Disclaimer in part 1. We're getting there.

Murphy's Law by Stultulo copyright 2003 part 6

A half hour later, Cam was tied up and the kelzak was babbling away contentedly. Far from making its victim a simple eyepatch, the kelzak seemed to have decided that he needed an entire change of outfit. So Cam now had several yards of measuring tape attached to him.

"Could you tell it that it can untie me?" he asked Marah.

"Uh, I could, but it's a genius when it comes to clothes, so I never try to tell it anything when it's working," Marah said.

"Oh," Cam said. He looked at the kelzak again.

"You hungry or anything?" Marah asked. "I guess I can get you something to eat. I bet you haven't eaten *all day*."

Cam nodded. Marah came up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be right back."

As the young woman skipped out of the room, Cam wondered if he could somehow get the kelzak to leave him alone. "You could sew this someplace else, you know," he said.

The kelzak just looked up at the tied up young man, gibbered in an offended tone, and went back to its measuring and sewing.

A few minutes later, Marah came skipping back into the room. "Yoo-hoo," she said to the kelzak. "I'm really sorry to do this to you when you're doing this for me, but Uncle kinda needs you now."

The kelzak gibbered.

"Yeah, you can finish this for me later," Marah said.

The kelzak gibbered again, happily, and left.

Marah sat down next to him. "Uncle's sent a monster down," she explained.

"Oh," Cam said.

"Uh, you look a little bored," Marah said.

"What makes you think that?" Cam asked sarcastically, tugging at his bonds.

"'Cause you do."

"That's because I am bored."

"Oh," Marah said. "What would you be doing right now if you weren't here?"

"I'd be at Ops, watching the Rangers fight off Lothor's latest alien," Cam answered.

"Well," Marah said, "I don't think Uncle wants us up there, but if you really want that, I guess I can see if I can talk him into that."

"No!" Cam exploded. He calmed down a little. "That's nice of you, Marah, but I don't think your uncle likes me very much."

Marah's hurt expression turned to one of understanding. "Okay, I won't." She paused. "I guess you really don't want to be here, huh?"

"No," Cam told her. "Marah, in case you forget, I'm a prisoner."

"Well, that's kinda boring," Marah said. "Would you escape, if you could?"

"Yes," Cam said. To say otherwise would be suspicious.

"Okay," Marah replied. "If you're really bored here...."

She seemed to think for a little while, and then unlocked her dresser drawers. Cam's heart skipped as he saw his glasses and the control to the collar. Then she unlocked her closet door and took out her staff.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, I guess if you're not having fun... it's time to go home," Marah said. "So... I'm gonna go up and watch the battle up in Uncle's throne room, and you're going to go and be rescued by your friends."

"Okay," Cam said, not knowing if this was part of Lothor's plan or just Marah having one of her moments.

"So... after I leave, you're gonna get untied and grab my key." She put the key on the bed. "Then you're going to get the stuff out of my dresser and my closet." She paused. "I guess you're going to have to figure out how to turn the collar off before you go." She left the staff by him. "After that, just think of the Rangers and tap my staff on the ground twice, and you'll be there for them to rescue you." She grinned. "Uncle will be kinda mad, but it won't be boring around here."

Marah slid Cam's glasses back on and loosened his ties. "Just don't be here when I come back," she said. "And... you look good in that outfit. Take it with you. I won't mind."

With that, Marah left. Cam slid out of his bonds and looked at the controls, easily deactivating the collar... or so he believed. Crossing his fingers, he grasped the staff, closed his eyes, and concentrated. He tapped the staff twice....

And opened them to the sight of battle.

tbc....