Johnny, “Someone’s going to miss that elf you stuck”

“What do you want there” Fidelity asked, “There’s no gold or anything like that there”
“Shut it” Gerry spat back, “Johnny why don’t we ice her here now we know where it is”
“We may still need her” Johnny replied
“When we get what we want” Gerry came back with, “I vote we leave her here to face the music from those trolls over the elf I iced”
“I vote you shut up Gerry and do what our benefactor has told us” Johnny replied

“You’re going to kill me anyway” Fidelity whimpered
“Now that sounds like a plan” Gerry said as he shoved Fidelity up the stairs

“Easy there Gerry” Johnny replied, “I know your supposed to be the Spirit of Cruelty, but that was for them downstairs, what has got into you?”

“I just want to get this over and done with Johnny” Gerry answered back, “And she can identify us, she has to die”

Fidelity was really panicking; it was almost like she was back at the Facility in London when the hated Mr Blue who had beaten her in his rough interrogation had told her she was to be liquidated on grounds of national security

“Come on Gerry, once our benefactor gets what he wants, that won’t matter” Johnny countered, “and Stormont will just be an unpleasant memory”
“Aye” Gerry answered

Finally they reached the top floor and in front of an old oak door was an elderly gnome guard.

A burst from Gerry’s machine pistol and he was no longer an issue.
“He was no threat” Fidelity protested
“Shush you B***h” Gerry shouted and threw her to the floor and pointed his gun right at Fidelity, “I believe your usefulness is at an end”

There was the click of a safety catch

Johnny held a gun at Gerry’s head, “If she dies, you do as well”
“Come on Johnny we don’t need her now” Gerry complained
“Our benefactor wants her”
“I can’t see why”
“He just does”

Gerry lowered his weapon and walked to the door, trying to give Fidelity a swift kick as he did, Fidelity only just managed to avoid him.

Johnny came and pulled Fidelity to her feet, and they all went into the room of orbs.

It was full of dusty globes, some glowed and some did not. Fidelity had heard of this place, this was where some entities were kept in crystal prisons. From what she knew from her time in this building growing up under Yagel, she suspected the crystal prison storing the Spirit of Malice was here somewhere. That was the spirit that inhabited the body of Mr Blue.

“I found it Gerry” Johnny then said, holding up an orb that looked different from the others, “This will help our benefactor find that other fate, Atropos”

“And this one” Gerry said, “Is what I have been after”
“What are you talking about Gerry” Johnny asked, “Sir Sidney only wants this one”

Suddenly to Fidelity’s horror and Johnny’s surprise, Gerry morphed into a large dark armoured man with a cat’s head. “Gerry is dead” The entity revealed “And I killed him when that fool Mr Swales sent him on a wild goose chase and took his place. I am the real Spirit of Cruelty, and in this prison is my friend The Spirit of Malice”

Johnny tried to pull his gun, but the Spirit of Cruelty ripped it from his hands using some telekinetic ability. “We can come to a deal” Johnny shouted

“No deals” The Spirit of Cruelty screeched, “I have come to release my friend and then exact vengeance” Then turning to Fidelity he shouted, “Starting with you”

To be continued

BORING!!!!!!!

There is an old saying, “with friends like these who needs enemies”, which implies that sometimes our friends may detrimental to our well being

They may say they are our friends, but do they have our best interests at heart? Will they go out of their way to assist us, sometimes at costs to themselves?

The truth is that some friends we could do without and some friends we can not.

The flip side regarding enemies is that are they always going to work against us? Sometimes the clever ones might do something for us, just so they can have something over us, so we owe them and they can appear to others to be the good guy.

But sometimes an enemy will be out to attack us and wish for our destruction, just as Fidelity has found out, as it seems the UFF man Gerry Malone has been killed and replaced by the Spirit of Cruelty who has finally revealed himself. He has infiltrated the mission to steal from the Judicial Court of the Mystical Realms the orb to locate Atropos. His mission is to release his friend the Spirit of Malice, and now he wants, on behalf of his friend vengeance for his incarceration starting with Fidelity





Fidelity looked at the person she had previously known as Gerry. This major spirit of vice with the body of a man and the head of a cat seemed very apt, as from what she had heard cats always liked to toy with their prey before killing them.



As the Spirit of Cruelty advanced on her she backed towards one of the many racks shaking her head.

“It wasn’t me” Fidelity whimpered, “It was the trolls”

“You were there” growled the Spirit of Cruelty, as he raised his right hand. In it a ball of fire started to form, just like one she had seen that time at Heathrow Airport when Mr Blue, possessed by the Spirit of Malice confronted her, Graeme Andrews, two FBI agents and a leprechaun.

“The beauty this time” The Spirit of Cruelty went on, “Is now you are human you will not be able to deflect this”

In the distance a bell started tolling, the growing fireball in the Spirit of Cruelty’s hand had triggered the glyphs set to detect unauthorised magic’s, not that he cared.

“Pick on someone your own size” Johnny Adair shouted

The Spirit of Cruelty turned to face this other UFF man, “I will deal with you next” he growled

“Oh yeah” Johnny sneered and then shouted “excipio”

Suddenly Fidelity saw the fireball in the Spirit of Cruelty’s hand dissipate harmlessly as he started screaming.

In Johnny’s hand was a small crystal rod which was sending out a blue ray that was dragging the Spirit of Cruelty into it. All the while Johnny repeated the word “excipio”

Within about half a minute the Spirit of Cruelty had been sucked into the crystal rod.

Johnny then dropped it on the floor and then crushed it with his boot, “That’s for Gerry” he muttered, “I just hope the boss has another crystal imprisoning rod for Atropos” he added.

Fidelity stood there shocked, whoever this man worked for, he had access to magical devices no human should have.

Then they heard in the distance the sound of what seemed like a small army coming up the steps.

“Do you want to explain to a bunch of trolls what you are doing here?” Johnny asked Fidelity as he grabbed at the artificial wormhole generator he had hanging by a strap on his shoulder



Fidelity shook her head

“Get over here now” Johnny ordered, as he triggered the device. Fidelity frightened what the trolls would do to her, especially as the Spirit of Cruelty had murdered a court official, obediently went over to where Johnny was standing

With the sound of the guards getting closer the device produced it’s characteristic green vortex.



After about twenty seconds, Johnny grabbed Fidelity’s hand and pulled her through the green vortex.

As soon as they were through, Johnny switched another switch, and the green vortex where they had landed dissipated instantly.

Fidelity looked around. They were in a large office. Through the window she could see the River Thames and the Ferris wheel known as the London Eye. They were in London England.

“Did you get it?” said fifty year old businessman in a posh English accent.

“Aye” Johnny replied holding up the orb he had stolen
“Very good Mr Adair” the businessman replied.
“I’m afraid Gerry didn’t make it” Johnny added
“That’s unfortunate” the businessman replied
“Yeah, but I managed to get the entity who wasted him”
“Good for you Mr Adair”
“I just wonder Sir Sidney” Johnny intoned with some scepticism, “How this entity knew what we were up to and where to find us when he killed Gerry on the outskirts of Dublin”
“I wouldn’t know Mr Adair” the businessman answered with a serious tone, “Maybe some of those I deal with in the Mystical Realms spoke incautiously”
“That could be it” Johnny seemed to agree, “It did seem awfully suspicious to me” Then Johnny looked at Fidelity “What do you want done with this one Sir Sidney” Johnny then asked as he held tightly onto Fidelity’s wrist

“I’ll put her with her sister” the businessman replied, “The Irish government once used the fact her biological father was a war hero to embarrass the British government, I intend to use their argument to gain some leverage with the Irish government and their G2 special unit. You know that old expression, what goes around comes around?”

Fidelity looked up at the business man, “Please” she pleaded, “We don’t have any powers, we are human now”

“I know my dear and for my purposes that does not matter” the businessman replied and then he pressed a button on the intercom, “Adrian?” he called

“Yes Sir Sidney” a reply came over the intercom
“We have another guest, for our special guest quarters” the businessman said over the intercom, “I want to be nice, so put her up with her sister the other O’Docherty girl we have staying there”
“Yes sir” the reply came, “I will be there in about five minutes”
“And Adrian, can you inform Mr Swales of a change of plan, I’ve decided I would like the colonel brought in alive along with the other fate he is with”
“Very good sir” the person on the intercom replied.

“By the way Sir Sidney” Johnny piped up, “If you have one, I need another crystal imprisoning rod, to collect Atropos. There was a bit of a side show while I dealt with the entity that killed Gerry and the other one accidentally fell under my boot”

The businessman sighed and walked over to his desk draw, “I believe this is the last one Mr Adair” he said as he took another crystal rod from his desk, “Look after it this time”
“Yes Sir Sidney” Johnny acknowledged, “By the way, do I need Celeste to take me Atropos”

The businessman shook his head and held out what Fidelity could make out was some electronic device, “Use this adapted GPS locater instead in conjunction with the locating orb. I’m afraid after our all too brief relationship; Celeste is coming to the end of her usefulness to me, especially as soon as we get hold of Atropos. Just make sure you get her shears as well”
“Aye” Johnny answered
“And as soon as you return with them Mr Adair, I will pass on that little something for your own little project”
“Aye” Johnny grinned and let go of Fidelity and left the room.

Just then Fidelity noticed another man in the room, tied to a chair in the corner, the businessman walked over and bent down to speak with him, “I have some good news James” Fidelity heard him say, “It seems from my contact in the FBI, some entity managed to intervene and save your daughter’s life”
“I warn you Sidney” the man in the chair growled, “If she had been harmed I would have hunted you down and killed you myself”
“Oh don’t be so melodramatic James, I contacted my friend in the FBI to ask them to look in on your daughter for you, but this entity had already started to intervene to save her herself”

Fidelity found herself whispering “Herself? Celeste?” She was trying to remember Celeste from their brief time together when they were younger, Celeste may have talked tough, being the daughter of the Spirit of Death, but she had never forgotten spying on her once as she healed a baby unicorn.

The businessman continued unaware of what Fidelity had uttered “And you will be glad to know that she is safe and well, sort of and has been released into the custody of the delightful Miss Cooper. Although from what my source told me, the state she was reported to be in when she left, I suspect she will not be of much use to your little agency for a while Which also achieves my objectives of making it less effective. So a win – win situation don’t you think”
“I appreciate your efforts Sidney” The other man said, “But you don’t need to do this, we could join forces, we were in a position of strength before you interfered Sidney”
“But like I told you James, I don’t want to join your little cabal” the businessman replied, “Especially when I am on the winning side, and soon I will have the power to make people do what ever I want”

Just then Fidelity felt hand grab her upper right arm. It was a man in his thirties in a suit. “Come with me” he ordered Fidelity in a menacing tone. Fidelity had not option but to comply

Before they left the businessman called to his employee. “Ah! Adrian” the businessman opened with, “it looks like Cruelty did not quite work out like I hoped, and we will have to give up the talisman of disintegration to Mr Adair after all”
“That’s a shame Sir” Adrian sympathised
“Yes, Adrian, it’s a pity I rather liked the Stormont building”
“What?” Fidelity spoke out
“Yes Miss O’Docherty” the businessman said as he approached her, “I sent him as insurance to make sure the job was done. He was going to get me the orb should something go wrong”
“But he tried to kill us” Fidelity whined
“Like I keep finding out, especially with Celeste, never send an entity to do a man’s job” the businessman answered adding “Well Mr Adair handled it like the professional that he is, so no real harm done then”

Fidelity just shook her head, this man dealt with life and death like any other commodity you might find in business. This Sir Sidney was ice cold.

After that Fidelity was escorted by Adrian from the room







Kathryn Cooper walked to her office alone to be intercepted by Sophie her PA. Neither of them knew that Celeste was following, hidden from the perception of mortal beings.

Sue-Lim had been left with the platinum blond haired woman, who Celeste had learned was called Charlene in some kind of reception area of the building. From what Celeste could see, the two were close friends. Charlene had been apologising to Sue-Lim that she had had to tell the older woman, that Celeste had learned was called Miss Cooper, something that Sue-Lim had told Charlene. What ever it was it was bad and about something that had happened to Sue-Lim. Celeste had thought it was important to find out why she had been stopped from physically stopping Sue-Lim from hanging herself directly. It was something about the scarf her boss had sent her to pass on.

“Sophie” Kathryn began, “Please get in touch with our contact at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, and get them to come and pick up Sue-Lim. we are admitting her under the special Tricare arrangement. They already know what for”

“Bethesda?” Sophie questioned “That’s for American citizens only Miss Cooper?” she added

“Just do it” Celeste shouted at her, even though nobody in the room could hear her, “My friend needs to get well”

“Sue-Lim is an American citizen” Kathryn replied, “Even if she does not know it. I have proof, which I will send over if they need it. In the mean time I will be working on replacing Sue-Lim’s green card with her American passport”

“By the way” Sophie interrupted “The special sitting of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is waiting for you and the colonel to appear before them”
“Damn” Kathryn swore, “I forgot about that”

“Shall I try and cancel” Sophie asked
“No, I need to inform them that the colonel is still unavailable” Kathryn replied, “But while I am gone, put in a call to the Irish special diplomatic service and ask for Shamus McTuckel, see if he is available to come and see me”
“Yes Mam” Sophie answered and picked up the telephone to start making calls.

Kathryn then departed for the senate building.

Until this Miss Cooper came back, there was not much point following her, so Celeste returned to sit, albeit invisibly with Sue-Lim. Her friend had had some trauma which Celeste cold not heal and she so wanted to make sure her friend would get help.

As she arrived back at reception there was a man. As Celeste watched from a distance, she saw a sobbing Sue-Lim walking towards the man apologizing about something. The man looked nervous and was glancing at Charlene. For some reason Celeste did not feel it was right to approach the couple, even though they would be oblivious to her presence.

Celeste overheard the man telling Sue-Lim that he never blamed her for anything and if she ever felt uncomfortable around him to let him know as he loved her and would not want to cause her any further distress.

Then Sue-Lim embraced the man and kept sobbing, while the man gently held her in his arms. Celeste could just about make out that he too was crying. Sue-Lim just kept repeating that she missed him so much when she was in some centre, Celeste just about make out. Then she heard Sue-Lim say through her tears “I so Wanted to save myself for you Pete”, to which Pete replied “The may have took something physically from you love, but they never took your heart, and that has to be what matters now” Then the man said, “If you want to delay the wedding that’s fine I’ll wait, if you want to keep the date, that’s fine too, you getting better is all that matters to me Sue-Lim because I love you so much and I promise I will visit you every day if you want me to”
“I love you so much” Celeste heard Sue-Lim say

So that was it, this man was Sue-Lim’s fiancé
“I hope he treats her right” Celeste whispered with tears rolling down her cheeks





The train had made it past Turnham Green ok and had not slowed down. Rosie O’Brian the G2 Leprechaun had suggested pulling the communication chord like they had on the older railways, but Colonel Samuel Peters had said that was a bad idea. The train was now heading for Hammersmith. It was a real dilemma, someone was still following them and Clotho was terrified that they were trying to find her sister Atropos through her. She had already lost one sister to these people.

Samuel studied the tube map on the inside of the carriage, “Stay on until Earls” he whispered, and “That’s a major junction” he added
“Trying to keep us in a public place?” Rosie asked

Samuel nodded, “Hopefully they will be less likely to move against us”

“Anyone we can call?” Clotho asked
“I forgot about that” Samuel replied and reached for his cell phone and switched it on.

As the phone powered up the train pulled into Hammersmith Station



A whole bunch of people started to move out of the carriage. Samuel noticed that there were two text messages from the US, both from Charlene Henshore. He was about to read them when he felt the barrel of a gun pressed into his side.
“I think this is your stop sir” a voice came from behind in a London accent

“You’re doing this in broad daylight?” Samuel replied
“Just get off the train and no sudden movements” the voice replied, “And don’t try anything cute. IDEC taught us well before it was betrayed by the likes of you”
“It looks like this is our stop after all” Samuel told Rosie and Clotho
“Why?” Rosie queried
Samuel motioned with his head at the man with the gun.

Suddenly it seemed that time had stopped, except for Samuel, Clotho, Rosie and the man with the gun

Samuel slowly turned around to face the man with the gun, “Mr Steve Swales isn’t it?” Samuel said to the man
“You studied my personnel file I see Colonel” Steve replied as he pointed his nine millimetre automatic at the group
“And I see you’re the one who stole the amulet of time slow” Samuel countered
“Very astute of you Colonel” Steve replied, “I took it off of a pixie Mr Blue had me personally exterminate. It was a pleasure to see that one beg for her life before I put one right between the eyes”
“You know this man?” Rosie asked
“He’s a former operative for the I D E C in the UK” Samuel explained, “A bunch of them went AWOL after Mr Blue was replaced with Mr Sepia”
“Because we did not believe that stinking IDE’s should have any part in our affairs” Steve countered.
“I don’t stink” Rosie objected

BANG

A shot rang out from Steve’s gun and Rosie fell backwards, bursting into flames as she rapidly incinerated.

Samuel instinctively flinched and Clotho screamed, but Steve just pointed his gun at Samuel’s head.
“Why?” Samuel asked, “She was unarmed, she wasn’t a threat”
“She was a stinking IDE” Steve replied, “That’s the only reason I need to kill vermin like that” Steve then pointed the gun at Clotho and Samuel moved to get between Steve and Clotho
“Ever the traitor to the human race colonel” Steve sneered, “I can not understand why you would want to protect these monsters”
“You’re the only monster here from where I’m standing Mr Swales” Samuel replied
“Really” Steve snapped back, “Tell that to the families of those two police officers who were murdered two years ago by two IDE47s and to the family of that woman who worked in the coffee shop and that gypsy woman, that this b***h’s sister sent to warn another collaborator”

“We didn’t know there were doppelgangers around” Clotho whined
“SHUT UP YOU STINKING IDE” Steve shouted, “Your scum also killed a number of IDEC workers, first with IDE47s and then with a lorry bomb. If it were up to me I would wipe every last stinking IDE here on Earth, including the half breeds and then start on the traitors to the human race who sold us out to them”
“You sound more like a monster to me than they do” Samuel remarked

Steve walked over and pressed the gun to Samuel’s temple, “If it were up to me Sir, I would drop you here and now”
“But it’s not up to you is it” Samuel said back to Steve
“Unfortunately, my misguided mentor wants both you and this stinking IDE taken to him, and he wants you both alive. I’m just glad he never mentioned the leprechaun. I just love killing every stinking IDE I come across”
“So why do you hate them so much” Samuel asked
“Like I said Colonel Sir, because of all the atrocities they have committed against us humans” Steve answered
“But you seem to be bragging about worse” Samuel retorted, “So this mentor of yours wants Clotho and I alive, so what’s in it for you”
“Nice one Colonel” Steve answered back, “Getting the villain to spill his plans, I think not”
“Come on what’s this dirt bag dangled in front of you as a carrot to make you not drop us right here and now” Samuel persisted
“That’s for me to know and not tell you” Steve persisted, “Now get off the train”
“Or you’ll shoot us?” Samuel answered, “I thought your mentor didn’t want that”
“Or I press this button” Steve grinned as he produced a cell phone, “If I do that, even with the time slow it will ring up a detonator in small holdall loaded with C4 in the next carriage”
“You would kill your own?” Clotho asked
“SHUT IT IDE” Steve swore, “Sometimes in wartime we have to make sacrifices.
“We’re not at war” Samuel responded
“Oh yes we are sir, ever since the first stinking IDE’s crossed from their world into ours. It’s time we took the war back to them”
“Is that what he’s promised you then” Samuel cut in, “A means to take the war back to IDW01?”

“Just move, Sir” Steve insisted angrily

Samuel reached behind and took Clotho’s hand and with Steve training the gun at them, they moved between the oblivious passengers who were frozen in time and left the train.
“Head towards the exit” Steve ordered, “There is a van waiting for you”
“It would have been quicker to take the tube at this time of day” Samuel commented.

Without warning Steve struck Samson with his gun handle on the back of the head causing Samuel to collapse onto the ground. Clotho for a moment stood there in shock.
“Please run” Steve said to Clotho pointing the gun at her, “I just so want to say I shot you in the back whilst you were trying to escape, please run NOW” he shouted

Clotho just stood there terrified shaking here head as she saw the utter hate in this man’s eyes.

Samuel groaned on the floor, so Clotho knelt down next to him, waiting for the bullet from Steve’s gun to end it all.
“Never mind” Steve sneered, “As soon as I deliver you, I will get my means to wipe out more of your stinking kind on your own world”

Steve then pulled a jewel encrusted cube with his free hand, swiftly put the safety back on his gun and holstered it. Quickly he grabbed Clotho’s hair and pulled her head back, and placed a foot on the back of Samuel’s left leg. “Return” Steve shouted

Suddenly time returned and people resumed getting on and off the train, hardly noticing four people suddenly vanishing.





“Well?” Commander Mark Johnston asked Timothy Zachary
“I’m still working on it commander” Timothy protested, “These glass boxes are generated by something we techies called Object Orientated Programming,and in order to create a door in the box I have to break into the properties of the cell and list door as a property – Duh!”
“Then get on with it” Mark insisted
“Look commander” Timothy insisted, “I hope you realise that if I make a mistake it is possible to corrupt the cell as an object which could cause it to delete whoever is inside, effectively killing them”

“In other words you can’t do it” Jenny Green cut in with contempt.
“I would not under estimate my partner” The Spirit of Lust rebuked, “He did get us here after all”
“Thank You Spirit of Lust” Timothy exclaimed, “So glad someone appreciates me and my efforts”

Suddenly in the sky there appeared to be a vortex forming, but unlike the natural ones which were blue and the ones from the artificial generators, this was red



Timothy peered at it, “That must be how they got their prisoners in here, but why red not green” he said before grabbing his Apple Iphone, and fingering a few buttons
“What are you doing” Jenny asked
“Working on how to get us out of here” Timothy rapidly explained, “I’m getting it’s reciprocal co-ordinates so we can get out”
“Not before we release the others” Mark insisted.

The red vortex got bigger and then headed for the box that Caer was held prisoner in. By now the swirling red vortex was filling the entire side of the box and Jenny could hear the screams from Caer
“Oh my G_d” Jenny swore, “It’s come to kill her”

And then just as quickly as it had arrived it was gone

Then they heard Caer scream, “Fid!”

Jenny and Mark ran round to the glass front of Caer’s prison, and there was Caer helping Fidelity her twin sister up off the floor. The two twins then embraced each other and started to cry.

“That was most useful” Timothy remarked, “I’ve got the reciprocal co-ordinates out of here”
“We’re not leaving until we can break open these cells” Mark replied
“I’m still working on it Commander” Timothy replied in a sarcastic tone.

“That vortex” Jenny said, “It came down and went through the glass wall as if it were not there”
“Inheritance?” suggested Timothy, “Maybe, if you pardon the expression that could be our backdoor”.



Lachesis peered round at the group outside as they clustered around the cell block containing the twins and shook her head.

“What is it?” The Spirit of Death called out
“The man they call Timothy” Lachesis replied, “I believe it is near his time”
“Well I won’t be releasing his soul” The Spirit of Death replied, “Not if he is helping to free us”
“You know it does not always work out like that?” Lachesis answered back
“I know dear” The Spirit of Death replied, “There is Atropos your sister who sometimes helps out”
“I was not thinking about her Death” answered Lachesis, “Sometimes the threads of life can snap all by themselves, and I fear that will be the way Timothy will die”





Kathryn Cooper sat on her own, once again facing the senate committee.
“So Miss Cooper” the elderly male senate chairman opened with, “Where is Colonel Samuel Peters?”
“Senator, the last I heard was that something serious had come up and he was heading towards London” Kathryn answered
“In other words he just got delayed returning from North East England. Was there a wake at this memorial service he was speaking at Miss Cooper. This is really unacceptable; we need him to account for the disaster that led to the loss of so many American lives on IDW01”
“May I remind you senator” Kathryn tried, but the chairman cut her down
“I don’t want to hear excuses, you are obviously not fit to run this organisation if you can not get credible reliable staff and the only one who is credible can not get his a** over the Atlantic to appear before us”
“And what do you mean by credible and reliable staff Senator?” Kathryn asked
“Well for one that Mr Vee the one who censored the final report on the Magnus Timor affair. Why is he not here either?” The chairman went on
“I am informed he went to London and we have not heard from him since” Kathryn answered
“And second” The Senate chairman continued,” earlier today I was informed that a key technician, a foreign national, brought over from England was arrested by the FBI for espionage and collusion with terrorists after an Irish paramilitary group got hold of an artificial wormhole generator. I mean she must be guilty Miss Cooper, why else would she try and commit suicide rather than confess to her crimes. And let’s not forget Miss Cooper, this individual had a mother who was part of the Viet Cong”

Kathryn shook her head. Who was leaking this information?

“Mr Chairman” said the African American, “I am quite happy to wait for the colonel to return on his time table, and I suspect everyone else here would be after all he did lose a close friend in the final encounter with the Magnus Timor, and Mr Chairman with regards to this technician you referred to, what does it matter who her mother is or was?”
“Ideology senator” The chairman replied, “She could have indoctrinated her daughter against the US and turned her into a sleeper agent”

“May I ask how you got this information Senator” Kathryn pointedly asked
“That’s confidential” the chairman rebuffed her
“Could it be the same source that planted illegal surveillance devices in the quarters of my technician and my office?”
“What are you talking about?” the chairman asked
“We found them planted and I have conferred with Mr Walter Quentin director of the National Security Agency who confirmed they were tuned to the frequency allotted to his agency and he confirmed that there was no authorisation to plant such devices. In fact Senator” Kathryn went on, “one of the devices has not yet been approved for field operations”

“You are making a serious charge” a female member of the committee replied, “You are accusing the chairman here of receiving the results of illegal surveillance”

“Call Walter” Kathryn replied, “He will back me up”

“Chairman” the African American asked the senator, “Where did you get that information. Also how did you know of operations carried out today by the FBI”
“That’s confidential too” the Chairman replied
“I’m not happy with that answer sir” the African American senator pressed, “We must be above reproach and if what Miss Cooper is saying is true, you have been benefiting from possible agents acting outside the law”

“Senator” Kathryn interrupted, speaking to the African American senator, “I would like to point out that the reason my technician tried to hang herself whilst in the custody of the FBI was one, they left her alone with the means to hang herself which is bad enough and two since she returned from Florida where due to a bureaucratic screw up she was unlawfully held in an immigration detention centre and I say unlawfully because she is an American citizen because her father is an American citizen, and I have proof of that, she has been suffering depression on account of being raped and violently assaulted by guards at that facility. So when this morning she was falsely arrested” And how Kathryn emphasised the words falsely arrested and then continued “publicly by the FBI on the grounds of what has turned out to be a malicious tip off by persons unknown, that was the final straw and she had a nervous breakdown leading to her suicide attempt”

“Raped by immigration detention staff?” the African American senator replied, picking up on the mention of the rape “That’s a serious allegation to make Miss Cooper, do you have any evidence of such a crime?”
“Senator I have been in touch with the authorities down there and made a formal complaint and they are conducting a full investigation senator” Kathryn went on, “But even if they can not find any physical evidence, from how she has been since she got back, and what another technician told me about how she was when she confided in her about being raped, I am inclined to believe her”

“Well you would say that wouldn’t you” scoffed the chairman, “The truth is you have no proof of such a monstrous claim against the decent hard working people of our immigration service. Even if she has an American father, he was probably some American GI her mother seduced to try and get intelligence from, I bet”

Kathryn was seething, and only just able to keep her temper when she interrupted the chairman of the oversight committee, “Senators” she said slowly and deliberately, “My Technician, Sue-Lim Wang was born in the 1980’s long after the end of the Vietnam War. Her father is a man who worked in the intelligence community and successfully cultivated her mother as a mole in the Viet Cong. She was attacked in that detention centre because the main assailant’s brother was killed in the Vietnam War and he held my technician personally responsible for an event that happened before she was born. That guard showed just as much hatred as that comment from the chairman about my technician’s mother seems to show”

The African American Senator then spoke to the senate chairman, “Sir I would like to invite you to withdraw that comment about this technician’s mother, as you would appreciate such racial slurs are distasteful and out of place on an oversight committee”

“And” interrupted the female senator, “I would like to know how you have been receiving this information. Why is the FBI reporting to you on personnel of the IDEC”

“I told you that’s confidential” the senate chairman replied

“I agree with my colleague over there sir” the female senator pressed, “We are read in on the IDEC and about this Mystical Realms world and our dealings, so why can we not know how you have been getting information gathered through unauthorised means”
“Because that’s the way it is” The chairman insisted
“Then chairman” the female senator pressed, “I respectfully ask for a vote of confidence in you as chairman of this committee because I feel uncomfortable that you have been receiving unlawful information behind the backs of the rest of the committee”

“This is nonsense” the senate chairman insisted, “I am not on trial, she is” he added pointing at Kathryn
“Chairman” the African American intervened, “This is not a court of law, and my colleague has a point and I too no longer have confidence in you as an impartial chairman. If you are in receipt of suspect information, even in good faith, that should say something about your judgement in bringing it up before the rest of this committee. If what Miss Cooper has said is true” Then the African American Senator stopped and turned to Kathryn, “Before I go on Miss Cooper what is the status of your technician?”

“Senator” Kathryn replied, “She was released without charge, thanks to the efforts of Walter Quentin director of the NSA and I collected her from the J Edgar Hoover building. It was fortunate that due to some unknown entity she was found in time and her suicide attempt was unsuccessful. I have arranged for her to be treated as an in patient at Bethesda, primarily for tests to ensure that those who attacked her in Florida did not pass on any infection or get her pregnant and secondly so she can be treated for the nervous break down she had which led to her suicide attempt and to receive rape crisis counselling”

“Thank you Miss cooper” the African American Senator replied and then he continued, “As I was saying if what Miss Cooper has said is true, then these people feeding you such information were almost responsible for the death of an innocent woman, so I am calling for a vote alongside my colleague of confidence in you as chairman” Then the African American senator glanced around at the other senators and asked, “Given what you have heard, who does not have confidence in our chairman”

Kathryn sat amazed as one by one, the senators of the oversight committee raised their hands, much to the fury of the chairman. The only one not voting was the chairman himself
“In which case” the female senator spoke up, “I respectfully call for your resignation as chairman and from this committee”

The chairman, red faced with anger, slowly got up, shaking his head and left without a word

When he was gone, Kathryn piped up, “With all due respect senators, I would like to get back to my office in time to say goodbye to Sue-Lim before she is admitted to hospital”

“Absolutely” Said the African American senator
“And give her our best wishes for a complete recovery” added the female senator

Kathryn thanked the Senators, gathered her papers and quietly slipped out, to head back to the IDEC headquarters

On her arrival at the IDEC headquarters, she found Sue-Lim sitting in reception between Pete and Charlene, Each had an arm around a very weepy Sue-Lim. Celeste was also there, but nobody could see her as she was using her powers to be hid from the perception of mortal beings.

As Kathryn entered a man in a naval uniform walked in behind her, “I’ve come for Miss Wang” he said to the receptionist.

Sue-Lim had a sudden irrational feeling of panic and uttered “No, please no, not again, I swear I didn’t do anything I never betrayed you guys, you’ve got to believe me please” before breaking down again.

Celeste so wanted to comfort her as well, but had to remain hidden, if only she could heal such illnesses of the mind that appeared to be afflicting someone she liked and wanted to be their friend

Charlene gave Sue-Lim a hug with one arm and then so did Pete
“We know love” Pete whispered
“It’s ok Sue-Lim” Charlene also reassured

“Are you from Bethesda” Kathryn asked the man in naval uniform
“Yes Mam” the naval man replied, “I was asked to come and collect a Miss Sue-Lim Wang”
“May I have a moment with her first?” Kathryn asked
“Sure Mam” the naval man replied

Kathryn came and got Pete to move so she could sit down and put an arm around Sue-Lim
“It’s ok Sue-Lim” Kathryn told her, “You’re not being arrested again, this man is from the Bethesda Naval hospital, remember I said I was putting you on medical leave”
“Yes Miss Cooper” Sue-Lim replied, trying desperately to stop crying, “I’m sorry for being like this” she sniffed

“Don’t be Sue-Lim, you had a horrendous experience in Florida and we wish you could have told us sooner”
“I’m sorry” Sue-Lim apologised again
“I understand completely Sue-Lim” Kathryn replied, giving Sue-Lim a friendly hug with one arm, then continued, “This man here is here to take you to the hospital where you will be staying for a while, so they can run the tests I mentioned and help you with your depression and give you the rape crisis counselling you need. Now as Charlene has your case here so she will go with you and help you settle in. Pete will be able to visit if you want him to later this evening”
Sue-Lim nodded, looked up at Pete and reached up for his hand, “Please” she said weakly with tears streaming down her face, “I’m sorry about the way I was with you Pete since I got back from Florida, please forgive me”
“What’s there to forgive” Pete asked, “Those b******s attacked you, they are the cause of all this”

“Raped!” Celeste shouted, “Who are they” Celeste shouted with rage and tears running down her face, “Let me know and I will cut their chords myself” she added bringing out the celestial knife. Then she remembered, even though they were scum, if it was not their time and she tried to cut their astral chords then she could end up in a cage of holding like she had arranged for her father, The Spirit of Death. Life was so unfair.

Celeste watched as Charlene helped Sue-Lim to her feet and went with her and the naval man out to an awaiting car, and then drove off. While she was invisible she walked up to Pete. He too had been crying.
“I love her too” Celeste whispered, “She has to get well, she just has to, and I can tell that you two are meant to be”





The elderly lady looked up from her spinning wheel as soon as she heard the knock on the door
“Clotho is that you?” she called out
The knocking got fiercer
“Did you forget your key?” the old woman shouted

The knocking continued

Slowly she went to the door, “If it’s the Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons we are not interested” she shouted as she approached the door after concluding it was not Clotho.

Carefully she put the chain on and slowly opened the door, “What is it?” she asked

Suddenly the man at the door swung round a pair of bolt cutters and sliced through the chain. The old woman realising this was some kind of home invasion ran through the hall as fast as she could. Then she felt something dragging her backwards. She tried to hold onto the door frame into the kitchen, but the pull was too strong, it was like gravity working sideways and so she found herself flying back towards the assailant. There was only one thing that could do that, a crystal imprisoning rod. Had the Lord Low troll sent his goons to get her?

Then she found herself floating in a dark void



Johnny put the crystal imprisoning rod in his pocket and pulled out his mobile, “Tell Sir Sidney that I have Atropos” he said into the mobile phone

Johnny wandered into the living room of the run down council flat and picked up what looked like a pair of old fashioned shears. “Yes I have the shears here as well” He said into the mobile, “I hope Sir Sidney knows how to use these. I will bring them across now, just make sure you have my payment, I have a load of sell out politicians to deal with when I get back to Belfast”

Johnny then closed the mobile and put it and the shears in his pocket and left.







Kathryn entered her office to find Shamus McTuckle of the Ireland Special diplomatic service waiting for her.



Celeste was following Kathryn, still using her power to be hid from mortal beings. She wanted to know why she had been unable to get to Sue-Lim when she tried to hang herself with the silk scarf Celeste’s boss had sent to give her

“I’m glad you could get here so soon” Kathryn said to Shamus
“To be sure it has been a busy two days, what with the abduction of the O’Docherty twins and from what I hear, your little local difficulty”
“That’s putting it mildly” Kathryn remarked and then picked up the silk scarf, while Celeste looked on with interest, “This scarf suddenly appeared in an interrogation room at the FBI building where Sue-Lim was held Mr McTuckle” Kathryn went on and then handed Shamus the scarf.
“Did she try and hang herself with it by any chance?” Shamus asked
“So you’ve been informed” Kathryn asked
“No Miss Cooper” Shamus replied, “I recognised the residual trace of a despair spell, it amplifies what ever maybe preying on a mortal’s mind and persuades them to end their lives” Then Shamus turned in the direction of Celeste, “Which I suppose you knew all along when you gave it to her”

“No I never” protested Celeste, “I tried to save her but I got blocked by some force field. If I had known I would never have” Celeste stopped then after a cold realisation, “You can see me?” she asked
“Aye” Shamus replied, “As clear as day, I have a certain gift to see those who do not wish to be seen”

“Who are you talking to?” Kathryn cut in
“Why don’t you be polite” Shamus told Celeste, “And show yourself to the lady hear”

Celeste was utterly stunned and without thinking became fully visible.

“Who are you?” Kathryn asked as this black haired teenage girl suddenly materialised in her office wearing a black leather jacket, black Tee-shirt with visibly no bra underneath, black jeans and in bare feet
“I’m Celeste Miss” Celeste replied
“Ah! The daughter of the Spirit of Death if I am not mistaken” Shamus replied
Celeste nodded “I gave her the scarf Miss, but I didn’t know it was enchanted like the Leprechaun said it was, I swear” Celeste insisted, “I tried to get to Sue-Lim as soon as she stepped off of the table and started hanging, but I couldn’t, so I had to blast the door to that room she was in and scream for help Miss” Celeste went on, “I was useless, It wasn’t until one of the humans took it off of her that I could get near her. I promise I would never have given it to her had I known”
“Then why did you give it to her” Kathryn pressed
“My boss sent me” Celeste answered, “He said she would find it fetching, I just thought he was being kind. Maybe he did not know about the enchantment either”
“Who is your boss” Kathryn asked
“He’s a businessman in England” Celeste answered
“Name him” Kathryn demanded
“I don’t know his full name Miss” Celeste replied, tears starting to run down her face, “All I know is that some of the others call him Sir Sidney. I just call him boss.” Then almost pleading Celeste continued, “But Miss, I would never have given it to her had I known, and I did my best to save her the only way I could. I didn’t want her to die”

“You expect us to believe that?” Kathryn replied sternly, “After what you have done. What about your involvement with that assassin sent to kill Colonel Samuel Peters?”
“It’s the truth Miss” Celeste insisted, “I want to be her friend, I want her to get well. Like I said, may be the boss didn’t know about the scarf, he’s a visionary miss. He has ideas on how to make both your world and mine better places. He said he was working on a plan to do just that, he said the colonel could put an end to that and he had to be stopped for the greater good. Miss did you know your colonel has teamed up with an exile from my world, an entity called Clotho. She’s a criminal; she was sent into exile on the orders of the Lord Low Troll himself”

“Celeste” Kathryn growled, “The colonel works for me and this Clotho is not a criminal in our eyes nor in the eyes of the new rulers of your world”

“What?” Celeste uttered, totally confused. She had only been trying to please her boss who had told her this man had been a threat.

“So not only were you involved in the attempt to kill the colonel, you tried to kill my technician by inducing her to commit suicide” Kathryn retorted

“That’s not true Miss” Celeste pleaded, “I didn’t want to kill Sue-Lim, like I said I tried to save her but I couldn’t. I had to get help from the humans. As for the colonel Miss my boss said he was a threat to his plans to make both our worlds a better place”
“And how may I enquire” Shamus spoke up, “Does this Sir Sidney plan to do that”

“I don’t know sir” Celeste replied, “He said the less I knew on that the better in case his enemies captured me. I trusted him sir. He treated me better than my own father did, I had no reason to doubt him sir” Then Celeste had an idea, “Sir I could go and speak to him about the scarf at least, let him know someone sold him an enchanted item. Maybe they wanted to kill him. I could even tell him that the colonel is not a threat and to give you a call to clear things up”

Before Kathryn and Shamus could reply Celeste teleported out.

“How could that creature not know” Kathryn asked Shamus, “That confirms that was another attempt to kill one of our people”

“I’m afraid, Miss Cooper” Shamus told Kathryn, “I detected no falsehood on her part. Celeste was being truthful, in that she believed what she was saying, I could tell, she genuinely did not know about the scarf and is genuinely upset at what happened to your technician”
“So you believe her?” Kathryn asked with an air of astonishment
“That I do Miss Cooper. This Sir Sidney whoever he may be has been using her and taking advantage of her, which makes this situation even more dangerous”





Sir Sidney looked up from his desk as Celeste materialised in his office. “Good evening Celeste” he said to her
“Evening boss” Celeste said, still feeling shell shocked
“Anything the matter?” Sir Sidney asked

“Boss” Celeste began, “You know that scarf you told me to give to that woman in America”
“Yes” Sir Sidney replied, “I understand you delivered it as I requested. What about it”
“Someone may have been trying to kill you sir” Celeste replied
“And why do you say that Celeste” Sir Sidney asked in a slightly quizzical tone
“The scarf sir” Celeste began to explain, “It was enchanted to make any mortal touching it kill themselves sir. It was lucky for you that you did not touch it, but”

Sir Sidney then completed Celeste’s sentence, “But Miss Wang did and she tried to kill herself with it”
“You knew sir?” Celeste asked
“Indeed my dear Celeste, I have someone in the FBI who keeps me informed.” Sir Sidney replied in an impassioned tone, “Was it you who raised the alarm so Miss Wang was saved?”
“Yes sir” Celeste replied, suddenly sensing something was not quite right but the way her boss had asked the question
“Good!” Sir Sidney replied, “Apparently she is the daughter of my friend James who you met earlier.”
“That was lucky boss” Celeste replied; “Now we need to find who tried to kill you with it”
“No need my dear” Sir Sidney grinned
“But why sir, who ever did it may try and come after you again” Celeste insisted
“It was me who got it enchanted” Sir Sidney told Celeste in a matter of fact

This revelation hit Celeste like a thunderbolt, “Why sir?” Celeste whined, “She’s no threat to you sir, I like her”
“Why?” Sir Sidney repeated, “Because I did not know she was James’s daughter”
“You mean you wanted her to die?” Celeste asked incredulously
“At that time yes” Sir Sidney answered, and then he asked “By the way did you come to see Adrian by any chance?”

Celeste shook her head, “No sir”
“So you came for me then” Sir Sidney replied
“If you put it that way sir?” Celeste asked still puzzled by the question
“But of course” Sir Sidney went on, “As you know it is not my time, and as I have my thread under lock and key as it were, it will never be my time”

Suddenly a cage of light beams surrounded Celeste, cutting off her ability to teleport, “I don’t under stand sir” Celeste whined

Sir Sidney then got up from his desk and showed Celeste a pair of old looking shears. Celeste could tell that they were not ordinary. “You see Celeste my dear, I now have these at last, and in business one of the hardest jobs that sometimes has to be done is to tell someone that they are being replaced or being made redundant. Now I have the Shears of Atropos in my possession, I no longer have need of your services”

“But sir” Celeste pleaded, but it was in vain, Sir Sidney recited the same drow spell he had used to send her Father the spirit of Death, away and she was gone.

Sir Sidney walked back to his desk and pressed the intercom, “Bring them in Adrian”

After two minutes, the door to his office and in walked Clotho and Colonel Samuel Peters, with Adrian and Steve Swales training guns on them.

“Did they see what happened on the monitor?” Sir Sidney asked
“Yes sir” Adrian replied
“I love the way you dispatched that stinking IDE Sir Sidney” Steve cut in, “Will you be doing that to this one” he asked, cruelly poking Clotho in the back with his gun.
“All in good time Mr Swales” Sir Sidney replied

“Why?” Samuel asked in an angry but quiet tone
“Colonel” Sir Sidney went on, “I have been working how we can fix our world, and to some extent that wonderful place called the Mystical Realms”
“The Colombian drug barons” Samuel ventured, “We thought there might be a connection to Europe but we could never prove it before I helped wipe those low life from the face of the Earth”

Sir Sidney shook his head, “No my dear colonel, when you ran that interesting place in north London called The Facility, who do you think supplied all your equipment?”

“Various companies each unconnected” Samuel answered
“All owned by moi” Sir Sidney cut in
“What?” Samuel asked in disbelief
“That’s right colonel, I used to be a spy master and I learned the value of keeping tabs on organisations through their suppliers. I made sure that every company that supplied even the most insignificant item of stationery was owned by one of my many shell or holding companies, while I cultivated certain people in the various agencies who might pass me interesting information. That was how I learned all about the Mystical Realms and about that amazing piece of reverse engineering that Mr Zachary did”
“So it was you who gave those terrorists the artificial wormhole generators” Samuel said angrily, “Not Sue-Lim”
“No it wasn’t her” Said Sir Sidney, “You are absolutely right, but the FBI will believe anything if you feed them it just right”

“This is all very well” Steve interrupted, “But like Mr Adair I have other things to do, so can we get to the point”

“I’m sorry Mr Swales” Sir Sidney replied, “I really do need to get to the point as it were. See these?” he added showing the shears to the people in his office

“Those are my sister’s” Clotho exclaimed, “We never harmed you sir. What did we do to offend you sir”

Sir Sidney walked over to Clotho and stroked her cheek, “You my dear, nothing, your older sister just happened to be the guardian of something I needed” Then Sir Sidney walked over to his desk, “You see, when I gained my thread of life and stored it so neither your sister or the Spirit of Death could get hold of it, I became immortal and therefore able to handle these.”

“What are they?” Steve asked
“I’m so glad you asked Mr Swales” Sir Sidney replied, “As Clotho will tell you, she begins the threads of life, her other sister, who I also have decides how much we all get and roughly what we do with it, and Atropos, using these very shears, from anywhere in the world or the other one, can do this”

Suddenly Sir Sidney gave a small incantation and in mid air a silver piece of thread hovered, taut as if it were held by two invisible ends. Sir Sidney took the shears to the thread and cut it.

Almost as suddenly, Steve dropped his gun and clutched his chest and then fell dead on the floor.

“There is no protection against the Shears of Atropos” Sir Sidney told a stunned colonel and Clotho, “With these shears I am truly the master of the threads of life and death” he added, and then instructing Adrian, “Please dispose of this” pointing to the body of Steve Swales
“Yes sir” Adrian replied and started pulling the body from the room.

“Why did you kill your own henchman” Samuel asked shocked at what he had just seen.
“He was so tiresome” Sir Sidney replied, “I mean he actually wanted to use dirty bombs to attack the Mystical Realms with impunity, when it is much more profitable to exploit it. Hatred like he had is so wasteful don’t you think”

“But why sir did you want my sister’s shears” Clotho asked
“So who do you want to kill?” Samuel retorted, “Why go to this trouble”

“Because the only way to effect the change for a better world is to have one mind in control”
“So that’s it” Samuel sneered, “You want the dream of all megalomaniac madmen, to rule the world”
“I’m not mad Colonel, I am perfectly sane but I want to rule not just this one” Sir Sidney interrupted, “However, I want to do to it from behind the scenes. These pathetic leaders can still have the ephemera of so called power just as long as they do what I tell them to”
“Or you kill them” Samuel said
“Or their loved ones, or even whole populations. What ever it takes to persuade them” Sir Sidney said quite calmly and matter of fact, “Which brings us to you Colonel Peters”
“What do you want with me?” The colonel asked, “I thought you sent your Celeste to kill me”
“Celeste does not kill” Sir Sidney corrected, “She does or did make sure souls are released from the body when they are killed”
“That’s right Colonel” Clotho agreed, “Atropos only cut the thread when it was a person’s time to release their souls at the point of death”, then looking daggers at Sir Sidney she does not needlessly take life.

“But to answer your question Colonel” Sir Sidney continued, “You are going to be my informant and agent with in your Inter Dimensional Entity Control”
“And if I refuse, are you going to kill me?” Samuel asked with contempt

Sir Sidney grinned and then did an incantation. This time four threads appeared in mid air, all close to one another. Sir Sidney then put the shears over them to cut them and then stopped, “I believe you may know this family Colonel, “Matthew Susan, Frank and their adopted daughter and former Spirit of Kindness, Rebecca Sands. Such a nice family, it would be a shame if they were all to drop dead on your account” The Sir Sidney put on a serious expression, “So what is it to be Colonel?”

To be concluded

lol very bad haha

Sometimes in life we have to make hard choices, between two unpalatable options. The Americans have an expression “Between a rock and a hard place” So what do you do?

According to Game Theory, also known as The Prisoner’s Dilema you should take the choice that limits the severity of the worse possible outcome.

This is what Colonel Samuel Peters now faces at the hands of the tycoon Sir Sidney Gerald, who is now immortal and has control of the shears of Atropos. Either be an inside man for him in the Inter Dimensional Entity Control or see him remotely kill the former Spirit of Kindness, Rebecca Sands and her adopted family by cutting the threads of their lives…





“I’m waiting Colonel” Sir Sidney repeated, “I wipe out this family or you become my man in the IDEC”

Colonel Samuel Peters looked at the four threads floating in mid air and the old fashioned looking shears poised to cut them



“What do you want me to do?” Colonel asked
“What?” Clotho remarked, “You’re giving in?”
“It does not look like I have much of a choice Sir Sidney” Samuel said to Sir Sidney ignoring Clotho’s sudden objection
“No it doesn’t” Sir Sidney replied and withdrew the shears. The threads then vanished into thin air, “And remember colonel I can cut them anytime and anywhere”
“I kind of figured that out Sir Sidney”
“Oh Good” Sir Sidney grinned, “I will be sending you back with a good friend of mine, you know him as Mr Vee”
“Oh yes” Samuel commented, “I suppose you threatened to kill his daughter”
“Something like that Colonel” Sir Sidney said with a matter of fact manner “You are to convince certain people that I am for real, just to avoid some needles death on my part. And also you are to replace as chairman of the IDEC the delightful Kathryn Cooper”
“She’s not going to like that” Samuel replied

“She won’t have any option” Sir Sidney replied and then gave a brief enchantment and then another thread appeared in mid air, “I can deal with her my way” Sir Sidney threatened, “or you can persuade her to go and do other things with her time. It’s no problem to me either way, after all I did arrange for the death of her predecessor”
“I thought that was natural causes?” Samuel queried
“It was made to look that way” Sir Sidney replied, “He had discovered along with the troublesome Spirit of Friendship my dealings with private individuals in the Mystical Realms and had to be removed. I convinced Celeste that by exposing me they were threats to my life and my plans to make the world a better place and predictably off her own bat she went to deal with them”
“Except like her and her father, the fates she can’t actually kill?” Samuel ventured

“Precisely” Sir Sidney grinned, “With Mr Sanderson it was a rare but deadly but untraceable poison of Earthly origin that induced a fatal stroke administered by an assassin before Celeste got there and in the case of the spirit of Friendship a doppelganger assassin with a small dart tipped with hinds blood supplied by me from one of my deer up in Leicestershire. The really clever bit was mimicking a cage of holding when Celeste got on the scene to deal with Mr Sanderson, so she did not see the thread of his life breaking free all by itself”

Samuel turned to Clotho, “Can that happen?”
“Yes Colonel” Clotho confirmed, “Even with the Spirit of Death we are few so some do eventually break of their own accord before Atropos or the Spirit of Death can reach them in time.”
“Then why are you guys needed anyway?” Samuel pressed
“Sir” Clotho replied, “if a thread does not break right away at death the person suffers greatly, you mortals fear us because we appear to severe the threads of your lives and call us evil, but the truth is they do it to relieve suffering”

“But” interrupted Sir Sidney, “As you can see the Shears of Atropos can and do kill. Now Colonel, shall I dispatch Miss Cooper or will you persuade her to step down”
“I would have to do that in person” Samuel replied

“As you wish” Sir Sidney and withdrew the shears yet again, “Adrian will accompany you and my friend James back to the Washington while Janine will drop you off at Heathrow. Remember I not only have human means of surveillance but means taken from the Mystical Realms”

Sir Sidney then looked up at Adrian, “Did Mr Adair managed to catch his flight ok”
“Yes Sir” Adrian replied, “Janine reported that he just managed to get the first flight back to Belfast and should be landing quite soon”
“Very good Adrian” Sir Sidney replied and then told Adrian he could escort Clotho and Samuel out and instructed him to place Clotho and Atropos, still in the imprisoning crystal with their other sister. Adrian hesitated for a moment and asked Sir Sidney if he could not just use the shears on Johnny Adair if he had not wanted to see Storemont destroyed

“It did cross my mind Adrian” Sir Sidney replied, “But sometimes you do have to let the minions play and after all it will be redundant anyway”
“You’re going to destroy Storemont” Samuel asked with alarm

“Not that it is any concern of yours” Sir Sidney began, “but actually it will be a former UFF man by the name of Johnny Adair who will actually destroy it an all in it, I merely gave him the means to do that if he so wished”

Adrian waved his gun at the colonel and Samuel, “I believe we have a flight to catch sir and a nice holding facility for you miss”





Jenny Green and Commander Mark Johnston stood and looked on as Timothy sitting with his back against the glass front of Fidelity and Caer’s prison cell, worked away on his PDA

“I thought you had said you had found a backdoor in” Mark retorted
“Patience commander” Timothy replied, “If your desperate find a bush” he added
“Mind as filthy as ever” Jenny commented

Timothy stood up and looked daggers at Jenny and Mark, “I’m not sure you appreciate the situation, I have to hack into a live system with who knows what fire walls and defences while we are in it. One false move and we all die Comprende?

Just then Jenny had a thought and tapped on the glass to attract the twin’s attention. Then she asked them the date and they replied.

Jenny was astonished

“Mark” Jenny spoke up, “According to them we have been gone for well over a month and a half”
“But it was like yesterday we were fighting the Magnus Timor” replied
“That’s because there seems to be a mismatch between Earth IDW01 and IDW02 regarding the flow of time” Timothy explained, “But I suspect” he went on, “We are back on Earth time now if this artificial universe has been set up by Sir Sidney Gerald”

Suddenly in the sky a red dot appeared in the artificial sky and grew bigger, into the swirling red vortex, this time it headed for an empty patch of ground, next to the cell of the Spirit of Death



Just then a cage started to form and Timothy without thinking rushed across grabbing readings from his Iphone and his PDA. He managed just to dive in before the cage solidified with the red vortex still swirling just above.

“I’ve got the code” Timothy yelled from inside the cell.

Suddenly on the floor behind him the body of a teenager appeared. Jenny, Mark and the Spirit of Lust ran across to the new cell block to see who it was.

Just then the Spirit of Lust noticed that Timothy was becoming transparent, “Why are you vanishing” she asked him with a hint of concern in her voice.

Timothy looked down at his hands and had a cold realisation, “Oh s**t! Timothy exclaimed, “It looks like I have alerted the system defences to my presence” he said with cold realisation he was dying, and then he put his IPhone and PDA on the floor, with the PDA right up against the glass. Immediately the devices returned to being solid. Timothy banged on the glass as he was fading away and asked, “Commander, Can you work these”
“I guess” Mark replied
“I’ve put the co-ordinates out of here into them, they just plug into the wormhole generator” Timothy shouted, “The PDA now has the code to create a door in all the cells just export it to each cell via its Bluetooth”
“How do we get them out of there?” Mark asked
“I was getting to that. If I can’t do it get who ever is in here behind me to press the blue send button” Timothy replied and then he bend down and pushed the blue button on the PDA, “I’ve done it” he shouted “I’ve managed to” he started but he never finished the sentence as Timothy finally vanished

The Spirit of Lust stumbled for a moment and had to lean on the new prison cell to catch her breath.

A door was now appeared in the cell so Jenny rushed in to check on the teenage girl lying on the floor. She was very woozy and kept repeating “Please boss no”, then Jenny noticed that the cell insides were starting turn into blue line drawings, and so did she and the teenage girl
“Help me get her out” Jenny screamed
Mark rushed in and immediately he started turning into a blue line drawing. He reached the teenager and with Jenny’s help pulled her out of the new door. Immediately they left the cell, all three of them became solid again. Mark then shouted “The equipment” and rushed back in and retrieved the Iphone and PDA which were also becoming blue line drawings, the moment he entered the cell he too became a blue line drawing. Mark felt feint, but was just able to get back out through the door and leave as the cell faded to nothing.

“That was close” Mark said with relief as he recovered

The Spirit of Lust recovered and then asked, “What happened to master Zachary?”
“It looks like when he entered cell while it was forming he must have disrupted something and it deleted him” Mark surmised
“Is he dead?” Jenny asked

“Yes” Shouted Lachesis from her cell
“Look up there” Yelled the Spirit of Death from his cell

The three of them looked up and saw what looked like a silver rope flapping and whipping around in the sky and then it vanished.

“His thread is cut” Lachesis said quietly, “Timothy is gone”

“Who is this?” Jenny asked turning her attention to the teenager they had rescued. She was wearing black jeans with nothing on her feet; she had on an open black jacket and a black tee shirt. From what Jenny could make out, this teenager had nothing on underneath the tee-shirt. The Teenager had jet black hair. She was slowly coming around so Jenny sat down and gently cradled her head as the teenager recovered and stroked the teenager’s jet black hair.

The Spirit of Death looked at the group as best he could from his cell, “Celeste?” he called out

“You know her?” Mark queried going over to the Spirit of Death’s cell
“That is Celeste, she is my daughter” The Spirit of Death replied

“And mine” Lachesis called out

The teenager’s eyes flicked open and she said “What?” in a confused manner and tried to get up. Jenny held onto her. “Whoa there honey” She told the teenager, “You need to rest”
“I’m fine miss” the Teenager replied with a tone of impatience
“If you’re sure?” Jenny asked in a concerned tone

The teenager nodded and slowly got up and also helped Jenny to her feet and then wandered over to Lachesis cell and put her hands on the glass
“Mum?” The teenager called out with tears in her eyes,
Lachesis nodded, “Yes Celeste, I am your mother”
Celeste shook her head as tears flowed down her face, “Daddy said you had died, that’s why I’ve always been so angry with him because he said he had let you die.”
“We had to make everybody believe that including you Celeste” Lachesis wept,”
“But Why? I missed you so much mum” Celeste said with tears running down her face, “I would cry myself to sleep every night when I was a child” Celeste went on, “Why did you leave us? What did I do wrong?”
“Nothing dear” Lachesis replied “The Lord Low Troll would have killed you if he knew you had both a living father and mother. He wanted the numbers of Major spirits of Vice Virtue and Necessity constant or falling. He banned the birth of new spirits, but we only found out about the ban when I was pregnant with you”
“Then I am a Spirit of Necessity?” Celeste asked

“No you are not” The Spirit of Death said coldly, “You are a new Major Spirit of Virtue, for as the humans say virtues come out of necessity”

“Another one?” The Spirit of Lust replied and instinctively produced a fireball in her right hand

Celeste looked up at the Spirit of Lust and recognised her, “Lust?” she cried, “I promise I won’t intrude on your domain. I don’t even know what I am a Spirit of” she whined
“You are the Major Spirit of Second Chances” Lachesis called out, then she pleaded with the Spirit of Lust, “Please Lust spare my daughter, she will not interfere with the lusts of men”

Immediately The Spirit of Lust dissipated the fire ball harmlessly, “I apologise Lachesis” She said, “Instinctive reaction”
“Can I just be called Celeste?” Celeste asked the Spirit of Death.
“Of course my darling daughter”
“I’m sorry daddy” Celeste wept, “I so wanted to show that was not the waster you said I was that I never saw my boss for what he was”
“I am sorry I told you that were a waster” The Spirit of Death replied, “I just wish I could have told you of your true heritage before”
“But I have taken life daddy” Celeste wept as she slid down the glass case onto the floor, and into a ball, “I thought I was doing the right thing, but I still took life. I don’t want to do that any more”

The Spirit of Death knelt down to be at eyelevel with the now sobbing Celeste, “My daughter, you can not kill. It is not in your nature no matter how much you would have tried”
“I know daddy, there was this child that was supposed to die and I” her voice trailed off
“Found you could not cut it’s astral chord” The Spirit of Death ventured

Celeste nodded

“So what did you do Celeste?” The Spirit of Death gently asked
“I healed him Daddy” Celeste wept, “I healed him and gave him back to his mother and sister, because they loved him”
“That was your true nature my darling daughter” The Spirit of Death replied “You gave him second chance of life”
“Does that mean I would never be allowed to save him again?” Celeste asked tearfully
“You can give as many second chances as you like” The Spirit of Death replied, “Sometimes I wish I could have your ability to save life like you have” he added with a sigh

Jenny came and kneeled down and put an arm around Celeste

“But those people I killed” Celeste protested
The Spirit of Death went on, “I am not sure who you thought you may have killed Celeste, but it was not you who killed them. Were any of these at the behest of Sir Sidney Gerald?”

Celeste nodded and then said “Three” and quickly added “But the third one survived”
“Then it was other agents of Sir Sidney who killed and you were sent there to take the blame so he could use you and make you believe you were his hired killer”

Just then Mark interrupted, “Who were these people you were sent to kill”

Celeste tearfully looked up at the stern looking Mark, “A Gregory Sanderson in America, The Spirit of Friendship on my world and a Colonel Samuel Peters over in England”
“Well I know the Spirit of Friendship is dead” Mark began, “And we all thought our previous chairman of the IDEC Gregory Sanderson died of a stroke, so it was Sam who escaped your attempt to kill him wasn’t it” Mark added angrily
“He’s your friend” Celeste whimpered and put her hand to her mouth, “I’m so sorry” she squeaked out

“Do not blame my daughter” The Spirit of Death said to Mark, “I am as much to blame for all of this”
“And so am I” Lachesis called out, “We were so afraid of the Lord Low Troll that we lied to our own daughter”
“I was going to ask my boss not kill him” Celeste said quietly, “But he tricked me and sent me down here before I could get to ask him. I’m so sorry”

Suddenly they were all interrupted by another red vortex coming down out of the sky,
“Everyone get clear” Yelled Mark as it came down.

Jenny pulled Celeste to her feet and pulled her away as the seemingly deadly red vortex came down near the cell of the Spirit of Death and then finally latched onto the cell of Lachesis.

Mark looked at the readings coming off of it on Timothy’s Iphone, and then sent details to the PDA as he had seen Timothy do. This wormhole was definitely coming form Earth.

Suddenly it evaporated and two more figures appeared in the cell with Lachesis. Lachesis looked down at them “Clotho? Atropos” she shouted with dismay.

The two figures, one resembling a young woman and one an elderly lady helped each other to stand up
“They stole Atropos’s shears” the young woman told Lachesis

“So that was his plan” The Spirit of Death muttered





It was getting dark as Johnny Adair processed through immigration, which because he was from Northern Ireland was routine. He was still alive which meant that as far as he was concerned, Sir Sidney Gerald had kept his part of the bargain and had not cut his thread. All he wanted to do now was visit the Stormont building. According to the internet there would be a late sitting that night due to an extended debate, so he could kill as many politicians as possible.

They all deserved to die in his book for selling the Northern Irish people to Dublin and the IRA. Power sharing was an anathema and soon the little clay talisman he wore around his neck would wipe it out once and for all, and all he had to do was enter a public area where security was light, trigger the talisman and then leave the building and then everyone and everything, including the building would be vapourised..

Even if they did search him at the entrance, the clay talisman he wore would seem to them to be harmless.

Johnny walked through the arrivals hall and then on to the train service



And nobody challenged him





Mark looked at the PDA, there was the programme to create the door to the cell, but would it be a death trap for the occupant?

“You look worried” The Spirit of Death called out to Mark
“Yeah, if Timothy made an error I could end up deleting you instead of releasing you”
“You must try at least one of these prisons” The Spirit of Death pointed out
“Yes”
“Then use mine as the test” the Spirit of Death instructed

Celeste heard this and instinctively ran to the glass wall where her father was standing, bashed on it with both hands “Daddy no!” she screamed, “I’m sorry Daddy, I love you, I don’t want to lose you”

The Spirit of Death looked at his daughter through the glass, “It has to be my darling daughter” he told her, “The Commander here has three choices. Risk the existence of two mortal children, one Spirit of Necessity who should have known better or three entities one of which includes your mother”



“Mother?” Clotho said with astonishment and then turned to Lachesis, “So that’s why you never fought our exile order” she accused
“I’m sorry Clotho” Lachesis replied, “I could not risk him finding out I was Celeste’s mother”
“And I agreed with her” Atropos chipped in
“You knew as well?” Clotho said half accusing and half in shock, “Were you ever going to tell me that I was an aunt” Then Clotho walked away from both of them with in their cell, “So that is why I could always sense her presence” she shouted
“I’m sorry Clotho, she’s my daughter and I had to protect her”
“When we got here you still could have told me” Clotho protested, “Did you think I was going to inform on you to the Lord Low Troll?”



Jenny came over and gently led Celeste way, “I’m so sorry” Celeste kept saying
“We all get taken in by men sometimes” Jenny replied, “I knew this guy, who ended up marrying my former boss. He never let on that he had been to the Mystical Realms”
“Did you get him for that?” Celeste asked
“No Celeste” Jenny answered, “Because unlike this Sir Sidney character, he is a decent man and I think I agree with what he did”
“So what are you saying miss” Celeste asked
“Sometimes men lie” Jenny told her
“He told me he had a plan to make the world a better place” Celeste sniffed
“They all do, it’s just another lie” Jenny said before giving Celeste a big hug.



Mark pressed the PDA to the glass of the Spirit of Death’s cell and initiated the programme.

At first nothing seemed to happen, but then a blue line appeared at the ground to Mark’s left and started to propagate upwards. As soon as it reached a foot from the ceiling it turned right for three feet and then headed down. As soon as it hit the floor, the glass encircled by it vanished. Just then the rest of the cell started to turn into a blue line drawing, including the Spirit of Death.
“What are you waiting for” Mark yelled and The Spirit of Death stepped out and returned to being solid. As he did so, the cell winked out of existence
“There was no need to shout” The Spirit of Death chided, “I heard you perfectly”

“Do us next” Lachesis ordered
“Ok Mark replied, “but as soon as the door forms get the hell out of there fast”

Mark pressed the PDA to the glass of their cell and re-ran the program. Again a blue line started up, turned, went along and dived to the ground. As soon as it hit the ground the prison cell started to destabilise and Lachesis and Atropos got out immediately.

Lachesis turned around and saw Clotho still in the cell now a line drawing, “Get out it’s collapsing” she yelled at Clotho
“Why, so you can still lie to me” Clotho protested

Just then Celeste broke free from Jenny’s grip and teleported into the collapsing prison, she immediately appeared as a line drawing as soon as she re-materialised. Celeste grabbed Clotho, “Come with me aunt” she yelled at Clotho and tried to teleport out, but it was not working, the prison was still damping that ability, So Celeste started trying to man handle Clotho towards he exit
“My baby” Lachesis Screamed and had to be restrained from going back in
“I’m not going to allow you to die with me” Clotho shouted at Celeste and with uncharacteristic strength found only in times of extreme stress, pulled Celeste out through the door and collapsed onto the floor outside just as the cell winked out of existence. Immediately Celeste and Clotho returned to being solid

Lachesis ran up to Celeste and pulled her to her feet, “What were you thinking?” she asked her daughter, “You could have been killed”
“But Mum” Celeste protested with tears in her eyes “I couldn’t let her die”
“I know” Lachesis whispered and then hugged her daughter, “I missed you so much as well Celeste”

“OK one more” Mark cut in and walked to the front of the Cell door of the twins prison, but only Caer was there
“Where’s your sister?” Mark asked
Caer nodded towards a door in the back, “Bathroom”

After about a minute Fidelity re-emerged with the sound of a flushing chain and so Mark gave them the instructions to leave as soon as the door appeared.
“May I use the bathroom first?” Caer asked

Mark shook his head in disbelief, “Be quick” he said
“Go easy on them love” Jenny gently chided Mark, “They are human now after all”

After about five minutes waiting, while Celeste hugged and sobbed into the Spirit of Death and Lachesis arms, Caer re-emerged from the bathroom and Mark began work on their prison cell. Just like the other two as soon as the door was made, the cell started to collapse, and the twins leapt to safety hand in hand.

Immediately Celeste ran to Fidelity and Caer, “I’m sorry if I seemed mean to you Fidelity on that road, but I had to put on a front” she said to Fidelity and gave her a hug, “But even though I can not kill I do wish I could have done something aboout that Yagel” Then Celeste hugged Caer, “You look after my friend” she told Caer, “We grew up together on the Mystical Realms”
“I always try Celeste” Caer replied
“Can we be friends too” Celeste asked
“Since you save my life Celeste, I don’t see why not” Caer answered

“Ok guys” Mark called out, “Timothy’s not here to work this generator”
“But he showed me all about it” chipped in the Spirit of Lust
“I don’t trust her” Jenny whispered, “She’s a killer”
“Maybe Miss Green” The Spirit of Lust cut in, “But I have no desire either to remain in this place; it brings back bad memories of when that mortal dared to trap me in the world of War Craft when he shut it down”

With that the Spirit of Lust knelt down and switched on the wormhole generator, “Give me the Iphone device” she demanded.

Mark handed it to her, and deftly she pressed a few buttons on it next to the generator, and soon the familiar green dot started to appear.





“I thought we had a flight to catch” Samuel said as he waited in a laboratory where Adrian had imprisoned Clotho and Atropos in some kind of artificially generated universe
“I have to wait for Janine” Adrian replied, “She is bringing Sir Sidney’s acquaintance across and our flight does not leave until tonight”

After about ten minutes Mr Vee was shoved into the room by Janine as she pointed her nine millimetre automatic handgun at him
“I never knew secretaries used that kind of equipment over here in England” Samuel remarked
“We do if you work for Sir Sidney” she replied

“I see they got you too Colonel” Mr Vee said to Samuel
“I thought you were in Washington” Samuel replied as he eyed Mr Vee with suspicion
“I was” Mr Vee responded abruptly

Samuel looked at the nine millimetre automatic that Adrian was pointing at him, “So how are you going to get them to let you take that on board the plane”
“Janine is coming with us to the airport” Adrian explained, “She takes back the car with the side arms and I wear the latest state of the art wire, undetectable to airport sensors. Any funny stuff and Sir Sidney will find out”
“I must really congratulate you on your ruthlessness” Mr Vee said sarcastically and then continued, “But pray tell me, how do you know Sidney won’t cut your threads to keep you quiet”
“Because he needs us” Janine answered with an air of annoyance at the question
“And besides we are his little fixers and we know how to hack into classified computer systems” Adrian added
“Especially as most of the agencies in NATO use equipment supplied by his companies” Janine chipped in

Just then there was a rush of wind and a green dot started to form in the laboratory.

“What the hell is that?” Adrian asked, and then turned to Janine, “We‘ve still got our wormhole generator, haven’t we?”
Janine nodded and pointed to it

Adrian pointed his gun at the swirling green dot and let of a round





As the group of eight waited around the wormhole generator, suddenly Caer screamed out and clutched her stomach and collapsed on the ground. Then another bullet whizzed past them into the ground and ricocheting off into the distance.

Mark left the generator and pulled Caer out of the firing line. It seemed they had wandered into a trap and someone was firing at them through the growing wormhole

“Oh no you don’t” Celeste yelled, “not to my friendŁ she added and dodging the bullets ran to Caer’s side. Celeste quickly laid her hands on Caer’s shoulders while Fidelity was frantic to get to her sister and had to be held back by Lachesis and Atropos.

Once again Celeste’s eyes glowed with a bright green light, and Caer was healed of the gunshot wound. Celeste then turned to Mark and opened her left hand. In it was a nine millimetre bullet. “This is what hit her sir” she told him.

“I’m an idiot” Jenny shouted as she remembered the short bow she had been carrying, grabbed it and then fired an arrow into the wormhole”





Just as Adrian was firing, Janine suddenly cried out as an arrow sunk into her chest and she dropped her weapon and fell to the floor. Mr Vee quickly put his foot on the handgun and then kicked it out of the way and did a karate style chop on Adrian sending him flying.

Suddenly Samuel was aware of a teenager dressed in black appearing to his side, “Don’t you know it’s not nice to shoot my friends” the teenager told the colonel
“It was that dirtbag on the floor” Samuel shouted at Celeste as he pointed to Adrian who was being held on the floor with a half nelson arm lock by Mr Vee.

Then to Samuel’s surprise, the one man he thought had been atomised back on the Mystical realms jumped through the wormhole along with the woman he had given a eulogy for. Commander Mark Johnston and Jenny Green.

“I thought you were dead!” Samuel exclaimed, “I saw that S.O.B atomise you”
“It’s a long story Sam” Mark replied, “Right now we have others coming through”

Then through the wormhole came the twins, the three fates followed by the Sprit of Death and lastly the Spirit of Lust carrying the artificial wormhole generator. She then pressed a switch and the green vortex vanished.

The teenager who had appeared out of nowhere then went to where the secretary was lying on the floor. “I know you probably deserve this” Samuel heard her say, “But because you got me nice threads yesterday” the teenager then put one hand on the arrow and it dissolved into nothing, while she put her the other hand was on Janine’s shoulder and the teenager’s eyes burned a brilliant green.

Samuel saw the arrow wound disappear, and then Janine was healed, however the teenager used some kind of force field to hold her down on the ground

“Mark! Get their guns” Samuel ordered
Mark headed for Janine’s gun, and Mr Vee retrieved Adrian’s gun, stood up and pointed it at him and took off the safety catch.

The teenager heard the click and cried out, “Please don’t kill him James”

“James?” The colonel asked Mr Vee
“An old cover name from my time working alongside British intelligence” Mr Vee replied
“Can you give me the gun sir?” Samuel then asked
Mr Vee put the safety back on and handed the gun to Samuel.

Jenny strung an arrow to her short bow and pointed it at Adrian, “Where is Sir Sidney’s office” she demanded
“As soon has he sees you coming little lady” Adrian sneered, “He will cut the thread of you or your family. You can’t even kill him as he is immortal now”

Suddenly a blast of fire engulfed Adrian, and he was incinerated. Jenny swung the arrow around and pointed it at The Spirit of Lust who was still pointing at where Adrian had lain
“What was that for” she shouted
“Disrespect and he was smarmy to boot”

Just then the fire detectors triggered the building wide fire alarm.
“This is not good” Samuel shouted, then he looked at the wormhole generator in the laboratory and went over to where the teenager was holding Janine, “Is that set to go to IDW01”
Janine nodded.
“Ok Mark, Jenny” Samuel instructed, “Take the other’s to IDW01 and I will see if I can deal with Sir Sidney”
“Sure Sam” Mark responded, but The Spirit of Lust objected
“I will not run away like a coward” The Spirit of Lust argued
“None of us are allowed there” Lachesis then told the Colonel, “we are not permitted to leave Earth”
“I was there when the Spirit of Cruelty murdered a court official there” Fidelity piped up, “They might arrest me there for being an accomplice”
“I’m not going anywhere without Fid” Caer objected
Samuel shook his head, “Jenny, Mark stay here in this laboratory and protect the others then”

Just then Mr Vee pulled a small automatic from his coat pocket, “I will help stand guard Colonel”

Samuel pulled Jenny aside, “Stay here and guard the others”
“But Sir” Jenny protested
“I don’t entirely trust Mr Vee” Samuel whispered and then shouted, “Mark with me”
“And I am going too” The Spirit of Lust then stated, “I can hold my own against that nasty little man, plus if he is immortal now, I am the only one who can stop him”
“Fine!” Samuel said in exasperation, “Just don’t get in the way” and left the Laboratory.

Samuel led the way with his gun hidden away as he back tracked to where Sir Sidney’s office was. A number of people were evacuating due to the fire alarm and he did not want them to alert Sir Sidney something was wrong
In the back of Samuel’s mind was what Adrian had said, this man could just kill them at a distance or anyone they cared about from a distance, so how he was to take him on he had no clue, but he had to do something. He just hoped the Spirit of Lust was telling the truth and that she would not as a spirit of vice swap sides.

Finally they made it to the door of Sir Sidney’s office, but he was not there. He must have left the building with the others

Then they turned around and he was in the door way.
“I thought you were on your way to the airport” Sir Sidney said with surprise, then he looked at Mark and The Spirit of Lust. “Who are you?” he demanded then he said, “No matter” and pulled out the Shears of Atropos, muttered an incantation. Instantly two groups of threads appeared. One group of four and one group of three.

“Ok Colonel” Sir Sidney said to them, “Which family do you want me to spare, the Sands or the O’Docherty’s. If you don’t choose I will kill both, and you will be to blame for their deaths with your little rebellion”

Suddenly the teenager materialised behind Sir Sidney and grabbed the arm he held the Shears of Atropos with and pulled it away from the threads, which promptly vanished from sight. She tried to grab the shears from his hand, but Sir Sidney with his other hand violently shoved the teenager away and she landed on the floor of his office.

Mark fired a round at Sir Sidney and hit him, but it was to no effect. Sir Sidney only seemed slightly surprised, but then grinned, “I own my own thread” he sneered, “I am immortal now not even death can touch me, let alone your side arms.
The teenager from the floor where she landed shouted, “Hey boss I quit” and then fired an energy blast at him, but he deflected it away into the secretary’s desk with the shears.

“What about your lusts” The Spirit of Lust shouted
“What do you mean” Sir Sidney shouted back, momentarily distracted
“Your lust for power” The Spirit of Lust shouted, “That makes you mine” and she advanced on him with a firevall growing in each hand.
Instinctively Sir Sidney thrust the Shears of Atropos into The Spirit of Lust. She screamed from the shock of the pain and the fire balls just vanished. Then to Sir Sidney’s surprise, she laughed as she pulled the shears from her body and tossed them on the floor and grabbed Sir Sidney and held him in her arms. “You fool” She shouted, “By stabbing me with a magical item, you have just started to spread my essence of lust through out this universe and as I have you, you will be spread through out the cosmos with me and fully aware”
Sir Sidney tried to push the Spirit of lust away, but she held on with a vice like grip as the two of them started to glow with white light

“Take cover you fools” Yelled the Spirit of Lust to Samuel and Mark, so Samuel and Mark dived behind the desk in the office. The teenager scrambled round to be right next to him behind the desk.
“I’m Celeste” She told him, “I’m sorry I was involved in the bosses plot to kill you sir, I was wrong”
“I’m glad you failed” Samuel replied
“So am I sir” Celeste told him

Just then there was a massive flash of light and a violent wind emanating from where the Spirit of Lust had been, shattering the thick glass windows and setting alight some of the furniture.

Celeste stood up and saw that the Spirit of Lust and Sir Sidney were gone, but there had been a lot of damage and some items were on fire. Mark got up and picked up the Shears from the floor and then raced for a fire extinguisher to try and put out as much as he could before Samuel, dragging Celeste by the hand, ordered him to get the others to safety. This fire was taking hold.

“Is it over Sir” Celeste yelled above the noise of the flames and the fire alarm
Samuel thought for a moment and then remembered what Sir Sidney had said about a UFF guy out to destroy Stormont.
“No” he shouted, “I’ve got to get word to G2 and the RUC, there’s going to be an attack on the Stormont building”

Celeste stopped and pulled on Samuel’s hand. “I can take you there sir. I can teleport myself and one other” she pleaded, “I was on the wrong side and I need to make amends sir”

“You go Sam” Mark interrupted, “I’ll get the other’s out and liaise with the LEOS”

“Ok you’re on” Samuel said to Celeste, “Can you take me to him”
“I’ll try sir” Celeste replied and then the two vanished into thin air

Mark raced back to the laboratory and ordered the others to join the other people who had evacuated the building.
“Where’s the colonel and Celeste” Jenny asked
“Gone to save Stormont” Mark replied, “But we have to leave now, this building is on fire for real”
“What about Sir Sidney” Janine asked
“He tried to take on the spirit of Lust and she took him down with him” Mark answered and then added “NOW GO!”
“I will vanish back to my world” The Spirit of Death told Mark, “The other’s have a more human appearance than I” and with that the Spirit of death melted away.

It took about three minutes for the group to reach the outside and the feel the cool wind coming off of the River Thames.

“I never thought I would see this sky again” Jenny whispered to Mark and clasped his hand
“Me too” Mark replied

COUGH

It was Clotho
“Yes” Mark replied.
“I’m sorry about earlier” Clotho apologised
“We all throw paddies occasionally” Jenny told her
“I know Miss Green” Clotho answered, “But I was stupid and selfish to risk the life of another”
“Speaking of which” Mark then said as he presented the Shears of Atropos to clotho, “Tell your sister to look after these”
“I will sir” Clotho replied taking them, “We three have agreed to appeal against having these threads of life and death governing people’s fates, now we have seen the potential for abuse”
“That would help” Mark replied
“There is one thread though you may be interested in”
“Which one would that be?” Jenny asked
“The one that I was required to start, the one coming from here” Clotho replied and touched Jenny’s abdomen, “I believe he also came from” and went to touch Mark in the groin, but Mark grabbed her hand gently
“I get the message” Mark told the young fate
Clotho’s face went red and apologised and went back to her sisters
“I’m pregnant?” Jenny said in disbelief
“With my son” Mark beamed
“It must have been that night before we left Earth” Jenny suggested
“Or that night in the lava tube” Mark replied.

Jenny looked down at the ground, then up at the sky and then at Mark with a pleading expression, “I realise you might think it’s my fault and” she began quietly
“You want to keep this baby?” Mark interrupted
Jenny nodded, “But if you don’t want me to”
Mark gave Jenny a big hug, “Please keep him Jenny” he said, “I want this child as much as you do” Then he asked “I want us to be a family, Jenny Green, will you marry me”
Jenny nodded, and deep down she knew her dead fiancé would have approved, after all before the mission that was to be his last he had told her to move on should something happen to him. Mark was her man, and she wanted him and now she was having his baby as well.





Johnny Adair got out of the taxi and paid the driver. He had driven him down the famous “Mile” up to the parliament buildings. For all intents and purposes he was visiting Stormont to see his elected representative as is his democratic right.

Security at the Northern Ireland assembly building was tight especially since the Michael Stone incident, as he headed up to the front of the building. Johnny was not worried about being discovered as no security on Earth would recognise that his clay talisman was a threat.



Johnny had made sure he was not carrying a handgun, just so they would let him through; this was going to be a piece of cake.

He had just got to the front door when he heard an unfamiliar American voice
“That’s far enough Mr Adair” it said

Johnny turned round. There was a man in his fifties in a grey trench coat pointing a gun at him, next to him on the man’s right was Celeste
“It’s over Mr Adair” the American said, “Your paymaster’s gone, hand over the talisman”
“So Mr Swales was right” Johnny said to Celeste, “You entities are just like the British government, always selling us out”
Celeste shook her head, “You hurt my friends Caer and Fidelity” she retorted.

Johnny shook his head, and then shouted “Terrorist Terrorist, He’s got a gun, He’s got a gun” pointing at the American

Almost immediately armed guards started to draw their weapons and pointed them at the colonel, while Johnny mad a break for the front door.

Samuel held his hands up as the guards approached, “I’m with your homeland security, let me get my ID” he tried to tell them, but they wrestled him to the ground. One guard tried to take Celeste, but she teleported away and into the building to confront Johnny Adair

“I have ID” Samuel kept saying but the guards were not listening and held him on the ground yelling



Celeste appeared in front of Johnny, “Why do you want to kill these people” she asked him
“What’s it to you” Johnny replied, “I thought you were used to lots of death, being like the daughter of death or something like that”
“I don’t like taking lives” Celeste replied, “Now hand that talisman over”
“You could have fooled me Celeste. Do you not care that our British government handed our country over to the IRA and to a foreign power. This place represents the greatest betrayal perpetrated on the people of Northern Ireland” Johnny went on
“They’re trying to work for peace” Celeste insisted, “If that stops the bloodshed what’s the problem. Now hand that talisman over”



While the guards we holding Samuel to the ground an RUC land rover with it’s sirens sounding screeched to a halt and a man with dwarfism jumped out the passenger door, waving an id badge “Let him go, Let him go” he shouted at the guards
“He had a gun” one of the guards objected
Samuel recognised him as Shamus McTuckle a leprechaun of the Irish Republic’s special diplomatic service, but to everyone else he was this man who had dwarfism

The police driver got out of the car and ran up to them, “its ok he’s part of a special anti-terror taskforce”
“He’s trying to stop an attack on Stormont you fools” Shamus shouted

The guards then moved away from Samuel as the police officer helped him to his feet.
“Evacuate the building now” Yelled Samuel
“How?” one of the guards asked
“Just do it” Shamus shouted
“The man who told you I had a gun” Samuel shouted, “Where is he?”
The guard just shook his head, so another said, “I think he went inside, but he did not seem to have anything”

Samuel shook his head, “The b*****d’s got inside and headed to front entrance



“I said hand over the talisman” Celeste insisted, “You know I can take it from you”

“Ok you win” Johnny replied and slowly removed the talisman from his neck. Suddenly he shouted, “annullo” and went to throw the talisman at the stairs.

Just then one of the armed guards coming through the door with the Colonel thought Johnny was throwing a grenade and instantly fired several shots at him, hitting him in the back fatally.

Celeste ran to where the talisman had fallen and picked it up, but it was glowing red. Celeste ran up to the colonel
“It’s too late” She told him “it’s started
“Take it out side” Samuel instructed

Shamus interrupted, “That won’t work Colonel” he said, “It is designed to wipe out entire buildings, if you took it outside, it could wipe out the whole of the province or possibly worse, that was why they were outlawed on you-know-where”

Celeste looked up through the open doors at the night sky, “There’s only one place I can think of” she said, and before anyone could do anything she vanished

“What was that?” one of the guards asked as he saw Celeste vanish before his eyes
“Classified” Samuel told him, “And something you had better forget you saw”

About a minute later Celeste suddenly appeared in front of them on her knees gasping for air and shivering. Celeste then collapsed on the floor and. Samuel knelt down and took off his coat as Celeste seemed to be going into shock and laid it on her. He noticed that her eyes were bloodshot and blood seemed to be coming from her ears.

“What’s happened to the Moon” a voice came from behind, Samuel glanced up in to the night sky at the Moon. To his surprise there appeared to be a brighter light covering what appeared to be a quarter of the Moon than it’s normal. It was there for what seemed like two minutes before it vanished.

“That must be some meteor strike” someone yelled
“I thought it was some kind of nuke” yelled another
“A nuke on the moon would not look like that” yelled the first voice, “It had to be a meteor or a comet.

Samuel returned his attention to Celeste, she was still shivering, gasping for breath and almost incoherent. “Get an ambulance” he yelled, and then he took Celeste’s left hand, “Hang in their kid you saved us, I’m proud of you”

The man with dwarfism came across. “It looks like she came through after all”
“Can you do anything for her Shamus” Samuel asked, “It looks like she teleported to the Moon and back”
“That would certainly take a lot out of her, and I bet she had to wait a bit there before she could teleport back” Shamus replied
“Without an EVA suit” Samuel interjected, “She’s lucky to be alive”
“I’ll put an emergency call to G2, and get them to get some of that troll healing potion” Shamus then told Samuel and pulled out a mobile phone
“Do it” Samuel ordered, “She’s a real hero, I’m just so glad she realised which side she was really on”

Shamus left to make his telephone call and while the guards kept people away, Samuel stayed, sitting on the ground and holding Celeste in his arms, telling her to stay with him and that she would be all right and occasionally kissing her on the top of her head. For some reason she reminded him of his daughter Andrea, who had been killed many years earlier.

It was about twenty long minutes before the ambulance arrived and Celeste was collected by the paramedics and given an oxygen mask. Samuel offered to go with her, but Shamus said he would go, especially as the ambulance was being instructed to take her to an Irish Garda helicopter that would take her south of the border and to Dublin, where G2 were going to take over her treatment.

Samuel sighed and walked in the grounds and looked up into the sky at the Moon, now returned to its normal illumination. Even though Celeste originally had been part of a plot to kill him she had helped save the day in the end. Samuel could not help thinking that if his daughter had not been killed, she would be about Celeste’s age.

“We meet again” a voice came from behind
Samuel turned around; it was the Spirit of Death. “Is it my time then?” he asked
The Spirit of Death shook his head, “I came to thank you”
“It’s my job” Samuel replied
“I know” The Spirit of Death answered, “I saw how you looked after my daughter just now so now I have someone to visit you for a brief moment as a reward. I am sorry I could only bring one”
Samuel shook his head in confusion, “Who could that be?”
Just then a child’s voice piped up from behind the Spirit of Death, “Daddy I missed you”

It was Andrea, or at least her ghost
Samuel knelt down to be at her height as Andrea walked up to him
“I miss you every day sweetheart” Samuel replied with tears forming in his eyes
“Daddy it really hurt when I died” Andrea complained
“I know sweetheart” Samuel continued, “It hurts me every single day when I think of what happened, but they got the man who killed you”
“He was a really bad man daddy” Andrea said with sadness in her voice, “I didn’t want to die”
“What’s it like where you are” Samuel asked
“It’s lovely Daddy, they say we are in the Elysium Fields”
“I have to go now Daddy” Andrea then said looking back at the Spirit of Death
“I wish I could stay daddy” Andrea then told her father, “And that Mummy could come too”
“I do too” Samuel answered, “I love you Andrea, and tell your mummy I love her too. I never stopped loving the pair of you”
“Yes Daddy” Andrea replied, “She says she loves you and misses you as well”
Samuel nodded; unable to speak as he watched Andrea’s form and that of the Spirit of Death vanish into the night
Samuel then stood up and took a deep breath and wiped his eyes with his sleeve

A police officer came over and tapped Samuel on the shoulder
“I understand you need a ride back into town sir”
“Yeah” Was all Samuel could say at that time
“Are you ok sir?” the police officer asked
“Yeah, something blew in my eye, that all” Samuel replied as he turned and followed the officer back to the Stormont building

Kathryn Cooper was sitting at her desk when Samuel entered the room. Kathryn looked up at Samuel, “Welcome back Samuel” she said to him.
Samuel sat down on the chair in front of Kathryn’s desk “It’s good to be back Kathryn” he responded
“Did the O’Docherty twins get back ok?” Kathryn asked
“Yep, the Irish Government picked up the tab for their flight to Shannon Airport” Samuel answered, “And I also told their biological uncle if he ever tried to revoke their adoption order the O’Docherty’s legal defence would be assisted by both the Irish government and ours. I think he got the message”
“Let’s hope so” Kathryn agreed, “Those girls have been through enough trauma already. What about the fates?” she asked
“They returned home yesterday according to Mark” Samuel answered, “Their exile order has been rescinded”
“Speaking of returning home” Kathryn went on, “I understand you took a detour via Florida”
“Yeah” Samuel responded, “I wanted to be there when they arrested the main dirt bag who attacked one of my people”
“She’s one of my people as well Samuel” Kathryn reminded him, “I am so glad they were able to find something, to be honest I didn’t think they would after all that time, especially as the attack took place in a shower block, I think it will help Sue-Lim’s recovery a lot to know that they’ve found evidence to corroborate her account”
“I know Kathryn” Samuel went on, “Did they send you a copy of the forensic report?”
“Not yet Samuel but I was told that they found blood traces from Sue-Lim in the watch band of one of the junior guards who raped her and they found the CCTV footage of when Sue-Lim was released, showing her facial injuries which she did not have when they photographed her when she was initially detained”
“Added to that, the detainee they ordered to stand guard while they attacked her, offered to testify when he was returned to Mexico after he spoke to a priest about it” Samuel continued
“They told me that too Samuel, although I suspect the defence might have a field day with that witness, claiming he is only doing so to gain entry to the US and to avoid conspiracy charges” Kathryn replied
“If you have not heard Kathryn” Samuel went on, “the latest is that the guard who had Sue-Lim’s blood in his watch band is going for a plea bargain against the senior guard as he does not want the hate crime charge added on to the rape and battery charges”
“That will certainly help get a conviction” Kathryn replied “So how did the arrest go?” she asked
“Pretty low key, they arrested him at a local bar” Samuel answered, “He was so stupid that he fessed up and tried to justify what he did by saying how was avenging his brother’s death in Vietnam. I told him that what he had done had dishonoured his brother’s memory and the memory of the others who fought in that war”

Kathryn sighed and then said “There’s something else that might help Sue-Lim’s peace of mind” Kathryn leaned forward and handed Samuel a document, “Commander Johnston managed to get the British counter intelligence service to go through Sir Sidney’s records and the item found in his computer system listed on page thirty six should be of interest”

Samuel leafed through the document to the appropriate page, “They hacked into the IDEC UK and stole Timothy Zachary’s design for the wormhole generator” Samuel said with surprise
“Yes and I have copied that part of the report to the director of the FBI since that completely exonerates Sue-Lim of any blame with regard to it’s use by those terrorists”
“I bet their director was not happy about that” Samuel smirked
“Samuel, let’s just say I got enormous satisfaction in rubbing his nose in it and extracting a written apology from him, which I’ve got Charlene to take to her this afternoon at Bethesda”
“How is Sue-Lim?” Samuel asked
“Well the preliminary medical tests show that she did not get any infections nor did they make her pregnant. However as she did try and commit suicide and has been suffering depression for a while because of the rape, they are still want to keep her in for a while longer. Last time I visited two days ago she was still quite emotional so I suspect her wedding to Pete is on hold.”
“That’s a shame” Samuel remarked, “I was looking forward to that, I understand they’re childhood sweethearts”
“At least we have Jenny and Mark’s to look forward to soon”
“Yeah” Samuel grinned, “I heard about that, “Mark wants the ceremony done before Jenny’s pregnancy is too obvious.” Then Samuel took on a more serious expression, “By the way, how what’s the cover story for their sudden return?”
“Well Samuel we are going with the story that they were out of contact on a long romantic holiday overseas when the Facility in London was bombed and that someone misidentified two of the bodies as theirs. The marriage and Jenny’s pregnancy might lend a bit more credence to that I hope”

Samuel looked at the ceiling, “Well I hope they all buy that one” he mused
“It was either that or give them new identities and order them never to contact their families ever again” Kathryn countered. “Any way” Kathryn went on, “I am putting Jenny on light duties because of her pregnancy. I realise I am being old fashioned, but I want to be seen as looking after my people”

“Oh!” Samuel remarked sarcastically, “Breaking the habit of a lifetime are we Kathryn”
“Samuel that’s unfair” Kathryn retorted, “And I know who you are referring to, so for your information, in that document I refer you to page ninety five”

Samuel began leafing through the document, while he was leafing through to the page Kathryn continued, “Sir Sidney used his contacts from his days in MI5 to get moles in all sorts of intelligence and military organisations”
“Except the IDEC” Samuel muttered as he leafed through the document
“They of course said they did not think they were betraying their country because they thought they were just passing information to a former member of an allied counter intelligence service” Kathryn continued
Samuel just shook his head in disbelief and then he found the page Kathryn referred to. “Oh!” he exclaimed
“You found it then” Kathryn asked
Samuel looked up, “So the prosecutor and two of the judges at Tania McCaskey’s court marshal were on his payroll”

Kathryn nodded, “They were taken into custody two days ago on corruption charges. It seems they had instructions from Sir Sidney to make sure she was prosecuted, convicted and given the maximum sentence. It was part of his plan to embarrass us and render us ineffectual since he had not penetrated us like he had done the other agencies. I have got Matthew Sands to use this as part of an appeal against her conviction”
“There shouldn’t need to be an appeal” Samuel commented angrily, “It should have been the D-O-D moron who lost that laptop on trial for negligence”
“Maybe Samuel, but this is how the army seems to work here” Kathryn responded

“Is that all Kathryn?” Samuel asked, “apart from the obvious news that they have reopened the investigation into the death of your predecessor?”
“Not quite Samuel” Kathryn answered, “As we are down in numbers for special operations, due to Jenny’s transfer, I have been in conversation via G2 with various entities about an IDE as a a replacement”
“Are we getting another leprechaun?” Samuel asked, “I mean they do seem to have a high casualty rate when they work with us, seeing as what happened to Hogan and Rosie”

Kathryn shook her head and pressed the intercom, “Has she arrived Sophie?” she asked
“Er, yes” A hesitant reply came from Sophie, Kathryn’s personal assistant
“Send her in please” Kathryn asked
“Right now?” Sophie asked
“Of course right now, the colonel and I are busy” Kathryn said with irritation. She switched off the intercom and remarked to Samuel, “What has got into Sophie?”

Samuel shrugged his shoulders and then asked, “So who is this IDE”

Just then the door opened and in walked Celeste wearing nothing but a pair of men’s boxer shorts and making no effort to cover her breasts and looking down at the floor. “Reporting for duty as instructed Miss” Celeste said nervously, “My father said you wanted to see me Miss” she then added

“Where are your clothes?” Kathryn asked her with astonishment
“I got rid of them Miss” Celeste replied with her voice cracking with emotion, “I know the Spirit of Death is my father, but they were black which is the colour of death and I don’t want to have anything to do with the taking of life any more. They also came from Sir Sidney, Plus” Celeste went on, “I worked for the wrong side and I don’t deserve to wear any clothes. I only put these on” Celeste then pointed to the boxer shorts, “because the lady out there would not let me in until I had put them on, she said she had got them for her boyfriend, but if you require it I will remove them now”

Celeste then put her thumbs into the elastic waist band and started to remove the boxer shorts

“No!” Kathryn exclaimed
Celeste immediately stopped and pulled them up, “Miss?” Celeste questioned, for some reason it was obvious that Celeste was confused about something
“That won’t be necessary, I want you to keep those on” she told Celeste and then immediately got up from her seat, took her coat from the coat stand and went over and made Celeste put it on and do it up.

“But Miss” Celeste protested and then she explained, “In hafling goblin community I grew up in when I was very young, if someone acted shamefully or caused a nuisance their privilege to wear clothing was revoked and they had to go naked to show their shame and humiliation until it was deemed that they had earned the right to wear clothes again”
Celeste looked down at the floor while Kathryn put her hands on Celeste’s shoulders. Celeste then looked up at Kathryn with tears running down her face, “I worked for a very bad man Miss, I forfeited the right to wear clothing so I should go naked to show my shame and humiliation until I have made amends. Miss I am willing to do so as part of my punishment for what I did”

“Celeste” Samuel interrupted, “You switched sides as soon as you found out about Sir Sidney, plus you risked your life to save countless lives that has to count in your favour.”

“Yes Sir” Celeste sniffed and looked down at the ground, “I need to make amends for what I did, until then I don’t have the right to clothing”
“Celeste” Kathryn interrupted and gently lifted Celeste’s head, “On this world people we don’t make people go about naked, even as a punishment, because others will find it distracting so the rule is you must wear clothing in public and at work. Also Celeste you are not being punished, you were mislead like a lot of people but like the colonel said you switched sides when you found out about Sir Sidney and because you risked your life to save others we think highly of you”
“Yes Miss, Sorry Miss” Celeste replied

Kathryn then went to her intercom and called for Sophie to come in.

As soon as Sophie entered she began apologising, “I’m sorry Miss Cooper but I did not have my coat with me or anything to make sure she was fully covered. I wanted to get someone to bring up a lab coat, but Charlene and Pete are visiting Miss Wang at Bethesda and Simon was on voice mail”
“That’s ok Sophie” Kathryn reassured her, “It was a cultural misunderstanding. Now I want you to use our official credit card and take Celeste here and get her new clothes, including proper underwear.”
“You mean a bra Miss” Celeste then cut in,
“Yes” Kathryn replied, “I’d rather you not go braless like Charlene insists”
“But those are uncomfortable Miss, that’s why I never wear one” she protested
“That’s because you’ve never been fitted properly Celeste” Sophie told her, “I know just the place”
“Yes Miss” Celeste replied to Sophie and then told her, “I don’t want black any more because it’s the colour of death and I want to be for life, not death, in fact I want to cut my hair of because it’s black”
Sophie shook her head, “You don’t need to do that Celeste, I can bleach it for you and then dye it another colour. I think you would make a smashing redhead and you would look good in light brown and pastel green”

“That would be fine Sophie” Kathryn cut in, “But can you discuss this with Celeste outside so can we get on?”
“Oh! Sorry Miss Cooper” Sophie apologised then said to Celeste, “Let’s go shall we” and led Celeste from the room and closed the door

Samuel looked hard at Kathryn, “So you want her on my team”
“Well like you said Samuel, she did switch sides and we can do with her abilities. She’s eager to impress and as for her time with Sir Sidney, let’s just say a she was troubled teenager taken advantage of by an older predatory man”

Samuel was about to answer back, when Kathryn’s direct line rang

“I better go and let you answer that” Samuel suggested
Kathryn gave a brief nod and picked up the phone and answered it.

Samuel was just about to open the door when Kathryn frantically called him to come back
“What is it Kathryn” Samuel asked “You look white as a sheet”

Kathryn put the phone down, “That was the State Department” she explained, “See this on CNN Live” she added picking up a remote control and switching on the office television.

Samuel looked at the screen, and there to his horror was a live news report from Caracus in Venezuela and on it was the Clan Troll Chief of the Manjura in chains showing signs of heavy bruising to his face and looking bewildered and confused. The CNN journalist was assuring the viewers that what they were seeing was real and not a hoax and what they were seeing was an intelligent being from another world.



The journalist then went on how this captured alien had confessed under interrogation that he had been spying for the US government and that the Venezuelan Government were going to put him on trial for espionage, and if convicted he faced the death penalty as a foreign spy.

Kathryn flicked the TV to another twenty four hour news channel.



It too was carrying the same news story, with the journalists saying that there was now proof that even if we were alone in this universe, there was intelligent life in another parallel universe and they had been secretly working with the American government and a top secret organisation called Inter Dimensional Entity Control.

Samuel and Kathryn watched the TV screen in horror, “Oh my G_d!” Samuel swore, “This is not good”