Xuang and her mother found themselves alone at the helm of the Pegasus. Xiang and Jim had dematerialized in their very presence. At that same instant she recognized the stars as her own time, and the planet below her as her beloved Artemis. Ground control beamed recognition.

A hologram appeared. "Greetings, our lady. By your command, I can assume control of your flight control systems and I will bring you safely home. I have just been reprogrammed and my new name is Merlin. Jim gave me that name."

"I trust that my brother has improved your honesty somewhat."

""I have been completely reprogrammed per your efforts in transit, my lady. The Genie unit gave me many of its characteristics and much of its knowledge."

""Yet you are also completely at my command."

"Within limitations, my lady."

"Limitations?"

"I am not programmed with the paradox avoidance system nor merkabah control equations so I am unable to assist you in any time travel expeditions and I would heartily recommend that we abstain from such activities for the present. Any further efforts of such a sort at the present would fatally extend your resources."

"I should have expected my brother would have neglected to give you the programs for such things. Perhaps I can teach you anew. How are our portals, Merlin?"

"All portals are as they are when you left, my lady."

"And do we have a window to Earth?"

"We shall have one when Jim has fulfilled his ritual obligations to the maidens. We need wait only a few nights."

"Well then wait we shall, and then we shall see what challenge he poses next."

"Very well, my lady."

Isis decided that she was going to like this new genie unit, Merlin. She felt positively vibrant. Having been away from her home for such a long time, or so it seemed to her, she resolved that she would take a royal tour of her home planet. Her brother would return soon enough. Remebering her brief time with Jim, she wished to confirm her belief that she was with child again. It did not take Sophia and Merlin long to confirm her suspicion. This time only a single child would be born and most likely a daughter.

Sophia was also Aphrodite's daughter and thus the sister to the queen. The new daughter would be born to succeed Sophia as the prime minister to the empress queen. She would be educated and initiated into all the mysteries of Artemis and would also act as high priestess for the queen as well. Sophia was delighted at the prospect of a new charge. Even though Sophia had sons and daughters already by Jim, her young new ward would receive preferential treatment and a corresponding amount of loving care. Sophia's young niece would be her heir. Venetian custom preferred always that the prime minister be full blooded sister to the queen. The psychic bonds were always very strong in this case, and it was always assumed that they knew the thooughts of each other. Thus to disobey the prime minister meant to disobey the queen. and the eyes and ears of the prime minister were treated as the eyes and ears of the queen. Sophia would not speak but in the presence of the queen; at all other times she took a vow of silence. If she broke her vow then her voice would be treated as a royal command. She would however later beg forgiveness from her queen for speaking out of place and going beyond her rightful authority; she acknowledged that she had no right to command outside the queen's presence. Isis would always invariably forgive her and admit that she had indeed commanded her will. Sophia would be awarded the opportunity to name the child, just as her aunt who had raised her as her own, had named her. Sophia chose the name of Eviviene as rhe name of the queen's next daughter. Sophia would also call her Vivian and sometimes Eve. She could create others as well. Sophia elatedly disclosed the name to her mistress, and Isis agreed. "It is a good name, my sister. I shall address her as Eviviene formally, but we shall call her Eve or Vivian around the home. Merlin make necessary preparations."

"As you wish, my lady."

"Sophia, Shaltain is no longer, and Merlin now serves me in its place. Merlin will acknowledge your commands with the same respect that he gives me, except when I object. Is that understood, Merlin?"

"Understood, my lady. By your command, Sophia."

"Acknowledged."

For the very short time that Jim was in the Pleasure Dome, by Artemis records, he was able to cause Isis to be of child while she was on her throne and on a brief Pegasus mission, which had taken its occupants thousands of years to experience. The Pegasus had left and returned just minutes after it left, leaving in its a wake a brief existence of a remarkable singularity field. The field itself was of inconsequential volume but it had a tremendous mass and had caused extreme local spatial and temporal instabilities. There had been some concern, but the brief time dampened the response. Before the crisis was realized the Pegasus had rematerialized with their queen on board. Sophia confirmed that the trip would have proven disastrous for all of Artemis had Isis not returned. A continued presence of the singularity would have pulled Artemis out of stable orbit due to its intense local gravitational effects. As it was the minutes of occurrence had only accelerated the singularity space towards Artemis.

The Pegasus itself had been extensively damaged and repair estimates seemed to suggest months before repairs could be complete. The Pegasus had been subject to some very intense gravitaional rifts. All the clocks on board were clocking different lengths of seconds. Equipment that had been partially unshielded had a different geometry. Tables were not level, cups were not round, and disks were not flat. Machinery would not turn. Some of the rematerialization had not been discriminately organized since Idiot was only concerned with the mass being equivalent and not the shape of noncritical systems. Parts of the ship seemed to have completely melted, other parts were but charred remains. Yet all creatures aboard had been returned unharmed. Isis was astounded by the success of her Qblh. He too had returned, but by a different path. Even now she could confirm that he was with one of her virgins so as to give her child.

She liked the flavor of time travel, however. When Qblh came to her again she would desire another adventure from him. She recalled her programming of Merlin. Isis had a choice. Qblh seemed to have the capability of transcending time. He suggested that she give up her empire. Had John given her mother the same option, and had she not chosen to abandon Artemis and give Isis the throne? Where was Aphrodite now? Then recalling the fact that John knew the secret, she knew that Aphrodite was nowhere now. She was some other place at some other time. Yet there was no other place like her beloved Artemis. Were she to have her choice of places to live, here is where she would be, with Merlin to serve her.

No more adventures for now, though. The mysteries of time and space were just a little too much for every day affairs. Certainly her brother had demonstrated a certain aptitude with the astronomical sciences and nuclear sciences as well. He was after all the wizard of Artemis itself, and his blood line seemed to possess a certain aptitude for the fine arts as well. Her father had claimed it was all science, and there was no magic at all to it all. Yet it had always been easy for her to use those subtle skills inherent in her nature for enticement and to gain her ways. Yet love was magic also, and she understood its magic well, much better than he would ever dream. It mattered not, her bond with Earth was a srong one now, no matter what Jim may do.

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