Adrian's Head, episode 9
                                6/8/95
                          by Adrian VanWormer

        It was early evening.  No one had seen or heard from Kathalla
sonce she'd stormed off two days ago.  Until now...

        *Help!*

        As a unit, everyone in the basement looked up.  *Kath!  Where
are you?* sent Talahran.

        *Razzenfrazzen peice of shit armor!  I'm floating in the middle
of the Pacific, and I've lost sight of land!*

        Surveying his options, Adrian was less than pleased.  His mages
and his wizard would be of little use here, and Kathalla was the one he'd
normally pick to get that far in a hurry.  Unless...  "Hey Zalth?  Could
you do me a _really_ big favor?"

        Zalth was in no mood to help Kathalla for some reason, and
started arguing loudly about it with Adrian.  Talahran, in the meantime,
had gotten Kath to explain a little more how she'd ended up where she
was.

        *I'd tried to stomp across the bottom of the river like I was in
a Shirow...  _Great_ fuckin idea!  Ten feet out, not only did the suit
prove to be too light to stay down, but every servo I had shorted out with
an uninspiring fizzle.  Of course, the power systems weren't affected...
It would have been too easy if the whole batery had died, but instead I
was stuck floating downstream until the power went out on its own accord,
taking the psi-shields with it so I could finally call for help.  Now
would someone come get me?  Please?  There's a slow leak in my left leg
and I'm about to start sinking...*

        Adrian and Zalth were still fighting, and Len and Spot were
comparing magical ideas with Freyhla, but none of them seemed viable.

        Rose, sitting off to the side in hir new emerald-green dress,
thought for a moment, then pushed through the confused "experts" until
shey was standing in front of the blank wall next to the computer.  Un-
noticed, she began to concentrate and gesture.

        "I still don't care what she did to your wings!  Okay, if you
help get her back, I'll see if I can at least get her to take them out of
the trophy case..."

        *Fat chance!* yelled Kathalla, *I may be in a pickle, but those
wings are staying right where they are!*

        Zalth growled softly, "No deal..."

        "Uh, guys?" interjected the computer.

        "Then steak nightly for a month?" offered Adrian.

        "A year," snapped Zalth immediately.

        "Guys?" said the computer a little louder.

        "No way!  About all I can guaruntee to be able to afford that
long is roast beef subs.  How 'bout that?"

        "No, I don't like the bread, and you never put enough meat on
them."

        "GUYS!" shouted the computer.

        "What!" snapped Adrian and Zalth simultaneously.

        "I thought you might be interested in what Rose was doing..."

        They turned to Rose, who was leaning against the wall next to a
newly-formed Gate, grinning as the mist cleared and a view of the ocean
was revealed.  Kathalla could be seen bobbing up and down a few feet in
front of the exit point, which was just high enough to avoid the waves.

        Talahran ran over immediately and grabbed for Kath's suit,
hauling it up and in.

        Len and Spot clustered around, generating small plasma bolts to
free up the joints of the suit, and they slowly got the bulky thing off
of her.

        As she stood there, rubbing cramps out of her sore muscles,
Adrian asked, "Why didn't you tell us your kid was a mage, and a damned
sight better one than any of our others, at that?"

        Kathalla looked as suprised as he was, "Shey is?!?  Don't look at
me, _I_ wrote hir as an average wolfmorph..."

        "But I'm not..." said Rose, speaking up for the first time.

        "Not what?" asked Talahran, "Not average, or not a mage?"

        Shey grinned at him as shey closed down the gate, "Oh, either one
will do..."