|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- FOREMAN ITTENER PIER--CUP 25--"DEVASTATINGLY OFFBEAT LIFE" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Foreman Ittener Pier  ||  -------> (Cup SRfi025, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = So we all got up and went out to the van. Lunatether opened the back doors to reveal the dozing tock hound. The beast's nostrils flared and it opened its eyes. I was amazed at the look of love it gave Lunatether, and felt a pang of guilt about my own tock hound--the one I abandoned in the far past. "The beast is the means of transport?" Carroll asked. "That's about the size of it." I said. "Impressive." he replied. "So look guys," Lunatether said. "How far do we have to go?" "Can we go six or seven? I know there wasn't an Overwhelm base back then." She frowned and started rubbing Bandelion's head. "Whattaya say, girl?" The tock hound either purred or growled softly--couldn't tell which. "I think she can do it." Lunatether said gently, more to Bandelion than to us. "Alright." I said. "But let me leave a note for Walker--I mean, he's not the enemy after all." "Go ahead." Lunatether said, then turned to face Bandelion. "Come on girl. One more trip tonight." As the beast jumped out of the van and began to stretch, I ran into the motel room and found a pen and a pad of paper. On a dresser, I quickly scrawled "Walker--sorry but we took off. Maybe you'll see us sooner than you think though. Nothing against Overwhelm, just personal business. Best regards, Ferrajalt." I ripped the page off the pad and ran back to the van. Lunatether was already on the tock hound, and Carroll was in the process of jumping on. "Gonna be a tight squeeze!" I said as I placed the note on the driver's seat of the van. The scarecrow leapt onto Bandelion with supernatural ease. I really wondered where I was gonna sit. But we worked things out--I sat right behind Lunatether and Carroll grabbed onto me with those flimsy-seeming arms of his. Kinda scary. But we were all secure and we took off. The moment before everything began spinning around, I saw Walker Fantive and the motel employee staring at us from the lobby. I guess Lunatether saw Walker also, as she urged Bandelion to make a jump. She did, and it was instantly afternoon--probably earlier that day. So there I was--riding on a huge dog, travelling 25 years back in time with a scarecrow and a clone with a computer's mind. A clone who I think I loved. Such freedom, such danger, such abandon--I let my spirit go and reveled in the craziness around me. I finally felt totally good about my devastatingly offbeat life. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----