I had nowhere to run. The slimy black thing had created weird...figures from its obsidian ooze that followed me around, blocking my retreat. Charlie made frustrated noises as he flitted about in the trees, watching it happen.

I stared at the monstrous creature in front of me. It didn't have eyes to look into, just empty sockets, but I looked that way just to show I was unafraid. "What are you? How did you get like this?"

It answered, in a voice (and breath) like sewage bubbling up in a sink, "I am Xetgupa, though that and all other associated knowledge will soon become irrelevant." The monster smiled, growling out a command: "Come close so that I may feed."

I did not. "You must think I'm an idiot."

The monster raised its goopy claws, beckoning to me like it intended to draw me in with invisible rope.

I quickly saw an expression of dismay cross the thing's features. "What did you do!"

I shrugged. "Nothing. Why?" Did Ihyokxa do something to the 'implant' this thing put in me? I silently wondered.

My comment seemed to infuriate the rotting creature. Without a word, he rushed up and blew mold spores on me like an aerosol spraycan.

Obviously, it wasn't great to breathe that stuff in. It got in my nose and mouth, and I felt my airways closing up.

I broke into a coughing fit, collapsing on the ground as I gasped for air.

A shifting mound of slime coursed up along the dirt, shot up my rapidly shrinking passages.

I felt something go up into my nose to my brain, and I blacked out.

I awoke to find myself vomiting pink slime, coughing as my breathing slowly returned to normal. I felt as if I'd just reached the end of a bad flu and could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Upon righting myself, I noticed that I now stood in a pool of pink slime, my enemy Xetgupa now sprawled flat on the soil, body slowly crumbling apart, looking like a weird white sculpture of some sort, bony witch fingers frozen in the act of reaching for me. I'm really not sure what happened, but he wasn't moving and kind of resembled a skeleton.

When I looked around, I found a path clear for an escape.

However, as I made my way to a safer part of this strange coral forest, I noticed something glittering on the ground next to my fallen enemy's crumbling skull. A large golden hoop, shaped like one of those super fast Frisbees with the hole in the middle, but big enough to put your head through.

Tarnished and oddly weathered looking, it seemed to be more or less of the same dimensions as the base of Xetgupa's 'coolie hat.' I watched the object for a moment, trying to decide if Xetgupa were truly dead or just baiting me into a trap.

If it was a trap, Xetgupa was doing a good job of playing dead. Of course, this was also someone who played dead inside a tree for a decade, so I knew I had to be at least a little cautious.

I definitely wanted to show that Frisbee thing to someone. I figured ET or one of his friends would be able to tell me what it was, or what it did. At the very least, I could prove that Xetgupa was no more, like that broom on the Wizard of Oz.

And so I cautiously reached for the ring.

The moment I lay hold of it, the skeletal hand grabbed me, and Xetgupa spoke something incomprehensible in a gurgling voice. I screamed out of reflex.

I expected something more to happen, but the bony fingers froze in place around my wrist, and no more fart smelling breaths ushered from his mouth.

Shuddering, I gave Xetgupa's hand a vigorous shake and it broke off at the wrist joint, still dangling from where it grasped me. I transferred the hoop to my other hand, gave the decaying appendage a more violent shake, and the monster (and its claw), made no more attempts at attacking me.

Obviously I didn't hang around there. Although I saw no traces of the black ooze (it had been somehow replaced with the pink substance) I didn't like the look of the place, wanted to be away to a safer location. I hurried off.

The ring seemed to...vibrate in my hands somehow. It reminded me of the sensation you get after holding the handle of a running lawnmower for a long time. I hoped it didn't have any toxic effects like lead poisoning.

Charlie had been lurking in the treetops during this whole exchange. Not like I blame him, really. Besides me being a jerk to him, he wasn't any sort of superhero, and wasn't even immune to large falling moon rocks. Now that he saw it was safe, he swooped down and nuzzled me, frowning somewhat when he noticed my sliminess.

I furrowed my brow. "You were watching me, right?"

He misunderstood. "I am sorry I not help."

"No, no, I mean, what just happened?"

"You...get sprayed with fungus. You...look sick. Then Xetgupa look sick, he double over, he die." Apparently that's all he knew.

I stared at him. "How did you know how to find me in the first place?"

Charlie made a shrugging gesture. "I follow your scent, see large amounts of kootala following a something. I find the something was you."

I gawked, still not used to having full conversations with him. "Uh...how did you know to come looking for me?"

Charlie purred. "I was missing alien soft warm body. I roll over and find no Elliott. Wonder where he is?"

I sighed. "You at least know how to get back to camp?"

He gave me a nod. "Follow."

It appeared I had wandered a little too far in the wrong direction, so I was in for a walk. We traveled in silence for awhile.

"Thanks for finding me. I probably would have been wandering around in this place forever."

"Hmmm," Charlie replied.

Then, after a long silence, "I'm...starting to remember things...You...killed me. With a large rock."

I paled, wondered if he'd abandon me...Or worse, that he was another illusion sent by Ihyokxa. I mean, this talk was about as expected as Dad showing up. "I'm sorry. It was an accident. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't even know I had powers like that, let alone how to use them! Besides, your people were trying to hurt us. Sure, it was a test, but it backfired on you. Still, I'm sorry. I didn't want to kill you."

"Hmmm." It sounded like grumbling, even scoffing, perhaps. "I've been thinking about the time you attacked me, too. Trying to murder someone...That is not a fair response to an insult."

I felt a chill. He wasn't even speaking in pidgin like he'd been a few seconds ago. What if this was a trick? "Are you really Charlie?"

"Why wouldn't I be? Is it my improved Qectugo speech? As I said, I'm starting to remember things...You are a violent child."

I stopped, almost ready to cry. "What do you want? I said I'm sorry! If I could take it back I would! It's not going to happen again, can't you see I already feel bad enough about that as it is?"

When he didn't reply, I added, "If you're still holding grudges about that, you can just go...and let me wander off and die somewhere."

Charlie purred. "That is not necessary. I just wanted you to know how much I am forgiving you."

"Why? For blackmail?" The alien looked baffled. "What is that?"

I smiled and shook my head. No way I was giving him that idea! "Nothing. Thank you."

We continued our hike. "Charlie, do you know anything about a Qulpari named Ihyokxa?"

He shook his head. "I have been living on your moon a long time there is much about my home world I am ignorant about."

I smirked, petting him. "Thanks."

I showed him the hoop. "You know what this thing is?"

Charlie made a face like he knew what it was, then shrugged and gave me an `I dunno' noise. I gave up trying with him.

I couldn't tell if it were my imagination, or real, but things around me, the plants, land shrimp, even Charlie, seemed to be aging very slightly as I walked, and it seemed to correspond with the vibrating gold thing I had clutched in my hand. I began to feel a bit...unsettled.

After a few more minutes of traversing the glowing alien landscape, we once more encountered our tent.

With Roy standing in front of it, arms crossed indignantly. "So where'd you wander off to this time?"

His guess his guess was as good as mine. "Um, I dunno."

The skepticism was clear on his facial expressions. "What, you found another tree? Unleashed some more of Darth Vader's deadly goons?"

"Um...no?"

Norenio looked worried for me, but not angry...Relieved I was okay, but Lori was scowling, hands on her hips. Even Vadful, hitched to a post near the tent, looked a bit angry at my disappearance.

Tiffrid the nennop observed us mutely, I guess making silent assessments of the psychology of the situation.

Roy sighed. "You're all wet! You go skinny dipping or something?"

"Something," I muttered.

He grabbed a clump of my hair. "What, were you taking a bath in snot? What is this stuff?"

"Hell if I know!" I showed him the gold Frisbee thing. "Do you have any idea what this thing is?"

I could tell he didn't have the foggiest. "Probably just a piece of scrap metal. Qulpari don't think too highly of gold and silver."

Then why was Xetgupa wearing it? I wondered. "You know something about a Qulpari named Ihyokxa?"

Roy shook his head. "You're probably better off asking your buddy Vorxora..." He scowled. "Maybe you can see about getting a towel, too. You're going to smear that crap all over the place otherwise."

I entered the tent. Tolmina and Spike smiled at me as I entered the tent, pleased, I guess, that I wasn't dead and got back in one piece.

Gertie was glad to see me again. It seemed, against everyone's advice, she had decided to keep her protective litter open until I returned, and even tried to hug me before Roy scolded her and ordered her back into the litter.

Seeing that amount of energy and enthusiasm from her...It made me hopeful. "Is she...doing better?"

Gertie coughed several times, feebly resigning herself to her floating bed.

"I guess not." I squeezed her hand before remembering that I was coated in slime.

"She's breathing a little better," said Pete. "But I dunno. Sick people often seem better when they're not."

Alien towels are unusual. As thin as a piece of paper, they come in something resembling a notebook, but they're super strong, long enough to wrap around a Qulpari body, and swell up to the size of a hotel bath towel once they absorb liquid. There's also a little portable laminator looking thing you run the dirty ones through, to both extract liquids and remove dirt.

"ET," I asked as I was drying off. "Do you know anything about a Qulpari named Ihyokxa?"

His neck got really short when he heard the name. It seemed I had said something that disturbed him. "Ihyokxa is not a Qulpari. It is a thing. Some call it Curdiru, or Ofwevon the ancient. It is described as an intelligence embodied in a liquefied form. A liquid consciousness. As far as I know, it is only a legend. They said that it has existed since the beginning of time and devours all it comes across. I have heard that very few, if any, have seen Ihyokxa and lived to tell the tale."

I shrugged. "I met it. Sovirox's friend Xetgupa...he put something in me...and I guess it killed it."

ET laughed, an uncharacteristically mad barking laugh that indicated he didn't believe me.

"And you have also met Xetgupa." ET's tone seemed skeptical. I nodded, telling him everything that happened.

That was when I decided to show him the gold Frisbee.

"What is this thing?"

ET extended his neck, stared at it, then his head jerked back like a turtle reacting to a flame in front of its face. "Where did you get that!"

"I think...Xetgupa was wearing it...he...died somehow."

"Ooh!" Lori cried when she saw the object. "That's pretty! Might make a good necklace!" she grabbed it, put it around her neck.

"No!" ET shouted. The hoop flew off her neck, hovering in the air. "This isn't mere jewelry! This is the Walseru coz Vipsada, the disk of time. Some call it the hoop of decay. It is said that the object can make a thing mature, ferment, produce fruit, rot or die!"

"A magic ring that ages things?" Lori scoffed. "That's silly!"

Was it my imagination, or did she suddenly look more beautiful than before? I caught myself staring, with my mouth hanging open, at her without meaning to, wondering if there wasn't at least some truth to this legend.

She stared back, and after reddening a little, asked "What?"

I shook my head. "What purpose of that kind of...object be useful for?"

ET gave me a look that implied I was not as smart as he originally thought. "Growing crops, creating alcohols, improving livestock, cultivating medicines from various fungi...possibly withering one's enemy."

"If it does all that, " I said. "Why was he wearing it around his head? Surely he didn't want to turn into a rotten mushroom thing!"

"It does not damage the wearer, not at the beginning. They must first use the power of the thing. it seems, in this case, it went to his head."

"It really wasn't a good necklace anyway, " Lori muttered. "They're supposed to dangle, not stick out like a dog collar."

I regarded the object with discomfort. "Does it...age things just by sitting around? Do we need to bury it or something?"

ET shook his head. "Everything ages a little with each passing second. That being said, I do not suggest prolonged contact with it, or using your powers near it."

Spike placed it in a little box for us. I kind of wished it were lead lined, but nobody had anticipated me coming into possession of such an object to begin with, so we only had a useless looking wooden tote.

ET no longer seemed to doubt my story. In fact, he looked grave. "Xetgupa was Sovirox's mate. I doubt he will take this well. This incident may place all of our lives in harm's way."

I swallowed, gave a solemn nod.

"As far as Ihyokxa is concerned, if you have truly faced him, I fear this is not the end of it. If you remember a way back to the creature, I would try to forget it."

"Are you awake enough to travel?" Roy asked me as he climbed, stooped over, into the child sized tent. "We've wasted a lot of time here waiting for you already. If we're going to do this thing and help your sister, we'd better get on with it."

"I'll manage."

The tent came down and got stowed away just as easily as it got set up. In no time we were hoofing it through the coral forest again.

As stated before, ET was charting our course seemingly at random, basing our route on the half remembered stories and crudely sketched maps of Qulpari who claimed to have found what they were looking for in that place.

All of this was okay at first, because, here and there, we'd found actual dirt trails, indications that someone had journeyed that way before. Unfortunately, now we had no such indicators, and had to go on nothing but the vague directions and approximate coordinates of old legends. Our progress slowed.

At one point, Roy got so frustrated with ET and the others that he insisted we all go back to the hospital, but ET quickly explained that he wasn't lost, they just needed a few moments to decipher the instructions, and we soon continued onward.

I marched up alongside Roy. "So really. How have you been earning money all this time? I know what you told me, but that was still kind of vague."

He shrugged. "It's employment that's a vague. My career is a little...freeform. Sometimes I donate blood to science, or I cook...help Qulpari reach stuff that's above their heads, construction work... Let's just call it 'general labor.'"

"And Norenio...she just gets her money from the restaurant?"

"Just!" he exclaimed. "She's a damn fine cook! Sure, she'd get paid better if she were a librarian, oddly enough, but..."

We passed shiny, leathery plants suggestive of Joshua trees, wincing at their pungent ammonia scent.

I noticed Pete busy fashioning a doll out of some fibrous wood like sticks he'd found lying about. When I asked, he said he was making something for Gertie, and thought he might call it `Rooty' or `Sticky' or maybe `Groovy', he didn't know yet.

We walked.

"They never finished my marking," Lori complained. "I'm still obligated to...Whatever punishment I'm supposed to be getting, aren't I?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "I mean, the guy you stole from is technically dead, and he was into a lot of stuff that should be considered illegal, so I don't know how much you can be obligated for something like that. The bracelet belongs to Gertie now anyway..."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "I just hope I don't end up in a...another alien jail."

"I'll take care of it," said Spike. "I have pull with the Orbuva."

We stopped briefly for a light breakfast of leftovers, and I got introduced to buvca, a fermented beverage that's loaded with caffeine. Apparently it makes Abreyas very drunk, but not humans, which explained a few things about Norenio's relationship with Roy, and led to some awkward discussions with the nennop along our march, Norenio accusing Roy of taking unfair advantage. I tried to ignore them and watch the scenery.

We saw some strange animals along the way, an alien turtle with runes along its back...storks with mudskipper faces and leathery wings...there were sections of purple dirt where I saw what looked like red rocks crawling across them.

"ET," I said. "You warned me about using my powers with...that hoop. Does that mean I still have some?"

He nodded. "You have the ones that count."

While we traveled, Roy insisted that Gertie stay inside her protective egg and not open the lid. She wasn't happy about the arrangement, but we (especially Peter) promised to talk to her the whole time, give her an up to the minute play by play of everything that was happening. She did have a communicator in the litter with her. ET, being the super nice guy that he is, even made us a little jealous by having his friends make calls to her, calls we weren't always privy to.

The only thing that made me uncomfortable was how much the live video made me think of the view from inside a coffin. If I'd been in her position, I probably would have freaked out, thinking about that Alfred Hitchcock show where a woman tries to sneak out of a prison in a pine box and ends up getting buried alive.

We paused, staring as a flock of bronze colored winged creatures flew overhead.

"Where are we now?" my sister asked.

Roy waved around the communicator to give her a panoramic view. "It looks pretty."

I put my hand on the litter. "Gertie, we're going to get you better and out of that thing, if it's the last thing I do."

Our journey came to an abrupt halt at an apparent dead end at the edge of a large swampy lake populated by weird bamboo-like plants that periodically puffed out clouds of gas and spores into the air.

Roy scowled at the unwelcoming scenery. "Okay, Vorxora. We've had our little adventure. Now it's time to get back and give this kid some real medical help."

ET gave him a look that seemed to say `You're an idiot', but said nothing, just raised a glowing finger.

I saw something vaguely conical and translucent shimmering in the air.

Roy gawked. "What the...?"

Spike waddled up next to him, raised his own glowing digit, and the strange object gained definition: A gold, pointy needle-like spire, like you'd see on the top of a Thai palace or temple.

Gertie's litter came open, and she sat up, raising her own hand.

Roy wasn't too happy about her doing this. "Gertie, I don't think..."

He faltered when he saw her glowing, and something like a crumbling minaret materializing out of what appeared to be empty air.

ET gave me an expectant look.

"Seriously?"

His expression, in response, seemed to be `You want this?'

I shrugged, pantomiming, `What do you want from me?'

He just gave a nod toward my sister. `Well, all right,' I answered nonverbally, raising a spread open palm.

I felt a jolt, like I'd just plugged myself into a high tension power line.

I glowed, and more of the structure appeared, a roof covered in needle-like cones, weathered walls of stone blocks, with projecting sculptural details representing various exotic animals.

Lori's face was saying to me, `Am I supposed to do this too?' Then her expression changed to `If you can do it, I can.'

Indeed she could. Her chest and hand glowed, and we could see more of the stone blocks.

Now me, Gertie, Lori, and all the Qulpari glowed like radioactive, hands raised, drawing this ancient building out of seeming nonexistence.

Without asking permission, ET grabbed Roy's hand, and he arched his back, as if in pain, also glowing.

Norenio nervously put a hand on him, and she too glowed, transferred the power to the nennop via a `handshake' with their tails.

Even the giant bird, making contact with Tiffrid's body, glowed with an eerie light.

Something made a loud pop, and there was this old weather cracked edifice, undeniably real and pressing on the senses. We put our hands down, let go of each other, and stopped glowing, but the structure retained its physical presence before us.

"Did we..." Roy stammered. "Just make that out of thin air?"

"I don't think so," I said. "I...think it's always been here."

We stared through a vast stone arch into a long spooky looking corridor. Beyond we could only see a stairwell and darkness as far as the eye could see.

"I see a staircase," Lori said. "Where do you think it leads?"

ET waddled ahead.

"I...think we're going to find out."