The next evening, Amelia´s family and friends hosted a good–bye feast in her honor. The feast had hardly been completed however, when the door opened and future Amelia walked briskly inside.
"I'm terribly sorry to break up such a lovely party, but I'm afraid we simply must be going now," she said in a voice that told them that she really was sorry to have to bring this celebration to an end.
Amelia was hugged by all who attended… several times sometimes. She then kissed each of her children good-bye, and finally shared one last passionate kiss with her husband. Finally, she straightened her shoulders, and walked over beside her future self.
"Here, take a last look at them all," Future Amelia instructed. "You aren't going to see them for quite some time."
Amelia turned around and looked adoringly at her family and her friends. Finally, firmly imprinting each of them in the memory, she turned and made her way outside. Future Amelia closed the door behind her.
Amelia wasn't her usual chipper self. Her gaze was directed at her feet, and even her ears were angled down rather despondently, as she followed her future self through the town of Benbow.
"It´s not against the law to talk, you know," Future Amelia said gently to her past self. When Amelia didn't answer, she added, "As you wish, but may I play my harmonica? I need to practice."
"Certainly," Amelia said quietly. "Go right ahead…"
Future Amelia turned back around to face herself. "You know… nearly half of what's said about Kitty is a bald-faced lie."
"Oh? Which part is the lie?" Amelia asked.
"That she's angry all the time. It's just not true! She just gets angry when someone does something to deserve it."
"I see," Present Amelia said, with disinterest. She wasn't really in the mood to talk, truth be known.
Future Amelia sighed again, but persisted. "It's almost like when Jim and I were back on our way to Treasure Planet. You know, only I was Jim, and Kitty was me, you see," Future Amelia stated. "Look. If you go along with her regimen agreeably, Kitty's as harmless as a lamb."
"I don´t much care what happens to the lambs. I am admittedly more worried about what happens to the felines," Amelia commented.
Future Amelia laughed, "I have heard something along those lines before," she admitted. "But not from me."
Future Amelia snapped her fingers and a screen of sorts appeared directly in front of them both. It was from a place that Amelia believed must be Kitty's. On the screen, Amelia stood there with her hands out toward a frightened-looking Silver.
"Are you sure you ain't going to gag me, Cap'n?" Silver asked rather anxiously. Kitty then came up beside Amelia and said, "Don´t worry, Silver, Amelia knows how to behave herself. She wouldn't hurt a fly, really!"
"Ah, beggin' yer pardon, but who cares about the flies? I just be wonderin' about her hurtin' a pirate or cyborg, doncha know," Silver replied.
"Now, now, don´t worry, Silver," Amelia proclaimed. "I won´t hurt you."
Then, the future Amelia snapped her fingers again, and the TV vanished.
"You're friends with that pirate, Silver?" Amelia asked, disbelieving.
Future Amelia nodded and then stopped. "Let´s see… It was around here somewhere, I think," she told herself, looking about in the nearby trees that loomed in front of them both. "Ah! Here it is," she annoucned after a moment. It was a majestic-looking old oak tree with a symbol of a hand on its surface.
Future Amelia laid her hand inside the hand-shaped depression, which glowed white, just before a portal-like device similar to the one used on Treasure Planet appeared out of nowhere. "After you, my dear," Future Amelia said, and made a beckoning gesture toward the portal.
Amelia gulped to look at the swirling blue and black vortex within the portal. She gathered her courage, and stepped into the portal's influence and disappeared. Upon reaching their destination, Future Amelia escorted her to a room.
The room was very dark and even Amelia, who had superior night vision, had problems seeing clearly.
It was then that she heard a voice say, "Good work, Amelia. You may go." Amelia saw her future self bow respectfully, turn on her heel, and leave the room.
The overhead lights came on, and Amelia saw her… Kitty Petro standing there in the room with her. She was sitting upon a throne, idly petting a very large, and very real tiger. "Good morning, Amelia," Kitty proclaimed briskly. "Welcome to my world."
Amelia didn't say anything, but this seemed to have little or no effect on Kitty. She got to her feet, walked over to Amelia and smiled at her. To Amelia's great surprise, Kitty simply walked right past her. Amelia then saw her turn around and say, "Well… are you coming or what?"
Amelia turned and walked in Kitty's wake. A moment later, she turned around quickly when she swore that she heard the tiger wish her good luck.