I waited inside one of the waiting rooms in the castle after leaving King Leonard and the National Security Council. There were some couches and magazines and a Sony color television with access to all the cable channels. I browsed Time magazine. Things were peaceful and quiet. I read through the magazine to digest some of the current events of my home world.

It was a time for reflection. Looking back almost a year, I can still remember the last time I saw Quinn and Remmy and Maggie. We had run afowl of some armed men, and we werre trying to hold them off until the next slide. When I jumped in, I remembered seeing someone flying in the opposite direction. In retrospect, I now think that that was what caused me to be unstuck. I got separated from them, and I waited for them while I had a temporary job at a hotel. A few days later, I woke up in a different world. I did not know how I got there. I looked for the native duplicate of Quinn, and soon I learned about my present situation.

I received a watch which told me how much time I had left, very much like what the timer did. I could still remember some of my adventures as an unstuck slider, such as the time when I and some other inmates escaped from the Presidio death camp, or when my con-artist duplicate had me take his place to ensure I would be killed in his place, or when I was a prisoner in Kromagg Outpost One, or when I was arrested by the FBI and sent to prison for a crime my duplicate committed, or when I foiled a kromagg plot to bypass my home world's slidecage, or when I had a temporary fling with a princess, or when I met poeople trying to rebuild society after a plague wiped out all the adults, or when I got mixed up with federal agents from another dimension who were protecting a criminal witness. God knows that Quinn, Remmy, and Maggie had similar adventures during that time. Maybe one day we could all sit down in a hotel suite and talk about such things over a hot cup of coffee or a cold beer.

And I could not forget Marc LeBeau. He had been contacting me telepahtically across the dimensions. He helped me out a couple of timesd, such as when he warned me that there was a kromagg plot to bypass the slidecage. He was the one who sent Dr. Maximilian Arturo to help me, and I learned how to slide at will. Now I am here, reunited with my parents and a sister I never knew I had.

"Hello, Mr. Mallory," said Wade Welles as she went into the waiting room.

"Nice place," I said. "At least they keep visitors comfortable."

"The NSC is still meeting."

"What of my parents?" I asked.

"They're still at the meeting," replied the aide. "Listen, how would you like a tour of the castle?"

"I would very much like that."

And so we went on a tour. Wade Welles took me through the various sitting rooms where royal guests would sit, to halls containing official portraits of America's rulers, and even to the State Dining Room, where the king hosts official banquets.

After the tour was over, I went back to the waiting room near the NSC conference room. Minutes later, my parents came to meet me.

"Well, shall we go to the hotel?" asked Dad.

"Sure," I said. "It beats jail."

and so a limousine provided by Castle America took me to the Watergate Hotel, where my parents were staying. The castle paid for a hotel suite.

"We were supposed to go back today," said Mom. "But due to recent events, the castle is paying for another night's stay."

I entered the hotel suite, and it was a lot like the hotel suites I sometimes stayed in. There was a living room in the front, with a television and a coffee table. There was a sink and a refrigerator and a micorwave oven in the back. There was also a door which led to the bedroom.

"There should be a foldaway bed on the couch," said Dad.

"That will be enough," I said. I then decided to flip through the channels of the television. There was this daytime talk show called Lipschitz Live! it was about a silly subject, so I changed the channel. There were a few soap operas as well as reruns of old sitcoms, but nothing interesting.

The telephone rang, and I answered it.

"Hello," I said.

"Is this Colin Mallory?" a female voice asked.

"Who is this?"

"This is Major Maggie Beckett. Listen, I just finished meeting with the NSC. I'd like to take you and your parents on a tour of Alberton."

"I'd like that."

And so that was what I did.

Maggie took me and my parents on a tour through Alberton. We got to see some monument,sa including one dedicated to King Samuel, who reigned over a century ago. We then visted the Capitol building where the laws of the United States are made. We visisted the capital rotunda, with its marble floor. We visited the balcony of the House of Representatives chamber, which was in session; I saw the representatives debating over some trade bill. We also visited the Senate chamber, which was empty because the Senate was not in session at the time.

"How many times have you been here?" I asked Major Beckett.

"I was here twice to testify before the House Armed Services Committee," she replied.

After a quick tour of the Capitol building, we then went to visit a few more monuments. I noticed that the sun was setting.

We stopped at one monunment a few minutes before sunset. It was a huge obsidian wall with a whole bunch of names on it.

"This is the Kromagg War Memorial," said Major Beckett. "Each of those names belongs to a member of the armed forces who was killed in combat with the kromaggs. My father served with some of these men. Every Veterans' Day and Memorial Day, my dad and I would visit and he woiuld lay wreaths on the wall next to the names of those he knew."

I looked at my parents. "Did you both know people who were killed in the war?"

Both of them nodded their heads.

They both led me and the majot to another section on the wall. I read through the names, and I noticed one of the names.

MACARTHUR MALLORY-KIA APRIL 8, 1970

I recognized the name immediately, for it was the name of my Uncle Mac!

"He was my brother," said Dad. "He was a fighter pilot for the U.S. Navy. A kromagg fighter took out his plane on that date."

"I knew his duplicate," I said. "Uncle Mac took me in after my adoptive parents died. The whole family later moved south, which was the reason you guys couldn't find me."

I saw Major Beckett staring at the wall. I then remembered something.

"Does your father know Todd Blair?" I asked.

"Who's that?" asked the major.

"I met him in a homeless shelter in Salt Lake City while I was traveling here," I said. "he served in the Battle of Alberton like your father did. He too was awarded a Purple Heart."

"What was his name again?" asked Maggie.

"Todd Blair. He's been homeless for quite some time, and I think it is a shame that some of those who served this country honorably and bled for it are homeless"

She wrote it down. "I'll call him about it," she said. "Well, shall I escort you back to your hotel room? You have a flight back to Colorado tomorrow morning."

So we went back to the Watergate, and I folded out the bed from the couch in the hotel suite. There was some late night comedy show on, and I recognized the host; perhaps I saw a duplicate of him hosting another version of this show.

My thoughts became jumbled as I settled down to sleep. Perhaps divine revelation would show me where Quinn and Remmy and Maggie were.

No divine revelation came.

I woke up the next morning, and I had breakfast with my parents. Breakfast consisted of a top sirloin steak, scrambled eggs, two strips of bacon, toast, diced potatoes, and orange juice. I looked forward to a future in this world. I would have to get a few things, such as a driver's license and a savings account and a checking account. And I of course would need a job. Maybe I could get a job bussing tables in restaurants.

But first, I had to bring Quinn home.

Finally, we had to go. We got into a U.S. Marine Corps Ford Crown Victoria staff car. The driver took us to the U.S. Marine Corps Garrison in Alberton. There was a helicopter waiting on the helipad, and Major Beckett piloted the helicopter which took us from Alberton to Landry Air Force Base in Maryland.

A U.S. Air Force transport plane was waiting on a taxiway near the hangar.

"Goodbye, Colin," said Maggie. "I wish you well, May you find your brother."

"I'm sure he'd live to meet you," I replied. "You remind him of a close friend."

My parents and I boarded the plane, which took off minutes later. I dozed off to sleep.

A few minutes after waking up, the plane touched down at Petersen Air Force Base in Colorado. Then we went home.

I did not do much at home except watch some movies on HVC and browse the Internet. I learned more about what King Leonard told me about how the Voraton ruined the environment. The Voraton's poisoning of the ocean had far-reaching effects. There wwas no more surfing or scuba diving on the ocean. the Great Barrier Reef was gone, after the polyps that built and maintained the thing were killed. Beachfront property was cheap, due to the fact few people had a desire to live next to what was essenatially a toxic waste site.

I went into these meditative trances, reaching beyond the dimensions, hoping to find Quinn. I could not find Quinn. I could not even contact Marc LeBeau.

"Maybe it is not the right time," said Dad. "The Lord did not lead you home to us until now."

"You told us about how you foiled the kromaggs' polt to get past the slidecage," said Mom. "Maybe your brother and his friends still have one more thing to do in another universe. It might involve kromaggs; it might not."

"I just wish I could bring him here when Katie returns Friday night," I said.

On the evening of Friday, May 12, 2000, we all went to the airport to pick up Katie. She was there, waiting for us, with her luggage.

I gave her a kiss.

"Where's Quinn?" she asked.

"I have not found him yet," I said. "Just have faith, I am sure the time will come for his homecoming."

"We had no idea either of your brothers were alive until last week," said Mom.

"Well, I'm looking forward to get to know Colin better," said Katie.

And so we went home for dinner. We bought a pre-cooked rottiserie chicken meal from Pavilions along the way. After Katie put her luggage in her room, we all had dinner.

I told her more about my experiences with sliding, both with Quinn and alone. Katie told me about her finals, and about her fiance. She hoped that Quinn will be there to attend the wedding.

It was the next day, Saturday, May 13, 2000, when I finally received the message. I received the message in the afternoon. Katie and I had just returned hiomne after visiting some of the sights of Colorado Springs.

"It's me," I heard Marc LeBeau say. "Colin, the time for your reunion is upon you."

"What?" I asked.

"You must hurry. My time is running out. Your friends are on my world."

"They are."

"Come to them. Come to me."

I quickly called for Mom and Dad, who both came into the living room.

"What is it?" asked Dad.

"Marc LeBeau has contacted me," I said. "Quinn and the others are on his world. I'm going to go pick them up."

"You mean you're bringing Quinn back now?" asked Mom.

"Now is the time," I said.

Katie hugged me. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."

"It shouldn't take me more than a few minutes," I said. "when I come back here, I'll come back with Quinn!"

I then closed my eyes, banishing the excitement. I had to focus on Marc LeBeau.

"Come here," he said. "My time is almost over."

I then felt the weightless sensation. Then I felt the tug of Earth's gravity at my feet.

I opened my eyes, and I immediately saw I was not in my house in Colorado Springs. In fact, I seemed to be in a warehiouse of some sort.

I noticed four people stading in the room. Tghere was all sorts of electronic equipment in there.

One of those people turned around. I saw that was Maggie Beckett.

Not just any Maggie Beckett, THE Maggie Beckett.

"Colin," she said. "am I dreaming this? Are you a ghost?"

"No, Maggie," I said. "I just came here."

"Oh colin," she cried as she gave me a hug. "We've missed you so much! We tried to get you back."

"I just had to travel my own separate path for a while," I said. "But now I'm back. I'm gonna take you and Quinn and Remmy home."

Maggie let go. Sitting on a chair I could see Marc LeBeau, who had contacted me acorss the dimensions and whom I met just days ago.

"Hello," I said to him.

"He's dead," a male voice said. I turned and saw a man I had never met before.

I looked around. I saw a duplicate of my mom; I assumed she was this world's version of her. I also saw this Negro lady who looked like one of the technicians at Slidecage Control; perhaps she is another duplicate.

"Where's Quinn?' I asked. "Where's Rembrandt?"

"It's gonna be hard to explain," saiod Maggie. I could tell she will not like telling me the story she was about to tell. "It happened the same time you were separated from us. You see."

And Maggie explained everything.

"It's not over," I said. "My journey is not over. This is just the beginning."

THE END OF ONE JOURNEY

THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER....