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Valera and Theo waiting in the hall. Dr. Lawless’ grin widened.
    “There something… mystical about seeing all three of you together. It’s like the reincarnation of the sisters themselves. Shall we?” He waved an arm toward the courtroom.
    Slammy was on his perch, as snobbish as ever. He eyed the girls from over his upturned nose. Julia automatically went to the middle, but Dr. Lawless cleared his throat and ushered her over to the spectators’ chairs. When she opened her mouth to speak. His finger went to his lips.
    “Just be quiet and behave.” He winked, and then began, “Grand Elder, we humbly beg your pardon.”
    Julia rolled her eyes, but kept her mouth shut. Lawly’s pageantry seemed to make Slammy extra portentous. He placed his hands on his belly and leaned back. His chair creaked under his weight.
    “I’m listening.”
    “After spending time with the girls and explaining the true path, they’ve decided to honor Danu and join the True Followers in our quest.”
    What? Wait a second, I didn’t agree to this.
    Just go with it, Julia. Theo snapped back.
    “Well, isn’t this a fortunate turn of events. I wasn’t sure these... children could be reasoned with.”
    “Yes, fortunate indeed. As initiates of the True Followers, I ask that they be moved to the chambers tower. They will remain under my guidance of course.”
    Slammy rubbed his chin with his over-stuffed sausage-like fingers.
    “I will grant your request, if… they vow allegiance to me.”
    Hell no , Julia spat. Let’s bust out of here and free Danu ourselves. We don’t need Dr. Lawless or anyone else.
    We’re not actually going to swear fealty or anything. We need the help, especially you Julia. Keep the goal in mind.
    Theo’s assertion that Julia needed help from the doctor unnerved her. Julia knew her skills were weak, but she could learn on her own. Slammy turned on my grandmother. That’s her chair he’s crushing up there.
    Valera chimed in, I don’t know, Theo. This seems kind of… wrong.
    He’ll pay for what he did to your grandma, Julia. But right now, we have to play his game. We can’t free Danu on our own.
    Julia hated to admit it, but Theo was right. They didn’t know where Danu’s tomb was. They needed the artifacts and the Trinity Key, and they didn’t know where they were being kept They had little choice.
    Julia sighed, “I swear allegiance to the True Followers.”
    “I do too,” Theo and Valera said in unison.
    Slammy Magee lifted his gavel and slammed it. Julia covered her ears. He needed serious psychological help for his gavel fetish.
    “You are dismissed,” Slammy proclaimed. Before he left the room, he turned to the girls. “However, understand this – one misstep, and you’ll regret it.”
    He lumbered from the room as if he were the king of Aether. Julia hated him, and she wasn’t so fond of the doctor either. Dr. Lawless bowed in front of the girls. He seemed awfully proud of himself. He may have gotten them out of the cells, but they were still captive. However, Julia was one step closer to getting out.
    Dr. Lawless took the girls through a skywalk to a second, smaller tower. The three-story glass building held the white robes’ living chambers. The whole building was like a giant atrium with three levels of rooms surrounding a central corkscrew staircase. At their arrival, white robes looked over the railings and watched Theo, Julia, and Valera ascend the stairs to the last floor.
    "Don't wander around the chambers tower without a guide. Things are in a state of chaos with the new leadership change. Not everyone agrees with the beliefs of the True Followers, and you may end up being a target of their discontent. I’ve taken the liberty of acquiring three rooms, which were recently vacated by deserters who found themselves on the wrong side of the coup and refused to accept the new authority.”
    “In other words, they were tossed out along with Parmelia,” Julia muttered.
    Dr. Lawless