'THWACK!!!'

"Oh my God! The pain! Slipping out of consciousness…. There's so much smoke and fog, I can't…breathe! My teeth nearly bite off my tongue…don't drop now…I must save…Jeff…"

'THUD!'

-Oo-

"Where am I now? Everything is blackness! I can't see a thing! I'm not dead because I'm awake! Oh…there's light coming through here, I'm under a tent. The throbbing in back of my head is unbearable. A low moan escapes me as I feel the huge lump. I can't…oh...wait…there it goes!" I push off the tent canvas in a hurry. Whoa! Nearly put my hand in huge pile of scat and the culprit just ran by me.

"Thanks for the gift offering you mangy goat!" I thought. After a few attempts, I feebly manage to stagger to my feet.

"Jeff…"

I'm going to have to ignore this intense ringing in my ears. I can only hope that I had somehow crawled under here…The Kauranas must have thought me for dead. Checking my body quickly, I have no scars or missing limbs, and that's a good thing. My heart is beating violently, where is he?

"Jeffrey?"

The entire camp is deserted; it's still hazy…"oomph!" Almost tripped again. Little fires are smoldering around me. I walk unsteadily over to a black sheepskin hanging upon a rail; I need to shake off this dizziness before I can move on. "Ughh!"

The smoke is searing my lungs and I choke.

"Ughh…Jeff!" I'm finding my voice again. It's time for a serious search.

"Marco!"

The omni! I pull it out, grateful it wasn't stolen. The light is still red. The only thing I see left of this camp are the animals. A cow rushes by me, probably as disorientated as I am. Scanning the horizon on this end, there's nothing, I see no one. My body stops unsteadily beside a wooden post; dread is beginning to seize my right mind.

"Jeffrey!" My voice echoes across the empty plains. This side of the camp is a loss. Dashing under the camp gate, I run around to the west end.

"Jeff! Marco!"

I don't think I've ever yelled louder for my kid. There goes that goat again; I nearly crash into him. I see something in the distance and break into a run, clamoring up the tiny hill. This dry fog is still obscuring everything.

"JEFFREY!"

-Oo-

I do not stop my hunt and start tearing off the tent canvases, silently praying that neither the corpses of Jeffrey or the brothers' Polo greet me. I see something up ahead; it's black, curly, hair, sticking out from an overturned cart.

"NO! PLEASE, NO!"

As I fearfully draw nearer, I cannot control my tears. This reaction could easily be blamed on the smoke and fog, but I know better. Sliding to my knees, I lean over; it's not Jeff, or Marco, but one of the servants of Oxen. After covering his face, I leave him at rest, a little guilty over the loud sigh of relief that escaped me. My hunt is almost finished. There are more bodies here than I had thought; they are just hidden under the tents and scattered about in concealment. Finding my way around to Oxen's wrestling tent again, and I hear a noise. It's faint, nearly a whisper, but it's a human voice! The moan becomes louder and it's unmistakably female. I lift the cloths and crawl to the head of the tent, a slender hand is reaching out to me and I grasp it, she feels cold, deathly cold.

Ripping a hole, I free us both from the shroud. It is one of the servant girls. I remember her, sitting placidly alongside one of Oxen's Tartars while he stuffed his face. She was complacent, but unhappy in her position. After nearly killing myself chugging the ox milk and blood, I had caught her expression of pity and then she smiled at me. She had an appealing smile. Our glances had met frequently during that entire meal and my desires were carrying me away. She was very beautiful.

Looking upon her now, she is laden with soot, her life slowly ebbing and she knows it. She does not want to die alone. I compassionately place her head in my lap and her almond eyes flicker open, ebony pools that had entranced me earlier. Now, they are pleading with me to keep her safe. Something warm trickles onto my hand; it is her blood. The wicked Kaurana had lanced her in the chest. If only…if only I had been conscious…I could have done something to save her.

"I'm sorry…" I whisper. "I'm so sorry." She understands. "What is your name?"

Her breath comes out in shudders and she murmurs, "Bolorerdene..."

"Bolorerdene…that is lovely…what does it mean?"

As I speak, I softly remove the ribbon that held back her thick dark hair. It tumbles over her shoulders, down to her waist. She grips my hand tightly.

"It…it means…crystal…treasure."

"Beautiful Bolorerdene…you are a treasure...the treasure of all Tartan women. I won't leave, I'm here for you."

She smiles wanly, and I know her vision is starting to dim. I grip her shoulders as she chokes, and a gurgle of blood spills down the sides of her mouth.

"No! Bolorerdene! No! Hang on! I'll help you! Please hang on!" My pleas fall to the wind. I should know better than to panic and demand her to live.

Her convulsive reaction stuns me and my heart jumps. With a final press of my hand, she is gone. My emotions compel me to lean over to kiss her head and I taste the flower-scented oils upon her fine, caramel skin. Looking up, I close my eyes briefly as my anguish settles.

I need help desperately. I must find Jeffrey now, before it is too late for him. There is only one person I can think of that can help. After gently lowering her off me, I cover her body over with the tarpaulin and remain completely still for a moment of silence. Where did I leave the old man? Now I remember. With my omni dials set for the South Pacific, I take off.

-Oo-

The sun is a little lower than when Jeff and I left, it couldn't have been too long. I see him near the rocks. Isaac didn't even remove his coat yet…or his hat. Good grief! I suppose he's just getting used to his surroundings, he sure doesn't look happy from this vantage point. I wonder if in his old age, he's ever happy? That's a lesson to be learned for me, don't become a grumpy old man! I can't waste anymore time and sprint over to him. He's surprised to see me, but it's coupled with gratefulness.

"It's about time you came back Phineas! I was about to die of heat stroke!"

My eyes roll in exaggeration. "Maybe if you took off the coat and hat, you'd feel much cooler?"

"Vhat? You want me to take off this coat? I'm still paying for it! Company policy says you have to buy your own uniform, some union we have!"

I'm not in the mood to hear his rants and I grab his arm. "Yeah, okay, listen to me, I need your help! Jeff has been kidnapped!"

"Kidnapped? Do you see why it's not good to have little sidekicks! They get in the way, they cause trouble."

"Isaac! Just listen to me!" I hurriedly explain my predicament from leaving Kubla Kahn and meeting up with the Polos as we tramp along the shoreline. Isaac keeps repeating himself and it's getting on my last nerve.

"You lost him? You lost Marco Polo and the young boy, in the middle of Persia! How could you possibly do that?"

"I already told you, the Karaunas!"

"The Karaunas? So! Why don't you find the Karaunas?"

"Because I don't know anything about Karaunas! I didn't even get a chance to see one!" I try to explain, pulling up over the small sand drift. He continues to berate me and I know what's coming next. I think Jeff was right. He is a royal pain!

"So why don't you know something about the Karaunas? You were sleeping when the subject came up, in Voyager School?"

He got me there. "Yeah, something like that…"

-Oo-

I don't have time to argue anymore. "Look, it's a long story, will you stop sounding like my mother and tell me what you know!"

"Ehh…well, it's possible I could be persuaded…"

That got my goat, big time. I yank him toward me by his coat; he doesn't understand that Jeffrey and the Polos lives are at stake here!

"I'll persuade ya! I'll persuade ya until ya can't stand up!"

"Alright! Alright! Don't stretch the collar!" Reluctantly, I drop it. "I just want that you should take me off this God forsaken little island!" He whines pathetically. "There are sharks in the water! Nasty little crabs in the sand!…"

Everything is all about him! "The Karaunas!" I insist louder and grasp his shoulders.

"The Karaunas! Right! The Karaunas is half Tartar, half Indian marauders, they use the fog in that region to conceal their attacks!"

That I already figured out. "What do they do with their captives?"

"Well, they kill them, or they sell them as slaves." He says matter of factly.

"Where?"

"In that same region where you were attacked! Possibly Hormuz on the Gulf."

I'm already pulling out the omni. "Thanks."

"Ehh, it's been my pleasure." He suddenly grows worried as I'm adjusting this thing.

"Hey, you taking me with you?" He demands.

"I'm not taking you with me!"

"After all I've done for you? After all I've told you, you're gonna leave me on this miserable desert island with a bunch of
nuclears!" He panics.

I finally get these dials in place…did he just say, nuclears?

"Nuclears?" I echo.

"Yeah! The sign there! That's what they're testing!" He points a few feet ahead of us.

I have to see what this is all about; I'm getting a bad feeling so I run over and drop in front of the fallen sign. Isaac is behind me as I wipe off the sand.

"I don't even know what a nuclear looks like!" He starts complaining again and walking back to the shore. "I've been hunting all over the island, trying to find one to talk to!"

Barely paying attention to him, I look up as a fear seizes me. "Nuclears? Testing? Bikini Atoll?" Time to get out of here, NOW!

Running like the wind I take a soaring leap into Isaac and we just make it out alive.

-Oo-

The omni lands us on a tiny haystack bustling with chickens. Isaac jolts up in complete shock.

"What was that?" He shouts.

I kind of like the comfortable position I landed in, so I just roll my head over his way. "That was a nuclear."

"And that nuclear…that's what that boy of yours said was in a…green light zone?"

Now he's going a little to far. Jeffrey may be a kid, but he deserves more than to be called, 'that boy.' I get off the haystack and stare him down.

"That boy of mine is named Jeffrey and it was a green zone, that was supposed to happen."

Isaac's face is a pitiable mix of confusion and annoyance, he wears it often and it's not very becoming. I have to confess, confess about my mistake I mean.

"It's just that I didn't put you on the right Island…" I walk away from him.

"And where do you think you're going?"

How could he even ask that? "To find Jeff and Marco. You wanna come along, you keep your mouth shut!" I demand.

That didn't stop him. "How do you expect to find him, if you don't even know what a Karauna…" He gets a dirty look from me. "Uhh…ummm…ummm…I'm as quiet Grant in his tomb!" He mumbles instead and tags along.

I hear an auction going on and maybe Jeff is there? It's a good thing we landed right in the village circle. I keep focus on the platform. That poor girl, she's another beauty. Damn, I hate slavery! She's sold within seconds and next the auctioneer picks up a cheap burgundy plate. Humans, crock ware, to these people, it's all the same. I still don't see Jeff and Isaac keeps nudging me.

"Will you stop that?"

"That's a Karauna!" He whispers loudly.

Peeking behind me, I see the villain; he's eying the auction with great interest as the auctioneer makes an appraisal. Wait a minute…that box! "That's it! That's the Holy oil!"

We back our way from the crowds to plan the next move and Isaac starts up with the questions again.

"So, where are we going now?"

"If he's got the Holy oil, he's also got Marco and Jeff."

I have my eye on this Karauna as he enters a small building with two stout guards posted out front, why does one of them look familiar? Oh well, no matter. This looks like a jail. A crazy idea pops into my head and I turn to Isaac.

"Do you know the old coin trick gamut?"

"Know it? I invented it!" He brags. "You got a coin?"

"No, I'm flat broke…here use the omni."

"They're making these things out of brass now?" He exclaims, inspecting it. "Ehh what's the world coming too? In my day they were solid gold…"

I can barely hear him because I'm trying to find a way to sneak up on these two mooks out front.

"Will you come on?" I demand.

-Oo-

Isaac totally messed up the coin gamut. It figures. They are going for their weapons. It's time to act fast. I grab them both and knock their heads together. It worked! They collapse in my arms and I'm struggling over here while Isaac just stares dumbfounded.

"I thought you invented that game!"

"Invented it yes, did I say I was any good at it?"

We finally get through the door and I drop the guards to the ground, making sure to grab the keys. I race to the largest cell down the back of the passage, opening it quickly. Jeffrey is alive!

"How did you get away?" Marco wonders.

"No time to talk! Come on! Oh...heh heh heh!" Jeffrey just enveloped me in a huge hug and a surge of relief fills me. Ouch! His hand grazes the bump on my head; I'm not going to tell him that I nearly bought it with that one.

"I thought I lost you there!" That's all I can say right now, even though my feelings are in a tailspin. I hate it when Jeffrey and I are separated. It seems like he wants to say more and prolong the reunion, but he doesn't. Jeffrey looks at Isaac in confusion and even I'm a little disconcerted by his attitude.

"Hey! What's he doing here?"

"If it weren't for him I wouldn't be here, now let's go! Come on!"

So far so good, everybody's out. I think we're all going to make it!

'THWACK!'

The vicious marauders are striking at everyone left and right, that last sound I heard was really loud. I feel so bad for the person on the receiving end. This is all happening so fast. One minute we are sharing a festive dinner of oranges & ox milk with Marco Polo, his father and uncle, the next we are all running for safety. According to Marco's uncle Maffeo, the group of people attacking is called the Karuanas. This is great, just great. All I remember from school about the Karaunas is that they are one-half Tartan's & one-half Indian Marauders. Now everyone in the Tartan village we are visiting is grabbing for their weapons and shouting orders to head for the high side.

Gosh I can't wait until I get bigger. I get shoved aside by screaming Tartans trying to get out of the tent. With all the confusion, I've lost sight of everyone.

"No...BOGG!" How can this be happening? "BOGG!"

How much louder can I yell to get his attention? This fog that has just rolled in keeps getting thicker and thicker with each passing minute, and I can hardly see anything.

"BOGG!" Can he even hear me shouting for him? I can hardly hear myself over the whelps of the Karaunas charging into the village. Which way did he did he go?

"BOGG!" What I am going to do? "BOGG! I can't leave! I've gotta find him!"

"Jeffrey, come on! This way!" Marco calls out to me.

Marco grabs my arm and starts pulling me towards the crowds. I swear I can hear Bogg calling my name as we head away from the village, which is going up in flames. We race over to a wagon that was still hitched to horses. All four of us climb into it, and Maffeo whips the reins to get them going. From the back of the moving wagon I watch hundreds of these ruffians shoot their arrows at our newfound friends and some start burning the tents. Please don't let Bogg be in one of them! As the tears are flowing from my eyes, Niccolo, Marco's father, apologizes to me for having to leave my friend behind. He tries to sound encouraging that Bogg's in another wagon because we can see many others not that far off behind us. They're all heading for the hills. As we move away, the war drums are still beating unmercifully. This can't be happening.

-Oo-

The smell of the smoke from the fires is trapped in my clothes. I don't know what is worse, the smoke or the smell in this rickety wagon. What died in here? I'm afraid to pull the canvas off of whatever it is. Marco can smell it as well. We both look at each other & between the two of us decide to leave it alone. But no sooner do we both shake our head at each other does the jolting of the wagon shift the object.

"Gross!" I exclaim as a goat head comes into view. I can see Niccolo stifle his laughter as I shift further away from it.

Ok Jeff, pull yourself together; you've got a job to do. That's what Bogg would want from me. This can be done, I've been alone on a voyage before and everything worked out. Who else could have helped Edison perfect the light bulb? Sure, that time I was the one with the omni, but I didn't give up on going back to get Bogg. He never would have given up looking for me. Marco and his family have escaped with the Holy Oil and the papers from the Pope for Kubla Khan, so we must have a green light now. You know, I really need to have my own omni. Oh no, what if I'm stuck here? Great. Bogg just has to be behind us in one of those other wagons! He just has to! But what if he's not? I shouldn't have let Marco take me away. Where is Bogg? Why didn't I try harder to find him! What will I do? I can't continue to travel with the Polos.' There were only the three of them, not four!

Maffeo exclaims that there is another group heading right for us. Perfect. Now what? How was I supposed to know that the direction we're heading was directly in the path of the Head Karauna caravan? Come on, Bogg's gotta be right behind us!

The wagon's been surrounded, and some of the ruffians are demanding that he get out. Quickly I look around for somewhere to run, but there is nothing except open grassland. We were so close to the first rise.

Maybe we can try to make a run for it? Think, Jeff! Think! There is no time for my thoughts. The Karaunas get a hold of Marco first. He dropped the box holding the Holy Oil! I knew that, no matter what, I couldn't let that box get lost. Even without having the omni I know that they need to make their way back to China with that oil. I dash up to the man who is ten times bigger than Oxen was. He had Marco by the back of the shirt and looked about ready to tear him in two. I jump on his back without thinking. When will I learn? That tactic just doesn't work!

As I try to beat on this guys shoulders, he just flings me to the ground and laughs, "You! You child, stand up! You'll make for a good treat for the jackals!"

He picks me up and I struggle to pull away, a black man in colorful robes comes up behind him and says, "Leave the boy alone, Keyo. He'll make for a nice profit at the auction." He lets me go reluctantly and I scamper back towards Marco. He is unharmed, but very shaken up.

"I see we both have a lot to learn about the laws of the land that we travel in." He tries to joke.

-Oo-

We are joined with some of the others from the Tartan village. I scan the crowd quickly, but only recognize one, Oxen. He looks at me and shakes his head. It's strange how he could tell that I was looking for Bogg. Bogg is never going to know how to find us. Maybe he actually paid attention in class that day when they went over the Karaunas in school? Can I hope that this girl with the mole was out sick that day?

You know I never give him enough credit sometimes, I have to tell him that if I ever see him again. Stop it, Jeff! Don't think that way! I can feel my eyes watering again. I hope that no one can see me, good thing there is hay on the floor; maybe anyone who notices will think its allergies. I feel an arm drape around my shoulders, as I look up I see that it's Niccolo.

"I know that this is a great worry for you, my young one. We will find your friend. We will not stop looking for him until he is found. I am sure that he is just as worried about you." These words are of little condolence to me.

My mind flashes back to a few hours ago on the beach in the Marshall Islands. I can't help myself. I can hear Bogg's deep voice in my head threatening to leave me there with that Royal pain, Isaac Wolfstein. At this point I would rather be stuck there on that beach than here. Stupid omni and its automatic mode! Why did we have to land in this assignment? All I wanted to do was stay in New York and have dinner with Einstein. Instead, I'm trapped here!

Great I'm itchy again. I swear I will never complain about riding on a horse with fleas after being in this wagon. My tuba is going to be completely bruised. How many rises was it from Hormuz to the Tartan Village...was it 7 or 8? We must be getting closer to town. Oxen is speaking with Niccolo Polo about what could happen to us when we get to Hormuz. He's so loud. I have to duck a few times when he gestures or else I'll be knocked from my seat. Oxen explains that the captured are usually sold at auction as slaves to the highest bidder. Only the ones who cause the Karaunas trouble are the ones who have something to worry about. I hope my little tirade of jumping on his back will be forgotten about by the time I'm outta this wagon.

Keyo, the man that wanted to feed me to the jackals, has stopped the wagon with a jerk. I can hear the sounds of a bustling village coming into the wagon. He climbs into the back of the wagon and places another set of shackles onto Oxen's thick wrists, as well as on the rest of us. I can see the black man with colorful robes moving gaudy, glass objects from the wagon onto a table in the village square. He must be the auctioneer. I hastily look around me; we're definitely back in Hormuz. I don't like the way the auctioneer is glaring at me. Come on Bogg! Please get here!

It seems like an eternity until we are rushed into a dark, dank cell. Why are there always chickens when I'm in jail? It only takes minutes for an Indian man dressed in blue robes to rush in and take our belongings. He must be one of the head jailers. The Polo's are speaking quickly with him, trying to convince him that it is only oil from Venice for Marco's feet. I can tell right away that it isn't going to work. Yikes! He almost spilled it! That would have been a disaster! He seems to drool over the thought of all the gold that it will bring him and takes the box with him as he leaves. Well at least if anyone that escaped from the village sees that box, maybe they'll know that we're here.

"Without the oil, we can't show our faces to the Khan." Niccolo exclaims to his forlorn son and brother. The looks on their faces are pitiful.

Marco comes and sits by my side. "Thinking about your friend?"

"Oh, this is all messed up. You're never going to make your journey, and I'm never going to see Bogg." My voice is starting to crack.

Marco tries to make me feel better saying that Bogg wasn't captured with the others, but I realize that he would have been here by now. I must put on a brave face and not let anyone see me cry again.

Maffeo & Niccolo are speaking to each other in hushed tones. I strain to hear their conversation.

"There is no other choice, the boy must continue to travel with us. It's not right to leave such a young boy behind in this region. Once we get to the auction block we'll try to escape." This sounds like a great plan, but I've grown tired of trying to stay positive.

Has it been one or two hours we've been in this cell? The sun is starting to move more towards the west. It must be late afternoon. The only noise is that of Oxen pacing back and forth like a caged animal, it's making me nervous. All of a sudden, keys start jangling in the lock of the cell. It's Bogg! I breathe a huge sigh of relief as the door flies open and I grab onto him tightly. Ouch! There is a lump on the back of his head. Could that have been made from the loud thump I heard when we were captured? Nah. That hearty laugh rings in my ears as I pull away from his grip. Boy I missed that. With all the things that I want to say, the first question out of my mouth is why he brought Isaac with him. I am not going to worry too much, because now I know that everything will be all right. There is no time for small talk now. Together again, we must get the Polos to safety.