We paused in wide tunnel, dimly lit by a single feeble electric bulb in a wire cage. Huge pipes ran along the walls near the ceiling and the rumble of the subway nearby vibrated the ground. Donatello pressed a crack in the wall and section slid away to reveal another passageway.

"Wow," I whispered.

"My invention." Donatello looked pleased.

Five feet into the hidden passage there was a wide wooden door. "Oh, uh, say," Leonardo turned to me. "How do you feel about rats?"

"I like rats," I said brightly. "I used to have a pet-" I paused. "Wait...what kind of rats? Lots of rats?"

"Well, one. Master Splinter."

I took a slow breath. The Alice in Wonderland quality was coming back. "So, your Master Splinter is a rat. Ok. I...ah...assume he's a large rat? Like you guys are large...um...whatever..."

Michaelangelo indicated a height just below his shoulder.

"Ok, thanks for the warning. I'd hate to faint dead away at the dinner table..."

"Hate it when that happens..." muttered Raphael darkly.

My companions gave their large muddy feet cursory swipes on a grass mat before entering a larger room off the entry passage. I had the impression I was entering some ancient Japanese home, except the walls were brick instead of paper. A soft-hued painting of a mountain hung on one curving wall, and the scent of incense drifted down the passageway. I unlaced and slipped off my sewer-slimy boots, left them by the door, and stepped into a candlelit room.

They were seating themselves on the floor on a woven bamboo mat before a well-worn blue couch upon which sat the most dignified and venerable looking rat I had ever encountered. He sat cross-legged and was, as Michaelangelo had suggested, smaller than the others, and covered with dark, silver-tinged fur. His intelligent, dark eyes glowed beneath alert pointed ears. He wore a blue silk robe tied with a cord and his long hairless tail coiled at his feet. The scene was almost too bizarre to comprehend. I stopped in my tracks.

The rat raised his head to look at me and motioned with a delicate hand. "Come in child. There is nothing to fear. Come in and sit down." His voice was soft and husky, with a Japanese accent. I sat in the chair adjacent to the couch and dropped my back pack on the floor next to me. "It is good to meet you, Lia. My name is Splinter. My sons have told me of your plight, and I welcome you to our home. It is not often that we have guests."

"It's nice to meet you, too. I really, um, thank you for your hospitality, and help ...and...um...thank you." I wanted to say more but I couldn't figure out what was appropriate However, my apprehension was dissolving. The furry face before me reminded more than anything of a sweet old dog, only with a soothing, human voice.

"You are most welcome. We will discuss your situation further in a moment. Please make yourself at home." Master Splinter turned his attention to his students, kneeling on the floor in a half circle around his couch. His tone became more serious as he addressed them. "You have fought this evening?"

"Yes, Master," said Leonardo. "We don't know who they were. They were dressed as Ninja, but they were not Foot."

Splinter crossed his hands under his chin as the battle was described to him.

"They seemed very inexperienced. They didn't even carry weapons. I think it might have been just dumb luck they ran into us." Leonardo looked at me. In the soft candlelight his eyes seemed to glow some strange pale color behind the red fabric of his mask. "Lia, do you think they might have been someone looking for you?"

The thought was chilling. "I don't think so. I've never seen anyone in the Brotherhood dress like that. When they did martial arts classes they wore white."

"The Brotherhood? Is that Skydude's people?" asked Michaelangelo. I nodded. "I don't think this had anything to do with her either," he went on. "It seemed like she just got caught in the middle."

Splinter was gazing at some point in the center of the floor. He appeared to be lost in thought. "This does concern me," he said softly at last. "We have not been back in New York for very long, and it is troubling that already someone may know of our presence here. We did not return to seek new enemies. We shall have to see what unfolds with time." Splinter turned his gaze to me. "And now, tell me, my child, who is this man you fear, and what does he do?"

"His name is Alexander Skylord," I answered, thinking about Splinter's comment about not seeking new enemies. "He is a teacher, the leader of the Brotherhood, which is the group I was in for two years. It's like a school, but you live there and everyone studies Alex's teachings. He's a very powerful man, I guess you could say charismatic. His students are very loyal to him-"

"So what does he teach?" asked Raphael.

"It's a combination of disciplines. Western esoteric stuff, the kabbalah, metaphysics, some kind of martial arts, I'm not sure about that 'cause the women weren't allowed to take that, and um..." I hesitated. "..ritual magic."

"Ritual magic?" repeated Raphael derisively. "Ya mean like conjuring? Hocus-pocus? Illusions?"

"Conjuring and invoking, yes," I answered. It was hard enough to talk about this without being made fun of.

"Aw, gimme a break..."

I was trying to think of something equally rude to say about the absurdity of my speaking to large talking animals, but when I get angry and hurt at the same time, I'm not very clever.

Splinter rescued the moment. "This is an area in which my sons have not had a great deal of experience. In that respect there could be danger. This is not a circumstance to be taken lightly, Raphael."

Raphael was subdued for the moment and sat glowering at the reprimand.

"I could show you all, teach you what I know, about how to protect yourselves-" I began.

They all turned and stared at me. "That'll be great, lady," snapped Raphael "You gonna give us lessons in self-defense?"

"I mean from the magic-!" I felt embarrassed and more than a little angry at Raphael.

"Terrific," continued Raphael sarcastically. "Look, don't call us, we'll call-"

"Cool it, Raph," Leonardo put a hand on his shoulder. Raphael brusquely shrugged him off.

"Look," I said, feeling anxious to explain myself as my cheeks began to burn. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you-you saved my life today! It's just that, like, what he-uh, Master Splinter said, it could be dangerous if you aren't familiar-I mean, it's better to know what you're up against-"

"She's right, you know." Leonardo said softly. " Ignorance of the enemy's ways was never an aid in battle."

I could have kissed him. Well, figuratively.

Rebuffed twice, Raphael went back to smoldering.

Splinter cleared his throat. "There is another point to consider. There are two paths open to a Teacher, two means by which order is maintained, and obedience and loyalty created in the students. One is the path of Love, and the other is the path of Fear. You say this man's students are loyal to him. Lia, which path do you think he has chosen ?"

I didn't have to think. "Fear."

Splinter nodded. "Such a path, chosen knowingly, presents a danger to the man who so chooses. Those who follow him may someday rise up in anger, to strike him down. And he, not having forged the way with his heart, will not hesitate to strike back."

I wasn't sure if I was being reprimanded for my attack on Alex with my book or warned. I swallowed and nodded.

"He hurt her, Splinter," said Michaelangelo. "And he's kidnapped her kid."

"Yes, my son," said Splinter. "And all of this information is important to bear in mind, so we may understand this man, and anticipate his actions." He turned to me. "I understand you are in need of a safe place to stay."

I nodded.

"My sons have asked that you be allowed to stay here with us, just for the period of time it takes for them locate your child and her abductor. I have agreed to this, though I realize these are very primitive accommodations."

"Oh, no, " I had to interrupt him. "This is very cozy-you would be amazed at where I've been living . I just don't want to impose. I mean, I'm already in your debt-"

"No, little one, you are not imposing." Splinter's mouth curved into a smile.

"Thank you," I said again. "Thank you all so much-"

I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and had the impression some silent communication had passed between Raphael and Leonardo, but I couldn't tell for sure.

Michaelangelo looked up and glanced around at the others. "So, uh, food?" he suggested.

"Food!" they chorused.

We ate at a low black-enameled table top. There were no chairs, we sat on the floor. The turtles wolfed down the cold pizza. I hadn't been in a regular high school for very long, but this meal reminded me of my old cafeteria. The table where the varsity football team fed. I scavenged a slice for myself and couldn't suppress a giggle at the absurdity of it all.

"What's funny?' asked Raphael, licking his fingers. He didn't smile.

"Oh, gee...I dunno," I looked around the little warm room, hung with martial arts weapons, Japanese brush paintings, low end tables of assorted vintage strewn with magazines, computer discs, training weights and wires and telephone components piled in one corner, large unidentifiable industrial-looking parts, the television with the clothes hanger antenna, four green-skinned, five-foot tall turtles scarfing down pizza, and the three foot tall rat nibbling tossed green salad with chop sticks. "I was told New York would be different..."

I gathered the dishes when the feeding frenzy had slowed down and started to head through a beaded doorway that looked like it led to the kitchen.

"Hey, no, wait, don't go in there," Leonardo tried to take the stack of dishes from me.

"No, really, it's ok. I want to do these," I argued. He sighed and reluctantly let me go. Once through the doorway I saw why he had tried to stop me. At least a week's worth of crusty dishes lined either side of a sad-looking leaky sink. Well, I had certainly asked for it.

In the next room I heard, "Jeez Raph, ya couldn't have done 'em last night?"

"Hey, Mike's dishes were still in there from the night before!"

The plumbing was interesting: all overhead and I realized they must have simply tapped into the city water lines. Same with the electricity. There was a noisy refrigerator on my left and an elderly electric stove to the right of the sink. The hot water worked great and I wondered if there was a shower anywhere. I could certainly use one. I sloshed my hands in the hot soapy water and found myself wondering why Raphael seemed to dislike me so much. He made no effort to conceal his hostility. Maybe he was just more mistrustful than the others. It bothered me though. I felt very vulnerable asking for their help and not really knowing who or what they were, except I had just watched the four of them pound the living daylights out of eleven men. Belladonna had sent me here, I told myself. These have to be the right ones, right?

Out of nowhere a shiver of fear ran through me. I didn't want to feel that. I quickly focused my attention on the task at hand. Without a lot of Brillo pads the encrusted plates would have to soak. I hummed to myself and scrubbed what would yield to a sponge and finger nails.

"Hey, Donnie," came a peevish voice from the other room. "How come this remote isn't working?"

"'Cause you guys keep throwing it at the TV!"

I smiled to myself and sang some more, thinking of Snow White. I hadn't sang in a long time.

La la la, la la la la...just remember in the winter

far beneath the bitter snows

Lies a seed that with the Sun's love

in the Spring becomes a Rose...

Oh, Sweet Goddess-how did I manage to sing that? My throat tightened and I dropped my head and tried not to cry, clutching the edge of the sink, feeling my shoulders shake.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

I spun around. Three turtles were crowded in the doorway, looking at me

"What are you doing-?" I yelped.

"What? We were listening to you sing," explained Michaelangelo. "You sing really pretty. Then you -what happened?"

"Oh," I sniffed, and felt my cheeks turning pink. "I didn't know you were there-it's just that, Rose is my daughter's name..." This was so embarrassing. I started to wipe my eyes with my wet hands, and stopped, feeling discombobulated.

"Oh." Donatello looked sympathetic.

"Shhh, don't worry," said Leonardo. "We'll find her. And we'll take care of this creep that kidnapped her."

"You bet," said Michaelangelo. "He'll think twice about messin' with either of you again with a set of 'chucks stuffed up his nose!"

That had the desired effect; it was too funny a picture. I started laughing.

"Come on," said Leonardo leading the way out to the living room area. I wiped my eyes and followed. "Here's the plan," he said. "Splinter suggested we leave for your hotel room two hours before dawn. That gives us all a chance to get some sleep first. We can get your things out under cover of darkness and if anyone has tried to find you, or leave a ransom note, that's the most likely place, right?"

"There, or with my publisher, if anyone knows she's my publisher."

"And then what?" asked Raphael from the couch, obviously not addressing me.

"Splinter may know where Skyking's training dojo is," said Leonardo.

"Splinter may know?!" I repeated. I looked around but he was nowhere in sight. "How does he know? Is he sure? Where is it? Did he tell you-?"

"Splinter knows stuff," explained Donatello, which explained nothing.

"Anyway," went on Leonardo. "Once we've secured Lia's room, and gotten her things out, we can go to the center. Lia, you can stay here till we get back. This could be over very quickly, especially if he's keeping your kid right there."

"I want to go with you!" I couldn't believe it. They knew where to look. We were practically done! "Can't we go now?" I asked. "If we know-"

"Lia," said Donatello. "She may not be there."

"But if there's even a chance-!"

"Look" interrupted Donatello again. "If this guy is as violent as you say, it could get a little rough."

"Oh, I do hope so," Raphael's gaze never left the 11:00 news, but his tone was icy, and a little frightening.

"But-this is my daughter!" I argued.

"Um, Lia, no offense," broke in Michaelangelo. "But you're not exactly an asset in a fight."

"Oh." That sort of hurt, even if I knew he was right. "But, can't I-can't you-?"

"You can come with us to your hotel room. Get your things and check out. Call your publisher tomorrow. Leave the rest to us." Leonardo pronounced with authority. I had a disturbing feeling that perhaps a great deal of this was now out of my hands. I wasn't sure if I felt relief, or panic.