Chapter 3

Enik listened intently as the humans told their story. "Of course," he thought to himself. He had not seen the Holly of the Beige Universe the first time. It would make sense that she would follow her family, and it was of no surprise that her human brain had not developed to the point where she could recognize the slight differences in this Land of the Lost. But this was a tricky situation.

Enik's long game required that he didn't simply just kill the Marshalls. He needed to destroy their spirit. He loved the idea of sending the humans to the wrong reality. When Rich told Enik of his theory that the dead girl might be a version of Holly from another universe, the black Sleestak cursed the human's intelligence, but filed it in the back of his brain for future reference.

Enik realized that he would have to help the Marshalls figure out what happened. If he didn't, he could lose their trust. The black Sleestak knew that human compassion would control the Marshalls' actions, and it made perfect sense that they did not enter the Moongiver Pylon after what had happened. He decided to adapt his plan and to send the Marshalls to the wrong Earth another way, but for now, he would help them seek answers.

Pretending he needed a day to investigate, Enik met with the Marshalls again the following morning and told them about the two universes, filling them in on what had happened. In truth, he did revisit the Library of Skulls, where he was able to devise a plan that would further enhance the humans' trust, give him time to figure out another way to send the family to the wrong Earth at a later date, and actually save the girl from the Beige Universe.

Though he had no desire to help the child, he knew that the best way to preserve his future betrayal would be to save this other Holly. Fortunately, there was a piece of Altrusian technology that could accomplish this task. As the family returned to the Lost City the next day, the black Sleestak greeted them. "Rich Marshall, I have consulted the Library of Skulls. In order for you to truly understand what happened, you will accompany me there, where you will experience the wisdom of my ancestors."
Bill interjected, "but won't the Sleestak have something to say?"
Enik countered, "the Sleestak will not harm your father while he is in my presence. I have already arranged safe passage for Rich Marshall." For once, Enik was telling the truth. He thought about how he watched his beige counterpart struggle with the Sleestak of his universe, but in the Black Universe, the Sleestak were no threat to Enik. They tried early on, but after Enik used a weapon of his own design to fight back, the Sleestak were afraid of him. Of course, the Marshalls did not know that, as they were unable to communicate with the primitives.

Rich asked, "What will going to the Library of Skulls accomplish?"
Enik replied, "You will see. Hope is not lost for anyone, but first, you will come with me."

Bill and Holly started to join their father, but Enik held up a hand. "Stop. The two of you are not permitted to enter the Library of Skulls. Return to your cave. Your father will not be harmed."

"No way!" yelled Holly.
"Dad, you can't go by yourself!" Bill added.

But Rich trusted Enik and actually did not mind going alone. Though he was confident, unexpected dangers happened all the time in the Land of the Lost, and if his children stayed behind, he could focus more on the task at hand without having to worry about Bill and Holly. He turned to his son and daughter and gave them an assuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. If Enik says it's safe, then it's safe. I don't know what is going to happen there, but it would make me feel better knowing that the two of you are back at the cave."

Neither Bill nor Holly were happy, but Bill accompanied his sister back to High Bluff while their father went with Enik. Rich also knew that what he had to do was no place for Holly, who was still shaken from what she had seen happen to her counterpart the prior day.

Once in the Library of Skulls, Rich began to learn that his suspicions were correct and that the Holly that was killed was indeed from another universe. He was given a vision about the Beige Universe, where he saw various adventures involving Rick, Will and Holly, and how they were basically the same people, but with only slight differences. Rich took a moment to sympathize with the fact that Rick was a widower, knowing how he would feel in the same situation. Then to Rich's surprise, the Library told him that this other Holly could actually be spared.

"How could that be?" Rich asked the skull.

"The pylon that deposited the Holly Marshall from the other universe is not the only pylon that can affect the normal flow of time." As the skull spoke, the mist formed images in front of Rich, showing a tunnel that led to a brightly lit archway. Hidden on the floor on the other side of the archway was a crystal attached to a metal plaque. The skull continued. "What you are seeing is the key to a pylon which is called the temporal regulator. In the hands of the user, it can control the flow of time in this valley, both backwards and forwards."

"So I would be able to go back in time and somehow warn this other Holly not to leave the pylon?"
"You are perceptive for a human, but you must be prepared."

"Prepared?" Suddenly a beam shot out of the skull and hit Rich square in the chest. "What did you just do to me?" he demanded.

"The temporal regulator is a very dangerous device, not meant to be used without the permission of the Library of Skulls. You have received permission due to the fact that all you will do is affect the timeline of another universe, not this one. When you use the temporal regulator and leave the pylon, you will merge with your counterpart in the time period you choose. Within 30 of your seconds, you will completely forget why you used the regulator and will become one with your past self, oblivious as to why you are in a different location. It is a built-in failsafe in the temporal regulator that protects the timeline from those that would cause it harm. The distance between the pylon that allows you to return to the past and the pylon from which the human child emerges is too far for you to accomplish your mission. You would simply forget your purpose. The regulator beam that you just experienced will allow you to retain your memories."

Rich nodded at the explanation. "What about Enik?"

"Should you be successful, only you will know how. You will have had no reason to contact Enik and to arrange this meeting. Enik will not remember anything that happened from the point you alter the current reality. The timeline you create will overwrite the current timeline, and only you will know that something occurred."

Already, Rich was thinking about the possibilities. "Can I also use the temporal regulator to return my family to Earth?"
The skull answered, "No. The pylon which you seek does not travel between worlds. It only regulates time in this valley."
"But what if we go to the point where we got here? Wouldn't a time doorway to Earth be open?" If Rich could get his family home moments after they arrived, they would not only be reunited with his wife, but it would be as if they never left. Perhaps once the other Holly was saved, he could do something for his own family. He missed his wife terribly. So did Bill and Holly.
The skull replied, "we know the circumstances upon which you entered this world. If not for the time doorway that claimed your family, all of you would have been killed. If you could reach that doorway, it would open over a waterfall and you would experience the fate from which the portal rescued you."
Rich understood the logic. Another thought popped into his head. "Plus, if we exit the Land of the Lost, we wouldn't be in a position to try to save this other Holly." As badly as the Marshalls wanted to return to Earth, as desperate as they were, Rich would never do so if it meant sacrificing another human being, especially one that was a duplicate of his daughter. The skull confirmed Rich's thought.

Meanwhile, Enik betrayed no emotion, but inside, he was seething. He knew about the temporal regulator but had no clue where it was. If he had it, he could literally roll back time and simply exit in his own era. But unless he stole the device before Rich could use it, he would not even remember this conversation. He would forget the location of the temporal regulator. Enik's dilemma was to either act now and return home, but sacrifice the trust he earned with the Marshalls and his plan to destroy them, or he would have to play along, help Rich, and keep his plans alive.

As he stared at Rich and the skulls, he decided that these pathetic humans were no match for him in any timeline. Since Enik learned of the Beige Universe before the humans did and made his plan a couple of days before they came to him, he would remember his plot to destroy the family and his schemes for conquest. Enik was positive that his genius would either lead him to the temporal regulator in the new timeline, or he would find another way home. His ego would not allow him to take the easy way out. He would not take the regulator now. He spoke to Rich. "I will help you retrieve the key."