ADULT: Meeting Of Minds - Part 21 of 26
Dana Short (DanaShort@aol.com)
Tue, 1 Jun 2004 03:11:23 EDT
This story may be concidered PG-13 due to both the situation, and=20
the occasional use of profanity (Chapter 11) when a char was upset.
Please direct flames/comments to DanaShort@aol.com=20
Please note the story title in the subject line, or your message will=20
be lost to my SPAM filter.
Legal Disclaimer: See first post, or visit the URL below for full=20
disclaimer. Just let it be known I don't own this universe.=20
Archive only according to rules mentioned in full disclaimer.=20
I hope you enjoy the story.=20
Fully formatted text of Chapters 1-21 available at:=20
www.DanaShort.com\HL-MOM.htm
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Chapter Twenty One
Cowboys=E2=80=A6
The ringing of the phone woke Sue from her sleep. Groggily she=20
grasped the handle and lifted the receiver to her ear. "Hello?"
=20
"Good morning. This is your wake up call. Please have a nice day,"=20
came an obviously recorded voice over the phone.
=20
"You too," She said, dropping the phone and her arm down to rest on=20
the floor. A short while later a panic tone started to emerge from=20
the receiver, stirring Sue again to activity; this time she rose and=20
swung her feet over the edge of the bed, hanging the phone up as she=20
sat on the bed looking towards the bathroom and trying to generate=20
the motivation to rise and take a shower.
=20
She felt as though she had not slept at all. Her entire body was=20
aching and exhausted. Finally she managed to stagger to her feet,=20
and shuffle into the bathroom, shedding her clothes carelessly along=20
the way.
=20
The spray of water helped to reenergize her a bit. She was still=20
exhausted, but at lest now she was fully awake. Her hair was a=20
dripping, sopping mess hanging coldly down her back as she exited the=20
bathroom several minutes later in search of clothes for the new day.
=20
As she was searching, her cell phone rang.
=20
She stumbled over to the nightstand, and picked it up, flipping the=20
cover open and lifting it to her ear. "Sue here."
=20
"Sue, it's Joe. I wanted to be the one to tell you this. There has=20
been a formal Tribunal called to review your actions and determine=20
what should be done."
=20
"But..."
=20
"Sue, it's ok. Don't worry about it. Mike and I will represent you. =20
I already talked to Adam, and he will be flying up straight from LA=20
to offer his own testimony as well."
=20
"Should I come as well?" Sue asked, sitting on the bed. She had=20
known this was likely going to happen when she decided to "keep"=20
Patrick. And that was a decision she, not Eadgils, had made all by=20
herself.
=20
"No, certainly not. The regulations regarding the calling of a=20
Tribunal are specifically designed so a hearing can be held in=20
absentia, wherein representatives of the accused can stand in for=20
them and offer testimony. It is best if you let us do this for you. =20
If we fail, and the Tribunal issues some sort of sanction, or worse,=20
then you will still have your chance to present your case yourself. =20
That is part of the way the system was designed. If you appear=20
yourself to face your charges, and you fail to prove your point,=20
there will be no appeal. Let us handle the first pass. Ok?"
=20
Sue sat and forced herself to breath in a somewhat normal pattern. =20
Her head was spinning, and her heart was pounding.
=20
"Sue, you still there honey?" Joe asked.
=20
"Yes Joe. I'm here. Just trying to let it soak in to my brain. I had=20
realized this was a possibility; A likelihood even. But it is one=20
thing to realize the potential, and another thing entirely to know=20
you are facing a possible execution."
=20
"That ain't gonna happen, Susie-q. I can guarantee you no one is=20
going to be chopping your head off anytime soon, unless they come=20
through me first," Joe said firmly.
=20
"Thanks, Joe. And Joe, thank Mike for me as well. I am sorry you=20
have to go through this for me."
=20
"It's not a problem. You just take care of yourself and make it back=20
to LA safely. When this is all settled out, maybe you can come out=20
here to Seacouver and visit us for a while. I'll finally get a chance=20
to introduce you to Mac."
=20
"Maybe. I don't know. Right now I don't know anything." Sue=20
answered, as her heart finally slowed to a normal level, the blind=20
rush of panic finally fading away as she realized she did have some=20
options. Ed had started the wheels moving the other night for=20
getting some new ID for her from some guy named Aristotle, from=20
somewhere Canada. If she had to, she could always try and make a run=20
for it. If she managed to get away... But no, she was now an=20
Immortal. Watchers were experts at finding Immortals. There was no=20
way she could actually hope to hide from them for ever. But it was=20
one thing for them to find her as an Immortal, and another thing=20
entirely for them to find her as Sue Danning. After all, if Methos=20
could hide right under their noses, and Elvis, of all people could=20
manage to keep his true identity hidden, then she did have a chance. =20
If she rally had to take it.
=20
"Sue? Did you hear me?" Joe's voice suddenly asked in her ear.
=20
"Huh?" she said in her most inarticulate manner.
=20
"I said, just relax and let us worry about the Tribunal. Most likely=20
the worst they will do is expel you from the society, and since you=20
have already tried to resign, that isn't much of a threat, now is it?"
=20
"I suppose not. Ok, thanks for calling me Joe and letting me know. =20
I'll, I'll talk to you later, ok?"
=20
"Ok, Susie-q. You take care. Give Adam a kiss for me, ok?"
=20
"Alright=E2=80=9D, she said. "Bye." With that she closed the phone and
layed=20
it back on the nightstand by her purse.
=20
It was a good thirty minutes later that she finally managed to drag=20
her bags out to the Motor home.
=20
Adam was already out there, standing in the door waiting for her when=20
she arrived. "Did you talk to Joe yet this morning?" he asked her as=20
she dragged herself across the asphalt towards the RV.
=20
"Yeah. He told me about the Tribunal."
=20
"What Tribunal?" asked Sally, sticking her head out the door from=20
behind Adam.
=20
"The tribunal which has been called to review my recent actions and=20
come up with an official response," Sue said, stepping past Adam and=20
slinging her bag into the RV to flomp onto the floor at Sally's feet.
=20
Sally's face had gone white, and suddenly she grabbed for her=20
purse, "Nae! This is all mae fault!"
=20
Patrick, sitting at the table inside the RV had stood and bent to=20
pick up Sue's bag. "What=E2=80=99s all your fault?" he asked her, as
Adam=20
gently took Ed's laptop case from the exhausted looking Sue.
=20
"The Tribunal," Sally said, punching numbers on her phone.
=20
Patrick looked at Sally, then at the wrung-out Sue, and suddenly his=20
face drained of color as well. "They aren't going to kill her, are=20
they?" he asked, an edge of panic climbing into his voice.
=20
"Nae! They will nae touch a hair on her bonnie head!" shouted Sally=20
angrily, stepping outside the motor home, apparently waiting for=20
someone to answer the call she was making.
=20
Adam turned and followed Sue inside as she settled at the table next=20
to Patrick, who pushed a box of cereal and a carton of milk towards=20
her. "You haven't seen Cassandra yet this morning, have you?"
=20
"Not since I woke up," Sue replied, laying her head on her arms, the=20
thought of breakfast causing the knot of unease in her stomach to=20
retie itself even tighter.
=20
Adam got a peculiar expression on his face, then suddenly he turned=20
towards the door, moments before both Sue and Patrick felt the touch=20
of Cassandra's Quickening.
=20
Cassandra herself appeared at the door a few moments later. Sue=20
looked up and noted the bags under the bloodshot eyes of the elder=20
Immortal, and realized that Cassandra likely felt as bad as she=20
herself this morning.
=20
"Rough night?" Adam asked with a quirky grin towards his possibly ex-
nemesis.
=20
"Let's just say I had a really tiring dream," Cassandra replied,=20
settling on the couch and closing her eyes, her own bag left laying=20
carelessly on the floor by the door to the RV. The faint sounds of=20
Sally's shouting could be heard from outside as she held a=20
particularly heated conversation with someone on the other end of the=20
phone.
=20
Adam looked at Sue, then at Cassandra, then outside at the ranting=20
Sally, and turned towards the driver's seat. "Why don't I take the=20
first shift this morning; You two look like you need to get more=20
sleep."
=20
Patrick nodded, and said, "Sue, I agree. You look too tired to be=20
walking, let alone trying to drive this thing."
=20
Already lying down on the couch with her eyes closed, Cassandra=20
muttered, "You take the bed, Child. I'm fine here."
=20
Sue raised her head again with effort, and looked towards the back,=20
and said plaintively, "Do I have to?"
=20
Adam fixed a stern expression on his face and pointed towards the=20
back of the RV. "Go. Sleep. You can drive later when you are more=20
rested."
=20
Sue managed to drag herself back to her feet, and wobbled down the=20
short hallway, to flop face-first onto the bed as she arrived at the=20
bedroom. She didn't even notice when Sally came back in, or when=20
Adam fired up the RV and they pulled out onto the highway, heading=20
towards Albuquerque.
=20
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The sound of the road surface changing woke Sue from her slumber. =20
>From the sound of the engine, the RV had pulled off the highway, and=20
was moving along surface streets somewhere. From outside she could=20
also hear the sound of rain hitting the top of the motor home, and=20
the whish of the tires on a wet road. Distant thunder rumbled faintly=20
in the distance.
=20
Sue sat up, and looked out the window at the passing scenery. They=20
were apparently in Cattle Country somewhere. There were cows and=20
fences, and more cows. Wet cows, along with some buildings up ahead.
=20
The RV pulled into a parking lot. On its far side was a restaurant=20
who's lighted sign proclaimed it the "Home On The Range Steakhouse"=20
with the tag lines, "We breed 'em, & feed 'em, then we kill 'em, &=20
grill 'em. The best beef around. Guaranteed. No Bull." For some=20
reason, Sue=E2=80=99s stomach was particularly convinced by the sign's
claims.
=20
As the RV came to a stop by a fence, behind which was a mulling herd=20
of wet cattle, Sue slipped on her shoes. She then made her way=20
towards the front of the RV, idly pulling tangles out of her hair as=20
she went. "What's up?"
=20
Patrick, who sat behind the wheel, pointed at the=20
steakhouse. "Everyone else's going to go in for lunch, I think."
=20
Sue looked around and noted a much better looking Cassandra sitting=20
in the passenger seat, nodding.
=20
"You have something against steaks?" Sue asked Patrick.
=20
"No, I have something against dying. It's raining out there. With my=20
luck, if I step outside, I'll get blasted by a lightning bolt or trip=20
and drown in a mud puddle. I haven't gotten killed in over a day,=20
and I would rather keep it that way. Even if that means skipping a=20
steak and settling for pop-tarts instead."
=20
Sue looked back across the parking lot at the beckoning door of the=20
Steakhouse, her stomach rumbling with it's vote, and couldn't quite=20
bring herself to abandon Patrick to a lunch of cold, dry=20
pastries. "What if we bring you something back?"
=20
Patrick looked up hopefully. "Yeah! That would be great! A Medium=20
well Sirloin would be great! Could you? With a baked potato?"
=20
Sue grinned as she pulled on her coat and nodded her acceptance of=20
his order. "Ok. We'll try not to be too long. And I'll bring you a=20
better lunch than cold pop-tarts."
=20
With that, Sue, Adam, and Sally trudged across the parking lot past=20
the corral filled with milling wet cows, and headed on into the=20
restaurant.
=20
Once inside, the Texas style ambiance soaked into them, along with=20
the luscious smell of grilled beef. The cute little waitress led=20
them over to a booth by the front windows, commanding a view of the=20
damp parking lot, their RV, a few cars, and the cattle beyond.
=20
Once the waitress had seated them, taken their drink orders, and=20
headed off in search of sodas and beer, Sally looked apologetically=20
at Sue. "It's my fault lass, an=E2=80=99 I'm sorry."
=20
"What's that?" Sue asked, as she decided on the Smoked Chuckwagon=20
cut, smothered in seasonings and char broiled over an open flame=20
according to the menu.
=20
"The Tribunal. When I lost Cassandra the other day, I raised hell=20
about yea. An=E2=80=99 hell has answered. I tried callin' in this
morning ta=20
see if I could retract mae request, but there was nae a thing I could=20
do. It had gone too far. I told them I want tae testify though on=20
yer behalf, if ye'll have me. It may help if one of the ones who=20
raised the hue an' cry over ye stands fer ye at the table. It=20
certainly shouldn't hurt."
=20
Sue felt a turmoil of emotion. She had managed to put Joe's call=20
this morning totally out of her mind, but with Sally's reminder, it=20
was brought forcefully to the forefront. Then there was the=20
heartfelt apology and offer of support coming from a woman she had=20
just met a few days ago, one who at one point would have been leading=20
the charge to chop off her head, but now was willing to stand beside=20
her at a Tribunal. Not a simple offer, as charges of collusion had=20
often been leveled on those who supported Watchers who had been found=20
guilty of violations in the past. A second Tribunal to investigate=20
the depth of their own involvements was not unheard of.
=20
Any reply she would have made was cut off by the return of the=20
waitress.
=20
The girl demonstrated a bubbly personality as she distributed drinks,=20
then took everyone's orders, including a second Chuckwagon with a=20
baked potato to go for Patrick, which she said she wouldn't put=20
in 'till they had been served, so it would be ready about the same=20
time they were.
=20
As the girl left, Sue looked across the table at Sally and smiled. "I=20
appreciate the offer Sally, but you have your assignment here with=20
Cassandra. I couldn't ask you to abandon your post just to appear=20
before the Tribunal on my behalf. Adam is already going to offer his=20
input, and both Joe and Mike will be representing my side of things=20
for me."
=20
Adam spoke up at this point, "Um. Still, it might not be a bad idea=20
for another field-Watcher, especially one who was a complainant in=20
the first place to testify for you. I am sure the L.A. office can=20
detach someone to cover Cassandra for the length of her stay, and=20
there is the rest of Sally's family back in Scotland to take up the=20
job when she returns home, if Sally isn't back yet. Plus, in this=20
case, I can't see any danger of her being caught in spillover charges=20
of collusion, since she actually has prior sanction for initiating=20
personal contact with Cassandra at this point."
Sally looked up at Sue, an odd expression, almost of hurt on her=20
face, and said, "Please, Sue? I really won't feel right unless I=20
help fix this. I feel so guilty."
=20
As the waitress returned bearing 3 plates of food, Sue gave in, "Ok=20
Sally. If you really want to, you have not only my blessing, but also=20
my thanks."
=20
Sally's smile was suddenly bigger than the one on the bubbly=20
waitress's face as she nodded her head, before starting in on her=20
steak.
=20
Cassandra, who had remained silently on the sidelines throughout the=20
entire conversation just smiled and nodded at Sue's decision, before=20
tearing into her T-Bone steak with a relish mirrored only by Sue's=20
simultaneous attack on her Chuckwagon steak.
=20
The meal proceeded in silence, until Sue caught a glimpse of movement=20
from the RV out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head to look=20
out the window, she watched as the door banged open, and Patrick came=20
running out, as if fleeing for his life. He was running along the=20
fence, towards the entrance to the restaurant, and had made it about=20
half-way when suddenly the building shook as a blinding flash emitted=20
from right beside Patrick as a bolt of lighting shot out of the=20
stormy sky and struck a fencepost next to him, shattering it to=20
splinters and sending sparks of electricity racing visibly through=20
the wires all around the corral.
=20
Everyone watched as Patrick stood mutely before the wreckage of the=20
fence, looking down at his untouched body. Then he looked up at the=20
sky and raised his hands in a little wave, before going into a=20
mutated version of a Snoopy-Dance, apparently in celebration of his=20
survival. It was at this point, that the herd of cattle, having=20
shied violently away from the blast, had surged around the back side=20
of the coral, then turned towards the newly created opening and=20
started a stampede.
=20
Sue watched in muted horror as the herd of cattle charged through the=20
hole in the fence, and right over Patrick, grinding him into the mud=20
beneath their hooves.
=20
"That's gonna hurt," was all Adam said, as he pushed back from the=20
table.
=20
"We need to get him into the RV before anyone notices," Cassandra=20
added, rising to follow Adam towards the front of the restaurant.=20
Sally and Sue remained behind, watching through the glass as the last=20
of the cows stomped on the muddy and still form of Patrick before=20
heading off down the road after their fellows.
=20
The bubbly waitress was returning with a doggy bag, and the check=20
even as Cassandra and Adam made it to Patrick's form, and scooped/dug=20
it out of the mud, then began hauling it back to towards the RV.
=20
"What happened?" she asked, looking out the window at the empty=20
corral.
=20
"Lightning struck yon fencepost," Sally answered, directing her=20
attention towards the hole, and away from the limp form Cassandra and=20
Adam were hauling up the steps and through the door of the RV.
=20
"And the cows ran away" Sue added stupidly, pointing up the road=20
towards where the cattle had gone.
=20
"Oh my! I'd better get Bob, somone'll have ta chace 'em down an'=20
get 'em back," The waitress said, dropping the bag and check on the=20
table, before hurrying away towards the kitchen. "It's a good thing=20
no one was hurt!" she said to no one in particular as she disappeared=20
through the door in the back.
=20
Sue picked up the abandoned check and counted out three $20's to=20
cover the total plus a generous tip, then collected the bagged steak=20
& potato to go, and lead Sally towards the door.
=20
They noticed that the rain had stopped as they made their way across=20
the muddy parking lot towards the RV.
=20
Climbing in, she set the steak on the table, and headed towards the=20
driver's seat, looking at Patrick's muddy form draped dead on the=20
couch. "Good thing the interior of this beast is so easy to clean.=20
All that mud is going to make a real mess."
=20
Adam came out from the back, a wet towel in his hand, and=20
replied, "It's not as bad as I had feared. Several broken bones and=20
lots of bruises; he'll be in lots of pain when he wakes up; better=20
the mud than if had he=E2=80=99d been on the asphalt. And it's sure
easier=20
to wipe up some mud, and sweep the dirt out after it dries, than it=20
would be to explain how a dead body ended up trampled in a stampede,=20
and then was stolen again from the morgue for a second time."
=20
"I suppose. Do you all agree we should get moving, before anything=20
else can happen?" Sue asked, settling herself into the driver's seat,=20
and reaching out towards the key.
=20
Even before Sue could fire up the engine, a police cruiser rolled up=20
and came to a stop blocking the driveway back onto the highway. A man=20
in worn jeans, a flannel shirt, and dark mud stained boots climbed=20
out, and put a plastic covered cowboy hat on his head. Pausing for a=20
moment he held out his hand, removed the hat and peered suspiciously=20
at the sky, before returning the hat to the car and removing another=20
one, this one without it's clear plastic covering which he then=20
placed on his head. Hitching up his belt, he ambled over towards the=20
break in the fence, where he was joined by both the bubbly waitress=20
and a man in a once white cook's outfit, now covered in various=20
recent spills and faint stains showing its considerable service life.
=20
Realizing the blocking of the driveway was probably more deliberate=20
than it might appear to the casual observer, Sue shut off the engine=20
again, and joined Adam and Cassandra outside.
=20
"...near as I can figure," The cook was saying to the man in the=20
cowboy hat.
=20
"There they are!" the waitress said, suddenly grinning and pointing=20
at the party from the RV.
=20
The man looked up and nodded his head, before making a "Come here"=20
gesture with his hands.
=20
With the silent invitation, the 3 Immortals approached the man, who=20
smiled warmly at them and introduced himself. "Sheriff Grimley,=20
folks. I understand ya saw the ruckuss here 'goin down?"
=20
"You could say that we had a ringside seat for the floorshow, yes."=20
Adam opined, as he shook hands with the Sheriff.
=20
"I'd be obliged if ya could tell me what ya saw."
=20
"Well, there was a lighting strike on the fencepost here, and it=20
threw sparks all the way around the corral."
=20
As Adam paused to take another breath , Cassandra jumped in and=20
continued the story, "It looked like the cattle were spooked by the=20
sparks, and found the opening in the fence. They all came out in a=20
rush."
=20
Sue decided she might as well toss in her bit, the same part she had=20
told the waitress before, "And they all ran up the road, that way,"=20
She said, pointing towards the northwest.
=20
The sheriff nodded his head, and went back to his car, returning with=20
a digital camera, and started snapping pictures.
=20
The cook looked at the waitress and she smiled, then turned to head=20
back inside, while Sally came out and joined them by the hole in the=20
fence.
=20
"Say Jeff?" the cook asked.
=20
"Yeah?" the sheriff answered.
=20
"What we gonna do about my herd?"
=20
"As near as I can tell, if they headed west, they will come up=20
against Foster's Canyon sooner or later, and either turn towards the=20
south, or the west, or turn around. If they head west, then we can=20
have Peters start rounding them up as they get to his fence line. If=20
they head along the canyon, we'll just have to chase 'em down and=20
turn 'em around to get 'em back here. Only problem will be if they=20
head south along the innerstate and make it down to the bottom of the=20
canyon. Then we'll probably have ta corral 'em in the canyon and=20
haul 'em back here by trailer, as we can't have a whole herd of=20
cattle muckin=E2=80=99 up the innerstate."
=20
"Do you need us anymore, Sheriff?" Sue asked, looking pointedly=20
towards the car blocking the driveway.
=20
The sheriff lifted his hat and scratched idly at his head, before=20
finally shaking his head, "I suppose not. Not like this is a genuine=20
crime scene or anything, seein' as how no one was hurt. Lemme move my=20
car an' ya'll can be on your way."
=20
As the sheriff headed towards his car, Sue, Adam, and Cassandra=20
headed back to the RV and climbed in, Sue sparing a passing glance at=20
Patrick's still dead muddy body stretched out on the couch by the=20
door on her way to the driver's seat.
=20
The sheriff's car fired up and pulled itself on into the parking lot=20
proper, opening the way for the RV to depart.
=20
Sue reached for the key, and called to the back, "Everyone agree we=20
should beat feet before something else happens?"
=20
As three voices responded in the affirmative, Sue kicked over the=20
engine and backed up, then turned towards the highway, and headed=20
down the road.
=20
They had made it to the canyon, about twenty miles away when=20
suddenly, Patrick sat up with a gasp, his body returning to life as=20
the damage from the cattle's hooves healed it's self.
=20
"Ouch! What happened ta me?" he asked, swinging around to sit up on=20
the couch, rubbing his head with his hands.
=20
"You died, again," Sue supplied.
=20
"I figured that much, I mean, what happened? Did I get run over by a=20
truck or something?"
=20
"Something. Try stamped into the mud by a cattle stampede." Adam=20
supplied, from his position in the passenger seat, turning his chair=20
around backwards to look at Patrick. "What I want to know is why you=20
changed your mind?"
=20
Patrick had a confused look on his face, as Cassandra added, "Last we=20
heard you were going to remain in the RV, then suddenly you came=20
bolting out of it like there was no tomorrow."
=20
Patrick reached up with a muddy hand to try and clear some of the mud=20
off his face, and looked thoughtful. Suddenly he leapt to his feet=20
and called out "Gas!"
=20
Sue looked automatically at the gas gauge, but it read more than half=20
full. "What's wrong with the gas?" she called back to Patrick.
=20
"No, I smelled gas. And I still do!" Patrick said, getting a panicked=20
look on his face.
=20
At this point, Sue herself noticed the faint cloying scent added to=20
natural gas and propane to warn people if there was a leak. She=20
looked around, and saw a pullout coming up on the inner side of the=20
road, which at the moment was winding it's way down to a canyon=20
below. She cut across the vacant oncoming traffic lanes, and crammed=20
the RV into the pullout, before shutting the motor off.
=20
The RV had hardly stopped when the side door banged open, and people=20
started piling out, to get as far from the RV as possible. Sue, the=20
last one out, left the door open to help vent any gas inside.
=20
As the five people gathered at the side of the road as far from the=20
RV as they could get without crossing the highway or going around the=20
curve out of sight of the pullout, they looked at one=20
another. "Someone is going to have to go back in." Adam=20
said. "However I don't think Patrick is the best bet."
=20
"Nae, but it should be an 'mmortal" Sally said, with a sad look at=20
Cassandra. "If she blows, Cassie or Patrick are the only ones wha hae=20
ean a chance o getting' back out wi their heads still attached an'=20
their hearts pumpin'."
=20
Cassandra spared a wry glance at Adam, then another at Sue, before=20
adding, "And I'm the only one who knows how the RV's Propane system=20
works. If there's a leak, I've got the best chance of finding it and=20
cutting off the gas safely."
=20
Adam started forward, saying, "I'll go with you, if you want."
=20
Cassandra just smiled wryly, and said, "No, Adam. As Sally pointed=20
out, an Immortal has the best chance of surviving. What would you=20
say if it blew up with you in there, even if you didn't lose your=20
head?"
=20
Adam gulped, and checked his forward motion. Patrick decided perhaps=20
having a hillside between himself and the RV was not such a bad idea=20
after all. "Uh, I'm going to go this way," he said, pointing back up=20
around the curve of the road, "Call me when it's, er, safe."
=20
As Patrick slipped out of sight around the curve of the hillside,=20
Cassandra made her way swiftly yet cautiously back to the door of the=20
RV, where she paused before sliding carefully inside and turning to=20
the left, towards the small kitchen.
=20
The minutes seemed to drag into hours, before Cassandra's head=20
appeared in the doorway of the RV, a smile on her face as she stepped=20
back out into the afternoon sunlight.
=20
She swiftly crossed the distance between the rest of the party and=20
the RV, calling out as she came closer, "It's ok now. Someone must=20
have bumped the stove, enough to release the gas on the rear right=20
burner, but not enough for the pilot to light it. There was probably=20
barely enough to smell, but not enough to burn, as both the pilot=20
lights were still lighted."
=20
Sue turned to walk uphill around the curve and get Patrick, when he=20
came barreling back down the road on his own, heading straight for=20
the outside curve of the cliff. Seeing the open space beyond, he=20
seemed to put on the brakes, skidding across the asphalt and almost=20
falling, as he neared the edge of the road, but jumping up in the air=20
instead to land on a rock sticking out of the edge, where he teetered=20
for a moment before coming to a halt, arms wheeling.
=20
Sue was about to cross the road to him when she heard the rumbling=20
coming from around the curve of the road.
=20
She stared in shock, as the same herd of cows from Home On The Range=20
came thundering down the highway, following the curve of the road,=20
but taking up both lanes.
=20
As the cattle neared the rock where Patrick stood, a bush next to the=20
road stirred, and a mangy looking coyote leapt from the bush to land=20
next to Patrick on the rock.
=20
As the cattle continued to thunder by, the rock trembled. Patrick=20
looked at the coyote. The coyote looked at Patrick. The rock broke=20
free, and tumbled off the side of the cliff and out of sight into the=20
canyon below, taking them both with it.
=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
=20
To be continued in Chapter Twenty Two - "=E2=80=A6and Indians", comming
6-04