The people were told by the Council not to speak to this woman. Several people were only too glad not to go near her. She seemed so…bizarre. She intimidated them, yet she seemed so very nice. She never tried to hurt anyone, but just the opposite. She always seemed very nice. She would sometimes invite them to her ship, and to share meals with her, which some of the woman and Fourths were only too happy to do. She always had the most delightful foods. Foods that the people of Isis had never tasted. She did no work such as the women did, washing, and such. She said that women were just as good as men, and that no one had the right to treat them like slaves. Soon everyone forgot what the Council and the President said. They could rage all they wanted. The woman only called to look at them, and ask the president if he wanted her to report him, and he would turn pale, and not say anything else. Her pets were also fun. She called them by names, and she said that the creatures were called cats, dogs, and bunnies. She also spoke to them as if they were real people, instead of just animals.

"Why do you do no work, Lady? Where did you get all these wonders?"asked a young boy once.

"They are not wonders, Jody."Alondra told him. "They are simply machines. You see, on this one, I can communicate with several people all over the Galaxy."

"What's a galaxy?"

"Well, that would be a little complicated to explain, I guess. It's the stars, Jody."

"The stars are a galaxy?"

"Yes. The one where we are right now is called the Milky Way."

"That sounds funny."

"I'll never understand why they named it that, but they did."

"But I thought that where we are is Isis."

"Yes, we are on Isis, but Isis is the Milky Way Galaxy. You see, Isis is a planet that goes around Ra. And Ra is a star that is part of the Milky Way Galaxy. A galaxy is made up of billions and billions of stars."

Jody nodded. It made sense.

"That's what Grandfather always told me."

"Hmm. Well, he's right."

"But the President says he is just crazy."

"I daresay that it is your president the one who is crazy, Jody."

"You shouldn't say those things, Lady. The President might get mad."

"I don't care. The President can get as mad as he likes. I don't care."

Jody looked up with admiration at the Lady. She wasn't afraid of the President.

"The President is nothing more than a twisted old loony."

"Will you ever leave Isis, Lady?"

"Well, perhaps. I would like to go back to Earth sometime. It is our home, Jody."

"How did you learn to climb the mountains, Lady?"

"Simply by climbing. There's nothing to it. Sure, it can be a little tiresome sometimes, but that's not an impediment."

"The mountains are supposed to be taboo."

"Nonsense."

"What lies beyond the mountains, Lady?"

"Well, when I looked there, I saw more and more mountains."

"Not World's End? Not nothingness?"

"Of course not. Would you like to go see for yourself?"

"Oh, yes!"

"Very well."Alondra went and got another force field belt and some oxygen tablets. "Take one of these, and put this around your waist. Now, follow me."

They walked out of the ship, and towards the Cascades. Everyone watched open mouthed as Jody, followed the strange woman, climbed the Cascades, and disappeared where they water began. Jody had never seen beyond the valley. He looked north. All there was were mountains, and more mountains.

"What is beyond the mountains, Lady?"

"I wouldn't know, Jody. I've never been there. I think I shall go there in a few days."

"Oh, can I go with you, Lady?"

"Would you like to?"

"Oh, yes!"

"I don't see why not. It might not be a bad idea. It is time that your people learned some common sense, and got rid of all these ridiculous taboos."

"I think the taboos are ridiculous, too."

"Good for you, Jody."Alondra said firmly.

"I don't understand, Lady, how we went up to the top of the Cascades, and we are not sick with the mountain sickness."

"What is the mountain sickness, Jody?"asked Alondra, offering him a cup of tea.

"It comes from Ra. If a man breaks the taboos, and climbs the mountains, he will sicken and die. The sickness is called the mountain sickness."

"Oh, well, you see, because of the oxygen and ultra violet."

"What is oxygen and ultra violet?"

"Oxygen is the part of the air that you breath, Jody. Ultra violet is the invisible rays Ra gives off that are dangerous to human beings."

"Why weren't they dangerous to us, Lady?"

"Because we carried force fields. That is the belt you are wearing. With it, nothing will touch you. Not even ultra violet."

"Oh. It's a sort of magic, isn't it?"

"No magic, Jody. I like to read books with magic in them, like Harry Potter, but this is not magic."

"What is Harry Potter?"

"It's a series of books. Don't you like to read books?"

"I don't know how to read, Lady."

"What! What do you mean you don't know how to read?"

"We are not taught. Only the elders read, out of the Good Book."

"You have not been taught to read?"

"No, Lady."

"Why?"

"It is not done."

"Oh, dear. Would you like to learn to read, Jody?"

"I don't know."

"Well, perhaps I shall teach you anyhow. Not teaching children to read, really! I think this has gone too far. I shall go now. I shall go north, and find her, I am almost certain she is there, and that she is the same one. Yes. Perhaps she can tell me something. Certainly Mr.London hasn't been very informative. This has gone too far. Yes. I shall go north, Jody, if you should like to come. I said you could."

"Oh,yes, Lady. Yes."

"Very well."