Beatrice's automobile was smaller than his police hansom, but it was speedier. She moved her car away from campus.

Marius said, "What do you want to tell me?"

"I needed to get away from the University. I'm not sure who was watching us."

He sighed. "I don't car about this cloak-and-dagger stuff. Tell me what's happening."

Beatrice checked her rear-view mirror. "Wait. Here we are." She turned toward a small house. It was painted lime green with white shutters and the front door was painted red.

"This is not a restaurant. Why are we here?" He said.

"Detective, I will explain when we get inside."

She parked her vehicle in the driveway. Marius was not sure if he should take out his weapon and demand what was happening or wait. He did not sense any malice coming from her. He followed her along the pathway and walked up to the front door.

Inside, he noticed the interior was almost completely dark saved for several candles in the corner on a table. The air smelled musty as if the windows were not opened for quite sometime.

"What is this?" he said not understanding what he was looking at. Something small came out of the shadows. It walked on two legs and stared at him. It had large green eyes and attired in a tight dress that stopped at her knees. She was not human.

"This is Mahar. She is a wood dryad."

He stammered. "That is impossible."

A small creature flew out of the shadows. It glowed.

Beatrice said, "This is Shayla. She is a sprite."

"These are mystical creatures? I don't understand all this."

"Well, you shouldn't understand," a gravelly voice said. The front door closed with a thud.

"Professor Julius?"

A tall man with a white beard wearing a blue robe walked to him. He moved with a youthful gait.

"Yes, I need you to help me," the Professor said.

"We think you are dead. I have to bring you in."

"No, detective, you cannot tell anybody that I am alive."

"You have to give me a good reason why I don't tell my superiors."

"Detective," the professor sighed, "there is more than just my life is at stake, here."

Beatrice cleared her throat. She said, "Let's have some lunch."

He took her cue and followed her to the back of the house. As he moved, he noticed a bright light infused the interior. All the chairs, couches and furnishings had a suffuse halo. Before Marius knew it, he was walking along a grass path moving to a table and wicker chair set. Small sandwiches was laid out on white bone plates.

"Please sit," Beatrice said.

"Where are we?"

"This is my backyard. It is shielded with magic."

Several of the mystical creatures move toward them. Professor Julius sat across from him. They sat on floral red cushions.

Marius exclaimed. "Tell me what is happening here."

Professor Julius said, "God forgive me, what I am going to tell is true. As you already gathered talking to my associate, Professor Laurie, I was inventing a new battery that would be stronger and last longer than the dylithic crystals we now use." He paused and pored himself some coffee from the white teapot. "Do you want some?"

Marius merely nodded.

"So, professor," he said. "Your invention did not work, but you found something else."

"Yes, I, at first, wanted to create the biggest magical battery." He stopped pouring and sat back. "Maybe, I wanted to beat the technologist. They are always in the news. It was out of vanity."

"Professor, what happened last night?"

"My grad student, Lawrence, was helping me with my apparatus and something happened."

The professor sipped his coffee. Marius heard a noise coming from a group of trees. Two sprites flew out the underbrush and landed on the table. They stared at him with small eyes.

The professor continued. "The apparatus which I called the Titan created a vortex to another place."

"Was this before your device exploded?"

"Yes."

"This happened a few weeks ago. We have been going back and forth through the vortex. Lawrence and I surmised through old books that this place the portal transported us to, was beyond the known realm, in an unknown territory."

"Why are these creatures here and why did you not tell Professor Laurie?"

"I was not sure if what I created was real. Before I told anybody else about my discovery. I needed to confirm it. So, I told Laurie the Titan did not work," he paused and waved his hands over the mystical creatures, "The last time I went through the vortex, I decided to test if any creatures can come back with me."

Marius said, "I need to know what happened last night."

The professor sighed. "I'm not entirely sure. I went through the vortex like normal and came back with these creatures. Except, when I came back, my laboratory exploded. I had to leave. I contacted Beatrice because I trust her."

Marius was stunned. "Professor Julius, you don't know what happened?"

"I had to leave. I saw the invisible magical writing on the wall and I knew I was in trouble."

"How did you get back if the Titan was destroyed?"

"I'm not sure. I should be stuck back at the other realm. It does not make sense."

Marius said, "I need to tell my partner."

"Be careful, Detective, I took a chance on telling you because you can help me. Do not turn me into your superiors."

Marius grabbed a sandwich and ate it. It was bratwurst and tasted good. "I need my partners help. For now, I think you should move away from the city and out into the far woods."

"My dad has a farm on the outskirts of Warlender," Beatrice said, "He never uses it because he is a wizard for the agricultural society. He is always out checking on plants and harvests."

Marius said, "You need to leave here. We can help you. Can you get some time off from work?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"I will be back with a large hansom."