For the whole of the next day, Tibbs worked away on the console of the time-machine and that pesky hand-set he
always carried. As Muckbones, Ninurta and Boy In A Dress watched his toing-and-froing from the spiky craft and
a picnic table where a large piece of paper rested, their individual thoughts roamed from the pragmatic to the
ridiculous.
Our four intrepid universe-saviours were enjoying the peaceful surroundings of a chilly -but bright Monday in a US
State Park. Not the strangest of locations -a reader may think, but this one had held more than just a passing
preference, it was where magic could still be harnessed.
Fairy Stone State Park in Patrick County Virginia, is known for its substantial deposits of staurolite crystals that
are commonly known to humans as 'fairy stones'. These minerals can be found in a cross-shape, a cruciform that
naturally occurs during it's formation.
To a religious person, this symbol obviously holds a meaning to those with Christian faiths, but for those carry
ancient wisdom as the Witch sitting at the camper table -did, this aggregate-design meant much more.
"Der' yer' need a hand there or canna' get on wiv' me summoning?" Muckes said as her muttering husband stood
over the map-like sketch before her. The whirring sound coming from his device told those sitting on the wooden
bench that Tibbs was deep into investigation.
"One moment, my Dear" he murmured without looking up and this drew a cursing sigh from the pensive alien in the
scruffy poncho.
Ninurta was tracing his finger along a pencil-line that Tibbs had recently added and frowned at the possible reason
why somewhere named 'Blanco County' in Texas was connected with a place titled 'Hobe Sound' in Florida.
The curious Gunman let his finger remain on the destination and looked over at where the Vithian stood, Tibbs' head
was at the same height due to Ninurta's seating.
Tibbs' gaze left the tiny display-screen of his handset and alighted on the cold stare of his menace-bound friend and
for a second, Ninurta saw how old this diminutive time-traveller really was. What sights, what changes and what high
strangeness this little man in the brown robes may have witnessed, was something that the Vandalian momentarily
pondered on.
"Johnson City..." Tibbs whispered "...a town where some of them came through" he added and was about to go back
to his calculations when the Gunslinger's well-lined finger moved to the line's other end, that of Hobe Sound.
Tibbs emulated his spouse's reaction to not getting on with their repective business and placed the handset down
on the weathered surface of the table.
"That's where Forrestal spoke to Robert Lovett" he answered and waited for another query from his audience.
Boy In A Dress raised a hand and the others wondered if the Man-Girl was going to ask one of his usual crazy appeals
or was this one of those rare occasions when BIAD offered something significant to explain this paper of puzzling lines
and cacographic scribble.
"I met Lovett once..." the grinning anomaly said and obeying Tibbs' suggestion that he could lower his arm, he continued
to say "he and a woman visited Los Alamos when I was staying there". Boy In A Dress grinned and looked to his cohorts to
see of if his comment was important. The blank features told him everything.
But it was the Vithian who saved BIAD from retreating back to his attempts to read the carved graffiti in the picnic bench.
This Kilroy-character certainly seemed to get around.
"Do you remember him ever mentioning anything called an 'Outer Space Treaty'...?" Tibbs asked carefully towards the
bare-shouldered hermaphrodite on the other side of the bench. "...Anything that sounded like that?" he added.
Boy In A Dress moved his fringe-covered face skywards as if in deep contemplation and after a quiet fifteen seconds,
Tibbs, Ninurta and Mucklebones went back to perusing the diagram that almost looked like a map.
"We're way-behind in this race and I'm hoping -by finding some shortcuts in the timelines, we can gain some ground"
Tibbs announced. "We're going up against forces that won't think twice about killing and we'll be impeded by duplicity
and guile".
Picking up his handset, the small bearded brains of the outfit read out what the screen held in the way of historical
facts about Forrestal. It wasn't much and it primarily explained the accepted surroundings of his mental breakdown
and his death.
The description of how James would throw himself from the 16th floor of the Bethesda Naval Hospital brought a
small gasp from the Witch that had discovered the original subtle coup, a coup so inconspicuous that Forrestal had
struggled to construct together, himself.
Muckles knew a lot more about this insecure man than was written in any epitaph or biographer's notes.
For one-thing, why he held the surname. The crafty-sorceress knew that is former title in another life was 'Loyalfellow'
and this was derived from his time as a true Wose living in a clan in... nope, the name alluded her.
But the 'Forrestal'-name held an inner-meaning to his origins, all Wose know this.
Mucklebones nodded towards her husband as he finished his account and without another word, stood up. Walking
towards where a small waterfall struggling in its endeavours to reach the stretch of water known as Fairy Stone Lake,
she called over her shoulder "It now seems Ah'm ganna need sum' big ju-ju fur' this one" and went off to do whatever
half-naked Witches get up to.
Tibbs smiled weakly at Ninurta -who was still scrutinising the large piece of paper and explained "She believes
we should better-equip ourselves for this mission" The GunMan didn't look up from his browsing.
"Rhanes!" BIAD said suddenly, "the woman who was with Lovett was called Aura Rhanes and she gave me some
candy" the proud Man-Girl relayed to the dwindled group.
As Ninurta took out the makings of a cigarette from his breast-pocket, he noticed the Vithian's face drain of colour.
"Oh shit-in-the-sugar-bowl, I never thought I'd hear that name again" Tibbs hissed and looked to where his wife was
searching for fairy stones exposed by the waterfall.
The sun twinkled on the running cascade as the love-of-his-life scoured the mud for magical minerals and Tibbs
pondered on whether a trip to 1952 and Nevada would help him. Truman Bethurum had met Rhanes and maybe,
just maybe, he could give them some insight to the wily bitch who Ba'al had always held in favour.
always carried. As Muckbones, Ninurta and Boy In A Dress watched his toing-and-froing from the spiky craft and
a picnic table where a large piece of paper rested, their individual thoughts roamed from the pragmatic to the
ridiculous.
Our four intrepid universe-saviours were enjoying the peaceful surroundings of a chilly -but bright Monday in a US
State Park. Not the strangest of locations -a reader may think, but this one had held more than just a passing
preference, it was where magic could still be harnessed.
Fairy Stone State Park in Patrick County Virginia, is known for its substantial deposits of staurolite crystals that
are commonly known to humans as 'fairy stones'. These minerals can be found in a cross-shape, a cruciform that
naturally occurs during it's formation.
To a religious person, this symbol obviously holds a meaning to those with Christian faiths, but for those carry
ancient wisdom as the Witch sitting at the camper table -did, this aggregate-design meant much more.
"Der' yer' need a hand there or canna' get on wiv' me summoning?" Muckes said as her muttering husband stood
over the map-like sketch before her. The whirring sound coming from his device told those sitting on the wooden
bench that Tibbs was deep into investigation.
"One moment, my Dear" he murmured without looking up and this drew a cursing sigh from the pensive alien in the
scruffy poncho.
Ninurta was tracing his finger along a pencil-line that Tibbs had recently added and frowned at the possible reason
why somewhere named 'Blanco County' in Texas was connected with a place titled 'Hobe Sound' in Florida.
The curious Gunman let his finger remain on the destination and looked over at where the Vithian stood, Tibbs' head
was at the same height due to Ninurta's seating.
Tibbs' gaze left the tiny display-screen of his handset and alighted on the cold stare of his menace-bound friend and
for a second, Ninurta saw how old this diminutive time-traveller really was. What sights, what changes and what high
strangeness this little man in the brown robes may have witnessed, was something that the Vandalian momentarily
pondered on.
"Johnson City..." Tibbs whispered "...a town where some of them came through" he added and was about to go back
to his calculations when the Gunslinger's well-lined finger moved to the line's other end, that of Hobe Sound.
Tibbs emulated his spouse's reaction to not getting on with their repective business and placed the handset down
on the weathered surface of the table.
"That's where Forrestal spoke to Robert Lovett" he answered and waited for another query from his audience.
Boy In A Dress raised a hand and the others wondered if the Man-Girl was going to ask one of his usual crazy appeals
or was this one of those rare occasions when BIAD offered something significant to explain this paper of puzzling lines
and cacographic scribble.
"I met Lovett once..." the grinning anomaly said and obeying Tibbs' suggestion that he could lower his arm, he continued
to say "he and a woman visited Los Alamos when I was staying there". Boy In A Dress grinned and looked to his cohorts to
see of if his comment was important. The blank features told him everything.
But it was the Vithian who saved BIAD from retreating back to his attempts to read the carved graffiti in the picnic bench.
This Kilroy-character certainly seemed to get around.
"Do you remember him ever mentioning anything called an 'Outer Space Treaty'...?" Tibbs asked carefully towards the
bare-shouldered hermaphrodite on the other side of the bench. "...Anything that sounded like that?" he added.
Boy In A Dress moved his fringe-covered face skywards as if in deep contemplation and after a quiet fifteen seconds,
Tibbs, Ninurta and Mucklebones went back to perusing the diagram that almost looked like a map.
"We're way-behind in this race and I'm hoping -by finding some shortcuts in the timelines, we can gain some ground"
Tibbs announced. "We're going up against forces that won't think twice about killing and we'll be impeded by duplicity
and guile".
Picking up his handset, the small bearded brains of the outfit read out what the screen held in the way of historical
facts about Forrestal. It wasn't much and it primarily explained the accepted surroundings of his mental breakdown
and his death.
The description of how James would throw himself from the 16th floor of the Bethesda Naval Hospital brought a
small gasp from the Witch that had discovered the original subtle coup, a coup so inconspicuous that Forrestal had
struggled to construct together, himself.
Muckles knew a lot more about this insecure man than was written in any epitaph or biographer's notes.
For one-thing, why he held the surname. The crafty-sorceress knew that is former title in another life was 'Loyalfellow'
and this was derived from his time as a true Wose living in a clan in... nope, the name alluded her.
But the 'Forrestal'-name held an inner-meaning to his origins, all Wose know this.
Mucklebones nodded towards her husband as he finished his account and without another word, stood up. Walking
towards where a small waterfall struggling in its endeavours to reach the stretch of water known as Fairy Stone Lake,
she called over her shoulder "It now seems Ah'm ganna need sum' big ju-ju fur' this one" and went off to do whatever
half-naked Witches get up to.
Tibbs smiled weakly at Ninurta -who was still scrutinising the large piece of paper and explained "She believes
we should better-equip ourselves for this mission" The GunMan didn't look up from his browsing.
"Rhanes!" BIAD said suddenly, "the woman who was with Lovett was called Aura Rhanes and she gave me some
candy" the proud Man-Girl relayed to the dwindled group.
As Ninurta took out the makings of a cigarette from his breast-pocket, he noticed the Vithian's face drain of colour.
"Oh shit-in-the-sugar-bowl, I never thought I'd hear that name again" Tibbs hissed and looked to where his wife was
searching for fairy stones exposed by the waterfall.
The sun twinkled on the running cascade as the love-of-his-life scoured the mud for magical minerals and Tibbs
pondered on whether a trip to 1952 and Nevada would help him. Truman Bethurum had met Rhanes and maybe,
just maybe, he could give them some insight to the wily bitch who Ba'al had always held in favour.
Edith Head Gives Good Wardrobe.