The Dangers Of Daring Officer Dolly

Chapter 26. "Suspicions"

by Skytower

            The lab was so advanced Merry felt as if she were in the middle of a gigantic living machine. The walls were lined with consoles that changed constantly. They weren't just ordinary flat consoles either they were holographic consoles. The information displayed was displayed as floating numbers, charts, graphs and some shapes that seemed to have significance but were an absolute mystery to Merry. It was a graceful, beautiful sight that could be mesmerizing if you weren't careful.

            She was standing on a table, still in her skin-suit. Beside her Lizzie and Jessie sat and were beginning to nod off. Merry could understand why, they had both been through a lot and they could understand even less of the technical language The Group was spouting than she could. There were bruises on both of their nude bodies. Simone stood behind the table, watching intensely. Simone had grown to her normal size and had put on a blue robe. Merry wondered if the woman could understand any of what The Group said. Merry knew that Simone was better educated than she was. Simone had been sent to private schools and colleges, Merry had gotten through public school and never bothered with college. But she doubted that many humans could have understood what Deborah, Delilah, Tremont and Molly were saying.

            The object of The Group's interest lay inside two medical scanners. Brent Obrien and his wife Daisy were asleep. On the way back from New Hampshire in Thunderbird 2 Merry had flicked a switch on the console and flooded the ship with knockout gas. She was safe from it in her suit and after she had made sure the Brent, Daisy and the supervillainess Lady Goth had succumbed she had woken the others up.

            "This is very interesting." Deborah said.

            "The interface between the magical effect and the limitations of the reality barrier are perfect." Delilah agreed.

            "I think we should go into the Miriskatonic level." Tremont said. "We should make sure the effect is definitely limited in scope before we proceed.

            "I'll set it up." Molly said.

            She and Tremont began to work at the controls. The scanners were large blocks of machines that had an opening in the front and above them floated holographic images of Daisy and Brent.

            "You find the most interesting things out there don't you Dolly." Delilah said turning to the table.

            "Well this one wasn't mine really." Merry said.

            "No it wasn't." Deborah agreed. She bent down over the table and looked at Lizzie and Jessie. The tiny twins backed away and took each other's hands.

"Now what has happened to you two?" Deborah asked almost playfully. She reached over and picked Lizzie up. Lizzie lay stiffly in Deborah's hand as the giantess turned her around, examining her from every angle. Deborah stroked Lizzie's body softly. Then she put Lizzie back on the table and picked up Jessie.

"They were innovative and courageous." Delilah said as Deborah examined Jessie. Her voice had an almost annoyed tone to it and that scared Merry. Of all of The Group Delilah was the one you least wanted to get mad. "All traits that do not match their personality parameters."

"We might not have taken into account time differential in those parameters." Tremont called.

"True." Delilah said.

Jessie raised her hand and Deborah nodded.

"Mistress will Daisy be ok?"

"Yes." Deborah said.

"But her health, and the health of her baby will take some doing." Delilah said. "In fact this whole situation has become very complex."

"Even for us." Deborah said.

"Well you always told me you wanted challenges." Simone said.

"And now we have them." Deborah said.

"I don't think we've been bored since that first night with Officer Dolly." Delilah said.

"I don't think she's been bored either." Simone said. Merry kept quiet. Those first few months as The Groups sole operative and shrunken woman had been more painful and terrifying than she was ever going to tell Simone.

"I do think that we're all tired." Simone said. "Do you need us for any more tests?"

"No." Deborah said.

"Good. I'll put Jessie and Lizzie in Dollopolis."

"I'll wait here." Merry said.

"Simone after you put those two away come back, you can get that suit off of Merry." Deborah said.

"Right, be back in a flash." Simone said. She picked Jessie and Lizzie up off of the table and headed out of the room with the shrunken girls cradled in her arms.

 

 

An hour later Simone walked back into the lab. Getting Jessie and Lizzie to Dollopolis had been one thing; calming them down and talking them through their adventures had been something else again. Both girls wanted to talk about what they had been through. Not only did they want to talk Simone realized that they desperately needed to talk. So she sat and listened as they talked and played referee when they argued. In the end they had run themselves out and nearly fallen asleep at their kitchen table. Simone had shrunk herself to listen to them and after they were asleep had grown to full size, carefully dressed them in their nightgowns and then put them to bed. They were so tired they barely stirred as she handled them. Jessie had simply yawned and stretched and Lizzie had hugged Simone's little finger and kissed it before going back to sleep.

Simone wondered if Merry needed to talk out her missions. Then Simone realized the Merry never had and probably never needed to. The Group saw what Merry saw and heard what Merry heard. So Merry had never talked to anyone the way Lizzie and Jessie had just talked to her. Simone had a moment of heartache as she realized how hard Merry's life as The Groups solo agent had been.

When she walked into the room The Group was still clustered around the medical scanner. Merry stood on the table and it looked like she was dancing.

"What are you doing?" Simone asked.

"Ti-Mu-Chana." Merry answered calmly.

"Martial arts?" Simone asked.

"A marine version of Ti-chi." Merry said.

"Where did you learn that?"

"Video tape I fished out of a discount bin once." Merry said.

"Simone." Deborah said walking over to her. She handed Simone a small bottle of glowing green liquid. "Apply this to her body, it will dissolve the suit. Then give her a bath, she'll need one."

"I think I could use one as well." Simone said sweeping Merry up in her arms. She was grateful that Merry acquiesced quietly.

 

 

            Simone closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She took a deep breath and let it out, then another and let it out. There was no one here but Merry and there was no need to keep up her façade. The room was only lit by a nightlight.

            "Well at least I haven't forgotten how to breathe." Simone said.

            "What's wrong?" Merry asked. She sat comfortably in the palm of Simone's hand.

            "I've been captured, stripped and had two of my girls captured and striped, and one of them was raped, and I was raped." Simone said. "And you can ask me 'what's wrong'?"

"I told you missions weren't easy."

"How many times have you gone through this sort of thing?" Simone demanded. "Goddess Merry in two missions I've had two giants fall on me!"

Merry shrugged.

"Your still alive aren't you? The mission was a success wasn't it?"

Simone sighed and turned on a light and the bathroom was revealed. It was her bathroom, located on the far side of her mansion. The only place she had been allowed to build it. Simone came to this room when she wanted to deeply relax and she wanted to do that now. She also wanted Merry to see it. No one else ever had.

Simone had decorated it herself when she was a teenager and newly come into a trust fund. The floor was red shag carpeting, the toilet and sunken tub were made of gold. The walls were done in white and gold marble and the ceiling rose to a dome and featured a mural of Ozzy Osborn, The Rolling Stones and Alice Cooper all walking into their own stalls. All of them were nude.

            "You have got to be kidding me!" Merry whispered looking around.

            "I was young." Simone said defensively.

            "You've got a gold-plated toilet?"

            "It's not gold-plated dear." Simone said walking over to the sink. It too was gold and sported silver faucets with diamond handles.

            "You actually use it?" Merry seemed appalled at the idea.

            "Only when I need too." Simone said dryly.

            Simone put Merry down on the edge of the sink and the twelve-inch tall woman stood and stared. Simone couldn't see her face because of the multifaceted diamond helmet but she could guess the expression on Merry's face. Merry had never been poor but she had never been rich either. The kind of luxury and indulgence Simone had grown up in was completely alien to her.

            Simone looked at her own face in the mirror and ignored the fact that the frame of the mirror was silver and studded with diamonds. Her red hair was still a bit too short for Simone's taste and she was letting it grow out. The face framed by the hair was a slender one with a chin that threatened to be pointy if Simone ever made it to her old age. Her nose was sharply pointed as well, but a small mouth and hazel eyes softened her face.

            Simone stood back and slipped out of her robe. Naked she was still slender but her breasts road high on her chest and had bright pink nipples. Simone constantly debated with herself whether or not to pierce them. The rest of her body was lean and between her legs was a full bush of red hair.

            "I can't believe you designed this." Merry said sitting down. "I can't believe you had the money for it."

            "Trust funds rule dear." Simone said. "I could have built ten of these." She decided not to tell Merry about the wild party that had christened the bathroom. Instead she reached into the pocket of the robe and took out the bottle that Deborah had given her.

            "Do we really have time for this?" Merry asked crossing her legs Indian fashion. "What about Jessie and Lizzie and Lady Goth and Daisy and Brent?"

            "Well Jessie and Lizzie are asleep in their house, the poor dears are exhausted. Lady Goth is in my dungeon-very well secured I can assure you-and Daisy and Brent are blissfully asleep as Debbie, Dell, Molly and Tremont examine them."             Simone picked Merry up and put her into the sink. "We have time for this. And we have to get that suit off of you."

            That wasn't exactly true and Simone knew it. The suit Merry was in was far more than fabric. It was a multi-layered survival suit that bonded to her skin. It was in fact an artificial skin. It allowed Merry to go for days without needing food or air or water. Merry had only had it on for two days and in another day it would simply crumble to dust.

            But after what Simone had been through she needed to be the giant again. Admitting it only to herself and only for an instant, Simone knew that in this situation she was the dominant partner. Simone could overpower Merry physically, something she could never do when Merry was at her normal over six-foot tall stature. Simone had been held in a cage and forced to make love to a man who was a complete stranger. It had shaken her to the core of her being and she needed something to drive that memory away.

            And besides, she told herself, Merry will enjoy this. She needs to be helpless, to be comforted and cared for.

            Simone poured some of the liquid into her hand and then rubbed her hands together. A green glowing lather soon appeared.

            "That can't be safe." Merry said.

            "It's safe." Simone said. "Have they ever lied to us?"

            Merry stood docilely as Simone started to rub the palms of her hands against her tiny body. Simone felt a slight warmth fill her own body. Merry's body was one of Simone's great delights in life small or large. Merry had a tall and wide body, heavily muscled with long legs and large breasts. How a woman could be so beautiful and be only a police officer was a mystery to Simone. Merry could have commanded a high price on any runway in Paris.

            Merry stiffened between Simone's hands and the suit began to bubble away. Simone turned on the water and used her hand to protect Merry from the hard stream. At twelve inches tall the stream from a faucet could knock her down. Simone alternated her hands, diffusing and directing the stream with the fingers from one hand while her other hand held Merry firmly and moved her body in and out of the water. Soon the gray of the suit was replaced with the pink of Merry's skin. It only took a few minutes for the suit to be completely washed away. Simone waited until the water was clear and then put a stopper into the drain. Merry lay in her hand as the sink filled. Her body was as hard as a rock in Simone's hand, but at the same time soft. Simone swallowed hard.

            "You can take the helmet off." Simone said.

            Merry reached up and removed the diamond-like helmet. Her blond hair was cut short and it was perfectly dry. Merry's face was as beautiful as the rest of her. She had deep blue eyes, eyes that looked at Simone with complete trust.

            The sight of those eyes should have made Simone hesitate, but instead they made her charge forward. She slowed the stream of water to a trickle and let Merry stand up. Simone took the helmet and put it onto the counter.

            "How do you feel?" Simone asked as she reached for a jar of Softsoap. The Softsoap was the brand of anti-bacterial soap that Merry favored. Simone guessed that Merry liked the cartoon figures in the bottle. A smiling octopus was on the inside of this one.

            "Like I've just been sandblasted." Merry said shaking slightly.

            "I can help that." Simone said.

            She picked Merry up and used the pump on the Softsoap bottle to lay a line of the soap from Merry's neck to her pussy. Merry's body bellow the neck was completely hairless, a side effect of the process used to put on the suit. Her skin felt like a pearl to Simone's fingers. She turned Merry over and ran a line of the liquid from Merry's neck to her ass. Putting the soap down Simone started to massage Merry's body. Simone used both of her hands, laying Merry onto her back first and using the fingers of one hand to work the soap into a lather and then laying Merry onto her stomach and using the fingers of her other hand to work the soap into a lather.

            Merry responded with purrs and soft moans, giving her body to Simone in a way that made Simone's own body light up like a Roman candle. Simone's pussy was wet, her breasts stiff and her nipples were so sensitive they felt the air currents in the room.

            Simone dipped Merry into the water and quickly brought her out again. Merry's still soapy body glistened in the light. The muscles under Merry's tight skin tensed and relaxed as Simone's fingers moved over her body. Holding her hands together with Merry resting on her fingers Simone started to run her thumbs up and down Merry's body. Merry reached out above and behind her to get hold on Simone's fingers. The move caused her breasts to move up and out, as if they were reaching for Simone's thumbs. Simone responded by rubbing the breasts first lightly and then pressing down more firmly.

            Merry moaned in a pleasure.

            Simone answered the moan. In her mind flashed a question she would ask Merry someday, Merry's breasts were not only large they sported extra large aureoles and nipples. Someday Simone hoped to have those nipples pierced and there was a pair of diamond studs that she longed to see attached to Merry's body.

            There were so many things to do with Merry's body. The actions she was taking and the fantasies she secretly harbored filled Simone's mind and spirit. She knew deep down that they were only fantasies and that she only had them while Merry was small and she was large. Small Merry was a beautiful little doll, powerless and-Simone hoped desperately-thrilled at her own vulnerability. Simone imagined all of the clothes she could make Merry wear, the graceful gowns and how she could do Merry's hair, and then she would imagine the dances they could have in her castle in Dollopolis. Full sized Simone knew that Merry would say no to all of that.

            At least for now. Simone was patient. Someday she hoped Merry would indulge her fantasies. She looked forward to hearing Merry's fantasies. But that was for someday.

            But for now at least Merry lay in her hands and every time the tiny woman moaned Simone felt another wave of bliss wash over her.

Simone's little finger reached up between Merry's legs and began to probe the small hairless pubis. Merry gasped and her small fingers sought a better grip on Simone's gigantic ones.

            Simone could never have described what she was feeling. Merry's trust in her at that moment in time was absolute. It was trust that Simone had never felt from any other lover: man or woman.

            When did I earn that trust, Simone wondered? When she had first held a shrunken Merry in her hands Merry had responded with anger and fear. When she had first approached Merry with an offer of full sized love making Merry had been scared and backed off. Was that the woman who lay moaning in her hands? Not only responding too but at the same time blissfully giving herself to the giant who held her.

            I love her, Simone thought. Does she love me at last? Have I finally gotten through that wall of fear?

            She held Merry in one hand while the fingers of her other hand traveled slowly up and down Merry's leg.

            I don't think I can stand it if she doesn't love me, Simone thought.

            She pushed the thoughts out of her mind and concentrated on making Merry happy. Her fingers sought all of the sensitive spots on Merry's body. She found those spots and played with them as Merry's moans became more and more intense. Simone placed Merry on her stomach and began to massage her tiny bottom.  In response Merry stretched her whole body into a small 'X' before relaxing with a sigh.  Simone moved her little finger into the cleft of Merry's rounded derriere and began to move her finger up and against the sensitive flesh of Merry's groin.

            Simone moved Merry slowly under the water stream again, moving her back and forth into and out of it for a few minutes. Then she reversed Merry so that her legs were under the stream. Simone slowly increased the flow of the water and then using her fingers forced Merry's legs opened and moved her so that the water stream was hitting Merry's pussy, the hard stream hitting against Merry's clitoris.

            Merry cried out and Simone bent over until her nipple was over Merry's face. Without prompting Merry grabbed the sides of Simone's breast and took the nipple into her mouth. Simone could feel tiny teeth clamping down on her nipple and she gave a soft moan herself. Then she moved Merry to one hand and cupped Merry in the palm of that hand. Keeping Merry's pussy under the water stream Simone used her index finger, curling it up and around so that it blocked the stream. With her other fingers she held Merry's legs open. For a while Simone curled and relaxed her finger, blocking the water and then letting it go.

            Merry responded with muffled moans as her tiny mouth sucked and bit at Simone's nipple.

            Simone reached over with her free hand and turned the water on higher. Then she started to curl and relax her finger slower and then faster and then slower again, teasing Merry's with the force of the water.

            Merry screamed and moaned and beat at Simone's breast with her small hands before again returning to sucking at the nipple.

            Simone smiled and then reached over and turned the water from warm to cold and then to hot.

            Merry gave a cry passion that would have deafened Simone had Merry been at full size. Her Body turned to steel for a moment while she climaxed and then collapsed and lay limply in Simone's hand.

Simone slowed the water to a trickle and then rinsed Merry off. After that she placed the tiny woman on a terrycloth towel and slowly dried her. Merry lay limply on the towel, her eyes were half closed and her chest rose and fell as if she were asleep. Only the small smile on her face betrayed that she was awake.

When she was dry Simone picked Merry up and put her onto another towel. Then she folded it up to Merry's neck so that it would become a blanket. Merry took hold of the towel and closed her eyes. This time she really was asleep.

Simone was breathing hard but she was careful not to make any noise. Going over to the bathtub she started the water running and then threw in some bath crystals.

She loves me, Simone thought as she lowered herself into the warm water. The bathtub had been custom made for Simone's body so she had no trouble leaning back and getting comfortable. But is she ready to say it? Soon I think. And what then?

Simone sighed.

Poor Merry lived in a very different world. She was a police officer and in that line of work being known as a lesbian was a strike against a person. Simone knew that Merry had been careful not to give anyone the impression that they were anything more than friends. Truth be told Merry had distanced herself from Simone when they were in public. She insisted that it was because of the work they both did for The Group. It was too keep Dollopolis safe.

"Merry." Simone said wistfully. For all her courage and resourcefulness Merry was limited in some ways. The greatest limitation she had was her dread of change of any sort. Simone suspected it had held her back in life. Despite everything she had to do for The Group Merry still clung stubbornly to her old life. The life of the small house, the small budget and the job of a police officer. She couldn't-or more likely wouldn't-understand that it couldn't last much longer. That Dollopolis and Simone would take more and more of her time.

"A secret identity won't work for you love." Simone whispered. "And it's going to hurt when you realize that."

Simone forced herself to relax and did her best to let her doubts and tension flow into the water. Her body was still aroused but she let that energy flow back into her. Later, when Merry was full sized Simone knew that her lust would be satisfied. Until then she needed to relax.

 

Merry slept soundly as Simone finished her bath and dried herself off. Putting on a robe she gathered the shrunken woman in her arms, carefully lifting the towel and holding it against her body. Simone was amazed that Merry slept on. In the past when they were in bed together Merry had slept so lightly Simone was sure that if she blinked hard enough Merry would wake up.

Simone carried Merry down the hall and into her bedroom. Carefully she placed the small sleeping woman onto the night table. Then Simone pulled the spread back, shed her robe and slid her nude body into bed. Again being careful Simone picked Merry up and placed her between her breasts. Merry stirred, yawned in her sleep and then lay on her back. Her head was positioned between Simone's breasts with her arms and legs spread across Simone's stomach. Simone lay very quietly and wondered if she could really hear Merry's small heart beating or if it was just her imagination.

For a few minutes Simone and Merry were quiet. Simone was letting herself drift of to sleep and enjoying the feeling of Merry's small body on hers.

Then Merry jumped to her feet screaming. Simone was too stunned to react as Merry started to attack her breast. The image of the tiny woman punching and kicking her left breast left Simone bewildered and she thought for a moment that she was dreaming.

"Merry!" Simone shouted.

At once Merry stopped and stumbled back. She would have fallen if Simone hadn't caught her. For a few minutes she held her tiny lover in hand, cupping Merry against her stomach. Simone stroked Merry's hair softly as Merry trembled violently and choked back sobs.

After a few minutes Merry took hold of Simone's fingers and stopped them. With a visible effort she brought herself under control. Merry wiped her eyes and cleared her throat.

"They're looking for me again." Merry said bitterly.

 

 

"I'm afraid she's correct." Deborah said frowning.

"Ingrates." Delilah sniffed scornfully.

They were back in the lab. This time The Group was seated at the table along with Simone. Merry sat on the table in front of Simone, a dark look on her face. She had dismissed Simone's offer of a small robe and sat naked on the table. Simone was wearing a robe.

"What could they possibly want from me?" Merry asked plaintively. "I told them that Daisy would call in a few days, what can't wait?"

"Their egos?" Molly asked.

"After all you are Mystery Woman to them." Tremont said. "If you are an ally you should be open with them, if you are a foe they also expect you to declare yourself as such. But you are undefined."

"They know a little about her." Simone said. "They know the where she comes from and the title I gave her."

"That is only increasing their desire to know more." Molly said. "In all of the years of Force Group J's existence they have encountered a total of twenty three different hidden cities, ten on this world, three on the moon and the rest in various dimensional cul-de-sacs. It took time but they gathered the complete history of all of them."

"It wasn't Force Group J." Merry said. "I know those nightmares, it was Ms. Dream."

"If she's looking that hard will she try to find Lizzie?" Simone asked.

"She can try but she will fail." Delilah said.

"And she will keep failing with Officer Dolly here." Deborah said. "We'll extend the mental shielding so that it will include the entire house."

"They'll keep looking." Merry said sadly.

The tone of her voice tore at Simone's heart and she rested her arm next Merry. Merry took the hint and sat down with her back to it.

"These people do not give up." Merry said. "I never used to believe that they were so…"

"Human?" Deborah asked.

"They break their word." Merry said hugging her knees to her chest. "Why the hell does that bother me? I'm not a kid, I know how the world works."

"Everyone needs heroes Dolly." Delilah said. "And no one wants to believe their heroes have feet of clay."

"Also you have a lingering sense of guilt over the lies you have told." Deborah said.

There was a beep behind them and a holographic image appeared over their heads. It showed Daisy's nude body and it rotated constantly. Bellow the image were a series of numbers and letters in various colors.

"Our suspicions are confirmed." Tremont said.

"This presents us with a problem." Molly said.

"What is it?" Simone asked.

"We know what is wrong with Daisy." Deborah said. "It is very similar to what we feared would happen to Lizzie or Jessie if they ever became pregnant."

"What?" Merry asked.

"Brent and Daisy were shrunk before she became pregnant." Deborah said.

"As a result the child within her did not get the shrinking potion." Delilah said.

"Since it was magical in nature the effects were not passed to the child." Tremont said.

"So within her womb Daisy has a normally developing normal size fetus." Molly said. "There is no way her shrunken body can support the demand that a normal size fetus makes on a woman."

"Goddess." Simone swore. "What can you do for her?"

"The options are limited." Delilah said.

"We can abort the fetus, but given their character I doubt that Daisy or Brent will go for that." Deborah said.

"Can't you give them the growing potion?" Merry asked. "We did get some of it."

"The child would grow with her and leave her in the same predicament." Deborah said.

"What we need to do is get the child out of her, let her body recover, grow her to full size and then put the child back into her." Delilah said.

"The problem is that we do not have anything that can support the child." Tremont said.

"An incubator would take at least a week for Snowbelle to build." Molly said.

"And it would have to be built at that size." Deborah said. "The interface and connections for nutrients would be impossible to build full size. There would also be the problems of the nutrients themselves."

"We could take the child out and freeze it." Delilah suggested.

For a few minutes they all seemed to think about that. Merry and Simone stayed silent. Simone was trying to think, trying to come up with a suggestion that didn't make her sound like an idiot.

"Cryogenics is risky." Deborah said.

"It is something we haven't tried before." Delilah said.

"What if you had an incubator that you could put the baby in." Merry said quietly. The hair on the back of Simone's neck suddenly stood up. There was a tone in Merry's voice she didn't like at all.

"Then it would not be a problem." Deborah said. She looked at Merry and suddenly all four of them were looking at her. Simone felt as if she were on the outside of a huddle. There seemed to pass between Merry and The Group an unspoken form of communication. Not telepathic, but on some level Simone knew they were thinking the same thought.

"Well?" Simone demanded impatiently.

"If we are correct." Deborah said.

"And where Officer Dolly is concerned we always are." Delilah said.

"She is offering us her body." Tremont said.

"Merry wants us to put the child into her body long enough for Daisy to recover and then put the baby back into Daisy's body."

"Merry?" Simone asked in shock.

"I'm in perfect shape." Merry said standing up. "I can take a few weeks of anything. And there's never been a better incubator than a woman's body."

"This isn't looking after someone's cat!" Simone exclaimed. She wasn't sure whether to admire Merry or try to shake some sense into her. "You're offering…"

"It's a very practical solution." Deborah interrupted.

"But Merry… Do you know what you're getting into? What's getting into you?" Simone almost stuttered but somehow kept her voice.

"I know that one or both of them will die if I don't." Merry said. "After what they've been though they don't deserve that kind of tragedy."

"It would involve some interesting work." Molly said. "Merry's body would have to be altered in many ways."

"Unfortunately Merry this is one time you can't be the heroine." Tremont said. He was looking at a few of the displays on the wall. "Your blood type is wrong."

"Oh." Merry sagged against Simone's arm.

In an instant Simone had a flash of insight into Merry's soul. She saw the crestfallen look on her lover's face, a look for two complete strangers. The nobility was stunning.

"What about me?" Simone asked, speaking before she realized it.

"What?" Merry asked.

"Compatible." Deborah said looking at another display.

"You?" Merry asked.

"Don't sound so astonished." Simone said. "I may not be in the shape your in but my body will be up to the task. And I can't ask any of the girls to do it, not while I can do it myself."

"We do have competing nobility here don't we." Delilah asked.

"From Merry I expect no less." Deborah answered. "From Simone I think this is a surprise."

"If we do it I think we should consider the other problems involved." Tremont said.

"This will necessitate Brent and Daisy spending at least a few weeks with us." Molly said.

"Cage them?" Tremont asked.

"Keeping them in a cage would be cruel." Deborah said.

"Keeping them in Dollopolis would be extremely dangerous." Delilah said. "After they leave-and they would leave-their minds would be read and the truth would be known. All we have built would fall apart."

"No it wouldn't." Merry said. She smiled and then gave a short bitter laugh. "In fact this could solve everything!"

"What are you planning?" Simone asked.

"I'm planning to lay a little more guilt on both of us." Merry said. She looked up at Simone. "I know you didn't like lying about Dollopolis to Daisy. But if my idea works we'll both have to lie a lot more. And if we lie the right way Force Group J and Earth Force might be satisfied enough to leave me alone."

"Tell us your plan Officer Dolly." Delilah ordered. "And let us deal with your guilt."

 

 

There were shocks waiting for Daisy Obrien when she woke up. The first shock was that she woke up without much pain. The extreme pain and weakness that had filled her body for weeks was gone. In its place was a dull ache. The second shock was the fact that she was laying on a bed. A real bed with what felt like silk sheets and her head was resting on a pillow. The ever-present smell of cedar was gone, replaced by cool fresh air.

Daisy opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a round bedroom with a high vaulted ceiling. The ceiling was done in a plain white. The walls were deep blue and plain. Through a window Daisy could see the sun and a blue sky.

Daisy swallowed and slowly sat up. She was afraid to speak in case she was dreaming. She was lying on a round bed in the center of the room. The floors were gray stone and on one side of the room was a floor to ceiling mirror. The mirror showed Daisy sitting up and next to her still asleep was Brent. The room was wrong somehow and it took Daisy a moment to realize how wrong. It was too large. Not giant sized, but too large for the size she and Brent were.

"I'm still pregnant." Daisy said. The image in the mirror showed her nude body and the swollen stomach and breasts were still there. Her skin was no longer the ashen-gray it had been though. She was not in pink rosy health but at least she didn't look like death warmed over.

"Brent." Daisy said.

"What?" Brent demanded coming awake instantly.

He sat up and like her looked around in stunned silence.

"Where are we?" Brent asked.

There was a knock on the door and Daisy immediately pulled the sheet up to cover her body.

"Come in?" She said hesitantly.

"Jessie?" Brent asked when the young woman came into the room. She was wearing a sheer black dress that went to her ankles and was belted at the waist with a bit of pink ribbon. Beneath the dress she wore a short scarlet tunic that went just past her thighs and had a jagged edged hem.

"No, I'm Lizzie." She said. "The Duchess said that when you were awake I should take you downstairs to the throne room right away." She paused. "Unless you gotta use the bathroom or something first."

Lizzie pointed to a door set against the wall.

"Can we have a few minutes and something to wear?" Daisy asked.

"Right there." Lizzie said pointing to a dresser that Daisy hadn't noticed before. It was wood and had a small vanity mirror and a chair. "You can use the Duchess's small clothes. Just knock on the door when you're ready."

"Where the hell are we?" Brent demanded after she was gone.

"Dollopolis?" Daisy said. She threw aside the sheet and got slowly to her feet. "The last thing I remember was falling asleep in the shuttle."

"Well it beats the cage." Brent said standing up. "How do you feel?"

"Better." Daisy said in a puzzled tone of voice. "But what did they do to me?"

"If it makes you feel better I don't care." Brent said walking over to the dresser. He pulled one of the draws open and pulled out a purple robe and a green robe. "Which one do you want?"

"Purple." Daisy said. She walked toward the bathroom. "In a minute."

 

 

In all of her life Daisy had never really appreciated the luxury of running water and a flush toilet. Now she knew they were both something she would never take for granted again. It seemed the height of luxury to use the bathroom and then put on the robe. The bath and shower called to her but she put them off. Her host was a Duchess, and who knew how Simone would react to being kept waiting. The bathroom was puzzling; there had been two sinks and two toilets, one set twice as large as the other was. Still it was a bathroom and Daisy felt more civilized than she had in months. Brent seemed as satisfied as she was and they both knocked on the door when they were dressed.

"All set?" Lizzie asked from the corridor.

"Yea." Brent said.

"Ok. Come on."

Lizzie led them down a short corridor to a set of round stairs.

"We're in Dollopolis aren't we?" Daisy asked.

"Yea." Lizzie said. "In the Duchess's castle, she let you use her room for the night."

"Her room?" Brent asked.

"Uh-huh. She stayed with the First Knight."

Daisy thought she heard something in Lizzie's voice, but she couldn't be sure. The stones beneath her bare feet were cool and smooth. They passed a few narrow windows as they went down the stairs, giving Daisy a view of a number of houses. From what Daisy could see there were dozens of types of houses ranging from ranch style to what looked like a small pyramid.

At the bottom of the stairs was the entrance to a large hall. The hall was windowless but lit by three crystal chandeliers. To Daisy's left were a raised dais and a throne. In front of that was a round table. Daisy stopped and would have stumbled if Brent hadn't grabbed her. Simone was seated at the table. She was dressed in a green velvet portrait-style gown lined with gold trim. On her head was a diamond tiara. She dominated the room, both because she was obviously in charge and because she was twice as tall as everyone else was. Her bare shoulders and neck seemed incredibly huge to Daisy.

"Good morning." Simone said smiling. "Please come and sit down."

"How did you…?" Brent asked as he and Daisy walked over to the chairs. They were hi-chairs, built specially so that the smaller people could sit at the same level as Simone.

"I'm the Duchess of Dollopolis." Simone said. "As such I can grow to this size, smaller or taller as I wish."

"Oh yea, you mentioned that." Daisy said. She sat in the chair and found it surprisingly comfortable.

"Beats a cage any day." Brent said.

In front of them were glass plates of small cakes and small glasses filled with red liquid. The table was wood and the grain was huge but sanded smooth.

"Well it is my castle after all." Simone said. "Are you hungry?"

"A little." Daisy said.

"Go ahead and eat." Simone offered. "And while you eat I'll tell you a few things about Dollopolis, things that will be very important to both of you."

"We have to stay here?" Brent demanded stopping as he was about to pick up a cake.

"For your wife and child's sake you will have to stay for a few weeks at least." Simone said.

"My baby!" Daisy demanded, her hand going to her stomach.

"Calm down and I will explain. And don't worry you are not prisoners. If you want to leave today I'll arrange it."

Daisy looked at her husband and nodded. So far Simone had treated them well. She reached down and took one of the cakes. It was soft and melted in her mouth, the white frosting and the cake tasting a little like carrots.

She stopped chewing as a scream sounded through the room.

"Lizzie." Simone said. "Tell my First Knight I have guests."

"Yes milady." Lizzie said. She bowed and hurried out of the room, going through a door that Daisy hadn't noticed before.

"What was that?" Daisy asked.

"My First Knight is trying to find out where the shrinking potion that was given to you came from." Simone said.

"She's torturing someone!?" Brent demanded.

"That is one way of putting it." Simone said. She picked up her own glass and took a sip from it. "My dungeon is under my thrown room. Lady Goth has been supplying the shrinking potion that not only shrunk you two but many other people as well. We may have captured her but her former assistant Little Darkness got away. That means more of the potion will be available if we don't stop it."

"But it's torture." Daisy protested.

"It's effective." Simone said. Then she added. "This is my kingdom."

Brent and Daisy shifted uncomfortably.

"I didn't want you to kill Professor Forsythe." Daisy said. "I don't want you torturing anyone."

"She's right." Brent said.

"With the professor I gave you the gift of a choice." Simone said calmly. "Lady Goth is my prisoner and the laws of Dollopolis reign in Dollopolis."

Daisy and Brent looked at each other.

"Out of our hands honey." Brent said reaching for another cake.

Daisy nodded and reached for another cake as well. As uncomfortable as she was the cakes were delicious and she was hungry. She tried to ignore the guilt that accompanied each swallow.

"If it makes you feel any better Lady Goth will not be staying here either." Simone said. "As soon as we can we will turn her over to your justice system and she will not be hurt in any way that lasts."

"Why not turn her over to the cops right away?" Brent demanded.

"Because I need answers and we don't have anyway of doing that yet." Simone said. "I only managed to save a bit of growing potion and I won't waste it on her."

"What about us?" Daisy asked.

"What I said hold true." Simone said. "You have my word."

There had been no more screams since Lizzie had left the room. Daisy wondered if the torture had stopped or if Lady Goth had simply been quieted somehow. After a moment she decided it was better not to ask.

"What did you want to tell us?" Daisy asked.

"I told you some of the history of Dollopolis while we were in the cage." Simone said. "I'd like to give you a more complete version and then I'll tell you why."

Brent nodded. Daisy nodded and took a sip from the glass. The liquid tasted a bit like wine but was more tart.

"My world you see was a very violent place. We were great intellects but emotionally the children of your world had more maturity. Endless tribal wars ravaged my world. For a time we achieved a sort-of peace when four sorcerers formed a cabal of what became known as the Four Great Powers. They were able to secure peace in some areas; invulnerable shields protected selected city-states."

"It was not a perfect solution." Simone said. "Spies could penetrate and disable the shields, armies could sneak in through various clever pathways, but it did keep the wars down for a while."

"You didn't have a United Nations or something?" Brent asked.

"No." Simone shook her head. "It never occurred to us to have an institution like that. If you were strong you ruled, that was the beginning and end of our philosophy."

"You said that your world was too crowded." Daisy said.

"It was." Simone said. "But by men, not by women. You see the shields could not protect us from sickness. One of the weapon makers realized that and created a deadly plague. This plague killed only women. But the plague itself was flawed. It resisted the cure that would have made it an aimed weapon. Instead of killing women in rival city-states it started to infect all women everywhere. Those few who survived suffered from a side effect. Increased fertility. After they mated with one man one time they would bear his sons, one per year until they died. His sons, not his daughters."

"My God." Daisy said.

"Yes." Simone agreed. "You can see the problem. A woman who survived the plague was a prize indeed, since that woman could give a man as many sons as he wished. It permanently bonded her to his bloodline. The most powerful men soon started taking more and more wives to have more and more sons. It took almost a decade before a cure could be found and by then… Well eighty percent of the women were dead. Most of them by suicide, many out of sheer exhaustion as their bodies wore out. The rest were hoarded most were kept as slaves. Only a very few kept their freedom."

"Who found the cure?" Brent asked.

"The woman who created the disease." Simone said.

"A woman created it?" Daisy exclaimed.

"Yes. I am sworn never to reveal her name. It was her last wish that her name never be known to history, in her insane mind that was the only way she could escape punishment for what she had done. Finding the cure was her last act before a mob broke into her castle and tore her apart. My First Knight took it from her hands minutes before the castle fell and brought it to me. I managed to get it to the rest of the world, but by then…"

Simone trailed off and shrugged.

"It didn't stop the wars did it?" Brent asked.

"Not at all." Simone said. "And for the few women who survived and were not strong enough, or had enough protectors, life became harder and harder."

Simone paused and took a sip from her drink. It was nearly impossible for Daisy to read her emotions. Simone sounded serious and a little sad, but her manner suggested something else, something Daisy couldn't identify.

"Family was the most important driving force in my society. Simone said. "Without a wife how could a man have a family? When he died his bloodline would die with him. There would be no one to carry on his name. That was too much for most of the men of my world to take. The wars became more and more fierce and women became the ultimate prize. It became very hard for even the strongest of rulers to hold onto to power, since every man from noble to peasant wanted a wife and would kill to get one. Or would kill a woman so that his neighbor would have no chance of getting a wife."

"How did you survive it all?" Daisy asked.

"Through luck." Simone said. "My duchy was small and remote, and the reputation of my First Knight was quite large. Merry was never defeated in battle and she was known to leave men armless or legless or castrated or worse. If any kingdom sent one man to my duchy Merry would go to that city state and kill all of the men of the ruling family. Sometimes she would destroy the entire city and…" Simone stopped. "Well let's just say she was an effective deterrent. With her to train them my army was quite feared. Also my technology was the best on the planet."

"What about the Four Great Powers you mentioned?" Daisy asked.

"In the end they were what saved us, for a time at any rate. They gathered all of the women still alive on my world and their homes, shrank them and my duchy and hid us all away. The males of the world could mate if they could prove themselves worthy. A set of trials was created and it actually worked for a few decades. A man could look into Dollopolis when he wished, see the women and strive for them. If he passed all of the tests he could come to Dollopolis, shrunk, and either he would choose the woman or she would choose him. At times more than one woman chose the same man. If she bore him a son he was allowed to take the son and raise him. If she had a daughter the daughter was raised in Dollopolis."

"The families couldn’t stay together?" Daisy asked.

"No." Simone said. "Not with the survival of the race at stake. They kept in touch with letters and holographic sessions, but physical contact after nursing was not allowed."

Simone looked into her glass.

"In some ways those were fine years. For some at least. You see it was not merely physical challenges, but intellectual ones as well. Just being able to kill everyone else didn’t guarantee a wife. For the first time the biggest and the strongest did not get their way. Look to your husband Daisy and see an example of what we sought for in a good mate. Those men who could charm more than one woman were rewarded with much prestige in my world."

Brent shifted a bit in his chair and blushed.

"It was during those years that I discovered the dimensional barrier." Simone said. "And started watching this world. At my orders my First Knight started to come here to explore and seek women who might be willing to come to my world. It reduced tension when all of the males on my world could watch all of the females on yours and dream of them."

"Watch them?" Brent asked.

"It was voyeurism on a planetary scale." Simone smiled and the smile looked wistful to Daisy. "Merry could go many places and set up small cameras. They did not last long, the power to broadcast across the dimension was wretchedly high, but while they lasted we watched. We were sure that we could find women who would like our world better than yours. The promise of new women, entirely new women helped keep the peace."

"Did you ever get any?" Daisy asked.

"We never had time." Simone said.

"What happened?" Daisy asked.

"Monsters." Simone said sadly. "A great thinker decided to build himself a better woman from one of the sub races on our planet. I don't even know his name to tell you the truth. But his monsters were gigantic, unstoppable. They tore their way through armies, cities and in time attacked our largest city. They tore it apart and while they were doing so weapons created by another great thinker-fantastic giant mechanical creatures-attacked the monsters. The weapons used an unstable source of power and as the monsters and the weapons destroyed each other they took a chunk of the world with them. In the end they took too much. The atmosphere started to decay, then the orbit and that is when the volcanoes started to erupt."

"Why didn't those four powers stop it?" Daisy asked.

"Periodically they go into a deep slumber." Simone said. "A hibernation to renew themselves. By the time they woke up it was too late."

"How did it end?"

"I'm not sure." Simone said. She swallowed the contents of her glass. "When I realized the end was coming and that there was no way to avoid it I sealed Dollopolis in a force field, the strongest I could create, and the Four Great Powers launched it through the dimensional doorway toward this world."

Simone looked down at her glass and then took a deep breath.

"But the doorway wasn't stable. My duchy, myself and my First Knight made it through. Well I did, my First Knight made it through but I lost her for a while. The rest of my people did not. Or at least they did not come through with the duchy and stay with it. We have found signs of them on your world, signs that have lead us to believe that they were scattered by the trip through the doorway. There may be survivors out there somewhere. We're searching for them constantly."

Simone's voice became strained and she clasped the cup tightly in her hands. "They're out there somewhere, hiding in houses, or attics, or…" She put the glass on the table. "Well someplace."

"You were looking for them when you found us?" Brent asked.

"Yes. We've managed to tap into the internet and there was an auction of small women being held. We were only going to observe, but things didn't go as planned. A pair of superheroes showed up, as did your cousin Abigail, and during the fight we were captured. My second knight and I ended up with you while my third night was taken by Professor Margaret and made to run a maze with Ms. Dream with your cousin Abigail as the prize."

"What happened to Abigail?" Daisy asked.

"My First Knight gave her the growth potion and left her with Ms. Dream. I've no doubt that at the moment she is with Earth Force waiting for you to call her."

"I don't understand" Daisy said. "Ms. Dream's a heroine, why not ask for help from them?"

"To you she and the rest are heroes." Simone said with a bit of scorn in her voice. "To me and my First Knight they've been nothing but treacherous. I will not let people like that close to my kingdom."

"Are we talking about the same group?" Brent asked. "They saved the world."

"Yours not mine." Simone snapped. "I want as little to do with them as possible. With their powers they could dominate us easily."

"If you find your people what then?" Daisy asked. "You can't go back can you?"

"We can find other worlds, or find a way to rebuild our own."

"But if there were only women in Dollopolis how do you know that any men survived?" Brent asked.

"Some of them will have survived as well." Simone said. "I was not the only one who saw the end approaching. The Four Great Powers selected a group of men and shrunk them. I'm sure they are on this world somewhere. But they are all small and helpless against the giants, and I've seen much of how your people treat small and helpless creatures."

She had a point Daisy couldn't deny that. But again there was something wrong about the whole situation, something about the way Simone was talking, acting. Could it be a difference in cultures?

"What about us?" Daisy said. "What about my baby?"

"You're feeling better?" Simone asked.

"Yes."

"That is because I gave you a drug to help you, but it won't last. I've told you all of this because this way you will know that I sincerely want to help you. As I have told you in my world family was all, and even though it was forced the fact that Jessie and I have made love to Brent binds us as family."

"But…" Brent started to speak but Simone interrupted him.

"I know it is not your way, but it is ours and I'm loath to let any more of my world slip away from me." Simone leaned back in her chair. "At the moment all I have left of my world is myself, Merry and an empty duchy." She leaned forward and looked at them intensely. "I don't expect you two to stay, but I want to know that you and your family are out there safe and happy."

"What's wrong with me?" Daisy asked. There was still something very wrong with the way Simone was acting, but at least her desire to help was sincere, Daisy was sure of that.

"When you two were captured you were both given a shrinking potion." Simone said. "Then Daisy got pregnant. The child never got the potion. Inside of you Daisy is a regular size fetus."

"Oh god!" Daisy said and her hand went to her stomach.

"We can take the potion and grow back!" Brent said.

Simone shook her head.

"Then the child would get the potion too and grow with her." Simone said. "And there is no way to get the shrinking potion to the child alone, it’s a mystical potion, it has to be drunk and the fetus doesn't even have a working mouth yet."

Daisy felt as if she had been shrunk again. In her mind she felt again that awful sense of helplessness that she had felt that first day.

"I can help you." Simone said. "If you let me."

"How?" Daisy demanded.

"I have full control of my size." Simone said. "And this is not the first time this has happened in our history. Before the process was perfected that allowed the women to be shrunk there were accidents. Of course that was ages ago but I have a very good memory."

"You?" Daisy asked.

"I'm older than I look." Simone said. "There is a magical ritual that can save you and your child."

"We'll do it." Daisy said.

"I thought you might." Simone leaned back in her chair. "Luckily for you our races are very much the same. The ritual is magical in nature and will not conflict with the magical potion used to shrink you. After it is done your child will be in my womb and once that happens your body will be able to heal. After a few weeks we can use the growing potion and you can get back to your normal size, at that point we'll do the ritual again and the child will be back in your body."

"You're kidding!" Brent whispered. "You're going to swap the baby in and out of her body like a DVD out of a machine?"

"It's not going to be easy." Simone said. "And I can't guarantee it will work. But it's the only way."

"Daisy?" Brent asked looking at her.

Daisy felt like she was on a tilt-a-whirl at a carnival. It had been bad enough to be shrunk and treated like a lab rat for months, but now… what Simone was suggesting sounded insane.

"I can't… I mean…" Daisy said. "I won't give up my baby."

"I won't keep the child." Simone said patiently. "Once you are strong enough to take the growing potion I'll perform the second ritual and he or she will be back in your body."

Daisy let her hand roam over her stomach. Her pain made sense now. Horrible, terrible sense. What Simone was saying sounded true, it was true, but Daisy had doubts.

"What if you don't want to give him back?" Brent asked. "What if you decide that once you have the baby you don't need us?"

"If she wanted the kid she could have taken him and made sure you never woke up."

The voice was iron in the room and Daisy looked up to see a woman coming out of the doorway Lizzie had gone through. The woman was no taller than Brent or Daisy, but she walked as if she were. Tall, busty and blonde the woman was wearing the same style of sheer black dress that Lizzie had worn but it was torn and there was no tunic beneath it. A black rope belted it at the waist and pressed the fabric against her large aureoles. Instead of a tunic the woman wore black chains wrapped loosely around her body. Her beautiful figure made Daisy very conscious of her swollen stomach and heavy breasts. The woman was sweating and there were some red spots on her feet.

            "We just saved your lives, are you going to insult us?" The woman demanded walking over to the table.

            "Do you know what she wants to do?" Brent demanded.

            "Of course she does." Simone said. "Merry actually volunteered to be the one who holds your child for you."

            "You?" Daisy asked. As Merry had moved closer Daisy realized that the red spots on her feet were blood. This was the one who had been torturing Lady Goth.

            "Me." Merry said nodding. "After what you two had been through I figured loosing a kid would be too much to take. But my bloods all wrong."

            "Mine is not." Simone said.

            "This is just too much." Brent said.

            "If you need time to decide take the day." Simone said. "Right now I'm arranging the call to your cousin Abigail and that will take me at least all morning. If you can think of any other place on your world that can help then I'll see to it that you'll get there."

            "What's the problem with the call?" Brent asked.

            "Making sure it isn't traced back." Merry said. "I told Ms. Dream not to but the Duchess is sure they'll do it anyway."

            "They're heroes." Daisy protested.

            "I will not have my First Knight drawn into yet another one of their battles." Simone said and her voice was strained with anger. "Twice now it has happened and I've nearly lost her, the last time I had to use the threat of a fleet of war ships to get her back."

            "Their goal is to protect your world." Merry said. "They've made it plain in our last two encounters that I'm useful tool."           

            "And I do not trust them." Simone said.

            "But…" Brent started to speak but Simone ignored him and stood up.

            "Lizzie." Simone called. Lizzie appeared in the doorway. "Look after the Obrien's."

            She turned to them.

            "Merry and I have work to do. You can have the freedom of the duchy, look around, and ask questions. You can decide after the call."

            She walked toward a wall and Merry followed her.

            "I am the Duchess of Dollopolis." Simone called out. "By royal command; Open."

            A part of the wall folded itself out of the way and beyond it Daisy saw a bridge appear. The wall closed after Simone and Merry passed through it.

            "Where does that lead?" Daisy asked. She was stunned by the abruptness of the dismissal.

            "The outside world." Lizzie said.

 

 

"Great goddess when did I become such a liar!" Simone asked.

She and Merry sat in the lab once more, watching the monitors that showed Lizzie and Jessie leading Brent and Daisy around Dollopolis.

"I think it comes with being royalty." Deborah said.

"You did very well." Delilah said. "The story is unbelievable enough to be plausible."

"I lied to her in the cage, but this…"

"Had to be done." Merry said. She and Simone were both full sized. Simone was wearing a robe but Merry was wearing jeans and a Star Trek T-shirt. "This way once they leave Dollopolis, even if they don't take you up on the offer, they'll tell what they know."

"Which will be a lie." Simone insisted looking at Merry. "Now do not you dare to lie to me Merry McCormick, you don't like lying."

Merry shifted uncomfortably.

"I didn't like standing in front of them pretty much naked either. I still think the chains were too much."

"I rather enjoyed the screaming part." Deborah said. "I am very sure that they were convinced you were torturing someone."

"The chains and the dress allowed you to make a very dramatic entrance." Simone said. "And your body distracted them. But don't change the subject, you don't like lying."

"Simone…" Merry began and then stopped. For a few moments Simone could tell that Merry was struggling with herself. Then she spoke again.

"Simone honesty doesn't always work. Trust me I've tried. I've tried to live honestly, honorably… the whole virtuous bit. It doesn't work in this world. For us to help people in this world we have go under the stairs, cut through alleys… we have to do it." She looked at Deborah and Delilah. "They taught me that."

"It is true Simone." Deborah said.

"Not that she didn't try hard." Delilah said.

"But as an honest cop Merry had about as much impact on the world as a pebble thrown into the ocean." Deborah said.

"Under our guidance she has lied, but she has also enabled us to gain considerable power." Delilah said.

"And they make things better." Merry said. "Simone the worlds broken and they can fix it."

There was an almost childish quality in the faith Simone heard in Merry's voice. She resolved quietly to learn everything that Merry had done for The Group.

"Well at least Lizzie and Jessie can be counted upon to play their part." Simone said changing the subject.

"You have a lot of faith in them." Merry said.

"Yes I do." Simone agreed. After her own rape and abuse at the hands of a giant Simone could finally understand Merry's lingering resentment of the twins. "How long before Snowbelle and Monica can be let loose?"

"A few days." Delilah said.

"We are altering some of their memories, but we have to do it very carefully in case they ever choose to leave Dollopolis and are scanned telepathically."

"Do you think Daisy will go for it?" Merry asked.

"She will." Delilah said.

"Tremont and Molly are constructing a ritual hall and temple." Deborah said. "And having quite a lot of fun doing it."

"The special effects will be as spectacular as they will be confusing." Delilah said. "The ritual itself will be quite special and involve so much mis-direction no one will be able to trace Dollopolis to any brand of known magic."

"All we have to handle now is the phone call." Deborah said.

"If we are correct about Earth Force's level of honor it should be a very short one." Delilah said. "We've taken a normal cell phone, one of the disposable types, and modified it."

"All we have to do now is wait." Deborah said.

 

 

Daisy sat down on the grass and looked around. They were on a hill overlooking the castle. The past few hours had been a long hike around the U-shaped duchy. Daisy quickly suspected that Simone had chosen Lizzie and Jessie as their guides because neither of them knew much. They had only been brought into Dollopolis a year or so earlier. Since the days and nights were different in the duchy than they were in the outside world both were confused about the time. They were proud of the work they had done and would point out places where they had repaired the houses. When Brent asked about the fact that the houses were only half there Jessie had told him that it allowed Simone to reach in and break up fights if she needed to.

"She told us that at first a lot of the women got into fights over family feuds." Jessie said.

"That's why she has the stocks up there." Lizzie said pointing to a set of stocks set up on a platform."

Jessie did mention that in their first days in Dollopolis they had often woken up to find a full-sized Simone watching them. The thought of that chilled Daisy, but both girls didn't seem too bothered by it. The devotion of the twins to Simone was obvious and in a way heartening.

"How did you meet them?" Daisy asked.

"Who?" Jessie asked. She and Lizzie were standing a bit away from Daisy. Brent sat down beside her.

"Duchess Simone and Merry." Daisy said.

Jessie and Lizzie looked uncomfortable at the question and didn't speak at first. Then Lizzie spoke up.

"We were hiding out from dad in the woods, he was drunk, having a party when Merry ran into the clearing we were in."

"She was tiny, well she was to us. The same size we are now."

"We thought the drugs were bad or something." Jessie said.

"But she was small and…" Lizzie trailed off.

"We tied her to a tree and burned her with cigarettes." Jessie said quickly.

"You what?" Brent demanded.

"We were different then." Jessie protested.

"Really different." Lizzied added.

They both had guilty looks on their faces and Daisy believed them.

"Anyway Simone caught us, shrunk us and we've been here ever since." Jessie said.

"We were slaves first, but we sorta worked our way up." Lizzie said.

"Would you go back if you could?" Daisy asked.

"No way." Jessie said.

"Uh-uh." Lizzie echoed.

"At least here we worked our way up from slaves." Jessie said. "With dad we'd never go past that."

"Good lord!" Daisy said.

"Jesus!" Brent echoed.

Lizzie and Jessie turned around and saw what had scared them. A normal-sized, which meant to them a black horse-size cat had wandered down to the stream and was drinking.

"It's ok." Lizzie said.

"Their friendly." Jessie said.

"Her and her kittens saved my life." Lizzie said. "They were strays so the Duchess brought them here."

As they watched the cat finished her drink and sat down. For a few minutes it watched them. Then it yawned and moved off. Daisy watched it until it moved behind a house and out of sight.

Brent put his hand on Daisy's shoulder.

"Could you leave us alone for a while girls?" Daisy asked recognizing the hint.

"Ok." Jessie said.

"We… We'll be down the hill by the stream." Lizzie said.

"We're still screwed." Brent said as they left. He said it softly enough that only Daisy could hear him.

"You think so?"

"Giant cats, taking girls as slaves, polygamy… torture…" Brent shook his head. "And they want to take our child out of you…"

"If she doesn't we both die." Daisy said.

"It's not natural." Brent said stubbornly.

"Brent look at us! Look at this place! We passed natural the night we sat down to dinner with Professor Forsythe. Can you think of any place that can help us? Anyplace?"

"How can it still be our baby if it's in her body?" Brent demanded.

Daisy sighed. This was the Brent she loved, solid, down to Earth and in some ways far too conservative.

"Brent if they don't do this I die and the baby dies."

"There's no church here Daisy." Brent said. "Not one."

"God is everywhere love is." Daisy said. "Don’t you think He is here? Look at the way Lizzie and Jessie love Simone? Look at what she did to save Jessie. Brent this is a good person. I trust her. I bet if we asked they'd put a church here."

"That's not what I meant." Brent said. "Daisy you heard her, you heard where they come from. Can we really trust someone with that background? They helped us in the cage; that was mutual survival. You heard how desperate her world was for women, and this place is empty."

"Merry was right, they could have taken the baby while we were asleep." Daisy said. "Brent I'm not crazy about this either, but I do trust Simone."

"I don't." Brent said. "At least not enough for this."

"So what do we do?" Daisy demanded. "Brent my body can't keep up with this much longer. I felt it in the cage. I feel ok now, but that won't last."

"Not them." Brent said. "I just don't trust them."

"What then?" Daisy pleaded.

"Abigail." Brent said. "If that woman can put your baby in herself she can put it in Abigail. She can carry the kid. I trust her."

Daisy thought for a moment. Abigail was always more of sister to her than a cousin. She had offered to be a surrogate before. But there was no way of telling how Simone would take this suggestion. It might push her too far. From everything Daisy had seen Simone and Merry were paranoid about being found. How would they take the demand that yet another outsider being brought into their city? But on the other hand she didn't like the idea of someone else carrying her child, someone who she barely knew and on top of that was from another world. And Brent was right, there was something Simone was holding back, Daisy could feel it.

"Brent, Daisy." Lizzie called. She was coming up the hill but stopped before she came too close. "The telephone is ready."

"Let's talk to them." Daisy said standing up. "And see what they say."

 

 

"You really know how to lay out an insult on this planet don't you." Merry said coldly. She was wearing a simple white robe that covered her from neck to ankles.

"We barely know you." Brent said defensively.

"We saved you, the Duchess and Jessie risked their lives for you…"

"Calm yourself Merry." Simone said. She was still wearing her portrait dress.

If she was mad Daisy thought that Duchess Simone was hiding it well. They were back in the throne room. On the table was a cell phone. Daisy had been stunned by the size of the cell phone. It was silver plastic, worn and dented in a few places. The brand name of 'Motorola' was still readable above the small screen. But open it was half of her size. It's screen, small to a normal person but large enough to be a television to Daisy, was blank except for a steadily pulsing dot that moved across the screen at random.

Merry subsided but she wasn't happy.

"Abigail's my cousin." Daisy said. "She's always been there for me. She'd do it, I know she would."

"It would be better to use someone of the same bloodline." Simone said. "But that means bringing her here, letting her stay here while you heal. Not only here in Dollopolis, but in the place on your world where I have hidden my duchy since she will have to be normal size for a time. That would put us at a tremendous risk."

"She's with Earth Force." Merry said. "They'd follow."

"Why don't you trust them?" Brent demanded.

"Because they can't be trusted!" Merry shouted loosing her temper. "When Dollopolis first came to this world I was flung clear of the place. I was hurt, my memory gone. I was captured by Count Intellect and tossed into a cell with Goddess of Justice. Later when I got my memory back I helped her escape, on the condition that she would never tell anyone about me, never try to find me, that she'd just leave me alone."

Merry's face was red with genuine anger and it scared Daisy. Her body was trembling and her hands were clenched into fists. This was a fighter and Daisy had a feeling that Merry could kill both her and her husband easily.

"A few months later I started having nightmares because Goddess of Justice told Ms. Dream about me. They were searching for me. But I blocked them with nightmares. That was a fun couple of days. Then one day when Simone and I were walking a plant came to life and ate me! Green Dream's teleportation spell dragged me up to that damn pyramid! I was eaten, chewed up and spit out."

"I spent a frantic few hours searching for her." Simone said. "I had no idea what had happened."

"The first thing they tried to do was to read my mind." Merry said. "After I stopped that they said they needed my help. So I helped them, I risked my life and my soul on the condition that they let me go and not try to learn where I came from. After it was over they did it anyway."

"If I hadn't shown up with a fleet of ships-fake ships-and bluffed our way out of it they would have ripped every bit of information out of her mind." Simone said.

"They'll do it to you when you leave." Merry said bitterly. "But the Duchess said to let you have the run of the place, she said you'd been through enough already."

Daisy was stunned. Everything she had ever learned about Force Group J, everything she knew told her that it just couldn't be true. But there was no way to question the sincerity in Merry's eyes.

"And now I've started having nightmares again." Merry said. "They're looking for me again."

"They need her for some reason." Simone said. "Maybe it is just to talk, maybe it is some menace that they think only she can deal with, which I find hard to believe considering the powers they have. Either way the one thing they are not taking into account is that my First Knight has a duty to Dollopolis. She is not to be at their beck and call."

They were at an impasse. Daisy wracked her mind to come up with an argument that could work, but each time she ran into the suspicion that could easily be seen on Merry's and Simone's face. After a few minutes Simone spoke.

"Let us try to make the call." She said calmly. "We salvaged this cell phone from the trash and modified it. The screen will flash an alert if there is a trace."

Merry reached over and started to push the numbers. When she was done Merry pushed the call button down and the screen lit up with the words: 'connection established. Dialing.'

"Hello?" Asked an uncertain voice.

"Abigail?" Daisy said.

"Daisy? Are you all right? Where the hell are you?"

"I'm ok." Daisy said. She looked around. "I don't really want to say where I am."

"You're in Dollopolis aren't you?" Abigail asked.

Daisy looked at Simone and after a moment Simone nodded.

"Yea, I'm in Dollopolis. Listen Abigail…"

A series of beeps interrupted her and Daisy looked up to see the screen of the cell phone flash red. On it in black letters were the words: 'Trace Detected.'

"Danger. Trace detected." A robotic voice sounded from the phone.

"Damn it I told you not to trace this call!" Merry shouted slamming her fist onto the hang up button.

The screen went dark and Merry looked up angrily.

"Heroes." She spat the word.

"It might not have been them." Brent said.

"I told Ms. Dream we'd call." Merry said. "No one else. They started tracing when you told them where you were."

"I…" Brent started to speak and then stopped.

"Can we try again?" Daisy asked.

Simone looked at her for a long moment.

"We can try tonight." She said.

"What?" Merry blurted the word out.

"We can try tonight." Simone said. "We'll use Thunderbird 2, go to a remote location and call from there."

"Duchess there are beings in Force Group J and Earth Force who can out fly Thunderbird 2." Merry protested.

Simone looked at Daisy.

"We would be risking much for you."

"I know I don't have any right to ask you to do that." Daisy said. "But I'd really like a chance to talk to Abigail." She paused and then added. "Please."

"Duchess holographic ships won't fool them this time." Merry said.

"How do you know it was them that was tracing you?" Brent demanded.

"Who else?" Merry answered his angry tone with one of her own.

"Enough." Simone said quietly. She waited until they both stood quietly and then spoke. "We will give Daisy another chance Merry."

"Then let me do it this way." Merry said. "I'll scrounge up another cell phone, we can modify it and put it on one of the fighters. We send it far, far away and use a link to the communication system into it, make the call from there. I'll take the other fighter and go to Earth Force's base and I'll wait. If I'm right Earth Force will trace the call and head toward the second fighter. I'll go in and get Abigail."

"If she says yes." Simone said.

"We need her here to solve this." Merry said coldly.

"Only if she says yes First Knight." Simone said adding an edge to her voice.

"If she says yes." Merry agreed.

She agreed to it a little too reluctantly as far as Daisy could see. She hoped that her cousin would say yes, but Daisy wondered how much control Simone had over her first knight.

"How will you get her here?" Daisy asked.

"We have the shrinking potion Little Darkness used on Lady Goth." Simone said. "If Abigail agrees she can take it and fly back in the fighter with Merry."

"I'll go find a second cell." Merry said.

She walked over to the wall and Simone called out "Open by royal command."

The wall turned into a door and Merry walked out. Then it closed again.

"She will wait until Abigail says yes won't she?" Brent asked.

"She will." Simone said. "Merry doesn't disobey me. But if Abigail declines what will you do then? I am still willing to send you anyplace you think can help."

"I know you think we're being rotten about this…" Daisy started.

"No I don't." Simone interrupted her. "I think you are very scared and you have reason to be. I would be."

"We are grateful." Brent said. "For everything."

"Don't worry." Simone said. "Merry's plans seldom fail."

Daisy was pretty sure that was true, she just hoped that Merry's plans involved things turning out right for her family.

 

 

Merry settled the X-wing into the nook under the letter 'S' in a sign that proclaimed 'Sam's ALL Night Dinner.' It was three miles from the Rothschild's estate, the current home of Earth Force. The place was a Maine landmark, a holdover from the 1950's. A converted rail car diner with a juke box and round black leather stools in front of a long bar. Merry opened the cockpit window. The smells of food and beer and cigarette smoke drifted past her and continued on into the night sky. They mixed well with the mild scent of salt in the air and the sounds of night creatures.

Merry was surprised to find that she was comfortable. She was wearing a short red tunic from Star Trek, the first show. It seemed wrong to be wearing a Star Trek uniform in a Star Wars ship. But at least she was wearing something, even if the black panties and pantyhose were tighter than she would have liked. It was better than the skin suit and a lot easier to put on.

"The second ship is almost ready Merry." Simone's voice came over the radio. "Remember, Abigail must agree."

"I won't move until she does." Merry said.

{You are a born actress Dolly.}

{You and Simone both are.}

{Lizzie and Jessie played their parts very well.}

{It is possible that this will turn out to be very beneficial.}

"I hope so." Merry said softly keying off her mic before she spoke.

She couldn't identify the feelings that had come over her when she had 'played' the heavy. Merry had grown up believing in honesty above all else. She was known for being brutally honest. But as 'The First Knight' she wasn't anywhere near honest. It should have been driving her crazy with guilt, but it wasn't. She'd actually enjoyed herself, even wearing the sheer costume had been a thrill and Merry had never enjoyed showing off her body before.

What am I turning into, Merry wondered. Am I ever going to be just me again? What if this first knight thing takes over? Goddess help me I loved playing the part. I thought I'd be sick like when I pretended to be a Christmas elf, but I wasn't.

Mary looked at the highway in front of her. It led to the seacoast mansion of Lucy Rothschild. A mansion that was filled with heroes. That was part of it, she decided. She'd nearly lost an arm in her last encounter with Force Group J, an arm and a soul. Lucy had let her go, helped her get away, but how much of that was because of Moon Girl and Prudence? And now the nightmares were back.

"Why can't they keep their word?" Merry whispered.

{You do not understand power.}

{The superheroes have it and use it, but they do not understand it either.}

{Power is a sword with two ends.}

{One is always pointed toward you.}

"I don't understand." Merry said.

{You don't have to.}

{We do.}

{Prepare yourself.}

{The call is about to be made.}

"Hello?" Abigail said. She sounded as if she had just woken up and Merry realized that it was nearly mid-night.

"Abby are you alone?" Daisy asked.

"Daisy?" Abigail nearly shouted into the phone and Merry could picture her coming fully awake in an instant. "Oh my god where the hell are you?"

"Doll…"

"No, don't say it, they told me someone out side this place is taping into the phone. They were really freaked out when you hung up on them, they need to talk to someone named Mystery Woman really bad."

"Yea, no one here wants to talk to them." Daisy said. "Look Abby I need your help."

"What are you a prisoner or something? They don't have you hooked up to some weird machine do they?"

"What? No, of course not."

"You know I looked for you all the time, got my self shrunk doing it too."

"Abby I know, I heard, now listen…"

"Not only shrunk but they…"

"ABBY!" Daisy shouted.

"What?"

"Cool it and listen. When Brent and I were shrunk the professor made us make love. I'm pregnant Abby."

"Oh god that's great!"

"It is and it isn't. I got a full size kid growing in my tiny body."

"No problem, we got the stuff that'll grow you."

"It won't work, the baby will grow with me. I need your help."

"What do you need."

"They want to take the baby out of me, put him in you until I'm healthy enough to grow back to full size, then take him out of you and put him back in me."

There was a long silence.

"Abby?"

"I'm here."

"Well?"

"You sure they aren't hooking you up to a machine or something?"

"No they aren't, they've been good to us, they saved us."

"Yea I know, they saved me too, Ms. Dream told me about it. But… Are you serious? Do you know how this sounds? This is Lovecraft weird!"

"I've never been more serious. Abby I need you more than I've ever needed you before."

Merry heard a knock in the background and tensed up.

"Just a sec." Abby said. "Who is it?" She called out.

"Who the hell does she think it is?" Merry whispered.

{They are tracing the call.}

{Do you think it is Earth Force or Force Group J?}

{It could be both.}

{Or neither.}

"Is that them?" A new voice demanded. "Is that Dollopolis?"

"Yea but they really don't want to talk to you."

"I don't give a damn what they want!" Merry recognized Ms. Dream's voice. "I need to talk to them!"

"Abby the call is being traced!" Daisy shouted. "Yes or no?"

"Yes!" Abby shouted back. "But wait, talk to them, they really need your help."

"This is Duchess Simone of Dollopolis." Simone said.

She has to be practicing that 'royal voice' Merry thought marveling at how calm Simone sounded.

"This is Ms. Dream."

"This call is being traced." Simone said.

"Not by us!" Ms. Dream said. "The E.I.A. has bugs all over this place, we're still finding them."

"Your brand new base is full of covert surveillance devices?" Simone's skepticism was plain in her voice. "It does not matter who is tracing it." Simone said. "It is being traced. I can give you twenty seconds before I must cut the connection or my location will be discovered."

"I need your help. Prudence is gone, she vanished the night I was caught. ICE might have her. Is she with you?"

"No." Simone said. "If she was we would have informed you."

"Do you know where she is? Do you have any idea? Lucy's gone and…"

"She is not with us." Simone said. "I have no idea where she is."

"What about Mystery Woman? Is she there with you?"

"She is not with us and I do not believe that she…"

"I know where she is." Merry said.

{They have found the location of the second fighter.}

{It looks to be an EIA strike force doing the work.}

{A craft has launched from the Pyramid.}

{Time to sign off Simone.}

A beep sounded over the line, interrupting Simone.

"Our location has been discovered." Simone said harshly. "Five seconds faster than I thought it could be done. You kept me on the line long enough Ms. Dream!"

"That wasn't what I was doing!"

"It doesn't matter." Simone said. "We will not talk again."

There was a click as the connection was cut.

"I don't believe that Earth Force would build its base and leave so many wholes for the EIA." Merry said.

{It is strange.}

{Do you know where Prudence is?}

"The island." Merry said. "I don't know how, but I know she's on the island where the shrinking potion came from."

{Looks like you might have to rescue her again.}

{But first let's pick up Abigail shall we.}

"What about Earth Force?" Merry asked.

{A craft just left their base, heading toward the second fighter.}

{I doubt many of them will still be in the base.}

"So they were tracing us?"

{No way to tell yet.}

{Perhaps Abigail will provide some answers.}

"These guys are good." Merry said as she started moving the X-wing. "Their too good not to know they have bugs in their own base."

{It does stretch credibility.}

{Go in slowly Merry.}

{Approach from the sea and keep close to the waves.}

{We shall scan.}

 

 

As a fangirl Merry had a passion for the obscure shows of ages past. One of those shows was the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. The opening of the show featured waves hitting the rocks during a full moon while eerie music played. Merry was reminded of the show as she moved toward the Rothschild estate. Set on top of the cliffs the mansion was vast. Pure colonial in architecture, painted blue with a white trim the mansion screamed old money. But there were modern features as well. Bellow the mansion, dug into the cliff wall was a rectangular opening that led to an aircraft hanger. On the cliff were geodesic domes that sat beside futuristic-looking guns.

"America revolution meets Buck Rodgers." Merry said as the mansion was displayed on her screen. "Can I even get close to this place?"

{Normally not easily.}

{But their security system is down.}

{They may have been telling the truth.}

{It is amazing that a base for a set of superheroes could be built so carelessly.}

"How do we know where Abigail is?" Merry said. "That place must have a thousand rooms."

{Three hundred and fifty five.}

{Abigail is on the top floor of the west wing.}

{We locked into her cell phone.}

{Hang on.}

Merry braced herself as the fighter accelerated toward the cliff face. It would have been frightening at full size, at her small size it was terrifying. The waves were bigger than her ship and the rocks looked like sharp teeth. At the last second it changed direction and started to climb it. Merry was pressed into the seat as the rocks flew past her. In seconds she had topped the cliff and hovered fifty feet from the main house. Close up Merry could see that most of it was dark. The screen in front of her came to life and Merry saw the walls fade as the X-ray mode came to life. It showed a room with two people in it. Slowly the fighter moved forward and the images resolved. One of them was Abigail. She sat on the bed while the other woman paced. The other woman was Ms. Dream.

"Do we wait?" Merry asked.

{No.}

{The second fighter is being pursued and will not last much longer.}

The image on the screen jumped and then reformed.

"What was that?" Merry asked.

{We don't know.}

"Let me hit them both with the guns." Merry said. "I can go in, get Abigail and be gone."

{Suitable.}

Merry felt a soft shift in the motion of the X-wing fighter as they gave her control of the craft. Carefully she guided it toward the window. Ms. Dream was stomping around the room talking on a cell phone. Abigail was looking on from the bed.

Merry couldn't deny the thrill that went through her as the targeting screen lit up in front of her face. She was in a Star Wars X-wing fighter and she was about to shoot something! She had spent hours as a girl imagining doing this sort of thing.

She pressed the firing button and twin bolts of red and white energy flared from the wing mounted energy guns. They shattered the windows and hit the women squarely. Both Abigail and Ms. Dream fell instantly.

"YES!" Merry shouted.

{Don't get carried away.}

"Sorry." Merry said. She took the ship in and landed on the bed. Merry took a small bottle from the rear seat and stepped out of the ship. The mattress was springy beneath her but Merry was used to that. Half-jumping half-walking Merry went over to the unconscious Abigail. Putting the small plastic bottle in front of the young woman's face Merry squeezed it so that a green mist came out and gently touched Abigail's skin.

The result was quick and even unconscious Abigail's face screwed up with pain. Merry stood back and watched as the young woman shrunk. It took only a moment and when it was over Merry was staring at a pile of clothes.

Quickly digging through them Merry hauled a naked Abigail out and threw her over her shoulder. Then she walked back and climbed onto the fighter's wing. Abigail went into the back seat easily and Merry strapped her down.

"Will she be out for the whole trip back?" Merry asked.

{Take no chances.}

Merry nodded and used some more straps to tie Abigail's arms to the seat and her legs together. Then she used a smaller strap to blindfold the helpless woman. Once that was done Merry got into the pilot's seat and closed the hatch.

"Should we leave a message or something?" Merry asked.

{It would be polite.}

{But no doubt they will figure out who took her.}

{The security tapes will show that.}

{If they are working.}

"I could burn some letters into the wall." Merry suggested holding her fingers over the firing button.

{No.}

{Get moving quickly.}

{There is an E.I.A. jet heading toward the mansion.}

"How the hell did they know I was here?" Merry said guiding the fighter out of the window.

{We think we know.}

{By the time you return we will have confirmed it.}

{Brace yourself, we will be going to full speed.}

Merry tensed as the fighter cleared the top of the mansion and then seemed to be shot out of a gun. In a few minutes she was miles away from the Rothschild's estate and flying silently through the night sky.

 

…to be continued.

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