We got out of the tent eventually. Had to help Giles and Anyanka out of the tent they'd trashed. Someone had to - the porters were far too busy having hysterical giggles over the latest antics of the mad westerners. By the time we've finished this little expedition I reckon our Sherpas will definitely win the 'who had the nuttiest sahibs and memsahibs competition'. I expect Anyanka'll ask for a discount on that basis when we get back to Kathmandu.

By the time we got out of our tent, Giles and Anyanka were at least dressed, and she was halfway out of the totalled tent. I let Buffy pull her the rest of the way - discretion being both the better half of valour and, when you've slept with the lady in question and are in the company of the love of your un-life, by far the best way to stay un-dusty.

I let Buffy help the vengeance demon untwist her clothes, while I forced the jammed tent zip to let Giles get out. The tent poles had broken, and the half-in half-out guy-ropes - probably worsened by Giles and Anyanka's attempts to get dressed and out - had turned the tent into a somewhat torn fabric prison. I managed to untangle it enough for Giles to crawl out. He looked at me, blushed, and said, "Say nothing."

I raised an eyebrow and bit down on a chuckle. "Me? Now, Giles, would I do that?"

"In a non-existent heartbeat, and we both know it, tosser."

Buffy grinned at us. "Or me? Condemn my Watcher and my friend for destructo- sex that brings down tents? Because that's 'wrong'? No, not anymore. Adult- Buffy here, and it's not like you...sorry...it's just." She looked at me, and we both broke down into a fit of giggles.

Giles snorted, and went over to talk to the Sherpas.

Anyanka looked at the tent, and started railing against sub-standard tent construction, and damage deposits versus compensation claims for trauma.

Giles came back with the Sherpas, hammers, heavy-duty duct tape, and canvas needles and thread. They disassembled the tent, ropes, and the broken poles. The boys took the fabric to the cook tent and the bigger lanterns, where they sewed up the rips in the torn tent. The big nail things that had anchored the tent to the mountain were badly bent, but not broken. Buffy and I straightened them. Anyanka played with duct-taping the poles, but I heard her whisper to Giles that he should wish for the poles to be intact, which he did.

I said. "So, Rupes. We've got much longer to walk, I take it, since we're fixing the tent."

"After we top out from the pass, it should be only one long descent - where we'll leave the Sherpas - followed by a long ascent up to the snow-line. The tent is a back-up measure in case we can't find the entrance. But we should be near the closest tunnel to Shambala, and it shouldn't be too difficult - I hope.

We will come across yetis - they are friendly, and live mainly in the tunnels that lead to Shambala. They protect it and the lamas that dwell there, so please don't kill any, Buffy."

"Check, no kill yetis."

Giles nodded, and continued in full lecture mode. "Some of the tunnels are hundreds of miles long, which is why yeti sightings have been made in many locations across the Himalayas. The tunnels are well warded with invisibility and no-notice spells by the lamas. That's why all the expeditions have had so little success in finding any yetis.

"So, we've got a 'hundreds of miles' trot through tunnels to go then?" Someone has to ask the important questions, and nobody else was volunteering.

"No, from this tunnel entrance to Shambala, it should be maybe twenty to thirty miles. It passes under the mountain to the hidden valley." Giles said.

"How'd they keep a whole valley secret, mate? Twenty-first Century, spy-in- the-sky and all that; not to mention that we must be pretty close to the Chinese border here. From the Great Game of my youth, to the CIA, KGB, Chinese occupation of Tibet and all that, how come they all missed a whole valley?"

Anyanka laughed, "Spike, you know how. The same way that a demon mayor eating a graduating class, dragons flying through the air, and vampires and demons at the Seven-Eleven are ignored. People don't want to know, and even if they do, glamours, masking spells, and no-notice wards do wonders to make sure they don't."

Giles smiled at her. "Quite right, dear. Shambala has some of the strongest wards and concealment spells in the world. Even invading armies and satellites can't see it, so they don't go in - which is good for all of us, and the world.

"So what is Shambala? Super good-vibey place? The anti-Hellmouth?" Buffy asked.

"In your own totally unique way you got it exactly right, Buffy. It is the complete antithesis to Sunnydale, and as such it's absolutely vital we save it, and its guardians. Its destruction would potentially disastrously disrupt the balance between good and evil.

Shambala attracts true seekers - those who wish to learn the truth, those who wish to love and serve others and the World, and to protect life. It attracts the pure of heart..." Giles continued.

"Well, that's me ruled out." Shame, it sounds interesting, but I don't meet the entry requirements.

Giles looked at me and smiled ruefully. "Me too. All of us, I'd suspect - we're none of us perfect. But we do have the Slayer with us, and that's a powerful force on the side of light. We'll have to hope that's enough."

"Even with two demons along, Rupie? I don't want to leave you! Who else would stop you getting into trouble and hurting yourself, which is a very bad habit you have, that I don't like very much." Anyanka said, the pain evident in her voice.

"Me, and you, and Spike, whether he wants to or not." Buffy stated firmly.

"Hey, I want. Much against my own better judgement, I admit. But someone's got to make sure you stay in one piece for my girls." Glares all around, so I continued, "Besides, who else have I got in Sunnydale to talk about the footy with and cadge a decent scotch from?"

Buffy stood up straight in General Mode. "No scotch - either of you! You both get all crotchety and sad and stuff, and that's so not of the good. It's all not in the vibe of me - The Chosen One off to save Shambala, with my two very dear demons, and my very wonderful, very human Watcher - who I know I don't deserve..."

"Buffy. Of course you do." Rupert smiled at her.

"Hey, mid-rant here. Was just getting all inspired and stuff! They want the powerful force for good - they get all four of us. It's a package deal."

"A gift with purchase," Anyanka grinned.

"Too bloody right, pet."

Buffy gave her dazzling smile, "Besides, Spike's re-tuned, Anya's helping us stop genocide-y badness, and we've all saved the world how many times now? We qualify with big credits."

I said, "Sorted."

Then the Sherpas came back with a repaired tent, and they took the bits we'd fixed and put it back up. They took one look at the culprits and burst out laughing again. Giles snorted. Anyanka threatened them with penalty clauses for supplying inferior equipment. We went back to our nice cold tent and comfy sleeping bags, and fell asleep cuddled up together for warmth, or something very similar.

We got more eggs, chapattis, and hot, sweet tea for brekky.

The four of us left before the porters, so we could talk over what to look for in finding the tunnels. Then we set off to get closer to the high pass to the valley below.

We hadn't got that far up the slope, when we came across a yeti in the very large, very hairy, wounded and weeping flesh. It was covered in what looked like bullet holes, and blood matted much of its hair.

I gazed up about a foot into its eyes. There was too much hair to tell whether the tears were coming from a male or a female, but the yeti definitely wasn't an 'it'. There was someone in there, and they were in pain, a lot of pain. And from the anguish in the eyes not just physical pain either.

Anyanka said something in a language even I didn't understand, and got a long reply. By the end, she looked furious and desperately sad all at same time. She turned to us and said, "Men in black took his baby son, scalped his mate, and hurt him. They killed some while defending their daughter, but not enough to save the child. He's been tracking them, but he's losing so much blood; he's weak and can't follow the trail much longer. From the description; it's Riley and his men - they did this."