“Death?!”
Kari blushed. “You’re not the only one whose memories of the past day or so are a bit hazy. Besides, I never said I don’t have idiotic moments.” She sniffed. “Things are a lot more straightforward on Galis.”
Dari waved that away. “I shall get us two chalices ofmatpow. We’ve a big decision to make and very little time to make it.”
“I don’t see howmatpowwill help us.”
“It won’t. We just needs be more, as you say, ‘chilled out.’”
* * * * *
“They will mayhap go invisible!” Gio bellowed. “How close did the last burst put us?”
Going invisible would nigh unto decimate any chance of successful teleportation. ‘Twould also kill the warriors’ ability to observe the wenches’ conversations. He was so close to having Dari back. They could not lose out now.
“Ready yourself for teleportation!” King Dak shouted at Gio. “We needs must try afore they finish that bedamnedmatpow!”
“We aren’t close enough to guarantee Gio a successful teleportation,” High Lord Death reasoned. “He could end up meeting the other side of theRah!”
“I shall chance it,” Gio declared. “I am nothing without Dari just as you are nothing without Kari.”
Death was quiet for a protracted moment. “When you make it aboard ship, slow its gait. Tie up my wench if needs be for she will give you the fight of her life.”
Gio inclined his head. “Vow to me that should I not make it, you will save my Dari.”
Death didn’t wish to contemplate that possibility, yet he knew such an outcome was more than conceivable. “I give you mine aye. ‘Tis a vow.”
* * * * *
“So we are in agreement?” Kari asked. “We will go invisible?”
The princess visibly gulped. “Aye,” she said with more confidence than she felt. “We are in agreement.”
“This is going to burn a lot ofgastrolight.”
“I’m awares! I don’t wish to think on it.”
The women sat side by side at the control panel. A lit up button indicated that a recorded hologram had been sent to them. Giving each other a worried look, they held hands.
“’Tis mayhap Klykka, but we can know for a certainty later,” Dari said. She shook Kari’s hand for emphasis. “We needs be focused on naught but going invisible!”
Kari nodded. “Agreed. We’ll worry about theholo-recordinglater.” She took a deep breath. “Right now we concentrate only on the button that will render this ship invisible.”
“Mayhap let us press the button together,” Dari breathed out.
“Let’s do this. All for one and one for all!”
“Eh?”
“Never mind. Let’s press it on the count of three.”
“One!” Kari intoned. Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.
“Two!” Dari announced, holding Kari’s hand tighter.
“Three.”
The women stilled. That voice hadn’t come from either of them. Breaking their grip on each other’s hands, they whirled around in their control chairs. Dari’s eyes widened to the size of full moons. Her hearts felt as though they might beat out of her chest. “Gio?”
