"It is not I, but He who we visited in Bethlehem who will mandate that she backs off, my son."

"That beggar child? What is he to Earth?"

"Watch your tongue, my son. It is quite apparent that you know very little concerning Yaohushua. Your grandfather will teach you a few things about Him after you have convinced Hatshepsut to give up Egypt and return to Artemis."

"As if that is going to be easy. She is under direct rule from mother to rule Egypt and I have not the authority to override mother's commands as you full well know."

"Bear in mind, that when we return, she will no longer be in communication with Isis. Have her verify that. She will come around when she realizes that she has been marooned."

"You mean she will no longer have the Power of the Stone? With the Pegasus gone, the stone cannot be recharged. That will certainly be apparent to her at the next equinox."

"Antiope and Helen shall lead the Amazons after Hatshepsut is gone. They are under my control, and they possess the power of the stone, with a few improvements. Their stone is a newer model, manufactured by our Genie."

"Medea also is a recognized leader. She will not likely relinquish her authority to Antiope. Anatolia is her district, as was Atlantis the domain of Ayesha."

"I'll deal with Medea. You just worry about Hatshepsut, junior."

"OK! Get her to agree to go and call when ready, is that all?"

"That's all there is to it. Now how difficult is that?"

"You tell me. How difficult is it to ask the Egyptian pharoah to abdicate by saying please? I'm sure there is nothing to it."

"Just put your mind ot it, Xiang. You have had greater challenges before. Would the dragon of Chin be speechless before a woman?"

"She is not a simple woman. She is a high ranking Amazon warrior, specially chosen for her role. I am only asking her to abdicate the throne that mother charged her to chair."

"And I am the Amazon nemesis which is kicking their sweet tails of this planet. No Amazon need be ashamed when I have disarmed her and returned her home. I am after all their Qblh."

"It will not be easy to find them all, father. Mother kept the locations of her base encampments mobile. There is a major colony located on an island not far from Troy, the seat of the Hittite maritime fleet. "

"I'm aware of the city. Tell me more about Medea. Who else besides Hatshepsut and Medea are the major leaders?"

"Medea, Ayesha, and Hatshepsut are the chief priestesses. There are some amazons on Crete as well. Ariadne has a special fondness for me, but Hatshepsut is rather jealous of her."

"We have a mess, don't we?"

"Idiot advises me that it has a solution. Shall we continue?"

Where are we off to then?"

" I'm dropping you off in the Great pyramid, Xiang. I will retrieve you at the full moon of the spring equinox. Be there with her then."

"But.."

"No buts. Be there or die."

"It would also be helpful, Xiang if you keep our conversations to ourselves. No one else has a need to know, and they wouldn't understand you anyway. These primitives have a habit of misinterpreting everything we do."

"I understand, father. I shall respect your wishes. You have just got to show me more. They always told me that you were a wizard with your devices, but I had no idea as to the extent of your understanding of reality, if that be the correct choice of words. They just said it was magic, but now you have denied that there is any magic whatsoever. I must know father."

"John has promised a fine adventure for you, once you have performed this task."

The trio discussed a few other items, but it would be best not to mention them now. Jim left Xiang within the pyramid, and John parted shortly thereafter. The Flying Dutchman then rematerialized within sight of Mt Thera which was now evacuated. The island lifeless, still existed. Lava runs to the sea created intense pillars of vapor and the island itself was engulfed in volcanic cloud. There would be more eruptions still to come. Idiot advised Jim that the palace of Minos had not yet been subject to the most devastating eruption of all time. Using the abilities of Box technology Jim kept the interior of the Dutchman modern to his taste with all of the desired conveniences, while he modelled the exterior of the ship to look the same as it did when they had been first sighted by the Cretan navy. Yet Jim was not headed to Crete this time either. He plotted a course north to Greece. He also launched a few dart satellites so that Idiot could be continuously updated.

Jim reflected on Artemis while he was enjoying a few easy hours on the open sea. He considered a visit to Artemis, perhaps to score a few more golden pegs. He considered the fact that he had left Artemis before Isis had slipped away to the past using the Pegasus. Apparently some of the virgins that had been slated for engagement with him in the Pleasure Dome had been on that mission. Perhaps it would be interesting, he thought, if he were to return to Artemis now and have his encounter with some of the women he was now going to intercept.

He shuddered to think that Isis may be wise to his plan, but it really did not matter. What had to be done, had to be done. He knew that he would return to Earth at this same point in the lonely sea from which he left. It would be as a dream, but this dream would be real. Jim requested Idiot to prepare a flight plan back to the Pleasure Dome.

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