Disclaimer: There are a lot of things that I do not own and that list includes Magic Kaito, Detective Conan and the heart of the man I love. It's a cruel, cruel world.

Erratum: Something my dear readers should know: My mom and I had a row so I'm now banned from the computer, laptop and even my mobile phone. So I was typing the recent chapters as fast as I could and I never had the chance to edit it. Yes I admit my story is a bit hard to understand but all will be brought into light, I promise.

Author's notes: Thanks for all those who reviewed! ;p

Based from the chapter title, two of the biggest enigmas in this story are about to be unraveled.

Here's a bit of a confession: this story was supposed to be a comedy. I dunno what happened.

This fic contains bits from DC and Arsene Lupin but of course, I've twisted some info to fit the story.

So without further ado, here's chapter 9…

o o o

Chapter 9: Josephine and Pandora

"…But I would just like to let you know that I'm here… I'm just here if you want someone to talk to…"

I opened my eyes. Sheesh. I have to stop fainting like that. Where am I anyway?

I stood up. The last thing I remembered was that I was in the corner of the living room and I was crying. How did I get here?

I walked to the door. Souichiro's voice was coming from behind it.

"…And I think it's his attacks, you know…" he said.

I smiled. His sweet, reassuring voice probably woke me up.

Suddenly, the night wind blew the windows open and I witnessed an apparition. Still dressed in black, carrying what seemed like a shaman's stick, was Akako-san. She flew in the room and gently landed beside the four poster bed.

"Akako-san! What're you – ?" I exclaimed. I must be dreaming.

"Princess, lovely heiress," she started to say as she waved her stick around. "The time has come. I have waited so long for his return. I know you've been expecting this as well…"

Her voice was enchanting and I felt like I was in a trance.

"You still have trouble believing that your otou-san is KID, ne?" she asked.

I felt like I was in a movie! I mean, the wind was blowing from behind her and the lights were dim, it was raining outside… whoa.

"Megumi-kun! Can you focus? Please? Your otou-san is in trouble and I'm here because I want to help. You want to listen to my suggestion?" she asked, frowning.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I think I'm still dreaming. I'll wake up in a bit…"

The statuesque figure in black walked towards me. She raised her hand and slapped me.

Ouch.

"Convinced that you're not dreaming?" she asked, while a cruel smile formed on her lips.

I nodded as I massaged my left cheek.

"Are you for real? Ayumi-sensei told me that you're a witch or at least you think you are…"

She snickered as she bent forward to tap my head. "Little Megumi, I heard you've trained under Kaito. Let me tell you now that although both our magic deceive the eyes, I do the real thing."

"Oh," I said as I sat down the bed. "Ano, you've said something about wanting to help otou-san? Maa, right now, I'm just really, really confused. If he's really KID, then…"

Akako-san sat beside me and she rested her chin on top of the scepter-like contraption.

"It's a lot to take in but the truth is usually like that," she said.

"IIE! He's not KID! I still don't believe that he is! Kudou-tantei should just let him go!"

I felt tears blinding my eyes.

"Maybe… Maybe if the real KID shows up, then they'll let him go, right?"

"If the real KID shows up?" she said as she raised her left eyebrow. "And what if the real KID doesn't show up? You've raised a point, though. If KID shows up, there will be fewer suspicions on Kaito's part. But honey, over the decades, a lot of KIDs have showed up and the police all proved they were fake!"

I opened my mouth to reply but she started to laugh a very shrilly laugh. It was much like a banshee's wail, if you ask me.

"And you know how they were discovered to be fakes? It's because they don't have something that the real KID has…"

I gaped. "You can't be possibly be talking about – "

o o o

"THE PANDORA GEM? Kudou, are you out of your mind? You know very well that I've destroyed it! The general public knows that I still have the Pandora but you're one of the few people I have told that I've already disposed of it!"

Shinichi yawned.

"Yeah, I've never seen the thing ever since but it also doesn't mean that it doesn't exist anymore, ne? Look Kaito, just get it for me, will you? If it's not in your possession anymore, then you better start looking for it again. It's not my fault you're so disorganized," the detective said.

After gaping for an ample amount of time, Kaito said, "So you think it's just lying around in my house? Kudou, I'm swayed to think that you've lost your mind."

Shinichi laughed and it echoed in the room.

"I'm serious, little brother. You weren't able to destroy the Pandora Gem properly. Recently, I've seen the evidence of its existence. Of course, I was convinced that you weren't the owner anymore. You weren'tthatheartless. Moreover, my source has told me that its powers extend beyond immortality. Its owner can also read into people's minds! Maybe even control it! It could cure the most incurable diseases and can be converted to energy source!" said Shinichi as calmly as he could. "If the FBI-CIA could get a hold of such an item, do you know how powerful – "

Kaito stood up.

"POWER! It's exactly why I destroyed it! Humanity isn't prepared for that gem!"

Shinichi crossed his arms, then his legs.

"Destroyed? Don't speak in the past tense, little brother," he said. "Why are you so sure that you've destroyed it?"

Kaito crossed his arms as well. "And why are you so sure that I haven't?"

"I told you! I have a very reliable source who visited me – "

"You're willing to jeopardize my life and your career for this source? Who's this source anyway? What if it's some lunatic or a maniac who – "

Shinichi stood up. He was shaking with fury and he looked ready to kill.

"DON'T EVER SPEAK THAT WAY ABOUT JOSEPHINE! SHE'S BEEN GUIDING ME ALL THIS TIME! IF IT WEREN'T FOR HER, I WOULD'VE – "

Shinichi wasn't able to finish his sentence. He just froze and collapsed. A very worried Kaito ran to his side, just in time to catch him from hitting the stone-cold floor. He placed the detective's head on his lap.

"Oi, Shinichi! What happened? Wake up! You're just playing with me, are you? I bet there are hidden cameras all around this place and you and the boys are planning to – Oi Shinichi!"

Kaito slapped the cheeks of the detective but he remained immobile.

"Shinichi, stop it!"

Kaito looked around. He had been inside this metal fortress before. He knew the features of the room. They were both trapped in a special interrogation room and there were no windows, no one-way mirrors and even cameras. There were probably officers outside but he remembered Shinichi saying that he demanded the strictest privacy.

He started to panic as he checked the pulse of the detective.

"TASUKETE!" he shouted as he banged his fists on the nearest wall. The metals on his cuffs jangled with every blow.

"TASUKETE!"

o o o

What's the most beautiful thing you've seen in your whole life? Okay, that was rhetorical. I'll tell you mine, though. It was that Pandora Gem. Imitation or not, it was the prettiest piece of precious stone I have ever laid my eyes on.

The jewel was sort of encased with gold chains. Yeah, as if it was some dangerous creature that might bear its fangs anytime. However, even if it was violently encased like that, its many facets were still visible under the dim light of the room.

As the jewel dangled from Akako-san's fingers by means of the gold chains, I sighed and told myself that a beautiful thing like that should be exposed to the world.

"Is that the real Pandora?" I asked and my eyes are still focused on the gem. "Why is it tied up like that? You're keeping it a prisoner?"

Akako-san laughed her high-pitched laugh again. A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G.

"In a sense, hai. And would it matter if this is the real thing as long as it looks real?" she asked with a grin.

I stood up and paced around the room.

"So, what you're suggesting is, someone should pose as KID and present this gem to the police officers as evidence that the impersonator is KID," I said. "I can name a hundred loopholes in this plan of yours, Akako-san. I appreciate you helping out my otou-san, though."

There goes that mysterious smile again.

"Maa, of course you don't just present the gem to the officers. Lucifer has told me that the FBI-CIA has been after it since KID stole it from the organization almost two decades ago. So whoever – "

"Chotto – Lucifer?"

"A friend of mine," she said casually. "Focus, princess. What I would like to happen is for someone to pose as KID and engage the police officers and the FBI-CIA in a chase. If that someone is good enough not to be caught, then everyone would really think that he or she is the real KID. There's also the gem as evidence and motivation for the chase."

"And otou-san would not be suspected anymore!" I yelled. "Oi, this is making sense! Hmm, the timing won't be suspicious as well since there are a lot of KID wannabes that appear every now and then – "

Akako-san stood up and walked towards me. "Only this time, our KID will be as good as the real one…"

"Just one question – " I said as I stared up at her. "Where are we going to find someone who's as good as the real KID?"

Akako-san laughed again. She should really stop doing that. I don't like to see my ears bleeding.

"You of course! I thought you have already figured that out!" she said in between "ha-has"

I shook my head. Did she just say that - ?

"M-me? Akako-san, are you serious?" I asked as coolly as I could (but deep inside, I'm losing my nerves) "Iie I can't! There's a chance that I'm under surveillance too and wouldn't it be – "

"Kaito already gave you the suit, right? And even the top hat?"

"That's just a silly costume that he bought somewhere. I can't use that – Oi, how did you know?"

She turned back and faced the open window.

"You might be surprised with what that top hat contains. Anyway, you have no choice. I'd do it if I were given the chance. However, the spirits of the underworld has advised me to leave everything up to you," she said.

Okay, I definitely lost my nerves.

"Spirits of the underworld?" my voice cackled as I started to shake. "Akako-san! I just can' t! I – "

She glanced back at me one last time. "You really have no choice. You can't ignore these unavoidable ties. Besides, I've already sent a notice to the police. You'll be appearing at Touto tower at exactly 9pm this coming friday. You'll be bringing the gem with you."

She tossed me the gem. I caught it with both my hands.

"Akako-san!" I called but when I looked up, she was already gone. And surprisingly, I found otou-san's gift on my bed. I admired the suit from afar and noticed something – instead of the mini skirt, there were pants.

I frowned.

"I like the skirt better."

o o o

"KUDOU SAID THAT?" an enraged Kuroba Kaito yelled at the FBI-CIA agents.

He was still in the interrogation room but this time, some FBI-CIA officers and paramedics were there with him.

"Look! Kudou needs to be sent to the hospital! A while ago, his pulse just stopped! He needs to go to the hospital!" he pleaded.

"Keibu, Kudou-tantei has stressed that whatever happens, we shouldn't take either of you outside the head quarters – even if either of you were in a life-threatening situation," a foreign FBI-CIA agent explained to him in crooked Japanese.

"That brat has been hard-headed since we were still in high school!" Kaito said under his breath as he looked over at the detective, who was lying on the floor and being attended by the paramedics.

Suddenly, the detective stirred and removed his oxygen mask.

"I'm okay now," he said then coughed. "Please don't crowd around me."

He tried to stand as he held on to a leg of the sole table in the room for support. The paramedics nodded and left the room. There were only three people in the room left – Kaito, Shinichi and the foreign FBI agent.

"Sir, are you okay?" the agent asked Shinichi. He grabbed the free hand of the detective and helped him to balance himself.

"You gave us quite a scare back there. We thought the suspect attacked you or that you were having another – "

Shinichi took his hand away from the agent.

"I'm okay now. You can leave the room. Kaito and I aren't finished with our discussion yet," he said.

The agent did not move. Instead, he pulled a paper out of his coat's inner pocket. "Sir, I think you have to see this."

Shinichi's eyes widened as he read the note. After reading it, he showed it to Kaito.

"You have something to do with this?" he asked in his usual cold tone.

Kaito shook his head.

Shinichi sighed as he turned to the FBI agent.

"The media is still outside, ne? Call for a press conference," he said.

The agent followed Shincihi's order automatically. When Shinichi and Kaito were finally left alone, there was a poof! And Shinichi felt the notice disappear.

"I know what you want, tantei-san..." Kaito read the first line as he held the paper right in front of him with both his handcuffed hands.

"You think this guy is talking about Pandora?" Kaito asked. "And what are you planning with the press conference? I do hope it's for taking back what you said about me. I mean, I've already agreed to get you back Pandora."

Shinichi gave Kaito a very sly smile.

"Of course not," replied the detective. "I'll let you off the hook once you've obtained it for us. As for this guy, he may be a fake but the composition of his notice is very - "

"Oi how am I supposed to get Pandora if you're planning to lock me in the HQ or if I'm under surveillance?" asked Kaito with a pout. "I'm reminding you, Kudou, that I could release myself from these cuffs in a batt of an eye and I could also fly away to Brazil in a heartbeat."

"I won't be keeping you here in the HQ, little brother," he said. "And although I'll be keeping my eye on you, I have given orders that you'll be free to investigate and search for Pandora. This notice is a good start, ne? I suggest you check this guy out."

Kaito gaped. "You've thought of this, huh? But don't you think it would be awkward if people see me out in the streets? I mean, while I'm investigating..."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "That's your problem. Besides, you could disguise as me or whoever."

Shinichi headed towards the door.

"Maa, I need to talk to the press people now. Don't leave this room, Kaito. I still have some questions to ask. There are still things I don't understand about Pandora and I think you're the only one who can enlighten me."

o o o

Foreign delegates during international summits and conferences held in Japan were the usual residents of the presidential suites at the Seraphin Hotel. The conferences themselves were held in the function rooms, located at the hotel's third floor. However, that Saturday night, another meeting was about to begin and the venue was not in one of the function rooms, but in the presidential suite itself.

"Hakuba said he'd be arriving tomorrow morning at around noon. He emailed me just a while a ago," whispered Sonoko to Ran.

However, her whisper reached the ears of the guest in their room, leaving Ran no time to react.

"SAGURU? I haven't seen that old dog in years! This is so cool! It's like having a reunion!" interrupted Heiji.

He was sitting with Kazuha and Rika on one of the queen-size beds in the room.

"Can you act your age, Heiji?" said an annoyed Kazuha as she pinched the ear of her husband. "We have a situation here! Ran is spaced out from the stress and the rest of Japan must be in shock because of the news about Kaito-kun!"

"Itai! You're violent as usual, Kazuha! I understand the gravity of the situation but forgive me if I'm excited for seeing my old friends," Heiji replied in a sarcastic tone. "As if I'm the only one notacting my age! When you walked into the room and saw Ran and Sonoko, you were screaming like there's no tomorrow! You probably woke up half the guests in the hotel!"

"Oh yeah? Maa, you're just - "

The two stood up and the electricity of tension was almost visible between their eyes. Ran stepped in between them.

"There, there. We're not here to argue. Let's solve the problem at hand before we create a new one, ne?" she said in an effort to pacify them. "Besides, your daughter's here."

Kazuha sighed. "Barely. She's been spaced out since we arrived in the hotel. I guess it's the shock."

Ran examined the girl sitting on the other side of the bed. She has been staring at the window and watching the rain pour outside. The girl hasn't spoken a single word since she entered the room either.

"She'll get over it," assumed Sonoko. "Now let's get to the bottom of this mystery! And I, Hakuba Sonoko, mistress of deduction, will lead the - "

"Ano, Sonoko," Ran interrupted, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't you think Heiji should do all the talking instead?"

Sonoko frowned as she sat beside Kazuha on the bed.

"Fine, fine. But make it quick, Heiji! I'm really sleepy. It's almost midnight," Sonoko said with a yawn.

Ran sat beside Sonoko as Heiji cleared his thorat.

"Ladies," he addressed the girls sitting in front of him. "Before sunrise, we should be able to achieve three things. First one is to know why Kudou broke his pact with Kuroba and second is to come up with a plan to convince him to just give up on this mock investigation."

"And what's the third?" asked Sonoko as she yawned.

Heiji crossed his arms and smirked.

"There isn't. Three just sounds better than two," he said.

"HEIJI!" shouted the three girls simultaneously.

"Fine! The third one is to figure out why Kudou is acting weird lately," he said.

Ran clapped her hands.

"Oh, about that last one! I think he started acting funny the week before he, Ai-kun and Soui-chan went here," said Ran. "I told you about it, ne Sonoko?"

Sonoko, who was barely awake, nodded.

"Yeah, you thought he has a mistress..."

"Really? How come?" asked Kazuha who suddenly became intrigued.

"He muttered the name 'Josephine' in his sleep," said Ran. "Sonoko said that maybe it's just the Josephine in Hakuba's new movie."

Heiji nodded. "I heard about that one! Hakuba's doing a film about Josephine Balsamo, the countess of Cagliostro!"

"Who's that?" asked Kazuha. "Is she a client of Holmes? Hakuba likes to make Holmes movies, right?"

Heiji shook his head.

"Josephine is a character from Arsene Lupin. Besides Moriarty, Holmes also considered Lupin as his nemesis," he said. "Lupin is a gentleman thief and every time he and Holmes would face, he would always escape. Unlike Moriarty, he went about stealing nobly. Holmes admired him for that. They're like Shinichi and Kaito, actually. And Hakuba can be - "

Kazuha frowned. "I didn't ask who Lupin was! I asked about Josephine!"

"Violent and impatient," mumbled Heiiji under his breath.

"What did you say?" asked Kazuha. Ran and Sonoko had to stop themselves from giggling.

"Nothing, dear. Now, about Josephine," he said with a sigh. "Maa, she was like the Irene Adler of Lupin. Both were cunning women who posed as threat and challenge to these highly controversial figures, but Josephine was more vicious and plotting. She wasn't like Irene who decided to turn over a new leaf in the end. Iie, in fact, she vowed revenge for all the times Lupin had outsmarted her. She kidnaped Lupin's only son and made the two battle - or something like that. Another thing you should know about her was that she wasn't human."

"Not human?" asked Ran and Kazuha.

"She's like immortal, right? There were rumors that she may be her grandmother herself because her husband, or grandfather was some sort of immortal demon who makes evil or cursed jewelry...or something like that," said Sonoko.

Ran whispered to Kazuha, "I thought Sonoko was already asleep."

"I never expected her to know so much!" Kazuha whispered back.

"I heard that!" said Sonoko as she raised an eyebrow.

"Settle down, girls. I'm almost finished with the story. Maa, where was I? Oh yeah, everything Sonoko said was right. It was said that she was the very first owner of the Pandora gem," he said.

"But the Pandora gem is real, right? Kaito was after it and he stole it from Vermouth. She never aged too, ne? She's just like Josephine!" said Kazuha.

"During the time of Maurice Leblanc, the author of Arsene Lupin, there were already rumors of the gem's existence so it's possible that he incorporated it in the story," said Heiji. "Oi, chotto matte! Aren't we supposed to be talking about Kudou?"

"Now that you mention it, he was talking about the gem with Saguru the week before he left," said Ran as she gazed skyward.

"And didn't Shinichi say that the investigation was just a - what did he call it? A front?" said Kazuha.

"Hai," agreed Heiji. "To begin with, itisa front. We already know about Kaito so the investigation was useless to begin with. He used it to conceal something - but what?"

"Blackmail," said Sonoko as she yawned for the nth time. "If I knew somebody's secret and I want him to do something for me, I'd blackmail that somebody."

Heiji paced around the room.

"I've thought of that. I've seen the replay of Kudou's broadcasted deduction a while ago and I've noticed that he named Kaito only as a suspect," he said. "He didn't present all the evidence as well. My guess is that he'd release all the evidence if Kaito failed to do whatever he wants him to do..."

All of them fell in deep thought.

"You think Josephine has something to do with this?" said Ran, finally breaking the silence.

"Maybe Kaito is Josephine? Maybe Kaito and Shinichi are having an affair and Kaito was about to tell everybody about it and Shinichi threatened him that he'll reveal his secret if news about their affair breaks out!" suggested Kazuha in a very happy tone. She felt proud for coming up with such a theory.

The remaining three were stunned for a brief moment and recoiled in disgust.

"KAZUHA! That's gross and physically impossible! They're miles and miles apart!" screamed Heiji as he felt himself turning red. "I can't believe you even thought of such a thing!"

"Hey! At least I'm suggesting. I haven't heard you contributing ideas!" replied Kazuha using the same decibel his husband used.

"Here we are again," Ran said as she rolled her eyes. "Maa, what if Josephine was a real person?"

Sonoko gaped. "Not you too?"

Ran shook her head.

"Not in that sense. I mean, what if there was a Josephine in the real world? I mean, we just assumed that Shinichi was referring to the fictional Josephine," she said. "So, what if there was a real Josephine? You get it now?"

Kazuha and Heiji stopped bickering.

"You have a point," mused Heiji. "But what does she have to do with Kaito?"

Sonoko grunted. "You mentioned that the fictional Josephine was the first owner of the Pandora gem. And we all know that Kaito, or rather, KID, was the last known owner of the gem. So - "

"But Kaito got rid of the gem!" said Ran.

"We're not sure of that," said Heiji. "And this may sound impossible but what if Kaito didn't succeed in destroying it? What if the gem was back in the hands of the original owner?"

"Heiji! Josephine is fictional!" said Kazuha. "Stop joking! You're starting to scare me!"

"Maa," Sonoko finally stood up and stretched her arms into the air. "She was immortal and had magical powers so coming to the real world would be a piece of cake for her."

"Or somebody is using the myth of Josephine and pretending to be her in the real world!" suggested Ran as she stood up.

"But, what is the connection of all of this to Kudou?" asked Kazuha.

"You don't see it yet, dear?" said Heiji with a smirk. "They say that during sleep, the subconscious is highly alert. You dream of the things that are deep within your mind - things that occupy your thoughts almost constantly. If you talk in your sleep and you only mumble a name, it means that this person bothers you or that you are obsessed with that person."

"But - "

"And it may not be obsession over the person itself but what that person has. It's simple. Kudou wants the Pandora and is blackmailing Kuroba to give it to him," said Heiji. "But these are all theories and we have no evidence for our claim yet. It's also crazy to think that Kudou would ask Kuroba to do a thing for him. We all know that Pandora has been destroyed."

Ran frowned. "So all we have to do is convince Shinichi that the Pandora does not exist anymore so he won't have to make Kaito look for it, right? Let's go to the house now!"

"But we're not even sure about Pandora," reminded Heiji. "Let's not discard the possibility that it still exists. And about going to your house, it's useless. Kudou is probably in the HQ now, doing a mock interrogation or telling Kuroba of his plans."

Sonoko yawned. "I suggest we sleep first and go there first thing in the morning! Good night, everyone!" she said as she flopped down on the other bed.

"Ran, is it okay if we stay here for the night? I won't mind sleeping on those comfy-looking couches in the living room," said Kazuha.

Ran nodded. "I'll sleep in the living room too. It looks like Rika needs the bed more than I do," she said as she pointed to the girl, who was already asleep in her bed.

"Oh, so she's sleeping now. I bet she's just tired," supposed Heiji. "C'mon, let's all go the living room. Let's watch the news too! There may be updates about the KID case."

About three minutes later, the flat screen television was showing a most shocking update - Kudou was speaking to the press about a notice sent in by someone who claims he is KID.

The three were speechless at the recent turn of events. Heiji increased the volume of the television using the remote.

"This may be another KID fanatic," Kudou said as camera lights flashed everywhere. "Or someone who wants to distract the police so Kuroba-keibu would be free from the blame. Maybe the sender of this notice is an admirer of the keibu. He is a hero here, after all. Maybe that person thinks that if another KID appears, then keibu would be saved. But I'm afraid that it's not as easy as that. I have learned that there were fakes who attempted to be KID but failed. Duplicating a legend is immensely hard."

"Tantei! Tantei!" shouted the reporters who tried to call the attention of Shinichi. The camera showed a reaction shot of the crowded conference room of the head quarters. Other camera men were already standing up because the seats were filled with journalists, local and foreign. Shinichi and other FBI agents were in front and numerous microphones were placed on the podium where Shinichi was.

"Yes?"said Shinichi as he pointed to a plump news reporter.

"Kudou-tantei, do you have leads on who this KID wannabe is?" asked the plump and pimply reporter.

"No leads yet but we do know that this is a hard-headed one. He has chosen a very unfortunate time to pull his prank, or whatever he's trying to pull. This is the worst time to pick if you want to play around and be KID, and of course, if you are the real KID. Rest assured that we're investigating as best as we could," Kudou said. "The FBI-CIA and even the interpol will bring KID to justice. We're questioning Kuroba-keibu as we speak."

"Tantei! Tantei!" news reporters were raising their hands again, in hopes of being picked to ask the next question.

"You!" the detective pointed to a petite young journalist, who wore red from head to toe.

"What are the developments in the KID case? And the wife, mother and father-in-law of the keibu is brought in for questioning as well?"

Kudou smiled. "I'm afraid that I'm not allowed to divulge any information regarding that matter. We will inform all of you as soon as we are finished with the investigation."

"Then can you tell us the content of the suspicious notice instead?" asked the young journalist.

"If you're that persistent, maa, here it goes," said Kudou as he took out a sheet of paper from his pocket.

"I know what you want, Tantei-san. When the dark side of the moon triumphs over the night sky and as the old tower bewails the last quarter of the day, I shall appear and bleed crimson over your capital. I will bring the object of your desire and will gladly hand it over to the one who can touch my wounds and prove my resurrection. - KID"

The detective smirked as he left the room, leaving not just the journalists in the conference hall, but the whole world, baffled as ever.

NEXT CHAPTER: THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON