

Zoltan and the 31st Century

N.T. Finn

Copyright 2017 Nicole Finn

Published by Brunette Publishing at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

# Dedication

This book is dedicated to my children, David, Josephine and Pierce, who are preparing me for the future.

# Contents

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter XII

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Chapter XV

Chapter XVI

Chapter XVII

Chapter XVIII

Chapter XIX

Chapter XX

Chapter XXI

Chapter XXII

Chapter XXIII

Chapter XXIV

About the Author

# Chapter I

David Finn was not an ordinary boy. He seemed to be in trouble far more often than an ordinary boy, and for many more reasons. David himself felt that this was due solely to the fact that there were simply too many rules for him to keep tabs on. Every time he turned around, it seemed that a new rule sprang up out of nowhere, usually after he had broken it. There was no safe place to turn, either. School had a million rules; home had a million and one of them, and they were all different. Not only were the rules different everywhere you went, but they were constantly changing. So, David just resigned himself to being in trouble with someone all of the time; or totally grounded some of the time; or on the very brink of breaking some new rule at any other time. That way, he didn't need to put himself through the trauma or shock of finding himself in trouble when he had quite innocently thought that he was obeying every rule and doing everything he could think of to stay out of trouble. Staying out of trouble was not possible. He had accepted that.

At school, the problem seemed to stem from the teachers' wholly unrealistic expectation that a child of 10 or 11 – or any age – could make it through a lesson without speaking to his fellow students. If they didn't want us to speak, thought David, why don't they just let us sleep? When he put this notion to his mother, she shook her head.

"Wouldn't work," she advised. "You talk in your sleep, too, Davo."

At other times, David was just trying to be helpful, assisting other students with work they couldn't manage on their own. Was he supposed to use sign language? Was he supposed to ignore the pleas for help from his classmates? Would that be kind? David was confused. It seemed that you were supposed to help others and treat them as you would like to be treated, but not in school. School was cutthroat. It was every kid for himself. If you didn't know how to do something, you had to ask the teacher for help, which was the same thing as telling her that you hadn't been listening when she had explained it to the class a few minutes before, and who wanted to do that? Teachers said that they wanted you to do well in school, but David didn't think so. What they really wanted to do was keep a record of what you did and didn't do; what you did and didn't say, or write. They wrote it all down, and turned the words into numbers, and that was your report. Then you were in trouble all over again.

That was school. Home was, if possible, even worse. At least at school, the teachers were required by law to keep a lid on their personal emotions. Parents were not required to follow the same standards of professionalism, and often displayed emotions that their children would much prefer that they kept to themselves. At David's place, his younger brother and sister seemed to demand, and get, more than their fair share of his parent's attention, and by the time they got to David, they were tired and cranky. Also, just because he was six years older than the next child, he was supposed to be able to do everything for himself, even keep his own room tidy!!! The younger ones didn't have to do anything for themselves. In fact, David had to help clean up after them! The most annoying part of it all was that since Mum said she did not want to have any more babies, David knew that when the little ones were his age, they wouldn't have to clean up after anyone but themselves.

Of course, Mum saw things differently. "You had me to yourself for six years, Davo. These two never had me to themselves. They've always had to share me with you, and then each other. Think about all the cool things we did before they came along! Six whole years! They will never have that."

David was consoled by this thought. He had enjoyed having his mother all to himself, except when she was at work, of course. And with the babies came a whole new set of rules. Instead of being the little darling of the house, David was suddenly the Big Brother. The whole house became the domain of the babies. David couldn't even bring certain toys into the house, because the babies might choke on them, or hurt themselves in some other way. And while David had to do everything quietly for fear of waking them up, the babies could – and did – scream their heads off wherever and whenever they liked. Not fair!! They could make a mess, and he had to clean it up. And just because they needed total quiet to go to sleep at night, David had to go to bed, too! He had an earlier bedtime than any of his friends – it was so unfair.

"Don't think your bedtime is for their benefit, Davo," his mother explained to him. "Your bedtime – and theirs – is totally and exclusively for my benefit, and I thank you for it, darling!" Mum thought she was so funny.

Actually, when David went to bed, he was asleep in about three seconds, and could barely wake up in time to have breakfast before the school bus arrived. Mum knew that, and David knew it too, but it didn't change the fact that his life was a map of rules, laws and timetables that he could barely remember, let alone perform in the required order. He had to get out of bed at the same time every day, get dressed, make his bed, eat breakfast, brush his teeth, get the bus, work all day at school, come home, do his homework, play with his brother and sister till dinner time, have dinner, play after dinner for a while, tidy the playroom, have his shower, got to bed, read for half an hour, and lights out at the same time every night. If he didn't do all these things every single day, he would lose some pocket money that week.

But David had his own dreams. Not sleep dreams – awake dreams. He dreamt that he could fly, without an aeroplane or any equipment at all – just fly, like a bird. It was his favorite dream. He also liked to just think about things in his head. Things that had happened, or might happen – anything at all. His thoughts and dreams were all his own, and he could forget where he was and feel like he was somewhere else entirely, just by letting his thoughts go rambling where ever they wanted to go. After a day of endless, mindless, meaningless rules, which changed constantly and made no sense at all to David, this was a very relaxing way to spend some time. It was, of course, against the rules, so he had to choose his times carefully. He'd learned that the bus was not a good place to do this, because he might (did) miss his stop. Also, the bathroom at first appeared to be the perfect place to do this mental wandering, but it invoked the 'no more than five minutes in the bathroom' rule, and that wouldn't do! So, it had to be in the back of the car while on a boring drive to a boring, non-toy carrying store, or while pretending to do homework, or something like that. Dream-time.

Reading was fun, too, especially if you had a really good book, like a Hardy Boys, or a Brian Jacques, or Harry Potter. Sometimes David would get into a story, and then dream about a different turn the plot might have taken, or a really clever comeback the hero could have said, but didn't think of at the time. Adventure stories were his favorite, and Harry Potter his absolutely best ever all-time unbeatable favorite, but didn't everyone think so? He just wished that the Harry Potter author would get on with it and write some more stories. Why the long, boring wait? What was he supposed to read in the meantime, and what was the author doing, anyway?

"You should write a story," his mother suggested. "You have a good imagination, and it would be enjoyable. You have your own computer on your desk in your room. You'd be putting it to better use than just playing games on it!" But writing a story was a lot of work, and what if no one liked it? Then you'd have wasted all that time that you could have spent relaxing and having fun playing computer games or reading – if you had anything good to read. Maybe he was just lazy. He would admit that. When he was a grown-up person, he'd have to go to work and he wouldn't have any time to laze around and do nothing much. David wanted to use this time, now, doing as much lazing around as he possibly could, to make up for all the years and years of hard work that lay ahead of him.

"I don't want to grow up," he told his parents. "I want to stay a kid, and live at home with you guys." His parents didn't take him seriously, though.

"You are only eleven years old, David. A new century is here now. In ten or fifteen years' time, the world will be a very different place, and you will be an adult! You will have your own life, your own plans – even your own money. You won't want to be living with us! We will probably be lucky to see you, you'll have so much going on!"

What did they mean? Were they trying to get rid of him? Nah – they loved him! Didn't they want him to live with them when he was a man? He thought they'd be happy that he preferred them to 'His Own Life'!

David's mother had some idea that David had great things ahead of him. "You are one of the lucky ones, Davo. You have the kind of brain that can absorb knowledge easily, and you have a wonderful memory. You are healthy and handsome and you like people, and they like you. You go to a wonderful school, and your teachers work very hard to help you develop into the best student you can be. You have the maximum number of choices for your future – many more than most of us do. The only limitations you will come across will be those you impose on yourself. No one could ask for more."

"More pocket money!" he said.

"Pocket money!" laughed Mum.

And how was the world going to be different? David like it just the way it was, except for the rules. What did she mean – the world would be a different place?

"Technology changes the way we do things," Mum had said. "Computers, robotics, lasers – the way we transport things and ourselves, the way we communicate with one another, the way we solve health problems and other problems – technology changes the way we solve these problems. It doesn't really change what we do, though. We still need to live in buildings with people we love and care for, and we still like to eat and watch each other on TV! The TV just gets fancier!"

David hoped Mum was right. But Mum didn't know everything – in fact, Mum didn't know a lot of stuff. What if the world became a totally different place in ten or fifteen years' time and he really didn't like it? The whole world wouldn't just change back because David Finn wasn't happy about the changes! He'd just have to get used to it. And then all the rules would change all over again. He could just see it. He knew his mother had a lot of experience, and even more opinions, but she had her way of looking at things, and David had his own point of view. Often, they looked at things the same way, but just as often they looked at things very differently. David thought his mother spoke about his future as though it was a book that only she had read, and only she knew how the story would end. She seemed so sure of things that to David seemed impossible to know or predict, and so non-committal on subjects he thought she should be more definite about. David suspected that she did that just to annoy him, especially when he wanted a straight answer to a perfectly simple question, and she went all hazy on him. But that was grown-ups: Totally contradictory most of the time.

Not Boy Scouts, though. Boy Scouts made a lot of sense. They gave you a handbook, and you started at the beginning, worked your way through to the end doing all the exercises, and received badges along the way as you completed task after task. The plan was laid out, the instructions clear, and your instructors had the experience and desire to help you succeed at your task. Every scout had his father or mother present at the meetings, and sometimes the whole family was invited. David's mother accompanied him each week to the troop meeting. She said she enjoyed the time alone with him, and Dad enjoyed the time alone with his kids – the little ones – too.

David's dad was his stepfather. When his mother and stepfather had first met, David had simply called him Jon. After they got married, he had started to call him 'Dad'. David was just five years old. His mother laughed when David referred to it as 'our wedding'. He liked getting married. He was glad when his mother had told him that he was going to have a new brother or sister, too. He hadn't known how much trouble they were going to be. As it turned out, he got a new sister, and very soon after, a brother. Still, he liked having a normal family, with a mother, a father, a sister and a brother. He also liked being the oldest child, even though he complained about it. Sometimes you had to point out how unfair things were, otherwise no one noticed.

But being the oldest child in the family was the best spot to be in, no doubt about that. For one thing, there were no hand-me-downs, and all the things you got were brand new. Not that David minded wearing bigger boys' cast-off clothes, provided that the bigger boy was someone cool. But some things were better when they were new, like bikes. When David had needed a new bike last Christmas, Dad had gone out and looked in all the bike stores and ended up getting David a Diamondback, 21-gear bicycle, in chrome and metallic blue. It was the coolest bike in the neighborhood, and it was brand new.

And then there were the bedrooms. His brother and sister, being just a year apart in age, shared a room. But David had his own room, because he was the oldest. They had to share a computer, too, while he had his own. Things like that certainly compensated for the inconvenient aspects of being the oldest child. His friends thought so, too.

One day, he and Hannah, Peter and Andrew had been walking home from school. They couldn't decide whose house they wanted to stop at.

"If we go to my house, Tim will be there," Hannah said, referring to her older brother. "If Mum is home, we won't want to be there."  
"Why?" asked David. "I like your mum. She always likes it when we come by."  
"It's not us," explained Hannah. "It's Tim. We were away this weekend, and Tim stayed home, and had some of his college friends over, and they trashed the house. Mum is still upset over it."  
"What did they do?" Peter was instantly interested. The very thought of someone being in really big trouble was enough to make him salivate.

"Oh, you know, they broke into the liquor cabinet and drank some special bottles of stuff. They threw stuff in the pool. But worst of all, someone was sick in my mum's bed."

"How did your mum find out?" asked David. "Didn't they clean it up?"

Hannah laughed. "Oh, sure! They washed the sheets, shampooed the mattress and the carpeting, then they bought a big bunch of flowers and put them on the bedside table." She shook her head at David. "What do you think? We are talking about Tim, remember?"

"OK, well we won't go to your place." David tried not to laugh at Hannah's brother, just in case she really was upset about it.

"If we go to my place," said Peter, "my big brother will want to join in with us, but he won't want to play. He'll just want to wreck whatever we are doing, and we'll end up having a big fight. I'd rather go to my place on a day when he is at swimming lessons, or something."

They others nodded in agreement. "Let's go to your place, David," suggested Andrew.

"Why can't we go to your place?" asked David.

"No one's home," answered Andrew.

"Perfect!" said Peter.

"Yeah, but I'm not allowed to have people over. I even have to go next door and wait until they get home, which is better than going to my sister's boring basketball games. So, how about your place?"

David shrugged. "I suppose we can," he said, "but don't forget I've got a little brother and sister. We'll have to put up with them hanging around."

"They're cute!" said Hannah.

"OK, then – my place it is. If they get too pesky, we'll just go up to my room and play on my computer."

His friends didn't really like their older brothers and sisters. Hannah thought her big brother was nothing but a troublemaker. Peter's big brother always tried to blame Peter when he did anything wrong, and Andrew's big sister played so much sport that he couldn't do anything at all on the weekends except watch her playing in some dumb tournament. He said it was so boring you wouldn't believe it.

*

# Chapter II

It was one of those late September afternoons – sunny, cheerfully bright, and warm. The only thing to spoil the day was the last lesson before the bell – strings.

David didn't really mind learning the violin, it was the teacher he objected to, and he wasn't the only one. "Here she comes," hissed Peter. Hannah nudged David and pulled a really gruesome face while scratching her side in an exaggerated way. David tried not to laugh. This was not a good way to begin the lesson. Even though Mrs. Craddock was very stern and quite ugly, there was something comical about her mannerisms and facial expressions. She was about sixty years old, and wore her black and gray (salt and pepper, David's mum called it) hair in a big coil at the back of her head. For some reason, she wore black eye shadow all around her eyes, which made her look like a witch who hadn't had enough sleep. She didn't wear glasses like normal old people, but a monocle which magnified one of her eyes enormously. Her dresses seemed to be made out of curtain material, with the petticoat showing at the back. She always wore dangley earrings, and gold rings on her fingers, usually holding gemstones that were so large you doubted that they could be real. The funniest thing about her, though, was that she repeatedly scratched the back of her hip – just above the rump. Possibly she wasn't aware of her habit, or perhaps she thought no one noticed, but sometimes it was simply too much for her class and they fell into uncontrollable laughter. Trying to retain a serious frame of mind was part of the challenge, because just watching the teacher brought on funny thoughts, followed by -

"David Finn, have you been paying attention? Here we are, on the eve of the twenty first century, about to perform for the entire county, and I still have students who will not follow a simple instruction!" Bits of spit were flying out of her mouth as she roared at David. Now she was coming towards him, brandishing her conductor's baton, which David noticed was held together with a rubber band and what looked like a drinking straw. She was using the baton to emphasize her words, but the closer she came, the more certain David was that she would lose control of the thing, and it would be flung from her bony hands and hit him right in the face. Instead, the rubber band came loose from the baton, projecting the drinking straw onto Mrs Craddock's face, flicking the monocle off her eye and sending it flying into the air. David watched the monocle spin up, up into the air, seemingly in slow motion. Would it ever come down?

Then, all of a sudden, the entire scene changed. Gone were Mrs. Craddock, the other students – even the classroom. Now he was standing in an open field, holding not his violin but a baseball bat, and a very fast pitch was coming, aimed right at his face. Before he could even think, David automatically stepped forward and slammed his baseball bat into that ball as hard as he could. There was a split second of silence as the ball sailed farther and higher through the air, and then cheering as it continued to travel right out of the field. The fielding team shook their heads, but David's team was screaming, and they screamed at him as he stood there, in shock.

"Run! Run!" they were shouting. David faltered in confusion, then ran the full circuit back home. His team ran up to him.

"Zoltan! Way to go, Zolt!"

"That was good!"

"Hey, Zolt – what have you been saving it for, buddy?"

Zoltan? Who were these people, and why were they calling him Zoltan?

A tall man who was obviously the coach walked up to David and crouched down so that their faces were level. "Wow, Zoltan," he said, "that was beautiful! I couldn't believe it! You've been practicing, huh?" He jabbed David's arm with a playful punch.

David was feeling a bit stunned by this stage. For one thing, where was he? The last thing he recalled was being in a very tedious violin lesson with the other kids in his strings class, and then: KAPOW! He's hitting a home run for a group of strangers who call him Zoltan! David had a feeling that it might not be a good idea to tell anyone what had happened. It seemed so weird, even to him! Another person, especially a stranger, might not understand. David looked around at the other ball players and their spectators – family members, no doubt. What was it exactly that made them all look so different? Well, for one thing, the haircuts were way out; even the adults had spooky 'doos'! And their clothes – oh boy! Everyone looked as though they hadn't quite decided whether they were going to go camping, or deep-sea diving! David's observations were interrupted by a vibration on his arm. At first, he thought he was receiving an electric shock, but when he looked at his wrist, he saw a tiny TV screen there, like a wristwatch, showing a woman's face. She was speaking!

"-waiting and waiting! Where are you? Get your stuff and meet me at the park stop." Then she was gone.

"Wow!" thought David, and he began to examine his wrist band more closely. It seemed to be some kind of operating panel.

Just then, David became aware of a boy and a girl, both a few years younger than he was, apparently watching him. The girl was imitating his attempts to examine his wristband, and she walked around in circles trying to look at her back. The boy laughed, and asked her in a phony voice "What's the matter, Zoltan – can't find your elbow?" Then both of them squealed with laughter. David blushed, then cleared his throat and approached the children.

"Hi," he said.

The girl spoke. "Mum said we had to go with you to meet her at the park stop."

The boy came right up to him, and congratulated David on the great hit. "That was fantastic, Zolt – can we practice when we get home? That was the best hit I've ever seen you do! Dad will be so sorry he missed it!"

David smiled at Zoltan's brother's eager little face. "What a cute little guy," he thought. "What do I do now? What should I say? Should I tell them I'm not Zoltan? What if they think I'm a weirdo? I sure feel weird!" David couldn't decide on the spot, so he decided not to decide right away. He said aloud "Sure we can practice, but we'd better get going, right?" He turned to the girl, and she nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, so come on Zolt – let's bolt!" shouted the boy, and he turned and ran towards the far end of the field.

"Hey, wait Pierce! I'll tell Mum!" shouted the girl, but she ran after him anyway. Zoltan shrugged and ran with them.

They ran towards some trees, where a group of people was standing, as though waiting for a bus. There was no road, though. All David could see was a large circle, like a big cement dish in the ground. A ring of lights glowed blue and orange around the edge. These lights quickly became red, at which time everyone began to arrange themselves around the circumference of this large cement circle. A low beeping sound heralded the arrival of what looked to David exactly like a flying saucer – or, what he imagined a flying saucer would look like. The entire vessel was a bright, light, luminous red color, and sliding doors were opening all around it. Everyone walked quickly on. The interior lights dimmed slightly, and the vessel lifted off.

David looked at Pierce and the girl. They were eight or nine years old – the girl was probably the elder – and they looked quite different to one another. She had long, wavy blonde hair, and he had short but still unruly brown hair. They both had large, sparkling blue eyes, but as her complexion was quite fair, and his rather swarthy, the effect of these blue eyes was very different on each of them. She looked calm – almost innocent, and he looked mischievous! Each of them wore a wristband similar to David's, with the small screen. They were standing beside a woman – their mother – and when David looked at her, she beckoned him to come over.

"Oh boy," he thought. "Well, here goes!" He took a deep breath, and moved the few steps it took to get close enough to speak to his new family. Clearly, this woman was Zoltan's mother, and Pierce and the girl were his brother and sister. It was also clear that they all thought he was Zoltan. Things had been happening so fast that David hadn't really had time to analyze his situation. What was going on? Was he dreaming? Was he going nuts? Were his parents – his real parents – worried about him? Or – was this Zoltan guy at his, David's, place, just as he was here in Zoltan's life?

The woman, Zoltan's mother, was telling him something. "-and your father wants all of us to be there." She was looking at him and speaking softly but firmly. "I know you'd prefer to play tunnel vision with Cue and Sean and Michael, but your dad doesn't ask us to do much for him, so I don't think it will hurt to make a bit of an effort on this occasion, and there will be other game sessions." She stopped talking and waited, looking at David as though waiting for his response.

David was still taking in his surroundings, and his new family. His "Mum" seemed nice. She was pretty, with brown, ordinary hair – not spooky, like some of the other people he had seen. She looked a bit preoccupied, but friendly.

The girl looked a bit sad. David could see that she was watching a group of girls her own age, who were huddled together, twittering about something. Pierce, on the other hand, was totally engrossed in conversation with a boy of his own age.

"Zoltan – answer me." It was 'Mum'. "Can I count on you tonight?" Obviously she was nervous about something.

"Sure, Mum," said David, before he had even thought about it. Reassuring parents came so naturally to a boy! "What do you want me to do exactly?"

Mum looked shocked. This was not the response she had been expecting, and she smiled. "Thanks, Zolt, I appreciate it. Just come along without griping about missing your game, and pay attention to the seminar so that you can speak to Dad intelligently about it later."

"OK," said David.

Zoltan's Mum gave him a hug. "You're growing up, you know that?"

"I hope so!" David laughed self-consciously.

The doors had opened, and outside people were bustling about, walking in different directions. Gone were the trees and parkland. This place looked more like a fairground!

"Josephine, Pierce – stay with me," Mum said. So – the girl was Josephine! Another piece of information, thought David. They walked over to a covered area that had a roof supported by poles, but no walls, and contained hundreds of bicycles. David followed his new family into the enclosure, but flashing lights immediately brought a uniformed guard over. "Excuse me, city, please?" she inquired. David was aware that he had caused the flashing lights, but he had no idea why. Mum rolled her eyes. "Zoltan, will you please stay tuned?" Then, to the guard, she said "We're very sorry, ma'am. We are from Fairfax n7c51139a." She then asked David "Didn't you palm?" And she raised her hand so that it looked like she was making a 'stop' gesture.

"Er – sorry," said David.

"Come on, guys," said Mum. They each took a bicycle, and followed her onto the road.

"Well, at least the landscape looks familiar," thought David, "and this bike is fabulous!" It was lightweight, yet had very accurate responses to braking and steering. The pedaling was very smooth and gave a good, strong push. David loved bike riding, and began to relax and enjoy himself.

The road, which also carried many other cyclists, but no cars or trucks, traveled through wooded parkland. They rode for about two miles before arriving at another awning with bikes underneath. They dismounted, and this time David "palmed" the air as he entered the enclosure. They each stacked their bikes away, then walked along a path through a beautiful garden. They were headed towards a huge stone wall, with a small archway in it. Two guards stood beside the archway, ensuring that each person "palmed", and that only one person entered at a time. By now David was careful to observe what everyone else did, so that he wouldn't make another mistake. Luckily, he was able to enter after Zoltan's family without drawing attention to himself.

"We'll go straight to the dining room for dinner," said Mum. "Zoltan, you can join your friends if you like."

"Can we go, too?" asked Pierce eagerly.

"No, just Zoltan. He's 11 years old, Pierce. And Zoltan has to let his friends know that he won't be playing tunnel vision tonight."

David was trying to take in his surroundings and listen to Mum at the same time. He had to keep reminding himself to pay attention to her words because what he was seeing was so much more interesting!

"-So meet us in the 39a at 8 o'clock, Zolt. That way you'll be in time for Dad's speech. OK?"

"OK."

"See ya!" Pierce waved to David as he, Josephine and Mum headed off. Josephine was by her mother, complaining at the unfairness of letting Zoltan go -

"Where?" thought David.

He looked around trying to take it all in. Apparently, he was standing in an enormous vestibule which ran between the huge stone wall in the garden outside and a kind of partially covered garden patio. This vestibule had a very high ceiling, and the walls were illustrated with colorful murals, depicting people, flora and fauna. David looked more closely, and saw that the animals were moving! Before he could decide whether the pictures were movies or windows, three kids of around his own age ran up to him. David recalled seeing them at the baseball game.

They were two boys and a girl. One of the boys and the girl were clearly related – they both had huge, dark brown eyes and the same strong brow and dark, soft looking hair. The other boy wasn't as tall as these two, but he was muscular looking, with reddish sandy colored hair, which was cut in a flattop style. Each wore a smooth wristband.

"Hey, Zolt – come on!"

"Great game – what a hit!"

"I hope they have pizza tonight!"

"Yeah, me too," responded David, glad to be on familiar territory in the food department at least. He followed the other three upstairs into a large hall, which overlooked the same garden onto which the patio opened. It was an attractive room, light and airy, with delicious aromas wafting through the air.

"Mmm," said the dark-haired boy. "Smells like apple pie, ice cream, butterscotch sauce and toffee sprinkles!"

"And pizza!" added the girl. "Come on Sean, let's find a booth, before they are all taken."

"OK, OK, Cue – don't pull my arm off!" Sean wrenched his arm from his sister's grip. "Keep your hair on – we're coming!" He turned to David. "Let's get a booth at the back," he said. "Hey, Michael – up the back!" Michael nodded, and the four of them headed to the back of the room, where there were booths which sat about six people comfortably. The rest of the room was filled with tables of different shapes, colors and configurations, some of which were double-decker. Dozens of kids, aged between about 10 and 15, sat in groups eating and talking. The food certainly smelt tasty, and David realized with a pang just how famished he was. A number of well stocked food carts traveled from table to table, apparently by remote control.

Cue was talking to another girl, who had very curly black hair. She was smiling at Cue, then took Cue's arm and they walked over to the booth.

"Helene is joining us," announced Cue.

"Hi Mike, hi Sean. Is Zoltan here too?"

"Yes – hi, Helene," responded David.

Helene's smile slowly faded from her face. David was watching her – she was quite pretty, even the crazy, curly hair was nice – and he realized with a jolt that Helene was blind.

"Well – I've never heard you say my name before, Zoltan," Helene spoke nervously. "I was getting used to you calling me Fuzznut!" Helene had a puzzled expression on her face as she found the table and edged her way in.

A food cart had arrived, and everyone was peering at the contents. A voice was describing the contents of the cart, but try as he might, David could not find a speaker, or any kind of sound outlet –

"– Chicken pot pie, vegetarian pizza, tuna casserole and rice, hamburger with fries."

"Pizza," said Sean, Michael and Zoltan all at once.

"It's much easier for the boys to decide what to have on Tuesdays -" laughed Cue.

"Pizza night!" Cried Sean and Michael.

"And what more could anyone want?" asked Michael, in mock surprise. "You have each and every food group represented in pizza. The crust is made from grain, which is cereal; the tomato is your fruit, the onion your vegetable; the cheese provides both fat and protein. In fact, pizza is the perfect food! Tomatoes have vitamin C, cheese is full of calcium, -"

The conversation waned as everyone ate their meals. David made fast work of his, as he tried to have a good look around without being too conspicuous.

David was seated next to Sean, and Michael had pulled a chair up to the end of the booth. The girls were in the opposite side. Although David knew that Helene was blind, he felt that she was observing him none the less, and he felt uneasy.

"OK – let's plan tonight's game," began Michael.

"Oh, that reminds me," interrupted David. "I can't play tonight -"

"Ha ha, Zolt – yeah, right," quipped Sean.

"No – really, I can't," insisted David. "I have to listen to Dad make a presentation."

"You're serious?" Michael was disbelieving. "You're not playing tonight?"

Everyone stared at David, incredulous at this news. Helene sat quite still, obviously waiting to hear what happened next.

"I-I-I'm sorry. Mum kind of pleaded with me to be there for Dad. What could I say?"

Michael sighed heavily and hung his head. "OK. What do we do now?" Laughter could be heard from the next booth. A couple of heads appeared over the top of the divider between their booth and the neighboring one, two boys.

"What's up, boys? Lost our star player, have we? Diddums!!" And they sank down below on their side, snickering gleefully.

"Have we no privacy in this place?" Demanded Michael loudly. Then he crouched over the table and whispered across it to the others. "Good thing we haven't discussed our strategy. It's 7:50 – we've only got -"

"7:50! I've got to go!" David jumped up, almost upsetting the table. "Sorry!" He tried to straighten it up, then slid out of the booth. At that point he realized he had no idea where to go! As though in answer to a prayer, Helene spoke: "Hold on, Zolt – I'm going to 39a – I'll come with you."

"OK," said David, relieved. Then he saw the faces of the others, a doomed crew. He felt awful. "I'm sorry, Michael. I just couldn't say no to Mum."

"Yeah, I know," said Michael gloomily. "It's not your fault. But you know we'll lose this one – it's Vladco's dream come true!" Michael shook his head and Sean groaned in agreement.

David thought he was making them feel worse and not better. "Look, I've got to go. Good luck."

Helene took David's arm, and before he could stop himself he had asked her "Which way?" He was surprised to see a small smile on her face, but she answered as though it was a perfectly normal question.

"Out of here, downstairs, through the vestibule, across the garden and left at the audio lab."

"Er, right, OK then," mumbled David, and off they went.

David had to concentrate on both Helene's directions and leading her without pulling her down the stairs or into other people, the furniture or doorways. It was quite tricky. They made it onto the patio, and were about to enter the garden, when Helene said "You're very quiet, Zoltan. Is anything the matter?"

"Well, I'm late meeting my family," he answered carefully.

"No, I mean with you." She stopped walking and held onto his arm, so that David had to stop too. "You are not yourself, are you? Something's bothering you. Tell me!" Helene sounded so sensible and matter of fact, and actually David was keen to confide in someone, unburden himself, but he had to be sure of the person he chose to tell. Besides, he needed help. He wasn't going to be able to fake it forever. Helene spoke again. "Whatever it is, it won't hurt to talk about it, and it just might help. You know you can trust me, if it needs to be a secret, whatever it is." David couldn't resist the temptation, and Helene did seem very decent.

"OK Helene, you're right, and I do want to talk about it – to tell you, I mean. But I have to get to 39a – I'm late, you see. Please help me get there, and then we can talk."

"OK," said Helene gently, and she directed David to the door of a large auditorium. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" She asked. "My dad is speaking, too."

"No – sure – I mean, fine." David swept a look across the room, and spotted Pierce and Josephine sitting next to Mum and another woman. He led Helene to where they were sitting, and they sat beside the others.

"You made it!" whispered Mum. "Hi, Helene. I was afraid Michael and Cue wouldn't release you from the game!"

"It was a bit like that," laughed Helene. "But I rescued him for you, Mrs. Xavier."

"Good girl! By the way – your dad is on first, and Zachary is after him. Ssshh!"

The Master of Ceremonies took the podium. The crowd, numbering roughly 300 David estimated, quieted down to hear him speak.

An ordinary looking guy addressed the crowd. "Good evening, citizens! How very interesting that so many of you could join us for this purely conjectural, some might say 'fantasy symposium', when so few of you could attend the Historical Society Gubernatorial Review Statement last week." There was some uncomfortable fidgeting and muttering from the crowd. "But I suppose we would all prefer to be entertained than educated, eh?" The speaker here gave a strained laugh, which sounded more like a cough, and a few people laughed with him in a frightened sort of way. "So, without further ado – I give you Declan Dempsey – scientist extaordinaire!" And the speaker backed off slowly, clapping feebly.

A big man, with red, fuzzy hair, strode slowly onto the stage. He looked like a man who was forcing himself to walk slowly; forcing himself not to look at the master of ceremonies, but once or twice his shiny brown eyes shot out a look of pure contempt. He managed to reach the microphone, and appeared to breathe slowly and deeply before addressing the assembly. When he spoke, he had a deep, guttural voice, which was at once gentle and masterful.

"Tonight's display will attempt to trace the recent journey of our own City of Fairfax Galaxy Glider through the outer continuum." The lights dimmed, but before the room became black, planets, stars and suns loomed into sight, all colorful and luminous. It was as though the people seated in the auditorium were floating in the vast blackness of space, past these enormous planets. The distant skies were lit by millions of twinkling stars. "As you can see, the Galaxy Glider has allowed us to reconstruct the outer continuum with great accuracy because we have exact dimensions and even gaseous samples from the atmosphere of each and every planet you see here tonight. These planets have not yet been named, but as we compile more" and here he paused, almost spitting out the next word, "factual data on each, appropriate names will be chosen, hopefully in the 31st century, which is, after all, but a few months away."

"What?" gasped David.

"Ssshh!" said Mum, on David's right, and Helene, on his left, in unison.

"Er – sorry," whispered David, his mind in turmoil and his thoughts raced. "The 31st century? That means it must be...2999!" David sat back and digested this shocking news. "But it was 1999 only this morning! What's going on?" He started to feel sick. However, he was distracted by the vision surrounding him.

Everyone was enjoying the feeling of floating past the beautiful, glowing planets. It was as though they were sailing through space, totally at one with the infinite universe. The gorgeous colors of the auras, which surrounded each globe, may well have been phosphorous emissions, but they were no less beautiful because of it. Tiny shards of ice in the atmosphere of one of the stars caused that orb to be surrounded by glistening, sparkling light – like millions of tiny diamonds. David had never seen anything so wonderful in his life. At last the planets and stars faded out as the lights were raised and the room was fully lit. "Of course," continued Declan, "none of this exploration would have been possible were it not for the inimitable work of my brilliant colleague, Zachary Xavier. Dr. Xavier alone designed the Galaxy Glider, which enabled our work to continue. Now that public spending on space exploration in particular – and scientific advancement in general – has fallen to a 300 year low," (people gasped at this) "Yes, this year less was spent on scientific research than was spent on bicycle tires for our city. Dr. Xavier's design and construction of the vessel, which is now our major source of data, centered on efficiency and effectiveness: low cost material, high quality data. I give you the humble genius himself -" and with that, Declan put his right hand on his chest and his left hand behind his back, and bowed his head as he backed away from the dais.

A short, thin, balding yet quite boyish looking man, with bright eyes that reminded David of a squirrel, bounced softly onto the podium. He was smiling broadly, showing large teeth, but everything else about Dr. Xavier was small and frail looking. He spoke with an unusually mellifluous voice, but -

"H-h-hel-l-l-o, a-a-a-and th-th-th-tha-a-nk y-you," he stammered. He then smiled hugely again, turned to his friend Dr. Dempsey and shook his hand before waving happily to the assembly and trotting lightly off the stage. All present broke into loud applause, except for the M.C., who appeared to have lost something under his seat.

"What was it like?" asked Helene.

"Amazing!" answered David. He then did his best to describe the spectacle. Helene smiled and nodded. "Dad will be so happy that it all went well – he was terrified that the special effects wouldn't work, or the lighting would be wrong. He is so proud of your dad's work. I know he wanted tonight's show to do him justice."

"Tell him it was a complete success," said David generously. Everyone was leaving the hall now. Helene reached past David, and touched Mrs. Xavier's arm.

"Mrs. Xavier? Would it be OK if Zoltan walked me home?" She asked.

"Of course, honey – I should have suggested that myself! I dare say Declan and Zachary will be here for a while putting the equipment away. Off you go, darling -" she gave David a kiss on the cheek -"and come straight home. You can stay at Helene's for a little while if you like, but no detours coming home – understand?"

"That means no going to Michael's, Zolt!" interjected Josephine, who had been eavesdropping.

"Zoltan knows perfectly well what it means, thank you Josephine," said Mum. She pushed a strand of hair off her forehead. David thought she looked tired.

"OK Mum, no worries," said David.

"By the way, Helene," added Mum, "I hear your mother's band – The Heavy Negative Ions – have another concert planned? I'm a big fan, you know."

Helene didn't say anything, but David thought she blushed.

"Well, we'd better be going," said Helene. "Thanks, Mrs. X." With that, Helene grabbed onto David's arm, and almost pulled him out of his seat.

"Yes, OK, good-bye Mum," said David hurriedly as he followed Helene.

"Hey, wait on – aren't I supposed to be leading you?" he asked. Helene laughed.

"Sorry. I just get so embarrassed when people ask about my mother's band."

"Why?" asked David.

"Now I know something is wrong, Zoltan. Take me to the garden. We must talk, now!"

*

# Chapter III

David led Helene to the door, then tried to remember which way to turn to get to the garden. He realized with a jolt that there were no signs – not anywhere. As though reading his mind, Helene prompted him: "Right, into the pathway, then straight ahead to the garden." Helene seemed quite expert at finding her way around the garden, which was nicely lit and totally uninhabited except for them.

"How do you find your way around so well?" He asked. "Have you memorized the layout?"

"Sort of, but actually there's more to it than that. I've had microscopic electronic sensory receptors inserted into the epidermis on my feet, knees, hips, hands, shoulders and scalp – basically all the extremities of my body. They emit messages of varying frequency and depth to denote the distance between my body and another solid object. I'm fine in a room of inanimate objects. It's when I'm someplace like a crowded dining room, or a transport stop, where lots of people are milling around, that I need assistance. Over the years I've learned to respond to these signals without much conscious effort at all – I've virtually "learned" a new set of reflex actions!" Helene laughed at herself. "But, you know what's really interesting, Zoltan?"

"What?" asked David in a soft voice.

"Your own father, Dr. Zachary Xavier, performed the implants for me years ago, and you've always known about it."

David hung his head and sighed. "Yes, I should have realized that Zoltan would have known."

"You speak of Zoltan as though he is someone else!" Helene sounded a bit nervous.

"How about that!" laughed David bitterly. "Oh I'm sorry, Helene – I'm not trying to freak you out – it's just that I'm freaking out!"

"Tell me!" insisted Helene.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Zoltan! Tell me! Now!"

"Can I trust you?" pleaded David.

"Zoltan!"

They sat on a bench in the middle of the garden, and David told Helene everything he knew about what had happened to him that long, lonely day. "So you see," he said when he had finished, "My name is David Finn, not Zoltan Xavier. Where I'm from, it's September 1999, not 2999. My father is an economist, not a scientist, and I have no idea what I'm doing here, nor how I got here." David felt quite emotional, and had to take deep breath before continuing. "It's very nice here, but I really want to go home. My parents must be out of their minds with worry by now." David felt close to tears, and was sure Helene knew it.

And he was right. Helene felt very strongly David's sense of bewilderment and fear. She put her hand on his forearm, patting him gently. "You've been very brave, Zoltan – I mean David. You must be very level headed to have gotten through an entire day with all this on your mind."

"Thanks, yes, well," said David gruffly. "But what do I do now?" He felt quite desperate, now that he had stated his position out loud.

"OK." Helene sounded firm. "OK. Deep breath." Helene took a deep breath, and for some reason, David followed suit. It felt good! "What do we have?" Although Helene was asking the question, she was speaking to herself as much as to David, and did not require a response. She continued. "Somehow, you have been supplanted 1000 years ahead of your own time, into the life of Zoltan Xavier, a boy of your own age. You don't know why. You want to get back home to 1999. Right so far?"

"Right," said David. Oddly enough, this recital of the facts was having a calming effect on him.

"So, what resources do we have at our disposal?" asked Helene, again of no one in particular. "We have David; we have Helene; we have -" here Helene grabbed David's arm – "Zoltan's dad, Dr. Xavier!"

"Won't he be angry when he finds out I'm not really Zoltan? Won't he want to know where Zoltan is?"

"Well, yes of course he will, but you must remember that his is the greatest mind on Earth. If anyone can help us – your – Zachary Xavier can." Helene jumped up. "We must go to the auditorium now, at once, and tell him everything. Our fathers – I mean, mine and Zoltan's, will be packing up – let's go!" She offered her arm to David, and began to lead him through the well-lit garden towards the auditorium.

"I suppose you're right," said David in a resigned tone. I guess I haven't got much to lose," he thought to himself. Aloud, he said "Slow down, Helene – you're charging away at a rate of knots – I can barely keep up!"

Helene laughed. "It's just that I usually have to move so slowly and carefully. When I'm somewhere like this, where there are no other people moving around and sending me confusing signals, I really cut loose and go for it!"

"That's understandable," said David.

"Here we are," announced Helene. But she couldn't see that the whole place, previously so well lit and open, was in darkness, and the entryway was shut.

"They must have gone," said David. "All the lights are out, and it looks deserted."

"No, they'll still be here," insisted Helene. "There's no way they could have packed up all that stuff in such a short time, and believe me, they would not have left without their precious equipment." She led David to the door of the auditorium, and pushed it open. From the blackness within, they could hear voices.

Helene stood still, holding David's arm firmly. With her other hand, she took David's chin in her hand, then put her hand firmly over her mouth. He understood that he wasn't to speak. Helene tugged at David's sleeve, and whispered under her breath, "Hide!"

David led her over to a half-wall to their left, which ran along the back of the auditorium. They crouched behind this half wall, so that whilst they were hidden from view, they could hear everything that was being said very clearly. "The acoustics of this room are really very good," thought David. Then, he heard a voice he recognized as the master of ceremonies from the presentation earlier on.

"- A very close watch on you, Dr. Xavier."

"I-I-I-I d-d-don't kn-n-n-now wh-wh-why," stammered Dr. Xavier.

"Oh, I think you do. That little crack about us spending less money on scientific research than on bicycle tires?"

"Hardly seditious stuff, Marsden." It was Declan – Helene's dad. He sounded angry and frustrated. "Merely statement of fact – aren't facts your specialty? Historical data?" Declan laughed scornfully.

"I just want you both to know that big brother is watching you – looking into every test tube -"

"You mean every garbage can!" It was Declan again.

"Go ahead – laugh if you like. There was no need for me to warn you, you know. I have the authority to instigate and perpetuate any scheme I deem necessary -"

"Raspberry! Does everything you say rhyme in some way?" Declan was chortling now.

"We know you are working on something designed to overthrow the current regime -"

"W-w-w-w-we -"

"-Which the Historians govern for the benefit of all. Trying to reclaim the hundreds of years of lost knowledge in the Erasure of the 28th century has been our major focus. If you scientists are going to try to distract resources from this task, you can expect direct interference from me personally, and the Historians as a governing group."

"I-i-i-is th-th-th-that a thr-thr-threat?"

"It's a fact, Dr. Xavier, and as your colleague has pointed out, facts are my specialty."

Hidden by the shadows, David was watching the entire scene from the rear of the amphitheater.

"Another fact in my possession," continued Marsden, "is that you are working on a genetic code which would allow a person to access his or her past lives."

Both Zachary and Declan froze, then looked at each other in shock. "Aah – I see by your reaction that I have hit a nerve! So – my information is accurate!" Marsden was laughing softly, and rubbing his hands together in a satisfied way. "Really, doctor – this is a bit far fetched, even for you!" Now Marsden was openly chuckling. "I suppose I should be comforted by the fact that while you are engaged in these preposterous experiments, you can't be doing any real harm to the advancement of historical research."

"The way you go about it, Marsden, 'historical advancement' are mutually exclusive terms!" Declan was speaking through gritted teeth.

"Yes, yes, Declan – blathering on as usual. Well, my mind is at rest now. Good night to you both." Marsden clicked his heels together, and put his right hand on his chest, his left hand behind his back, and bowed his head. He then strode purposefully toward the rear door of the auditorium. David ducked below the half wall, and hid there in the shadows with Helene as Marsden and his companion passed by them and out through the door. As soon as the door swung shut, David and Helene came out of their hiding position and hurried to the stage, where Declan and Zachary were in conference. They didn't notice Helene and David until they were right with them, so engrossed were they in their muttered conversation.

"Helene!" said Declan. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad, we have to talk to Dr. Xavier." Helene was a bit breathless after her hasty journey from the back of the room.

At hearing his name, Zachary was alerted to their presence. "Oh, hi Helene," he said. "Hi, Zolt." He then resumed his thoughtful but gloomy demeanor.

David noted that Zachary hadn't stuttered at all. "Another question," he thought. Aloud he asked, "What was that all about?"

Zac answered. "Oh, you know, the usual thing. How dare the scientists direct any efforts towards unraveling the mystery of the Erasure? How dare anyone criticize the Historians' methods -"

"Dr. Xavier," interrupted Helene. "I think Zoltan has something to tell you." Then she turned to David, and said "It's OK – you can speak in front of my dad." The two parents looked slightly taken aback by Helene's instruction, and they awaited her further directive.

This time, it was David who spoke. He looked directly at Dr. Xavier, who returned his intense stare. Then, in a quiet, calm voice, he began his tale.

"First of all, I'm not your son. I'm David Finn, and I live in the year 1999. I don't know how or why I'm here, but I need your help." David stopped, aware that what he was saying made no sense, and not really knowing what to say next.

Imagine his surprise to see the excited and jubilant expressions on Zachary and Declan's faces.

"1999!" exclaimed Declan. "All right!"

"Molten Zoltan! Way to go!" rejoined Zachary.

The two scientists, one enormous and scruffy, the other slight, slender and sleek, gave each other a "high five" as they shook hands and congratulated themselves on David's news.

David was dumbfounded. Helene asked the question that was on his mind: "What's going on?"

At that exact moment, both men's wristbands began to glow with a pulsating orange light, accompanied by a deep humming sound.

Declan jumped to his feet. "Oh no – we've got to get to the lab, now." He and Zac quickly grabbed a couple of boxes they'd packed up after their display and got ready to leave. Declan turned to David and Helene. "Go home. You were right to come to us." Dr. Xavier then added, "We have a lot to discuss, Zoltan -"

"I'm David."

"Not now you're not. It's important that you be Zoltan. I'll explain everything, but we have a lot at stake right now. Please go home."

"But -" pleaded David.

"Please, son," urged Dr. Xavier. "Go home."

With that, Declan and Zachary fled.

David and Helene followed them out, but by the time they reached the garden, the men were nowhere to be seen.

"Great," said David. "Now I have even more questions than I did an hour ago."

"Come back to my place. Mum is at band practice. We can talk there."

David followed Helene through the garden and onto a patio, which seemed to be a courtyard separating two rows of townhouses. Helene placed her hand palm up under the porch light, and the front door slid open. She ushered David in.

David thought Helene's home was very nice. He reminded himself that she wasn't aware of how it looked.

"What do you think?" she asked. "Do you like our place?"

"Yes," said David. "It has a very soft look to it – clean and comfortable. It has an airy feeling." The house was very open plan, and the main color was a very pale turquoise. All exterior walls were glass, and silky curtains were drawn across them. The long-molded couch and the carpeting were pale turquoise, too.

"May I look out the window?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered. "Here," and she gently motioned the curtains to open. A large balcony was revealed. Helene opened the glass sliding door, and they went out into the night.

The balcony overlooked a large valley. In it were two huge, circular, well-lit areas, each enclosing hundreds and hundreds of lit dwellings.

"Are you looking at our neighboring cities?" Helene asked.

David laughed. "I'm not sure. I might be!"

Helene laughed too. "We overlook two cities. You can see Centreville and Reston from here. Each city has between 5 and 6 thousand people." Helene joined David, who was leaning over the balcony railing, gazing at the beautiful view of sparkling lights arranged in geometric patterns which defined the shapes of each city. She provided a verbal description of what he was seeing, and what she could not.

"Each city is surrounded by a solid high wall, and at the center of each city is the Capitol, or government center. Surrounding the Capitol is the Civic Center, which is basically the downtown area for business and commercial traders generally. A lot of community activities take place in the Civic Center also. Between Civic and the outer walls of the city lie the residences and schools." She paused, and let David take it all in. Then she continued. "Of course, not every city is residential. Most are, but we have our university and medical cities, our waste management cities, manufacturing cities, and community reform outposts."

David was enjoying the view and the explanation, when his wristband began to vibrate.

"Oh, this thing again," he said, and looked at the screen, which showed Michael's face.

"Hey, Zolt – come on over and I'll tell you about the game."

David looked at Helene, and asked, "How do you work this thing?" Helene reached over, found David's wrist and spoke to the screen

"Michael, we're at my place. You'll have to come over here. Just come!" And she somehow switched the gadget off. Then she turned to David. "It's voice activated, just like everything else. You just state the name and address of the person you want, or their contact code if you know it. If you have the code, you don't need any other data – not even their name."

"Fair enough," said David. How did you switch it off?"

"Drag your finger downward over the screen for off, and the opposite for on. Actually, the unit is always on, but that's what you do to start or end a call."

"Good." David was taking it all in.

"Are you going to tell Michael?"

"I don't know," answered David thoughtfully. "Do you think I should? I mean, you know him better than I do."

"Well, you'll either have to confide in him, or avoid him totally, and to do that would just be stirring up other problems for yourself." Helene spoke as though she was thinking aloud, "No – you'll have to tell him."

"Would you help me, Helene? Tell him, I mean." David was afraid. Somehow, confronting Helene's and Zoltan's fathers was less daunting than revealing himself to a boy his own age.

"I gather Michael and Zoltan are best friends," said David.

"That's right," agreed Helene. "He'll be here any minute. It'll be OK, David. Just try to understand that he'll be confused at first. Be prepared -"

"For what?"

"I don't know," answered Helene helplessly.

"Helene, didn't you think Declan and Zachary reacted weirdly when I told them?"

"Maybe," answered Helene.

The doorbell sounded, and a small screen on the wall showed who was at the front door. It was Michael. Helene let him in.

"Hi," said Michael.

"Hi, come in and sit down," said Helene authoritatively.

Michael could tell that something was up. He looked from Helene to David, waiting for one of them to speak.

"Is everyone comfortable?" asked Helene. "You are both so quiet – it's hard for me to keep tabs on you!"

"We're here, don't worry," said David. He took a deep breath, and faced Michael. "I have something very strange to tell you, so be prepared to be shocked." David looked over at Helene, and saw her smile at his words.

Michael noticed this, and said "So whatever it is, Helene knows?"

"Yes," answered Helene, "but I've only known for about an hour."

"OK," said Michael.

"Somehow," continued David, "I became Zoltan, but I'm not him. I'm David Finn, from 1999, here in Zoltan Xavier's life, 1,000 years later. I don't know how it happened, and I don't know what to do."

Michael stared at David, trying to decide his state of mind. At last he said, "You're not joking, are you?" Michael was puzzled. "OK," he said thoughtfully. "Prove it."

David shook his head and raised both hands in a shrug. "How?" He asked.

"I don't know," Michael got up, and began pacing around the room. Then he stopped, and ran to a desk against the wall. "Helene – where is your mother's sketching set? I need a pencil and paper."

"What for?" asked Helene, as she moved towards the desk and found the things he needed.

"Because if he's really from 1999, he'll know writing."

"Do you?" asked Helene of David.

"What?" David wasn't following Michael at all.

"Know writing!"

"Know writing?" David was confused. "Whose writing? Whose writing should I know?"

Michael walked over to David and handed him the pencil and paper. "Write your name. Write – 'the grass is green and the sky is blue'. Write that."

David shook his head, half-laughing, and did as he was told.

"He's doing it," explained Michael to Helene.

"So what does this prove?" asked David.

"Well, it proves you're not Zoltan," said Michael. He took the page from David and studied it. "Is that weird? Helene, this is really something -"

"Michael, I'm glad that you believe me, but are you some kind of handwriting expert or something?"

"Handwriting? Is that what this is called? What other kinds of writing are there?"

"What?" David was perplexed.

Helene put her hand on Michael's arm, signaling that he should restrain himself. "We have a lot to tell David, Michael. He knows nothing about the Erasure, so we'll have to start with that, or nothing will make very much sense." Then she turned to David. "Today, we record everything using audio technology. We don't use writing. We don't even know how to do it."

"You don't know how to write?" David was disbelieving. "What about reading?"

"What's that?" asked Michael.

Now David was beginning to understand. "Hang on – that's why there are no signs anywhere, and no billboards or magazines or books. You're all," he paused, looking from Michael to Helene, "illiterate."

"Meaning?" asked Helene.

"Meaning, you can't read nor write. You do everything through sound and motion. Wow!" Now it was David's turn to be excited. "When did you stop reading and writing?"

"We never started!" laughed Michael.

"No, I mean, when did people stop?"

"I know what you meant," said Helene. "Actually, it happened very gradually, but by the middle of the 21st century, no one did anymore. Technology had intercepted the learning curve, and a lot of the 'grass roots' scholastic stuff was done mechanically. People only needed to ask the question, and they'd receive the answer. So, reading and writing faded away."

"Until the Erasure," said Michael.

"What's the Erasure? I keep hearing it, like it was the Black Death, or the holocaust -"

"In 2703 -"

"714 years after I was born," added David.

"In 2703," repeated Michael, "something happened which caused all electronically recorded data to disappear. All film, microfiche, floppy discs, compact discs, cassette tapes, magnetic tapes – all spontaneously eroded, leaving a lot of blank plastic. At first no one realized the extent of the loss, and when they finally did, so much information, history, knowledge was gone that the world was at a standstill for a long time. So much of what we took for granted ran off systems designed by people using 112th generation applications, the fundamentals of which were lost forever in the Erasure of 2703."

"I don't understand," said David querulously.

"The world was, of course, pretty well run by computers. These computers were being programmed using words, not mathematics," explained Helene. "The actual programs were written so long ago, no one bothered with them anymore. Everyone just interfaced with operating systems, not ever realizing that only zeros and ones can 'speak' to a computer."

"You mean binary math," said David.

"What's your name again?" asked Michael.

"David," answered David. "David Sebastian Finn." It felt, and sounded, good to say his name. "Look, I'm really glad that you believe me, and are helping me. Now, I've got to get back to the Xavier's house, although I'd rather go home – to 1999, I mean." David moved towards the door. "Would you call me tomorrow on this thing?" He showed his wristband. "How do I get home?"

"Next door," said Michael.

"You live next door," smiled Helene.

"Oh, right," said David uncomfortably. "Anyway, thanks. Tomorrow?"

"Sure, David." Michael waved.

"Better call me Zoltan."

"Yeah. OK, Zolt."

"I'll let you out," said Helene.

*

# Chapter IV

David managed to find Zoltan's front door, and even 'palmed' it open. Zoltan's mother was waiting for him. She looked as though she had been crying.

"Hi, David," she said quietly. "I'll show you to your room – Zoltan's room."

David felt awful seeing Mum like this, and hoped his own mother was OK. "I'm sorry Mrs. Xavier," he said.

Mrs. Xavier turned and gave him a big hug. "It certainly isn't your fault, dear. We should be apologizing to you!" She dried her tears. "It's lovely to meet you, and you seem a very nice boy. I'm only worried about Zoltan."

"Do you know where he is?"

"We believe he is in your life, in 1999, but of course, who can say for sure?" They were now standing in Zoltan's room.

"Um, where's the bed, Mrs. Xavier?"

"Call me Mum, and I'll have to call you Zoltan. It's best that we hide this – this – occurrence from the general populous." As she spoke, Mrs. Xavier cut the air with her hand. From the ceiling, a bed dropped into the room, and remained suspended in mid air. "Well, good night dear," she said, smiling through her tears. "I'll be OK tomorrow, and so will you. Sleep well." And she left the room.

David took a closer look at Zoltan's room. There was a thin screen attached to an unusual looking armchair. There was a desk in the room, but no books or literature. The desk was cluttered with what looked like mechano-set model pieces. Pictures of unrecognizable contraptions were stuck on the walls, alongside some beautiful photographs of planets and stars.

David pulled himself up onto the bed, which was surprisingly steady, and found it quite comfortable. The bedclothes were thin and light, but cozy, and having decided that the bed was suspended by nothing more than magnetic force, he fell into a deep sleep.

*

When David opened his eyes, he felt a kind of relief, as though he had been having bad dreams. This feeling was very short lived, as he realized that didn't recognize anything in the room. Thoughts of yesterday whizzed through his brain, and a slight feeling of panic set in. His thoughts were interrupted when the door to his room slid open, revealing Dr. Xavier.

"I-I-I-It's O-O-O-OK," he said, and patted David's hand gently.

David lay his head back on the pillow, and squeezed his eyes shut. He needed a moment to compose himself, then opened his eyes so that he was looking straight at the ceiling. There, directly above him, was a picture of Josephine and Pierce – and the picture appeared to be moving. No -wait – was it a picture, or was it a window? It couldn't be a window, surely! Then, the two children seemed to realize that David had espied them, and the whole picture vanished.

Dr. Xavier sat on the bed, and looked earnestly into David's face. I-I-I'm s-s-so s-s-s-sorry about th-th-this. Your n-n-n-name is Zoltan Xavier, and I am your f-f-f-father. My name is Z-Z-Zachary Xavier. I-I-I am a s-s-s-scient-t-t-tist." He said this last part apologetically. "I'm afraid that our l-l-l-little ex-x-experim-m-"

"Experiment?" David offered.

"Yes," Dr. Xavier sighed. "It went wrong." He sighed again, and rubbed his hands over his eyes.

"Look," said David, "I'm sorry if your experiment didn't work out, but I'm not Zoltan. I'm David Finn, and you're not my dad either. My dad is Jon Taylor, and he's not a scientist, he's an economist." David was trying to speak calmly and clearly, and just hearing himself speak was a relief – normal, somehow.

But Dr. Xavier would have none of it. "No, I-I-I'm s-s-sorry. P-p-please listen. I am a scientist. I have been conducting experiments concerned with extracting the gene that enables us to remember our past lives. You, Zoltan, wanted to 'be' the experiment, but instead you 'are' a past life, not merely the experiential memory of that life."

Zachary Xavier seemed to be much more in control of the situation now. David also noticed that his stutter had diminished – almost disappeared, in fact. How could that happen, he wondered. Perhaps Dr. X only stuttered when he was anxious, or -

"You must listen to me now, very carefully." Dr. X was quite serious. "I've got a lot of important information to give you, and it is crucial – critical – that you listen and understand." Zachary paused and looked searchingly at David.

David was very attentive now, and he nodded. "OK."

"You mean -OK, Dad!"

David was the one to stutter now. "O-OK, Dad."

"Good lad." Zachary smiled, and patted David's knee. "Right, then. First up, the world today is a bit different to the one you've come from. The twentieth century – man, how I envy you!" Zachary gazed at David with admiration. "The most dynamic, catalytic, free-thinking century in history, as well as the most destructive." Zachary shook his head quickly, as though to wake himself up. "Anyway, back to the present – 2999. We are in a period which is almost totally focused on the past."

"The Erasure," said David.

"Yes," said Zachary. "In 2703, a nuclear reactor which also housed a large quantity of converted uranium imploded, and the world changed forever."

"All the information was erased," added David.

"Knowledge, Zolt. Centuries of knowledge. We are only capable of what we do because we use knowledge that has been recorded for thousands of years."

"What happened?"

"Well, the plant was destroyed, of course, and everyone thought that was that. Unfortunately, no one knew what would happen when you stored converted uranium in the same vicinity as a nuclear reactor for more than 666 years. Well, that is, they thought they knew. They thought that the uranium just sort of lost its potential energy, and quietly eroded away. Unfortunately, the nuclear reactor was operating off magnetic transference, and the depleted uranium absorbed the opposite pole magnetic charge created by the reactor, and sucked the magnetic energy completely from the atmospheric range of the globe which is what caused the problem we were left with. What happened as a result of that is still happening now. The historians took over."

"Who are they?"

"The historians, Zoltan! You had them in 1999! They wrote history books, and taught history in colleges and researched world history! The historians!" Zachary, who had been pacing around the room, slumped back into a chair, like a man who has lost a battle. "What a day that was for the world."

"What's wrong with the historians? What harm could they possibly do?" David was not prepared for the response this simple question evoked. Dr Xavier immediately regained his energy.

"What harm? Well, imagine a world that is totally focused on the past. Imagine a world where problems never get fixed; no new solutions are ever devised; nothing moves forward. The entire focus in on the past." Zachary shook his head slowly, and took a deep breath. "Of course, history is very important – vital – to understanding our present and future. It's just that the world needs the sciences – the scientists and technicians, too – otherwise we don't go anywhere new!

"I can see that you barely comprehend our situation. You – twentieth century man – when scientists and engineers reigned supreme over so many areas of endeavor. It's like asking an Eskimo to imagine a world without ice! How I envy you! I've always felt that my happiest lives were spent a thousand years ago."

David found himself believing Zachary – possibly because he had begun to like the man. The story he was telling was far fetched; it was incredible; it just might be true! Who could make up a story like this one, and why would they?

"Can you read and write?" David asked.

Zachary Xavier looked at David, and his face showed that an entirely new, exciting thought had just entered his brain. "David – tell me – can you do writing?"

David laughed. "You don't 'do' writing! You just write! But yes, I -" David stopped when he saw what he thought were tears in Zachary's eyes. He answered gently. "I can read and write, Dad."

Zachary's heart was pounding against David's chest as he enveloped him in an enormous bear hug. "I never even dared to hope," he said, mostly to himself. Then he ruffled David's hair. "You'll be all right. We'll sort this out, but it will take some doing. In the meantime, remember who you are, try not to draw attention to yourself, and above all, don't ask anyone else anything. Ask Mum, or me. If you ask too many curious questions, the Community Control Citizens will be at our door. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good. OK then. Let's introduce David Finn to Zoltan Xavier. You play piano extremely well -"

"Sorry – no can do. Violin's my instrument, and I'm only OK at that, I'm afraid."

"Well, we'll have to work around that. You play baseball – "

"Right on! I do play baseball!"

"Good! You're OK at school -"

"Actually, school I'm good at. In 1999, I went to a special school for smart kids, but I don't want to brag."

"Then don't. Here, you are just OK at school. That's to our advantage, because you are going to have to learn a whole new curriculum. Math and biology will basically be the same for your age, but history, technology and communication and transportation – you will really have a lot of ground to cover." Dr. Xavier looked thoughtfully at David, and said quietly, "I know this is hard on you, but I have to go away for a while." He paused and studied his hands as though he was trying to make a decision. "I wish I could take you with me, but I don't want to endanger you. He looked at David and smiled. "We'll get you home, David, have no fear. However," here the doctor looked nervous, "I'm afraid it's not possible right away. I'll stay in touch with you, through Declan. I want you to be careful." Zachary patted David's shoulder and smiled. "Can you do that for me?"

"Sure," answered David. But he thought gloomily to himself, "I may as well try to cheer the poor guy up. I can't do anything to help myself – at least I can be friendly."

Zachary got up to go. "You'd better get a move on. I think you've got Graffiti class first up this morning. I'm surprised Michael hasn't come by to walk you to class.

*

# Chapter V

Michael did walk David to class, and he had a million and one questions about David's world and 1999 generally. "Wow!" He'd exclaim at every morsel of information. Finally, he said, "You'll get 100% in Ancient History this year – for a change!"

"So, tell me about Graffiti class," said David. "Am I any good at it?"

"Average, I guess. It's just part of the general communication curriculum. You know, communicating a message, blah blah blah. It's a pre-requisite to Public Speaking."

The classroom was actually the dining hall of the previous night, only now it was set up with easels, and the food carts held paint pots, brushes and assorted artistic paraphernalia.

"Sure beats long division," thought David.

Michael directed David to an easel, and pointed out some work Zoltan had done that term.

"This looks really good – I thought you said I was just average?" David was a bit worried. He could never turn out artwork as good as Zoltan's – maybe he should claim a sore wrist? But what were the medical procedures of 2999? Would they make him swallow some foul tasting medicine – or maybe they'd inject him with something and he'd turn out to be allergic to it, and then –

Two adults – the teachers – entered the room. The man was tall and athletic looking, and the woman had one of those crazy hairdos he'd noticed at the baseball park yesterday. She wore brightly colored clothes and tinkley jewelry, and you could tell where she was in the room without having to look for her. Both of them were bright and cheerful, and David felt slightly less nervous.

"Their names are Nero and Cleo, but we call them Zero and Pat." whispered Michael.

"Pat?" David could see that Nero and Zero rhymed, but Cleo and Pat? "Wait, I get it: Cleopatra, right?"

"Duh!" laughed Michael. David laughed, too.

Pat was speaking. "Today we will be continuing our work planning and designing the instructional mural for the teenagers' banquet hall for New Year's Eve. Please remember there will be visitors here who won't know their way around, so our murals must explain things. We should have four groups by now: one painting pictures of the food, one for the activities schedule, one showing the floor plan so people can find the bathroom, and one festive celebration piece.

"We are 'floor plan' group," hissed Michael.

"Thank heaven!" thought David.

However, it was the festive celebration mural that caught David's attention. It showed thousands of tiny yet detailed people on the ground, standing and gazing at the night sky, which was ablaze with colored lights and fireworks. The fireworks were artistic recreations of various plants and animals, and created a quite extraordinary picture.

Michael took a piece of charcoal, and began to sketch out a plan. "Here," he said, passing charcoal to David. "Look busy while I get this done."

David took the stick and began doodling on his page. He drew planets and people and bicycles and flying saucers and underneath he wrote: Zoltan and the 31st Century.

At the end of the lesson, Nero announced "All right, everyone bring their work to the front. Clean your hands, and then we can reset the room for lunch."

Everyone detached their art sheet from their easel, and dutifully dropped the sheets into one of four trays on the front bench. The art supply trolleys were neatly parked in cavities in the wall, so you could barely notice them at all. The walls of the room, and the trolleys, were made of molded, prefabricated stuff, and David noticed that it had an unusual, suede-like texture. "Probably a new generation of plastic," he thought.

The cleaning station consisted of a box into which everyone threw paintbrushes, and a dispenser of slimy gel, which everyone squirted onto their hands, then rubbed them together. The gel disappeared with the dirt, leaving their hands clean and dry. David thought it was a real improvement on the soap, water and hand towels he was used to. "Hard to have a water fight, though," he thought, as he squirted a large blob of gel into his palm.

No sooner was the thought on his mind than a handful of gel came flying through the air and landed squarely on the back of David's head. Before David could collect his wits, he was bombarded by more flying blobs.

"Hey, Xavier – catch you in jets!"

David looked at the boy who was shouting at him, and saw a large child of about 12, surrounded by about three or four giggling boys. The speaker had a brutal looking face, with large, uneven features and a sloppy mouth. He laughed when David spotted him and turned away with a cruel sneer on his face.

"What did you say?" demanded David.

The other boy looked at David in surprise, and at that exact moment, David threw his handful of gel at the boy's big face. David laughed delightedly as the goo splattered over his face, and dripped onto his clothes.

The large boy caught his breath, and stepped towards David, his anger was apparent. "Xavier, I'll get you," he growled.

"Oooh!! I'm so scared!" David put on a high-pitched, babyish voice, a terrified face, and pretended to shake in mock horror. A few other kids laughed at his little act, but Michael grabbed David's arm and hauled him out of the room.

"What are you doing, Michael" demanded David.

"What am I doing? What are you doing? Do you want to get pulverized and chucked out of Fairfax? Grow a brain!" Michael was really annoyed.

"So, you thought I should just let that idiotic bully use my head for target practice?" David was laughing, and Michael couldn't help himself, and he laughed, too.

"For one thing, that's Vladco, and he is both an idiotic bully and the governor's kid."

"I don't care if he is Santa's helper – he should project his gel towards someone else's cranium, because I – don't – like – it!" David put on his best aristocratic impersonation.

"Oh no," groaned Michael. "We have a star!"

"Lighten up, Michael. I'm getting a bit tired of being scared all the time. I've got to be a bit normal. Don't worry – I can take care of myself."

"Famous last words," said Michael, his hands raised in resignation.

"And what exactly is 'jets'?"

"You know – fly lessons. We've finished anti-gravity, and buoyancy control, so now it's -

"What?" David couldn't believe his ears.

Michael looked at David with concern. "Oh no, don't tell me! You haven't, right?"

"Sorry." said David. Then he beamed happily at Michael. "But I'm a fast learner, and flying sounds like fun!"

"What?"

"Fun! You know, fun? Don't tell me you don't have fun here?" David was pretending to jab at Michael, dancing around him like a boxer.

Michael fended off David's attack in a halfhearted sort of way. "Calm down," he said, "and follow me." He led David up a wide flight of marble stairs. The ceiling above the staircase was made of glass, and David had the feeling that the stairs led right through it. And so they did. The glass ceiling was slanted at a 45-degree angle, like a skylight. Michael cut the air with his hand from right to left, and the glass slid open. Michael and David walked out onto the roof of the building.

Up ahead of them, a group of about twelve kids and a couple of teachers – again, a man and a woman – were congregated around some odd-looking equipment.

Michael spoke to David without looking at him. "Stick by me. Do what I do. OK Zoltan?"

"OK," said David. Michael shot him a warning look. "I said OK! I'll be good," David promised.

"Be good or be sorry, my friend," warned Michael.

"So good of you to join us, boys. Sorry if we are interrupting your conversation." The other students laughed.

"Sorry, Cindy," said Michael, and he nudged David to follow suit.

"Sorry," said David.

"OK," continued the teacher, "now fit your anti-gravity elbow and knee pads, put on your buoyancy bonnets, and ensure that you jet soles are securely fastened."

David was as good as his word, and watched Michael closely, copying his every move. They strapped elasticized pads to their limbs, and eggshell fine helmets to their heads. Michael cleared his throat to attract David's attention, indicating that he should watch Michael especially closely while he fitted his jet soles. Michael did this very deliberately and methodically, ensuring that David observed and imitated his every move.

As they moved closer to the group, Michael hissed at David "Stay stiff. Watch me."

David was more than a little bit nervous as he followed Michael to the end of a row of their fellow students. It was then that David noticed the 'large child', Vladco, leering malevolently at him.

"All right, boys and girls," announced the male teacher, whose name turned out to be Roger. "Wait a few seconds, then alight, one after the other. Vladco, you go first."

This instruction had the effect of removing the nasty look from Vladco's face, and replacing it with one of humble fear. Vladco stepped up to a line painted on the ground, and stood at attention. He appeared to jolt his body upwards, and managed to lift a few feet into the air, but tipped forward and fell face first into the ground.

A broad smile spread across David's face, but Michael glared at him so fiercely that David quickly checked himself.

"Nice try, Vladco," said Ms Clifton encouragingly, "but remember, you must ignite your soles as you take your jump, otherwise your center of gravity dictates your direction – downwards! Next!"

Michael was fourth in line, and David was after him. One by one everyone attempted to 'take off', and the teachers assisted and encouraged each try. When it came to Michael's turn, he was a good deal better than those before him, and made it a good twelve feet into the air, and about twenty feet away from the starting line. David watched closely, and concentrated on doing exactly what he thought he'd seen Michael doing, but his feet had barely left the ground when he tumbled and fell forward onto his head.

"Bad luck, Zoltan – everyone has a bad day – too much pizza at lunch, eh?" Everyone laughed at Roger's little joke. David tried to be a good sport about his failure, but he realized in that single attempt just how far behind all the others he actually was.

"This takes practice," he thought to himself. "Your whole body feels entirely different when you are in the air – you have to get used to that feeling, and then learn how to control yourself." He looked over at Michael, who seemed to be having similar thoughts concerning David.

When the class was over, Michael signaled to David to wait, then, when all the other kids had slipped off, he approached the teachers who were packing up the equipment. "Er – Cindy? Zoltan and I have a free period next, and we'd like to practice some more. Would you mind?" He spoke in his most respectful, polite voice.

Roger spoke first. "Well, unfortunately I don't have the time. I'm straight into plastic shop now with the year nine class."

Cindy, however, was for it. "I'm free," she said. "I don't mind staying." The two teachers had a short discussion about the equipment, and soon the boys were getting their flying gear back on.

Luckily for them, Cindy was the tri-county pennant winner for the past two years, and she knew exactly how to instruct each of them, correcting mistakes they didn't even know they were making. By the end of the second hour, David at least felt as though he knew what he ought to be doing, and he definitely felt more in control of his body once he'd left the ground.

"Very good, Zoltan – more like your old form!" said Cindy.

David was pleased. "Thanks," he said. "Could we do an extra hour after our next class, too?"

"Probably – I'll let you know. Bye for now."

*

# Chapter VI

It was lunchtime, so they made their way back to the dining room. When they got there, Cue was waving madly to them from a booth at the back of the room. Sensing her urgency, they hurried over.

"We're going on an excursion – to the moon!" Cue's excitement was written all over her face. "Can you believe it – the moon – without our parents!"

Michael was easily as excited as Cue, but David felt a bit scared. He didn't want to say anything, though, especially if he was the only one who felt that way.

"Didn't you hear me, Zolt?" Cue had noticed David's lack of enthusiasm. "A class excursion to the moon – ten kids, two teachers, no gravity – think about it!"

Michael quickly covered for David. "Well, remember, Cue – Zoltan and his family only just got back from a week at the Armstrong Observatory, and -"

"Yes, but that was with his family! This is with us! And that was to the observatory. This is to the crater!"

"Really?" Said Michael, once again drawn into the excitement. "Are we allowed to go zooming?"

"That's why we're going!" bubbled Cue.

"Oh boy," thought David. "That's just what I need. More stuff I've never done before. Maybe I can be hopeless at that, too! I can hardly wait." But aloud, he asked, "When are we going?"

"This weekend," answered Cue, "so get all your homework done before we go. It's going to be two heavenly days on the moon!" "How long will it take us to get there?" asked Michael.

"I don't know – a few hours, I guess," answered Cue.

"Are we traveling by city transport or jet?" asked Sean.

"I don't know," said Cue impatiently. "Who cares how we get there?"

"Well, I do," said Sean. "City transporters are slower and land further away from the hotel, while a jet will take us right to where we are going in half the time. And for some reason, transporter food always tastes stale, while the food boxes they have on board the jets are delicious."

"Sean -" interrupted Cue impatiently, "I really don't care about any of that. Your stomach will survive no matter how we travel."

"All the same, if we go by transporter, I'm bringing my own provisions, and I suggest that you all do the same, because I'll only be able to pack enough for myself, and I'd hate to see you all drooling at the mouth, watching me eat." Sean was quite serious.

"Sean, you are such a pain," groaned Cue. "Here we are, presented with a fabulous opportunity – a trip to the moon with our friends and NO PARENTS," here Cue looked meaningfully at David, Michael and Sean, "and all you can do is stress out about whether or not they'll have your favorite cookies on the inflight menu!" She shook her head and sighed.

By this time, the four of them were seated around the booth table. "What you should be thinking about," she continued, leaning conspiratorially across the table, towards David and Michael on the other side, "is how we can get the teachers to take us to the Moon Mall."

"She's right!" agreed Michael. "The Moon Mall has all kinds of gear you can't get here, and there's no sales tax, so it's less expensive even if you could get it here!"

"Will we get to go to the Dark Side Diner?" asked Sean.

"Sean! Will you stop?" wailed Cue.

"No – really – I've read about it. The whole diner is designed so that you feel as though you are sitting in a bowl that is orbiting the moon, and when you are on the dark side, the surface of the moon becomes luminous. You can see every crater and mountain – even the moon planes are illuminated. And the food!" Sean slid back in his chair, apparently overcome with gastronomic ecstasy.

"I hate to interrupt the planning," said Michael facetiously, "but why are we being taken on such a cool excursion all of a sudden?" His question brought silence to the group. "I mean, it's not as though our class has gotten good grades this term – or even earned Best Behavior Badge. And you don't normally get a moon excursion till 10th grade. Why are they suddenly taking 6th graders?"

Cue nudged Michael and 'sshhhed' him to be quiet. She then surreptitiously indicated the 'large child', Vladco, who was sitting with his friends at a table not far from their booth. "That's why." Cue whispered.

"Oh, I get it, the governor pulled strings to send his kid to the moon," said David in a low voice. "Well, who can blame him? If I had to look at that ugly dial across the breakfast table first thing every morning, I'd try to put it as far away as I could, too. The moon's a long way, right?" He was playing dumb, and the others tried to smother their laughter so that they wouldn't attract Vladco's attention.

Vladco took this opportunity to stroll over, and he leaned his enormous hands on the ends of their table, and peered at them. "Heard about the moon trip?" he asked. He then stood up straight, and hitched up his trousers. "You know who you have to thank for that, don't you?" When no one answered, he said "Me. So look out, or you're off the trip," and he rapped his great big fist twice on the table, and sauntered off, like a big hero.

Unfortunately, the people in the next booth had just dropped a big, buttery bread roll on the floor, and Vladco didn't see it until he had stepped on it. His foot flew from under him, and he slid – all buttered up – on his back, right past his own table and into the next one.

Being such a large child, the force of a buttered Vladco sliding into the lightweight table was such that the whole thing upended, and food and drinks flew in all directions – some of it landing on the human projectile himself. By now the children who could see what had happened were laughing hysterically. David was gasping for breath, and could barely speak, but managed to say to Michael "I think I'm going to wet my pants!"

Michael had just enough control of his limbs to punch David weakly in the arm, while Cue and Sean were in bad shape. Cue was collapsing on the seat, while Sean had the hiccups, and was consequently having a fair bit of trouble breathing.

At last Vladco righted himself, and brushed the edible debris from his clothing. One of his friends began to wipe the back of Vladco's fat neck with a towel, but was pushed roughly away. Vladco's whole head was as red as a tomato, and he looked as if he was going to explode. He looked savagely around him, and for an instant seemed intent on David and his friends, but checked himself in the knowledge that the entire dining room was watching him. He strode form the room, his temper pent up within.

"I don't believe it," said Sean. "I've laughed so much, I'm not even hungry!"

"I don't believe it, either," said Cue.

"Well, that kind of puts a damper on the moon trip," said Michael. "Who else is going?"

"Well," answered Cue officiously, "there will be ten students in total. That's Michael, Sean, David, Vladco, his three goons – Len, Ben and Harry, and Margie, Adrian and I."

"Well, at least we'll have someone along who knows something about where we're going – in case we have any questions."

"You mean, intelligent questions," said Cue.

"In my case, yes," answered Michael, ducking just in time to miss the slap Cue aimed at him. "And with Margie and Adrian along, we know someone will have taken notes, rock samples and photos, just in case there is a test when we get back."

"But can they zoom?" Asked Sean.

"Margie and Adrian can do everything and anything. They work hard and play hard. Adrian is quite good at it. He's better than I am, anyway!"

"He?" said David. "I thought 'Adrian' was a girl's name!"

"Definitely not in this case!" laughed Michael. "Adrian's about a foot and a half taller than any girl I've ever come across! Anyway, the important thing is that the 'fun' people outnumber the 'goons'!" Michael was helping himself to the lunch cart, which had just appeared. "I vote that we go and find them before Learning Lab, and discuss our upcoming field trip. I presume Dr. Fowler and Dr. Pentony are the accompanying teachers?"

"Oh, yes," said Sean, raising his eyebrows and grimacing. "You presume correctly."

"It could be worse. Although they are strict, neither of them is particularly suspicious, so if we behave ourselves when they are around, we will be OK."

They finished eating, and made their way to a tiny cupboard-like room, underneath the stairs. "This is where I usually find them, in between classes," he explained. After knocking gently on the door, he slowly opened it and peeked inside.

Voices could be heard as soon as he opened the door, along with a bubbling, gurgling sound. They could hear a girl speaking:

"\- wasn't enough. The surface tension dissipates the alkaline before we – oh, hello Michael."

They had all trooped into the tiny room by this stage. The only light was a naked bulb that dangled precariously from the 'stair ceiling'. It cast a dull light over a series of shelves and trestle tables, each stacked with racks of test tubes, Petri dishes and beakers. The room had a salty, soapy odor, which seemed to emanate mainly from the shallow dish over which both Margie and Adrian now stood.

It was Margie who had greeted them. "You're just in time to watch Adrian totally destroy another experiment," she announced in a matter-of-fact tone. "Go ahead," she said to him. "Get it over with."

Adrian leaned over the odoriferous potion, poured in some green crystals, and watched as the concoction fizzed and spat.

All of a sudden, there was a loud explosion, and the light bulb was the first casualty. The room was thrown into blackness, and a putrid smoke forced everyone out of the tiny room. They emerged coughing and wiping moist, sooty grime from their eyes.

"Oh – yuk!" exclaimed Cue.

"I'm sorry," said Adrian. "It didn't do that last time," he said indignantly to Margie. "Perhaps you were right about the pH balance-"

"I don't even want to discuss it," said Margie piously. Then she turned to the others, and said, "Well – aren't you glad that you paid us a visit?"

"No, not really," answered Cue pathetically, and everyone began to see the funny side of it, and tried to clean themselves up. "But we did want to tell you about the moon trip."

"Oh, that," said Margie. "I don't think we'll go. I know Adrian would hate to miss the math quiz, you know how he -"

"Margie! You can't be serious!" Adrian protested loudly. "Since when-" but then he saw Margie laughing at him, and calmed down. "Oh – ha ha, very funny – now we're even." Adrian brightened up, and turned to Sean. "Do you think they'll let us go zooming?" The six of them headed off, discussing the Moon trip and their plans for an adventurous time.

Listening to the others, David soon realized that only a few of his friends had actually been to the moon, and none of them were expert zoomers. Their excitement was contagious, and before long he was looking forward to the trip as much as they were.

David had discovered that everyone was now going to Learning Lab, whatever that was. He decided to stick close by Michael, and see what happened.

Michael may have had the same idea, because he made sure that he had a reason to go to David's house. When they got there, they went straight to David's room, and Michael showed David how to operate the Lab.

First, he picked up a small, soft ball, and squeezed it. When a tiny green light showed in the surface of the ball, Michael set it on the floor, and stood back. Within seconds, the room disappeared, to be replaced by an enormous green plant that was growing in a large field beside other plants.

"Biology," explained Michael.

"Wow!" said David. "It's a kind of interactive, three-dimensional, audio-visual, virtual-reality classroom, with me as the only student!"

"Call me if you need me," were Michael's parting words.

The learning lab was narrated, and responded to David's questions, provided they were relevant to the subject matter. He asked the lab what the temperature was on the moon that day, and the lab simply responded with a 'next question' request, and then resumed the lesson.

The 'plant' was enormous, and David was being transported into every physical aspect of it. He found the subject fascinating, and remembered all he'd learned in such detail that when the lab presented him with a test at the end, he got full marks without even feeling as though he had been studying at all. He called Michael, eager to share his first success.

"Glad to hear from you," said Michael. "Actually, I've been thinking of a few background subjects you should check out as soon as you can – to bring you up to speed. General topic: second millennium. Specific subjects: short history, transport, communications. That should keep you out of trouble!"

"Yeah – thanks, I think!" David was daunted by the prospect of so much information, then realized that all he had to do was look, listen and ask questions, and he felt quite relieved.

David spent the afternoon learning more about the Erasure of 2703. The lab was extremely detailed, and two hours later, David felt well informed on this critical topic. He'd just finished when he heard Josephine, Pierce and Mum entering the house, and he went out to see them.

He immediately sensed the relatively demure atmosphere that pervaded the living room. Closer inspection told him Josephine and Pierce looked scared. They slowly wandered off to Pierce's room.

David felt a bit scared too, as he approached Mum and asked her gently "What's wrong?"

She looked at him without trying to hide her feelings, then stood up straight and seemed to pull herself together.

"Gee, David, I'm being so selfish." She embraced him warmly. "You poor kid. What you must be going through."

David felt prickly hot tears spring to his eyes, and was absolutely terrified that he might cry, right here, right now. He coughed, to control himself. He longed to hug his own mother, and have her tickle him right in the middle of the cuddle, when he was most defenseless. And anytime she hugged him, she said how proud of him she was, and how much she loved him, and had he flossed his teeth? It made David laugh to remember how she would go on about the importance of flossing, as though dental floss was the very foundation of personal hygiene.

But Mum was speaking now, and patting his ear. "Here I am, upset over Zachary and Zoltan, forgetting that you've lost your entire world, too. It just goes to show that you have to experience something in order to understand it."

"What's happened?" Now he felt like one adult talking to another.

"We're not really sure," answered Mum. "All we know is that Zac has gone." She cleared her throat, and studied her hands.

"Let's call Dr. Dempsey," suggested David. "He may know something."

Mum sighed. "No, we can't do that, honey. You see, Declan's gone, too."

Remembering that Pierce and Josephine did not know that he wasn't Zoltan, David was aware that Mum had spoken to him with care that they were out of earshot. Now, however, both of them were gathering closer in, apparently seeking comfort. David and Mum realized this, and put an arm around each of them, drawing all four of them into a group hug.

"We are all going to help each other to be strong until Dad gets back. We know he will be trying very hard to get in touch with us, and he wouldn't want us to be upset."

"Do you think he is OK?" asked Josephine. David noticed that Pierce's eyelashes were wet.

"Yes, I'm sure he's fine," said Mum. "He's missing us the same way we are missing him, that's all." She rubbed Josephine's cheek and ruffled Pierce's hair. "Let's get ready for dinner, shall we?"

David could feel his wristband vibrating, and he looked at the screen and saw Helene's face. As David brought the tiny screen closer to his face, Helene began to speak.

"Hi, Zoltan. Would you walk me to dinner tonight?"

"Sure," answered David. "I'll meet you out front."

"OK," said Helene, and then disappeared.

"I'll never get used to this cool gadget," thought David. Then he had a thought. He sought out Mum, who was brushing her hair in her bedroom, and asked her "I was wondering. Do you think Dad's disappearance has any connection with my being here?"

Mum smiled at him. "Your mother must be so proud of you, David. You are a very thoughtful boy."

David was embarrassed. "Actually, I'm just as worried for myself as I am for him," he confessed.

"Well, it's lovely that you can consider anyone else at all. Is your mother -"

David quickly realized that Mum – Zoltan's Mum – wanted to know how her boy was being treated by his, David's, mother. He smiled sympathetically, and answered her unasked question.

"My mother is tough and terrific. She'll be looking after Zoltan, and I know she will protect him"

"Thank you, David," whispered Mum.

David hurried outside to find Helene waiting for him.

"What took you so long?" she asked. "No, I can imagine. Mrs. X is pretty upset, right?"

"Right. How is your Mum? And you? Are you OK?"

"If my Dad is not here, it is because he chooses not to be," said Helene. "It seems likely that Dr. X is where ever Dad is, since they were together last time anyone saw them, and now they are both missing. Agreed?"

David was taken aback by Helene's cool logic. It was nice to be with someone who was so unemotional at this worrying time.

"Er – yes, I guess," he muttered in agreement.

"And knowing Dad as I do," continued Helene, "and the fact that they disappeared without a sound, leads me to believe that they slipped off, into hiding perhaps, for reasons of their own. That being the case, I think they'll contact us before too long." Helene sounded like a lawyer who was presenting her evidence.

"I hope you're right," said David. He thought Helene's interpretation of events sounded reasonable, and he felt relieved.

"So – let's eat!"

*

# Chapter VII

It was as Helene had predicted. Later that evening, Mum said that she had heard from Dad, and that he had had to leave suddenly on a business trip. He was sorry for worrying them all, and that they could all let him have it when he got home. 'Let him have it' was family code for everyone jumping on Dad, pulling him to the ground, and tickling him till he could no longer stand it. Dr. X was very ticklish. This message cheered up the whole family, even Mum.

David was glad that Zachary's disappearance wasn't going to jeopardize his moon trip. "I guess I'm just a selfish kid after all," he thought critically of himself, "but I can't help it. After all, how often do you get the chance to go to the moon?"

Not surprisingly, Michael, Sean and Cue shared his relief. "Only three days till we leave," Michael reminded them. "Let's get all our equipment together, and write up a list of 'necessary items', just so that we don't leave anything behind." Everyone agreed, and got to work.

That evening, dinner was 'family night', and David, Mum, Josephine and Pierce met at the large dining hall, in much better spirits than at their previous meeting. Mum was quite jolly.

"Hey – Zolt," she winked at David, "are you all ready for the big moon trip? Better sprinkle some lead over your cereal tomorrow, or you'll float off into space!" Pierce thought this was hysterically funny, and did a pretty pathetic impression of David floating away.

"Calm down, Pierce. Don't get too excited – I'll be back!"

"Will you bring me back a Moon Doll?" asked Josephine. David looked at Mum with a horrified expression on his face, and she quickly came to his aid.

"He can't, darling – their luggage is very limited. But we'll all be going to the moon again next vacation, and we'll get one then, OK?" This made Josephine happy.

"All I want is a moon critter," said Pierce.

"You mean one of those little cheesy guys?" teased David. Pierce pulled a face. The food cart arrived at this point, and while the kids were diverted Mum spoke quietly to David.

"Zac sent a message for you," she said. "Be extra careful. He wants you to stay away from Vladco."

"Vladco? You mean Vladco Marsden?"

"Yes, the Marsden boy. Zac was very definite about it. He's trouble!"

"But Mum -" David was about to tell her that Vladco was part of the moon crew, then thought better of it. On the one hand, he didn't want to worry her, and on the other, he didn't want to be kept on Earth, even for protection. He thought he was quite capable of looking after himself, and he could take Zac's advice and stay out of Vladco's way, without forfeiting the trip. So, he said, "I don't hang out with Vladco anyway. I won't be mixing with him. Tell Dad not to worry."

"Good boy," said Mum.

*

As it turned out, Sean may have had a point about the jet – it was very nice. Of course, David had nothing to compare it too, but the others did. Everyone was pleased and excited by the luxurious interior "appointments" as the steward kept calling the personal virtual reality headsets, the music system, and this neat program that allowed you to see and hear any other person on the jet as though you were sitting right next to them. And as Sean had predicted, the food was delicious.

"Pizza!" exclaimed Sean and Michael. "Yes!"

By the time they had investigated every gizmo and gadget at their disposal – and chomped their way through at least a dozen pizza's – (David was surprised to notice that Cue matched Sean in pizza consumption bite for bite!), the trip was over and they were receiving landing and disembarkation instructions from the crew.

Dr. Pentony stood and faced the children. "I think now is as good a time as any to impart a few factual details concerning your new environment," she said excitedly.

"Oh, great," groaned Sean. "Just when I was starting to enjoy myself, I have to learn something!"

"I'm sorry, Sean – what did you say?" asked Dr. Pentony.

"Er, I just said that it was great to be learning something!"

"Oh!" Dr. Pentony sounded shocked, then smiled and continued her little lecture. "The moon is a very different place to our own planet Earth, being comparatively unchanging. It has been called 'the fossil planet', and is approximately four and a half billion years old."

"Dr. Pentony," asked Cue, raising her hand. "How many is a billion?"

"A billion is a thousand million," answered the doctor. "The moon has only one sixth the gravitational force of Earth, and consequently has no atmosphere, no water, no weather, no wind. It is 2,160 miles in diameter. Scientists believe that the moon was created when Earth collided with a planetary body. The gray plains you see here today are made of a dark basalt substance." Dr. Pentony rattled off the facts and figures from memory as she gazed excitedly out the window. "Apart from the breathing apparatus in these protective suits, they also protect us from the severe temperatures. The dark side of the moon experiences lows of down to minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit, while the light side will have highs of up to 250 degrees. That's hot enough to melt your faces right off your heads! So," smiled the doctor, "don't forget your sunscreen!" She chuckled to herself, then saw the horrified looks on the faces of the children.

"Er, OK, sure -" said Michael uncomfortably. He looked over at Adrian and shrugged.

Sensing that her joke had fallen flat, Dr. Pentony cleared her throat. "Of course, sunscreen would be of no use whatsoever. Are we ready?" Dr. Pentony changed the subject as adroitly as she could.

David looked out at the moonscape, and saw – not very much, actually.

"Where is everything?" He quietly asked Michael.

"What?" asked Michael.

"You know – the Moon Mall, the Darkside Diner – all that stuff. All I can see is a lot of dark sand."

Michael smiled. "It's all here – you'll see. Come on – let's get onto the moon buggy before Vladco gets the best seat!"

But before they could leave the jet, they had to put on their moon suits. The steward handed them out, and everyone zipped themselves into lightweight overalls, then very heavy boots which reminded David of ski boots, and finally a loosely fitted "balaclava" style helmet with a plastic window for the eyes.

"The helmet is oxygenated, so just breathe normally," advised the steward. "Don't take lots of huge breaths, or you'll start to feel lightheaded." Of course, as soon as he said that, it was the hardest thing in the world not to take huge, gasping breaths.

At last they were leaving the jet, and climbing into the moon buggy. Leaving the jet was fun – the stewards just attached a chute to the doorway, and everyone slid down, bags and all. The chute led to an inflatable room, where everyone collected themselves and made ready to leave the pressurized atmosphere of the jet, and walk out onto the moon's surface.

Dr. Fowler led the way, and from inside the plastic bubble room, David watched her reactions to the changes in the atmospheric pressure, gravity and her overall physical coordination. Dr. Fowler was a large woman, and David couldn't help wondering if it was going to be even harder for the children, since they were so much lighter than their teacher.

They could see the moon buggy awaiting them, about thirty feet away. It looked like a low-rise school bus, with very padded wheels. When it came his turn to walk out to the buggy, David was sorry that his whole body was encased in clothing. He wanted to feel the moon air on his skin, and feel a moon breeze against his face. He thought that this must be how deep-sea divers felt, totally protected from the environment they were invading. His feet felt clumsy in his boots, and his arms felt predictably weightless. What he hadn't anticipated was the extra concentration it took to direct his movements, particularly the direction he was going. The moon buggy was right there, and yet David felt like a baby who was taking his first steps!

He made it, though, as did everyone else. "Right oh, then," said Dr. Pentony, a huge and very uncharacteristically excited smile on her face, "you've all survived the trip in one piece! We are going to drive over to the hostel, and unload our things. Then we'll begin our itinerary of activities. Remember – this is not Earth. You cannot breathe moon gas – it's not air. Also, there is no real social community here, and no police or hospitals, so it would be better for all of us if you could refrain from getting lost or hurt." She wasn't joking, either. They'd all received long lectures about the inherent dangers of outer space, and they had each promised on their oaths to behave responsibly.

The moon was an oddly dull looking place. The sky, if you could still call it a sky, was outrageously brilliant, filled with innumerable stars and, of course, the sun. The view from the moon was far more spectacular than the moon itself. The surface of the moon was uneven, and kind of dusty. It was a dark, dull gray color, without the relief provided by plants or waterways, because neither of these was in evidence. David was still wondering where everything was, when there before them, in the sky but frighteningly close, flew an enormous bubble. The bubble was ablaze with color, and packed with people. It looked like a flying city.

"Well, there it is – the Moon Mall. But first, to the hostel!" And with those words, Dr. Pentony pointed to a large, soft-looking building to their left.

It was the same kind of inflatable structure as the room they'd just left, only much bigger. It, too, had a chute, which led into it, but this chute lay flat on the ground like a long, serpentine hallway. The kids lined up and left the moon buggy in a relatively orderly fashion, trooping through the moon sand to the mouth of the tunnel that led them into the blow-up hostel.

The interior of the bubble house, which is what the kids quickly came to call the hostel, was very bright, warm and lively. There were kids and adults everywhere, and although the activity was constant, there was an air of order and authority about the place. Even David soon felt relaxed, and was pleased to find that he had been allotted a berth next to Michael and Sean. There were two sets of double bunks in their room. Michael and Sean quickly grabbed the top bunk for themselves.

"Wow!" exclaimed Michael. "Look at these beds! Aren't they great? I'm having this top one."

"I'm having this one," said Sean from the other top bunk.

"I guess I'll have this one," said David, tossing his knapsack onto the bed under Michael's bunk.

"That means we can use the bunk under mine to put our bags and gear on," said Michael.

Just as he finished speaking, Vladco entered their room. The boys stared at him in silence.

"You'd better get that stuff off my bed," he said gruffly. No one moved.

"What do you mean, Vladco?" asked Michael. "This is our room."

"That's right," answered Vladco. "It's our room. There are four beds in here, aren't there? That one is mine." And he started to fling the boys bags and coats onto the floor.

"Vladco! What are you doing? Why would you want to stay in here?" Sean was shouting as he climbed down to retrieve his gear from the floor. "You can't just-"

Dr. Fowler flung open the door and everyone froze – even Vladco. "If you think for one moment that this kind of behavior will be tolerated, think again. We may not have police or hospitals here, but what we do have is security vessels leaving for Earth every 24 hours and as required in the event of disorderly conduct. That means," said Dr. Fowler, as she walked menacingly close to Sean, "that I can have any or all of you out of here within an hour." Now she was making a close inspection of Vladco's face from a distance of about three inches. "So, any anti-social behavior will be instantly stopped by the immediate removal of its perpetrator. Are we clear so far?"

"Yes, ma'am," said all four boys in unison.

"I'm so pleased." Dr. Fowler gave them one last look, and left the room.

Michael could see that Sean wanted to continue his interrogation of Vladco, and he could also sense that Vladco was enjoying the upset he had caused. Michael also knew that Dr. Fowler was probably just a few feet away, listening for any further outbreak, so he decided to avert any dilemma before it arose.

"Let's get out of here, and see what's going on," he said, jumping lightly off his bunk. "I want to get the itinerary from Dr. Pentony, and see what we are doing for lunch. Come on!"

Sean reluctantly followed, glowering at Vladco, who was grinning in a supercilious way. David slipped out behind the others, not wanting to start anything he couldn't finish this time.

Sure enough, as the boys entered the hallway outside their room, they bumped straight into Dr. Fowler.

"Er, excuse us, ma'am," said Michael politely.

"You are excused," said Dr. Fowler, a pleasantly surprised look on her face. "If you are after the itinerary, you should go back to the main foyer. Dr. Pentony left the audio chips at the front desk. Try to be on time for all the activities, boys. We have a tight schedule, and we don't want anyone to miss out!"

It was quite obvious that Dr. Fowler had been listening, otherwise how else could she have known exactly what they were planning to do just then? The boys exchanged glances, then Michael answered.

"Thank you, Dr. Fowler. Would you like us to get a chip for you while we are there?"

Dr. Fowler positively glowed. "No, thanks Michael, but thank you for asking. I appreciate you being so considerate." Then she paused, and said in a soft voice, "You know, it makes our job a lot easier if you kids all work together to ensure that things go smoothly. I know that sometimes things don't work out exactly as you would like them to, but that is the challenge of life, and sometimes it is easier to divide and conquer, than deal with the consequences of ignoring a potential problem." And with that, Dr. Fowler headed off, looking greatly relieved and far more relaxed than she had looked in their room.

Michael, however, looked quite agitated. "She put him in our room!" He was keeping his voice down, but only with great effort. "I can't believe that she would do that to us!"

"What are you talking about?" asked David. Sean, too, looked at Michael quizzically.

"Didn't you hear what Dr. Fowler just said? Don't you two listen? Dr. Fowler just admitted to us that she put Vladco in our room to break up his little group of trouble makers, and because she thinks I will do whatever it takes to keep the peace while we are on the moon."

"She said that?" David was confused. "I didn't hear her say anything like that! I only heard her-"

"David, don't worry," said Sean, putting his hand on David's shoulder in a comforting way. "Michael understands Adult Doublespeak. He is quite a master at it, actually. Has something to do with being twelve, I think." Sean shook his head, and folded his arms across his chest. "But, I don't think I'll ever catch on, no matter how old I get."

"Me, neither!" agreed David. "Don't worry, Michael. At least there are more of us than there are of him, and anyway, what can we do about it? Let's go and get the itinerary and find the others."

Michael glumly agreed, and off they went. "I just expected more from them, that's all," was his final pronouncement on the subject.

The boys found the itinerary chips at the front desk just as Dr. Fowler had said. Michael inserted one into his wristband, and a voice gave detailed descriptions, directions and instructions regarding the entire weekend.

"OK," said Michael, when they had all listened to the schedule. "It looks like all we have on today after lunch at the Darkside Diner is a trip to the Moon Mall. Then, we have an early night, which we will need, if we are to get up in time to go zooming that early in the morning."

"Does it really matter if we don't start zooming first thing?" asked Sean, a dismayed look on his face as he anticipated waking at such an early hour.

"Do you really think they would take us on a cool field trip like this one, and let us sleep in? Think again, my friend! We are talking about Doctors Fowler and Pentony, remember."

"Yeah," groaned Sean.

"There you are!" It was Cue. "I was wondering whether or not I'd bump into you!" She lowered her voice. "Guess who poor old Adrian is sharing with?"

"Who?" asked Sean. Michael and David were all attention, too.

At that moment, Adrian followed Margie into the foyer. Margie was speaking to him in earnest. "You can't really move in with Cue and me. For one thing, there is no room, and for another, we are in the girl's dormitory, and what with you not being a girl-" Margie was gently explaining the situation to a very downhearted Adrian. His expression, when he looked up and saw the others, was that of a doomed man.

"Can you believe it?" he beseeched them. "I'm stuck in a room with the three goons! Ben, Len and Harry! How come I'm not in your room?"

"Guess who else is in our room?" said David.

Adrian stopped looking beaten, and stared at David. "Who?" He asked. "Not Vladco!"

"Right first time!" laughed David.

Adrian laughed with relief. "Well, that's just perfect, isn't it? I'll simply change spots with Vladco! He'd rather be with his apes than you guys anyway! That was a close one!"

Michael patted him on the arm in consolation. "Sorry, old son. No can do. The rooms have been organized by Dr. Fowler, and she more or less told me that she split up Vladco and company to stop any plotting they might get up too. She specially chose to put him in with us, and you in with the others to avert mischief making."

"She told you that?" Adrian was incredulous.

"Not in so many words, but that was the gist of it." Michael laughed bitterly. "I felt sorry for us, having Vladco, but you've got it much worse!"

"Yeah, thanks," said Adrian, his gloom returning.

"Could we talk about this over lunch?" interjected Sean impatiently. "I'm famished, and I hate to be depressed on an empty stomach!"

Cue groaned, and Margie sighed. "What a bunch of sad sacks! We are still on the moon, aren't we? We can still have an enormous amount of fun! Put this in perspective, please! The time you will be spending with these undesirables, both you and they will be asleep! It could be a lot worse!" She looked from one to the other boy impatiently. "The only sensible word I've heard so far came from Sean!" Sean glowed at Margie's praise. "Let's eat."

*

# Chapter VIII

Margie led the way, and they walked along a plastic corridor that ran along the outside of the hostel, giving panoramic views of the moonscape. It was early evening, and the universe was a glittering spectacle.

"This is breathtaking," said Cue. "I'm going to paint this!"

At last they arrived at the transport terminal. The doctors and Vladco and friends were already assembled, and looked up expectantly when the others entered the room. They were directed down another tunnel, which led directly to a spaceship that David thought looked just like a helicopter without any rotor blades.

They all took seats and strapped themselves in, and the vessel took off, seemingly floating through space – for there is no actual atmosphere on the moon, David reminded himself -only a short distance from the surface of the moon. Soon they came to the restaurant, which looked like a huge molecule. It had numerous round balls connected by stem-like passage ways, and the children were fascinated and excited to think that soon they would be inside this floating monstrosity. One of the "balls" was open on one side, and provided a landing spot for their spacecraft. However, as they landed, the "open" side closed up, with an hemispherical wall sliding into place.

"Did you see that?" Adrian said to Margie. "I'll bet we have to stay inside for a few minutes now, while they reinstate the oxygenated gases, so we can breathe."

Sure enough, Dr. Pentony turned around and smiled. "I heard that, Adrian, and you are right, of course. Actually, we could get out whenever we like, but the door to the restaurant won't open to admit us until the level of oxygen and nitrogen is sufficient to sustain life. Of course, if we do get out dressed as we are, we would freeze, suffocate, and float away into space!" she chuckled.

The ten children were dumbstruck by the prospect of freezing, suffocating and floating off into space.

"Why is that funny?" David asked Michael.

"Don't ask me," shrugged Michael. "Must be a teacher thing."

At the door to the restaurant, they could see a large flashing blue light, which now changed to green, and stopped flashing. "We can go in now." explained Dr. Fowler. "Remember, we are placing you on your honor. You can sit together, unsupervised, so long as you behave well. We are going to eat in the adult section, and you can contact us if you need to. Otherwise, we will see you back here in one hour. Any questions?"

"Yes," said Vladco. "Do we have to sit all together?"

Dr. Fowler looked at Dr. Pentony, and the two of them seemed to be communicating telepathically. Finally Dr. Fowler answered Vladco. "No, but you must all stay in the Junior Teen dining room. You need not sit together, but you may not leave that dining room until it is time to come back here. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Vladco with a smile.

"Good. We'll be back to collect you, and then we'll all be going to the Moon Mall. Of course, anyone who wants to can go straight to bed. Enjoy your meal." The teachers then took their leave. David could see them, walking down the corridor, obviously relaxed and looking forward to a couple of student-free hours.

As the children entered the Junior Teen dining room, they looked around curiously.

"So long, kids," said Vladco in a patronizing tone of voice. "See you back at the exit." And he beckoned to his entourage, who scurried away after him.

"Thank heaven for small mercies," said Adrian. "Just look at this place, would you?" He gazed happily at the room below.

They had entered at the top of the bubble, or the gigantic atom, however you liked to look at it. They stood on a small balcony inside the top of the clear sphere, and could see out into the galaxy, and down into the diner. The structure was set out in layers, with the first level suspended in the center of the sphere. It overlooked the second level, which was about 50' wide and ran around the diameter of the sphere. Below it was the third and final level, which was like the first level, except that it was larger, and sat in the bottom of the sphere. A wide staircase led from the entrance balcony to the central first level, then down to the diameter level, and at last to the bottom level.

"Let's take a look around first," suggested Cue, and the others nodded silent agreement as they followed her to the stairs.

The ball, or atom, containing the Junior Teen Diner was colorfully, if not brightly lit. David tried to discover where the illumination came from, but at first he could not. At last he saw balls the size of an orange on tables, sitting on ledges here and there, even on the stairs. These balls cast light of different colors, and the balls themselves contained different colors, which slowly changed as David observed them. But there was more light in the restaurant than David could see coming from these balls, plentiful though they in fact were. At first, he thought that perhaps the light was coming from all the stars and planets they were traveling amongst and could see so majestically from their transparent bubble. Then he realized what it was – everyone was wearing luminous clothing! Not glaringly bright, just aglow, and in fluorescent colors. All the kids in the diner wore either a luminous belt in light green or orange or pale blue, or they had on luminous sneakers which glowed pearly white or lemon, and others had whole shirts which were iridescent peach, pale pink or lilac. David also noticed that the boys were just as likely to wear a pink belt or shirt as the girls. He also noticed that the boys wore their belts lower than the girls did, and that the girls who wore belts nearly always had long, tendrils of luminous color hanging off theirs, while the boys never did.

The result of all this traveling light was that the diner looked very active, and what appeared to be a hive of activity at first glance was in fact a comfortable number of people, with lots of room for anyone else who ventured to find a table. The six friends found a large table in the middle section, which afforded them a panoramic view of both the galaxy beyond the glassy walls of the enormous bubble they occupied, and the upper and lower levels of the fascinating restaurant.

"Oh!" Sighed Cue. "What wouldn't I give for a glowing belt like that," she said, pointing to a girl who wore a fuzzy looking belt of iridescent blue, holding about eight shimmering, luminous silky scarves which tapered down to her knees and swished and swayed as she walked. "And those-" and here Cue pointed to another girl, who wore built up sneakers with luminous pearly soles and pink and green candy striped glowing shoelaces. "I wonder how they get their clothes to shine like that?"

"Quite simple, really," said Adrian. "They use phosphorescent dye on the clothing, which is in fact a porous synthetic metallic blend, both reflective and insulating, and -"

"Yeah, yeah, but I wonder how they get it to look like that?" said Cue impatiently.

"Adrian was trying to explain exactly that, you dolt!" laughed Margie. "It does look great, though, doesn't it? I wish we had some stuff like that!"

"Let's go to the Moon Mall tomorrow! I'll bet we can get all this stuff there!" said Cue excitedly.

"Do you think we'll have time?"

"Could we please order some food today before we get too worried about tomorrow?" asked Sean. "If we don't order dinner soon, we won't make it to tomorrow!"

The tabletop was a mosaic of food selections, tiny pictures of scrumptious looking meals. The six pored over the choices available to them, and when they had each decided, they simply pressed the picture, which hummed in response. David ordered too, and within minutes a robotic food cart appeared with their meals.

"I think I know what I'm going to have for desert," said Sean through a mouthful of Stellar Pizza. He had not taken his eyes off the hundreds of tiny pictures of various edibles. "Have you seen this picture of an Intergalactic Ice-cream Igloo? It has a warm, caramel fudge center, surrounded by chocolate and vanilla swirl ice cream, and the whole thing is covered with sherbet jello, with bubble gum satellites! Wow!" Sean spoke as if he were describing the most desirable item imaginable.

"Slow down, Sean," laughed Michael. "Your tiny mind will become totally unhinged if you overload it at this point."

"Well, that's what I'm having, anyway," said Sean, determined not to let the teasing of his companions ruin his wonderful evening.

"Has anyone spotted the Foursome Most Foul?" inquired David.

"Hey!" smiled Adrian. "That's good! I like that! Foursome Most Foul! Whoever could he mean?" Adrian chuckled, shaking his head. Then he abruptly stopped shaking with laughter, and his manner caught the attention of his five friends. "Don't look now, but one o'clock holds a nasty sight. Vladco and his buddies," Adrian spoke in a soft, low voice, looking at the tabletop as though he was examining it, "are in conference at a table on the top level. They are spending a lot of time watching what we're doing, too."

"You're right," said Michael. He put his left wrist – the one with the wristband – on the table, and signed that Adrian should do the same. Adrian did. While Michael's band was a dull gray, Adrian's glowed softly.

Adrian became quite agitated, then voiced a command which caused the wristband to return to its usual dull color. "Can you believe that?" He was clearly upset and annoyed. "I was in the same room as that lot for less than a minute, and they bugged me!" Then his mood changed to one of curiosity. "But why?"

Everyone shrugged or shook their heads. Everyone, that is, except David.

"I think it's because of me," David admitted.

"What makes you say that?" asked Margie.

"Because Zoltan and Vladco had a run in a few days ago, and Vladco is looking for a payback," explained Michael. He looked over at David, who shook his head at Michael.

"That's not it, I'm afraid," said David. "But he is doing it because of me. My Dad sent me a message before we left Earth."

The others were completely intrigued by this stage. "What was the message?" asked Sean.

"Just that I was in danger, and that I should watch out for Vladco Marsden." David said.

"But why? It doesn't make any sense!" whispered Cue.

"Maybe it does, and maybe it doesn't. It really depends on how you look at it," said David. "I only know that Dad and Mr. Marsden don't get along, and that Mr. Marsden would be much happier if Dad wasn't around. I overheard a conversation they had, and it was not nice, I can tell you. My argument with Valdco the other day had nothing to do with that, but it didn't help things. I think that the real problem lies between the two men." He went on to relate the events of the night in the auditorium, when he and Helene had heard everything Governor Marsden had said to Dr. Xavier.

Michael's face wore a serious expression. "I think we'd better discuss this, and have a contingency plan ready in case anything does occur. Adrian, from this point, you are our 'man in the enemy's camp', and any intelligence you can provide will be of value."

"Well, good thing I came prepared," said Adrian, as he placed a small, egg-shaped lump in front of them.

"What's that?" asked David.

Adrian grinned. "Everyone – meet Humpty."

*

# Chapter IX

"Humpty is an ovoid receptor reporter," said Adrian cheerfully. "He is unbreakable, impervious to heat and cold, and can be magnetic. Humpty can also travel alone."

"Really?" asked Michael. "Please give us a demonstration, Adrian."

"Why not?" Adrian was pleased to show off his invention. "I've already set Humpty's inner compass, now all I have to do is tune his monitor to your location, which is identifiable as a point on his internal local mapping grid, and -"

No sooner had Adrian spoken than Humpty spun out of his hands, and rolled onto Michael's lap.

Michael laughed. "Hey! That's unreal! What else can it do?"

Adrian sighed. "Humpty is a receptor reporter. He conveys all the geographical and audio information at his disposal, and reports it all to his master – me."

"That's terrific, Adrian. Humpty may come in very handy, although I hope we don't need him."

"You sound really worried, Michael," commented Cue.

"I am," responded Michael. "Knowing Dr. Xavier as I do, I very much doubt that he would make a point of getting a message like that to Zolt unless he knew something quite serious was taking place." Michael paused to collect his thoughts. ."Zoltan, your job is to be accompanied at all times – and I do mean all times, Zolt – by at least one of us. Everyone else's job is to be discreet, don't make our plans public knowledge, and keep you eyes open. Watch where you are and where you are going. And make sure that Zoltan is never alone." Michael spoke sternly, and looked at everyone to make sure that they understood the seriousness of the problem. "I wish Helene was here," Michael added.

"Me, too," said David.

"Oh – didn't I tell you?" said Cue. "Helene will be joining us tomorrow afternoon. Sorry – but we've been so busy since we got here, I just forgot."

"How come? Is her school coming here, too?" Margie asked.

"No, but her mother's band is playing at tomorrow night's concert, and Helene is going along for the ride. She said she'd get in touch with me as soon as they had unpacked. She thought that would be about four o'clock."

"I might call her tonight, and fill her in on the latest developments at this end," said Michael. Then he leant across the table and quietly asked Adrian, "Can you see them? Are they still watching us?"

Adrian resumed his study of the gastronomical delights, which decorated the tabletop. "Oh, yes," he answered. "When we unplugged their bug earlier on, they underwent some confusion, and laid fairly low until a few minutes ago. Now they are keeping a very vigilant watch on us."

"So, we'll have to split up," said Margie.

"But won't they just split up?" asked Cue. "I don't know which would be worse – being alone, and followed by one of them, or being in a group, and followed by all four of them!"

"I do!" said Margie with a shudder. "I'd much rather be with the rest of you! I'm not going anywhere alone!"

"I agree with Margie, I'm afraid," said Adrian.

"Me, too," agreed Sean.

"Me, three," said David. "For one thing, there are more of us than there are of them -"

"But only four of us are boys," interjected Sean, "so really we are only equal in strength to them -"

"SEAN!!!" shouted Margie and Cue in unison.

"Sshhhhh!" warned Michael. "Keep it down, would you?"

"Sorry," said the girls, but they each glared at Sean, and Cue kicked him under the table. He grimaced in pain, but didn't dare to make a sound, since Michael was looking at him quite fiercely.

"Yes," agreed Michael, "well, you may have a point there, all of you. It seems we are agreed that we want to stick together."

"Where does that leave me?" asked Adrian. " I can't stick together when I'm sharing quarters with three of the goons."

"That's why we need to have a plan," said Michael. "First, we have to imagine the types of problems we might come up against."

"Zooming," said Sean.

Michael sat back in his seat. "You're right, of course. I didn't even think of that! Zooming! Zoltan could have a really nasty accident, and that's what everyone would think it was, too – an accident." He turned to David. "Sorry, but no zooming for you. You'll just have to be the equipment monitor or something."

"Since I have absolutely no idea what zooming is, I don't know whether to be disappointed or relieved!" said David. But Michael was too busy to listen.

"We should all remember the basic rules of self-defense. If someone is following you, scream, yell, shout as loudly as you can. More people will come to your assistance if you shout 'Fire' than anything else, so keep that in mind. Also, avoid deserted places. Stay around a lot of people, and that goes for all of us. When we go zooming tomorrow, don't let the teachers out of your sight for any reason at all. Got it?" Michael looked around at the group.

"Got it," they each answered.

"Good." Michael snuck a look up at Vladco and his friends, and saw that they were more openly than ever keeping a close watch on him and his friends. "Adrian, I suggest that you employ Humpty tonight, to keep watch for you. It might not be safe to go to sleep with them around, yet I don't want you to leave them alone, either. Then we'd have no way of knowing what they were up to. As for us," he looked around at the others, "we will have to take turns at keeping watch. Forty minutes each should do it. Between the three of us, that will be four shifts each. If we have it any longer than that, we run the risk of falling asleep."

"Don't we run the risk of falling asleep anyway?" Asked Sean.

"No," said Michael harshly. "I don't think so. When you realize that you are not being asked to do anything that your friends are not doing for you and that if you let them down, you alone will have to take responsibility for the consequences. I think that should be enough to keep each of us awake, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so," mumbled Sean.

"It will be a rough night, but I really don't see any alternatives, do you?" Michael asked, but no one had a better plan, so that was decided on. "Margie, Cue – I forgot to ask – who are you two sharing with?'

"We don't know yet," answered Margie. "They hadn't shown up by the time we left our room."

Michael glanced over at Vladco's table as they departed, and saw that it was empty. "Look, Adrian – they must have seen us getting ready to leave, and they've beaten us to the punch. If I were you, I'd be extra careful. Check out your sleeping quarters, and your clothing. They clearly want to be able to track our movements, and are prepared to stoop to bugging devices, and unluckily for you, you are the obvious target of their warped schemes. Call me if you need me."

"Right," said Adrian gloomily.

"Cheer up, Adrian," said Margie sympathetically. "Look – I can see the teachers looking for us. Time to go to the Moon Mall! Let's go!"

Margie and Cue were the first ones out of the booth, but the boys followed without much of a lag. The teachers seemed as keen as the children to spend some money and stock up on outer-space paraphernalia. Apparently, the Adult Diner had shown them that the latest look required a fitted headpiece of braided synthetic metal, with matching earrings that hung almost-but-not-quite to the shoulders. Margie and Cue listened with fascination, then educated their teachers on what the cool moon-teen was wearing.

Getting to the Moon Mall required another trip via the spacecraft, but it was only a short journey. They entered at one end of a long arcade. The glass ceiling was very high, and gave a view of the galaxy. The arcade was lined with boutiques, and at the end of the wide, gallery arcade lay the entrance to a single department store: Marco Polo's. Each boutique was named after a famous person, some of whom David knew. For example, he'd heard of Marco Polo, the Italian explorer who traveled to China and brought back to Europe things like ice cream and gunpowder. But he'd never heard of Ann Bowles, nor Scarlett Bunting.

"Ann Bowles was the woman who spent two years in the African jungle, working with algae samples. Her work enabled modern scientists to treat polluted water and turn it into pure H2O, using marine plant-life and no chemicals." Margie seemed to know all about her.

Cue nudged Margie and said, "My mother says she only went into the jungle for two years to get away from her kids!"

Margie laughed. "Actually, I had heard that!"

"And who was Scarlett Bunting?" asked David.

"Scarlett Bunting was the politician who finally eradicated the use of child labor. She devoted her life to traveling the world, getting world leaders to agree on the laws she helped draft, and set up a world council to police child labor laws. Unfortunately, the strain was too much, and she ended up being cared for by her own children! Her work lives on, though, even if she doesn't know who she is anymore!"

"How sad!" David was shocked.

Cue and Margie laughed and laughed. "David!" said Cue. "Wake up! We are pulling your leg of course!" And the girls laughed mercilessly. "She's fine – I don't think either of them even had children!"

David still didn't see what was so funny, but he pretended that he did. Sometimes it was easier that way.

And so it went on. Marco Polo had merchandise from around the world. Scarlett Bunting had beautiful machine-made carpets and rugs, and Ann Bowles had swimsuits. BethAnn's had all kinds of cakes and goodies to eat; Rick Ragger had the latest in music and Belle MacWotsam sold clothes for discerning young women who had – lots of money!

Dr. Pentony gave the instructions. "You have just one hour. Meet us back here. Any questions?" There were none, so the two teachers trotted off like excited girls, and disappeared into Marco Polo.

At the doorway of each boutique stood a person whose sole job it was to entice you into their store. These people were dressed in very interesting styles, and often used their merchandise to interest passers-by.

"Hello there!" said one to Cue. The woman who spoke was dressed in a golden sari, and had long, thick black hair. "Step this way and try our Oriental Coffee. Smell the aroma, sample our brew and choose your own blend!"

"Er, no thank you," answered Cue. "I'm not allowed to drink coffee!"

Another of them stopped David. "Young sir! Young sir! Walk this way! Have you tried an Eskimo Pie? If you haven't, your moon experience is not complete, for Eskimo Pie is the signature dessert for all moon explorers! Can you taste the creamy ice cream, nestled between two soft but crunchy chocolate wafers?"

David liked the sound of the ice cream treat, and turned to Michael. "Can we?" He asked hopefully.

But Michael grabbed his arm and steered him away. "We only have one hour," he said. "I vote that we use the time to have a look around. Once we have seen everything, we should each choose a store to spend our last ten minutes in, and maybe buy something."

But Sean was shaking his head. "Have you seen the prices?" He asked.

"I thought things were supposed to be less expensive here because of there being no sales tax," said Adrian.

"Well, sales tax or not, things look pricey to me. I doubt I'll be able to buy anything at all. I still want to take a look around, though," said Sean, prepared to make the most of it.

It was as they were passing the Apothecary's Playground that Michael signaled that everyone should keep walking. When they had reached a store a couple of doors down from the apothecary, Michael pretended to show them all something small in the empty palm of his hand. As they were all bent over, looking intently at nothing, he hissed. "I just saw Vladco in the Apothecary's Playground back there." He inadvertently noticed the time as they huddled together, and was startled. "Oh – gee! We're out of time! We have to meet the teachers in ten minutes! See you at the front door in ten – I want to go back to James Cook, and get some cartography equipment. See you later!"

Cue and Margie disappeared into the Belle MacWotsam boutique, and Sean and David found themselves somehow back at the ice cream parlor, sampling the Eskimo Pie. But ten minutes is no time at all, and soon they were all comparing purchases on the way back to the hostel.

Margie and Cue had only had enough money between them to purchase one iridescent belt and scarf. "We could have each gotten a belt, or a scarf, but one without the other seemed so inadequate," explained Cue.

"Then we had the bright idea of pooling our resources," said Margie cheerfully. "So, I purchased the scarf, -"

"And I bought the belt!" finished Cue. The girls were very happy with their accessories, and planned to share each item, taking it in turns to wear the whole ensemble.

"All I could afford was an instruction chip on navigating by the stars," said Michael. "But I've been wanting one for ages, so that's OK!"

"I wanted that light telescope," said Adrian, "but did you see the price? I had a good look though, and it didn't cost me anything at all!"

Drs. Pentony and Fowler had each bought themselves synthetic metal bracelets, fashioned to look like snakes, with synthetic emerald eyes. The bracelets wound around the arm snugly, and looked very lifelike. Margie and Cue begged to try them on, and their teachers agreed.

"They glow in the dark, too!" Confided Dr. Pentony.

"I hope everyone had a nice time at the Mall," said Dr. Fowler as she handed around pre-packaged meals. "We need to have an early night tonight, so this is your evening meal. We will be going to the zooming fields first thing in the morning, to get in some zooming practice, so everyone needs to be well rested." The meal was surprisingly delicious and filling, and devoured in less time than it took to unwrap by the ravenous children. Sitting in the spacecraft with full stomachs, everyone realized how tired they were. As soon as they were back in the hostel, the children bid each other goodnight, and headed for their respective rooms.

*

# Chapter X

The girls discovered when they got back to their dormitory that they were in fact sharing with their teachers – Doctors Pentony and Fowler. "There goes any chance of calling up the boys tonight while they are on watch," said Cue.

Margie smiled in response, but was unable to comment due to the proximity of the teachers.

The boys were surprised to find that Vladco was not waiting for them back at their room. They decided to go straight to bed, although Sean would have to stay awake, since he was on the first watch.

"We each have 80 minutes of sleep, then 40 minutes of watch. I suggest setting your band for your watch times, so that we make a minimum of fuss waking each other up."

It was toward the end of Sean's watch that Vladco crept stealthily into the room. He silently crept towards David's bed, and was slowly and carefully removing the covers from David's sleeping shape, when Sean began to cough as loudly as he could.

Vladco almost jumped out of his skin, and Michael and David quickly awoke to see what was going on.

"What are you doing, Vladco?" asked Michael loudly, as soon as he saw that Valdco was standing over David, and nowhere near his own bed.

Vladco was caught unawares, and struggled to find his voice.

Michael asked him again, just as loudly. "What are you doing, Vladco?"

"I'm trying to go to bed," he answered resentfully. "If he hadn't coughed like that, no one would have woken up." Vladco indicated Sean.

Michael winked at Sean, who gave a small smile in response.

"It wasn't the coughing that woke me up," said Michael. "It was the smell of something foul entering the room. Your bed is over there, Vladco. I suggest you get into it so that we can all get some sleep."

Vladco did not hurry his movements, because he did not want anyone to think that he was obeying Michael, but eventually he got into bed.

At this stage, it was David's watch.

The first five minutes were OK. David had his band set to vibrate every five minutes, and the vibration was surprisingly annoying, and did the trick. He still had to struggle with the desire to close his eyes, though, and his 40-minute watch seemed an interminable period of time.

At last it was Michael's watch, and David waited until he got the nod from Michael before he snuggled down into bed and fell fast asleep almost at once.

David felt as though he hadn't been asleep at all when he was awoken by a hit on the head. Stunned, David woke up and rubbed his head, only to be hit on the head a second time by this hard, smooth, high-speed projectile.

"Hey!" he shouted, too sleepy to catch himself. "Stop it, would you! Stop!"

David's yelling roused Michael and Sean, but Vladco only stirred slightly, then rolled over and continued to snore.

"What?" asked Michael. "What's happening?"  
"I don't know," answered David. Then he saw it coming for his head again, but this time he put up his hand and caught it. "Humpty! Look, Michael – it's Humpty!"

Michael shot up out of bed in a flash. "What's Humpty doing here? Where's Adrian?" He then bounded out of bed, and was about to charge out of the room, when he stopped as though he had just remembered something important. "You two wait here. I'll be right back," and with that he was gone.

While Michael may have thought he was speaking to both Sean and David, the fact was that Sean was fast asleep, and only David was paying any attention at all. As it was, Sean had no idea that it was actually his turn to keep watch.

And this was exactly the opportunity Vladco had waited for.

Within seconds of Michael leaving, Vladco had slid from his bunk and had David in a headlock. He did not utter a word. David was unprepared, and initially speechless, but no sooner had he found his voice and begun to protest than Vladco dropped his arms, freeing David. David was left rubbing his poor head, while Vladco slid back into his bed, feigning sleep just in time for Michael to re-enter the room.

Michael had seen nothing, and Sean had slept through the whole thing.

"Adrian's OK," explained Michael. "It was quite strange, really. Apparently the three goons jumped on Adrian. Of course, he thought that they were attacking him, and that's why he sent Humpty to us. By the time I'd gotten there, they were all back in their beds, supposedly fast asleep. But then, what can you expect from lunatics like that lot? It would be more of a surprise if anything they did actually made sense!" Michael got into his bunk. "All quiet here?" He asked.

"Er, well, yes – things were quiet. But I'll tell you what happened," and David related his story to Michael.

Neither of them could make head nor tale of the evenings events. "It's like I said," shrugged Michael. "We shouldn't have unrealistic expectations of sensible behavior from those boys. Let's get some sleep. I doubt there will be any more action tonight."

"Well, you'd better be quiet, Michael," warned David. "We wouldn't want to wake poor Sean – you know what a light sleeper he is!" The two boys chuckled, and snuggled down into their beds.

*

# Chapter XI

The next morning, everyone met back at the front desk to board the moon buggy, which took them to zooming practice. The girls and teachers were already there by the time Michael, David and Sean arrived. David had had a rough morning, having bumped his head, and then kicked his toe so badly on the end of the bed that he thought he had broken it. He then walked smack into Michael, with both of them hitting their heads on each other's head.

"Ow!" exclaimed Michael. "That hurt! What's gotten into you, Zoltan? If you want to knock yourself out, please stay away from me."

"Sorry," said David, rubbing his head and toe at the same time. "It must just be the lack of sleep." And they stumbled off.

However, they had beaten Vladco and his friends, who finally arrived about 10 minutes later. Before they got there, David seized the opportunity to excuse himself from the zooming.

"I'm sorry, Zoltan," said Dr. Fowler, "but unless you are literally unable to stand and in the infirmary, you will zoom with the rest of the class. The seats on this excursion were greatly coveted by a large number of students, and the whole point of the exercise is to go zooming. If you are squeamish at this late stage -"

"I understand, Dr. Fowler," said David, and he slunk away to report to Michael.

Eventually Vladco and company showed up. "It must be great being the governor's kid – you can get away with anything!" whispered Sean to David. It did seem rather odd that neither of the teachers reprimanded any of the tardy boys, especially since they had both been obviously keen to get away on time.

"We want to have the zoomscape to ourselves, and the earlier we get there, the more time we have at our disposal," explained Dr. Fowler, trying not to sound irritable. "So, let's get on board as quickly as we can so that we don't waste any more time." Dr. Fowler allowed herself a meaningful look in Vladco's direction, to which he grinned and saluted in a sloppy, disrespectful way.

Fortunately for David, Doctors Pentony and Fowler gave detailed instructions to the entire class of ten, even though at least half the kids had some experience of zooming.

"We don't know how expert – or novice – any of you are, and for this reason we must assume there are some things that all of you don't know. So, bear this in mind if we are spending time on an area in which you regard yourself as an expert, and please remember that zooming – like teaching – is a lot easier than it looks. And you never know – you might learn something!" Dr. Pentony laughed at her little joke, and Dr. Fowler joined her. Their students looked a little nervous and anxious for the activity to begin. But the lesson came first.

"There is a sequential order to the preparations," began Dr. Pentony. "First, you must strap the magnetic modifiers to your waist, shoulders and knees." As she spoke, she put on the pieces of equipment she spoke of. "Next, the suit goes on. Next, the boots. Next the helmet – you'll probably have to help each other with this, at least until you get used to it. Finally, the gloves go on. How's everyone going?" She looked around at the group of similarly clad zoomers.

David had had a very hard time getting his outfit on, and Michael had had to do most of it for him.

"Are you usually this uncoordinated?" Michael whispered to David as he adjusted his helmet. David sighed. He did feel very uncoordinated, and kind of sluggish. How much sleep had he gotten last night?

"Thanks, Michael," said David, as he put on his gloves.

"All right," announced Dr. Pentony. "Everyone is suited up. Do a little jump -" and she demonstrated to the class.

Everyone copied her, and gave small, bouncy jumps on the spot. David managed to follow along without falling over, or knocking into anyone else. He grinned at Michael, and began to enjoy himself. The weightless feeling was great, and the suit was lightweight and insulated, so David felt very carefree in mobility and movement, even though he was in a totally foreign environment.

Dr. Fowler was the first to demonstrate zooming to the group. She crouched down, with her arms extended forward, then pushed out her whole body, as though she were going to land face down in the moon sand. But she didn't land like that at all – she floated, about 18 inches from the ground, and with a 'jig' of her knees, and a flip of her hands, appeared to be flying, inches above the ground.

Both teachers demonstrated this a few times, and then it was time for the kids to try. David was glad he'd spent the extra time with Michael and Cindy, learning how to fly, because the bodily movements were very similar, and David knew he would have been totally unable to master this, even trickier, technique. However, after landing face first in the dirt – along with all the others – a few times, he was actually 'hover-flying', and the teachers were well pleased with the progress made.

"Well, we don't want to overdo things on our first day, and as you can see, the terrain is becoming congested," announced Dr. Fowler.

"Oh! Do we have to stop now?" moaned Sean.

"Could we just stay a few minutes more?" begged Cue. "I think I'm getting pretty good at this."

"It would be a shame to let a couple of other zoomers spoil our fun," added Vladco. "I mean – what was the point of coming all this way if we can't have a decent session?"

At last the teachers relented, and everyone got ready to have one last zoom. The zoomscape they were using had an even slope, but it twisted at the end so that the last quarter of the run was out of sight from the top, where the teachers and other zoomers were collected. And it was this section of the run that provided the greatest thrill to the zoomers, because by this point, the zoomer had accumulated his or her momentum, and could really fly around the bend. But they had to be extremely careful, because at this stage the run was flanked by rocky cliff faces, and afforded the zoomer very little margin for error – if any.

The normal practice was to go down a few people at once, then form a line so that each zoomer passed the bend alone. This minimized the chance of colliding with another zoomer, and required slightly more skill, so it was a very satisfying aspect of the zoom once accomplished.

David was unpleasantly surprised to see that Vladco and the three goons had lined up to zoom with him. David looked around for Michael and Sean and Adrian, but could only see Cue and the doctors, deep in discussion over the latest in zoom boots. Apparently the boys were not yet back from their zoom, and David cursed himself for not paying more attention to the order of the zoom. He stood back, reluctant to take his position, and was annoyed to see that all four of the boys were waiting for him.

"What's the matter, Zolt – afraid to bolt?" taunted Vladco. His friends laughed.

"After you, slugger," answered David.

Vladco stopped laughing, and came towards David in a menacing way. David pulled a face at Vladco through his mask, waved to his entourage in a cheeky manner, and dove down the run at full speed. "At least I'll have a head start on them," he thought, as he flew into the bend.

But Vladco was already on top of him, and running him into the sides of the cavern. David saw with horror that the cliff face was inches away from tearing his suit to shreds, and in pure reflex action, he flipped himself over to avoid the rock face. Unfortunately, Vladco had not accounted for this movement, and he was thrown against the other side of the cliff wall by David's shoulder as he flipped, and Vladco smashed against the rocks, stunning himself and slumping to the ground.

David didn't realize what had happened till he reached the bottom of the run, and looked back and saw Valdco slouched on the ground. Fearful for his own safety, he made his way back to the top of the run and alerted the teachers to what had happened.

"Oh, my – is he all right?" gasped Dr. Pentony, the fear audible in her voice. Both teachers took off, and half carried, half-dragged Valdco back up the hill.

"I knew we should have gone straight home," said Dr. Pentony. "Well, come on everyone – into the moon buggy. Let's get Vladco to a doctor as quickly as we can." The trip home was greatly subdued, and Vladco lay groaning across two seats. Dr. Pentony took David to the back of the bus, and spoke harshly to him.

"What happened?" she demanded. "And why didn't you go back to help him?"

David could see that she was very angry, but was indignant at her accusation. "Dr. Pentony, it was Vladco who was trying to hurt me – not the other way around! He purposefully tried to run me into the cliff face, and when I managed to squeeze away, I must have accidentally bumped him, and he got knocked into the rocks instead of me!"

"And now Vladco is hurt!" added Dr. Pentony. "How do you explain leaving him after he had fallen?"

"I was too afraid that he was faking it, and that if I went back, he'd instantly recover, and attack me again. I was under his attack zooming, and it is only a miracle that he is hurt and not me!"

"A miracle for which you are very glad, I see!" said Dr. Pentony, shocked at David's cold heartedness.

"Dr. Pentony! Vladco was trying to kill me! I can't pretend to be sorry that he hurt himself instead! He got what he deserved, and -" David suddenly realized that everyone was listening to him, and they were shocked at his callous words. Vladco groaned piteously, and as the teachers rushed to his aid, wiping his brow and patting his hand, David was left, feeling very wronged and quite exasperated. He snuck a look at Valdco, and was rewarded by a large wink, followed by another baleful groan.

"He is faking it!" thought David angrily. "What a phony! He knows that the longer he can pretend to be really hurt, the worse things are for me." But for the time being at least, there was nothing David could think of to do about it.

When they got back to the hostel, an ambulance was there to meet them and Valdco was whisked away for tests. "We don't have a hospital here," explained the paramedic, "but we do have a first aid clinic, and we'll be able to tell if he is really hurt." Vladco gave the paramedic a suspicious look, but the fellow was very friendly and comforting, so Vladco allowed himself to carried off.

"Let's hope they can – find out if he is really hurt, I mean," said David.

"That's enough, Zoltan." Dr. Fowler's voice was held a warning growl. David bit his lip, and tried not to concentrate on the unfairness of his predicament. "At the moment we are giving you the benefit of the doubt, so your best behavior is probably the very least that will be required of you from this point forward." She leant uncomfortably close to David's face and hissed "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," replied David.

"I'm so glad," she snarled. David had never seen anyone as angry as the doctor. Her eyes and lips looked moist, and her face was pale and splotched with reddish-purple patches. David was so shocked at her appearance, especially up so close, that for a moment he forgot his anger and frustration.

Thankfully, Dr. Pentony also sensed that the subject needed changing, and she took control of the situation. She stood at the front of the moon buggy next to the driver's seat, her lanky frame blocking the passenger's view out of the windscreen, and addressed the class in a bright-but-firm voice.

"As you are all aware, tonight we will be attending the concert, to be held in the meteorium. Be prepared for a galactic gig, because you know what a show the Heavy Negative Ions and the Space Cadets put on, and they are using this performance as a warm-up for the third millennium New Year's Eve concert they'll be putting on at the end of the month." She paused here and looked around at her charges. "I hope I don't have to remind everyone here that we require you all to be on your best behavior at all times. There will be no wandering away from the group for any reason. Visits to the bathroom will be available every thirty minutes and will be chaperoned by Dr. Fowler or myself. I suggest that you all eat and drink your fill at dinner, because we will not be having snacks nor drinks during the performance. Do not fraternize with the other guests. This is a security measure, and is not negotiable. We will arrive together. We will listen to the concert as a group. We will leave together when the concert ends. Are there any questions?" Dr. Pentony looked around at the listening group, but no one spoke. "Good! I'm looking forward to it, and I hope we have an enjoyable evening." She smiled at the group, pleased to have finished with her 'serious talk', and opened the door so that everyone could alight from the moon buggy. Everyone filed out, and Michael turned to look at David, but didn't see him at the back, where he had seen him just a minute before.

"David?" He called. There was no answer, and Michael walked back to where David had been sitting, and found his friend slumped in his seat like a lifeless rag doll. "Dr. Pentony!" Shouted Michael in fright. "Dr. Pentony! Dr. Fowler!" Michael tore off and returned with the teachers.

"What on earth!" exclaimed Dr. Fowler. She prodded David, but there was no response. Dr. Pentony took David's pulse, and announced that it was very sluggish. "We'd better get the paramedics back here right away," she said, unable to keep the fear out of her voice. "Michael, see if you can pull him up. Here – I'll help you." The two of them pulled David into a sitting position between them, but his head lolled forward.

Michael noticed what looked like a thorn in David's neck, behind his ear. "Hey, what's this?" He said to himself as he plucked the thorn from his friend. David stirred. "He must have gotten this when he was zooming," thought Michael. He looked closely at the thorn, and without saying anything to the teacher, put it in his pocket.

Dr. Pentony had been in conference with Dr. Fowler, and finally acknowledged Michael's earlier question.

"I'm sorry, Michael – what did you say?" she asked distractedly.

"Er – I was just trying to get a response from Zoltan," said Michael uncomfortably. "I – I thought I saw him move, and-"

As though in response to Michael's words, David did move, and gave a muffled groan. The two doctors immediately pounced on him, one shaking his shoulders gently but firmly, the other holding his face in her hands and trying to get him to focus his eyes on her face. After a few minutes of this, David began to 'come around', and his three attendants became quite excited with their success.

"Zoltan! Can you hear me?" inquired Dr. Fowler. When David tried to focus on her face, and then nodded weakly, she said encouragingly "Good boy!"

Within about five minutes, David was practically fully recovered. "I feel fine – honestly," he reassured his concerned teachers.

"All the same, I think you should go straight to the dormitory, and go straight to bed," advised Dr. Pentony.

"No! Then I'd miss the concert tonight!" wailed David.

"And after all he's been through," said Michael pathetically, beseeching his teachers with his eyes to reconsider.

The doctors looked at each other for a few seconds, and then Dr. Pentony gave in. "All right, Michael, but Zoltan will be your responsibility tonight. If Zoltan becomes unwell, or gets into trouble of any kind, you will be held accountable."

Michael had not expected such a serious charge, and he blinked uncomfortably. "Well, if he's sure he's OK-"

"I am – I am!" insisted David.

Michael looked greatly relieved by David's assurance. "I'll look after him – don't worry," he smiled confidently at his teachers.

"All right then," agreed Dr. Fowler reluctantly. Then she added, "You children have no idea what you have put us through today. First, Vladco is hurt, and then Zoltan passes out. I feel like just packing everything up and going straight back to Earth!"

Michael and David began to see things from the teachers' perspective for the first time. Michael smiled sheepishly at Dr. Fowler, and tried to console her. "I'm sorry that this trip has turned out to be such a headache for you. But all's well that ends well, and no one was actually hurt!"

"Well, we don't know that yet, do we?" answered Dr. Fowler, a new note of worry in her voice.

"If you mean Vladco, he's all right," said David.

But Dr. Fowler would not be reassured. She turned to Dr. Pentony, and the two of them began to discuss the logistics of which of them should check on Vladco, while the other accompanied the group to dinner and then the concert, and where they could meet up to coordinate their departure the following day. Michael and David stood by helplessly.

At last the distressed teachers, satisfied with their arrangements, turned to the boys.

Dr. Pentony spoke. "I'd better get you two down to the Darkside Diner. Are you sure you're going to be OK, Zolt?"

"I'm sure," said David happily. In fact, he felt a bit woozy, and had no appetite at all, although he was incredibly thirsty. However, he was so pleased not to be excluded from the evening's festivities that he was determined to overcome these minor details.

"Good," said Dr. Pentony. "Well, let's be off, then!" They waved good-bye to Dr. Fowler, who was off to check on Vladco, and headed for the Diner.

*

# Chapter XII

Dr. Pentony set a cracking pace, and the boys had a fair bit of trouble keeping up with her. Michael kept shooting meaningful looks over to David, and David was aching to relate his version of the day's events, but there was no opportunity for talking under Dr. Pentony's jovial eye.

"Almost there, boys," she said cheerfully as she cantered down the esplanade. "You've certainly made a remarkable recovery, Zoltan – that's the power of youth for you! Bounce right back!" She then averted her gazer and muttered under her breath "I hope Vladco bounces when I –" then, remembering where she was, smiled brightly at the boys and ended with "I mean, right back!"

The boys could barely control their laughter at Dr. Pentony's slip, but managed to when they saw her blush uncomfortably.

"Ah!" she announced. "Here we are, then. Good. I can see your friends from here! Off you go, have a good time, and I'll be with Flossy – I mean, Dr. Fowler, in the adult section, so call if you need anything. Otherwise, we'll see you at the concert. All right?" After waiting barely a second for the boys to agree, Dr. Pentony fled, taking her growing embarrassment with her.

David and Michael had seen the others in the Darkside Diner when Dr. Pentony had pointed them out. They were seated in the same spot as before, and were motioning madly for David and Michael to join them.

"Come on," said Michael. "We've got a lot to talk about, and we may as well say it in front of the others. They'll need to be brought up to date, too." And they hurried to their friends.

Sean, Margie, Cue and Adrian were all half standing with impatience, and each clamored out as the boys strode up to their booth.

"Where have you been?"

"What took you so long?"

"Did you get into trouble?"

"Why was Dr. Pentony with you?"

Michael raised his hands, signaling that they should be silent. When he and David had seated themselves, Michael addressed the group.

"First things first. Only David knows what happened from beginning to end, so I vote that we let him fill us in, and then ask questions. OK?" Everyone agree that this was a good idea, so David found himself the target of everyone's eyes.

"Well, you were all zooming, and somehow I was left alone at the top of the run with Vladco and his cronies, and I got pretty nervous. He wanted to go down with me, but I managed to start zooming before he was ready. I thought I'd be able to stay out of his way, but before I knew it, he was right on top of me – I mean, right beside me, squeezing me into the side of the cliff, just where the run twists at the bottom. I was terrified, and in trying to get away from him, I kind of twisted and spun myself around, which must have confused him because he zoomed himself right into the cliff wall when he really meant to push me into it. I had the feeling he wanted to kill me. I mean, you could get pretty seriously hurt, zooming at that speed, and being shoved up against a wall of rock -"

"Yes, you could, Zoltan," said Helene sympathetically.

"Helene! Hey! When did you get here?" David greeted her happily. "Good to see you!" Then he blushed, and added, "I mean, good that you could make it, I mean -"

Helene laughed. "That's OK, Zolt. I know what you mean. It's good to see you, too." She smiled at David, and he felt silly for being embarrassed.

"So, anyway," David continued, "when I got to the bottom of the run, I realized what had happened, and I could see Vladco lying on the run, and believe it or not, I had no inclination to go back and see if I could help him." David looked around at his friends, and saw that he had their understanding. "All I wanted to do was get back to safety, and away from Vladco. Anyway, when I got back to the top of the route, the teachers were shocked that I had left him there without even checking on him. At first they thought that I had hurt him on purpose – not that I hurt him at all – I mean, he hurt himself when he was trying to hurt me! But he's doing his best to get me blamed for the whole thing, and since there were no witnesses, I was pretty well stuck." Everyone looked very upset by this, so David relieved their fears. "Don't worry, though," he said. "Vladco is faking the whole injury thing."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Margie. "You said yourself that you could get pretty seriously hurt zooming at that speed, and being shoved up against a wall of rock!"

"Yes, but he wasn't 'shoved' against it, was he?" countered David. "And besides, he gave me a big juicy wink when the paramedics were taking him away. No one else saw it, of course – he made sure of that."

"Really?" asked Michael, a huge grin on his face.

"Really!" David assured him.

"Let him enjoy his hour of glory, then. They'll turf him out of sick bay pretty quickly when they can't find anything wrong with him." Michael was rubbing his hands together happily. Then, as if a thought had only just occurred to him, Michael reached into his pocket and withdrew the tiny thorn, which he handed to Adrian. "Adrian, just the person I wanted to consult. Would you please take a look at this for me?"

Adrian reached over the table and took the thorn from Michael. He turned it over in his palm, showing Margie as he did so, and the two of them examined it.

"I've heard of these," said Adrian.

"It looks a lot like a rose thorn," said Margie, "but you can tell that it is man made by the lack of asymmetry, and of course, the material it's made of."

"They are called 'darts'," said Adrian, "and are used to inject a certain quantity of a drug at a sustained rate for a given period of time." He handed the item back to Michael. "Where did you find it?"

"In the neck of our young friend here," answered Michael, indicating David.

David's hand instinctively went to the exact spot behind his ear where Michael had found the thorn inserted. He rubbed the tender spot thoughtfully.

"Hey – could this explain the headlock?" he asked.

"I'd say so," said Michael. "But what kind of drug did it contain?"

Margie reached over and took the thorn from Michael. She inspected it again, and sniffed at it. "Probably an inhibitor of some kind," she said. "Did you feel any different, Zoltan?"

"Well, yeah, but I thought it was just the lack of sleep, although to be honest, I thought I'd have to have been without sleep for a few days to feel as woozy as that!" He smiled at the others. "Phew! That's a relief! I felt about a hundred years old all day!"

"And what if the dart was still there?" asked Helene. "How would Zoltan have felt by now?"

"He'd probably have passed out hours ago," said Adrian.

"I did pass out hours ago!" exclaimed David.

"That's right," said Michael. "He only came around after I extracted the dart."  
Everyone became serious at the thought that their friend could have been rendered unconscious through the malicious actions of another.

"This gives us an example of what we are dealing with," said Michael. "I think we have to double our efforts to guard Zoltan against Vladco and company."

"What I don't understand is why? Why do they have it in for me?" David was genuinely perplexed. "I mean, it's one thing not to like me, but this is getting to a criminal level!"

"Zoltan – don't waste time trying to understand the workings of a malevolent mind. Save your energy for more positive pursuits – like staying safe. We will help you, of course, but you must help us, too. Stay focused. We only have to get through tonight and -"

"And the concert!" added Cue. "How can we maintain security during the concert? It will be impossible with the sound system, the light show, and the enormous crowd."

"Speaking of the enormous crowd," interrupted Sean, "shouldn't we be heading off to the meteorium? If we want to get good seats, we'll have to leave right away." Then, sensing that he had totally ignored the danger his friend was in, and was completely absorbed in his own desire to see the rock concert, he sagged a bit in the middle, and muttered "Oh, but I guess if it's too dangerous for Zoltan, then we shouldn't -"

"No!" David was insistent. "We are going! I want to see this show, and I don't see why we should miss out on all the fun just because of a thug like Vladco!" He rose from his seat, and beckoned the others to follow. "Come on! Let's go!"

Spurred on by David's bravado, Cue, Sean, Margie, Adrian and Helene rallied around David and stood to leave. Only Michael remained.

"Come on Michael – don't be a stick-in-the-mud!" urged David.

"We really shouldn't go," said Michael, shaking his head.

"We have to obey our teachers, and they gave us very clear instructions to meet them at the meteorium for the concert. Now come on!" David grabbed Michael's arm, and dragged him to his feet.

"I want to go as much as anyone – Oh, all right then. But we stick together and we don't drop our guard, OK?"

"OK," they agreed, sobering up at the thought of what might happen if they didn't stay on the alert.

It was a short trip to the meteorium, but a big change in atmosphere. The meteorium was spherical in shape – and the concert was performed in the center. There was no stage, and no seating, either. Like the Darkside Diner, the sphere was completely opaque, and afforded its occupants a breathtaking view of the galaxy.

Each person had to put on an "equalizing outfit", which made them buoyant. The outfit was made up of overalls and a helmet, though all so lightweight that no one felt encumbered once they were suited up.

"This is quite stylish!" said Cue, and Margie agreed.

"The suits certainly add to the mood," she said. "I love this fabric. It feels like silk, but it breathes and is so -"

"Oh, yes, Michael," gasped Sean. "I adore every breath my suit takes – I feel like an angel!" Cue tried to push Sean in the shoulder, but he was able to move out of her way just in time.

The buoyancy they provided was an unusual sensation, and took some getting used to.

"At first it feels like you are just going to float off," said Adrian.

"I'm glad we are able to speak to each other without any trouble," said Cue. "Otherwise I know I'd have a hard time with those "first time floating in a strange sphere" nerves!" Margie, Helene and Cue began to giggle, and even David felt quite in control and relaxed before too long.

"I wonder how they are going to perform the show," said Sean. "And why this sphere?"

"The acoustics in a sphere are perfect," answered Helene. "There are no corners or 'dead spots' for the sound to get lost in. Also, Mum says you don't have to use as much amplification to get the effect of really loud music, which means that there is hardly any distortion – just true sound." Helene smiled, and added, "At least, that's what Mum says!"

"Well your Mum should know, right?" said Michael. "I mean, when it comes to rock concerts, she is the expert."

Just then, the light in the meteorium changed, and seemed to dim considerably, while the 'air' around them became filled with tiny crystalline shards, shimmering like microscopic, brilliant diamonds. David was reminded of the visual display put on by Dr. Xavier and Dr. Dempsey, where he had seen a similar phenomenon in the atmosphere of one of the planets displayed. He wondered whether Mrs. Dempsey had been as impressed as he had been, and had decided to borrow the visual effect for her show. The sparkling shards were now the only light in the spherical theater, and to begin with were a light golden color. Slowly they became pale green, then electric blue, then bright yellow, then orange, then red. Each time the color changed, the atmosphere of the sphere changed, because everyone's suit reflected the colors and the light and color were magnified. The meteorium was full to capacity now, and the doors were closed.

Michael and Adrian indicated to each other that they had noted the position of Vladco and his buddies, but they were careful not to draw this to the attention of the rest of the group.

"No point starting something," whispered Adrian, and Michael nodded his agreement.

Which was just as well, because the band had decided that now was the perfect time to start something – the concert! And what an operatic opening!

The twinkling rainbow, which had distracted everyone in the meteorium, was suddenly replaced by a total lack of illumination from within the spherical theater. Now, all that could be seen were the stars and moons and planets beyond, all bathed in the pure glow of the sun. Just when David had become accustomed to the new focus on the exterior, his attention was drawn back into the meteorium, as the central area was illuminated and the band became visible and audible.

Their music throbbed with melody and movement. David felt overcome by the strength of the sound, as though his whole body, inside and out, had absorbed every note played by every instrument. And then he realized that the meteorium was traveling – fast! They were speeding gracefully, in time with the pulsating emotion of the music, flying past planets and worlds and black holes and galaxies, then suddenly they were looping back, making hairpin turns in space, spinning slowly yet rushing forward and around new worlds. And all the while the music poured through them, filled their hearts and minds, took total control. David couldn't tell whether or not he was listening to one song or many – all he knew was that this was really music!

David wanted very much to get a look at the lead singer, Helene's mother. At last he could see her. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but she certainly wasn't that! She was beautiful!

Mrs. Dempsey was tall and willowy – nothing at all like Helene. Her long, straight blonde hair gave her the appearance of a celestial angel, and her eyes glowed with an aqua light. Her complexion was also very fair. Mrs. Dempsey was robed in a flowing silken tube dress, so similar to the color of her skin that it was hard to tell where her arms left her sleeves. Notwithstanding her angelic appearance, Mrs. Dempsey possessed an earthy voice, and sang with feeling:

"The sky is alive with light

The starlight is so bright

Who hears the moonbeam echo

From the black, black hole"

The lyrics didn't make a lot of sense to David, but they sounded just right when Mrs. Dempsey sang them. Only Mrs. Dempsey was distinctly visible inside the spherical theater during the concert. The outer galaxy provided the most spectacular backdrop to her music, and the movement and turns of the sphere they traveled in filled the senses of every spectator. By sheer force of will, David was able to discern the other members of the band. There were five others, men and women, all playing instruments – only a few of which David could recognize. He could make out a keyboard-type of set up, but he couldn't exactly hear any piano music. A couple of the musicians were playing wind instruments which must have been powered by more than just 'wind', because the music emanating from the stage was way too powerful for that! The other instruments he couldn't make out at all, but they were sleek and very interesting to look at. He would have loved to take a closer look, and wondered whether Helene would be able to arrange it for him when they got back home.

Michael interrupted David's thoughts with a sharp tug at his arm.

"What?" asked David.

"Look over there!" Michael pointed to a spot over David's shoulder.

David swung around, and caught sight of Governor Marsden.

*

# Chapter XIII

"What's he doing here?" David asked Michael. "Has he been here the whole time?"

"I don't know – I didn't think so." Michael was as puzzled as David. They watched the father and son duo, who were apparently in an animated conversation, with Governor Marsden doing some rather strenuous questioning, and Vladco denying responsibility. Finally, Vladco pointed in David's direction, still vigorously denying some charge lain by his father, but this infuriated Governor Marsden even more. He slapped Vladco's extended arm back into the boy's side, and appeared to be roaring at him in admonition, although Michael and David could hear none of what was said.

"Let's keep away from them," suggested Michael. He surreptitiously alerted the others to the program, and the seven of them wafted off, weaving their way through the crowd but never losing contact with one another.

Without communicating the idea to each other, each instinctively floated closer to the exit. This turned out to be a fortunate decision, because Dr. Dempsey had just entered the meteorium, and was very pleased to see them so soon.

"Hey!" he called to them, as though there was any chance that they hadn't seen him, for he was dressed in fluorescent yellow from head to foot. "Zoltan! Kids!"

Everyone gathered around Dr. Dempsey on the small landing inside the entry and exit door.

"Governor Marsden is here," he said.

"We know," said Michael. "We just watched him give Vladco the rounds for something."

"Yes, and I think I know what," said Dr. Dempsey ominously.

"Tell us!" urged Michael.

Dr. Dempsey moved toward the railing surrounding the balcony landing where he stood, and looked over towards Vladco and his father. Within seconds they were returning his stare, and Dr. Dempsey saluted his enemy, who just stared back, surprised and perplexed. He than turned to the children and said in a quiet but serious voice "Vladco was supposed to attack you, Zoltan."

"Well, I'm glad at least that someone else is acknowledging this fact!" said David. "Yes! Vladco has been trying to get at me ever since we got here, but no one believes me!"

"I believe you!" interjected Michael indignantly.

"We all believed you!" Cried his friends.

"Sorry – sorry -" said David quickly. "I don't mean you guys – I mean the teachers, the people in control." David turned back to Dr. Dempsey. "It's a big relief to have you here, sir, and to know that you understand the situation."

Dr. Dempsey rubbed David's shoulder sympathetically. "Do I understand your situation, Zoltan?" he asked quizzically.

David felt heavy at Dr. Dempsey's words; heavy and alone. He shook himself back into the moment, determined not to get caught up in self-pity, and asked, "So what do we do now?"

"The first thing we do is get you away from here." Dr. Dempsey was businesslike now. "I have orders from your father to bring you to him immediately."

"Do you know where he is?" asked David.

"Oh yes – I've always known," answered Dr. Dempsey matter-of-factly. "And I have the ship ready to leave. Let's go." Dr. Dempsey turned to leave, but David was unprepared for immediate departure.

"But – but – what about my stuff, Dr. Dempsey?" he blurted out.

Michael was also taken by surprise. "What about the rest of us, sir? Shouldn't we go with you?"

Dr. Dempsey turned back to face the boys, a look of angry impatience on his face. But, when he saw the upturned faces of the children, unsure of their situation and needing his reassurance, he softened, and sighed.

"Look, kids, I'm sorry about this, but you must trust that I have thought about this, and I know what needs to be done. Michael, you must stay here with the others, because you need to explain things to your teachers. Tell them I'll be contacting them as soon as I can to verify your explanation. Sean, Cue, Margie and Adrian must stay with you because the teachers cannot go back to Earth without you. I don't think your parents would appreciate it, and your poor teachers are already in enough trouble, due to Vladco's little stunt. We can't make things any harder for them than we have to. Everyone understand?"

The children grudgingly admitted that Dr. Dempsey's words made good sense.

"All right then," said Dr. Dempsey. "Could we now -"

"What about me, Dad?" It was Helene. "Is there any reason I can't join you?"

Dr. Dempsey flapped his arms as though he were a large, ungainly penguin. "Helene, I can't think of any reason right now, and I don't have time to make one up so let's go, shall we? Come on!" The poor man's patience was totally worn out, and he turned to exit the meteorium, not even checking whether Helene and David were following him. They were following him, though, and had to trot to keep up with him.

Michael slapped David's arm. "See ya – be good," he said

"Yeah – you too," David grinned at Michael and the others as he left with Dr. Dempsey and Helene.

They made their way quickly through the building, and came at last to a landing balcony where Dr. Dempsey's ship was indeed ready to depart. But as they neared the ship, they were roughly pushed aside by Governor Marsden and another man, who had come belting along behind them.

"Stop right here," demanded Governor Marsden, trying to speak with authority through his puffing and gasping for breath. It was obvious that exercise of this nature was not the norm for the historian!

Dr. Dempsey looked over his shoulder at Governor Marsden, not bothering to keep the contemptuous sneer from his face.

"Get out of my way," he snarled.

Governor Marsden was more in control of his breathing by now. He stood as tall as he could – he almost reached Dr. Dempsey's shoulder – and he barked his words.

"Abducting a minor is a serious crime, Dr. Dempsey – even for you!"

"What?" Dr. Dempsey was stifling a laugh.

"Kidnapping – that's what you're doing, after all, isn't it? These children are in the guardianship of their teachers on this field trip. Only their teachers or parents are entitled to remove or instruct the children at this time. Since you are neither, you may not remove Zoltan Xavier from the moon, nor may you fraternize with any of the children, except, of course, your own daughter, whom, I believe, is not an official member of this tour in any case."

Dr. Dempsey blinked, and looked from David to Helene in consternation. Then, appearing to have thought of a plausible argument, he spoke.

"But I am acting on the express wishes of Zoltan's father, Dr. Xavier," he said confidently. "He asked me only this morning to locate Zoltan and -" Dr. Dempsey stopped with a gulp when he realized what he had said.

Governor Marsden smiled. "Ah! Is that so? Well, I wonder how that can be? You see, I was under the impression that Dr. Xavier was missing – uncontactable – and here you are saying that you spoke to him just this morning. That is good news! Perhaps you would be good enough to tell me exactly where this communication occurred, and where Dr. Xavier may be contacted." Governor Marsden's glistening, grinning face was as oily as a snake, and Dr. Dempsey's fury was turning his face above his beard purple.

"I was contacted by Dr. Xavier," Dr. Dempsey said. "I didn't speak to him in person."

"So, I'd imagine that you don't have written permission -" rallied Governor Marsden.

"- I have a printed message -" countered Dr. Dempsey.

"With an original signature?" queried Governor Marsden.

Dr. Dempsey sighed furiously, as though a great force had squeezed all the air out of his enormous body. "You really are a nasty little piece of work -"

The emotion in Dr. Dempsey's voice stirred Helene into action. "Dad – Dad!" Her voice was gently pleading with him not to murder anyone. Fortunately, Dr. Dempsey was calmed by her voice, for he shut his eyes, and took a couple of deep breaths before turning to David and clasping his shoulders in his huge hands.

"Take care, my boy," he said. "I'll try to figure out another plan. I just hope I haven't made this worse for you."

"Oh, but you have," laughed Governor Marsden. "Much, much worse! Now, off you go. And do give my regards to you learned colleague – in absentia, of course!" And Governor Marsden laughed horribly as Dr. Dempsey skulked off, like a man beaten.

"Wh-what's going to happen to me?" asked David, watching helplessly while his friends were pushed into their spaceship and David was shepherded back into the building.

But Governor Marsden took no notice of his frightened charge, and spoke in a low voice to his companion, as though planning a secret tryst. The companion was a man younger and larger than Governor Marsden. He had a low brow, and small, sharp dark eyes. His arms were very muscular and appeared overly long for his frame, with thick dark hair sprouting from the backs of his hands. David had the opportunity to inspect these hands much more closely than he liked, because they were grasping him firmly now, and David was struggling against him.

"Will you let go of me?" shouted David at last, unable to bear the pain any longer. "You're hurting me! Talk about kidnapping – this is kidnapping!"

"No, Zoltan," snapped Governor Marsden, his face so close to David's that David could feel Governor Marsden's warm breath on his face. "We are saving you from being abducted."  
"Do you have a written authority from my parents?" asked David boldly.

Governor Marsden grabbed David's arm, between his shoulder and his elbow, and his fingers dug in to his muscles, trying to separate them from the bone. David winced in pain, and to his shame tears of pain sprang to his eyes.

"Now you listen to me," hissed Governor Marsden. "I don't need anyone's permission to detain any citizen of my city – do you understand? If I deem it necessary to detain you, your father, your entire family, then that's what will happen." He shook David's arm forcibly, and almost shouted at him, right into his face "Do you understand?"

Realizing that he expected an answer, and badly wanted to have his arm released, David responded.

"Yes," he answered.

"Yes, sir!" commanded Governor Marsden.

"YES, SIR!" Roared David through his angry tears.

Governor Marsden slapped David's face. "Don't you ever be disrespectful to your Governor." Governor Marsden was proud and arrogant.

"It's against the law to hit a child," said David defiantly.

Governor Marsden struck him again, this time harder than the first. "I have never struck a child," said Governor Marsden.

"Never," agreed his assistant.

David badly wanted to tell Governor Marsden and his stupid friend just how pathetic and cowardly they were, hitting someone so much younger and smaller than they were. But he was already in enough pain to bring tears, and he didn't want to be in even more pain, and blubbing right there in front of his enemies, so he decided to stay silent.

The trio made their way through the halls and doorways of the building until they came to an elevator. This they entered, and David felt the elevator cabin traveling very fast, up and up. When they came to a stop, and the doors opened, they were inside what appeared to be a rocket, and David looked around in fright. For one thing, he didn't like being alone with these people in any situation, and for another, he definitely didn't want to be with them and only them on a journey to who knew where, with them at the controls and him totally at their mercy. He was perspiring with anxiety, and gulping, trying to moisten his dry mouth, but it didn't help at all. He was feeling more frightened and more upset by the minute. He had absolutely no idea what to do, and he was completely outnumbered.

Governor Marsden saw David's discomfort, and laughed at him. "Oh, this is good!" he laughed, rubbing his hands together and nudging his friend with the hairy hands. "Yes, this is very good! Zoltan is so concerned at the dire straits he now finds himself in that he cannot control the physical manifestations of his fear!" Governor Marsden continued to chuckle maliciously.

David's blood was boiling, which only served to worsen his perspiring forehead, and soon his hair was sticking to his head. He had never before known adults who enjoyed seeing him upset and uncomfortable, and this frightened him as much as anything else.

Then, David felt as though he was having a revelation – a blast of truth, so pure and clear that he didn't even have to think about it.

"I know what you want," he said, much more calmly than he felt. "You want me to die. You want to kill me." David knew by Governor Marsden's reaction that he had hit the proverbial nail on the head. Governor Marsden's smile vanished, and the color drained quickly from his face. Now it was the governor's turn to gulp.

"I'm right, aren't I?" said David, feeling strangely unafraid now that he knew the worst. "But why?" he demanded. "If you are going to kill me anyway, at least tell me why!"

Governor Marsden snorted softly, then said, "As if you didn't know. Don't put on the innocent act with me, Zoltan," and with a flourish he produced the picture David had produced in art class the day they had been painting background scenery for the third millennium New Year's Eve celebration. Along the bottom of the picture, David had written the words "Zoltan Xavier and the 31st Century", and this was what Governor Marsden now pointed at accusingly. "You wrote these words, and don't deny it. I have witnesses."

David was puzzled. "So what? Sure, I wrote it! It's my painting – I can write what I like on my own work. Big deal! You're going to kill me because I wrote on a painting?" Now disbelieving scorn joined his puzzlement and anger. "You need medication, Doc – it's not normal to kill people over trivia! Been under a lot of stress lately, have we?" Now David's tone was goading.

But the governor would not stand for it. He lunged forward at David and grasped his collar so hard that David could not utter a sound. Governor Marsden put his face menacingly close to David's, and he was so angry when he spoke that little bits of spit flew out of his mouth and onto David's face.

"Now you listen to me, you insolent little spy. I want to know where you learned writing. Then I want to know who taught you, and how many other people know writing. You might as well tell me right know, and get this over with, because -"

At that moment, an electronic voice interrupted them. "Fasten your harnesses and assume propulsion positions. Take-off is imminent." Governor Marsden and the other man immediately prepared themselves for take-off, and David tried to copy their preparations to ensure his own safety. Neither of the adults paid him any attention at this time. Clearly, they didn't care whether he came to any harm or not.

"Probably save them the trouble of killing me themselves," thought David bitterly.

No sooner was David harnessed than the rocket they were in erupted from its holding bay and soared into space. Within minutes, the vessel was stable again, and the men unstrapped the harnesses and made themselves comfortable. David found that he was unable to unfasten his harness, and had to stop himself from asking his companions for help.

At last Governor Marsden noticed David's futile attempts to free himself, and he smiled.

"I took the liberty of remote-locking your harness, Zoltan. You see, I want you to fully understand that you are now physically and totally in my power. Now, where were we? Ah, that's right – you were about to divulge the source of your illegal knowledge; the root of your espionage."

"You're cracked, Gov.," said David, shaking his head. "Completely cracked. I don't know what you are talking about."

*

# Chapter XIV

Governor Marsden rolled his squinty little eyes with mock boredom. "I anticipated this stance, and have planned for it. You need time to think, and you shall have it. Lots of time, in fact, without interruption or intrusion. I want you to be able to concentrate all your efforts on making the right decision for your future – and the future of all your family and friends, of course." He leered at David, who was watching him very closely, trying to understand what he was saying. Governor Marsden stepped closer to David, and said in a confidential tone, "You know, Zoltan, it doesn't have to be like this. If you truly do know writing, you could be a great asset to this government. You and everyone else who knows writing. We need all the knowledge we can get, as we strive to understand the universe we live in, and of course, the one we came from. We can work together," and here his tone changed, and became malevolent again, "or one of us can accept destruction by the other. There is no third alternative, and you need to understand that, right here, right now."

David didn't know quite how to respond to any of this. He had been OK when he had been bursting with anger, but now that he had had to stop and listen carefully, so that he would understand and remember everything the governor was saying to him, David could feel his anger subside, and with it his bravado and boldness. "You're trying to cut me a deal," he said at last. The governor just looked at him, his arms folded casually across his chest. "And you are threatening me with the safety of my friends and family."

"And your own safety, Zoltan," added Governor Marsden. "Don't leave yourself out of the picture!"

"This isn't going anywhere, is it?" sighed David. The governor frowned, obviously not understanding David's point. "Nowhere at all," continued David in a bored voice. "I may as well make myself comfortable and get some sleep." David made a business of wriggling around and trying to find a comfortable position. He was worried to notice that his words didn't upset Governor Marsden at all.

"Suit yourself," said the governor. "We'll know where to find you when you change your mind." He laughed to himself maliciously, then said, "No one else will, but we'll know where you are. Or, what's left of you, at least." Then he, too, relaxed into his chair and appeared to be resting.

David was more perplexed than ever, and full of questions concerning the governor's intentions – even their destination was unknown to David. He had assumed that they were headed back to earth, but now he realized that they could be headed anywhere. The governor's words "No one else will, but we'll know where you are," sounded quite ominous. Were they going to hold him hostage until he told them what they wanted to know? They obviously had no idea that David was not Zoltan, and that he had learned to read and write one thousand years ago, on the same planet, but in a very different world. They would never believe him, of that David was quite sure, so telling them the truth was simply not an option. His only course of action was to either come up with a plausible lie, or get himself away from these people and to safety. But, where was safe? This man was the governor! No one in Zoltan's world could stand up to him – not even Dr. Xavier!

Although badly in need of a few hours' sleep, David was too anxious to rest and his mind raced. At last the rocket was preparing to land, and from the window David could see lovely old Earth, glowing in the light from the sun, drawing closer and closer. The rocket shook violently, and David and the men had to grip onto their positions to guard against being thrown all over the cabin.

When the rocket came to rest and the blasting sound subsided, David didn't even bother to try and undo his safety harness as the two men undid theirs. He just stayed still, trying his best to look unconcerned. When the governor's lackey finally turned to him and loosened his restraints, David was ready. He waited until the rocket hatch was opened and he was completely disentangled from the harness, then he thrust himself out of his chair, pushing past both men and straight out of the rocket.

What David hadn't taken into account was that the hatch was halfway up the side of the rocket, and there was a fairly long drop to the ground. The ground David landed on wasn't a tarmac, either, as he had expected, but a soft, green, overgrown ground, like a jungle floor. David could hear the two men laughing at him from the hatch doorway, but he was too aware of the pain in his ankle to be too concerned with the indignity of his situation.

The men threw a rope ladder out of the rocket, and climbed down carefully.

"Get up," commanded the governor. As David stood, the governor grabbed his hands and tied them behind his back with a thick piece of nylon rope. Then he pushed David in the back, so that he almost fell forward. "Clive – you follow. I'll lead," he said, and he half dragged David through the green undergrowth.

The air was warm and moist, and David and his captors were soon quite uncomfortably hot and thirsty. Above them, through the thick tangle of trees and vines David could see a beautiful, clear blue sky, and his spirits rose at the mere sight of it. David realized, though, that he needed to pay attention to his surroundings, unfamiliar as they were, because any information he could gather at this stage could be crucial to his getting out of this alive. So, he watched their course carefully, and took mental notes of everything he saw.

They walked for miles, always towards the sun, and came to a tranquil lake amidst the jungle. It made an idyllic picture, and David longed to shed his hot, itchy clothing and dive into the cool, enticing water.

"Blindfold him – now!" shouted Governor Marsden to Clive. "We should have blindfolded him miles back. Do it quickly." As Clive looked hopelessly for something with which to blindfold David, the governor impatiently took out a large handkerchief and threw it at him. "Quickly!" he demanded.

Clive obeyed Governor Marsden, and tied the blindfold so tightly that it hurt. Again, David was pushed in the back, and this time he did fall.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Watch it! I can't see where I'm going, I can hardly keep my balance with my arms tied so tightly behind me, and I've twisted my ankle. Just stop pushing me around, will you?" David knew that his angry words weren't helping him at all, but he was in pain as well as being exhausted, and he was so heartily sick of being afraid all the time that he cared very little about the politics of the situation.

The governor must have realized that there would be very little sport in antagonizing David any further under these circumstances, because his only response was "We are almost there." They kept on walking.

Governor Marsden had been telling the truth, though, because it wasn't long before they arrived at their destination. All David could hear was a very loud crashing sound, and the air was distinctly cooler, and for that he was grateful.

"Watch your step here, Zoltan," warned the governor, "or not, as you see fit." Suddenly, David was drenched with water. At first he was afraid that he had walked into a lake, but then he realized that his feet were on the ground, the water was falling from above his head and the crashing sound was louder than ever. He couldn't even hear the governor and Clive, but he could feel them jerking his arm as they kept their balance, and pushing him ever forward into the unknown.

At last the pushing and jerking abated, and David felt himself enter a very cool area where no water fell on him. The small echoes from the sounds of their footsteps told David that he was in an enclosure of some kind, and the musty, damp smell was unusual to him. He could hear a lot of scuffling about, then the cloth was torn form his head.

To David's great surprise, he couldn't see anything once the blindfold had been removed. He rubbed his eyes and blinked, and at last became aware of a dim room. As his eyes came back to normal, he realized that in fact he was in a cave of some kind, for the floor, walls and ceiling were all solid, slimy rock. The crashing sound was omnipresent, and the all-pervading smell of dampness was oppressive, and did nothing to quench David's overpowering thirst.

"Here you are, Zoltan," said Governor Marsden triumphantly. "Home sweet home – at least, for you!" He turned and beckoned to Clive. "We'll be off, then – see you when you've come to your senses!"

"What?" burst out David. "Where are you going?" he asked, regretting his words immediately he had said them.

Predictably, the governor laughed at David's consternation, and David again regretted his outburst.

"My dear boy," he laughed, "you didn't really think we were going to stay here with you in this damp, gloomy place, did you?" He turned to look at Clive in disbelief, for dramatic effect. "Just because you can't make a perfectly sensible decision to cooperate with you superiors, why should we suffer?" The governor paused and looked hard at David before resuming his speech with false gaiety. "And I do think this is the perfect place for you to reflect on the realities of your predicament, don't you? So, we will return in a day or two, or perhaps three, and if you are feeling more inclined to be helpful, we may even feed you! Bye for now!" And with that, Governor Marsden and Clive disappeared through the wall of water.

*

# Chapter XV

"Well, there is nothing to stop me following them," thought David, and he quickly scramble to the mouth of the cave where the falling water partitioned the entry. "But which way did the pathway go – right or left? Oh – why wasn't I watching! I can't remember how we got here – I was blindfolded and totally disoriented." These thoughts raced through David's mind, and he stood, rooted to the spot, unable to decide what to do next.

David felt overcome with exhaustion. He felt unable to deal with all these problems just now, and for want of a better idea, he decided to rest, and worry about it all when he awoke.

He explored the cavern half-heartedly in the semi-gloom, trying to find the best place to lie down. However, he didn't find anything at all – just more hard, cold, slimy rock. David noticed a curved nook in the wall of the cave, into which he fitted the curve of his back. He pulled his knees up till they were almost under his chin, and shivering slightly, fell into a fitful sleep.

He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, but it had probably been at least a couple of hours, because he felt very stiff and sore all over when he was woken by his own shivering from the cold. It must have been night time, because the cave was very cold now, and David's main concern was that he was so cold that he would be unable to go back to sleep. However, he wriggled around and managed to find another uncomfortable position that was at least different to his previous position, and therefore gave his aching body a chance to ache in different places. Hugging himself to maximize the warmth from his own dwindling body heat, David once again fell asleep.

This time, he awoke because of hunger pangs. He was rested, though, and felt pretty good, given his rock hard bed. He sat up and rubbed his face with his hands. He tried to stand, and was reminded of his twisted ankle, which was quite painful now, and very swollen. "Not broken, though," David thought gratefully. He was able to hobble about, and decided it was time to venture out of the cave.

David stood behind the wall of water, and peered to either side. One side was a lot darker than the other. "Probably just more rock," David thought. The other side showed light, and David deduced that this side led somewhere. Taking a deep breath, he plunged himself along the rocky ledge and into the shower of icy water. He couldn't see anything, since his eyes were jammed shut against the downpour, but he felt his way gingerly with his feet on the ledge and his hands along the rock wall.

At last his hand struck something unfamiliar when he reached further along the wall, trying to balance himself against the weight of the water falling on his head. It was a thick root, growing from the wall that was no longer rock but now earthen. Also, the downpour was less weighty, and David hoped this meant that he was almost out of the waterfall. Still careful not to hurry, lest he lose his foothold, David was immensely relieved to feel the warm sun on his arms, then his face, as he emerged from his watery prison.

He stood not too far above a rocky riverbed, into which the waterfall flowed. Above him, he could see that the waterfall came from a great height – in fact, he couldn't even see the top of it from where he stood. "No wonder it felt so heavy," he thought as he looked up, "it must be falling a hundred feet or more!" It certainly was an extraordinary sight, and beautiful. However, David was too concerned with practical matters to be impressed with the glories of nature. He was barely thirty feet from the riverbed, but not being a terribly strong swimmer, he was unwilling to jump into the water from such a height. He looked around, and saw that the same root that he had felt near the edge of the waterfall continued growing right down the side of the cliff. David decided that this would provide him with a perfect climbing frame, and he gripped onto it and began his descent.

He was about halfway down when he felt a strange sensation – sort of like the feeling you get in your stomach when you are on a swing. The root was coming adrift from the cliff, and David gripped it more tightly. Of course, this did no good at all, and David screamed "Aaagghhh!!" as he fell, backwards, into the river below.

Falling into the river wasn't as bad as David had feared it would be, and within minutes he had swum to the riverbank and was pulling himself up onto the grassy embankment. He sat there, blinking in the warm, bright sunshine, realizing for the first time what a lovely little setting he was in. The riverbank on which he found himself was a grassy strip between the river and the jungle. The other side of the river was a rock face, the top of which was as high as the waterfall. The river flowed past the spot where David sat, over smooth river rocks until it curved out of sight. "I must explore the river," he thought, but hunger, and how to satisfy it, was his immediate priority.

David badly wanted to remove his wet clothing, but decided to search for food while it was day. He knew that it was going to be hard to find enough food to feed himself, and set himself some rules. "I can't just go wandering off into the jungle," he thought. "I'll get lost for sure. I'd better stay beside the river." He laughed at himself for fearing getting lost when that was exactly what he was in any case, but he thought there was a fairly high probability that the governor would come back for him at least once, just to check that he hadn't changed his mind. That would be David's big chance to escape, and he didn't want to miss it – unless he liked the idea of spending the rest of his days as some kind of Tarzan! So, he walked alongside the riverbed, peering into the jungle, trying to identify fruit bearing trees and vines.

Without realizing it, he disturbed a flock of birds in a nearby tree. "I wonder why so many of them were in that tree," he thought. He decided to take a closer look, and his hopes were gratified. It was a banana tree, and the birds had been feasting on the fruit. Now it was David's turn, and he forced himself to eat the bananas slowly, careful to choose a couple of nice, ripe ones. As he was eating, he noticed a tree growing what appeared to be wooden balls. "Macadamia nuts!" he thought excitedly. He looked around and found a long stick, and began to hit the tree with it, forcing some of the nuts to fall to the ground. He scooped up as many of them as he could, and filled his pockets. "Well, this was a stroke of good fortune," he thought, "finding two kinds of food right off!" David was feeling pretty pleased with himself, and it was only the thought that he was in fact stranded in a isolated jungle that stopped him from feeling happy.

The day was still bright and warm, so he took off his outer garments and rinsed them off in the river, then wrung them out and hung them on the branch of a tree to dry. "OK, before dark I need to pick some more bananas to take back to the cavern. I also need something to make a more comfortable bed for myself." He decided to look around for some leaves, and decided that the banana tree had the best fronds for a bed. They weren't easy to remove, though, so he took four large banana tree leaves, and collected other leaves and fronds from plants which were easier to strip.

The thought of taking the nuts, fruit and leaves back through the waterfall worried David, and he wondered whether he would be all right setting up camp out here, on the edge of the jungle. The only animals he had come across were the birds, and he had found no indication of any other life. The river water was crystal clear, not muddy the way water which is frequented by animals usually looked, and David thought it might be worthwhile risking it for one night, just to see whether or not he could survive out here. "It will certainly be more convenient," he thought. "For one thing, I can keep an eye on the entrance to the cavern – or at least, on the waterfall, and anyone who tries to enter the cavern through the waterfall. And there is a lot more light out here, and it's warmer, and I won't have the problem of risking breaking my neck every time I need to go "home"!" He decided to take the chance, and began scouting around for a place to camp under the trees.

Eventually he found an area of giant ferns, situated just inside the edge of the jungle, but within view of the river. Their fronds provided a canopy over David's head, and although the ground beneath was cold earth, David laid his banana tree fronds and other leaves down, and made a bed. David collected up his clothes, fruit and nuts and stored them close by his canopied bed, feeling quite satisfied with his afternoon's work. As the sun dipped lower in the sky, however, the warmth quickly left the day, and David remembered how cold he had been the night before. "Could it possibly be as cold out here as it was in the cavern?" he thought. "I'd better get some cover, just in case." So he set about gathering any leafy branch he could easily tear from a tree or fern, and brought them back into his little lair.

David hoped he wouldn't be living like this for too long, because even by his next meal, he was already yearning for some other food besides bananas. "And these leaves will need replacing every other day," he thought. "They start to decompose fairly quickly, especially the ones I'll be lying on. Not to mention the smell -" for he had noticed that the banana leaves in particular had the strong odor peculiar to that fruit.

Regardless of all this, David felt quite pleased with his attempts at outdoor survival, and was sorry that there was no one with whom he could share the experience. But he was completely alone, and indeed this was part of his problem. With another person, he could accomplish so much more, and test his ideas against someone else's wisdom and experience, even perform two tasks at once by splitting up the work! David sighed, wondering at how come he had never realized just how impossible it was to make any progress without the help of others.

The pain of his ankle had not subsided, and clearly it required rest for any real healing to occur. David was feeling tired, partly from the physical exertions of the day; partly from the ankle pain; and partly from the weariness which is brought on by anxiety. He decided to rest his ankle, get comfortable and think about his immediate future.

There were a number of questions stirring in his mind. Number one: why here? Of all the places the governor could have put David, why this jungle? Number two: where was Zachary Xavier? And why had he disappeared in the first place? The third question was the biggest one of all. Why did everyone go crazy when they discovered that he was literate? What was the big deal about literacy, anyway? They all seemed to get along perfectly well without having to bother with reading and writing – why the drama? Actually, drama barely covered it. The governor himself was prepared to bring about the death of a child – David – because that child could read and write! It didn't make any sense, but it was all factual, so David thought that he probably didn't have all the information he would need if he wanted to accurately assess the situation. "I'd better be really careful," he thought. "Until I know exactly what is going on, I'd better keep gathering information."

The spot David had prepared for himself was far more comfortable than the rocky cavern where he had spent the previous night, and the weather was very kind. He lay on his back on the banana tree leaves, looking up at the clear blue sky through the multi-layered palm fronds and the tree branches above. The afternoon sunlight dappled through the leaves, looking like sunny confetti, opaque and glowing on the grass and his legs. He could smell the earthy smells of the undergrowth, and feel the tiny serrated edges of the spongy leaves he lay on. Occasionally a bird would fly through the trees, disturbing the tranquility, but other than that David felt as though he was entirely alone. His stomach was full, he felt quite warm and safe, and he drifted off into a relaxed sleep.

When he awoke, twelve hours later, he felt fully refreshed, better than he'd felt in ages. His ankle no longer hurt, and his thoughts came easily and quickly. David scratched his fingers through his hair till it all stood on end, then he climbed out of his ferny den and headed for the river. He undressed, and jumped into the cool water, which came up to his chest. He splashed around for a few minutes, drinking as he did so, then climbed out and lay on the grassy bank in the sunshine till he was dry. After dressing, David returned to his encampment, and the inevitable bananas.

"Thank goodness for these nuts," he thought as he smashed the macadamia nuts between the large river rocks he had brought up for just that purpose. "I'd go nuts otherwise! Nuts! Ha ha ha!" He laughed at his own joke, then wondered if that meant he was going nuts! "Nah!" he thought. "If I was crazy, I wouldn't feel so lonely – I'd be talking to both of me!" David chuckled to himself.

"OK – down to business," he thought. "First, I have to explore, to see if I can find out anything about this place. Next, I have to do something about the food situation. Obviously, bread and butter are out of the question, but there appears to be a fair bit of bird life around here, so if I can remember how the Scoutmaster used to start a fire with a few sticks, I could roast a bird. I'll have to catch it first, though." David walked out into a clearing, and looked up at the sun. "Hmm – I'd estimate that it is about nine o'clock in the morning. I might explore till lunchtime, then make myself some kind of bird trap, then try to catch something, and if I get lucky, I can work on making fire. So, while I'm exploring, I need to keep a look out for sticks and kindling, and anyplace where bird life is abundant on the ground. I can probably rig up a ground trap for a bird, but I'd never be able to catch one in a tree." With these thoughts, David walked slowly away from the waterfall and his encampment, down the river. By watching the sun in the sky and aligning the direction of the river and the position of the waterfall, David deduced that the river flowed in a southerly direction, which meant that the waterfall was in the north. His encampment lay to the east, and the rock-wall, which flanked the river, was the west of his immediate environment. "I'll need to know that if I accidentally get separated from the river, and can't find my bearings. If the worst comes to the worst, and no one comes for me, I may need to follow the river to its outlet. Towns are often located at river mouths and by the ocean, so I don't want to lose the river."

David began to wonder whether anyone was looking for him. What had happened to Dr. Dempsey? He was the only one who knew that David was at the governor's mercy. But what could he do, anyway? It was fairly unlikely that Dr. Dempsey would have any idea where he had been taken.

"The sad truth is that the person I'm most likely to see next is the governor himself – Governor Marsden," David thought bitterly. "Isn't that something to look forward to! Makes being alone seem almost enjoyable!"

*

# Chapter XVI

And then he saw it. The riverbed widened, and David saw a sandy bank where a wooden jetty had been constructed. It was a very decent jetty, too – large and solid. The wooden ramp led right over the sandy beach and onto the higher part of the riverbank. David ran to the ramp where it met the riverbank, and saw a well-worn footpath leading off into the jungle. "So," he thought, "Not so isolated after all!" He was about to race down the path to see where it led, when his new, cautious self stopped him. "Wait a minute," he thought prudently, "what if this path is used by the governor? After all, he is the only person that I can be sure knows of this place. This path could lead me to him – or another spot he goes to. Either way, I need to be careful not to be seen." So, rather than take the path, which was smooth and open, he decided to walk alongside it in the undergrowth, where he was hidden from view. This involved getting whipped and scratched by the ferns and vines which created a tangled web of vegetation, but it also meant that he felt far safer and more in control of his own safety.

The path led almost a mile into the jungle away from the river, and David was beginning to think that it led nowhere, and that he should turn back. "But no," he thought, "a path never leads nowhere – it always leads to someplace!" And he kept on going. He was a little concerned about time, because he wanted to build and set a bird trap, and work on making a fire, so that he could vary his monotonous diet. "I would never have believed I could spend so much time thinking about food – how to get it, and how to prepare it. I guess that's what the scout leaders meant about "getting back to basics". Life is very basic when you are alone in a jungle."

David had been walking alongside the footpath, about four feet inside the jungle undergrowth. Now it looked as though the path had come to an end. David scanned the area carefully before leaving the protective cover of the jungle, and stepped out onto the end of the footpath. From his hiding place in the undergrowth, he had not been able to see that the path did not in fact end, but went up some steps, which were overgrown with grass and plants. "The grass is crushed, though, and some of the plants broken. Someone has been here recently," he thought. Looking carefully up the steps, David began to see much more than he had originally been aware of. The steps were part of what had apparently been a grand staircase. David could make out banisters at either side of the wide staircase, and what he had thought to be a hillside in front of him, he now saw was an overgrown building of some kind.

Walking carefully up the stairs, David arrived at a long landing, also overgrown. He was only about ten feet away from the vine covered walls of the building now, and could see through places where the vines grew less thickly that the walls were made of rock – carved rock. He could even see that some of the carvings were of women, women wearing elaborate headgear. It all looked vaguely familiar to David, but he couldn't accurately identify what he was seeing. He turned around, and viewed the stairs and the path that led to it from the vantage point of the terrace where he now stood. Although the stairs only raised him about thirty feet, the pathway must have followed a gradual ascent up from the river, for the view was commanding. David could see the river, the waterfall, and something large glinting in the sun, appearing to be on a plateau about halfway up the mountainside. "That's not too far from where the waterfall covers the opening to the cavern where they left me," thought David, as he tried to mentally calculate the exact position of the cavern opening. He was too far away to see the spot where he had torn the vine from the cliff face. He made a note of the position of the shining object in relation to fixed landmarks, so that when he went back to explore, he could ascertain the proximity of the glinting object to his former prison cell.

For now, however, David was determined to explore this structure. He found that the terrace ran all the way around the building, and that all of it was covered with thick plant life. Just as David was preparing to go around a second time, he noticed that the vines appeared to sink into a section of the wall. At first, he thought that the wall had caved in, but then he saw that the vines covered another staircase. It looked as though this one led right up to the roof.

David clambered up the overgrown stairs, and stood at the top of the building. The view from here was spectacular. He could see far into the jungle, and across the river and up to the falls. But the most interesting thing David saw was that all the vines had been cleared away from the top of the building, and he was looking down into a large, roofless room, in which there were numerous statues. David realized why the wall carvings had looked familiar when he saw the statues.

"I'm in an Oriental temple," he thought. "The women depicted here are probably goddesses! I must be somewhere in Asia!" He walked around the room, examining the beautiful statues, and wondering why the path from the jetty had led here. He discovered, between two large statues, an entryway to another staircase that led down into the temple. David was relieved to find that these stairs were clear of plant life, and he could easily explore them. The stairs wound down a short way, and led David straight onto a landing, from which he could see into a large, open room, and he estimated from its size was the only room the building held on that level.

Every square inch of the room, from floor to ceiling, corner to corner, was covered with books.

David could not remember ever seeing so many books. They weren't in shelves, or cases, just piled high on top of each other and beside one another, wedged together like the stones in a rock wall. The books were stacked so high that David thought not another one could possibly be squeezed into the room.

He was about to reach out and grab the nearest one, when he heard a shout. Instantly he froze in terror, while his mind raced in confusion. What should he do? Hide? Hide where? He quickly realized that there was only one direction he could possibly go in, and that was back up the stairs. He quickly grabbed the two books closest to him, stuffed them into his shirt, and headed back up the stairs.

Out in the open area of the temple, David hid behind one of the statues, and tried to see who was out there. He could hear lots of crashing sounds, like people were thrashing through the jungle and tearing at the vines covering the temple. He could distinguish the voices now, and recognized the governor's nasal tones. They were running around the terrace that surrounded the temple, and they were now at the front section, telling by the voices. David quickly ran to the stairs that led to the side of the temple onto the terrace, and quietly buried himself under some thick vines against the carved wall of the terrace.

Sure enough, the governor and Clive were walking past him and up the stairs. As soon as David was sure that they had gone, he quickly and quietly came out of the shrubbery and flew down the terrace, to the main staircase that led to the footpath. This time he didn't bother to hide in the jungle, but ran freely down the pathway till he reached the jetty. He could see a boat moored there, and was about to jump into it and row away, but had a better idea. So, he took the oars out of the boat, and carried them with him as he ran back to his encampment.

It may have been that he was running, or that he had so much on his mind, but the trip back to his camp seemed much shorter than the trip to the temple had been. And when he got there, he found a welcome sight.

It was Dr. Dempsey. With one look at each other, they understood what was happening. Dr. Dempsey grabbed the oars off David, and hurled them into the jungle overgrowth behind them. Then he grabbed David's arm, and half led, half dragged him back up the river towards the waterfall. Neither of them had the time nor the energy to discuss plans, but both were intent on the same thing. David felt that his heart was going to burst as they climbed the steep path which led them to the spot where he had seen something glinting in the sunlight earlier that day.

At last they reached the spot, and both David and Dr. Dempsey lay on their backs gasping for air. The climb had exhausted them, and the knowledge that their enemies could not catch up with them at this point provided them with a much-needed breathing spell. It wasn't long before David was up on his feet again, though, in great excitement.

"This is what I could see before!" he shouted at Dr. Dempsey. He was pointing at the shining helicopter-like aircraft which sat just in front of them, where the ledge of the side of the mountain provided a natural kind of heliport. The dull metal shone in the late afternoon sun, and the rotor blades reflected the glare into David's eyes so that he had to shield them with his hand. "I saw this, I saw the shine it made -"

Dr. Dempsey scrambled up beside David. "Hush, boy – don't tell everyone where we are! Calm yourself!"

But David was full of energy. "Did you fly it yourself?" he asked, full of admiration.

"No – it's not mine!" Said Dr. Dempsey, still trying to get David to quieten down. "It's the governor's-"

"Oh!" said David in a much, much quieter voice.

"Yes, thank you," said Dr. Dempsey, relieved and grateful that David was speaking in a more appropriately sedate fashion.

"So – how will we escape?" asked David nervously. "If you didn't come on this -"

"I flew, of course," said Dr. Dempsey. Then, noticing David's look of non-comprehension, he added. "Don't worry – I brought more flying gear for you." When David still didn't look very happy, he asked, "You can fly, can't you?"

"Well, I -"

"Oh, great!"

"I mean, I've had a few lessons, and -"

"Don't worry, I'll be right beside you all the way." Dr. Dempsey shook his head and grumbled to himself. Although he didn't want to make David feel bad, David could tell that the doctor was annoyed at this obstacle to their escape.

"Don't worry, Doc," said David seriously. "I know the basics and I'm a fast learner. We'll be OK."

Dr. Dempsey laughed at David's attempt to reassure him, and reached over and ruffled the boy's hair. "Of course we will! Now, help me find the air gear I've stashed around here somewhere, and we'll get kitted up and get out of here."

Dr. Dempsey led David to a crevasse in the side of the hill where he had indeed stashed his own flying gear and equipment for David. He was impressed that David not only knew how to put the stuff on correctly, but did it fast. Within minutes they were ready to go.

"We've been lucky – they haven't caught up with us yet," commented the doctor, referring to the governor. He stood up and looked down the hill to the river, and the expression on his face changed to one of acute stress.

"David – they are coming! Quick – we must be gone before they get here!" Dr. Dempsey grabbed David's arm, and hauled him off past the shining aircraft, to a place where the ledge ended and fell in a sheer cliff down the mountainside.

"Hey!" yelled David. "What are you trying to do? Push me off the mountain?"

"We have to go!" yelled back the doctor. "NOW!" He reached down and turned on his boots, and did the same to David's. Then, he stood close to David's left shoulder, and place his large, muscular arm firmly across the back of David's shoulders and gripped onto his right shoulder with his big hand. "Ready?" he asked, and without waiting for a response, he yelled, "Set, GO!" and jumped off the cliff, hauling David along with him.

To David's immense relief and surprise, they didn't fall down the mountain to their combined deaths. Instead, they sailed through the air and rose up to the sky. David racked his brain, remembering the lesson he had had, and although he was nervous and terrified, he was also very excited by the wonderfully good sensation he was experiencing. "I'm flying!" he thought. "Without and airplane or a kite – I'm flying!"

He longed to let go of the doctor and fly freely through the air, but he didn't dare to loosen his grip and was glad to feel the doctor's firm hand across his shoulders.

"Look!" shouted Dr. Dempsey, pointing below.

David looked, and saw the governor and his friend standing at the aircraft, looking straight at them and shaking their fists. They got into it, and started the engine.

"They'll be after us for sure," shouted the doctor. "We'll have to fly through the clouds, otherwise they'll be able to run into us. Will you be all right?" he asked David.

"What am I going to say?" thought David. "I can't very well say 'No, I think I'd rather be hit by their aircraft." He smiled at Dr. Dempsey and said, "Sure – go for it."

They could hear the governor's aircraft behind them, flying through the air at a much faster speed than they were going. David was getting anxious. "What are we going to do?" he screamed. "They'll get us!"

"We are OK so long as we stay in the clouds," shouted Dr. Dempsey. "The thing they are flying can only maintain height in arid conditions. Clouds are too moist – they'll be forced to fly around us."

David didn't know whether he could actually be calm, knowing that all that lay between himself and certain death was a cloud! But he decided then and there that the only thing he could do was concentrate on his flying. He couldn't see anything, because he was surrounded by white cloud, but he could feel the difference his concentration made to the flying ability of both himself and Dr. Dempsey.

"You're doing well," the doctor complimented David. "Good boy."

Dr. Dempsey seemed to know exactly where they were going, because he flew with purpose, steering David in a definite direction.

"I always wanted to fly," David shouted to Dr. Dempsey, "but I can't see anything through this cloud!"

"We will out of the cloud in a minute," the Dr. yelled back. "I have to be sure we have lost the bad guys!" David and the doctor shared a laugh, at calling their highest government official a 'bad guy'!

They flew through the clouds for another thirty minutes or so, then dropped below them and flew through the clear sky. By this time, David was much more confident and comfortable with his aerodynamics, and was able to enjoy the experience more fully.

When he had been in the clouds, he hadn't felt very afraid, just nervous. Now that he had entered the clear sky, and could easily determine that he was so far from the earth's surface, he was definitely a lot more fearful and less confident than he had been. Dr. Dempsey must have noticed it, because he yelled across at him.

"Don't look down!" he ordered.

But looking down was exactly what David longed to do, and try as he might, he just couldn't deny himself the spectacle of flight. They were flying over a long coastline. The beach was a wide strip of cream-colored sand, and the waves which rolled onto the shore were cool, pale aqua, crystal clear and sparkling. As the water got deeper further away from the beach, it changed color from pale aqua to bright blue, then deep aqua, then green, and finally it was a dark, deep blue. On the other side of the beach, grass and small plants grew away from the sand, and then a matted jungle took over.

Dr. Dempsey pointed to the jungle and shouted to David. "Australian rainforest," he said simply.

Australia! Then they were in the Southern Hemisphere! David had never been in the Southern Hemisphere before. He was a bit surprised at how much like the Northern Hemisphere it looked!

They flew for a very long time, hours.

At last Dr. Dempsey turned to David and shouted, "Want to know where we are going?"

David had been so intrigued by the flight, he had forgotten to be curious about their ultimate destination.

"Where?" he asked.

"Antarctica," came the reply.

The South Pole! David had not been expecting that! He didn't know what to say, but finally he asked, "Won't it be cold?"

Dr. Dempsey laughed his enormous laugh, and almost let go of David. David became aware of this, and gripped onto the doctor, just in case. When he had stopped laughing, which took a few minutes, he answered, "You bet! Don't worry, we have gear for you."

Conversation was at a minimum during the journey because each of them had to shout to be heard as they flew through the air, and it became tiresome. David didn't mind, though, because he trusted Dr. Dempsey, so he wasn't overly concerned about anything, and he was enjoying the experience of flying immensely, even though it took quite a lot of concentration. His only concern was that he was very tired, and his arms had been aching for some time now.

"How much further?" he asked the doctor.

"Another few hours," answered the doctor. Doctor Dempsey must have realized that David was uncomfortable and tired, because he suggested "Climb onto my back. Leave your jets turned on."

So that's what David did. He climbed onto Dr. Dempsey's broad back, and by hooking his belt up to the doctors, was able to feel quite secure. He soon drifted off to sleep.

When he awoke, it was because he was cold – very cold. He tugged at the doctor's sleeve, and shouted "How far now?"

"You'll have to climb off now," responded Dr. Dempsey. "We are almost there, and we will be a lot faster side by side."

"OK," said David. He detached his belt, and slid back into his old position beside his companion. "Thanks, doc – I really needed that."

David was even colder now that he was facing the air, without Dr. Dempsey as his human shield. As for Dr. Dempsey, David noticed how exhausted he looked, and felt a rush of guilt that he had been carried by the man for such a long time.

"How could I have been so selfish?" he thought. "If I was tired, I should have realized that he was tired, too." But he thought better of raising the subject, since conversing under these conditions just meant the unnecessary expenditure of energy. "I'd only be talking to him about it to make myself feel better," David thought. "The most unselfish thing I can do now is to let the man get on with it, and not burden him any more than I have too." So, they flew in silence, which suited them both.

Fortunately, the scenery was awesome, and David didn't have to concentrate totally on his lack of heat, or unsuitable attire. Their airy route took them over more ocean than David ever imagined existed. Occasionally, he could make out whales swimming at great speed, and sometimes quite close to the surface of the water. After a time, bird life began to appear in the picture, and David knew that this meant that they were nearing land.

At last they saw the rim of the Antarctic continent. It was preceded by large, rocky looking chunks of ice – icebergs. Dr. Dempsey didn't change their altitude nor direction, though, and they maintained their course. Looking down over the icebergs, David was awed to see the immense underwater part of the bergs, way down in the clear blue water of the Antarctic Ocean. The bird life was prolific now, and David could hear the birds communicating with one another. He was even suspicious that they were talking about the strange object they could see, up in the sky. Definitely not one of their own kind!

Now they were flying over icy terrain. Dr. Dempsey seemed to be paying particular attention to his whereabouts now, as though he was trying to find something. He jerked David's shoulders as he steered them into a left turn, and his energy seemed invigorated as he descended through the sky, till they were only about fifty feet from the icy surface. The cold from the ice rose up to meet them, and it was quite bracing.

It still looked as thought they were in the middle of nowhere, but Dr. Dempsey called over to David.

"Prepare to land!" he announced.

*

# Chapter XVII

He gripped onto David tighter than ever, and slowed right down till they were almost hovering over an even stretch of the ice. As they landed, he simultaneously released his grip on David, and they both bounced, then rolled onto the fine, sandy ice.

"Brrrr!" Said Dr. Dempsey, standing up and brushing himself off. "Not my best landing, but no harm done. Are you OK?"

"I'm great! And, doctor – thanks for carrying me for so long up there. That must have really worn you out!"

"You needed the rest, kiddo. Now, let me get my bearings. We're not too far from them, and we need to get out of this cold." He looked about, and then leant across and grabbed David's arm. "OK, let's go."

David had a million questions, but sensed that this was not the time. He suppressed his desire to interrogate the doctor, and meekly followed him.

They trudged across the flat ice, and up an embankment of ice that seemed to have been formed by the wind pushing snowdrifts into a frozen wave. It was a solid wall of ice, as high as a multi-storied building. Up close, David could see something he had been unable to see from just a few feet away. The 'wall' was in fact a discontinuous barrier. It was any number of overlapping walls, running in the same direction, but obscuring the beginning and ending of one another. It was into one of these crevices that Dr. Dempsey led David, and into a passage beyond.

The temperature dropped perceptively as they entered the passage, and got warmer as they traveled further underground. Dr. Dempsey removed his headgear, and David followed suit. Soon the walls stopped being ice and started being rock – or was it earth? David couldn't tell.

"Doctor – I can hear voices!" exclaimed David, fear in his voice. To David's surprise, the doctor turned to him and smiled. They rounded a bend in the tunnel, and there before them was an unbelievable sight.

"Look!" shouted Michael. "They're here!"

David was immobile with shock. The last thing he had expected to come across was a room full of his friends.

"Michael! Cue! Sean! Margie! Adrian! Dad!" David went from one to the other, hugging them and laughing. "What's going on? What are you guys doing here?"

Dr. Xavier embraced David, and said in a serious voice. "We want to ask you a very great favor, David." He looked around at the others, and Adrian spoke.

"David – will you teach us how to read and write?"

The earnest faces of his friends looked hopefully at David. David felt like laughing, whether with embarrassment or disbelief he was unable to decide. He could tell, however, that to his friends, this was no laughing matter, so he refrained from expressing his feelings. Instead, he addressed them as a group.

"Sure, I'll teach you – but why?"

"What?" asked Margie.

"Why? Why do you want to learn to read? You've gotten along perfectly well without reading for these past hundreds of years, haven't you? Why bother with an outdated skill like reading? I'm happy to teach you – it's not hard – but-"

David stopped speaking when he saw the tears in the eyes of both Dr. Dempsey and Dr. Xavier. They looked at each other, understanding flowing between them like an electric current, and Dr. Xavier came to where David stood and took his arm.

Dr. Xavier smiled at David. "I can see how you might think that, David," he said in a kind tone, "but our inability to read has limited our ability to learn from our predecessors. In a very real sense, we are cut off from the 'tree of man', like a bough that has been severed, and lies in the grass, unable to sprout fresh leaves. The thing which differentiates men from animals is our ability to store knowledge and pass it on, not just from one living person to another, but from people who have been dead for generations to those alive today. If every generation had only the knowledge it was able to accumulate in one lifetime at its disposal, we would still be living in caves, wearing animal pelts for protection. Instead, each generation is able to take the knowledge of the previous generation, and the one before that, and the one before that, going back thousands of years, and add a little bit more. It might be merely the refinement of an old technique, or it might be a whole new piece of knowledge, but the body of knowledge grows and flourishes, and the knowledge is tested and refined until it gets closer and closer to perfection."

"But what about your technology? All the automation? Your communication computers -" David asked.

"All functioning on inventions which occurred prior to the Erasure. The software, the technology, it has been enhanced, but no great changes or advancements have been made, due largely to the fact that we have at our disposal only a few hundred years of recorded data, knowledge." Dr. Xavier's eyes lit up at this point and he gazed dreamily off into the distance as he spoke. "But if we could access the thoughts of the minds of the men who grappled with this problem before we did, just as we are grappling with that same problem now, why – anything is possible!" He paused, and spoke to David quietly. "You saw the temple library. That is the treasure trove and now, because of you, we have the key to unlock all that knowledge."

David had been taking in everything the doctor said, and he felt humbled by the man's great vision in the face of his own shortsightedness.

"Well, then," said David. "Let's get to it then, shall we? Oh!" Remembering something, he searched around in his shirt and pulled out the two books he had taken from the oriental temple. "Good thing I grabbed these!" And he laid the books on the table.

Dr. Xavier gasped, and Dr. Dempsey lunged at the books, sweeping them up from the table. "David – what are you doing? That table might have dust or moisture on it! Anything-"

"OK!" David tried to calm them both down. "Relax!" He watched as the doctors pored over the books. "What did I manage to steal, anyway?"

"Where did you get these?" asked Dr. Dempsey.

David took a closer look at the two books. One was "History of the World" by A. J. Roberts, and the other was "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell. "A history book and an historical novel," he announced. Then in answer to Dr. Dempsey's question, he said, "I got them from the temple."

Adrian and Margie produced paper and pencils for everyone, and David handed the books around for everyone to look at.

"I want you to look closely at the words typewritten on these pages," he said. "The English language is phonetic, and -"

Dr. Xavier interrupted David by producing scraps of paper which had words written on them. "Are you sure?" He asked. "I've spent many months trying to decipher the meaning of these words, and have been unable to decode them using phonics."

David took the scraps of paper, and saw words in English, Russian and Greek. "These words are written in different languages, Dr. Xavier," he explained. David could see that Dr. Xavier didn't understand, so he tried to explain. "In the old world – my world – there are hundreds of languages. That means there are hundreds of different ways of speaking and writing. The languages are not interchangeable. They can only be understood by someone who speaks, reads and writes that particular language."

"So how do the people of one language communicate with people who speak another language?"

"Well, there is only one way they can communicate. One or both of them must learn a common language. In the old world, that common language was often English, which is probably why you speak English now. In fact, in the old world, it is a sign of advanced intelligence, education and culture to be able to speak, read and write more than one language well."

There were lots of questions about the different languages, and the contents of the book, and then Dr. Xavier called a halt to the proceedings.

"We'll have lots of opportunities to ask David about his world and their books, but right now we are here for one purpose and one purpose only. So, let's learn." There was general agreement to this, and everyone sat attentively. David stood before them.

"Right," he began. "Well, as I said, the English language is phonetic, which means that each character represents a sound used to communicate. The collection of these letters is called the alphabet, from the Greek. In Greek – one of the ancient classical languages of our civilization – 'alpha' meant A, and 'beta' meant B, so you can see that 'alphabet' means AB. In English, we also call the alphabet the ABC's, which is just an English version of the Greek 'alphabet'. The alphabet for the English language contains 26 letters: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, I, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z." David wrote the letters on a sheet of paper as he said them. "I want each of you to write out your own alphabet."

And so the lesson progressed. The students, Sean, Adrian, Michael, Dr. Dempsey, Margie, Cue and Dr. Xavier wrote letters, made vowel sounds, sang the alphabet song, and learned to read.

They worked for hours, but no one grew weary. In fact, the more they learned, the more they wanted to know. "This must be what my teachers call 'the thirst for knowledge'" thought David. He had a strangely satisfied feeling as he taught his friends this ancient skill. He felt that he was doing something important, and because of that, he, too, was important while he performed an important task. "I wonder if my teachers feel this way," he thought. "Maybe I could be a teacher one day."

As though reading his thoughts, Sean congratulated him. "You are a good teacher, David. You really are. Maybe you've found your calling!" Everyone agreed with Sean, and David blushed with pleasure.

On and on the lesson went. They even read sections of the books David had taken from the temple.

"David – I can't tell you how excited we are that you should have brought us "The History of the World"," enthused Dr. Xavier. "I just can't wait to read it from cover to cover, and then read it again-"

"You'll read it once," interjected Dr. Dempsey, "pass it on to me, I'll read it, and only then will you be offered the luxury of reading it a second time." Everyone laughed at this, including the doctors.

"We are making very good progress," said David.

"Well, that's probably because we are all fairly sophisticated users of the language – we just weren't aware of this new dimension to it – the written word!" explained Michael.

"And we are all extraordinarily intelligent!" added Sean.

"Some more so than others," said Cue.

Dr. Xavier became serious once more. "Look, I know we all have a lot more to learn, but we are running out of time."

"What do you mean – running out of time?" asked David. "Are we in danger of being located by the governor?"

"No, nothing like that," answered Dr. Xavier. He looked uncomfortable. "David, please don't be upset that I didn't tell you sooner, but I selfishly wanted so badly to learn how to read and write, and I didn't want you to be distracted from teaching us, so I withheld this information, even though I knew it was important to you." He looked at David in much the same way that a guilty child looks imploringly at his parent. "I hope you will forgive me."

"Of course!" said David impatiently. "What is it?"

"You are going back to your world. We have heard from Zoltan, and we have figured out a way for the two of you to switch places." David was speechless, so Dr. Xavier continued. "You must be at a certain position under the stars at midnight at the turn of the century – the exact moment, David."

Suddenly David found his tongue. "But how was Zoltan able to contact you?" he asked, plainly bewildered. "We don't have any of the technology you guys have!"

"You may not have the technology, but you have the knowledge. You just haven't arranged it in the way that allows you the same abilities, but you will. It is a comparatively small step, and you already have all the material in your world. Once Zoltan located the materials required, basic items he found in your own home, it was relatively simple to put together a time and space continuum transmitter. But we don't have the time – nor the need – to go into all that now." He turned to Dr. Dempsey. "Do we know the exact location of this temple – the one that holds all the books?"

"Yes," answered Dr. Dempsey. "I was there."

"I can tell you how to get in – it isn't difficult," David assured them both.

"Good," said Dr. Xavier. "It's important that we transfer these books to a spot where we can access them, and where they will be safe. However, we must turn our minds to another, more urgent situation, and that's getting you back to your world, and returning Zoltan to his world, here with us."

"What do I have to do?" asked David.

"First, we have to get back to Fairfax, and put you in the exact position Zoltan was in when the transfer occurred originally."  
"You mean playing baseball?"

"Playing baseball? Is that when it happened?" exclaimed Sean. "I remember that! You slammed that ball right out of the ballpark! I should have known right then that you weren't Zoltan! He's a top pitcher, but a hitter? Nah!"

"It being the turn of the century celebration, it shouldn't be too difficult to get a game together for the midnight hour. Actually," Dr. Xavier smiled, "it might even be fun! Anyway, that's what we have to do. I'll contact transport station, and get a craft here to take us home." Dr. Xavier immediately began giving verbal instructions to the patch on his wrist, detailing the number of people and the departure location and destination. When he had finished, he turned to the group and said, "We have about an hour till we are picked up. Let's go outside and take a look around."

"Yes!" said Adrian, and his voice was full of relief and excitement. "I was so torn, doctor! I wanted so badly to learn how to read – but I've also wanted to explore the Antarctic since forever! And an opportunity like this might never present itself again! Did you know how the Antarctic was formed?"

"I do, but I'm sure some of our group don't," answered Dr. Xavier.

"I don't!" said David. "But I'd love to know!"  
"Ah!" smiled Adrian. "Now the teacher becomes the student, and the student becomes the teacher! As we juxtapose these two-"

"Just get on with it, please," yawned Sean.

*

# Chapter XVIII

So Adrian launched into an impromptu lecture on the history of the Antarctic. While they were listening, David changed into the gear that had been brought along for him. He was pleased to be comfortable, and looked forward to exploring the new territory without freezing to death.

"The Antarctic continent," began Adrian, "was formed when Earth contained only two plates or continents. Gradually, over millions of years, these plates broke up, and the Antarctic continent broke free from the Australian continent, settling over the South Pole. Antarctica is truly a desert, with an average yearly rainfall of just two inches. It is the fifth largest of the earth's seven continents. Antarctica covers a total area of five and a half million square miles in summer, and in winter is double that size. The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was recorded here: minus 126.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Winds of 200 miles per hour have been recorded here. Now, we are in the austral, or southern, summer. During this season the Antarctic has almost continual daylight. Although there are no land-based animals to be found other than insects, the Antarctic Ocean abounds with animal life. Whales, seals and about twelve species of birds live and breed in the Antarctic. The most prevalent inhabitant is the penguin, and these number in the millions." Adrian was enthusiastic about his topic, and each fact he spouted exploded from him. "Antarctica is 95% ice covered, and contains about 90% of the world's fresh water. The thick ice cover makes it the highest of all the continents, with an average elevation of about 5250 feet." Adrian then turned to Dr. Xavier. "On a day like this, I think we could safely explore – oh, a couple of hours at least!" he said hopefully.

Dr. Xavier smiled and shook his head ruefully. "Sorry, Adrian. For one thing, we have to leave in about an hour or we won't meet our other deadlines. And quite apart from that, we haven't brought sufficient rations to allow us too much time out on the freezing glacier – even if it is summer! Temperatures like these cause you to burn calories at an alarming rate, so we must be careful and cautious." Seeing Adrian's great disappointment, he added, "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't make the most of the time we have, so let's go exploring!"

And out they marched, into the icy field.

"You were right about the wind, Adrian," said Margie. "And it's freezing! I thought you said it was summer?"

"Everything is relative!" laughed Adrian. The field of ice they stood in was so white that they had to squint their eyes to shut out the glare. The wind caused them to become very thirsty very quickly, and the snow that covered the icy ground was like dust rather than solid water. It crunched like sand when they walked on it, and the children got a real sense of the dryness of the Antarctic continent.

Suddenly they heard a loud cracking sound, and Adrian pointed over to his left, where a huge piece of ice could be seen breaking away from the white ground they trod.

"That happens a lot during the summer," explained Adrian. "The icy shelf that forms at the edge of the continent during the winter slowly melts and breaks up during the summer. It's probably best if we remember to walk toward the South Pole rather than towards the ocean. That way, we are less likely to be stranded on a break-away ice floe." Everyone quickly agreed with him, and gathered more closely around Adrian.

The time passed very quickly, and Cue and Sean had to be torn away from observing a large family of penguins.

"They are so cute!" laughed Sean. "Did you see that little guy, trying to keep up with the bigger one?" He started to laugh, and tried to imitate the baby penguin.

"No wonder you noticed him," said Michael. "The reason he was chasing after the larger penguin was because it had a mouth full of food, and the little one wanted his lunch!"

"Very sensible, too," said Sean. "You heard Dr. Xavier – we have burned so many calories, we need to eat!"

"Actually, he's right," agreed Dr. Dempsey. "We need to eat, and then we need to leave. Come on everyone."

They all trooped back into the cavern, and ate the meager rations of cookies and water they'd brought along with them, then boarded the transport.

Once aboard the aircraft, David felt very sleepy, and he wasn't the only one. One by one, they all fell asleep, and didn't wake up until they were landing in Fairfax.

*

# Chapter XIX

It was the day before New Year's Eve – the turn of the 31st century. Preparations for the celebrations were in full swing, and from the look of things, David thought that even if someone had chosen to ignore it, they would not be able to sleep tomorrow night anyway!

There didn't seem to be a square inch of the town that was not decorated, spruced up, redesigned or actually built especially for the occasion. "It's bigger than the Olympics!" thought David, as he gazed with wonder at the transformation that had occurred in his absence. New trees – fully grown flame trees and jacarandas and flowering eucalypts – had been planted along the boulevards. Brightly colored flowers were in abundance, planted in the ground, in window boxes, and in urns, ewers and tubs lining plazas, streets and windows. The city streets themselves gleamed as though they had been scrubbed and polished, and the people walked purposefully, talking gaily and laughing like children. Everyone seemed to have put on new clothes and had their hair done, for everyone looked healthy, happy and vibrant. As night fell, the clear sky was bright with a million stars. It was some time before David realized that some of these 'stars' were in fact lights planted in the sky – he knew not how, but they did look beautiful, and shed a lovely light on the streets and houses. The moon looked quite full, but David knew, as did almost everyone else on earth, that tomorrow she would be in her full splendor, as the miracle of nature coincided with the Gregorian calendar. Even the air, though crisp, was perfumed by the redolent scent of the flowers, which were ubiquitous. Every sense was brought alive by the wonderful spectacle the people of Fairfax had worked hard to create, to celebrate the birth of a brand new century, and a whole new millennium!

When David and Dr. Xavier arrived at the door to their home, David was overcome by a feeling of relief mixed with pride. He had survived! He had used his brains and his strength, and he had made it through ordeal after ordeal. And now, the ultimate reward – he was going home, to the old world – his world. The feeling was so good, so warm, that David felt it would be difficult to keep his feet on the ground. He might just float away on pure happiness!

No sooner had they entered the house, than Mrs. Xavier, Josephine and Pierce came rushing up to them.

"Dad! Zoltan!" screamed the children.

"Honey! David!" cried Mrs. Xavier.

David was surprised that Mrs. Xavier would call him David in front of Josephine and Pierce, but in the uproar, no one else seemed to have noticed, and in a funny way it did make David feel nice. Yes, he was David – David Finn. And perhaps Mrs. Xavier was recognizing him as David so that she could more fully anticipate the return of her own son, Zoltan.

"Look – we've got a party for you!" shouted Josephine, "Come and see!" Josephine dragged David and her dad into the house, and proudly displayed the decorations, party foods and even wrapped gifts!

"Hello! So, finally you return!" It was Helene, and she emerged from the depths of the festive room, and embraced David. He was very glad to see her, and gave Helene an enormous bear hug, and laughed.

"Yes, ran out of adventures, so decided to come home," he joked.

"Well, David, we want to hear all about every single adventure," announced Dr. Xavier. "So, my suggestion is that we all sit down, and – hey – presents!" Dr. Xavier had just noticed the brightly colored gifted wrappings, and his eyes lit up. "No one told me there were presents! Are they all for me?" Pierce and Josephine shrieked with delight as their father pretended to lunge at the pile of gifts.

"Daddy! Stop! Daddy – no – WE have to hand them to you! And they are not all for you! Daddy!!"

"Oh, all right," said Dr. Xavier, in mock disappointment. "I'll be good." Then he turned to David. "Would you be up to telling us all about you adventures, son – over a meal, of course!"

"Yes, please do!" urged Helene.

"You bet!" said David. "Only, first things first: where are the plates?"

They each helped themselves to a huge helping of the delicious food laid out on the table, and between mouthfuls, David related his tale.

He began with the moon, and described the Darkside Diner, the Meteorium, and his death defying zooming with Vladco Marsden. Then, he told them about the midnight attack, and how Humpty saved the day. Then, he told them how he had been snatched from safety and kidnapped by the governor. Mrs. Xavier was agape with horror, and the other children were spellbound by his story.

On and on David talked – the cavern behind the waterfall, surviving alone in the jungle, discovering the overgrown temple full of books, and his timely rescue from certain death by the inimitable Dr. Dempsey. His flight over the Southern Hemisphere and Antarctic exploration was a source of wonder even to him!

"But you've left out the most wonderful part!" complained Dr. Xavier. "The reason for it all! You didn't tell them about the lesson!"

"What?" asked David, confused.

Zachary Xavier sighed, and shook his head with a smile. "You taught us how to read and write, remember?" Zachary turned to his wife and the other children. "It's true. Now Michael, Cue, Sean, Margie, Adrian, your father, Declan," he said to Helene, "and even I can read and write. From a base of seven people, we plan to teach everyone how to read and write."

"What about me?" asked Helene.

A silence fell over the group and Zachary and Declan's excitement was crushed as they saw the hope in the young girl's face. But David was quick to respond.

"We have a different kind of alphabet for people who are blind," he said. "I mean – the alphabet is the same phonetically, but the letters have a feel rather than a look."

"I'm sorry, David," said Declan. "Could you run that by me again?"  
"It's called 'Braille'," explained David. "Instead of drawing the letter which represents a given sound, you pierce the page with a pin to make a bump, or a series of bumps, which represent the letters. Then, the person reading runs their fingertips over the bumps, and they read with their fingers."

"Do you know how to write using Braille?" asked Helene excitedly. "Can you teach me?"

"Helene, we can teach you!" said Zachary, his relief at the solution described by David enormous. "We can design and make a system exactly like David has described. It's quite brilliant in its simplicity, and I can already picture the result!"

"Leave it to Zachary and me, honey," her father reassured her. "You'll be reading as well as anyone, I promise you that!" Helene beamed at her father.

They ate and talked and laughed and joked, till Zachary said "Hey! We'd better get some sleep! Tomorrow is the eve of the turn of the millennium, and we don't want to be shaggy for that! I say we have a group hug and turn in for the night, OK?"

Josephine and Pierce were delighted with the whole 'group hug' thing, and threw in a few individual hugs as well. There was more giggling and laughing, and then everyone reluctantly went off to bed.

"See you tomorrow, Helene," called David as Helene and Declan waved good-bye.

"It's going to be big!" answered Helene.

*

# Chapter XX

'Big' barely described the day. From the dawn of New Year's Eve, music played and people gathered in the streets. Breakfast was served in the vestibule, set out like a smorgasbord on long, decorated tables. People sauntered through the public halls, eating and socializing, checking the events schedule and deciding which of the plethora of events they would choose to see or take part in. There were dance demonstrations, showing beautifully colored costumes; plays and re-enactments of theatrical events; music recitals and choirs; handicraft displays and markets; cake decorating and the cookie bake off; pizza, pizza, pizza; lemonade stands and icy fruit cocktails; cotton candy and popcorn; pony rides and hay rides; star gazing and science experiments; fashion parades and beauty pageants; magic shows and displays of strength, agility and bravery.

David was thrilled by it all. He felt that he couldn't open his eyes wide enough, nor spend too long looking at one thing for fear that he would miss something else. "This is like a circus, a fair, a cultural event and a world expo, all rolled into one!" He thought. "What a way to spend my last day in this world."

"Hey!" It was Michael. "Over here!" David looked to Mrs. Xavier, and she nodded.

"Off you go – we'll catch up with you later," she said, smiling affectionately at him. David suddenly felt how much he longed to see his own mother.

"Can we come?" begged Pierce.

"We'll be good!" pleaded Josephine.

"Sure!" said David good-naturedly. "Is that OK?"

"Yes, I suppose so," answered their mother. "But I want both of you to meet me back here at noon. Got it?"

"Got it!" said Pierce.

"Thanks Mum," said Josephine.

Michael looked a bit surprised when David arrived with Josephine and Pierce in tow, but he shrugged and let it go. "We're off to the magic show. Want to come?"

"What about Margie and Adrian?" asked David, noticing that everyone else was present – Cue, David, Helene, Michael and himself. "Aren't they joining us?"

"Well, kind of," said Michael with a smile. "They are the magicians!"

"Magicians? I thought they were more the science types, actually, not the magic types! What don't I know about these two?"

Michael shook his head. "No one can keep up with them, David, so don't let it worry you. They are into everything. Just when you think you have a handle on them, they re-invent themselves!"

"It's kind of scary when you think about it," added Sean, who had been listening in. "Personally, I think they both need deep psycho-analysis. This dilettante-ism they display is nothing short of -"

"-Two broad, expansive minds exploring new areas of knowledge and insight?" finished Cue. "Be careful not to criticize a thing simply because you don't understand it, Sean. You know that's something Margie nor Adrian would never tolerate."

"Hey – don't get me wrong – I love Margie and Adrian! Well, not love, exactly, but I really like them a lot and I like hanging around with them. I just feel that they should find something they are good at and stick to it."

"But they are good at everything!" laughed Helene. "Admit it – name a single thing they have done that hasn't been well done. I dare you!"

"That is precisely my point!" wailed Sean. "Imagine if they stuck to something for a whole week – imagine what they could achieve!"

"Well, Sean," said David with a grin, "it may yet happen. I mean, how old are they? Ten years old? Eleven?"

"Time waits for no man," predicted Sean solemnly.

"I want to see the magic show!" Exclaimed Pierce. "I love magic!"

"Me too!" said Josephine. "Let's go and see Adrian and Margie's magic show!"

David looked at Michael. "It's my last night – why not? I have to say good-bye to them, anyway."

"Don't worry about saying good-bye," said Michael. "They're planning to be at the game tonight – we all are. But I guess it won't kill us to see their magic show. OK, come on guys – we're going to see some magic!"

"Great!" said Cue. "I didn't want to be the one to suggest it," she confided to Josephine, "but I was dying to see it! Thanks!" Cue and Josephine giggled conspiratorially as they headed off with the others.

Winding their way through the ever-thickening crowd, the children soon found the place where Adrian and Margie were preparing their performance. They had the entire corner of a good sized, airy tent to themselves, and had obviously gone to a lot of trouble to create a mystical atmosphere. They had placed lamps around the exterior of the tent walls which surrounded their corner, and had put colored designs of moons, stars, planets – even animals and insects – over the lamps, so that silhouettes were reflected on the silky fabric of the tent. From the inside, these shadows looked ephemeral, and gave the corner a whole new dimension. Unusual music played softly in the background. It could have been a xylophone or a harp, soft bells or chimes – it sounded like tinkling water, put into music. Large, pastel colored flowers had been arranged amongst delicate fern fronds, and their musky perfume hung in the air.

Margie and Adrian were overjoyed to see Michael, David, Cue, Sean, Josephine and Pierce.

Oh – thank heavens you've come!" said Adrian breathlessly, as though he had been awaiting their arrival for weeks. "And you two!" He looked from Josephine and Pierce to Margie. "Margie – look who's here!"

Margie, too, seemed particularly pleased to see Pierce and Josephine. "Oh! Well, then – this is grand! How would you two like to be in our magic show?"

"Yes!" squealed Josephine and Pierce in unison.

"Can we?" Josephine asked David.

"I suppose so," shrugged David. "It's nothing dangerous, is it?" he asked Margie.

"Of course not," laughed Margie. "We are magicians, not dare devils."

"This week," added Sean.

"All they have to do is fan our magic table with these," and Margie produced two fans made entirely of long peacock feathers. Each fan was so large it could totally cover Josephine or Pierce.

Cue laughed. "If they are able to! They're huge, Margie! I doubt these two could even pick one of those things up!"

"Oh, no – they are very lightweight." Margie handed each to Josephine and Pierce, and they delighted in fanning and flipping the feathers about.

"Hey! Steady on!" Adrian grabbed the fans from them. "I see we'll be needing some training in fan wielding and other sensate skills!" He handed the fans back to Josephine and Pierce with great ceremony. "Now, I bestow upon each of you the high order of the feathery fan. Use your power wisely, and no harm will come to you. But-" Adrian's smile vanished, and mock solemnity cloaked his face, "should a single feather break – or a tuft of fluff desert the downy display – then, who can say what evil will be let loose amongst us!"

"In other words," interjected Margie, "break the fan, and you'll be in trouble with us!"

"Yes, sir!" retorted Pierce dramatically.

"Don't worry, Margie," said Josephine. "We'll be careful. Do we get to wear costumes?" she asked hopefully.

"But of course!" said Margie. "Come with me," and she led the children behind a screen.

"If I were you, I'd have a look around, and come back in about 45 minutes," advised Adrian. "We have to train the kids, get them rigged out, and prepare for the show. See you then!" And without waiting for a response, he shooed everyone away from his set up.

"Well!" said Cue, when they were outside the tent, on the street. "I feel as though I've been herded away!"

"That's because we were herded away," agreed Sean. "The nerve!"

"It's just the artistic temperament," said Michael. "Don't take it personally. Look!" He pointed to across the street. "It's Dr. Dempsey! Hey – Dr. D! Over here!"

*

# Chapter XXI

Dr. Dempsey spotted the group, and jogged over to them. "There you are," he panted, his large face flushed. "David – have you heard from Zachary?"

"No – why?"

Dr. Dempsey rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand, and sighed. "Well, he's disappeared, that's why."

"Don't worry, Declan," said David comfortingly. "Remember the last time he went missing? It turned out to be nothing – he ended up sending a message that he was working on some project and would be back within a few days – and he was."

To David's surprise, his words had the effect of aggravating Dr. Dempsey quite visibly. "No, no, David – you don't understand at all." Dr. Dempsey groaned and rubbed his eyes again. "Look, we have to talk. Come." He turned and walked quickly through the crowded street, and down a minor lane that ran behind the buildings which faced the street. They came to a small, secluded meadow that ran beside a water reticulation stream. The stream was lined with mature willow trees, and Dr. Dempsey led the group into the overhanging branches of the willows, and sat on the soft, thick grass that grew on the bank of the stream.

"Here is as safe as anywhere," he said. David sat beside him, and Cue on his other side. Michael and Sean sat beside Cue.

"What?" asked David, his voice fearful.

"David, there is a reason that you have been the target of so much malevolence," began Dr. Dempsey. "The reason the Governor is able to manipulate the society to the extent that he can, is because he and he alone has access to, and control over, past learning. Not that he has ever made use of the literature. The main problem is that he is afraid of this knowledge, and has no idea how to use it. He thinks he is the smartest man on earth, and unfortunately has convinced many of his sycophants that this is so, but the sad fact is that he is functionally illiterate. Worse than that, he has no vision for the future of his government, and without the experience offered by history, or educated advisors to assist him, he has dug himself into a big fat rut.

"You are aware that Zachary and the governor don't see eye to eye, and the reason for this is that Zachary has been working on a method which will enable time travel to all people on earth. Before you arrived, David, this was the only way we could imagine that we would be able to draw on the experiences and conclusions of our predecessors. Unfortunately, the governor got wind of this, and has been running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to destroy Zachary's work. That is why he has to disappear from time to time. He is safeguarding his work, and hurrying it toward completion."

"That's how come Zoltan and I were able to switch places, isn't it? I should have realized that something like this was going on!" As the truth dawned on David, another heavy load of confusion rolled away from him.

"Yes, well, the problem now is that I'm afraid that the governor has succeeded."

"What do you mean?" asked Michael.

"In the past, when Zac has seen fit to evaporate, I have always been told. This time, not only was I not told, but he is not in any of the places we agreed he would go to in these circumstances. And he doesn't respond when I call him on the patch. None of those things alone is cause for alarm where Zac is concerned, but all of them together create a new and possibly nasty situation. You get my drift."

"Yes," said David.

"We do," said Michael.

At that exact moment, Dr. Dempsey's patch began to glow and vibrate. He clutched at his own wrist, and responded to the call.

"Zac!" he cried, "Zac! What's going on? I'm here with-"

"D-D-D-D-ec-l-l-l-lan, i-i-it-t-t's m-m-me, Z-Z-Zac-c-c-hary X-X-Xav-v-vier."

Declan looked in disbelief at the patch, then signaled to the group of children that they should be silent.

"Sure, Zachary, I'm here without a clue as to your whereabouts. Are you going to enlighten me?"

D-D-D-D-Don't-t-t w-w-wor-r-ry ab-b-b-bout m-m-me. I-I-I-I-I'm f-f-f-fine. T-T-T-T-Tell M-M-M-Mrs. X f-f-f-or m-m-me, w-w-will y-y-ou?"

"Sure."

"B-B-Bye." And he was gone. Declan stood, staring at his patch in disbelief.

"Well, it looks like you were right after all, hey David?" said Cue.

"No, Cue," said David. "Didn't you hear the way he stuttered?"

Cue looked embarrassed. "David, Dr. Xavier has always stuttered terribly. He can't help it, he just-"

"He only stutters when he is upset or nervous, Cue. He hasn't stuttered like that with me since the fourth conversation we had together, and I'm certain he wouldn't stutter talking to Dr. Dempsey. That is, if he was alone." David and Declan shot each other a meaningful look. Each looked searchingly at the other, exchanging understanding and fear.

"Then I was right," growled Dr. Dempsey. "They've got him."

"Oh!" said David with a start. "Dr. Dempsey, we have to go. I'm responsible for Josephine and Pierce. I promised to look after them, and they are performing in Adrian and Margie's magic show."

"When?" asked Dr. Dempsey, looking flustered and bewildered.

"Now!" said Michael urgently. "If we don't run, we'll miss it!"

Michael, Sean, David and Cue took off at the speed of light. Dr. Dempsey shook his head slowly and growled deeply, then roared and followed the children, breaking into a heavy run. To see Declan Dempsey running along the street was akin to watching a railway truck disengage itself from its engine and roll down a mountain, gathering speed with every revolution of its wheels. He seemed not to see where he was going, and emitted a low and thunderous bellow, his head lolling from side to side, huge legs lunging at the road before him. Pedestrians scattered to clear his path, and it didn't take him long to catch up with the children.

When they arrived at the tent, they had to squeeze through the crowd to find standing room at the front of the interior of the tent. They had to stand at the side, but they had a good view, so it didn't really matter. Adrian was looking out for them, and he smiled gratefully when he saw them, waved and disappeared behind the makeshift stage curtain.

"They must have been waiting for us to arrive before they began the show," whispered David.

Cue nodded. "Thank goodness," she said. "Imagine the little guys' faces if they were up on stage, and didn't see us out here."

"You just didn't want to miss the show!" laughed Sean.

"Well, that too," agreed Cue good-naturedly.

"Shhh!" said Michael, nudging Sean into silence.

The music got louder, and the lights dimmer. Silver moons and stars appeared on the deep blue silky curtain, and a motley light danced around the darkened room. A hush fell, and all eyes were on the curtain.

Slowly the curtain was drawn to reveal two small genies. One was dressed in an opalescent peach colored satin, the other in sky blue. Each held a large, colorful parrot on an extended arm. Adrian appeared dressed head to foot in black satin. His hair was wrapped in a turban, and the only relief to the solid black figure was a large jeweled belt he wore round his waist.He looked resplendent in the shimmering black, and had finished the look with an enormous, handlebar mustache.

"Well done!" whispered Michael admiringly.

"The mustache is a bit overdone, don't you think?" whispered Sean.

"Shhh!" said Michael crossly.

Then Margie appeared, skipping across the stage like a feather. She was dressed in a harem suit of sparkling gold, exactly the same color as her strawberry blonde hair. She finished wafting around the others on the stage, then, with an elaborate bow, handed Adrian a large silk scarf.

Adrian took the scarf, and examined it with some rigor. Ascertaining that the scarf was just a scarf, containing nothing, he draped it over the first bird. After about 2 seconds, he removed it. The parrot had disappeared from sight, without leaving so much as a feather.

The blue genie, who was in fact Josephine, was more surprised than anyone at the sudden disappearance of her charge. Before she could exclaim, Adrian had draped the scarf over the second parrot. When he removed it, the parrot was gone, and in its place was a small blue budgerigar. The budgerigar was startled by the scarf, and flew around the tent, finally finding the doorway and flying away.

The audience was very pleased with the show thus far, and applauded enthusiastically. Adrian bowed grandly, careful not to lose his turban in the process, and Margie danced gaily, curtsying every now and then in response to the clapping. Josephine and Pierce beamed happily at the crowd, bowing to their audience and each other.

Adrian raised his hands to hush the crowd, and then announced: "The next section of our performance requires the cooperation and concentration of everyone here." After these words, the light dimmed to a pale glow, and twinkling starlights showed above the stage. The music tinkled like chimes, and everyone listened in silence.

"Thank you for your assistance," said Adrian to the audience, and with a swoosh of his long, black, satin cape, he swept himself from view.

The lights dimmed to almost darkness, and then there was a colorful explosion of fireworks, right on the stage. With the fireworks, the stage was once again lit up, and from the sparkling cinders, Margie, Adrian, Pierce and Josephine appeared. The audience gasped and applauded, but the performers paid them no attention. Margie led Josephine and Pierce onto a small circular stand, and arranged them back to back, then walked all around them and the low table they stood on, swishing and flicking a long black silk scarf as she went. Margie then absented herself from the stage, and Adrian took center stage.

He took an end of a very long red scarf and began winding it a round the two small genies. Around and around he went, till at last the children were completely encased in red silk. Adrian tied an elaborate knot in the scarf, then he bent down and pulled the edge of the circular stand which Josephine and Pierce were on, making it spin around fast. After only a few seconds, the red silk scarf was all that remained on the stand. Josephine and Pierce had vanished – right in front of everyone!

The audience applauded once again. David, Michael, Sean and Cue clapped the loudest of all, but Dr. Dempsey jumped from his seat and raced to the door of the tent without saying anything to anyone.

"What's gotten into him?" asked Sean.

"Probably forgot a previous appointment," suggested Michael with a shrug.

Up on stage, Adrian was taking all the credit for his act, and was preparing to make his human props reappear. Just as he was about to spin the table again, Margie flitted onto the stage and did an impromptu little dance, throwing Adrian into obvious confusion. As she danced, David noticed that she mouthed words to Adrian, who appeared to be quite shocked by them. The music got louder, the lights dimmer, and still dancing, Margie led the dazed Adrian from the stage.

Michael and David looked at each other, then to Sean and Cue.

"We'd better find out whether everything is all right," said Michael. Let's go."

*

# Chapter XXII

The four of them made their way out of the tent, and into the street. They hurried to the back of the tent, where a flap door allowed entry backstage, and found Adrian and Margie looking very distressed.

"What's wrong?" asked Michael.

Adrian answered him. "We can't find Josephine and Pierce. They were supposed to be in the cellar, but when Margie went down to prepare them for reappearing, they were gone.

"What?" said David. "Gone where?"

"We don't know!" said Margie, anguish in her voice. "There is no other place they could be! The disappearing act we did puts them in the cellar, and no where else!"  
"Well – could they have gotten out by themselves?" asked David. He was trying to stay calm, but he really wanted to scream. He was responsible for Zoltan's little brother and sister, and now they were gone. "Maybe they went exploring."

Adrian looked at Margie. "Well, there is another doorway to the cellar, but I specifically told them to wait right there, and they seemed to understand. They knew what the trick involved, and that they would be reappearing soon after disappearing. They seemed to enjoy the whole thing! I don't think that they would have wanted to spoil the trick."

Michael spoke decisively. "Let's check out this other exit," he said.

"This way," said Margie, and led them back out of the tent.

They walked along the street, and came to a shed, which was locked.

"The cellar exit is through here?" asked Michael in disbelief.

"Hmm," said Adrian. "That's funny." He turned to Margie and asked her, "Did you lock this?"

"No!" said Margie assertively. "I didn't even know it could be locked!"

"Well, apparently it can, and has!" stated Michael. He scrubbed out a patch of the dirty window, so that he could see inside, and standing on tiptoes, he peered in. "It's so light out here, and so dark in there, I can't see anything at all. Is there any way we can get inside?"

"Let's go back to the show tent, and make ourselves disappear!" suggested Cue. "Then we can go through the cellar and find the entry to the shed that way."

"I think that is a great idea, Cue," said Michael. He turned to Adrian and asked, "Can we do that?"

"Sure!" said Adrian. "Let's go!"

Everyone turned around and went back the way they had come. When they go to the tent, people were still leaving, and the children made their way to the back flap entry, trying not to be seen by anyone. They filed in, and awaited Margie's instruction.

"OK," she said. "No magic this time!" And she opened a trap door in the floor, and turned a large round handle. After about twelve turns, a circular section of the floor dropped away, and the handle itself with it. Below them, the children could see the cellar, and a narrow staircase leading away underground.

"Let's go!" exclaimed Sean, moving to jump in.

"Not so fast!" said Michael, grabbing Sean's arm. "Remember that the last people who went down here have not been seen since! I think that only two of us should go – I suggest David and myself. I think Adrian and you, Sean, should wait here. That way we have both exits covered."

Sean looked extremely disappointed, but managed to stay calm.

Michael continued. "Girls," he said to Margie and Cue, "I want you to go back outside and walk over to the locked shed. We may need your assistance once we arrive inside the shed. As soon as we are out, we will come straight back here, Sean, to you and Adrian, and share intelligence."

"What?" asked Sean.

"Swap information," said Adrian.

"Oh, right," said Sean. "What if you disappear like Pierce and Josephine did?" he asked.

There was an uncomfortable silence, which was broken by Adrian. "If Michael and David disappear too, we will go to the police and have a search and rescue team go through this cellar like a dose of salts," he said firmly.

"Adrian!" said Margie, giggling with mock horror. "What an expression!"

"Oh – sorry – but, well, you take my meaning."

"Good," said Michael. "So, we all know what to do? Let's do it!"

And they were off. Michael led the way into the cellar beneath them, and Margie and Cue took off for the shed. As arranged, Adrian and Sean remained in the tent, guarding the opening of the cellar.

Margie and Cue tore through the streets, which were by now packed with New Year's Eve revelers. Although the weather was quite fresh and crisp, neither girl felt the cold as she hurried along.

"Hey!" shouted Cue suddenly. "Dr. Dempsey!"

Before she could say any more, Dr. Dempsey was by her side in a single leap of his enormous legs, his eyes wild and his breathing heavy.

"Hush, girl," he hissed in an angry voice. He grabbed Margie and Cue unceremoniously and pulled them from the boulevard, to a quieter part of the thoroughfare. "Where are the others?"

Margie answered. "Back at the tent," she said, abbreviating the facts so that Declan might tell them why he was so upset.

"We have to get everyone together. They've got Zachary. We'll have to rescue him before it's too late. Things are desperate now." The poor man was gulping air as he spoke, and Margie couldn't tell whether he had been running to find them, or was overcome with emotion, or both. She could tell that he needed to calm down, and gently led him to a low wall along the front of a garden, where she sat him down and took the place beside him. Cue sat on his other side, and patted Dr. Dempsey's arm.

"Dr. D," said Margie, "you must calm down. I have more to tell you. Josephine and Pierce have gone missing, too. That's where the four boys are now – trying to track them down, and -"

"It's a trap! Where are they?" Declan was on his feet, and very flustered. "Are they in the tent?"

Margie spoke quickly. "Adrian and David are in the tent, guarding the entrance to the cellar. Michael and David are traveling from the cellar to the shed, through the underground tunnel which leads to the shed."

Declan listened intently, and the second Margie finished speaking, said simply "The shed!" and ran off in that direction.

The girls had trouble keeping up with him, and soon they were all outside the old shed. Declan wrenched the door completely off its hinges, and stepped inside. The girls had to stay outside, because he was flinging items out of the door full force, apparently not caring whether he hit either of them in the process. At last the storm of gardening implements, pots and watering cans ceased, and a loud scratching sound, like metal against rock, could be heard from within. Margie and Cue exchanged looks, and decided to venture in. They found Declan Dempsey on all fours in the corner of the room.

"What are you doing?" asked Cue.

"There is another tunnel that leads to this shed," explained Declan. "The entrance has been covered over with gardening junk, and they've removed the latch, but I think I can open it anyway." With a final tug, he swung back an enormous stone slab, clearing the entrance to a staircase that led down into a dark tunnel. As Declan manipulated his belt until it emitted a bright light, he said to the girls, "Go and tell Adrian and Sean where I've gone. My bet is I'll find Zac, David, Josephine and Pierce."  
"But where does this tunnel lead to?" asked Cue, bewildered.

"It leads to the War Memorial," answered Declan.

"The what?" asked Margie.

"No time to explain. Go to the others." And with that, Dr. Declan Dempsey lowered his legs into the passageway beneath him, and had soon disappeared.

Once inside the tunnel, Declan found the going anything but easy. For one thing, the tunnel was very narrow, barely comfortable for a child. Declan, being a tall, muscular fellow, was forced to move slowly in order to make any progress at all. Furthermore, the tunnel was dark, damp and slimy. The ventilation was minimal, so the overall experience was unpleasant and uncomfortable.

However, none of these things even touched Declan's mind. He could focus on one thing, and one thing only. His dear friend and colleague, Zachary Xavier, had been abducted, along with his children. Declan and Zachary had been friends since they were twelve years old. Neither of them had had a lot of friends, but no one ever picked on Declan because of his size and stature. Zachary was short and weedy, and some of the kids chose to overlook the fact that he had a mind like an amusement park. Zachary always found the interesting item, and made insightful – and often hilariously funny – observations, which were entertaining and had the effect of creating a fun atmosphere in the dullest of situations. His was the carefree heart of a happy person. While Declan was often overcome by the weight of his dreams and desires for ground-breaking scientific endeavor, Zachary seemed to waft around the laboratory, getting lighter and happier, the more complex an experiment became, or the more obtuse a result. Zachary had shown Declan that the way two people will react to the self same problem is firstly a matter of emotion, secondly a matter of choice, and thirdly made no difference whatsoever to the inevitable outcome. Declan felt sure that had he not linked up with Zachary on a professional level, he would have had the frustrated existence of so many scientists: lonely, futile and misunderstood. Instead, he had drawn about him a life of accomplishment and comfort – even if he was sometimes still a bit misunderstood.

So, it wasn't the musty air, or the slimy rock stairs that worried Declan, but fear that he might not arrive in time. He had been traveling for roughly twenty minutes, when he heard voices, and saw a dim light. He was careful to move silently from this point, but hadn't counted on the fact that the rock was cracked and had let in enough water to render the last few steps horribly smooth and slimy. When he tried to put his weight on the step, his feet slid from under him, and he slid down the tunnel so fast that he felt that he was being sucked out of it! As he landed on the dry floor of a well-lit room, sliding on his backside with arms and legs in the air, he spun around a full 360 degrees. The spin and the bright light after the darkness of the tunnel made his head feel giddy, and he clutched onto the ground and shook his head when he finally came to a stop.

*

# Chapter XXIII

The voices were silenced when he slid into the room, for their owners were dumbfounded by the unexpected entrance of Dr. Declan Dempsey. There, staring at him, were Josephine, Pierce, Zachary, the governor and Clive. The only ones standing were the governor and Clive. The others were sitting on the floor in a very odd fashion, or so it appeared to Declan.

Everyone looked shocked to see him, but the governor's expression quickly changed into a nasty sneer.

"Well, well – I should have known that wherever Dr. Xavier went, Dr. Dempsey would soon follow." He walked over to where Declan sat on the floor and extended his hand. "Allow me, doctor, please."

Declan growled, and attempted to pull himself to his feet. However, the more he tried, the more impossible it was to get up off the floor.

"Oh!" said the governor, with mock consternation. "I forgot! You're not wearing your anti-gravity gear, and I've just enacted the exponential gravitizer! What a pity! You'll just have to stay right where you are, I'm sorry to say."

Declan decided to ignore this taunting, and demanded "What's going on? Why is everyone here, in the old War Memorial?" All around them, memorabilia of past wars were on display. There were paintings depicting horrific scenes of destruction. In cases and on shelves twisted, half-melted, broken remnants of domestic utensils were on display. Declan's heart gave a shudder and he tried not to feel sick at the sight of these accoutrements of death.

"How did you know about the War Memorial?" asked Governor Marsden. His eyes were riveted on Declan, and they were bright with suspicion.

"My grandfather and your grandfather were brothers. Something else you didn't know." Declan spat out he words. "They were historians in the true sense of the word."

"So, your grandfather told you." Governor Marsden tried to sound scornful.  
"It was your grandfather actually, Governor," Declan said with a bitter laugh.

The governor glared at him, and seemed to be speaking to himself when he said, "It's hard to believe that the grandson of one of the greatest historians of our times could choose the life of a destructive scientist."

Declan tried to get up again but couldn't, so instead he growled menacingly at Governor Marsden and his lackey, Clive.

The governor laughed. "It's not always pleasant to hear the truth, is it?" he said.

"You're nothing but a coward," spat Declan. "You have to have us immobilized in order to say these things to us. You don't have the guts to say them when we are all on equal terms, as free men."

At that moment, Michael, David, Adrian, Cue and Margie came tumbling out of the tunnel entrance to the room, just as Declan had a few minutes earlier. But Governor Marsden barely acknowledged their presence as his temper mounted and he prepared to vent it on Declan.

"Equal? What is 'equal'?" said Marsden scornfully. "Is it 'equal' that you scientists should create weapons of terror and destruction that immobilize whole societies? You can keep your version of equality, sir – I prefer freedom. Freedom to live in peace."

"What are you talking about? Weapons of destruction? Have you lost your mind?" Declan's tone was incredulous.

Governor Marsden grabbed David. "Tell him, David," he demanded. "Tell him about the wars."

David gasped. How did the governor know he was from the past?

As though in answer to his unspoken question, Governor Marsden said, "Oh, yes, I know all about you. I know where you come from. And I know you know about all those wars – millions and millions of people killed by weapons created by your scientists. Tell your friends, David. They won't believe me."

Everyone turned their eyes to David, who was unprepared for all this attention. He gulped, and looked at Governor Marsden, thinking over his accusation that the scientists had wreaked havoc on the world with weapons of doom and destruction. He hung his head, hoping to put together a cogent thought, but none came.

The governor shouted at him in a fierce, half crazy voice. "Tell them!"

David turned to his friends and spoke. "It's true. I'm sorry." The shocked look on the faces of his friends was like a knife twisted into David's stomach. David suddenly had a thought. "But the scientists did other stuff, too. They didn't just invent nuclear weapons. They designed machines and drugs that saved lives. They provided us with energy sources and ways to clean up toxic waste that saved the world for – for -"

"For them to destroy later!" said Marsden, not happy with the turn David's speech was taking.

David turned on Marsden, shouting at him as he tried to make his point clearer. "For you! For you! You wouldn't have a world to live in, if the scientists of my time – the twenty first century – hadn't worked together to find ways of preserving our planet – ways you are still using today!" David was breathless, his heart was beating very fast, and he looked about him, trying to find understanding in the faces of the others. But all he found was confusion and bitterness, depending where he looked, and he stopped speaking and hung his head. "It's no use, is it?" he asked. "You people seriously hate each other. That's one thing that hasn't changed much from our millennium to yours. Hatred. You don't even want a solution. You've invested too much in hating each other, haven't you?"

Everyone present was shocked at David's bitter words. Helene spoke first. "David – I've never heard you speak like this!" she said softly.

"I thought I'd be going home today," said David in an even softer voice.

Drs. Xavier and Dempsey shot looks at each other, and Declan said to the governor "What do you want from us? Just tell us, but tell us now. We have to be out of here within the hour, otherwise you have nothing to bargain with."  
"What?" asked Governor Marsden, genuinely puzzled this time.

"You heard. Tell us what you want, right now. If we can give it to you, it's yours, provided you let us go this minute. You have three seconds in which to accept this proposal, starting now -"

"But -"

"That's one,"

"OK." Governor Marsden quickly realized that Dr. Declan Dempsey was absolutely serious. He was also tiring of the whole rigmarole, and was beginning to wish that he were at home, watching a movie. He had a thumping headache – probably stress – and grasped at the opportunity to wrap things up.

"I want the both of you to publicly avow your support for my regime; share all your knowledge and-"

"-And hold office in the present government!" finished David.

"What?" exclaimed the governor.

"You'll be the one who benefits the most!" said David.

"But we don't want to govern!" protested Declan.

"See!" said David to Governor Marsden.

"OK," agreed the governor nervously. "And hold office in my government. Operating in an official capacity, you will have access to more funding, but your work will be the property of the government. Agreed?"

"If you let us all go right now, this minute, then you have a deal." Declan's voice was somber and sincere.

*

# Chapter XXIV

Governor Marsden gave his quarry an intense look, then nodded to Clive, who de-activated the gravitational hold that the group had been exposed to, freeing them instantly. As each one regained full movement, rubbing their limbs and necks to stimulate the blood flow again, Declan once more took control.

"Right. We have to get David to the ballpark – now! Let's go! Kids – you run alongside David, and make sure that nothing stops him or otherwise holds him up. Zachary, you go and find Mrs. Xavier, and my good wife. They will want to be there when Zoltan reappears. I'll run at the front to clear the way. OK, let's do it!"

And that was how they went. First they crawled out through the narrow tunnel, and into the shed. From the shed, they ran through the streets of Fairfax, which were now crowded with revelers, the turn of the century and the dawn of the new millennium just minutes away. Dr. Xavier grasped David in an enormous bear hug. He cried openly as he said "We've all come to love you, David, and we are going to miss you. Have a good life."

David cried, too, as he bid Dr. Xavier good-bye. "Try to get to the ballpark before midnight!" he urged. "I want to say good-bye to Mum!" Then David was carried away by his protectors, straight to the bicycle depot.

Michael palmed them in, and everyone sprang onto bikes and tore out of the enclosure and down the path. Although it was night, the sky was alight with fireworks and light shows. Some lights were colorful and others just pearly, but all were prettily luminescent and cast a heavenly light over the trees, flowers and meadows which they now sped past. They reached the other bike depot, dropped off the bikes and ran to the transport disc, which was just leaving as they race aboard. It seemed to the children – especially David – that it traveled in slow motion. The view of the city was spectacular, and David forced himself to focus on the aerial view of Fairfax in the 31st century, missing it even as he hoped not to see it again until it was one thousand years younger.

At last they landed, and Michael, David, Cue, Margie, Adrian and Sean raced out of the transport and toward the ballpark. Just as they were about to enter the field, Vladco appeared, igniting a wall of fireworks, which threw the children back into the bushes.

"What?" gasped Adrian. "Vladco, what are you doing?"

"Stopping you!" snarled Vladco. "I thought Dad had taken care of you, but I can see I'll have to do that!" He set off more fireworks, and the girls screamed.

"Vladco, stop!" shouted David. "Look, it's all sorted out. Your Dad has agreed to this!"

"Oh, yeah, sure he has," laughed Vladco.

But Michael had already called the governor, and said to Vladco, "Your dad is going to call you. Listen!"

And at that exact moment, Vladco's patch glowed and spoke. "Vladdy, let them go, son. It's OK now. We've sealed a deal."

Vladco blushed. "Nice going, Vladdy," laughed David, and the six of them tore past him and onto the playing field.

"Now, David!" screamed Michael. "You've got to hit the ball right now – there's no more time!"

David could see another boy about to take the pitch, and he raced him to the diamond, knocking the other boy to the ground as he ripped the bat from his hands. He sprang to the line, and prepared to hit the ball, which came hard and fast. David's eyes did not leave the ball as he swung with everything he had, and just as he was about to hit it, his attention was grabbed by a harsh but familiar shriek -

"David Finn!" It was Mrs. Craddock, and she was glaring at David with a very cross expression on her face. "Do not wave your bow around like that. You almost took Hannah's eye out! Please contain yourself! If you wish to join the baton throwing team, that can be arranged, but this is a violin lesson, and the rest of the class wished to learn something even if you don't!"

The rest of the class stifled groans, and to Mrs. Craddock's conducting, forced a squeaky song out of their reluctant instruments.

David tried to concentrate on the notes, but had trouble containing his thoughts. He looked eagerly over at Hannah. She caught his look, and pulled one of their secret faces, which was meant to be an imitation of their teacher. David stifled a giggle. All the other kids looked just the same, and no one seemed surprised to see him. Suddenly it struck him! This was exactly what he had been doing when he had been blasted into the 31st century! Could it be that he and Zoltan had changed places, and reversed the passage of time, so that in fact no time at all had elapsed since he and Zoltan had been switched? Was that possible?

Then a scarier thought crossed David's overburdened mind. Could it be that he had imagined the whole thing? Perhaps he was, in fact, seriously losing it, and the whole Zoltan and the 31st century thing was just a figment of his imagination. This seemed to be a far more likely scenario than the reversal of time hypothesis.

Somehow David made it through the rest of the lesson, and then thankfully the school day was over. Without waiting to meet the usual gang to walk home, David trudged dejectedly along the familiar route to his place. His house was the same as always, and his mother didn't give him any special kind of greeting, just her usual 'good to see you' smile, which David returned. He dragged himself off to his bedroom, and threw his school bag into the corner. He was about to lie on his bed, when he noticed something on his desk.

"Mum!" He shouted.

His mother came into his room, concern showing on her face. "What is it, honey?" she asked.

"Who put these things here?" asked David, pointing to his desk. There lay a small magnifying glass, a thick rubber band and a long drinking straw.

His mother looked at the items, then at David, frowning. "I have no idea, David. But nothing would surprise me, given the normal state of you room – that is, if the words 'normal' and 'your room' could be used in the same sentence and make any sense at all!! Do your homework, please. You have Boy Scouts tonight." And she left.

David stood in the centre of his room, his mind in a whirl. He recalled Dr Zachary Xavier's words, and wondered if the odd collection lying here in front of him could have been the 'basic items' Zoltan had found.

"Once Zoltan located the materials required, basic items he found in your home, it was relatively simple to put together a time and space continuum transmitter."

Then he saw it – sticking out from between his social studies book and his latest Brian Jacques novel – a piece of paper about the size of a candy wrapper, with "David Finn" written over and over and over again, in the babyish, unsure handwriting of a beginner.

The End

***
About the author

N.T. Finn wrote Zoltan and the 31st Century in 1999 while living in  
Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.A.

This book took a long time to publish, because immediately after it was written and stored on a USB, the author moved from the U.S.A to Australia. During the move, the USB was damaged and the data it contained rendered inaccessible. The story was lost for a decade, until a new data-retrieval technology was developed in 2010.

N.T. Finn currently lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her children.

***

"A fantastic and entertaining story... I can't wait for more novels from N.T. Finn."  
Harry Dowling, aged 10, Blackburn

"A fabulous Sci-Fi book of discoveries, dreams and adventure!"   
Eve Warren, aged 10, Altona

***
