The next mornin' after breakfast Gee informed Zahn that we was ready. In mere seconds the vator pulled up ta the side door. Zahn, looking purty spiffy, stepped out. He didn't always get to see the Grand Keeper face-to-face and he obviously wanted to look his best. They don't give much thought in the Kingdom ta things like money, or power. Everyone, no matter what their job or abilities, has everythin' they need ta live the life they want ta the fullest. Even the Grand Keeper was technically on the same level as the groundskeeper. Respect was a birthright. However, acknowledging achievement, and honoring' age was acceptable, if not overdone.

We bustled into the vator, Momma, Mizzus Anderton, Freck, Gee, and me. Once inside Zahn asked us, "If you do not mind, we will make one quick stop to pick up Rotel before proceeding to the Great Hall." No one objected. Rotel, also known as Jacob Foster when he lived topside, was waitin' just outside his door. He greeted us all, and sidled over ta stand by Mizzus Anderton. They were once gettin' fixed ta marry. It was obvious they still had strong feelin's for each other. You could see it in their moony eyes and the way he gently folded her hand inta his.

Travelin' by vator's still a curiosity. There ain't no feeling of movement. Ya get in and whoosh, a moment later ya arrive at yer destination. We exited the vator a few steps down the corridor from the bronze butterfly doors of the Great Hall. The solid doors open by dissolvin' into zillions of amazin' butterflies of all sizes and colors. It takes yer breath away ta watch the multi-colored storm as it bobs and weaves 'round. We crossed the threshold and the butterflies swept back inta place behind us. I glanced back. The doors appeared just the same as they did before we approached them. They looked like massive bronze doors without even a hint of butterfly construction.

The Great Hall was one ginormous room, it was huge as an airplane hanger. I swear it could hold five full-sized passenger jets. The same seamless panels as in the rest of the Palace provided light. They's the ones that appear ta have no top. At the other end of the hall was the dais where we were first introduced to the Council of Keepers. Currently it was unoccupied. In fact there warn't a soul in the hall 'cept for our small group. We walked briskly to the dais. Smack-dab in the middle was the official seal of the Kingdom. In the center of the emblem was an embossed brilliant chrome salamander, just like Gee. When we arrived at the dais the seal split in two and opened up to lush burgundy-colored carpeted stairs that led down ta the residence of Grandma Chris, the Grand Keeper. We walked down the stairs and came ta another smaller bronze butterfly entrance. It too dissolved into thousands of colorful butterflies. Just inside Grandma Chrys was waitin'. Her smile was as invitin' as a candy store on free sample day.

"Welcome all of you. Please come in and make yourselves comfortable. If there is anything you require just ask Zahn and he will make sure you get it. As for Wishes and Freck, with all of your permissions, I would like to speak privately with them for a few minutes."

She led us to a room we had visited before. She called it her atrium. That was a good name because it was filled with all sorts o' plants. Some I recognized, but some I ain't never seen b'fore. Grandma Chrys spoke to them as we entered the room, "Good morning to each of you. Do not be concerned, I have brought these children in to have a little talk. Please do not be disturbed by anything you might overhear. Just go about your business of being beautiful and growing strong."

After greeting the plants, she turned to us and said, "Freck and Wishes I have to tell you that adventures always come with an element of danger, but that every precaution will be taken to keep you safe and return you to Burns without being the worse for wear. That is how you say it, worse for wear?" She arched her eyebrows asking for confirmation.

Freck responded, "Yes, that's the way we say it."

Grandma Chrys smiled sweetly and continued, "You understand you always have final say, right?"

I was beginnin' ta wonder what she was gettin' at.

"Accepting an adventure is a big decision for children your age, but you two aren't exactly like other topside young people, are you? You are special in ways that even we do not even suspect yet."

"Grandma, it seems like you are already plannin' an adventure for us. Are ya?" I asked her.

"Yes, Wishes, the Keepers Council has been trying to find a way to re-discover an ancient civilization that was lost to us many thousands of years ago. Until you two showed up we were stymied. All of our efforts failed. But you with your unknown abilities, youth, and humanness introduces new elements to the problem. We think that with your help, it might now be possible."

"Really? What could we do that Keepers can't?"

"I know that you believe in magic, what we call cigam (magic spelled backwards to keep it from being confused with stage magician's tricks). Cigam is not trickery. It is real. It is the foundation of all things.

"Tell me Freck and Wishes, when you first came here, traveled in the water vator, and saw what appeared to be endless lighted walls did you think it was magic?"

"I sure did, Grandma Chrys." Freck answered. I nodded yes.

"It only appeared magical because you did not understand the engineering that created these marvels. Once you grasp the principles you know that magic was not involved at all. It's science, not magic.

"Keepers are excellent engineers. We can take an idea, reverse engineer it and produce amazing things. The things you see here could exist Topside too if your people respected and cherished your dreamers. It is hard for us to understand why the gifts of belief and imagination are dismissed as mere childhood fantasies. Proper support and encouragement of the gifted could take your people farther than anything we have ever developed.

"Take belief for example. Why do you accept that Gee, the Whistlin' Salamander, is able to grant wishes? In part it is because you believe he can do it. What is belief? It is the ability to accept possibilities without evidence. Cigam is prized in the Kingdom, but it is more difficult for Keepers to master because the first step is belief. Belief is not natural to us like it is in humans. That is why we can confidently say that because of your age, and being human, have the ability to learn how to use cigam in ways that we cannot predict.

"Is that all there is to it?" asked Freck.

"Not exactly," Grandma Chrys said. "When you mix belief, creativity, and imagination you only have the beginnings of cigam. If that was all it took, cigam would be an everyday occurrence. Any Topside child could pick up a stick, call it a wand, wave it around, and make seemingly impossible things happen. The missing ingredient is . . . desperation. Why desperation? It is the the catalyst. Desperation cone when one is faced with a life or death predicament. When cornered and there is nowhere to run, and no where to hide--you experience it. When you are completely out of options you have but one final choice, You can embrace hopelessness or turn desperation into a friend. If you choose hopelessness, you lay down and die. It is over. You quit. Accept desperation and it will take you to the very core of your being where Cigam exists.

"Have you ever heard stories of mothers exhibiting superhuman strength by lifting a two-ton vehicle off children with bare hands?"

"I have." I said.

"That is Cigam. Both of you have experienced it. When you, Freck called on the Whistlin' Salamander to free you from the sink hole in the Howling Woods, you initiated it. Wishes, when you made that Florida panther freeze mid-leap you wielded cigam like a sword. A Cigam Master controls it and uses his or hers abilities for the greater good.

"Do you know Wishes, we moved that panther into our museum, where we keep it on display? Our people approach it with great reverence. To have tangible evidence of Cigam right in front of them is awe inspiring. They bring their children. They stand beside it and have pictures taken."

"Wow!" We both gasped together.

"Can we go see it?" I asked.

"You certainly can, but I must caution you, both of you are now kingdom celebrities. Everyone will want a picture with you and ask for autographs. Celebrities here are just like those Topside. Once recognized, wherever you go, and whatever you do in the Kingdom will draw adoring fans. It is a burden you both now share. At first you will find it exciting, but the constant invasion of your boundaries will grind you down."

"Imagine that. We are like movie stars here." Freck said wistfully.

I had to laugh. "Freck and Wishes comin' ta' a theater near you soon."

Grandma Chrys chuckled and continued, "It is important for you to understand this about your training, you will suffer real life dangers. You may not survive. Keepers will attempt to minimize the risk, but we cannot prevent all danger. The acquisition of Cigam demands desperation. During your adventures unexpected things will happen to force you to discover the Cigam power within you.

"Permit me to ask another question. When you manifested Cigam did you have an expectation of the result?"

"No way," I said. "I was as surprised as anyone by what happened."

"Me too," Freck agreed. "I expected to be saved because I heard the salamander's whistle, but how it would happen I couldn't guess."

"That is good. Until you master cigam like Gee, how it achieves the needed result will most likely manifest differently than what you imagined. Cigam flows toward the best solution. Those who give up on Cigam are those who have preconceived ideas about what the result should look like. If it does not match, they get discouraged. Do not let yourselves get discouraged. Discouragement and Hopelessness are your greatest enemies. If you let them, they will destroy all your progress."

My mind was whirlin'. If Cigam occurs, but we don't recognize it at the time because it happens in a way we didn't expect, how can we be taught to use it?

Maybe we unknowingly invoked cigam when we found the long lost wallet of Jacob Foster. A divinin' rod is a known magical tool. We didn't understand it at the time. Of course we weren't lookin' for a wallet; we were lookin' for the Whistlin' Salamander. Instead of the Salamander we found the wallet which quickly set up a chain of events that led us directly to what were really after. We did what she said we had to do to activate the cigam. We believed in it. We took action by findin' a divinin' rod. We were desperate to find our mothers. We poured our desperation into the forked stick, and we accepted its guidance without question.

Grandma Chrys sweetly said, "Now, before we worry the others about the time we are taking, I want to tell you about the task we want you to perform. There is an ancient tribe of people called the Arianni. We lost contact with them a long time ago.

"We were not sure that they still existed until your Admiral Richard E. Byrd published the story of his genial encounter with them, in 1956. Even though the events described happened in 1947 he was ordered by his superiors to keep silent, in the supposed interests of national security."

She looked us over carefully to determine how we were taking this. I can't speak for Freck, but as for me it, didn't sound any different than a history lesson in school. It was just information about sumpin' that happened b'fore I was born.

Apparently satisfied that we were okay with it, she continued, "There has been talk in certain circles that there are several entry points to get access into their domain. A tunnel exists Under the Pyramid of Giza. There is another deep inside the Mammoth Caves of Kentucky. Since Kentucky is nearer we thought you could begin your search there."

"What about our trainin'?" Freck wanted to know. "Don't we need to be here in the Kingdom to learn how to communicate without speakin', and such?"

"You are right Freck. Even though you will, if you choose,  to go on this adventure, you must be better prepared. In a few weeks you will have the skills you need to go to Shambhala."

"What," I asked, "is Shambhala?"

"Shambhala is the name of the city where the the Arianni live. You may have heard stories about it. Topsiders treat it as a kind of fairy tale, but we are very certain that it is very real."

Just then Gee added his two cents, "Exciting, right? You and Freck will step foot in a land that mankind does not even know exists."

Freck brightened like she just made a great discovery. "Wait a minute, Wishes, I think I overheard the Salamander talkin' ta ya, was he?"

"Yes he was. It seems like you are beginnin' to tune in to this telepathy thing."

"Excellent, it has begun." was all the Grand Keeper said.