Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo and all the characters in it belong to AIC and Pioneer Corp. I'm not making any profit off of this fanfic either.
Authors Notes: Hello all, and welcome to the sequel of 'Bang the drum slowly'. I apologize for the long wait, as real life has become rather hectic, and my efforts at fleshing out the plot for this story were slower than I hoped. Anyways, on with the fic, which I hope you'll like.
Authors Notes, 06/11/2002: Re-uploading this story to see if it will now show up properly in the list of Tenchi fics. Even if this fails however, I will finish this story and post it up for those who have been able to read it so far.
Shadows and light
Chapter 1: Settling dust
Change.
It's one of the most intruiging forces in nature, and one which often is the cause of great fear. When events transpire on a daily basis in a familiar routine, one becomes comfortable with things, so that change can often be seen as a negative force. Yet for Ryoko Hakubi, her mind was busy contemplating just how amazing the forces of change can really be. About a week ago, her life tredged along in it's normal fashion, with little indication that she would be in her current position.
That position was laying on the bed of the man who held her heart, Tenchi Masaki. As her amber eyes soaked in the image of him peacefully slumbering, her mind touched back on the chaotic events of the past few days. A simple trip to Jurai had taken an unexpected turn for the worse, and resulted in her and Tenchi being stranded on some foreign planet. Their situation only worsened as it was soon discovered that other beings resided on that planet, people with less than benevolent intentions for the two of them.
The events that then occurred were some of the most brutal and horrific in Ryoko's long and arduous life. Yet it was those exact events which led to Tenchi coming to a realization as to whom his heart belonged to. It struck Ryoko as ironic that some of the worst moments in her life were the catalyst that led to the joy she was experiencing now.
I think I'm still in a state of shock. It's just so hard believe that this is really happening. she mused to herself while watching the steady rise and fall of her beloved's chest. Tenchi furrowed his brow and muttered something unintelligable under his breath as he slept. Ryoko let out a light giggle while brushing some hair away from his eyes with a feathery touch. After confessing his newly discovered feelings for her, Tenchi had sheepishly inquired if they could hold off consumating their relationship until things calmed down. Ryoko was so elated with finally winning his heart that she readily accepted, although she did insist on getting to stay in his bed from now on.
Turning her gaze towards the bright red LED display on the alarm clock Tenchi brought along with him, she noted that he would probably be waking up soon. Although I'm not sure how much all that light hawk wing usage took out of him. Thinking about the astonishing feat he had pulled off only made her even more proud of him.
A soft rapping upon the door of their bedroom onboard the Yukinojo caught Ryoko's attention. "Tenchi? Breakfast is ready if you want some." Sasami's voice said through the door.
Being ever-so-careful not to disturb Tenchi, Ryoko hovered away from the bed and towards the door. Sliding it open a crack, she smiled down at the little girl. "He's still sleeping right now, but I'll give him the message when he gets up."
Sasami seemed strangely unphased to find Ryoko staying in Tenchi's room. "Ok, I guess I'll see you two later then." she casually remarked before bounding off to notify the others onboard the ship of breakfast.
"Was that Sasami?" Tenchi mumbled sleepily while sitting up in his bed.
Ryoko turned around and flashed him a brilliant smile. "Yeah, I told her that you were asleep."
Tenchi yawned loudly while rubbing his eyes. "I can get up now." he muttered while trying to pull his mind out of the hazy fog of just awakening.
Hovering over to the young man, Ryoko draped her arms around his body from behind when Tenchi turned to sit on the edge of the bed. "We can always stay in bed for awhile." she suggested coyly while nuzzling his neck.
A comment like that normally would have sent Tenchi running, but now he merely chuckled a bit while shaking his head. "Nah, my stomach is kind of rumbling anyways." he said while slipping his feet into some slippers.
She made a noise of affirmation while keeping herself latched onto him. After a moment, Tenchi blinked a few times as he thought something over. "Ryoko, I didn't wake you up with my dream, did I?" he asked with some concern.
Lifting her head up to look him in the eye, she shook her head. "No, I was already awake. I didn't even know you were having a dream, was it a good one?"
His eyes became distant as he mulled over her question. "It's...not important. I'm just glad I didn't disturb you." he said quietly while giving her a quick kiss on the lips.
***
Change.
It was this subject that plauged upon the mind of first princess Ayeka Jurai as she sat on her bed and gazed out her rooms window. Watching the bright stars shine on with unfettered brilliance, she briefly wondered if she could ever find the sort of stability that they had. Everything was going on just as it normally does, and now...now everything's changed, nothing will ever be the same. If it had been me who was pulled into that black hole, and been captured by those people on that planet, would Tenchi's heart have turned towards me? No, I musn't think that his choice was based upon simple grief at losing her for a time.
Tears built up in her ruby red eyes. But what should I think then? That his heart belonged to her all along, and I never stood a chance? I don't know what's worse, thinking that all my efforts were in vain, or thinking that there was something I could have done to change the outcome of things. Shaking her head, she tried to think of something, anything else besides her current pains. Her little sister had announced that breakfast was ready, but she felt far from having an appetite.
Looking towards the sleek metallic door that led out into the main living quarters, she let out a sad sigh. A thousand images flashed before her eyes of Tenchi and Ryoko engaged in some intimate embrace or kiss. In time I shall deal with this, but for now, I do not think I could face that sort of scene. And I don't want to see their looks of pity either. I may not have Tenchi's heart, but at least I have my own pride still.
***
Despite the radically different circumstances, the atmosphere around the table as people ate was almost normal. Yet the lack of Ayeka's presence did not go unnoticed by those gathered around. Tenchi cast a sad glance at the hallway as he finished his cup of tea. Acutely aware of Tenchi's mood, Ryoko placed a comforting hand on his knee and squeezed gently. This simple act earned her a grateful smile from Tenchi as he turned back towards his food.
Ryoko herself was also concerned about the welfare of the violet haired princess, but knew that the last person Ayeka would want to see was her. What Ayeka needed right now was time alone to handle what had happened, and then when she was ready, Ryoko would try to have a little talk with her. She wasn't going to walk in and give her a bear hug and start acting like they were sisters, but she wasn't going to brag about 'winning' Tenchi either. Instead Ryoko resolved to have a straight talk with her formal rival. Tell her that she knows this hurts likes a bitch, and that she's sorry about that.
Tenchi set down his chop-sticks and politely complimented Sasami on a great meal before taking a glance at the woman next to him. Ryoko appeared lost in thought as she nibbled on a bite of food absent mindedly. Tenchi was still doing some adjusting when it came to her, getting used to their new relationship. It was strange for him to sleep with another person snuggled up right against him, but in the end he found the experience quite enjoyable. Though she did hog the covers. he thought to himself with a slight smirk.
His smile only widened when he noticed her catch on that he was looking at her. She blinked a few times in slight confusion before returning his smile. Such a small gesture gave Tenchi an inner confidence that everything would work out, and life would settle down into a semi-peaceful state. He wasn't stupid enough to believe his life would ever be truly normal, but thinking back to his past, he realized that he enjoyed his abnormal existence. As a youth, he yearned for something more than the bland life he led, and he was only now beginning to appreciate that his wish was granted.
His thoughts were broken when Washu cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention. "It might be wise to notify the royal family back on Jurai that you're safe, Tenchi. I can open up a comm-link to the palace in a minute, although you might wanna change that outfit first."
Ryoko glowered at her mother. "What's wrong with what he's wearing right now?" she snapped defensively.
Tenchi cut off any further arguments from his girlfriend when he laid a hand on her shoulder while standing up. "It's ok, Washu's right. I wouldn't feel right speaking to an emperor wearing these ratty old things." he said while gesturing to his current attire.
"I happen to like those 'ratty old things' you're wearing." she quipped while relaxing her posture and returning to her meal.
Tenchi chuckled softly before walking off towards his room to change. After a moment, Sasami set down her chop-sticks as a thoughtful look overtook her features. "I should tell Ayeka, she'll probably wanna say hi to mommy and daddy too." And with that, the little girl got up to go tell her sister.
Ryoko tensed up for a moment at the realization that both she and Ayeka would be in the same room with Tenchi, which she knew could lead to an uncomfortable scene at this point in time. After a brief period of inward debate, she opted to excuse herself until the 'coast was clear'. On her way towards the room she had been given onboard at the start of their voyage, she ran into Tenchi as he emerged from his room.
"Hi Ryoko, what's up?" he inquired casually.
Just as she opened her mouth to respond, the door opposite Tenchi's slid open, revealing Ayeka standing there. "Hello Lord Tenchi, miss Ryoko." she greeted stiffly. What would be seen as merely an air of regality and manners by most was seen through by Tenchi and Ryoko as a cover by Ayeka. She often reverted to her royal upbringing whenever hardships came into her life.
"Oh, hello Ayeka." Tenchi said with some surprise evident in his voice.
"Hey." Ryoko muttered softly, desperately seeking to avoid any sort of eye contact. She knew this wasn't the time to deal with these issue's now, as Tenchi and Ayeka had a message to send to the royal family. Yet the exact thing that Ryoko was hoping to avoid by leaving the room was now playing out before her eyes. The tension was absurdly palpable, and everyone was hoping for some sort of respite, which came from the pint sized redhead onboard.
"Hey, you gonna get a move on so I can open up a connection? I got important experiments to work on, so let's get this started." she said authoritatively.
Nodding her head curtly, Ayeka marched into the main living cabin without another word to the couple in front of her. Tenchi let out a sad sigh before following her path out into the living room. Ryoko leaned back against the wall and watched him as he left. "I'll just hang back here, I never feel comfortable anyway chatting with all those stuffy royals." she commented. Tenchi turned to look at her for a moment before giving her a slightly knowing smile and a nod of his head.
When Tenchi caught up with Ayeka and Washu, he cast the princess a sympathetic look which went unnoticed. After a few keys pressed by Washu, the main viewing screen flickered to black for a moment before the face of a youthful looking palace communications officer appeared. Immediate recognition flooded his features as he saw the crown princess and that little red haired girl he spoke with earlier. Yet he also noted the appearance of the young princess Sasami along with a young man whom he had never before seen.
Eager not to dissapoint a member of the royal family again, he quickly straightened his back and sputtered, "Y-your highness! Is there anything you need? I shall not hesi-" Before he could say anything further however, Ayeka interrupted him. "I wish to speak with my father and mother along with Lady Funaho."
"Yes your highness, right away." he stammered before punching in the proper codes.
After a moment of silence, the screen changed to display the master bedroom at the royal palace. Adorned in the finest in furnishings, it provided quite the backdrop for the little conversation about to take place. It only took a merely second before all the eyes of the royal family locked upon Tenchi's smiling form. Misaki was the first to speak as she burst into a smile and clasped her hands together. "Tenchi! Oh I'm so happy to see you're alright!" It was obvious that if Tenchi was in the same room as her, he'd be getting a bone-crushing hug right about now.
Funaho smiled pleasantly at her great-grandson and bowed her head slightly in greetings. "Hello Tenchi, I'm happy to see you are doing well."
Azusa nodded stiffly to the young man. "We are...pleased to see you've returned safely." he muttered before turning his attention towards his two daughters. "Ayeka, Sasami, it is good to see you again."
Misaki brightened even further upon noticing her daughters in the viewframe. "Sasami! Ayeka! Oh how I've missed seeing you two." she gushed, even though she had just spoken with Ayeka not long ago.
Tenchi smiled warmly as he watched Ayeka and Sasami chat with their parents. In those brief moments, he noticed some of the tension evident on Ayeka's face melt away. Of course, she had a whole new form of tension in the way of dealing with her overly-exuberant mother, but Tenchi hoped that at least in these moments she could put her current problems behind her.
"So what happened to you Tenchi? We were most worried about you." Funaho asked quietly.
Tenchi's smile faltered as he pondered just how much he should divulge about his 'adventures'. He was certain that he need not reveal some of the more grisly details of their capture or how he ended up discovering who he loved. "Well, after Ryoko and I were pulled into that black hole, I lost conciousness for some time. When I awoke..."
Ryoko stood in the corner of the room as she watched her beloved launch into the tale of the journey they shared. Casting her eyes towards the violet haired princess, she noted that Ayeka visibly stiffened her posture as Tenchi began his story. Ryoko wasn't used to feeling pity for other people, especially those formally considered rivals, but there she was standing around feeling sorry for Ayeka. I'm getting soft, the old me would have gone in for the kill when it came to Ayeka. Now here I am wishing that the mop haired priss cheers up. I guess some of Tenchi is rubbing off on me. she thought with a smile.
***
The sleekly designed Galaxy Police vessel Yukinojo gracefully made its way through space towards the blue globe known as Earth. It was a destination all onboard the ship were anxiously awaiting returning to. Mihoshi sat in her comfortable seat in the cockpit of the spaceship and made the necessary adjustments needed for atmospheric entry.
"Ok everyone, get ready because we're about to..." Mihoshi's announcement of their upcoming landing on Earth was broken by a sudden jolt of the spaceship. Her blue eyes darted over the readouts and she quickly realized that they were coming down to Earth at a rather rapid pace. Such an occurance was quite common for the blonde haired Galaxy Police officer, yet it didn't mean it was any less of a hair raising event.
"Umm, you might wanna hold onto something because we're going to have a slightly rough landing." she sheepishly admitted over the intercom a mere moment before the ship smashed into the lake outside the Masaki home.
From his position meditating atop one of the many hillsides in the area, Katsuhito's acute hearing picked up the enraged shouting eminating from the region of the lake. Of course, one would have to be deaf not to hear the screaming argument which centered around Mihoshi's piloting abilities. The aging priest straightened his back and took a deep breath before rising slowly from his position on the ground. "I should make a pot of tea for Tenchi and myself. I have a feeling he will have much to speak about..." he muttered to himself while he tredged towards his office at the shrine.
Down by the lakeside, the argument had finally died down, leaving some soaking wet and very angry people in its wake. Mihoshi quickly made her way back to the house, partly to avoid anyone's angry wraith, and partly to find some dry clothes to change into. Ryoko let out a huff of breath before turning to regard her sopping wet boyfriend. "I swear, I'm gonna grow antlers before she ever learns how to land that thing."
Tenchi wearly smiled while wringing out his T-Shirt and tossing it over his shoulder. "I guess the important thing is that nobody got hurt."
Ryoko smirked at Tenchi while he started his way towards the house. "Yeah, and any occasion that I can see you shirtless is a good one." she playfully teased while floating alongside him.
Tenchi blushed faintly while scratching the back of his neck. "I'm gonna go get some dry clothes." he muttered.
The cyan haired pirate latched onto Tenchi's arm without a word, and promptly phased the pair into his bedroom. Getting over his slight disorientation at his method of travel, Tenchi regarded Ryoko with a grateful smile. "Thanks for the shortcut." he said sincerely while opening up an armoire and retrieving a towel and fresh clothes.
Reminded of her own soaking state, she instantly phased into a white and gold colored dress along with red stockings. Never tearing her gaze away from Tenchi's lean, tanned body, Ryoko placed her hands on her hips while getting a thoughtful look on her face. "You know, I just realized that this is going to be 'our' room now. I guess I better start moving things in."
Tenchi nodded his head in agreement before he looked at her in puzzlement. "Where do you keep your clothes anyways?"
She cast her eyes up towards the ceiling briefly. "I got a trunk up in the attic, which also houses my prized sake collection." her lips curved upward into a grin as she finished.
He caught himself from rolling his eyes and gestured to where he had just got his clothes from. "Well there's plenty of room in the armoire for your stuff." Grabbing his clothes as he finished, he headed towards the door and called out over his shoulder, "I'm gonna get changed and go see my grandpa. I'm sure he'll wanna know all about our little 'vacation'." he laced the last word with sarcasm as he closed the door behind him.
Now standing alone in her new bedroom, Ryoko let out a sigh as she sat down at the foot of the bed. Turning her head to examine her surroundings, she wondered just what she should do now. Hmm, since this is now my room too, maybe I should do some rearranging. Yeah, I could move that armoire over to that wall, put the desk over there, and maybe get rid of that picture on the wall. And then I could go see if there's any paint out in the shed, because it's about time these walls were redone. On second thought...I'm just gonna take a nap.
***
It was a perfect day weather wise. That was one of the thoughts rattling through Tenchi's mind as he slowly made his way towards his grandfathers shrine. Maybe we could have a picnic later on? he idly wondered before clearing his mind of distractions as he neared his destination. Experience had taught Tenchi never to come near this area unprepared, lest he be surprise attacked by his grandfather.
Wearily approaching the door, he darted his eyes around and strained to listen to even the slightest sound which may alert him. With a cautious sense of relief, he knocked on the door and awaited a response. "Come in, Tenchi." came a weathered voice from the other side.
How in the heck can he always know it's me? Tenchi pondered while sliding the door open and entering the room which carried a strong scent of burning incense. "Hello grandfather." he said respectively.
Sitting in a lotus position by the table which sat in the rooms center, he motioned for Tenchi to seat himself. "I see you've returned safely." he remarked quietly.
Just barely. Tenchi mentally replied while folding his legs underneath himself. Before he could offer up a verbal response, Katsuhito spoke once more, "Was your trip eventful?"
Letting out a small chuckle, Tenchi answered, "You could say that I suppose."
Deciding to himself to fill his grandfather in on some of what took place, Tenchi let out a long breath. "Things didn't exactly go as we planned. Our ship ran into some debris field or something, and we ended up taking some damage. Ryoko went out and managed to fix the problem, but then..." Any further words were cut off as Katsuhito calmly interrpted his grandson after setting down his tea cup, "You need not waste your breath Tenchi, I have been informed through my tree ship of the events that took place."
Tenchi scratched the back of his neck in a mix of sheepishness and confusion. "Oh." was all he managed to say.
"So tell me, was the planet you found yourself on very pretty?" The man sometimes known as Yosho asked casually.
"What kind of a question is that? We were in real danger, our lives could've been lost, and you wanna know what the planet looked like?" Tenchi inquired incredulously.
The old man appeared unphased by Tenchi's questions as he refilled his drink. "I merely wished to know if you remembered my lessons on maintaining absolute awareness of your surroundings. If you were so wrapped up in your own problems, it is entirely possible that you were ignorant of what dangers you were walking into."
Tenchi snorted with indignation. "Our main problem attacked us while we were sleeping." he muttered before finally take a sip of his own cup of tea.
"Besides being captives on a strange world, did anything else of interest occur to yourself and Ryoko?" he asked calmly.
Tenchi shifted uncomfortably as he pondered just how to respond. Sometimes I wonder if grandpa is psychic or something, he always seems to know exactly how to make a person squirm. "Well...I...we..."
"She must be a very happy lady." Katsuhito said with a warm smile.
Wow, that was...quick. Tenchi thought to himself with wide eyes. "Umm, yeah." was all he could muster in his surprised state.
Katsuhito's smile faded as he crossed his arms and leveled a more serious look at Tenchi. "Of course I gather the opposite is true of Ayeka. Have you made an effort at helping her cope with her difficulties?" he asked pointedly.
A feeling of shame flooded Tenchi as he realized how little he'd done to try and be there for Ayeka, who he knew was hurt. "I've explained that I care deeply for her as a friend, but that my heart belongs to Ryoko. She doesn't seem to want to talk about things though, and she's purposely avoiding me and Ryoko."
"An expected reaction." Katsuhito said evenly. Tenchi could not read any emotion from the old man sitting across the table, which couldn't help but unnerve him even more. He had hoped his grandfather would perhaps offer some sage advice or reassurances or even a reprimand of some sort. Yet he got none of those things, and the ensuing silence weighed heavily on Tenchi.
Tenchi's grandfather took a glance at the window behind himself. "You may go now, Tenchi. Perhaps you should enjoy this fine weather we are having and take a long walk. It can do wonders for ones state of mind."
With a nod of his head, Tenchi slowly raised himself before giving a short bow to the still seated older man. "Yes, grandfather." He said as he made his way to the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow at practice. Oh, and try to be here an hour earlier than normal, as we have some catching up to do on your swordfighting skills." Katsuhito called out to his departing grandchild.
Tenchi paused briefly to let out a sigh and another nod of his head before he slid the door shut. As the gentle breezes lapped away at him, Tenchi walked silently down the old stone steps and stuck his hands in his pockets. Maybe I will take that long walk. He thought to himself as he raised his head skyward.
***
Light years way from that small planet at the fringes of the galaxy, a medium sized vessel soared through the depths of space towards a very different type of planet. At a glance, one could see the slightly faded text on the ships side which identified this as a vessel belonging to the Jurai Royal Science Academy. Onboard the ship dubbed 'Chikara', a small group of men and women assembled themselves at the bridge of the starship. At the head of this group stood a rather short man with a long mane of raven colored hair tied back into a ponytail.
Clearing his throat, he turned around to address those onboard. "As you all can see, we have arrived at Genacious five. Doctor Amori, is your team prepared for a surface exploration?"
A tall, distinguished looking fellow stole a quick glance behind the captain and gazed at the large, pearly white colored planet looming in the ships viewing window. "Yes Captain Narato, my team only needs to suit up, otherwise we are ready."
Nodding his head, the captain turned back towards the viewing window and made a gesture with his hand. "Go forth and make your final preparations, as we are about to decend to the surface."
The aged ship slowly lowered itself towards the planets surface, encountering a hellacious storm of wind and snow that pelted the science vessel. Touching down upon a hard surface of ice, the ship sat silently for a moment before a ramp decended down and a large metal door slid open. Four people emerged, covered head to toe in a highly insulated suit which was the same color as the snow that blanketed the planet.
Doctor Amori looked down at a small black device he held in his right hand, which had a screen that displayed a variety of different readouts. Pulling out a device from his suits outer chest pocket, he put it up to his face mask. "Captain, our sensors here on the surface are still being affected by the geo-magnetic storm in the upper atmosphere, but we have managed to cut down some on the interference. I'm picking up some slightly anomolous readings about six clicks to the northeast, so I'm leading my team over there to investigate."
"Affirmative." A voice responded simply.
It took some time for the team to trek across the icey surface of the planet, as the howling winds combined with the blowing snow to create quite an obstacle. Gesturing for the group to halt, Doctor Amori checked his readouts once more. "I'm getting more refined figures now, and I'm quite sure that there's something..." his voice trailed off as he caught sight of something at the edge of his vision.
The group unconciously moved closer together as each of the teams members noticed something amiss. Through the nearly blinding storm, they saw a chain of human shaped forms surrounding them in a circular formation. One of the junior members of the science team, a young lady by the name of Umeko, finally spoke up, "There wasn't anything about people living here in the planet report. Who-who are they?" she asked nervously.
Doctor Amori shook his head. "I don't know, I don't..." he broke off his comment as he quickly pulled the communicator up to his face mask. "Captain, our team has encountered what appear to be human like creatures of some sort. It is impossible at the moment to identify exactly what or who they are due to their distance. Their intentions are still unknown, as they are just...standing there, surrounding us. What should our course of action be?" he asked hurriedly.
Silence was all that greeted him, each moment that passed only added to the doctors tense state. "Captain, do you read me?" he inquired loudly into the device.
Still not receiving a reply, he looked up and noticed the figures surrounding them had started to walk forward. "Captain! These-these beings are approaching us now. Are you receiving this?" Panic was now seeping into the doctors voice.
By now, the figures which surrounded them were now close enough to be better identified. The science team saw that they were essentially the same in appearance to Jurians, but these beings were dressed in thick furs, apparently taken from the native beasts which roamed the planet. Yet it was not their appearance which most concerned the team now, it was what these people wielded in their hands. Weapons which appeared similar to large scimitars, that had finely carved hilts, and crimson colored blades which stood out amidst the white backround of the landscape.
Trying to maintain some semblance of calm in the face of what seemed to be a growing crisis, the doctor held up hands in a gesture to show himself to be unarmed. "Greetings from the Jurian empire, we are scientists here on a peaceful exploration of your planet, we mean you no harm."
The approaching figures failed to halt their steady march forward. The small group of scientists watched with near horror as the figures hefted their weapons in a more threatening manner. Doctor Amori backed up until he bumped into one of his teammates. "I-I assure you that our intentions are entirely..." Any further words were stopped cold as one of the beings buried his blade into the doctors chest. A chorus of gasps and shrieks of terror erupted from the science group, yet these too were quickly stopped as the mysterious people cut them down with a brutal efficiency that would have chilled even the most seasoned of killers.
It took less than a minute for the Jurian science team to be butchered in cold blood, and the beings that stood over their corpses seemed unphased by their actions. For a long moment, a haunting silence decended upon the area, until one of the fur wearing people raised his head and said, "The ship has been taken easily."
Another of the beings nodded his head. "Lord Izumo will be most pleased."
"Yes, the prophecy is coming to pass. Finally, we can have our revenge."
End of chapter 1
Authors Notes: I know this may seem like a rather typical start to a story, but I do have many twists and turns planned which I hope you'll all enjoy. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated.
