After getting over their initial reaction of awe, the security guards converged on the prophet as he rose into the air. They were not nearly fast enough to catch him however.

Cadfan laughed freely as he ascended, throwing his arms up in adulation. 'Freedom', he cried, tears moistening his eyes at the notion. 'At long last!'

Rhun was there to aid Cadfan as he floated in through the lower doors of Sub Bay One. 'How's it going, Cadfan.' He reached out a hand to assist his grandson onto the platform.

'Are you kidding,' Walter chuckled. 'I'm in heaven.'

He got a foothold and then embraced his grandfather, expressing his heartfelt thanks and gratitude.

'You're most welcome,' Rhun assured him, turning to speak into the intercom beside them. 'Close lower sub bay doors. I have him.'

Doc made it outside just in time to see Cadfan disappearing into the clouds. 'Holy shit,' he muttered, quietly fuming as he turned to Stanley Brennon. 'Get those choppers in the air. If we don't prove this is a hoax, we're finished.'

'What if it isn't a hoax?' Brennon posed.

Doc's face was filled with wrath as he pulled the Stormer from Stanley's belt. Brennon decided to acquiesce without further question, rallying his team to the call. Then, as Doc noted some of the press heading their way, he looked at Rhiannon and placed the Stormer in her hand. 'Keep an eye on the fruit,' he ordered, referring to Patrick. 'If anyone comes near him, blast them. Understood?' She gave but a slight nod; as Rhiannon was restrained by the module, he had no doubt that she would do as she was told.

Once he'd learnt that Cadfan had been delivered safely into the arms of his kindred, Taliesin's role was done and he handed the proceedings over to Myrddin.

The Merlin glanced around at the masses, most of whom had fallen to their knees in worship, and a look of disappointment swept his face. Myrddin closed his eyes and again disappeared under his hood.

At a cry of wonderment from the crowd, Taliesin looked to the sky. The cloud had begun pulsing with colour, boiling and billowing more violently than before.

Then, just as suddenly, it settled into another clear form, glowing white in colour. Taliesin saw the symbol of Caduceus, which to him signified striving for higher spiritual awareness, but the people surrounding him had different views: some saw a cross, others the star of David, the face of Jesus, Buddha, or Cadfan. Then a voice was heard, and despite the vastly different languages of the audience everyone understood perfectly.

'Mankind, why do you bow down in awe of your brother? To hope to find spiritual salvation through another's understanding is a farce ... for the path to true enlightenment, happiness and health is inside you. The lesson here is one of absolute honesty. Consider, examine, and question everything that is presented to you, even this vision ... for how else shall you ever be granted freedom from delusion. Know yourself, love and manifest the divine in yourself by yourself. For the true name of God is, Taliesin Pen Beirdd.'

What?

thought Taliesin, horrified by the announcement. But then he realised that everyone present had heard their own name, and were all just as perplexed by the turn of events.

'Thus, have the courage to take responsibility for your own words, thoughts, acts, beliefs, well-being ...

your own life! Leave this place, and in so doing, follow your own path to the divine. For you have only to find the courage to listen and follow your own heart, and you shall be set free.'

Noah was seated beside the large hexagon, madly scribbling notes about the scene unfolding behind the glass screens. He, too, saw the cloud mass take on a clear form, though the image Noah perceived was that of a piece of parchment and a quill. As he completed recording the observation he looked to the holograph for further inspiration, and spotted what he thought were a couple of loose bugs flying around in the device. Upon closer inspection, he realised different. 'Choppers, shit!'

He dropped everything and made for the climate controls.

Noah quickly typed in a command and hit the execute key, whereby the beautiful vision of the cloud transformed into a fierce electrical storm.

'You'll stay away if you know what's good for you,'

he warned, rushing back to check on the helicopter's movements. Not surprisingly, they had done an about face.

The storm erupted overhead, filling Taliesin's heart with joy as he gazed over the humbled masses before him.

One by one the people rose from their knees to begin their walk out of the valley. It was only a few at first, but then they began rising in droves. Some die-hards, whose religious roots proved stronger than their desire to believe in themselves, continued to weep, believing their God had abandoned them or that the voice in the sky was surely the devil at play.

'It's working,' Taliesin uttered quietly to his accomplice, who was recouping his strength.

The really heartwarming part was that those who had responded did not fall into a line to form a general flow of traffic out of Death Valley. Instead, each person headed off in their own direction.

The television broadcast finally crossed backstage to get Doc Alexander's reaction.

'Will you be leaving the festival now,' one reporter asked.

'If this proves to be a real phenomenon, I most certainly will,' he replied.

'Are you suggesting that what we've just witnessed could be an elaborate hoax, Mr Alexander?'

'You know it is, don't you, arsehole?' Ray jeered, as he viewed the interview over Tory's shoulder.

'You heard the voice,' Doc responded with a grin.

'Question everything.'

As Doc waved off any further questions and headed for the ICA security truck, Ray spotted Rhiannon standing close to a large marquee in the background.

'What gives? She's wearing the module again.'

But before Tory had a chance to confirm this for herself, the station cut to another shot.

'We've got a slight hitch,' Rhun announced, as he arrived on the control deck of the Goddess with Cadfan.

'It's more of a request really,' Cadfan explained. 'Doc is holding Patrick, a young novice of mine, captive and will surely take out my disappearance on him.'

'I'll go,' Rhun stated, knowing there was no time to waste. The Goddess was well away from the festival site by this time, but they needed to get Cadfan under protection before Doc tried to locate him psychokinetically.

As Taliesin and Myrddin manifested, Tory gave her son the nod to go after Patrick. The two Merlins were powerful enough to shield Cadfan for a time.

'What does Patrick look like?' Rhun questioned, placing his palm to Cadfan's forehead to bethink an image of him.

While everyone was fussing over the prophet, Ray snuck around to retrieve the prototype of the ENZU-GUZ from his work station.

'Don't fear.' Rhun placed a hand upon Cadfan's shoulder in parting.

Ray waited until Rhun had stepped away from Walter and had closed his eyes to focus on Patrick before he grabbed hold of Rhun's arm and vanished along with him.

The large marquee materialised around them, and Rhun was furious when he found Ray had come along for the ride. 'Have you lost your mind? I'm taking you back.'

Rhun grabbed for him, but Ray was already halfway to the tent's entrance.

'Take him.' He motioned to Patrick, who was too stunned by their sudden appearance to move. 'Come back for me. I have to free Rhiannon from the NERGUZ.' Ray held up his prototype.

'But she'll kill you,' Rhun began, then decided it would be faster to do as Ray suggested than argue.

Patrick was unarmed, and though there were security men surrounding the tent, there were none inside the marquee. Rhun reached out and grabbed hold of the lad, who appeared terrified beyond reason. 'It's okay, Patrick.' Rhun kept his voice low so as not to alert the guards. 'I'm taking you home.'

'Home?' he queried, as if he'd never before considered the prospect.

'Shh,' Rhun advised with a nod, and the blue white ethers engulfed them.

Ray was creeping towards the open flaps at the end of the marquee when Rhiannon unexpectedly entered alone. Upon sighting him she pulled the Stormer from her belt and, finding her captive missing, aimed the weapon at the intruder. 'Where is he?'

With the banquet table between them, Ray had no chance of grabbing the weapon from her. He wouldn't have tried, in any case, as she was a far better fighter than he. 'I can see you are in no mood for questions.'

He tiptoed around her fury. 'You wouldn't, perchance, remember me?'

'Should I?'

Her dark eyes stared him down. Yet, they were glazed - as if only her body was confronting him and her soul had taken flight elsewhere.

'Where is he?' She moved round to confront Ray on his side of the table, and the force of her steps urged him to back up.

'Who? There's nobody here,' Ray pointed out the obvious, 'and I'm certainly not hiding anybody.'

'Why are you here?'

'I have a gift for you.' He held up the device that looked about as exciting as a dentist's tool.

'Not interested,' she decided at a glance, taking aim.

'I'll take that ...' Rhun knocked the weapon from her hands and into Ray's, then wrestled Rhiannon into a controllable position. 'Ray.' Rhun motioned for him to do the honours.

It wasn't easy to sever the control mechanism with Rhiannon doing her best to punch Ray every time he got the ENZU-GUZ into position.

'Rhiannon,' Rhun whispered into her ear, his hand clamped hard over her mouth. 'You have to leave here.

There's going to be an earthquake, a big one!'

His words managed to keep Rhiannon still long enough for Ray to complete the procedure. 'Done,' he advised Rhun, so that he could let her go.

When Doc entered the marquee to see Ray Murdock with his wife, it brought the conversation he'd had with Utu about Cadwallon flooding back. 'You'll not have her!' He pulled his pistol from its holster and fired it several times.

Rhun dived too late to block the bullets, but he cast himself over Ray's body to return him to the Goddess.

'Are you alright?' Doc raced over to Rhiannon.

She spotted the strange device Ray had offered her still lying on the ground, and hid it under her foot. 'I'm fine ... now,' she replied.

'Where is Haze?' Doc's mood turned stormy. Utu's suggestion of betrayal was playing on his mind, and a sudden surge of anger prompted him to lash out.

Rhiannon was fast enough to block the back-handed strike, and gripped Doc's wrist firmly. 'The queer disappeared. I don't know where he went.' She tossed his arm away from her. 'If you think about it a moment, you'll realise I'm telling you the truth.'

She was brutally honest when restrained, and what's more she was right; with the module still firmly in place it was impossible for her to lie. 'You're right. I'll just have to find him myself.' Doc resolved to be more civil.

'I apologise for my outburst.'

'That's alright,' Rhiannon stated dryly. 'No great threat.'

'Jesus Christ! What happened?' Tory rushed to Ray's side, realising he'd been injured. 'You fool, Murdock.'

Tears welled when she discovered just how serious his wounds were.

'I got shot,' he informed her, looking down at his holey excuse for a body as if it belonged to someone else.

'Shh.' Tory gently urged his head back as Jenny placed a pillow underneath it. 'Cadfan.' Tory looked to the healer.

Walter knelt down to examine Ray, though he knew at a glance he could do little for him. The bullets had punctured vital organs. Cadfan was a fine herbalist, but a surgeon he was not.

'Who did this?' Tory looked to Rhun for the answer.

He'd taken a few steps away, but his eyes were still fixed on Ray.

'The wounds,' he mumbled softly, 'they are the same.'

Tory didn't have to ask what he meant. She perceived the image of Sir Bryce that filled Rhun's mind. The knight was sprawled amongst the dead on a bloody battlefield, and his war wounds matched those on Ray's body to the letter. 'No, it doesn't have to be.'

She turned back to Ray, realising she was losing him.

'Stay with us.' She gripped hold of his hand. 'We need you, Ray, please.'

A peaceful smile graced his face as reached up to touch her cheek. 'You don't need anyone, Tory Alexander,' he uttered as his hand went heavy in hers, and his body fell limp to the floor with the departure of his spirit.

'Tory.' Her father placed both hands on her shoulders. 'I am sorry, child, but you have to come with us now.'

'Give me a minute,' she protested, wrenching herself from Myrddin's grasp to hug Ray's lifeless form.

'Tory.' Naomi gently encouraged her to let go. 'We shall tend to Ray.'

Had anyone else tried to move her, Tory would have resisted. But in the face of her sister-in-law, Tory saw Katren - her dearest friend in the Dark Ages, and Bryce's adopted mother. Tory had always recognised Naomi as Katren, but her past-life connection with Ray had not occurred to Tory before now. It was as if Katren had come to collect her son.

'Don't worry,' Naomi urged, easing her away, 'just go.'

Tory looked down at Ray and tenderly kissed his cheek. She then rose to accompany Taliesin, Myrddin, Rhun, Cadfan and Patrick, all standing in a circle. They joined hands, and promptly disappeared.

In the room of hexagons, Noah was revising his notes while he waited for someone to come and collect him.

Taliesin had warned of the dangers of wandering off into the labyrinth alone. He still wasn't quite sure if he believed that there were bizarre creatures and unearthly spirits inhabiting some of rooms herein, but Noah respected the High Merlin enough to abide by his wishes and stay put.

You could find your way around this maze blindfold.

'What?' Noah looked up from his notes, expecting to find someone, but there was no-one present.

You need the library.

Noah ceased his search of the room when he realised the voice was coming from inside his own head.