::Chapter Three::

As Jinnai walked out of the rabbit warren of tunnels his troops had dug into the mountain base, he stretched his arms and yawned lazily. He wasn't going anywhere in particular, just wandering his way towards the surface of the world he knew he would soon return to conquer. Sooner, in fact, than his worst enemies had ever feared.
He passed a soldier or worker here and there, and he returned their prompt salutes with a lazy smile of smug superiority. The rebuilding of the Bugrom empire had progressed at an incredible rate since that first, strange day when he and Diva had fertilized the first batch of eggs to be grown into the worker drones they would need to turn the ancient cavern into their new base of operations. It was hard to describe the sense of ownership he felt he had over this, his new army. The forces he had led into Roshtaria during the first war had been his to command, of course, but they hadn't been his army. They'd belonged to Diva, but this time it was different. This time, they had shared the responsibility for raising the legions of soldiers, scouts, workers, and flyers, and he felt an odd sort of pride at the idea that every single Bugrom that was walking around him today was there only because of him.
But his present force levels were still far below what he considered optimum. At best, he could carry out raids on the new Roshtarian Army's supply lines, and scout out their dispositions with a fair degree of accuracy. The fact that Roshtaria was building an army of their own didn't concern him unduly, for he remained sublimely confident of his ability to lead his own forces to victory over anything Princess Rune threw at him.
No, his greatest concern was his archenemy Makoto, and the Eye of God. Their last experience with his tinkering, while amusing, had proven that he was still working on some way of eliminating the Bugrom for good. Whether it was through the Eye or some other method, Makoto was the reason that Jinnai hadn't dared to carry out more than probing raids against their borders. For one, the security of their new home base was dependent upon the fact that no one in Roshtaria even knew where to look for it. This had limited their initial movements severely, but Jinnai was prepared to accept the handicap as long as it meant he could raise his armies in secret.
Besides, his workers had dug out tunnels that reached the surface miles from their starting point, and their crisscross pattern was guaranteed to send anyone who found them in anything but the right direction. They had already made it more than two hundred miles into the border of Roshtaria, and had penetrated completely several of the other, smaller dependencies. No, when the time came, he was certain to achieve complete surprise. And no matter how great of an army they had managed to raise, it's size would merely give his own troops more targets to practice on as he picked them off from behind their own lines.
At this thought Jinnai began to giggle evilly. Mizuhara would never suspect it in a million years! His greatest rival come back from the dead to bring final defeat to his very doorstep! And the secrets they were learning from what remained of the Trigger of Destruction were proving very useful, as well. In fact, if he could just wait a bit longer, they might be able to nullify the Eye of God completely, and then their victory would be total.
He emerged on the top of the desert peak that hid his minions, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud at the thought of seeing the look on Makoto's face when he knelt before his true master.

****


The council gasped audibly, taken aback by the brashness of the statement.
You cannot possibly be serious, said one member in an old voice, the pale light in the room cloaking his face in shadow. The Bugrom are a repulsive, degenerate race. No one even knows if they can think independently of the hive mind.
A second spoke up, his voice similarly ragged, An alliance with such beasts would be unthinkable. There is no telling what treachery they may be capable of.
Nahato stood in the middle of the circle and eyed every one of the council members, and while they did not shrink from his steady gaze, they did not meet it, either. Old fools, he thought to himself, they don't realize that if we don't do something to get rid of Roshtaria soon, we'll be the Phantom Tribe in fact as well as name.
What you propose yourselves is no better than treachery. Against our own people, no less.
His voice was calm and powerful with the status his reputation had earned him after the death of Prince Galus. It was he whom the prince had trusted to lead his people should he die in the final battle for the Eye of God, and it was he who had carefully guided the council down all the right paths since then. But this was the critical moment when he must convince them to do the unthinkable, for without the council's support, he could never hope to gather enough of the Tribe together to make his plans work.
replied a third member, but it at least offers us a chance of survival. If we surrender to the Roshtarian government, they may grant us...
screamed Nahato, Never! The Phantom Tribe will never bow to it's enemies in defeat, not after all we've accomplished here! His fury lashed at them like a whip, as he addressed each member in turn.
You may feel that we've run out of options, but I tell you we haven't! And unlike you, I'm not ready to submit myself to the rule of the House of Venus simply because I'm too short sighted to recognize a good tool when I see one! I for one will not see our people led into oblivion, forced to live forever in exile like sheep before a herdsman!
As though they had been family rivals from the start, the current council of the Tribe's leadership - the supposed voice of the people - had hated the royal family of Venus with almost as much virulence as Prince Galus had. The members of the council weren't fools, and they knew that Nahato was deliberately playing to their bigotry. But that didn't mean it wasn't working.
He gathered in his temper, carefully measured out to be effective without being excessive, and sat back down, and his next words were like daggers of ice.
I am not a coward. Are you?
The second member grimaced as he recognized the passion with which Nahato had spoken, and he said with great care, Young prince, even if there were some way to save our tribe, surely it would not be through open war?
That is precisely why it will work. The last thing Princess Rune and her guard expect is for us to fight them out in the open, because their precious Eye of God makes them impossible to defeat. As long as they still control it, they'll always be safe, right?
He was looking at the second member, but his address was to all seven of them. He waited until they nodded in agreement, then continued, But if they were confident of their ability to control it, why would they be trying to raise an army? If, however, they are indeed beginning to rely on their own military strength to protect them, then this offers us an opportunity like no other to ally ourselves with the might of the Bugrom armies and crush them once and for all.
He could see the gray and blue-skinned council turning over the options in their minds. Both were unpleasant, but at least one offered a chance for glory and salvation, if only barely. And, thought Nahato, I never said that we wouldn't betray the Bugrom, did I? It's to early to be making plans yet, but the chance will come to put them in their place as well.
Very well, the first member said at length. We will consider this proposal. But do not make plans as yet. This is a very grave matter, and these are very grave times. There is no room for ill-considered action when our own strength has been weakened such.
Nahato knew that this was as close to a decision as the council would come for a while, so he simply nodded to each of the members, and left the circle of seven without another word. As he walked out through the maze of chambers that housed the governorship of the Tribe, he knew he would appear before them again soon.

****


Oh, really?
The message had arrived just after lunch, and Jinnai's mind was churning with possibilities. The scouts hadn't gotten close enough to identify exactly what all the fuss was about, but it was clear that something big was going on in the Palace that had nothing to do with his old teacher's stupid ceremony.
He pondered for half a minute, then turned around and yelled, Hey, Groucho! Get your worthless metal butt out here this instant! We're going on reconnaissance.

****


Mr. and Mrs. Fujisawa stood at one end of the greeting party with their daughter close at hand. Fatora and Alielle were to their right, and Parnass had tagged along beside them. Then stood Londs, Rune, Dr. Stalubaugh, Makoto, Nanami, and Qawoor, and each tried to hide from the others the torrent of emotions that were running through them.
The cavernous gallery extended 100 meters back from the entrance, and it was easily three times as wide. Arrayed about the inside were all sorts of work lattices, diagnostic tools and repair equipment, and moored in place were four of the Caravan-class Royal Cruisers. The Caravans were huge beasts used to lug around the complete royal entourage, and their sails were easily twenty meters on a side.
The small greeting party waited near the southern end of the gallery's entrance, and watched in silence as the procession made it's way across the landing tarmac to greet them. As the police guard approached, they spread out in a neat two-line formation on either side of the car, and the whole show came to a stop a few meters from the greeters.
Princess Rune was the first to step foreword, with Londs at her shoulder. He carried one of the new forcepikes, a long steel tube elaborately decorated with a meter-long invisible blade at the tip. The blade wasn't active, which spared them at least the high pitched warning squeal that every weapon of it's kind was required to produce. Rune had argued with him about the necessity of greeting a royal guest while armed with such a lethal weapon, but this was one point on which Londs refused to budge anymore. Any time a member of the royal family appeared outside the castle walls they were to be escorted by no less than two armed guards, but he had agreed to at least come alone for the sake of appearances.
The car stopped it's rhythmic drumming, and Londs tensed for an instant, but then the doors opened to let Afura, Shayla and John out. Afura walked ahead first, and greeted the princess with customary grace, and Shayla followed perfectly.
Princess Rune, it is wonderful to see you in good health. How do the preparations go? Afura inquired.
Thank you, great priestess. They go well, replied Rune. The whole exchange seemed dreadfully blasé, as though this were no more than a courtesy call. Priestess Shayla, it is good to see you again too.
Hey, it's always my pleasure. You know I stop by whenever I can. Shayla shot a meaningful glance at Makoto, but his attention was focused on something just behind her, and his eyes were wide.
continued Rune, I suppose that this is the traveler you spoke of? She stepped foreword again, and John blushed as her regal beauty registered with his hormones.
Uh, yeah, he stammered out, then got himself back under control, my name's John, John Grey. It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess.
He stuck his hand out, and Londs gawked at his total lack of manners. But Rune simply smiled, and accepted the handshake with dignity. Allow me to introduce your fellow travelers, she said, and waved towards the near end of the group, this is Masamichi Fujisawa, history teacher and honored war hero.
John offered his hand, and Mr. Fujisawa took it and began to shake vigorously, I've heard that you were a student in high school, too. You know, I used to teach at Shinonomi Prefectural High School. I'd love to sit down and chat sometime about how our institutions were different!
John disengaged as politely as he could, squeezing it in his other to make sure it still worked. Good lord, that man had a grip like a steel vise!
Um, that sounds great, teach, he replied, and Fujisawa beamed as he used the ancient honorific. And you are?
Miz looked up from the child that was hiding behind her and said, Oh, my name is Miz Fujisawa, but you can just call me Misses Miz. It's wonderful to meet you.
John said, trying to take it all in stride, and walked over to the next person.
Fatora glared out from under an elaborate hairdo that she had set up this morning, then exclaimed proudly, And I am the Princess Fatora, sister to Rune Venus and greatest lover in the kingdom of Roshtaria! And this is Alielle. As she said it Alielle latched herself onto Fatora's waist and giggled impishly, and John needed no explanations after that. Fatora's gaze was frankly curious and somewhat challenging, and he tried to meet it levelly, but he couldn't quite help the quirk that crept into his smile.
he said, well, it's really nice to meet the two of you. So far, so good, he thought to himself. All we need now is the elephant act and this little circus will be complete.
And this is Doctor Stalubaugh, said Rune from behind him, dean of the Royal Academy and high council to the royal court.
The stocky old man with a beard like an overgrown mop took his hand and said, It is a great pleasure to meet you, my boy. While we are no strangers to dimensional travel, I hope to learn much from you in the coming weeks about your journey. You could be of great help to us in finding a way to return you to earth.
Oh really? said John. I don't know how much I can really tell you, Doc, but I'd be happy to help if I can.
the doctor replied, and John stepped over to to the next girl.
Hi, I'm Nanami, from Shinonome, Japan. I run the Shinonome Diner here. She smiled as her hand met his, and he shook it gently as he tried to keep the incredulous look that wanted to creep onto his face off. Oh, man, is any one of the girls in this world not beautiful?
Hey, it's great to meet John replied. And you're Makoto, right?
The sullen-looking young man stared at him, and John was totally unprepared for the sadness so plainly evident in his eyes. John put his hand out in front of him, and Makoto looked at it, as though it were taking all of his energy to simply stand in front of him. Eventually he reached for it, and John took his hand in a two-handed grip of his own and shook.
was all he said, and decided to leave the questioning for later.

Jinnai peered out of the trees and around the guard towers, but his binoculars could only let him see so much. In the old days, before the Royal buildup, he and Groucho could have practically walked up to the gates and knocked. Hell, even getting as far as Makoto's own lab had been laughably easy. But now, they were required to be much more stealthy, and despite their size the Bugrom could move silent as a whisper when they wanted to.
From what he could see, though, there was very definitely something interesting going on. The car, an old American make, he guessed, looked like it had been run into an adobe building or something. But when the stranger had gotten out of it, and those damnable priestesses had been with him, Jinnai had required all of his self control to keep from screaming in an incoherent rage.
So that's what he was up to? There was no way Makoto would have built a thing like that, so he must have sent those harpys back to earth to get it. But what single person could be so important to him? Some kind of military genius to help him defeat Jinnai? But that wasn't possible, since Makoto didn't even know he was still alive. The more Jinnai watched, the more confused he got. It didn't make any sense!
But then he saw something else happen, and this time he did scream.

My name is Qawoor Towles, Priestess of Water. She smiled sweetly, but there was a sadness in her eyes, too, John thought. One that matched Makoto's too well.
Mine's John, he said, and as he wrapped his hand around hers, a faint, magical glow began to surround it suddenly.
was all he managed to sputter out before a jet of pure blue water shot from his hands and knocked Qawoor backwards, soaking her from head to toe.