* * * EARTH – MARY * * *

Mary smiled as Harvey and Suzette Landry were shown in to the boardroom she was using. Tessa and Lissa watched from where they stood by the far wall. Fingers followed them in looking around curiously and still clutching her new smartphone.

“Welcome to the Silvestre Boat Yard. Please serve yourself, you will find refreshments on the sideboard. I strongly advise you to ignore the fried sickletooth cave lizards. They are there for Fingers.”

“Sickletooths... Where?” said Fingers as she headed straight for the sideboard.

Mary grinned at the girl’s broad New Orleans accent. “Serve yourself Fingers. No one else will like them, especially as they’re mildly poisonous for humans.”

After a short meet and greet Mary reassured the Landrys that she meant Fingers no harm. Then Mary gave them a quick tour of the Moon and Mars.

Several hours later the Landrys left the boatyard with a pet carrier with two little ponies for their young daughter. Additionally they picked up a tail from the local FBI.

* * *

Mary returned to the caverns beneath her dungeon off Maui with Fingers. She used the opportunity to examine the goblin girl.

“Fingers, you have a choice. I know a young cat beastman who has a soft spot for children. He has already adopted two street kids. He is a journeyman enchanter. He will soon be recognised as a master enchanter. He is more than skilled enough, and he is teaching the older of his children. The younger is only five and well... she is going to be learning from Tessa and Lissa and some others I will send her way from time to time.

“They live on Parthia. A world less advanced technologically than Tarifax, but equally or more so when it comes to magic. And you can breath the air without masks.

“Choose. Go and join a new family on Parthia with the guarantee of teaching to gain a respected career, I can send you back to Tarifax. Or you could stay on Earth, but then you would have to remain in one of my dungeons or on the Moon or Mars for several years until the countries of Earth recognise you as an adult.

“And will you allow me to give you a human lifespan?”

“What about my friends. Can I see them if I go somewhere other than Earth?” asked Fingers.

“I see no reason why not Fingers. Especially after you are an adult. And they could visit you wherever you decide to go. I recommend Parthia. But it is your choice. And do you have another name? Fingers is likely to cause problems wherever you end up.”

Fingers grinned widely showing many sharp teeth. “Mama called me Mrald. And can you really give the same number of years as a human?”

“Well then, Mrald it is. And yes, easily, I’ve done it before.”

“Then please. And I’ll try the enchanter. See how it goes.”

* * * PARTHIA – RICKIE CATMAN * * *

Rickie watched the rollers breaking on the shore and Han and Nel playing in the foam the waves left behind. The head and loops of the huge sea serpent just offshore reassured him that nothing was going to emerge from the sea to snap up his son and daughter. The sun was rising slowly hovering a few degrees above the horizon. Behind the dunes their horses cropped the scrubby grass being kept from straying by his enchantments.

There! Rickie stood and made his way slowly towards the waves. Han and Nell stopped racing about and made their way to him. As he stepped onto the wet sand the waves seemed to part as a pale dolphin danced towards the shore diving at last and emerging as Mary.

Rickie watched as Mary rode a wave and stepped ashore. She grinned at them. “’Mornin’ Rickie, ’mornin’ Nel, Han. I hope you are all well. You ready to make Master Rickie?”

Rickie grinned as the awestruck looks of his children warred with surprise at the informality of the moment. Then Tessa and Lissa emerged from the sea flanking a unusually pale goblin girl child. Tessa and Lissa shook themselves free of water much to the amusement of Han and Nel. Mrald didn’t appear particularly amused at the unexpected showers.

They spent some hours on the beach. Nel glumped, as she was unable to play with her brother. Both Tessa and Lissa made good use of the opportunity to tutor her. Rickie smiled proudly at her industry, even as he sighed at the added problems her learning shadow magic might cause.

Mrald proved to be a serious little thing. She had a class and levels so she would be considered a partial adult. Under the circumstances it would not matter. Thanks to Mother performing the adoption ceremony herself; nobody would be able to deny Mrald was his daughter.

He watched Han play with Mrald and was happy to see they seemed to get on well.

“Rickie, I added a dash of cat ’folk to the girl. So now she will age like one of you lot, not like a goblin. She’s barely eleven-years-old. Just warnin’ you ’cause though she agreed to it, I suspect she will not expect to take another three years to reach fourteen.”

“You used my template didn’t you Mother.”

“Yep. Hope you don’t mind.”

Rickie grinned ruefully. “No. No I don’t mind.”

“Come visit Maalea Two. Tomcat should be puttin’ in at Lafunda in ’bout ten days. He’s got a bunch of Earthers on board and I’d like your opinion on them. Also want your kids opinions. Suspect they might let their guards down in front of kids. ’Specialy one as cute as Nel.”

* * *

The sun was just starting to go down when Rickie and his little family watched Mary and the leopard girls return to sea and disappear under the waves.

Mrald put her hand in Rickie’s. “She really is one of the goddess of the Drow, isn’t she?”

“Yes. Though she is primarily one of the goddess of the Seas on Parthia and the goddess of the seas on Tarifax and Fragatta. And of most of the weres too.”

* * *

Rickie turned and headed for the horses. He quickly saddled them with Han’s help. He was surprised that Mrald had never ridden a horse. Their journey back to Lafunda took longer than he had expected. It was a good three hours later that he was able to return the horses to the livery stable he had hired them from.

Then they made their way back to his hired shop. They called in at the Harried Pig for dinner on the way.

On the following day he left Han in charge of showing Mrald round and of keeping an eye on their shop. Then he went to the Enchanter’s Guild to undertake his exams for Master.

* * * EARTH – MEADOWS * * *

Captain Meadows was still in Washington DC. His new rank had been a mixed blessing. Currently he was being run off his feet setting up his expanded detail and preparing everyone and those family members who wanted to accompany their spouses to Maalea Two.

At the present moment he was reassuring Gloria Anderson that her husband was alive and well. The last report he had placed the marine corporal on a riverboat about half way between Barcolton and Suz.

Gloria was determined to be there to meet her husband when he arrived in Maalea Two, and he was able to inform her that as Roy Anderson had been seconded to his enlarged detail there would be no problem with her being there.

As the woman left his borrowed office he looked to his second in command. Lieutenant commander Anna Partlow shook her head. “But there is no guarantee we will deploy before Roy and the 101st boys arrive there.”

“True. But unlikely, Mary is going to give them the run around. You saw those recordings, she has a nasty sense of humour.”

Anna nodded. “You ready for the weird one. The proto-dungeon?”

Meadows gestured helplessly, “There really is one born every minute, isn’t there?”

At the knock on the door Meadows looked up and said, “Enter.”

Meadows acknowledged Art as he opened the door for an army captain and Mr. Finnegan Doolin of Bismark, North Dakota. Fin was a wiry man in his thirties, he somehow gave the impression of having been beaten down by life.

“Welcome Mr Doolin. I believe you have some things to tell us.”

Fin examined the youthful looking naval officer sitting at the paper strewn desk and the woman in a naval uniform who was sitting at a second desk.

“Yes, that is if you’re the expert on proto-dungeons like that bitch Blue Lagoon told me.”

Meadows felt a visceral dislike for the man loosing much of the pity he had felt for him. From the way Ana stiffened Meadows was sure she felt the same way. “I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I probably know as much about proto-dungeons as anyone who is not one. At least on Earth.”

“Well, look I know about your guy who threw away the chance to go to Area 21. If I enlist, will you take me there? Look it’s getting hard. The urge to... to root is getting hard to resist.”

Meadows looked at the army captain and raised an eyebrow in enquiry. The man nodded marginally. Meadows looked at the man and rubbed a small silver wrapped marble Mary had given him and invoked it. He used it to inspect Fin.

“Mr Doolin is telling the truth. He is hanging onto his mobility by the skin of his teeth. This enchanted orb tells me he has somewhere between eighteen and thirty five hours.”

The army captain sighed. “Damn. I’ll have to get him processed and on a plane as soon as possible. I’m sorry captain but there is no time to waste.”

Meadows nodded in understanding and watched the army captain hurry the smiling gullible idiot out of the office.