Tirseng entered the ornate gate of the palace, where stood a sherpa guard leaning upon a pike, fast asleep. He reached out and touched the arm of the guard, who snapped to attention saying "who wishes to see Prince Monotek?" Tirseng and the guard entered the palace proper and mounted a staircase to a vast room with a grand balcony open to the moon-lit lake, and the first rose glow of sunrise. Monotek stood there gazing out, then turned to smile at Tirseng. "My old friend," he said, "Welcome!" He came forward, his open arms inviting an embrace. Tirseng was surprised to see the Prince dressed in the simple clothes of the sherpa. Refusing the embrace, Tirseng clasped his hands before him and bowed his head, speaking the ancient sherpa greeting we are met once again, brother. He looked up at Monotek, and there again was his old friend, Dominic, a smile upon his face. Dominic grasped both of Tirseng's shoulders and returned the greeting, and then said "come take tea with me."

They sat down upon cushions, Dominic talking of the old times, of people they had known, even of his brother Curioso. Tirseng interrupted him abruptly "but now you wish him dead, Dominic." Dominic frowned, his eyes for a mere second flashing with rage. Then he said "I fear, old friend, you have been poisoned against me." Tirseng looked steadily into Dominic's eyes and said "you tried to kill all three of us. If I am poisoned against you, you have brewed the poison yourself, brother." Tirseng felt a physical sensation of cold strike him, then felt it ebb as quickly. Dominic grinned, the same enthusiastic smile Tirseng knew from their journeys in the mountains. "I bear no grudge against my brother," he said, "the thing with Mallory is in the past. Mallory was a prima dona. He never had the stuff to conquer Everest. We both know it." Tirseng glanced down away from Dominic's eyes. Yes, they had discussed that very thing so many years ago. "No," continued Dominic, "it is the woman who is my enemy. Yours, too, Snowleopard, if you but knew the truth. Come with me."

They walked to a small room where a large piece of opaque glass hung from the wall. On the opposite wall was a keyboard device, much like a typewriter. Dominic walked to the keyboard, struck several keys, and the screen glowed with blue light, then with the gradual resolution of an image. The image was of devastation, vast and complete, of horribly burned people. "What are you showing me, Dominic?" asked Tirseng, trying to look away, but entranced by the images.

"I have told you that this valley stands apart from time, but that all of time is like an endless river around it, co-existing, Christ and Plato, Caesar and Bismarck, Lincoln and Hitler. These are images from a time just 7 years in the future. This death is the end result of a simple mathematical equation, one which your friend Annette carries in her head, one which will spawn this..." And a great explosion was shown upon the screen, a rising cloud of smoke and fire that resembled a grotesque mushroom."And this will be the greatest challenge ever presented to the continued existence of mankind."

Dominic struck the keyboard and the image faded. "It is for this reason that I seek what she knows, to prevent this apocalypse. I believe that this power can be used to mankind's benefit, Tirseng." Tirseng stood up, his voice low. "It is lies. She wouldn't do this!"

"Not she, Tirseng. Others who seek power and glory."

"Like you Monotek!"

"Yes! I seek power, but to use properly! Not like that, for death!"

"Curioso has said that you feed only on anger and hate!"

Dominic's face was hollow, drained of all emotion. "Yes. I have climbed that mountain, felt the raw surge of energy that comes from pure anger. But it left me...at last..empty. I came to this place for healing."

"Is that why you killed the old Prince?"

Again, Tirseng felt a wave of cold roll over him. "You lie," growled Dominic, fists clenched, eyes alight with some inner power. Then, again, the old Dominic reappeared. "What has happened, good and bad, is now in the past, Snowleopard. Try to see what is in my soul." But for Tirseng, Dominic's soul was as unreadable as the opaque screen upon the wall.

The guard entered the room and announced "the others are here, Majesty."

"Bid them enter!" said Dominic, and then quitely "Tirseng! You helped me before. I owe my life to you. Help me again."