"Prepare your minds for the journey. Look within to the deep well of silence and stillness that dwells in your Thought Maker." said a soft, but strong voice. Jim and Betty both heard it, not as a sound, but as a thought inside their minds.

"Im not sure what you mean. Who or what are you?" asked Betty out loud. She felt embarrassed because she did not know that Jim had heard the voice too. She felt silly talking to an object. Jim did not hear her and did not notice her discomfort. Both humans were on Earth in their usual existence and in separate, private mind only communication with the amulet's sentient being at the same time.

"I am a Daeba. I neither exist nor do I not exist. I simply "am being". I cannot explain further my state of reality. There is no mind sound, word, thought, emotion, instinct or idea in your language that I can use to explain my "am being". Your planet and your level of thought is too small to "see-feel-know" or "be one with" my "am being." I am a mind talker, a guide, a portal a "way of going" or a pilot, if you prefer that vague designation. I am also a memory and thought storage device-being. I often record "touchings" for personal and business purposes. I can see into the past and show you the deeds and thoughts that have already begun or those that can be. I can show you your thoughts or those of any who were present at a touching who shared with another soul-vessel, am-being or "mind holder", using thoughts or deeds.

It was Jim's turn to be puzzled. His mouth was dry and there was a tightness in his chest. He was curious, in awe and more than a little scared. He felt the being's powerful thoughts. Finally he mustered up the courage to ask it a question.

"Why are you. . . talking to us in our minds? Who sent you here. Why are you here. I have a million questions. I hope you don't mind me asking questions. Should I just shut up or what? This is very, very freaky, man." Jim blurted out.

"Do not worry. Anton thought this would save time and wanted both of you to understand. Come. Let me show you the thoughts begun and experienced by those who took part in the touching of minds and deeds on Isk during Anton's visit. After you witness the touchings that Anton has experienced there, you will gain the understanding of those who were there. You, the beings on Isk and Anton will then know as if you had been there for the mind-touching. Please sit and watch the touchings that occurred when Anton visited the Ancient Guild of Traders."

Betty and Jim sat down as instructed. Both then felt their minds being transported out of their bodies. They watched as their minds joined and simultaneously experienced the journey to the edge of the Solar System. Then the feeling of increased speed enveloped them. They saw the local space-time continuum open and their minds saw many layers of existence, some filled with other travelers and some almost empty. The Daeba, Jim and Betty picked a layer bathed in white light. Jim and Betty noticed that the light and the spaces between the light were made up of totally unfamiliar substances. As they felt themselves being transported along, they saw groups of pulsing energy, some large and some small. Some groups were made up of one or two colors and some had thousands of colors. Betty and Jim could sense the incredible energy each group produced as they flowed past the other travelers.

"What are those things, Daeba? They seem to be alive, but they don't look like anything I've ever seen." asked Jim.

"Those are energy beings. Your scientists would call them 'particles'. They are actually sentient and intelligent beings like yourselves, but of course more advanced. They exist to create all the energies in your universe and in all other universes, dimensions and realities. You would recognize some of their forms as metals, gases and other elements." Daeba said.