King Kruag nodded to his old friend Tahnnu when had finished climbing the stairs to the royal Pavalion. Queen Vree, lady of Shalmiraine, and keeper of the Royal Domicile, said, "Welcome to you, King Tahnnu, Lord of the Anu-Baji and King of all the Beastmen, ruler of Balaash! How fare you this evening?" Tahnnu smiled broadly and kept from laughing. Tahnnu saw the twinkle in Kruag's eyes as well. The two old warriors could play the game of the 'velvet glove' with the best of them, but they didn't have the flair that Vree had for it. Tahnnu saw that she could not tear her eyes off of the 'Teacher' he had brought with him. She knew of it's other-worldly origin and it frightened and excited her. Tahnnu rumbled, "I fair very well, Queen Vree. Salutations to you, your Husband, King Kruag and your children. All are well?" Queen Vree laughed, "My children are too well! You'll see them tomorrow, I trust." King Kruag said quietly to Tahnnu, "Adult only reception you understand. We're on holiday from our brood, tonight." Tahnnu laughed. "I understand all to well, Kruag. I brought my oldest with me. Where is yours?" Kruag looked distant, "Prince Kugar is bound for the far lands on important business. The hidden lab of Panchetta is revealled at last! So have the Far Lady's bones." Tahnnu took half a step back in surprise. The 'teacher' spoke in a cool androgynous voice for the first time, "Explain. You do refer to Chalchilaloc's remains?" Vree froze at the oddly accented words that came out of the ancient alien machine. It seemed to look at everyone and noone. Kruag cleared his throat, and spoke slowly and clearly to Tahnnu and to the enigmatic intellengence in the alien machine. "An agent of mine, named Vorn, the older brother to my son's bodyguard, found the lab and the Bones of Chalchilaloc in Taru City. Vorn says he was accompanied with someone who may well be the daughter of Chalchilaloc and Aldus Panchetta. Vorn is ,at present, trapped underground with some humans in the lab. The girl and the potential recruit that he had planned on freeing went for aid and haven't returned yet. "I am sending a commando group to seize the lab tonight and return with everything they can get hold of. That includes the bones of Chalchilaloc. If the woman IS the daughter of Chalchilaloc, we want to be very careful about what we..." Kruag was interupted by the 'teacher' at that point. "She is the child of Chalchilaloc. She is putting undo stress on the probablity fabric of the region. Extreme care must be exercised! She is untrained and her naiscent abilities may cause havoc." The alien machine fell silent. Vree beseeched the cold ancient machine, "My son...is he in danger from this woman?" The 'teacher' turned its full senses upon Vree. She qualied as she felt something ancient, more ancient than she could imagine examined her. The 'teacher' ssaid simply, "The question is not answerable. Your ignorance of basic probabilty mechanics causes your syntax to be in error." Kruag looked at Tahnnu. Tahnnu shrugged and remarked, "I know what the machine means.....but I can't explain it so it will make sense to you. Hell! That is WHY I brought you the Machine! It said it taught me all it can, and you are now ready to learn if you can." Kruag blinked and stared at the 'teacher' machine. "Wonderful! I suppose life just can't get too complicated!" Vree looked at the Machine as well and didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit. media is Poser 6