Rhun backed away, half a grin on his face. 'That's debatable,' he challenged. 'And just for the record, I wasn't going to contest you. I was merely going to suggest that I restore the information I wiped from your memory earlier. It might prove a little difficult to find your way home, if you don't know where it is.'

When Brian was snapped out of his trance, Rhun showed him how to restore Tory's recollections of Watarrka so that she, too, could find her way home.

Rhun then knelt between the invisible vessels, placing a hand upon each of them. 'When you find the others, for heaven's sake, report back to base. If I don't hear from you within twenty-four hours, I'll assume the worst.'

Brian looked to the rocket charging across the sky.

'How much worse can it get?' By the time he looked back to his nephew, Rhun had gone.

From above there came a huge explosion and a great yellow shock wave burst forth from the missile in all directions. Brian closed his eyes, straining to concentrate on Tory and ignore the ruinous mass bearing down on him.

Sometime later, when Brian opened his eyes to find only blackness, he had to wonder if he'd died. 'Tory?' he whispered timidly.

'Brian.' She startled the wits out of him, having snuck up from behind.

'Stop doing that?' He took a swing at her in the dark and missed. 'Will you turn the lights on, please?'

'Here you go.' Tory pulled a set of goggles down over his eyes.

'Wicked!' Brian smiled as he saw the light, waving his hands in front of the lenses to compare the eye wear to normal vision. 'Not bad at all. Hey, Neraida.' He waved to her now that he could see her. 'Teo, where have you been, man, we've been looking everywhere for you?'

'I had a bit of an accident,' Taliesin explained.

'But we fixed him,' Tory stepped into the conversation to add. 'He's immortal now, just like us.'

'Excellent, bro.' Brian gave Taliesin a high five.

'Together, forever, the world's famous ...'

' Supreme team, ' they both responded at once, slapping each other's palms in a secret sequence of ways that only they knew.

This made Tory chuckle, as she saw Taliesin in his Merlin's guise. Brian, on the other hand, perceived him as the warrior who was his best and dearest friend. It was better this way, Tory thought. Brian never need know of Teo's bloody transition.

'If you girls are quite finished,' Tory placed a hand on her brother's shoulder, 'we do have things to do.

Brian, I need you to go and tell the others we're alright.'

That's what Tory said. In reality, she was buying time to see Teo put to rest, before Brian explored too far and discovered his corpse.

'But I ...'

'Please don't argue, Brian, I've had a hell of a day.'

Tory looked to the large doors of the chamber as they parted, and a young man, of the same race as Neraida, entered. 'I have grave news.' He stopped before Neraida to report. 'A nuclear missile has exploded over Baghdad.'

Neraida was taken aback by the announcement.

'That's what I've been trying to tell you.' Brian finally got a word in. 'I saw it go up, and as Doc is Lugal I didn't think it was bound for New Mexico. This must have been what he had planned all along, but why here?'

' So that the road of Kings can be prepared,' said Taliesin, quoting Revelations. 'We'd best get to the surface.' He took hold of Neraida's hand, sending her calming energy to help soothe her shock. You knew this had to happen, he bethought her, and she nodded, sad to concede that he was right.

From Babylon, some ninety kilometres south of Baghdad, the view north had altered dramatically. The clear, blue sky had been replaced by a black cloud of fire and soot, whilst the scorching gale-force winds whipped the desert sands into a deadly frenzy.

'I don't understand.' Brian yelled over the howling winds to make himself heard. 'If Doc really wanted to destroy Baghdad, why did he wait until the missile was way out in the atmosphere before he detonated it?'

'The radioactive effects of a ground blast of that magnitude would possibly mend in twenty years,'

Neraida explained. 'This air blast, however, will leave a gap in the ozone layer and subject the lands from here to the Persian Gulf to radiation from the sun for centuries!'

Now Tory had a clearer vision of Doc's motivation.

'That will leave this whole Middle Eastern sector uninhabitable to mortals.'

'Exactly.' Taliesin noted that Tory was as perceptive as ever. 'The waters of the great river Euphrates will dry up.' The Merlin's gaze shifted back to the devastation on the horizon, and he a took a few steps towards it.

'Because there exist spirits of devils that do miracles.

They go out to the kings of the whole world to muster them for the war of the sovereign.'

Brian looked to Teo, marveling at his words. 'Are you feeling okay?'

Tory moved Brian aside, also curious about Taliesin's statement. 'The Gathering, you mean? This is where it will take place?'

Taliesin nodded to confirm this, spreading his arms wide to include the apocalyptic scene before them.

'And behold, they assembled to do battle in the place which in Hebrew is called Harmagedon.'

Ray did not take the news of Rhiannon's abduction well. His fist sent Rhun hurtling across Floyd's communications room to land on the couch, his nose bloodied from the punch. Nick, Noah and Daniel all jumped on Ray to stop him from pursuing the fight.

'You wouldn't listen, would you?' Ray snarled, trying to break free.

Rhun staggered back to his feet, his broken nose reforming as good as new. 'I wasn't the one who feared this ... you were!' Rhun was incensed. He took advantage of the fact that Ray was restrained and returned the punch with gusto.

'Rhun!' Floyd was forced to join the scuffle, taking the lad in a headlock to lead him away. 'That's enough!'

He thrust Rhun back onto the lounge. In a fury, Floyd grabbed Ray and cast him into a seat also. 'Millions of people have just been killed and millions more are going to perish! We are the only ones who know the truth. Divide and conquer, gentlemen. You're playing straight into Doc's hands!' Floyd took a few deep breaths to steady himself, having stunned all those present with his outburst.

Rhun was having a flashback to Gwynedd, to the one and only fist fight he and Bryce had ever had.

Coincidentally, the reasons for the clash had been very similar and it had been Sir Tiernan (now Floyd) who had broken up that dispute, too.

Ray was just amazed to see Floyd lose his temper. He was usually too stoned to be that energetic.

'I hate violence.' Floyd was annoyed with himself.

'It's a waste of energy on all levels. We have to be smarter than that.' He looked back to the several television screens all running different news bulletins about the crisis in the Middle East. The whole world had come to a standstill to mourn humanity's loss.

Silence fell over the control room as everyone quietly brooded upon the next move.

'So you made contact with another underground rebel group, you said.' Noah looked at Rhun, encouraging him to expand on the statement.

'Forget that,' Ray cut in. 'How are we going to get Rhiannon away from that, that ...' He stood, suddenly infuriated again. 'I can't believe you let him take her!'

Ray didn't notice Brian materialise behind him. As Ray moved to launch himself at Rhun, he found himself gripped around the collar and shoved back in his seat.

'Rhun wasn't even there,' Brian informed him. 'Tory and I were with Rhiannon at the time. So if you want to take out your frustration on someone, take your best shot and be done with it. Tory is upset enough about what's happened, without you rubbing her face in it.'

Brian backed off when he was sure Ray would refrain from violent action.

'Dad. Are you alright?' Daniel approached to check his father over, as Brian had obviously been through a war zone.

'I'm fine,' Brian assured his son with a pat on the cheek.

'Did you find my mother and Teo? Are they alright?'

Rhun braved Ray's anger, changing the subject from his sister for a moment. 'Did you remember to restore her knowledge of Watarrka?'

'I did, they are, and I did.' Brian, filthy from standing out in the desert storms, took a seat beside Rhun in a puff of dust. 'But Teo had an accident. He's an immortal now, like us.'

'But that's impossible,' Rhun objected.

Brian was still caught up in his own train of thought, however. 'It's strange, really. He's got all this knowledge all of a sudden,' he commented, wondering why he hadn't been enlightened with wisdom at the time he'd become immortal.

'But Teo's perfect incarnation is ...' Rhun broke into a huge smile as he suddenly felt much better.

Taliesin Pen Beirdd.

The tidal wave of 2017 in the Atlantic had wiped out most towns on the islands of the Azores. But Horta, on Faial, had already re-established itself as a significant port of call, as it had been for centuries.

The old church and cemetery above the town, having been dug out from under a thick coating of mud, now appeared virtually undisturbed by the disaster.

Taliesin accompanied Tory to the island where they laid Teo's body to rest next to his wife. Neraida's people had embalmed and anointed the corpse, which made the burial less gruelling.

Tory knew the soul for whom she wept was still very much alive in the being beside her, and still she couldn't contain her tears.

'Oh come, come.' Taliesin placed an arm about her shoulder, to lead her away from the grave as it was refilled. 'I am much happier this way. We've been through all this before.'

'No.' Tory pulled away from him, not ready to give up her grief. 'You've been through all this before. I just got here.'

'You're worried about Rhiannon.' He cut through all her other feelings of woe to get straight to the heart of the matter.

'Yes, I am.'

'Don't be. For I have been to the future several times and I can assure you, Doc will not harm her.'

'How can you say that. He's brainwashed her for christ's sake!' Not wanting to take her frustrations out on her old friend, Tory walked away to regain her perspective.

After giving her a moment to brood, Taliesin spoke.

'A long time ago,' he said, 'before Rhiannon was even born, I told you she'd have a special role to play in the Gathering. Do you remember?'

Tory turned abruptly to look at him, confirming that she did remember. She said nothing, however, unsure if she wanted to pursue the conversation.

'Right now I'll grant that, yes, Rhiannon is being manipulated. But Cadwaladr -'

'So you know about the connection between Doc, Caradoc and Cadwaladr?'

Taliesin raised both brows in remorse. 'My greatest mistake, it would seem.'

'But how ...' Tory beseeched him, 'how was his immortality overlooked?'

'That, my dear, remains a mystery.' The Merlin gave a heavy sigh. 'This apparent paradox has been left in Maelgwn's capable hands. Hopefully, he and Cadwallon will come up with some answers.' Tory's face had lit up at the mention of her beloved's name. 'But, let's not get off the subject. Cadwaladr has become obsessed with your daughter. Pretty soon, when he is confident that Rhiannon's loyalty to him has been well established in her mind he will remove her restraint. Firstly, because he desires to know that she loves him of her own free will. And, secondly, because she is too powerful an ally to keep restrained. Once the NERGUZ-I-NUEN module is unfastened from her wrist, Rhiannon's abilities and sensibilities will return to her, given time.

When they do, she will find herself in the very powerful position of Cadwaladr's most trusted adviser.' Taliesin took a step closer, to emphasise the importance of this.

'Rhiannon is the greatest hope we have of freeing the countless number of immortals who have fallen under the influence of the NERGUZ-I-NUEN.'

'Sorry.' Tory had to interrupt at this point, 'What immortals? Are you talking about Neraida's people?'

'Haven't you worked it out yet?' Taliesin looked a tad surprised. 'The ICA clinic in Alaska isn't just for curing AIDS. It's for finding immortals. Half the people who disappear into that facility never even had the disease.'

'Oh dear Lord, he's building an army.' Tory's eyes bulged in their sockets. 'But the immortal gene could not be active in many of them, surely? What use are these pending demigods, unless Doc has discovered how to activate the gene?' To Tory's further bewilderment, Taliesin nodded.

'No, please, he hasn't,' she begged.

'Fear not,' he encouraged. 'I, too, have acquired a large vial of the formula that transformed both you and your brother.'

'Acquired from where?' She started to wonder what her time-travelling friend had been up to since last they'd met.

'From the same place En Darius got it ... the Nefilim.' He smiled, knowing this would confuse her.

'Not even Darius knew the truth of the potion's true origins. The Nefilim, or more specifically, your great-grandfather, wanted none to know.'

'But you know,' Tory prompted, intrigued to learn the truth herself.

'Originally the formula came from the biological laboratories of Ninharsag,' he advised.

'Keridwen.' Tory referred to the Goddess by her Celtic name. 'But how did Cadwaladr get hold of it?'

'Shamash.' They both responded at once and Tory threw her hands in the air, frustrated.

'But there is one big difference between Shamash's potion and Keridwen's. You see, being of Enlil's flock, Shamash is not well disposed towards the human race.

The last thing he wants is a whole army of everlasting Homo sapiens running amok beyond the time of reckoning. Therefore, he altered Keridwen's original formula so that its effects were only temporary. How temporary, I do not know.'

'We must stop him.' Tory stated, adamantly.

'There is no stopping him.' Taliesin stated bluntly. 'I have already tried several times, and unfortunately this has proved to be one of those asymmetrical events in time that is irreversible.' He paused a moment, as sorry about the fact as Tory was. 'Therefore, it falls to us to find, identify and activate the immortal gene in as many people left on this planet as we possibly can, before Doc finds them.'