Queen of Jaguars

The jungle was eerily quiet. Standing like a ghost among the jungle terrain was a tall woman with midnight black hair and silver eyes. Beside her padded three jaguars, two spotted, and one black. She smiled as she reached down to pet the black jaguar and suddenly a collar appeared around the jaguar. You belong to me now, she whispered, then laughed in a hauntingly triumphant tone.

Jim Ellison awoke suddenly from his dream and reached out with his hearing searching for the familiar heartbeat of his Guide. The heartbeat was regular and Jim could hear his friend snoring softly. He sighed grateful that his Guide, friend and partner was safe. The dream which he couldn't recall the contents of had left him with a decidedly frightened feeling and as always his first thought that Blair "trouble magnet" was again in his usual situation. Wishing he could remember the dream, Jim layed his head back onto his pillow and allowed the steady beat of Blair's heart to lull him back into sleep.

* * * *

"Oh, wow!" Sandburg exclaimed as he watched Moira McPherson pull out a golden statue of a jaguar complete with a collar of pure jade. "Man, is that so cool!"

"I thought you would like it, Blair. You would not believe the artifacts we found at the Temple. Nearly everything found at that Temple had something to do with jaguars. We thought to call it the Temple of the Jaguars until we found this." She pulled out some photos, and sketches from another box and handed them to Blair.

" What is this?" Blair asked as he sat down in his chair in his office.

"It's sketches and photos of the wall of the hallway that led to a secret chamber. It tells the story of the Temple and why it was built and for whom. According to the glyphs a woman, who I guess you could consider a goddess since she was supposedly the daughter of the Earth and a jaguar, was immortal, obviously, and had the power to control jaguars. Now this is the part were I thought you would be interested. Apparently, she could not decide among her many suitors even though her mother wanted her to mate and have children. So she transformed a jaguar into a human. Apparently this man/jaguar kept some of his jaguar instincts and abilities. According to the legend, Tehoxtylx, became the first Sentinel." She explained smiling as that last word was absorbed by her old friend.

"Are you sure?" He said trying hard to contain the excitement in his voice.

"Completely sure. She, and I believe her name was Nerasotxl, liked her Sentinel so much that she transformed other jaguars, male and female. She then, and this part is sketchy, used her powers to somehow connect these Sentinels to particular humans who had latent empathic abilities. They were supposed to be Guides who helped the Sentinels and guarded their backs. She made the bond so that the Sentinel would be sorta programmed to protect and to obey his Guide. Its a nice story, but it gets bloody toward the end. Apparently a Sentinel was murdered by a tribe as part of a sacrifice they felt would appease their gods. Only it made Nerasotxl really pissed, and she called all her Sentinels to her, transformed them back into jaguars and kept all Sentinels from the tribes as punishment for twenty years. She relented only after the tribes begged her, and gave her offerrings. Also it seemed the Guides went with the Sentinels to her call. She allowed them to stay since she had helped create them in the first place."

"Man, that is some legend. I have never come across that story in any of the monograms I studied about Sentinels. With your permission, I'd like to use the information for my dissertation."

"Of course, Blair! That's why I came to you with these findings. My partners are finishing up, and will be sending the rest of the artifacts here. Within a few weeks we should have the exhibit all set up and ready for public viewing."

"Sounds great! I can't wait to see the rest of these artifacts. Any chance I can get copies of those photographs?" Blair asked his bright blue eyes practically begging.

Moira laughed and handed over the pictures, "Here, these are the copies Blair. "

"You know me to well." Blair laughed as he took the pictures and gave Moira a kiss.

When Blair had brought the pictures back to the loft and showed them to his Sentinel explaining the legend, he was hoping for a better response than what he got. Man this silence is unnerving, he thought as he watched Jim stare blankly into space after hearing the story. Man, I hope he hasn't zoned!.

"Hey, Jim, man. Are you zoned, wake up!"

"Its alright, Chief, "He growled. "I didn't zone."

"So if you didn't zone, what's with you."

"I can't get over that legend. What if its true?"

Sandburg nearly laughed out loud, but he didn't."Man, is that all. Oh come on, Jim, normally stuff like this you almost as bad as Simon. You don't believe in it, or you don't want to. Why for even a second would you believe this story is true. Its just a legend that a primitive people used to explain the unexplainable."

"Does that mean my spirit guide doesn't exist, or that Molly wasn't real. Does that mean that I'm insane cause I believe they exists."

"If I'd known you were going to react this way, I wouldn't have told you the story. Jeez, Jim get a grip. chill. Yeah, Molly was real, spirit guides are real....but this story is just a legend. You are not some jaguar that just happened to born in a human body, okay." Sandburg said forcefully trying his best to convince his Sentinel the truth behind his words.

"Alright, Chief, I'll "chill". I'm going to bed, try and be quiet."

Sandburg opened his eyes and tried to figure out what it was that woke him. He looked around and realized he had fallen asleep on the couch. He looked over and saw his labtop was on with its screensaver of Marvin the Martian going. He turned it off, and heard Marvin's little voice say "Where's the kaboom, there was supposed to be an earth shattering kaboom." A noise made him turn his head, and he saw Jim coming down the stairs fully dressed in a pair of light blue Tommy Hilfiger jeans, and a black sweater.

"Hey, Jim where are you going?" Sandburg asked as he yawned and sat up on the couch.

He realized Jim hadn't answered him. "Hey, man whats up?"

"Gotta go, must go," Jim mumbled as he put his long black trenchcoat on and picked up the keys to his truck from the basket. Blair got up quick and started putting his boots on. Quickly he followed his wayward Sentinel out the door and down to the truck. Sandburg had paused long enough to lock the door since Jim had forgotten to. Strangely, Jim waited for Sandburg to get in the truck and put his seatbelt on before he drove off. Okay,He thought, this is getting too weird. Is he sleepwalking...ere...driving. Where the hell are we going?

They ended up at the Cascade Zoo. Jim had turned off his headlights as they came closer and had used his enhanced sight to continue driving. He stopped the truck and turned it off in the empty parking lot.

"We're here, Chief." Jim announced softly.

"Why are we here?" Blair asked.

Jim shrugged, "She told me to come. She said I could bring you if you wanted to come." With that cryptic response he stepped out of the truck and walked over to the gates. Blair followed him still confused. At the gates, Blair could make out a figure of a woman.

This must be that mysterious her, he thought.

The woman waiting at the gates was dark of hair, with eyes so blue they were silver, even more so than Jim's. She smiled at Sandburg.

"So, young Guide, you followed your Sentinel after all." She said in a tone like a purr.

Blair's heart freezed in his chest, "Hhhhow." Blair tried to get out through a tight throat.

"Do not fear me young Guide. Of course I know of Sentinels, how could I not recognize one of mine." She said as she reached out and stroked the side of Jim's head in a petting motion. Jim seemed to lean into her touch, his eyes closed in contentment.

"What do mean one of yours?" then it hit him like a ton of bricks, "Oh my god, your her, your Nerasotxl. How, I don't understand?"

"When your friend, Moira found my temple, she woke me from my two thousand year sleep. I agreed to allow her to take my possessions after she explained what she wanted with them. It was Moira who helped me get here to this Great City. Once here, I knew that a Sentinel along with his Guide guarded it. Therefore I called my Sentinel here to help me." She had been petting Jim the entire time, but now she took her hand away and turned toward the gate. Jim stepped forward and used a small penknife to pick the lock on the gate. Together they went inside the zoo.

"Man, I can't believe some security guard hasn't found us yet, "Blair said after they had gotten halfway into the zoo. The animals had been strangely quiet, which unnerved the young Guide no end.

"The humans here are asleep. My powers are limited on earth, but I can still do that much." Nera said.

"Oh" Was Sandburg's only response.

They came to the big cats exhibit and found what they were looking for. Three golden spotted jaguars stood waiting for them in their large cage.

"Oh man, " Sandburg groaned.

Sandburg waited by the truck as Jim pulled the tailgate down in the back. The three jaguars, two female and one male leaped into the back and layed down calmly. Jim replaced the tailgate up, and went over to the passenger side of the truck were Nerasotxl waited. Blair watched as Nera reached out and petted Jim's head again, only this time she seemed to concentrate. Blair felt some strange energy that made the hair on his arms stand on end, then nearly died of fright as he watched his friend and sentinel shapeshift before his eyes into a large black male jaguar.

*Calm down, Sandburg. I'm fine*,Blair heard Jim's voice inside his head and looked at the black jaguar who turned its own green gold eyes on him.

"Jim? Oh, man, this is like soooo not cool." Blair was becoming extremely agitated.

Nera smiled at him. She motioned with her hand, and Jim leaped into the back of the truck with the other jaguars. "Get in the truck, Blair. The sleep spell will being wearing of soom, we must be gone from here." "Where to?" Blair said as he got into the driver's seat.

"Into the woods, I think. We must give Jim time to learn his new body and to bond with the others."

"Is he going to stay like that, permantly?" Blair asked.

"No, it is too inconvenient, but he needed to be transformed so that he could learn the other aspects of being a sentinel. He should now be able to not only mindspeak with you but any other sentinel, including those born in their natural form." Nera explained as Sandburg started the truck and drove away from the zoo, and further away from Cascade.

"Okay, I understand, I think." Blair said trying to calm down, only it wasn't working.

They made it to the Cascade forest, and Blair stopped the truck. Jim and the others leaped out of the back and ran of into the woods.

"Don't worry. They are just going hunting. They will teach Jim how to move in his body, and he will teach them to think. Now I will tell you want you want to know."

Blair kept the truck on with the heater going as he listened to Nerasotxl.

"When I first awakened, I could not understand those around me, but luckily, Moira is a budding Guide. I could read her thoughts and use them to learn this new language. Eventually, I called to Moira. She was very excited when I told her everything, and even demonstrated my ability. She explained to me what archeologists, and anthropologists do. She even told me about you Blair, and your search for a Sentinel. I was intrigued by this modern world, but it wasn't long before I discovered how badly humans have destroyed everything. I called outward looking for any jaguar born sentinels. A few came, but one truly intrigued me. A young female. So young she had yet to have her first heat. Beautiful, and powerful. Not only in body, but in mind. She was to be my Teijha. Moira said that those who captured my Teijha were paochers. They did not kill her, but trapped her, and took her from the jungle. Moira had some of her friends help, and they discovered that my Teijha had been brought here. That is why I have come. I will rescue my Teijha and kill those responsible for taking her. But we must be swift. My Teijha's first heat will be upon her soon. She must be rescued before then. Then I will have both my Teijha, and my Raijha. "

Blair knew that Teijha and Raijha meant close to favorites, with Teijha being of a female connatation, and Raijha being of a male. Other than that he didn't know what it meant, so he asked.

"They are my chosen ones, meant to stay with me, and protect the territory that is mine. I have chosen Jim as my Raijha." She said it as if he should have already known. Which he supposed he did, he just hadn't wanted to acknowledge it. Now what, he thoughtIts obvious she's got some control over Jim. And she is a goddess, like I could really go up against a goddess. Looks like bye bye Cascade, hello jungle living.

A few minutes later, Jim and company showed up. They leaped into the back of the truck and layed down for a nap. *Take us back to the loft, Chief. That's where she wants us to go.*.

Sandburg did as he was told wondering if Jim knew where else she wanted to go.

They made it back to the loft, and Sandburg unlocked the door and opened it. First Jim padded inside followed closely by the golden male. Then Nera walked in, followed by the two females, and Blair shut the door and secured it. He placed the keys in the basket. He looked and saw Jim lounging on the couch with one of the females grooming his neck fur. He appeared to be enjoying the ministrations. The other female was giving the golden male the same treatment on the other couch. He knew it should be frightening him that he had four jaguars in the loft, but it didn't. And he knew that was strange. *Get some sleep, Chief, we'll be alright here.* Jim thought spoke to him. Blair nodded, already feeling tired as he hauled himself to his room. He barely had time to get undressed before he collapsed on the bed into a deep sleep.

Jim Ellison, the jaguar, lounged on the couch eyes closed and a rumbling purr deep in his chest as the female groomed his silky black fur with her rough tongue. It felt strange being in that form. It felt almost right, and natural. His senses were there with him, though they were more controlled, more in tune. He had run through the cold forest and had hunted with the others bringing down a large deer together. They had feasted on the warm venison and cleaned the blood from each other's fur. Suddenly he felt a hand running through his fur. The hand was familiar and he looked up into the silver eyes of his goddess, and creator. She smiled down at him, and Jim could feel the power in her hands. Suddenly, he was back in his human body. Nerasotxl went to each of the others and transformed them. The female lying on his back was tall and lithe with long golden brown hair and amber brown eyes. The male was tall, but shorter than Jim, with long blonde almost white hair with green eyes. the other female was shorter, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. The others were nude, but Jim was wearing his clothes he had put on before going out. Nera smiled and strolled up the stairs. Jim and the others followed her. Jim stripped out of his clothes, as did Nera. They all got on the bed. While Jim and Nera began kissing, Jim could feel one of the females exploring his body with her hands. She was finding the sensation of hands intriguing. The other female and male were discovering each others new bodies, touching and nuzzling. The blonde female licked Jim's neck as she had done while they had been in jaguar form. The feel of her tongue was different than before. Not as raspy or rough, more smooth. Nera's hands went to Jim's head and she kissed his forehead, then got up and walked downstairs. They did not follow her, instead they continued their foreplay. Touch and smell, taste, sight and sound were all enhanced and seemed to enhance the experience for them all. The three newly changed sentinels explored thier new bodies, with Jim guiding them through their mind speak. Eventually the touching lead to sex, and when all was done the four of them lay sprawled over the bed, laying atop, or huddled close to each other still in physical contact, Sentinel senses on full alert as they slept.

Morning sunlight fell across the four sleeping figures on the bed. Four sets of enhanced sight squinted in the sun as they awoke and stretched as if they were in their cat forms and not in their current human bodies. Jim looked at the other three and wondered if perhaps he had been drugged the night before. Having discovered that it had not been a dream, Jim thought that perhaps he should be frightened by the idea that someone had complete control of him. The realization hit him that he wasn't frightened, or even angry. Knowing that it was just a part of his genetic programming, just as listening to his Guide was, didn't help matters. Jim looked over at his bed partners and watched them nuzzle each other and the bed covers reveling in the sense of touch of their human bodies. Jim would have joined them, but he caught the sound of footsteps the creak of stairs. Nera came up the stairs wearing only Jim's robe tied at the waist carrying a collar made of pure gold with black opals embedded in a ring around it. Jim knew the collar was for him. He had overheard the conversation between his goddess and his Guide. The collar was part of the Raijha persona. He knew he should be thinking about running or escaping, but he only held his chin up as Nera locked the collar in place around his neck. She chanted in a language that Jim understood. An ancient language, the verbal version of the writings found at the Temple of the Sentinels, and she spoke it in a musical quality that was nearly mesmerizing. Part of the ceromonial words were the orders to never remove the collar except by her order. When she was done she reached out and petted each of her Sentinels as one would pet a beloved dog or cat.

Blair came out of his room rubbing his eyes and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his Sentinel, wearing only a gold collar, follow Nera down the stairs with three other nude people behind him. Those most be the spotted jaguars, Blair thought.

Outloud he said, "Uh, Jim, we have to be at work in a couple of hours? " Wondering if she was going to let Jim do his job.

"Yeah, I know, Sandburg. " Jim answered and looked at his goddess, "I could use the resources at work to help locate the Taijha."

Blair had a sick feeling in his gut when he realized Jim was asking, nearly begging, for permission to go to work.

Nera looked to be thinking it over, "Yes, that will work. The others and I will stay here. When you have found her, call me."

Jim nodded, and Blair realized that she didn't mean by phone. With her permission granted, Jim went and took a shower. The blonde female joined him, and Blair could hear them laughing in the shower. Blair was turning red especially when the other female moved closer to him and sniffed him. Blair retreated to his room and brought them some spare clothes. The male and female looked at them curiously. Blair explained how to put them on. Nera was laughing, and used her mind link to translate. They did not understand Blair.

"Uh, what are their names?" Blair asked the beautiful goddess as the two jaguars turned human placed the jeans, and shirts on themselves.

Nera smiled, "I shall call them, David, and Erica. Names from this time will work better, don't you think."

"Uh, yay, that works. And the other..uh...female?"

"Laura."

"Sounds good." Blair said as he watched Jim and Laura come out of the bathroom. Jim had a towel around his waist and was using another to dry off Laura, who was trying to shake the water off like a jaguar would. Jim was laughing at Laura's antics. Blair wondered about that. Jim seemed not bothered at all by the sudden change, but then Blair supposed it was all part of the genetic programming. Still, if Jim couldn't feel angry about, Blair had enough for both of them.

Jim climbed the stairs to his room with Laura at his side. Blair looked over at the couch after Jim dissapeared into his room and saw David and Erica lounging on the couches taking cat naps. Nera sat on the couch with David on one side, and Erica on the other, petting their head soothingly. Blair went to the bathrom trying to hide his disgust, knowing that because he was a Guide, the goddess could read his thoughts, and emotions.

When Jim came down the stairs wearing a turtleneck sweater that helped to hide the gold collar beneath, and a pair of jeans, Blair was just coming out of the shower with a towel around his waist. David looked at the Guide, but cringed when Jim growled at him. *The Guide is mine* He mindspoke to the young jaguar. David backed off, knowing he stood no chance against the dominant male. Blair, having no Sentinel abilities, did not hear the growl. He walked into his room and practically slammed the door.

Jim knew his friend was angry about everything that was happening. He had not expected the story to be true. He did not expect to find out his friend and partner was a jaguar, nor did he expect to turn out to become some animal keeper. Jim grimaced at the thought. Animal keeper. So I am really not human. My dad was right, I am a freak of nature. The thought made him sad. When it was over, and they had found the Teijha, then Jim would be going back to Peru with his Goddess and the others. He wondered if Blair was going to bail now, or later.

The man in question came out of his room fully dressed and walked into the kitchen wondering what the hell to fix for this strange group.

"Don't bother about breakfast, chief. You and I can get something on the way in, but the others aren't hungry. The deer last night should keep them full for awhile."

"What about you?" Blair was puzzled.

"I was born human, remember. I don't have a jaguar's abilities to go for a week or so after a big meal."

"O...K..." Blair said really not understanding. He looked at Jim closer. "Uh, Jim, are you going to wear that...thing...to work."

Jim nodded, "I'm not allowed to remove it. Come on, let's go before we're late."

Blair looked at Nera. She seemed to be in some kind of meditative state, The two jaguars still beside her, asleep. Laura was laying at Nera's feet wearing some of Jim's clothes. She, too, was asleep. Shaking his head, Blair followed Jim out to the truck.

Once in the truck, Blair turned to Jim, "What do you mean you're not allowed to remove it.?"

"Part of the ceremony. Orders from her that only she can remove it, and basically only when I am no longer the Raijha. So I keep it hidden and hope that I don't look to suspicious to a bunch of cops. Piece of cake, huh."

"this whole thing is strange. Last night you were moving like a zombie. Man you broke into the zoo. You committed a felony! And I'm your damn accomplice. How are we going to explain this to Simon. Oh, sorry Simon, but we had to get these jaguars so our Goddess could turn them into humans. Oh, and by the way, Jim became a jaguar and killed and ate a deer. He will really think we flipped out! And I'm not to sure we haven't."

Jim smiled, "You think we're in some kind of insane asylum, and all this is a delusion created by our warped minds. Sorry, chief, but I'm not this creative."

"And that's another thing. You. Your taking this too damn well. Okay, were's the pod, and were's the real Jim Ellison. Man, you haven't even gotten mad. Or did that orgy last night scramble your brains as well."

Jim looked at Sandburg, "How?"

"Man, I heard you last night. You and them. My God, what did you do, two women, and another guy. Man Jim, I didn't think you were in to that. Was SHE there as well."

"Chief, I will never hurt you, but you are really close to me slapping the shit out of you right now. I don't know what happened last night. The females weren't in heat, but I suppose it could have been pheromes, or maybe it was I just wanted a good fuck." Jim was angry now, but it was mostly directed at himself, and his Guide.

"I'm sorry, Jim. Its not your fault. I mean..jeez, she's your goddess! She created your kind. Hell, she practically created my kind! I guess we have as much choice as Noah did. Hell, probably less of a choice."

"None, Sandburg. We don't have any choices. If she wanted to she could come into my mind and take control completely. But she doesn't do that. She loves her reations, Blair. She protects them. We, the Sentinels I mean. We are kind of like her pets, only more than that. And the Guides, the Guides are our keepers, our trainers." Jim stopped the truck inside the police garage, then turned and looked at Sandburg, "She told me that when Sentinels were first created, the tribes were afraid of us. We didn't have the zone outs, or the allergies. You know what I mean; the weaknesses of the Sentinels."

Blair nodded.

"their fear turned dangerous, so she called all the Sentinels to her. She then sent a message to those people within the tribe that she could mindtouch. this told her that they had empathic abilities. They came to the Temple. She changed the Sentinels, gave them those weaknesses, and then enhanced the abilities of those tribesmen and women. She created the Sentinel/Guide bond, and gave the leash to the Guides. Sentinels must obey and protect their Guides. Once the bond was in place, the tribes knew they were safe from Sentinels ever trying to conquer them. Before the sacrafice of that Sentinel, Sentinels were treated almost like useful animals. It was the Guides who were revered. After all, they controlled the beasts."

Blair listened to the story with growing horror. When Jim said that last part he exploded, "No, you are not some beasts! Do you hear me. I am your friend, and partner, and your Guide! I am not an animal keeper, and you are not an animal! You are human, I don't care that she can change you into a jaguar. Your still Jim Ellison, my friend!"

Jim smiled at the vehemence in Blair's voice. How did I get to be so damn lucky to have you for a friend, Chief. Sometimes I don't think I deserve your friendship, all I ever do is lead you into the horrors of police work, nearly get you killed, and you keep coming back for more. Aloud he said, "Calm down Blair. Alright, if you say, I'll believe, but we don't have time to finish this discussion, Simon will kill us if we're late." With that he stepped out of the truck and pulled his brown leather jacket on, buttoning it closed to try and hide the bulge beneath the turtleneck. Blair stepped out of the truck, and slammed the door shut.

"Hey, chief, let's not abuse the truck, okay." Blair nodded guiltily. Jim shut the door, and walked over to the elevator with Blair following.

Inside the bullpen of Major Crimes, Jim went immediatly to his desk trying to stave off any questions or arrouse suspicion from the other detectives. sitting down at his desk, Jim opened a case file and began to study it. Blair immediatly went to the computer on Jim's desk.

"What should I look up?" Blair asked.

"All I know is that she's in some kind of cage in a room with other animals in cages. She's frightened, and angry. There's a snow leopard, I think, in one of the other cages. Some kind of small spotted cat, not a leopard or jaguar..."

"An ocelot, maybe." Blair thought outloud.

"Whatever, but apparently this guy likes cats. Maybe that will help?"

"Yeah, it gives me a place to start at least. I'll look for that connections, along with maybe any major shipments from South America that came into Cascade recently. We might get lucky. Has she seen the guy?"

"Not really, chief, everytime he comes in all she sees is some guy in a suit from what I can tell. I never really see his face. Sorry."

"That's alright. We'll work with what we've got."

ELLISON!!! SANDBURG!!!MY office NOW!!" Captain Banks yelled from inside his office. Jim winced a bit, but stood up and walked into the captains office with Blair at his heels.

"There was a break in at the Cascade Zoo. Three jaguars were taken. Its possible its some kind of poaching ring. Fortunatly the perp left fingerprints so we should hopefully be getting an ID back soon." Simon looked up in time to see Jim slump into a chair with a hand to his forehead. Simon frowned and took the cigar out of his mouth.

"Shit...fingerprints...how stupid could I be." Jim was saying.

"Wait a minute, I hope to hell you aren't implying what I think your implying." Simon glared at his best detective.

"You can stop the search for the fingerprint match, Simon. Cause they'll be mine."

The cigar fell from Simon mouth as he gaped at the two of them. Blair would have found it ammusing at any other time, but now he just worried.

"Jim, you had better explain to me what is going on. Why would you steal three jaguars from a zoo."

"Simon, your not going to believe this one but..." And Jim explained everything to Simon who sat gaping at him. When Jim was done Simon exploded.

"Jim, I am seriously considereing having you go through a psych eval. This is ludicrous. A goddess! In Cascade. Jaguars who become human!! This is far off from anything you come up before. Hell I more inclined to believe that damn ghost story, than the one your spouting today."

"Simon, its the truth. I was there." Blair said trying to defend his Sentinel and friend.

"Oh, yeah, you're a great witness Sandburg." Simon said with heavy sarcasm.

Of course that only made Jim angrier, and he stood up and stripped of his jacket, and pulled the turtlemeck sweater off to reveal the gold collar with its ring of black opals. Simon stared in shock.

"My god, your actually wearing that thing." Blair could tell that Simon was starting to believe them.

"Like I told Sandurg, I don't have a choice Captain, same as I didn't have a choice when I freed the others. She wants to find the Teijha, and therefore we find the Teijha before she becomes too angry."

"What happens if she becomes to angry?" Simon asked.

"Her mother is the earth itself, Simon. Have you ever met a mother that wouldn't help her child get back on of her children." Jim let the implication lie. Earthquakes, floods, volcanic erruptions...the possibilities ran through Simon Bank's mind with astounding horror.

Simon picked up the phone and called down to the lab cancelling the order to try and match those fingerprints. With that done, Simon hung up the phone while Jim replaced his sweater and jacket. Simon looked at his best detective.

"Now, how do you want to proceed in this, Jim." Simon was all ears.

Jim smiled.

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