It's that same dream again, of slowly smothering in a sea of warm, fluffy pillows. Zahnrad's been having it on and off ever since he started sharing a bed with Amelia, depending on how cuddly a mood she was in that night. It's one of the few times when the Kadie really feels carefree, as if nothing could intrude or interrupt his comfort. Except that he's starting to feel something now. Someone is stroking him behind one ear to try and wake him up.

"Mrghth," Zahnrad mutters and tries to sleepily bat at his ear. "Is it morning already, Amelia?" he says tiredly.

Trying to move his arm makes Zahn realize something: he's being held down. The way his nose starts to tickle, it's also clear that it's not buried into a pillow, but something furry and just as soft. Memory starts to trickle in with consciousness, and the Kadie figures out his being held by Clover. And probably someone else as well, from behind. "Wakey wakey," whispers a familiar voice: Amelia's.

Zahn's ears splay out as his foggy memory starts to actually work. "Oh great," he can't help but think. He starts to try and wiggle his way out of his confines without waking the two Lapis. "It's not what you probably think," he murmurs quietly.

There's the familiar tug against his cheek due to dried drool sticking his fur to someone else's. Clover doesn't stir though – the Lapi is probably dreaming since she's 'muttering' in her sleep. Once his head his turned enough, Zahn can make out Amelia leaning over the side of the bed… and Parsley, who is sleeping behind Zahn, and has a firm grip around his chest it seems. "Oh? What do you think I think?" Amelia asks quietly, with maybe a hint of anger.

"That they seduced me," Zahnrad whispers as he tries to carefully untangle Parsley's arms from around his chest and not wake her.

Amelia doesn't seem inclined to help Zahn escape just yet. "Oh? So, did they?" she asks. "I don't see your pants out here anywhere… "

"No, they didn't. And my pants should still be on; I certainly didn't remove them," Zahnrad tries to explain calmly as he continues to attempt to extract himself, "But they gave it a good try. They're still suffering from the side effects of what we had to do to rescue Clover. I managed to deflect them by just letting them clean my ears instead. Does are persistent."

"They cleaned your ears?" Amy asks, with her ears lowered. "And this is because of Natasha's spell, is it? Does that mean you feel the same way towards them that they do towards you?"

"Yes, my ears," Zahnrad repeats, "That shouldn't be a big deal, should it? And no, I don't. The only thing I can say I feel is … that I know when one of them is coming."

The ears go back up at this. "So then, Parsley came to you?" Amy asks. "And convinced you to come back here before trying to seduce you without any warning? How do you know when one is coming for you?"

"Yes, she came to me. And no, she tried to seduce me when she came. I stopped here there. I came here because I had to find out how bad Clover was, not to mention what she remembered about what happened. I also then learned they're worse when they're together. But I told them no, I couldn't do anything because I was with you. So, uh … they said they'd talk to you." He lets out a sigh, then continues to try and extract himself, "When one of them comes by it's like walking next to a bakery. It just feels … familiar."

With a mutter, Parsley suddenly licks Zahn behind his ear and squeezes his chest. "Sooo, they both want you?" Amelia asks, still not helping extricate Zahn. "As their boyfriend?"

The lick induces a 'grrk!' from Zahn. "No, not as a boyfriend," Zahnrad says after he recovers from that little shock and he resumes trying to loosen Parsley's arms. "They just want to have sex. Lapis," he adds with a short shake of his head. "Which, we haven't, as I've said. Our relationship matters more to me than two does, you know. I'm certainly not Emmett."

"What? That's all they want?" Amy asks, looking suddenly relieved. "You had me worried for a moment there, Zahn. But I guess I can work something out with them, unless you'd rather I find out if this… bakery… effect can be cured. I'm sure Madame Natasha would know if there's a way."

"What, wait. It's okay if I sleep with them?" Zahnrad squeaks, looking suddenly terrified.

"They're Chalks," Amelia says. "It's like… climbing a tree is to us. It just means they aren't serious about you, not that it's okay exactly."

"This is weird," Zahnrad grumbles, "You're all weird and crazy. All of you. Geh. I think you're all just plotting against me. Here am I am trying to be nice and not upset anyone and all it does is get me in trouble."

"Pffft!" Amy goes. "You just aren't used to Lapi, I suppose. Everyone knows they have poor impulse control," she explains. Although coming from a Kadie, it's hard to tell just what that would mean.

Zahn's ears flatten. "No, I'm not," he grumbles, "Any other guy would have given in to them given what they were whispering to me. But, no, I stood by my statement that I was with you and that you meant everything to me. And you seem to now find this … funny."

"Whispering?" Amelia asks, looking interested again. "Was it about the trapeze thing?"

"And several other things that were even weirder and required salve," Zahnrad notes as he seems to have given up extracting himself for the moment He does check the state of his pants as best he can, though. "And, they said they would just invite you to join, too."

Amelia tail swishes and twitches. "Hmmm," she goes. "Well, clearly you aren't ready to deal with them yet, so I'll talk to them and buy you some time, how's that?" she offers. "But if this side effect doesn't wear off after awhile, they won't be satisfied until they've gotten you."

Zahnrad looks even more confused. "Would it end if they did get me, then? Maybe I should go talk to a buck about how to deal with does," he comments.

"End? Uh… no idea," Amy says. "But I'll get them to agree to wait until I've had you first, how's that?"

"Let me see how well I can deal with them," Zahnrad offers, "And if I get into trouble, I'll have you make that deal. It can't be any worse than getting one of my machines to behave, right? I've never backed down from a problem before."

"Welll," Amy says, standing up straight now and rubbing her chin. "I still think you should make them agree to wait their turn. That way I… we'll know it's really about this bond you have and not just Clover's competitive streak reemerging."

"I'll try to get them to agree to that, then," Zahnrad says and resumes trying to wiggle free. "Of course, it might mean they might just, well … encourage us somehow."

Amelia shrugs. "I don't feel a need to worry about that," she says. "If it helps, you can invite Parsley over to sleep with us. I think Dr. Pike is afraid she'll lose her toy bat if Parsley sticks around too much."

"Err … okay," Zahnrad says dumbly, as he's not quite sure how to take that. "She's got quite a grip," he notes when he's yet failed to extract himself from her. "I can't believe I actually fell asleep."

"Cleaning your ears, eh? Must have been relaxing," Amy notes. She also nods about Parsley's grip. "Yeah, when we had sleep-overs as girls she nearly cracked my ribs once."

"You used to sleep with them? How about Clover?" Zahnrad can't help but ask. He tries a new tactic, eh tries to undo her fingers and spread her arms.

Clover mutters something and tries to bury Zahn's face back into her chest. "Oh yeah, we were best friends after I stopped training with Isolde," Amelia notes. "How else would we have become such bitter rivals?"

"Grft!" goes Zahn as he turns his head in time to avoid being smothered. Of course he now has a hard time seeing Amelia over Clover's chest. "If you were best friends, why didn't you try to salvage that? Why did you start fighting?"

"Because… that's a silly question," Amelia points out. "We just got older. It's normal. One girl has to be on top."

"No they don't, that behavior is silly," Zahnrad counters. "Anyway, Clover thinks Deirdre will have taken over by now."

"Hah! Won't she be surprised then," Amelia says, nearly laughing. "Deirdre's been so distracted with Roy, she probably doesn't even realize Clover's been out of circulation yet."

"You know, you could use this as a chance to be Clover's friend again," Zahn notes then just tries to sit up. Apparently, he's giving up trying the sneak out approach.

Parsley and Clover sit up with Zahn, although they're still asleep. "I've always been Clover's friend, Zahn," Amy claims. "Why else would I bother being her rival?"

"That makes no sense," Zahnrad says, "You've told me several times how you wanted to kill her." He also looks at the sleeping does and notes, "Of course, them still being asleep doesn't make any sense, either."

"So? Why should wanting to kill her make me less of a friend?" Amy asks. "I mean… I couldn't let some unworthy girl be her rival! They wouldn't do it right. You love your brother Gunther, but you're almost always angry at him too. You don't stop being friends with someone just because you happen to hate them every so often."

"I don't hate Gunther," Zahnrad points out. "Friends don't kill friends, that's why."

"Well, I haven't killed Clover yet, now have I?" Amelia notes, and then finally helps out Zahn by lightly tickling Parsley's armpits. The Lapi giggle-snorts in her sleep and lets go of Zahn to stick her paws under her arms protectively.

"No, you haven't," Zahnrad has to agree, "But, geh, it still makes no sense. None of you do. I think I should just go back to my shop. At least everything there makes sense! Here I'm … well, I feel like I'm just you three's pet." He does, at least, help Parsley lay back down once she finally lets go.

"Parsley's been drinking wine, hasn't she?" Amy asks. "I can smell it on her. And you. And probably on Clover's chest now too. At least when you drool on me it's after you've brushed your teeth for the night."

"You're trying to change the subject," Zahnrad comments as he settles Parsley back down. "And yes, she did. She brought me lunch. Well, fed me lunch." He also makes sure Clover is resting and then tries to ease himself out of the bed.

Amy can't help but try and fluff out the matted fur on Zahn's cheek, and even plucks out a few white strands that got stuck. "So, you really want to work things out with them on your own?" she asks.

"I should try. I mean, I have to learn to deal with people better. I can't just rely on others all the time to do it," Zahnrad answers honestly. "My problem."

"At least in this case a screw up won't blow up the town," Zahn adds as an afterthought.

"Well… no, probably nothing that would destroy the town," Amelia notes. "Otherwise Emmett would have tried it already with them. I was going to go see Viktor about sword training, so if you think you'll be okay alone with the twins, I'll just go do that. But remember, you can only bring Parsley home with you! Clover still needs to recover, and she hogs the blankets half the time."

"I need to figure out what exactly happened to Clover still, and how it relates to what happened to Abner. Her marks are the same as what was on his head," Zahnrad notes and looks to Clover. He then blinks and looks back to Amelia. "Wait, you're sword training with that … giant? Er, that can't be safe, Amelia. He hits hard. I should know," he notes with a marked wince.

"But he offered, and has real military experience," Amy says. "Plus, there was something else I wanted to talk to him about. Anyway, should I have Igor come up to protect you while you talk to the does?"

"Just tell him to be in ears reach if I scream," Zahn answers as he rubs his neck worriedly. "Are you sure you want to train with him, Amelia? I mean, I still have nightmares about … him. And what else did you want to talk to him about?"

"The gypsies," Amelia says. "Plans for the future and stuff." She starts brushing down Zahn's shirt to get the sleep-rumples out of it.

"In other words, when are they going to leave and take Djivan with them," Zahnrad comments. He does look a bit bedraggled, but at least intact. "And oh, have you seen Gunther about? He was eying my engine prototype the other day and probably needs to be reminded to keep his hands off."

"He's been busy, I think," Amelia says. "He escorted Olivia and me here today, and was with us when Olivia went through all of Orifice's old junk. He knows about the underground and stuff now."

Zahnrad covers his face with his hands. "Nothing good will come of that," he groans as his tail flicks in agitation. "He'll mount a war against the underground, I just know it."

"I think we've got him talked out of that for now," Amelia says. "Also, our Igor isn't the same Igor that Orifice had, but they were both around at the same time."

"Not sure if that makes me feel better or not," Zahn admits as he withdraws his hands. "That means there at least two of them running around!"

"Oh, every male in the family is named Igor apparently," Amelia points out, while she straightens Zahn's pants. "So… the Oggtons and the Chalks aren't the weirdest families when it comes to names."

"Where they name their kids after vegetables?" Zahn can't help but ask. He scratches at his ear as he realizes something. "You know a lot about Lapis. So, uh, have you and a buck, uh, well … relieved frustrations?" he can't help but ask. Zahn's not always the quickest to realize things, no.

"No, but I had an axe," Amelia notes. "So I just cuddled one and stuff. They're really good for warming up the bed."

Zahn nods at that. "Okay, good to know. So, uh, just don't let Bravi … Viktor, hurt you in training," he says a bit lamely and rubs his neck again. "I mean that. Be careful around him."

"He's seen me fight, so I'm sure he knows how much I can handle," Amelia says. "Do you want me to check back in on you later, or are you going to be working by then?"

Zahn looks at Amelia funny. "I always want you to check in with me. Even if I'm working, you know I'll stop to spend time with you," he says. Although still a bit awkward about it, he pulls Amelia into a hug and even kisses her.

Amy returns the kiss with a bit more passion than usual, it seems, before letting go. "Well, I'll trust you not to get into trouble then," she says.

"I'll do my best," Zahnrad says with a smile as he lets her go. "I'll see you later tonight."

The Kadie girl waves as she leaves the room, and closes the door behind her. Now Zahn is all alone with the sleeping twins.

Zahn rubs the bridge of his muzzle and turns to look at the twins. "What am I going to do with you two?" he wonders to himself. "And what did they do to you down in the caverns, Clover? What did they sing? Did you meet the 'overseer' we saw referenced in some writing?"

Clover doesn't respond, still deep asleep. But Parsley seems to be stirring finally. At least, she's rubbing at her eyes and yawning.

Zahn crouches down and watches Parsley yawn. "It lives," he comments as he watches her warily. "Remind me to never wrestle you; you have a strong grip."

"What?" Parsley asks as she sits up. Even while blinking her eyes, she still automatically begins to de-rumple her own clothing. "I can't believe I fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon. How long was I out?" she asks.

"I don't know," Zahn admits, "I've only been up a little while, but I don't think we were asleep long. So … feeling calmer now?"

Scratching her armpits, Parsley says, "Not really." She looks over at her sister, and after a moment notes, "But Clover is sleeping well for a change. She's normally very restless unless she's worked herself to exhaustion first."

"What would make you feel calmer?" Zahn asks, though he knows he probably shouldn't. "As for Clover … she's probably already exhausted from everything that's happened."

"I suppose, although it would be nice to see her sleep normally after she's recovered, too," Parsley notes, then swings off the bed and onto her feet, where she stretches. "And don't worry, I can always find that vampire fellow or Igor if I really need unwinding later."

Zahnrad rubs his neck. "Well, I can't help but worry anyway," he comments and finally stands up. "So, ah, regarding … us," he starts to say, then looks to Clover, "All three of us… "

Parsley finishes her stretching and shakes the wrinkles out of her skirt next. "Oh? What about us?" she asks, smiling brightly to Zahn.

Zahn rubs his neck nervously. "I was thinking that we shouldn't ah … well, you know. Not until Amelia and I have, ah, well, you know," he tries to say. Topic still seems to make him nervous, it seems.

"Is that all?" Parsley asks next, stepping over to the Kadie. "No other restrictions?"

"None that I can currently think of. I just … well, reserve the right to add some should they be necessary," Zahn says as he watches the Lapi nervously. His tail flicks back and forth as if he's debating running for his life.

Parsley smiles and leans forward to bump noses. "So we can still snog and cuddle and take baths together and do… well, I'm sure you and Amy have found lots of things you can do together that aren't quite going all the way… "

"Oh sure, we've done … er, yes," Zahn chitters rapidly, then clamps his hands over his mouth. "Calm down, calm down," he thinks to himself. "I mean, it's safer that Amy and I don't … because, er, children," he babbles.

Parsley pulls back, and taps Zahn on the nose. "You don't have to be so nervous, Zahn! I won't do anything to you that you don't welcome."

"I'm always nervous!" Zahnrad claims. "I'm afraid of what I would welcome."

"I can see I'll have to work on getting you to relax," Parsley notes. "Maybe I should try some aromatherapy on you. It worked for Amelia that one time… "

"Er, what?" Zahn blinks, "What did you do with Amelia?"

"Calmed her down," Parsley says, and chews on the tip of her left ear in thought. "I forget exactly what had her worked up, but the incense and the massage and… well, it calmed her down eventually. That was like, back when her clothes still fit."

"Buh. You massaged her?" Zahnrad sputters, "You sound like Liliana!" The Kadie looks … beyond confused.

"What?" Parsley asks, looking confused now too. "What's wrong with massaging? It's a proper relaxation technique. We all used to practice on each other."

Zahn's left ear twitches as his brain seems to reset. "So, uh, anyway. Has Clover said anything in her sleep? Even if it sounded like nonsense, it might be a clue to what happened to her," he says, trying to get his brain unjammed.

"She just mutters, but all Lapi do that," Parsley says. "She hasn't been having nightmares though. I know how to recognize the signs."

"That's good, at least. What are the signs?" Zahn asks. "And oh! Would you like to come stay with Amelia and I now and then? You have to get lonely up here."

"Well, she bites and kicks sometimes, or just shudders and curls up into a ball," Parsley notes, then perks up at the invitation. "Sure! Tonight? Who gets to be on top?" she asks.

"On top? The bed is big enough to just sleep next to one-another," Zahnrad says, looking confused. "Do Lapi normally sleep on top of each other? And, uh, does Clover have nightmares often? Has she had any since the ritual?"

"She used to have them all the time," Parsley explains. "Even as a little girl. So this is the calmest she's been in awhile. You must have fixed something in her. And side by side is good too. I didn't think you'd have a big bed."

"The hammock isn't very big. The one that folds out is bigger," Zahnrad explains. He can't help but look at Clover again, then actually goes and kneels near the bed. "I'm not sure what I did, if anything, really," he admits, "I don't even really know what was wrong with her. But … I do know it isn't the first time whatever it was, has happened."

"Oh, right," Parsley says, kneeling down next to Zahn. "She'll be okay though. We've got one another to keep us all sane, right?"

"Relying on a Wingnut to keep you sane may be a bad plan. People claim we're not sane, you know," Zahnrad comments with a grin. He reaches over and brushes his hand lightly over Clover's scarred scalp. "I can't even imagine what she must have gone through."

"Well, Igor says he gets struck by lightning a lot, so maybe he knows?" Parsley suggests.

"I don't think it's quite the same," Zahnrad admits. "I mean, think of it being like a book that you can insert new pages in. With Clover, I think it must have been like so many pages were inserted and the spine split." There's a pause, then he asks, "Think she'll dye her hair black again?"

"And heh, maybe I can imagine what it must have been like, maybe," Zahnrad admits after he has time to think about what he just said.

"I'm not sure if she even remembers doing it the first time," Parsley notes. "But I don't think she will, even if she does remember. Having your hair burned off makes you appreciate it more."

"It didn't look bad … just odd," Zahn notes as he pulls down a strand of his own blackish hair. "I never do much with my hair. It's sort of a mess, really."

The Lapi starts combing through Zahn's hair with her claws, and says, "Well, with a little conditioner it could be nice and glossy. Want me to wash it for you?"

"Ah, sure, sometime," Zahnrad says a bit distractedly. He's back to thinking on what happened to Clover. "Oh, random question, are non-Lapis ever invited down into the warren? In the past have any gone down for various things? Like, well, when the town sewer lines and such were being run … might have needed to see how the Chalk tunnels were made."

"Not that I've ever heard of, but who knows what went on back when everyone was still moving in and the town was being rebuilt," Parsley notes. "I mean, we're usually just told to stay out of the lower mines."

"Hmm. Would you be interested in going into the lower mines some day?" Zahn asks and looks over to Parsley, "If I could go with you, that is. I'm curious about the early days of our town and everything that happened. Some of our history is … a bit off, I think."

Parsley's fur frizzes out a bit at the notion. "Go… go down there? I don't know about that," she whispers. "History never has anything good in it, that's why it's history and not… now-story."

"I'd protect you. I'm sure I could borrow one of Gunther's crossbow things," Zahnrad offers. "I've been looking into my own clan history a bit. Want to know something strange? Someone has deliberately removed part of Abner's journal."

"How do you know it wasn't him that did it?" Parsley asks. "I mean, if I knew future generations were going to be reading my diary, I'd never write down anything in it," she says, then quickly adds, "Not that I keep a diary or anything!"

"Pretty sure it wasn't him," Zahn comments. "And I think it's important I find it. I think there's a connection between what happened to Clover and what happened to him."

Zahn then adds as a quick question, "Am I mentioned in your diary?"

"I don't have a diary," Parsley insists. "Why would I keep a diary? I'm too busy most of the time."

"I keep a diary and I'm busy too, you know," Zahn points out.

"You probably have it in a safe or something then," Parsley says. "It'd be too risky for me or Clover to keep one, especially with Emmett always trying to get into our tunnels."

"Has he made it in yet?" Zahn has to ask. "Oh, wait, probably not. Buffy would have gotten him." He then clamps his hands over his mouth.

"He's only gotten into our personal ones, if you know what I mean," Parsley says, then giggles at the Buffy remark. "Right, right. Buffy would get him!"

"I know I wouldn't want her mad at me. She's scary enough when she's being playful," Zahnrad mutters, not thinking about Lapi hearing.

Parsley gives Zahn a sidelong look, and then says, "You know, Gunther reminds me a lot of Emmett. Similar goals, but very different approaches."

"Gunther? That's silly. Gunther isn't out to sleep with every girl in town," Zahn points out and taps Parsley's nose.

"Ah, that's just Emmett's cover story!" Parsley claims. "He's out to dig up all the secrets in town. He just figures his method is the best way to get them."

"Heh, right," Zahnrad says and shakes his head. "Oh, want to know a secret about Gunther?"

"That depends," Parsley says. "Will it help me to reward him for what he's done for me?"

"Er, what has he done for you? Anyway … Gunther is actually brilliant. He just … well, he's too passionate," Zahn says and sits back on his feet. "It messes with his ability to focus. I know the Blacktail's worry if he has the spark of a Wingnut … but well, it's not that he doesn't … it's that he's just too hyper."

"Oh, you're just not wearing him out enough then," Parsley says.

"He could wear out an entire warren of Lapi and not even need a nap," Zahnrad says with a grin. "And second little secret … he's not nearly as unpleasant as he likes to put on. He cares quite a bit about others and tries to help people. Even strangers … now and then. He'll just never admit it."

"Well, that's no secret to me," Parsley says, grinning. "But really, what sort of projects do you give Gunther to work on?"

"Most of the time … er, whatever he wants to work on," Zahnrad admits a bit sheepishly. "He tends towards weapons, scarily enough. Or lately. … things that let him mimic otter abilities; which is just plain strange. It's like he wants to be an otter. Anyway, lately I've been having him do some experiments on controlled explosions for parts of my work on the new engine drive. He seems to enjoy it."

"But nothing as grand as your airship project?" Parsley asks. "You should give him a challenge. Like… well, if he's interested in the otters, how about a boat… that goes under the water? And, you know, comes back up again?"

"You need deep water for something like that, though. Not a lot of really deep water around here," Zahnrad points out. "But … I guess I could suggest it. He might find it interesting for a bit. And speaking of airships … I think I'm close to a new test run of he prototype. I think I've got the engine running stable enough for a test run, anyway."

"How are you going to test it?" Parsley asks, all ears.

"Try to fly, of course!" Zahnrad says, grinning. "I do have the pontoon design that should let me use the river as a take off point. It's sort of a boat-airship. Thankfully the otters haven't found it yet. The worst that could happen is … well, I could explode and die, I guess."

"No!" Parsley says, and wraps her arms around Zahn in a hug! "No dying!"

"Grk!" goes Zahnrad and his tail puffs out. "It's a risk I always have in a test run! No one has complained before!"

"We were bored before," Parsley notes. "But the gypsies are here now, so we've got other entertainment!"

"And it doesn't have to do with the current, ah, desires you have for me?" Zahn has to ask. "As for the gypsies, uh, what are you doing with them, anyway? Don't tell me that bat has gotten a hold of you too?"

"They're different is all," Parsley says. "And… it doesn't matter what I feel. What about Amy? You have to invent a way to save yourself from it blowing up!"

"That's what the ejection seat and parachute is for," Zahn says with a grin and taps Parsley's nose tip. "And yes, it does matter what you feel, you know. I know you say its your duty to make people feel welcome … but you should feel happy, wanted, and welcome too."

The Lapi rests her head on Zahn's shoulder, and says, "Well, I do. Especially now that you've invited me to come sleep with you and Amy."

Zahnrad reaches back and rubs one of Parsley's ears. "You're welcome. Just, uh … don't wander the compound at night. It can be a bit dangerous, what with the booby traps and rumors of ghosts," he admits.

"Oh, I sleep like a rock, and have a really strong bladder too," Parsley says, a bit proudly.

"Uh … good to know," Zahn admits lamely. "Though if you need to go … there's a vacuum pipe installed in in the southern wall. You just have to … er. You don't care, do you?" He grins.

"Nope," Parsley says. "Although I should teach Amy the special exercises I do. She'll probably need them once you two get started."

There goes Zahn's ear twitch. "Er, special exercises?" he asks, though he knows he shouldn't.

"Well, to develop strength and muscle control… down there," the Lapi whispers. "I figure you two will probably forget to eat and drink for awhile, and things can get… are you holding your breath?"

"You can develop contr … no, I don't think I should ask that," Zahnrad says and shakes his head a bit. "I just don't understand Lapi."

Realizing something, Parsley asks, "Have I been making you uncomfortable Zahn?"

"Mainly confused," Zahn admits. He gently eases Parsley away and stands, "And I ought to get back to my shop now before what is left of the day is gone. I'll see you later tonight, I guess? If Clover does say anything odd in her sleep, be sure to tell me."

"Oh, okay!" Parsley says, not resisting. "I'm sorry if I was boring you with all that technical stuff."

"Oh, not boring … just not technical stuff I understand!" Zahnrad admits with a sheepish grin. He slips quickly to the door and with a wave, he says, "See you later!" And out he goes. As he hurries down the hall, he thinks, "Well, that wasn't so hard… "