�� Perki gave me a surprised look as if the answer should be obvious. � When I still looked blank she said, "Why those aliens that drove you from your house! � You rememeber, the ones Edgar saved you from?"

�� It made sense, at least that part of it. � They had sorta looked like angles from one perspective. "OK. � I'll bite. � What are they up too and what are we supposed to do about it? � I mean, I can see why we're hiding from them, I guess, but why haven't you done anything about it before now? � Why do you need me? Oh. � And incidentally, what was the lantern for back there in the woods, back in my past?"

�� Those questions of mine brought Weslee back into the world of those interested. � He scrutinized Perki very intently, like a bear watching a bee hive waiting to see what the bees would do.

�� Perki, for the first time since I had laid eyes on her, did not look serene. � But then she put the troubled look away and said, "I'll do my best to answer your questions in a way that you can understand. � I think I will start with the easiest one first. � The lantern was just a little theatre. � I figured it would pique your curiosity and I was right. � But it was also a symbolic gesture in a couple of ways: I was looking for one honest man, like Diogenes. � Secondly, I was, in that way, bringing LIGHT to a troubled world. � I suppose I could have done this instead, but I was afraid of frightening you off -- " � And Perki lit up all over in a full body halo!

�� Weslee went back to looking bored. � Apparently he had already seen this act of Perki lighting herself up -- probably several times before -- and it now failed to impress him any more. � I, however, WAS impressed! � But not for the reason I should have been! � I misunderstood this aura surrounding her, thinking instead that it was a bioluminescence that probably was the annunciator of some genetically engineered psychic power -- like if she lit up she could blast the Angles with a surge of "hardened" light from her fingertips!

�� Then Weslee shattered that illusion by muttering sotto voce, "Angels! � What do we need THEM for?" But he did have the grace to bely his cynical tone by giving Perki a mischevious glance.

�� I was horrified. � Here I'd had lustful thoughts about an Angel!

�� Perki was only slightly amused. "Weslee, cut it out! � You know perfectly well that I am of the Tuatha De Danaan and am no Angel. The time is well past for superstitious interpretation of facts that are not well researched." � She then turned to me apologetically. "Yes. � I too am an alien. � But! � NOT the bad kind like those that were chasing you. � Do you still feel like hearing my answers?" And she gave me a very searching, intensely concerned look.

�� I didn't know what to say for a moment. � Was love possible with a member of another species? � Perhaps. � At any rate, I could do no worse with Perki than I had done with female memebers of my own species. � But -- that question was a bit premature. � How did I know if Perki even felt the way about me that I felt about her? � That was something that would sort it's self out later, if at all. � And anyway, how did I know that she WAS really an alien? It was just her word and her lighting up trick which could be explained in several ways. � So I was going to reserve judgement about that for the time being.� I didn't want to end up looking stupid and gullible later on. � �Therefore -- right now we needed to get down to the business at hand. "Of course I want to hear what you have to say. � We have an old saying in the past where I am from.� In for a penny, in for a pound." � And I smiled encouragingly at her.

�� I thought that the smile she gave me was inordinately relieved, but I let it pass for the moment as she began answering my earlier questions. � "I'll answer your questions as quickly as I can since we don't have a lot of time here and that way I'll leave you some time to ask any clarifying questions you may need to ask. � The Annunaki, since that is their race's name, is up to galaxy domination. � Why we need you is because the Tuatha are pacifists and resist violence until the last possible nano second. � The people of the future, here, are also now pacifists. � We needed some one from the past who was not so adverse to violence, but, additionally, we needed someone who was very cunning in this way of violence. � Besides all that we needed someone who was very intelligent and who had never had a chance to show it. � A person like that is like a volcano waiting to go off -- they have so much pent up creativity that it is incredible! � And finally, we needed you because you have a special "something", a certain quality that no one else has. I know that sounds silly or fakey, or whatever the current slang is, because I have read a lot of the fiction from your day and time -- as a sort of research -- and the author always seems to fall back on that as a last resort explanation. � But it isn't silly because -- well, how do you quantify that elusive quality of -- for lack of a better word -- "specialness"? � And now I will answer the question you only asked indirectly. � We are hiding right here out in plain sight like the "Purloined Letter" because we have a traitor in our group. � And finally, what we are going to do about it is up to you. � Now I know I said you might have some need for clarification, but of course you do. � Questions?"

�� That was quite a speech packed in such a short space. � Of course she was right. It DID leave me with questions and issues. � There were two things I had no problem with or question about. � First was her assertion that I was a person of great intelligence who had never had a chance to be recognized as the genius I am. Of course, to be fair, it was largely my fault. I had drifted through life interested in so many things that I had not been able or willing to settle on just one. Then when I ended up being a pit boss in the casino and realized that my life was half over it had seemed like it was way too late to do anything about it. I had set in front of the TV many nights, not really watching it, reading instead, and asked myself over and over why I had not gone to college and got a degree in something. � Not because of the extra money I would have made -- I had plenty from my job now -- but because going to college would have given me a place from which to function that would have made more of a difference in the world than being a pit boss. Still, I was self taught in many disciplines. � All my life I have been a voracious reader with complete retention. � And all those nights I set with the TV on, but reading instead, had crammed my head with so many facts that I didn't know what to do with. � Now, perhaps I COULD put that myriad plethora of knowledge to some good use, instead of just storing it in my brain. � Secondly, I agreed with her assertion that I was a creative person, just full to the bursting with the need for a platform. � Where I parted ways with her in her assesment of my personality was when she'd pegged me as a violent person. � Although, again to be fair, an argument could be made that since I had been a natural denizen of a much more violent world and could operate in that world with facility, that I was hardened to it. � I didn't think that was the case. � But maybe Perki was right. � Maybe I HAD become so inured to the violence in my time that I operated in a violent fashion without even realizing it. � Still. � To take on an alien race hell bent on dominating the galaxy, to be the leader of the resistance group, I was going to require as much help as I gave. � I needed to know more detail; a lot more. � I said so. "Who is the traitor? � How did the Annunaki know to go to my home? � When does my genetic engineering take place? � What powers, if any, do you have, Perki, besides being able to light yourself up? � What powers does Weslee have, if any? � What weapons do I have available to me? � Where, exactly, do we have to go to fight the Annunaki? � And, lastly, how much time DO we have to sort it all out and prepare our assault?"

�� Weslee's ears perked up. � He looked as interested in the proceedings as I had seen him to date. � Perki, however, had a pondering look on her face as if she was not quite certain where to start answering me. � I hoped that was right. � This would be a bad time for her to start dissembling or holding out on me. � I waited impatiently while she marshalled her thoughts. � I didn't want her to give me time to develop cold feet. � I wanted to do this; this might be my only chance ever to be somebody and I wanted to do something about this marred future. � But, knowing myself, it probably wouldn't happen if she gave me too much time to think about it.

�� Finally Perki spoke, beginning to answer the questions I had posed. � "I'll answer the easy questions first. � The traitor is another Tuatha named Hudzabeebrahnbatz. � I know you didn't ask why, but the why is because he felt that the Annunaki were going to win anyway and if he co-operated that it would give him a position of importance in their government. � I know that's an old story, too, but it was ever thus. � Your "genetic engineering" as you put it can take place any time. � As you may be able to imagine, we have it down to a fine science. � We can give you a pill and it will begin to work immediately. � In about six hours you will be a completely new person. � And the best part is that it won't even hurt." � She smiled mischeviously and then went on. � "Weslee has no "special" powers, he's just incredibly strong. � But -- you may have noticed -- he lacks motivation. � Myself, I can appear and disappear and heal the sick with a touch and will live forever. � Those abilities are not as awesome as they sound. � There are always limitations on everything. � For example, being able to appear and disappear is usually enough to maintain my pacifist standing, as you can probably imagine. � As far as weapons are concerned we have a few very interesting ones that we have liberated from the Annunaki. � You'll get a chance to see them later. � In order to fight the Annunaki and have a chance to defeat them we have to go to their headquarters and their main base in this area is in what you once called Jerusalem. � How much time do we have? � That depends. � And that brings me to the most complicated answer of all. � The nature of time paradoxes." And she sighed in frustration.

�� I sighed right along with her. � But I was sighing in relief. � At least she hadn't given me too much time to think, she HAD cut right to the chase. � She, I could easily guess, was sighing because she was pretty certain that it would take more time to explain the nature of time paradox than she wanted too. � I told her to forget it for now. � Upon reflection I didn't even know why I had asked the question. � It was sufficient to know that time travel worked or else I wouldn't be here in the future. � Secondly, I had read enough science fiction to be able to imagine all kinds of weird, sad, and scary possibilities. � I was pretty sure that I DID NOT want to know what the reality was or had been. � All I needed to know was what she had already told me -- and what I was going to find out about the Annunaki as time went on.

�� She brightened. "Yes that's probably for the best. � We'll go into it later if you still want to. � Right now let's get you enhanced."� She got up, went to a cupboard, rummaged around and came back with an orange and black pill about the size of an m&m in her hand.

�� I took the pill from from her and looked at it. � Did I really want to do this? � What if she was misrepresenting the truth for some reason? � Not that I thought that they would go to such elaborate lengths just to kill me. � There would be no need for a charade as elaborate as this. � If they were the enemy and not the Annunaki then they could have simply beat the Annunaki to my house and took me out there. � No! � What I had I had in mind was more along the lines of misrepresenting the truth of how this pill would effect me. � What if it put me in a coma or put me in such agony that I could hardly stand it? � Was this a case of something sounding too easy and not really being? � But then I remembered what Arthur C. Clarke said: "Any technology sufficiently advanced will look like magic." � This pill I held in my hand, then, was probably an example of that. � And if it WAS true and WOULD change me to something more like godhood then I was all for it! � I gave Perki a brave smile and swallowed the pill with the last of my fruit drink. "You said six hours, huh? Well, I have been up all night and for -- pardon the poor attempt at humor -- decades! � Do you think I can grab a little shut eye?"

�� "Sure. � I need to send Weslee on an errand or two and I have a few things to do myself. � I hope, think we can spare the time. � And anyway, when you wake up you will find that you will hardly ever need to sleep ever again. � And besides that you will not notice any immediate exterior changes since the enhancement will be mostly interior. � Of course if your hair was gray it wouldn't be anymore, nor would your skin be wrinkled, but, like I said, you are young enough looking that all changes will be on the inside. � In fact about the only thing you will notice right at first will be that your senses are sharper and your muscles are stronger.

�� "Well, IF you can't spare the time then you are going to have to start the revolution without me. � Honestly, I can hardly keep my eyes open. � I think I am crashing from the adrenaline high."

�� Perki smiled indulgently and led me to a "back" room in the nether portion of her neat little bungalow in the Banyan tree's main trunk. � The last thing I remember was the sound of the crystal bells by the front door as, presumably, Weslee left the bungalow. � Then my eyes closed for the last time as a "normal" human being.

�� I didn't get to sleep immediately since I was going over and over in my mind the things she'd told me. � The thing that was bothering me the most, despite my decision to hold judgement, was her assertion that she was an alien. � But finally I decided all over again that there was no way I was going to prove anything by speculation, I needed hard evidence and until I got it I might as well just play along.� Also, I was wondering why Weslee had jokingly referred to Perki as an angel and I couldn't help wondering who the Tuatha WERE if they WEREN'T aliens. � But again, I was going to just play along and see what I could find out -- eventually.

�� When I awoke I noticed that Perki was right.� My senses WERE all sharper. � I could see detail that I had not been able to see before even with my twenty/twenty vision. � I could hear sounds that I had not noticed before and my sense of smell was so enhanced that I could detect odors that I couldn't immediately identify. � (I was later to find out that I could see in the dark, being able to see infared. � And that my sense of touch and taste would report exquisite sensations.)� Additionally I was vastly relieved to find that I had no craving for alcohol and that I neither had any withdrawal pangs from tobacco nor did I miss it.� I was vastly relieved for two reasons: First and foremost because that meant that Perki had not lied to me. � And secondly because that mean that no weird or freakish or terrible changes had been done to me -- like in some bad science fiction story. � At least as far as I could tell. � I went looking for a mirror and Perki -- in that order.

�� When I found Perki -- she was waiting for me in what passed for her living room in this compact little bungalow -- I found the mirror. � In fact she had a hand mirror ready to give me as if she had read my mind. � I took the mirror from her -- as she smiled mischeviously -- and studied my visage. � About the only exterior changes I could detect was the fact that my eyes looked brighter and my skin tone was smoother and shinier. � In fact I could see no five o'clock shadow on my chin nor under my nose. � I gave her an inquiring look.

�� "OH! � I guess I neglected to tell you, but you won't ever have to shave again. � Your hormones have been tweaked so that you are now beyond that "primitive" stage." Her mischevious smile was still firmly in place.

�� I looked down at myself, aghast! � When I'd laid down to go to sleep I'd taken my T shirt off and when I'd gotten up I'd just left it off, not feeling like I needed to wear it again -- what would be the point with everyone being naked? � (Except Weslee, of course and he seemed to be in a world of his own.)� The result was that I could see ALL of myself.

�� " NO ! � That's not what I meant! � Of course you'll still have a sex drive -- it'll be the best it's been in years. � What I meant by that is that you will be, roughly speaking, more female like and thus won't have that extraneous, secondary sexual attribute hair. � You like?" Now her smile was so broadly mischevious that it hurt MY face just to look at it. � I hoped that meant that she was just having fun with a new "enhancee" --if that's a word.

�� Then all the merriment went out of her face and I knew that she HAD just been having fun with me as a way to ease me into getting used to the new me when she said, "Are you ready for a replay of A WAR IN HEAVEN ?"