Tu'Pari drew his wickedly-bladed dagger and tested it against his arm. He then smiled. "Always a pleasure to serve."

Catherine shook her head slowly. "It's all so…. I don't know. I thought you were dead. No one survived the Line, they said. No one."

"No one did. I can't…. quite…. see it. But I do know that no one survived. The Minbari were…. very thorough."

"Now that is what I don't understand. The Minbari destroyed everything of ours. They tore us apart, and they kept us apart these past thirteen years. Oh, I know it was these Vorlons who did…. whatever…. but it was the Minbari who allowed it. So why in God's name are you…. looking like…. that?"

"I don't expect you to understand. Sometimes I'm not sure I understand." He rose to his feet and gently took her hand, guiding her outside to his balcony. It was the middle of the morning now, and the bustle of people through the streets of Kazomi 7 could be heard. Slowly he pointed to a park, not far away. There was a small shrine there, made of wood and stone. In front of the shrine there was a garden of sand and rocks. "You see that?"

"A Japanese stone garden, yes…. I…. What is a Japanese stone garden doing here? I've only seen two other humans on this whole planet; that insane merchant who brought me here and the Gandalf wannabe who checked me out in the customs area."

"Ah, I believe the Centauri picked up the idea, and quite liked it…. for a time. Our fashions were quite popular with them for a while, remember? And after…. afterwards…. Delenn told me that they merely altered the stone garden a little to make it look Minbari. It was destroyed when the Drakh invaded, but Delenn saw to it that it was rebuilt. She said…. something…." He straightened. "The power of one mind to change the universe. I told Marrain that once, when he was questioning some of my ideas. That was the one occasion when I wish he hadn't listened to me."

"You creep me out when you do that." She shivered. "Oh, don't look at me like that. One minute you're almost the Jeff I knew, and I can almost forget you've got that damned bone growing out of your skull, and then…. and then you switch personalities and creep me out. What has that stone garden got to do with anything anyway?"

"What do you see when you look at it?"

She shrugged. "Rocks. Sand. More sand. What am I supposed to see?"

"I see footsteps stretching out across the sand, running forever on into the distance. And I know that I'm following them, travelling a path that has already been travelled…. There's a man waiting for me at the end…. and he's me.

"Catherine, I remember things that I have not yet done. I can see my future…. your past. The Vorlons did that to me. They changed my appearance, my memories, took away almost everything that made me human…. leaving just enough so that I would be the Valen of history. They took you away from me. They took everything away from me.

"I have no choice but to follow this path. They made sure of that."

"You…. remember your future?"

"I know what is to happen. The histories record everything I said, and did, and all the mistakes I made…. mistakes I have to make again. Footsteps in the sand."

"Then you…. you know how you're going to die?"

He shivered and bowed his head, gripping the balcony rail tightly. "Don't ask me. I can never tell you. Never tell anyone."

"I don't know if you're Jeffrey or…. the other guy at the moment. I don't think I want to know. What are you going to do now?"

"Stay here. I have to. I don't think the Vorlons want me to go too far…."

He must stay here, until the time is right.

Catherine recoiled at the alien thoughts, but she said nothing. He did not seem to notice.

"Besides, if I head out into the galaxy, there's too much that could happen. The Minbari are…. falling apart at the moment. If I tried to help, I'd just make things worse. I know I would. Neither of the factions out there wants me, not really. But here…. I can help. There are some Minbari who…. remember what I'm meant to represent, and they're coming here. They're coming to safety and strengthening this place…. all at the same time.

"I have to stay here. But you, Catherine…. what are you going to do? I…. I would like you to stay."

"I don't know. I'd…. been told I would find you here, but I had no idea it would be like this. I…. I need to think. I'd like to see a bit more of this place."

"Of course. I'll give you a guided tour."

"I just hope that no one back home gets word of me hanging around with a Minbari."

He smiled, but it was a false smile. She looked at him, and wondered what thoughts were there, behind that so-alien face. For a brief moment equally alien thoughts flitted inside her mind — but only for a moment, and then they were gone, the Vorlon influence receding to her subconscious, content to wait. For the moment, at least.