Mary watched the two individuals she had invited to this meeting as they arrived. Both bowed briefly to the altar before approaching. Baron Helder’tron was precise to a pin and had obviously taken great care with his appearance. K’tara for her part was looking uncomfortable in what was presumably her mother’s idea of clothing suitable for a formal audience.

Mary leant back in her comfortable chair as she examined the two very different people, she smiled as she confirmed her initial impression of their – their mind glows? Yes that term would do nicely.

« Allow me to wish both of you a belated welcome to my realm. I do hope you have found it to your taste. » Then she conjured up a couple of comfortable chairs. « Please sit, make yourselves comfortable. »

Baron Helder’tron already nervous at the sight of someone sitting at the right hand of Ocidon almost jumped when the dungeon spoke in his mind. He noted absently that the young woman who had accompanied him to this audience did jump.

K’tara dropped into her chair, her brain whirling aimlessly. She found it hard to believe that she was in the actual presence of the notorious dungeon that was turning the lands around the great ocean upside down.

Baron Helder’tron sat down carefully and looked at his liege.

Mary stirred, “I need ambassadors, or rather,” she smiled, “agents to steer my policy. Right now I have in the ruins of Port Gull the agents and factors of numerous states in their embassy. None of the states has dared send a ship to rescue or supply them. So I’ll be sending you to make contact and deliver much needed supplies in an armed merchantman. You will have the use of a few squads of marines.”

Mary watched the stunned look on K’tara’s face and suppressed a grin. Helder’tron for his part looked thoughtful.

“Interesting. What authority would we have?”

“You’d be my ambassador plenipotentiary. You’d speak with my voice. And you’ll have gold and pearls. I want to turn Port Gull into a free port. No tariffs just a moderate docking fee. Then you would have to sail round re-establishing contact with all the interested parties and repatriating the uninterested. The Luvarian Empire will probably be the most important link. But you will be the ones on the spot, so it will be up to you.”

Helder’tron narrowed his eyes in thought. “Mmm, yes I can do that. What about... I’m sorry, but what’s your name? I’m Helder’tron.”

“K’tara,” squeaked K’tara.

“K’tara? And crass as this sounds what are we going to get out of this?”

“K’tara will be your aide, she has the necessary abilities and attitude but needs confidence and experience. And to get out from under her parents thumbs. As for rewards, a nice title, a comfortable little palace and gold, well pearls and gems mostly. I’ll leave you to convert them into gold. K’tara will be rewarded less lavishly at first but she’ll still get the palace.”

* * * INTERLUDE 1 * * *

Despite his hunger pains Haanfar gave the rat he had just caught to his sister Haanela and watched her devour it in a few bites. He smiled ruefully as she used her tongue to clean her face, and incidentally ensure that every scrap of the rat got eaten.

“I’m still hongwy Han,” she proclaimed with her big green begging eyes.

Han sighed, “I know Nel, we’ll have to catch a few more. At least there are a lot of them. Ready to hunt?”

“Yesh Han,” Nel agreed with gently waving tail.

Han watched his baby sister trot by his side, she was still clumsy and uncertain on her feet so not much help in the hunt but he dared not leave her alone in this cesspit of a city. At least there were lots of rats and the humans tended to turn their noses up at them.

They were skirting the river market when he was distracted by a surprisingly attractive smell. He froze and looked at one of the shops for rent that surrounded the market. It was closed which was downright odd at this time of day. Then seeing his sister pushing the door open and heading into the shop he darted after. He was in time to see his sister grab one of the small cakes on the counter and stuff it into her mouth.

Han looked round the room and his eye was caught by a golden brooch on a workbench. He couldn’t resist and he touched it.

Nel finished the cakes and licked her face clean of the cream. Then she saw her brother in front of a wooden bench. He wasn’t moving. She toddled over and grabbed his shirt.

* * *

Rickie returned from lunch with a heavy purse. Luf’dorian had been very generous. Now he had to complete one more amulet and his commission would be completed. He found the door to the shop he had hired open. Damn cheap locks. He checked that his sword was loose in its scabbard and stepped into his temporary workshop.

Well his cream cakes were gone but the intruders weren’t. He examined the two leopard beastfolk children. The little one was very young, he had no experience with children that small, he thought that that one might be all of three years old, and far too thin. The other was even thinner which suggested he might be small for his age.

‘Why am I speculating? Let us evaluate!’ Rickie concentrated, ‘Right the girl is three and the boy nine! Damn it I can’t just throw them out. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. At least I can afford to take them on and Mother would approve.’

Rickie left his temporary shop with a basket and locked the door behind himself. He wandered round the market and bought several protein heavy meals not forgetting cream cakes. Then he picked up some second hand clothes for his involuntary guests before letting himself back into his shop. And once again he locked the door.

Then he bowed his head before his little shrine and prayed.

« Oh Rickie what a tangle, yeah I have leopard ‘folk, other me needed some rather specialised bodyguards. You sure you want them to go down that route? »

“If it would make them more likely to survive, then yes.”

« If you can reign in their enthusiasm then yes. Actually, even if you can’t. »

Rickie sighed again. Then he dragged over a chair and sat down in front of the two frozen kids before releasing them from the magic that held them.

The girl started to say something but on spotting Rickie she hid behind her brother while holding on to his legs. Han jumped as the seated prosperous looking catman had suddenly appeared in front of him.

“Has no one ever told you not to touch an enchanter’s things? I could use a runner. Interested?”

Han licked his lips nervously as his eyes darted around the room.

Rickie dipped his hand into the basket that was sitting by his feet and then looked at Nel and offered her half a grilled chicken, “do you want some chicken? What’s your name?”

Nel watched the chicken with wide eyes her nostrils flaring before darting from behind her brother and grabbing the offered treat. “’m Nel.”

Rickie smiled then produced another half chicken and offered it, “well boy, eat. And what is your name?”

Han watched his sister devour her chicken and snatched the offered meal. “Thanks Mr, m’Han, um Haanfar and my sister is Haanela.”

Rickie placed more food on the workbench. “And I’m Rickie. Tuck in.”

When the three had finished eating Rickie produced the cream cakes.

“’Snot fair I’s full.” Complained Nel wistfully eying the cakes.

“Come, let me introduce you to Mother.” Rickie stood and moved to face his shrine trailed, somewhat reluctantly by his guests.

« Welcome Haanela, Haanfar. Rickie has told me a few things about you. Hey Rickie do you want to adopt these two or just employ them? »

Nel gazed at the carved dolphin over the tiny altar with wide eyes while Han dropped to his knees and bowed his head stunned at the thought that he was hearing a goddess.

« ‘M not a goddess Han, I’ll admit to demi-goddess but not goddess. Yet. »

“I’m willing to adopt them Mother. But that depends on them, or at least on Han.”

Han jerked his head up and down in a jerky nod.

« Good. I declare this adoption to have been concluded. Hey Bluey do your thing, you know update their status and make ‘em real leopard ‘folk. »

« Done and Done! o Blackbeard’s Bane. »

« Wha... Beep Bluey I really don’t need another title now. »

« You earned it Mother of Monsters. » *smug*

* * * INTERLUDE 2 * * *

The old white haired man stumbled out of the airliner and peered around with his customary insatiable curiosity. He strode towards passport control and presented his documents. Pacôme Hégésippe Adélard Ladislas de Champignac had arrived to poke his not inconsiderable nose into the source of the world’s resurrected dinosaurs.

He begrudged the time it took to deposit his bags in his hotel before taking a taxi to the park that contained the underground structure he had been studying at a distance for the past month.

As the Comte de Champignac was passing a bench in front of the duckpond his head turned and his eyes locked on a patch of grass near the bench. He stopped for an instant before moving towards the circular patch of grey spotted scarlet mushrooms. He bent down and picked one carefully before straightening, holding it up and examining it carefully through a large old fashioned magnifying glass.

Then Champignac gathered all the mushrooms carefully before searching round for more. Finally realizing that there were no more to be found he turned and returned to his hotel where he dug out a collection of beakers and other tools of his trade before producing the mushrooms and spending hours distilling and experimenting.

The Comte de Champignac came up with two new potions and got chucked out of the hotel because of the mess he made of his room.

* * * INTERLUDE 3 * * *

“Are you sure this is a good time for that sir?” asked Tod.

“No choice Tod. How I’m expected to befriend and earn the trust of our principal and at the same time spy on her and figure out everything she can do that is of interest to our country I don’t know. Then we have to protect her while two other teams have the same mandate and don’t answer to me. And there are only five of us.” He sighed, “Time for abject apologies and hoping for the best.”

Commander Meadows and lieutenant Partlow left the house and headed past the new crime scene, and made their way to their principal’s home.

They were welcomed and offered drinks. Mary and her mother watched them warily and listened to their explanations and excuses.

“If any sniper takes a shot at me or one of my guards again I will unleash my people. And be aware if you are guardin’ me at the time I will count you as one of my guards.”

“Please don’t take any impulsive action Mary, I know it’s difficult but...”

“I’ve been targeted twice by agent’s of our government an’ once by people unknown. If I don’t retaliate I those who are willin’ to shoot me will succeed at some point.”

“It won’t happen again Mary.”

“Nuts. I think I can trust you and your team. Bet the sniper didn’t answer to you. You can’t guarantee anything ‘xcept there are creeps out there willin’ an’ able to throw you under the bus.”

“Please don’t be hasty Mary. Can you make it over to Pearl on Saturday?”

“Maybe. If my boat’s ready yeah. Not getting back in one of those cramped flyin’ tin cans again.”

Meadows grinned ruefully. “Oh I’m sure it will be ready to pick up on Saturday. Can I give you a lift down?”

Mary looked at the two navy people. “Wanna ride in my baby?”

Meadows looked guilty. “Please.”