'Zaratorio: The Story Continues' is a political parable dedicated in general to everyone who believes in #PeaceinUkraine and who says #NoToWar. More specifically, it is written in support of the brave and generous women and men of Medecins Sans Fro...
Jennifer and Krystle have been researching Zaratorio's movements, collating their own data with reports from other chrono-researchers from around the world. They have concluded that their greatest enemy is hiding out in 'the far future', given the relatively long period that has elapsed since he was detected in known historical time.
Previously, Zaratorio had once seemed to be absent for about a month - thirty solar days - while this time there has been no record of his chrono-signature for twenty-one days. The time storm in the Middle Ages has abated, and there have been no reports of simulacra.
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Jennifer leans back in her chair and spins her old-fashioned paper notebook around on the desk in frustration.
'Perhaps we are missing something, Krystle . Does he have some way of communicating with Circe that we don't know about? Thought transference perhaps ...?'
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'And does he have some way of observing us, Jennifer, even though we have lost track of him?'
And so the midnight oil continues to burn in downtown Kyiv, with the SISP researchers still dangerously unaware that the great wizard is not only back in their own time, but in their own city.
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The following day, Paulina is making her way to the SISP headquarters from a brief shopping expedition. She is surprised to recognise Anna Roland in the company of a tall dark man who is wearing sunglasses, as they cross to the other side of the street. The Buzhan warrior says nothing, and continues to stroll along nonchalantly, although her intuition tells her that something very dangerous is about to happen.
***
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Anna feels the hairs rising on the back of her neck. It is not simply due to the fact that Zaratorio is muttering some form of incantation under his breath. All around her, there are flashing lights in every conceivable colour, and a dull roaring sound is getting stronger and stronger.
The investigative journalist braces herself as an orange fireball materialises about a hundred metres above the ground, and begins to make shallow looping movements over the street scene outside the SISP building. Left to her own devices, she would simply flee, but Zaratorio's hypnotic powers are forcing her to cross the street and speak to Paulina.
'Come with us, my dear. It is not safe to be here.'
Paulina hesitates, but the fireball's passes are getting closer to street level, and she can hear the sound of alarm bells ringing loudly in the SISP Command Hall.
