She looked over to her, "I am so tired and hungry that I forgot to be a good host."

"You need to rest, Second. Your use of your power is draining your energies."

Sam didn't feel the need to be lectured to by Keddi, "That along with everyone telling me everything I should have known a lifespan ago."

She halted eating and just sat back. She liked Keddi, but was now growing tired of the problems that had come with her. She knew that under different circumstances she could be attracted to her, but now that she learned Keddi was Brett's sister, it was too complex to even consider. Sam wanted to avoid comparing Keddi to Brett, and realized that in a close relationship it was inevitable.

"I suppose I deserved that, Second."

May returned with Keddi's meal. It was much more substantial than The Second's, but food no longer interested Sam. May looked at Sam and became concerned, "Second, you need to eat your soup. It will help you to feel better."

"Thank you, May."

Sam knew she was being dismissive, but she was too tired to fight anyone off. She laid her head against the chair and tried to rest, hoping to sink into unconsciousness. Keddi got up and came toward The Second.

"Please, Keddi, touch me not. I have no energy left to allow anymore of that current, or whatever it is, to occur. It drains me too much. I do not - 69 -.

want to get sick anymore. My stomach is already sore from the first epi-sode." She decided not to tell Keddi about her heart.

"I have been thinking about that. Try folding your hands together, Second."

"Keddi, what are yo"

"Second, please place your hands together so they touch each other."

Sam looked at Keddi, questioning what Keddi was saying.

"I have done a good deal of thinking about this problem since I saw you become so ill this last moment. I have a guess that if you can control the channeling back onto itself, then you will not experience the drain when you wish it to not occur. I have seen another, with powers, do as such. Do you wish to attempt my guess?"

Sam clasped her hands together, with equal amounts of reluctance and hope. Keddi went in back of Sam and touched her shoulders. Sam tensed, expecting the current to release itself into Keddi. Nothing happened.

"I have not felt any current, Second. Have you?"

With relief, Sam said, "Nothing. Thank you Keddi. That gives me some hope."

"For now, try to remember to keep your hands together when with others. At least until we can invoke a better solution."

Keddi began to massage Sam's back and neck. At first, Sam mentally resisted the feeling, but slowly relaxed into it. She could feel her muscles beginning to loosen, and also noticed that she was feeling better. Keddi watched intently for signs of improvement from Sam. She noticed that Sam's breathing evened out and that she was giving into letting go her tension.

"Your Birth-Mother used to tell me that I do not have to own the problems, I just have to act on them."

"That sounds like something my Birth-Mother would say. But, Keddi, I really do not expect to have to deal with you as my Birth-Mother." After a few moments, Sam asked, "Who followed you back here, Keddi?"

She shook her head slightly, "I am sorry, Second; I cannot remember.

Berth says that I have a memory loss due to the head wound. She says it might return, or not. It be very frustrating. I can remember getting ready for the trip and hiding the anti-poison, but I cannot remember anything after that. Even given that you but healed my head wound."

Sam hoped her memory would return soon. They needed to know who followed her and what became of them.

"You seem to be feeling a little more relaxed, Second. Do you think you might want to finish your meal?"

"I think I can do that now, Keddi. Thank you. Now if I could just get some undisturbed sleep for an eve or two, I might feel like my other self."

- 70 -.

"You go ahead and eat and rest, then, Second. I will just sit here and eat my meal."

Sam was used to women watching over her, so thought little of having someone else in the room with her while she read. She began eating, and picked up the book and started to read.

Journal #4 Settlement Two; 7th cycle Spring II; Entry #1 I've just found the rest of the journals, but start this one in despair - the experiment has failed. We've become nothing more than a barbaric hoard, fighting over everything. Our governance has failed, and everyone's splitting up into small groups and going their separate ways to begin their own idea of what the experiment was meant to do. Everyone is fighting over the supplies and equipment, and with everyone leaving, there're very few left to do any of the repairs on the energy sources. I can't keep up with the repairs, so our main generator has died. I couldn't train enough others to help, so the solar generator is also gone.

I should've left with the first groups as now we've been taken-over by Burn who has turned into nothing more than a mean tyrant and despot. No, he's not just mean, he's evil. I think he's gone mad, and is so paranoid that he threatens to kill anyone who looks at him. Now I'm unable to leave. He keeps most of us prisoner in the compound. He forces us to listen every morning to his sermons about god. I hate him so. If I could, I would kill him. He's destroyed everything and all our dreams. The philosophy I had to study in college always talked about our penchant for violence. I never believed it, but now I've seen it. I wouldn't have come if I had known we would de-generate so far. I hate it here. I want to go home.

Sam studied the language. It seemed so strange, so old sounding to her. They used words she didn't know, and other words seemed joined to others in some bizarre fashion, but were confusing. She wondered who god was, who the generator that died was, what a sermon and a Spring II were, and what happened to the first three journals. Woden had a dictionary of sorts, that had been handed-down, but Sam decided to look up the words later. She also wondered where Settlement Two had been. She guessed that whatever the experiment had been, it had failed by their seventh cycle.

"Keddi, have you ever heard anyone say the word can't'?"

"Can't? What is can't?"

"How about should've?"

"Are you saying should've, or should have? "

- 71 -.

"Hmmmm . . . " She thought about it for a moment, then added, "Perhaps you are correct, Keddi. They may be saying should have, but combined it. Perhaps it was the more proper language. Try it out for me."

"You should've slept more last eve, Second."

"And you should've minded your own business." She started laughing.

"And you should've been more quiet." They both laughed.

"And you should've closed your ears."

"And you should've halted after three moments, Second."

They were both laughing hysterically. It sounded so funny to The Second, and she was enjoying the game.

"And Oisin should have left after the third moment."

"No, Keddi, you said should have. It is hard to get used to. Is it for you as well?"

"What was the first one you said? Can't? How is it used?"

"They say, 'I can't keep up with the repairs . . . So I think it correct; they did combine the words. We would say 'I cannot keep up with the repairs'. I cannot was I can't. Do you suppose I am saying it correctly? Try it out."

"I can't believe you had sex all eve."

"I can't believe you are yet talking about this."

"I can't imagine how tired you must be."

"I can't think."

"I can't believe I heard you each of the four moments."

"Oh, Keddi, you embarrass me," and she continued to laugh.

"Be there any more of these combined words?"

She looked, then nodded, "Yes. Try one more. Ah, here is one: wouldn't. They said, 'I wouldn't have come if ' This seems very strange to me. Wouldn't. Would not. I think it be the same amount of wording. I wonder why it was used so."

"Wouldn't? It does sound strange. Okay, here it is. I wouldn't have been able to keep up with you last eve."

"Then I wouldn't have been pleased in the morn." Sam grinned, then laughed.

"Then I wouldn't have been invited back."

They laughed uncontrollably for a long while. May came in to retrieve the dishes, smiled, and left quickly so as to not interfere or halt them. She thought that The Second needed a good laugh.

Drying her tears from laughing so hard, Sam said, "How funny their language was."

"What are you reading, Second?"

"Our background. It be our first writings."

- 72 -.

"Well, I wouldn't think that very interesting," and they began laughing all over again.

Sam began to read again but was interrupted by Margeria. Bowing, she said, "Please, Highest. Your presence be requested on your patio."

"By who?"

"Your advisors, Highest. It be urgent."

Sam looked out and saw many of the community around the patio.

Oisin was there as well. She looked at Keddi, wondering, "Is there a full moon, or have I done something to offend our mothers?"

Keddi knew it was just a comment on the overly many events that had been occurring, so said nothing. Sam followed Keddi out to the patio.

Oisin stepped forward and guided Sam to the middle of the patio. All the advisors were present except two. Oisin spoke softly to Sam, "Sam, I am sorry to inform you that The Highest has died."

"Died? The Highest?"

"Yes, Sam. And you must now become The Highest."

Sam staggered slightly from the report, and a momentary thought came into her head that Margeria had addressed her as Highest. Oisin and Meera grabbed her arms and held her upright. The energy force flowed through them. Sam's heart halted for a moment as she sensed their concern, but their thoughts were too difficult to untangle.

Her own thoughts raced through her mind, Oh, no, not The Highest . . .

dead. My heart. I am dying. What did Keddi say? Think! Something about my hands together. Put my hands together.

Sam did as she remembered, and was able to halt the drain from the energy enough to stand on her own.

She asked weakly, "How? Why?"

Oisin answered, "We are under a small siege, Highest, but one we will be able to halt. A few Counselors tried to kidnap her, but she chose to swallow her poison, instead."

"Swallowed her vial of poison?"

"Yes, Highest. And now we have great need and few moments to es-tablish you as Highest, informally until the morn. We must but act quickly.

You be aware of the laws."

"Now?" She tried to compose herself. She needed Lillon.

Karan answered, "Our laws provide that when The Highest dies, another must be but immediately instated by the leaders of the community until the morn after, when the formal ceremony is to occur in front of all."

"But why? The Highest has already passed her duties to me."

- 73 -.

Karen shook her head, "It is our custom, Highest. Our laws are such so that there be but no absence of a Highest for any moment longer than necessary."

"But now? I have not had any moments to think of this. Where is Lillon?"

"She has also been captured, but is alive."

"Captured? Lillon?"

Oisin looked at Sam, "Sam, why do you but hesitate?"

Sam shook her head, "Hesitate? You just now tell me that The Highest has died, by her own hand, and then tell me that Lillon is being held captive, and yet you expect me to make sense of this? It be overly sudden.

It can but wait until the morn."

Karan came forward, "I am sorry, Highest, but it cannot. You need to be instated by all the advisors and leaders, and then begin the process. You are to remain in isolation from mid-eve until the sun rise, at which moment you will be escorted to the formal ceremony."

"Why isolation?"

Oisin replied, "Sam, you but hesitate. Why?"

"I know not if I can or should do this, Oisin. There is overly much occurring at this moment."