Even if, from his perspective, he'd last seen his inferior officer mere hours ago, it seemed like an eternity. Somehow none of it seemed real.

The pirate costumes weren't really helping.

They'd told him this "Stacy" had released certain crew members--but only for a day--and that Lash had all but given up on ever seeing anyone from their world again. And now he was here but he wasn't even sure if he was supposed to be.

"I should be dead." He didn't quite know what the rings had to do with anything, but he mirrored Lash's movements and slipped it back on anyway. "Am I?"