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Escape From Manitou Island: Part 33 |
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Good Manitou, Bad Manitou CHARMIAN SEEMED TO drift over lazy rolling swells of water, as if afloat in a canoe, the water the color of slate and the sky virtually the same, all around her; she drifted in sleep as well, dozing and just barely seeing her surroundings. It was a long time spent thus before she began to realize that she must be dreaming, because the lake she had been on hadn't been like this, and she wasn't even in the water anymore. Still, it was so calm, and she was so tired, that she didn't fight against it, just let the invisible canoe carry her as it wished, her hand drifting in the lukewarm water. Something just barely glimmered on the horizon and she opened her eyes a crack further to see what must have been the sun just setting in the west, a sliver of red gleaming out from underneath the heavy cloudbank. She stared at this for a good long while, not even bothering to wonder where she was. The canoe--or whatever it was--drifted ever westward, until the red sliver resolved itself into another canoe, and a woman was sitting in it, staring at her. Charmian stared back. The woman had native features, and wore native clothing, but it was entirely in red--red feathers, red necklaces, red deerskin--even her dark hair had a red tint to it. She stared at Charmian so curiously that Charmian was almost inclined to feel amusement, if she had been awake enough to care. When their canoes had drifted closely enough together for them to make out each other's features clearly, the woman's eyes slowly widened, and she even leaned forward a little bit as if to get a better look. "Can you see me?" she asked. Charmian nodded, her head resting against the edge of the canoe. The woman's eyes widened even further, and her mouth fell open slightly. She held up one hand and her canoe turned and began moving of its own accord so they drifted abreast of each other, although facing in opposite directions; Charmian peered at it more closely and saw that it appeared to be made of stone. This didn't surprise her for some reason. "Truly?" the woman said. Charmian nodded again. "You're kind of hard to miss," she murmured sleepily. The woman in red blinked, then looked her up and down. "You're human," she said in surprise, and when Charmian said nothing she fiddled with one of her red necklaces. They were all made of shells. "No one has seen me in ages," she said. "So I am surprised...but for a human to be the one to see me...I am doubly so! I've been looking around forever!" "Why do you want somebody to see you?" Charmian asked. The woman in red bit her lip a little. "Well...it gets lonely, not being seen in so long. I wondered if anyone out there even noticed." "I saw you on the horizon before you showed up," Charmian said. The woman's face lit up. "You did?" Charmian nodded and she let out a breath. "I'm glad you saw me then," she added. "Even if you are human. I just didn't think a human would be able." "You'd be surprised," Charmian said. The woman in red nodded. "Yes...I suppose I would." She sat up straight again. "You've obviously spoken with other kinds besides your own! To not be surprised to speak with me--you seem as if you expected to meet me here." "I figured there'd be somebody spinning dreams," Charmian said. "Back where I came from his name was Tal Natha. He doesn't spin dreams everywhere though. I just assumed you must be the Dreamspinner here." The woman in red blinked, then looked thoughtful. "Well...yes...I guess, then. I do know how to spin dreams...so you've spoken with my kind?" Charmian shrugged one shoulder. "I couldn't say. I don't think you're an Ocryx or a Nathali, are you...?" When the woman shook her head she shrugged again. "Then I don't know. I've spoken with those, and with manitous..." The woman in red's face lit up again. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "This is it!" Charmian suppressed a yawn; that would have been rude. "Then yeah, I've talked with lots of manitous. Just none that spun dreams." The woman in red looked almost ready to smile, she beamed so much; even her red adornments seemed almost to glow. She glanced down then at the canoe, and her look faded. Charmian felt the current brushing differently against her hand, and sensed the canoes drifting slowly apart. "Oh," the woman in red sighed. "It looks as if the current's changed." She sank back a bit in the stone canoe and let it continue drifting on its way, though she did glance up at Charmian again as Charmian's did the same. "You're looking for another manitou...?" she called out. Charmian nodded. "Kabeyun...the West Wind. First we're going south, then east, then north, and if all else fails, west to find him." The woman in red's face lit up again. "You will be heading north, then...?" Charmian nodded. "Perhaps you can find me," she said hopefully. "It's been so long since I've seen anybody." "Where do you live?" Charmian just barely thought to ask. The woman had to turn herself about, as their canoes were so far apart now. "The great lake to the north!" she called back. "You know the one, surely--?" "Gitchi-Gami?" Charmian asked. The woman nodded, eyes alight. "An island right out in the middle!" she called. "A small island which travels in the fog!" Charmian's brow furrowed. "In the fog...?" she murmured, but by now the canoes had drifted such that she could no longer see the other one, just the sliver of red in the west again. She fiddled her fingers in the water but of course that resulted in nothing; she did yawn, now. "You'll know when you see it!" the woman's voice exclaimed, sounding very far away. "But be careful! The north is a lot more deceitful than the south or the east..." Her voice faded away, and Charmian was left on her own in her invisible canoe, drifting over the slate-colored water with the slate-colored sky looming overhead. She managed to lift her eyes, and thought that she felt the canoe turning, changing direction; she also thought she saw odd rock shapes looming out of a fog in the distance, pillars and spires and arches, and then she could have sworn that she saw a small island half lost in gloom, stark pines jutting from it like needles...but the dream began to fade and break apart then, and she lost interest in seeking it, opening her mouth to yawn widely and rubbing at her eyes. It was still dark outside, at least in the clearing where they slept. The fire had burned down to mere embers; she thought she saw Francois or one of the others sitting staring off through the trees, but her eyes were still foggy. She sat up and yawned again before feeling that she was being stared at. She peered to her left and saw Winter Born sitting on the other side of the boulder; Stick-In-The-Dirt still slumbered in front of it, Walks-On-The-Shore atop it. Everyone else appeared to be dozing as well. Winter Born noticed her stare and chewed on her lip a little. "You saw her, too...?" she murmured. Charmian blinked. She pushed herself forward a little and furrowed her brow. "Her who?" she asked. "The lady in red," Winter Born replied. Charmian felt a slight chill settle over her. "You mean--you had the same dream--?" The little girl shrugged. "I'm not sure. There was this big dark cave." Charmian felt her unease begin to fade; obviously the comment had been a weird coincidence. "Oh...no, that's not what I dreamt...sorry." "Oh." Winter Born's shoulders sank a little and she hugged her knees, turning to look at the fire. "I thought it sounded kind of funny...I mean, I don't know why I'd have a dream about a lady in red asking for you to come and find her..." Charmian froze in place from where she'd been reaching for her pack. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. "What happened in your dream...?" she asked after a moment's silence, and the tone of her voice must have been such that it caught Winter Born's attention, for she bit her lip again before speaking. "Well..." She scuffed one bare foot against the ground. "Pretty much...I thought I was floating around on the water, but then there was this cave, and this lady all in red, and she said that she'd spoken with you, and she wanted you to come and find her." She scuffed her foot again. "She said she's on an island in the fog." Charmian stared at her for such a long time that Winter Born began to fidget. At last she let out her breath--unaware that she'd even been holding it--and turned once more to the remains of the fire. She let her pack slide back to the ground. "My dream wasn't quite like that," she murmured, unable to speak further, and started to push herself to her feet. She rustled the grass and Stick-In-The-Dirt popped upright, glancing around himself wildly. "Just me," Charmian said, startling him further; she tripped over X'aaru's tail--apparently he and Mani had moved somewhat further away to allow her breathing room sometime during the night--and the demon let out a sleepy yelp before dozing off again. She noticed another shadow keeping watch opposite Francois and changed her direction; she had to squint to see that it was Moon Wolf. He didn't even glance at her as she approached and clambered atop the rock he sat upon, drawing her legs up under her. "The two of you shared a dream," he said, with no further introduction. She frowned at him a little. "Good morning to you, too." She rubbed one itchy eye. "Sort of...and not quite. Mine was a little different." "But basically the same." "Well..." Moon Wolf turned his head to look at her. "I know the Sky Mother told you something about her before we went through the Tree. She's not the only one who has noticed. Winter Born has more power to her than even her grandfather." Charmian's brow furrowed again. "You're serious...?" When the medicine man nodded she bit the inside of her mouth. "How can you even tell? Geezhigo said Black Elk Horn never lets her practice..." "Her mother does," Moon Wolf said, looking back into the woods. Charmian noticed now that Marten had descended from his tree at some point and now lay curled up at his other side, the dreamcatcher clasped safely to his breast and a small snore escaping him. "She is too young yet to understand herself," he added, "but perhaps this just makes her stronger. She isn't aware yet of her limitations. You know of the past between Silver Eagle Feather and the lake demon." Charmian nodded. "They...um...well..." She blushed and rubbed at her neck. "Ocryx is her father as well as the father of her son," Moon Wolf said, and Charmian coughed a little. "So you know how he is. The demons do not have all the taboos that we have. He came to see Winter Born not that long ago." Charmian's head shot up. "But he tried nothing with her. Silver Eagle Feather asked that he not...but the demon follows his own whims. I believe he sensed her power too. She frightens him." "Frightens--?" Charmian echoed in disbelief. "I think Geezhigo-Quae had greater things in mind when she asked you to bring her along," Moon Wolf said, "but as for what they are exactly, I could not say." "Well..." Charmian scratched her head. "She's just a kid. I don't know what I could teach her. We'll just have to keep a close eye on her to make sure she stays safe." "Somehow I doubt she'll need much protection," Moon Wolf said without looking at her. Charmian frowned, but didn't pursue it. She wrapped her arms around her legs and sat back a little. "What was all that back with the Nebanaubae, by the way?" she asked; when he didn't answer she peered at him from the corner of her eye. "Don't think I didn't notice. You didn't want Stick to give his Megis away." "He needs his more than I need mine," Moon Wolf said. "I have not been a Mide in years. I was barely one to begin with." "But you still were. I kind of figured that once a Mide, always a Mide." "You figured wrong." She frowned at him a little. "If it helps any," she said, "Stick kind of feels he doesn't deserve his shell, either." "I already know." A long moment of silence passed and Charmian looked up into the rustling trees. "He thinks his vision story is a secret," Moon Wolf said in a quieter voice, "but there are those who know." When Charmian's head dropped back down and whirled to look at him she could see the odd look on his face. "It's rather hard to hide," he said. Charmian's mouth fell open. "You--you know--?" she blurted out. "That he didn't--" She clapped a hand over her mouth. Moon Wolf's mouth twitched. "I know he did not have one," he said, and she let out her breath. "How could you know that?" she asked. "I mean--I figured he didn't even tell his family!" "He told no one about it. I merely guessed." He looked at her again. "What do you know of visions? Relatively little. Everyone seeks one when they're younger. Even Winter Born will, soon enough. Everyone finds their own manitou, or rather their manitou finds them. The one who goes without a manitou...it shows. They are hardly fully a person. They go through life uncertain and unguarded." Charmian's shoulders sank a little and her head lowered. That description fit Stick-In-The-Dirt to a T. "Furthermore the one who pretends at having a manitou they do not have only invites trouble," Moon Wolf added. Charmian's head popped up. "His family--?" "His wife was killed by the lake demon. I'm not certain if you knew this. Stick-In-The-Dirt was the one who released him from where Gitchi Manitou had placed him, beneath the lake. He was attempting to call up a rain manitou. Instead Ocryx flew over the Island and destroyed everything in his path, including his old tribe, and his wife. Only he and his daughters remained alive." Charmian's breath left her. "I...I knew that Ocryx was responsible for what happened," she stammered after a moment. "I didn't remember how, though...now I remember Red Bird telling me, but I completely forgot before...you mean you think this happened--because Stick lied and said he had a vision? That's what happens when you lie?" Moon Wolf shrugged slightly. "There are some who say this. It's foolish to claim the guardianship of a manitou you do not have. This was what he did when he claimed the turtle. The turtle belongs to Michinimakinak. Michinimakinak is not a manitou to take lightly." "He couldn't have known it would go this way," Charmian insisted. "I know him! He might be a...well...kind of a coward...but he's not a bad person, and he thinks things through more than anybody else I know. What happened with Ocryx must've just been a mistake. No wonder he's always so sad...if he's blaming himself for all that!" Moon Wolf shrugged again and picked Marten's errant tail off of his leg, tucking it around the Mikumwesu. "Then again perhaps this is what happens to those who speak foolishly." Charmian fought a scowl. "Don't tell me you really believe that," she said, then silence filled the air. She stared at him as he stared out into the trees. She started fiddling with the zipper on her vest after a long while. "You neither?" she ventured at last. An unpleasant look immediately flitted across Moon Wolf's face. "I had a vision," he said, somewhat testily. "But did you get a manitou from it--?" He looked at her now and scowled himself. "It's rude to ask others about their visions," he just about snapped. Charmian frowned back. "YOU brought it up!" His look grew dark, then he turned and obstinately stared at the trees. She waited for him to answer; when he didn't she mimicked his pose, and saw how his scowl grew. "So...?" "I already told you I had one," he muttered. "But did you get a manitou," Charmian echoed herself. "I received a guardian," Moon Wolf said. Charmian arched an eyebrow. "I take it you didn't really like it, then...!" He said nothing so she said, "Well, was it the turtle? Since you're a medicine man..." "The turtle isn't the only totem of the medicine men," he said. "And no, it wasn't the turtle. Don't you know when to stop asking questions?" "You're one of the guys who taught me to keep asking them! So what manitou was it then?" "It wasn't a manitou," Moon Wolf snapped. Charmian's face screwed up. "What the heck was it, then--?" His scowl grew and she at last silenced herself, eyes growing. They slowly narrowed again as she fought a grimace, and shrank in on herself. "Oh," she said, in such a voice that he flinched. "Um...never mind." His tensed muscles relaxed somewhat, and his scowl settled into a resigned look. She waited a long time before daring to speak again. "That..." She paused, then coughed a bit meekly. "That was when you were an adult though. Because...well..." She chewed her lip. "Because Shadow Water was the payment you gave in return for your power. You can't mean that Ocryana was your guardian...she's not even a manitou!" "She was one once," Moon Wolf said in a voice as resigned as his expression. "And she was the one who presented herself when I went seeking a vision." "But you were grown..." "One can be any age when they seek a vision. And since you seem so intent on digging up every little thing, I had already had one before then. When I was younger. One can have more than one vision and more than one guardian." "But you only took your medicine from Ocryana and then--" Charmian blinked. "You gave it up. You gave her up too." Her brow furrowed in confusion. "You gave up your old manitou--?" "I was foolish and did not think I needed it," Moon Wolf sighed. Charmian's mouth fell open and she nearly yelled, "Didn't NEED it--?" before forcing herself not to. "How--" She gestured mutely, lowering her voice. "Excuse me for being rude--but--how can you just give up your own manitou--?! Didn't think you'd need it? You just said that nobody's fully a person until they HAVE one!" "My manitou didn't predict the path I wished to follow," Moon Wolf said, giving her a cross look. "Does this satisfy you or do you wish to hear every single dream I've ever had, too?" Charmian opened her mouth and shut it a few times, then let out a loud sigh and leaned back again, glowering. "So let me guess. Your manitou didn't want you to be a medicine man!" She expected him to grumble something in response, or snap that she was being remarkably insulting, which was why when neither of these things happened she peered at him once more. His resigned look had returned--which surprised her, as he was rarely one to look resigned even once in one day. She stared at him for a long while before turning to the trees, rubbing her cold fingers together. "Turtle," she said. "That was who came to you. You turned away Michinimakinak." She made a face. "Though why you picked Ocryana after that, I can't really figure out!" "Michinimakinak does not guard wabanos," Moon Wolf said, and rubbed at his own eye as if her conversation was tiring him. "He guards the nanandawi and jessakids and Mide. Not wabanos." Charmian fiddled her fingers. She rather wished to ask more questions, but could tell that she'd already learned far more than was polite to ask. Instead, she turned her head when rustling noises deeper in the woods drew her attention; Moon Wolf slowly held up his hand, and she saw Francois tense as well, a few of the others seated nearer the fire also sitting up. The rustling lessened and then a whistle came. Charmian blinked. "A manitou--?" "They're surrounding us," Moon Wolf said under his breath, and she peered around them to see that it was so. Her throat tightened a bit anxiously at the sight of the little blue lights hovering in the woods in all directions; the manitous stood and stared at them in silence. "What do they want...?" she whispered. Moon Wolf shook his head, then looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Perhaps you should ask your friend." Charmian slowly slid down from the rock, keeping her eyes on them as she crept toward the fire. Mani still slept at the far side, near the boulder with Stick-In-The-Dirt and Walks-On-The-Shore; the medicine man still dozed as well, but the Huron was wide awake, staring at a manitou off to the left. Nobody else who was awake dared move; Charmian saw Winter Born's wide eyes and just barely shook her head before reaching down and nudging Mani's shoulder. His head popped up and he snorted and whistled before she could stop him. The little lights in the woods bobbed and the rustling resumed. Mani blinked and yawned. What is it...? "Um...I was kind of wondering if you'd talk with them," Charmian murmured, and shifted her eyes toward the woods. Mani turned his head and blinked again when he saw the eyes staring back; nostrils flaring, he pushed himself up to his hooves, raising his head and sniffing at the air. He whistled, and at first there was no response; then he let out a blaring whistle which made those who were awake wince and cover their ears, and those who weren't awake woke up pretty quickly. Augwak sat up and bonked his head on a low branch, grimacing and muttering. "What's all the noise?" he groused. "I was having a wonderful dream about eating an arm...!" Charmian put a finger to her mouth. Mani flicked an ear when a responding whistle came, though none of the other manitous came closer; he frowned, then turned to Charmian. Ask them what they're doing here. Manitous do not sneak up on others! Very discourteous. Says they've learned to be so. Apparently, think we mean them ill. "Ill--?" Charmian shook her head adamantly. "No, no we don't! Tell them we're not here to hurt them, we're just passing through. That's all! We won't even take over their land or anything. Can you tell them this?" Mani whistled and the leaves rustled a bit, then the manitous started stepping out into the clearing. They still gave the others suspicious looks, which Charmian found odd, as most manitous she'd met, while being understandably wary, had never been particularly suspicious or hostile. "How did they learn to be like this?" she asked. "Has something happened here?" Peepaukawiss rubbed at one eye, stepping into the clearing. "We're not going to be detained, are we--?" He promptly shrieked when several of the manitous practically stormed toward him, surrounding him on all sides and whistling loudly. Everyone jumped to their feet, Francois even reaching for his gun; almost immediately, at least one manitou was facing each person, and they all stood frozen in one of the oddest standoffs Charmian had ever seen. "Um--" She gritted her teeth and glanced out of the corner of her eye. "Anyone know how to clear this up--?!" Augwak bristled and flung up one bony hand to point in Puka's direction. "It's THAT bag of feathers they're so interested in! Why not just hand him over and be on our way--?" Charmian promptly glared at Puka. "You'd better not have something to tell me about something you did HERE in the past!" she snapped. He shook his head wildly. "I--I've never BEEN here before! I SWEAR it!!" "You're sure you're not just forgetting something, like someone else--?" Thomas prompted, taking a tentative step back from his own manitou. Puka looked ready to burst into tears. "I'm SURE of it!! I wouldn't forget something like THIS!" He gave the circle of manitous a pleading look. "Why don't you just let us be on our way, hah--? I admit--I did pick up a couple of nice feathers I found along the way--but that was all, I swear it--" A whirring noise came from overhead and Charmian's head jerked back to see Niskigwun descend, wings flared and spear in hand. She hadn't even noticed that he was gone until now; he must have been patrolling from above. He landed and brandished the spear, giving the manitous a dark look; yet as soon as they saw him the loud whistling commenced again, and a ring of them surrounded him as well, hooves pawing the ground. The Michinimakinong had the chance to look surprised, and glanced around himself in confusion. "Niskigwun--?" Charmian cried. "What the heck's going on?!" "I--I do not know!" he exclaimed. "I had thought they would recognize me as a Michinimakinong, and step down, but--!" "Feathers!" Winter Born suddenly yelled; when everyone looked at her she pointed at Puka and Niskigwun and hopped up and down urgently. "They've both got lots of FEATHERS!" "Huh--?" Charmian looked at them both, then furrowed her brow. "Hey--she's right. They're only surrounding YOU two!" Puka quailed and clasped his hands together. "I only took a FEW, I SWEAR!!" Niskigwun's wings flared. "What do my feathers have to do with anything?" he demanded. The manitous surrounding the two of them started whistling loudly. Mani glanced from one group to the other, seeming equally as perplexed; when the chattering had at last ceased he gave Charmian a baffled look, shaking his antlers in a sort of shrug. Say a feathered one is causing them trouble! Think these two are his emissaries. Charmian's face screwed up. "Emissaries?" She turned to what she took to be the lead manitou. "Listen, mister--" The manitou gave her a very foul look. "Madame," Francois whispered to her, and her face burned. "Listen, ma'am," she said, "none of us are emissaries of anybody. We're just passing through. We're looking for the South Wind, and that's all. We've never even been here before. How can we be emissaries of anybody when we've never even been here?" The manitou's nostrils flared. Why believe you? she asked. Feathered one comes and causes trouble for us. We try to be his friend, and nothing but trouble comes! Then two more feathered ones come--why not bring more trouble? Can barely deal with the first one! Charmian chewed on her lip as the manitou spoke, then rubbed at her neck. She peered back at the others, then at the manitou again. "Do you guys know where Shawondassee lives...?" she asked. The manitou frowned. Why should tell you? You are strangers, and could be mitchi manitous for all we know. "But you do know where he lives--?" When the manitou just continued frowning she gestured at the others. "Listen--if we take care of this...feathered guy...who keeps giving you so much trouble, then will you tell us where to find Shawondassee, as payment? That sounds fair, doesn't it?" Manabozho bristled and clenched his fists. "What are you doing?" he hissed. Charmian grimaced but waved at him. "I'm trying to save our skins, and get some help out of the deal! If they know where Shawondassee is then it can save us a lot of time just walking south and pissing off even MORE people here! We don't even know who all lives here or if they're friendly or not. Better to just take on one feathered guy and then be on our way rather than deal with all that! Don't you think?" Manabozho looked ready to combust but Marten hopped upon his shoulder and covered his mouth before he could. "Sounds like a GREAT idea!" the Mikumwesu exclaimed. "'Bozho's for it! Aren't you, Manabozho--? 'Yes I am, you very intelligent being! And I find you remarkably handsome as well!' OW--!!" He promptly smacked to the ground when Manabozho struck him, his teeth bared. Charmian waved. "Then we'll do it!" She turned to the manitou. "See? Just to prove we mean what we say. Point out this feathered guy who's giving you such grief and we'll take care of him pronto. Um--fast," she clarified, when the manitou frowned a bit puzzledly. "Then you can point us on the way to Shawondassee, and we'll never bother each other again. Agreed--?" The manitou looked skeptical, but turned her head and whistled at the ones surrounding Puka and Niskigwun. They stood down and the two, plus Charmian, relaxed; Will trust you to hold this promise, the lead manitou said to Charmian, and she tensed again and nodded quickly. "I mean it," she said. "Ask anyone here. I don't go back on my promises." She looked around at all of them. "So...where is this feathered guy? And what exactly is he doing to trouble all of you?" Does not belong here, the manitou said. She tossed her head. Follow. When she and the rest of the manitous started walking southward, Charmian and the others hurried to follow, Stick-In-The-Dirt and Francois putting out the remains of the fire. Stays in a cave near the water, the manitou continued, nodding ahead of them and somewhat west; Charmian frowned a bit, having to assume that a smaller inland lake must be nearby. Never comes out. Makes noise during storms. But sticks to his cave. Noises sometimes thrash the water up, make rocks fall, frighten the manitous living along the shore. Have approached him to ask him to leave, but is quite stubborn. Refuses even to talk. Just booms and roars and stays put. Manitous who lived in the caves had to leave their homes, now have nowhere to go. Stubborn thing won't go back where he belongs! Such trouble! Charmian furrowed her brow a bit, picking her way through the knee-high grass. "Well...you said you asked if he would leave," she said. "If he's causing such trouble, and even throwing you guys out of your homes, then why don't you do the same to him and just throw him out?" The manitou abruptly halted and gaped at her, aghast. Her eyes flared so brightly that Charmian winced and drew in on herself. The manitou let out a very unpleasant whistle which made Charmian's neck hairs stand on end, it was so shrill. What sort of idiot plan is that? she blared, and stomped a hoof. She turned and started storming again through the grass. You do not simply THROW such beings OUT! Charmian had to recover herself before hurrying to catch up. "Well why not?" she demanded, feeling irritated at being spoken to so. "He threw you guys out, didn't he? What sort of guy is this anyway that you'll let him push you around like that--?" The manitou glared at her once more, nostrils flaring and eyes narrowing. Fool child! she snapped, making Charmian blink. He is an Animiki. A Thunderbird! |