She looked around. Everyone was staring dazed, trying to get the sound out of their minds. She looked down. The events of the last few months had caused her weight to plummet, which was just as well, since she seemed to be in a tight outfit of patched squares and heavy makeup.

"Oh, no, we’ve had enough of Harlequins, I reckon." The clothes reformed, became jeans and a fairly nice blouse. She looked down again.

Rationally, the creatures that used to be the Harlequins strongly reminded Jake of the grotesques on Du Cray. They’d even been mocked in stone, he thought. But irrationally, there was a vague association with the animated twos BBC2 tends to put on just before the program starts. Something about the shape of the knee-high figures, perhaps.

The place was suddenly in uproar. Messengers yapped their triumph, the slightly more human factions yelling in fury and amazement. The knights rose as one, and descended on the miserable scurrying creatures.

"Milton," called Silver softly.

Milton skidded to a halt, a scissors-like sword, like a Saracen weapon, resting on the back of one clown. He looked up at Silver like a dog not sure whether he was due for a bone or a kicking. The other knights picked up on this, and watched Silver. Never taking her eyes of her admirer, Silver held out her hand. He took it, lowering the weapon, and the clowns milled around, confused.

"Too many people," said Milton softly.

"Exactly. Too many people have died already."

"What now?" called Watson clearly. There was a general mutter from everyone else. Milton still had Silver’s hand. She raised her voice. "I can’t tell you that. Nobody can. The Harlequins tried for a Balance, and look where that got them. All we have to do... all we have to do is live, just as much and as long as we can. Every cause, and every effect is up to us now."

The Lady in Grey resumed her voiceover.

"Well, there you have it. Silver, who doesn’t look as though she’ll be on her own much longer, has decreed it. Free will for all! It should be an exciting time for the whole dimension, from here I can see new alliances, cultural exchanges, new freedoms... I think the next six months, local time, will be extremely interesting ones."

"Amen," said Berric softly.

"I’m sorry about that. I had to stop you slaughtering the clowns."

"Hmm. Remind me why."

Silver tutted. "Because they were smaller and weaker than you. That’s fair, that is."

"No it’s not. I had an unexpected weakness."

Silver sighed. "I never asked for that."

"No."

Brenna climbed up the slope. "There seems to be a party going on. No idea who started it. And you-" she poked a gauntleted finger at Silver. "How dare you lead him on and then desert him in front of the entire dimension?"

"I have no compassion, Brenna. I can’t afford it any more."

Milton threw Silver a complicated look, but allowed Brenna to lead him off to the lights.

"Can I not leave you alone for five minutes before you’re trying to run off with someone else?"

"Graham! I’m glad I didn’t need security after all."

Her stepfather grinned. "Not that we were any good when we were needed. Every girl gets a knight in shining armour, does she?"

"Yeah. But most girls outgrow the need for one."

"Good news for the rest of us. At any rate, the Stargazer picked up the signal, and the grid beamed it all around Earth. The Harlequins are trapped and powerless."

"Not quite powerless. Graham, I wanted to ask you something. When I think of how my husband died, I’ve started thinking about a knife going in. But that’s not how he died."

"No. That was your natural father. When you were seven. Your mother and I thought you were too young to remember."

"Ah." Silver sat back, and looked up at the stars. "Not relevant to this business, but it’s good to know. Anyway, you’re better at Dadding, if there is such a word."

Graham chuckled. "I doubt there is. But I like it. Here comes the American boy. I’d better go."

Silver opened her mouth to protest, but her st- her father had already gone. Jake flopped down in his place.

"You okay?"

"You’ve got to be the first person that’s asked that. I’ll be fine, thanks."

"Well, all that Bell Cycle stuff came true. You rang the bell, and freed everyone-"

"But the Unity shattered me."

Jake put a cautious arm around her. "Sam?"

"Someone told you. I thought they had. The Cáirneach are notorious gossips."

"It wasn’t them. Are you sure there’s no way to get Sam back?"

"Yes." Silver’s voice was suddenly quiet. "You saw what happened to Adam."

"Adam wasn’t half-human, and he hadn’t only been in the Unity for a few weeks. Anyway, someone told me his Dad was an incredible person, and I know his Mom is."

Silver nearly smiled. "Thanks. But what if he’s better off where he is?"

"Do you love him?"

"Of course," she said sharply.

"Does the Unity love him?"

"It’s not that simple."

"Yes, it is." Jake looked directly at her. Something shifted in Silver’s expression.

"I couldn’t find him," she said softly. "I searched and searched, but I couldn’t find him."

"We’ll figure it out. If he’s them, then they’re not going to bother to hide themselves, are they?"

Silver thought for a moment. "We have the element of surprise..."

She stopped. Genetic memory and knightly training told her there was something up ahead. Cautiously, she loosened her weapon, a scimitar, and crept forward.

The clown wrapped itself around her throat, and two more slammed her arm against a wall until she dropped her weapon. A slightly bigger clown picked it up.

"Got to start somewhere."

Adwen twisted, crushing the clown on her throat against the wall. It fell with a squeal. She stamped on another one, hard, and there was a distressing crunching sound. Even hampered by the sheer numbers of her attackers, she twisted and kicked, and squeals filled the alley. The tickly feel of cold metal at her throat stopped her.

"The war’s over."

"Yes," replied the clown. "We won."

Adwen managed a smile. "Bet?"

A club descended on the lead clown’s stumpy back, and as he toppled another hand snatched the weapon and passed it back to Adwen. The clowns fled. Milton and Brenna smiled.

"Brenna, remind me who we were going to rescue?"

"Anyone who needs it?"

Milton nodded. "Good answer."

Adwen sighed. "They’re trapped, and angry. They could be a danger to the natives."

"The Cáirneach can deal with them, then."

Brenna shook her head. "Like Silver said, the Cáirneach are just too damn nice. Anyway, the clowns were always our responsibility."

"What are you saying?"

Adwen thought for a long moment. "Where the clowns are, we must be. I suggest we set up a garrison here, on Earth. In fact..."

© Naomi 'Ni' Claydon 2000. No copying without permission.