Aw, thanks so much, Reuby and Wolfy!

Day 7, Part 4

As the CBers hurried back through Boston, it seemed to Wolfy that she heard a faint explosion, in the distance. An explosion in the 1700s? "What was that?"  she asked quickly.

Lady Elaine sighed. "Probably St. Mary's Church exploded. I'm fairly sure, knowing the way Jeff Kiss works, that there was a bomb planted there, so he could dispose of all of you in one go. It's very odd that Marcus warned you not to go there. He must have known of the bomb, but then why did he warn you?"

"I wish I had seen the light sooner," Madame Agalier murmured. "But I had only just begun working for the Nile when all you CBers came. I had no idea any of this would happen. And now - Sterling dead, and Silver Crystal attacked, and -"

"That reminds me," said Darkvine. "Who did kill Sterling? There was nobody there but us. And there was that wolf print right next to him..."

Wiccan yelped indignantly.

"Well, it wasn't Reuby," said Artemis reassuringly. "I remember seeing her come round the pyramid just after I found Sterling. There couldn't have been time for her to go there and back in the couple of seconds it took me. But Wiccan wasn't with her."

Wiccan was reduced to growling.

"All right, all right, it wasn't you," said Hex grumpily. "But then who was it?"

"And Eclipse," said Darkvine, "what was that room in the Roman library all about? The one where you told us about Jeff Kiss? You never explained."

"It's simple - just a hideout for the Nile people when they're in ancient Rome. Shoudn't we go to Russia now?" Eclipse added, turning to Lady Elaine.

She nodded. "I'll say the spell."

The next minute Wolfy found herself standing in a lamplit palace ballroom. Violins played in the background. Girls in elaborate dresses and men in tailored suits swayed and dipped across the floor to the sound of the music. And in front of her stood a man in a tailored suit who looked like Marcus.

Gosh, I've taken ages to write this, but finally I've gotten around to it! This is the Grand Finale of the ski-lodge.

Day 7, Part 5

At the time of the czars Russia was a poor country, full of peasants who labored all day long for their lords and masters. But the lords themselves, and the imperial family, were possessed of enormous wealth. The palaces were huge and glittering, full of ornate rooms, lavish furniture, splendid crystal chandeliers. There was something almost unreal about the magnificence of such riches.

When the CBers arrived in the czar's palace, a ball was going on; it was midnight, but no one minded. Music was playing softly - it was a European waltz that was all the rage at the moment. Couples were dancing across the polished floor, and others stood talking, each striving to outdo everyone else in wit and brilliance. Only Marcus, standing face to face with the suddenly-arrived CBers, was silent.

"What are you doing here?" he finally managed to say. "Did you escape the bomb that Jeff Kiss put in the church?"

Luna Silvermoon remembered the plan to turn Marcus and Jeff Kiss against each other. "Yes, thanks to your warning. And one good turn deserves another. Jeff Kiss is at this very moment plotting to get rid of you, since he's figured out that you warned us. Madame Agalier heard him say so - didn't you, Madame Agalier?"

"Certainly," said the Frenchwoman, with all her accustomed poise. "If I were you, Marcus, I should go very carefully. You never know what Jeff will do."

Marcus' face darkened, and he set off toward the door.

"What now?" Flamarestii asked.

"Why don't we enjoy the party?" suggested Lyric, swaying in time to the music.

pangolin thought that seemed like a good idea, but Eclipse was gazing at Marcus' retreating figure with the intent look that they all knew so well.

"No, let's follow him and see what happens. Maybe he'll lead us to where Darkling is."

And so they set off through the glittering ballroom and out into the cool gardens, veiled by a soft, flower-scented night.

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Day 7, Part 6

Darkling stood up and looked around. He seemed to be in a garden, one full of winding paths and white flowers glimmering through the dark. How he'd gotten there he had no idea. After exploring the church, which had suddenly felt like a dangerous place, he'd found a side door and gone out - and then the world had seemed to fall away, and he'd found himself falling through the air, and then landed with a thump on a gravel pathway.

"You!" A voice cut through the dark. Darkling stiffened. There, standing only a few feet away, was Jeff Kiss, his face triumphant.

Darkling wondered if he ought to run, but it went against his instincts. He'd always preferred to fight when in danger. So he returned Jeff Kiss' steely gaze, just as steelily.

"Yes?" he inquired.

Jeff Kiss was just starting to speak when there was a sound of footsteps, and Marcus appeared.

"What's going on, Jeff?" he asked. "What are you trying to accomplish by getting rid of me? I'm your partner in this corporation, remember?" He paused. "Or have you forgotten that I know just as much magic as you, and I can get rid of you if you try any funny business?"

Darkling saw his cue.

"Yes, that's quite right, Jeff," he said casually. "Marcus knows a great many spells. He's been looking through your magic books lately. I saw him myself."

Darkling had, of course, seen nothing of the kind, but from the guilty start Marcus gave as he spoke, he guessed it was true.

"Well that's the last straw!" growled Jeff Kiss. He looked at Darkling. "I'll deal with you later." He raised his hand toward Marcus, his eyes narrowed.

Marcus took a quick step backward, his own gaze fixed on his employer. For a moment nothing happened. Both were straining their magic capacities to ther utmost. Then the night was suddenly rent by a blinding flash and a noise like a thunderclap, and both men vanished. A puff of smoke was all that remained. It was all just like in a cheesy comic, Darkling reflected, and yet he'd seen it happen with his own eyes. Only a tiny notebook, lying on the path, served as a reminder that the two had ever been there.

He stooped and picked it up. It was made of blue leather, and had written on the cover in elegant gold letters: Property of Jeff Kiss, Head of the Nile Corporation.

Inside were notes, written in short pointy handwriting. They were all about the CBers - Darkling was very surprised to find his name and address, as well as all sorts of information about his personality, written on page 3. ("Darkling, address The Space Outside the Universe. A witty, rather unexpected boy with a talent for getting in our way.")

But there were other notes too, notes that revealed answers to important questions. On that first day, when Reuby Moonnight had been talking to the "psychologists," they had really been talking about murdering Sterling - but Reuby, who was at that time an employee of the Inn, had not known. When it was revealed to her later what they were really talking about, she had refused to go through with it, and had in fact stopped working for the Inn altogether. Sterling had been killed by an employee of the Time Travel Inn; Reuby Moonnight had been standing nearby, but a spell had been cast on her so that she would neither see nor remember what went on. Only Wiccan had observed it, as no one had put a spell on him, and it was his pawprint that had been next to Sterling. As for Lady Elaine and Peter, they were married, the book said, and to be avoided by the Inn at all costs, as they had plans for destroying the Nile Corporation. That was why the CBers had been forced to leave ancient Wales before the appointed time. Silver Crystal had been attacked by Marcus, who had left the castle by magic after failing to do what he wanted to. Reuby had left the scene just before Silver Crystal was attacked and gone out to the gardens.

"Darkling!" The cry came through the night, full of relief. It was Artemis.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Lady Elaine exclaimed, her eyes glowing with happiness. "You're safe!"

"Of course I am," said Darkling calmly. 

"But where are Marcus and Jeff Kiss? I know they were heading this way," said Silver Crystal, looking around. Wiccan sniffed the air.

"Oh, they just disappeared," said Darkling airily. "They both tried to destroy each other with their magic, and they went up in a puff of smoke, literally."

Rora turned to Hex. "Your plan worked! We're saved!"

Hex felt a warm, happy thrill running through her.  It was true. She, and her friends, were safe. Two of the most dastardly men in the world had vanished. And it was all thanks to her.

"Well, it wasn't just me," she said, smiling at them all. "It was all of us. Eclipse for knowing the wickedness of the corporation. Lady Elaine and PEter and Madame Agalier for helping us out. Luna Silvermoon for using her magic. I could go on. We did this together, all of us."

And then there was a rustle among the bushes, and Sterling appeared. For a moment there was a stunned silence. Then Lady Elaine gasped.

"Of course! If Jeff Kiss is defeated, all the bad deeds he did are undone - that's one of the laws of his magic. Sterling, you're back!"

What rejoicing followed! It seemed as if they could never exclaim enough over Sterling's return. It only ended when - "What's that notebook?" asked Darkvine the sharp-eyed, looking at Darkling.

So Darkling explained everything that the notebook said, while they stood or sat and laughed and looked at each other with a thrilled, joyous happiness in their eyes, now that they were all safe. The crickets chirped softly in the dusk. Overhead the stars were coming out, and the golden moon sailed through the sky like a round, glowing ship in a sea of vastness. pangolin, tipping back her head to gaze at it, felt that she had never been happier.

Darkling's voice came to a stop. For a moment there was silence.

"I just have one question," said Artemis, "if it's okay for me to ask. Eclipse - are your parents Lady Elaine and Peter?"

Peter drew his breath in sharply. "How did you know?"

"Yes, they are," Eclipse said, unable to restrain her smile. "When Jeff Kiss kicked us out of the Nile Corporation, we all got separated. I didn't know how to find them again. One day I received an invitation to go on this time travel trip, and I accepted, because I wanted to conquer the Nile Corporation, and maybe find my parents again. And I did it! I had no idea they were in ancient Wales. Dad had started to be a minstrel, and Mother was using her magic to pretend to be the sister of some knight called Sir Arveragus. I was so happy when I found them!"

Darkvine remembered how Peter had sung the song about finding your family again. It had had a special significance, and she had never realized! "I'm so glad you're back together," she said, smiling.

Lady Elaine put her arm around Eclipse. "So am I. I'm so, so glad!" Her voice shook a little, but it was with joy, Darkvine knew. 

"Everythiing's ended happily," Artemis mused.

"Shall we go home now?" Elaine asked softly after a moment.

They agreed. Dawn was just starting to flush the sky in the east. A bird or two sleepily warbled in the trees. It was time to go. 

Elaine raised her hand, and whispered to herself, and the garden fell away. Each CBer was suddenly in his or her own home. The adventure had ended, but the memories they had of it would never fade - and the deeds they had done had saved the entire world.  That, too, would never fade.

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Here's a short epilogue to finish off.

-Epilogue-

It was never known what became of Marcus and Jeff Kiss - nor was it ever discovered why Marcus had warned the CBers not to go near the fateful church in Boston. They speculated that perhaps, suddenly distrusting Jeff Kiss, he hoped to enlist the help of the CBers by saving their lives - or perhaps he had suddenly repented. They would never know. But they felt sure that one of these two explanations, or perhaps both, was the true one.

But they didn't trouble themselves too much about the villains. Even though they lived in different places, the CBers continued to meet regularly; they had new adventures and reminisced about old ones. Elaine, Peter, and Eclipse settled down, having had enough of time-traveling, and they all lived happily ever after.

The ending... it's absolutely amazing! You're so talented at making a satisfying, heartwarming end to a story. Thank you so, so much for making this Ski Lodge!

this is such a warm, perfect ending! well done! *applause*