"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth have been loosed in heaven."

Matthew 18:18

All seven candles were lit, and the three huddled around a collection of notebooks on the floor. The brunette flipped pages eagerly while the others watched her.

"Happheus is a yellow star. I know that because I looked it up just the other day. It's like Sol -- our sun. But I'm only very sure that Ubuttrus has two moons." She paused, mumbled unintelligibly beneath her breath, ran her finger down a page and looked up, "Yes, two moons. Which one will you follow?" She smiled.

The male looked vaguely irked, "We've been on this planet for at least three months, and I've been learning a little about its natural history, I should think. I gather that a Surutt education would at least attempt to make me well-rounded. Considering that The Will knows I'm from Earth, not Ubuttrus."

The blonde looked back and forth between the two during this exchange, obviously interested in the outcome. She held a piece of scrap paper in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Alright; it's a valid point. The larger moon is Mashi and the smaller is Shon. Mashi has a 24-day cycle and Shon has a 17-day; Shon has an irregular orbit. That should help your dilemma a little." The brunette placed a blue notebook over the black one she'd been scanning.

"Did I learn anything else from my 'special' history course?" He looked like he knew he was pulling teeth. The blonde began to write a few lines on her scrap paper.

"Yes, well, just that there are three other satellites, commonly referred to as 'low stars.' All of them are dish-type and were launched for experimental reasons. Mind you, no one on modern Ubuttrus considers space travel or anything of the ilk. They'd think you were a bit ahead on your imagination shots." She paused and looked at him, questioning.

"Continue please," he said curtly.

"XPoneI5 was launched to obtain energy for Ubuttrus, as was Ton-ak. However, Ton-ak was last launched, and is supposed to be first to land of these two. Your teacher speculates that XPoneI5 and Ton-ak are responsible for all of what you -- Terry Kelly and Suzanne Oneida -- know of as electricity on Ubuttrus, without the outlets and extension cords. Of course," she glanced at the blonde, "Suzanne won't know this unless you tell her." She paused again to scan Suzanne's scribbles.

"And the last satellite?" Terry expressed in arm-twisting curiosity.

"The last is Amees, which was the second launched, and the one which has the most vague information on it. Again, your teacher is sure it was experimental. But it has an acutely deteriorating orbit which will cause it to crash or splash down in less than one Ubuttran year -- unless it's done such since you left school." `

"Oh. Ton-ak glows blue while the others shine white." She seemed finished.

"Ton-ak is the one that will land next -- assuming Amees is already down?"

"Yes. What are you up to Suzanne?"

The blonde didn't look up. "I'm trying to reconstruct two of the lines from the riddle. I remembered something about yellow and threes." Suzanne then looked up and spoke to both of the others, "I wish we'd thought to write it down when Nayhooshtan first gave it to us."

"Well I didn't talk to Nayhooshtan, remember?" Terry said, "I had to have you tell me each verse after he gave it to you. I don't speak fluent Very-Large-Fish, you know. I guess I was too busy just trying to soak it in."

"It was no one's fault," Suzanne consoled. "We'll just have to make the best of it."

"Let's hear what you have. Maybe it will jar something," Terry said.

Suzanne cleared her throat and held up a scrap sheet of paper that now had chicken scratches over most of it:

"Let us have a beam of light

Reflecting the sun -- a path at night --

To lead the way to morbid blight;

Makes wrong too sacred; three lefts turn right.

The conjured thief of ancient space

What's lost alone -- destitute place

-- This is something like I seem to remember --

Yellow from green and something from or in mace

Death looms beyond his something face

Serpentine melody of long past days

-- Here's where I've just remembered threes; something like --

On marches three of threes through demon's maze

Drawn forth by summons through something haze

Begun by ending lifeless laze

"It's not right, but it sounds better," Suzanne concluded.

"Yes, that sounds much closer. Callahan?" He caught the attention of the brunette again.

"Huh?" Although she had been paying attention to Terry she now pretended that she hadn't.

"Do you remember anything else? Does that ring any new bells?"

"Not really, but it sounds closer. Which way do we go?" Callahan shifted some maps to set them in front of Suzanne and Terry.

"What do you think Suzanne?" Terry asked.

"Well, I could talk to the earth and ask about a mountain and-or a place where vegetation has died and try to correlate a direction out of the orbit of one of the moons, if you think we have the time." She let Terry consider this, then added, "But the riddle was so vague that we may be being asked to follow one of those satellites -- if your character told my character about them. It could mean alot of other things, too; like that we should only travel at night...." She left the end open on purpose, an unasked question.

"I think we should probably take the time to ask the ground, but NO RIDDLES." Terry said decisively.

"Nayhooshtan's always been like that. You know how it is." Suzanne looked at him sympathetically, innocently.

"I don't know; sounds FISHY to me," Terry couldn't resist the comment, though it caused him the necessity of deflecting a shower of scrap paper from both sides.

"Alright, how are you going to talk to the earth?" The brunette asked Suzanne.

"Well, I was thinking that I could sit on the ground, maybe get a handful of dirt to sort of attune myself to. I know I'm more used to talking to trees and books and such." She paused, considering, then as if sparked said, "I'm going to lie on the ground. Just lay there for awhile. Get to know it."

"Callahan is looking rather impatient." The brunette commented. Neither of the others appeared at all surprised.

"I'm going to pull out the locket that Clio gave me and try to interest Callahan in telling me more about what HE thinks of the workmanship. So he won't wander off again." Terry explained.

"You can easily get Callahan talking. Of course, most of it is five-pointed bullshit...."

"Yes. Of course." Terry remarked.

"As you're lying there, sort of reaching out to the earth, you grasp the familiar...sense of communion. Which comes as no surprise to the ground, because it's heard of you," the brunette addressed Suzanne.

"Oh really?" Suzanne appeared moderately surprised, "I'll ask it how it's feeling today."

"It gives you the impression that things are going very well, and that it's pleased to be communicating with you. The ground also seems to be curious about what you're doing so far from the library."

"I'll explain that I'm looking for a place which has gone fallow. Not necessarily recently. I'll try to specifically imply the destitution that I get from the riddle through any empathic link there may be." Suzanne had a look of concentration on her face.

"Okay. Just for the sake of argument, give me a presence roll." The brunette turned around to reach some dice and gave them to Suzanne.

Ch-i-i-i-rp went the phone.

"I'll get that," Terry said, standing.

The dice clacked in Suzanne's hand before dropping onto an open notebook, (Ch-i-i-i-rp) "Just barely made it." There was a pause during which Terry reached the phone -- mid-chiiirp -- and the brunette contemplated the recent die roll.

"Evidently you get your point across, as the ground seems painfully sad -- almost in mourning -- for that part of itself."

"Uh, Rachel, it's for you," Terry interjected.

"Who is it?" The brunette asked warily.

"I think it's David. Huh?" He listened at the phone, "Yes, it's David. He thinks he may be lost."

"Is he on the highway?" Rachel asked, not moving to stand so that she could take the phone from Terry.

"Are you on the highway?" Terry asked into the phone. Pause. "Yes, he's been following 224."

"Did he go by the woods yet?"

"Did you pass?..." He appeared to have been cut short. Pause. "He saw a sign which indicated that he would be passing the woods, and he saw a corp. limit sign, but he's certain he didn't see a city anywhere around or before then." Rachel inhaled, as though she was going to say something, but Terry continued, "You know, we are in the middle of a power-out."

"Not anymore if the phones are back on," commented Suzanne.

Rachel looked to her right, and moved a jacket. She pointed at a blinking aqua '12:00' while saying, "She's right."

"Where are you now?" Terry asked into the phone. Pause. "I mean, what's around you? Do you see any street signs or buildings?" Pause. To the females he asked, "Vesta Court?" Pause. "And a Corydon Grafix?"

"Oh God," Rachel mumbled. She stepped over to Terry and snatched the phone, "You're here. Just go back out to the highway and follow my directions. You'll be at my place in two minutes."

As Rachel hung up the phone, Terry suggested, "Let's take a short break until David gets here. Maybe we could also turn on some lights."

"If you don't mind, Terry, I would prefer to just leave the candles burning. I like their light for some reason right now --"

"Yeah, me too," Rachel interrupted.

Undaunted, Suzanne continued, "But I could use a break, and something to drink." She waited for Terry's almost imperceptible nod and slow blink of agreement, then asked, "What do we have?"

They looked at each other for a second or two. "Is there any more apple juice?" Rachel asked suddenly, heading for the refrigerator, "I could stand for a swig of that about now."

"Mmm. That sounds good," Suzanne commented, beginning to follow her, "What will you have Terry?" The female stopped and looked at him.

"Um. I think I'll just have a spot of water," and he shooed them into the kitchen.

Plastic glasses had been thokked on the counter and beverages dispensed when the trio wandered back into the living area. "Is David going to be playing?" Terry asked after taking a sip.

"No; he's got Tiras off killing vampires again. I doubt anyone living will hear from him for a long time." Pause. "Besides, you're still so far behind it's not even funny yet."

Terry may have harumphed behind his cleverly placed guzzle, but it didn't really matter because any noise he made was effectively masked by the deliberate-sounding knocks on the front door. No one moved. The knocks came again.

"Methinks it's for you." Terry pronounced, leaning more comfortably against the wall.

"It's David," Suzanne added for good measure.

Rachel looked at them in mock imposition, "I suppose that means I'm expected to answer it, then, huh?" She paused only briefly before going to open the front door.

"I dare say," Terry answered her.

Rachel stood against the door and asked in a loud, obnoxious voice, "Who is it?"

"It's me," came an unenthusiastic almost-moan from the other side.

She unbolted, unlatched, untwist-locked the door and pulled it open. "Me who?" Rachel asked the black-haired and harried one.

"Just let me in," David said as he pushed by her. After he'd assayed the set-up of the room he turned back to her and said, "Sorry I'm late. You know the story."

"Yes. The only guy I know who can get lost, then rush desperately to get directions from four blocks away from where he wants to be."

"I had no idea where I was," he would have growled if he hadn't whined instead. "What the hell made you move all the way out here in the first place?"

"It felt more interesting to me than Kent," said Rachel. "And you know how I just absolutely DO not adore Toledo....I'm closer to you now; quitcher bitchin."

"I think she moved out here so that we'd all have to strain ourselves to visit her. And I'm POSITIVE that she wanted to be in breathing distance of the state line. Just in case, you know...." Suzanne let trail off the end of her reoccurring joke about Rachel being chased out of towns, states, and countries.

"I've got a joke for you. A shaman, an exorcist, a psychic, and a christian scientist walk into a bar..." the banter began.

"No, no, you KNOW I'd never walk into a bar."

"Okay, so the shaman and the psychic are carrying the christian scientist and the exorcist is holding the door--"

"I think David should hold the door; you look ALOT stronger than he does."

"HEY! That's not nice at all! I think I'll let the door slam on your oversensitive ass, Suzanne!" David's mood was improving.

"Just because I've got more sense...(s) than you...."

"And what's this about needing the strongest two to carry me?" Terry checked Suzanne with a quick look.

All eyes were on Suzanne, but it was David who spoke, "Speaking of bars, I could use a drink. Got any spirits around here, Rache?" And all eyes were on David, all cups poised to drench him.

Chirp!! A concise noise came from the phone.

"Power's off," Terry said. They wandered into the kitchen to find David a glass and retrieve the candle from the countertop. There they noticed a hissing noise centered around the back of the fridge.

"I don't like this AT ALL," Suzanne commented in a foreboding voice.

"Yes. Look," Terry pointed to the stove just barely discernible beyond the shadows cast by the circle of friends. A thin, strange emanation was rising from it.

"Could that be smoke?" Suzanne questioned.

"DUCK!" David knocked the candle to the floor and, seemingly without question, the other three followed it.

Then there was a liberal spraying of freon, the liberation of the smoke alarm from its all-too-comfortable silence, and the libation of the candle seeping its gratuitous well of wax onto the floor. The four chose their tasks: Terry rushed to the smoke alarm to beat it senseless, David yanked plugs from any and every outlet available, Rachel dashed to the fuse box to kill it all that way, and Suzanne calmly pushed open windows and gathered coats.

Outside there was a collision of comments:

"Gee, David, you sure know how to crash a party."

"There goes my security deposit."

"I say, lovely night for a walk."

And, last,

"Which way do we go?"

A quick wit responded, "Let's follow the moon, since there's only ONE."

The wit was rewarded. "I like that idea, Terry. I'm sure Rachel won't let us all get lost." Pause. "Will you?" Suzanne's face was one of ridiculous seriousness. They laughed.

"Do you want to drive somewhere?" David asked everyone while facing Rachel. "I've got my car right here."

"I think Suzanne wanted to walk," Terry stated as his answer.

"No; it's okay. I think it would be interesting to drive out of the city and then get out of the car to . . . follow the moon." An onlooker could have thought Suzanne sounded brainless, but this group appreciated the romance of her notion.

"It's decided, then." Rachel said, gesturing that David should get his car keys out of his coat pocket, and then realizing that she somehow had them.

The trees were gorgeous where they stopped. They were all at once struck by the impression that the moonlit corridor through the woods before them would lead to unimaginable bliss. None of them were fooled. Terry was the first to brave the illusory path, sinking ankle-deep in muck and producing unusual inner-turmoil sounds.

"Right. Find me a stick," he said while scraping his boot on the gravel of the softshoulder.

"Did anyone bring a flashlight?" Suzanne asked unnecessarily. Of course no one had.

"Over there's the real path," David pointed out. "If you just let your eyes get used to the dark-"

"Instead of all this annoying moonlight," Rachel interjected, shielding her eyes with her hand.

"--You'll see it."

A stick was found, and Terry took the lead again, prodding the ground ahead of himself. This path was far more solid and tenable. For awhile they could still clearly see the moon, then they seemed satisfied to be beneath the broken canopy of the woods with only the occasional trunk or leaf completely soaked in silver. They were pleased by the proliferation of small trees and bushes.

Terry stopped. It could have been a pile-up if they hadn't spread out earlier. "Look!" He pointed, but dropped his hand once everyone else tried to see. "I thought I saw something over there."

"Where?" David asked.

"Right over there." Terry pointed again.

"Oh look!" Said Suzanne, pointing somewhat off Terry's mark. And it disappeared.

"It was over there not five seconds ago," Terry defended himself.

"I think we all saw it, Terry. Relax." Rachel cautioned.

"How marvelous!" Suzanne exclaimed, sheer delight in her voice. "Will o' Wisps!"

"You didn't tell me the woods around here were so interesting," David commented to Rachel.

"I don't suppose we're not lost already, are we?" Rachel asked in general. She glanced at Terry.

"Uh," Terry said, disclaiming all leadership responsibility within one syllable.

"What harm could it do, then, to see--" Suzanne began.

"What kind of death-trap? ...This might lead us to?" David stopped her and finished for her.

"P'shah." Terry disregarded his words, "Don't you think we'd have already been killed if it were going to happen?" Each of them chose a different direction to glance in order to briefly contemplate mortality.

"Nah," said Rachel. "There's still time left for a good killing." Pause. "Besides, it can't be worse than walking into a bar together--"

"Oh, can't it, now," Terry said.

"--BUT, we've got to wait until daylight --most likely-- to find our way out, so we may as well make an adventure of it."

"Yeah, and get REALLY lost." David added.