If Richard Capella’s tests were successful, he would not only be realizing the greatest invention of his life, it would be one of the greatest inventions of all time.                                        
 Richard had a number of inventions to his credit, and the royalties from his inventions earned him more than enough to quit his job at Astro Instruments, thus allowing him to devote full time to his greatest love: tinkering and experimenting with just about anything that struck his fancy.
In a few moments he would know if this was to be the invention that would bring him fame and fortune.  He would attempt to teleport a rabbit from booth A on one side of the lab to booth B on the other side.  He opened the door to booth A and placed the rabbit inside.  After many long hours of mental and physical toil, he was finally ready.
He thought of the movie, “The Fly,” and checked the booths for the presence of any unwanted insects.  He chuckled to himself.  “Why am I worried?  Even if I do end up with a monster in booth B, I should be so lucky it works at all.”
He double-checked all his settings, and held his breath as he pulled the switch.  His pulse quickened as he watched the rabbit in booth A vanish.  His gaze jumped to booth B, expecting to see the rabbit sitting there.  Booth B was empty.
“What in the hell...this is crazy.  The damned rabbit had to go somewhere.”
He rechecked the two booths carefully, and then he searched the lab.  There was no sign of the rabbit anywhere.  The rabbit did not cease to exist; it had to be existing somewhere.  There was a space of fifteen feet between the two booths.  Could the rabbit be trapped in some nebulous limbo in that space? 
He flipped the switch back to the OFF position.  He stared at booth B in amazement, for as he flipped the       switch off, the rabbit materialized in the booth--and sitting atop the rabbit’s head was a bright blue grasshopper.  Wherever the rabbit had been, it had picked up a hitchhiker. He was relieved to see that the two creatures hadn’t meshed together or exchanged parts, but were two separate entities.  He chuckled inwardly as he pictured a rabbit-grasshopper monster appearing in booth B.
 He’d never heard of a blue grasshopper, but bugs weren’t his field.  Probably a common insect, he mused, but where the hell did it come from?
The next day Richard placed a potted plant, with the blue grasshopper perched on a leaf, into Booth A.  He threw the switch.  As with the rabbit, the plant vanished from Booth A when he activated the switch, and as with the rabbit, the plant reappeared in Booth B when he deactivated the switch.  But the grasshopper was not there.
He reasoned that when the switch was activated, a field was energized at the destination, wherever that was.  When the switch was deactivated, the field collapsed, and whatever chanced to be inside the field at the moment of collapse was teleported to booth B.
When he teleported the rabbit, the grasshopper had jumped on the rabbit’s head, was caught there when the field collapsed, and thus teleported to Booth B along with the rabbit.  The next day the grasshopper was teleported along with the potted plant, and when it reached the destination it jumped from the plant before the moment the field collapsed.
He concluded that the teleportation of objects from Booth A to Booth B was working, but in the process, the objects were detoured through some unknown location.
But where the hell was that location?  It could be nearby, or it could be halfway around the world.  He could think of only one way to learn where the blue grasshopper came from--by going there himself.  But how could he pull it off?  He was reluctant to ask a friend to operate the switch; he preferred to keep his invention a secret until it was perfected. 
He came up with a simple solution: he rigged a timer to operate the switch.  To test the timer, he needed to teleport an object about his own size and weight.  He found it in a samurai warrior.
The warrior was a gift from a Japanese friend.  While serving a tour on Okinawa with the Marines, he attended karate classes in his off duty time and became close friends with one of his instructors.
As a farewell gift, the karate instructor gave him a life-sized samurai warrior of carved wood.  It was close to his six feet and a tad less than his hundred-seventy-five pounds; it would do for the test.
He placed the wooden warrior in booth A and set the timer to teleport it to the unknown location, leave it there fifteen seconds, and pull it back.
The timer operated the switch, and the warrior vanished.  Exactly fifteen seconds later, the timer deactivated the switch, and the warrior reappeared in Booth B.  He examined the warrior and found nothing unusual.  He was ready to make the trip himself.
He kept the same setting on the timer--to leave him there for fifteen seconds and then pull him back.  Fifteen seconds should be long enough to survey his surroundings and determine the type of location he was in, and short enough, he hoped, to pull him out of danger if he encountered any hostilities.  He stepped into Booth A and waited for the timer to activate.
There was no sensation.  He was standing in the booth one second, and in the next second he was standing beside a rutted dirt road.  To his amazement, a small crowd was gathered there, seemingly awaiting his arrival. 
He looked up and down the road.  In one direction he saw the towers of a city, and in the other direction he saw a forested area with mountain peaks showing in the background. 
His eyes scanned the crowd; about a dozen people, he guessed.  Their dress was unfamiliar, but reminded him vaguely of a band of old-time gypsies.  But his eyes locked on a girl standing in the forefront.
She stood out from the crowd, dressed in loose fitting black clothing.  Red stripes ran down the sides of her trousers and a red disc was displayed on her left sleeve. A sword hung from her side, strapped to a wide red sash around her waist.  Her blonde hair was in bangs and a ponytail hung over one  shoulder; she was beautiful.
She stepped forward.  “I am Salenna, mid-level sorceress of Dawnlight.  I am here to...”

Richard abruptly found himself staring at the inside of Booth B.  “Damn!  What a beauty!”  She had so enthralled him  that he nearly forgot his reason for going there.  He still had no idea where the place was; he couldn’t place the costumes the natives wore with any that he’d ever seen.  The girl identified herself as Salenna--a sorceress?--and mentioned a place called Dawnlight.  But that rang no bells, and now he was more curious than ever.  He stepped out of the booth.
He reset the timer, this time allowing for a stay of thirty minutes.  That should give him plenty of time to  learn exactly where the place was.  But he would need to make certain he was in the field when it collapsed, or else he’d be stuck there.                   
As an afterthought, he set the timer to operate every twenty-four hours after that, activating each day at noon and staying active for thirty minutes.  That would give him one chance every day to return home, in case he ran into delays or problems.
This time there was no crowd awaiting him; only Salenna  stood there.  He stepped out of the field, but not before  noting its exact location, using a nearby knoll and a lone tree as reference points. 
“I knew you would return,” she said.  “The crowd must have appeared menacing.  I sent them away so that you would not feel threatened.”
“It was not the crowd--I left for another reason.”  He smiled.  “Please forgive my rudeness.  Before I left, you were introducing yourself.  Sorceress Salenna, I believe?”
She returned his smile.  “My full title is mid-level sorceress.”  She pointed to the red disk on her sleeve, apparently an emblem of her status.  “But please just call me Salenna.”
He bowed slightly.  “Salenna.  My name is Richard Capella, but please call me Richard.”
“You are a sorcerer,” she said, “do you not carry a title?”
He was taken aback.  “Sorcerer?  I’m afraid not.  Where I come from, there are no sorcerers.”
“But I know you come from another world, and you came through the dark void to reach our world--only a high-level sorcerer can do that.  But I am curious.  Why did you send other strange objects before you came?”
He looked at the surrounding trees and plants.  They were more blue than green, like turquoise.  And there was the blue grasshopper.  Was this indeed a different world? Maybe his device had worked to transport him into a  parallel universe.  In transporting objects from booth A to booth B in his lab, the objects must detour through an alternate universe to get there.
“Those items you saw were only for testing purposes,” he replied, “and sorcery didn’t bring me here.  It was science.”
“Then your science is just a form of sorcery.  But that does not matter.  What matters is that I foresaw your coming, and I know that you are here to save our people...”
He held up his hand.  “Please.  Before you go any further, I would be grateful if you would answer a few questions for me.  I am thoroughly confused.”
Her face showed concern.  “Of course.  I will be happy to answer any question that I can.”
“What do you call this world?”  He began.
“It is called Terranna.”
“Where are we located on Terranna?”
“To the north of Dawnlight.”  She pointed toward the towers, a short distance away.  “That is Dawnlight.  It is the city of my birth.”
“Dawnlight belongs to what country?” He asked.
“I am not sure that I understand your question.  Dawnlight is the ruling city.  All  the  villages in the surrounding countryside--there are eight of them--are under the rule of Dawnlight.”          
He looked at his watch; he had twenty-two minutes before the switch activated.  Salenna was staring at the watch.
He continued.  “Are there other cities?“
“There are ten others here in The Western Land and many more in the land beyond the sea.  Each city has its own territory.  Most of them have much larger territory than Dawnlight.”
“One more question.  How did you know I was coming?”
“I saw your arrival while in a spell-trance.  I then drew cards to divine the reason for your coming.  The cards told me you were coming to rescue us.”
This was crazy, he thought.  Here he was in a parallel world with city-states, talking to a beautiful sorceress who had foreseen his coming.  And now she was telling him he was here to rescue her people.
“Rescue from what?”  He asked.  “Are your people in danger?”
“A terrible danger.  To our east, across the sea and seven hundred leagues distant, is a people called the Mung.  The Mung are from a union of many cities called Mongolia.  Their leader, a man called Jinga, recently came to power.  He teaches that Terranna belongs to the Mung, and that all other people are inferior to the Mung.  The Mung are destined to rule Terranna, and all others must be enslaved.  Those who do not submit to slavery must die.
“Jinga’s army is powerful; it is larger than the combined armies of many cities.  The Mung have already conquered and enslaved many cities on the other side of the sea, and even now their slaves are building ships to bring   the Mung warriors across the sea to our shores.  We expect they will be prepared to attack us in less than a year.”
Richard was almost too dumbfounded to speak.  “But what the devil could you expect of me?”
“You have the means to help us or fate would not have seen fit to guide you here.  But you are not a puppet, and no one can force you to help us.  But we beg you to stay and help us lest we become slaves.  I would prefer to die than to submit to slavery.”
Richard looked at his watch.  Only five minutes remained until the timer activated the switch.  Salenna was staring at the watch again.
“What is that thing on your wrist?  Does it cast spells?”
He chuckled.  “Nothing like that.  It only measures time.”
She looked puzzled.  “We use an hourglass.  But please do not be concerned with time.  I hope you will come with me to Dawnlight and meet the other members of the Mage council.  At least listen to what we have to say.”
He looked at her eyes and melted.  The switch would be activated every day at noon, and it sat far enough away from the road so that the activated field shouldn’t interfere with traffic.  He would have other opportunities to return.  “Okay, I’ll go with you,” he said, “but I’ve got to be back here tomorrow at noon.”
Her face showed relief and her eyes lit up.  “It’s not far; we can make it well before nightfall.”
A one-horse surrey appeared from nowhere, and she hopped on.  “Let’s go,” she said.
“But...but where did the wagon come from?  It wasn’t here...”
“It’s been here all the time.  I kept it under a concealment spell because there are thieves in these parts.  But a high level sorcerer like you should have seen it.  Perhaps your powers wane because you are weary from your trip through the void.”
He climbed on the surrey and they set out.  From all indications, Salenna was what she claimed to be: a sorceress.  And she believed him to be a sorcerer.  Apparently magic powers were not uncommon in this world.
But he had to convince her that he was not a sorcerer, even though she might look upon him with less favor when she learned the truth.  But he did not like pretending to be something that he was not.
“Salenna, I must tell you...”
She shushed him with a finger to her lips.  “An ambush ahead,” she whispered.  “Do you not detect it?”
“No.  I...”
“You must be very tired, but don’t worry--I can handle  them.  It’s too late to cast a concealment spell to hide us. They’ve seen us already.  But no matter; I’ll teach them a lesson.  I’ve spelled my sword for battle.  The vermin do not know they are dealing with Mages.”
“But I’m trying to tell you...”
A group of men stepped out of the trees lining each side of the road.  Their leader, a brute with a heavy black beard, stepped forward.  “Hold!  Leave your valuables on the  wagon and step down.  Do as I say and you will be spared.”  He guffawed.  “Your Mage costume fools no one, wench.  Only an ignorant bumpkin would be taken in by it.”
Salenna whispered, “There are more of them than I thought.  I’m not sure now...even with my spelled sword.”
Richard counted fifteen of them, and they were all armed with swords, axes, and knives.
“You’re a sorceress,” he whispered.  “Can’t you cast a spell to make them sleep or something?”
“That is not one of my talents,” she replied,  “I have not yet reached that level of sorcery--and you are too exhausted.  But the fools will soon learn that they’re not dealing with an imposter, but a genuine Mage.”
The leader stepped closer.  “You choose to ignore me, do you?  You’ll die for that.  But before you die, wench, the lot of us will have our pleasure with you.”  He turned to face his comrades.  “I’ve always wanted to find pleasure with a “Mage” lady.  Now I’ll have my chance.”
The comment brought a round of raucous laughter.
Richard heard Salenna mutter something that sounded   like a chant.  In one swift move her sword leapt to her hand as she jumped from the surrey.  The leader’s hand went for his sword; it never cleared the scabbard.  The man could only gape as Salenna’s sword plunged into his heart.
Even before the leader fell, she withdrew the sword and turned to face the charging bandits.  She did not wait, but ran to meet them.  She was a blur of action as her slashing sword disemboweled the first to reach her.  But by now, they had learned to respect her skill with the sword.  Those facing her were backing away, as others were cautiously moving to surround her.
Only seconds had passed since Salenna jumped from the surrey.  Richard, initially unsettled by her unexpected action, quickly recovered and jumped to the ground.  He had never used his karate skills in anger, but as he raced toward the fracas, his karate training and instincts began to surface.  Since his discharge from the marines, he had continued to practice daily, never allowing himself to rust or soften up.
One of the bandits turned away from Salenna and came to meet him.  The man laughed.  “Fancy that.  This one’s lost it.  He’s comin’ at us unarmed.  This’ll be short work.”
As the bandit charged, Richard watched the man’s eyes and body movements to gauge his moves.  As the bandit lunged, Richard anticipated the move.  He jumped aside and moved in with lightning speed, blocking the man’s sword arm and thrusting a spear hand to the man’s throat, followed by a knuckle blow to the solar plexus.  The man gurgled, his eyes bulged and his cheeks puffed out as he dropped his sword.  His karate trained reflexes now operating in full swing, Richard’s hand caught the weapon before it hit the ground.  He finished the bandit with the sword.
Richard hefted the sword.  It did not have the feel of a sai--a short sword used in karate--but he could use the weapon as a sai.  A sai was simply used as an extension of the karate master’s arm, and the sword he held would do just as well.
He charged toward Salenna, noting that she had worked her way to a tree and was using it to protect her back.  Another of her attackers was down, but Salenna was beginning to slow down noticeably.  Even with a spelled sword, she was  overwhelmingly outnumbered by the bandits, and the body could be pushed only so far.
He yelled as he approached Salenna’s attackers, and several turned to face him.  Richard charged in, his   sword-sai whistling.  Richard dropped his next opponent with a roundhouse kick and then plunged his sword into the man’s chest. 
Karate instincts drove him.  He dodged, jumped, kicked, and punched, using the sword to finish off his opponents.  His style of fighting confounded the bandits, and together  with Salenna’s expert use of her spell-sword, they now had the confused and disorganized bandits on the defensive.
It ended abruptly.  Suddenly there was only one bandit left, and the rogue was in flight.  Richard was too exhausted to give chase. 
He felt pain in his left forearm, and looked to see blood  dripping from his left hand.  He rolled up his sleeve to find that he had suffered a bad cut on his arm.
He looked around for Salenna and was horrified to see her motionless body lying face-up on the ground.  Blood was oozing from a gaping wound on her right side.  He knelt down to feel her pulse.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered, “just give me a few seconds and I’ll be as good as new.”  She grimaced as she propped herself up on one elbow.  “The one who did this to me has gone to meet his gods.”
He stared at her, trying not to let her see the pity in his eyes; there was no way she could survive such a wound without immediate medical treatment.  All he could do now was try to comfort her.
“You’ll be fine.”  His hand gently stroked her forehead.  “Just lie still and rest.”
She smiled at him, sat up, and then jumped to her feet.  Alarmed, he jumped up to hold her.
“No need to worry,” she said.  “Healing is one of my talents.”  She removed her blouse, exposing the top part of her body.  “Examine the wound,” she said.
He did as he was told, trying not to be distracted.  There was no wound, only a pink spot remained, and even as he watched, the pink disappeared.
She slipped on her blouse.  “I’m a little weak from blood loss, but I’ll recover.”   She looked at his arm.  “Richard, you’re hurt!  Let me see your arm.”  She took his arm, and in a matter of seconds the wound was healed--not even a scar could be seen.
“Did you suffer any other wounds?”
Now that it was all over, his adrenaline high was gone and he felt faint.  “No.  I just feel a little exhausted, that’s all.”
She held his hand.  “Not surprising that you’re exhausted.  You weren’t yet recovered from your trip through the void.  But in spite of that, you fought magnificently. Your spell was powerful.”
“It wasn’t a spell--it was just training...”
“Yes, I know.  A good sorcerer must train hard.  I have been training hard to move to upper-mid-level.  Few Mages make it to the level which you have attained, but I hope to make it someday.”  She looked up.  “The sun is low in the sky, but we have enough time to make it to Dawnbreak before nightfall.  We’d best be on our way.”
As they rode he tried several times, without success, to convince her that he was no sorcerer.  But he knew that his attempts to convince her were only half-hearted.  She perceived him as some kind of high-level sorcerer, and it was obvious that she was impressed.  He had to admit that he was flattered with this beautiful girl’s admiration for him, even if he was not what she perceived him to be.
But he convinced himself that he was not pretending to be something that he was not.  After all, he had not claimed to be a sorcerer and had even denied it.  If Salenna chose to believe that science was a form of sorcery, he could not help that.

They reached Dawnbreak with time to spare before nightfall.  As they rode through the city, he noted that the streets were unpaved.  The traffic consisted of horses, wagons, and oxcarts--his nose told him that some hauled night soil.
The markets were teeming.  All sorts of goods were on display, as well as services such as dressmakers and      barbers.  Suddenly, it struck him that all the signs were in English--but hadn’t Salenna been speaking English all along?
“Salenna, I’m puzzled that we speak the same language.  Is there a place called England in this world?”
“Why yes,” she replied.  “One of the largest cities in The Western Land is called England.  But not all of the cities speak English.  In the largest city, Rome, they speak Latin.”
He was sure now that this world was Earth’s counterpart in an alternate universe--but the two worlds had taken sharply different turns.  “And what about the land on the other side of the sea?” He asked.
“The land over there--The Eastern Land--is much larger than The Western Land, and there are many more cities there.” 
“Are there any other lands?”
“There are islands in the seas, but most of them are populated by savages.”

The Mage council was located in a small palace surrounded by gardens, towers, and a high wall.  The Most High Mage, who presided over the council, was also governor of Dawnlight.  The Mages--those who possessed magic powers--were the ruling class, Richard learned, and this held true throughout Terranna. 
Salenna introduced Richard to several of the ranking mages, and then to the governor, Lord Rohan.  After the introduction, Salenna left the governor’s chamber at Rohan’s  behest.
“You have come,” said Rohan, “just as Salenna foresaw in her trance.  We are most grateful that you have chosen to stay with us.”
“I haven’t really made a final decision yet, but if I see a way to help you I’ll be glad to stay, Your Lordship.”
“Please call me governor, Richard.  Unlike most cities, we in Dawnlight disdain the use of royal titles, except in formal situations.”  The governor stroked his red Van Dyke beard.  “I asked Salenna to leave the chamber because there is a matter I wish to discuss with you in private.”
Richard wondered what Rohan could possibly say to him in private; he’d just met the man.  He did not know how to respond, so he remained silent.
Rohan cleared his throat.  “Salenna foresaw your coming, and she divined from the cards that you have the means to help us resist the Mung.  She has never erred in her predictions or divinations.  But she also believes that you are a high level sorcerer, and that troubles me because I know that you are not.  One of my talents is to recognize Mages--they have an unmistakable aura about them.  Your aura is that of a common man, Richard.”
“I never claimed to be a sorcerer, governor.  Salenna assumed that I was because I came through the void.  But that was not by magic--it was by the use of a machine.”
“My apologies,” said Rohan, “I only wanted assurance that you were not misrepresenting yourself.”  He chuckled.  “Salenna believes you to be a Mage because she wants to believe it.  She is attracted to you.”
Richard’s pulse quickened.  “Why do you think that?” He asked.
“Another of my talents.  I see a mutual attraction between the two of you.  But I must caution you--romantic liaison between the Mage class and common class are forbidden in this world.  Even if you were a Mage, one of our own Mages, Willem, is now courting Salenna.  I have noted that she is not attracted to Willem, but neither does she dislike him-- and she allows the courtship to continue.” 
“And what if--in spite of everything--Salenna and I had an affair?”
“Willem might challenge you to a duel to the death, or he might simply accept Salenna’s decision.  That would be entirely up to him.  But since you are a commoner, such a situation is, of course, not possible.”  Rohan laid his hand on Richard’s shoulder.  “I hope this will not affect your decision.”
Richard’s first impulse was to tell Rohan to shove it.  If they wouldn’t allow a romantic affair between a Mage and a commoner, then he wouldn’t sully the city with his presence.  But his anger and disappointment was soon forgotten when he recalled what Salenna had said--she’d rather die than be enslaved.
“It won’t,” he said.  “My decision will depend on whether or not I can help you.”
“We are having a meeting of the council tomorrow,” said Rohan.  “We plan to discuss ways to resist the Mung.  It may help you to decide if you sit in and listen.”
That evening, before retiring, an attendant came to draw Richard’s bath.  The attendant presented him with a change of clothing.  Richard noted that he was given the Gypsy-like style rather than the black and red uniform of the Mages.

After a breakfast of fruit, toast, and tea, Richard went to the meeting hall.  He spotted Salenna and made his way to a seat beside her.
“Excuse me,” she said.  She rose and turned to leave.
“Salenna...what’s the matter?  I...”
“You deceived me.”  She walked away and found another seat.
The meeting moved slowly.  Richard heard no ideas on ways to resist the Mung.  Instead, the talk focused on the seeming invincibility of the Mung.  One member even suggested that the city welcome the invaders and throw themselves at their mercy.  “Surely,” he said, “that would be better than dying in a vain struggle.” 
Richard rose.  “Governor, I request permission to ask a few questions of the council members.”
There was a pause before the governor answered.  “Customarily, commoners are not permitted to participate, but I will make an exception in your case.  Ask your questions.”                                             
“First, I’d like to know what type of weaponry is used in warfare in this world.”
“I will answer that,” said a man near him.  “Swords, spears, axes, archery, catapults, and just about anything that could kill or maim a warrior.”
“You mentioned archery.  Does that include crossbows?”
“Crossbows?  I am not sure what you mean.”
Richard explained, and the man replied that he’d never heard of such a weapon.  Richard asked about firearms and the reaction was the same.  However, he learned that fireworks were in use for entertainment and celebrations.
 “My final question concerns magic,” he said.  “To what extent is it used in warfare?”
“I will answer that,” said the governor.  “There are no laws or agreements on the use of sorcery in battle, but there is an unwritten code that forbids Mages to bespell friendly or enemy warriors or their weapons.  Past experience has shown that this can be disastrous for both sides.  Mages, however, may bespell their own swords for battle.  Even the Mung observe that rule.”
“With the governor’s permission,” said Richard, “I would like to make an announcement.”
“You have it.”
“I now believe I have found a way to help you fight the Mung.”
There was an uproar in the council, which the governor soon silenced.  “Go on, Richard.”
“The people of my world are not smarter than your people, but we are farther along in advancement.  We’ve discovered many things as yet unknown to you.  As an inventor, I helped to discover some of those things.
“I can help you to develop better weapons and better ways of fighting.  But to do this, I will need your full cooperation.  That is all I have to say.”
There was complete silence in the hall.  After a moment, the voice of Rohan broke the silence.
“Salenna divined that this man is our only hope in the struggle against the Mung.  If there are no objections, I motion that we give Richard our full cooperation.”
There were no objections.

The next few months were hectic.  The Mung were expected in less than a year, but Richard wanted to be prepared for them well ahead of time.                  

He gathered all metalsmiths, weapons makers, and makers of fireworks.  He designed simple but effective weapons   that could be made from available materials; he designed cannons, flintlocks, and crude but effective grenades and  bombs.  He designed a fast-loading crossbow that was much more effective than the bows they were now using. 
He showed them assembly line techniques, had them to train workers and set up twenty-four hour shifts.
He gathered tentmakers and sail makers and showed them how to make hot air balloons.  The balloons were erratic in flight, until it was discovered that some Mages had a talent for guiding them with fair precision. 
Richard worried that the use of magic to guide the balloons might violate the unspoken code on using sorcery in battle.  The Mage council assured him that the code only applied to the spelling of warriors or their weapons.  Though the balloon carried weapons, they said, the balloon itself was not a weapon.
Richard had wanted to train cavalry troops, but there was some sort of taboo on Terranna against using horses in battle.
At the outset, Richard thought of returning to his lab, going out to purchase modern firearms, and sending them to Dawnlight with his machine.  He discarded the idea--the authorities would certainly become suspicious.  They would take him in for questioning and probably trash his lab searching for the weapons.  
                                          
Now and again Richard saw Salenna, but she avoided him at every turn.  He knew that Terranna taboos forbade “romantic liaison” between them, but he wanted to talk to her and explain that he hadn’t lied to her.

Rohan sent emissaries to the other ten cities to exhort the cities to form an alliance led by Dawnlight.  Some of the cities were already prepared to capitulate, but after seeing demonstrations of the new weapons, all of the other cities eagerly joined the alliance.  Even the great city of Rome, though reluctant at first, finally agreed to Dawnlight leading the alliance.
Soon, preparations by all eleven cities were underway.  But even with the alliance, the Mung still greatly outnumbered the cities.
When preparations were nearly complete, Rohan summoned Richard to his chambers.
“Salenna did not err in her divination that you would rescue us.”  Rohan refilled his own goblet with wine.  “Seven months ago, the people of Dawnlight were resigned to defeat. Today their attitude is completely reversed.”  Rohan held out the wine bottle.  “More wine?”
“Thank you.”  Richard held his goblet as Rohan poured.
Rohan continued.  “The storm season on the sea will end next month, and when it does, I expect the Mung will be underway.  It will take them three or four weeks of sailing to reach our shores.  Thanks to you, we will be ready for them.”
“Our weapons are superior,” Richard observed, “and the warriors have responded well to my methods of training.  But I’m still concerned about their superiority in numbers.  If I have it right, the Mung outnumber the combined armies of the eleven cities by five to one.  If we only knew their landing site, it would give us another advantage.”
Rohan stroked his beard.  “We have a way to divine their landing place.  There are but a few places along the coast suitable to land.  Several of our Mages have the talent to far-see.  If we position these Mages at strategic spots on the coast with their crystals, they will be able to see the ships as far away as two hundred leagues.  From the ship’s bearing, they should be able to divine the landing place.  We can communicate with the Mages through mind-talk.”
Richard sipped his wine.  “Two hundred leagues--about six hundred miles.  That should give us ample time to set up coastal defenses.”
The meeting between the two men came to a close, and Richard rose to leave.
“Before you go,” said Rohan, “one more thing.  From your aura, sadness and disappointment is plain to see.   Salenna avoids you not because she dislikes you, but because she does not want her attraction to you to grow.  An affair with you would cost Salenna her status as a Mage.  As a commoner, she would be hard pressed to survive; she knows no trade of any kind.  But she is a dedicated Mage and has a bright future.  I hope you understand.”
“I do now.  I just couldn’t see it before.  I wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt her.  Thank you, governor.”

Based on the observations of the far-seeing Mages, Richard oversaw the setting up of defenses at the projected landing site.  The Mung, he thought, had scouted the coast well.  This was the best of the few stretches of beach that was fit for a landing.
The cannons were set up.  The warriors were in place and hidden.   Sharp spiked boards were buried in the soft sand above the high tide mark. 
After the defenses were set up, a hundred hot air balloons were launched to attack the Mung ships while still out at sea.  Mages were aboard some of the balloons to guide their own and neighboring balloons while bombing the Mung ships.
As the balloons were returning from their first run, the Mung ships were beginning to appear on the horizon.   Richard was astonished at the number of ships, though he knew there would be many.
He learned that the balloons had already sunk some of the ships, and on others many of the enemy were killed or wounded.  Balloonists reported that the Mung warriors had no defense against the balloons, and could only watch helplessly as the bombs and grenades rained down on them. Also, the balloons were unfamiliar to the Mung Mages, and they were unprepared to deal with the balloons through sorcery.
Finally, some of the ships were within range of the cannons, and more were sunk.  But there still remained a fair number of ships.  Some were getting through the bombardment, and some were in close enough so that swarms of Mung warriors were rowing or wading ashore.  A hail of arrows and shot met them, slowing their advance.
But more were getting through.  They kept coming, and in a short space hand-to-hand combat ensued.  The Alliance warriors fired their flintlocks, then discarded the guns and drew their swords.
Richard noted that the number of ships had dwindled down to little more than a dozen, and most of those were turning tail.  And none too soon; the cannoneers and balloonists were running out of ammo and were joining in the hand fighting.  It now appeared that the numbers on both sides were nearly equal.
Several black and red clad Mages had joined in the hand  fighting, as well as the brown and yellow clad Mages of the Mung.  The speed and skill of the Mages on both sides told Richard that they had spelled their swords for battle.
Suddenly, Richard found himself facing a Mung warrior with an ax.  To the Mung’s complete surprise, Richard did not go for his sword, but pivoted and delivered a crushing kick to the groin.  The Mung went down in agony, and Richard finished him off with his sword.
Richard charged into the hand-to-hand battle.  The Mung were as confounded by his style of fighting as were the bandits.  None of the warriors could match his speed and skill--until he faced a Mung clad in brown and yellow.  The Mung Mage proved to be his equal and more.
In spite of his superb physical condition, Richard was beginning to tire, but it was obvious that the Mage was tiring as well.  The Mage, too, was confounded by Richard’s style of fighting, but the Mage’s skillful use of the spelled sword more than made up for Richard’s unorthodox tactics.  The Mage had him on the defensive.  Richard was hard pressed to block and parry the slashing sword of the Mage; when he dodged, the Mage was moving with him. 
He’d had it so easy with the bandits and Mung warriors that he’d grown lax--his karate instincts had grown dull.  Now he must dig deep and find the will to sharpen those instincts--if it was not too late.
He could not allow the Mage to keep him on the defensive; he must go on the attack.  Abruptly he changed his tactics from defensive to offensive.  He shifted into an offensive stance.  He faked a thrust, and as the Mung was   set to parry, he exhaled sharply and yelled as he jumped and kicked.  The surprised Mage dodged, but not quick enough.  The Mage caught a glancing blow that sent him down.
But the Mage rolled and was up immediately.  His sword was a blur as he thrust it toward Richard’s chest.  Richard quickly sidestepped while thrusting his own sword toward the Mage’s chest.  Suddenly Richard felt a hot stab and felt warm liquid wetting the right side of his chest.  He saw his sword pierce the Mage’s chest; it was the last thing he saw before blacking out.

The blackness became a gray fog, and in the fog he could see a shapeless blur floating above him.  Gradually the blur became a face looking down at him.
“I reached you in time,” said Salenna.  “You received a near fatal injury; had the wound been a hair to the left and had I arrived but a moment later, I could have done nothing.  But I healed the injury, and you will be as good as new in an eye blink.”
He raised up and looked around.  “The Mung...where are they?  What happened?”
“We’ve beaten them, Richard.  The Mage you killed was among the last to die before they were routed.  Some surrendered and some fled.”
“I didn’t see you anywhere during the battle,” he said.                    “Where did you come from?”
“I was in one of the balloons--I was one of those with a talent to guide them.”
He still felt weak, but managed to get to his feet.
“Thank you, Salenna.  Thank you for saving my life.”
“Thank you,” she said.  “Thank you for saving my people.”  She kissed him lightly on the cheek. 
It was all he could do to resist pulling her close to him.  He ached to hold her and to tell her how much he loved her and desired her.
Her hand caressed his cheek as she looked into his eyes.  “I wish things were different,” she said softly.

“More wine?”  Rohan filled Richard’s goblet.  “Tomorrow, after the ceremonies in your honor, I’m going to make a motion to the council,” said Rohan, “that you be made an honorary Mage.  The motion will pass--none would dare vote against it.”  Rohan grinned.  “The privileges will include romantic liaisons with other Mages, Richard.  Even marriage.”
“But what of Willem?  In my world, sometimes men fight over women, and sometimes it leads to killings.  But it is not customary in modern times to duel to the death for the hand of a maiden.  I’m not afraid of a fight, but I don’t like the idea of killing a man--or being killed--over such a matter.”
“Salenna has ended the courtship with Willem.  Willem seemed unaffected, and is already courting another.  He no longer has a legal right to challenge anyone for the hand of Salenna.”
Richard was at first elated, but then reality set in.  “Governor, I would be overjoyed except for one thing.  I’m not of this world, and soon I must return to my own.”
“You would be welcome to stay here forever, Richard.”
Richard considered that.  “I would find it a pleasure  to stay here--in many ways I would prefer it to my own world.  But I would be unable to earn my way here.  I have no trade that would be useful here.”
“You will need no trade; your privileges will include a salary.  None in the Mage class have a trade, but we put our Mage powers to many uses to help the people.  You have powers too, Richard.  Stay here and use your science and knowledge to help us make things that will add to our comfort and pleasure, and you will more than earn your way.”
“It’s a big decision,” said Richard.  “If I may, I’d like to think it over and let you know in the morning.”

He paced the floor as he thought it over.  If he decided to stay, it would be final.  Sooner or later the authorities--or vandals-- would dismantle his lab, leaving him here forever.
There were many things indeed that he could teach the people of Dawnlight--everything from pendulum clocks to solar power.  Terra’s air was clean and its waters clear and sparkling.        
And, of course, there was Salenna.
But the reality was that Earth was his home, his place of birth.  He had many friends there.  His work was there.   His hopes and dreams were there; there was still so much more that he wanted to do--including perfecting his teleportation machine.  After much agonizing, he made his decision.
                    
As he entered the meeting hall, Salenna ran to meet him.  “Richard, I’ve heard of the motion the governor plans to present at today’s meeting.”  She took his hand.  “Come, I will lead you to your place of honor.”
“First I’ve got to find Rohan,” he said, “and tell him of my decision.”                                    
She smiled and squeezed his hand.  “I’ve already told him,” she said.  “I could not wait.  Last night I read the cards to divine your decision; they told me that you will stay in Dawnlight.”