We came out and Farley ran me to another Bisillip. "Did you hear?"

This one moaned, too. "I did! Poisons of the 6th! What was Mican? Dosillian?"

"I think, Naisain, as Tanorsen made himself. They were supposed to be observers like the Imwa and Laruu, but they hid weapons and came back to conquer. Their reign of terror lasted for millions of eons! All their knowledge was thought destroyed. Put him here. I am ready. If we cannot save him, none of his clones know what he knows."

Ry'nao ran to us on the arm of his healer. "I came as soon as I could. Where is the necklace?"

I started to take it off, and Kirnonos grabbed it! "Do not think to take this off, ever! Why do you have it and not Farleikon?"

"He tried to give it to King Nitomahan, but he said Farley should keep it. So he gave it to me when he married me."

"Did he see that holo? Did you know?" Kirnonos moaned, and another Bisillip poured several large drinks down him.

"I—"

I watched Farley as he lifted the necklace, and Tanorsen died. It put itself around his neck. He hugged his friend and wept. But, his friends are watching. He can't use it if others are around. Another plan. Tell them about the false fruits. We will strike at them another way.

Will it work? Those are Mican's ships. Tell me quickly, before I forget! These poisons make me ill.

What poisons?

The ones that spread when Tanorsen's brother and his wife destroyed the weapons facility--

You forgot much. They did not destroy it, they made it look as if they had an accident. Mican believed it was damaged enough for him to open it. He trained Tanorsen to open it for him. But Tanorsen left traps. Mican found rubble, not usable weapons. So his men stole Tanorsen's parents from Lisbaar because Ranh Wenh Cet promised him a favor.

Remember. Tanorsen left a message in the necklace. When you are alone, listen. The necklace will remember for you. Mican must believe that all of you forget things. But, with these terminals we gave you, you will act without memory.

Don't let it scare you. When you are unwell, use our umar seg. We have remedies to help you last, even though Mican's poisons act. He has to believe his poisons, his umar seg, are working. Galarsmen can advise you, despite Mican's training. You are the only one who can do this. I altered each layer of protection to your genetics. Even if you are injured, you can act.

Farley taught them about the false fruits. But all of his team had weapons he didn't expect them to have. Weapons they remember trading to get in Elshar markets. But they were from the weapons facility.

I put them on your ship. Do not concern about it. Injured men make up stories to explain what they remember.

I shivered! "What's that voice?"

Ry'nao startled. "Ella, did you see a memory?"

I showed it to him.

"Bring his team here."

Another diplomat nodded and ported out.

I sat on a padded bench, and Molly held me. "I'm scared."

"All of this higher level stuff scares me, too! I thought after we defeated all the Cubes Rentappenen and Satauuver created, we were done!"

He shook his head. "Ella showed us that we are fighting another war, but other generations will finish it. All we can do is fight for my Thirteen. The Padrisa she mentioned is not the Padrisa we know, but what Earthans know as the Virgo Supercluster."

"But Pirad and Kirnonos talked about that!"

Ry'nao's red-violet eyes opened very wide, and he was already white! He went gray! "I think the necklace works in the way Rentappenen's Cube Of Many Colors did. He could manipulate timespace itself. Child, take care with your thoughts. You could destroy the Thirteen."

You could, but we watch to see what you will do with this Gift. You love your husband. Heal him. Then you will know what the necklace can do. Will you give it back to him, or will you take Ry'nao's place?

"I'm not smart enough to use this thing! Ry'nao, I was supposed to give this necklace to you—" I started to lift it.

His four-fingered hand shot out and pressed it against my collarbone! "Ella, if you remove it, you will die, and Farley also!"

"But you can use it to save the Thirteen! There are poisons from the 6th level on Esta Faho, and everyone from there is dying!"

He gasped! I think it takes a lot to make an emperor gasp! "Child, I could not use it even if I could take it! I think you are able to use it because your husband can. I do not know enough to use it! But, it may teach you how—"

"I just want my husband to live! And his brother!" I didn't think before blurting that out!

Farley stood in front of me. Looked around. "Where is this? Did we travel to Bisillipia?"

Farley's new clone stood beside him and held him up! "Nae, we are on Alb Seer! I am alive?" He looked at me. "Ella, you used the necklace!"

I grabbed Farley! "You weren't supposed to give this thing to me! Put it back on! I don't want you to die!" I sobbed.

He put his arms around me and kept a hand on the back of my neck. A very cold hand. "Ella, if you used it, keep her! I nae know how to–I thought it merely a necklace of stones that reflect telepathic attacks." His eyes turned black.

The necklace spoke to both of us. You must act quickly, before the poisons take both of your memories. We go to the site of the weapons facility.

Suddenly, we just stood on black glass. This place wasn't Elshar Zheiea! Red sky and five moons, where one small one traced a path across the other four, but it's night here! Yellow sand—pale yellow—ended on one side. Bare sand led to a mountain range. The other side was all black glass. We sank into it.

Farley held me! "What happened? Where is the weapons facility?"

"Pirad ported it into a sun, and it destroyed the star system!"

Foolish one. It destroyed a hundred. Not inhabited worlds. They all had substances forbidden on this level. The only world left with these substances is this one. And, it is mine, at last!

An Elshar walked towards us! Farley tried to reach with his telepathy, and it didn't go anywhere. It hurt! He tried harder and nearly fell! I held him up, away from that poison dust! I wished Mican dead, but it didn't work.

Did you think you could control it? I let you think that. Your friends do not know where you are. This world's mines are automated. They won't find you for a very long time.

Mican jerked the necklace off me and threw it on the black glass. We were underground in a black glass room with no openings. The necklace shattered into fine dust!

Then he just walked out. We tried to follow him and bounced off. Fell.

Some of the shattered necklace dust absorbed into Farley's wrist. I brushed it off, but it stuck to my hand. Absorbed into me, as if I were Zheien!

Farley put his hand on it. Smiled. Before I could stop him, he smoothed his hand over all of it and it was gone.

"Love, we don't know what that will do to you—"

He tried reaching with his telepathy, and a white flash startled me. Farley cried!

I pulled him against me. Even our mindlink hurt!

And Mican laughed.

It's cold here. Farley will die first. And we can't even share memories, or we'll hurt each other! What a horrible way to die! I laid down and pulled my husband on top of me. He'll stay warm longer if he's not touching that awful floor.

As I laid down, I looked up. Open sky? But if it's open, how is it blocking our telepathy?