The soldiers prepare to hang Sapphire, and Steel touches them and freezes them to death in second. They die, screaming, and Sapphire tells Robert that Steel reduced his temperate to near absolute zero. She sends Robert to go to the kitchen and light a fire, and a light sphere leaves the painting. Robert stares at it for a second, and Sapphire tells him that it's okay to leave. Once she leaves, Steel mutters that he wasn't able to stop both of them and they can't be allowed to thaw. Sapphire agrees and asks Helen to take Steel to the kitchen without touching him, and Steel manages to get to the fire.
In the upstairs bedroom the voice continues muttering about upstairs and downstairs.
The next morning, Steel warms himself by the fire. Robert and Helen stare at him, and Sapphire comes in and says that Steel will be okay eventually. He communicates with her telepathically, wondering if the fire is lit because he can't feel it. Steel confirms that she deal with the frozen light, and Sapphire asks Robert to help her. Helen stares at Steel, who slowly looks back at her and she quickly goes with the others.
Helen finds Robert looking on as Sapphire works on the freezer. She's using it to contain the frozen light ball, and puts a glass from a tabletop onto the freezer to contain it. Sapphire says that the light ball is a descendant---a child--and is more dangerous than the creature she's seen before. Robert realizes that there are two more in the house, and Sapphire goes to check on Steel. The children bring the freezer lid to the kitchen, and Robert wonders why Steel can't freeze the creature like he froze the fragments. Sapphire explains that it would only suspend it for awhile. Robert wonders if there are other Elements, and Sapphire says that there's 127. Once the children leave , Steel speaks up, saying there are 115 of them and they can never rely on the transuranics because they're unstable.
Once they're alone, Helen wonders if the "child" is hurt. Robert insists that it's not a child like a puppy or kitten. He admits that it's young but different than puppies and kittens. Someone pounds on the door, and Helen figures that it's a policeman. Robert hesitantly opens the door, and a large man pushes it open and storms in.
The children run to the kitchen and describe the man. Sapphire refuses to wake Steel and says that they'll handle it themselves. They go out and find the front door closet. The man, Lead, is sitting on the stairs, greets Sapphire by name, and asks if there's anything to eat. Sapphire introduces him to the children, and they take him to Lead. Lead says that Steel needs insulation and that's why he's there, and asks Sapphire to make him some food.
That night, light comes out from under the bedroom door. It throbs, and in the freezer the descendant sphere throbs in response.
Lead eats the food, and Steel recovers. The new Element gossips briefly about the other Elements, and Sapphire says that when Lead is done eating he'll show Lead what they have to do. He says that there's another difficult one waiting for them when they finish there.
Robert and Helen take down all of the old books and paintings, and Lead joins them. He jokingly threatens Helen, who quickly goes downstairs as Lead helps Robert with a painting. Downstairs, Helen drops a Mother Goose book, picks it up, takes it to the kitchen where Helen is, and drops the book again.
Steel tells Lead what has happened, and they listen at the bedroom door. Lead assures Robert that they'll get his parents back.
Sapphire and Helen tear the pages out of the books and burn them, unaware that the Mother Goose has fallen off to the side.
Steel prepares to go into the bedroom and freeze the creature back to the war. Lead points out that insulating Steel takes a lot out of him and if it goes wrong, they're both trapped. Steel insists on doing it, and Lead talks about the ship. They remember that it's name was Mary Celeste. Robert points out that the crew's disappearance is a mystery that people have been trying to solve for years.
In the kitchen, Helen sees the Mother Goose book open on its own. She calls Sapphire's attention to it, and they watch as the book opens to a nursery rhyme. Sapphire turns Helen away from it, but the girl says that the rhyme is in her head. Before she can say anything, Sapphire tears out the page and tries to burn it. It flutters out of her hand and into the air, and Helen helps Sapphire try to catch it.
Steel says that he sunk the real Mary Celeste. The Countryman's voice echoes through the house, reciting the poem from the book. Steel hears it and the trio go to the bedroom.
Heather mouths the nursery rhyme, and tells Sapphire that it's in her head and won't go.
Steel and Lead prepare to enter the bedroom. A wind blasts through the hill, blasting the two Elements back. The creature begs to Robert to let it out, using Sarah's voice.
The wind sweeps through the kitchen, tearing apart everything in its path.
The soldiers emerge from the bedroom, followed by the Countryman. Steel holds Robert back, telling him not to listen.
Sapphire tries to grab the page but it flutters away in the wind.
Robert watches as a clock on the wall shatters. The soldiers return and enter the bedroom.
Sapphire puts Helen up on the table to reach the paper, and they both stare at it.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 19, 2018