Where Two Or More Are Gathered Together...

The Following Chapters Are

Chapter One - Ganzelle's Predicament

The Lord Ganzelle, Master Mage of the Knights of the Round Table sat in his study in the officers quarters at Camelot looking out the window dejectedly. It was one of those days just made for feeling sorry for one's self; grey and overcast, the hint of snow in the air. The leaves had long ago fallen from the trees and covered the ground in a thick, brown and yellow blanket. The wind, always the enemy, was still blowing in its winter ferocity and the Castle was blanketed in the chill and draftiness that plagued all castles in the winter. The cause for his feelings was on the desk before him, plainly marked on his calender in bright red letters. There was an important anniversary coming up for he and his lady (at least it was important to them, such is the nature of love in its early flower) and he just been informed that it was his responsibility to oversee a critical function with a group of aspiring Mages in Windycliffs, one that he simply could not avoid. This responsibility would necessitate his absence from Camelot on the date of this anniversary.

He turned the matter over and over in his mind and once again came up with no solution. When he had spoken with Arianna, she had been understanding and supportive, but her disappointment had been evident in her eyes and in her voice. Of course she had encouraged him to go and fulfill his responsibilities and had said that they would celebrate their anniversary when he returned. Ganzelle knew that would be fine and perhaps even wonderful, but he was still disappointed and upset as he knew his dear Arianna was as well. Even discussing the matter with one of his friends, Sir Exegete Nicator de la Forge, usually a veritable fount of ideas and plans, had not turned up any alternatives. Exe had rushed off to the library more than an hour ago and had not yet returned. Ganzelle sighed and continued his gaze out the window. Sometimes the burdens he bore seemed to be entirely unfair and horribly inconvenient.

A sharp rap at the door startled him, so deep was his brooding. Ganzelle looked over toward the door and frowned. His personal servant, out in the antechamber knew to allow no interruptions when he was in these moods. The rap came once again and then door opened and his manservant peeked around the edge of the door. Bannor, Exe's man-at-arms, almost winced when he saw Ganzelle's impatience.

"Pardon Milord, if you please" he began meekly.

Ganzelle nearly smiled at that. The picture of this huge man, easily two meters tall, broad as a barn door and well over 250 pounds speaking meekly to anyone was almost comical.

"I am sorry to disturb Milord, but my Master bids thee come to the library at thy pleasure?" Bannor went on, obviously unsure of the response that he would receive. Ganzelle's temper was legendary in the castle and a number of the servants had spent time as various forms of animal an plant life as a result of crossing him at the wrong time. (Of course he always turned them back and made up for the inconvenience generously, but the experience was a bit rattling all the same). Bannor himself had spent a harrowing afternoon as a fat young hen not a year back. Trying to avoid the cooks and hiding from roosters was an experience he was not anxious to repeat.

Ganzelle's own manservant was a philosophical soul and had just laughed when Bannor had come and said that he needed to speak with Lord Ganzelle. Raban himself had spent time, among other things, as a cat, six breeds of dog, a half cat/half dog, a wart hog, a parrot, a goat, a donkey, an aardvark, a coral snake (guess who Ganzelle was mad at that time?), as a chamber pot (fortunately remaining unused), and as the rear portion of a horse (an admittedly unusual transformation even for Ganzelle), and as 14 different varieties of house plant. The worst occasion was when Ganz had transformed him into a bear rug and left him in front of his office fireplace for three days. The flying sparks were still a vivid memory that visited Raban in the night at times. Of course, Ganzelle had heartily apologized and made compete amends each for each incident, and as a result Raban was quite possibly the wealthiest manservant in Neverwinter. Besides, he had been with Ganzelle since the earliest days and loved him dearly, willing to bear a few inconveniences for the sake of that love. He knew of other servants in the realms who were far less well off, and were treated far worse than he. As far as Raban was concerned it was a fair trade off!

Ganzelle looked at Bannor and sighed. "Relax Bannor" he said gruffly. "Tell your master that I'll be along directly" he continued and dismissed a relieved & grateful Bannor with a wave of his hand. He took another look out the window and finished his cup of tea, now barely lukewarm in a single swallow. he drummed his fingers on the desktop while he mused a bit more on his situation. "Somehow, there must be a way to resolve this situation" he thought. Ganzelle was one who felt his obligations deeply, both professionally and especially personally. From time to time those two priorities conflicted and this was one of those times. "I hate it when stuff like this happens" he muttered as he stood to his feet. "Ah well.." he sighed as he turned to the door. "Might as well see what Exe wants" he thought as he left his office and headed out of his personal area, and down the marble corridor toward the KORT library.

Chapter Two - This Should'a Been Warning Enough...

The Great KORT Library at Camelot was perhaps the most wonderful library in the realms. Even Lord Nasher's own personal library didn't exceed it for the sheer number of books, parchments, papyri, codices and papers it had. There were majuscules and minuscules gathered from centuries prior. There was also a surprising number of original autographs from great writers of the past reflecting a broad range of topics. There was even a number of rock etchings from the ancient past, found in caves near Luskan. Scholars came from all over the realms to do research in the Great Library. Of course, the largest section was the magic section, with various and sundry histories, accounts, spell books, and spell research papers packed on the shelves. This was a strictly private section, open only to those who sat at the Round Table, and those authorized by the Arch-Mage or The Guild Master to use it. The door was bound by deep magicks that allowed only those select few through the portal. Any unauthorized who entered found themselves transported to into a privy near the stables with an alarm sounding to announce their unauthorized entry.

It was here that Lord Ganzelle came in response to the summons by his friend, Sir Exegete. Placing his palms on either side of the portal, he murmured the proper words and then entered the Great Library's Magic Room. The normally musty, wise smell of the Library was even more pronounced in here, as was the telltale scent of countless magical incantations. Ganzelle ran his finger lovingly over the row of books in the shelves near the door. Researching new spells was a favorite pastime of his, a pastime that he had been able to spend entirely too little time involved in lately. He read the familiar names on the spines of the ancient tomes with reverence. Enotskcalb, Dumara, Constantole, Regammin, Bellaleel, Gandalf, Iniduoh, Stigiman...; all Master Sorcerers from the past, most now long dead, their spell books and personal papers preserved here for posterity. The temptation was strong for Ganzelle to select a book and settle down in the Library's comfortable leather chairs and read a while.

Several servants moved quietly among the stacks going about various librarian-type duties, each pausing a moment to incline their heads and knuckle their foreheads in a respectful salute to the Mage. Ganzelle smiled at each and waved them on about their particular businesses. Ganzelle looked about the room and finally spotted Exegete moving around in the newer section of the collection, one he had begun himself dedicated to the works of some of the great Illusionists of the past.

Exe had taken great pains to gather the materials that were presently a part of the Illusionist collection. He took every opportunity to add materials and spell books, virtually all matter of writings that bore on his favorite subject. He was, as far as Ganzelle could see, deeply engrossed in one of his recent acquisitions, a thick tome he had found in a Drac's horde deep in the south woods just a scant week or two ago. Ganzelle walked over toward Exe, his footsteps hushed in the think carpet that covered the floor. Poor Exe nearly jumped out of his chair when he glanced up and saw Ganzelle standing over him with an amused look on his face!

"Sheesh!" Exe exclaimed, hand over his frantically beating heart, a flushed look coming over his features. "You nearly had to call the medics!" he finished.

Ganzelle laughed. "Now you don't need a holiday this year" he said cheerfully. "What're you reading there?" he asked curiously.

"Whew!" Exe said, taking a sip from the beverage that was set carefully nearby. "My cardiologist won't be too happy with you" he said dryly. He took a deep breath, and flipped the cover of the book he was reading over and showed it to Ganzelle.

"The Exploits & Accomplishments of Sebboh and Nivlac" read Ganzelle from the ornately embossed leather cover, after donning reading glasses that he perched on the tip of his nose. "Never head of them" he concluded, looking over the top rims of the glasses at Exe.

"Really?" Exe said. "They were some fairly well known adventurer/mages that lived about the time of the Great Illusionist Nosaj Xof" he explained, obviously disappointed that Ganzelle didn't recognize the names. "It's quite an interesting book" he added.

"Nosaj Xof?" Ganzelle said, scratching his chin. "Wasn't he that brilliant scholar who mastered nearly any subject he studied?"

Exe smiled. "Sure was!" he said enthusiastically. Xof, Ganzelle knew, was one of Exe's very favorite characters in magic history.

"Fine" Ganzelle said, preempting what he knew would be a long digression from any profitable subject should he allow Exe to begin to talk about one of his favorite people. "What did you want to show me?" he asked Exe, stopping him open-mouthed as he was about to begin his dissertation.

Exe's mouth flapped open and shut once or twice as he mentally shifted gears. His brows knit together as he moved his thoughts reluctantly to this new subject. He looked blankly at Ganzelle for just a moment and then his memory kicked in and he smiled a broad grin. "I think I've found the solution to your little dilemma" he said excitedly. "I was looking around for a precis I read a day or two ago." He noted the blank look on Ganzelle's face. "I have some of the library dweebs read and prepare summaries of my newer acquisitions" he explained. "There was reference in the some notes about a process developed by a little known Illusionist from a century or three ago that caught my interest."

Ganzelle nearly groaned aloud. The idea of he undergoing another of Exe's Illusion experiments was indeed alarming.

Exe searched through the pile of books and manuscripts on the wide table he was seated at all the while murmuring to himself. "When you told me about your problem earlier, I immediately thought of this fellow's procedure and came right here to find the lab notes and his spell book and see if it could help." He looked further and finally found what he was looking for. "Ah!" he cried; "Here it is!"

He produced a finely tooled leather-bound book about an inch and a half thick. It appeared to Ganzelle that the last half of the book was missing, but then that was not unusual in some of the older books that turned up in these finds. Exe turned to an early page in the book and showed the page to Ganz. "This is book by a guy named Leahcim Notaek." he explained. "He was a really brilliant guy who did some great research on a variety of really interesting topics 180 years ago. He was really underappreciated by those of his own time, but I think he was a brilliant thinker with a lot to contribute."

"Underappreciated?" Ganzelle asked dubiously. "Whazzat mean?" he questioned.

"Well," Exe began a bit hesitantly. "Basically, he got burned at the stake" he said in a scandalized and confidential tone ov voice.

"That's pretty underappreciated" Ganzelle agreed dryly. "Whad'd he do?" he asked.

Exe cleared his throat. "It was something to do with his last set of experiments." he said. "Something about impersonation and fraud, and some other crazy accusations about being in league with demons or something. They were pretty superstitious back then" he finished.

"Swell" Ganzelle said in a sarcastic tone. "Sounds like a real role-model" he continued looking over the pages Exe was showing him.

Exe motioned to the chair next to him and took the book from Ganzelle's hand. "What we're interested in is here," he said, turning to near the back portion of the book. He placed the book flat on the table and pointed to the caption at the top of the left page.

"CorporeoMental and Emotional Reduplicative Biogenesis" Ganzelle read slowly from the ornately written title. He looked at Exe with a befuddled expression and blinked. Twice. "What?" he asked "the heck does that mean?"

"That, my dear Ganzelle" Exe said excitedly "Is the solution to how you can be in two places at once!"

Chapter 3 - An Electric Moment...

Ganzelle felt the knot in his stomach growing tighter and tighter as Exegete explained his plan for "helping" Ganz in his time of need. He remembered all too well other "helps" that been offered just as excitedly and just as well meaning and had resulted in less than helpful results. He had to admit though, that this time, it seemed like a plan that just might work. After all, this wasn't something that Exe had dreamed up himself, but was something that he had merely found in his research and was applying to this case. As Exegete warmed to his topic and began showing charts and formulas, Ganzelle began to get more interested and the knot in his belly began to ease. But it never did really go away completely, a fact that he would bitterly remind himself of later. The final result of their lengthy conversation was that Ganzelle agreed to the process and Exe set about building the equipment and gathering the necessary herbs and ingredients for the very detailed incantation, a process which was barely finished in the time before the fateful day.

"You're sure, now, that you understand this stuff well enough" Ganzelle asked dubiously, an eyebrow raising questioningly.

"Oh sure!" Exe replied with a reassuring smile. "I've read this stuff backward and forward and there's really nothing to it!" He went on. "It's one of those things that anyone could have figured out if they'd just had the right idea to start with".

The process of duplication was a lengthy one, taking several hours to accomplish. The duplicate, Exe explained, would only last for 24-36 hours before needing to return to the lab to be "destructured", a fancy word for returning the construct to its previous, unanimated form. Exe was practically humming with joy as he bustled around the lab, now secluded from anyone but he and Ganzelle. Exe had wryly explained that Sir Corwin Americus, the new GM of KORT took a dim view of experiments done on Camelot premises, a short-sighted opinion that Exe felt sure would soon change.

Ganz looked around the room, taking in all of the various bubbling, sparking, spitting, hissing and sizzling parts of the apparatus that Exe had erected over the past few days. He shook his head and wondered how he allowed himself to be talked into such a venture. The past loomed large in his mind and he was tempted to back quietly away; but then the imperative of the situation reasserted itself and his resolve stiffened. He moved over to the pair of tables where all of the multitude of lines and cables, tubes and ropes converged. Each had a large dome-shaped cover that obscured the table surface entirely. The lids to both were raised and Ganz could see their contents. One was empty, with a small pillow are the top, apparently for Ganz's head to rest upon. The other contained a vaguely human-shaped mass of ... something that Ganz couldn't identify. "You know" Ganzelle said as he approached the tables from the side opposite to Exegete. "One has to wonder why this procedure went out of practice and why the perpetrator was so "under-appreciated" he finished, running a skeptical finger over some of the tubing leading to the dome over the tables.

"Oh you know how things used to be" Exe replied blithely. "Everyone was afraid of magicks" he went on. "A decent Mage couldn't raise is head around here" he finished.

"Still" Ganz went on, a bit reluctantly, "One has to wonder about this particular procedure."

"Perfectly safe, Perfectly safe" Exe assured him in a soothing voice as he began to don some heavy protective gear. "Just lie down on the table like a good lad and we'll get going" he said as he fastened the last buckles on a basket-like contraption he had fastened on his head that partially obscured his face.

"Exe" Ganz began tentatively, "I have to tell you that that getup doesn't exactly assuage my fears." he finished, considering bolting for the door.

"Nonsense!" Exe exclaimed. "There's no danger what so ever." he went on "There's just no sense in being careless is all. That's what my Sainted Grandmother always used to say, anyway."

"Seems to me that there's a big difference between what your "Sainted Grandmother" cooked up and what you cook up." Ganzelle replied dubiously, casting a suspicious look at the heavy straps and buckles fastened to the empty table he was being invited to lay down on. "W.. What're these for?" he asked incredulously picking up one of the restraints in his hand.

"Never mind those" Exe said hastily. "You just have to be really, really still during the procedure is all." he continued taking the restraint from Ganzelle's hand. "Now, just lie down here, there's the good lad" he finished with a smile, patting the table.

Ganzelle licked his lips a couple times and looked Exe in the eye. Then he licked his lips again. He looked at the table and then at the array of scientific equipment percolating along around him. Then he looked back at Exe and with a sigh and a glance of a definite religious (an suddenly fervent) nature toward heaven he placed himself on the table.

"Good lad, Good lad" Exe cooed as he went about fastening the straps and buckles, of which there turned out to be a surprising amount and variety. When he was finished Ganzelle could hardly move a muscle.

"I don't suppose telling you I have to use the privy would make any difference at this point?" Ganz asked in a hopeful voice.

"Heheh" Exe laughed, "Be over in a jiff" was his reply, "Done before you know it" he finished. "Now, be a dear and pop open your mouth a bit" he said and thrust a thickly padded tongue depressor between Ganz's teeth unexpectedly.

"Mmmmfffttttsstthh" Ganzelle replied.

"You know" Exe said cheerfully, "We were fortunate that several of the local apothecaries had a good supply of eels on hand." he said, producing a shockingly large glass jar filled with squirming reptiles of a variety of colors and lengths which he began to distribute and coil them in place at various places along Ganz's body.

"AAArrrrgggghh" came Ganzelle's strangled voice as he saw and felt the slimy beasts.

"Yes they are a nice bunch, aren't they" Exe continued, seemingly oblivious to the distress Ganz was expressing. He whistled tunelessly as he place the snakes carefully and turned to another jar when the last one was in place. "Had a bit of difficulty pulverizing the spider and bat gizzards as well." he continued lifting the jar and taking a brush from it and beginning to paint disgusting, chunky circles around the snakes.

"Arrruuunnngggll" Ganzelle cried in profound distress this time. "Mmmmbbbllltt dddrrronngngg" he went on, trying his best to thrash around, but to no avail.

"Of course, of course" Exe replied. "Should have thought of that myself" he said as he pinched Ganz's nose with a clothes pin. "Does smell a bit, doesn't it" he went on. "All the cabbage in the dummy over there isn't helping either" he finished, indicating the other table.

"Ccaaakkbbbaaggggth" Ganzelle said, trying to look at the other table, but unable to because of the head restraints.

"The only real problem was being able to generate enough electricity and bring it to bear at one time" Exe said as he stood near Ganz's head with a third glass jar in his hand. He began to swab a thick paste on Ganzelle's temples and gthen to his ankles as Ganz's eyes grew larger and larger. They almost popped out of his head when Exe brought out the huge electrodes and thick cables and proceeded to fasten them securely over the thick paste.

"Mmmeerrrrrgghh" Ganz said, in a desperate whisper and shut his eyes in resignation.

"Solved the problem tho." Exe continued. "A bunch of the Squires and Pages are gonna be having Lightning Bolt practice in the weapon's yard in a couple minutes. I just stuck a metal plate in the middle of the target and ran a cable up here!" he said triumphantly. Problem solved!!"

Ganzelle lay and whispered a heartfelt prayer to Tyr for some sudden calamity that would spare him what he was now convinced would be the end of his life, and perhaps all of the life in this part of the castle. His only regret was that Exegete would not perish with the rest of them as he had an uncanny knack for surviving his little escapades, usually unscathed. Many's the time he had visited Tuvor, or Dagron, or Augustus5 in Iser's medical ward to find Exe there ahead of him, flower laden and full of apologies for some botched experiment or another. He heard, with alarm, the beginnings of the LB practice down in the courtyard and heard Exe chuckle in anticipation of the coming activity. Yes, Ganz thought, He could only hope that his next of kin would take it to heart and do something really nasty to Exegete to avenge him. The increasingly loud booms of the lightning strikes drove anything but fear, stark animal fear, from his mind as the first tingles of electricity tickled his temples and ankles, a scant harbinger of what followed.

Augustus 5, elder of KORT entered the library eagerly anticipating some quiet time spent over a good spell-book or scroll. He practically rubbed his hands together as he entered the private portion of the library and headed towards the back of the huge room, intending to go into one of the smaller, side rooms dedicated to the particular form of magick he was interested in. He paused for a moment to take a quick look at the latest copy of "Magician & Familiar" from the rack near the main entrance. As he idly flipped through the pages e noted the ext of several of the servants and employees that normally working in this part of the library. It was the speed of their exits that snatched his attention, as many of them, particular the last few, were practically running form the room. The sound of the LB practice rose to his ears from the court yard below and he smiled at the thought of the Squires and Pages sweating out targeting practice under the stern guidance of the Knights that oversaw them. He glanced over toward the windows as a particularly large flash lit the late afternoon sky and noticed a thick cable running through the window and along the floor into Exe's laboratory. He looked back and forth between the window and the pass through hole the cable disappeared into several times wondering what new experiment Exe was up to now. The cable fairly vibrated with it's contents as another series of LB's crashed home below. In that portion of the mind that works at the speed fleeting electrons Auggie made the association and realized why the Library staff had made such a quick exit. He even had time to compliment them, mentally, on their wisdom before the door to Exe's laboratory blew right off it's hinges in a maelstrom of fire, smoke and debris, including Exegete himself. Interestingly, Auggie had time to think through the door's trajectory and even through what it would do to him when it hit, though his muscles had not time whatsoever to even begin to move him out of the way. Being the philosophical soul that he is, he simply smiled that friendly smile of his and made a mental inventory of where medical attention would come from as the door, and much other wreckage, Exe, clothed in an astonishing array of protective gear, included, buried the aged knight where he stood.

Chapter Four - Seeing Double

Dust billowed throughout the library following the eddies and flows of the air as it sought a place to rest. Silence reigned for the space of a few seconds, pierced only by the odd piece of plaster dropping from a wall or the ceiling. At long last there seem to be some movement from beneath the pile of rubble that contained Augustus 5, Knight Elder of KORT. It took several minutes of clawing and pushing, but, finally, he was able to kick the debris off of his lanky frame and struggle out from underneath the weight of the offending door. Taking a mental inventory of himself, he found, remarkably, that he was uninjured, apart from a couple minor cuts and bruises. He eyes the door appraisingly, taking in the iron bands and the stout oaken boards that made it the substantial barrier it was. He cocked his head in silent amazement that he had come through such an experience unscathed. A low moan reached his ears from his right and he followed it to find a large, tumbled pile of books and shelving in a untidy heap. Directly across from the door to the laboratory. He was about to look further when another moan, more of discomfort than of pain, escaped the pile and he saw a foot sticking out from beneath the prodigious tangle of shelving, books, notebooks, scrolls, and papers. The foot moved tentatively as if to confirm that it was indeed a living appendage, still attached and in working order. Then the entire pile began to shake and shift. Augustus quickly moved to help with the removal of the vast heap of books and such and soon uncovered his brother Knight, Exegete, looking a bit rueful, but none the worse for his impromptu flight.

"I've heard of burying yourself in your research Bro, but..." Augustus said, a small smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"You're a funny guy" Exe replied as he picked himself up, dusted himself off and surveyed the shattered section of books. "Ah well" he said philosophically, picking up a tattered tome, "I never did like the Luskan poets anyway" he said removing several pieces of paper from his mouth.

"Yeah, but Corwin does" Auggie observed, kneeling down and poking around at the various parts of books and other rubble.

A distinctly pensive look came over Exe's face as he took in this comment. It was punctuated by the voice of Lord Corwin Americus from the main door to the private section of the Library.

"What the heck is all the ruckus about" came his demand in that deep basso voice Exe knew so well.

"Uh oh" Exe murmured looking around for a place to hide, but finding none readily available. He quickly measured the distance between himself and the door to his laboratory, but quickly decided that it was too far away, and had no door to secure his safety. He could plunge deeper into the library, but quickly abandoned that idea as well. He knew from harsh experience that the shelves provided little in the way of cover. Of course, all of this took time to think through, and Exe was almost startled when Corwin's voice came again, this time from much closer by.

"What in the name of all that is holy...?" Corwin asked incredulously.

"Heheh...Hi Cor.." was al that Exe could manage.

"Don't look at me, I just came in to read a book..." Auggie said, backing away a step with his hands raised to about waist level, palms outward, "...and got hit with a door for my trouble."

Corwin just grunted in reply. "You never even entered my mind Aug." was his reply, with a nasty look at Exe.

"Hey! Exe piped up, at least there was no fire this time." he ventured, a weak smile on his lips.

"And no little crawling things either Cor" added Augustus helpfully.

"Yeah, and nobody got colored orange either." said Corwin dryly, as he surveyed the damaged part of the library critically.

"I don't see any noodles..." Augustus volunteered, gaining a sharp look from Corwin and an elbow in the ribs from Exe. "Oooof...this time..." he finished lamely, rubbing is offended ribs.

"And you can thank your lucky stars there weren't any" Cor began, "I couldn't abide another repeat of that...." He paused and picked up a book form the floor and looked at its spine. His eyes narrowed and he picked up several more and examined their titles. "Aw geez, Exe" he said as he looked over the rest of the books and papers. "Not the Luskan poetry section..." he moaned.

Exe just kind of grimace and offered an even weaker smile in response.

"Well, Cor..." Augustus said, trying to sound professional. "It's not as if he really aimed at that particular section." He moved to the area between the pile of books and the door to the laboratory, still belching forth wisps of steam and smoke. "He really couldn't control the trajectory he took, that would have been determined by..." he began, moving his arms wildly about, pointing from the door to the place where Exe had landed.

"Aug" Corwin interrupted. "Bro, I love ya, so don't make me hit you" he said dryly. "Hold it right there bub!" he command, seeing Exe slowly sidling toward the relative safety of the rear of the library.

Exe froze and made like he was merely examining some books on a nearby shelf. "Yes Cor?" he answered sweetly.

Cor stood and dusted himself off. He then walked over to a nearby table and leaned against, folding his arms over his chest. "C'mere a moment, won't you?" he said pleasantly, crooking a finger invitingly.

Exe looked over his shoulder and then back at Corwin who smiled and nodded a response to the unspoken "Me?" in Exe's action. Exe cleared his throat and looked over at Augustus who was conveniently looking at the ceiling. He coughed and ran his finger around the neck of his tunic and walked slowly over to Corwin. "This was purely an accident Cor, Wasn't supposed to happen at all. I'm really sorry about the poetry books, 'n all Bro, I'm sure we can salvage most of them..." He said as he approached and placed himself on the opposite side of the table from Corwin.

Corwin adopted a tone of voice usually reserved for wayward children, Pages and Squires. "Do you remember the last time you blew up the library Bro?" he asked.

Exe nodded.

"You remember what a dickens of a time we had getting that creature out of non-fiction?"

Exe nodded.

"You remember how angry Coral was about being locked in the men's privy for three days?"

Exe blanched, and nodded. Auggie giggled.

"You remember what a time we had getting the clerks to go back into the library after all that?"

Exe gulped and nodded.

"You remember the little talk you and I had after that mess was finally cleaned up?"

Exe grimaced and nodded.

"Then, what...In the name of Tyr's Aunt Fanny...were you playing at here?" he cried, the last words a thunderous shout, given with veins popping out on his forehead, both hands panted firmly on the table, jaw thrust pointedly at Exe's rapidly beating heart.

"I didn't know Tyr had an Aunt Fanny" Augustus said under his breath.

Exe remained motionless, a good choice, given Cor's apparent state of mind.

Cor looked him fierce, wordlessly confirming that his state of mind was far more than just apparent.

"He as trying to help me with a little problem" came a voice from the door.

"Yes, and he did quite well I might add" came a second voice" exactly like the first.

All three of the Knights turned their eyes simultaneously to the doorway and all three jaws slacked open in unison. Words began and then gurgled to silence in all three mouths at the same time. Then, trying again all three spoke at once:

"My god" was Augustus' comment

"By all that is holy.." was Corwin's contribution.

"Can I cook or what?" was Exe's commentary.

There, before the astonished trio stood Ganzelle A and Ganzelle B, a pair of identical twins, alike in every visible way.

Chapter Five - Mage: Know Thyself

It was an experience that Exegete Nicator de la Forge never wished to repeat in his life. The explanation to Sir Corwin Americus has been among the most unpleasant and uncomfortable few minutes of his life. He had managed to convince him that this was just an illusion he was working on and that there really weren't two actual Ganzelles present in the lab. Astonishingly, when Augustus had chipped in, Corwin had seemed to deflate a bit and had eventually given in after giving orders to "stop all this monkey business" and to "get this place in shape". He and Augustus, who must certainly have suspected something, had retired to Augustus' private quarters to do some wine tasting; Auggie saying that he some new vintages for Corwin to taste. Exe made a mental note to thank Augustus with some special cigars at his first opportunity for the helping hand. Corwin was always more of the soldierly type and had no time for the fine aspects of Magedom. Augustus on the other hand, tho a competent warrior in his own right, was more Mage at heart and understood these things. As for Exe, he was all Mage and very little warrior, given more to the studious end of things. Exe sighed as he watched Corwin and Auggie depart the private area of the Library. Fortunately, no one else had thought anything of the explosion, probably attributing them to the LB practice even yet going on in the courtyard beneath the Library windows. He kicked at a bit or the rubble left and motioned to the nervous looking Library aides that were just now peeking around from the safety of the outer library to come on in and gave them some brief instructions as to clean up. They set to like longshoremen, as they were used to clean up after the Mage's occasional botched experiments.

A dual clearing of the throats snatched his attention from his inner musings and pulled his mind to the case at hand, the double Ganzelles in the inner laboratory. They were standing in the doorway of the Lab, for the utmost, looking like there was a mirror between them. They were alike in every way. Exe stepped over closer to them, and narrowed his eyes under his bushy eyebrows as he examined them closely. "Which of you is the original?" he asked after a moments examination.

"I am" they said in unison. They each looked startled and looked at each other. "You are not, I am" they said in unison once again. "Stop that!" they both cried, hands on hips. "You know I'm the original" each claimed at the same time, raising an accusing finger. The two circled one another warily. A snarl escaped each one's lips, mirrored perfectly, and a low growl emerged from each throat; same pitch and same duration.

"Now, now" Exe said peaceably. "It's easy to discern between the original and the copy. There are a number of differences you know"

A double snort greeted his assertion, each of the Ganzelles exhibiting the same opinion on that matter. "I see no difference" Ganzelle A said. "Nor I" said Ganzelle B.

"Let me see your palms" Exe said, looking each in the eye in turn. The Twins obeyed, each lifting the same hand, palm upwards. Exe took a long pins from his pocket, and pricked Ganzelle A's hand lightly, receiving no response. He then poked Ganzelle B in the palm and got a gratifying "Ouch" from him. "You're the duplicate" he declared, pointing at Ganzelle A.

"Awwww" Ganzelle A said in response.

"The duplicate is basically vegetable" Exe explained. "So he has very little in the way of physical feelings. Unless he sees something that might hurt him, he'll probably never feel it. Be careful about that" he continued, a professorial finger wagging in A's face who merely grimaced in reply.

"Vegetable?" Ganzelle B said dubiously. "I don't know about this..." he went on uncertainly.

"Oh, now, everything is going to be just fine" Exe reassured him. You want to be able to be with Ari tomorrow, don't you?" he added.

"Well..." Ganzelle said, doubt still lacing his voice. "Ari is looking forward to our rendevous" he said slowly, circling Ganzelle A and looking him over thoughtfully, receiving an interested stare in reply. "If you're sure nothing will go wrong..." he finished, apparently having made up his mind.

"Pshaw, pshaw my dear lad" Exe said to the younger man. "Simplest thing in the world, nothing could possibly go wrong." he finished as he set about cleaning up the lab and restoring the equipment to it's proper place.

"Could I have that in writing?" Ganzelle said under his breath, suppressing the feeling of apprehension that was rising in the back of his mind. He took another long look at his double who had now moved to the window and was waving at someone in the courtyard below. He smiled a bit as the person in the courtyard apparently recognized his double as him and returned the greeting.

"Be a good lad and help me get this stuff back in order" Exe called from the other side of the lab. Ganzelle moved to go and assist the older Mage and noticed in passing that Ganzelle B had gone to the far wall and was adjusting his hair as if preening himself carefully. He smiled at the thought that the duplicate had "inherited" his penchant for keeping himself looking good at all times. He moved to Exe's side and began to help him move a particularly heavy piece of equipment.

"We'll just ease this into the back my friend" Exe said as he hefted his side of the piece. Together they lugged the large piece of equipment into the side room. "There we go..." Exe said as they put it down. "That'll do for now, I'll have the stewards take care of moving it back when we're more cleaned up." he finihsed, dusting his hands off.

"I don't know why you didn't just levitate the silly thing!" Ganzelle said. As he examined a sore spot on his hand. "That was way more work than it need..." He paused and cocked his head as he listened a moment. His eyes widened as he heard the clone talking with someone in the outer Lab. That lilting voice, the endearing giggle... He rushed to the doorway and peeked around the corner, nearly gasping in alarm when he saw who the visitor was. He quickly jerked his head back into the small storage room and sagged against the wall. His mind raced a mile a minute and it a few seconds before he noted Exegete looking at him concernedly from across the room. His eyes flared and he pursed his lips in consternation. "Nothing can go wrong, eh?" he said in a fierce whisper. "Tell that to Arianna! She's in the other room chatting with Mr. Vegetable!

Chapter 6 - Closet Confusion

Exe gulped quickly and dashed to the door of the storage room and took a quick peek out into the main lab. Sure enough, there was the clone talking animatedly with the Lady Arianna. He seemed to be doing quite well too, the pure scientist in Exe observed. Arianna was smiling coyly and giggling, even had a bit of a blush gracing her cheeks. He was snatched from his thoughts by Ganzelle's rough grasp pulling him abruptly back into the storage room.

"If he hurts her Exe, so help me..." he said in a fierce whisper, his famous temper rising.

Exe held up a restraining hand. "No, No, no danger of that" he said calmly. "He's you Ganz, your thoughts and your personality, all you!" he reassured. "More or less I'm sure" he added nearly in a whisper with a furtive look toward the lab.

"Whadda you mean 'more or less'" Ganzelle said in a strangled whisper. "What's more or less?".

"Oh nothing to worry about lad, nothing at all" Exe said in a matter of fact tone. "We need to get the clone away form Ari and you there in its place" he said hurriedly, and by way of diversion. They heard Arianna's lilting laughter come from the other room as well as the deep throated chuckle that, until recently, had been Ganzelle's trademark laugh.

"I knew Ari liked salads, but this is ridiculous" Ganz muttered as he peeked around the door again. "Ack!" he said pulling his head back. "She's sitting in his lap!" he said, eyes ablaze. "Exe...." he warned menacingly.

"Now now, none of that's necessary" Exe said soothingly, albeit a bit quickly. He thought of Bannor's henhouse experience not long ago and quickly decided that some action was definitely the order of the day. He stepped outside the doorway into the lab and cleared his voice loudly. "Ahhehehehehhem" he said. Both Arianna and the clone turned their heads, blush flooding once again to Ari's face as she hurriedly stood up. "Ganz, could you give me a hand for a moment?" Exe said innocently, motioning to the storage room he had just emerged from. "This is too heavy and requires your assistance." he finished with a smile.

"Sure Exe" Ganzelle B said with an amicable smile. "I'll be right there." He stood and paused a moment, then whispered something into Arianna's ear that brought another flood of blush and a further installment of giggles, along with a swat to his arm. Ganzelle B smiled as well, gave a worldly wink and then headed for Exe, and passing him, went into the storage room. Exe smiled thoughtfully at Ari who had by now composed herself and waved a good bye to her which she returned with a smile. The ruckus in the storage room drew his attention and he quickly ducked back inside just in time to see Ganzelle B rise up the wall with Ganzelle A's forearm across his throat.

"Here Here!" Exe said as he rushed to Ganz's side and tugged at his arm. "There's no need for that!"

"Sqqqueussshhhtt" the clone gurgled in agreement.

Ganzelle a only growled in return, a disturbing sound indeed.

"Ganz!" Exe whispered desperately. "Ari'll hear!" he said forcefully. That seemed to get through to Ganzelle A who relaxed a bit and let the Ganzelle B back to the floor, if a bit grudgingly. Ganz B rubbed his throat gingerly and swallowed repeatedly. Ganzelle A took a deep breath and then whispered fiercely at the clone. "You stay away from Arianna! You sack of spoiled cabbage!" The clone only blinked in return and continued to massage his throat, looking properly chastened.

"Ganz, sweetie, are you OK?" came Ari's voice from the main lab. The sound of her steps approaching the door to the storage room echoed loudly, underscoring the impending disaster.

"Oh boy"said Exe.

The clone merely looked at the door interestedly.

Ganzelle looked for a moment as if he has swallowed a green persimmon, then regained his wits and said quickly "Yes, yes, I'm fine Ari, I'll be right there, just wait for me for a moment my love."

"It sounded like something fell or something" Ari's voice said, as she neared the door.

Ganzelle B gasped audibly as Ganzelle A grabbed his shoulders and thrust him down to the floor behind some cartons. Exe sprang for the door to the room and was just able to intercept Ari as she rounded the corner and was about to step into the storage room. "Hi Ari" Exe said, trying to look pleasant and non-chalant.

"Is Ganz alright?" Ari asked concernedly, trying to look around Exe who countered her every move with one of own to block her view.

"Ganz?" Exe said, "Oh sure, he's fine, just fine, really OK" he babbled, ignoring the crashing sounds and thumps emerging from the room behind him as Ganzes A & B apparently had a difference of opinion as to who should greet Arianna.

"What's all the noise in there then?" Ari asked, rising to tip toe and trying to look over Exe's shoulders.

"What noise?" Exe asked, his question punctuated by a particularly loud thump and groan.

Arianna looked at Exe unbelievingly.

"Oh, heheh, THAT noise" he said lamely. "Oh that's just, ahhhh, Ganz trying to recapture a, a, a, lab specimen, yes that's it!, a lab specimen that has, ah, escaped it's cage, yes, escaped its cage and is, um, ah, not caught, um... yet." he extemporized, not a bit convincingly I might add.

"I thought your specimens were kept in your private lab?" Ari asked quizzically.

"Oh, well, ah," Exe scratched his neck and pulled at his collar. "This one has been out a while, ummm, and, ah, I haven't been able to catch up with him, ah..." He looked around desperately as further crashes and thumps came form the inner room.

"Ganz" Ari called out concernedly, "Are you sure you're OK?"

Ganzelle stood from behind a stack of boxes, now in disarray and smiled awkwardly. "Sure Ari, I'm fine, be just a couple more...Oh no you don't!" he cried and dove behind the stack of boxes once again.

"Here Ari,"Exe said, and tried to sidle Arianna from the doorway. "Let's shut this door and make sure the little beast doesn't escape any further." he said, trying to sound confident.

A string of curses emerged from behind the boxes, imaginative ones, even creative ones oddly sounding as if the same voice was coming from two throats to Ari's ears. She knitted her brows interestedly and made to step further into the room, and promptly ran into Exe arm across the doorway. The thumps and scrapes redoubled from behind the pile of boxes, followed by a short gasp and then silence. "Ganz? Ganz!" Arianna cried really concerned now. She pushed Exe's arm aside and ran into the room. Exe grasped at her retreating arm and missed. He quickly murmured the words to a modified teleport spell he'd been working on, and threw it at where the two Ganz's were, at lest where he thought they were. Arianna, her attention taken with moving some fallen boxes out of the way didn't hear the tinkle of the spell or see the glow that accompanied someone (or something) being transported away. Arianna threw the boxes out of the way and uncovered the legs of her dear Ganzelle beneath a further pile of debris. She anxiously cleared it away and knelt beside him. He opened his eyes and smiled a wee smile, then looked at Exe questioningly. Exe only shrugged in return.

"I guess it got away" Ganzelle A said to Exegete, almost accusingly. "Any idea where?" he asked, in a veiled voice.

Exe laughed nervously. "Haven't the foggiest" he said, and then quickly left the room.

Ganzelle just sighed and submitted to Arianna's gentle ministrations. A couple of minutes later, they both left the storage room as well, Arianna , concerned look on her face, holding Ganz's arm and Ganzelle, a concerned look of his own on his face, but for an entirely different reason.