"How long do we wait?"
Alan asked. He sat holding Christine in his arms protectively as she
concentrated almost unconsciously. Naomi smiled inwardly at the portrait the two
made. He really is gonna make a great daddy, she
thought.
"I'm not sure, but I don't want
it to be too long," Naomi shrugged. "I don't think he can..."
Suddenly, Christine began moving
about restlessly. Alan looked down at her, then back up at Naomi questioningly.
Jerry, too, began to frown in his unconscious state and Naomi nodded.
"Okay wake them up. Chris
first."
Before they could do anything, the
crystal began to glow brightly. Both Jerry and Christine yelled in anguish, then suddenly, the room was blinded by a flash of light.
When the light cleared, Thom was
kneeling on the floor. "Oh, God..." he said quietly.
"How did you...do that?"
Naomi asked.
"I couldn't hold him,"
Chris wailed, clinging to Alan without abandon. "It was hurting my head...."
"Your head!" Jerry groaned.
"...and I couldn't focus
through Jerry." Chris finished. "I'm really sorry!" She began to
cry and Alan blinked in surprise. He was very suddenly reminded that this
little person who had all the power and knowledge of an adult was still only a
kid.
"It's...uh,
it's...alright," he said, gingerly hugging her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm just feeling
weird," Jerry said. "That really..."
"Not you, yuh big stupefied," Alan
growled.
"Oh, sorry," Jerry winced.
"Thom...whatcha
got there?" asked Naomi quietly. None of them had noticed her struggling
over to Thom, who was hunched low on the floor.
He sat up slowly and everyone
gasped. Naomi nearly fell to her knees. "I'm sorry," he said, his
voice breaking. There, underneath him, was a perfect copy of Daina made of crystal. "I tried, I really
tried..." Christine tried to leap hysterically from Alan's lap, but he
held her back, trying to turn her away from Daina's
crystallized body.
"Alan, let her go. She's seen
worse." Naomi paused, clutching her womb. She attempted to kneel down, but
couldn't. "Chris?" she said, putting out her hand. "Come tell me
who this is."
"No, Naomi..." Chris said
pleadingly, crying on Alan's shoulder. "She's dead, she's really
dead...she's really dead...."
"Naomi!" Alan protested.
"Don't make her do this! Not right now."
"I don't want to touch
her!" Chris wailed.
"Christine," said Naomi.
"You're gonna have to deal with this stuff all
the time when you become empress." Chris' back stiffened visibly.
"Let me just try calling to Daina," Jerry said.
"Jerry, please. Alan, let go of
her," Naomi said. "She and I both need to do this. Christine!"
she added sharply. "If Daina were gone, I'd know
by now. I mean, I'd really know. That can't be her." Christine looked at
Naomi finally, and her sobs decreased. "Trust
me," Naomi said firmly, still holding her hand out. "We have been
through worse with this woman. She is much tougher than this."
At last, Chris slid off Alan's lap
and came over to Naomi almost shyly. She looked at her, then
turned to the statue. After a moment, she bent down and placed a hand on the
crystal body. She closed her eyes and frowned in concentration.
A second later, she opened her eyes.
"Well?" asked Thom.
"It's her...but you're right,
Naomi, she's not really dead," Chris replied, looking puzzled. "It's
like...like she's out of her body or something.."
"Then we need to keep
this...body for when she comes back," Naomi said.
"Don't we need to find
her?"
"We can't," Naomi said.
"She's not actually in reach of our magic. You've tried calling her,
right?"
"Yes...but there's gotta be something," Jerry said. "We can't just
leave her like this!
"Think of a better plan,"
said Naomi.
Jerry looked at Thom, who shrugged.
They were actually going to have to wait.
"Daina,
I hate to tell you, but this story ending blows, man," said Jerry, reading
over Daina's shoulder.
"Actually, it doesn't," Daina grinned, looking up at him. "Ain't never been daid
afore!"
"Yeah, but didn't we say that
death was permanent?" Jerry said.
Daina
looked back at her writing, then up at Jerry. "We were wrong," she
said simply. "End of story, beginning of new chapter."
"Oh," said Jerry.
"Carry on, then."