Jim opened his backpack and produced Kronisphere. "We brought this too."

Douxie didn't touch it. "Has it shown you anything else?"

"Just how to open a hidden compartment in my basement," Jim said. "It showed Mom The Book of Ga-Huel."

Everyone turned to Barbara.

"That's all I saw," she said. "Over and over, the same image. That," she pointed to the book, "open on my nightstand at home."

"What if we all took a turn looking?" said Claire.

Jim kept Kronisphere in hand. "I'm not sure that's a good—"

His mom's touch on his shoulder cut him off. "I'm willing to try."

"As am I," said Douxie.

"Me three." NotEnrique hopped from Claire's shoulder onto the table, careful to stay away from Excalibur's blade.

Jim's grip on the sphere relaxed. "Then I'll go first." He braced for another swarm of images, but instead, only one appeared in Kronisphere's eye. It was the same image he'd seen in Trollmarket. Then, it had been bathed in crimson light instead of green, but it hadn't otherwise changed.

Instead of dropping Kronisphere this time, Jim gripped it tighter.

In the image, Claire wore a bright smile and had her arms around Jim. The dress she wore rivaled anything Jim had ever seen, and it glittered as if woven with magic.

Near Jim stood his mom and Walter Strickler—in human form. The look of pride on his mom's face made her seem ten years younger. Walter wasn't dismissive of Jim and Claire, but his attention focused on Barbara. Both wore wedding bands.

Toby and Darcie danced like middle schoolers as Nomura avoided being pulled into their shenanigans.

Claire's parents held onto an elementary school age Enrique. The boy's blond hair was tousled, and he'd abandoned his shoes.

NotEnrique was in mid-leap, aiming for Claire's shoulder.

Not to be left out, Douxie offered an arm to Zoe, who took it.

Aja and Steve corralled their seven youngsters—now the same apparent age as Enrique—with some help from Krel and Varvatos.

Eli and Stuart held a heated discussion over a hologram of Stuart's old taco truck, El Guerito.

Two dark-haired children Jim didn't recognize ran past everyone, clothes and hair, once perfect, now rumpled and askew. Behind them rolled a young troll. Four little horns sprouted from its head, and rows of dull spikes poked from its back.

Crouched in the corner, directing the growth of dozens of lilies that sprang up around the image, was Nari.

It seemed to Jim he'd studied the image all his life. He knew every piece of this moment, as if it were part of the fabric of who he was. But just before he broke gaze with Kronisphere, something in the background glowed.

He knew that shade of blue.

"Jim honey, are you all right?" His mom caught him as he buckled.

Claire grabbed Kronisphere as it slipped from his fingers.

"I'm fine." Jim stood unaided. "I thought…" He groped for snippets of the memory. "No. Nevermind. I'll save it until everyone's looked. Claire, you go ahead."

Claire held Kronisphere in both hands and gazed into the brilliant eye. Its color shifted from green to violet.

Not five seconds later, Claire gasped and tried to pull away, but Kronisphere wouldn't release her. "Help…" she whispered. "Help me…"

NotEnrique leapt at the sphere at the same moment Jim lunged for it.

They wrested it from Claire's hands, and Jim threw it in his backpack, trapping it with a quick zip.

"What happened?" Jim took her shaking hands.

"It was Morgana!" Claire shuddered. "She had her artificial hand, but not her armor. Nari was with her. Morgana saw me. Somehow. And she wouldn't let me leave. It was like she reached through time and grabbed me."

"Did she say anything?" said Douxie.

"I—yes. She said, 'Weep'."

"That's it?" Jim said.

Claire nodded.

Barbara took Kronisphere from the backpack before Jim could protest. She kept from looking straight into the sphere at first, sneaking glances at it every other second until it drew her in.

Unlike Claire's experience, Kronisphere didn't change color for Barbara. She held the orb for ten minutes. Her lips parted, and tears fell, but she didn't wipe them away.

Jim touched her arm. "Mom?"

"I don't want to let go…" she said wistfully. "I want to keep watching this forever."

"But you've gotta let go." Jim eased one hand over the green eye.

"I know, sweetie." She dried her tears.

"What'd you see?" said Jim.

Barbara Lake covered her mouth with both hands.

"We need to know," Douxie said as he took Kronisphere from Jim, carefully keeping its eye facing the floor. "If you need some time, we'll hear about it after Jim recounts what he saw."

Barbara nodded. "Then I'll wait."

Douxie rotated the sphere until its eye met his.

Kronisphere's shade faded to blue.

Almost instantly, Douxie screamed and hurled the sphere across the workshop. He scrambled away as it ricocheted off the wall and bounded back to him. "Get away!" He avoided the sphere. "I'm not watching that again!"

Kronisphere leaped into Douxie's hands, and he couldn't shake it free.

Jim, Claire, and Barbara pulled but only succeeded in dragging Douxie across the room as Kronisphere captured him in its gaze.