It was now or never. Courtney steeled her courage, knowing that whether this worked or not, she could get hurt badly. "Wrong again," she stated quietly, lifting her hand and pulling the trigger.

Torgga cried in pain and dropped her as he covered his eyes. Courtney tried to maintain her balance as she bounced. She kept firing at Torrga's exposed flesh, avoiding Torgga's blind swipes at her. She was getting tired. The intense heat and lack of gravity were taking their toll. Her plan now seemed stupid and it clearly had not worked. A big mitt of a hand, covered in a steel-like material, caught her chin and sent her reeling away. She hit the ground on her back and skidded painfully. Looking back, she could see Torgga looming, hand raised in her direction. Then his knees buckled and he dropped to the ground.

Courtney leapt to her feet and bounded awkwardly over to wrap Tay in her arms. "Get us out of here, Guardians. Please!" Courtney sobbed.

We sent Franz Appala Punra. We had other more important matters with which to deal. He arrived at the Council feeling the weight of responsibility heavy on his shoulders. Tay Appala Punra had carried such a weight since she was a young child with great wisdom and dignity. It was only now, as Franz Tap stood in the circle of forty-three, that he realized just how great a burden that must have been.

"Honourable Councillors, I am Franz Appala Punra, and I have been instructed by the Guardians to present myself to you." A murmur of disbelief rippled around the ring of distinguished Councillors.

The Speaker stood with indignation. "Quiet please." His eyes fastened on Franz Tap. "Tay Tap has taken you as a brother?"

"Yes."

"You are Tay Appala Punra's second in command?"

"Third, Honourable Speaker; I also serve Courtney Appala Punra." Now the ripple became a rising tide of voices.

"Silence, please," the Speaker commanded again. "Tay Tap has given such a noble rank to a human?"

"Yes."

The Speaker seemed at a loss for words. He held up a hand to Franz Appala Punra to signal him to wait and then hurried to join the buzz of conversation around the circle. Councillors got up and formed groups, talking and arguing. Franz Tap waited, not knowing what to do.

The Speaker returned to stand by his chair and with a wave of his hand signaled the other Councillors to do likewise.

"Franz Appala Punra, we need to know more. You will explain the events that have led to this day when sister turns against her brother, who rules us all." He sat solemnly, folded his hands and waited. So did the other Councillors. This was to be a sort of trial, and the fate of Franz Tap's leader depended on his convincing the Council that Tay Tap had done no wrong. He took a few minutes to settle his thoughts. He was a soldier not a politician, but we had sent him because it was his right. Tay Tap trusted him.

Only a few weeks ago, the idea of him standing there supporting Courtney Hunter and Tay's decisions would have seemed impossible, ludicrous. Now everything had changed with Tay Tap's bold actions. Only time would tell if those decisions had been wise.

Eventually, he began. "Torgga Tap and Tay Tap have never seen eye to eye. That is well known. Tay Tap objected to the conquests into which his leadership has led the People of the Plain and Space. She objected to his oppression of ideas and control of lives. As a result, after she led his forces to victory, she and her Household were sent into exile to a remote and unimportant planet in the far reaches of our universe."

Franz Appala Punra stopped and slowly turned in a circle, making eye contact with each of the individuals who sat there before continuing. "Tay commanded that we observe everything about this planet and understand it completely. She also ordered that research be done to fabricate a synthetically produced sperm that would carry her genetic code. She did this because there was no male of rank suitable with whom she could mate who was capable of producing offspring."

A murmur passed around the circle. The Speaker glared. "Tay Tap's actions are startling. Go on."

Franz Tap steeled himself, unconsciously straightening his shoulders and standing tall. Here was where it was going to get interesting. He hoped Tay was alive, because if not, he and all Tay's Household would probably be dead or in hiding from Torgga's anger by tomorrow. "We discovered that the humans, who are the dominant animal on planet Earth, were nearly genetically identical to us. At first, we thought that it was a remarkably successful result from the earlier seeding attempts. Then Tap started to study the human Courtney Hunter, and she questioned this hypothesis. She began to realize that humans held the key to our survival as a species."

At that, the Councillors broke out in loud protests and arguments. Franz Tap ordered them quiet. "Listen to me, please! You need to be objective and hear all of it. I, too, was shocked, but I have since realized that I was wrong. Tap called a meeting and told us frankly that we all needed to work to cultivate the emotion and passion of the human race. As much as she realized that humans were self destructive in their behaviours and erratic in their thinking, she also realized that it was their passion and creative thought that had allowed them to survive one crisis after another. She noted that merely living and working on the planet was changing us, whether or not we were prepared to admit it. She asked us to speak honestly about our own feelings. Some of us did; others of us could not bring ourselves to be so open. What Tap found was that over half of us had been attracted to the humans that we had been observing over the years. Some even admitted to having close relationships with them. I was sickened by that revelation at first because I had not experienced such feelings, even though I had felt friendship towards some of them."

Franz Tap stopped, checking eyes to see what reaction his words were having. He felt mostly disbelief and shock. He went on. "It was then that Tay Tap and Gene Lamount presented their research on genetics. We and the humans are very closely related, far more so than seeding could explain. Tay observed that our planet, our plains, have no evidence of dwellings on them. We know nothing of our distant past. Don't you see: we didn't evolve here; we evolved on Earth."

For a minute there was stunned silence, then chaos. "You do not dare. You are mad. You insult us. We are not animals."

Franz Appala Punra waited, maintaining his ground against the onslaught of abuse. The Speaker rose. "Silence! We will hear him out. It is our way."

Franz Tap felt himself relax in relief. There was a small chance that he just might fulfil his directive. "Our research indicates that we might have originated from an Earth, perhaps not in the same dimension or even in the same universe, but from an Earth. Tay Tap believes that we are, at the very least, a parallel people."

There was no stopping now; he plunged on with his revelations. "We are both species in crisis, for different reasons. We need to help each other. We have perfected the process of coding genes into synthetically produced sperm. Tay realized that this was not enough, that we had to deal with the problem that has caused us to lose our ability to reproduce. She believes the root cause is our neutrality, our lack of contact with the emotions and

feelings that exist only in the third dimension. Tay Appala Punra and Courtney Tay Tap are expecting a female child, an heir to the House of Tap. Tay means to overthrow the tyrannical rule of her brother if she can."

This time there was no outburst. The Councillors sat in stunned silence. The wind rustled through the endless plains of grass and flowers, moaning down valleys and around the figures that sat in a circle. A sleeve flapped, a dry leaf bounced across the circle. All else was still.

Again Courtney found herself drifting in a dimension of energy without form or boundaries. She was aware of Tay's presence but there was no response, only a feeling of closeness. Then again she felt her awareness funnel and her being condensed within. As she lost consciousness, she was aware Haichen reached for them.

She woke to darkness, her body sore and exhausted, weighted down even by the sheets that covered her. "Tay?" she called. There was no response.

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called children of God."

~ Matthew 5:9

From Courtney Appala Punra's Logs

It was some time before the sickness and dizziness passed and I was able to crawl from my bed, shower, and dress. With effort, I staggered through Tay's private quarters and opened the door to her room. Gene Lamount sat by Tay's bed. The shock of seeing Tay again so badly burnt, along with the stench of her cooked flesh, sent my stomach heaving. I ran to Tap's bathroom and threw up.

Gene Lamount came and helped me up. He offered me a wet towel. "You shouldn't be here. I fear for the baby. You have done enough."

"Will she live?"

"I do not know. She is very badly injured."

"I'll sit with her."

"I do not think that is wise."

I looked at him coldly and, I hoped, with the command I had seen in Tap's bearing.

"You forget I am Courtney Appala Punra. I am Tap. While Tay is unable to rule, that power falls to me. I will sit with Tay. Call Franz Appala Punra and Haichen Tay Tap to me."

Lamount paled and bowed as he took a step backwards. "Yes, Courtney Tap."

Once he had left, my facade of confidence crumbled and I sank into the chair beside Tay's bed. She was a charred form. Inert and vulnerable. For the first time, she needed my protection far more than I needed hers. Yet, I was acutely aware that my safety and power was founded on Tay's name. Opposites balanced. One could not survive without the other.

"Courtney Tap. We are here."

I turned to see Franz and Haichen standing across the room. "I've not yet developed the ability to materialize or to be fully aware of those that do. In the future, when you or anyone else arrives, please do so outside my door and knock. It is our way on Planet Earth."

"Yes, Courtney Tap."

"Franz Appula Punra, you are Tay's closet friend and, I hope, now mine. I need to know honestly what has happened while I've been ill."

"Little. I have talked to the Council and explained all. Nothing like this has ever happened. Things are in a state of confusion. The Council is demanding to know where Torgga is and is insisting on an enquiry. I have been stalling them."

"Where does their support lie? Can I trust them?"

"Yes and no. Most would be greatly relieved to see Torgga ousted by Tay, but they will not show support until they know for certain that Torgga is no longer a threat. They fear him."

"Tell them then that Torgga no longer rules, that Tay Tap and Courtney Tap defeated him and his assassin in battle. Tell them the enquiry will occur only when Tay has recovered from her wounds. They're not to know how serious Tay's condition is. Understood?"

Franz smiled. He was pleased and relieved that Tay had triumphed. "Yes, Courtney Tap."

"You are also to take command of our enquiry. We had two of Torgga's spies in our midst, there might be more. I want anyone who is not loyal to Tay removed and held."

"Understood."

"Haichen, you will take complete command of the household until such time as Tay recovers. Make sure no one is in a position to doubt the leadership of the House of Tap."

"Yes, Courtney Tap."

"I hope I can look on you both as officers who serve, but also friends. Please call me Court in private. Thank you for your loyalty, bravery, and help. Tay and I need both of you."

It was Franz who hesitated. "Court, how is Tay?"

I signalled for them to come closer and felt their dismay. "Tay fights for her life, but she will win. She is Tap. Do not worry."

They left and I returned to sitting by Tay, not sure at all whether she would live or what would happen to any of us. Tay and I were opposites needing balance. If one was lost, both were lost.

From Our Report

Courtney nursed Tay for days. Tay's flesh was badly burnt and the regeneration of her skin was a slow, painful process. Worse, her nervous system had been severely damaged. She remained barely conscious, and Lamount could give no reassurance as to whether Tay would regain mobility or even live. Through it all, Courtney Tap was there, providing comfort and aid in any way she could.

She also continued her studies with us, growing stronger and more aware with each day. She has achieved the sixth level of awareness and some day she will reach enlightenment and become a true Guardian. As the Chosen One, she will bring in a new age of understanding and reinforce our beliefs. As Tap, she will help Tay Tap find a way to balance two worlds, thereby saving both.

Most surprising of all to us was that she had taken command of Tap's people with the guidance and advice of Franz and Haichen. For so long, Courtney Tap denied her destiny. Now she had reached within herself and found the strength and wisdom of a true leader.