Chapter Three

The older boy, Hadji, tilted his head. "Where are we, if I may be so bold as to ask you a question?"

"You are on the Dark Hemisphere of the planet Eternia. The place is Snake Mountain."

"And how is my father -" Jonny broke off with an apologetic look at his brother. "Our father supposed to get here? We don't have interstellar travel, or whatever it takes."

She tilted her head. "He's already here. He stood in this very cell not four hours ago, and refused to answer my questions."

Both boys stared at her in astonishment. "He was here?" Jonny asked in a very small voice.

She nodded.

"Then where is he now?" Hadji asked.

She snorted. "Our enemies broke in and took him away with them." At their looks of alarm, she gave them a grave look, a hint of an idea occurring to her. "A wretched villain, that Randor," she said, conjuring her chair and sitting down. "I have no guess what terrible purpose they plan to put your father's talents to, but if you think Skeletor and I are bad, you have no comprehension of how truly dreadful Randor and his minions are." The boys were staring at her in horror. "After all, they call themselves 'the Masters of the Universe.' What good can come of that?"

The boys exchanged nervous, unhappy looks. "But," Jonny started, then faltered to a stop. Shaking his head, he gave her a perplexed grimace. "But if they're so bad, why would you have to threaten us to get him to come back? He's not going to work for them willingly." Hadji nodded beside him.

** Logic. Why did that man have to teach his children logic? ** She conjured a wide seat behind them, well cushioned and broad enough for them to sit together. "Please, sit down while I try to explain," she said confidingly. Seeming dubious, they settled down into the seat. The dog jumped up and sat on Jonny's lap. "First of all, Randor has the ability to seem very gentle and well intentioned. He has the face and manner of an angel, but the heart of a fiend." She shook her head sorrowfully. "You saw Lord Skeletor." The both nodded, and she could see she had caught their attention very firmly. "He used to be an extraordinarily handsome man, but during the war, twenty years ago, Randor, then Captain Randor, destroyed his face with acid."

"Acid?" Hadji exclaimed. "But - that is not a mask? Are you saying that is his bare skull?"

She nodded. The tale she was weaving was catching hold in their minds. If she could just keep this mix of truth and fiction going . . . "It is only magic that keeps Skeletor alive, magic and pure will. He is in constant pain and torment, and it is no wonder that he hates Randor with every passion in his heart." It would be profitless to mention that he had hated Randor before the attack, and that he had brought his fate on himself. The boys were on the edges of their seats, listening. "Have I told you yet that Randor is now king of Eternia?" They shook their heads in unison. "He was always vicious and greedy for power, in that he and Skeletor were rivals."

"So, Skeletor is no better than Randor?" Hadji asked, knitting his brows together.

She sighed, putting on an air of regretful resignation. "When you live in a world like ours, you must learn to accept that certain things are inevitable. Skeletor and Randor are the two strongest leaders in the land. It comes down to a choice between the two evils." They both looked deeply distressed, and she knew her plan was working. "No, Skeletor's goals are not what your father might prefer, but they are better than Randor's. Skeletor merely seeks to rule, yes, with absolute power, but as humanely as possible, while the king of Eternia seeks nothing less than total domination of thought and will."

"My father wouldn't help anyone like that!" Jonny burst out. "What are they going to do to him?"

"Well, you see, my boy, that is the difficulty. Randor has no qualms whatsoever in putting his sorceress to work on such things. Your father will no doubt believe that he is acting for the good of others while he creates the monstrous weapons Randor will ask of him. The devices of terrible torture and mass destruction."

"Brain washing?" Hadji asked.

** Brain washing? It must be an idiomatic term . . . ** "Of a sort," she temporized. "The Sorceress will bend his will to hers, and force him to act as Randor would have him. He will have no comprehension of the evil he is doing, but I gather from what little I have learned of him that your father could be an incredible force for evil, were his gifts ever harnessed."

Hadji shook his head. "It still does not make sense. You are threatening us to fetch my father back. Why would you do that? If he has been mentally affected by this magic, will he not simply ignore the message? And who is to say he ever got it?"

She gave the boy an understanding look, all the while wanting to strangle him. However, it was clear that both these children were quite bright, and singularly spirited. Perhaps if they could retrieve the father, the whole trio could be of benefit to her long term plans. If Quest's abilities were such that he was in constant danger of attack in his homeland, perhaps she could use him to defeat Skeletor at last and take power over all. "At this point, they won't be sure that's necessary, and the message was sent very carefully. I can assure you that he got it." ** After all, we saw it on the doomseeker's visual casting, ** she thought wryly. This mix of truth and lies was working very well indeed. "If he can sneak away, I would imagine he will."

"And if he can't, you'll kill Hadji," Jonny said flatly.

She nodded. "Skeletor has made the threat, he must keep it. But your father will be given multiple opportunities to surrender himself. Just keep in mind, my boy, that Skeletor is the lesser of the two evils. You don't even want to think about what Randor would do to you or your brother should he get hold of you."

They were well and truly hooked on this fiction. If she worked hard enough, she might be able to persuade them that she was the only one in this world who was on the side of truth and light. If she continued to shelter them from outside influences, she might even be able to develop them into warriors that were devoted exclusively to her.

Smiling inside, she continued to weave them a tale that mingled truth and falsehood, painting Randor as a vile monster, Skeletor just a step below him, and dropping hints about how terrible it all was. Talking about her own desire to make things right could come later. She didn't want to tax their credulity too much.

Queen Marlena at his side, Benton stared up at the war party that was preparing to leave. He was frustrated. Race would have let him go, but then when the boys were in trouble, it was usually just Race and Benton around to rescue them, so there were limited options. Now there was an entire collection of warriors, all practically foaming at the mouth at the mere thought of two children being in this 'Skeletor's' possession.

He wished Race were there. The boys would trust him if he were to find them. On the other hand, Benton didn't want his friend in this situation any more than he wanted himself or his sons in it.

"They are very skilled," the queen said in a low, musical voice.

"What are they waiting for?"

"That," she said, pointing at a curious sight, a broad smile spreading across her face. Benton glanced in the direction she indicated. To his amazement, a man wearing little more than a belt with a fur loincloth and a metal breastplate on a leather harness rode up on the back of a large green and yellow tiger. It appeared to be of the same species as the prince's pet, but considerably larger.

"Prince Adam told me that there was a problem with Skeletor," he said in a deep, resonant voice. Benton gaped. ** 'Is it a bird? Is it plane? No, it's Superman!' DC Comics should get a load of this. Enter the super hero. &&

"Yes, I'm glad you came in time, He-Man," Randor said. Benton froze. ** He-Man? Good grief. ** The cat and its rider were loaded aboard a vehicle.

Just as they were preparing to leave, Benton had an alarming thought. "Randor!" he called. The king turned. "My boys, will they understand you? I don't know how this translation spell works!"

"I don't know." Randor scanned the courtyard. "Orko!" The flying jester was at his side in a moment. "How does the translation spell work?"

"Well, whatever is spoken to the subject is translated into his native language, and whatever the subject says is translated into his hearer's native language."

Benton blinked. "So I'm the subject, correct?"

"Of course. Otherwise you'd only be able to communicate with one of us."

"So the boys won't understand a thing anyone says." He shook his head worriedly. "They're bound to be scared as it is. They won't know friend from foe, and the only one they'll understand is that Evil Lyn."

The king nodded sharply. "Orko, can you place the spell on someone else?" Randor asked. "So that we'll have someone who can talk with the children?"

"On me," He-Man suggested.

"Yes, he's the one most likely to be able to break down all the barriers Skeletor might put up," Randor said.

The Trollan wizard cast his spell again, and Benton, once again, noticed a strange tendency on the part of all present to cringe away from the magician as he casted, and he wondered why.

"How do we test it to see if it's working?" Randor asked.

The jester said, "Well, I could speak in my native language. If He-Man understands me, then it's working." He turned to the large man. "So, He-Man, do I make sense?"

Benton didn't notice a significant difference, but the others all looked to the hero. "I understand you, Orko," he said, smiling.

"Maybe I should come along," Orko suggested, floating towards Randor and Duncan. "That way I could cast the spell on the children when we find them. He-Man may have to fight and won't be able to spend all his time translating for them."

The king exchanged a look with Duncan, who seemed somewhat dubious. Shaking his head, Randor said, "Very well, but stay out of trouble, Orko. We don't need to have to rescue you, too."

With that, the party took off.

"They will retrieve your sons, Benton," the queen said, putting a hand on his arm.

"And what am I to do in the meantime?" he muttered.

She smiled sadly at him. "In the meantime, you wait."

"So," the boy Hadji said, "this spell allows you to understand anything we say?"

"Yes," Evil-Lyn said, but she had noticed that Jonny was looking at his brother with an odd expression on his face, and Hadji's tone was odd, different from how he usually sounded. What were they up to? Thus far they had seemed to believe her, but she knew they were intelligent, and they had proven themselves to be perceptive. Were they good actors, as well?

The dog glared up at her.

Jonny pursed his lips as he looked up at her. "If you people are the good guys, or at least the better guys, why don't you let us out of this cell?" he suggested. "We're just kids."

"If it were up to me, I -"

"If it were up to you, what?" The boys' eyes widened at the sound of Skeletor's voice, and she turned to see her overlord, who seemed very dubious. "What are you saying, my dear Evil-Lyn?"

"I would free them from this cell and place them in a more comfortable environment." Skeletor tilted his head, and she attempted to communicate her plan to him by her facial expression.

"I see," he said, eyeing her with approval. "You do have a point." He put out his staff and the bars rose to a height above the boys' heads. The pair watched this new development with suspicious surprise. The little dog barked and struggled to free himself from Jonny's arms. "Where would you like to put them?" Skeletor asked. "There are some comfortable, yet inescapable rooms on the third level."

"That sounds excellent, Lord Skeletor." She turned back to the boys who had not moved from the seat. Both of them were staring at Skeletor's face, or lack thereof, and seemed utterly fascinated.

"Magic is keeping him alive?" Hadji murmured.

"Why would you want to stay alive without skin?" Jonny asked.

"Jonny, Hadji, why don't you come here and I'll introduce you to Lord Skeletor."

The younger boy's eyes widened, and he shook his head fervently. The elder boy looked at her in astonishment. "You want us to get closer to him? I would guess that he has an uncertain temper, and I would not wish to encroach on his personal space."

A sudden loud crash sounded in the halls, causing all of them to jump. Both boys scrambled to their feet and ventured out into the room. She suspected that they intended to take advantage of the confusion they sensed in order to escape.

As the door slammed open, revealing He-Man in a towering fury, she felt Skeletor move swiftly across behind her. She turned to see what he was doing.

He grabbed Jonny by the upper arm and forced him to stand in front of him. The little boy froze in shocked terror as Skeletor lowered his staff and pointed it at his head. "Good afternoon, He-Man, and welcome to Snake Mountain." The champion stared at his nemesis, clearly infuriated, yet stymied. "Now, put down your sword and let's have a little chat."

Other masters had begun to arrive, but all stood paralyzed at the sight of a child being threatened by the Lord of Snake Mountain. Evil-Lyn wondered if this would prove successful. Had Skeletor finally found a way to capture He-Man? Mekanek's head raised above the crowd, and she could see his hand clenching down on his club. Sy-Klone's normally expressionless face was dark with anger, and Stratos looked ready to spit nails. None of them moved, all clearly waiting to see how this crisis developed.

He-Man was just starting to throw his weapon aside when Hadji launched himself onto Skeletor's back, wrapping his arms around his neck. The little dog, who was still in Jonny's arms, bit down hard on Skeletor's hand at almost the same moment.

The staff discharged, a blast of energy hit Jonny in the side of the head, but Skeletor released the younger boy in favor of attempting to free himself from the older child and from the dog. Jonny fell limply to the floor. Evil-Lyn was stunned. She was certain Skeletor had never had any intention of actually hitting the child, counting instead on the simple threat to succeed.

He-Man, caught in the act of throwing his sword down, tightened his grip on the hilt instead. "You've gone too far this time, Skeletor!" he bellowed in outrage.

For his part, Skeletor flung his hand out and the canine went flying. The mutt landed on his feet, but spun around crazily from the momentum of the throw. Hadji was proving more difficult for him to shake off. Teela, the little snipe, darted forward and seized the younger boy off the floor while Skeletor was distracted. Under ordinary circumstances, Evil-Lyn would have blasted her, but she didn't want to risk hitting the child as well, so Man-at-Arms' daughter managed to carry him off and out of sight.

Instead, Evil-Lyn sent a bolt of power toward the masters, causing them all to duck. ** Where are the others? ** she thought furiously, then she realized that she could hear sounds of battle. Skeletor reached over his back and seized Hadji by shirt, yanking him over his head. Using the impetus of this movement, he sent the boy flying into Sy-Klone and Stratos.

Evil-Lyn shot off a bolt of energy at He-Man as the champion started after Skeletor, but as soon as he realized that both boys were in the masters' possession, he called a retreat. Evil-Lyn and Skeletor followed but they were not able to retrieve their hostages, despite injuring both Stratos and Mekanek with their attacks.

As they watched the masters fly away, Skeletor turned to her, eyes flaring crimson. "We are going to have a long chat later." So saying, he turned and stalked off into the fortress. Evil-Lyn sighed in irritated resignation. She knew she could expect some form of vile punishment, even if she wasn't the author of the failed plan. But she watched the rescue parties depart into the distance, contemplating the seeds she'd sown. It wouldn't take long for them to realize that she had lied to them about Randor, but some part of what she'd said would stay with them.

Perhaps she could find some way to use that to her advantage in the future.

Queen Marlena had led Benton to a small room with large windows that looked out in the direction the rescue force had departed in. Then she sat patiently while he paced in frantic worry. What had those villains already done to his boys? What more might happen in the course of the rescue? Would Jonny and Hadji be hurt? Would they be frightened past their ability to cope?

He had a feeling that he was driving even the calm and patient queen of Eternia to distraction by his pacing. Race would be thoroughly irritated if he could see him. Of course, if Race were in this world, on this planet - whatever the right terminology was - he would be off with the rescue teams rather than back here at the palace.

When the sound of the vehicles returning hit his ears, Benton started toward the door. Queen Marlena was close behind him as they left the room, leading him to suspect that at least some part of her serenity was a carefully cultivated pose.

By the time they reached the courtyard, the vehicles - Randor had called them 'wind raiders' - had landed. Benton saw Hadji's turbaned head, but no sign of Jonny. His elder son stood up in the vehicle and spotted him. Scrambling over the side he ran to Benton and said, gasping, "They hurt Jonny! He's unconscious." Tugging on his hand, Hadji dragged him over to the wind raider where He-Man was gently handing Jonny out to Duncan. Teela stood next to them, jittering slightly as she watched the transfer.

"What happened?" Benton exclaimed.

"It's my fault, sir," He-Man said. "I'm -"

"Forgive me, young man, but I don't care whose fault it was at the moment. What happened to my son?"

Teela gave him a reassuring look as she slipped over the side of the vehicle. "We'll get him to Dorgan. He'll be fine."

"Skeletor, the man with the bone face," Hadji said, "he threatened Jonny if the 'masters' would not throw down their weapons."

"And they didn't?" Benton asked.

"They were going to!" Hadji exclaimed irately. "As if that would have helped! I leapt onto Skeletor's back and Bandit bit him on the hand. I did not see what happened, but I heard some kind of energy blast and Jonny was knocked unconscious."

They started walking toward the palace, and Benton assumed, toward the infirmary. He glanced at Duncan who shook his head. "I wasn't there."

Hadji reached up and took his father's hand. "What did that man say?" he asked.

Benton repeated it, and realized that Hadji still couldn't understand everyone who was present. He was glancing around for Orko when he saw He-Man climbing out of the windraider holding Bandit very gently in both hands. The little dog was licking his face. Benton was glad to see that the dog was unhurt, but could spare no attention for him.

A man in red armor and some sort of green goggles that appeared to be part of his helmet walked up beside him. "If it's any consolation to you, sir, I don't actually think that the blast was retaliation for the older boy's attack, I think it may have been an accident."

Benton grimaced. "It may very well be a consolation for Hadji, but hurt is hurt." The little dog came running up and followed them closely.

"I understand that," the man said in a tone of voice that told Benton more clearly than words that this man was a father.

They arrived at the infirmary where Dorgan had clearly been waiting. Jonny was rushed immediately to an examination table. Hadji hovered anxiously while Benton leaned down and started checking Jonny's pupils.

Dorgan gave him an irritable glare and started to push him aside. "If you please, sir, I am the healer."

"And I am a physician!" Benton snapped. "Now, his pupils are dilating properly." The healer raised an eyebrow, and, once convinced that Benton actually knew something about medicine, allowed him to assist. They questioned the witnesses and Benton was deeply alarmed to hear that the power that had knocked his son unconscious appeared to have been electrical in nature. There were so many possible complications to electrical damage, especially when applied directly to the head.

When they were done, and Benton had assured himself that Jonny was resting comfortably, he turned away. Hadji was across the room attended by the man in the red armor, He-Man, Orko and the large cat. He held Bandit close in his arms. Randor was not more then five feet away, his wife at his side.

"I am so terribly sorry!" Randor said in hushed tones. "Is he going to be all right?" The queen was gazing intently at Jonny's face, and Benton was reminded that his son resembled hers.

"Yes," Dorgan said confidently. "He may be unconscious for a while yet, but he will be fine." Both monarchs looked relieved.

Benton nodded and said, "I'd better go tell his brother." He nodded to the royal couple and made his way past them over to his older son's side

"Is Jonny okay?" Hadji asked instantly, scratching Bandit's neck.

"He's going to be unconscious for awhile longer, but yes, he will be all right." Hadji looked over the Jonny's bed. Benton wasn't leaving his younger son's side, but, though he and Dorgan were certain that Jonny would be all right, he didn't want Hadji there if they were proven wrong. Electrical injuries could be tricky to predict, and Hadji didn't need to see his brother going into convulsions or something of that nature. He put a hand on his son's shoulder. "I'm going to sit with him, but I want you to go with -" He paused uncertainly and the queen came to his rescue.

"I sure you need some food and an opportunity to get cleaned up," she said, and Benton noticed that Hadji appeared to be able to understand her. He looked over at his father who nodded reassuringly.

Hadji himself didn't seem entirely reassured. "Can I talk to you alone?" he asked. Benton nodded and looked up at the Eternians around him.

"I'd best be going in any case," He-Man said, withdrawing from the room. The man in the red armor, the king and the queen also left the room, as did Dorgan. Hadji stood up and walked over to the bedside with Benton. He sat down and waited for Hadji to speak.

"That woman, at Snake Mountain, said that these people, the 'Masters of the Universe,' were as evil as their lot if not more so. She specifically said that King Randor was a very bad man who was good at seeming nice."

Benton grimaced. "She tried telling me that, too Hadji, but the way she phrased it made it clear that she was lying. Perhaps she got better ideas for her lies by the time they abducted you and Jonny."

"Really?" Hadji said, looking over at Jonny's sleeping face. "Because I do not want to believe that these people are lying to us." Bandit jumped up onto the bed and walked up to Jonny's face to lick it. "They do not feel as though they are lying for one thing."

"And did she?"

Hadji gave him a puzzled, uncertain look. "She felt blank, as if she were shielding. I have met very few people with that sort of an ability. I could not tell, and since she was the only one who spoke to us, I do not know."

Benton smiled at his son. "Hadji, do you trust me?"

"I do, but she said they could put a spell on you that would make you think everything was all right when it was not."

He felt a surge of anger at the woman, for manipulating his sons' minds that way, but he kept it concealed. "I think you can trust your own feelings on this Hadji." After a moment, the boy nodded and then gave him a tight hug.

"Jonny will be all right?" he asked.

Benton nodded. "Will you go with the queen now?"

Hadji agreed and they went to the door. Queen Marlena smiled at them and took Hadji away with her. Dorgan and Randor came inside the room again. Benton gave the king an irritated glare. "Evidently Evil-Lyn decided to try and persuade the boys that you and your people are worse than Skeletor, but hiding it better."

"That sounds like her," Randor said. He looked at the door thoughtfully. "Your Hadji hasn't seemed frightened of us, though."

** And he'd better stay that way, ** Benton thought with unaccustomed ferocity. Schooling his features, he said, "Hadji has a sense for people. You feel more trustworthy than Evil-Lyn."

"What is that animal doing on the bed?" Dorgan demanded.

Benton turned to see that the little dog had curled up by Jonny's head, resting his muzzle on his master's shoulder. "Bandit is devoted to Jonny. My son will be more comfortable if his dog is nearby when he wakes up than if you shoo him away." He blinked, a stab of guilt going through him. "Wait, there was a battle, and Hadji was involved. Has anyone checked him for injuries?"

"One of my medics took care of that. Apart from a few bruises, he is unhurt."

Benton heaved a sigh of relief and walked back over to Jonny, reaching down and scratching Bandit's head. The little bulldog opened one eye and his tail wagged twice, then he went back to sleep.

"The animal has also been checked out. He was completely unhurt."

"But he's exhausted." Benton sank down into the chair by the bed, staring into Jonny's face. They had done everything they could, he knew that, but he couldn't bear the waiting. He took his son's hand. He was dimly aware that the other men were still in the room, but he paid little attention to them.

So the older boy was psionic . . . Evil-Lyn tapped her cheek as she gazed into her scrying bowl. It made persuasion of certain sorts more tricky, and she had not picked up on it, which meant that he was not unskilled. How intriguing . . .

When Doctor Quest fell silent, focused on the boy, she sent her attention elsewhere. Marlena was coddling the older child, who seemed to appreciate the attention. Evil-Lyn wanted to know precisely how Orko had managed to make all of the Eternians able to communicate with their guests, but since their magic did not work in remotely the same fashion, capturing him to interrogate him would do no good. She'd simply have to do some research, a task she abhorred.

The boy was telling Marlena about some of their exploits, and Evil-Lyn sat back to listen.

"Most often, people capture us to make Dr. Quest do things for them," he said.

"Dr. Quest?" Marlena said curiously. "You don't call him father?"

Hadji looked uncomfortable. "Sometimes I do. It is not because I do not think of him that way. I just -" The boy broke off, looking unhappy.

** Good going, Queen Marlena, put the boy on the defensive. ** She glared at the images.

"I'm sorry, your people are strange to me," the queen said. "I did not mean to make you uncomfortable.

The boy seemed to seize on this with alacrity. "I am not of the same culture as Jonny and our father, either," he said. "I grew up on the streets of Calcutta. Things were very different for me than they were for Jonny."

"How did you come to join their family?" the queen asked curiously.

The boy looked mildly embarrassed. "A man threw a knife at Dr. Quest. I was nearby, charming snakes, so I used the lid from my snake basket to shield him from the blow."

"That was very brave," Marlena said. Evil-Lyn raised an eyebrow.

"It was instinctive," Hadji said dismissively. "I did not think to do it, I merely did it." He smiled suddenly, and the expression was unexpected and brightened his glum face considerably. "Jonny was angry with me. He saw me with the knife and he attacked me. I threw him."

"He didn't realized that you'd saved Benton's life?" Marlena asked.

Hadji shook his head. "He did not. But that is the only time we have ever fought." His eyes clouded over. "He is a very good brother."

"He'll be fine, Hadji."

They were silent for a moment, then Hadji said, "One time, the villains held us hostage to make Jonny do something. That was awful, but it was unusual."

"What did they want Jonny to do?"

Hadji shrugged. "They were ordinary criminals. Jonny had found a Spanish doubloon." Seeing Marlena's puzzled look, he quickly explained. "A large gold coin, about three hundred years old. He found it at the bottom of the ocean when we were diving."

"You dive at the bottom of the ocean?" the queen asked.

"It is very shallow where we were," Hadji said. "Father and Race will not let us dive into the deeper portions until we are older. He says he wants us to be at least in our teens before we start doing that. I think he wants us to have more practice first."

"I see."

"Anyway, Jonny had found this doubloon, and he brought it back with him. The cook we had hired for that trip turned out to be a spy, and this gang of criminals boarded our ship and took us all hostage, making Jonny dive to go find the rest of the treasure. He threatened to kill Dr. Quest." Evil-Lyn watched as Hadji shuddered. Marlena's arm around the boy's shoulders tightened. "It was very frightening, because they were not people with a bigger agenda. When some people capture my father, or the rest of us, we know that he will not be killed, because they want him to do things for them, but these were just crooks. I think Race thought that when they had the gold, they would just kill us all and leave."

"How did you escape?"

"One of the gang threw Bandit, our dog, overboard. He swam to the authorities and brought them back for us."

"And the villains were captured?"

Hadji shook his head. "No, ma'am. They were killed. When they tried to escape, the police vessel's guns hit their fuel tank and the ship was blown up. I think one man survived for a while, but he died in hospital." His eyes grew angry. "We were very upset, because Jose seemed very nice, but he threatened Jonny with a knife."

Marlena's eyes widened at this casual recitation of events. Evil-Lyn was impressed to see that the boy could speak so calmly of the deaths of others. Perhaps there was some hope for him as an ally. None of Randor's people could stomach death.

"Was Jonny hurt?"

Hadji shook his head. "No, he did what they asked him to do, but they were going to make him keep diving until he found everything or they had to go away."

All three of these people had real potential. Two small boys, so unafraid in the face of danger. Hadji had attacked Skeletor, bare-handed and ferocious. Evil-Lyn found herself actively wanting to capture them for herself, and put them to good use.

"What is this Race like?" Marlena asked, and Evil-Lyn focused once more on the conversation. This could be a very interesting topic.

"He is brave and very strong," Hadji said. "He is a government agent, and he was assigned to be Jonny's bodyguard before I joined the family."

"Jonny's bodyguard?" Marlena asked, echoing Evil-Lyn's own question. "Why so specifically his and not Benton's?" she asked.

Hadji tilted his head. "Jonny was the one being threatened. Back then, people were trying to control Dr. Quest, not to kill or capture him." He gave her a serious look. "Did he tell you that his wife was dead?" The queen nodded. "She was murdered by people who were trying to kill her and Jonny as well. So the government gave him a bodyguard for Jonny so he could work without worrying as much."

"I see."

"But he is more than a bodyguard," Hadji said. "I have read the handbook for I-1 bodyguards. They are not supposed to get attached, and Race is very attached. He acts like an extra father. Or maybe even like a mother. Since neither Jonny nor I has one, that is kind of nice. But he has a daughter, too. She visits sometimes. She can be really annoying, but she is a girl."

"Are all girls annoying?" the queen asked.

Hadji raised his eyebrows. "I am eleven, she is ten, and she is very competitive with Jonny."

"Ahh."

He looked pensive. "I think she misses her father, too. He lives with us, and she lives with her mother, so we see more of him than she does."

"Why doesn't his family live with you?" Marlena asked. Evil-Lyn was beginning to wonder if the queen could hear her thoughts, since the questions she was asking came so close to the ones Evil-Lyn wanted to ask.

"Several reasons," Hadji said. "For one thing, I-1 agents are not supposed to have their families along on bodyguarding tasks." His eyes went distant. "The handbook says, 'It splits the agent's focus and introduces a conflict of interest into the situation.' This is another reason why Race is unusual. He has stayed a lot longer than he's supposed to. I do not know why. But also, he is divorced from Jessie's mother, and she works in another country. She is an archeologist."

"A what?"

"She studies ancient civilizations, digging them up and finding long lost artifacts."

"How interesting."

"Race says they get along better now than when they were married. He says they are friends now."

"Oh," Marlena said in tones of enlightenment. "Marriage does work better when you can be friends with your partner." Hadji nodded, as if an 11-year-old boy knew anything about marriage. "That's why my son will never have an arranged marriage if I can help it. He'll need an equal partner, not someone he has to tiptoe around."

** Now that's interesting information, ** Evil-Lyn mused. Hadji merely looked politely interested. The door to the room opened, and Prince Adam walked in, accompanied by his cowardly cat, Cringer.

"Adam," the queen said, smiling. "Allow me to present Hadji, Benton's older son."

"Hello," the prince said. Hadji was staring at the tiger, eyes wide.

"Is he the same breed as Battle Cat?" Hadji asked.

Adam's eyebrows raised, and he said, "Yes, but Battle Cat is unusually large." The prince squatted. "Cringer, here, is more typical."

Marlena was smiling. "Hadji, this is my son, Adam."

As they exchanged greetings, Evil-Lyn let her attention wander. The door to her workroom opened and she immediately dismissed the image in her scrying bowl. Skeletor stalked up to her, his eye sockets flaring a brilliant crimson. "It's time for our conversation, my dear Evil-Lyn."