Returning to the present was a snap -- almost literally. Tethered as the travelers were to JigSaw's contemporary self, all Dabbler had to do was sort of relax and they were there, yanked back as swiftly as a suddenly released rubber band. One moment, the five of them were intertwined energy signatures "watching" Rincewind and JigSaw in the wake of the former's charm on the later -- the next, they were physically incarnated again.
Dabbler staggered as she took bodily form once more, feeling a sudden, acute drain on her power. She had the oddest impression she had nearly ... lost one of her companions. But then it was gone as quickly as it had come, and she became aware that she, and the rest of the time-travelers, were tumbled in a heap in the sleeping quarters Sendulo had assigned them. A later and visibly startled version of JigSaw staring at them. For a moment, Dabbler could have sworn there was ... something ... swirling about her.
Then there was an iridescent flash, and JigSaw's surprised face contorted in pain. "No, no, come back," she gasped. "I can't stabilize her without you...."
"What are you talking about?" asked the other JigSaw -- the one that had just returned with their companions. "Was that the Vortex that disappeared? And, um, why are there two of us, anyway?"
"Ow, ow, ow," the first JigSaw moaned, "she's disintegrating again...."
"Who?" D.J. demanded. "The baby? What's happening? How were you able to stabilize--"
"Mana from the Vortex," JigSaw managed. "Gone now, losing it...."
"Dabbler, feed that woman some mana!" D.J. snapped. "With all the extra super-power you got recently you should be able to spare it!"
"Right, right," said Dabbler, picking herself up and starting toward JigSaw. She almost stumbled. She felt weak, somehow, weak and -- thinner? Well, no time to worry about that now. Concentrating, she projected mana into JigSaw.
"This is all very well," Mort noted. "But shouldn't we be trying to fix JigSaw's kid?"
"You failed, didn't you?" JigSaw asked, looking slightly less at death's door as Dabbler's support took hold.
"Not completely," said D.J. "It turned out to be a bit ... complicated. Rince, Mort's right, we'll need you to work that spell ASAP, now that we're back."
"What's Ay es ay pi mean?" Rincewind asked. "Is that some sort of invocation I've got to put in?"
"No, it just means do it quick."
Nodding, the witch retreated slightly from the group, her eyes distracted as she considered how best to invoke and complete the spell she had begun to repair the damage done to JigSaw's child, back in time....
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Fri Oct 17 00:03:19 2003
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