"Who are they?" Muffy asked Mr. Haney, as if she expected the principal to know everything.

"They're aliens, duh," George pointed out the obvious.

From the wands of the six sphere-headed beings emerged bolts of white light that encompassed the Belnaps, forming into a transparent four-walled structure. Their eyes like those of newly caged animals, Zoe, Becky, and Cally pressed their hands firmly against the glass-like walls, trying but failing to break through them. The aliens lowered their wands as the imprisoned Belnaps glared fiercely at them.

"Er...Greetings from Earth," said Mr. Haney sheepishly. "Live long and prosper."

One of the uniformed aliens turned to him and seemed to face him, although its round, opaque head showed no variegating features. "How did you know our traditional greeting?" it inquired.

"Uh, would you mind telling us what's happening here?" Muffy demanded.

Another of the wand-wielding aliens spoke. "We will explain everything, if you promise to never reveal it to another Earth creature."

"I promise," said Muffy.

"Scout's honor," said George.

"You have my word," said Mr. Haney.

"Very well." The alien seemed to speak without taking breaths. "The females you know as Zoe, Amy, Becky, and Cally Belnap come from a planet called Yordil. Eight Earth years ago, Yordilian scientists created a viral weapon which was accidentally released into the atmosphere. The virus had no effect on females, but was lethal to males. Within days all men, boys, and male embryos on the planet were dead."

"How horrible!" exclaimed Muffy.

"So that's why they like boys so much," George realized.

"You're talking about extinction," Mr. Haney remarked.

"Exactly," the alien continued. "Many males from other planets have offered to settle on Yordil and assist in the propagation of the species, but most of them are degenerates in search of pleasure. To defend their dignity, the Yordilians carefully screen all visiting males and allow only a select few to live among them. As you can imagine, this leads to fierce competition for husbands. Many Yordilian women, seeing no hope for male companionship if they remain on their planet, choose to settle on other worlds--sometimes legally, sometimes illegally."

"You mean Zoe and the girls are...illegal aliens?" Mr. Haney marveled.

"Correct. By the terms of the Alliance treaty with Yordil, we are forbidden to interfere in its internal affairs, but we can arrest and prosecute Yordilians who attempt to emigrate illegally. Zoe was a rich woman on Yordil, which allowed her to buy many expensive Earth items with cash. If the Alliance police were at full force, we could have arrested her within hours of her arrival on Earth, or even before. However, the destruction wrought by Dark Augusta has severely weakened us. We only became aware of Zoe's presence here when Amy activated the interplanetary gateway."

Dumbfounded, Mr. Haney walked up to the transparent prison and rested his hands against it, facing Zoe directly. "Is all of this true?" he inquired.

"Yes, Herbert," was Zoe's bitter reply. "I'm sorry things didn't work out between us."

"What happened to Amy?" George asked.

"She fled through the gateway to Yordil, with the Earth boy," the sphere-headed alien answered.

"The Earth boy? You mean Buster?"

"The one with the ears, yes."

"Buster always wanted to visit another planet," Muffy remarked.

"How do we get him back?" George wanted to know.

"That may be difficult," said the alien. "If the Yordilians like him, they may decide to keep him, and the treaty with Yordil forbids us to retrieve him by force."

Muffy's voice started to break. "Omigosh...poor Buster...trapped forever on a planet of girls. What are we supposed to tell his friends?"

"You will tell them nothing, as you promised."

George and Muffy exchanged looks, as if asking each other how it would be possible to keep such a secret.

"We will do all within our power to bring him back," the alien vowed. "In the meantime...live long and prosper."

The glassy cage holding Zoe, Becky, and Cally faded away, taking the Belnaps with it. The sphere-headed aliens turned and stepped through the portals, which then dissolved and vanished. Only Muffy, George, and Mr. Haney were left in the room.

The glum-faced principal turned and addressed George. "Well, George, it looks like we've both lost a girlfriend. What do you say we go to the Sugar Bowl and drown our sorrows in an ice cream soda?"

"I'm never too sad for ice cream," said the moose boy.

Muffy jumped in front of them as they were leaving the Tibble house. "Have you guys forgotten about Buster?" she said indignantly. "What if...what if he never comes back?"

"All we can do is hope for the best," said Mr. Haney.

----

George sat alone at a table in You Will Eat Here, drinking an ice cream soda through a straw, drowning his sorrows. Teenage Muffy, holding a tray with a fish burger and French fries, elected to take the seat across from him. "Hi, George."

"Hi, Muffy."

"Did you hear that Prunella's cured?"

"Yeah, I heard," said George emotionlessly.

Muffy dipped a French fry in ketchup, and tossed it into her mouth.

"Did you tell her about Buster?" George asked her.

"Yes," Muffy answered. "But I didn't tell her the truth."

----

Elbert England and his three accomplices were arrested and jailed for having stormed the Chanel mansion with firearms. Many of the children had been seriously shaken, including Zeke, but no casualties had occurred. Buster Baxter was unaccounted for, as were Zoe Belnap and her daughters Amy, Becky, and Cally.

In spite of the disappearance of her son, Bitzi Baxter spent Friday evening writing a detailed article about the event for the Elwood Times. She spent Saturday morning in the police station, trying to aid the officers in their search for the lost rabbit boy. Everyone else in the neighborhood passed the morning glued to the TV and newspaper reports of the shocking incident.

Mel Cooper straightened his tie. He didn't need to do so, as his only purpose in going to the office was to catch up on his casework, but dressing well had become a compulsion with him. His son Logan was mowing the back lawn, while his daughter Odette was ironing her dresses.

The front door opened. The visitor hadn't bothered to knock.

"Mom?" said Odette in surprise.

Valerie Cooper was in the house, and her expression was one of meekness and shame. Odette put down the steam iron. A small hope entered her heart that her mother had come to apologize for, and accept blame for, the bitterness that had threatened to split their family.

"I must talk to your father," Mrs. Cooper addressed her swan-necked daughter.

"I'm right here," said her husband with supreme confidence. He stepped out of the bathroom to greet her.

"I think you know why I've come," said Mrs. Cooper.

WIthout another word, the estranged duck couple retired to the bedroom for a heart-to-heart. Mr. Cooper waited for his wife to speak the first word.

"I've decided not to divorce you," she informed him. "I'm not saying I'll come back right away."

"I understand, Valerie," said Mr. Cooper, straining to suppress a smirk.

"I see now that I misjudged Elbert England," his wife admitted. "I see him for the terrible man he is. I used to think you were cruel to take his son away from him, but I'm not so sure of that anymore."

The duck man remained silent, waiting for more.

"I think it was a bad influence that made me say some of the things I said to you," Mrs. Cooper went on. "Even those of us who think we're following the right path can be tempted by darkness. I think that's how Mr. England got where he is." Tears started to drip from her eyes. "There's so much difference between how you believe and how I believe. It may be hard, or even impossible, to bring them together, but I want to try."

"So do I," said Mr. Cooper, and he kissed his wife on the cheek.

----

Among the people glued to the TV reports of the Chanel mansion incident was Alan Powers. More accurately, he was glued to his house, as his parents had placed severe restrictions on how often and in what manner he could leave. He was starting to understand how Tegan had felt during her visit, shackled with a monitor bracelet, under virtual house arrest. It seemed a vast conspiracy was working against him...or for him. He no longer knew who to trust.

The news of Buster's disappearance hadn't affected him much. Muffy, Prunella, Fern, Tegan, and Beat had all vanished for brief periods since the beginning of the year, and all had come back unharmed. Was he becoming desensitized to bizarre occurrences?

Bored with TV's offerings, he lay down on the couch and dozed off. He was in this state when his mother called to him. "Alan, you have a phone call."

He yawned and pushed himself up. Mrs. Powers handed him the receiver. "Hello?"

"Alan? This is Tegan."

He nearly flew off the couch and through the ceiling.

"Don't tell anyone about this call." It was unmistakably her voice. "Meet me at 8 p.m. on Monday in front of the public library on 18th and Harvard. Bring Prunella. No one else." The line went dead.

Thoughts careened through Alan's head. Tegan was free. She wanted to see him. Had their parents been trying to keep them apart? What interest did Tegan have in Prunella?

The answer to the last question hit him like a ten-ton weight on steroids. He had been a fool not to think of it.

Tegan had the power to cure Prunella's memory problem.

----

to be continued