With shrewd turquoise eyes, Tai Pan examines for a moment the faint aura around his paw, looking at its throbbing, pulsing hues. He then glances at the translucent silver cord extending from Mugs' upper abdomen to the Astral horizon. His own cord disappears in the opposite direction.

"You do understand, of course, that my intervention on your behalf during this little disagreement will cost you a major favor, Mugs Grayshadow?"

The alley cat winces, then nods. Sighing, Mugs levitates until he is opposite Tai Pan's branch. In midair, he rolls over on his back and offers his belly to seal their bargain.

"Aye, I understand. Though I wonder what you have on them, mate, that they'd let me go just on your say-so."

Pleased with its appearance, Tai Pan sets his paw against the other three on the branch. He shrugs his long sable and cream fur to make certain every hair is in perfect alignment. "Oh, just a small debt of honor in the right place," he answers with satisfaction.

Mugs rights himself, stepping to the branch near Tai Pan and sitting down. His thick ghostly tail coils around his paws. "Oy, that kind of thing's easy for you, the mighty Tai Pan. You've always got the goods. We're settled then: I'm in your debt, mate." He closes his golden eyes and sniffs the crisp, nocturnal air for an moment before rising.

"Gotta be off," Mugs says, and vanishes.

"Farewell, old friend," Tai Pan mutters. "Be safe, at least for now. Let me know when you're in trouble again." He allows himself a satisfied smile. "Business has been very good this month, very good indeed!"

"It's excellent news to hear you are doing so well, Sir t.i.tus de Pannikin!" purrs a soft voice behind him.

Tai Pan leaps to his paws and whirls, ready to pounce. "Who's there?" he calls, seeing no one.

On the Astral Plane, seeing no one can be dangerous.

The silvery outline of an old white cat levitates from behind the broad leaf of a rhododendron. "I am Tara Moondreamer, from the Order of Lamasery Cats," she answers, gracefully landing on Tai Pan's branch. "Surely you remember me from long ago."

Tai Pan admires the composure and control of his visitor.

This is someone who has traveled the Astral Plane for a long time.

He searches his prodigious memory and comes up with a remembrance of a tall emerald-eyed white cat fuzzed by just-focusing kitten eyes. Tara Moondreamer had been old even then, a teacher and companion to one of the lamasery's leaders. A wriggle of unease prods his nerves, but he hides it.

What can she want from me? And what will it cost?

As if hearing his thoughts, an amused expression curls her mouth and makes her whiskers twitch. "Ah, t.i.tus Pannikin, have you already forgotten who you are?"

"I am a businesscat," he returns a bit stiffly, the tip of his tail twitching. "And a good one, too. From where do I know you?"

"You were still learning to extend and retract your kitten claws the last time I saw you," laughs Tara. "Little t.i.tus de Pannikin, lordly even as a kit, you always preferred to lap water from that rare silver cup. Do you still?"

Annoyed at being caught off guard by such a personal detail, Tai Pan settles his paws beneath him, trying to look more at ease. If only he could stop the last third of his Astral tail from flipping back and forth.

"Yes, I still do. But you seem to know much more about me than I do about you, Honored Tara. I am at a disadvantage here."

"Pardon my intrusion, t.i.tus. And I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," she purrs. "I am sent to give you a message. There is something urgent that you need to do."

"That I need to do?" His unease grows, as if something from his past has returned to haunt him. "What business does the Order have with me? Someone needs a favor, perhaps?"

"Come now, t.i.tus. You were always meant to be a mentor, not a mere broker of services and favors," Tara chides. "Your Birman lineage ties you and your kind to the Order. Your ancestral duty is one that cannot be traded away. You realize this, don't you?"

"Ah. Tied to the Order," Tai Pan snaps back, now truly annoyed. "I haven't heard of them since I was a kitten." He recalled the group as an obscure brood, mostly concerned with the development of supernatural talents among catfolk and a few carefully chosen humans. "So, what do the ancient lamas and their wise cats want with me now, after forgetting me for all these years?" he asks.

"You were never forgotten," Tara states, staring at the moon-fed shimmers of the snow fields. "We have watched your growth. We've allowed you to ply your chosen trade for many years. And we have bided our time until the right moment. That moment is now." She takes in a deep breath, but says nothing further.

Tai Pan again tries to control his tail, with little success. It now flips in a full half arc. "All right, Honored Tara," he grumbles. "What do you want me to do?" Too late he realizes that she might take his question for acceptance rather than a request for information.

She does. "It is now time you took up your true calling, Sir t.i.tus de Pannikin. The Order needs you to help a human acolyte master the ability to travel the Astral Plane. A simple task for you, really, considering your extensive experience there."

"What?" Tai Pan shudders. "Me, teach a human boy? Let the lamas handle that duty. Surely they have somebody better for this than me."

"No, they don't, t.i.tus." Tara 's green gaze becomes icy, reaching into Tai Pan's very soul. "When you were just a kitten, the Order placed you in the household of this human acolyte. Yes, t.i.tus, that was no mistake-it is him you are to guide. You are best suited because you have been with young Norbu since his early childhood. He trusts you. What better mentor can there be?"

Tai Pan grumbles, "You and the Order planned this all along. You allowed me to go into business and forget!"

"True, we did the planning, t.i.tus," Tara answers with some amus.e.m.e.nt. Her eyes become gentle. "But it was your own greed that made you forget your mission."

"Don't call me t.i.tus," he growls, barely keeping his shoulders from hunching with irritation. "My friends know me as Tai Pan."

"What a pity. Your birth name was so fitting."

He snorts. "That's past history. Please, it's Tai Pan now. Thank you."

"Ah. My time here is at an end." Tara glances at her silver cord, which is taut and trembling. "I must go now, t.i.tus-Tai Pan. But I need to warn you. Be very aware that there are some who seek to harm Norbu, some who are as familiar with the Astral Plane as you are."

Tara hesitates, sighing a little. "It is Norbu's destiny to become an important figure among human lamas, perhaps eventually to lead the Order. If you fail, there will be disastrous consequences not only for the lamas, but also for the rest of the world. Norbu is a key element to a binding that prevents many horrors from freely roaming the Astral Plane. His foes will try to prevent his growth and also his accession into the Order when he's ready."

"So why don't the lamas take on this duty themselves?" asks Tai Pan. "It sounds like something they'd relish."

"They can't act directly. If they did, it would surely reveal the place where he's hidden. That place you know so well. So be on your guard, t.i.tus-Tai Pan. Be discreet. You'll need every claw and every wit you have to succeed."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Tai Pan hops to his feet as Tara vanishes. "How am I...?"

He is left alone in the ice-scented breeze, among the giant rhododendrons growing at the foot of the mountains under the crescent moon.

"This is not good for business," Tai Pan mutters. "Not good at all. But what choice do I have?"

Sighing, he vanishes as well.

A split-second later, Tai Pan's Astral form materializes in a small room. His white feet rest on a worn wooden chest at the foot of a bed that is little more than a thin mattress and blanket on raised slats. Tai Pan sits down, observing for a moment the common-looking Asian boy and the bedroom of the small house they'd called home for most of their lives.

No more than ten years old in human years, Norbu sleeps restfully on his back. He is dressed in soft striped cotton pajama pants that appear to have permanent wrinkles. The blanket lies twisted over one foot and ankle. Two large bookcases, crammed with dusty old prayer books and rolled-up scrolls, stand against the wall on both sides of the head of the bed. Wads of well-thumbed comic books stick out between some of the voluminous tomes.

Tai Pan scouts the room with his heightened senses, making sure no one else is hiding there, either physically or in Astral form.

Although it is difficult to conceal anything in this room, I'd better be sure, he tells himself. I love this child. I've been his accomplice in many adventures, both on the streets in this city and within the pages of books. We are good friends. How could I lose him now, or leave him, furthering my business my only excuse?

Still thinking, he leaps silently upon the small desk sitting against the wall opposite the bed, where bluish starlight filters through a gap in the curtains covering the single narrow window. The scarred wood holds a jumble of school-books, papers, pens, smudged trading cards, and toy dragons undisturbed by his weightless paws. The starlight shines through Tai Pan's immaterial form and puddles upon torn jeans and a yellow T-shirt thrown on the chair next to the desk. Worn-out sneakers and dingy socks lie underneath.

"It looks as it always does in here," says Tai Pan aloud to himself, relieved at finding nothing more obtrusive than dust and starshine.

Norbu mutters something unintelligible. Tai Pan stares back at the boy, whiskers aquiver.

"So, you hear someone speaking in the Astral Plane even in your sleep. That's good. We won't have to start from the very beginning. Now, to pry you out of this physical sh.e.l.l... Yes, perhaps that will do it."

Tai Pan jumps onto the bed and tiptoes along Norbu's sleeping body, right up to the boy's face. The faint golden glow of Tai Pan's Astral form reveals the boy's crooked nose and the faint shadows thrown by his thick eyelashes even in the dimness of his bedroom.

"Come on, boy," mutters Tai Pan, his nose almost touching Norbu's. "Time to come out and learn something new now."

The child squirms in his sleep, opens his mouth, and lets out a small snore.

"Uh huh... there lies the future of a great order of lamas," quips Tai Pan, amused. "Well, let's try this."

He pads downward a few steps along Norbu's body. With his front paws, Tai Pan reaches through the boy's physical ribcage and nudges his somnolent Astral essence. Norbu mutters more incomprehensible words and straightens his legs. Tai Pan purrs softly in encouragement and quirks his paws, pulling upward. His brow furrows and his ears stand erect as he concentrates.

A moment later, a ghostly duplicate of Norbu materializes just inches above his physical body. A silver cord links the Astral form to the boy's solar plexus. The strong golden aura about Norbu's immaterial shape, added to the pale glow from his silver cord and the starlight from the window, fills the room with a warm, pleasant light totally unlike the harsh brightness of human-made lamps.

"h.e.l.lo, Houston, we've got liftoff!" Tai Pan feels smugly proud of himself and his pupil. "All right, Norbu, let's keep going. Lesson two."

The boy's Astral form begins to waver and sway. Tai Pan scampers toward Norbu's long feet. From there, he reaches up and grabs a hem of Norbu's Astral pajamas with his teeth.

Tai Pan mumbles, pulling. "Thif' way, 'orbu. Thif' way!"

At last, Norbu's essence slowly glides to the foot of the bed and stands upright, floating an inch or two above the wooden floor.

"Ataboy," says Tai Pan proudly from the corner of the rumpled bed. "Lesson three."

Norbu opens his Astral eyes.

"Good," Tai Pan encourages.

But the boy sees nothing. He hovers, motionless, still in a dream state.

"Now, for the tough part: keeping you wide awake and making you conscious of the Astral Plane itself. Let's try this..." Tai Pan pads forward and takes a quick nip at the boy's immaterial backside.

That brings Norbu to consciousness. Confused, he looks around. He screams when he sees his physical body lying on the bed.

Tai Pan exudes every ounce of a cat's extraordinary ability to calm. "No, easy there. Everything's fine." His purring fills the room.

It works. Curious now, Astral-Norbu examines his glowing hands and body. Seeing the silver cord attaching him to his corporeal self, he realizes his situation. He remembers reading about this in one of those old books. With a smile, Norbu observes his room.

He's really looking at things, noticing every detail, thinks Tai Pan, proudly staring up at the boy. I remember the first time I saw through my Astral eyes-everything appears much more clearly.

Norbu's eyes come to rest on Tai Pan. "Why can I see through you?" he asks.

Caught off guard, Tai Pan answers, "Um... Meow?"

"Weird," says Norbu. Levitating upward, he adds with glee, "Hey, this is cool!"

Without warning, he vanishes through the ceiling.

"Whoa. Oh, wharf rats! Hang on there, boy!" shouts Tai Pan, launching himself after Norbu's silver cord. "Stop!"

He sees Norbu's Astral form in the distance, gliding above the city and turning cartwheels. Tai Pan does his best to catch up, thinking himself to where the child is. As soon as Tai Pan appears next to Norbu and opens his mouth to chastise him, the youngster spies a lamasery, and darts through an open window.

Not a good idea! Tai Pan instantly materializes inside the meditation hall, apprehension filling his mind. He looks for the boy's silver cord. This is not a good idea at all!

Norbu's unexpected visit is unwise-an enemy might be watching, even in a lamasery. And considering his minimal experience with the Astral Plane, Norbu is in grave danger.

Above large vats of smoking stick incense, the youngster aimlessly darts in and out of the shadows around the head of a large golden Buddha.

He's returned to his dream state: there is no thought behind his motions, Tai Pan realizes.

One of the clairvoyant lamas interrupts his prayers when Norbu's Astral form drifts overhead. He then turns and glares angrily at Tai Pan.

"Sorry about that," says Tai Pan, bowing respect. "He is very young in knowledge."

Norbu vanishes once more.

Oh, hairb.a.l.l.s and curdled milk! I should have known he'd go out and about. Worried and frustrated, he launches himself after his pupil.

This time it takes Tai Pan much longer to track down the boy's whereabouts. Norbu's silver cord stretches in a different direction every time Tai Pan reaches a new location: the school, the playground, the local mall. Tai Pan arrives at a crowded ice cream stand outside the mall just in time to see Norbu zip straight up into the nocturnal sky.

"By the Great Cat's extra toes, will you stop this!" Before darting off in pursuit, Tai Pan takes a moment to quickly a.s.sess the people waiting for ice cream. One of them, a bearded and hirsute human male covered with tattoos, looks straight at him.

"You shouldn't be seeing any of this!" spits Tai Pan.

The man gives Tai Pan an evil grin and quickly walks away.

Tai Pan hisses and mutters, "The enemies know Norbu's loose! That's bad! Bad, bad, bad..." He takes off into the sky in a hurry, expecting the worst.

Moments later, Tai Pan finally catches up with Norbu at the rhododendron forest near the towering mountains. He levitates just above his student's head, next to the trunk of a large tree.

Terrified and cornered, the boy cowers against the bark. Only ten feet away, a nightmarish creature lurches toward Norbu. Filthy black and purple hair covers its entire body. On its face, jagged lips reveal a wide mouth with slime-dripping fangs above which purulent gray eyes bulge from slits. Standing on three thick spider legs, the monster raises two arms like a praying mantis, and clicks deadly serrated claws.

Landing between his pupil and the beast, Tai Pan shouts, "Hold it! I know you for what you are, Garakk Fearmonger. Leave this boy alone!"

Garakk takes a step back and hisses, "What makes you so sure of yourself, t.i.tus-Detritus?"

"I know your kind. You feed on people's terror. I'm not scared of you, you miserable sc.u.m. Your business is done here. Get lost! Go back to that slime pit you call home!"

Garakk reveals its fangs in a taunting grin. It hisses back at Tai Pan, "The boy's soul is mine to feed upon. And I will have yours, too."

The creature lunges. Tai Pan's attention was momentarily divided between Garakk and Norbu, a great mistake. He realized that as the monster's claws ensnared and lifted him.

Tai Pan fights like a beserker, biting and slashing at Garakk's arms. Oblivious to the pain of multiple puncture wounds, the beast lifts him closer to its horrid fangs.

"And now, I will kill you!"

Furiously clawing at Garakks's mouth and eyes, Tai Pan shouts, "I'm not afraid of you! You are powerless against me!"

The monster huffs a sardonic laugh as it tips its head and seizes Tai Pan's silver cord between its slimy teeth. Despite his best efforts, Tai Pan cannot free himself from Garakk's th.o.r.n.y grip, cannot reach far enough to protect his Astral connection.