Wednesday afternoon seemed destined to be a time for important conversations. In various parts of the city revealing conversations were taking place, and would have defining significance to all of the people involved. For some they were discussions of the future, and others discussions of the past. Naturally enough, there were also likely to be misunderstandings...

Haruka looked at her friend and sighed. Michiru had been quiet all day, and since they returned to her place from school, she had been sitting at her easel. She was not painting, nor was she reviewing any of her previous work. For the last two hours, she had just sat there, chin on hand, and a slight frown creasing her pretty brow.

Finally she could stand it no more. Walking over behind her, Haruka brushed aside some of the soft green hair and placed a hand on the girls shoulder. Leaning down, she whispered in her ear and asked her what was wrong.

Michiru felt the warm air brushing her cheek and blushed slightly. The touch, the smell, the sound, the whole presence of Haruka so close to her was almost enough to make her forget about everything. But it was only almost. Tilting her head, she placed a soft kiss on the hand holding her shoulder, then she rested her cheek on it.

"Oh, Haruka. I don't know. Sometimes... Sometimes it just seems so hard. So... cold and clinical. I just wish there was a better way."

"I know what you mean. We've discussed it before: we didn't like it then, and neither of us like it now. Unless someone comes up with a better plan, I really don't know what else we can do."

"I don't know either but---"

Haruka forced some iron into her voice. "No 'but's. There's someone out there trying to find the three talismen, and destroy the world. What choice do we have?"

"None, I suppose. I just seems so callous. We're supposed to be the defenders of the Moon Kingdom, and here we are plotting to kill three of it's subjects."

"No, we're not planning on killing them. If it wasn't for the witches who are sending the Daimons, we could let them live in peace. But so long as the Daimons keep attacking, we have to get those talismen first."

They sighed in unison and stood there for a while. Recently Setsuna had returned and told them of her discoveries about their enemy. The three talismen were hidden within the heart crystals of three pure and noble people. When the three talismen were combined, they would form the holy grail.

In the right hands, the holy grail could restore life, in the wrong hands... It could mean the end of the world. When the stakes were this high, the three Sailor Senshi had vowed that they would let nothing and no-one stand in the way of their recovering the talismen first. If they or their Queen possessed the Talismen, then the end would justify the means. If the enemy possessed the Holy Grail, it could only spell disaster.

A polite cough brought them back from their thoughts, and they looked around to see Setsuna standing behind them. Haruka scowled. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough."

"Long enough for what?"

She just smiled enigmatically. Setsuna had only arrived moments ago actually. But since she was the guardian of the gates of time, everyone assumed that she could pick and choose exactly when she would be somewhere. She had some hard and fast rules about using her powers, and one of them expressly forbade time travel. She had never broken them willingly, and she saw no reason to jump all through the time stream just so she could catch people in embarrassing situations.

Catching people in situations like these was fun however, and her sharp mind easily picked the most likely topics for the two girls to be discussing in such a serious manner. Hmm, the Holy Grail or Sailor Saturn. Sailor Saturn or the Holy Grail. Oh when, take a guess and lets see. How about another enigmatic smile, that last one was fun.

"So far I can be sure that none of the Talismen have been found. I realise that all of us are willing to sacrifice ourselves to retrieve the Talismen, but the question will always stay open: are you willing to sacrifice someone else?"

Michiru sighed. With an answer like that, she might have been spying on them for the last hour. "We are. Neither of us like it, but considering the alternative, I guess it's acceptable for people to die."

"No! No, it is never acceptable to kill other people. It may be necessary, but it is not acceptable. That is an important difference. Always remember it, because when the necessary becomes accepted, you may find yourself becoming what you would oppose."

The pair looked chastised for a moment after her words. After she had digested their meaning, Michiru changed the topic slightly. "What have you heard about Sailor Saturn?"

Setsuna winced internally, but outwardly she paused only briefly, as though weighing what she could tell them. How were you supposed to maintain an aura of infallibility and omniscience when people asked loaded questions like that?

"What would you like to know?"

"Well, do you know if she is going to be awakening?"

"Yes."

Time ticked by. After a while, they realised that she was not going to expand on it. Eventually Michiru asked for some more detail.

"Sailor Saturn will definitely awaken, it is all a question of when." Now that was the understatement of all time. Sailor Pluto knew that Saturn was supposed to be awake at some point in Crystal Tokyo, but that was over a thousand years in the future. She was not sure if Saturn was going to awaken right now, in a week, or in a thousand years. If she played her cards right, people might think she knew... and that was almost as good. She continued to speak.

"I have felt... stirrings. I know that Sailor Saturn is not awake yet, but I cannot say which girl is destined to be her. When she does awake, you must realise that she could be the greatest asset or the greatest threat we can face. It is all a matter of how she see the threat which the world faces."

There was something more that she wanted to tell them, but she held back. It would hardly fit her image if she was seen to be asking for help. Perhaps she could have them beg her to let them help. Deciding this, she let a small, almost pensive, frown cross her forehead.

The ever observant Michiru was the first to spot it. "There's something more, isn't there, Setsuna. There's something you are not telling us. Please, let us help. I know we can help."

After looking like she thought it over, she nodded her head and smiled.

"Very well. While I was at the Gates Of Time, I was watching for signs of her power, in case she awoke. The magical energy of the Sailor Senshi is very distinctive. Several times in the past week, I have seen brief flashes of Silver Millennium energy. Energy distinctive to Sailor Saturn.

"Someone out there is trying to access her power. Someone is trying to gain the power of Sailor Saturn without being her. We must be vigilant against this new threat."

The others just stared at her. Saturn might be Senshi of creation and destruction, but Pluto seemed to be the Senshi of bad news. What else could go wrong?

Oddly enough, it was just a few hours earlier that Chiba Mamoru was asking almost exactly the same thing as he arrived breathlessly at the front of Small Lady's school. First he had been delayed leaving work, then the busses were all full, and finally the one he had caught did not stop where he wanted it to. He had been planning to get here half an hour early so he could sit in the sun and read. As it was, he only arrived with a few minutes to spare.

Looking around Mamoru noted that there seemed to be only one other person waiting at this gate. Fit looking guy, in black pants and a red shirt. Looked a couple of years younger then he was. Perhaps he was coming to meet a sister or cousin at the school. Mamoru laughed on the inside. People would have a fit if they realised the truth about Small Lady and him. To think he was less than ten years older than her, but he was actually her father.

The fact that she was actually from the future was not something that could openly be discussed. Better keep that in mind, he thought, because the guy was coming over to him. Now that he was closer, Mamoru could see that he was smiling in a slightly disturbing manner. Not only that, but he seemed to be incredibly fit, moving with all the lithe grace of a gazelle.

When they were close enough the two men stood facing each other and sized the other up. After a moment, the stranger placed out his hand and smiled even wider. "I'm Tendo Ranma. You'd be Chiba Mamoru, wouldn't you?"

That was surprising. Few people recognised him, and it was something he liked to stay that way. "I'm Afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Tendo-San. You know who I am, but I am afraid I do not recognise your name."

Ranma waved it off and leaned against a wall next to Mamoru. "Let's just say I'm a friend of Chibi-Usa and Usagi. I've been wanting to have a bit of a chat with you for a while actually."

After that, the two stood silently, looking at the school and waiting for the bell to ring. Unexpectedly, Ranma spoke again. "You're dating Tsukino Usagi, aren't you."

It came out as a statement rather than a question. Despite the tone of voice Ranma used, he felt compelled to answer. "Yes. I am. Usagi's a very close friend. I... We..."

Ranma waved aside his attempt to explain how much he loved the girl. There was silence for a few moments again, then Mister Conversation struck again. "So you've been dating her for what? A year, a year and a half?"

"Hmm, about a year and a half now."

"Not bad. So, she would have been what? Fourteen? When you started going out. And you were twenty?"

Mamoru ground his teeth. He had received his share of comments about dating someone Usagi's age. Her age did not change the love that they felt for each other. Besides, its not as though they were actually doing anything physical when she was that young. "Yes, but our love is destined. A few years difference is nothing when you consider that we have the rest of our lives."

"Hey, hey. Stay calm. I think Usagi's old enough to make up her own mind. She seems a pretty smart kid."

Again there was silence. Mamoru was sure the man was deliberately needling, but for the life of him, he could not figure out why.

"She's twelve."

"What?"

"Chibi-Usa. She's twelve."

Mamoru smiled. He loved his daughter. He could not understand how he could bear to part with her in the future, but here and now, he was glad he did. "Yes. She is."

Silence once more, and Ranma fidgeted slightly. Finally he decided something and pulled himself off the wall he was leaning on and spun to face Mamoru.

"OK, Mamoru. Here's how it is. I've seen you around Chibi-Usa. You know, the hugs, the kisses. The way you're always watching her out of the corner of your eye when you're at the park. I don't care if Usagi's getting a bit too old for your tastes, but I'm asking you nicely. Please away from Chibi-Usa."

Mamoru snarled. He didn't know how much Ranma had been watching them, or where he got his information, but there was no way he was going to stay away from his daughter. Mamoru was no slouch at fighting, and there was no way he was going to let some jock talk to him that way. He took a stance.

"Listen, you. I love Chibi-Usa dearly. There's nothing you or anyone else can do to keep me away from her. So just get out of here! I don't know who you are, but I don't want you coming near her again. Do you understand me?"

Ranma smiled. It was not the first time he had done something like this, and it probably would not be the last. The children are our future, and there was no way he was going to let a pervert like this guy sink his claws into a sweet kid like Chibi-Usa. "I accept your challenge."

Suffice it to say that what followed was short, but not at all sweet. Faster than he believed possible, Mamoru received the beating of his life. He had studied a number of Martial Arts, and was quite capable of defending himself. Ranma worked him over as though he was standing still, and made it look easy.

Had he been anyone other than Chibi-Usa's father, being bruised and beaten over most of his body would have scared him off. Since he was her father, all it did was make him mad. Madder than hell. If it wasn't for the fact that Ranma had dumped him into a large garbage bin, he would probably still be out there, taking more lumps, but trying to keep the stranger away from his little girl.

As it was, all he could do was lie there and suffer. From inside the metal bin, all he could here was a few strange sounds, then the approach of girlish laughter. 'No, run.' He wanted to cry out, but he was too paralysed from pain to even attempt it.

Even in his pain, he sighed in relief when he heard Small Lady saying hello to one of her friends. They chattered for a brief moment, before they decided to leave without him. Just as they set off, Chibi-Usa's friend said she needed to throw out some garbage. As the footfalls approached, he smiled. Here was someone who could rescue him, or get help.

Looking up, he saw Tomoe Hotaru, a close friend of Small Lady. She was always so nice, so quiet, so polite. She would help him. But when he looked at those big purple eyes of hers, he shuddered. They were so cold, so full of anger. Looking down on him, she threw her garbage in. Her voice contained nothing but loathing:

"Stinking paedophile."

Sighing, he collapsed back into the garbage. Somehow, he was relieved. He had been worried about almost the same thing, but with this 'Ranma' fellow as the aggressor. Now it seems he was just a friend of Hotaru's. And she had acted on confusion and mistaken information. Sure, Ranma had gone a bit far, but it was nice to know that Chibi-Usa's friend was so caring and perceptive, even if miss-guided.

As Small Lady and Hotaru walked down the street, they had none of these concerns. Hotaru was happy that her friend was safe, and hopefully Usagi's boyfriend would stay with her a bit longer, rather than seeking younger prey. Chatting happily, the two discussed their day at school and their plans for the night.

Chibi-Usa was going to visit some of heir friends. They were older than her by a few years, but they always treated her well. When Chibi-Usa mentioned that one of them was an excellent cook, and could well be enticed into doing the Japanese noodles that Hotaru fancied, it was easy to get her friend to join her.

They had gone another block towards Chibi-Usa's friend Makoto's place when she posed a question to Hotaru. "Hey, where's that stick you're always caring?"

"Huh? It's right... Oh, no! Damn! Where? Where? Calm down... Now where did I see it last? Ah! I know! Rei-san!

"Chibi-Usa, Do you know a girl called Hino Rei?"

She bobbed cute little pink head. "Sure, she's one of the girls we were going to meet."

Hotaru was amazed. Talk about coincidence. "Can we go there first? That staff an be very dangerous if she treats it wrong."

Another nod. What a nice kid. "Do you know Rei?"

"Well, sort of. Let's just say that the staff got left there by someone taking lessons from her."

"Oh, do you know Ranma? Rei's always talking about him these days."

Hotaru chuckled. "You could say that I know him pretty well. Come on, we better hurry. Do you want to lead?"

Covering ground as fast as 'sick' little Hotaru could manage, the girls arrived at the shrine. Rei was surprised to see them, but when Chibi- Usa explained Hotaru's anxiousness about her staff, Rei was happy enough to call Makoto's and get everyone to come here.

Looking out into the grounds of the shrine, Rei was surprised to see Hotaru had gone straight to where Ranma had left his staff the day before. Giving it only the shortest of inspections, she rejoined her friends and showed it to them.

"See, found it!"

"Hotaru-chan, isn't that Ranma's staff?"

Hotaru nodded once. "Yes, Rei-san, but... It's also mine, really. It's a very special staff, and it was given to us many years ago. It shouldn't have been left here. I... Er, Ranma must have been pretty concerned yesterday when he left, otherwise he would have remembered it."

Rei immediately felt guilty. Yesterday had been another one of the training sessions with Ranma that she had to cut short. Rushed off by her need to become a Senshi and save the world, she had managed to distress this innocent little girl. Blushing slightly, she resolved to try and give Ranma just that little extra time in the future.

"Sorry, Hotaru-chan. That was probably my fault. I... Something came up and I had to rush Ranma out of here quickly."

Seeing the distress she was putting Rei-san into, Hotaru searched for a change of topic. Anything... Ah! The staff: "Rei-san, did you know that this staff has a long history? There's a really interesting story about it's past if your interested?"

Rei and Chibi-Usa both said they were, but asked if she would wait until the rest of their friends arrived. She was sure that the other girls would like to hear about such an interesting staff. Hotaru nodded and they three moved into the kitchen to prepare things. Makoto would be doing the cooking tonight, but they were going to set things up to compensate for the sudden change in venues.

Hotaru carried plates and things and felt sad for a moment. Preparing dinner with all these girls (for the other Inner Senshi were slowly filing in) reminded her of the first years after she met Akane. She hoped that Makoto was a good cook. Eating bad cooking was normally bad enough, but in a setting like this, she just knew it would remind her of Akane, and she would spend the whole night mourning her loss.

Eventually the girls were all there, an excellent dinner was served, and everyone had eaten. Sitting around the table, drinking tea and chatting, Rei prompted Hotaru to tell the story of her staff.

Placing the staff in the middle of the table, she balanced it on the base end. Everyone was surprised enough at this feat, but it did not take long for her words to have a riveting effect.

"This staff was given to me in Tibet, long ago. The man who owned it before me was a Monk in a temple. He and his fellows guarded a magical gateway, a gateway which lead to another world. A world which had once been ruled by the very people who made this staff.

"Once there was a great and wise race of people called the Sanjian. The Sanjian were just like you and me, but they developed tremendous magical powers.

"Using their magical powers, the Sanjian created a new society, a Kingdom based on love, peace and harmony. They called this the Moon Kingdom."

There were six simultaneous gasps at that revelation.

"The Moon Kingdom was ruled by two people, their handsome and brave King, and their beautiful and kind Queen. Under their guidance, the whole Kingdom prospered, and evil was removed completely.

"Eventually this was not enough for their King, Kai-An-Wang. Kai-An- Wang decided that he needed to defeat the evil for all time. Leaving the Kingdom in the care of his wife, Queen Serenity, King Kai-An-Wang opened a portal to another dimension. A dimension full of evil.

"Legend has it that he battled the evil so long, that eventually he became the evil. Then he began to crave the power that he once had, but he was no longer the man he used to be.

"The Dark Lord Kai-An-Wang found himself locked from the Moon Kingdom by the very dimensional barrier he had helped to create. In fury, he contacted the weak willed, those people in the Moon Kingdom who he could easily sway.

"Under the promise of great power, the Dark Lord Kai-An-Wang's evil servants attacked the Queen and her warriors and almost defeated them. Using the last of her power, good Queen Serenity sealed the Dark Lord Kai-An-Wang and his servants away in this dimension, a place of evil called the Negaverse.

"And there they stay to this very day."

Suddenly everyone seemed to suffer from a coughing and choking fit. Hotaru looked around curiously. Few people believed the tale of magic, evil, sacrifice and good triumphant, but she had never received a reaction like this before.

The Senshi on the other hand were trying to contain themselves. They knew the story of the Moon Kingdom because they had been there, or their previous lives anyway. The fact that someone completely unrelated remembered the Kingdom said vast quantities about it, if they could remember the love that Queen had for her subjects even after all this time.

The fact that the tale was slightly wrong, and it was the Senshi of this era which had defeated the legions of Negaverse when they broke free of their banishment was something they felt Hotaru would be safer not knowing. The cause of the mysterious demon attacks all those months ago was hardly common knowledge.

When everyone calmed down, Hotaru resumed her story.

"That explains the origin of the staff, but it's purpose is something else again. While the Queen and her warriors were the most powerful magically, many people in that time were in touch with the powers of the world.

"This belonged to a man of no great importance, his name now lost to history. It is a spirit staff, and inside the staff lives my best friend: Takuhi."

Rei looked at the staff in greater interest. There were all sorts of strange carvings on it, generally in a language she did not understand. "So what's your friend? A white ant?"

"Heh, heh! Rei-san, you're so funny! No, Takuhi is a spirit creature. He's my best friend. Whenever I'm alone, he's there to talk to. He never gets upset with me, and he's always nice."

Usagi smiled. Small Lady had told her about how Hotaru was treated at school. It must be nice to have an imaginary friend when everyone picked on you. "Can we see Takuhi?"

"Now? I really don't think that would be a good idea..."

"I understand. We probably wouldn't be able to see him, right?"

"No. It's just that this is a temple. Do you have any idea how the wards on a place like this can hurt a spirit creature?"

Usagi shook her head. This kid had an answer to everything. She was going to speak up and say they would see her 'friend' some other time when Hotaru continued.

"Rei-san? Can you make a zone of null-warding?"

"A what?"

"Err, it's sort of a hole in your wards. If you can do that around the table, I can bring out Takuhi!"

Rei thought for a moment. Hmm, tricky. But, yes... possible. She eyed up Hotaru. Obviously hanging around with Ranma, the other owner of the staff, had managed to teach her something. Getting some ink and paper, Rei set to work, concentrating on remembering what wards were active, and how she could block or deflect them in a small area.

"So, Hotaru-chan. You seem to know Ranma pretty well. Is it your staff or his?"

"Err, it belongs to either of us really. Takuhi recognises me easily."

"I can see a bit of a family resemblance. Are you his little sister?"

Damn! Hotaru hated being asked that question. It was so hard to answer it honestly without telling everything. Since Mistress 9's cure was now only weeks away, she really did not want to tell them about her curse. She also like Rei-san, so there was no way she wanted to lie to her.

"Ummm. Well, Ranma and I have the same parents, I'll let you draw your own conclusions."

Rei looked at her oddly. A simple 'yes' would have sufficed. A few moments later she was finished and offered Hotaru to start her demonstration. Strangely, Hotaru seemed to look at her charms, casting an evaluating eye over them. No... she was too young to know that much; Rei was still in the process of learning how all the wards worked around the shrine.

Finishing her exam - satisfied that Takuhi would not be hurt by sloppy work - Hotaru leaned over the table and worked the carved top off the staff. As soon as the wooden bird's head was no longer plugging the hole, intense white light poured out, temporarily blinding everyone in the room. Moments later, 'it' dropped onto the table.

Seeing 'it', six pairs of hands came out of pockets, releasing the henshin sticks they had grabbed as soon as the stick started to flare. 'It', no, Takuhi, was obviously no threat, and was now treating itself to a piece of left over fried egg.

Takuhi was strange, and they all had to agree, it bore a distinct resemblance to some of the youma that they had fought. Takuhi was about the size of a budgie, maybe slightly larger. It was a deep rust-brown colour, and almost looked like a bird. It was feathered, and had three big gripping toes on it's foot, but that was where the similarity ended.

Rather than two feet, Takuhi had but one, and this leg grew from the middle of it's body, looking perfect natural. His face was the main thing that differed from normal animals. His face was almost human. Large, expressive eyes looked out from a feathered brow, and if the teeth were not quite so long and pointy, he would have had quite a smile.

Not everyone reacted the same way. Rei sat there stunned, while Makoto and Usagi seemed to on the wary edge of acceptance. Chibi-Usa was trying to pat him, but Takuhi seemed shy and preferred to be touched by Hotaru only. Ami watched with silent awe, and you could almost see her brain working overtime trying to fit this new piece of puzzle into her picture of the world. Minako on the other hand...

Minako crawled backwards with fear and revulsion. It was hideous, a parody of bird and man. It scared, horrified and fascinated her all at the same time. "It's a monster!"

Immediately Hotaru glared at her. "He is not a monster. I told you, he's a spirit creature. Sure, he might not be as pretty as you are, but he's my best friend. He's caring and sensitive. He's protective, and he listens without judging. Whenever I've been alone he always listens to what I say. Anyone can be a monster, man or beast, it's all about their actions. Takuhi is NOT a monster!"

Everyone was shocked at Hotaru's outburst. She was normally such a quiet girl, it was hard to believe she could be so aggressive. But then, if someone insulted one of their friends, they would get protective too.

Takuhi hopped around the table, and eventually everyone came to look at him. If they reached in slowly, he allowed people to pat him, and his feathers were soft and beautiful to the touch. After playing with the spirit creature for a while - and being thankful that Luna was not in the area - Chibi-Usa remembered what Hotaru had said earlier.

"You told me before that it could be really dangerous if someone opened the staff. Did you mean Takuhi would get hurt by the wards? Or attacked by a cat or something?"

Hotaru jumped during that last sentence for some reason, probably just worried about Takuhi, then she started laughing.

"No, I was more worried about what would happen if Takuhi came out and I wasn't here. Err, Takuhi's a bit protective of me, you know. If I'm not around, he's liable to come out full sized and go looking for me."

Rei turned an eye towards her. "Just how big is 'full sized'?"

Hotaru blushed and looked down. "About... thirty meters wing span."

Everyone went quite at that. The image of a thirty meter bird terrorising downtown Tokyo, searching for a little girl was a little too much to digest immediately.

While the girls considered the implications of big-bird (and I don't mean the tall, yellow and stupid variety), Mamoru soaked in a hot bath, trying to ease the pain which covered every inch of his body. At the same time, Setsuna was delivering her information on Sailor Saturn. Not far away, a wizened old woman struck her apprentice on the head with her cane and said the words. 'How could you let your husband escape, Shampoo?'

Shampoo was bopped on her head with the gnarled wooden cane. Exactly how this was managed is a good question. Shampoo stood on the high side of five foot. Her Mistress stood an imposing two foot nothing. The staff was only around two foot also... Once again, physics took a back seat to the application of violence. "How could you let your husband escape, Shampoo?"

<"Great Grandmother, he beat me in the challenge! I could hardly just drag him off, could I?">

Bop! "Speak Japanese! You need the practice."

"Yes, Great Grandmother. Husband beat Shampoo in fight. Shampoo no can just take husband."

"Better." Bop! As Shampoo rubbed her sore head, she looked at her mentor seeking an answer to this hit.

"Don't be so impertinent next time. Now, tell me of this fight. How is it that a mere boy managed to defeat the best Amazon warrior of her generation?"

"Shampoo sorry. Shampoo not good enough. Perhaps if Great Grandmother teach new special attack..."

"Of course you are good enough. I'm beginning to suspect that you are getting sloppy deliberately. I've watched some of your recent fights. Three times I watched and you did not employ the Roasting Chestnuts Over An Open Fire. Three times I watched you prolong a difficult fight. Admit to me that this is what happened today. You lost because of your overconfidence."

"Shampoo use. Husband use too. Husband much faster. Husband block me and punch at same time... Shampoo defeated fairly." She hung her head. Defeat was nothing to take lightly.

That news caused the crone to being pacing back and forwards in their small room. It was a most disturbing sight watching a withered old woman bouncing on a solid stick. Not only that, but despite the fact that her long pale grey hair reached floor level (while she was on the stick), she managed to avoid ever landing on her hair. The first few times she had ever tried to bounce while the stick rested on her hair were enough to teach her quickly.

"So you say that son-in-law knows the Chestnut Fist? Interesting. Most interesting. There should be no-one outside of our tribe that knows our secret attacks. It is actually good that he defeated you. This way his marriage will bring his strength into the tribe, and we will be able to prevent the spread of the knowledge."

"What we do if husband no marry Shampoo?"

"We will have to kill him. But do not fear, there is no reason why he will not marry you. You are strong, a great fighter, and beautiful. The boy will be made to see sense."

The two women set about packing their belongings. Shampoo had two locations which they could watch for the arrival of her husband. Soon enough he would either arrive at the dojo where he was first seen, or he would again go through the area that Shampoo lost him. With the pair of them staking out the locations, he was certain to be seen.

They were heading out of the small hotel room when Shampoo stopped and remembered something. Something worth mentioning even: "Great Grandmother... Husband know Amazon Law. Husband even have Book Of Amazon Law."

That was a surprise. "Very strange. I spoke with the Council of Elders before we left the village. There have only been three cast outs from the village in the last forty years, and all of them were women. Naturally, none of them kept their Book Of Law. Very interesting."

As they walked to their destination they both pondered the situation. A male that knew Amazon secret moves, that knew Amazon Law, and had Book Of Law? Any male that knew their laws would be well aware that he should not be alone outside the village unless escorted by a woman. For that matter, anyone possessing a Book Of Law would realise the dangers of using the Chestnut Fist against an Amazon.

Amazons had a firm but fair justice system. It was also a justice system that considered the death penalty to be a mid-range punishment. Amazons could be very creative.