I'll take you by the hand, and I'll show you a world that you can understand (part LIX)

(Roleplay entry. Continued from part LVIII.)

"No, don't worry," Zack said. "It's...something I'm getting used to. All use of magic requires energy, and the more powerful the spell is, the more energy you use."

Emilly nodded.

"Where I learned magic, I would be called an arcanist elementalist. I mostly use the elements to do my spells, but I have quite a repertory."

"That's fascinating," Emilly said. "And--that's how you got here, yes? Because we weren't advertising the location of Gearhaven, on Haven, you understand..."

Justine cleared her throat, holding up a hand. "Um, that might have been me chatting with Zack."

Zack walked to gather up the four crystals that seemed no longer to glow, or reflect any kind of energy, and chuckled. "Ah, for me coming here, let's say that...I have a few contacts and resources that guided me through."

"I...see." Emilly looked at Justine, smiling wryly.

Justine smiled brightly, eyes a bit wide.

"Long as we're clear that at least for now, we're human on Haven," Emilly reminded.

Zack gestured reassuringly. Justine kept smiling.

"More human than human!"

Emilly laughed. "No, that's the S-T BioLab motto."

Justine nodded. "I stick to the party line."

"Haven got strict laws, yes, and besides, I do not reveal my origins to them, either. None of their beeswax, even if I like the people there."

Emilly nodded at Zack. "I'll leave the salt out, just in case we need to do this again. But if you didn't need it, I suppose I can take the bone ash back....it was a shot in the dark."

"Yes, it's okay, you can take it back."

"And the, uh...artifact?" Emilly stared at the dark, stone object, pulsing with purplish symbols. "Might put you in the garden with the eyeplants. You'd fit right in."

"So, what next?" Justine asked. "I'll get back to the lab on the Prometheus and check the results from the readings on the disturbance in Darktow, and iI'll scan the other carrier robots for Hiro-instances. Or anything else useful. Should have done that before, but it kept getting pushed to the bottom of the queue."

"It did."

"And I'll go up to the nursery and see if Athena is...un-mad at me yet." Emilly sighed. "There's always one, huh?"

Justine gave a rueful laugh. "Sure is."

Emilly went down the stairs, taking the port circle to the nursery to try and talk to her daughter.

"If one of you ladies need help with something, do not hesitate to ask," Zack said.

"So," Lina said. Zack crossed his arms, looking at Lina with a smile.

"Not bad, huh?"

Lina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

(Continued in part LX.)