* * * PARTHIA – RAFAEL TWICEBORN * * *

‘Oh no not again,’ thought Rafael Twiceborn as he perused his correspondence with Captain Haz’afsad, ‘why are we always the last to know.’

Rafael looked down at the report that had accompanied the letter and gathered the sheets together. He stood and headed for his superior’s office. Danilus had to know about this – at once.

He was lucky, Danilus was not particularly busy and was able to see him immediately. Rafael greeted the high priest and handed him the letter and report. “Sir, I believe you should see this report from Haz’afsad immediately. Mary has been busy again.”

Danilus Oakborn read the letter and scanned the report. Then he looked up quizzically at his captain of the guard. “why are you surprised? Surely you are aware Mary is very unconventional, and you come from her world, or one much like it.”

Rafael just looked at his superior as he struggled to find an answer.

“I’m more worried that Ocidon thinks it necessary our temple should have this information, and access to these spies of Mary’s,” explained Danilus.

“Yes but...” sighed Rafael.

Danilus smiled kindly at him, “why don’t you go to the temple and meditate, and you can always ask our god for his help.”

* * * PARTHIA – TOMCAT * * *

Tomcat stretched in the dawn light, enjoying the beauty of the tropical dawn from the deck of his ship. He was glad to be back abroad the Alessandrina’s Glory. Now she’d been modified and re-rigged, she was faster than ever, and could sail really close to the wind.

One hour later he was coming in to dock at the strangest port he had ever seen in his admittedly short life. There was a rust streaked iron tower poking some three meters above the waves, well braced with steel chains, and surrounded by floating docks. It really didn’t inspire confidence.

As they got closer they were hailed by one of the dwarves that seemed to be in charge of the strange structure. Once they were tied up at one of the floating docks Tomcat paid the docking fee, declined the offer to use the lift, whatever that might be, and leaving his first mate in charge of his ship he dove over the side after activating his water breathing enchantment.

Tomcat swam down alongside the dwarves’ docking tower. He was less impressed than ever, the thing looked distinctly unsafe, one good storm and he couldn’t see how it would manage to stay up. Then he started meeting some of the locals, for some strange reason most seemed startled at meeting a cat beastfolk swimming.

He quickly arrived in New Town, amid numerous curious onlookers, and was easily able to locate the Adventurer’s Guild.

Tomcat swam into the guild house and asked to see the guildmaster.

Sildanus, who much to his frustration was still stuck with the job, invited him into his office. They traversed the waterlock and were soon in a partially air filled room. After making himself comfortable behind his desk, Sildanus indicated a handful of chairs.

Tomcat sat, “Guildmaster, unless we’re mistaken you are the de facto leader of this community. I have a series of documents pertaining to New Town that I have been instructed to deliver this settlement’s leader or leaders. Unfortunately they are all copies so you will need to take them on trust.”

Sildanus looked back at Tomcat suspiciously, “Is this some kind of threat?”

“In a way, oh, not from me or Mother, but we somehow got our claws on this. and as it pertains to your settlement we thought it only polite as neighbours to hand you a copy.”

* * *

Sildanus reluctantly received the package of papers and watched Tomcat leave, then after checking that he still had an ample supply of dwarf-brewed ale, he sent for Tankard Strongarm.

The two unofficial leaders of New Town went through the papers with growing alarm.

“How do we even start confirming this?” asked Sildanus.

“I could ask my brother to get this looked into, but we dwarves aren’t particularly subtle, who did you say sent us this, are they reliable?”

“Tomcat mentioned he’d been sent, and mentioned Mother.”

“The dungeon, Mother of Monsters?” Tankard blurted alarmed.

“Well she is the one being threatened...” offered Sildanus.

* * *

Meanwhile Tomcat was climbing back aboard his ship and ordering the crew to cast off, next stop Drakoton.

The overnight journey went smoothly and the sun was high overhead when they finally came into sight of the island of Jarvoon. Tomcat ordered the sails shortened as they sailed past several clumsy square-rigged merchantmen.

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When the Alessandrina’s Glory entered the busy harbour of Drakoton, Tomcat was standing on her quarterdeck stroking the rail and purring. Docking proceeded smoothly. The White Dolphin Company now had an arrangement with the dock master that facilitated docking and the payment of dock fees.

After dealing with the formalities and arranging for his crew to take some shore leave in rotation, he made his way to the Chandelry.

So once again Tomcat found himself entering Serrenica’s Chandelry, he blinked in surprise, the place looked more prosperous somehow. The young man behind the counter immediately ushered him into the office. Serrenica rose and welcomed him to her establishment and offered refreshments.

Tomcat relaxed in the comfortable chair sipping his brandy and handed the White Dolphin Shipping Company’s representative a folder containg most of the information they had on the pirate backer’s plans.

He waited patiently while Serenica skimmed the documents. When she looked up, alarmed Tomcat said, “You will understand that when they reach the next stage our ships will cease calling at this port. I suspect that this interupption of trade will not last long, as I suspect this city will not tolerate having it’s lifeline interrupted in this way for long.”

Serrenica quickly scanned the documents again, getting angrier the more she read. She looked up, “can I show these to friends, to other shipping agents?”

“Certainly, nothing there is... um, truly secret, but they’re only copies. Are you sure that will be enough,” enquired Tomcat.

Serenica smiled nastily, “Oh yes, some people are going to be very unhappy.”

Tomcat grinned as he left, ‘Mother was right this is going to be fun!’ he thought.

* * * PARTHIA – PARIS WOLFMAN * * *

Paris Wolfman was conferring with his fellow triumvars, Port Salvage was theirs, the pirates and the majority of the street thugs were no more. Now they had to rebuild and build bridges to the other inhabitants of Freedom Isle, of which Port Salvage was the principal port.

Daorn and Feranna were still shocked at the rapid recovery of their town, and consequently, somewhat wary of their fellow triumvar, who had just so emphatically demonstrated the force he controlled.

Paris tried to reassure them, “Look, some of the fighters are mine, some were recruited here in Port Salvage the rest were loaned to me by the White Dolphin Shipping Company. They quite naturally wanted an end to the pirates and decided that they could secure that aim by supporting us. If you want them to, they will leave.”

“No, no, not yet. We need to establish some kind of – agreement with the rest of the isle too, and there are still the bandits,” decided Feranna.

* * * EARTH – MARY * * *

Mary yawned as she made her way to her jeep. ‘It’s too early to have to get up for school,’ she thought to herself. ‘Now if it was to go fishin’...’ A frog’s indignant croaking brought her up short, she sighed with resignation. There was another frog on the drivers seat of her jeep, and she couldn’t for the life of her figure out how were getting there.

“Beep local kids an’ their jokes,” she grumbled to herself as she picked up the indignant amphibian. Then she crossed the lawn to the fence between their property and Greg’s. Greg was, as usual, tidying his already immaculate garden.

“Mornin’ Greg want another frog for your pond?” she asked holding up the indignant frog.

Greg came over to the fence and peered at the frog, “Nice, another of those foreign frogs.” Greg took hold of the frog firmly, and Mary gladly released it. “Gonna get one of those university guys round later, they couldn’t id the vid of the last one ya gave me.”

“’K bye, see you later,” said Mary with a wave as she returned to her jeep and hopped in. She kicked something by the pedals; she checked and then hauled out a large and rather battered screwdriver. “Beep kids,” she grumbled as she tossed the screwdriver into the back before starting her jeep up and heading for school where she dumped the screwdriver in the first litterbin she encountered.

* * *

After spending a very frustrating day at school, Rosie the brainless had been particularly obnoxious today. Well that brainless crack probably didn’t help, and then she’d had to pick up Rosie’s boyfriend and toss him out of the way, so she could leave the cafeteria. Why that got everyone talkin’ she couldn’t figure out but... but that led to the chat with the councillor and threats of having to see a shrink. Guess yawning an’ almost fallin’ asleep didn’t go over well.

She was in such a hurry when she jumped into her jeep and left the school’s parking lot, that she hadn’t noticed the two charred and partially melted pieces of plastic and electronics that had dropped from her jeep, and remained behind on the tarmac.

Then when she finally got home, she’d had to listen and pretend interest to Greg rabbitin’ on about how his name was goin’ to be immortalised as the scientific name of a new species of frog.

She hadn’t meant to go today, but she just couldn’t help it, she grabbed her fishing stuff and was off. She really needed to relax and decompress.

* * * EARTH – AGENT MULLER * * *

Agent Muller was awakened by a panicky phone call from Sandra. He did his best to calm her down, and he thought he just might have succeeded. That led to him having to make several phone calls. Finally he reluctantly phoned director Hutchinson.

The call started badly and didn’t get any better when Hutchinson came out with, “I’m telling you Muller we have to quarantine everyone affected and everyone they’ve come into contact with.”

Muller prayed for patience, “Mr Hutchinson I’m not the person you should be talking to about this, I’m only a field agent.” ‘Quarantine right! The Hawaii islands for a start then thanks to all the airlines... !’

Muller listened to another rant that showed quite clearly the man hadn’t read his briefing material.

“No sir, she’s not a genetic scientist, she’s a student, a sixteen year old girl!” explained an exasperated Muller, before he yanked his phone from his ear in order to save his ear drum.

“Again sir may I respectfully point out that I can’t make those kind of decisions.” ‘You paranoid Idiot!’

It took Muller over an hour before he was able to bring this call to an end.

Then more bad news arrived, Sandra had indeed turned into a catgirl and was currently interned in the hospital for observation. And he was very politely requested to report there for tests. Additionally his partner had been reassigned and he had been removed from the case.

He spent several tedious hours undergoing tests. At least he was able to spend time with an emotionally shaky Sandra.

Later that afternoon he and Sandra gained a most unwelcome neighbour. Somehow Mr Hutchinson had been infected.

Somehow despite not having come into contact with any of the affected, he had changed for the worse. He had grown, and he was around two meters tall, with a slightly curved spine and forward jutting head. His skin had turned an unpleasant flat yellow, liberably covered with brownish warty bumps, and his black hair now sported dull green streaks. Despite his eyes now having white pupils he could see quite well though he was dicomforted by bright lights.