New Empire

McDugal looked around and opened the desk again and removed the memory chip from the recording device. He then resealed the desk and exited the room, making his way out of the Vatican. The way that the people were feeling these days, none of the Church wore their robes anymore. He was dressed in a buisness suit. He hailed a cab and went to the Airport. Time was of the essence and he had to make it to Cain before the plan could be put into effect, if that was possible. Security everywhere was tight, especially since both Cain and Anubis had expanded thier empires and Cain had taken control of Isrial. He was able to get a ticket to Lebanon. From there he would have to some how get a message to Cain.

Lebanon was still independant of Cain's empire, but it traded freely with him and after the government uprisings of the previous decade, things had finally begun to calm down. The mosques still stood as proud as ever, but they were used mostly now for business dealings and disputes the courts no longer wanted part in. Outside one of these mosques, there stood a man who seemed to be people watching. He recognized McDugle and gave a small boy a kick up the backside. "Fetch him to me." He said and the boy quickly scampered towards the stranger. "Sir." The boy said, "Quias, Mister wants speak with you."....

McDugal had been wandering the city trying to find a way to cross the boarder into Isiral. Even thought trade was going on between Cain's Empire and other countries, the boarders were watched and guarded. When the boy came up to him he quickly looked over in the direction that he indicated. Even there the church had a presence and agents. He didn't want to attract attention to himself or let them know he was there. Some one had recgonized him it seemed but who? He approached the man and asked "Yes, can I help you?"

The boy grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the mosque. "Please Mister." He said, "Mister speak with you."....

He looked at the man and again as the boy pulled him closer, "Can I help you?"

The man regarded the priest carefully and then handled the boy an American Dollar. The boy ran off again happy and the man came down the steps of the mosque. "You are McDugal." He said quietly, "You are reader of Angel's yes?".....

McDugal was suspicious of the man. He knew his name and the only ones that knew that was the church. When he had went to LA he had used his mother's maiden name. "Who might you be sir." he asked.

The man smiled, "I sell books." He said. "You will buy today." It didn't sound like an offer....

"Book dealer? I am sorry I am not intrested in buy books right now." he said

"Yes you are." The man said firmly, "You will buy today." The door of the mosque opened and two large men stood there with large bulges in their jackets.....

McDugal looked at the man and then up to the men from the mosque. "Right. What books are you selling?" he asked.

"You come." The man said with a smile and pushed him descretely up the stairs.....

McDugal went with a great deal of trepidation. The man knew his name, that was not good. "What do you want?" he asked as he got to the door of the Mosque.

"You come." The man said again and pushed him inside the door. The other two then quickly closed it and locked it. The first man smiled and pointed to a long table filled with old books. "You will buy." He said....

McDugal went to the table and looked down at the books. They were not anything that would be of intrest to a real book collector. "What is it you want?" he asked again. "For some reason I doubt that you really want me to buy a book."

The other two pulled the guns and the first smiled evilly at him. "You will buy them." He said, "Or I tell your terrorist friends who you really are." His accent had suddenly disappeared....

"Terrorist Friends? I think you have me mistaken for someone else?" he told them. He looked over at those with the guns. "Who are you?"

The first man laughed. "You think the only terrorists in this world are muslim?" He asked in sarcasm. "You will pay for my books, or I will tell your infidel terrorist leader all about your dealings with the abomination called Cain. It would please me to do either.".....

McDugal laughed. "You a terrorist?" he shook his head and laughed again. "Still clinging to the beliefs are you." He looked down at the books and reached into his coat pocked as if to take out his wallet. But instead he crushed a couple ampules that had powder in them. Removing his hand he flung his hand out at the two men, towards their eyes, and lunged at them. As the powder hit their eye they were blinded for a few seconds and he took that opportunity to gab one of the guns and twist it out of the mans hands and hit the other one on the back of the head with it and turn to point it at the book man. "Now you were saying."

The first man laughed as he tried to blink away whatever had the priest had thrown at him. The two guards were on the ground. "I am a business man." He said, then snapped his fingers. Five more men appeared, "And I am muslim. What you don't seem to understand is how much the vatican infidels will pay for what I have on you, McDugal. So either you pay me and I let you live, or they will pay me and I get to watch you hanged for herecy and treason. What's it to be?" The other five men cocked their guns and aimed them at Mcdugal....

McDugal smiled, "Well now, I guess you are willing to die." he pointed the gun at the mans head. "You will be dead and will not be able to enjoy any money. And as you just said you need me alive to get money from them. Dead, you get nothing. But there is a way that you might be able to get alot of money and help me at the same time. But if you are so intent on dieing....." his finger began tightening ont he trigger.

"If you kill me, my brother will take my place." The man said with a laugh, "And he will hand over the information for me. Either way, priest, you will pay and then everyone around you will pay double." Just then, there was a tiny flash and a whisper of a pop. One of the gunmen dropped dead. Seconds later, four more and the other four dropped. All had bullet holes in their temples. Then one more shot. The first man went down, but he was still alive. The shot had hit him in the gut. From behind McDugal, a figure dropped down from the balcony and moved forward quickly to relieve the first man of everything in his pockets.....

McDugal moved back when the men dropped and looked at the man that had jumped down, bringing the gun around to point at him. Just in case he planned to try and kill him.

The person emptied the man's pockets and put everything in a small bag before standing back up. "Put the gun down, priest." The voice was female. "I mean you no harm." She turned around and removed her hood. She was pretty, but not without a few quirks. She had tall ears that said she wasn't human and odd coloured eyes; one green and one blue. She looked a little chubby around her face and her stature said she wasn't exactly the slim or petite. "My name is Leanne." she told him....

He eased the gun down and then put it into his inside coat pocket. He looked down at the man that was wounded. "Well I guess you get nothing from nobody. You should have taken my offer, you would have been a very rich man." Then he turned to the woman. She wasn't human but that didn't matter to him. "My thanks." he said and began to make for the door. "I need to go before my presence here is found out by the church."

Leanne aimed her gun one more time and pulled the trigger. The first man was dead. "Don't thank me yet." She told him. Her accent put her somewhere in the Northern UK. "Your Pope won't know anything for a good long while, trust me, but you're right if you wanna get across the border in time." She gave him an honest smile....

He stopped and turned. "How do you know I wish to cross the border?"

Leanne dropped a small satchel and then quickly pulled out an abhia and scarf and then a thobe and male scarf. "Cain's had me on your tail for years." She said, "Told me to look after you and make sure you always had an 'out' when you needed one. I'd say this justifies an 'out'." she tossed him the thobe and scarf and the rolled band that went with it. "You need to blend in better." She pulled on the abhia and then wrapped the scarf around her head. "Four days ago, my people intercepted inormation from Cape Town. Some government officials had commandered the National Museum. Yesterday, one of those officials landed in Rome and then took a private car to the Vatican. Your Cain's main asset there so I figured whatever was going on, you'd need to see him."....

That surprised McDugal. "Cain has had me under observation for ten years?" he asked. "Why?"

Leanne smiled and packed the rest of the things back in the satchel. "Ever since you turned up with the Book of Angels." She said, "And then your time with Anubis in LA. When you became his asset in the Vatican, he knew he had to protect you so he sent me. Hurry up, we need to get going." She straightened her abhia and made sure her scarf was tucked in properly to cover her face...

McDugal put on his disguise and followed. "But my time in LA was under my mothers name. I didn't make it known at all who or what I was. How did he know?"

"It wasn't hard." She said, "Anyway, that doesn't matter. What does matter is that ever since LA, you've given him good useable intel on the church and you're worth protecting." She opened the door and stepped out with her head down. She looked like any other muslim woman and now McDugal looked like a well spoken muslim man. At the bottom of the steps, there was a pick-up waiting and Leanne hopped onto the back to leave the front seat for him. Muslim women never sat up front....

He got into the vehicle. He had been able to get intel to Anubis while he had been there in the States. But it would take more time trying that route. "So you have been watching me for ten years."

Leanne didn't answer him, but the man driving did. "Yes." He said, "Pretty much. You evaded her briefly in the first couple of years which pissed her off, but she found you again in Paris and she hasn't left your side since. Leanne here is our best tracker."....

"So how do we get across the border. I am sure the Lebonees will want to see papers and the like." he asked.

The man reached over and popped open the glove box. A stack of papers fell out and he put both hands back on the wheel. "Sort those out for me, would you, old boy?" He asked as he turned onto the Lebonese equivilent of the freeway. "I hope your arabic is decent."....

Picking up the papers he looked through them. "Papers for the three of us. Impressive." he said. He found the one that seemed to fit him. "Buisness man eh. Irrigation Systems. Now that would make sence." he grinned. Now he could relax. At least until he met Cain again. Cain had definately left an impression on him from their first meeting. Had Scared the hell out of him.

The man nodded and then reached over once again, "Liam." He said, "Nice to meet you mate." He had a similar accent to Leanne's, but this guy was all human.....

"McDugal." he took the mans hand. "I had a feeling that Cain and Anubis had a network out here. Just like the rest of the world leaders, keeping tabs on things. How soon can we get to him. What I have needs to get there fast."

"There's a plane waiting for you on the other side of the border." Liam said, "Should get you to Cain's place in about 4 hours."....

He sighed in releif. "Good. Though I don't know how he will be able to stop this type of attack on his empire."

"He'll figure it out, I'm sure." He said, then went stonefaced. "Border check." He said, "Remember your name, mate and mine. Le in the back is our sister, got it? They won't speak to her, ignorant twats, but there ya go."..

McDugal pulled out the papers and rolled down the window of the car. He handed them to the soldier that came around to get them. He then talked with the guard in perfect Arabic as the man looked the documents over. He had not used the language for some time but it seemed to flow when he spoke it. The Soldier talked with him a few minutes and then handed him back the papers and signaled the other guards to raise the gate.

He leaned back in the front seat and looked ahead as the Liam drove ahead. Once past the check point and on to the other one for Cain's Empire, "Well he had best figure it out or millions will be dead before long." he told them.

Liam checked the rear view quickly and then nodded, "Uh huh." He said. The very second the border guards disappeared, he opened the window to the back of the truck, "Ok, you can dump the guiness outfit now, love." He shouted. Le quickly pulled off the scarf off and threw it down. Liam smiled and half turned his head to McDugal. "So you got a first name, mate or you just McDugal?"

McDugal looked over at the man and grinned. "Shamas." he told him. "Shamas McDugal of the McDugals from the Highlands.

Liam nodded and smiled, "Not that far from us then." He said. "Le and me, we're from Berwick originally."...

"Well my family is from a small town in the highlands. Might have to go back and visit again one of these days." he sighed. "Been way to long away."

Liam nodded, "I know the feeling." He said as he quickly checked his mirrors, just in case. There wasn't another living soul within sight. "It's been 20years nearly since we last saw home.".....

The checkpoint for the Empire approached. "Hope they know you to here." he said as he shed his disguise.

"Probably not me." Liam said, "But they'll know Le. If they're lycans, they'll smell her a mile off.".....

Lycans. He had never really seen one up close before, well in he wolfen type form. In his visit to LA he might have seen them in their human form, but he had no way of telling if they were one or not. Two men stepped out weapons at the ready, and a third approached the car.

Liam tapped on the back window, "Le, you're up, love." He said, then rolled his window right down so the guards could get a good sniff inside. Le removed the last of her disguise and stood up in the back of the truck. She hopped over the side and put her hands on her hips. "Hello boys." She said with a wide grin. As she moved, she sniffed the air and leaned against Liam's door. "The two up front are lycans." She said, "The other guy is probably human, though he smells a little weird." The two lycans came right up to the truck and sniffed inside before sniffing Leanne very closely. They nodded between them and moved around to the other side of the truck. "You don't belong here." One said to McDugal....

"I know. But I have important information for Cain, that must get to him immediately." he told the guards. You can let him know that McDugal needs to see him. He will know who I am."

The guard pulled out a radio and moved away from the truck. Leanne hopped back into the back and sat down. After a few seconds, the guard nodded to his cohorts and the barrier was lifted. "There's a plane waiting for you on the airfield. Leave the road for any reason and you will be shot.".....

McDugal smiled and nodded. "Drive on." he told Liam.

Liam snorted a laugh and put his foot down. Leanne waved to the guards from the back of the truck and then boldly, climbed through the window and into the front seat. It was no mean feet considering she wasn't at all slim, but she managed it well enough and plonked herself right between the men. Liam laughed and shook his head, "One day, you're gonna get stuck. You need to lose weight Le." He told her. In response, Le lifted an eyebrow at him and then stuck her tongue out. "Some of the skinnies I've seen? Thanks, I'd rather be fat."....

McDugal shook his head and moved over a bit more to make more room for her. The pickup trucks in these countries were not made to accomadate three comfortable. McDugal looked around as they traveled. It had been some time since he had been in this part of the world. His first assignment after becoming a priest. "Not much has changed since I was here last."

Liam looked around and nodded, "Agreed." He said. Still just a load of sand and dust."....

"I hear Cain is creating pipelines and drilling for water. That he plans to irrigate what was Iraq and Iran. Might change things a bit if he gets it all in place." McDugal said, as the airfield came in sight.

Liam nodded, "It'll be fine, mate." He said. There was a slight jarring of the truck as it hit a small sand pile that had drifted into the road. On the horizon, the airfield came into sight.....

He watched as the airfield got closer. The old truck was a bit bump and it seemed Liam hit every little pot hole there was. Of course it was impossible not to hit some. He could see the jet that was waiting. A private jet. Looked like he was going to be traveling in style on his last leg of the journey. Armed guards stood by the hatch of the plane as they came closer.

Liam pulled onto the airfield and smiled as he saw guards with a private jet. He grinned and nudged Leanne and she smiled also as he began to slow the truck down and almost stopped in front of the jet before he jerked the truck forward again and drove to the back of the hanger. The pair then laughed openly as they got out of the truck. Behind the hanger, the plane waiting for them was hardly stylish or expensive. It was as basic as one could get. A twin prop bulldog light aircraft. Liam went around to the back of the truck and pulled off some bags and a large toolbox. Leanne went to the aircraft to check it over.....

McDugal got out of the truck and looked at the plane that they were going to be taking, "You got to be kidding?" he said. "Who's that jet for?"

"Don't know." Liam said with a laugh. "Asking questions round here is kinda dangerous, so most people turn blind, deaf and dumb. Besides, if you were some religious moron tracking Cain's friends, what would you follow?" He nodded towards the jet, "The big expensive show pony?" He then nodded to their plane, "Or the beat-up, cheap looking antique?" He shrugged....

He shook his head as he climbed aboard. "Hope it holds together." he looked at Liam.

Liam loaded the bags and then stepped back. "Not my problem." He said. Leanne climbed into the pilot's seat and started tapping guages to check them.....

He looked at Leanne and quickly found a seat and buckled in. "When was the last time you flew this thing?" he asked.

"Yesterday." She told him as she reached back and pulled the straps down. She belted in and checked her guages once again. "She's got plenty of miles left on her yet, don't you worry." She smiled and pulled out the clutch to start the engines. They coughed and spluttered, but started after the second attempt. "See?"...

He gripped the seats arm rests and would have blessed himself it he had been a normal priest yet. He just closed his eyes and hoped for the best.

Leanne couldn't help but laugh as she put on the headphones and moved the plane forward. "Did I also mention?" She said, "The runway ends at the cliff top." She laughed again and handed him a set of headphones. she moved the plane out onto the runway and wound up the engines. The plane moved forward and gathered speed quickly. The runway was short, but that was normal out here. "Come on baby." She said as she watched her guages and then dropped the flaps. "Hang on to yer bollocks!" She said as the runway ended and the jagged edge of the cliff loomed...

He gripped the armrests all the more tighter as the plane left the runway. He opened one eye and saw that they were airborne and breathed a sigh of releif. "Ok we are at least airborne."

Leanne laughed again, "Not exactly." she told him and suddenly, the plane dropped off the edge of the cliff....

"What do you mean?" he asked as he just felt his stomach move up to his throat as the plane went down below the cliff level.

Leanne smiled and pulled back on the wheel. The plane levelled out and then climbed back up above the cliff. Once they were steady, Leanne pointed to the headphones, "You'll be able to hear me better with these." She shouted to him. The noise wasn't unbearable, but it would give one a headache after a while. Leanne then reached back with one hand and pulled her satchel forward. She pulled out a packet of cigarettes, pulled one out with her teeth and then tossed them onto the dashboard. She then reached for a lighter and lit it up. After tossing that with the packet, she pulled her window open slightly. "Got your balls back yet?" She asked.....

He took a few deep breaths and put the headphones on. "Treat all your passengers like this?" he asked. He bet Cain didn't fly on a plane like he was on. Even though he had wings and could fly, the large distances needed to be made on planes. He leaned his head back on the headrest and tried to relax. Four hours was a long time.

"No." Leanne said, "Made Liam throw up once. He won't fly with me no more." She grinned with the cigarette in her mouth, then put it between her fingers and flicked the ash out of the window. "Only kidding." She said with a smile. "That airfield kills more people than it doesn't, but it's the only place within 150 miles that won't ask for everything but your DNA to fly
from. Relax. There's some Pepsi and crisps in the bag behind you."....

"I'll pass on that for now." he said. His stomach was still in knots a bit. He opened his eyes again and looked down at the ground. At least they were on their way. "So what will Liam do while you are gone.

"I couldn't tell you." She said honestly as she puffed on her cigarette, "He does his own thing. I only see him three, maybe four times in a year, usually when I need to get somewhere real quick without any questions." She looked over at him and smiled before she checked her guages and then the compass. She tapped it lightly and then turned the plane accordingly....

Time and milage passed. Soon they were out of what use to be Isrial and over Jordan. As they entered the Jordanian Air Space, two fighter jets came from behind and passed them, before making wide turns to come back behind them. "Unidentified aircraft, you are in Jordanian airspace. Identify yourself."

Leanne turned a few dials on her dashboard and put the mic closer to her mouth. "This is light aircraft Precilla One Niner Niner Foxtrot, enroute to private airfield Eight Niner Four. Special delivery for Lord Cain.".....

There was a few moments of silence as the flight leader relayed the infromation to his command and received a reply. "Precilla one Niner Niner Foxtrot you are cleared for passage through our Airspace." the two jets peeled off to continue their patrol.

Leanne smiled and turned the dial again before she adjusted her flight line again and then sat back to finish her smoke. Once she had thrown the end out of the window, she reached back and pulled out a bottle of Pepsi and anchored it between her knees so she could open it one handed. Clutching the cap between a finger and her palm, she grasped the bottle in her free fingers and took a long drink. She then put it back between her knees and then put the cap back on.

"That's better." She said, "Had a mouth like the bottom of a bird cage." She looked over at McDugal and smiled. "May as well get something to eat and drink." She told him, "It's gonna be at least another two hours before we reach the airfield.".....

He took one of the sodas and some of the snacks and slowly munched and drank. Another two hours. He wondered how long it would take the man that had talked to the pope to put any type of plan he had into action. The type of technology that he was talking about had to be pretty new and mostly untested. To control the weather would be a wonderous thing, if used for the right reasons. Cloud seeding had been around for a very long time but, you had to have clouds to seed. To make clouds, create high and low pressure areas, now that would be a trick. But of course military and other agencies would want to turn something like that into a weapon.

That technology would have to some how be stolen or something so it could be used to help lands like Cain controled and to use as a deterent against those that would use it for war.

(the music score for Indiana Jones comes to mind, with a map of the area and the red arrow moving from Isrial to Bagdad.)

About an hour or so into the flight, Le started pulling back on the wheel, taking the plane higher and higher. The sand dunes and rocky outcrops began to look more like distant waves over the golden ocean. As the plane reached 10,000ft, she reached back and pulled front some breathing aparatus. "Put this on." She told him as she lit another cigarette. "Cain needs you alert and aware, not half cut or brain dead."....

He put the breathing aparatus on and watched her light up another cigerate. "You know those things will kill you." he told her.

"They've been killing me for the last 75 years." She said with a smile. Turbulance made the plane start shaking and jarring too and fro, but she held it as steady as she could. The altimetre started reading over 30,000ft and was still climbing and the compass suddenly started going haywire. "I'd hold on to something." She told him and suddenly killed the engines and everything electrical....

He grabbed on to the arm rests as she cut the power. "Why you doing that?" he asked, "don't we need power to stay aloft?"

"Yup." She said, taking a deep breath on her cigarette. She flicked the ash and then gripped the wheel tightly. The air was relatively calm at this altitude, though cold, but the reason she was taking such a tight hold was about to hit them. It felt like hitting a wall. The speed suddenly dropped and the plane actually tilted forward from the force of the inert air. The altitude dropped suddenly and quite violently too. "Just try and breathe normally." She said to him. "If you panic, you'll lose consciousness." Her grip on the wheel tightened and once the inertia had gone, the air seemed to calm once more and they were gliding along....

"Why are we doing this. We are expected, so why all of this?" he asked.

"The second most magnetically active volcano in the world." She told him, then pointed through his window. "Over there, can't you see it? We're flying through a dead zone, sweetie. If I had kept everything going, the barrier would have fried every circuit and ripped the props right off the wing."....

"Dead Zone? I never heard of that while I was in the middle east." he said and looked down below. This was something he was going to have to explore.

"That's because people can't do anything without technology anymore and satelites can't see the volcano. All it sees is empty desert. It's actually tiny by comparison to normal volcanoes and because there's no water out here, no-one crosses the barrier.".....

McDugal made note of various landmarks that would help him find it from the ground. "So nothing electronic works there?" This would be an intresting place to explore. But of course he would have to travel there by horse or camel.

Le nodded as she tossed her cigarette out of the window and then closed it again. She checked the spinning compass and then looked out of the windscreen, squinting before looking out of her own window. "Can you give me a quick position from the ground?" She asked, "You're looking for a round black boulder. It'll look like a big black ball coming up at you." And indeed, the dunes were getting bigger by the second.....

McDugal looked around and said, "At your ten oclock." he told her

Le leaned right up forward and looked out. She could barely see it. "How far?" She asked, "Guesstimate if you have to."....

"Maybe two miles." he told her.

"That's good enough." She pulled out the clutch quickly and flicked the switch to start the engines. They coughed, but that was it. "Come on, baby." She said, pushing the clutch back in and then pulling it out again. She flicked the switch and the plane sprung back into life. And just in the nick of time as well. A sudden rush of air shot the plane forward and Le barely had time to pull the nose up before they hit a rather large dune, "Woah, woah!" Le grunted. The plane made it, just scraping the wheels across the top edge of the sand....

"Like cutting things a bit close, don't you." He chuckled and took off the breathing apparatas. "Shouldn't be much further now." he made a guess.

Le lifted an eyebrow, "Not particularly that close." She replied, "But the occasional rush keeps you going." The compass returned to normal and Le turned the plane back to the proper heading. "We should be there in about twenty minutes."....

He nodded and unbuckled himself and moved back into the main cabin of the plane. He opened one of his bags and pulled out a leather coat and took off his suit coat. He also pulled out a weathered fedora and put it on. Being out in the desert one needed to dress for it. Slipping the jacket on he again took his seat and buckled up.

Le looked across at McDugal and gave a short laugh, "You look like Indiana Jones in that get-up." She told him...

"So I have been told." he grinned. This is what I wore when I first came out here. Black Robes were a bit to hot to wear in the heat." But of course then he wore the collar but that was not the case now.

Le laughed, "I bet." She said. On the horizon, she spotted something and began slowing the engines down a little. She turned the dials on the radio ready to receive the incoming call. They had entered Cain's lands.

As the old plane approached the airfield, one could tell it was a military one. A new addition that Cain had made. He had also made his own oil refinery that now produced plenty of aviation fuel along with the diesel and regular gas. As they approached a voice came on the radio. Percella one niner niner foxtrot, you are clear to land. Wind South East at 8 knots. Transport is waiting to take you to the Palace upon arrival."

McDugal guessed word had arrived ahead of them and the next leg of the journey was about to begin. "Well now what are you going to do when we land. You coming along to Bagdad as well?" he asked her.

Leanne gave a small smile and put the mic closer to her mouth, "Thank you Tower." She replied smoothly, "By the way, Tower. You might wanna cut short the boundry from 105 degrees East of me. Your little madam is erupting again and she's spreading her magnetic field wide this time."....

The voice from the tower had an amused sound to his voice. "Having hot flashes is she? Or is she just trying to blow off a little steam? Will adjust the boundry and send out a monitoring team."
:
Leanna laughed lightly, "No, I think she's actually gonna throw a tantrum this time, Tower." She said, "Gave us one hell of a punch coing in and nearly put us in a sand bank coming back out. Her magnetic field has passed the 50mile marker.".....

"Roger. It seems we may have a larger problem on our hands then." the voice said. Smoke could be seen rising from the volcano.

Le shook her head, "I didn't see any smoke." She said, "If she blows, I reckon it'll be mostly underground." The runway came into sight and Le adjusted hte plane accordingly to bring it down as gently as possible. McDugal had had a rough flight already. The wheels touched the tarmac and she brought the plane to a gentle stop a few yards from the hanger.....

Three black SUV's came driving out of a hanger and approached the plane. They pulled up along side it and three men got out, one from each vehicle. All three were heavily armed and wore military uniforms. The a fourth man got out and approached the plane, he was dressed in a uniform but not the same design as the others. He opened the hatch and peered inside. "Welcome back Leanna. He wants to see you and McDugal. So if you will, get into the middle vehicle and we can get going."

Leanne opened the foor with a smile, "Thank you Ali." She said, "And it's Leanne, not Leanna. I know you folk have trouble with English names and all, but I'm getting tired of reminding you." She nudged him with a laugh and grabbed her bag....

He grinned and laughed. "Well you know how I like to ribb you." McDugal grabbed his stuff and deplaned. The heat hit him like a brick wall. It had been awhile since he had felt it. "Where is Cain?" he asked.
"He is at the Palace, waiting." Ali said and moved back to the vehicles.

Leanne threw the bag into teh back of the car and got in. The second she put her belt on, she pulled out her cigarette and lit one up.....

Mcdugal got in and the soldier closed the door and got back in behind the wheel as Ali got into the front passenger seat. Once in the others followed suit and the three vehicle caravan moved out. "So Leanne." and he emphasized the name, "where has your travels taken you this time?"

"Rome and Israel this time." She said, blowing out a long line of smoke. "Flew in over your lovely desert volcano. Dpes Cain know she's grumbling again?"....

"She has been quiet for a long time. Probably not. He has been busy of late. No one has been out there for a long time. Especially since that scientific team went there and never came back."

Leanne nodded, "Well, they will be stupid enough to go out there with a truck full of tech. But she is up to something." She replied, "Gave us a nasty punch, I can tell you that much."....

"All that stuff was found at the boundry of the Dead Zone. But no sign of them. Sent in a tracker and lost them at the volcano. No trace of them and none of them ever came back."
McDugal looked at the man, "Is there animals out there? Anything that could have attacked them?"
"Nope nothing. Seems even animals shun the place." Ali said. "You thinking of going out there?"
"Was thinking of it. A dead zone where not tech will work, might find something that might help protect the empires."

Leanne looked between the two men and then flicked her ash out of the window, "You two boys have fun then." She told them, "I ain't goin' nowhere near it."...

Ali, laughed. "Ah but have you not been given the mission to keep an on on this one. If he goes........."

Leanne scowled lightly and then blew smoke at Ali....

Ali laughed. "Yep till the big man says otherwise at least."

"Yeh well." She sighed, "As long as I'm getting paid, I guess I don't mind so much." She then half turned to McDugal, "No offense."....

He looked at Ali, "What else is she besides to look after me? A body guard?"
Ali grinned, "I would sat that is close to it."
McDugal looked over at Leanne. "Well not that I really need one. I haven't been in physical danger."

Leanne lifted an eyebrow at him, "Really?" she asked, "So I didn't save you from five rather nasty nuts in a mosque threatenhing to expose you? And you got away on your own in Paris when the hunters nearly found you? Oh, and what about Beruit last year? Did you really pull off that shot from the embassy?"....

He raised a brow at that then laughed. "Well yes there was the Mosque but I might have handled it. Now those other things, I thought I had done that on my own. Ah well Nice to have a guardian angel around."

Leanne laughed, "Who said I was an angel?" She asked, "But I'll take the compliment." She looked out of the window to see where they were.....

They had left the military air base and had been driving along a road that had some traffic. In the distance they could see the city of Bagdad.

Leanne sighed lightly and lit up another cigarette....

About an hour later they arrived at the city and not long after was pulling up at the Palace. As they pulled up Cain and Afrika came walking out. McDugal looked at the pair and shook his head. If he had seen them years ago he would have swore that they were a pair of angeles that had decended to earth. He got out of the car and stood there.
Can looked at Leanne and smiled. "I see you have kept him in one piece."

"Just about." She replied as she got out of the car. She leaned against it and then nodded to Afrika, "Nice to see you again, Afrika." She said, "Hows ma boys?" Afrika smiled brightly, "Growing like weeds." She replied with a laugh, "They'll be happy to see you if you can get some spare time later." Leanne nodded and smiled, "When your fella is done with me." She said, looking at Cain....

"Well first things first, lets see what is so important that McDugal had to break from his position with the church and come here." he looked at McDugal. McDugal then reached into his pocket and took out the flash drive.
"I am not sure who the man is but his people has developed a very concentrated form of Cocane which is in a pill form. One of these pills could if placed in the water supply infect every man, woman and child in Bagdad. They know the effect it has on the Angelus. The Pope and his Cardinals were approached and offered it. I think they will try it. Also he talked about controling the weather to make it rain here and use the concentrated pills to seed the clouds. Millions could die from this."

Afrika's face went pale at the news and she looked at Cain. "I was told about the effect Heroine had on Raven. Could they really do this to us?".....

"Knowing the greed and desires of some humans, yes they can and will try it." Cain said and took the flash drive. He handed it to an aid and told him to have it played and find out just how things could be done to do it. He turned to Leanne, "Go see the little ones." he gave her a smile.

Leanne smiled, but held up a finger, "Just one thing." She said, "That flash drive isn't everything. Some of my people picked up some very interesting intel coming out of Cape Town. There's a whole load of people turning up at the national museum, pressed and dressed if you get my meaning. There's something going down there on the 10th and my folk reckon it has to do with these plans.".....

Cain nodded. "Guess we will have to send a team in to see what is up." He looked at Leanne and smiled. "Go ahead and see the little ones, they have missed you." he told her. Then he turned to McDugal, "Nice outfit." he chuckled and motioned for him to follow. Afrika and him returned to the insideof the palace. "I had a feeling you would be very useful to us." he told McDugal. "Ever since that day you got the translation to my clay tablets I had a feeling that there was more to you. Leanne has given some glowing reports on you. Keep Anubis informed annomyously about things going on with the church. " Ahead of them came they young ones running calling out to Leanne.

Leanne went running to the children and lifted them both into her arms, "My God, you two are huge!" She shouted as she fell back. As for McDugal, he just stood there in shock. "How did you know it was me talking to Anubis?" He asked....

Cain laughed. "Oh the info coming out of the inner circle of the church and you were still there after what you had learned. Wasn't to hard to figure out." Cain looked at Leanne and smile as the two children almost tackled her. McDugal chuckled as well and Afrika just smiled brightly. The palace was more then that, it was a real home.


Leanne laughed happily and wrestled with the two boys. "I wanna play in the yard." Marcus demanded, "You promised you'd let us ride you." Leanne smiled, "That I did." She said, then looked to Afrika. "But I just need to discuss a couple or three things with your dad. Why don't you go with Mummy and find the saddle. I'll be out in a bit." Afrika smiled and took the boys outside as Leanne stood back up again and faced Cain and McDugal....

McDugal looked at the two small Angelus. They were seperated it seemed by a few years, but both were handsome and strong looking. He looked at Cain and then Afrika. "Yours?" he asked. He could see the pride and love in Cain's eyes as he watched the two boys. "Yes." he said proudly. Then McDugal asked Leanne "Saddle?"

"Yeh." She replied, "A saddle. Kinda like the ones you put on horses?" She pushed her hair back behind her pointed ears. "Not exactly human."....

"Oh?" he wondered what she was. There were reports on various types of so called demons. "What do you change into?" he asked.

Leanne offered half a smile, "I don't change into what I am." She told him, "I hide myself in this mirage so people don't freak out. The only things I can't hide are my ears and my eyes.".....

Now that peaked his curouisoity. She had some sort of ability to mask her true form. Cain chuckled and said, "There is nothing else to discuss right now. Once a team finds out who is all at that meeting we will again sit down and talk over options." He followed along as the boys went running to the area they called the Yard.

"I know there are some Americans there." Leanne said, "In fact, most of the Western hemisphere save for the UK." She moved out into the light and that's when her eyes looked more different. Her pupil wasn't round and flecked with colour one or two like humans. They were almond shaped and had many different colours.....

"Probably a gathering of those supporting the man's proposal. He sounded like an American, probably CIA. You cutting off oil to a number of countries have really put a hurt on them. Also with Anubis in control of a few large yield nukes to back you has made some world leaders very desperate." The two boys had found the saddle and came running towards them as they came out into a very large and lush lawn. It was basicly a large courtyard at the back of the palace.

Leanne moved forward and grinned at the boys. "You got my saddle?" She asked them, then made for the shed. "You stay outside now while I lose the mask, ok?" The boys grinned, "You promise me now. No looking 'til I come out." The pair nodded and ran to the other side of the garden. "We're ready!" Marcus called. Leanne laughed and went inside the shed.....

Now this was going to be interesting. To see what she really looked like. The two boys seemed very excited. They acted like normal children and were not spoiled as some world leaders children were.

After a few seconds, the shed seemed to expand. It was quite big already, but whatever Leanne was becoming, she was bigger. The wood groaned and creaked and then suddenly, just like that, it exploded! After the wood had landed again and the dust cleared, Leanne was nowhere to be found. Instead, there stood a huge white griffin....

Now that surprised McDugal. If she was masking her true appearance with some form of illusion, how did she fly the plane. How did she fit in the cockpit and manipulate the controls. The two boys cheered and ran forward with the saddle and began straping it on to Leanne. The two young ones were to young to fly yet, so flying with their parents or on the back of Leanne was a way to get up into the air.

Leanne stepped forward on massive paws and happily slobbered all over the boys before laying down so they could strap the saddle to her. Once that was done and they were secure on her back, she moved to the steps, gave Cain a nod and then looked at McDugal with those same almond eyes. "Freaked out yet?" She asked him. Her voice was much lower in tone and more husky, but her accent gave her away without doubt.....

McDugal laughed. "Freaked out....." he shook his head, "Not really. Remember I know of those that are not human." But he still wondered if she didn't change into a human form and only masked her true form with some illusion. How could she fit in the plane or a car.

She shrugged her massive shoulders and gave him a fangful grin, "So you've seen my people before then. Doubt it." She then turned about with a flap of her equally massive wings. Her tail came around with a long swipe, just inches from McDugal's face and she started bounding down the garden....

No he didn't know of her people, though he had read about such creatures in myths or supposed myths. He knew of vampires, lycans, and changelings and now the Angelus. There were others out there he was sure but the church had not found them. He watched as she ran down the lawn, her two young passengers laughing and calling out for her to take off.

Leanne gathered up some speed and then started jumping, trying to give herself enough room for those massive wings. She did eventually make it, but she took a large chunk out of the garden wall in the process. The boys laughed and bounced on her back, making jokes, but they soon stopped when she did a barrel role. She flew them around the palace a few times, did a loop-de-loop and a few more rolls before she brought them back. She landed heavily and out of breath. At this point, the boys got off her back and she flopped to the ground, panting.....

The boys hugged her neck as she laid down on the ground. "Now my sons, you go along with your mother for now. Leanne I think needs a rest." the boys hugged her again and gave her a kiss and then went running off to Afrika.

Afrika greeted them as she always did and then looked at Leanne. She smiled and called to one of the servants to bring a bucket of water. "You've put on a lot of weight, Leanne. You need to lose it." She said to her friend. Leanne grunted and dunked her head in the water, emptying it down her gullet in one go. "No I don't." Leanne replied, "Your boys are getting too big to carry." Afrika laughed out loud about that and took them inside.....

"So this is your true form. You just create the illusion of the human form?" McDugal asked.
still there?

Leanne nodded and licked her snout, "Yup." She said, "In all my glory."....

He took his hat off and scratched his head. "Then how do you fit in a car and the plane?" he grinned.

"The same way an octopus can fit inside a jam jar." She said, "I squeeze myself in and put the lid on."....

He shook his head and Cain shugged his shoulders. "I still can't quite grasp it either." he told McDugal. "Come we have to assemble a team to go and see what is going on. You can give discriptions of those that might be going from the Vatican. You Leanne can discribe any of the ones you know of. Maybe we will get lucky and plant a bug on one of them."

"Ok." She said, "I'll go make myself a little less imposing." She got up and trotted around to the back of the garden where she could have some privacy. "Can someone find me some clothes please?" She called. A few minutes later, she came back out and looking definitely more human and quite fetching in a pair of men's shorts and a baggy teeshirt.....

How she did it was a mystery. But that didn't matter. "How many of you are there?" he asked.

"A few hundred in total." She said....

That made him stop and look at her. "Now that is something I didn't know." That many would be very useful for Cain and he bet that all of them were around his empire somewhere. He turned back to Cain as they walked. Back in Rome the Pope selected the Cardinal that would represent them at the meeting. "This american thinks he can pull the wool over our eyes. They want power and and to use us as tools to get that. You will talk to these others that are coming to the meeting. We do not want to trade one dictator for another." The cardinal knew what he ment and what he needed to do.

"And you're not supposed to." She said quickly. "We are one race of beings that prefer to keep to ourselves. We don't draw attention and we don't generally get involved in human problems." She stepped up inside the palace.....

"Yet here you are." he raised a brow as he put on his hat. "You are emershed in it up to your neck." As they walked Cain called in his generals an they all met in a large room with a long table. On the walls were monitors that had real time pictures of different parts of the world and men and women monitoring them and talking to contacts.

"We need a team to infiltrate a very high level and secret meeting taking place in a few days." he told them.

One of the generals grinned, "Carlos should be one of them. Without any one with a sensitive nose they will not know he is not one of them." Cain nodded and the general went off to one of the stations in the room.

"Estel should be on this one. Not only can she turn a mans head she can take everything he has and not even know it till it is to late. I have to keep checking my pockets everytime she is around." Cain chuckled and nodded.

"Nathan is the best hacker I have ever seen. If they have anything on this heroin pill in a data base, he can get to it." another said.

"That should do it then. Get them here and get them briefed." Cain said. He turned to Leanne and McDugal. They will take it from here. You two can relax for awhile. Anything you want to do?"

McDugal grinned. "Yep. The volcano and dead zone. I would like to go take a look around."

Cain nodded, "Ok but you will be taking along an armed escort. Not going to lose you now. We will get you back into the fold. You can still be a great help with what goes on in the church."

Leanne gave a small sigh and smiled, "Now there's a plan." She said, "And I know the perfect way to go about it too." With a quick nod to Cain, she turned about and shouted for the palace chef. A few minutes later, she was giving him an order of food large enough to feed an entire family and making her way down into the kitchen......

"Make sure that you have a diet soda with all of that." McDugal called after her as he laughed. He then turned to Cain. "If possible I would like to get out there as soon as possible. It has begun to erupt and I would like to explore what is causing the dead zone effect." Cain nodded and sent a man out to gather a detail to take McDugal out to the Dead Zone.

Leanne scowled and then lifted an eyebrow. "Screw you!" She called back and slammed the door behind her. He'd upset her now......

McDugal sighed, as Leanne slammed the door. "Mmmm a bit to sensitive I think." he mumbled and then followed Cain as he continued to walk. He walked out into another courtyard where there were a few of the Angelus with their young. They greeted Cain. "What word from the Dowenger." one asked. Cain smiled. She sends her love and all is well." he looked over at one couple, "She sends a special congradulations on your little girl." The female held the infant in her arms as it feed.

The female nodded with a bright smile and stood proudly, "I will send her my thanks as soon as I can." She offered. Behind her, Afrika appeared carrying another hatchling. It wasn't hers, but she cradled it and fed it as though it was. "These are the last of the hatchlings for this decade." She told Cain....

McDugal was wide eyed as he saw how many there were there in the courtyard and the young as well. They were all beautiful. Cain put a hand on McDugal's shoulder and pushed him forward abit. "This is McDugal, a friend that has helped Anubis and the other flock a number of times. With his help, they have staved off a number of attacks that might have inured or killed some of them."

The flock stared at McDugal for a short time and then gathered around him. In turn, they each touched his forehead and bowed their heads in thanks.....

Cain slapped McDugal on the back. "Anubis and Raven already knows of you and one day would like to thank you personally. To do what you have done with not thought of reward or personal gain is a very rare thing my friend. The Angelus here now know what you look like and smell like. None will deny a request for help from you." McDugal was still awestruck, and Cain had to guide him back into the palace. There a detail already had been gathered, armed and outfitted for the harsh land. Vehicles with horse trailers awaited. "Take care my friend and we will see you in a few days."

Afrika followed them into the palace with the hatchling still at her breast. "Should Leanne not travel with him?" She asked Cain. "It is very dangerous out there and the human is valuable.".....

Cain smiled. "Aye that is true. If you would my love, go tell her that she will be going with him." He turned to McDugal, "I would not rib her about her eating or weight." McDugal nodded.

"Oh no." Afrika said quickly, "Your remark doesn't inspire any confidence to do such. You can tell her yourself, I value my head, thanks much.".....

Cain laughed, and leaned down and kissed his mate. "Very well." he went to the large kitchen and found Leanne wolfing down the food. "Hurry up and eat, you will be going with McDugal out to the Dead Zone, along with the security detail."

Leanne growled and put down the turkey leg she was chewing on. She had already eaten half the bird. "And why, pray tell am I going along on his goose chase?" she asked.....

"Who better to protect him and keep him out of trouble then you. You have been doing it for ten years. You know him better then anyone else." he told her

"Yes I have." She replied, "And what did I get out of it exactly? Has he thanked me? No. Has he even acknowledged what I've done? In part. Does he respect me for it? Hardly. My contract to you was to keep him out of trouble with the church. If he wants to go chasing some bloody volcano, that's his choice. Not my problem."......

"Leanne, you know he has only discovered he has been protected. As for respect, I think he does. You also know humans and how hard it is at times to express themselves.

"Exceot when it suits them." She replied sharply. She looked at the turkey leg and then tossed it across the table. "Fine, I'll guard him." She said after a while before putting out her hand. "Cross my palm then, Mighty Cain and I will do your bidding.".....

He took her hand. "What would I do with out you Leanne." Cain asked.

"You'd be in a whole heap of shit." She told him flatly, then pulled her hand from his, only to open it again. "Cross my palm Cain. Pay me.".....

Cain laughed and took out a small bag and emptied the contents into her hand. Diamonds and emeralds filled her hand. "You know, I think you would help even if you didn't get paid."

"I'd help you, yes." She said, taking the pouch from him and dropped the jewels back in, "But not him." she stuffed the pouch in her pocket, then got out of the chair......

"Now don't be mad at him for his comment." he told her. "I think he was just trying to be lighthearted, like Afrika was earlier.

"That's different." She said, "Afrika's known me since you found me. And she's given me the respect I deserved from that day on He's known me for a day and made fun of me."....

Cain shook his head. It seemed that Leanne didn't really understand humans in certain areas. Even after ten years living among them like she had. "Give him time."

Leanne grunted slightly and got to her feet, "Whatever." She said, "Tell him I'll meet him in the courtyard in twenty minutes. Then he can drag us on his little adventure."....

Cain left her there to finish her food and arrived back to see McDugal throwing his things into one of the vehicles. The armed men were finishing packing supplies and gear onto the vehilces. "You will have one more passenger." he told the men and McDugal, "Leanne will be coming." At that McDugal smiled.

Twenty minutes later, Leanne arrived, showered and dressed on clean and better fitting clothes. She hopped into the truck without a word.....

McDugal shook his head and got in beside her and they were back off through the city. The place was clean, rebuilt and people were able to go from one place to the other without fear of being killed or caught in a crossfire. "Sit back and relax folks. It will be a while before we reach the dead zone." the driver said. McDugal looked over at Leanne and then pulled the brim of his had down overhis eyes and closed his eyes. "Forgot to thank you for saving my butt back there in Lebanon. Thanks."

Leanne lifted an eyebrow, "You're welcome."....

He relaxed and slept for a bit, until they arrived at the edge of the Dead Zone. "We ride from here." the driver said. McDugal sat up straighter and lifted the brim of his had. He grinned and got out of the vehile. He looked out over the terain and saw the smoke rising from the volcano. He then went back to the trailer and helped unload a couple of horses. The others were doing the same.

Leanne got out of thre truck and threw her satchel onto her back. Instead of going to the trailer, she started moving forward. "Keep up kiddies." She called back and broke into a gentle jog across the sand.....

McDugal shook his head and packed up his things on his horse along with supplies. Once loaded up McDugal and six others took off after Leanne. Five stayed with the vehicles. They soon caught up with Leanne and followed her. The smoke became closer and closer. They stopped to rest the horses and continued on. A few hours later they arrived at the base of the volcano. It was not a towering mound like most were. Perhaps thirty feet of a mound. Once they arrived McDugal felt something, besides the ground shaking a bit. He felt a pulsing feeling on his body, like when people turned up the volume on a sterrio and you could feel the beat of the drums or insturments through your body. Slowly he climbed up to the rim and looked down at what appeared to be lava flowing below. Smoke rose up, dark and smelling like sulfer. "Can you feel that." he asked Leanne.

Leanne moved up to the small summit at a steady pace. She had been here before so the novelty had worn off. Swhe could feel the pulsing through her body and nodded when McDugal made mention of it. "Old pagan beliefs say it's the earth's pulse." She said, "It that what screws up the electrics." She peered gently over the lip of the culdera and smiled at the slow flowing lava she could see. "Looks like she's getting clogged up. The lava flow is usually quicker than this. She's definitely gonna lose her temper."

Putting down her satchel, she got to her knees and peered over further. "I suppose you're gonna wanna get down there and have a closer look?".....

Pulse of the Earth? He put his hand on the ground and closed his eyes. "Yes, a pulse. A steady regular pulse." when she asked if he was going to get a closer look, he smiled and said, "Oh yes." and opened his eyes and stood up and began making his way down. There was heat but not as much as a regular volcano. He got about halfway down and again went to his knees and felt the ground again. The crater did not look like a normal volcano either. There was no harden lava. He took one of Leannas hands and put it to her neck and then the other to the ground.

Leanne shook her head and followed him down. "Just be careful where you put your feet." She told him, "Glass and sand stone get pretty weak with heat." She reached the bottom of the culdera and looked around. The cavern was bigger than she remembered and the heat was less. When McDugal put one of her hands on her neck and the other on the ground, she lifted an eyebrow at him and moved both hands away from his. "I know what it feels like." She said to him, "I can feel it right through me and yes, the rhythm is perfect, just like a heartbeat."....

"A heart beat, yes." his eyes were wide and filled with excitement. He took a knife from his belt and scrapped at the ground. Below the dirt, sandstone and such he found what looked like a glass tubular like protrusion that glowed with looked to be lava but it wasn't hot like lava. "While I was in LA one of Anubis' slaves was going to the university as she was studying the Angelus. We had long talks. She said she heard the Angelus talk of a Dead Zone in the Artic, and a place they called Pandora. Where a planet, moon or something had hit and bounced off but left a part of itself there. They think that it is the heart of the earth. It could have been what transformed thier reptilian ancestors into what they are today. But I think it is also something else, and this...." he pointed to the glowing dome. "Is another piece of what had hit the earth long ago, and that it is not just rock and lava."

Leanne lifted an eyebrow again, "Sanura told me that story a while back." She said, "The Elders of her race were trying to find all the pieces to put it back together in their temple or some such thing." she reached down a carefully removed the piece. "They called it Genorra." After a few seconds of the rock being moved, the volcano seemed to growl at them. Leanne put the piece back careefully and in the exact spot she had taken it from, "Sorry old girl." She said apologetically, "I didn't know you wanted to keep it."...

"I am not sure that they realized what "She" might be. I have been to volcanos. None have had a beat like this, a heart beat. They rumbled, smoked, erupted, spewing lava. that lava hardened in thick layers. I see nothing of this here, except the smoke. He gently stroked the piece that Leanne had picked up and it seemed that the calm the ground. "Old girl is probably the right thing to call her." he chuckled. "I think she is a living creature, just like the one in the Artic.

Leanne nodded and looked around the caveran again. "You're best talking to Raven about Genorra and Pandora legends. From what I've been told, she collected most of the pieces herself and she's been inside Pandora a few times.".....

"I would love to do that, but here I think we have an opportunity to learn for our selves." He sat there looking down at the dome that looked like lava. "If indeed you are alive, how can we communicate with you." his hand still rested on the exposed tubular piece. He felt a warm feeling fill him. He took a deep breath and smiled. His eyes caught something down in the cavern. He moved even closer not getting to close to the dome. He found a ruck sack that could have belonged to one of the scientists, and then seen a tunnel leading down. He looked at Leanne and nodded to the tunnel.

Leanne looked down the tunnel and then back at McDugal before she opened up the ruck sack and emptied out the contents. There were rock samples, more smaller pieces of Genorra rock and sand and glass samples. "Typical humans." She said, "Take without asking and never put it back." she smashed up the natural glass and threw it around with the sand. She then tossed the rocks back and finally, she threw the smaller pieces of Genorra rock back with the larger dome piece. "I suppose you're gonna go down there and find something aren't you.".....

"Well if they are still alive, get them out of here. I know the scientific types. They will want to hack away and take larger pieces. If they are dead, well at least we can get their bodies out of here so their families can be informed."

Leanne looked at the ruck sack and then tossed it into the flowing lava. "That had been here for a few years at least. I'd say her thieves are dead. I vote to leave them here. Call it severence for stealing."....

He shugged his shoulders and just smiled. "You don't have to come." he said and entered the tunnel. This looked to be a lava tube of sorts that had been there for a very long time. He reached into his satchel he had taken from the truck and pulled out a flashlight and turned it on. It was only dark for a short distance and then the tunnel opened up to a large cavernous chamber in which there was lava that surrounded a very large glowing stone that looked to have a stone and metal lace like works around it. The skeletal remains of the scientists lay on the ground, in positions that looked as if they had been killed by something that may have been high pitched sound. Their hands were clasped to their ears. "Well we know what happened to them." One had a large chunk of the glowing rock like substance near him. He saw where it had come from and he picked it up and gently placed it back to the gouge. It was immedately covered by a rocky material and the whole cavern was filled with a very pleasent warm sensation.

Leanne looked around the cavern and watched McDugal back what had been taken. "Ok." She said to him, "I'll give you credit for not taking it." She then looked to the large glowing mass and bowed her head, "Hello old girl." She said, "we won't be here long. The human just wants to look. I'll make sure he puts it all back." There was a slight rumble beneath her feet that seemed to tell her 'no' and she nodded, "Fair enough." She said, then looked to McDugal. "Play time's over!" She called to him, "We've outstayed out welcome."....

He patted the giant orb. "Alright old girl, but I do wish to come back and perhaps get to know you better." he took the identifications of the scientists and put them into his satchel. "They had no idea of what they had found." he told Leanne. "They thought she was just an unusual piece of rock or something." he moved back out through the tunnel and back up to the desert.

Leanne waited until he was up front again and she quickly checked behind them, just in case. "Yeh well, the earth is a living, breathing person." She told him, "And from what I know, so was Genorra.".....

"What hit the earth back then must have been something living. Left a part of itself, or perhaps children of her own. It looks as if the lava from the earth interior is a natural source of food or energy for them." he called back to her. "So you could say that the earth is a living entity." To think many of the ancient civilizations had believed the earth was a living entity. But mankind became to insensitive to her and thought they owned her. It was sad. Once at the top he waited for Leanne. He sat there on the rim and looked down his arms on his knees and his chin on his arms.

Leanne climbed back out of the culdera and took a deep breath before dumping her satchel. She shuddered slughtly and worked her neck back and forth before answering him. "Of course the earth is alive." She said with a laugh, "If it wasn't, we wouldn't be here, would we. You have to be living to create life. Don't know about the Genorra stones though, you're best off asking Raven, like I said." she looked around and then moved her feet on the sand a little. "We need to get going. She won't last much longer and I'd rather not be here to get blown off my feet, ta."...

He smiled up at her. "Oh I don't think she will let that volcano below her blow while we are here. I think we made a friend today. But you are right we should be going. Need to have Cain keep this area off limits to everyone else." he was wanting to come back and see if he could communicate more with the entity.

"I wouldn't be so sure." She said, putting her satchel back on, "Earth has never been one to be predicted that way." She made her way down the slope and then back to level ground again. "Time to go." She said. Another rumble came from deep below and suddenly, there was a loud bang....

"Alright old girl, we will go for now, but I will be back. We have much to learn from each other I think." he patted the ground and stood up and made his way down to the horses. The smoke increased and some ash blew upwards. "I think she is just venting the heat and steam that builds up under her. He mounted up and looked back at the rim of the crater. "We have much to learn about her and he brethern in the north and I don't mean chiping away at her but trying to communicate with her and learn about each other."

"Whatever you say." Leanne replied and started her gentle jog back....

"I take it you don't agree with me, from your statement." He had heard people say that when they didn't agree with what had been said.

"No." She said, "I just think you're aiming too high, going back in there on your onesies to talk to a being that, to be honest, thinks your kind is little better than fodder."....

He rode beside her as she ran. "I think we made a bit of a break through today. Didn't you feel that friendly warm feeling when I put back that piece of her. Showing we mean no harm I think is a good start." he sighed. "For to long I believed in something that had been a lie. I believed because I was taught to, did not know any thing else. Perhaps this is a way to find the truth."

"Likely." She told him, "But you're still aiming to go down there alone. I reckon you should take someone with you who knows what they're doing."....

"Perhaps." he grinned. "You want to come?" he asked.

"Hell no." She said with emphasis. "I know where I belong and I'm happy to stay there, thank you very much.".....

He chuckled. "Oh well. Just thought that you would like to come along." But that time might have to wait. Cain wanted him back in the fold of the church to keep spying on them. That was truely something he didn't want to do, but if he could help, then he needed to. "I guess it will be awhile before I can come back here."

"Probably." She said, then concentrated on her pace. She thought of the rest of that turkey waiting for her in the kitchens and the other food she had ordered. It made her salivate a little and she picked up the pace....

They made it back to the vehilces and loaded up the horses and then headed back to the city and Palace. It was dark by the time they got back. Cain was told of their arrival and came to meet them. By the look in McDugal's eyes, he could tell that he had found out something interesting. "Come tell me what you found." To Leanne, he smiled and said. "Enjoy some down time and get some sleep."

"Gladly." She said, heading for the kitchen. Just before she disappeared around the corner, "By the way." she said, "You might wanna get in touch with Raven. She'll be interested in this too."....

McDugal grinned and gave her a sweeping bow, taking his hat of and moving down and out like they would have in the old days. "Enjoy your evening." he told her.

Leanne gave a small grunt and went down to the kitchen.....

"Well that was better then the last time." Cain said. "Come and lets talk." McDugal followed him and they got in contact with Raven and Anubis. McDugal told the three of them what he had found and what he felt.

Raven seemed very keen at first, but as McDugal continued, she nodded in knowing. She didn't interrupt him though and nodded in the right places....

McDugal looked at Raven on the Screen. "Leanne was right you know something more of this don't you. You know that the orb was a living entity don't you."

Raven smiled again, "Yes I do." She said, "Genorra is the reason we live so long, or at least, that's what my research told me. Most of what I know, I learned from the Dowenger. My people learned a long time ago that there was something about Genorra and the way she interacted with the Earth that something more than simple life was going on. The Elders sent me out to collect as many pieces of her as I could find and bring them back home. I managed a large chunk of her, but most I had to leave behind and other bits of her were just too far out of my reach. The piece you found was one of those I couldn't take. It had embedded itself within the heart of a volcano and when I asked if I could take it home, the volcano made it very clear she wanted to keep it, so I left it where I found it."....

"Have you been able to communicate with the one in the north?" he asked. "Been able to talk to it and have it understand you?" If so perhaps he could be taught so he could go back and talk to the one in the desert.

"You mean Pandora?" Raven asked....

"Yes." he answered.

Raven smiled again and shook her head, "Talk? No." She said, "Places like these don't have a voice that you can understand. It's more of a feeling that emulates through you. It may welcome you, or kill you depending on how your feelings are interpreted."....

"That I found out. I think she liked me." he chuckled.

"Well, I would suggest you remain on her good side then." She said with a laugh, "Out of curiosity, by the by, how did you come across it?".....

Leanne flew over it and cut the engines of the plane. She knew something was there that created the dead zone effect. She thought it was just a volcano." he told her. "I will do my best to keep on her best side. I think if somehow we can communicate, we can learn alot about each other."

Raven nodded, "Leanne has always known something was there." She said, "She just makes sure to mind her own business about it.".....

"So what else can you tell me about Pandora." he asked. "I wonder if each knows that the other is where they are. Being seperated by such great distances they might not know."

"A few thousand miles is hardly a vast distance compared to what Genorra was and where she came from." Raven said, "And it isn't a case of seperate beings knowing about each other. Genorra is one single conscious entity, like Earth. Pandora is merely a gateway that we gave a name to.".....

"So you think they are one. I have a feeling that they are not. Genorra I think was dying and hit the earth to deposit her children before she broke up completely." Cain interjected, "That would explain the metors that fell to earth long after the initial hit millions of years ago."

Raven shook her head, "She fell to Earth because she was hit by a comet."....

"That could have been, but it was before your people evolved, or because she was hit by the comet she was mortally injured, and adjusted her course to leave her young behind." McDugal added.

Raven shook her head again, "No." She said, "Genorra gave us our longevity while she was still in orbit. And the Dowenger was alive when she fell to Earth. She was very young, but she remembered it until the day she died."....

McDugal had a feeling that the two entities were the spawn of what the Angelus Called Genorra. Such a world was no where in the solar system that he knew of. He had taken Astonomy before he had slected the priest hood. "Well we will only know for sure if we can find a way to communicate." he smiled at Raven. "It truely wonderful that I get to finally meet you. Having read about you and your travels I have always longed to do so."

"Then I suggest you come with me." she said. She hadn't been planning on taking anyone with her for the simple reason, she wanted to be alone. But this odd human had shown an impossible amount of respect and understanding about the world around him and the truth behind the scripture, she felt he would benefit from such a journey.".....

His eyes widened and jaw dropped. "It, it, it," he stammered, "It would be an honor." he said.

Raven laughed and shook her head lightly, "No." She told him, "The honour would be mine. Besides, I'm going up past the Tundra in a few days and Anubis is moaning at me to take a companion. His minions, as useful and industrious as they may be, have little understanding for the place they will go to and none of the Angelus are able to travel atthe minute.2....

McDugal gave a slight bow. "I would love to go." he looked at Cain and he nodded. "Your disappearance will be made to be you went undercover to try and infiltrate my empire and find a way to strike at us." he looked at the screen and Raven. "He will be flown to LA with in the next day or so."

Raven nodded, "I'll make sure he's taken care of." She said, "Send my love to Afrika and the boys." And then she was gone.....

McDugal was now excited. He would be going up north with Raven to visit a place no human had ever seen. If his theory was right the two pieces were the young of a dying living world. It had while in orbit had an effect on t he evolution of Raven's race. He then wondered what effect the one in the desert had on him, since he was so close to it and had actually touched it. Cain had mentioned something about the metors that had fell to earth.

He questioned him about it and Cain told him the story of those metors. So they changed you and Anubis. He now understood, what Anubis had been doing in LA when he went to select those that he would turn and that would become the New Angelus. He had been looking for the same change even though it may have been thousands of years the decendents would have that changed genetic make up.

He was going to have to have himself checked out when he got to LA. See what effect the one in the Desert had on him. Anubis at the mean time had been listening in on everything and came on the Vid Screen. "Well McDugal, it seems that you are in for a real treat. I haven't even been to Pandora. I am glad she has decided to take someone with her, especially in these troubled times." he then said his good byes and the screen went blank.

Back in LA, Anubis moved up behind Raven. "This McDugal is an interesting person, and he has been exposed to a larger fragment of Gennora then Cain or I have been. How do you think this will effect him?" he asked her.

Raven smiled and kissed Anubis' arm as he came up behind her. When he asked about the possible effect the Genorra stone had had on the human, Raven shook her head, "It won't." She told him, "The changes you and the others underwent from being close to the stones happened over a period of years. In fact, many of the changes would have been started in your parents and then passed on through continued exposure to you." After giving his arm another kiss, she moved to the desk and started looking over some of the paperwork from the festival the day before.

The event had been somewhat of a success and various places within the city had given up the predominance to be one colour or creed. There were still a lot of people in the city that seemed to prefer to keep things as they were and Raven had decided against forcing compliance. It had disheartened her though as things had seemed to be going incredibly well until that point. The plan to also integrate the children more had struck a few hurdles. Most had accepted the plans to allow the Angelus children into the mainstream school system, but only in so much as the actual building. They would not be educated within the same classroom. The struggle she was facing to take things back to the way she had been taught was getting harder. Still, things within the city and the growing borderlands remained peaceful.

Her attention turned now to McDugal and his thoughts about Genorra. Or more specifically, his theories on the ancient moon. Many of his theories, though wrong, were still sound. Genorra was not some alien styled intelligence, or ancient conscious spreading its seed before death, though could be constrewed that way by simple logic. She would have to convince him of the planet's life force and pulse and make him understand that before he could understand the concept of Genorra. It was a living being, same as any other creature on the planet, just not how one would think to conceive a living creature to be. His eyes would have to open to the bigger picture before he could study the detail. Raven would explain this to him if his mind opened up enough to see what she did. Otherwise, Genorra would be exactly as he assumed it to be and it would not show him the true glory and nature it held. This was a flaw she saw in far too many humans.

After checking on the children and making sure all was well within the nest, Raven went up to her garden to be alone for a while. She didn't disappear like this very often and she was never truly alone when she did as the various patrols and such that were forever passing her. But she was able to shut them all out and simply sit with herself and either basque or recall fond memories. It helped her when she felt things were getting on top of her and for the most part, the nest let her be. She did this now for that reason, but also to clear her mind for her coming trip. She needed her thoughts in order should she find herself facing the Elders and when entering Pandora. The Dowenger had often told her that Pandora would not open to a chaotic mind. "One cannot see when distracted by self centred matters." She would say. There were more modern terms about that made more sense to the modern peoples, but she preferred the old tale.....

McDugal went off to get a bit of sleep after talking with Cain. He would be leaving perhaps the next day for LA and then up to the north with Raven. But before he got to his quarters his stomach began growling. He decided to see if anything was left in the kitchen and went there.

Leanne was just finishing off a half gallon of milkshake when McDugal arrived. By the smile on his face, the news was good. She gave him half a look and then started sucking out the foam from her jug...

McDugal raided the refriges pulling out some meat, bread and made a large sandwitch and then looked around and found the wine rack and selected a good wine and opened it. He poured himself a good glass full and then began munching on the sandwich. "So what are you going to do now. I will be leaving for LA some time tommorow."

Leanne licked the foam from her lips and leaned back int he chair to let her monster meal settle a little, "Whatever Cain asks me to do." She told him, "Might stick around and give the boys a few flying lessons, or find some village in the desert to terrorize for a few days."....

He looked over his sandwich at her. "You wouldn't do that." he said.

Leanne grinned, "Wouldn't I?" She asked.....

"Now why would you want to terrorize inocent people?" he asked.

"Innocent?" she asked him, "Have you seen what they do out there? They're worse than you civilised lot."....

He looked at her. Most of the people that lived in the small villages were poor people that just survived. "They do their best to survive. At least they don't strip mine, tear up the land, or destroy it. " he didn't know what she thought they did that was so terrible.

"No." She said, "They just rape their wives, sell their daughters for gold and camels and force their sisters to marry ugly old men so they can get raped too. And when they're not doing that, they're robbing each other blind and selling worthless and dangerous crap to the people that strip mine, destroy the land and poison the water."....

"I thought Cain and Afrika had put a stop to all of that." he told her. "Especially after the fall of Islam and Christianity, the basis for all of that."

"what they do out there isn;t about religion. It never was.2
"What they do out there isn't about religion." she told him, "It never was, it's about money.2...

"Well I would suggest that you have a talk with Cain or maybe Afrika and get something started to put an end to it." He finished his sandwich, "Don't forget, you would be terrorizing the women and the children.

Leanne smiled, "I don't terrorize them." She told him, "They know the minute I turn up, I'm only hunting the men. Some of them even help me out and tell me which ones are the bastards. You'd be suprised how many places I've left with just women and offspring in them." She grinned and reached over the table to grab a cookie.....

He sighed. Leaving them with out men to help provide for them was not good. Even with Cain in power, women were still not at an equal status. They could not get work or be the head of the household. Having laws enacted and inforced would be much better. But he some how didn't think Leanne would understand that. He sipped his wine and got up from his chair taking the bottle and glass with him. "If that is how you see it." he said and walked to the door.

Leanne began laughing hysterically, "You are so easy to wind up." She said and shook her head, "I'm pullin' yer leg priest. I wouldn't do that.".....

At the name Priest he stopped. "No longer that." he told her. He shugged his shoulders and opened the door to the kitchen. He had a feeling that she did do what she had said. "Take care." he said and left.

Leanne leaned back and put her feet on the chair across from her. As McDugal opened the door, Afrika stood there and smiled at him. She was coming into the kitchen for a pot of coffee. "Hello Shamus." She said....

He smiled at her and nodded. "Seems the staff has all retired for the night. It is serve yourself tonight." he lifted the bottle of wine.

"Yes I know." she said, "I'm enroute to a pot of coffee." she looked at his bottle and frowned slightly, "I have something much better."....

"Oh?" he asked.

Afrika smiled, "How does a 50yr old malt sound?".....

"Ahhhhhh perhaps another time. At the moment I have not really drank much more then wine." he told her.

Afrika nodded and smiled again, "As you wish." She said and then leaned in a little, "Are you alright? You look like you could either hurt someone, or throw up."....

"Oh I am alright." he smiled. "Heading to my quarters and here in a bit will be getting some sleep."

"You don't look it." She said, "Has she upset you?".....

He glanced back at Leanne. "No." he said. It was not quite the truth. But Leanne had her ways and he was not one to put her down for it. Not after what the church had done and he had been a priest that hat believed it had all been justified, until 10 years ago.

Afrika lifted an eyebrow and then smiled, "When you've finished convincing yourself, maybe you can work on me." She told him and moved into the kitchen. She smiled at him as she closed the door behind her and then all hell broke loose as Afrika landed the most vicious verbal assault possible on Leanne.....

He was not about to open the door, from what he heard. "He continued on down the corridor and drank his wine. The last ten years had been hard on him. The realization that everything he had been taught and beleived in had been false. Posing as a priest and a part of the secret group within the church to keep Raven and the Angelus protected. He had seen a great deal of change everywhere.
As he made it to his quarters he knew he had to have a talk with Cain before he left. Have the status of the women of his empire checked and see if indeed what Leanne had said was going on. He had a feeling Cain would not like it if it was. Once he made a law it was enforced and woe to those that broke it.

The tirade between the two women lasted for half an hour or so and then it all went quiet again. Afrika left with her coffee and a smile and things went back to normal......

McDugal had a bit more wine before he placed the bottle on a table along with the glass and then unpacked some clean clothes for the next day. He was worried about Leanne and the toung lashing that Afrika was giving her. He should have went back in and told Afrika it was not her fault. She had a right to have her own opinion and dealing with things as she thought best.

It was then a knock came at his door.....

He had just begun to undress, undoing his shirt. He went to the door and opened it.

A very apologetic looking Leanne stood there with a bottle of malt. She held it up to him, "A peace offering." She told him....

He stood back so she could come in. "I should have told her it was not your fault." he told her. "You have your own opinon on things and should not be yelled at for them."

Leanne looked around and then entered his room. "It was my fault." She told him, "I saw an oportunity to wind you up and you walked right into it. I shouldn't have said what I did and I'm sorry."....

"But you are probably right about what is going on out there and probably within the cities as well. Women are not second class or property and should be respected." he told her.

Leanne nodded, "This is true and what I said about them is also true." She said, "But I don't go out there and hunt them like that. I don't hunt humans at all.".....

He nodded and took the malt to set on the table. "That is good to hear." Though those that did what she had mentioned needed to be punished, but not where the woman and children would suffer because of it.

Leanne nodded, "The worst I've ever done is fly over and scare the shit out of them. A guy was beating on his mother because his sister wasn't pure when he sold her. He saw me fly over and ran a mile. Left everything with his mother."....

He chuckled. He could see that. "Time for some major changes."

Leanne shook her head slightly, "I've been around long enough to know things don't really change." She said, "Cain can rule these people with an iron fist, but out there, they'll never really change. The only thing that's changed with humans is how quickly they can put each other down. That's why my people stay out of it now. We tried to help once, just like the Angelus did and we failed just like they did. Humans are humans and with the exception of a few, most of them should have died long ago." She pointed to the bottle and smiled, "Anyways, enjoy the malt and I'll see you around."....

He nodded and seen her to the door. "Oh I imagine you will be out there somewhere, watching my back." he smiled.

Leanne just smiled and left....

He shut the door and leaned against it. Oh he hoped that she was wrong on that. Cain had done some amazing things so far, he hopped that he could change the way women were looked upon. He then pushed himself off the door and headed for the bed. In the morning he rolled over and looked at the clock. It was around 9 in the morning. He had been more tired then he had realized.

Promptly, there was a knock at his door....

He got up and threw on a bathrobe. He had nothing else on as he answered the door.

At the door, a guard stood up straight, "Your flight will be departing in two hours, Sir." He said politely, "Cain has been informed and will meet you in the conference room for breakfast."....

He nodded and shut the door. A couple hours. He headed for the shower and took a quick one. After a couple of days of travel, desert and such he needed one badly. Once cleaned and with clean clothes the packed his things up and put on his leather coat and his hat and headed to the conference room.

Cain was there waiting. Like the other Angelus he wore a kelvar/bullet proof type armor, making him look more and more like the pictures of the Arch Angels Michael and Gabriel. He sat down with Cain and eat some breakfast and he brought up the subject of the former Islamic women and how they were treated.

Cain was one that no mater what sex you were, you had equal rights. Something strange for a man that had lived a long life amoung people that didn't have that. Cain listened and did not looked pleased about it. "These people are set in their ways. But something like this is not tolerable." He promised to announce a new law that would make all women of his empire equals to the males and that this came with certain rights. It would be hard to enforce in places but when found out about, woe to the man that had broken his laws.

A short time later he was aboard a cargo jet heading out over the ocean and making its way to LA.

Hours later the tower of the LA Airport began tracking the cargo plane. It emmited the proper signal and the tower contacted it. "Transport 9944, you are cleared for approach. Change course to 145 degrees and hold your course." Another man in the tower picked up the phone and called the Palace. "Sir package is inbound and cleared to land. Arrival approximately 30 minutes."
Anubis chuckled and said. "Upon arrival have the package delivered to the Palace immediately. He then went up to the garden to inform Raven. "He will be here in about an hour. He told her as he moved up behind her and kissed her neck as he put his arms around her. "I see Evie flew alot further today, with out even working up a sweat. She is progressing with amazing speed."

Raven smiled and half turned her head as anubis came up behind her. He loved doing that. She smiled again when he mentioned Evie and nodded, "She'll be fledged in a few more weeks." She told him. "You know McDugal better than I do. What is he like? Can I trust him?".....

"I don't know him that good. I only know what Cain has told me about him. He has been a source of information that has saved several of the Angelus' lives. So that tells me he has put his life on the line to get us that information. I would saw we can trust him."

Raven nodded slowly, "Ok." She said, "I just hope he can keep an open mind enough to travel with me."...

"Well it sounds like he has." he said. "But you still be careful. I know you are going to be seeing what remains of the elders. They have what you call the Generals with them still, I don't trust them."

"I couldn't tell you if they did or not." She said, "I doubt if they're even still alive. Many of them were much older than the Dowenger was and the majority of the nest here, there won't be any food being gathered for them.".....

Anubis nodded. "Still I have an uneasy feeling." he told her

"I know." She replied. "But it isn't coming from him specifically. His trepidation isn't the main source of the feeling."....

He just stood there his arms about her enjoying the feeling of her in his arms. It never got old. "Just keep an eye out for trouble."

Raven nodded and leaned back into him. She loved his cuddles, they felt like home. "Will you be meeting him downstairs, or will you have him brought up to our nest?".....

"I will have him brought up here. I think he would enjoy meething the children." he told her.

Raven smiled, "He probably would, yes." She replied, "Though I imagine he's already met Cain's sons.".....

"That I would not doubt." he chuckled. "Those two are a handful I would think." At that time Evie and Seth came up to the garden. "Mother, Father, are we having a guest?"

Raven smiled and crouched down a little to her children, though Seth was getting too tall to do that for much longer. "Yes, we are." She told them, "A very nice human called McDugal. Be nice to him, yes?".....

"Of course mother." Evie said with a smile. Seth grinned "Who is he mother?"

"He was a priest with the old church." She told them carefully, "But he isn't with them anymore. He stays around them so he can help your father and grandpa."....

"Whats he coming for?" he asked. Evie gave her brother a playful hit. "Probably some secret stuff." But she looked at her parents with a looke that said she wanted to know as well.

"He's coming to see me." She said, "You see, he used to keep and translate my journals and he always dreamt that one day, he would be able to talk to me face to face. Today, he gets to do that."....

"Oh." Evie said. She had no idea of what Raven was talking about, since no one had told her about the journels. But it sounded something important. "Come on brother lets go wait for him." she pulled him back inside.

Raven stood up. She could see something in Evie's face and it bothered her somewhat. "I'll tell you what." She said as the pair made for the door. "When I get back, I'll show you all my journals and you can read them if you like.".....

She turned grinning, then pulled her brother inside. "I thought we destroyed your journel." Anubis kissed her neck again.

"What we destroyed wasn't what I wrote." She told him, "It was what was written about me, remember?"....

"Ahhhhh yes." he whispered. "Do you think it wise to let them read everything you have done?"

"I'll make sure they'll only read what I give them. The rest will remain locked away. Besides, what i give them will give them a good insight into what the world was like before humans changed everything.".....

He nodded. "That sounds good." he told her. "Now I think we must prepare for McDugals arrival.

Raven nodded, "I'll wait up here." She said, "Give me chance to clear my thoughts for his questions. I'm sure he'll have many."....

"No doubt." he said, and followed the children into the Penthouse.

Raven smiled at her husband and then turned to face the sun. She made a small roost on the far corner and then perched to basque until he got there. She thought it best to be warm when he touched her and therefore less repitilan......

Inside the children had settled into chairs to await the visitor. Anubis looked around and headed to the kitchen to make some breakfest. He was sure that McDugal would be hungry after such a long flight, and of course the children would be hungry as well. "What would you two like for breakfest?"

"Pancakes!" They both shouted.....

He laughed. "I should have known better." He grabbed the ingrediants and began mixing the batter. He also got out some eggs and bacon. Soon the whole place was smelling of pancakes, bacon and eggs. The kitchen had a large griddle that he could make a number of pancakes at one time. He had two plates stacked with pancakes and placed them on the breakfest bar along with syurp.

Both children laughed and the second the pancake platter hit the counter, they grabbed as many as possible in one go. Seth lathered his in syrup and Evie emptied a pot of honey on hers. "Can we have pancakes every morning?" Evie asked with a mouthful. She had asked that question every time he made them.....

Anubis laughed and shugged his shoulders. "Well now it all depends if I am here now doesn't it? So when I am home, I guess you can have pancakes for breakfest."

Both children cheered and danced in their seats as they stuffed themselves with pancakes. About half way down the stack, a guard entered the kitchen and bowed his head. "The human's motocade has arrived, Sir." He said, "Where do you want him?".....

"Bring him up here." he told the guard. A short time later McDugal entered the Penthouse and looked around. He spotted the two children and then looked at Anubis. He could see the confusion on his face. "Children This is McDugal. He has helped us greatly in thawarting the plans of our enemies. McDugal this is Seth, Raven's and my adopted son, and this is Evie our daughter."
McDugal removed his hat and smiled. "An honor to meet the two of you." he said.

Evie turned in her seat and smiled at McDugal. She was the omage of her mother. "Nice to meet you." She said, "Dad's made pancakes. Would you like some?" Seth smiled at him too and shoved a chair out with his foot.....

McDugal took a seat at the breakfest bar and Cain dished him up some pancakes, eggs and bacon. He could not believe the likeness of Evie and Raven. She would grow up to be the exact image of her. He looked around but didn't see Raven.

Evie smiled at McDugal and then cocked her head to one side. "She's upstairs in the garden." She said, "And thanks for the compliment."
Seth reach over and descretely punched his sister on the shoulder. "That's rude." He said. Evie stuck her tongue out and then stuffed another half pancake in her mouth....

McDugal raised a brow, and he looked over at Anubis. He laughed, "She gets that from her mother as well. Can pick up a person's thoughts to some degreee." he looked at Evie, "And what have your mother and I said about that?"

Evie swallowed her food and sulked, "It's not polite to read people without permission." She chanted....

"Now you are not doing that at school are you?" he asked her.

"No Daddy." She said.
Seth scowled and punched her again, "Liar." He said.
Evie punched him back, "Mrs Gavrik already flunked me before we even took the test. That makes her fair game." She then blushed and looked at her father....

Anubis raised a brow, "And why did she flunk you before the test?" he asked.

"She flunked all of us." Seth said as he picked up his glass of milk.....

"Oh? What was the reason?" he asked.

Seth shrugged his shoulders, "Don't know." He said honestly.
Evie swallowed her food and then a few mouthfuls of milk. "I read her when she was in the faculty lounge with Mr Havers. She thinks we're too smart and it's not fair on the human kids to have us there."....

This did not please Anubis. "We will have a chat with Mrs. Gavrik and the school principle on Monday." This was not what he wanted it to be. He wanted the human children and the Angelus to be schooled together so they could get to know each other and to get along.

Seth seemed to look a little worried at that point. "Why?" He asked, "You'll only make it worse. The other kids don't call her Dragon Lady for nothing, ya know."......

He raised a brow, "Dragon Lady? That bad is she? Well it is not fair to you and the others. Even though you all are smarter then the humand children, it just means they have to study harder and learn from all of you. A teacher should not punish you for being different and smarter. Your mother and i have been talking about such things. She would agree with me.)

"Just leave it Dad, please." Seth said. He pushed his plate away and left the kitchen. Evie moved the remains of her pancakes around the plate and then also pushed it away. "I'm going to play in the yard." She said and quickly left.....

"Hold on you two." he called Seth back. "There is more to this isn't there? Come on out with it." he was a parent and he was a concerned one.

Seth shook his head and left and Evie was quick to follow. "It doesn't matter." Seth said, taking his sister's hand, "Just leave it. Anyway, Mum is waiting for you guys in the garden."....

Now that was not like them. They just outright disobeyed him. He would have to have a talk with Raven before she left, so she could talk to them. Perhaps she could get them to talk. He waited till Mcdugal was done eating and then took him up to the roof.

Raven heard the door open and turned on her roost to see Anubis arrive with McDugal. She smiled down to them and gracefully hopped down from the perch. She moved to them, flexing her wings once and tucking them into her back and she held her hand out in greeting to the human.....

McDugal took her hand and shook it. He was wide eyed and had an excited look in his eyes. "Seems like our children and the other Angelus children have a problem at the school." Anubis told Raven.

Raven shook the human's hand with a smile, but it soon faded again as Anubis told her the problem. "I'll talk with them." She said. "Let them be for now. They won't say anything if they know we're pressing them.".....

McDugal looked between the two. "Perhaps it would go better if I talked to them. I have found that children do not usually open up to their parents a lot."

Raven smiled, "They are more likely to talk to their friends, than adults." She said. "I'll have a word with Mira. She goes to school with them.".....

He smiled and nodded. "I will let you take care of this before we talk." What they had to talk about would need her full attention."

Raven nodded, "I'll meet you both in the nest in an hour." She told them and then made her way downstairs. She found Mira with some of the other younglings playing board games in the games room.....

"I thought Cains boys were a challange to keep up with." he chuckled, "I see that yours are the same. Don't think I could ever be a good parent."

Raven greeted the younglings as she did her own and happily got involved in a new game of chase. After nearly half an hour, she managed to pull Mira aside and talk to her about the Dragon Lady at school. Raven didn't like what she heard, but she didn't interrupt and she didn't make any judgements. When they had finished, she played some more games and then left them to it. she made her way back upstairs and immediately to the desk. She wrote a few notes in her diary and then came back out again and ehr smile had come back. She nodded to Anubis and then turned her attention to the human. "I can imagine you have a million questions for me." She said.....

"Yes I probably do, but I think it best that you tell me from the begining. That way most will probably be answered." he chuckled.

"Sure." She said, "So what's your first question?"....

"Well from our talk on the vid screen, I take it that she is not what I assumed to be. Tell me of her."

Raven furrowed her brow for a moment and then smiled again when the penny dropped, "Ahhh." She said, "You're talking about Genorra, yes? She was Earth's second moon. We didn't know where she came from exactly, but the Elders of the time put her somewhere on the far side of Getra; Neptune to you humans."....

"You said that a comet hit her and knocked her into the earth and left a piece of her. But you do not think she is an intelligent being like us?

Raven nodded, "Of course she is." She said, "The same as any planet would be. She was made a little differently and the reaction from the Earth caused a few changes, but she's as much a living being as the earth ever was.2....

He sat there rubbing his jaw. "But can she be communicated with, understand us and us her." he wanted to know.

"In a manner, yes." She said, "She doesn't talk or communicate in the way you'd assume a being would. She communicates with us the same way the earth does."....

He wondered about that. He felt as if the one in the desert was trying to communicate with him. The warm feeling he got when he touched her and put the shard back in place. He had never gotten such a feeling form the Earth, though it had been speculated that it was a living creature of some sort. "It is evident that you hold her in great respect and a place of honor, almost like a religion of sorts. What does your people think about her?"

"She gave us the longevity we have. Of course we respect her." She said, "We respect her the same way we respect Earth. Without either one of them, there would be no life. You mammals seem to forget that sometimes. Genorra gave you as much life as she gave us. Just in a different way."....

This was all strange to him, something completely new. "You are saying changed our distant ancestors into what we are today." that he could believe. Something had to have changed man into the form it was.

Raven nodded, "Before Genorra arrived in orbit, mammals were barely more than rats in trees that lived maybe a few years at most. Now look at you. Opposable thumbs, bipedal and you can live beyond a century. Whereas what reptiles were left have barely changed at all."...

"Yes we are living a bit longer, but look at you and your people. They have lived for such an extrodonary time. Why haven't humans been blessed with this."

"We're not mammals." She said, "We evolved differently from you."....

He smiled. "Yes that is true, but she changed you while out in space. When she hit the earth and left a part of her here, we were changed but not like you. The same...... lets say radiation, that made your race and gave you extrodanary life, should have done the same with us. In some cases I have learned it did, or I should say pieces of her that fell to earth long after she hit the earth." He wanted her thoughts on it. What did she think happened and why.

Raven smiled, but shook her head, "Things didn't work like that." She told him. "Angelus were already alive when Genorra came into earth's orbit. Humans didn't evolve until many, many millions of years later. We had already reached our peak of evolution by the time mammals like you came into being. when she fell to the ground and the pieces that broke off and scattered, the mammals in that area were changed more greatly. I studied humans that were in contact with the stones and I found they lived longer and were more intelligent than those beyond. And they also had more respect for the earth than the others. Genorra seemed to breed the respect into their genetics." She moved into the library and gathered up some incredibly old looking books. She brought them back to McDugal. "These are some of my older personal journals." She said to him, "In them, I've detailed some of the changes I witnessed."....

These he took with wide eyes and ran his hands over. "History that probably never got recorded." he said with awe in his voice. Then he looked up at her, "What do you do when you go there. What will you do there when we go?"

Raven smiled at the old journals, "In my own words." She told him, "Not what was told about me. What you had was one single opinion of who I was and what I did. Every word in these are my own doing and I have plenty more where they came from. The one you had wasn't worth the paper it was written on. I burned it." She moved around the desk as she thought over his question. "What I do there?" She said, "Technically, I do precisely nothing. I don't touch, take or tamper with anything there. I go, I look, sometimes I'm invited to see things I wouldn't normally and then I leave as I came. With nothing. And that is how it should be.".....

"Then why do you go? What is it tht you have been invited to see?"

"Because Genorra is something more wonderful than anything I know and I want to go there." She told him, "And I haven't been invited yet. I said sometimes I'm invited to see. Most of the time, I find solace in just being there. You'll understand when we get there."....

There as alot that he wanted to know but would wait to get to Genorra and see what was there. He still felt that she was more intelligent then anyone thought and could be communicated with with more then just feelings. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow." She said, "First, I need to pay a visit to Seth and Evie's principal and then we can go. It's easier to travel there at night and I can navigate easier."....

"Ah how am I to get there?" he was courious

Raven smiled, "We fly for the most part." She said, "The rest will have to be on foot and by dog sled. The fastest and easiest route up there from here would be through Alaska and then over the pole towards the Tundra. Or, alternatively, we can cross the bearings straights, but this time of year can be a little more dangerous than usual."....

"When you say fly, you mean by plane, right?" he asked.

Raven laughed, "Yes, by plane." She chortled, "I couldn't carry you that far."....

He sighed in releif. "Alright." he said.

Anubis laughed at McDugal. "We are strong but not that strong. Perhaps the last leg of the journey." he grinned. "Now go get some rest and we will see you in the morning." McDugal left and was escorted to his quarters for the night. Anubis turned to her after he had left. "Now take it easy on them tommorow. I know how you can get when you are angery."

Raven lifted an eyebrow, "I'll refrain from ripping her arms and legs off, if that's what you mean." She told him flatly, "Beyond that, the female is fair game. I won't tolerate my offspring being treated that way."....

"What was it that our two did not want to tell us about." he asked her.

"I'd rather not say." She said, "You'd be even more inclined to rip her apart than I am."....

"That only makes me want to know." he said. "What is it?"

"I'll tell you when I've dealt with her." She said. "Now, end of conversation. I'm tired and I have a lot to do tomorrow, so I'm going to bed.".....

"I will keep you to that." he told her and lead the way back to their bed chamber. "I am going to miss you up there. He looked up at the beams.

"I'll miss you too." She said, hopping up there to take her usual spot. "And i'll be back before you know it."....

He joined her and kissed her before she got herself to comfortable. Down below McDugal got himself comfortable and looked out the window. Below he saw the monument dedicated to the old Dowenger. He had wished he could have met her.

Raven smiled and kissed him back before she tucked herself under him as she loved to do. Soon enough, she closed her eyes and settled down....

Morning was there it seemed to fast as McDugal woke up, showered and got dressed and was up to the Penthouse. Anubis was already up, with his morning ritual. He came down and met McDugal. "I kind of envy you. You will get to see the old nest and Pandora. Something that Raven has not let me see yet."
"Why is that?" McDugal asked.
"I think she fears what I would do if I saw the elders and they were alive." he grinned.

Raven arrived shortly after that, "I've long passed caring about that." She interjected, "The only reason you're not coming this time is because the younglings aren't ready to travel that far." She smiled as she breeazed past them and to the breakfast platter. She took up a strawberry and started eating it. "Besides, until our little mammal here sparked so much interest, I was going there on my own for some solace.".....

"Oh I think Evie and Seth are old enough." he told her. McDugal looked at her when she said she was originally going alone for some solace. "If it is an inconvenance and you need to be alone, I can go another time."

Raven laughed, "Seth doesn't have his wings yet and Evie can barely fly around the block. She can hardly travel 12,000 miles." She then shook her head at McDugal, "It's fine. Your curiosity is more important for the moment. Besides, I'm sure you'll find plenty to amuse yourself should I wish a momnt alone.".....

He nodded and knew that she first had to take care of some things before she left. Evie and Seth came out of their rooms and hugged their mother and father before getting ready for school. Evidently they had not been told by anyone that Raven had gotten the full scoop on what had happened. Anubis pitted the Dragon Lady and the Principle when she arrived.

Raven smiled and watched her children being escorted down to their bus. The very second they had left the building however, her smile instantly vanished and she became all business. "I'll be back in a couple of hours." She said coldly as she grabbed her cape. She kicked off her bespoke slippers and stretched out her toes. This would be a rare sight to McDugal. Once the un-needed clothing had been discarded, she wrapped her cloak about her shoulders and made her way to the door....

The Dragon Lady was preparing for the days lessons sipping coffee and smiling at what she had accomplished. She would show the Angelus that they were not so smart. She would make them feel inferior to the human children. In the Penthouse, "I hope she holds her temper enough not to kill anyone." he sighed.

Raven stepped through the school gates and lifted her head enough to see from under her hood. Her eyes were empty and when she passed the children linging up to go in, she paid them no attention at all. Even her own were ignored. Seth hesitated briefly, but Evie grabbed his arm. "Don't." She whispered, "Can't you feel her anger burning?" Raven breezed into the school and then seemed to glide down the corridor towards the main office. The receptionist saw her coming and quickly got on the phone to warn the principal that Raven was on her way.....

The principle came out of her office to meet Raven. She stood tall and welcomed her to the school and invited Raven into her office. "What can I do for you." she asked.

Raven stepped into the office and removed her hood. "I'm glad you could see me without notice." She said calmly.....

"I am always here to talk to the parents of the children." she said. "I have just took over from Mr. Havens who left suddenly with out giving a reason. "I am just getting aquainted with the staff and meeting a few of the parents."

"I see." She said, "I wasn't aware Mr. Havers was leaving. He is part of the reason I'm here today."....

"Oh? Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"Yes there is." She said, taking a seat. "By the by, I didn't catch your name."....

The principle smiled and stuck out her hand, "I appologise. I am Mrs. Hunter and there is no need to ask you yours, I have heard much about you and I am glad to meet you."

"We'll see how glad you are when I'm finished." She said, taking the woman's hand. She was firm, but refrained from hurting the woman. "I've been informed from a member of my nest that some of your teachers here are not happy to share their classrooms with Angelus offspring. I'd like to know why.".....

Mrs. Hunter sat down again and looked at Raven. "I was afraid of that." she said solomly. "Do you know which ones?" she asked.

"I can give you two names right off the bat." She said before leaning forward slightly. "Look, whether you believe me or not, I understand the concept of racism and I can imagine with your bloodline, you've dealt with it also at some point. Normally, I would ignore such a trivial matter, but when it involves my own offspring and the welfare of them and my nestmates, it becomes a problem."....

"I assure you that I am against racism of any type. Before your people came here this city was a mess. You couldn't walk down the street even in your own neighborhood without being afraid of being mugged or killed. My husband and I are glad that all of you are here." she gave Raven a sincere smile. "Now who are the two that is being a problem and what have they been doing?"

Raven nodded, "Mr. Havers himself and one Mrs. Gavrik." She said. "They seem happy to discard Angelus intelect and racially abuse them when it suits them in favour of the Human offspring. One of the younglings in my nest has told me many rather disturbing things about them."....

Mrs. Hunter nodded. "Well then I think the two of us had better have a nice long talk with Mrs. Gavrik. It seems that Mr. Havers has already been taken care of in this matter. If you will come with me we will go to her classroom. The children will not be there for another fifteen to twenty minutes. If it takes longer I will have some one cover her class while we talk. Is that agreeable."

"For now." She said and rose from her seat. She lifted her head and then left the office. She knew where Seth and Evie's class was and glided down the hallway with the principal.....

As they walked other teachers saw them and the looks on both their faces and moved out of the way. A couple breathed a sigh of releif as they past. When they arrived at the classroom Mrs. Gavrik was sitting at her desk typing something on the computer. As they entered she looked up and then stood up closing her lap top. "Mrs Hunter. What can I do for you?"
Mrs Hunter looked at her. "Whe have complaints about you Mrs Gavrik. Complaints about you being predudice against the Angelus children."
"Oh that is absurb Mrs. Hunter. I am not predudice against them." she looked at Raven and a glint of hate flicked across her eyes.

Raven stepped forward and lifted an eyebrow, "Many of my nest would disagree." She said, noting the glint in the woman's eye....

"You know children. If they can't do something they make up excuses for their failures." she said.

"Really." She said, "So you thought it fit to fail all the Angelus offspring in one go?" She moved forward quickly and stood toe to toe with Mrs. Gavrik. "I would advise you choose your answer very carefully. I monitor the education of my nest very closely, Mrs. Gavrik. You have failed all the Angelus, not just mine in particular."....

Mrs. Gavrik took a step back as Raven got up into her face. She looked over at Mrs. Hunter but saw that she stood there her arms crossed arcoss he chest and not a very pleasent look on her face. "Yes I did, they just can not seem to grasp what is being taught." she swallowed hard. Mrs. Hunter walked over to the file cabinets next tot he desk and opened the drawers and and began going through the files, pulling out the Angelus children's files. Each teacher had to keep files on each child. She opened one and looked through it and then at Mrs. Gavrik. "This test says otherwise Mrs Gavrik." she again opened another and then another file and pulled out the same test. Even though not graded she could see that the Angelus children had answered the questions quite well which showed her they had grasped everything that had been taught. She then picked up the phone and called the office, "I need someone to comver Mrs. Gavriks class for the day." She then hung up and said. "I think we need to continue this in my office. She picked up all the Angelus' files and waited for Mrs Gavrik to leave the class room.

Raven lifted her head and then stepped aside to allow Mrs. Gavrik to leave the classroom. The substitute arrived and the children began filing in for their lessons. Seth and Evie stopped at the door looking nervous and Mira stood behind them with fear in her eyes. Raven moved to the door and looked down at the three. "Go to your lessons, younglings." She said. They ran in and took their places. Raven looked back at Mrs. Gavrik. "I'm waiting." She said coldly....

Mrs. Gavrik said nothing as she walked to the principles office. Once there the principle gave a call to the superntendents office and let him know there was a big problem. When she hung up she looked over at Mrs. Gavrik. She looked nervous and said nothing. Mrs. Hunter looked at Raven. "I am truely sorry about this Mrs. Anubis." she didn't know Raven well enough to call her by her name. "From what I have here I will show the superentendent. This breach of trust will be delt with."

Raven lifted an eyebrow at the name the principal called her. It was unusual as most people called her Ma'am or Lady Raven. She moved around Mrs. Gavrik's chair and took a small sniff of her. "You are Arian, are you not?" She asked....

Mrs. Gavriks lips curled into a snarl and she gave Raven a discusted look.

Raven narrowed her gaze. "I have come across many of your particular species. You consider yourselves the elite of humanity, have done for centuries. You seem ingrained with the notion of perfection. It must anger you that your standing among other humans has been reduced.".....

She snarled at Raven. "You and your kind are hidious abominations." she spat out. "Your kind should have been eradicated."

Raven growled and leaned over the chair, grabbing and pinning the woman by her wrists. She bore her fangs at her, "Your kind were mere slime when my people evolved!" She shouted, "And when my people ruled this earth, you were rats! Living in trees and feeding on your own fecal matter!" Raven took a deep breath and let her go again. "People like you are the reason the Angelus regrets allowing your evolution on this planet. You are a racist bigot that has no place in my empire and you have no business forcefeeding that illusion to impressionable younglings.".....

Mrs. Huntere listened to Raven and could understand her anger. She moved to Raven and gently put a hand on her shoulder. "She will be delt with and she will no longer be teaching any ones children. I assure you."

Raven growled at Mrs. Hunter, "Remove your touch." She said before standing up and facing the second woman for a moment. "As of now, I am what you'd call, pulling rank." She moved away from them both. "Until I am satisfied that this school, has removed every last taint of people like her, I am removing all Angelus offspring from your care and I am hereby demanding a full investigation into the matter. And from now on, you will refer to me as your Queen. Am I clear?"......


The principle looked at Raven squrely in the eyes, "If you wish to withdraw your children then you have every right to do so. As for an investigation that will be up to the Superentendent, and don't you dare snap at me! I don't give a damn if you are the queen. Here you are just another parent!" The principle was now mad and stood toe to toe with Raven.

Raven flexed her wings and was just about ready to rip the woman apart, but she realised she had vented her anger at the wrong person and backed down. The anger in her face dissapated. "You are either very brave, or very stupid to speak to me in such a manner." She told the principal. "I would like to think you are the former." She worked her jaw lightly and glanced at Mrs. Gavrik briefly before returning her eyes to Mrs. Hunter. "You are right. Within these walls, I am a parent and one of many. I apologize for my outburst. I should not have spoken to you so harshly."....

Mrs. Hunter raised a brow and then went back to her seat behind her desk. "The superentendent will be here shortly and He and I will discuss what has happened. He will decide what the next step will be. If you wish to withdraw the Angelus children you may see the front office and do so." she said.

"Then I shall wait for him." She said more calmly. "Whether I withdraw the Angelus younglings or not will be based on his decision. If you find this agreeable, Principal Hunter."....

She nodded and then called security to come take Mrs. Gavrik to their office to await the Superentendent. A half hour later, a tall Gray haired man in a suit arrived and was brought back to the Principle's office. As he saw Raven he raised a brow and gave a slight bow. "I take it this invovles the Angelus children." Mrs. Hunter began explaining what had happened and showed him the tests. "She has been flunking them even though they have excelled. It seems my predessor knew something like this was going to happen and he left. It is a big mess that needs to be fixed." The Superentendent turned to Raven and stuck out his hand. "I am Mr. Steed the superentendent of this district. I will get to the bottom of this immediately and see who else may be involved. We do not tollerate predudice in this school district. A zero tollerance."

Raven took the man's hand and shook it firmly. "I hope so." She told him, "I would start with Mrs. Gavrik and Mr. Havers and work from there. From what I've been told, they led this ... biggoted example here. Had I not prised the information fron one of my nest younglings, I may never have known it was as bad as this.".....

"We will have to talk to the children. Do we have your permission to question them on this matter?" he asked.

Raven nodded, "Of course." She said. "I was told many things, but I would like to know the entire truth as much as you do."....

"We will begin tonight then when school is over. I do not wish to interupt their learning. Could you have someone here for them. I think they would feel more comfortable that way."

"Perhaps it would be better if you questioned them in more comfortable surroundings." She said, "Mira only spoke to me because she felt safe where she was. I will have a car sent for you when school has finished for the day. Anubis' guards will grant you limited access to the palace and you may talk to the younglings in their playroom.".....

"That sounds good. The more they are relaxed the more they will be willing to open up." he said. "Now as to Mrs. Gavrik. She is suspended from teaching until a through investigation is completed. I will be calling in the other teachers and talking with them. We will get tot he bottom of it." he told Raven.

Raven nodded, "Of course, you understand that I demand she is, how you say, fired." She said, then quickly looked him up and down, "And perhaps, when you speak with the younglings, you might wish to lose the suit. You look like a teacher.".....

He smiled. "Well I was a teacher for many years." he told her. "I know that a suit will be a bit much for them. A more relaxed atire will make them feel better about talking to me."

Raven nodded, "When you are ready to come to the palace, you may call and the car will come." She then turned to the principal and nodded, "The younglings may stay for the remainder of the day." She said, "And once again, I apologize for my temper earlier. I will leave you to your work.".....

He nodded and Mrs. Hunter stood up as Raven was leaving. In the class room Evie and Seth both wondered what their mother was doing. They knew she could get quite angry at times. Not at them but at some of the humans and what they did. The human children looked at them and also was wondering what was happening.

Raven made her way down the hall and was ready to leave, but she stopped at Seth and Evie's classroom door. She looked in and saw them looking at her. She gave them a smile and a nod and then hinted they should be looking forward just as the teacher clapped her hands. "Seth Nile!" She said sharply, "Am I boring you?".....

"Ah no." he said and again looked up at what she was pointing out. Evie smiled at her mother and turned to listen also.

"Very good then." The teacher said before looking at the door window briefly. She nodded and then returned her attention to Seth, "Perhaps then, you could tell me please." She continued, "What ship brought the pilgrims to America in 1640 and what port did it leave in England?".....

"The Mayflower." he told her.

"Very good." The teacher said before looking at the window once more. Raven was still there watching. "And where in England did it come from?" She asked as she put her ruler down and came to the door.....

"Southhampton." he replied again and watched the teacher move towards the door. He looked back at the door and saw his mother still there and gave her a look of 'please go.'

The teacher opened the door with a smile, "Yes Ma'am, can I help you?" She asked. Raven smiled again but shook her head. She could see her presence there was making Seth uncomfortable. "Just looking." She said, then left. The teacher closed the door. "Ok then." She said, "Let's open our books to chapter four." Raven carried on walking down the hall until she reached the playground and looked around briefly before going home....

Back at the Penthouse Anubis brought out some of Raven's journels and let he begin reading them. That kept McDugal busy while Raven was at the school. Once he started reading he could not put the journel he was reading down. Anubis chuckled and then looked at himself in a mirror. He had mellowed out over the last ten years. The anger was gone, the hate, being a husband and father was something else. Not that he didn't get angry like Raven did at times about things that humans did.

Just then, the phone rang. It was the front of house guard. "MiLady Queen has returned, Sire." He said politely....

"Good." Anubis said. He then called the Airport and told the pilot to prepare the plane. "Raven will be up in a few minutes. I suggest you pack what you want to read and save it for the plane trip. It will keep you enthralled for the trip."

A few minutes later, Raven came through the door and unceremoniously dumped her cloak on the floor. She then went to the side board and opened a decanter. She poured herself a very large whiskey and then drank it back in one......

Anubis looked at Raven as she went and poured her self a drink and downed it. Oh it must have been a real bad one. "Ok." he said, and poured himsef one, "Tell me what happened."

"I didn't rip her apart." She said, "As promised." She poured herself another drink. "I did however, have my ass handed to me verablly by the new principal. That woman is a force to be reckoned with."....

Anubis chuckled. "Ahhhhhhh met your match did you?" he grinned.

Raven nodded, "Verbally at least." She said, "That woman is fearless." She gave a laugh as she downed her drink, "Even had the balls to yell at me. Said I was just another parent to her. She was right and I actually apologised to her."....

"Oh I have to meet this woman." he said. "So what else happened. Did you find out what you went there to?"

Raven nodded, "So far, it's down to two of the teachers. The district superintendant has been called in to investigate and he wants to speak to the younglings. I've invited him here after school to speak with them in the playroom."....

"I'll see that all are gathered for it. " he caressed her face. "So it was pretty bad eh?"

"The Dragon Lady called us hideous abominations." She said. "And she failed all of them, not just Seth and Evie. I saw the test scores for myself. They were incredible. She failed them anyway."....

"And why did she do it?" he asked.

"She didn't say, but she hates us." She said, "It's that simple."....

He nodded and then looked over at McDugal finally breaking himself from reading the first of her journels. "He will have alot to keep him occupied on the flight. Already he can't seem to put the books down.

"That's good." She said, "It's a long flight." She finished her drink and flopped down on the sofa. "I never remembered my schooling being this hard.".....

"Anubis laughed. "Well you didn't have to learn all that the children now days have to learn. They have alot to learn that you simply lived through and probably could tell stories about."

Raven gave a slight groan and buried her face in the plush cushion. "I mean all the politics and prejudice that comes with it." She said, "My parents never had all that to contend with." She groaned again and let her wings drop over both sides of the sofa. She was suprisingly comfortable.

"You know." She said after a while, "I think I finally get why beds were invented. And why you love them so much." She pulled the cushion under her head and closed her eyes. "And the pillow doesn't drop off either." She grinned and opened her eyes again to look at Anubis. It had taken her ten years to say that......

He laughed, pulling the pillow from her face. Yep it was simpler way back when." he looked at the bed and shugged his shoulders. "It can be comfortable." But of course wings were a bit of a problem on them.

Raven smiled and pulled the pillow back from him. "If we can sort something out for our wings, I might be tempted to give it a go." She told him....

He chuckled. Just when he was use to sleeping on the beams. Of course they were now padded and had pillows and blankets up there. "Now that might take a bit of doing." he told her.

Raven smiled again and nodded. "I think I'll take a nap before we leave." She said with a yawn, "It's a very long flight.".....

"You can't sleep on planes can you?" he smiled. He had no trouble sleeping on planes, even with his wings. Most he had flown on had been modified for the wings. After years with out them he had learned how to travel on planes and sleep if he needed to.

"I'm not going on the plane." She said quickly, "The human can goon the plane. I'd rather fly under my own steam." she was too proud to admit she was claustrophobic on them.....

"You know it will take you alot longer to get there. A Jet plane will fly alot faster then you. What is he going to do while he waits for you."

"I won't be that far behind." She said, "I can fly in the plane's jet stream. Besides, it'll give the crew time to unload the gear and get set up." She really didn't want to be inside that plane......

He shook his head, "I would prefer that you be in the plane with McDugal." he told her. "Flying ouside of the plane you would be a very a risky thing. I wan you safe."

"I'll be fine." She said, "Honestly what could happen at 40,000 feet?"

"he looked at her a worried look on his face. "Our enemies are not dumb or without resources. They have the means to be up there and they would be firing a lot larger rounds when what they did ten years ago."

Raven groaned, "I'd really rather fly on my own." She told him.....

He looked at her sternly, "I would rather you be inside the plane. They are not all bad you know."

Raven groaned again and looked back at him. She knew that stern look very well. "You're not gonna shut up unless I agree to this, are you." she said....

"You've got that right." he grinned. "I am not going to lose you to those bastards." he caressed her face. Inside a jet it would be hard to tell who was aboard. He allowed business men he could trust to journey out of his empire to make buisness deals. So it would not be unusually for a jet to be flying north.

Raven chewed on her cheek and then rolled her eyes. "Fine." She told him, "Just so long as the pilot doesn't expect me to thank him for it.".....

Anubis chuckled. "I don't think he would expect that." He bent down and kissed her cheek.

Raven nodded and then smiled as he kissed her cheek. She then wafted her hand about her face to shoo him away while she rested. "Wake me up when the kids get home." She said dozily....
i'm gonna head off hun. busy day tomorrow