"It was a ... private message from Zorlond's Original. I've been invited, or commissioned, I'm not sure which, to help your husband, Kiya. That's assuming he can be helped, that is."
Kiya was perplexed. "How?" she asked. "Zorlond won't let anyone in to help him. I myself have been told on no uncertain terms to stay out, by both him and his Original, and I've been admonished to enforce that edict on our girls as well. For which, in their case, at least, I can see the point."
"I can get in," D.J. asserted. "Along with whatever help I need."
Kiya's face lighted up. "Great!" she said. "A loophole! Pick me, D.J. You'll need me!"
No! Zorlond's Original practically shouted the refusal into their minds, leaving their heads aching and ears ringing.
"I'm ... sorry, Kiya," said D.J., shaking her head in an attempt to clear it. "But he still won't allow family in. He made that quite plain."
Kiya's look was a baffled mixture of hurt and fury. "But--"
Stop. Kiya, what I told you before stands. Don't take it out on our one hope. I told you that message was for you alone, D.J.
"I've already hurt one dear friend tonight through being secretive," said D.J. stubbornly. "I'm sure as T not going to make a policy of it!"
"Really?" asked Lizzie sceptically. "Just how sure is T these days, D.J.?"
"Lizzie, please. We'll work things out somehow -- I promise you we will. I never meant to hurt you, and somehow I'll make it right. But just now we have a job ahead of us, one affecting the health and wellbeing of our friends. Our problems will have to take a back seat -- for now."
Lizzie opened her mouth for a bitter retort, only to close it again. "We?" she asked.
"We're a team, Lizzie," said D.J. quietly. "Of course I'm asking you to come with me."
Asking Lizzie to come with her hadn't been nearly the "of course" lately it had once been, Lizzie reflected -- but, on further reflection, she forebore to say so. Instead she gave her partner a curt nod.
"And I'm just to stand by and watch, unable to do anything?" Kiya raged.
Darla was practically in tears. "Not just you, Mom," she said.
You knew these things when you sought out D.J.'s help, Zorlond's Original reminded Kiya. In what way have things changed?
"I thought she might have some psychological insight based on her own experience, some advice that might get through to him. I never dreamed there would be a possibility of intervening physically, without me!"
"I do have some such insight, as it happens," said D.J., reflectively. "I am no stranger to the concept of more than one mind and will being merged into one, nor to the doubts that can emerge on remembering the previous states. But there are differences as well. When you get right down to it, Deja Voodoo never really had, or acted upon, such strong and specific obsessions. Nor did I experience such a qualitative difference in my merged minds when he took us into other worlds alien to the BE AddVenture. In truth, I myself participated little in such travels, most of them having taken place after our split. But my mental makeup and his are at root identical, and I know that nothing he experienced on his later travels was any more distressful than what I experienced when I was part of him. All that said, I do have some ideas on the approach to take...."
"Wonderful," said Kiya, her voice bitter. "And I'm still to stand by, helpless to aid my husband at need. In a ... family like ours, that is a hard thing, D.J."
"You have helped him," D.J. told her. "You and his Original both, by coming to me. He knows there's nothing more he can do. Why is that so difficult for you to accept?"
"Ask Lizzie," said Kiya darkly. "I'll bet she understands exactly what I'm feeling."
"To look on, powerless, as the person you love most self-destructs?" Lizzie asked. "You'd win that bet all right, Kiya."
D.J. winced. "That wasn't what was happening," she said in a small voice.
Lizzie waved the comment aside in evident weariness, not in agreement but willing to let it pass, for the moment. "Let's get on with it," she said. "The longer we take, the greater the chance of poor Zorlond cutting his own throat."
Darla gasped, and Kiya went over to hold her. She glared reproachfully at Lizzie.
"We'll want Lesley in on this, too," D.J. mused. "He's dealt with Zorlond in difficult mental states before. As for you, Kiya, I'm sorry we have to leave you in the cold. Believe me, there's no one we'd rather have at our side on a case like this one."
"Small comfort," Kiya rejoined.
"I'm almost reluctant to ask you a favor...."
Kiya looked up, half-hopefully.
"Can you ... mind the office while we're gone?" D.J. asked. "You're the best person qualified to handle things -- a senior Troubleshooter, and the Transformers look up to you. Our granddaughter Kythera can fill you in on the current setup."
"I suppose," Kiya sighed.
"And look after her for us, will you?" Lizzie added. "She's still practically an innocent in the ways of our world."
Unnoticed, a hint of disquiet passed over Darla's face. Disquiet, and ... guilt? Had either Lizzie or D.J. observed her just then they might not have been quite so certain about Lizzie's assertion.
"I will," said Kiya dully. "It's the least I can do for two who will be looking after my husband for me."
"There's more you can do," D.J. told her.
"Yes?"
"Your soul. Check it out, Kiya. I'm serious, it could be extremely important."
"That and watch the office, too. You don't want much, do you, D.J.?"
"I'm sorry, Kiya. But now we really need to leave. We still have Lesley to look up before bearding Zorlond in his lair."
"Watch yourself in there, D.J.," Kiya said, with just a touch of spite. "You don't seem quite yourself right now, and you know how Zorlond regards young girls."
"And 'lizard' girls, for that matter," flung back Lizzie, to D.J.'s defense. "But you don't see that stopping me."
Kiya had the decency to blush, recalling times when both Zorlond and she herself had used Elizabeth Fruitbat ... somewhat less than respectfully. "T speed you," she whispered, as the two Troubleshooters made for the door.
D.J. nodded and opened the door -- to find Dabbler outside, his fist poised to knock.
"D.J.!" cried the barefoot Author, his face lighting up. "Just the person I was looking for. I want to talk to you about Zorlond--"
Fri Aug 27 22:53:40 2004
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