Stars are such noble entities. And yet, they are nothing more than balls of incandescent gas. They are so familiar, yet so distant as to be incomprehensible. But though the skies change as the year passes, the stars themselves remain constant.

Elly Chambers could be called solitary. She preferred "loner." It seemed a more appropriate term; it better defined her outlook on life. Her mom used to disapprove of Elly's self-inflicted isolation. Elly's dad, on the other hand, understood her need to be alone. He never complained when she was out by herself, even when she was younger. He trusted her judgment. Dad knew he didn't have to worry about Elly — especially since his work had gotten harder since mom died, and he was rarely home anymore.

Elly was seventeen now. She had her mom's car, and a volunteer job at the local library. She knew how glad her dad was that she didn't hide at home. Being a loner was one thing, hiding from the world was something else entirely.

Elly took a long look in the mirror as she prepared to leave. Not much to be proud of: pale blue eyes behind metal-rimmed glasses, set into a face framed by dark blond hair. She was trying to get it longer — it was almost to the middle of her back, and it was just short of where she wanted it to be. Black jeans shorts, a tied-dyed t-shirt, and sandals. With a wink at herself, she grabbed the duffel and locked the door. Normally dad only gave her enough gas money to get around town. He was afraid she'd take off one day and not come back for a month. He was right, of course.

However, today was special. It was the beginning of a long weekend, the first summer holiday, and dad had given her the best birthday gift anyone could have thought of — a single room at a B&B on the National Seashore, and the money to enjoy herself, by herself. Her dad's friend owned the Gull’s Nest, and that meant her dad wouldn't worry about her. Pretty tame, really, but it was her first real independence, and Elly was determined to relish it.

The drive to the coast was long, but Elly loved to drive. She located the Gull’s Nest around midafternoon. Tristan, the owner, helped Elly get settled.

"Dinner's at eight. If you're late, you don't eat. Your dad only paid me to feed you that once, so I'm assuming he funded you for the rest." Tris announced, with a good-natured smile. "I know you're celebrating a birthday, and I also know your father well enough to expect you'll do it quietly. There's horseback-riding down the road, and shops in town. The beach is mine, and private, so it's nice and quiet. I've got no other guests this early in the season. So you've got the run of the place, girl — take advantage of it, it doesn't happen often." Tris bustled off to some chore, leaving Elly to herself.

Elly headed straight for the beach. She had only seen the ocean once before, when she was about five. All she remembered was immense blue, white and black — stars on the water on a full-moon night. She had been convinced there was nothing more beautiful on Mother Earth.

The beach was rocky and deserted. And impossibly long — Elly had never imagined the size of the beach. The blue-green ocean roared with life beyond the ken of mere mortals, and Elly felt incredibly small.

She waded up to her knees, and let the water wash past her. It "felt" good, like all her cares were going out with the tide. Elly waded back to the shore and sat down to watch the ocean's dance.

Watching was one of Elly's favorite pastimes; she could sit and regard something for hours, and come away with a new understanding of the thing. And she could do this so unobtrusively that the most timid deer would stand nearby — and no human ever worried, while "being watched." The ocean, being eternally changed, fascinated her. She barely noticed when the sky began to darken.

There was a crash of light and sound, so sudden it knocked Elly back. When she regained her feet, there was a body lying in the sand about ten feet from her. The setting sun framed the inert form. Elly was certain that no one had been on the beach but her — until now. She didn't know exactly what to do about mysteriously appearing bodies.

Before she could think of anything that seemed appropriate, the body moved. Pushed itself up on hands and knees, and stood up. He — she could see now that it was a young man, maybe a couple years her senior — didn't see her at first, because he was regarding the sky above the ocean in abject amazement. That was the only term Elly could put to the expression on his face.

The face was one Elly would have no qualms about watching. Backlit by the setting sun, the young man looked like something out of an urban fantasy — a High Elf in jeans, minus the ears and height. His hair was black, with silver highlights, and it reached past his hips. Elly knew women who would kill for hair like that.

It took only a few seconds for Elly to take in what she saw, but it was long enough for the young man to notice her. He shifted to face her with the grace of a cat. The intensity of his violet gaze was almost painful.

"What is this place?" His voice was almost inaudible.

"National Seashore, South Carolina." Elly stammered, surprised by his vehemence, as much as she had been by his sudden appearance.

"National ...Seashore? What is Seashore?" he asked quizzically.

"This is. It's a beach, like any other along the coast, but it's under government protection. So no one makes a parking lot out of it," Elly replied, feeling as confused as he looked.

"A beach? A coast? Those sound like things out of a fairy-tale. What is wrong with the sky in this fairy world? What causes these colors? Where is the dome?"

"Dome? What dome? Do you mean the civic center?"

"All cities are domed," he quoted, "to go beyond the confines of the dome is certain death." He glanced away. "Could I perhaps have gone beyond the dome? Is this what Outside is like?"

Elly recognized the scenario. In fact, she thought it was from a book she'd read. The main character in that book was severely agoraphobic, because his world was covered by domes (due to a certain lack of breathable atmosphere). She wondered momentarily if this guy had read the same book, except he sounded too serious to be faking. Elly was a good judge of character. And besides, there was the matter of that weird explosion.

"Well, this is outside, only we don't have much in the way of domes like you're talking about," she said finally.

"No domes? Where am I, then, that has beaches and so much water, but no domes?" It was an obviously rhetorical remark.

"I think we answered that already," Elly said slowly. "Who are you, anyway?"

The question took him by surprise. "Who am I? In this place of such miracles, you ask for my humble moniker?" He paused for a moment, as if unsure of the answer he was to give. "My name is Rion Sahe."

"Well, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance ...Ryan?" She wasn't sure of the pronunciation there. "My name is Elly Chambers."

"Rion, lady Elly. It requires a twist to the tongue, I know," he corrected.

"Sorry." Elly blushed. "Rion?" she tried again. He nodded.

"So what happened to you? Why is a lack of domes so surprising?" It took a lot of courage for Elly to ask that question.

"Last I remember, I was...” he trailed off thoughtfully. “The last thing I remember, I was in bed, at home, in my cubicle. I know something happened between then and now, but for the life of me, I can not recall the rest of the day." The violet eyes were again intense, but they were directed at empty space.

"What is that light, Elly?" Rion's head inclined toward a star, low on the horizon.

Elly blinked, and realized the sun was almost completely gone. The light was fading quickly, but the last rays reflected off the early­risen star. "That's Sirius. Part of Canis Major."

"How can it be serious? Is there some danger in that light? Is it a warning signal?" Rion asked worriedly.

Elly laughed. "S-I-R-I-U-S. It's a star. It belongs to Canis Major, a constellation."

"What is a star?"

"You would ask one of the fundamental physical questions of the universe, wouldn't you?" Elly replied wryly.

As she reflected on Rion's question, and on the basic strangeness of her present situation, Elly found a quote running through her head. She couldn't remember who had said it, but that rarely mattered with quotes she'd heard.

"The stars, familiar yet alone, are the greatest, most accurate guide for Man throughout eternity." she whispered to herself. Some part of her brain obviously thought it was relevant, but Elly wasn't sure why.

The sun was now completely down. Elly shifted position, suddenly aware that she hadn't moved since Rion had first spun on her. She was losing circulation in her legs, so she began to pace. Rion's oddly-hued gaze followed her, but he remain silent.

"What is a star?" she asked the ocean, trying to come up with some explanation that had credibility. She knew the dictionary definition, but how could she explain it to someone who has no frame of reference?

Finally, she turned back to Rion. "You've asked me for a definition of something so common, it needs no definition. It's kinda like trying to explain what the Moon is ...but you don't know that either." Elly cut herself off. "All right, it's like trying to define a chair. You do know what a chair is?"

"It's something to sit on, so you don't have to sit on the floor."

"Right. Well, describing stars is, for me, kinda like that."

He dipped his head in response, as his eye was caught by another denizen of the celestial sphere. "Does that star have a name?"

Elly looked in the direction he indicated. "Not that I know of. Astronomers probably have some numerical title for it, but it's not one of the named stars."

“How many stars are there, then?"

"Nobody knows. The number's just too big to count. There are more stars in the sky than people living under the Sun." Elly's reply was distant.

"Sun?" Rion asked blankly.

Elly buried her face in her hands. It was bad enough that she was in the company of a guy with hair Lady Godiva'd kill for. It was worse that he appear out of nowhere, unconscious, in the middle of a deserted beach. It absolutely failed comprehension that he was from a domeworld, which of course didn't exist. Elly's instincts said he was speaking true, but he didn't even know what the Sun was, let alone any kind of star. She wasn't sure if he even had a concept of day and night. And the only words she could use to describe any of what he asked about involved more concepts that Elly never realized weren't understood. It was just too much. All she wanted was a weekend to herself. She didn't want to think about what he dad would say if he ever found out about this. It was unbelievable.

"Elly?" Rion's worried voice interrupted her reverie. Elly looked up to find him standing right next to her. "Is something wrong?"

She laughed. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just standing on the beach talking to someone who can't possibly be real. No offense intended, Rion."

"I think I understand. I would be confused too, in your place." He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Do you really believe I am not real? I know I must sound the fool, but I assure you — I have no reason to lie to you. And you can feel my hand, can you not? I am certainly here."

Elly nodded slowly. "You're certainly here, all right. But how did you get here?"

"Truth be told, I don't know. I said before I could not remember today. I ...there are gaps in my memory. For some reason your stars sound important to me. Though as a domer, I've never heard the word before." Rion moved past Elly, and stared at the moonlight on the waves. "I don't mean to cause trouble, but I feel I need to know where I am in order to discover why I'm here — and how to get home. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I think so." Elly wasn't entirely sure she did, but she was willing to try. She squared her shoulders and positioned herself directly in front of Rion. "Allow me to tell you about the stars. Mind if we walk?"

"Not at all, milady." Rion looked down at her, a smile appearing on his lips.

They walked down the beach a ways before Elly began. "Do you know night and day?" she asked, to get a starting point.

"Night is when the lights go down, when the world sleeps. Day is when the proper world functions." Rion replied, sounding puzzled, but he did not press the issue.

"Okay, do you know why the difference?"

"Tradition? People are used to sleeping at a certain time."

"Let me ask something else. If you go far enough east or west, does the time of night and day change? I mean, do the clocks change?"

"Well...yes. I always thought it was just to differentiate locations. What do zones have to do with stars?" he asked, the curiosity getting the better of him.

"A lot, actually. Bear with me, 'kay?" Elly paused. "There's more than tradition behind night and day. Your world wasn't always domed, I'm sure. Your tradition dates from that time."

"When the world was open?"

"If you want to call it that. Do you remember the red ball of light in the sky, just after you… arrived?" Elly waited until he nodded, then continued. "Well, that's called the Sun. During the daytime, it's like a yellow ball of light. It's what causes day. When the sun passes out of our view, that's night. Absence of light, and all that. The time between, the sun looks red 'cause of the atmosphere or something. But that's beside the point.

"The sun is a technically a star, but from our point of view, it seems like something different. The world we live on is called a planet, which orbits the sun in space. It's round, like a ball, and the orbit is an ellipse, due to the sun's gravitational pull. I assume you know what gravity is?" Elly looked up at Rion hopefully, moving slightly towards him as the lapping waves brushed her feet.

"That Newston character, right? What goes up must come down? Yeah, I've read about it. So it's gravity that keeps the planet in orbit around the sun?" He stumbled a bit over the unfamiliar terms. Elly's mind raced, her eyes wide, as she realized the significance of the reference. Newston was an obvious bastardization of Newton, meaning that Rion was most likely from an alternate earth. Either he personally got the name wrong, or it was different there, but it was essentially the same. The idea was not something she had considered.

Before he could ask what was wrong, she gathered her thoughts and started again. "That about says it. Anyway, the sun and the stars are actually balls of flame — hydrogen gas and all sorts of other gases, all fired up to temperatures that boggle the mind. D'you know anything about working metals? You know how hot it has to be to melt iron? That kind of heat is ice compared to the heat of the stars."

"How can those little pinpoints of light be that hot? Wouldn't that melt the world?"

"They're enormously far away from here. You know how big the sun looked, compared to Sirius? The sun is a hundred million miles from here, approximately. The closest star (which is not Sirius) is more than twenty-four trillion miles from here. That's, what, two hundred times as far?" Elly fought to remember her last astronomy class. She knew the distances in powers-of-ten and exponents, but that kind of talk would confuse Rion more than he was, and using the actual numbers made it more accessible, if not more believable.

"You can't mean that! There's not that much space in the world."

"There isn't. The world is just this little planet. And our planet may be 12,700 and change kilometers in diameter, but it's nothing, not when you think about the vastness of the galaxy, the universe. It took scientists hundreds of years to convince people that we're not the center of the universe."

"I've heard that before, it's a cliché. I always thought universe was an archaic term for the world."

"Well, the universe is the world, sort of, on a gigantic scale. As far as we know, it's infinite. It's all of space; we're part of the universe, but we're only an infinitesimal part. The galaxy we live in, the Milky Way, is a major grouping of stars that's just a small part of the universe. And we're a small part of the galaxy."

"It seems impossible to comprehend anything that big." Rion's awed expression was directed at the sky.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that the only limit is the limit of man's imagination? The universe may not be quite known in full, but it can be both believed and proved."

"There is more to the worlds than even imagination can conceive of,” Rion said, almost to himself. Elly, looking straight at him, saw a change come over his face. His eyes seemed darker, deeper somehow. She almost thought it was different person standing next to her, it was so profound. It was as if Rion was two different people. Most of the time he seemed lost and confused, then he'd come out with this intensity...

"What?" she asked, more to get her mind off that train of thought than for any other reason.

Rion looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time. "I'm sorry... I almost remembered something. It was important, I think. But I lost it," he sighed. "Where were we?"

"I think I was telling you about the universe. Gods, but it's weird trying to explain this..." Elly smiled sadly, shaking her head. She turned away from Rion and began walking again. "Anyway, this world is called Earth, which I'm sure you know already. It's not the only planet that orbits the sun — there are eight others in our solar system. And before you ask, solar system means the group of planets that orbits the sun. There are three other terrestrial planets besides this one — terrestrial meaning solid, like this one. Those are Mercury, Venus and Mars. Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus are jovian planets — they're made up of gases. Pluto, the farthest planet is neither terrestrial nor jovian, and astronomers aren't quite sure what category it is. They're all..."

"Two questions,” Rion interrupted. "One: are there any people on these other planets? Two: how do these astronomers you keep talking about know what's on these planets, if they're so far away? I mean, have people visited them?"

"Well, no," Elly admitted, "We don't have the technology yet to take people any farther than the moon. Although that's a matter of opinion... Anyway, there's no evidence of life on any of the other planets in our solar system. Farther than that, no one knows. Personally I think there has to be something out there, but I can't say what."

“Then how do you know all this stuff about planets and stars and stuff?" There was open skepticism in his voice.

"Do you know how gravity works?" Elly demanded.

"Well, no."

"My point. Actually, that's not quite fair. We have satellites, machines that go flying through the solar system and send back data about these things. But when they were discovered, it was all math and logic. And telescopes helped, too."

"Telescopes? I thought those were rifle sights." Rion said. "But maybe that's just local jargon."

"Well, they have telescoping sights for guns, yes. What I'm talking about works on the same principle — making distant things clear — only on a larger scale." Elly replied. "But you've got an idea of it.

"Don't ask me to explain the math. I barely understand general two plus two stuff. The calculations involved in any science simply make me dizzy," she said with a grin.

"I wouldn't understand it anyway, I'm sure." He returned the grin. "As someone I used to know once said: I am not a math major."

"Likewise. Where was I? How do we know these things... well I think I've answered that one to the best of my ability. Any questions before I jump back to the original topic?"

"Yes, actually... What was the original topic?"

Elly closed her eyes, standing perfectly still. "The very first question you asked me was 'What is this place?'" she said, opening her eyes. "But the original topic was 'What is a star?'"

Rion blinked. "How did you...?"

"My dad calls it total recall. If I stop and think, I can remember almost anything I've ever experienced."

"I'm impressed. You could repeat our entire conversation?"

Elly nodded. "But that would take way too long. Shall we return to the subject of the celestial sphere?"

"The what?"

"The heavens, the night sky, whatever you want to call it. It's the place of the stars. Now, I'm going to go a little fast here, so just listen, 'kay?

“The earth is a sphere, which rotates on its axis, causing portions of the planet to be out of sight of the sun for certain periods of time each day. This rotation causes night and day. The stars are always out, but the light of the sun during the day makes it impossible to see them.

"Night is when the stars are visible. The patterns of stars appear to change because the earth orbits the sun — this orbit defines the year. It takes one year for the earth to go fully around the sun. The earth's axis is at a tilt, which causes the seasons. I don't think you have seasons, but that's beside the point.

"The sun and the other stars are balls of flaming gases, which vary in color, size, and mass due to their age. Some stars are red, some are blue, some white, some yellow, and so on. Sometimes, two stars orbit each other in a binary system. It is assumed that most stars have planetary systems orbiting them; however we have no concrete data on that theory. Nor do we know if such systems contain life.

"Our frame of reference consists of our solar system, our galaxy, nearby galaxies, and so on. We have recognized the stars in our skies for years, in patterns called constellations, which help in identifying specific stars. The compass directions are based on magnetic north, which is located at night by sighting the star Polaris, called the North Star, in the constellation Ursa Minor. The constellations are generally named after characters in ancient myths, because the ancients believed the stars to be representations of their heroes," Elly finished, "I doubt you got all of that. I just called it up and wanted to get it out before we got sidetracked again. Did that help any?"

"Much, actually. I think I actually got most of that. Could you repeat the part about the constellations?" Rion asked, his face that of one who is trying hard not to look awed.

Elly rattled off the last paragraph she'd spoken, word for word.

"Thanks."

Elly hit the light on her watch, suddenly realizing something she should have remembered. "Oh great good gods! It's after eight! Tris's gonna kill me!"

"What?" Rion asked, confused.

"Dad paid for my dinner tonight, and I've missed it. Oh, well... are you hungry, perchance?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah. I don't think I've had anything to eat for a while."

"In that case, follow me." Elly started back up the beach, towards the Gull’s Nest. They could talk more over a meal, and it would probably do them both some good. She didn't know the town, but it was a tourist trap, and there was always something good in those places, if you know where to look.

"Where are we going?" Rion asked, coming up beside her.

"Into town, to find a restaurant and get something to eat. Is that okay by you?"

"Sounds fine — but I don't have any creds."

"Any what?" Elly asked, "Oh, do you mean something to pay with? Don't worry — I'll fund you."

"I can't let you do that. You don't even know me!" Rion protested.

"Cut the chivalry, boyo. I know you well enough to wander the beach alone with you. Why can't I buy you a meal?"

"I think I'm outvoted," he said ruefully.

As they walked up the beach, Elly prodded Rion to talk about his homeworld. It was fascinating to hear, yet also sad. He spoke of a world ruined by war, trying to find its footing. Education was limited, at best. History was virtually unknown. Rion knew very little about the origin of the domes, only that they were constructed about a hundred years previous, due to radiation and unbreathable air.

The government was incredibly restrictive, especially on matters of population and employment. There were a lot of slums, people who didn't meet the criteria for employment, who slipped through the cracks. Rion was safely middle-class; he had living space and a cred-line. His exact job was one of his memory gaps; it was some sort of security position.

"There's little living in that world. It's more of an existence. There is no joy, no excitement, no light." He spoke in the reflective tone Elly found so odd. The tone contained more wisdom than a young man, not quite twenty years old, ought to have.

They reached the drive. "That's my car." Elly said, pointing at the black Isuzu Trooper II on the left. "Used to be my mom's, but she doesn't need it anymore."

"Why not?" Rion asked, catching the somber tone Elly used.

"Mom died two years ago. Dad's always at work, so he gave it to me so I could get around."

"I'm sorry."

Elly shook her head, "Old news." She climbed into the driver's seat, and unlocked the passenger door. As soon as Rion was in, she pulled out into the road. They drove in silence for a time, and then Elly pulled off at a seafood place. Her dad always said the best was to be had at the source, and they were at the beach.

They talked about many things over dinner, avoiding any topic that would seem out of place. If Rion was confused, he didn't let on... although there were a few times Elly noticed him waiting for her to do something before he tried it. By tacit agreement, they would decide what to do when there was no one else around.

As they drove back to the B&B, Winds of Change played on the radio. Elly decided the song was an omen. After tonight, she knew, the world would never seem the same again. Even if Rion found his way home at that very instant, she would be irrevocably changed by the past few hours. Rion had said there was little life in his world. Elly knew that was true of her world as well; until this evening, she had been merely existing. Possibly there was true magic in the universe — what else would cause a person to appear out of thin air? But the shift in perception had been caused by the simple magics exhibited in Rion's discovery of the stars. The awe, the new understanding — that was the real magic, and the recognition of that fact was the greatest change.

As she parked the car, something occurred to her. She checked her memory, located the reference, and discovered her hunch was correct. She turned to look at Rion, who was about to get out of the car. "Wait."

He looked back at her, hand on the door handle.

"I just remembered something. You're from a domeworld, right? That constitutes a class-one agoraphobic tendency, by default. How come you're not seriously freaked by all the open space? Something doesn't scan, here." Elly couldn't help the accusation.

Rion was startled. "I don't know," he said, looking away. "Maybe it's got something to do with how I got here. I don't know how I did that, either."

"I'm sorry, Rion, I don't think you're lying. It just doesn't scan."

He didn't reply. The car door shut, and Elly watched him walk slowly back to the beach. She ran after him.

"I think you're right," he said as she caught up with him. "There's more here than I thought. It doesn't seem like a simple out-of-place anymore.

"I remember that the domeworld has no concept of anything that would cause...my sudden arrival. Teleportation of any sort is as much fairy tale there as it is here. But I also remember knowing such as everyday happenings," Rion admitted. "I do not know what this means."

"I wish I could help you." Elly shook her head. "But all I know is the fiction. Some of it's based on fact, to be sure, but it's basically logical extrapolation to a level that will probably not be reached on this world. Our physics doesn't allow for it."

"Mayhap your physics needs some adjustment." Rion replied absently.

Elly's reply was the confused expression she wore.

"What I mean is that your laws of physics may not allow it, but your physical world does. Otherwise I couldn't have come here. At least, that seems right. I don't really know."

"That makes sense." Elly agreed.

"I wish," he said sarcastically. Then he suddenly whirled to face her. "That's it! I think I know how to figure some of this out."

"What?"

"Logic." Rion grinned. "You can recall anything. Think back over what you've seen tonight. Use that logic you've discovered in fiction. Tell, me what you know about me."

Elly was still confused, but she complied. Gradually, she realized what he was trying to do. He was looking for anomalies — things that might trigger his memory.

"There was an explosion when you appeared. You were unconscious. The sunset amazed you — it was the first thing you saw when you awoke. You asked 'what is this place?', and called my response a fairy-tale. You asked about the domes. You kept acting like it was a dream, until I asked you what happened to you. You were angry at not knowing, and it seemed like someone else was there. Then you were back in the dream world, asking about the stars. I explained as best I could.

"You didn't get angry or lost when I freaked out. Like you've had to explain your being there before. But you didn't know why the difference between night and day. You recognized the theory of gravity, and the man who formulated that law, but the name was slightly different from the one I know. That indicates an alternate-earth pattern. You had trouble comprehending the size of the universe, but then you were that someone else again, talking about the worlds. Plural. Like you're used to living in more than one. Then it was back to questions. You understood it on the first try. You were only confused about constellations."

"There's something important in that." Rion interrupted, "Something about the myths. But go on..."

"Okay. You got very chivalric on me when I offered to buy dinner. You don't know the history of your world very well — but you knew the gravity theory. You don't know what you do as a job.

"Then there was that someone else again. You spoke objectively about the world you live in — which is very difficult to manage. You had very little trouble with the restaurant, or the food, which was seafood. You didn't pass out or run screaming for the nearest building at all the open space. You barely blinked at being on a beach. You didn't notice anything wrong until I pointed it out to you. There's no teleporting on your world, yet you know what it is, and have a double-memory on the subject. You considered the lack of possibility in the laws of physics as a flaw in the law, not as an impossibility of the happening. You know some of the theory of dimensional travel and teleportation, although you don't remember it." Elly finished, now thoughtful.

"And what does this tell you about me?" Rion asked. He had sat down in the sand, his long black hair trailing behind him like a cape.

"You've got a weird mental block. You're used to dimensional travel. You've no ties to the domeworld you remember, or you'd have reacted to the absence of them. You don't like being helpless. You know more than you think you do." Elly said. "You're also honest, and a nice guy."

"Well, thank you, milady." Rion smiled momentarily. "But what does that mean?"

Elly shook her head, trying to think.

"I think you're right. At least, it sounds logical. I know that while you were talking about the stars, I felt like I was being reminded of something, not learning it anew. But at the same time it was new to me. I don't know if you can understand it. I don't think I do," Rion said.

"That would fit with the mental block theory," Elly said, "But it doesn't explain why you have such a block. Is it self-imposed, due to extreme stress or whatever, or is it result of outside influence? And why is it there in the first place? To protect you?"

"I don't know!" Rion shouted in frustration.

"I do," a deep voice said, from behind Elly. She knew that voice.

"Dad?" Elly spun around to see a familiar form silently crossing the sand. "What are you doing here?"

Even the darkness failed to bleach the red-gold ponytail and beard the tall man wore. His clothes were, by contrast, shades of black. Only the fact that Elly recognized the outfit kept her from thinking of old spy novels.

"It's a long story, kitling. Simply put, I'm here to help the young man. It seems you've been doing that quite well." Elly's dad turned to Rion, who was now standing. "My name is Maclin Chambers. Most people call me Mac.”

"Rion Sahe, sir. You said you knew what my problem is?"

"I do indeed. Elly was right when she said you have an enforced mental block. It was put there to protect you; apparently, your accident caused the block to shift, or expand somehow, and you've forgotten things you should know. When you disappeared, they tracked you. You're in my jurisdiction, so I was told to find you and make sure you were safe, and to clear up any confusion the block might have caused. Looks like Elly's been doing just about that.

"I have to admit, I was very surprised to find you two together. The coincidence is astounding. Then again, in this business, I should know better." Mac grinned ruefully.

"Exactly what business is that, dad? And how did you get here so fast?" Elly asked.

"Elly, I've been meaning to tell you for a long time. When your mom died, I should have told you then. But it's always safer not to know," he replied, "I know I've never really told you what my job is, but I also know you don't like unanswered questions. What do you think my job is?"

"I always thought you were a sort of security guard. That was the only thing that would explain the weird hours and the secrecy."

"You're close, kitling. I'm a gate guard, of a sort. The gates I guard aren't your everyday entranceways..."

"You're a GateKeeper!" Rion interrupted, excited. "I remember that!"

"Aye, I am that." Mac replied.

"Dimensional Gates?" Elly asked.

"Yes, kit. I watch over a segment of the dimensional crossways, and make sure nothing goes where it's not supposed to. Do you remember anything else, Rion?"

"Not anything that makes any sense. I'm more confused now than I was when I got here."

"I'm not surprised. You're not a domer, although you're thinking like one. You're a traveler, of a sort. You were on the domeworld to gather information, and your mind was blocked so that you didn't give yourself away before it was time. But something broke early, causing you to give yourself away. Do you remember the name Cassidy?"

“I think so..." Rion began. He shook his head violently, long hair almost whipping Elly in the face. "It's no use, I can't remember!"

"Don't try so hard!" Mac ordered. "You're just confusing yourself. Let's try something else. D' you remember Orion and the Scorpion?"

Elly was surprised by her dad's reference to the Greek myth. Neither constellation was even in the sky at this time of year. Then she noticed Rion's face.

The expression was one Elly would never forget. All the frustration and confusion died in an instant. The dark-haired young man now wore an expression that was almost unfathomable. It was as if the wisest sage in the world now stood before them. The dark hints she'd noticed were realized. His stance was more assured, his eyes blazed. Elly shrank back involuntarily against her dad, who wrapped his arms around his daughter. Then it was over, and the young man Elly had met only hours earlier was back. His eyes still held an inner fire, but it was safer, somehow.

"I have my memories," he said breathlessly. "Gods' faith, I have my memories. I owe you both more than my life."

Elly pushed away from her dad and threw her arms round Rion. "I'm so happy for you! This is terrific!"

He returned the hug jubilantly. "I thank you the most, Elly."

"Without Dad, we'd still be chasing ghosts," she replied, embarrassed.

"Yes, but without you I would never have kept my sanity until your dad arrived." Then his face darkened. "However, with memories returned, I remember my obligations. There is something I have to finish."

Rion backed a few steps away, and vanished. His voice echoed across the beach. "Goodbye, and thank you."

"Do you think we'll see him again?" Elly asked, watching the sun rise over the ocean, turning water to fire.

"I don't see why not." Mac replied.

The night sky vanished in the promise of a new day. Elly sat on the rocks beside her dad, knowing it was a metaphor for her new life. She had found out many truths last night, not a few of them after Rion had gone. She would follow his advice, and live this life, not just exist.

"What was so important about the stars, anyway? Why Orion and the Scorpion?" she asked, after a time.

"Rion's obligation involved stopping the ruin of the domeworld." Mac replied. "His major opponent in that was a gentleman by the name of Scorpius.”

Elly laughed. "How ironic. If he'd showed up in March, he would have had no problems at all."

"Why's that?"

"Dad, think about your star charts. Orion isn't visible at this time of year."

"It's been a long time since I've bothered with the stars, kitling."

"Then we'll have to do something about that, won't we?"