He turned his attention to the rest of the cell structure. They were in the middle of a row of cells with only bars separating them. No matter which cell they could have been dumped in they would have been in constant view of the guards. The back wall was made of stone and mortar with a thin barred window at shoulder height. Jack peeked through, trying to get his bearings on where they were in the castle and in relation to the Stargate. He recognized the courtyard as the main square where they had entered. Even if they could somehow remove the bars and squeeze through the window slit without alerting the guards, they'd have to get by the guards manning the yard and entrance. Still standing in front of the window, so that it appeared like he was simply looking out, he actually studied the masonry of the wall. For such an obviously old structure, the mortar was in damned good condition. Cursed the original builders for taking such pride in their work because it made their escape that much more difficult. The sound of tiny pebbles falling had him glancing down. Or maybe not.

The mortar around the stone Casper had her palm pressed against was crumbling.

Still with his back to the guards, he crouched down beside the redhead, keeping his voice low. "Casper, is there any way you can spread out whatever you're shoving into the stone to the rest of the wall?" His fingers brushed against the floor pinching a little of the crumbled sealer between his thumb and forefinger.

Annika saw where he was leading, using the unexpected side effect of her actions to help more than just Keelah's state of mind. Wiped her cheek against her shoulder to remove the sweat that had broken out on her brow from the effort of continually using her gift. "Um...I could try."

"But?"

"Keelah's fear and panic are drying up."

He could tell from her tone that she was worried. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"It would be if there were other emotions taking their place. But there's not. She's shutting down, Jack, mentally."

"Crap." He referred to both the failed Plan A that hadn't really had a chance to hatch and to the state of their companion.

"I'm going to have to stop siphoning, leaving some of the fear so that she doesn't lose total recognition."

To Jack, Keelah hadn't looked like she any of her lights on since they'd been tossed in here, but he nodded. A low groan drew his attention to Teal'c.

"He's coming around." The relief in Sam's voice was evident.

Teal'c's eyes sprang open and he sat up so quickly the movement was a blur. As if he hadn't been unconscious at all, just paused in time, he let loose with the second half of the battle cry that had been cut off when he'd been shot with the energy blast.

"Take it easy, big guy." Jack rested a hand on the Jaffa's shoulder to prevent him from launching himself at the bars. "We ain't going anywhere for the moment."

Teal'c's face was a mask of fury, though Jack suspected it hid the man's bruised pride that he'd been taken down, and a touch of embarrassment at his reaction in the throne room. A string of what Jack presumed were Goa'uld curses growled from the man's throat.

Jack had mixed feelings about the display. It was great that after eight years, Teal'c was showing emotions more easily. Crappy timing that he chose now to do it.

"Teal'c, you're scaring Keelah."

Annika's quiet words had the immediate effect of shutting up Teal'c's tirade.

"Now, that's a good sign, sort of, isn't it?"

Teal'c frowned at Jack's question to Annika. Keelah was cringing away from him. How can that be a positive sign? Gruffly he voiced his question.

"It's the biggest reaction that we've been able to get from her since being locked up," Annika replied, intently studying the woman's face. There was no change in her glazed, blank expression. "I think she was just responding to the tone so close to her. Can't tell if she's cognizant of anything."

Teal'c shoved his anger at their predicament away, restoring at least outwardly, his usual calm demeanor. "What is the matter with her? If they have hurt her in any way..." The anger threatened to explode again.

"She's in shock, Teal'c," Sam said softly. "Maybe if you talk to her it will help."

The Jaffa nodded. Not making any fast movements, he shifted closer to her. Keeping his voice low and non-threatening, he grasped her hand, holding it gently between his. "We will get out of this situation. You are not alone."

Ever so slowly they saw Keelah's slack fingers curl around the larger hand nestling hers. Her grip so tight her knuckles turned white.

"Good sign?" Jack figured that third time was the charm and was rewarded by a nod from both Sam and Annika.

Annika had stopped funneling the negative emotions, but had kept a hold of Keelah's hand as a point of human contact for her friend. Now she dropped it away, since Teal'c was having more success than she had. She scooted back to lean against the wall, giving a wide berth to the stone she'd been channeling into.

Frustrated, Daniel gave up trying to get details from the guards and joined his wife, his arm dropping around her shoulders in an automatic gesture of comfort. "The only thing I could get from them is that we'll be dealt with after His Majesty has finished with the town's people."

"No time frame?" Annika asked, snuggling deeper into his warm embrace.

"Nope."

He and Teal'c had been sparring in the gym with Ferretti and Brooklyn; Janet was observing the Jaffa's movements, looking for signs of fatigue or weakness.

The doctor that been running tests on Teal'c since he'd informed her of the change in his body's response to the daily dose of tretonin. After triple checking the batch of the blue serum that kept his immune system working, she had determined there was nothing wrong with the drug; which only left something having changed within Teal'c's body. Her biggest worry was that he was developing a resistance to the tretonin. If that were the case, she was already planning in the back of her mind how to re-implant an infant symbiote into him and how to broach the subject with the Jaffa. Blood tests had shown that Teal'c was not absorbing the serum as much as required. However, there had been no indication of him weakening or any adverse effects. If anything he appeared to be healthier than she had ever seen him either with or without a symbiote.

Watching him easily avoid Brooklyn's jabs and take swings of his own, she could see no lessening of his reflexes or coordination.

Jack feinted left, dodging Ferretti's glove. "Come on, Lou, you too chicken to hit a general?"

The major wouldn't admit that he was pretty much giving the best he could. "Just taking it easy on an old man."

The banter drew her attention to the general as he 'danced' backwards, ducking Ferretti's left hook. Noted that the man appeared more sprightly and agile now than when she had first examined him over eight years ago. With a doctor's eye she studied the general's knees, knowing he favored one over the other due to an old injury from his special forces days. There was no indication of stiffness or pain, which he must have been feeling after the forty minutes of strenuous activity.

Her mind jumped to Daniel, who had requested an eye test a few days ago. He said he'd been getting headaches and thought he needed a stronger prescription. Once the exam had been conducted, she had discovered that the reverse was actually true. The archaeologist's eyesight had gotten stronger by two full lens strengths. Such an occurrence was not unusual. As a person aged quite often the muscles of the eyes healed to a certain degree before once again growing weaker. However, having three members of SG-1 concurrently experiencing spontaneous healing of pre-existing conditions made her suspicious that something more than Mother Nature was at work.

"Doc, everything alright?" Jack saw Janet's frown as he went in for an uppercut, a move that Ferretti had dodged many a time before.

The comment distracted Ferretti, his eyes immediately darting to Janet thinking there was something wrong with her.

Too late for him to pull the punch, Jack's gloved fist landed square on the major's jaw. Ferretti staggered back, landing on his back on the floor.

Jack couldn't help but notice how quickly Janet was crouching by the major's side, shining a penlight into his dazed eyes. Found it amusing that Ferretti, who like every other male on base would normally try to shrug off the doctor's mothering for such an insignificant and admittedly embarrassing mishap, remained placid under Janet's examination. Oh, puh-lease, get a room already, he silently groused. It was damn obvious, to him anyway, that while the pair was stubbornly refusing to make one peep about their feelings they were taking advantage of an official reason for a 'touchy-feely' moment. He held out his glove to Ferretti. "Shake it off, Lou."

Reluctantly Ferretti accepted the hand up, hooking wrist to wrist with Jack since it was impossible to grasp hands with the gloves. "When did you get such a fast right?"

"Always had it," he boasted.

Before the major could refute the claim, a page came over the speakers.

The two members began tugging off their gloves.

They had heard the earlier page for the archaeologist.

"I propose there has been a discovery of an old Earth civilization of which Daniel Jackson has knowledge," Teal'c countered the bet as they traveled down the lift.

The sound of chatter greeted them when the doors opened. Curious they hurried to the briefing room. It wasn't exactly a shocker to see Daniel talking excitedly to Harper and Chewy. The surprise was seeing Sam just as animated talking with Hammond, and Annika and Keelah parked on the floor with Shakespeare leaning over them as they studied a camcorder.

"We're late for a party?" Jack quipped, sauntering in.

Heads swung up towards the two new arrivals, everyone trying to speak at once.

"Whoa! One at a time."

There was silence for a whole second and then everyone started up again trying to get in first.

"It's my home, Teal'c. I'm going home!"

Jack was the only one to catch the look of misery that touched the Jaffa's eyes before the shutter closed over his features.

Teal'c plastered a smile on his face. "That is wonderful news."

Hammond called everyone to order. "Why don't we take this from the top?"

Quick as lightning seats were taken. Sitting a little more sedately, Jack likened the beaming faces around the table to school kids eager to set off on a field trip...well, aside from Teal'c, who was trying to project his normal stoic demeanor. Hammond had them start the debrief over in the order of the interruptions.

Jack listened to the revelation of the magical language pill. That on its own was enough to give the immediate green light for a second trip. The mystery mineral that according to Jacob and Selmak sent a snake loopy, he had reservations about. Snakeheads were already bat-shit crazy and to him using this mineral would just be adding fat to the fire. But Carter was chattering about concentrating the stuff into an instant psychotic break and he conceded that had a nice ring to it, as long as no one was in the general vicinity when the snake cracked. There was also the possibility that they could plant the mineral on a Goa'uld ship and leak that intel to another. The way he understood it, the Goa'uld would destroy each other, doing their job for them. Add to that, the coincidence this planet of goodies was also Keelah's long-lost home world, it was a no brainer. The only problem he foresaw was keeping his kids from spontaneously combusting until the mission could be slotted into the rotation.

"Keelah, do you remember enough of your people's ways to know why SG-5 couldn't open trade negotiations?" Hammond asked.

The former slave nodded. "It is rare for outsiders to be granted an audience with the King without a letter of introduction. He does hold court every second morning to settle disputes and such with the people, but you still need knowledge of Court procedures to get that far."

"Naturally you would want to see your family first, but would you be able to assist in getting an audience?"

"I would rather keep my return quiet...I do not know how my family will react." Nervousness clouded her happy expression. "I'd prefer to assist in the negotiations first, if that's alright?"

"Whatever you're comfortable with." Hammond recalled her fears, which she had confided to him when she had first arrived at the SGC, about not being accepted back into her family.

"Did you want us to approach your family first?" Daniel asked. "So it's not such of a shock for them?"

Keelah considered the question then shook her head. "Given the circumstances of my abduction, I do not want to risk them thinking you were involved. They may...act first and ask questions later. My brother is...part of the Court and will be present for the initial negotiation request...I will decide how to proceed from there."

"You're so certain he will be there?" Hammond raised an eyebrow.

A small smile touched her lips. "My family have been involved in Crown matters for generations. Short of a revolution, he will be there."

"How do you know specifically that your brother will be there?" Sam pressed. "Couldn't the job have been given to someone else?"

"His position, as are many in the Court, is his by grace of birth...and it is his duty." A flash of guilt crossed her face. "There was no one else to take on the role after I was abducted."

"Major Harper, how late in the day on the planet was it when you left?" Hammond could see from the eagerness of the people sitting before him that they would be ready to go in record time.

"Dusk was just setting in, sir."

The response jogged Shakespeare's memory and he flicked through his notebook. "Sir, there's a curfew in place...let's see..." He turned another couple of pages. "Two hours after dark."

"Curfew?" Keelah let her surprise show. "I have never heard of such a thing."

"The buzz of the town folk is that it's new and they're not too happy about it."

"Keelah, I remember you mentioning that your people were in conflict with another nation." Hammond dredged up the memory from when Keelah had first arrived. "Could this curfew be related to that?"

"The feud has lasted centuries, though I am unclear of the reasoning for it." The former slave racked her mind for more details. "But the fighting hadn't reached the main town for many decades. When I was there, it was more a case of border patrolling than physical battles. There was no need for anything as extreme as a curfew."

"The tide of battle can change quickly, let alone in the years you have been gone," Teal'c said quietly. He didn't want to dampen her excitement over finding her home planet, but he wanted to prepare her for the possibility that her society may have changed, not necessarily for the better. Didn't want to see her disappointed.

"I realize that." Her tone was unintentionally sharp. Immediately she grimaced, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."

"For what it's worth, there was no sign of conflict or troops that we saw," Chewy added, hoping to ease the tension, but Keelah's frown only deepened.

"There's not?"

The members of SG-5 shook their heads, and Chewy continued. "The King's Guard gave the impression of being more like police."

Shakespeare brought the conversation back on track. "It's the King's Guard and a group called the Light Seekers enforcing the curfew."

"That makes no sense," Keelah murmured.

"You know of these Light Seekers?" Jack asked.

She nodded, glancing at Daniel. "It's the name of the group searching for inner peace that I spoke of earlier today. But for generations they have kept to themselves in the monastery. They don't interfere with Crown business and they are not enforcers. At least...at least they weren't." She darted another look at Teal'c. "Obviously things have changed."

"Do you know how recently the curfew has been put in place?" Jack asked. To him these Light Seekers had the distinct whiff of a cult and they could be dangerous, especially if they had gotten in the ear of the King, as they apparently had.

"About two weeks. They were apparently given no reason other than it was for their safety."

Hammond figured they had covered all the basics and he rose. "SG-1, I'll schedule a return mission for tomorrow, 0700."

With nods of acknowledgement everyone else stood as well.

"Harper, you and your team feel like a powwow?" Jack wanted to get as much intel as he could.

"Sure," the team leader nodded. "Just gotta' check in with the Doc."

"My office?" Daniel suggested. His was the largest of the offices assigned to them as long as no one minded sitting on worktables instead of chairs, and it would offer the most privacy.

Jack nodded and the two teams separated, but in short time they re-congregated in the archaeologist's office.

The powwow took up the rest of the afternoon. By the time they signed out, they had a pretty good idea of the physical layout of the main town, as well as the general demeanor of the people. According to SG-5 and the video footage, they seemed happy enough, didn't seem oppressed in any way and there was no sign of Goa'uld. Though the last was not really surprising from what Sam had said regarding the mineral. If a snakehead knew about a planet with the ore, then there would be no planet left to visit. And yet, there was something hinky that Jack couldn't put his finger on.

As they all walked to their cars he tried to get more information from Keelah. "These Light guys, what else do you know about them?"

"Not much more than I've already said," Keelah shrugged. "As I remember them, they kept to themselves, spending most of their time in the monastery. They did venture down to the town for supplies but little else."

The general thought back to the footage SG-5 had taken. Judging by the few Light fellas they had seen, it was clear they had muscles beneath their tunics. "They look pretty well built."

"A healthy body promotes a healthy mind," Keelah dredged up one of the philosophies of the group.

Jack was still thinking cult.

Teal'c, on the other hand, found it to be a similar saying instilled in Jaffa training camps. However, he kept the thought to himself. There had not been enough footage of the Light Seekers for him to say either way that they bore any other traits similar to Jaffa. He did not want to give the impression of actively looking for negativity on Keelah's home world. He would wait until he had observed the Light Seekers in person before putting forth his suspicion.

At the crack of dawn, Jack was roused from sleep by Sam's soft kisses and caresses, and as a certain appendage sprang to attention in salute, he wished that Sam would discover a new mineral everyday and twice on Sundays if that was the kind of wake up call he'd get. They were on base at 0600 and it didn't exactly shock him that they were the last of SG-1 to arrive. Donning traveling robes recommended by Keelah over their BDUs, eager faces beamed at him in anticipation. Even Teal'c looked happy...well, he didn't look pissy...to tell the truth he wore his usual 'pull out for any occasion' stoic expression, though Jack suspected it was a front. Before leaving the night before he had suggested to Teal'c that he discuss with Keelah what her plans were for the future if everything went hunky-dory. He'd bet dollars to donuts that the big guy hadn't broached the subject.

Hammond gave them his customary send off and they had stepped through the wormhole. On the other side all of them, him included, had looked around curiously. Curiosity aside, the team out of habit began their usual routine. Carter was already taking readings of the air to measure the mystery mineral levels. Teal'c and Daniel fanned out ahead, scouting the immediate terrain, while Annika stuck close to Keelah.

To Jack the place looked no different than most of the planets they'd been to. Trees, grass, rolling hills, more grass, more trees. He automatically scanned for signs of life, but other than a strange chirp of what sounded like a bird, there were none.

Keelah, however, didn't think it quite so mundane. She gazed at the scenery like it was the most magical thing in the universe. And Jack supposed that to her it was. She breathed in the air and gave a happy sigh, her smile so wide it almost split her face.

"Smells like a mix of cinnamon and cloves." Annika also sniffed the flower.

Jack let the former slave indulge in the moment of returning to her home planet, then cleared his throat. "Kids, we should get moving." Happy place or not, they were too exposed here.

"The town's that way." Keelah gestured to the right fork of a well-worn path wide enough for a cart to travel on.

"Well, Dorothy, let's go see the Wizard." He was about to say that he'd take point so Teal'c could hang back with Keelah, but the Jaffa was already striding ahead. Oy. His mind was already thinking ahead. If things worked out with Keelah's kin, then there was the distinct possibility that she would choose to remain. If Teal'c was already 'touchy', Jack wasn't exactly looking forward to the future.

They all moved out, the team automatically flanking their least experienced member. About a quarter of a mile in the path forked again. Going by SG-5's directions and Keelah's unwavering step off to the right they continued on. But they had barely gone a hundred meters when their resident expert slowed, her eyes locked on a pair of trees twice as big as the others. Her brow creased as she tried to jog her memory and then before anyone could object she dashed over to them.

Jack hated to mar her excitement, but he couldn't have her running off willy nilly even if she did know the terrain better than they did. "Keelah, give a heads up if you want to detour."

The young woman looked abashed. "I'm sorry, but if we cut through here it will halve our journey."

"You're sure?" Skeptical he peered into the forest. Getting lost wasn't exactly on his to do list today.

She nodded, her hand caressing the bark of the tree closest to her. "If we go that way," she pointed northwest, "it will bring us right up to the town gates."

"There's no path to follow," Daniel observed.

"Not many people know of the...shortcut. It's a sort of security measure for a quick evacuation." She gestured to a small vertical scouring in the trunk. "There should always be another of this type of tree in view when standing by this mark. We just need to follow the trees."

The others scanned the area looking for the next marker. Keelah pointed to where she knew it to be, but this time remembered to wait for Jack's okay.

"I see it, O'Neill." Teal'c caught a glimpse of the distinctive tree through the foliage.

"I'm all for shortcuts." Jack gave the signal to keep going.

Just as Keelah said, it took them half the estimated time to find themselves meeting up with the established path from the 'gate, the town only a couple of hundred meters ahead. They paused surveying the area.

The town was enclosed by a stone wall approximately ten feet high. On the outskirts were a few humble cottages with fields of grain spanning outwards. The forest in which they stood had been cleared from the wall a good hundred meters. While Sam, Jack and Teal'c made an automatic assessment, calculating distances of lack of cover should a hasty retreat be needed and other little details ingrained into them from the military, Daniel, Annika and Keelah had eyes only for the township itself. The doors of the main entrance, which were at least a foot thick, were open, revealing a row of stone and wooden houses on one side, with a mix of tile and thatched roofs. The other side opened into a square, which they recognized as the marshaling area for visitors that SG-5 had described and recorded.

The best way Jack could describe the guards manning the entrance was tense. Not knowing enough about the citizens of this planet, he didn't know whether that was normal or not. "Okay, Keelah, this is your home turf. Do we need to check in?"

"We shouldn't have to. We haven't anything to declare for trade and Daniel and I speak the language, so we don't need to be assigned a dose of the language pill." She paused having to take a breath to contain her excitement. "The main road will take us directly to the castle."

SG-5 hadn't had a problem with carrying their weapons, but Jack figured there was no point drawing attention to themselves by asking the guards. He set off at a casual saunter and the others took his lead. The guards gave them a cursory glance as they passed them, but since the team looked like they knew where they were going, didn't stop them.

"So does it look the same?" Annika hooked her arm through Keelah's. The young woman was practically overflowing with excitement and anticipation, and no one would really blame her if she forgot the protocol to stick together. By linking arms it would help keep Keelah grounded while sharing her enthusiasm.

Keelah was filled with so many emotions as they headed deeper into the town. It was like every cobble she stepped on released another long forgotten memory of her childhood. She managed a nod at her friend's question. "Although it seems a little smaller."

Keelah gave an exclamation of delight when they rounded the next corner and saw a bakery with a man as wide as he was tall, opening the shutters. "Oh, Abernathy is still here!" As a child she used to help him make his daily wares to sell. He'd always been a jolly soul who welcomed her, though in hindsight she had probably been more underfoot than a help. Her 'wage' had been a basket of sweet buns to take home; a trade she considered more than fair in her child's mind. "He makes the best sweet buns in town."

The aroma of freshly baked bread made their stomachs growl.

"We can stop in if you like," Jack offered.

She seemed torn then shook her head. "He may recognize me, and I think it would be best if my family knew of my return first."

Sam was taking periodic readings of the mineral. "Whoa." Started scanning the street looking for something.

"What, Carter?"

"The readings are off the scale." She crouched down and scratched a fingernail across one of the cobbles. "The streets are paved with it."

Daniel drew in from his side position raising an eyebrow at Sam's discovery, though it wasn't the reason he stepped out of formation. Keeping his voice low he asked, "Is it me, or are there a lot more Light Seekers on the street than yesterday?"

The fact that Daniel was the one to point that out, considering he had a mecca of cultural oddities to make him oblivious to 'tactical' details, should have set off warning bells in Jack's head.

"Could just be that there are fewer of the other citizens about so early," Sam suggested, though there was a hesitance in her tone. She was glad of the nine mil tucked beneath her robe. The people seemed to be going about their daily business happily enough, yet there was an undercurrent of tension that she didn't understand.

The comments drew Keelah away from her reminiscing. She took in the people as a whole rather than as individuals and a frown creased her brow. "I don't understand why there are so many."

Teal'c had moved in from point to hear the observations. He had caught sight of a holster beneath one of the Light Seeker's robe. "They bear arms." His hand automatically made sure that his zat' was within easy reach beneath his robe.

Keelah's shocked gasp told them that was also unusual.

Jack just added it to the list of oddities of this place. "Casper, you getting anything off their auras?"

Annika tried to study the closest Light Seeker, trying not to look like she was staring. "They're shocked and confused but full of loyal pride...like they've won some sort of prize...almost to the point of zealousness."

"Okay, kids, everybody stick close."

The sense of unease grew the closer they got to the castle. So much so that Keelah couldn't even enjoy seeing the majestic building up close. "May the gods have mercy, this is wrong."

They slowed their approach though didn't stop, for to do so now would only draw unwanted attention to themselves. The number of Light Seekers in town was tiny compared to the numbers in the courtyard.

Teal'c did a quick head count. "By my count there is at least one Seeker for every King's Guard."

"Perhaps the King found religion?" Jack quipped.

"No, Jack, you don't understand." Keelah shook her head vehemently. "Regardless of own personal belief, the Crown has always been neutral as far as religious views go. There shouldn't be even one Light Seeker in the garrison let alone a whole unit." There was a spark of anger in her voice. "Whatever possessed, C...the King to allow this?"

"Maybe religion found the King."

Nobody liked the implications of Daniel's comment. While there was no indication of the Seekers being Jaffa, that was their first thought. They were keenly aware that one of the events that brought them here involved a Goa'uld escape with Jaffa who were very un-Jaffa-like.

"When is a Jaffa not a Jaffa?" Jack murmured. It would be too much of a coincidence for there to be a second lot of Jaffa wondering around the universe on a planet with the rare mineral. And the time line fit with when the Goa'uld had escaped from Earth.

Teal'c pointed out the main anomaly. "It is odd that if the Goa'uld has reclaimed this world that he would allow the King's Guard to remain as enforcers."

"Everything about Kinsey's snakehead is odd," Annika groused.

"Religious fanaticism isn't restricted to the Goa'uld," Daniel gave a countering option. They only had to look at Earth's history for evidence of that.

"Either way, we tread carefully." Jack turned to Keelah. "I know this wasn't the plan, but maybe we should contact your kin first. They may be able to shed some light on what's going on here."

Keelah glanced at the sun, judging the time. "My family will already be in the Court. To call them out now would draw attention to both us and them."

"We don't really want that," Sam said quietly. "If we've walked into the middle of a Goa'uld takeover..." She let the sentence hang.

"We'd have a better chance of helping below the radar," Jack concluded.

When everyone else nodded in agreement, Keelah felt tears sting her eyes. Their first thought hadn't been to run or return to Earth and lock the planet from the base computer, it had been to assist her people. It truly rammed home just how good these people were and how lucky she was to have them in her life. "Perhaps there is a way to get a message to my brother without anyone knowing."

"We're all ears." Jack looked at her expectantly.

"Daniel, when you put forth your request, can you work into your speech the term 'deristim filchee'?"

The linguist's eyebrows shot up as he translated the phrase. "Candy trees? That's going to be difficult."

"Actually the translation is closer to lollipop trees." She gave a hasty explanation. "It's a kind of codeword."

"You're banking a lot on your brother's memory," Sam gently pointed out.

Keelah gave a tense smile. "There are some things a person doesn't forget. It is a reference to a..." she struggled for the correct colloquialism, "...telling him to go to his happy place. It started as a family joke but we continually used it for at least three years before my abduction. Only my family and tutor knew of it. Using it may cause a few titters, but it is not something that will cause offense. They should put it down to you being a foreigner, however, the fact that you are learning our language the old fashioned way without the pill will show you're willing to put in the effort."

"I may have a way to slip it into the conversation," Daniel said thoughtfully.

"Ya' do?" Jack marveled at his friend's knack to twist words to any occasion. "My hat off to ya'."

The linguist nodded. "Keelah's language has a lot of accents that change the meaning of a word. I can make it sound like a slip of the tongue."

Jack gave his approval. "Keelah, since things aren't precisely the same as you'd hoped, I'd like you to give confirmation to Daniel when you see your brother or another of your kinfolk."

She was about to protest that she was positive her brother would be present but she bit it back. "I will, Jack."

"Sweet. So let's go meet the King."

As casually as they could they walked through to the main entrance to the courtyard.