Life could be difficult. Actually, quite often, it was more a thorn sticking into the side of everything one did, hindering movement, thought and happiness. But unfortunately, it was the one thing which the wizards of the world were protecting. Nonetheless, the wizards, and everyone else in the world but for One malevolent Power, accepted that things would be much more boring without life.

Rhiow, leader of the New York Grand Central Station Gating Team, knew this first hand. The gates had been going more or less insane ever since she and Urruah had come back from their "leave" during the previous incident. During that time, the few dozen non-latent feline wizards, including Arhu and Siffhah, had simply worked on keeping the Rome gates working with their limited combined experience. Thus, all over the planet (aside from Rome, of course) the gates were going mad, and there were very few spare moments in the day.

She jumped the meter long expanse between the corner of her ehif's apartment building and the parapet several feet below. She continued on downwards, constantly jumping from one flat space to the next in a generally downwards direction. She had already gone through the meditation that day, so when she reached the last stop before the ground where she usually recited it she just continued on. There was too much to do on her second day back to waste any time.

Quietly, she whispered to the air between her and the ground, reminding it of how wonderful it was back when it was solid, not having to move all the time. Then, she gave it the means to become like that again, and it obeyed. Carefully, she stepped out onto the air and began making her way down her invisible staircase, sidled in case any ehifs were to see her.

Reaching the floor of the back alley, she glanced around cautiously. Nothing there, except… What was that smell?

"I am on errantry, and I greet you cousin."

Rhiow turned to her left to see a young male cat, still a kitten really, emerging from behind a dumpster. His fur was a greyish tabby design, and he had a nasty scar ranging from the base of his left ear down to just above his eye.

"Dai, I'haach," she responded. "You're here on business, I presume?"

"What, don't you think I'd love to come here for a nice vacation some time?"

Rhiow's whiskers went forward slightly. "You, take time off. I doubt it."

I'haach returned her smirk, and then they fell into step beside each other. "Unfortunately, as you've guessed, it is business. Personal business, but business nonetheless."

"Really. And how could my team and myself help you with this business?"

"In all truth, you can't," I'haach said bluntly. "However, I believe you've had relations with one who could. An ehif wizard, Dairine, I think. The one with that sentient cybernetic manual."

"Ah," she said. "Well, I'm sure she'll be only too pleased to help you, however she, and the rest of her family, don't tend to get up this early. For that matter, neither do I, but with things as they are…"

"Understood," I'haach responded. "Well, if we've got time to kill, I wouldn't mind helping the four of you with your gates. I assume it is still four, and that Arhu and Siffhah haven't…"

"No, they're both still with us," Rhiow informed him. "They're planning on going to the London gates in a day or so, though."

"Good, I wouldn't want to have missed the little rascals."

" 'Little rascals'? Aren't you a bit young to be calling them that?"

"Physically speaking, yes," I'haach conceded. "Oh, by the way, your fourteen track gate is really acting up. I could even see it as I walked by."

"We know," Rhiow hissed in annoyance. "The Whisperer's been sending a lot of traffic our way lately too, what with the repairs to Rirath B and everyone needing to get out there."

"Ah, well, things could always be worse," I'haach replied. "You could have dinosaurs again."

"Not if I have anything to say about it. That was one of the most exhausting weeks of my life, and I'd rather not repeat it."

"Understood."

"Why do you need her, anyways?"

"Here, check out this word." I'haach wrote the now-familiar symbol with his tail again, instructing it to follow him.

"Interesting… I've never seen anything like it. I guess you need her to identify it for you?"

"Yes. Hey, by the way, does that guy in Grand Central still have some of that special quality pastrami stuff?"

"Why?"

"Because if I don't return with enough for my whole team, I'll be clawed to pieces."

"Well, we'll see what we can do."

Urruah, Arhu and Siffhah were all already at the station when Rhiow and I'haach arrived. Urruah was half in and half out of an open gate, passing strings out occasionally to Arhu or Siffhah. It looked almost as though they were pulling everything out of the gate and arranging it on the floor.

"Hunt's luck," Rhiow said as the two of them approached.

"Luck, Rhi," Urruah replied, his voice sounding strained. "Do you mind grabbing these strings for me? I think these two are running out of claws."

Urruah's front half emerged, dishevelled and in need of a wash. There was no doubting that he was getting annoyed. His claws were completely covered with strings, and there were two or three single thin strands in his teeth.

"Oh, hello, I'haach," Urruah said, passing most of the strings to Rhiow. "You didn't pick the best day to come. Normally I'd like to bring you down to get some food at the court back there, but as you can see I've got some more delicate things in my teeth today."

"No problem," I'haach replied, taking a few of the strings himself.

"So, how's Dauhieh doing?" he asked.

"Well, her, Zach and Sihm are off in the Old Downside for a short while to figure out some problems with our gates. I don't think it's as big as what you're dealing with right now, though."

"You've got that right," Siffhah replied for him, seeing as Urruah was back in the matrix again. "The entire lotus of this gate has scattered. Right now we're going in and retrieving every separate string in the central matrix, and then we'll have to put it back together."

"It doesn't help that a train's coming through here in five minutes," Arhu muttered.

"How do you know that?" Siffhah asked.

"I Saw it."

"Annoying little…"

"Five minutes you said?" Urruah interrupted.

"Almost positively five."

"Good, then we have enough time to stop it," Rhiow said. "I'haach, would you mind?"

"Not at all," I'haach said, stepping lightly down onto the tracks.

"Just try to delay it temporarily, we should only need another fifteen minutes or so."

"I'm on the job."

It took them over an hour before they managed to get the gate into a state that wouldn't explode and bring all of Manhattan with them should anyone touch it. Afterwards, all of them were exhausted, frustrated, and feeling a good deal of pain from the touch of hyperstrings.

Thus, after having grabbed a few slices of pastrami and shoving them in a subspace pocket, I'haach and Rhiow made their ways quickly to the home of Nita and Dairine Callahan. The two decided to walk, seeing as they were tired enough as it was.

When Nita opened the door, she was surprised to see that nobody was there. "Er, hello?"

"Hey, down here," came a voice.

She looked down to see the familiar black form of Rhiow, with a second cat whose fur was grey.

"Dai, Rhiow. Who's this?"

"I'haach," he introduced himself. "I am on errantry, and I greet you."

"Well met on the errand," Nita responded, using the formal response. "You look pretty young. Are you the newest member on the gating team?"

I'haach's whiskers went forward, a sure sign Nita had learned that the cat was amused. "Not likely. I lead the gating team for the Zurich Tramway."

"Oh, I'm sorry," responded Nita, going red from embarrassment. "You're so young, that I just assumed that… that…"

"That's alright," I'haach said. "I'm used to it."

"So, is there any specific reason that you're at my house?"

"Yes, actually," Rhiow answered for him. "We need to speak with your sister, Dairine."

Nita rolled her eyes, a sure sign I'haach had learned that the human was annoyed from repetition. "What did she do? Try to open your gate into a red giant or something?"

"Not quite, though I would probably come with some backup if it were something like that," I'haach told her. "I need her and her super computer."

"Oh, of course. She and Spot'll be thrilled to prove their amazing skill again."

I'haach and Rhiow stepped through the door and followed Nita upstairs to a closed door. From behind said door came the noise of some sort of strange screeching noise, a cross between a chicken being stepped on and nails on a chalk board. Overall, pretty painful.

"Sweet Iau, what is that noise?" Rhiow asked, wincing.

"Some music she got from a foreign wizard we were hosting on exchange." Nita shook her head. "Apparently the music caught on."

Nita banged on the door. After a couple of seconds, she banged again. After another minute, Nita tried the door, only to find it locked. She looked to I'haach and Rhiow apologetically, then said, "I'll be back in a minute."

There was a loud popping noise, followed by Nita's disappearance and a rush of wind. Given a moment, there was a banging noise quite different from those of a transit which came from inside the room. The 'music' went off, and there was a shout or two.

Finally, the door opened, and out walked Dairine, with her supercomputer Spot trailing behind her.

"Sorry about that, I guess I didn't hear you."

"Apparently," I'haach said, smirking.

"I understand that you need Spot to do a search for something."

"Yes, it's right here," I'haach said, writing up the symbol a third time. It hung there, with the sisters gazing at it.

"I've—"

"Never seen anything like it, I know," I'haach muttered, "nobody has."

"No," Nita said. "I've seen this symbol before, I just can't remember where…"

"Well, we're about to find out," Dairine said. "Spot, get your search function on for all Speech symbols on a visual basis." Spot jumped up and let out a beep. His screen opened up and showed a perfect image of the symbol. There was a strange whirring noise, and then the symbol began spinning slowly on the screen as images of other words in the speech flashed by quickly, hundreds per second.

"How long should it take?" I'haach asked.

"Roughly two hours, eighteen minutes," Spot piped up, and was silent again.

There was silence. "Well, I don't know about you," Nita said, "but I'm hungry. Would you two like to— I'haach?"

The young cat had suddenly shuddered, and was now cringing and shaking. This, however, was the least dramatic feature. The thing which had made Nita stop was the look in his eyes; shock, horror, fear.

"I'haach, are you alright?" Dairine asked, concern evident in her eyes.

He remained silent.

"I'haach." Rhiow crouched down in front of him, gazing straight into his eyes. "Look at me. What's wrong?"

"I need a gate."

"What?"

"I need a gate!" I'haach yowled in anger.

"Fine, fine, you can use the track two gate, but what—"

But I'haach was already gone. He disappeared in a loud pop, and reappeared a moment later in Grand Central Station. He didn't care that people had heard, nor that he had just wasted some of his precious little remaining power. Without hesitation he plunged his claws into the world gate. Much to his own satisfaction, the gates seemed to feel his desperation, and quickly opened to the Old Downside. I'haach jumped through, landing on the other side as a grey tiger, made all the fiercer by the look in his eyes and Dauhieh's mental scream echoing in his mind.