The Dangers of Daring Officer Dolly

Chapter 32. "Hard Sell"

by Skytower

Prologue

The gods have no need of servants. It was a fallacy of the way mortals saw them that the gods had lesser gods as attendants to pour wine or serve food. But everyone tends to view things through the prism of their own experience. The closest most people came to the gods was the kings and queens that once ruled most of mankind. And that nobility always had servants, so why would the gods be any different? But true gods had no need of servants. So while Ida and Loki sat and ate there was no one else there. They sat at a small table outside of Ida's cottage. The cottage was in the center of the grove of the Golden Apples of Asguard. Around them the air smelled sweet and the apple blossoms were in full bloom. Loki God of Mischief drank from a horn. When he put the horn down it magically refilled itself. Loki was a slim man with black hair. His face was as thin as his body with an aquiline nose and deep dark eyes. His black hair was cut short. He wore a black fur cloak and dull brown leather vest and pants. For all his godhood Loki managed to come off as ordinary, unthreatening. The impression was deliberate.

Across from him Ida also drank from a horn that refilled itself. She was a broad woman with red hair and blue eyes. Her face was handsome, with a strong jaw and firm cheekbones. She wore a green dress belted at the waist with a gray sash. If Loki looked unthreatening by design and intent Ida appeared honest because she was honest. On the table in front of them were small sculptures of men and women. They were arranged on a chessboard.

Loki picked up one of the sculptures. It was a tall blonde haired woman wearing a green jerkin. He studied it. The sculpture was remarkably life-like and the woman was truly beautiful.

"One of ours." He said at last.

"Yes." Ida said. "The bloodline is pure, despite the centuries. The spirit is there as well."

"We pin our hopes on a mortal." Loki said. His face and his voice were un-readable.

"Of course." Ida said. "Could there be any other way?"

Loki sighed.

"I am un-sure." He said. "One miss-step, one mistake and the rest of the gods will fall."

"I never thought I'd see you afraid to throw the dice." Ida said.

"She is a mortal, a woman who’s life has held many failures." Loki said ignoring the jibe.

"As all mortal and immortal lives do." Ida replied. "Yet without Merry we would not have survived the Nephilim. She destroyed Hellspite's body and drove him back into the underworld."

"In both cases she stumbled into things by accident and improvised a desperate strategy." Loki said. He studied the sculpture and Ida stayed silent. "But her masters embrace of subterfuge and her willingness to embrace it as well pleases me." He sighed. "Yet she fell into that as well. This woman stands between things. She never intends to act but is continually forced to act."

"Which makes her perfect for our task. She is completely unpredictable." Ida said. "Can you point to a better mortal or immortal?"

"No." Loki said. "I can’t."

"If you are still un-sure there is a coming test for her. Athena will be here shortly with Goddess of Justice, Ms. Dream, Iron Mistress and Miss Shadow. They need Merry's help and I'm willing to say that she will give it, no matter the cost to herself. And that cost will be high. But to help them she will have to lie."

"Serving a higher power is part of her nature." Loki said.

"Doing the right thing is part of her nature." Ida corrected him. "I know her soul, it will endure what ever pain it has to. Watch her through what is to come, test her if you wish. She won't fail. I’ll wager any sum on that."

Loki smiled and his form started to shift. In a few seconds he had changed from a tall thin man to a short buxom elf-girl. A few seconds later there was a solid looking elf lord beside the girl.

"I will test her." They said. "And we shall both see. And if she fails I will claim what I will."

A portal started to open near them. Ida sat back and caused more chairs to appear and the table to grow wide enough to handle them. The elves jumped off their chair and ran into the trees. The elf lord took the sculpture of Merry and Ida caused the rest to vanish. She watched as Athena came toward her with four mortals following. Loki would test Merry, and if Merry failed Ida knew that the price for them both would be high.

She will not fail, Ida thought. Not Merry. For once a god will have faith in a mortal.

Part 1

Simone watched from her tower as Merry, Lizzie, Jessie and Monica dug furrows in a field. A plow could have done it, Simone could have done it with her fingers if she grew to full size. Merry’s way-working by hand with shovels-would take at least two days. It had been Merry's idea. Jessie and Lizzie were knights in training, or Knightlings. To them that meant going on missions, learning how to move and how to fight. Merry and Simone wanted there to be more to it than that. Their first mission hadn't been a complete disaster, but it had been harder than they expected. Jessie had been caught by some school girls and played with like a little doll and Lizzie had been fallen on and nearly crushed. They had found themselves in the middle of a superhero mother/daughter feud. Merry and Simone had rescued them but it had shaken the girls confidence. Once the girls had recovered Merry had announced a change in their training.

"How is this helping?" Simone wondered allowed as she watched the girls dig. Jessie and Lizzie wore knee length black tunics belted at the waist. Merry wore a green one and Monica wore a gray one. It was easy to tell Merry and Monica apart from Lizzie and Jessie. Merry stood at twelve inches as they all did, but her hair was a bright blonde. Monica was black with long shiny black hair. Jessie and Lizzie were twins with black hair. From her tower Simone couldn't really tell them apart.

Simone wanted to teach them to dance and play musical instruments. Merry didn't mind that, but she also wanted them to learn to do things the hard way from the ground up. They were both making things up as they went along and Simone often wondered if Lizzie and Jessie knew that.

{Merry's theory is that it is teaching them patience, discipline and persistence.}

The voice was not telepathic. It appeared in her head, but it was her thoughts, and yet not her thoughts.

{Something covert operatives need.}

{It also gets them close to Monica.}

{That relationship needs to happen.}

{As they work they talk.}

{Merry tells them stories, makes them guess the solutions. They sing Monica’s songs.}

{They have to work hard and still think.}

{Also it gives Monica some companionship and re-enforces the thought that her farm feeds Dollopolis. This is a good thing.}

{Snowbelle is only in Dollopolis when she sleeps.}

{And we have not yet found any new prospects for admission to the duchy.}

{It is getting hard to search without being noticed.}

{Both ICE and Force Group J have laid traps for Merry.}

Simone sighed and picked up her pen. The voices were the voices of the 'Giants' as Lizzie and Jessie called them or 'The Group' as Merry called them. They were four of Simone’s childhood freinds. Deborah, Delilah, Molly and Tremont. The four geniuses who had created Dollopolis, saved her live and shrunk them all. They were working on a plan of world domination and shrunken women were a part of that plan. It had started with Merry, moved on to Lizzie and Jessie and had grown into the fable that was Dollopolis. Simone looked at the paper in front of her. The fable that she and Merry had to write. Lizzie and Jessie knew the truth about Dollopolis. Monica and the girls who would come after her didn't and wouldn't. To them Dollopolis would be a splinter of a destroyed world. That was the lie Merry and Simone had improvised when they had accidentally encountered superheroes, that was the desperate thought that Merry had introduced to The Group to keep them from throwing away Lizzie and Jessie. And that was the lie that Merry and Simone had been working to improve for months now.

Simone bent to her task and started to write, brushing a strand of her red hair out of her face. Simone favored her hair long so that it could be done up to match the occasion. As a duchess she needed to be regal, and long hair was a staple of a healthy nobility. Long hair also covered her ears, which Simone sometimes thought of as too large for her head. She and Merry had sketched out a rough history of the Duchy and the culture that they supposedly came from, but it had to be filled in. Simone suspected that Merry actually enjoyed making up the stories, filling them with strange rules. Merry was a fangirl and drew heavily on her science fiction and fantasy knowledge. It was a strange contradiction since Simone knew that Merry didn’t like to lie.

Simone looked up as she heard a shout from the field. A gray/black disc had formed in the air above the farm and four women were stumbling out of it. Merry was already moving to attack them when Simone dropped her pen and ran.

"Time to live the fantasy again." She told herself.

Merry McCormick felt the portal open up before she saw it. She'd felt a portal open up on Dollopolis once before. The sensation was nearly impossible to describe. It was a combination of a slight ringing in her ears, a sour feeling in her stomach and a feeling that something wasn't right. She stopped digging and looked around.

"Girls…" Merry said. The tone of her voice made the others look up.

When the portal opened it opened in the blink of an eye. One moment nothing was there, then a round disc was hovering just a little above the dirt. Four women came stumbling out of the portal. The last time something like this had happened it had been Ms. Dream alone. She had come flying out of the portal and slammed into Simone and a few others. Merry had reacted then by knocking her out. In the instant that Merry recognized whom it was she realized what she had to do.

"Attack!" Merry shouted running toward the four women.

Merry was the closest and fastest so she attacked first. In the few seconds that it took her to cover the distance she had planned out an assault. There were a thousand questions in her mind but covering them all was anger. Merry admired and respected superheroes, but she had learned that sometimes they just didn't listen. She had told them not to come to Dollopolis and they came anyway. That meant that Merry couldn't be herself. She had to be Mystery Woman, the half-wild First Knight of Dollopolis that they knew. She had to react and act like that person. And that meant attack first with anger. Part of it was easy, Merry hated to lie.

Her first target was Lucy Rothschild known as Goddess of Justice. She was at least a half a foot shorter than Merry with short brown hair and a medium build. She was wearing a loose fitting white robe. Merry jabbed the handle of the shovel she was carrying into Lucy's stomach and when she doubled over hit her on the back of the head with a closed fist. Even as Lucy was falling Merry was onto the next woman. Marry Ellen MacGuire was known as Ms. Dream. She was just a little taller than Lucy and she had white hair and was wearing the same style of loose robe. Merry scooped down grabbed some loose dirt and threw it into her eyes, following that up with a chop to the throat. While Ms. Dream gasped Merry dodged behind her and hit the back of her leg. She went down gasping but Merry didn’t even look back. The next woman was slim with red hair and Merry recognized her as Lady Serenity Highfield known as the Iron Mistress. She was wearing the same loose white robe and she was a bit less dazzled by the portal than the others had been. As she saw Merry charging Serenity brought up her arms to defend herself. Merry slammed the shovel against her shins and Serenity went down. On her way down Merry kneed her in the stomach.

That left only one more person to fight and Merry had no need to fake her anger. Miss Shadow's skin was black and contrasted sharply with her white robe. The last time Merry had seen her Miss Shadow had been trying to read her mind and had nearly killed her. The lack of tattoos on her body told Merry that Miss Shadow’s powers were gone. Merry tossed the shovel at Miss Shadow's head and then went in low when she ducked. Merry's blow to her chin snapped her head back and Merry followed it up with a savage blow to the stomach. Miss Shadow went down and Merry spared a look at the others. Lizzie and Jessie were struggling clumsily with Lucy, Monica was trying to wrestle Serenity to the ground and Ms. Dream was just struggling to her feet. Merry reached down, grabbed Miss Shadow’s arm and whipped her into Ms. Dream. Then she charged into both of them.

Ms. Dream had been knocked back into the dirt by Miss Shadow and Merry slammed a kick to her side to keep her there. Then she grabbed Miss Shadow by the arm threw her to the ground.

{A good threat here before the fight stops.}

"I’m gonna bury you here!" Merry shouted forcing her face into the dirt.

"Stop!" Simone shouted. It was her royal voice, the one Merry had often heard her practice. It matched the stance she had taken, one that Merry had also seen her practice. Simone stood with her arms folded, a stern look on her face and waited; the very picture of an aggrieved patriarch. She was wearing a loose green gown hemmed with gold. On her head was a diamond tiara. Everyone else in Dollopolis was no higher than twelve inches tall. Simone stood at twenty four inches tall.

Lizzie and Jessie stopped, as did Monica. Merry pressed the side of Miss Shadow's head against the dirt and twisted her arm. Miss Shadow cried out in pain.

"I said stop Merry." Simone said.

"This is Miss Shadow!" Merry said putting as much anger as she could into her voice. "You know what she did to me!"

"Merry." Simone said sternly.

Merry held the hold for a few moments longer and then let go and stood up. She looked around and in a way was a little proud. The four women were just recovering and Merry knew that these were all heroines, all used to fighting. Of course if any of them had appeared with their powers intact Merry and her friends would have had no chance. But even without their powers they all knew how to fight. But they were powerless and had been caught off guard. The result was four women who were covered in dirt and who's robes were torn and hanging open.

"Don't you people know the meaning of 'leave us alone'?" Merry shouted. "What's going on Lucy? Is Ms. Dream leading a tour group or something? Lizzie, get me some chains! And get me my favorite whip!"

"Stay where you are Lizzie." Simone said.

We're getting too good at this, Merry thought as Simone countered her order.

"If you give us a chance we can explain." Ms. Dream said staggering to her feet. She managed to get the words out between coughs. She pulled a scroll out of her robe and offered it to Simone. Simone reached down and took it. Ms. Dream turned to Merry. "Don't you ever just say 'hi'?"

Merry growled and she took a step back.

Simone took the scroll and opened it. She had only read a little of it when she looked up.

"It is from Ida Merry. Once again she has given Ms. Dream safe passage, and this time she has included her friends."

"HER?" Merry shouted pointing at Miss Shadow. Her fist clenched and she took a step towards Miss Shadow who was still trying to get to her feet. "She tried to kill me! She tried to read my mind!"

"And as part of your punishment I forbade you to go after her." Simone said.

"But she's in Dollopolis now!" Merry shouted. "She came to me! I don't care if she does have safe passage! I claim my right under the Laws of Vengeance!"

"And I overrule you with the Laws of Hospitality." Simone said forcefully.

Way, way too good at this, Merry thought as she growled and took a step back. Everyone had been looking at her and Simone like they were tennis players. There was concern on their faces and just a little fear. Miss Shadow was trying to hide her fear with disdain but she was failing. Merry wasn’t sure if she was happy or not that she could get people to be scared of her. People like this: heroines. Far better people than she felt herself to be.

"We are not here lightly." Lucy said climbing to her feet.

"You're not supposed to be here at all." Merry snapped.

"Enough First Knight!" Simone called. "They are here, I have invoked the Law of Hospitality. You will calm down."

"We are here on a desperate mission." Lucy said coughing a bit herself. "And this is the only way we could reach you."

"Your mission will wait for one half of your hours." Simone said. "You are in Dollopolis now Mrs. Rothschild, if you have a petition to make we shall do this according to traditions of my world. Monica, you and Merry gather some food and bring it to the castle. Lizzie escort our guests to…" Simone looked around and then pointed. "There, the Roman house is still empty and it has functioning baths. Help them get cleaned up and instruct them on the protocols of a meal under the Laws of Hospitality. Jessie bring them some clean robes. Both of you bring them to the castle when you are done. We shall talk there Mrs. Rothschild."

She turned and calmly walked away.

Man, she's good at that, Merry thought. It wasn't just that she turned and walked away, it was that Simone seemed to take it for granted that everyone would obey her.

"Nice to be back." Ms. Dream said rubbing her throat. "Really. I should come here more often."

"Merry…" Lucy started to talk to her but Merry growled and walked away. Monica hurried after her.

"It's ok." Lizzie said walking over to them. "She can't hurt you now."

"You sure?" Ms. Dream asked. The look on Merry's face had been-as usual-deadly.

"The Law of Hospitality says that you can't be hurt, killed or anything unless you attack someone else." Lizzie said. "Sorry about jumping you like that, Merry’s in charge when Simone isn’t around. We were just digging up the field and you showed up and Merry shouted attack so we..."

"No problem." Ms. Dream said. "Happens to us all the time." She coughed again. "Our day isn't complete without it."

"Doll houses." Miss Shadow said. She had climbed to her feet and was looking around. "An entire city of doll houses!"

"Lizzie." Ms. Dream said. "About the last time I was here… I'm sorry about breaking your arm and... well you know."

"It's ok." Lizzie said. "The Duchess said you were mind controlled so it didn't count."

"Right." Ms. Dream said. "Ok."

I wish everyone looked on things like that, Ms. Dream thought. Some of the people she had hurt while under someone else’s control never forgave her. She had trouble forgiving herself.

Lucy helped Serenity up and they looked around with Miss Shadow.

"Just as the Obrien's described." Lucy said looking at Dollopolis. "A small place."

Ms. Dream could feel the curiosity emanating from her friend. Dollopolis was laid out on a platform. It was shaped like a giant letter ‘U’ with mountains on the outer edges and a river on the inner edge. The land was made up of trees, streams, fields and many different styles of houses. But the houses were all doll houses. From the front they looked normal, but if a person went around the back and they were all open. They stood on the outer edge of the left side of the Duchy. It was a wide open field. Ms. Dream spotted some corn growing as well as other plants. Lucy had always been curious about the place. Ms. Dream knew that at that moment Lucy wanted nothing more than to explore each and every inch of the place.

"How are the Obrien’s doing?" Lizzie asked.

"They are fine." Lucy said. "Lizzie isn't it?"

Lizzie nodded.

"You're Lucy, I know Ms. Dream…" She looked at Serenity and Miss Shadow. Her face darkened as she looked at Miss Shadow. "You're the one who tried to kill Merry." Lizzie said.

"Let's try not to dwell on the past." Lucy said quickly.

"Yea, we better get cleaned up if we’re going to a state dinner." Ms. Dream said. "How about showing us where the Roman place is?"

"Come on." Lizzie said nodding. "You only got a half hour to clean up. Being late for a meal under the Law of Hospitality is considered an insult."

She motioned them to follow and started off.

"How do you tell time around here?" Ms. Dream asked.

"We don't usually need too." Lizzie said. "We got sun up and sun down. When we need to do something at a exact time do the Duchess tells us what time it is."

"What exactly is the Law of Hospitality?" Lucy asked as they all started to follow her. She fell into step beside Lizzie. Ms. Dream fell back and motioned Serenity and Miss Shadow to be quiet. Vengeance was taken very seriously in Dollopolis so Miss Shadow was already on dangerous ground. One of Serenity’s daughters had caught and tormented a woman from the city, if Merry found out who she was before Lucy had a chance to talk to Simone things would probably get very ugly.

"This is absurd." Miss Shadow said. "An entire city of doll houses?"

"What part of seeing don't you believe?" Ms. Dream demanded.

"How can anyone live this way?" Miss Shadow demanded.

Cool it, Ms. Dream wanted to send a telepathic message but couldn't. Ida had stripped them of their powers for as long as they were in Dollopolis. They were vulnerable here and the sooner Miss Shadow realized that the better. Like all of them she knew how to fight without her powers, but Ms. Dream didn't think she would have much of a chance if Merry decided to take her on. And Merry was the one person they needed.

Ms. Dream hadn't wanted to take Miss Shadow along. For that matter she hadn't really wanted to go herself. Ms. Dream had been in Dollopolis before and her reception then had been just as bad. The paranoia of the place bordered on xenophobia. It was understandable in a way, they were all twelve inch tall women. She'd guessed ahead of time that Ida would send them to the city deprived of their powers. Without powers they were vulnerable. Especially to someone like Merry who seemed to live on the edge of an angry outburst every minute of her life. Dollopolis wanted to be left alone and Ms. Dream was happy to do that. But Serenity Highfield's only way to get her daughters' back was with help from Dollopolis. Lucy had sworn to help her and that meant that they had to come. There was also Lucy’s other plan and Ms. Dream wanted to see how that turned out. What it really came down to though was that there was no way Ms. Dream was going to let her best friend walk into Dollopolis alone.

"The Duchess says that the Laws of Hospitality were made up in her own world so that the nobles could talk to each other before they killed each other." Lizzie said.

"What else is involved?" Lucy asked hurrying to match Lizzie's pace.

"Well once we get you cleaned up you have a drink together and if you pass the tests and no one gets poisoned you talk." Lizzie said. "In Dollopolis almost everything is ritual and tradition and stuff."

"So we're safe from that woman?" Miss Shadow asked.

They had reached a Roman style villa and Lizzie stopped at the entrance.

"Mostly." She said. "With Merry… well you can never be sure."

She led them through an entrance way, then a garden and then into a large clearing with an open bellow ground pool made of red/white marble. Around the pool was a set of hedges. Large rectangular mirrors were spaced evenly around the pool. Jessie was throwing a white cloth over one of them when she saw the heroines walk in. Quickly she put the cover down and rushed over to a pile of neatly folded robes.

"The waters hot." Jessie said holding up a tray with four bars of soap.

"Thank you." Lucy said. "You're Jessie?"

"Yea." Jessie said. "Oh and the Duchess said that Ms. Dream can use the bath on the other side of the house if she wants."

"She knows your kinda funny about naked women." Lizzie said.

"Thanks." Ms. Dream said taking off her robe. "But I'll be ok here."

It isn't naked women I have a problem with, Ms. Dream thought. I can handle them.

That was a lie she often told herself. Ms. Dream caught a glimpse of herself in one of the un-covered mirrors. Her body was slim, but her breasts large, and there was a tattoo between them. When Ms. Dream had started her career as a heroine she’d had no scars, no tattoos and her breasts had been smaller. But supervillain after supervillain had played with her body and mind to the point where Ms. Dream hated to look at herself. She was never on solid footing with nudity or the sexuality that could come with it.

Lizzie took the tray from Jessie and Jessie went back to covering the mirrors.

"Why are you doing that?" Serenity asked.

"Merry said we should." Jessie said. "For Ms. Dream."

Suddenly the sky above them went from blue with clouds to a blank gray slate.

"What happened?" Lucy asked.

"They do that when they don't want outsiders to know where we are." Lizzie said. "Merry likes blindfolds but Simone thinks they aren't polite."

The water was warm and relaxing as Ms. Dream slipped into it. So far things were going pretty much as she had expected. Thank god they had entered Dollopolis when Simone was around. She went in up to her neck quickly. She and Merry hadn’t spent that much time together but the First Knight had apparently learned a lot about her. Enough to be sympathetic to Ms. Dream’s hang-ups. A part of her was astounded that Merry could be that way since she had never seen the woman when she wasn’t mad. It was another one of the contradictions that seemed typical to her and Dollopolis. Ms. Dream tried to relax. It had been ages since she had taken a bath. She took showers and kept them short. Too many supervillains had forced her to take baths while they watched. Take baths and worse. She looked away quickly as Lucy slipped off her own robe. Lucy was a stocky woman with large hips and slight breasts, more of a Grecian beauty than anything else. But her powers came from magic and her body never showed the scars of her life. The bruises on her stomach and the rest of her body would fade quickly. Everytime she saw Lucy nude Ms. Dream had to struggle with herself. Thanks to the many supervillains who had messed with her mind Ms. Dream didn’t know what to think when the sight of another woman exited her. But at her heart Mary new it didn't matter. Lucy was as straight as they came. She'd be polite, but her body would always be off limits.

"You’re the one who tried to kill Merry." Jessie said as Miss Shadow took the soap off of the tray. Ms. Dream looked up and tensed. Jessie was looking at Serenity.

"Who are you?" Jessie asked.

"This is Serenity." Lucy said helping Serenity out of her robe.

"Serenity?" Lizzie asked. "Highfield?"

"Yes." Serenity said.

"Oh goddess your daughters were the ones who tortured Corrella!" Lizzie said taking a step back.

"Yes." Serenity said. Her voice had pain in it and Ms. Dream cursed silently. So much for keeping things low key until they could talk to Simone.

"Are they here in the city?" Lucy asked. "Are they well?"

Jessie and Lizzie looked at her and then took a step back.

"Merry didn't recognize her." Jessie said to her sister.

"We…" Lizzie said and then stopped.

"We better tell Simone." Jessie said.

"Fast!" Jessie agreed.

"Wait…" Lucy called but both girls were already gone. They ran through the house as fast as they could.

"Well hell now what?" Ms. Dream said. She'd expected resentment but not outright panic.

"We get cleaned up and then if no one has returned we walk toward the castle." Lucy said as she slipped calmly into the water.

"I can’t believe we are expected to trust that woman." Miss Shadow said stepping into the water. Her dark skin was stretched tightly over a muscular frame. It was strange to see her body without the dark tattoos that gave the woman her mystical power.

"It is more important that Simone and Merry trust us, not the other way around." Lucy said working soap along her arm.

"Merry reminds of Savage." Serenity said stepping into the water. Her body was slim and bore a few scars. Like Miss Shadow the skin was tightly stretched over muscle. "They are both so honest, so straightforward." Serenity trembled for a moment. "Honest enough to show her hatred in the first few seconds..."

"It is Simone we must convince first." Lucy said. "We are here Serenity, that is an achievement."

"Are you kidding?." Ms. Dream demanded turning her back as Lucy helped Serenity wash. "Let's recap: Ok, we're here, yay for us, but the person we need help from just tried to kill one of us, the two nominal friends we have just left in a panic and we've got a dinner in a half hour where we may or may not be poisoned."

"Ms. Dream" Lucy said calmly "be quiet and bathe. We shall deal with the difficulties as they arise."

"The woman's a homicidal maniac." Miss Shadow said slipping into the bath. "How can you trust her?"

"We need her help." Lucy said. "Don't worry Serenity, Merry is more noble than her constant anger lets on. If we can convince her…"

"Whoah." Ms. Dream said breathlessly pointing.

They followed her arm and saw that a black cat had appeared. The cat was standing outside of the garden and was looking over the hedges. Outside of her size-roughly as big as a horse-the cat did not seem to be threatening.

"Still think the Obrien’s were lying?" Ms. Dream demanded as Miss Shadow stared at the cat. The cat yawned.

"An elaborate hoax?" Miss Shadow said, but her voice sounded un-steady.

They were drying off when Lizzie re-appeared. She rushed over to Serenity and handed her a small box.

"Lady Highfield the Duchess said that you should wear this." Lizzie said a little breathlessly. Ms. Dream wondered if she had run all the way from the castle.

Serenity opened the box and took out a necklace. It was a silver teardrop on a gold chain. The teardrop had a symbol on it, a circle with a small star.

"A gift?" Serenity asked.

"Hey where's ours?" Ms. Dream asked.

"It's the Duchess's personal token of protection." Lizzie said. "No one can attack you while you're wearing it. Sort of makes you her temp sister."

"Meaning she is safe from Merry." Lucy said.

Lizzie nodded.

"She didn't recognize you I guess, she was too mad at Miss Shadow, but Simone is afraid she will and… well…"

"Boom?" Ms. Dream asked.

Lizzie nodded again.

"Big boom. Corrella and Roxana are still in the Temple of Healing." Lizzie said. "When Merry heard the full story… You know about the torture… She went kinda nuts. It got worse when she found out that the Highfield's are English Nobles. The Duchess had to shrink her and keep her shrunk for days or she would have gone on a blood hunt. We had to chain her up in the dungeon and Simone had to spank her and… well it just took a lot to calm her down."

"She calms down?" Ms. Dream asked.

Lizzie looked at her and Ms. Dream was taken back by the fear in the girls eyes.

"When she gets really mad, I mean really, really mad..."

"But she is not mad all of the time." Lucy said.

"Not really." Lizzie said. "But..."

"Don’t fear for us Lizzie." Lucy said. "We did not come all this way to fall prey to Merry’s anger."

"Ok. Well if you're ready I'll take you to the dinner." Lizzie said.

"What about the rules?" Lucy asked.

"I'll fill you in on the way." Lizzie said. "The Duchess said you should get to the castle before Merry does."

"What about Tabby there?" Ms. Dream asked gesturing toward the cat. "He always watch people like that?"

Lizzie looked up and shrugged.

"They always watch us when we swim or take a bath." Lizzie said. "Sometimes they help."

"What?" Ms. Dream asked.

"We better get moving." Lizzie said. She had already turned away by the time Ms. Dream had asked her question.

Merry put the dishes down on the table and looked up as Simone entered. Simone had changed into a portrait style dress. The wrap-around on her shoulders lent her more of a regal air than usual. The dress was soft violet for the top and a deeper purple for the floor length skirt. Her red hair was worn loosely over her shoulders and on her head was a silver tiara with a red ruby. A chain with the crest of Dollopolis hung around her neck. She looked every inch a queen, something helped by the fact that she was twice as tall as Merry was. And she looked a lot more confident than Merry felt. For a moment though Merry forgot everything else and simply let herself love the other woman. Simone was everything Merry felt she wasn't; graceful, cultured and she had an inner strength that Merry envied.

"I don't know how we're going to get through this." Merry said. "Hell I don't know how we've gotten through it so far."

"We're doing fine." Simone said. "You beat them up, they've bought your persona. Lizzie and Jessie are doing some fine acting. I told you that all the role playing we have been doing would pay off."

Merry tried to feel her confidence. The role playing they had done had been at Simone's suggestion. For a day, once two days, they would all play their parts, never stepping out of character even if Monica or Snowbelle weren't there. For Lizzie and Jessie it had been easy and fun, for Simone it had been fun. For Merry it had meant being a cold, angry and somewhat bitter person. And privately she wondered if it hadn't been done to amuse The Group. Like some of the clothes that Simone had been trying to get her to wear recently. Silly ball gowns and worse.

"I've sent Monica back to her farm." Simone said. "Lizzie and Jessie will serve the food and provide some entertainment. Are you ready?"

"I’ll wear the dress." Merry said. "But I don’t think it really fits with Merry’s image.

"It fits perfectly." Simone said. "Merry can’t be a warrior to them all of the time, remember the Obrien’s were told you were once a noble, they’ll expect you to be able to appear as one. Maybe not as someone who is comfortable with the fact, but as a noble."

"Damnit why are they here?" Merry snapped. "Have we had it too good for too long? We’ve been happy haven’t we?"

"Of course we have." Simone said. "Merry this is not something personal with them, they didn’t come here to ruin your day."

"Then why?"

{That is what they shall tell us.}

{They either want the dagger back, or they need your help.}

{Both I'd wager.}

{Serenity's daughters are at the core of this.}

"Do we help them?" Merry asked. "Can we help them and keep up the act? I… I mean who I am… Who I’m supposed to be... well she hates them."

{That is what we shall find out.}

{Prepare yourself Officer Dolly.}

{So far things have gone well.}

{The heroines are off balance and uncertain, as all beings of power are who are suddenly humbled.}

"They're right dear." Simone said. "And the First Knight does not hate them, she's mad at them. That is a difference they will try to exploit. If we all play our parts things should go well. And I’m sure that Lucy is all set to convince us to help them."

"I'll go change then." Merry said.

Simone's castle was the same as Ms. Dream remembered it. It was the only complete structure in Dollopolis. Sitting at the bottom of the 'U' shaped platform the front entrance was a drawbridge. Ms. Dream peered over the edge as they walked over it and saw only darkness. Lizzie led them directly into a combination throne room/Great hall. There were four doors, two on the right that led to the towers and Simone's rooms and two on the left. One of the two was barred and led to the dungeons. The other was open and Ms. Dream had no idea where it went. She spotted a piano and a harp by the throne. Those were new.

A round wooden table had been set up in the center of the room. It reminded Ms. Dream of the center piece from Wheel of Fortune. The table was pie-charted into six sections with alternating black, white and gray colors. Empty bowls were waiting. Simone made an impressive figure sitting at the table and not just because she was twice as tall as everyone else in the room was. This was her place Ms. Dream realized, the center of her power.

"Greetings." Simone said. "Please come and sit down.

"Thank you." Lucy said. She walked over to the table as if she were having dinner at an old friend's house. It didn't bother her at all that she had to sit in what was basically a hi-chair.

This was where Lucy would always shine. Ms. Dream knew her friend was powerful as Goddess of Justice, but she had never known anyone who could talk her way out of a problem like Lucy Rothschild. The woman was a born diplomat and a trained lawyer. Ms. Dream had seen her sit down with demons, gods and worse and talk her way through things.

"Lady Highfield please sit here." Simone said gesturing to the chair on her right. "And open your robe somewhat so that the token can be seen."

"Is this really going to be a problem?" Lucy asked sitting next to Serenity. Ms. Dream took the seat next to her and Miss Shadow sat next to Ms. Dream. That left one seat open.

"Very much so unless precautions are taken." Simone said. "Merry is First Knight; protector. She took the role seriously before we left our world, she takes it more seriously now. She believes passionately in our laws, especially the Laws of Vengeance." Simone turned to Serenity. "Do not think that I am not angry at what your daughter and her friends did to Corrella, I am."

"I'm sorry for what she did." Serenity said. "Where is Corrella and Roxanna now?"

"In the Temple of Healing." Simone said sadly. "They will be there for a while yet." Simone turned to Lucy. "I know that you came to talk Mrs. Rothschild but talking will be difficult if…"

She didn't finish the sentence and Ms. Dream followed her gaze. Merry had come out of the door that led to Simone's rooms.

She was beautiful. Ms. Dream had never seen Merry in anything but a loose robe or a skin tight suit. But now she realized just how beautiful Merry was. Merry was tall and stacked. Her breasts were a D cup, she had wide hips, great shiny blond hair and a beautiful face. She was wearing a simple V-neck dress that showed off a lot of cleavage. The dress was light green with a dark green hem and it dropped past her knees. She was wearing a black belt with a silver buckle that had the crest of Dollopolis on it.

"My lady." She said.

"First Knight." Simone said.

"I am the First Knight of the Duchy and I am here at your command My Lady." Merry said going down to one knee. Ms. Dream was astonished at the sight. It wasn’t only what she said it was the way Merry said it. Her tone was one of complete respect and sincerity. Ms. Dream had never heard that from her before.

"Arise and join us First Knight." Simone said. "In this meal obeying the Laws of Hospitality."

Merry rose and walked over and took hold of the back of her chair. She was just tall enough to see over the edge of the table. She saw Serenity. For a moment she hesitated and there seemed to be a question mark on her face. Then the light bulb lit and a look of recognition replaced it. In that instant her nostrils flared her eyes narrowed and her mouth became a thin tight line.

"Highfield!" Merry shouted vaulting onto the top of the table. She grabbed her chair and held it over her head.

Simone didn’t do anything but Serenity pulled back instinctively and that caused her to face Merry. Merry froze just as she was about to throw the chair. She stared at the necklace. Then she looked at Simone and realization and puzzlement competed with anger.

"I know who she is Merry." Simone said calmly. "Take your seat."

Merry growled but didn’t move.

"Sit with her?" Merry gripped the edges of the chair until her hands were white. "She's Serenity Highfield. Her daughters will die if I ever get to them! She'll die, her entire country will die! I’ll grind them into paste and turn the paste into powder and scatter it to the winds!"

She was gripping the chair hard enough to cause it to groan under the stress. Ms. Dream tensed herself and she knew that Lucy and Miss Shadow were doing the same. If Merry attacked Serenity they would have to join in the battle. With her eyes wild and her face red Merry barely looked sane.

"No." Simone said calmly. "I have placed her in my family, under my personal protection. If you attack her you attack me. Will you attack me?"

That knocked her back a bit. Merry didn't let go of the chair but Ms. Dream could tell that Simone's words had gotten to her.

"She tortured Corrella. Because of her I near crushed Roxanna. By my right as First Knight her live should be mine! I should be dragging her into the dungeon this minute!"

Merry’s voice was almost hoarse with anger and frustration. Simone didn’t seem to let it affect her. Ms. Dream wondered how many such outburst Simone had sat through.

"Her daughter tortured Corrella." Simone said.

"And you won't let me touch her either!" Merry shouted. "Or the rest of them! I'm the First Knight! I'm supposed to protect and avenge them! What do I tell Corrella and Roxana if they ever get out of the temple?"

"That you are MY First Knight!" Simone said her voice rising. "And I say you will not attack. When Corrella and Roxana emerge from the Temple of Healing I shall explain to them why their tormenters are still alive. Now sit down!"

"The law says I protect or avenge." Merry said stubbornly.

"Well you've already done that." Lucy said.

Merry and Simone looked at her as if they had forgotten that anyone else was in the room.

"What do you mean?" Simone asked.

"Doesn't the killing of a father satisfy the Laws of Vengeance?" Lucy asked casually.

"Yes." Simone said after a moment. "For torture alone killing a blood relative is enough."

"Merry killed the Arch Duke Darksun." Lucy said. "He was the girls father. I'd say the case is settled."

Merry start to say something and then stopped. For a few seconds her mind went through the trap that Lucy had sprung and she realized that there was no way out of it.

"I agree." Simone said. "Sit down Merry."

Slowly Merry released her grip on the chair and put it down onto the floor. Then she climbed onto it.

God I love it when Lucy does that to someone else, Ms. Dream thought.

"I am sorry." Serenity said. "Very sorry about what my daughter did."

"Is she?" Merry asked sullenly. "What about her friends?"

"No more talk of that for now." Simone said. She nodded her head and Lizzie and Jessie walked into the room. Lizzie was carrying a tray with a large bowl and a smaller bowl filled with apples. Jessie was carrying a tray with a large gold chalice and small folded pieces of paper. Jessie set her tray onto the table while Lizzie waited a few steps back.

"Merry." Simone said.

Merry stood up and took hold of the chalice.

"I am the First Knight." Merry said simply and took two gulps. She set the chalice down and picked up one of the papers.

"Ninety five." Merry said handing the paper to Simone. Simone looked at it and nodded. Merry passed the chalice to Miss Shadow.

"I am Miss Shadow of the Legion of Mystics." She said, and there was a lot of pride in her voice. Too much pride for Ms. Dream’s taste. She took two gulps and put the chalice down. Then Miss Shadow picked up one of the papers. She looked at it and then passed it to Simone.

"Three hundred and four."

Simone nodded and Miss Shadow handed the chalice to Ms. Dream.

Of all the crazy things that I've ever had to do… Ms. Dream thought as she picked up the chalice. It was according to the customs of the world that Merry and Simone had come from. Poison was a regular problem there and no one trusted each other. So before each meal to prove that no one was hiding poison in a false tooth each person would drink from the same cup and then solve a math problem. The poisons on the old world had always attacked the brain first. Ms. Dream had thought the procedure had a lot of holes in it, but Lizzie had shrugged and said 'well that’s the way they do it. It’s a really old tradition.'

"I’m Ms. Dream." Ms. Dream said. She didn’t need a title or a group and she wanted them to know that. Bracing herself Ms. Dream took two gulps and put the chalice down. "Hot chocolate?"

"I've grown fond of it." Simone said. "Wine is traditional but we don't really have the surplus crops with which to make wine yet."

Ms. Dream picked up the paper and looked at the problem.

Oh hell, she thought.

She looked at it for a few minutes and then looked up.

"I really can't solve this." Ms. Dream said. "Math isn't my best subject."

"Either that or Miss Shadow just poisoned you." Merry said starting to rise.

"I did not!" Miss Shadow said.

"We can find out." Merry said and her smile was full of menace.

Simone restrained Merry with a hand on her shoulder and looked steadily at Ms. Dream.

"I know that not everyone on your world is as proficient at math as we were on my world, but that is a simple problem. Miss Shadow had no trouble."

"She's good at math, I'm not." Ms. Dream said. She hadn't felt like this since high school. "I'm sorry but I'm not."

"Then this is over." Simone said coldly. "I will send you all back to where you came from."

"What?" Ms. Dream demanded. "Come on it's just…"

"One of my worlds most treasured traditions." Simone said. "A courtesy from better days that I wanted to give you. I have forgiven all of you many insults because I know you are ignorant of them, but this goes too far. I refuse to loose all of what I was to suit you."

"Isn't there another test?" Lucy asked.

"No." Simone said. "But she may choose another question."

"Ok, we'll try that." Ms. Dream said. She picked up another piece of paper, put it down and then went onto the next one. Each paper had a different math problem and each one was just as puzzling as the one before. Ms. Dream could feel the tension in the room rising and what was worse was that it was coming from Simone. Her own frustration was mounting and so was her fear. There was no way she was going to blow this. She’d never be able to look Serenity in the eye again.

"My lady." Merry said.

Ms. Dream fully expected another explosion from her but Merry stood up and talked to Simone in a whispered tone. After they were done Simone sighed.

"Very well. By the Third Law of Hospitality Ms. Dream you are forgiven for this."

"Ah… thanks." Ms. Dream said passing the chalice to Lucy. She was dying to know why but there was no way she was going to ask.

"My name is Lucy Rothschild." Lucy said and took two gulps. She put the chalice down and picked up one of the papers. "56." She said barely glancing at it.

"Show off." Ms. Dream muttered under her breath.

"I am Lady Serenity Highfield." Serenity said taking hold of the chalice. Ms. Dream saw Merry stiffen but she didn’t make a move. Serenity picked up the paper and looked at it for a moment. "78." She said handing the paper to Simone. Simone took it and nodded.

"I am Simone, Duchess of Dollopolis and the host of this gathering." Simone said standing up. "I drink this as a sign of trust."

She finished the hot chocolate and then she handed the chalice to Jessie who took it out of the room. Lizzie poured soup out of the bowl on her tray into each of their bowls and then placed an apple next to each bowl. Then left the room. Ms. Dream looked at her bowl. It was some sort of vegetable soup.

"It is humble fair I'll admit." Simone said taking the apple in her hand. She popped it into her mouth and swallowed whole. Suddenly Ms. Dream realized that the apples were to scale for Dollopolis. It had been easy to forget that she and everyone else had been reduced to twelve inches tall. It shouldn’t have been since Simone was twice as tall as any of them, but it was. "But these are hard times for us."

"We could help you." Lucy said.

"At what price?" Merry demanded.

"Thank you but we stand or fall on our own." Simone said. "We always have and we always will."

"If you can’t you don’t deserve to." Merry said taking hold of her own bowl.

Simone and Merry both took a sip from their bowls. After a moment Ms. Dream did the same. The soup was thin, it needed salt and maybe a little bit of pepper. Still it was hot and it felt good in her stomach.

They all drank the soup for a few minutes and then Simone leaned back in her chair.

"Now please, tell me why you are here. My best guess is that it has something to do with the dagger."

"The Dagger of Orant." Miss Shadow said. "Do you have it?"

"No we threw it away." Merry said. "Tossed it into the ocean."

"What?" Miss Shadow half rose out of her chair and Merry laughed at her.

"Merry these are our guests." Simone scolded her. "Do not tease them. It is impolite." She looked at Miss Shadow. "We did not throw the dagger away Miss Shadow, but I will have no mystical objects in Dollopolis. It is hidden far away from here. Why I should return it to you I'm not sure."

"The dagger is part of why we are here." Lucy said. "The other part is more complex. We need your help."

"Mrs. Rothschild as Goddess of Justice you are one of this world's most powerful heroines. As Iron Mistress Miss Highfield is the most powerful heroine in England. Miss Shadow is the head of the Legion of Mystics." Simone leaned back in her chair. "Why would you who have so much power need our help with anything?"

Hey, what about me, Ms. Dream thought. She knew she wasn't up there in the power department, but she'd been part of Force Group J and was now second in command of Earth Force. It wasn't like she wasn't anyone important. Ms. Dream tried to burry her resentment and mostly succeeded. But she promised to find out a few things later, if there was a later.

"Circumstances can humble anyone Simone." Lucy said. "And there are times when raw power just isn't enough, or the right tool to use."

Simone nodded.

"True enough."

"To put it simply Simone we need your help to find Verity and Truly Highfield." Lucy said. "We need the dagger to open the portal between worlds and we need Merry's help to find the specific world they are living in."

"Me?" Merry asked.

"You were in that world for a moment." Serenity said. "As you and Truly struggled you passed into it and out of it."

"I guess." Merry said. "I was too busy trying to stay alive to look around much."

Ok Lucy, Ms. Dream thought. This is where things get really hard. She braced herself for an explosion.

"But you were in that world." Lucy said. "If Miss Shadow has the dagger she can stand in the same spot and re-open the portal. The problem then becomes finding that other world. There is only one way for her to do that, she must look into Merry's mind and match what she knows to one of the many worlds in the multiverse."

"You want me to let this bitch into my mind!" Merry shouted springing to her feet. Her chair went flying across the room and the soup in the bowls splashed as she pounded the table. She climbed onto it and knelt, slamming her fist against the top. "Are you nuts! You want me to risk my mind for her brats!"

"Merry sit down." Simone said.

"No one reads my mind!" Merry shouted. "No one! I’ll rip her eyes out and eat them if she tries! I’ll..."

"Merry sit down!" Simone shouted. She stood up and pushed Merry off of the table. Merry landed gracefully, rolled backward and came up in a defensive stance. "Gather your chair and sit down."

"Simone!"

"Calm down!" Simone said sternly.

Ms. Dream found herself wondering if things had finally been pushed too far, if Simone had gone past the point where she could keep Merry under control. Merry's body was actually shaking with rage. Her legs were bent and she looked for all the world like a cat ready to spring. For a long moment they stood there. It was an over-the-top rage and Ms. Dream guessed that it was triggered by some long buried trauma. Simone walked in front of Merry and looked down at her. For a long moment Merry glared at Simone. Then she got her chair and sat down again.

"Mrs. Rothschild I am amazed." Simone said sitting down herself. "You come into my kingdom un-invited and ask me to help someone whom my First Knight wants to kill, and worse you want me to help her find her daughters, who my First Knight wants to torture and kill. And not without good reason. You ask me not only to let her help you but to lay the security of my entire Duchy at the feet of someone whom not long ago tried to murder my First Knight. If I were to look in one of your dictionaries would I find your picture next to the word 'gall'?"

Her tone was calm but Ms. Dream didn't need her telepathic powers to tell how angry the woman was. Her body was tense and her mouth drawn tightly on her face. Merry was breathing hard and her body was shaking. Suddenly Ms. Dream realized why soup was being served. There were no knives or forks handy. Nothing sharp was in reach.

Lucy took a deep breath and stood up on her chair so that she was at the same height as Simone.

"I know that this is a hard request to hear." Lucy said. "It is not an easy one to make. As you pointed out we are powerful in our own right. The problem with power Simone, as I’m sure you understand, is that you get used to getting your own way. Even the best person can succumb to hubris if they are powerful enough. But it is not arrogance or gall that brings us here. It is compassion. I am not saying that Verity or Truly Highfield did not do horrible things; they did. But I’m asking that you hear the full story and then decide."

"The nobility always has a dodge." Merry said.

"A reason Merry." Lucy said firmly. "A reason. "Simone please hear us out, first let Serenity tell her story and then let me make my proposal."

"Simone..." Merry started but Simone interrupted her.

"We will hear them out Merry."

"What?"

"We will hear them out." Simone said. "They are in need enough to ask Ida for help, she would not have agreed if their need wasn't urgent.

Merry folded her arms in front of her chest and glared at them all.

Lucy turned to Serenity.

"Tell them your story."

Lucy sat down and Serenity stood up on her chair. She was outwardly calm but a slight shaking of her hands betrayed her nervousness.

"I became Iron Mistress over twenty years ago. I was a prodigy and my family had been rich for generations. I was in the family library one day and found an old book, this book described experiments by one of my ancestors. He was fascinated with magic, but he was also obsessed with clocks. He created a spell that would make a gear move. I found it worked and soon I was making all sorts of magical clockworks. Then the Varanth invaded the world."

"Varanth?" Simone asked.

"An alien race of slavers." Lucy said. "They attacked in force and it took us a while to defeat them."

"They captured my brother and killed him, then my mother." Serenity said. "I created the Iron Mistress armor to battle them. Once they were defeated I kept on being Iron Mistress. As Lucy will tell you being a heroine means you acquire enemies. Some of them are easily defeated, some never seem to go away."

"That’s what happens when you don’t kill them." Merry said.

"Not everyone's easy to kill." Ms. Dream said. "I’ve had a few that I’ve seen die, but they come back."

"I take it the Arch Duke was that type of villain?" Simone asked.

"Yes." Serenity nodded. "He hated women, and as Iron Mistress I was a symbol. He hated me. It became his lives mission to break me. He captured me, drugged me. Raped me over and over again. At last I became pregnant. For seven months he did his best to break me. He nearly succeeded. But Goddess of Justice and Force Group J found me. We thought he was dead. Killed in the battle. But he wasn’t. Only hours after I delivered he attacked the hospital. He took Truly and opened a portal to another world."

Serenity shook and paused, but then gathered herself and plunged on.

I had a gun pointed at his head, I could have killed him. But in his hand was a deadman switch. If I had killed him the nuclear weapon he planted in London would have gone off. I hesitated. Just long enough. He was notorious for bluffing, but I wasn’t sure. In those few seconds I set the stage for twenty years of torment, not only for me but for my daughters. He escaped, the bomb was a fake. I spent the next twenty years searching for him. I let Verity be raised by nannies and boarding schools."

She looked at Merry.

"If you want to hate someone for what happened to Corrella Merry then hate me. I failed my children."

She sat down. If there was any softening in Merry’s bearing Ms. Dream couldn’t see it.

"And the reason you couldn’t find her was because of Miss Shadow’s treachery." Merry said.

"Not treachery." Miss Shadow snapped. "But I had no choice. I wasn’t even the head of the order when this happened. Serenity was seven years into her search when I learned the truth."

"And you kept it to yourself." Merry said.

"I had to." Miss Shadow said. She said it calmly but Ms. Dream knew that she was feeling guilty. But Miss Shadow did not show her emotions. Her order considered that a sign of weakness. "The Arch Duke had stolen the Dagger and the Seal of Orant. Lord Neron Orant founded the Legion of Mystics, almost all of our mystic might is tied to those talismans. With one spell the Arch Duke could have wiped us out."

"If that is the case than maybe I should keep the dagger." Simone said. "As a protection for the next time you attack us."

"There is another way to prevent that." Lucy said quickly as Miss Shadow’s faced hardened. "And that is the second part of why we are here."

"Then proceed." Simone said.

There were times when Ms. Dream didn’t like having her powers, but there were times when she didn’t have them and desperately missed them. This was one of those times. She couldn’t read either Merry or Simone. There was no way to tell how much Serenity’s tale had moved them.

Showtime Lucy, Ms. Dream thought.

Lucy took a sip from her bowl and then stood up again.

"As I said we would not have come here if the need wasn’t urgent." Lucy said. "Ever since the Arch Duke’s death Serenity has been working hard to re-connect with Verity. It wasn’t easy, there was a lot of anger in Verity. Resentment over not being told the truth, anger over the way she thought her mother had abandoned her, and there was also the spoiled brat persona that she had adopted to get herself through life. But over time she softened and they began to make progress. Then two months ago a portal opened up on the Highfield estate. Truly and a host of demons poured through and took Verity."

At the word ‘demons’ Merry’s stance changed slightly. Ms. Dream saw her eyes narrow for a moment.

"Truly also broke into my lab and stole some of my books." Serenity said. "With them she may be able to recreate some of my designs and construct her own armor."

"We’re afraid that she will put armor on those demons and attack again." Lucy said.

"She doesn’t want to rule the world." Merry said. "She wants her mother to suffer."

"One can lead to the other." Simone said. "Go on Mrs. Rothschild."

"What ever her goals it is a safe guess that they are not benevolent." Lucy said. "And she opened the portal without the Dagger of Orant. We don’t know how."

"You’re afraid of her." Merry said.

"We are afraid of what might happen." Lucy said. "Now I know that you have very little reason to help us and even less to help Serenity and her daughters. But I can give you those reasons. All I ask in return is the dagger and Merry’s co-operation."

"No one reads my mind and lives." Merry said coldly.

"I would only need to see the other dimension." Miss Shadow said. "That’s all."

"And I could be there to make sure." Ms. Dream said.

"Now you want two people in my head?" Merry demanded.

"Tell me what you propose Mrs. Rothschild." Simone said putting a hand on Merry’s shoulder.

"I have the authority of the United Nations to conclude a treaty with Dollopolis." Lucy said. "It will grant you refugee status, prevent Force Group J from taking any action against you and aid you in finding any lost refugees from your world."

She said it simply, and it was simple in a way. But Ms. Dream had been there when Lucy had first thought of the idea. She had seen her friend maneuver through political labyrinths that would have stymied anyone short of a biblical Solomon. But the timing had been perfect. Two months ago the demons had taken Verity Highfield, but one month before that the head of the newly formed World Defense Group had been exposed as an agent of International Crime Enterprises. That event had signaled the beginning of the end for the WDG. Ms. Dream had mixed feelings about that. On the one hand she recognized the need for some sort of global defense now that the Earth Intelligence Agency had been disbanded. The near successful world attack of the Dread Ones had proven that to her and almost everyone else on the planet. But the WDG looked to be picking up where the EIA left off, with black opps and shadowy deals. Plus the WDG was built from pieces of the EIA, some of them completely intact. The independent oversight agency that was promised was a joke.

Ms. Dream still remembered the afternoon that Serenity's desperate call for help had come in. But by the time they got there it was too late. They had sat down in Highfield Mansion and talked it all out. In the end there was no way around it, they needed help from Dollopolis if they were going to help Serenity. But that was nearly impossible.

But then 'nearly impossible' to Lucy Rothschild didn't mean the same thing as 'impossible'. She went to the Law Library at Harvard University, grabbed some professor friends of hers and started work. Four days of non-stop work later she called the President of the United States. Then Lucy, the President, the Secretary General of the United Nations and Captain Pharaoh spoke for ten hours on a conference call.

The result was a multi-layered deal that was still staggering the talking heads on the news channels. The WDG would go on, with a former NATO general at its head. Earth Force, which had refused to deal with the WDG at all would accept a liaison officer and would work with the organization. That had taken some selling on Lucy's part to the rest of Earth Force, but she had done it. Granting refugee status to Dollopolis and telling Captain Pharaoh in strict terms to leave the city and its people alone had been part of the deal.

Then of course all they had to do was figure out how to get to Dollopolis. That had taken Lucy talking her way past two gods.

And now it came down to this. Simone was stunned. Even Merry was surprised. But the surprise didn't last. As Merry saw Simone's face become thoughtful her own became dark.

"You're thinking of this aren't you?" Merry demanded.

"I am." Simone said.

"Simone!" Merry cried. There was anger and pleading in her voice. "My mind Simone. My MIND!"

"Merry leave us for a time." Simone said.

"No one reads my mind and lives." Merry said. "That goes beyond any law."

"Leave us." Simone ordered.

"My MIND!" Merry shouted slamming her fist so hard on the table that Ms. Dream was surprised it didn't break. Ms. Dream looked in amazement as tears started to flow down Merry's face.

"Merry…" Lucy started to talk but Simone stopped her with an upraised hand. She turned to Merry and drew herself up with every bit of regal attitude she possessed.

"Merry. Leave us. I will talk with you soon."

"I'm going to get a drink." Merry angrily wiping her tears away. "From my favorite cup. A long drink. I'm going to drink and I'm going to remember."

She turned and walked out of the room, leaving by the door that wasn't barred.

"Her favorite cup?" Ms. Dream asked.

"That is the closest Merry has come to threatening me for a very long time." Simone said. She took another sip from her soup and for a moment her hands shook but then she held them steady. "I must applaud your tactics Mrs. Rothschild. You hold before me a tempting carrot and you have surrounded it with a plea for sympathy. Four times in the past year a member of Force Group J has come close to Merry while she has searched. It would be easier to search for survivors without being hunted ourselves."

"Four times?" Miss Shadow asked.

"Yes." Simone said.

"What did she mean by that bit about the cup?" Ms. Dream asked.

"Nothing good." Simone said. "But by the same token Mrs. Rothschild how can you possibly ask us to trust Miss Shadow?"

"I can give you my word." Miss Shadow said.

"I know nothing of you that tells me your word is worth anything." Simone replied. "I do know that you and Captain Pharaoh have for some reason elevated myself and my people to a menace to your world. Am I to believe that your suspicion will suddenly vanish?"

"They can suspect, but they will not take any action." Lucy said.

"And I would have your word for that?" Simone asked stressing the word 'your'.

"She's not going to break her word Simone." Ms. Dream said. "She's not going through that hell again."

"I would believe you." Simone said after a long moment's pause. "But Merry would not. Not after she drinks from that cup. I'm just grateful I have no wine in Dollopolis right now. Drunken Merry is more of a threat than you can imagine."

"What is special about the cup?" Serenity asked.

"Very early in her time as an outlaw Merry was captured by the King of the Family Trensia." Simone said sadly. They were a very powerful family, cruel even by the standards of my world. They controlled nearly a quarter of the main continent. Telethapy was common in the family bloodline."

"Oh I don't like where this is going." Ms. Dream said.

"For a year or so they kept Merry prisoner." Simone said. "Tormenting her with their powers. Legend has it that Merry screamed so much that she destroyed her own voice and it had to be specially healed."

"How did she escape?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know." Simone said. "She won't tell me. She'll barely talk about that time of her life at all. But what I do know, and what truly started her career as 'Bloody' Merry is that when she left the capitol city of the Trensia there was nothing left but a deep ash pit roughly three of your miles wide. That was all that was left of a city of two thousand people."

Ms. Dream whistled.

"The Trensia were also capable scientists and I suspect that they were building a new weapon and that, somehow, Merry used it and survived."

"So that is why she does not like telepaths." Lucy said.

"Her experiences have never been good ones." Simone said. "Even here. Both Count Intellect and Duchess Sidonia tried to read her mind. When she first met Timidious after you abducted her up to the Pyramid he tried to read her mind. When she woke after saving you all from Sandy's bomb Ms. Dream was trying to read her mind."

"Oh hell." Ms. Dream swore. "Can't we do anything right with this girl?"

"In my world if a telepath even approached my Duchy…" Simone shook her head. "The things she did to them… Merry's name became a dread phantom to the telepaths of my world."

"And the cup?" Lucy asked.

"Her most prized trophy." Simone said. "A cup carved from the skull of the King of Trensia."

"She drinks from it?" Ms. Dream demanded feeling her stomach jump.

"Gleefully." Simone said sadly.

And I thought I had problems, Ms. Dream thought. She was beginning to suspect that she and Merry could match mental scars all night long.

"I'll talk with her." Simone said standing up. "Lizzie, Jessie." She called. Lizzie and Jessie appeared at the door leading to her apartments. "Entertain my guests while they wait."

"Yes milady." The girls said and headed toward the harp and the piano.

Simone found Merry sitting on the outside of the castle. She was crying.

"A whole city?" Merry laughed a bit through her tears. "Don't you think that was a bit much?"

"It seemed the right number." Simone said. She sat down next to her and Merry put her head onto Simone's lap. Simone put her arm around her.

"That poor woman." Merry said. "I've been raped Simone and the one thing you never let yourself think about is what you'd do if you got pregnant. You never even let the thought pop into you head."

"She's brave." Simone said.

"All of them are." Merry said. "Even Miss Shadow. Goddess there are three women in that room right now more noble than I'll ever be! I should be begging to help them! Instead we have to make them jump through these damn hoops! How did it come to this?"

{It came to this Merry because you were noble enough not to let Goddess of Justice stay in Count Intellect's dungeon.}

{Don't go all heroine worship on us Officer Dolly.}

{We have to admit though that Lucy Rothschild is an amazing woman, with or without her powers.}

{The deal she has laid out is a magnificent achievement.}

"It would be nice not to have Force Group J looking for us." Simone said. "Sooner or later they will find us."

"But if Miss Shadow goes into my mind who knows what she'd see?" Merry asked. "We've got a house of cards here Simone. It's built on lies and if it ever comes down, if Lucy ever learns the truth…"

Merry trailed off and shuddered.

{The question is how much can we trust Ms. Dream?}

{She is powerful enough to keep Merry's mind secure.}

{But what about her own curiosity?}

{We can provide Merry with false memories. Ms. Dream has been traumatized in the past by mind control, we can structure Merry's memories to mirror her greatest fears.}

{We must go further than that.}

{We must convince them that Merry's mental state is too fragile for them to even risk curiosity.}

{Ms. Dream will understand that.}

{We must construct their next meeting in such a way that they are completely understanding and sympathetic to Merry's attitude toward telepaths.}

"But won't that make it even harder to believe when I finally say yes?" Merry asked.

"I suspect that Mrs. Rothschild is already working on a way to get to you to agree." Simone said.

{She is interogating Lizzie and Jessie right now.}

It wasn't the worst music Ms. Dream had ever heard. But it wasn't the best either. Lizzie and Jessie were trying, but what ever they were trying to play was lost in constant mistakes. And they knew it, which made listening all the harder. It was like being at a grade school recital. You knew the kids were lousy but you didn’t dare to say anything.

"Time to pull another rabbit out of the hat Lucy." Ms. Dream whispered to her. "No way in hell Merry says yes."

"What a life she must have led before Simone." Lucy said softly.

"Yea, well that's the problem, we keep finding out what bugs her after the fact." Ms. Dream said.

"She is emotionally unstable." Miss Shadow said. "Barely sane in my opinion."

"But without her we don't have a chance." Serenity said. "Isn't there anyway to reach her?"

"We can't keep working in the dark like this." Lucy said. "We need more information about this place and Merry." She climbed down off of her chair and went over to where Jessie was sitting at the piano.

Jessie looked up.

"Have you been playing long?" Lucy asked casually sitting down next to her.

"A few months." Jessie said. "We went to sleep one night and when we woke up, we just knew how to play."

"Just not too well." Lizzie said. "Simone says we just need practice."

"Well there is that." Lucy said. She took Jessie's hands and rested them on the keys. "But what you really need to do is let the music flow from you. Try not to be so stiff."

Jessie tried again. Ms. Dream didn't notice any real difference but Lucy smiled.

"That's right." She started to play. "Tell me girls, do you think Merry will let her mind be read?"

"No way." Lizzie said.

"Uh-uh." Jessie said.

"She's very angry all the time isn't she?" Lucy asked.

"Not all the time." Jessie said.

Lucy shrugged.

"Really no." Lizzie said. "She smiled when she found out that Roxanna and Corrella were alive."

"Smiled?" Lucy repeated in a surprised tone of voice.

"Yea." Jessie said. "Back on their world Corrella and Roxanna were two of Simone's favorites. They'd sing and dance… Merry loves to dance."

"I find that hard to believe." Lucy said.

"She says that dancing and fighting are the same." Lizzie said. "Just with less blood."

"Who would teach her to dance?" Lucy asked.

"Simone." Lizzie and Jessie said together.

"She's teaching us." Lizzie said.

"I find it hard to believe that Merry is ever anything but angry." Lucy said. "But then again she did risk her life to save Prudence and I."

"Family." Jessie said. "Prudence is sort of her sister I guess."

"Really?" Lucy asked.

"If you go by the Laws of Family." Jessie said.

"Family's everything here." Lizzie added.

"They even got a big book of Laws of Family." Jessie said.

"That's interesting." Lucy said casually. Tell me what kind of dances is Simone teaching you?"

"She really doesn't give up does she?" Simone asked as they listened to Lucy's questions. They were skillful but subtle.

"Never has, never will." Merry said with her voice full of admiration. "Sometimes I'm amazed how many times she's been caught by supervillains."

"Laws of Family." Simone shaking. "Another chapter to write in the book. We'll never be done with it."

"Can she find a loophole?" Merry asked.

{She already has.}

{One that we provided.}

{But one that Merry can deny at first.}

{And be talked into later for a price.}

"A price?" Merry asked.

{One that is both plausible and rewarding to us.}

{First we must continue to the extreme Merry's wild behavior.}

{And we must showcase it in a way that will throw them all off balance even more than they are.}

{It would be best Simone if you walked in on Lucy's little question and answer period. Be angry about it.}

"And you really have to…" Lizzie trailed off and everyone looked at Simone standing in the doorway. There was no way to tell how long she had been standing there. There was also no way to mistake the look on her face as anything but anger.

"I said entertain them girls." Simone said walking over to the piano. Her voice was hard and angry. "I don't remember giving you permission to tell them about any law but the Laws of Hospitality. Certainly not all of the laws."

"We're sorry milady." Jessie said quickly.

"We were playing and…" Lizzie started.

"Enough!" Simone snapped. "Leave and await me at the Place of Punishment."

"Yes milady." Jessie and Lizzie said. Their faces full of fear the girls hurried to the door.

"Ever questioning, ever probing Mrs. Rothschild." Simone said. She reached down and pushed the piano away. "And did you find what you wanted while you were playing with those foolish girls? Did you give a thought to their feelings? How they will feel when I tell them that your only motive in talking to them was to question them!"

Is there anybody in this place we can't get mad at us, Ms. Dream wondered.

"That was not my only motive." Lucy said standing up. If she was trying to match Simone in stature Lucy failed. Simone was still standing at twenty-four inches and Lucy at twelve.

"You know how Lizzie and Jessie were brought into Dollopolis." Simone said looking down at her. "Don't you realize how tenuous their relationship is with Merry? How she'll react when she finds out that they might have given you information that can be used against her?"

"I needed to know your laws." Lucy said. "Simone that wasn't the only reason. I'm naturally curious about other cultures. That is part of the reason I became Goddess of Justice. I was exploring an old tomb and stumbled onto a hidden chamber. I have an insatiable curiosity about other cultures, and I will not apologize for it."

"In my world the laws of each land were kept in secret because of the many inconsistencies within them." Simone said. "Visitors could take advantage of those inconsistencies. The girls know this, but they are un-sophisticated. You took advantage of two naïve girls. Girls that I must now punish."

"You don't have to." Lucy said. "According to the Laws of Hospitality…"

"Do not lecture me on my own laws!" Simone shouted grabbing Lucy by the throat and lifting her off of the floor. Ms. Dream started to move but Lucy motioned her back. "We are not children here Mrs. Rothschild! I came from a world where the games you seek to play were considered childish!"

"Simone let here go!" Ms. Dream shouted. "Remember, your old world blew up, that's nothing to brag about."

Simone let go and turned away. Ms. Dream, Miss Shadow and Serenity hadn't moved. For a moment Simone's body shuddered, but she got herself back under control.

"Yes it did." She said turning around. Her face was calm and there was little sign of the anger that had been there moments before. "I apologize Mrs. Rothschild. A short temper is common amongst my people and dealing with Merry was trying."

"Quite all right." Lucy said getting to her feet.

"I did talk to Merry." Simone said walking back to her chair. "I made no progress. I would accept your deal Mrs. Rothschild, but I can not order Merry to let you look into her mind. That is the one order I would give her that she would not obey."

"Let us talk to her." Lucy said. "I have an idea."

"A trick gleaned from your talk with Lizzie and Jessie?" Simone asked crossly.

"Yes." Lucy said.

Simone took a deep breath and stood up.

"So be it, I can not take back their words. But first you will have to find her. Merry ran into the woods on the right side of Dollopolis. Lucy you, Ms. Dream and Serenity may talk to her. Miss Shadow you shall stay in this room. You are the person here that Merry would most like to kill and I will not take that chance."

Simone stood up and swept out of the room without another word.

This ain’t gonna work, Ms. Dream thought as they walked through the empty paths of Dollopolis. It was an eerie feeling to walk past so many empty houses, and it was even more peculiar when they walked past the houses and saw that only the front half of them had been built. How could anyone live like that? The only completely shielded parts of the houses were the bathrooms.

"It will work Ms. Dream." Lucy said as she walked ahead of her. Lucy could always tell what Ms. Dream was thinking. "Beneath Merry’s anger and pain is a noble soul."

"Yea right." Ms. Dream muttered. "Two problems Lucy, we gotta find her and we gotta hope that she listens to us."

"We’ll find her." Lucy said. "In a place this small she can’t hide from us forever."

"She’s always..." Ms. Dream stopped talking. She had glanced back to where Serenity was and suddenly she wasn’t there. "Lucy!"

"Where is she?" Lucy asked turning.

"If I knew you think I’d have this tone in my voice?" Ms. Dream demanded.

They went back the way that they had come. In front of a house with a white picket fence Lucy bent down and picked something up. It was the necklace that Lizzie had given to Serenity.

They heard screaming and both took off in that direction.

The fight was nearly over by the time Ms. Dream and Lucy reached the beach. A half conscious Serenity was struggling weakly as Merry held her under the water. Ms. Dream and Lucy acted without the need for words between them. They raced down the beach and dove into Merry. Merry didn’t realize that they were close to her until they attacked. The impact carried the three of them further into the water.

Ms. Dream concentrated on keeping Merry at bay while Lucy dragged Serenity out of the water. It wasn’t easy. They both stood waste deep in the icy cold water. Strength to strength Merry had a bit of an edge on her. But fury was driving her. Ms. Dream could see the anger in Merry’s eyes and when she got close enough she could smell something on her breath. Whisky? Merry was drunk! Hopefully that made her fighting sloppy. Ms. Dream landed several hard blows on Merry’s face and stomach. It didn’t seem to bother her much. Merry suddenly dove and Ms. Dream found her legs pulled out from under her. She was pulled under the chilling water. Her robe was soaked through and it slowed her down. Merry took advantage of that and twisted her ankle, pulling Ms. Dream deeper into the water.

Merry's face under water was a distorted mask of rage. Her dress was plastered to her skin making her look like some sort of half-dead zombie. Ms. Dream kicked at her and broke away but Merry was after her again. Suddenly she was pulled back as Lucy grabbed her from behind. Merry turned her attention to Lucy, grabbing for her throat. Ms. Dream tried to grab Merry's legs and got kicked in the stomach.

She was pushed back from the blow and Merry grabbed Lucy around the waist and pulled them both further under the water. Lucy fought back but Merry's grip was firm. Ms. Dream swam toward them but at the last minute Merry saw her coming. She pulled her legs up and pinned them around Ms. Dream's stomach. With a firm grip on both her foes Merry started to twist and wrench them back and forth.

Either she didn't need to breathe as often as a normal human or Merry had taken one hell of a deep breath. Ms. Dream could feel her lungs burning and Lucy was having the same problem. Would Merry actually kill them? Her face held a look beyond its normal anger.

The fight was suddenly over as a giant hand reached into the water and took hold of them all. Merry was pulled away first from Lucy and then from Ms. Dream and kept in a separate hand from them. When they broke the surface Ms. Dream saw that Simone had grown to her full size and was reaching in from the outside of Dollopolis. The feeling of helplessness as the giant hand lifted her and Lucy out of the water was stunning. Simone's face loomed large and stern as she placed Ms. Dream and Lucy onto the beach beside an un-conscious Serenity. In her other hand Merry cursed and pounded in a vain effort to free herself.

Simone let them recover for a few minutes and then she placed a small plastic container in front of Lucy.

"Can you identify what was in this Mrs. Rothschild?"

Lucy picked up the container and sniffed.

"Whiskey." She said handing it to Ms. Dream. Ms. Dream sniffed and nodded.

"Oh yea." Ms. Dream agreed. "Good stuff."

"I was afraid of that." Simone said. "Merry will only drink blood or some type of intoxicant from that skull. She must have found some on one of her missions."

Turning Merry upside down Simone dunked her into the water. She held Merry by her legs as the water was turned into a frothing storm by Merry's efforts to free herself. After a few minutes Simone pulled Merry out. She allowed the drunken shrunken woman a few breaths and then dunked her again. Simone did this for a few more minutes until Merry's struggles slowed. Then she pulled a gasping and choking Merry out of the water. Holding her firmly by the legs Simone kept Merry upside down and peeled the dress off of her body. Merry struggled a little bit but her strength was slow to return.

"It's hard enough to get you to wear formal dresses." Simone said. "Must you always ruin them?"

Merry choked out a reply that was still filled with anger. Simone placed her face down on the sand and kept a firm grip on the lower part of her legs. Then she began to spank her

Merry was like a wild animal caught in a trap. She raged and fumed pounding and digging her hands into the sand. She twisted and wrenched her body desperately from side to side. But there was no escape. Simone held her firmly and used her fingers and her palm. Ms. Dream and Lucy watched as Merry's anger was literally beaten out of her. Her rage was slowly replaced by hopelessness and then despair until at last her only response to the spanking was to bury her head in her arms and cry. After a while she lay still but sobbed silently.

Simone lifted her up and placed Merry into the palm of her right hand.

"Even you First Knight can not break the Laws of Hospitality or attack someone who wears my personal totem of protection. Do you understand?"

Merry turned away but Simone took hold of her head with her finger and thumb and turned it so that they were facing each other.

"Do you understand me?" Simone asked firmly.

"Yes." Merry's voice was almost a whisper as she choked back another sob.

Simone used her finger to gently push Merry's hair away from her face.

"I want your personal oath Merry that you will listen to them now. That you will not attack them no matter what the provocation. That you will speak to them honestly with no reservations and answer all of their questions."

Merry sat down and hugged her knees to her legs. She muttered something that Ms. Dream couldn't hear.

"Yes I know. But I do trust them. And by your actions the choice is no longer yours. The oath Merry."

Merry stood up and Simone moved her hand close to her chest. Then she reached over and pulled her dress away from the top half of her breast. Merry pressed the palm of her hand against Simone's breast.

"I swear I will follow your orders." Merry said. "I swear it with my life, my heart, my blood and my honor. I swear it of my own free will and in front of witnesses."

Simone looked at the gray sky and it became a bright blue again. Then she placed Merry gently into the water.

"I will give you until sundown Mrs. Rothschild. If you have not convinced Merry by then we shall have no deal. Four and one half hours should be enough time."

Without another word she turned and walked away. Ms. Dream tried to watch her but Simone seemed to vanish as she stepped away from the city. Ms. Dream was sure that she saw a tear on Simone's face just before she vanished.

"What now?" Ms. Dream asked softly as Merry started to swim back and forth.

"We wait." Lucy said drawing her wet robe around her body. Ms. Dream did the same. It didn't help modesty at all, the fabric turned transparent when wet. "Let the emotions cool."

"We only got four hours ya' know." Ms. Dream said. She went over and looked at Serenity. There was a nasty bruise on her jaw and stomach and claw marks on her throat. Drunken attacks were always the most angry. Very few superheroes drank; the risk was too great. What ever torture Merry had gone through at the hands of the Trensia had pushed her over an edge and into very dangerous mental territory.

Ms. Dream had gone through mental torture in her life. It was something altogether different from physical torture. She'd always had friends around to help her afterwards.

But you didn't, Ms. Dream said turning back to watch as Merry climbed out of the water. Merry's nude body shined in the sun. Ms. Dream blinked and realized that Merry was suddenly half of her size. Simone must have shrunk her. Merry walked over to Lucy and her face was near stone as she sat down in front of her. Merry drew her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs tightly with her arms.

"Hope you enjoyed that." Merry said. "It's been a long time since Simone's done that to me. I haven't had a drink out of that cup in years."

"We didn’t enjoy it." Lucy said. She sat with her legs to one side and leaned on one hand. Ms. Dream came over and sat with her legs crossed.

"Well you've got me now Lucy." Merry said. Her voice was hard and angry, but there was a desperate tone to it. "By the oath Simone ordered me to swear I can't say no to any question and I can't lie. I can't do anything." She lay back on the sand and spread her legs. "So do it now. Take me. You won, I'm helpless."

Lucy stood up and took Merry's arm, pulling her back up.

"Why do you insist on treating me as an enemy?" Lucy asked holding onto her wrist.

"Because every time you show up I get hurt." Merry said jerking her wrist free. She pulled her knees up to her chest again. "You might never mean it but it happens."

"She's got a point." Ms. Dream said as Lucy sat down. "My turn. What's the Third Law of Hospitality?"

"Pity for the weak minded." Merry said smiling at the look on her face. She went on more seriously. "Back in our world if a person had been broken by torture they got a pass on the tests. You call it compassion. It was the rarest law on the books for us. For us if your broke under torture you died. But I knew what you went through with Lady Goth, the only thing I had to do was speak for you."

"Thanks." Ms. Dream said.

"Why do you have compassion for Ms. Dream and not for Serenity and her daughters?" Lucy asked.

"She's a victim." Merry said. "They're nobles!" She spat the word and her hands clenched into fists. For a moment she pressed her forehead against her knees. When Merry looked up again her face had twisted into a grimace. "All the same, prey on the weak but scream about how bad their lives are!"

"Simone is a noble." Lucy pointed out.

"She's different!" Merry shouted. "She's…"

"She's never done anything you did not like?" Lucy asked. "Never acted cruelly toward one who didn’t deserve it? Never miss-used her powers?"

"Shut up!" Merry screamed.

"If you judge anybody's life by one act Merry you judge them poorly." Lucy said calmly. Ms. Dream was glad of Merry's oath; it looked to be the only thing holding her back. "Serenity has had more pain in her life than many, can you deny that?"

"No." Merry said. "But you tell me what kinda pain Verity went through that gave her the right to treat Roxanna like a rat in a maze."

"None." Lucy said.

"Then why are we still talking?" Merry demanded. She stood up and started to pace.

"Because you haven't told me the truth." Lucy said. "Why are you afraid to let Miss Shadow read your mind?"

"If this is a trick Miss Shadow and Force Group J will take this place apart and Simone will be their slave." Merry said. "Our tech will be their tech."

"They wouldn’t do that." Ms. Dream said.

"They've done worse!" Merry shouted. She sat down and again hugged her legs. "I saw the EIA vidoes! I saw what they made some of those heroes do!"

"That was then." Lucy said calmly. The EIA no longer exist."

"It's got a different name that’s all." Merry insisted.

"No." Lucy said. "It is a different group now, one that follows the rules."

"Don't you understand this is all I got left!" Merry screamed at them. "Simone is all I've got left! If I make a mistake I loose it all! I'm barely able to protect her now. I step out of Dollopolis and I'm nothing! I can't compete with you people!"

"Can't compete?" Ms. Dream laughed. She held up her hand and counted on her fingers, extending a digit with each victim. "Count Intellect, Duchess Sidonia, the Arch Duke, Lady Goth, Hellspite! Can't compete? Hell you do better than any of us!"

"I got lucky." Merry said. "No one stays lucky for ever. If they came here with all their powers how long would I last?"

"Do you really think we'd allow anyone to attack you?" Lucy said.

"Yes." Merry said coldly. "You're pledged to protect your world Lucy, Dollopolis would be second on the list. Our only real protection is secrecy."

"Merry do you believe that I love my daughters?" Lucy asked.

"What?" Merry asked puzzled at the question. "Sure."

"Do you think I'd let anything threaten them without fighting it?"

"No." Merry answered still puzzled.

"Merry you are my daughter." Lucy said. "Do you think I would let anything happen to you and the city you protect without trying to stop it?"

Merry unfolded her legs and leaned back, supporting herself with her hands. She looked at Lucy in complete amazement. She shook her head. Looked at Lucy and shook it again.

"Ok, did I miss something?" Merry asked at last.

"When you were in my house, near death the only nourishment you could get was from me." Lucy said. "My breast milk, from my breasts. I nursed you Merry. Under the Laws of Family of Dollopolis that makes you my daughter."

"Laws of Family?" Merry stumbled to her feet, took two steps back and stumbled onto the sand. "How could you know…" Ms. Dream saw an incredible number of expressions cross her face until anger filled it. Merry turned away from them and stared across the way to the other side of Dollopolis.

"LIZZIE! JESSIE!" Merry shouted and the volume level from her tiny body was incredible. "You better stay hid!" She spun back to Lucy and Ms. Dream and her body was so tense Ms. Dream thought Merry's own muscles might break her bones. Ms. Dream was sure that if it had not been for the oath Merry would have attacked them again.

"My mother died." Merry said. "I saw her… She died!"

"She did." Lucy answered calmly. "She died, you nursed at my breasts. I am now your mother, Prudence your sister. As such I will protect you as I protect her, and by extension your city."

Merry sank to her knees and looked down at the sand. She dug her hands into it, clenching them into fists.

"Do you know what they did to me?" She asked and her voice was a whisper. "Did Simone tell you?"

"You were tortured." Lucy said.

"Tortured." Merry laughed and turned away from them. When she talked again her voice was soft and full of pain. "I was a worm. For a month. I crawled through the royal gardens and ate dirt. Another time they told me I was on fire. For days… or weeks I'm not sure… they kept that up. I was on fire all that time, burning to death day after day after day. They wouldn't let me sleep. Physical torture for me would have been paradise."

"They are long since dead." Lucy said softly.

"I know." Merry said. "I found their weakness and I killed them." She turned back to them. "Everyone has a weakness. Telepathic attack is mine. Simone's worked on my head so I'm able to resist, but she couldn’t take away the pain. That's how I knew Timidious was trying to read my mind, that's how I knew Ms. Dream was trying to read my mind. It hurts. Take away everything else Lucy and it still hurts. It's like a drill biting into my skull. You can't give me a reason to go through that pain again, not for people I should be torturing."

They'd reached a dead end and Ms. Dream could tell that even Lucy knew it. She'd been ready for all of Merry's arguments but that one.

"I can give you a reason." Serenity said. She was sitting up and Ms. Dream wondered how much of the conversation Serenity had heard. "I can give you a trade that will make your Duchy safer."

"What?" Merry asked.

"My armor." Serenity said simply. "I will give you its secrets. That armor makes me one of the most powerful heroines in England. Is that price enough for your pain?"

"I… I…" Merry stuttered taken completely off guard by the offer. "The armor… It's… I mean…"

"It’s a fair offer." Lucy said. "Her armor, my protection as your mother, our combined word of honor, isn't that enough for you Merry?"

A tear flowed down Merry's face and she wiped it away. Then she walked a few steps closer to Lucy and put her hand just above Lucy's breast. Over the heart Ms. Dream suddenly realized.

"I agree to this deal." Merry said. "I pledge this with my heart, my blood, my honor and I pledge it of my own free will in front of witnesses." She paused and this time her voice choked as she went on. "And I pledge it in the presence of my mother."

Before any of them could do anything else Merry ran off into the woods crying.

At the furthest edge of the right side of the U shaped platform that Dollopolis sat on was a tall mountain and on top of it was a small pond. Merry had found it first and discovered that it was a perfect spot. The crater shaped pond had only one way in, a small path from the ridge line that bordered the city. The path opened up to a round flat ledge that ran around the pond. The water was about two feet deep and warmer than most of the waters in the shrunken city. Floating in the water, surounded by red lava rock and with the sky above her Merry had discovered that she could fool herself. For a few moments at a time she could forget that she was a shrunken woman. That she wasn't a servant of The Group. There were times she desperately needed that. Times when all of the lies seemed like a weight crushing her. Her tears mixed freely with the water.

"Are you all right?" Simone asked. She was standing on the outside looking in. Merry looked up and saw that the ridge line came up to her chest. "The spanking was too harsh wasn't it?"

Merry laughed.

"No it wasn't." Merry said. She switched from floating to treading water. "I deserved more, more than you can dish out. Goddess Simone look what I just put them through!"

"What we've put them through." Simone corrected her. "And they started it."

"No they didn't." Merry said. "I started it with one lie. One damn lie! Now look at me!"

"You saved her live, you saved her daughters life, you saved them all." Simone said. "That evens things out don't you think?"

Merry didn't answer but she could still feel the tears running down her face. Simone reached in and pulled her out of the water. Cupping her against her chest Simone turned and walked away from the platform. Merry felt herself grow back to 12 inches tall. Merry shut her eyes tightly. She had never seen Dollopolis from the outside and she never wanted to. She kept her eyes shut as Simone entered a small elevator and Merry felt them ascend. After a few minutes the familiar scents of Simone's bedroom reached her and Merry opened her eyes. Simone placed her onto the bed.

"You are not a devil Merry." Simone said. "What you've done for Lucy and her friends more than makes up for the lies you tell them."

"She wants to be my mother now!" Merry said. "I mean… Goddess Simone!"

"That surprised me too." Simone said. She reached over and started to stroke Merry's legs with her finger. "When this woman is set upon a goal there isn't much she won't do."

Merry didn't answer but she felt her body relax as Simone's fingers moved along it. Simone knew her body, knew it better than anyone ever had. She used her fingers to softly pinch and rub Merry's legs and then stroked her sides. Merry took a deep breath and relaxed as Simone's fingers roamed over her stomach.

"She feels sorry for me." Merry said.

"You and Lucy are very much alike." Simone said.

"She doesn't lie." Merry protested weakly. Her breathing was getting deeper as Simone's finger pressed between her breasts.

"She has a goddess behind her." Simone said. "We don't."

Merry moaned as Simone parted her legs and pressed against her pussy. It was at times like these that Merry realized just how much she needed the other woman. She needed Simone to be there, to tell her that everything was ok; to help her live with the lies. Simone's fingers moved along Merry's body teasing every bit of pleasure out of her. The pleasure swamped her feelings of guilt, drowning them. Merry gave herself completely to the giant woman, wishing that she could give more and more.

"It's all about masks Merry." Simone said. "There's not a superhero in the world that doesn't wear one type of mask or another. They all have hidden secrets. You're secret is just different from theirs."

Merry arched her back and sighed as Simone's massage continued.

"But what they had to do just now…" Merry said. "Lucy saying she's my mother of all things…"

"In her mind she's everyone's mother." Simone said. "You've seen her, she enjoys being in charge. She enjoys the challenge. You just gave her a great day. She won."

There was a little part of Merry trying to tell her that it wasn't true, that Simone was lying. Merry didn't listen to that part of her. She never did when Simone talked to her like this and Merry knew that she never would. She listened to her body and cried out in pleasure as Simone pressed her little finger between Merry's legs, pressing in far enough to find Merry's center and stroke it. Merry cried out and that cry was so loud her conscience couldn’t be heard.

Simone watched Merry climax and took a deep breath. She could never do this to Merry without being turned on herself. Simone wanted nothing more than to join Merry in the bed and loose herself in that great strong body. But there wasn't time. Besides it wasn't all about sex for Merry. Merry needed to give herself, to surrender herself to a higher (or taller Simone thought smiling at the notion) authority. Simone had no problem lying to the heroines. For a better world she'd do what she had to do. But Merry would always have trouble with it. Poor foolish, honest Merry who still liked to believe that childish rules of conduct could work in a giant world.

Simone pulled a sheet over Merry's small body and then pressed her index finger against Merry's forehead.

"Get some rest." Simone said. It was a trick that Delilah had told her about. Merry sighed and her eyes closed. When she woke up Simone knew that Merry would be ready. They would take her and change her, prepare Merry for what was coming. It should be a simple thing, just a brief glance into Merry's mind.

'Nothings ever simple', Simone heard Merry's voice even though she was alseep.

She turned and walked toward the other elevator, the one that would take her into Dollopolis at twenty four inches tall. Merry could sleep, but Simone had to finish up the details of the deal. She had to lock down the time, place to meet and there was some more play-acting to do with Jessie and Lizzie at the stocks. Simone had no doubt that Lucy and her friends were heading there already. Lucy was probably readying arguments to spare Lizzie and Jessie from their punishment. But the hard part was over.

"Sleep well love." Simone whispered. "I'll take care of the rest of it."

… To be continued.

PREVIOUS CHAPTER  SCARLET'S SANCTUM MAIN PAGE   SKYTOWER'S MAIN PAGE NEXT CHAPTER