And don't tell me this is different because Maelgwn turned out to be your true love. The effect your decisions and bravery had on this planet is every bit as beneficial as the effect your daughter will have in the future.'

'Have you lived through this instance in time before?'

'This particular instance, no.'

'Than how can you be so sure of the outcome?' Tory hated feeling torn. She very much wanted to trust him and to know that it would all turn out for the best, but lately the hurdles the universe expected her to jump seemed far too high.

The Merlin went very quiet for a time to allow Tory to reflect a little, before he confessed: 'As I cannot stand the thought of spending the next seventeen years without your friendship, I can see I have no choice but to tell you everything.'

Tory turned her gaze upon him, hesitant to believe he was on the level. 'Do you promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?'

'I do.' Half his mouth curved to a smile. 'If you promise to believe and trust in me as much as you once did. And if you allow me to complete your tuition in the higher mysteries, so you, in turn, can instruct your kin.'

As she felt the torment in her heart cease, Tory ventured a smile. 'I will.'

She embraced him to seal the deal, and the Merlin breathed a great sigh of relief. 'The future is looking brighter already.'

21.

REMEMBER?.

By the year 2023 many religious wars had broken out, as the various hierarchies argued for or against Cadfan as the long-prophesied Messiah.

Fortunately for Doc, the prophet had already made many forecasts about the future, some of which the diplomat played up to confirm his colleague's divinity.

Doc later had Cadfan twist other predictions, concerning Doc's own underlying interests, to mean something entirely different.

Working closely with Cadfan and taking his prognosis with regard to the planet's health seriously, the ICA set about enforcing preventive measures, be it evacuation, shelters, water breaks or whatever. One by one the disasters came to pass, and whether or not people believed in Cadfan's predictions they were at least prepared for the ill-fated occurrences. People knew what to do because Cadfan's publicity machine had made them aware. Needless to say, Doc and Walter were fast reaching hero status in the eyes of the world. What they had to offer transcended race, creed, culture, even religion; people could sleep at night, knowing someone was watching out for them.

Cadfan's teachings, which had once encouraged self-development and the individual's pursuit of spiritual perfection, were shifted away from the ideal to focus on the idol, thanks to the media. Walter said what Doc wanted him to say, and he was so busy touring and doing interviews that there was hardly time for performing miracles. Doc knew that as long as he kept Cadfan under the control of the module, Rhiannon had no chance of stealing the prophet away. The problem was that Cadfan could not predict any more, nor could he heal his faithful followers. But they could only sustain the mirage based on Walter's past glories for so long. Sooner or later Doc was going to have to set Cadfan free to do what he was most renowned for.

'Noah, I'm leaving now.' Tory distracted him from his essay. 'Do you still want to come?'

'I sure do.' He finished off his sentence and scrambled from his seat to grab a jacket.

'How's the writing coming?' Tory wandered over to read off the screen, whereby Noah hit the shut down key.

'Really well,' he replied, 'I'm up to chapter twenty-one of the third volume.'

'Well, when do I get to read this masterpiece?'

'Sometime after 2037, when it has an ending.' He motioned her to the door so they could get on with creating the next chapter.

After having spoken with Taliesin at length, Noah was now eager to see the Merlin's abode. Tory had described the labyrinthine dwelling to him and it sounded too fantastic to conceive of all at once.

Tory was heading to Lynn Cerrig Bach with Ray, so she offered to prove her claims about the place and Noah simply couldn't resist.

Ray and Thais finally had a working model of their prototype, which they dubbed the ENZU-GUZ: 'the wise one's weapon'. This was why Ray was accompanying Tory to Lynn Cerrig Bach. She had not told him where they were going, only that she wanted him to demonstrate his creation for someone.

Tory had become far more proficient in the art of psychokinetic teleportation of late. Even so, Rhun offered his services to transport either Ray or Noah to save unnecessary drain on Tory's energy. They were forced to be aware of such things these days. Any weakening of their psychic defences might lead the enemy straight to them. Of course, the enemy must first know what you look like, which meant most at Watarrka would not be hunted. Rhiannon may have persuaded Doc to let her kin be, but Tory didn't trust Doc as far as she could throw him.

The four arrived in the huge, grand entrance foyer to find Taliesin and Myrddin speaking with Rhiannon.

My god! Tory's first reaction was shock at seeing the two High Merlin's in each other's company. The age-old prophecy was coming to life. The Gathering was truly nigh.

Oh no, thought Tory next, looking around to catch Ray's reaction. He'd taken a few steps backwards and stood staring at Rhiannon, with mixed emotions.

'Hey, good lookin'.' Rhun bounded over to give his sister a hug. They held each other a good while before Rhiannon turned to address Ray. She didn't have to say a word. Her joy became shrouded in feelings of woe; every psychic in the room felt it.

'Delighted you could all pop in.' Taliesin decided to ease the tension by clearing the room. 'Come, let us find some place more comfortable to talk.'

Everyone eagerly followed the Merlin's lead - everyone but Rhiannon and Ray. They remained as they were, eyeballing each other from a distance, neither of them speaking until the doors closed and they were alone.

'If you had to choose between love and destiny, which would you pick?' Rhiannon posed.

'Destiny.' Ray didn't hesitate. 'At least I know what that is.'

'Exactly,' she agreed. 'I was dying at Watarrka, Ray ... I served no true purpose -'

'I wasn't enough for you?' Ray interjected, harshly.

'No, Ray, I wasn't enough for myself,' she replied.

He gave a heavy sigh, knowing where she was coming from, though he still didn't agree with her assessment. 'I realise you think you're serving the greater good where you are, but you can't tell me you couldn't have found a way to do that at Watarrka!'

'Get real, Ray ... who needs me when Tory Alexander is around!' Rhiannon played up Tory's capabilities, then calmed and smiled warmly. 'I love my mother, dearly, don't get me wrong. Who can blame her for being so perfect and talented. But there is one task she could never bring herself to do, and that, my friend, is why I took the assignment upon myself. No one else could have pulled it off, not even mother.'

Ray couldn't dispute this, and it slowly dawned on him that perhaps their break-up had been nothing more than the wrong place at the wrong time. 'Do you love him?' He could have hit himself for asking.

Rhiannon shook her head slowly, 'I don't think so.

It's more the challenge he represents.'

Ego appeased, slightly, Ray's mood lightened. 'I knew I shouldn't have made it so easy for you.'

'But that's what I loved about us - that it was so easy, so comfortable, so relaxed.' Rhiannon paused, thinking she needed her head read for choosing such an exhausting relationship over the bliss she'd known with Ray. 'For Doc, love is a battle of wits, a game!'

'I thought so, too,' Ray said softly, 'before I met you.'

The tenderness of the statement brought tears to her eyes and a lump to her throat. 'I miss you,'

Rhiannon confessed, her voice hoarse from emotion.

Not half as much as I miss you, is what he wanted to say, but instead Ray just held his arms wide.

She ran and embraced him, crying her heart out as he squeezed her tight. 'I understand, Rhiannon ...

really, I do. And I bear you no malice.'

He truly meant what he said, she could feel it, which only served to fuel her tears of suppressed guilt. 'Oh Ray,'

she raised her tear-stained face and kissed his cheek. 'I do love you ... but the Goddess inside, I love her more.'

She pulled away, her chest aching from the conflict raging inside her. 'I must follow her lead ... I must.' As her tears welled for a second coming, Rhiannon covered her face with her hands and vanished.

Ray stood staring into space for the longest time. He was so bewildered by his own behaviour. He had spent a lot of time over the last few years thinking about what he would say to Rhiannon if he ever chanced across her again. He'd imagined fury, a lot of anger and spiteful words. Yet, it hadn't been like that at all. And as a result, he felt calm and at peace. Still a little hurt perhaps, but better for the knowledge that they had parted as friends.

Could it be that we are growing up? Ray's eyes darted about the room, and for the first time he noticed its grand and peculiar nature. 'Where on earth am I?'

On cue, the double doors that led into the maze opened wide and Taliesin entered to collect Ray.

'Hey Teo.' Ray made his way towards him. 'Is this your place?'

'Ah, yeah,' Taliesin answered. 'This is where I hide out.'

Ray was amazed to hear Teo say this - surely the antiques around him were priceless. 'Did you win the Lotto or something?'

Taliesin chuckled at the question. 'You could say I fall under the "or something" catagory.' He slapped a hand upon Ray's shoulder to guide him along. 'Come, let me show you around.'

Rhiannon made a brief appearance in the room where Taliesin had left her mother, brother, grandfather, and Noah.

'Rhiannon, are you alright?' Tory moved to comfort her, but Rhiannon backed up towards Rhun.

'Wipe all memory of this meeting from my mind.'

She prevailed upon her brother to make haste about it, too.

'Alright.' He raised his finger for her to focus upon, and began the procedure without question. Once she was under his control, he instructed: 'When I click my fingers, you will project yourself back from whence you came, to awake with no recollection of ever having left there.' Rhun clicked his fingers, and Rhiannon faded from their midst.

'He's very talented.' Myrddin boasted about his grandson to Noah, who appeared to be astonished.

'That's frightening,' Noah decided.

Rhun waved it off. 'I have a way with women.'

'It isn't any wonder,' Noah said flippantly.

'Do you think she's okay?' Tory asked the others.

'She's doing just fine,' Myrddin told her, slightly annoyed, but then his voice regained a tone of pride.

'She brought us word that Doc has released Cadfan from the module's influence, so he should be nearly back to his old self. Apparently, Doc is planning some big shindig for his disciples, the venue for which should be announced in the next few days.'

'We have to get Walter out,' Tory insisted.

'Yes, we do,' Myrddin settled the matter once and for all, 'but if we steal him away, he will be assumed to be missing, and all those followers of his will ceaselessly look for him.'

'Good luck to them ...' Rhun scoffed at anybody's chances of finding Cadfan once the Watarrka community had him.

Myrddin raised his brows at Rhun's certainty. 'Still, why take the risk, when we can make it look like -'

'... he ascended!' Tory cut in to raise a strong objection to Myrddin's plot. 'No way, no day! Then we'd be reinforcing the damn delusion.'

'Well, the world already knows he can't die, so what else are you going to do?'

Tory opened her mouth to argue her father's point, and then closed it again when nothing immediately sprang to mind.

'Mother, if everyone is happy, what difference does it make?' Rhun intervened, taking his grandfather's side.

'The most important thing is that we get Cadfan out of there.'

'And the gang's all here ...' Taliesin and Ray entered the room. Taliesin rubbed his hands together mischievously. 'Let's plot then, shall we?'

Rhiannon's short rest left her feeling emotionally and physically drained. Yet when she tried to recall what she'd dreamt, she came up with naught.

Downstairs she found Doc and his henchmen giving Cadfan a hard time. It seemed his faculties weren't returning quite as fast as anticipated.

'You can't bluff me, old man,' Doc told him, whereby Cadfan appeared all the more puzzled.

'I'm very sorry, but I have no idea what you mean?'

the healer said.

'Yes, you do!' Doc insisted, at which time Rhiannon placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

'There's no need to squander your energy in this fashion.'

Doc turned his frustration Rhiannon's way. But she beckoned him with one finger into the adjoining room, an alluring smile upon her face encouraging her husband to calm down and follow.

In the privacy of Doc's study, Rhiannon appeased him with a kiss and bethought the solution.

'Patrick Haze,' he uttered as they parted, 'of course.'

Doc had forgotten all about Cadfan's young apprentice, who was still hidden among the Unken ranks.

'Brilliant!'

'Did you expect anything less?' Rhiannon took a seat on his desk, crossing her legs in a provocative fashion. She procured herself a cigarette from the case beside her, and held it up awaiting a light.

Doc did the honours, quietly pondering her motives for jogging his memory. 'Why are helping me, when I know for a fact you want Cadfan freed?'

'But not yet.' Rhiannon inhaled the smoke from the cigarette, and exhaled it again before expanding on the statement. 'The fusion project is still a year from completion. After that, you won't need Cadfan to control the masses.' She gave a slight shrug, 'I can wait.'