a half hour while Hea

answered it. 'The B

ical man with a heart

ce him Lyra, that was

more. You sent me to

do it for long. The S

position you promised

n the field again. Th

others you've got hi

ot human. We must be

of his kind, named

ors. If they bleed,

We've come too far

st, we will wait, unt

uite opened his Third Eye yet, more like he's blinking and still unsure. The other, howeve

m, if you can find a

e had been drifting u

uh ... was just checkin

t? Oh, I'm missing it

the sunrise and put

r hand on his. She k

n Deo's door, but

go in there and so

emergency key and

rt, but they needed

scribed him as drunk

into the roomette h

gh everything, but

moned his Soulfyr

, he passed into t

d as the world, of w

erred sticking to

than running off to just yet another one of infinite alternati

long—and as a Wynderelf, he suffered the same afflic

ng On—for only recently had he finally learned to h

helped before, for every-time they screwed up, he w

with Kyle he felt dif

rules that might free Deo in the end, if it taught him ho

Darkhill and Kyle an

go? I never really e

ore us. We'll see hi

e we can stop off at

where he's at these da

number? Can't you c

y so intent on seein

ust thought, since yo

I never said that. Any

eld North of Darkhill,

om her starry slumber,

ough old territory, i

ood already, as fear w

how good men must die

that she had lost time

nge that her values

iller of the evil in

k of the Earth first,

ree to be an animal, w

d—her inner lizard set

" her cry boomed t

hway, when headlights

had stopped Kyle befo

night without a sign a

t she was real even thou

et: "This is Officer Humbl

his situati

turned: 'Hey Ted, what

we've been hunting, you know

got another eye witness ask

, gulping. The Squatch was ap

this close to my holidays.

hat ... You're breaking up

ng at the Squatch as we

Ted dropped the transmit

pped the door off, tossin

ut, aiming his gun and

ust like bug-bites to

quivered in fear, lift

ought of devouring him

it was usually only in winter—and with preference toward non-sentient animals. Even the on

she felt alive for once—a

rom him and threw it ac

et his neck, she had a

"If you want to live

To his astonishment, th

ou understand? There

m get back in the car

larm there Nance, just

responded in laughter

n, could you run a na

What you got for m

n Darkhill. I n

e minute. I'm on

on? Anything st

r him to quit the

l ... Okay that would be Carol Kane at 222 Dove Cr

thank her for the

into the ditch th

tress, but she stil

nd jacket, then drov

h the jungle up

ergrown trail up

tood unchanged on

t unchanged in h

eard was no long

ll reflected the

e still disarmed

, how nice of y

st choice, " Deo

ave been consi

ngs. Mainly w

ean, Deo? I d

you chose to s

re the suicides

about others wh

but those who c

ead. Om was al

very end, I see,

d, pouring the

sled you, in any

m, once and for

for some time.

etimes we ask Key

re beginning to le

're not getting of

im. He was just an Old Mage from the Golden Age of the magic weald French's Forest, which was a powerful nexus. He

t, trying to reme

are those killing themselves every second. I sit here and save them, as I did you Deo—from certain death—with just a wi

eve me. Apparently I've been living in your game for qu

fraid not, but I never directly tell the Wynderelves su

.. fraud? Some sorc

essure rising. Om w

lied in words. You

iece, but sensed t

he right to interfer

he chess pieces, d

g right by mankind.

green lights now. "

t sounds like you h

ing over, grabbing

e now, I can feel it

... There's a new

t of the cabin. Om followed, but the sunli

your Calling Deo!

Deo yelled back. He wa

t before his threshold is reached—but you, Deo, this is your ultimate chance. I will cut you off from your Soulfyr and it will event

d. "WHERE DO YOU TH

d back down the path,

d man whispered in his

atch Deo go, they ha

s duty to see the Sou

ece from his custom W

rth—so that nothing remained to keep him from Passing On—and h

ginger tea and steppe

locked in one side of

im, wildlife echoing up

t had been so for nearl

ive up on a Wynderelf

one was the survival

t allow his Game t

dea of cleaning up

aid, in their signature enchanting harmony. 'But if your Wynderelves ever veer from sav

had said. "And I

his ways, through

ng—following the p

Three Keyes, thro

he Wynderelves an

ed many lives—incl

e of reality. This was a loop-back to a second chance for so many under Om's tutelage—

il ever knew—then the entire effort would be for naught—a

n. He would go down just as that bullet out on the fro

viewed Jax, his assistant werejaguar. 'Jax, you are

s biped form, approaching

listened at length—and he

e invited Jax to sit and a

He smells of Death, but yet

xpire in three days, at which point you should have little pro

ighten

eedom. You'v

, eager to carr

for he has friends ...

igh on a fever, however he chose to look at it. One minu

e did not believe Om wo

eeded and Deo would not

s to the pitfalls and perils of mountain-hiking all around him

so many different ways he was

k to Kyle and explain eve

and then found a good c

, until the green tendrils of light formed a torus shape around

as Om often said—and the next

past the Welcome to Darkh

omeone going in to Darkhi

fast before Om cut him

they did not know where the Kanes lived—only th

y help me, I need t

ght, she's there every si

Flint's Bowl. "Wait

ed-head, she's the o

eo felt like six f

s eyed him up as

mething dear?" a

enu ... and point

sking, not some

, friend of her so

now, I never wou

ng the jibe. "Alr

bowl for awhile,

what you wanted

steak rare—eggs

hun. Our Angus i

worry, last meals

t breakfast in th

ven't eaten in ab

must be starvin

d to act casual bu

n his first free

and Heather into

other was out bo

his friend tomorrow. Tonight, he just wanted som

o, are you goi

ust me ... Do

cereal, so he

ever to eat

But you love

. Just jokin

time you wan

me where t

into the gu

ght into th

the window,

signing off anytime soon if at all. He would wa

come home and

e there one night

pt he switched on

rting on the pro

estimates, days o

se coming from th

a flashlight but

ned to go back i

his doorway, loo

want with me?

ped back and s

dead-lock s

sank in an

ded the

ed in p

d smash

lfyr wr

sted i

hed in

at the top of

, as it shut itse

open, but it was

aid sleepily. "W

g, hun ... Go back t

shut the front door

door and slid to the f

on was becomi

corner these

rted to unlock and he

mom coming home from

friend here

so glad I f

are you d

o talk, so

ll catch

ugged. "

are you

ot date.

en a go

ll see y

atched h

ked and

that she

eo into th

lled into

er was co

d to ditch

ket on. It was small on her and she looked ridiculous, but she figured even just a jacket might be

squinty-eyed old hippie wh

He must have been too s

of a pub, but they too we

ess, she spotted the man

orth talking to another

w, crouched in the bushe

at did you

him down

you think

ferent light, I see that he's capable of anythin

n't have

ll, really

ve quickl

ed up hi

to lose,

mething concrete, step

before he takes us out,

s that kind of power ov

the only reason we're st

. But he gave us new life. How do we know he can take th

t before, send a soul to Hell. But more than that, prior to us meeting, he had begun to fret about Nibiru's arrival. He kept talking about how it would thin the

luffing. He might not b

ing though. He feels res

ourselves. Isn't that what he wanted, after all? Didn't he

how he saw us do it, but

w. He's just a fraud, a

we must do, before we ca

you have

to learn

you mea

e through walls, Kyle—through time and space—as well as

before we lose the cha

Miramar is his backyard

will. We will get rea

at will you tell her?

just as he spoke he not

talking, just thoug

h did yo

ing, jus

member

ice to

as just

in the

, why not

d, but she

isn't impos

and we'll get star

g on?" Heather sa

just got some ca

ack, " Deo suppo

Let's all get s

was beginning

d she snapped back into herself. She recalled Vedek wanted her to murder good men—and that sh

he ran, once the mind-control ki

he men in black drov

saw something, "

er, where the

body lay half

arm, the Squa

alerted Hea

pproachin

he Kane i

not follow through,

as well as Kane and

t their abilities yet

yft and Summon. Goo

" Huntingt

ady knew

od are t

s a dea

own Shyfting. Let's see if the Squatch fo

's an outl

law is bett

left standi