The universe vanished around us. It was like jump but with no ship around us. My senses reeled with an awareness of nowhere and nowhen. I could see the others of our party and the Wytch but everything else was black and fathomless. Being a spacer for most of my life I was the first to recover. The others had varying reactions of distress. Still, gibbering madness seemed to hover about us at no great distance and it was very hard to ignore. I turned to watch the others. Sally was hard hit. She had clutched at the Iskar momentarily to keep from falling to some invisible surface which seemed to support us in this place. I had a desire to move and help her but found that I could not budge from where I stood. The Iskar stood as unperturbed as ever, merely experiencing the events through our emotions I supposed. She glanced at me and then turned her gaze on the Wytch. Lady Silver. How do I describe it? The presence of the River Wytch was a tangible menace which impacted on my senses like the approach of an inevitable doom. From Lady Silver I now felt something else. A red rage that seemed to encompass us all for a moment. It was centered in her eyes which had turned that color from their usual placid and gem-like green. Sally screamed as she looked at Lady Silver and then she fainted, losing her supportive grasp on the Iskar and sliding bonelessly down to that invisible surface. Even the Iskar stepped away from her as a force against me tried to push me back. It was far more livid and of the moment than the menace of the River Wytch. The Lady's fists clenched and she seemed to shiver as her eyes closed. Then it was gone as if it had never happened. She opened eyes that were once more a clear gem green. She looked at Sally with distress evident at her condition. Then she spoke. "I am sorry my friends. This is a difficult path for me." She looked at the River Wytch. "Can you help her since it seems I cannot move to do so?" The Wytch nodded and Sally groaned, shook her head and then stood up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that. This is just such a strange place," she said sheepishly. "Thank you, Wytch. I am ready for your test," Lady Silver said as she straightened her jacket. Nodding, the Wytch spread her hands and three crackling balls of contained plasma-like energy sprang into being, one over each hand and the third over her head. "The test began with us coming here. Now you must use True Sight to find the key which will release you and these others from this place. Fail and all here but me shall perish. Pass the test and the key along with your lives shall be yours." Lady Silver seemed undecided and then started to reach out. I caught her hand and she looked at me with those piercing green eyes. "What..." she began. "Tell me what you see," I commanded. A tint of red smoldered for a moment in her eyes but then she blinked and looked once more at the Wytch. "I see three livid spheres of energy. One red, one yellow and the last green. Is that not what you see?" "We are all here and part of this test. Will you let me choose?" I countered. Her eyes turned to me and again I saw the faint reddish flames flicker in them for three long breaths. Then she lowered her arm. "Choose," she said. I looked once more at the Wytch and realized that the sense of menace was gone and that she was smiling. I reached out and touched the heart shaped pendant that she wore about her neck. A clear bell tone sounded and I brought away in my hand a tiny blue gem which glowed in this place with a light of it's own. The Wytch's smile broadened and she looked fully at Lady Silver. "I did not think that any of your kind could pass the test. But you have done so." "What..." Lady Silver looked confused. We were back at the cottage. To be continued....