Parvenu: [4.2] Nevermore

"Everyone's done with breakfast. We're just waiting on you guys." Zanner said as he walked into the office with Dex following closely behind.

"What do you want to do?" Agent Roberts asked as he continued looking at the map. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that his shadow had immediately 'gone flat' to blend in with the naturally occuring shadows in the room.

"From the sound of it, a lot of decisions are going to have to be put on hold until we've investigated what, if anything, is at the Tennyson place." Agent Fastbeck said frankly.

"Yeah. That sounds about right. But don't we need a warrant before we go searching someone's private property?" Agent Roberts asked cautiously.

"There are ways around that." Agent Fastbeck said with a sly grin, then held up one finger to indicate the need for silence as he dialed the phone.

"Just a minute, boys. We need to check on something before we'll know what we're doing next." Agent Roberts said quietly as he looked at Agent Fastbeck uncertainly.

"Ethyl? Do you happen to know if there's a way to get in touch with Warren Tennyson right now?"

After a moment of listening, Agent Fastbeck smiled and said, "Yes. Thank you Ethyl. You help us out so much that we're going to have to look into making you an honorary agent."

Agent Fastbeck chuckled at her response, then became more serious as he said, "Warren? This is Agent Fastbeck from the FBI. I was wondering if you'd mind if we went onto your property this morning to check something out."

"No, no, it's nothing like that. I'm talking about your family property outside of town."

"You don't have to be there unless you want to be, we just need to look around for a few minutes to follow up on a lead."

"I promise, if we find anything out of the ordinary, we'll let you know all about it."

"No. We won't be spending the night, in fact, we'll probably just be there for a few minutes."

"Thanks, Warren. Probably nothing will come of it, but it's still best if we take a look. Bye." Agent Fastbeck said before hanging up the phone.

"So, what's the plan?" Agent Roberts asked cautiously.

"We'll drive over and investigate the Old Tennyson place, then you can go back and report on what we found while I wait here at the office until I'm needed for something."

"Are you feeling left out?"

"Not at all. I'm just aware that at some point I'm probably going to be called into action. Until then, I need to stay where people will know to find me."

"Makes sense. But with all the magic whipping around this place, wouldn't it be a good idea for us to have someone magical going along with us?"

"From the sound of it, everyone has things that they need to be working on right now. Besides, we're two highly trained and qualified federal agents. If there's something to find, I'm confident that we'll find it."

"Okay." Agent Roberts reluctantly agreed, then added, "And if we do find something magical, then we'll know what kind of specialized help we need to ask for, to investigate it further."

"Boys, why don't you tell the others to go on without us. Agent Roberts and I are going to investigate the central location that you've been speculating about." Agent Fastbeck said decisively.

"Are you sure that you don't want us to go with you, just in case you need some magical help?" Zanner asked cautiously.

"Let us figure out what we're dealing with first. We'll catch up with you and let you know what we've discovered as soon as we can." Agent Fastbeck explained.

"Okay. But remember that we need you guys. Without you, we can't get into two of the barriers." Zanner urged them to understand.

"All of us are needed. And all of us have different jobs to do. It's time for us to go and do ours." Agent Roberts said firmly.

"Are you going to the Protectorate as soon as you're done?" Dex asked cautiously, directing his question to Agent Roberts.

"Yes. That's the plan. But as I'm sure you've noticed, all plans are subject to change. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next."

"Don't worry. All we're probably going to find when we get to the Tennyson place is just a typical haunted house." Agent Fastbeck said with a grin.

"Agent Roberts, remember that if Agent Fastbeck tells you that you need to split up and search separately, not to listen to him. If I've learned anything from watching horror movies, it's that when you're investigating someplace haunted, you need to stick together." Zanner said firmly.

"I'll keep that in mind. Now we'd better get going. We've all got things to do." Agent Roberts said firmly.

* * * * *

Agent Roberts was surprised when Agent Fastbeck decided that they would be taking separate vehicles, but when Agent Fastbeck explained that they would probably be going in opposite directions when they left the Old Tennyson Place, he couldn't help but agree with the reasoning.

The drive to the Old Tennyson Place was relatively short, but in some strange way it felt more isolated and solitary than the much longer trip out to the Southseid colony.

He vaguely noticed a graveyard and noted that it seemed to be reasonably well kept.

There had been no signs of inhabited homes along the neglected road, just derelict buildings every so often along the way.

Just as he had the thought, he passed another graveyard, this one appearing to be older and more neglected than the first.

A chill went up Agent Roberts' spine as he fought to bring his focus back to the matter at hand.

When they pulled onto the Tennyson property, Agent Roberts was surprised to find that the atmosphere was somehow impossibly more bleak and desolate than it had been on the road leading up to it.

As he finally pulled his car to a stop, he had to admit to himself that he really didn't want to get out. With the image of the graveyards fresh in his mind, it occurred to him that the place that he had found himself probably wasn't meant for the living.

Seeing Agent Fastbeck prompted him to do what he knew that he had to.

With more than a little dread, he finally screwed up his resolve and opened his car door.

* * * * *

"Are you telling me that people chose to build a house and live out here?" Agent Roberts asked as he approached.

"I guess so. Although I can't imagine why. What a life-sucking soul-destroying place." Agent Fastbeck said frankly.

"Do you have any idea of where we should start looking?"

"I think it would be best to walk the grounds for a few minutes to get a sense if this oppressive atmosphere covers the whole property or if it's just here, in front of the house."

"I guess so. Lead the way." Agent Roberts said unenthusiastically.

Agent Fastbeck seemed to be conflicted, but finally chose a direction and started walking.

* * * * *

"Do you feel that?" Agent Roberts finally asked.

"It's like we just passed through a veil, everything seems perfectly normal here." Agent Fastbeck observed.

"Do you think it's intentional?"

"Probably. Stay sharp."

* * * * *

Agent Roberts looked around the area beside the weathered and worn house, but didn't recognize anything being out of place.

Agent Fastbeck continued to take the lead as he tentatively led the way around the corner.

Agent Roberts blinked to clear his vision as he looked through the back yard into an overgrown decorative garden.

"What do you see over there?" Agent Roberts asked as he pointed.

"Weeds grown up around an old broken down gazebo." Agent Fastbeck said frankly, then cautiously asked, "What do you see?"

"Probably the same thing that you do... except for a big gaping hole in reality that seems to lead directly into hell."

"Oh, is that all?"

"Do you remember back when something like this would be looked upon as being unusual."

"Yeah. Those were simpler times. Anyway, how many guesses as to where that thing leads?"

"I assume that it opens into the vinculum chamber that Paul's been talking about. But I think the bigger question might be, do we really want to go in there?"

"This is kind of a wasted trip if we don't."

"But can you feel that? It's even worse than the feeling in the driveway."

"Yes. I feel it too. But you still can't see anything?"

"I can't see anything out of the ordinary, but I feel like I'd rather do just about anything besides going anywhere near that gazebo."

"Would you mind giving it a try? I'm curious to know if someone who can't see it is capable of making themselves do it."

"That's worth checking out. Although it's not a foregone conclusion that you'll be able to enter it just because you can see the magic at work." Agent Fastbeck said frankly.

"I know. But I've been thinking that since this thing is being hidden in plain sight in the human world, that there must be a way for a normal human to access it.'

"Do you mean something like the passcode I use to enter the Southseid barrier?"

"That's possible. Those words, or a close approximation of them might be able to do it."

"Do what... exactly?"

"Open the vinculum chamber. If we can open it here, then it looks like we'll be able to solve a lot of problems at once."

"Such as?"

"First, let's see if it works before we think too much about that."

"Right. So, is there anything you can think of that I need to do before trying this?"

"I don't know... any last words?"

"Not funny. I'm used to listening to my instincts and every instinct that I have is telling me to get away and stay away."

"Same here. But we've still got to try."

"Okay. Here I go." Agent Fastbeck said reluctantly.

Agent Roberts watched silently as Agent Fastbeck stepped forward to the neglected structure that was in desperate need of a coat or five of fresh paint.

Just short of taking the final step, Agent Fastbeck backed away and said, "I can't make myself do it."

"Well, thanks for trying." Agent Roberts said regretfully.

"Maybe you'll have better luck since you can see the magic." Agent Fastbeck said as he looked around.

"'Maybe. But I wouldn't count on it." Agent Roberts muttered, then forced himself to follow exactly as Agent Fastbeck had done.

His panic shot up to new levels the closer he got to the gazebo.

Agent Roberts pushed and pressed and finally forced his unwilling body to attempt to take the last step across the threshold of the archway.

He was just barely able to feel something with his fingertips before his body overrode his mind and forced him to step back.

"No matter how it looks, there is a physical barrier there." Agent Roberts announced past heavy breathing.

"Are you alright?" Agent Fastbeck asked with concern.

"I will be. It just took everything that I had to be able to get that close to it."

"So, what do you suggest we do next?"

"I'm going to try the words, just like what we do when we're opening the barriers. I'm hoping that they'll work here too."

"I'm ready when you are." Agent Fastbeck said simply as he watched.

"I hope this thing isn't a red herring, put here to waste our time."

"It will work or it won't. But if it doesn't, I've got nothing left to try." Agent Fastbeck said honestly.

"It's still possible that there's a less obvious doorway somewhere else, maybe inside the house." Agent Roberts said frankly, then continued, "But if we can't make this thing work, I think the next step might be to bring Paul out here to see what he can do with it. He can not only see the magic within things, but he also has experience with portals. He'll probably be our best resource for dealing with this."

"Agreed. Are you ready to give it a try?"

"I guess I can't put it off any longer." Agent Roberts said quietly, then held one hand up, palm toward the sky as he called out, "I call upon the powers-that-be to grant me entry to the sanctuary, I use the power granted by devils. I am the harbinger."

As soon as he had finished saying the words, he noticed a fluctuation in the magical mass in front of him. He stepped forward into the magical blur and found himself inside the gazebo.

The horrible sense of dread was conspicuously absent. As he looked around he noticed that although it was a bit dusty, the flooring seemed sturdy and was otherwise clear of debris.

"Well, it looks like you made it. Is everything alright?" Agent Fastbeck asked cautiously.

Just as Agent Roberts was about to answer, he noticed a rather bizarre sight. Looking back through the archway that he had entered through, he could clearly see Agent Fastbeck. But when he looked to his left, he saw a completely different landscape. From the dim lighting, the dense mist and abundance of foliage, he concluded that it was a doorway that led to the Wudewas territory.

"Is everything okay?" Agent Fastbeck asked with concern.

"Um, yeah." Agent Roberts said as he turned and saw that the next archway seemed to lead to a stone courtyard, bathed in bright sunlight.

Movement caught his attention, then he saw Agent Fastbeck step into the room with him.

"You didn't have to recite the words?"

"Apparently not. I guess when you opened the door, you opened it for both of us." Agent Fastbeck said thoughtfully, then cautiously asked, "What can you see?"

"Probably the same as you. Even though what I'm seeing is beyond belief, none of it has the shimmering magical qualities of an illusion."

"What I'm seeing is an eight-sided room with four doorways that lead to four entirely different places. I'm guessing that the Roman temple ruins are in the protectorate, since I can identify the other three doorways."

"Even though I haven't been to this exact location within the protectorate, the brightness and the climate seem right."

Agent Fastbeck stepped forward toward the temple ruins and reached out his hand before saying, "It looks like I won't be able to visit there."

"That doesn't make sense."

"What about any of this makes sense?"

"If you step back and look at it, most of these things seem to work with a certain logic."

"Then what would you suggest?"

"Maybe you should try opening the door before you try walking through it."

Agent Fastbeck considered for a moment, then shrugged before saying, "In the name of Cernunnos I seek entry to the sanctuary entrusted to my care. I use the power granted by gods. I am the guardian."

"Nice." Agent Roberts absently commented as he watched Agent Fastbeck's hand move forward, through the bright archway.

"You're the one who knows this place. Want to introduce me to the natives?" Agent Fastbeck asked as he turned to look at his companion.

"I can't communicate with them like you do with the Wudewas, but I'll be happy to show you around."

"Come to think of it, maybe we'd better hold up on that. Now that we've figured out how to open the vinculum, the next thing we should probably do is verify that this thing works the way that we think it does." Agent Fastbeck said as he stepped through the archway.

"Right. It looks like this thing will let us travel directly to the different barriers. If all that we're assuming turns out to be true, then we can take this opportunity to discover where all the vinculum chambers are located so that we can show them to our teams."

"That's a good idea. But I think that you should go right now and let your team know where this one is. I'm in a much better position to deal with things in the other two barriers." Agent Fastbeck said thoughtfully.

"Agreed. I can't speak the Wudewas language and I don't have nearly the same relationship that you do with the Brynnhollow people."

"And I can fly." Agent Fastbeck reminded him, then continued, "I suppose that once we've completed our tasks, we can come back to the Waxell vinculum and pick up our cars."

"Thanks for thinking ahead on that. It might have been a long wait if you were my ride back to town."

"It'll probably be at least half an hour before the teams arrive at the barriers. If we leave right now, we'll have a good chance of catching them before they've become too invested in some other project. Are you going to be alright if I leave you here?"

"Yeah. I should be fine." Agent Roberts said, then noticed a burning sensation on his chest.

He reached inside his shirt and found that the pendant of his necklace was hot to the touch.

"Problem?"

"I think the demon flavored magic powering my charm might not be reacting well to the 'holy ground' surrounding us. I think it'll be okay. I just won't wear it directly against my skin." Agent Roberts said as he moved the charm outside his shirt.

"Maybe you should take it off." Agent Fastbeck cautiously suggested.

"No. This thing fuels my password and also allows me to see past illusions."

"Well, it's nice that you have something that you can remove if you don't want to deal with the burden."

"But it also means that it can be taken away from me relatively easily."

"I don't know if you've noticed the necklace that I wear, but it might hold the power for my password too." Agent Fastbeck said frankly.

"Standing here talking isn't getting either of us closer to our teams." Agent Roberts said, then looked back at the entry to the vinculum chamber before saying, "Let's do this."

Agent Fastbeck gave a firm nod of agreement, then started walking back to the archway.

* * * * *

Agent Roberts was at a loss for which direction to go. While he was technically outside, since the sky was visible above him, he was actually in some sort of courtyard, walled in on all sides.

Coming to the conclusion that time was not on his side, he set off toward what appeared to be an exit.

* * * * *

When he finally emerged from the courtyard of a ruined castle, he was at a loss for which way to go.

There were no identifying landmarks visible and while the sky seemed to be harshly bright, there was no actual sun in evidence to give him a clue as to compass directions.

The best he could do was follow what appeared to be a path to the nearest high ground.

The absolute silence that surrounded him was unnerving.

There was no sign that anyone had been there in recent decades... or possibly even centuries.

The path that he walked had been paved with bricks at some point in the distant past. However in the here and now only the occasional random patch of brickwork was exposed to the sunlight. The only other evidence that there had been a road at all was the fairly regular passage free of any stone obstructions or large trees.

As he crested a slight rise, he was relieved to see a familiar sight.

At the skyline he saw an impossibly shaped mountain which seemed to defy both logic and gravity. But more importantly in that moment, it was a landmark that he recognized from his initial visit.

He took a moment to get his bearings, then set off in a new direction toward where he estimated the entrance to the Protectorate to be.

* * * * *

Although the landscape was uncomfortably bright, it wasn't overly warm.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, a growling and hissing sound caught his attention and he turned suddenly. As soon as he saw the monster towering over him, he smiled with nervous relief.

"Linnaeus, I'm glad to see you. How are you doing today?"

After a long confused moment, Linnaeus responded with an uncertain sound, something like a whine.

Agent Roberts laughed and said, "Yeah, you and me both. By the way, yesterday I met your demi-brother, Reaper."

Linnaeus looked at him uncertainly for a moment before slowly nodding.

"I'm just trying to get back to the entry gate." Agent Roberts said as he pointed in that direction, then continued, "I'd welcome the company if you'd like to walk along with me."

Linnaeus looked to where he was pointing, then back at Agent Roberts before slowly shaking his head.

"Okay. I understand if you already have plans..." Agent Roberts began to say but was interrupted when Linnaeus lifted him off the ground.

Agent Roberts fought against his years of training and instead listened to his instincts, which told him that Linnaeus didn't mean him any harm.

After some shifting around, Agent Roberts found himself being held, facing forward, with his back against Linnaeus' chest.

As Linnaeus started moving with insect-like grace, virtually gliding over the landscape, Agent Roberts said, "Thank you. I wouldn't have asked you to carry me, but I appreciate your help."

Linnaeus let loose a screechy little growl in response which Agent Roberts took to mean his acknowledgement.

* * * * *

Thanks to the way that Linnaeus had chosen to carry him, Agent Roberts had an expansive view of the landscape that they were traversing and the trail that Linnaeus was following.

Agent Roberts was reasonably certain that, when called upon to do so, he would be able to lead the way back to the dilapidated castle. Admittedly, at a much, much slower speed.

* * * * *

In what ended up being a matter of minutes, Linnaeus released Agent Roberts and placed him on the ground.

"Thank you, Linnaeus. I really appreciate your help."

Linnaeus made a wheezy sound which Agent Roberts took to be his timid chuckles.

"If all goes well, I'll see you again soon."

Agent Roberts then turned toward the empty path where he had seen Archdruid Highley open the passage back to the real world.

After a few long silent moments to recall the proper words, Agent Roberts took in a long slow breath to brace himself. Finally, he raised one arm and held his open palm toward the sky as he said, "In the days of tribute, in the months of seeing, in the years of trial, in the centuries of pain, we persevere. I humbly ask that you grant entry to one who serves. I am the harbinger."

Agent Roberts felt immeasurable relief wash over him at the manifestation of the archway before him.

All that he had been going on were assumptions and best guesses. There was actually no reason, whatsoever, that that should have worked. But for whatever reason, the magic seemed to have behaved within the constraints that his limited understanding of such things had put into place.

After walking through the passage into a world that was dark and overcast, he turned and looked back into the golden bright world of 'The Protectorate'.

He saw that Linnaeus was watching and couldn't help but wave.

Linnaeus waved in response, then backed away from the opening.

Agent Roberts glanced around to ensure that he was well and truly standing within the 'real' world. Once he was sure that he was, he raised one open palm toward the sky and said, "I, the harbinger, give thanks. I now ask to close what has been opened to protect our precious ones inside."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the archway and its accompanying path shimmered and seemed to collapse in on itself, eventually completely vanishing from sight.

No one was present, so Agent Roberts started off across the grassy field, toward the path that led up and out of the basin. As he went, he made note of the heavy gray sky above.

* * * * *

Upon reaching the parsonage, Agent Roberts knocked heavily on the rough hewn wooden door.

Just as he was about to give up and go to the church, the door opened, revealing Archdruid Highley, dressed in his everyday clothes.

"Agent Roberts? I wasn't expecting you until later. Has something happened?" Archdruid Highley asked cautiously.

"Yes. But as far as I can tell, all the things that have happened have the potential to work in our favor. Before the others arrive I need to talk to you, Reaper and Milo."

"Reaper?"

"Yes. He's one of the Nephilim... you have to know him. The child of the sword?"

"I believe I know who you're speaking of, although I can't recall if I've ever spoken with him directly. He's a member of the aristocracy and they usually deal with me through an intermediary."

"Do you know where to go to or who to talk to to get in touch with Reaper? What we're planning to do is going to take lots of help." Agent Roberts asked hopefully.

"I can't be sure, since I've never set out looking for him before, but I should be able to manage."

"Good. Is Milo somewhere nearby? If possible, I'd like to talk to him first. If he refuses to help us, then the rest won't matter."

"Milo and Jen have been staying in the guest cottages. They're not far from here and they should be up by now."

"Let's go then. I'd like to get as much of this resolved as possible before the team gets here."

"So the boys aren't here with you?"

"Not yet. Mr. Hansen is driving them here right now. If you want to be here when they arrive, I suggest that we get moving."

"Milo's cottage is right this way." Archdruid Highley said as he moved with purpose to the rear door.

* * * * *

After a short walk down a lush, overgrown path, Agent Roberts found himself at the front door of a smaller and a bit more primitive looking cottage.

Archdruid Highley knocked, then they waited.

"What's going on?" Milo asked cautiously as he opened the door a crack.

"Could you let us in? Agent Roberts needs to speak with you and time is something of an issue." Archdruid Highley said firmly.

"Oh. Yes, of course. I was just cleaning up after breakfast." Milo said as he opened the door and stood aside.

"Thank you, Milo. I wouldn't have shown up unannounced if it weren't important." Agent Roberts assured him.

"That's fine. Come in and have a seat while I finish this up."

"Before you do that, I have a very important question to ask you." Agent Roberts said intensely.

"Okay..." Milo said hesitantly as he picked up a dish towel and began drying his hands.

"If it came down to it, do you think that you could cast a spell to combine the magic of several different magical people and direct it to open a magical reservoir for us?"

"I don't know any spells like that."

"I didn't think that you would. But if someone gave you the spell, do you think that you could do it?"

"From the way I understand it, faerie magic isn't the same as the magic that witches use. Even though we can end up doing some of the same things, the way we manipulate magic is completely different."

"Forget about the spell for a minute. Just assume for the sake of argument that we can make that work."

"Okay."

"Do you think that you would be both willing and able to attempt a spell like that?"

"I don't understand what you're asking me."

"I'm asking you if you think that, given the correct spell to use, that you would be capable of performing a spell that channels and directs the magic of others to a specific purpose? Then, if the answer is yes, would you be willing to try?"

"What you're talking about sounds like it could be dangerous, I mean, tapping into a reserve of power sounds kinda big... are you sure that what you're planning is going to be worth the risk?"

"If we can pull this off, we're going to be recasting the spells for all three barriers at once. The thing is, we need a natural being to release one third of the magic that we'll be using to cast the new spells. That's why I'm asking you."

"But I'm only a half faerie." Milo cautiously warned.

"Paul's only a half demon and Reaper's only a half angel."

"You're going to ask Reaper to cast the spell with you?"

"I'm actually going to ask Reaper who of the Nephilim would be best suited to our needs. In my mind, I could see Reaper filling that role, but I have no idea if Reaper would be both willing and able."

"Why are you choosing to use mixed species beings to do the spellcasting?" Archdruid Highley asked cautiously.

"Because true beings of power can't exist in this world long-term." Milo answered for him, then quietly added, "Which is why my dad can't stay here with me in this realm."

"That's right." Agent Roberts confirmed, then explained, "And it also might be another failsafe to keep any one group from usurping the power held within the three barriers."

"Do you believe that this power was put into place for a circumstance such as ours?" Archdruid Highley asked curiously.

"It looks like this 'feature' of the barriers was put into place specifically so that people like us can do maintenance. Having this tool at our disposal gives us a chance to bring all three barriers completely up-to-date instead of just putting half-assed patches into place and hoping for the best."

"But do your people have the necessary skills to use the tool that you've been given?" Archdruid Highley asked cautiously.

Agent Roberts laughed at the question, then said, "It's not just us, you're part of this too. You, your brothers and all your followers who were blessed are going to be utilized as a magical holding pond so that the spellcaster won't be disintegrated by the surge of magic that we're going to release to him."

"But I'm just a normal human..." Archdruid Highley began to protest.

"Yeah, a normal human who has been touched by angelic magic, can talk with the inhabitants of the Protectorate and control the gate." Agent Roberts scoffed, then added more seriously, "If we can get everyone to agree to do this, it's going to take every single one of us giving it our all and probably pushing ourselves beyond anything that we ever thought we were capable of to make it work."

"Watch out what you wish for." Milo muttered anxiously.

"What was that?" Agent Roberts asked curiously.

"When Jarvis told me his vision about the boys, I made the mistake of wishing that I could be part of something big and important." Milo quietly admitted.

"Milo, you don't have to do anything. You're free to decline and we'll find some other way to make it work. If you don't think you're up to it, I mean either magically or emotionally, then I want you to back out." Agent Roberts said sincerely.

"How much do you know about faeries, Agent Roberts?" Milo asked quietly.

"I think I can honestly say 'absolutely nothing'." Agent Roberts said frankly.

"The reason that my parents met and I was born is because my father is powerful enough in his magic to breach the worldwalls and travel to this realm of his own accord. I have inherited his magic and I've even been able to teach myself some basic shadowmancy, which is a high level magic, regardless of which realm you're from. What I'm trying to say is that while I may not have the training or experience that some others do, I am stronger than average when it comes to raw magic."

"So... is that a yes?" Agent Roberts asked hopefully.

"No one knows the power of wishes quite like a faerie. There's a distinct possibility that all of this could be my fault. Not only would it be selfish and wrong of me to refuse to help you, but I would also be betraying a granted wish. No one with a drop of faerie blood would ever dare to be so ungrateful. We know how the powers-that-be repay those who scorn their gifts."

"Which means..."

"Which means 'yes'. I'll help you however I can."

To Be Continued...

Editor's Note:

I'm almost starting to kinda sorta like Milo a little bit. Did I put in enough variables? Seriously, I didn't think he had enough courage or actual caring to do something to help. I'm going to have to give him some respect.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher