The Voyages of the Penelope and the Yydryl

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Tom McLaury lay dying in Fremont Street and he saw for the first time, how blue the
sky was. In a more peaceful time he may have mused on the cyan colour, in a better
time -he may have thought about how light can be used and changed.

One of descendants would certainly discover it's universe-changing properties-had he
survived.

The sky disappeared as Doc Holliday's silhouette loomed into Tom's view.
"You're done for old hoss... a wound like that is fatal" Neno/Doc said softly and put
his pistol in his holster. Tom McLaury felt the creeping coldness in his lower body and
attempted a smile "I got ya' Doc... I got ya" he mouthed the words but no sound came.
Nenothu winced from his bruised hip and crouched close to the dying man, a dust-devil
passed the bottom of Main Street.

The sound of two more shots came from the Corral and then the Earps stepped around
the corner of Fly's Boarding House, the long-barrelled PeaceMaker hung from the Wyatt's
right hand and his younger brother hung onto his left shoulder.
Virgil Earp limped after his brothers, Neno's discarded shotgun now doubled as a crutch.

"It's finished?" Neno asked without looking at Wyatt, his pale eyes watched Tom McLaury
slip away and his thoughts were on who the young man with the faded bruised face would
meet on the other side.
"Death" Neno hissed to no one.

Bill Clanton stood up suddenly and Ike Clanton gulped at what he'd thought was a dead
brother and watched as the bleeding figure stumbled towards Fremont Street.
Death hummed to himself as Billy Clanton shuffled in the dust past him and the now-
gibbering Ike with a dangling Colt in his hand.

Nenothtu stood up and squinted into the azure sky, the deed was done and he, Boy In A
Dress and Tibbs should be on their way. Virgil saw Billy Clanton first and his thoughts
flew away at the sight of the shambling corpse with the outstretched arm.

The Earp eldest reached for his pistol as Bill's Colt fired towards Nenothtu and Wyatt
killed the man -again as Bill's bullet found it's mark.

Doc Holliday's body fell in the street and as the darkness rushed into Neno's vision,
the tall robe-shrouded figure in the OK Corral faded from Ike's sight.
The Cowboy swooned and his headed thudded where Death's feet were only moments
before, as his consciousness called it a day, the final words Ike heard were "... that I'm
already on to the fact that I'll win until I lose, I'll live until I die..."

...................................................*********........................................................

The darkness was welcoming and Nenothtu let it flow over him, the chest pains had gone
and a peace seemed to glow in his being. Thunder seemed to rumble far off as Nenothtu
alighted on a sandy beach and without another thought, he accepted he was on a shore
somewhere.

The water was like a millpond and the dark clouds above didn't seem to threaten rain, Neno
sat up and wiped sand from his hands, it's texture was like sugar.
"And so you died Mr. Carpenter" the deep-plum tones of Death announced and Neno looked
over at the seven-foot heap of robes. "I am Omega and I am final, I have..." The Keeper of
Souls never finished his statement as Neno punched him square in the face.

One moment the guerilla of many wars was sitting with ease on the ground -the next he was
pummelling the struggling shape with both fists.
Well, Neno HAD warned him earlier.

Boy In A Dress looked down at the body of his friend and as the crowd milled around in
Fremont Street, the man/girl leaned closer and sniffed the dead Nenothtu.
Tibbs wept for the warrior and the-now bandaged Morgan attempted to comfort the little
man.
Wyatt and Virgil checked that Billy Clanton wouldn't come back to life and a final bullet from
Wyatt's PeaceMaker to his head -was agreed to be a show stopper.

Then the hermaphrodite stood up and commenced to unbutton 'Big Nose' Kate's dress,
Tibbs wiped the tears away with his beard and placed his spectacles back on his red face.
"What are you doing BIAD?" the Vithian said and went to stop him, the townsfolk were
stood in a circle around the small group.

"Heh Kate, there's no need for this" Wyatt said with a sympathetic tone and went to console
the poor woman, then Boy In A Dress showed his true self.
Wyatt halted in his tracks at the sight of the strange creature, one second it was the familiar
figure of Doc's only-real friend, the next this eyeless monster in a very short red dress stood
grinning like a maniac.

Ignoring the citizens of Tombstone and Lawman's stares, BIAD barked " Tibbs...? get our
gear ready, we're going to save someone called Silo13"
The small man gasped and leaned his head to the side -just as the man/girl did when
confused, "is everything okay Mr. Devil?"
(please play the music for effect -below)
He Won't Go In The Night....

The mention of 'Devil' made the crowd gasp too and a disturbing murmer raced around
the rubber-necking people, BIAD's face never left the sight of Doc Holliday's prone body.
"GET US READY...NOW" BIAD shouted and the Vithian raced away towards the Hotel, as
he reached the stoop, he saw the dust devils swirling at the end of Fremont Street.

The crowd also saw the waiting swirls of desert wind, the dirvishes seemed to be as
one, a group of demons awaiting a command.
Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan stepped back and left BIAD and Doc's body alone in the circle
of people, the scene became silent.
Then the dust devils came.

The crowd panicked as the whirling winds surrounded the lone pair and unknown to
everyone -including BIAD, in a very far off place, a brusied and battered Death cried out
'Uncle' and eveything changed.
Doc Holliday's body twitched and the man/girl smiled saying 'he rises' BIAD stepped away
to allow his friend some room.

Nenothu stood up and without any words, the pair walked towards the waiting Tibbs, the
baggage was weighing the poor man down.
The three Lawmen stood in shock with the rest as Nenothu and BIAD passed, the dust devils
had vanished in the rising.

As the little Vithian dropped the large bag, he ran and hugged Neno's leg "I'm happy
you're back" he sobbed into the dusty pants leg.
Nenothtu patted Tibbs on the head and look once more to the sky "NOW" his voice
commanded and the strange trio disappeared in a blue-white flash.
The coldness of the snow and the icy air outside of the cabin was welcoming only
for a few seconds.

A soft patting on the bathroom door and Adam was quick to open it hoping to see a pair of violet blue eyes looking back. No one was there. Until he looked down. At the cat.

‘Squatch needs to go squat Sir.’ Announced the ‘cat‘ looking up at Adam with slightly crossed eyes.

‘Adam, please, call me Adam.’ He replied shaking his head. He still had a hard time wrapping his mind around the Milli-Being using the cat Squatch as a host.

'Yeah, right, Adam. Anyway Squatch here needs to use the cat box, which just happens to be in this bathroom.' Milli sounded urgent and the cats eyeballs were crossed so hard they were about to disappear behind his nose. 'So, Adam, I’m warning you friend to friend like you might want to leave him at it too. Quite the stinkpot he is.’ Squatch-Milli said with a swishing tale.

Adam couldn’t help but laugh. ‘And you? What do you do while Squatch does his...duty?’ He opened the door wide but the cat didn't enter only began snaking impatiently through his feet as he tried to step into the hall.

‘Me? I take a hop onto the bearskin while my man Squatch here takes a ...’

‘I get your meaning,’ Adam held up his hand, ’be my guest.’ Adam stayed in the hall watching the cat run to the bear skin next to the fire, roll around on his back like the rug had had been dipped in tuna only to come barreling his way back up the hall and into the bathroom.

‘There ya go.‘ Adam shut the door part way expecting the cat to answer. Of course the cat didn't answer, the cat never answered, Milli answered, and Milli wasn’t on the cat anymore. It was enough to make his head hurt.

‘Is there something wrong Sir?’ Adam jumped in place, he hadn’t heard Dag’s approach.

‘No, no, nothing wrong, just the cat had to...’ Adam hesitated, ’And it’s Adam, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Adam?’ He gruffed and made his way past Dag heading to the kitchen for a glass of wine not sure if he was thrilled or peaked when Dag followed him.

‘A-Dam,’ Dag pronounced slowly, ‘I’d like to talk to you Sir.’ Dag perched on a bar stool his bony elbows planted on the counter top his head resting on his chin.

‘I’d like to talk to you too Dag...’ Adam poured himself a full glass of Beaujolais offering the bottle to Dag before he thought twice. Dag wiped the mouth of the bottle with the tip of his LAB coat then took a swig.

Adam raised an eyebrow and pointed at his glass. ‘Would you like a glass?’ He reached for another.

‘No no, A-Dam, it’s good like this.’ Dag wiped the bottle again and returned it to his lips.

‘So you’ve imbibed before have you?’ Adam’s eyebrow raised even higher.

‘Why do you ask, A-Dam?’ Dag cocked his chin sideways giving Dag a wide eyed look, all innocence.

‘Why do I ask?‘ Adam rolled his eyes. ‘Look, just how old are you anyway?’ Adam blurted in exasperation before slugging back half a glass of the dark liquid.

‘233 A-Dam’ Dag replied, bottle to his lips looking sideways and waiting for Adams reaction. Which he got. Adam spewed a full mouthful of Ms. Mars wine half way across the room, coughing, his eyes watering.

‘Wha-aat!?’ He coughed again.

‘Two-hundred and thirty...’ Dag began repeating his age, stopped, a sick look passing over his face.

‘Did you drink too much too fast?‘ Frightened by Dag’s sudden pallor Adam became all concern until the stench hit him. ‘Oh Creator!’ Adam choked and quickly covered his face with the cloth he’d grabbed to clean up the spilled wine.

‘Sir!’ Dag’s eyes began to water his hands fluttered before his face waving away the stink before he pulled up a corner of his LAB coat to cover his nose exposing himself from the waist down.

Adams eyes nearly dropped out of his head. Those thighs!

Heart pounding, unable to breath, Adam quickly pulled down Dag’s Lab coat and pushed his cloth over Dag’s nose. He contemplated opening the back door but hesitated. Who knew what was lurking outside in the cold, all that rough wooded country, all that...wild.

‘Adam...?’ Milli yelped from the front room.

‘I know I know we smell it too!’ Adam’s breath exploded, he had no choice but to breath. And dry heave. He’d never be able to drink Beaujolais again.

‘Oh it’s worse than the smell!‘ Milli howled. ‘The smell goes away! Addaaaaaaammmm! You’d better get in here!’ Milli squealed from the rug.

‘What could be worse than that smell!’ Adam blinked tears away and swallowed heavily moving from the kitchen into the front room.

‘Company!’ Chumley burped standing between Silo and whoever, whatever was out on the deck - wanting in.

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~ CindyMar’s Cabin & Those who came in from the Cold ~

Adam and Dag grouped with Chumley next to the bear skin rug where Milli waited patiently for Squatch who‘d gone into hiding.

‘Did you really see something out there?’ Adam whispered through the corner of his mouth his eyes never leaving the picture window.

‘Sure as I can be...’ Milli sighed ‘But then the wind started and now with the white out...‘ Milli’s voice trailed off. ’You did notice a storm had hit, right?’

‘No, actually I hadn’t’ Adam replied no time for embarrassment. Holding out his hand for the others to ‘stay’ he crept closer to the window growing more unnerved with each step. His nose almost pressed to the window he could barely make out three shapes just off the deck. They didn’t seem threatening, but with the snow as a cover he couldn’t determine who, or what they were much less if they were armed.

‘A-Dam, pleaseee, we have to let them in. Sir, they’ll freeze!’ Dag tugged at Adam trying to force his way under the big man’s arm so he could get a better look at the shapes huddles out in the storm.

‘I know son but we can’t just let anybody in, they could be from Bransom!‘ Adam rasped harshly, ‘...followed our teleport trail!’ Adam turned to Chumley.

The Capitan looked from Adam to Silo and back again and shook his great head eyes gone sad. ‘I go. Is my job.’ Chumley said slowly his voice hoarse with emotion. Leaving Silo’s side was the very last thing he wanted to do.

‘Chum, listen, you can’t go out in that without a coat.’ Milli embedded in the rug clearly wanted to go along. ‘Wrap the bearskin around your shoulders. It’s the only thing big enough to fit you.’ He added hastily but for nothing, Chumley was already pulling on the rug wearing it’s snarling head like a hat.

‘You two, guard Silo. She get hurt, you get hurt.’ Chumley promised leaving Adam and Dag a little taken aback at his threat. But, Chumley was a Regalian something Adam had forgotten in all the beings sniveling over Silo. At the moment with three unknowns outside the cabin door he found the reminder oddly comforting.

‘Arm yourselves...’ Chumley pointed to the fire irons before he wrapped his tentacle around the doorknob easing it open ever so gently. Artic air whipped into the room like a wraith the bitter cold biting and snapping at all it touched.

‘On second thought maybe I’ll stay here and...guard Silo!’ Milli improvised. One nip of the icy cold and all Milli’s want of adventure had left him.

‘You come, we go.’ Chumley stepped out into the bitter air and giving a Regalian battle cry charged across the deck the dreadfulness of his roar turning to mighty squeaks as he slipped and slid over the ice tentacles flailing.

A bloodcurdling bellow reached out through the night staggering the trio causing them to jump in place as a one.
They couldn’t see anything coming, they couldn’t see anything at all other than sheets of frozen white and their own foot prints following them in the rising snow. Distracted by the cold, the storm, they’d yet to get their bearings when suddenly for good or bad they knew they were not alone.

Neno, shivering in the cold raised his weapon aiming it in the direction of the eerie howl. BIAD, wearing Neno’s long black duster stood in place one finely clad foot raised in in the air, the other sunk stiletto deep in the freezing snow not quite daring to move. Tibs, his beard already streaked with ice guarded the baggage, hiding behind it to keep it safe.

‘PEES! I coming! I find you! No attackkkk! PEES!’ Chumley tried his best to sound formidable but the clacking of his teeth got in the way turning peace green.

Neno, gun raised a little higher curled his shoulders and backed into BIAD shielding him from whatever was coming their way Tibs all but forgotten.

Then they saw it. A mammoth snow caped bear fangs bared wide and breathing steam like a locomotive came barreling straight at them, thick green tentacles waving in the wind.

What happened next was no more a mistake than a reaction, no more a reaction than fate.

Neno shot Chumley.

Actually Neno didn’t do the shooting, Neno’s gun did. Still smoking hot from being fired under the blazing noon day sun in the West, transported in a nanosecond to the frigid sub zero temperatures high up in the mountains of Oregon - the contrast was just too much for the old revolver. It’s metal constricted, the fire pin stuck true, the report of the gun barely heard over the howling storm.

Startled by the kickback Neno swore and he and BIAD watched in horror as the great green brown bear began to tumble backwards in the snow not a yard in front of them. Tibs was no where to be seen but their pile of baggage shook like igloos in an earthquake.

Neno swore again, ‘Well I’ll be-deee-amned. Never a misfire in my life until...’

‘I’m Hit! Aaaahhhhhgggg!’ Came a theatrical wail interrupting Neno.

All thoughts of safety aside Neno lurched forward trying to catch the falling figure. There was something awfully familiar about the large green tentacled giant bear head and all. When Neno got close enough to see the beings features they confirmed his suspicions. No one could forget Chumley of the Yydryl once they’d met him.

‘Chumley! What in the sam-hill are you doing here?’ Neno yelled over the wind. ‘BIAD! Find Tibs and get inside I know this one!’

‘Neno?’ Chumley rocked up to his knees with help. ‘The Nennnnooo?’ His teeth chattered. ’Neno the Vandal U-Man? Penelope U-Man?’ Chumley grabbed Neno in a huge hug the stuffed bear bouncing up and down on his head grinning. ‘NENOOOO!‘ Chumley hooted with joy and relief. ‘Come! Now! We go inside! You freeze your goons off out here. I freeze my goons off out here!’ Chumley all but lifted Neno out of his boots dragging him towards the cabin.

‘But Chumley, I shot you!’ Neno blustered unable to believe Chumley could walk much lest lift him after being struck. Sure the Regalian was big but Neno knew the kind of tunnel his sidearm carved through flesh.

‘No, Neno! You shoot bear!’ Chumley laughed and continued to pull Neno forward.

Slipping and sliding their way onto the deck and up into the cabin BIAD had never felt anything so heavenly as the warm air radiating from inside. Tibs, unwilling to be left out in the snow overcame his terror of the Regalian and followed the rest through the door into the welcoming heat.

Adam hadn’t heard the shot, but he heard Milli milking the situation for all it was worth.

‘I’m shot! I’m shotttttt! Oh aghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!’ Milli moaned dramatically from the back of Chumley who unceremoniously dropped the bear rug to the floor in a hump telling Milli to get over it. The rug immediately began to thaw leaking a growing puddle on the hardwood floor while Milli grumbling something about ‘no respect’.

‘Shot?’ Adam’s mouth dropped open unable to take his eyes off BIAD who’d removed Neno’s coat and stood shivering in a bright red dress, Neno his revolver in hand and Tibs his nose in the air trying to see under his fogged up glasses.

‘Yeah, shot.’ Neno smiled a crooked smile and shrugged his shoulders looking down at the revolver in his hand like it had a mind of it’s own.

‘Aaaa-Dam look!’ Dag dragged out his name in wonder. ’It’s so beautiful!’ The boy crept forward big violet eyes round with worship taking in every inch of the red dress and it’s wearer. Closer Dag timidly reached out to touch the smiling BIAD as if he was a splendid dream that might too soon disappear.

‘DAG!’ Adam shouted and grabbed Dag’s shoulder harder than he’d intended in his concern for the boy. Dag yelped.

Neno, all smiles gone raised his revolver slowly looking Adam squarely in the eye. ‘Take your hands off the girl or my next shot won’t be a mistake.’ Neno’s gaze didn’t flinch, Adam’s eyes widened over the misunderstanding his hand frozen in place.

Neno locked eyes with his adversary in a battle of wills. Adam for his part didn’t look away, his countenance a match for any man, but surprisingly Neno caught no hint of fear from Adam only a growing look of incredulity crossing the other man’s features. Neno credited the man’s expression to the revolver pointed squarely at his chest.

Little did Neno know for the first time in Adam’s life his ‘gift’ - failed him. Adam could read nothing behind he Vandal's eyes other than the promise to shoot him if he didn't release Dag.

BIAD, unable to stand two showdowns in one day stepped forward and raising one beautifully lacquered fingernail placed it’s blood red oval delicately on the front site of Neno’s gun pushing the tip down and away from Adam.

‘Too much testosterone...’ BIAD shook his head flashing a brilliant disarming smile. Turning to the adoring Dag BIAD pointed the same blood red nail up under the boys chin and gently raised Dag’s face. ‘But not too too much testosterone eh boy?’ The Boy In The Dress said with a wink to the smitten Dag.

Nenothtu stood, pistol lowered, and regarded the man before him. neno noted that the man was armed, but had not drawn. Looking up at the man's face, he saw no fear in it, but no menace, either. It was more a look of combined confusion and surprise - more bewilderment than anything else. He chalked it up to the fact that this man had just had a gun pointed at him, for no particular reason he could discern. a hissing breath escaped neno's lips and putting the pistol away he said "Sorry 'bout that. I got a bit over excited when you laid hands on the..." and then it dawned upon him. BIAD had said 'boy' in relation to what neno had instantly assumed had been a female. Going along with the program, unsure of himself and the correction, neno stumbled over his words, faltered and recovered and continued with "boy here. I've had a rough couple of days. High stress, all that. Might be a bit shell shocked. Apologies" he finished lamely.

The silence was deafening for the moment. No one was sure where to go with this next. Chumley, oblivious to the tension, had picked up a pile of furs from before the fireplace and disappeared somewhere with it, Dag's eyes widening and watching Chumley go with his burden. Everyone else just stood and looked at everyone else for a moment, until nenothtu, thinking they must be waiting for him to finish some random thought, broke the silence with "SILO. That knothead said he was sending us to SILO, and iffen he lied to me.... IS SILO here?" and he peered around, not seeing her.

The slip of a "boy" spoke up "Oh yes sir! Chumley just carried her into a bedroom over here..." and started leading the way. Adam was immediately alarmed. These newcomers - none of them had explained their presence other than to say they were "sent to SILO", and that together with this tall skinny man's evident proclivity towards violence... Adam sprung into action, blocking the way.

"Now you wait just a minute! IF Bransom sent you..."

Neno noticed the man's hand had gone to his gun butt, and reflexively neno did likewise just before he nearly popped. "BRANSOM! What the hell do you know about Bransom, and what makes you think I've got ANYTHING to do with that hag?"

His vehemence startled Adam, and now it was his turn to stutter. "Well, she... Ummm, LAB.. er.. SILO... " recovering, he went on "Uh, I thought Bransom might've sent you to destroy the escapee. If that's what you've got in mind, you'll be going through ME to get there. Bransom's not going to win this one."

Once again, it was nenothtu's turn to be nonplussed. Where had Chumley disappeared to? If he knew these folks, he'd be able to straighten this out in short order. Why would this character think neno had come to "destroy an escapee"? He was beginning to like this stranger, but now wasn't the time for a "get to know you" party. "Look. If you're all that protective of SILO, I'd consider you to be on my side here. In spite of that, if I've got to go THROUGH you to get to her, you'd best get ready to be parted, mister, because that's just what I'll do, friend or no." Then he raised his voice, hoping it would carry to Chumley, wherever he'd gotten to. "CHUMLEY! If your buddy here hasn't got out of my way in 3 seconds or less, you'll be scraping him off these walls!"

Chumley's voice came back from the room where SILO was, a mumbled response out of that room which nenothtu couldn't quite catch, but Adam stepped aside at it. "I'm watching you. Chumley says you're ok, but if you try to harm SILO in any way, you're done."

Neno thought Adam might be bluffing, but he couldn't be certain of it, and the man WAS armed. "Fair enough" was all he said as he proceeded toward where Chumley's voice had come from, Dag leading the way, Adam falling in behind where he could keep an eye on the stranger. Neno would get to the bottom of all this "Bransom" business after he'd seen to SILO.

Entereing the room, nenothtu saw that Chumley had gone straight back to SILO's side as soon as he could after the meeting, without announcement or fanfare. He couldn't read Regalian facial expressions, but something about Chumley's entire demeanor bespoke a deep concern. Approaching the bed, neno was almost knocked over by a smell emanating from a pile of furs heaped in the corner of the room. It was a smell you don't forget.

Blood, and lots of it.

The bed itself looked for all the world like a feather bed, and was heaped with fluffy comforters, apparently of the same material. SILO was just a tiny, too pale, still lump in the middle of them.

"What the hell hap... damn! She's lost a LOT of blood."

Wryly, Adam said "Yeah. I'm a doctor. I picked up on that right away. Problem is, there aren't any medical facilities..."

Neno cut him off. "Medical facilities my ass. Where's the kitchen, doc?" Recent events considered, it seemed strange for neno to be addressing someone else as "doc".

"This way, but there's nothing sterile enough for..."

"Sterile don't mean squat if she dies anyhow, doc. Better a slim chance than none at all. let's see it" and off the two went.

Entering the kitchen, neno started rummaging around among the appliances and cabinets. Adam started talking while nenothtu was rummaging. "as I said, I'm a doctor, Mr..." and left the thought trailing, a pregnant pause.

Without breaking the search, neno said over his shoulder "Nenothtu, or neno, not 'Mr.' or 'sir' anything, just neno" and kept right on searching.

Adam continued. As I said, I'm a doctor, and your evidently not.... neno. I know how these things..."

"Nope, I'm not a doctor, but I've seen more blood and guts scattered round than most any three surgeons you can gather in one room. That girl has lost a lot of blood, and if she's not got some liquids and electrolytes replaced pretty soon, shock is gonna push her over the edge, beyond repair. I'm not having that." He finished.

Adam, more sure of where nenothtu's loyalties lay now, said "But it's not sterile. I can't operate..."

"Stablize doc, stabilize. Operations are done in the rear, not on the sharp end. No surgery here - stabilize."

"Ahh. I'm NOT a trauma tech..."

"You could say trauma is my business, doc, even if I ain't a doctor... AH! Here!" nenothtu produced a small jar of foil covered cubes. He sat it on the table, and started boiling some water in a teapot. Adam picked the jar up and tapped at it, watching the cubes tumble and adjust themselves.

"What are these?"

"Bullion cubes. Concentrated beef broth. Plenty of salt and goodies SILO's going to need."

"Really? They don't look like any kind of broth I've ever seen."

"Probably an Earth specialty, then. I used to take a pack of 'em out on days long patrols with me, for emergency rations. You'd be surprised how a couple of those dissolved in water can keep you going. Absent water, I'd just dissolve 'em in my cheek if I had to, but dissolving them in water helps to fill ya, and SILO needs the liquids now, too."

When the water was hot enough, neno plopped about 4 of the cubes in a big tumbler of hot water, and proceeded back to SILO's room with Adam.

When they arrived, neno handed the tumbler to BIAD and said "make sure she gets as much of this in her as you can." and sat down in a chair in the corner of the room, near the pile of furs. "Geez It's cold here, and I'm wore down." Looking around, he decided to leave all the clean coverings for SILO, who likely needed them worse than him, and picked up one of the bloody furs instead, wrapping himself in the stiffening, blood stinking material, right there in the chair in the room occupied by SILO, Chumley still standing at the side of her bed.

Chumley, I probably don't need to say this, but you make sure nothing happens to her, OK? Doc, you and I need to pass some words about this Bransom business...."

Before Adam could even open his mouth to respond, nenothtu was snoring in the chair.

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To The Boy In A Dress, the girl looked like she'd gone over to the Great Beyond, but still a
couple of sips were taken by her young lips and the man/girl guessed that she was showing
some resistance to BIAD's brother's invitations.

The others in the cabin wandered around from room to room and BIAD occasionally
scanned the faces reading their worries. The big green creature called Chumley -reminded
the hermaphrodite of a similar being that worked on the Cruise Ship 'Olivia' back in the day,
That 'Chumley' had rather amourous tentacles that needed teaching a lesson more than
once.

The broth was taken again from the unconcious Silo and BIAD could see the stutttering
glow of the girl's aura change hue slightly, he had kept this talent secret from everyone
including his Creator.
Nenothtu grunted in his slumber under the odious fur blanket and BIAD glanced at Tibbs
-who waited and watched near the cabin door, the large bag and 'borrowed' rifle slung
over his small shoulders. Tibbs nodded that he was on duty and BIAD offered a kind smile,
the Vithian belonged to Nenothtu now -BIAD guessed.

As Boy In A Dress stroked the girl's lilac-coloured hair, he began to whisper soft words to
her and again, the aura bloomed slightly. "Did I ever tell you about my time on Earth?...
it was a long time ago, my Dear" BIAD hushed and again, stroked the hair from Silo's
smooth-featured face.

"It was 1972 and the world had changed so much from when I first left the Military
Compound. The powers-that-be had done their tests and they seemed more interested in
what had sunken a big boat out in HongKong..." BIAD sighed and smiled into the closed-eyed
face of Silo "... that was in a country called China"

The boy called Dag came close and it wasn't until BIAD's hair began it's snake-writhing, that
the lad decided that his timing was poor and he guessed a better introduction would come
later.
BIAD hadn't noticed his mane's vigilance and continued to coo his musings to the poor girl
before him.

"It was Jenkins... a man who worked there, he suggested I went out into the world to see
what wonders lay there, he was a nice man... you'd have liked him" the man/girl kept his
voice soft.
"Back there and back then, the world was just waking up to the idea that others may exist
out here, that Earth had a lot of growing up to do... my Father told me that the Army believed
that an invasion was imminent" BIAD said and poured droplets of Neno's broth into the
slightly-opened mouth of Silo13.

"Oh... it was so long ago now, I'll gamble a girl like you wouldn't want to know about such
mundane things" the man/girl whispered and ran his long red nails through the girl's hair
again.

"I would!" came a small voice behind him and BIAD turned his head to see a cat sitting with
it's tail curled around it's feet, the voice was a little tinny for BIAD's liking.
"And who might you be?" Boy In A Dress asked, the tone was motherly. The cat showed it's
small pink tongue as the voice came again "I'm Milli and this is Squatch"

To an average person, this may have been alarming to look on -what might well be a
schizophrenic talking cat, but BIAD nodded a 'hello' and invited the cat to come closer
to hear. The furry creature made himself comfortable at the man/girl's high-heeled feet.

BIAD went back to combing his fingers through Silo's hair and brushed at the small leaves
that adorned her head, the red nails and the green leaves called memories of Christmas.

"There was one place..." BIAD's grin widened at the passing thoughts in his head and
continued "... it was a hotel in a big city, a place where lots of people resided and where
big decisions were made"

The cat shuffled closer as BIAD went on. "I remember the blossom on the trees in a place
called 'Foggy Bottom'... it was a grand time and I had just hurried back to the hotel to wait
for a phone call from my Creator... a phone was a thing you could talk to others on -across
distances" BIAD informed, a slight rouge of embarrassment for sounding lame -touched
the man/girl's cheeks.

"The lights were coming on as the evening fell on the city and I remember looking out
at the sparkles of the streets and buildings. My Creator called and told me that I would be
due back at the Compound in two weeks and the General was looking to try a new gizmo
on me... it was called a L-a-s-e-r"

Chumley came out of the bathroom with a pinched look on his face and as he wandered
over to where Adam and Dag gazed out of the window into the darkness, BIAD checked
that Nenothtu was still in the arms of Morpheus, Tibbs was now leaning against the door
and looked exhausted, the little man tossed a weak-but resolute grin.

"I was just about to leave the hotel room to see what nightlife awoke in Washington D.C
when I heard the police cars... guards of the citizens -to you and me... sirens screaming
outside and I wasn't gonna hang about to see what they wanted, so I ran" BIAD spoke to
the listeners and Silo as his eyeless face panned the room in recon.

"As I left through the back doors of the Watergate Hotel, I wondered where my future
lay, who'd have thought it would be here... with you folk?" the man/girl offered a kind
smile to the cat and Silo.
The gratitude the pompous BIAD expected never came and with a small sigh, he went
back to administering the warm broth.

'Onwards' BIAD thought to himself.

The mists swirled, parting, then swirling back together again. Nenothtu looked around, and realizing he'd been here before, spat out a single word.

"Damn!"

As if that were her cue, Margot stepped out of the swirling mists. Neno uttered the same word again, but drew it out longer and then broke it in the middle, making two words of it.

"Dam - mit!"

Margot chided "You need to work on that vocabulary - perhaps expand it a bit. What's a girl to think? You certainly sound like you're not very happy to see me. Don't love me any more, or what?"

"Eh. Sure I do. Doesn't mean I want to see you, though - especially not in another nightmare. I HATE it when I see dead folks in nightmares, walkin' around like they're still livin' and such."

Margot brushed that aside, saying only "We've already been through the whole nonsense 'it's not real, it's just a hallucination' thing before - last time we met, remember?"

"Yeah, I recall" neno replied. "Don't mean this is real, either. I recall falling asleep, so this has to be a nightmare. 'Least I ain't 'dead', like last time" he finished.

Margot picked up on that, and ran with it. "Speaking of 'dead', you've had quit the eventful few days, haven't you?" and then waited expectantly.

"I reckon so" was all nenothtu offered in return.

Margot huffed out a long breath. "You reckon so? You RECKON SO? A man shoots you dead, you go to hell - and back! - and you just reckon it's been eventful? You know, when I was dying... I mean 'transitioning'..." she huffed again, searching for words, finally settling on "moving from 'there' to 'here', I told Freddy you were too damned mean to die, but I was just mad - I didn't... I never..." searching for words again, she finally gave up and simply said "... I guess I didn't know how right I was. You ARE too damned mean to die!" Then her eyes widened slightly and her hand shot to her mouth. She looked up at neno, and said "I told him at the same time that I'd 'see you in hell', and... I have!"

Nenothtu snorted. "Don't talk crazy. Ain't nobody immortal - it just weren't my time is all. When my time DOES come, Death'll get his due. It's only a matter of time. It always is."

Margot considered that a moment before deciding how to approach it. At length, she said "Didn't any of our last conversation sink through that thick skull of yours? Everyone is immortal! EVERYONE! You just change... states... is all there is to it."

"I wanna change my state back to Vandalia, then" neno said.

"Don't be obtuse. You change states from 'biologically alive' to 'biologically dead', but 'you' continue on, regardless of physical state. And you, you... DIED! Yet here you are, apparently still breathing!" She looked at him a bit sideways, and added "It's like your too dumb to know when to stop breathing!"

Ignoring the barb, nenothtu responded with "Yeah, looks like I beat that rap."

Margot shot back with " 'Beat' is right! Do you have any idea WHO it was you were pummelling?"

Neno considered how to respond to that, and settled on "Yeah. An old acquaintance. Seen 'im around here and there - old paintings and stuff. What of it?"

It was Margot's turn to explode. "WHAT OF IT? That was Death, you fool! Have you no fear of anything?"

"Spiders." neno said meekly, with a half grin.

"What?"

"Spiders. I'm skeert of spiders. Kill every one I see, soon as I see it."

"WE"RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SPIDERS! We're talking about Death himself! NORMAL humans, in their 'mortal' phase, are scared stupid of Death. What's wrong with you? How abnormal are you? Are you not scared of even Death?"

Nenothtu rolled his tongue against his cheek a moment, sucked at one of his canine teeth, then said "Nope. He's gonna get us all eventually. It's coming, no avoiding it. Since it's a certainty, and you can't escape forever, why fear him? That just means you'll die scared AND alone, 'stead of just alone. Besides, I've been walking with him quite while - I just can't normally see him. He's always there, though. Dogs my steps, sometimes runs ahead, hell, he even sits and watches me eat. That kind of familiarity burns off all the fear and awe after a bit. Nope, not scared of him at all. Besides, it weren't my time."

"You're time? You think YOU get to decide when it's 'your time' ?"

"Margot, stop turning my statements into questions to lead your tirades off with - it's annoying. No, I don't think that, but fact is it wasn't my time, and the proof is that here I am, undead. When it IS your time, there ain't no getting out of it. Besides, I was mad - madder'n hell! He CHEATED! Son of a gun bushwhacked me, shot me right in the back, and did it with a DEAD man holding the gun! Now THAT'S cheating! That was so wrong, on so many levels - it just wasn't fair, and that pissed me off pretty good, I reckon."

"When was the last time YOU fought a 'fair' fight?" Margot shot back.

Neno gave her his best 'injured' look. "Why, I always fight fair, Margot! The way I see it, if I'm losing, well, that just ain't fair, and I do what I can to fix that" he finished smugly.

"But... but... but this was DEATH! Doesn't that bother you?"

"Why, Margot? Have you EVER known me to give a tinker's damn WHO it is I'm coming to terms with when it's time to come to terms? Why should he be any different? You DO know that sumbidge kills folks for a living, don't you?"

Margot ws momentarily stunned. She couldn't believe those words had just come out of neno's mouth. She leaned in close to nenothtu's face, her nose nearly touching his, and said in a low voice "And just what is it YOU do for a living again?"

Nenothtu shrugged without backing off. "Oh, no doubt or denial about it, I'm another one of them sumbidges what kills folks for a living". Then he knit his eyebrows together, and it was his turn to lean in. When their noses DID touch, neno growled in a low voice "Difference is, I kill folks so that other folks have a fighting chance at living. He kills 'em just to make 'em dead, and he leaves NO surviviors. He'll eventually get every damned one of us. NO survivors. Ain't nobody gettin' out of this life alive."

Margot leaned back, a shade paler - which was a pretty neat trick for a wraith - neno thought that all wraiths were supposed to be pretty pale. He had to admit, that nose had felt pretty solid for a wraith, too.

She sighed. "OK. That was just another part of your education, a part of what you'll need to know for what's to come, so consider it well. Now you've seen this place, and you've seen Death's abode. What will you do if THAT'S the place you end up after your transition, instead of here with me?"

Nenothtu didn't bat an eye or hesitate. "Oh, that's simple enough. I'll spend the rest of Forever beating hell out of Death, of course. I mean, when all is lost, and you've nothing left to lose, it's my opinion that it's best to make best use of what you've got on hand to work with. Might as well go for broke - can't do any further harm. What's he gonna do at that point? What's the worst he's got left? Think he'll KILL me or something? Take away my birthday? Cancel my birth certificate? I mean, seriously, What's he gonna do THEN? Yeah, you can bet yer ass I'll spend the rest of Forever pounding on him." Then neno leaned back and shot Margot one of his lopsided grins. "After all, it worked for me this time, didn't it?" then he guffawed.

Margot stared at nenothtu like he'd eaten a bug for a few seconds, then said "OK. Now you've seen this place and that place. Consider well our previous conversation and this recent event. There's still one more thing you've got to see in order to complete your education for the task ahead. Only after that will you be able to start piecing things together to make any sense of it."

Neno nearly exploded. "Something ELSE I gotta see? Like hell!" he spat out.

Margot gave him a sideways glance out of the corners of her eyes, which were twinkling, and said "Nooo.. not like that at all. Remember what I told you before - SILO's baby is more important than you can know right now. Protect them!" With that cryptic comment she stood up on her toes, flung her arms around his neck, and planted a big wet kiss right on his lips. Just as quickly, she turned him loose, giggled, and then turned away and walked back into the mists, laughing.

Nenothtu ws momentarily stunned. It was that sort of thing, the way Margot was acting, that proved beyond a doubt that he was just dreaming. She hadn't acted this way since VERY early on in their life together. When he recovered, he scratched the back of his head and said right out loud "I gotta quit eating whatever it is giving me these odd-assed dreams. It just ain't fittin' fer a man to have to sneak in a place like this to slip around and meet up with a dead wife. nossir, not fittin' at all!"

Margot's laugh echoed out of the mist louder and longer than necessary. Neno couldn't fathom it, because she knew something he didn't - so he couldn't really be expected to understand. Margot KNEW that nenothtu had already been through hell and the lower half of Georgia, quite literally. After that, his next "lesson" ought to be a piece of cake, passable even for neno with flying colors. Margot knew that, and nenothtu didn't. The laughing and giggling was in all actuality the venting of her relief, secure now in that knowledge. Of course, the knowledge that neno didn't even have a clue made it downright hilarious to Margot.

Just then, the thought struck neno of what Margot had said. He exclaimed to himself, and the universe at large, "SILO'S BABY? WHAT baby?" A distant laugh emerged from the mists, sounding like it echoed from mountain walls, could have been none other than Margot's, and gave mental pictures of her doubled over in convulsive laughter.

Nenothtu woke up, sitting bolt upright and sweating.

~ Plans Over Coffee ~

Adam’s head was spinning. Too much going on in too short a time and none of it under his control. Then there was Neno. He couldn’t read anything in the man’s eyes, almost as if he were...dead.

Adam gave a shudder and stirred another ‘bullion cube’ into a saucepan of boiling water. A Doctor, he’d introduced himself he recalled laughing bitterly. Truth was he was nothing more than an over-trained bio-tech. In his day it was all machines, scanners, bio-electronics, automatic lasers - they did the healing. No more ‘hands on’ doctoring. Not really. It made him want to stay here on Earth and study up on what real doctoring was. Little brown cubes that could save a life - who’d a thought.

Pouring the salty hot mixture into a bowl Adam called for Dag to take the broth to Silo and was relieved when the lad came and went without a word. Dag has been inseparable from the red dressed BIAD ever since he’d arrived and now the pair were caring for Silo naturally doing more ’doctoring’ than Adam had in his entire career. The art of patience spooning soup into pallid lips, the care in stroking her hair, the warmth in talking to her... That’s where the ‘doctoring’ was. That and the bullion. Yes, Silo was out of danger, more alive then when Adam had first seen her thanks to Neno and everyone but him, the ‘Doctor.’ Neno had even ordered her cleaned and into fresh clothes something he should have done long ago. That and he'd charged Chumley with removing the blood soaked skins by setting fire to them concerned the smell of blood would attract predators. Something Adam wouldn’t and hadn’t thought to do. The knowledge left him feeling hollow.

Neno. He didn't like it but he needed to talk to the Vandal, ask if he knew a way to get back to the Yydryl. With Bransom up there somewhere looking for them? CindyMars cabin might as well have a galaxy positioning unit sending out their whereabouts like a beacon on the roof top. Armed with two steaming cups of coffee Adam sought out Neno. With Silo was stabilized there was no time to waste.

Neno, sitting in front of the fire cleaning his sidearm looked up when Adam came in spying the two cups the aroma of fresh brewed coffee preceding Adam from the kitchen.

‘Coffee’? Adam stuck his arm out offering the Vandal a cup being careful to look between his eyes not in them. Neno accepted the mug with a crooked grin the gun all but forgotten momentarily.

‘Real Earth coffee. It’s lifeblood I tell ya.’ He took a huge slurp of the scalding brew and made a sour face. “What, no sugar, no cream?’ Neno looked into the cup like it had grown hair.

‘Milli didn’t include that recipe in the instruction for coffee making, sorry about that. I’ve got...’

‘Lots to learn, yes.’ Neno smiled without rancor. ‘Come on, let’s go put some sweet in this mud. On a night like tonight I take my coffee just like I take my women.’ Neno chuckled at the look of confusion on Adam’s face. ‘It’s an old earth joke Doc. You know, warm and sweet?’ Neno could tell the man still didn’t get it. Ironically it made Neno want to punch the Doc on the shoulder to lighten him up. Something about the way the Doc looked at him, or didn’t, made him edgy.

Adam followed Neno into the kitchen talking as the went. 'I need your help. I’ve got to get us to the Yydryl and not just for Silo. I...’ He paused, ‘I take it you’re aware Bransom is dangerous?’ Adam spoke watching Neno adding heaping spoonfuls of powdered cream and sugar to both cups.

‘Adam, if there’s anyone in the universe that knows the trouble Mary Bransom can be, it’s yours truly’ Neno growled and finished stirring in the condiments nodding his chin at one cup, taking the other and raising it to his lips.

‘Yours truly?’ Adam asked over the rim of his coffee watching swirling pale liquid.

‘That’s me.‘ Neno pointed at his chest with his cup. ‘Look, never mind, you’re right, we’ve got to get out of here.’ Neno started to pace the kitchen. ‘If nothing else because Silo in there is going to die without her ‘phars’ - whatever that is.’ Neno rolled his eyes clearly not having much faith in modern medicine.

‘Yes, Chumley told me she has her own personal healing and restoration station.’ Adam smiled, now they were on his turf.

‘Well, whatever it is she needs it. And I owe her one. If it wasn’t for her me and BIAD, we’d be...’ Adam waved his hand dismissively changing the subject. ‘And Bransom? She’s probably already on her way.’ Neno scowled again. ‘Which reminds me, how did you get here?’ Neno’s hand began to itch for his pistol but it was lying in pieces before the fireplace.

‘Dag and I were trying to escape the Iliad. Bransom had...hurt the lad and...‘ Adam left off. ‘So, I scanned Bransom’s memory and found she'd stolen a handful of CindyMars teleportation units from the Yydryl. In fact those teleportation devices were one of the major reasons Bransom wanted to get aboard the Yydryl.' He paused and sipped at his cup. 'Those things, the teleports? They’re like nothing the galaxy has ever seen. One use, but a use indefinable and almost, well, magical. So, as Dag and I needed to get away from Bransom fast, it’s the best thing I could find in her brain to do it.'

'And?' Neno waited.

'And? Bransom's not stupid. She’ll figure out soon enough how we escaped and it wont be long before either she shows up here, or her minions do.’ Adam poured himself another cup of coffee. He welcomed the jittery awake feeling pricking behind his eyelids, tingling under his skin. Not exactly pleasant but it was keeping him alert.

‘So that’s why you wont look me in the eye, this ‘scanning’ thing you do?‘ Neno raised an eyebrow quizzically.

‘You’re very astute, yes.‘ Adam coughed a little on his coffee dropping his eyes. He’d better watch out for this one, he told himself, Neno was a step above any being he’d ever met.

Neno had a brace of questions but they’d have to wait - they had more pressing business to discuss and not much time to do it and what he had to say was for Adam's ears alone - he didn't want to worry the others. Moving to the kitchen door Neno peaked around it’s corner.

Chumley leaned against the mantel humming to himself finishing what Neno had started in piecing the revolver back together. Neno let him be. There was no reason to believe the Captain was a threat and the revolver wasn't much use empty. Neno absentmindedly ran his fingers through the bullets in his pants pocket. Tibs was stroking the bear rug and examining the fist sized hole blown through the skin. He was also talking to the rug waiting for it to talk back. No one had informed Tibs Milli was unharmed and had since moved back onto his host Squatch the cat. Neno turned back to Adam closing the door softly.

‘Ok Look Doc, we have to get you four out of here. Now. If you’ve got Bransom on your tail it could spell trouble for all of us. Big trouble with a capitol ‘B’ - and that doesn’t stand for Bransom.’ Neno almost spit saying her name.

‘What does it stand for?’ Adam asked innocently, ‘The ‘B’?’

Adam burst into a hoarse laugh. ’If you’d a known my mother, you’d never ask. The taste of lye soap Doc, lye soap!' Neno winked at Adam.

‘You’re a strange man Neno.’ Adam returned the smile. 'I believe a good one, but a strange strange man.’

‘That I am. Though my ex-wife might have something to say about the good part.’ Neno said under his breath. ’Now, all kidding aside Doc, where’s the baby?’ Neno downed the dregs of his coffee.

‘Baby?’ Adam replied blankly and Neno groaned knowing what would come next. ‘What baby?’ Adam asked his coffee cup shaking in his hands.


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edit on 11-2-2011 by silo13 because: ...

Nenothtu stared at the doctor for an instant, then said "yeah, Doc, 'baby'. Where I'm from - and - when I'm from, which is this same place, but about 200 years from 'now' and 3000 miles towards the sunrise - some women STILL die in childbirth, despite the modern medicine of those times. It hasn't quite filtered into my neck of the woods. Outsiders, and their 'stuff'', are - I mean 'were' " and here a fleeting look of ... something crossed his face "I mean 'will be', shunned there. SILO had that look all over her, but I didn't recognize it until I fell asleep. I reckon my subconscious mind must have been working to sort it out, because that's what it hit on. I had this weird dream... anyhow, when I woke up, it all seemed to fit. The 'look', the blood loss, no visible wounds to cause it... but when she was cleaned up, that really told the tale. Yessir, that gal has had a young-'un, and it looks like it happened in less than civilized conditions."

Neno wondered for a moment what sort of "doctor" this gent was, but elected not to bring it up. No point in rubbing his nose in it, and there was a baby to find.

He continued "Yessir, there's a baby out there somewhere, an' if it's exposed in this weather, it'll already be too late. Ain't nobody here knows where it could be but SILO. I hope she's strong enough to talk by now. With any luck, it'll be sheltered somewhere and she wound up here trying to find help. Without that luck, Doc, my job here might be all but done at this point. I'm supposed to protect the both of 'em. Iffen she can't talk yet, I've no choice but to start canvassing the area, searching old abandoned cabins and such. Maybe it'll be in one of them."

Nenothtu had an unaccustomed worried look on his face as he sat the coffee cup down and headed for the kitchen door. "I just hope she's well enough to give us a clue where to look fer it... we'll worry about how to get back to home plate after we settle that out - and find that baby, or what's left of it."

Neno hadn't even had time to get the skinny on what Bransom had been up to to create such a terror even here, but that would have to wait.

"Home plate?" Adam echoed as he followed nenothtu towards SILO's room.

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The Boy In A Dress sat next to the small fragile girl called Silo and wondered
about her injuries. He had been around long enough to know that the poor lass
had been through childbirth and he wondered if the infant had survived.

Tibbs had given up on the 'talking' fur and now snoozed next to the cat at the feet
of BIAD. Neno was in talks with the man called Adam and Chumley watched the
window for anything that may be wandering out there in the slowing snowstorm.

The wig-toting man/girl also had the kid called Dag to deal with, he sat on the
other side of where Silo lay and constantly gazed at BIAD with large violet-coloured
eyes.
"What do you see when you look at me -son?" BIAD asked softly and turned his face
up from his focus on Silo to the young boy with the ash-blonde hair, the manic smile
of the hermaphrodite swam away to leave pursed ruby lips.

"I see a beautiful human" Dag whispered back and offered a kind grin of optimism.
BIAD leaned his head slightly and pondered the young man, "But the human part may
not be entirely correct" the man/girl proposed and arched his neck to straighten a pain
away, he wasn't one for sitting too long.

Dag put the bowl of broth on the floor and placed both elbows on the make-shift bed,
"but we could be together, you don't have to be human to be my special 'friend" Dag
chided and BIAD realised where this was heading.
With a flick of his permo-wig, the man/girl decided to dissuade the youngster of anymore
advances. Leaning close to the peach-skinned face of Dag, BIAD started to tell him about...

Chumley looked over his shoulder at the group near the fire and saw a look of horror
growing on Dag's features as the black-haired eyeless creature call BIAD whispered to
him across the body of Silo. The green giant placed a tentacle up to where his ear
wiggled to see what was causing such fearful looks and could only pick up a couple
of words, one of them was 'elastic'

Chumley sighed and went back to watching the prowling shape far out among the
snow dunes. At first, he thought it was just tiredness, but he was sure there was
something out there, but the shadow had gone.

That's when the scratching started at the door.

~ Alive? Or Dead? ~

She was sooo cold. Too cold.
She was tired, deathly so, and wanted to be left alone.
But something was tugging at her, washing her, making her hurt.
She wanted it to go away.
Leave her alone to be with Swarg.
She was going to be with him.
He was waiting for her just over there, his beautiful face aglow with love and light.
Silo felt her soul lifting to join him, to take his outstretched hand just ...beyond.

‘Silo NO!‘ Carpet’s voice squeezed into her skull his call a terror stricken moan.

‘Carpet, leave me alone! I’m going now...Swarg is waiting...’ Her voice swam in her head answering Carpet without the sound ever reaching her lips.

‘Silo. You can’t go! I need you to help me! Please, Silo. I’m lost. You need to find me Silo... Don‘t go!’ Carpets voice broke leaving her empty. Along with him went the warmth and the Light, the beautiful face of Swarg.

Silo snapped back into her body with a soul sickening crack.
She was cold again.
Her mind trapped in a nightmare of memories. The Rootak. The pain and stink of blood. Dirt and splinters grinding under her palms. The pain of being split in two... The thin wail of a newborn echoing over the valley.
Silo cried, silent tears slipping down her sunken cheeks.

A hand softly stroked her hair, wiped the tears away. A voice spoke low of things Silo didn’t know, but wanted to learn. The Voice made her nightmares leave, gave her focus. It whispered of Earth, of promises and tomorrows.

Then she was hot.

Her fever raged and clung to her like a blanket of fire. She tried to fight it, get away, it burned but something held her down. Fighting her. Pushing her back into the pool of white hot fire.

The seizure began in her extremities and tightened into hot spasm of pain erupting from her center. Silo writhed with it her muscles fighting themselves, her body at war.

‘Oh ****‘ BIAD swore. ‘Dag! We need some help here! I can’t hold her down anymore! Go get Neno! BIAD screamed at the boy while trying to keep hold of the thrashing girl, keep her from hurting herself even more. BAID was astounded how Silo could be more dead than alive but so full of fight.

‘Stop it!’ Silo screamed weakly battling the fever, grappling with BIAD.

‘Calm down, it’s ok, Silo, it’s ok...you’re all right...it‘s just a fever...you‘re alright!’ BIAD crooned over and over but the girl kept thrashing.

‘The baby! Give me the baby!‘ Silo screamed again before falling back to the bed unconscious once more.

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The fever-ridden girl slumped back on the bed and The Boy In A Dress hummed a
tune from long ago as he stroked the hot sweaty brow of Silo. Dag was leading
Adam and Nenothtu from the kitchen by the hands, the haste made both men
lean slightly.

"She was shouting out and... BIAD will tell you..." the lad puffed and the young
eyes were agog again, BIAD smiled to ease the tension. "She's out again, but she
did call for the baby... what happened?"

Adam unravelled his hand from Dag's grasp and glanced at Neno to see if he
also wished to hear, the hard eyes of the Vandal showed his curiosity and offered
a nod.
When Adam had finished the report of how they had found the presumed-dead
body of Silo and how they had reached the cabin, he peered into the luke-warm
coffee in his cup and waited for the questions.

Boy In A Dress looked at Nenothtu and seemed to know what question to ask, in fact...
it's the only REAL question to ask.
"So where's the child?" the man/girl asked quietly and Adam watched Dag return
to his place near Silo, the Doctor shrugged and gave an almost inaudible "I don't
know"

Nenothtu sighed and came close to the lilac-haired girl's bed, his eyes scanned the sweat
and the twisted furs. "The fever broke?" he snapped and BIAD got to his feet at the
concern of his friend, "yes... she's over the worst" the hermaphrodite whispered to the
side of Neno's face.


The scraping came again and interrupted the thoughts of the lost baby, all looked to the
door. "Chumley heard it three times now" the large green Regalian injected and glanced
at the face of Adam for gratitude, the Doctor nodded but kept his eyes on the cabin door.

Neno reached for the pistol on the mantlepiece and placed two bullets from his belt into
the chambers... his eyes never leaving the doorway.
Tibbs had come out of his snooze and slowly lowered the rifle so it rested on the back of
the cat called Squatch.

"Kid...? open the door will ya?" Nenothtu hissed from the side of his mouth and Dag looked
to Adam for assistance, Adam produced his sidearm and indicated to follow the request by
swinging his head towards the door.
Nenothtu placed the butt of the Colt into the palm of left hand and straighten his arms,
if the thing that was doing the scratching leaped when the door opened, it would be a
carcass before it hit the wooden floor.
Dag gulped and reached for the door handle, the small hand shook as he imagined
what could be waiting, "take deep breaths Kid... keep calm" Neno said in an easy tone
and winked to show all was under control. BIAD's hair moved only slightly and the man/girl
checked for any growth of his red nails, but the shining ovals remained inert.
BIAD guessed his body knew something he didn't.
Dag smiled weakly and turned the handle... a gulp came again.


The huge green-furred cat sat on it's haunches and panned it's slitted eyes at the
group peering at the doorway, a patient 'I fear no one' look showed on it's feline face.
"My cat!..." Nenothu hissed and lowered the firearm "... your brother kept his promise
-BAID" the familiar lop-sided grin invited the big creature inside.

Adam's eyes were like saucers as the waist-high animal passed him and the glimpse
of the wickedly-sharp looking canine teeth told of a carniverous killer that cared nought
for it's prey... a feline version of Nenothtu -Tibbs thought with a smirk.

Squatch urinated where he sat and Chumley threw his floppy tentacles over his eyes,
Nenothu's cat walked towards the fire, sniffed the sleeping Silo and only BIAD noticed the
strange furrow of it's brow for an instant. The Cat called Sasquatch sat and took comfort
from the licking flames.

Tibbs recalled a tune from a long-ago Earth that fitted the Cat's passage to the fireside
and the song clanged in his small head:

Sasquatch's Entrance...

"Close the door, Dag" Adam said weakly and waited for Neno to show the next move.

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The fur boots fitted snugly and with Tibbs swinging the scarf around his neck,
they were all ready for the trek. Nenothtu looked at the rag-tag group that waited
for him to take them out into the wastelands , a pained smile surfaced on his grizzled
face.

"Are you sure you don't want a fur coat -BIAD?..." Dag offered with dreamy eyes "... there's
plenty in the wardrobe" CindyMarrs had thought ahead for the cold seasons and the cabin
held plenty of warm clothing. The man/girl shook his wig-wrapped head and pulled Neno's
duster over his shoulders.

Silo was wrapped and bound and hung in a harness from Chumley's back, the Regalian
wore a large hat with dangling wings on either side of his green head, his eyes each
had a sock with a hole in, covering the stalks.

Chumley looked serious in his task of the caring of his cargo, Adam thought the giant looked
ridiculous, but kept his thoughts private as he he pulled the heavy mittens onto his hands.
Squatch stuck his head out of Dag's coat and eyed the huge Cat that waited at the foot of
Nenothtu.

"Listen... to save on confusion, we're gonna have to come up with another name for my
new-found companion..." Neno patted the Cat's head without thinking "... any suggestions?"
Tibbs smiled and a snort slid from under the snuggling scarf, Neno's eyes burned like coals
at the statement "What?" he snapped.

The Vithian adjusted the large bag on his shoulder and closed the space between him and
the Gunman, the confidence of a Sage had returned to the little man's frame and the posture
showed he was taking over as leader... for the time being.

Milli whispered "call it Monster" to Dag and the young man was sure the cat in his jacket
nodded approval, the larger feline yawned and showed it's huge fangs as the the little man
neared him.
The small man stared at the Cat for a few seconds and Nenothu's brow furrowed as
a thought occurred that Tibbs knew something more.

"My mission for sometime, has been to follow these two..." Tibbs hooked at thumb at
Nenothtu and Boy In A Dress as he turned to face the others "... as they go ahead with
their travels, there's a destiny that waits for all of us"

Tibbs's eyes twinkled behind the circular spectacles as he continued. "Time travel is
a way my race monitored the past, present and future... we had plans to save the
Universe and I'm sure that our latest scheme would've worked if it hadn't been..."
Tibbs cleared his throat "... dissuaded from occurring"

Neno sighed with impatience and rolled his finger to push the story on, BIAD tilted
his head and listened with the others.
"On a moon, many light years from here, we found a slab of stone that we believed
was purposely hidden, the rock was carved and embedded with odd crystals, the race
that created it had long gone"

Tibbs pulled his chin over the scarf so that he could heard better and again, hitched
the satchel on his shoulder.
"My people... and I will show you some of who I mean later... my folk believed it related
the 'Alpha' or the dawn of the event that will stop everything... the End of Existence"
Tibbs waited in a dramatic pause for any questions, but the group just waited with
worried expressions. Neno grinded his teeth with impatience and allowed a breath to
hiss from his tight lips.

"This isn't getting us anywhere -little 'un, get to the point..." Neno growled picked up
the rifle leaning against the wall "... daylights wasting"
Tibbs agreed with a nod and without looking at the tall Vandal, he continued.

"The sequence of events involve a battle with what you call The Dark Lord and a repair
of..." Tibbs looked up at the cabin ceiling. "Rip!" Adam said with an emerging smile that
showed he could keep up with the account, Tibbs nodded slowly and whispered " Yes, the Rip"

Chumley closed in to hear better, although most of the story was over his green head and
it had words that he'd never encountered before, but this rock held his attention.
Dag stood between Adam and BIAD and waited to be given egress to more of the yarn.

"On your Earth planet, there is correlation with this stone-carved prophecy in the book
that was known as 'Bible' and with..." Nenothtu moaned and shook his head to interrupt
the Vithian "You're kidding me, nuh? that old chestnut?" the tall man rasped.

Tibbs turned and showed a 'school-teacher' -type of look at the man who had died and
come back "I have never scolded you before, but if you wish to know your role in all of
this, I suggest you listen" Tibbs snapped.

Nenothtu's face flushed with anger at the little man's superior looks, but refrained
from hurling the dwarf into the snow outside. "Get it done -Hoss" Neno said and the
words sounded like a crypt being opened.

The Vithian smiled kindly at his friend's tightening of his anger reins and finished the
legend.

"It is said..." Tibbs raised his bushy eyebrows to warn of no more interruptions,
"It is said that 'And there appeared a great wonder in Heaven, a woman clothed
with the sun and the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve
stars" As Tibbs recited the quote from a forgotten book from another time, Adam
glanced at Silo's hair and attempted to count the leaves that lay limp among the strands.
Tibbs went on: "... And there appeared another wonder in heaven and behold, a great
Red Dragon"
Tibbs let air seep slowly from his lungs as he scanned the room, "That my friends -
is your Dark Lord" he added.

The small man in the over-sized scarf moved towards the door and reached up to
turn the handle. Nenothtu, Adam, Boy In A Dress, Dag, Milli and Squatch and finally
Chumley... all looked on as the Vithian left the circle he was stood in.
"... And she brought forth a man child and the woman fled into the wilderness..."
Tibbs spoke and his tone implied that much research had been done to show the
sequence, the list continued.
"There was war in Heaven, Michael and his Angels fought against The Dragon" Tibbs
offered over his shoulder and allowed the cold air to break the tension in the room.

"I will relate more when the time is right, but we must go out into this... wilderness"
the small man sighed and stepped out into the snow.
The Cat -still without a new name stood to it's unerving height and sauntered after
the little man, to Nenothu, it looked like it was tracking prey.

They all left in silence.

~ *~ Lullaby ~*~

The babies cries echoed over the valley.

‘Come little one,’ Crooned the copper colored female going down on her knees next to the tiny child turned blue with cold there on the cliffs edge. ‘You’re safe now and soon warm.’ The young mother reached out and took the squalling infant cradling it to her chest. Breasts aching from loss and need for release streamed milk at the babies cries leaving her chest fur damp and sticky. Guiding the babies small puckered mouth to her distended nipple the female watched in apprehension until the baby latched on and began suckling noisily.

‘So. You take him up?’ The old female asked from behind them. She’d not been unaware of her daughters distress. She‘d watched these last hours as milk leaked trails down her fur, as her deep sad eyes streamed tears and knowing it wouldn’t be long before the young female went to answer the child's cries she’d been ready to follow, to advise, to test.

‘Do you know what you do?’ She asked.

‘Yes Mother.‘ The younger female’s answered feeling the Matriarch’s eyes watching her closely even as her own eyes closed tightly in pain. The baby suckled but not without cost. Fiery spasms of agony tingled from the base of her neck and down through her breasts to focus on the hot point where the child latched on hungrily.

‘The child of my body is...gone...’ The younger one continued, the small mound of dirt at the edge of the cliff a testament to the life she bore, lost, and buried.

‘And this child my daughter?’

‘Is Mine!’ She snarled teeth flashing dangerously her pain and loss overriding her submissiveness to the Matriarch. Gasping from the milk pains and shame she bowed low over the infant. ‘Forgive me Great One.’

The matriarchs eyes softened. Her daughter might feel shame but the older female knew she wouldn’t hesitate to attack anyone who tried to take the child, even her. On a deeper level, one she was unable to express, this pleased the Matriarch. Her choice made her daughter would have to be strong. If she were not the older female would have taken the infant and tossed it over the cliff edge without hesitation.

‘Your first child. You birthed it, it never took breath and you buried it here.‘ The Great One’s eyes drifted to the small mound of earth, her own heart skipping a beat. ‘But it will not be your last child. And the Family decided. This foundling is not our blood. Yet you take it as your own - against the wishes of all?’ She wavered and added, ’Regardless the price we all might pay?‘

‘Yes.‘ The younger one answered firmly raising her eyes to meet her Mother’s with conviction blazing fierce and clear in her gaze.

‘Daughter. Take the babe from your breast and leave it here to the night, to our wolves.’ She scented a pair of young males quivering in the shadows below. The one holding the child felt their presence too and rounding her massive shoulders locked the babe deeper into her embrace.

‘Think on what I say!’ She implored. Not only as the leader of the family but as a mother she dreaded what the future held for her daughter, the babe of her own heart. ’You will suffer little pain now, not but a pinch. Later? It will slice you in two when this whelp is taken from you!’ The Great One growled shaken with the prophecy.

‘Then let the pain come if it will. This babe is mine. See? He suckles and takes nourishment from me...’ The young mother’s voice broke. Her milk had come too late for her first child, born too soon, hairless and small as the one in her arms who rooted noisily like a young shoat.

‘So be it.’ The Matriarch raised her hand and passed it over her daughters head, ‘You have my blessings though I promise it will not come without cost. Someday you will curse me for this nights work.‘ She sighed, ‘But for now, you have your way. It is your right. The right of every female who takes a child to her breast.’

By chance or fortune the baby reached out and clasped the Great One’s finger in his grip. The older females heart clenched with new love over the child it’s tiny fingers stuck like a small tree frogs over the tip of her finger.

’So my child, you have a son.’ She smiled down at them. ‘A puny one...‘ The Matriarch chuckled at the fierce protective light that blazed to light behind her daughters eyes. ‘No no no, be calm. I do him no injustice. You’ll see, this cub will grow.‘ She chuckled again. The baby ceased to suck his small head fallen back in sleep, blue white milk glistening at the corners of his tiny mouth.

‘Come now, go inside. If I leave you here alone the wolves will eat you both up.‘ She ached remembering her daughters fears of wolves when she was a youngling herself. Opening her arms the Great One wrapped her daughter and grandchild in a warm embrace pledging them both her everlasting love and support. Humming a favorite lullaby from her own milk days the Matriarch waited until her daughters heart beat calmly against her dried up dugs and she finished taking strength from her Mother as she had all her life.

‘It’s time for you to go. Our friends here, ‘ she nodded into the shadows, ‘they grow hungry and might loose their heads.’ The wolves chose that moment to begin whining.

Walking to the lip of the cave with the pair tucked under her arm the Matriarch used her body to shield them from the cold wind whipping up from the valley floor. With a silent dismissal she nuzzled her daughter then pushed her gently through the opening and into the warm tunnel that would take her to the heart of their home. With tears stinging like sleet behind her eyes the Great One listened as her daughter took up the lullaby and sang to her own child as they moved farther and farther away.

Bearing her teeth against the throbbing in her chest the Matriarch gave a low growl. Though her heart cried out to follow the pair she dared not. The others waiting inside must accept her daughter’s choice, and her child, or not, and all without the Matriarch to influence their choice. And if they did not accept the child? It would be her responsibility as leader of the Family to force the babe from her daughter arms and give it back to the night.

The Great Female waited watching the moon rise higher in the sky. When her daughter did not reappear, when she heard no wails of mourning come from within the cave she knelt and dug her fingers deep scooping the fresh cold earth from around the body of the her once grandchild - that was no more. Carrying the refuse by it‘s hairless hind leg she walked to the cliff and flung the lifeless thing over the edge.

‘Eat well friends.’ She spoke to the pair of young male wolves, outcasts who fell onto the cold corpse ravaging it.

Above their snarling the Great Mother thought she caught sounds of voices in the distance. Or maybe it was just the wind.

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"Did you hear that?" Boy In A Dress asked and tilted his head, the permo-wig
swished in the icy wind. The band had been travelling for hours across the snow
and the light was fading as they reached the treeline. Nenothtu looked away from
the shadows that lurked in the deep forest and studied his companions.

BIAD had picked up the struggling Tibbs about an hour ago and now the Vithian
-resting on the man/girl's shoulders, scanned the surroundings through his small
spectacles. Chumley had unloaded Silo from his back and Adam, Dag and the Regalian
were tending to the still-unconcious girl.

The Cat-With-No-Name skulked at the edge of the forest, nose-down and the
slow twitch of it's tail indicated something lay ahead.

"What was it you heard?" Neno asked and pulled his attention from the sick Silo
to recheck the shadows, his hand tingled to reach for his Colt.
"I dunno..." BIAD said softly "... it sounded like..." the words fell away as he saw the
protuberance in the snow. The rock barely showed through the drift below a twisted
conifer.

The Boy In A Dress reached up and took the small Tibbs from his shoulders, the eyeless
face never moving from the view of the angular boulder.
Nenothtu felt the mood change and the pistol slipped from his holster, the Vandal still
had an eye on the gloomy forest, but BIAD's concentrated looks demanded some attention.

"She's getting worse Neno" Adam said sadly and stood to his height, the fur hood hiding his
features. Dag still crouched beside Silo and nodded approval to the Doctor's summary.
Neno showed a tight-lipped smile that didn't reach his eyes "We've gotta get the gal outta
here" he whispered to himself and pulled the coat back over his gunbelt.

BIAD hunkered next to the buried stone and gently touched the wind-smoothed surface,
the caress was gentle as touching a baby.
"I think I've found a way out of here" the man/girl announced and pulling the borrowed
Duster open, he began rummaging under his dress.
Nenothtu and Tibbs's eyes widened at the scene until the small man stepped infront of
BIAD to hide his antics, it wasn't until he heard his Mr. Devil say "found it!" that Tibbs
stood aside.

"Man-Girl is being rooood" Chumley said and placed a mitten-wrapped tentacle over
the closed eyes of Silo, the wind blew her hair across her face to hide her chilled cheeks.

Neno squinted in the losing light to see what BIAD had found, a slight smile sat on his
lips at what he may have been looking for. The Man/girl held his hand high and a faint
glint from metal told Tibbs and Nenothtu recognised the forgotten 'Jaunt' amulet that
had got them into a spot of biblical bother a while back, BIAD's smile was broad and
manic.

"I think we can get off this ball and possibly save the li'l lady there" BIAD said and
dropped back to touching the rock. Dag shivered and wandered to where the hermaphrodite
was crouched, he wanted to walk to the other side of the outcrop but steeled himself not to.

Nenothtu saw it first, followed by Boy In A Dress and then Tibbs, who reached for Neno's
rifle immediately. One of the shadows in the trees moved.
"If you can save her... do it now BIAD" Neno hissed and reached for the rubbed-smooth
handle of his sheathed knife, his right-hand thumb cocked the Colt.

The Boy In A Dress could sense the quartz hidden inside the stone and he reckoned it was
a large piece... maybe large enough to take all of them to another place. The wind carried
the sound again and BIAD twitched as it passed by, "the baby is close" he mumbled and
Neno's head snapped around to look at the man/girl. "Then get these folk somewhere safe
and I'll go after the young 'un" he said and from the corner of his eye -the shadow moved
again.

"Do it... and do it now" The Vandal demanded and BIAD's nails lengthened slightly.
Cat dropped into a hunting stance and for the first time, the off-green spikes appeared
across it's undulating shoulder blades, the feline eyes seem to hold flecks of crystal.
BIAD stood up and hurried to the group around the swaddled Silo, he arranged the two
males and the giant Chumley in a semi-circle facing towards the stone with the girl
infront of them.

The hermaphrodite placed his hands on his hips and checked the stances, "Come on BIAD,
we don't have much time" Neno spat across the space between him and the man/girl.
Cat was slowly placing one paw in front of the other as he slipped into the shadows of
the trees, Neno was itching to join the animal and face this new unknown.

BIAD looked at Tibbs and said "you need to be next to Dag" and bent down -placing a
kind hand on the Vithian's shoulder.
"I'm not going anywhere Mr. Devil... I'm here for the whole nine-yards" Tibbs said and
BIAD could see the determination in the small man's face, BIAD nodded once and stood
erect.

The shadow was large, maybe seven-foot high and if it wasn't for Nenothtu's excellent
eyesight, the figure may have gone unnoticed.

Cat passed into the gloom in silence as BIAD prepared to awaken the stone's power,
his long-red nails clicked on the trapped silica, Neno grinded his teeth with impatience.
The amulet swung on the back of BIAD's right hand, the chain wrapped in the lined fingers,
the blue ball glowed a dusty blue.

Then the hum came, a sound that was heard with the body more than the ears. Boy In A
Dress touched the stone's surface quicker and quicker, not quite a rubbing -but the caress
was similar.

Chumley barfed in the quietness of the early evening and placed a tentacle to his mouth
as if in apology, Dag looked over to him with a quizzical brow.

Then they were gone, one moment the lost-looking four waited in the snow, the next
-crumpled snow was the only sign that somebody had waited there.

Boy In A Dress stood up and after checking the rifle-toting Tibbs was ready, the man/girl
closed the space between him and Nenothu.
"See it...? about twenty-feet in and slightly to the left" Neno said from the side of his
mouth, the cocking of the rifle was loud in the cold air.


"Let's go catch us a shadow... huh?" Neno showed a smile that rivalled that cold air.

As they trudged along through the snow, nenothtu divided his attention between keeping an eye on his surroundings and what Tibbs had said in the cabin just before their departure. The little old gnome must be getting senile. Legends were just that - legends, but the little man spoke as if legends had an immediate urgency.

Still, neno couldn't shake the fact that a birth had occurred, and here they were in the wilderness, the babe's mother only recently departed from this wilderness, going right along with the program of Tibbs' story. Neno thoughts cast back to "recent" events they had experienced, a mere 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, just the other day. That had been nothing but legend as well, but there they had been. The feeling had been so strong that nenothtu has shied away from even entering the stable after the birth, knowing beyond doubt that the baby there had been far above his own station in life, in some way he couldn't even begin to understand. All he knew was that he had no business getting around it.

Then there was Tibbs' mention of a "Red Dragon". Neno knew dragons. Although they weren't red, and he'd called them something else, he had met, fought, and eaten dragons before.

Uktenas. On Khalamzadar.

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nenothtu shook the thought from his mind. No, dragons weren't red. The old Vithian was just going senile. How in the devil would a red dragon hide in a green hell?

Another strange feeling tugged at his mind. Strange, and yet somehow familiar - as if someone were tapping with ephemeral fingers at his skull. He had a distinct feeling of being watched, yet could see nothing out of place in the surrounding woods. The shadows weren't helping that feeling - not even a little bit.

They trudged onward, nenothtu keeping a closer watch on their surroundings in obedience to that nagging feeling.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Matriarch of the Rootak Family had followed the sounds of voices, and found... this. A group of people - and other strangers, not people, but not animals of the woods, either, were trudging along in the snow, apparently searching for something. Testing the breeze wafting from the group, she discovered that the baby's mother had recently been among them, but appeared not to still be there. She fleetingly wondered if the girl had given up the spirit and gone on.

There was more, something else. Among the scents coming from the group, there was one in particular... no, that couldn't be. It was impossible. Obviously this group was looking for the baby, because the mother had recently been with them. Her presence might also account for the other scent... but it was strong, too strong. The Matriarch, wondering if she might be imagining things, thought it best to get another opinion in the matter, and that opinion would be best if it came from her daughter, who would one day be the Matriarch.

Yes, her daughter had to suss this out, tell her she was imagining things. Then all would be well again. She left watching the group temporarily so she could go back and fetch the daughter to observe this marvel.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As they moved along through the deep snow, nenothtu heard wolves haggling over something in the distance. Not wanting to endanger the others, but certain that he had to check it out and fast - there was a baby lost out here somewhere - he called a halt, and told the group he needed to check that out by himself - knowing that if wolves had just eaten that baby, it might be a scene that was a bit much for the more sensitive, but not coming out and speaking that unspoken fear.

Actually, that scene would probably be a bit much for him, too, but he HAD to find out. Of the small assemblage, it appeared that Tibbs was just grateful for the halt, and BIAD alone seemed to have some comprehension of neno's fears. They found a sheltered spot away from the wind, and neno left them there, promising to be back shortly, his big kitty following along with him, That darned "Cat" seemed to have a mind of it's own, and a stubborn streak at that. It was hard to argue with it, considering it's rapid development. Nenothtu thought, not for the first time, that it was a good thing it had seemed to become attached to him. Otherwise, one of them would have had to eat the other by now. That might not be as easy a task as first presumed - the beast had an odd look in it's eye that promise more intelligence than the average brute. As a matter of fact, there were times when nenothtu could have sworn the critter was speaking to him, and he just couldn't understand the language.

Jogging through the snow covered wilderness, nenothtu came upon the wolves - two of them - obviously haggling over something between them. He shouted, an inarticulate growl meant to scare them off from whatever it was, but instead they turned to meet his challenge. This was winter. Food was scarce. They weren't about to give this up without a fight with that puny human. Neno set himself to fight the wolves, intent on finding out just what it was they were growling over.

At that instant, the whole scene changed. Apparently out of nowhere, the big green and black striped "cat" leaped into the breach, between neno and the wolves. pacing back and forth in the gap, every muscle speaking of controlled fury about to be unleashed, it's head dropped low, ears pinned back, and emitting low growls as a promise of imminent mayhem, the cat changed the entire equation. The wolves, looking from the beast to each other, decided that discretion was the better part of valor and trotted off into the forest, leaving their prize unguarded. The cat paced over to it, sniffed at it and prodded with a paw, then sat back on it's haunches beside whatever it was and set up an eerie yowling/howling noise through the forest.

Nenothtu crept over to the scene, and no matter how prepared he thought he was, he discovered he really wasn't. There, in the torn, bloodstained snow, were the remains of a baby, apparently a human baby. mangled limbs told the tale, and although the head was entirely absent, the torn limbs, hairless as they were, seemed to tell the tale. How the cat had known what he was looking for, neno couldn't fathom, but it didn't even attempt to steal the "meal".

Neno reached towards the tangled mess, intending to gather it up and bury it, but discovered that he couldn't bring himself to even touch it. "Eh, ground's probably to hard to dig anyhow in this freeze" he rationalized. Shaken, he looked at the big cat and said "Come on. Leave it for the wolves. Nothing we can do now. Let's go back." and the pair started back the way they'd come.

Lost in thoughts of how he was going to break the news of his failure to Silo, neno never realized that had he gone 30 yards the other way, he'd have seem some of the biggest, scariest, human-lookingest footprints he'd ever seen tramped into the snow.

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The wooly-haired Rootak watched from the snow-blown rise as the man and the giant cat
made their way back towards the camp fire that the strange creature in red and the small
being had set up.

The wolves had done their task and The Matriarch had made good on the prophecy, the child
would lead the future Rootak to their rightful destiny, it was now underway.
The huge shaggy being sniffed the air and picked up the faint scent of the humanoids and
woodsmoke, it seemed that they were preparing to settle down for the night. He would do
the Matriarch's bidding and destroy the trespassing trio.

"Did you discover anything Neno?" Tibbs asked as the Vandal and the Cat-With-No-Name
entered the glow from the crackling fire. Boy In A Dress had sensed their coming and told
Tibbs of their approach.
A pot of coffee -purloined from CindyMars's cabin, bubbled in the flames and Nenothtu
showed a lop-sided grin as the Vithian handed him a metal cup.

The Cat seemed to distracted by something in the surrounding darkness and when Tibbs
asked Neno what was up with his companion, the tall man put his finger to his lips.
"Keep your voice low..." Neno whispered "... and pass me the rifle" BIAD stopped stoking
the fire and looked across at the man in the fur coat.

"We're being watched?" the man/girl asked and slowly moved his wig-wrapped head
from left to right, there were sounds, but he guessed these were night-sounds.
"Yeah..." muttered Nenothtu "... someone North of us and he's gettin' closer"

Tibbs watched as Neno quietly placed a shell from his pocket into the breech of the
weapon and licked the tip of his thumb. The ritual continued when he wiped the thumb
on the front sight and slowly pulled the lever action. Cat looked in a Northerly direction
and tipped it's head sideways, the gesture was very 'BIAD-like'

Far off, a wolf howled across the night and a few seconds later, another called back,
Neno stood up from hunkering near the fire and in one swift movement, jammed the
rifle butt into his shoulder, peered down the barrel and pulled the trigger.
The whole action took two seconds.

The Rootak saw the tall man stand up and then felt the searing pain in his head as his
scalp blew away, the taste of oranges was fleeting and the darkness of death followed
almost instantaneously.
Neno grunted satisfaction and putting the rifle against Tibbs' bag, he sat down to enjoy
his cup of black smoky brew.
"No Tibbs, there was nothing to see..." came Nenothtu's gravelly voice "... nothing at all"

.............................................................******.......................................................

"Thank you Mr. Carpenter" Death said from the rise that the Rootak had been earlier,
the wind flapped the tall monster's robes. The night would be a long one -he thought
and faded away in the darkness, this night would also be a busy one.

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"Yer' bugger...!" The Great One hissed as Death stepped into the huge Cavern, the family
of the Rootak -the group around forty beasts that made up her 'family' all looked at the
massive-shouldered being in the Rootak-furred coat.

The two sentinels at the the entrance of the tunnel stood dumbfounded and looked
to each other and then to the Matriarch for what to do next, Death merely glanced at them.
Somehow, this stranger had appeared in their home and now stood without fear infront
of them all... and wore a skin of their own -to boot.

"Who dares enter the home of the Chosen Child's without invite, who dares this?" the
large female growled and stepped infront of her daughter and slumbering baby.
The crowd skulked and bared teeth in a warning and Death waited a few moments to
let them get their bravery up to an enjoyable level.

The female scanned the intruder's face and saw a square-jaw with hairy sideburns that
almost touched at the chin. The eyes were a gray granite-colour and peered out from under
bushy eyebrows that furrowed with disappointment. The lank of dark curling hair that flowed
to his shoulders looked greasy and unwashed, yet it smacked of human care.

He's a crossbreed -she thought and disliked him even more.

The burning torches that lined the wet moss-covered walls flickered their light and Death
decided it was time to make his play.
"You think you've succeeded in your antics -Galean?" Death said and tugged the foul-smelling
hide further on to his shoulders, his eyes never left the Queen of these hairy creatures.
"You think that the Mother of the offspring is beyond the Gate... beyond Falla?" Death hissed
and smiled rows of even teeth.

"You know my name...? yer' bugger!" she called and leaned forward with her fingers splaying.
"This business is none of yours -stranger, and you've doomed yer'self wandering in here"
she announced.

Death looked again at the sentinels and silently hoped they would make a move, his last
meeting with Nenothtu had left some rage that needed venting. "Galean... this can't
come to pass, you'll finish your own with this ploy" Death said softly and pondered if the
carrot was better than the stick, the shaggy female didn't seem to go with threats.

The Cavern dripped in the quiet as Death watched the Matriarch process the information,
'she must ask why?' he thought to himself -bemused.
"Why?" the leader said and stood to her full height, the hairy hands clenched into balls
of muscles.

Death put a hand out to seek permission to near her, his height matched hers as she
nodded an acceptance and though her family were reluctant to have the bald-pink human
child in their pack, she wondered if this intrusion of their home may pull the clan into
protecting the new-found infant.

"There are folk who will destroy your lives to see the baby back in their hands, they will
wipe you away" Death said and toned the statement to conince the listeners that this
was a given fact.

A draught snatched at the torches again as Death continued.

"You called for me Galean, you asked me to help you" his voice was low and confident.
"The child can do what you wish for and your family will follow you and him towards a
better future" Death's eyes glittered in the gloom.

"Yer say this as if I should know ye' yer say I called for you... who are you?" The female
Galean said and still stood as a barrier to the baby.
The even row of teeth returned as Death said "Why, I am Droon, I am the Rootak who
slayed the human King" and the gasps flitted about the Cavern like bats.

Galean glanced at the faces of her family as they gazed at the tall figure with a sense
of awe... the bugger was taking control -she thought and knew she had to act quickly.
"If it's true and you are Droon, what will yer' do to keep us safe?" came the question.
Death heard the last tumbler click into place as he growled "I can take your daughter
and the child to a haven, they will be safe as the child grows"

Galean snorted her doubt, but saw the faces of her fellow-Rootaks were hanging on every
word that this tall stranger uttered, she kept her words and waited for his.

"The lad will become stronger and when the time is right, he will free the Rootak from
waiting in the shadows" Death urged and saw the daughter's eyes peer over her mother's
hairy shoulder.
The stranger's tone became softer and it seemed the voice was hypnotic when it fell on
her ears "The Rootak will once again hold their heads high and will never again fear those
who seek them ill"
Death went on with his announcement. "In Vandalia, he will soar above the rest and then
return to reclaim this land for his kin" the crowd moved as one with Death's words.

The female leader nodded and recalled the prophecy, she would advise the youth on many
things -she thought. "Do you accept the invitation Galean?" Death crooned and held his arms
open with his offer.
"Aye, yer' make sense... so yer'do" she muttered and stepped away from her daughter,
the young Rootak showed dread in her brown eyes.

Death bowed and said "so be it" and the three figures suddenly vanished.
Galean looked around at the shocked faces and the space where her daughter had stood
only moment ago, "Yer' bugger" she said again.

The thoughts of the Rootak Matriarch, stunned at these events, kept inexplicably returning to one thing the apparition of Droon had said:

"In Vandalia, he will soar above the rest and then return to reclaim this land for his kin"

It dawned on her that he HAD returned, in some inexplicable way. That was the only possible explanation for her earlier confusion - her detection of the child in the group seeking the child - yet knowing the child was safe in her daughter's care. She had to find out if Droon had been truthful - the child had returned to reclaim this land for his "kin". More worrisome to her was the potential for who he considered to be his "kin" - the Rootak who raised him, or the hairless pink Others he had been born to.

She left the cave, entering the cold darkness once again, with a purpose. Her daughter's mate was out there somewhere, already, watching the Others, and would have to be informed as to the strange fate of his mate and the child of her heart.

He would not be pleased, of that she was certain.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tibbs sat at the fire, tinkering with the little blue bauble. "It's discharged again. Not so bad as last time, but it hasn't the power left to send US to the destination. The quartz crystal mitigated the discharge, but not enough. There isn't enough left" he pronounced.

nenothtu grunted. "You fixed it before, you can do it again. I just wish you'd get on with the fixin', Tibbs. This ain't comfortable camping."

Tibbs replied "I can only..." and trailed off. He had looked up, and there stood Death in their midst. "Company" he said.

Death said, with a humorless smile "Good evening. Fine bit of work you've done at my behest, nenothtu."

Nenothtu replied equally humorlessly, and perhaps with just a bit more rancor, "I ain't done you no favors today, ain't got no idea what you're talking about. Do you just show up at random to annoy me now?"

Death replied "Oh, but you HAVE done my bidding this evening! When you shot the Rootak. He had a choice to make, and would have made the wrong one, but thankfully you took that choice out his hands and put it into mine."

His annoyance rising, neno replied "Rootak? What the hell is a 'Rootak'? All I've shot this evening was some jackass over there" indicating the rise the Rootak had been on with his chin "an' that was a man. Jus' seen his head and shoulders hiding in the brush on the skyline watchin' us, and figured that anyone out on a night like this jus' watchin' folk had to be up to no good or crazy - which is about as bad and less predictable. I fixed his problem is all. Go see fer yerself he's a-layin' right over yonder" and indicated the rise again.

Death laughed, a dry, raspy humorless laugh. "I take it you've not checked on him yourself, then. There's nothing - and no one - there, nenothtu." Death was enjoying this a bit too much, and neno didn't like him trying to take the upper hand.

"Sure there is. I shot 'im myself, an' he dropped like a pole-axed steer. The wolves run off at the sound of the shot, so I'm sure they didn't eat him. He's gotta be there still yet" and he stood to prove it to himself. Walking the considerable distance to the spot through the woods, nenothtu arrived to find.... nothing, just as Death had said.

Well, not exactly 'nothing'. The snow in that area had been torn up to a considerable degree. Looking the area over, neno said "Hmm. Clear miss I reckon. He got away. Makes no never mind to me, long as he's not spyin' on us anymore. Big fella, too, from the looks of this tore up patch." going to examine the trail leading in to the site, he remarked "just as I thought. Crazy fella. See there?" neno said, pointing out the incoming tracks to Death then continuing "Barefoot. Ain't nobody but a crazy man gonna traipse through this mess barefooted. BIG fella, from the size of them tracks, but altogether human. Lookit that foot print".

Uncharacteristically, Death snickered. "Where's his trail OUT, since you 'scared him off'?" He was enjoying this more than he'd thought he would.

Perplexed, neno could find no outgoing trail. "That don't make no sense. He's either here or he ain't and if he ain't, he had to leave." and they started back to the camp. Death spoke, and said "Oh, you killed him alright. That put him in MY baliwick. Yes, you were doing MY work, nenothtu."

"How's that YOUR work? He was a-spyin' on US, not you. I didn't do JACK fer you, I did it fer us. Good job, too - wherever he went, he ain't here to bother us no more." he concluded.

Airily, Death waved a hand to emphasize his next words "Oh, I 'moved him on' for you... or for ME... either way, it's a benefit to both. As you're so fond of saying, it wasn't 'his time' to die. Teamwork, mate. That's what it's all about. Teamwork."

Neno was getting annoyed, for the umpteenth time dealing with this shade. "Stop talkin' in riddles. Say what ye mean, and mean what ye say. What the dev... what the heck are you talkin' 'bout?"

They had nearly arrived back at the camp. Death replied "What you killed here was a 'Rootak', a male. You know them as 'bigfeet', but they call themselves 'Rootak' ".

Nenothtu snorted "Ain't no such thing. I recall the stories, but they was just to keep the kids scared and in line. Ain't no sech critter" he announced.

"You didn't let me finish" Death chided. "No, it was a Rootak, alright. That one was mate to a young female who had recently bore a child, but we're not to that part of the tale yet" Death was relishing this, and working it for what he could. He wanted to produce maximum shock in this upstart. "Anyhow, that particular Rootak had... has an important mission in life. Two hundred sixty one years from now, he saves the life of a child... an apparently human child, not a Rootak child at all."

"Yeah, well, Yay fer him. No skin off MY ass, though, nor yours."

Death's 'laugh' at that was nearly a gurgling cough. "Oh, it could've been... it could've been. Continuing on, that child eventually saves MY life, so you've done me a favor here by helping me send this Rootak on. Oh, don't worry about him in the least. He's fine now... er then even though you just parted his hair for him. Ever wonder WHY I dropped you out here AFTER the child was born rather than before? I mean. really, what difference could a few minutes make when you're crossing time anyhow? And your 'death' in Tombstone. How did you get back there without the bullet hole that sent you away? No, where and when our young Rootak friend is, he's as whole as ever he was, alive and well."

Neno was getting AWFULLY tired of this seemingly endless tale of twisting paths and said "Well great for ya. I'll send my bill. Now git the hell outta here, we got work to do." and that was the end of that, for nenothtu.

Not so for Death, he wasn't finished yet. "You see, my dear killing machine, he protects that child because it's so dear to his mate. They adopted the child after losing one of their own."

"How touching. Just jerks tears right outta my eyes" nenothtu observed dryly.

Now it was time for Death to deliver his five-fingered death punch to neno, and he savored the moment. "That adopted child is the child of Silo."

Neno exploded. "Yer a lyin' sumbidge! I saw with my own eyes..." he stopped himself, looked sideways at the others and amended with a weak "That young-un ain't with us no more. You done took him." and he glared at Death, realizing this monster had taken Silo's child that he had been charged to protect. The only thing keeping him from a repeat of the pounding he had previously delivered to Death was his own philosophy that it must have been the child's time, or Death couldn't have done it.

Death savored the moment. "Oh yes, it WAS er, I mean IS Silo's child he protects. The one the wolves ate? That was the child he lost, the one Silo's child replaced." at the mention of wolves eating a child, Tibbs blanched. Death continued, loving every minute of it. "Silo's child is among the Rootak now, this instant, alive and well."

Nenothtu snatched up his rifle and grimly said "Not fer long" and started to step out into the darkness. Death's gurgling laugh stopped him.

"A search will do you no good. They're all 260 years in the future now, safe from your interference." Death said.

"TIBBS GIT THAT GADGET FIXED" nenothtu bellowed. "We got a young-un to rescue".

Death decided it was time for the next punch. "Don't you want to know WHERE to go as well as WHEN?" He asked with a sickening sweetness.

Neno had had enough. He levelled the lever action at Deaths head and said "You'd best get to talkin' straight fer a change".

Death giggled. He actually giggled, just like a schoolgirl. "Or what? You're going to 'kill' Death? Quite a trick, that. You'd be the hero of the universe if you could do that" and then Death leaned in somewhat and said simply "but you can't. You can no more kill Death than you can liquify water." he said with a certain smugness.

Re-evaluating on the fly, neno flipped the rifle in the air and caught it by the barrel, cocking it back like a ball bat. "Eh, mebbe not, but I can sure as hell HURT you plenty! We both know that now, don't we?"

Death leaned back and took a step back out of range, and said simply "Vandalia". He absolutely loved the look of confusion that took over nenothtu's face. Priceless!

"Vandalia? 260 years from now? That would be..." and after a quick calculation concluded "'bout the time I came into the world. Had any sech thing occurred, I'd have heard the stories. Yer a scroggin' liar, and yer done now!" and he stepped forward like a batter coming up to the plate.

Death forestalled the swing by saying "That's right, my murderous little buddy. That child is YOU!" Nenothtu's eyes widened at that, but he arrested the swing.

"Baloney! I was raised by Frank and Kate Carpenter, not any 'Rootak' or 'bigfoot' or whatever you want to call it." He hesitated, unsure of himself now, and Death was loving it.

"Oh no, nenothtu. You know as well as I do that the key word there is 'raised'. You KNOW that Frank found you wandering in the woods as a small child and that couple took you in as one of their own when no one could ever find your real parents. You KNOW your own history from that point, and including it. Now you know a bit MORE of it" Death said smugly.

Nenothtu abruptly sat down, the rifle across his lap. "Can't be. It's too twisted. Yer makin' all this up to play with me." he mumbled. In all the turmoil, no one had noticed the Rootak Matriarch approaching the camp. She had been observing and listening. She chose this instant to rise to her full height of around 8 feet, gaining the attention of those gathered.

Tibbs was the first to respond, and nearly in hysterics screamed "Shoot it, nenothtu! SHOOOOOT IT!"

neno, frozen in place, said out of the side of his mouth "Lookit the size of that thing, Tibbs! Iffen I shoot it and just piss it off, it'll eat every damned one of us! I ain't shootin' that thing fer nothin'!"

"Why not?" Death cackled "You've already shot one!"

"Shaddup" neno told Death in no uncertain terms "YOU I've got no qualms about wearin' out!" He felt the same odd sensation he'd felt before, of fingers tapping at his skull, and then a voice produced itself within his head.

"He speaks truth, warrior. You ARE the child. I am as confused as you, but it's so." She said no more, and nothing out loud. She merely stood and watched, to see what the child now grown would do to reclaim the land for the Rootak.

After a pregnant pause to assimilate all this, neno said "I want outta here. I wanna be somewhere I can think and poke holes in this theory, and get Silo's baby back for her."

Death then delivered the final blow. "You CAN'T. If you remove that baby from where it is now, YOU will not be, not as you are now... and of course if you are not, you cannot remove the baby from where it is now. Lovely in it's circular logic, isn't it? You can affect the futures of others, but not your own. Ironic, no? If you retrieve that baby, you will not be. You will not have destroyed the Ophiuchi dreadnought. You will not have been able to protect the Babe of Bethlehem. You will not have been able to kill McLaury and save me. You will not BE as you now are - 'you' will be a baby in Silo's arms, and none of the rest will have ever happened - including your rescue of Silo's baby - yourself. You have run up against a wall not of improbability, nenothtu, but one of impossibility." he sat back to let that sink in, before continuing.

Death then leaned forward again, and said in a venom dripping voice "Now you have a choice to make. Tell Silo you've failed to retrieve her baby, or tell her it died. Either way, you're going to break your mother's heart. She'll no doubt hate you for that." and here he grinned, nearly as wide as one of BIAD's 'manic' smiles and said "and the best part is, I get to watch it all. I get to see 'The Neno' brought low." Then he leaned back and laughed, long and hearty.

During the pause, as nenothtu sat there pale and shaken, and all the others were trying to wrap their heads around this revelation. the Rootak Matriarch spoke, right out loud, in a peculiarly accented English. "I have seen you, and can see that you ARE. It is enough for now. Do what you must, destiny awaits and cannot be changed. I go now. maybe I see you again, my grandson." and without a further word turned and melted into the darkness.

After a pause of several minutes, during which nenothtu considered it all, he finally stood up. "Ain't nothing to be done here now, regardless of whether it's true or not." Then he fixed a baleful glare on Death. "I ain't playin' yer silly-assed game, but if you want to see whether I do or not, you'll have to get us out of here and back to the Yydryl, so's I can report to Silo." He leaned in towards Death and said in a growl "And if you don't get us back there right now, I'm gonna commence to tenderizing you again. Yer choice is no choice at all."

Death laughed a nervous laugh, but said "But of course! Consider it done, my friend! YOUR choice isn't much of a choice, either, and you WILL play this game out, one way or another!"

Neno raised a fist and cocked it back, then said "I ain't yer frie...." as the flash took them all away.

~*~ Homecoming ~*~

‘Ohhhh Carpet’s gonna killlll me for that one...’ Chumley wrapped his tentacles around his heaving middle and moved in a circle so his tail hid the grotesque pile of half digested pasta he’d just barfed onto the floor.

Adam, his hand over his mouth looked away fast. Then the stench hit him. Doubling over he held his head between his knees swallowing convulsively at the bile flooding his mouth.

Only Dag seemed untouched by the teleport, in fact, he was doing all he could to hide his laughter. Adam scowled wondering when the boys voice would change, his giggles made Adam feel weak. Or maybe it was the nausea.

‘Whatever you do don’t puke Doc, it gets Carpet real upset...’ Chumley looked up and down the corridors of the Yydryl as if someone was coming.

‘Your flooring gets upset? Is that what you said or is my head still spinning? It’s spinning isn’t it. I can feel it about to pop off my shoulders.’ Adam moaned over the aftereffects of the teleport.

‘Oh Sir, don’t do that, then the floor would get really mad. All the blood Sir.’

Adam moaned again unable to tell if the boy was joking or not.

‘Carpet?’ Chumley called and nudged at the fibrous material under his feet. It remained one color under the toe of his boot, it didn’t bunch up, didn’t talk back. Chumley’s frown deepened. Carpet didn’t answer, wasn’t there.

‘OH! I got it!’ Dag burst out merrily. ‘The Yydryl’s got a Milli being too! Milli told me his ‘core’ came from the Yydryl! Dag reached down and touched the rough fibers under his feet. Nothing happened. ‘But...there’s nothing here?‘ Dag’s expression turned to disappointment.

‘You mean your floor is alive?’ Adam straightened up his arms waving to keep his balance.

‘Carpet is, yes.’ Chumley grumbled. ‘And he should be here. For Silo. Something must be...wrong.’ Chumley looked around the light in his eyes dimming.

‘Carpet?’ Dag laughed at the name but Adam cut him off with a quick gesture. He didn’t know if the ‘floor’ was listening and didn’t want Dag insulting it not three minutes aboard the vessel.

‘Yeah, that’s what we call ‘im but he’s not here. Ya see da floor here. Flat.’ Chumley kicked the rough shag to prove the word. The weave crushed and didn‘t spring back to life. ‘When Carpet’s about it wouldn’t stay all dead like that...and he changes color too...gets all gleamy and movey.’ Chumley toed the rug again straightening the mesh he’d disturbed his frown rounding the corners of his mouth as far as they could go.

‘Gleamy’ and ‘movey‘? Yep, well, that just about explains it.’ Adam slapped his thigh and stood straighter. This Ship was going to take some getting used to. Bucking up under his nausea Adam took the situation into control. Clearly Chumley was set on waiting for his friend ‘Carpet’, but waiting just wouldn’t do.

‘Carpet or no, we’ve got to get going.‘ The Doctor moved to Chumley’s side, careful of the mess on the floor and checked Silo buried deep in Chumley’s makeshift pack still strapped firmly to his back. He couldn’t detect her pulse and wrapped up in so many blankets and furs he couldn’t tell if she was breathing.

‘Come on Captain, take us to her quarters and her healing machine. Fast.’ Adam’s eyes met Chumley's gravely, ‘I don’t think there’s much...time left.’

Without a word Chumley took off down the hall Adam close on his heels pulling Dag along by one arm from behind.