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54 Solo or Duo we instantly find ourselves landing on Earth. Our Starcruiser dematerializes near the old barn. We have a cosmic feeling we are moving in opposite directions at one time, and are somewhere in addition to Earth. Solo tells us that our replicas will be transported simultaneously aboard the duplicate Starcruiser Etoftot to Planet Theia. Everything seems to be the same for our replicas, except ... the duplicate Starcruiser is a mirror image of itself. After close inspection, we realize that we too, as duplicates, are like a parallel, but opposite image. We wonder what the Replication Synchronization Ritual has done and if we will ever be the same.

55 Chapter Five The Chamber Obscura The Raven watches in the shadowy evening light outside the old Qi barn as his earthly counterpart, the weather beaten Carl Drinkwater enters. The Raven looks around to see if anyone else is around. Satisfied, he flies into the barn and sees Carl examining the bronze statue. He calls out, "Carl. Carl Drinkwater." Carl looks around, sees nothing, shakes his head and continues his inspection. "Carl, look over here." "Who's there?" He sees the Raven, "get outta here bird." He picks up a riding crop and swings it at the Raven who flies away and settles down on a hay bale. The Raven speaks the words 'change to man' twice in a Lakota tongue, "Yuto keca vicasa, yuto keca vicasa," and morphs into an image of Dimitri Talbot, "Don’t be afraid. My name is Dimitri Talbot, and I am from the parallel world Theia." "Parallel world? You got somtin' to do with this here statue?" "I need your help to get the book from the secret room in the house." "I am not allowed in the big house." "But you must ---" Carl interrupts, "You should talk to Mister Nigel."