Afternoon Day 10:

Hand to hand?  J'red blushed furiously as he tried not to have his mind
imagine fighting closely with Moira.  What could he say?  "Umm... sure... I
mean"  And in a rush he finished, "I'm really not the best, though."

Moira found herself blushing, too, but hers more from embarrassment, "I'm
sorry, I didn't mean to impose..."

J'red saw her confusion and quickly reached for her arm as she started to
turn away.  "Oh, Moira, I'm sorry ... no ... I'd love to teach you what I
know, but I'm really not that good at close combat -- my brother Jason could
always beat me at a wrestling match,"  He grinned, though he also remembered
that Jason also always cheated.

Moira smiled up at him, regaining some of her confidence.

J'red continued in a rush, "I know a lot more about sword play -- though I
suppose it isn't very useful to defend against a sudden attack... but I
heard there is a new rider here -- or I should say OLD rider from another
warren -- his dragon Doyleac says he is really good at hand to hand combat.
I could ask him..."

Moira kept nodding, trying to get a word in edgewise and finally just
jumping in, "But not today, okay?  We can just have the knife lessons, if
you want."

J'red agreed.  The two smiled at each other and continued across the green
to the practice field.

****
Tag Rhi and Mike

****
Evening:

J'red waited impatiently on the green -- where was that girl and her dragon?
He couldn't help but remember the dead man, and his hand slipped into his
vest pocket -- feeling the medallion that he had found on him -- with the
emblem of the House of Fowler!

A dragon landed a few feet away, but J'red was too absorbed in his thoughts
to really notice the young woman wearing the beautiful flowing gown.

<She's here>  Was the cryptic comment of his crimson dragon.

<Great!>  Without a word, and only a nod, J'red mounted Firefly.  <Send
Patinari the image... and let's go.>

J'red didn't notice the annoyed look that crossed Elissa's face as they
launched into the air -- nor did he notice when the wind whipped her dress
up around her waist, nor did he notice that the girl practically became
unseated trying to keep it down and hold on to the saddle straps at the same
time.

In a moment the warren winked out, and the cold of teleportation chilled
them -- but only to be instantly replaced by the sight of Lord Fowler's
Estate below.  They circled, and Firefly called out his customary greeting.
He rather enjoyed coming here -- Lord Fowler always kept some tasty fatted
calf or goat just for Firefly's visits.

The two dragons glided down -- but before they had landed, the doors of the
manor burst open and Lord Fowler and Jennifer were rushing out to greet the
two riders.

Lord Hamn Fowler, stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the lovely young
woman that his son had brought "home".  Jennifer stopped, too, eyeing the
girl suspiciously -- as only a little sister could.

Elissa frowned slightly, as she tried to dismount from Patinari without
exposing too much leg, or ripping her dress in the process.

"J'red!"  Lord Fowlers voice rumbled, "Help the young lady down!"

J'red, who for all his courtly ways, had forgotten that simple gentlemanly
gesture -- after all Elissa was a dragonrider, not a "lady".  But he quickly
remembered his manners and rushed to the side of the young dragon -- and
handed Elissa down, gracefully.

The girl's long hair had slipped out of the retaining lace ribbon, and was
encircling her face -- in a most attractive manner, and J'red felt his
cheeks begin to burn a bit, as he suddenly realized that Elissa had not
dressed as a dragonrider for the evening -- but was instead quite
beautifully attired.

"Well?" boomed his father's voice, breaking the reverie, "are you going to
just stand there, or are you going to introduce us to this charming young
lady?"  Lord Fowler grinned.

"Da -- this is Elissa from Whiteriver, Patinari's rider, and Saul's sister,"
and turning to Elissa, continued, "Elissa -- this is my father, and my
sister Jennifer, and .... where is Jason?"  As he suddenly realized that his
younger brother was absent, as he had been the last time J'red had returned
home.

"Out -- somewhere," was the reply, as Lord Fowler waived his hand in a
dismissive way, and offering Elissa his arm as he escorted her into the
Estate, he commanded more than commented "Ah, but you two are staying for
dinner?"

Elissa looked over her shoulder at the trailing J'red, who replied, "Of
course, Da..." and she saw the staff scatter, as they rushed to prepare a
feast.

****
Elissa found herself escorted by Lord Fowler into the drawing room, where
drinks were quickly served.  Jennifer immediately started peppering them
with questions about the welfare of her friend Lorilei, the bombings, the
coal poisoning, etc., much to J'red's dismay.

"Da!  Did you really think you should be discussing these things with
Jennifer?"  J'red said accusingly to his father.

"Oh, J'red!  I'm not a baby, you know!  I can read the reports from
Whiteriver, and hear what things are being requested -- and everyone is
talking about it!"  Jennifer huffed.

Elissa tried to catch his eye several times, but J'red seemed distracted and
finally excused himself, with the excuse of looking for his brother, Jason.

Lord Fowler frowned at the mention of Jason -- the boy had just not been
acting the same since he started to hang out at Lord Gringle's and became
friends with that Vaddon boy, Keltian.  But he smiled at the pretty young
dragonrider, and happily showed her his collection of dragon art and
literature that he had collected, and wondered what her and J'red's
relationship might be.

****
J'red asked discrete questions of the staff, as he wandered his former manor
home.  Had anyone turned up missing in the past week?  Was there a wagon or
horses missing?

Someone had to know something!  He felt completely frustrated, as one after
another of the loyal servants seemed to know nothing.  The stables were
full, and all horses accounted for -- except the one his brother had taken
earlier.

Then J'red suddenly thought to ask, "has Jason sold any of his horses
recently?"

He was surprised to hear that two of his Calarais saddle horses had been
taken by one of the groomsmen back to Calarais -- as unsatisfactory -- and
the groomsman had yet to return.  J'red's heart beat loudly, and he felt a
sick feeling in the pit of his stomach -- that groomsman and two Calarais
horses... could that man have been the one they found?  Could he have been
murdered by the Cult for those horses to use in their plot to poison the
coal?

As he was leaving the stable, Jason rode up.  He swung out of the saddle and
carelessly tossed the reins to a waiting stableboy.

"Jason!" J'red's initial reaction was a smile of welcome, but it soon faded
with his brother's comments.

"OH HO!  The Prodigal Son has returned has he?  What's new brother-mine?" He
said with disdain.

"I had some business to discuss with Father, Jason..."  J'red's eyes
searched the face of his younger brother.  But the hard, coldness that he
saw there made him seem to be someone he didn't even know.

"Hmph -- suppose that means you're staying for dinner??"  Jason snorted as
he brushed passed J'red on his way into the manor house to clean up.

J'red watched the retreating back of his younger brother, and wondered what
he had done to ever deserve such hatred, as that was what it was -- Jason
hated him!

****
Learning nothing else, and feeling a bit guilty for leaving Elissa in the
charming, if not boring company of his father, J'red returned to the drawing
room.

"Jason is back -- yes? -- good, then we can all eat dinner together."  Lord
Fowler grinned, and he escorted them into the dining room.

The banquet table was laid out extravagantly, and Lord Fowler guided Elissa
to a seat that was pulled out by a servant.  Elissa had never been treated
this way, but thought that she could easily get used to it!

J'red escorted his sister into the dining room and seated her across from
Elissa.  J'red, however, came and sat beside Elissa, much to the young
dragonrider's relief.  She whispered to J'red,  "Being here reminds me of
being with my family."

Though she'd intended that for J'red's ears alone, Lord Fowler overheard
Elissa's comment and asked, "And where is your family, dear?"

"Well, my mother and father live in Ralengarde and my brother Saul is a
rider in Whiteriver," she said running on a bit nervously.  "He and his mate
have two children. She's a dragonrider, too, his mate that is."

Lord Fowler nodded as he listened to the girl, then turned to his son, "And,
so... how are things at Whiteriver?"

J'red started to answer when Jason sauntered in.

Lord Fowler glared at him, "Late again?"

Jason shrugged.  "Sorry, Father, I had important business to attend to..."
His grin faded when he took note of the *two* dragonriders in the room.
Elissa smiled in greeting but Jason's eyes narrowed as he regarded her,
though he noticed that she was rather -- attractive -- for a
dragonrider-whore.  "I didn't know you had...company," he said, his lip
curling up into a sneer at that last word.

"May I introduce Elissa, rider of Patinari," J'red commented dryly.

Jason pointedly ignored J'red, and looked back at his father.  "Perhaps you
would rather I come back another time?" he said nonchalantly.

Lord Fowler frowned at Jason, "No, you will eat with the family."

Jason nodded slowly,  "As you wish," he said coolly, taking his seat, next
to Jennifer -- across from J'red.

J'red studied his brother in silence -- what had happened to change him so?

Lord Fowler beamed at his eldest son, "So, Jared ... tell me what has been
happening at the warren?"


Jason spoke without looking up from his wine.  "No doubt the same sort of
sordid things that *always* happen at a warren, Father."


J'red glared across the table at his brother.  Lord Fowler choked on a
mouthful of meat.  Elissa blinked in surprise, and at that, Jennifer smirked
at Elissa.

Jason pointedly ignored the others' reactions to his comment, wondering if
it would provoke J'red into doing something that would set him at odds with
their father.

J'red trying to ignore the comment, answered his father, "We're still trying
to clean up from all the damage that sick Cult has caused."  He watched
Jason from the corner of his eye for a reaction.


Jason grinned.  "Yes, that Cult...absolutely sickening, wasn't it?"  The
sideways smile he gave his brother was calculated to antagonize, and he
waited to see what effect it might have.

Elissa chimed in, not realizing that Jason wasn't serious, "Yes, they are
awful!!"  Tears forming in her eyes as she thought of her friends that were
injured.

J'red noticed his brother's smile -- the same smile he'd always worn when
he'd taunted his older brother.

"I hope they can put an end to it soon, Son," put in Lord Fowler.

Elissa went on, unaware of the subtle interplay between the siblings,  "It's
been terrible -- first the attacks, then the bombing, and then the coal --
from your own shipment! -- poisoned!"  Tears escaped and rolled down her
cheeks.

Jason looked at Elissa, and handed her a handkerchief.  "Don't cry, my
dear," he said, with false sympathy.  "I am sure that those responsible will
be brought to justice...in due time."


Turning to Jason, Elissa smiled through her tears, "Thank you."

"But that isn't why we are here, Da"  J'red commented softly, "Elissa and I
were on patrol -- and we found -- someone..." J'red let it trail off.

"What was left of someone!"  Elissa jumped in.  "These birds had been
feeding ..."

Jason's eyes narrowed.  "Did you, now?"

"The warren can't really look into the matter," J'red stated, "As the
remains were found on Fowler lands."

"Eeww, that's disgusting," cried Jennifer, "and while we're eating." She
pushed back her plate.


"Yes, Jennifer -- J'red really, can't this matter wait for after dinner?"
Lord Fowler looked at his eldest.

Jason smiled.  "An unfortunate technicality," he agreed.  "Father, I think
that we should help.  I offer my services in conducting the investigation in
finding the murderer of this man."

"Of course -- you can expect us to cooperate with the warren in any way we
can,"  Lord Fowler responded, enthusiastically, and glad to see his middle
child showing some interest in the politics of his future inheritance.

J'red nodded, and his hand reached into his pocket to finger the emblem he'd
taken from the dead man -- with the ensignia of the House of Fowler.  How
had Jason known it was a man and that he'd been murdered?

"Of course, we are *honored* to SERVE the warren," Jason said dryly.


The remainder of dinner was taken up with Lord Fowler recounting about the
progress around the Estate and other more mundane topics.


Elissa caught Jason staring at her several times -- and she flirted with
him, hoping that J'red would notice and become just a bit jealous.


****
It was getting late -- and Lord Fowler invited -- or insisted -- that the
two riders stay for the night.  Elissa was only too glad, as she'd never
slept in an Estate before, and was thrilled to be shown to her room -- with
the canopy bed.

Jennifer tagged along, watching the older girl exploring all the exotic and
expensive nicnacs and doodads.

"So... are you and my brother... mates?"  Jennifer asked suddenly.

Elissa turned, her eyes widening in surprise, "Us?  Oh... no... I mean, I
like J'red... but...no, we aren't.. mates."  Her cheeks turned a pretty
shade of pink at the thought, remembering the one kiss that they had shared.

"OH."  Jennifer frowned, then shrugged, "Okay, 'night."  And losing interest
in the conversation, she wandered off to her own bed.

A moment later, however, there was a knock at her door, and thinking that
Jennifer had returned, Elissa called out, "Come back in, I'm not in bed
yet."

The door opened, and Jason slipped in quickly, and closed it behind him.
"Can I help make you more comfortable?"  he said in an oily voice.

Elissa had been sitting in front of a mirror brushing out her long hair and
jumped at a male's voice.  It wasn't J'red that stood there, as she'd
secretly hoped, but his younger brother, Jason.

"Um... no, I think I have everything, ... uh... thanks."  Elissa blushed,
smiling nervously, feeling a bit exposed in the silky nightgown that she'd
been lent.

Jason stared at her, "Where did you get that?"

"Get what?"  Elissa looked around her, and then down at the brush in her
hand, "The brush was here on the..."

"NO!  Not the brush -- that nightgown!?"  Jason snatched the brush from her
hand and glared at her.

"Jennifer gave it to me to borrow..."  But Elissa suddenly realized that the
nightgown couldn't be Jennifer's as it was too large for the 13 year old
girl, and more a woman's negligˇe.

Jason's eyes narrowed, and his face darkened in anger, recognizing one of
his dead mother's nightgowns, "How dare you -- you filthy, dragonrider,
whore -- how dare you wear *her* nightgown!"

Elissa gasped in shock, as Jason forced her off the stool and pulled the
straps of the gown down from her shoulders -- trying to remove it.

Jason found that he rather enjoyed the fear in Elissa's eyes -- and the feel
of her body, as she tried to squirm away from him.  His attempt to remove
the nightgown had the unexpected result of pinning her arms to her sides --
while exposing her firm, round breasts.  Jason pressed himself against her,
and maneuvered them back towards the bed.

<*Help!!*>  Elissa mind-shouted to her slumbering dragon, <*Patinari!!
Help!!!*>

Elissa opened her mouth to scream, only to find herself falling backwards
onto the bed, with Jason's own mouth covering hers.  Her voice caught in her
throat, and she felt her heart thudding against her ribs, much like a
trapped bird in a cage, beating it's wings against the bars.

"How's this my little dragonrider whore?  You should try a real man for a
change -- not one of those henpecked, warren-lady serving, dragon lovers --
like my brother!" Jason spat out, as his hands pulled the skirt of the
nightgown up.  He forced himself down on her, feeling his manhood throbbing
against the confines of his pants.  As he lifted himself up to remove them,
he was suddenly grabbed from behind and thrown from the bed.

"What?!!"  He stared up in shock at his brother J'red.  Regaining some of
his bluster, he sneered up at him, "Coming to claim your whore...  don't you
want to share her with your own brother?"

J'red brought his arm back in anger and made to strike Jason full in the
face -- but Jason was quicker, and rolled towards J'red, receiving only a
glancing blow.  His roll gave him momentum to grab J'red's legs and the two
went down together, Jason's fist pummeling his brother, and his knee coming
up to find J'red's groin.

But J'red was prepared for that move -- the one that Jason had used on him
so many times in the past when they'd wrestled -- and had drawn his own legs
up.  Jason's knee only connected with J'red's knee.

"You should have been the first to die -- *brother* -- you and your red
demon!"  Jason spat. "But I'll fix that .. now!"

The two rolled again, smashing into the bedside table and sending perfume
bottles spinning and spilling across the floor.

Thinking that the seeping wetness was blood, Elissa finally found her
voice -- and screamed.  Boots were heard thudding down the hallway, and soon
the room was filled with retainers -- and Lord Fowler.

"BOYS!"  His thundering voice broke them apart as much as the strong arms of
the servants.

Jason glared at J'red and J'red returned the look.  Elissa sat on the bed,
shaking with sobs and clutching at a pillow.  Jennifer stood in the doorway,
wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"What is going on here??"  Lord Fowler's face was dark and his eyes snapped
from one son to the other.

J'red answered, "Ask Him!"

Jason shrank at the thunderous look from his father and only said, "She
wanted it -- Kel says they all do...."

"Kel?  Keltian Vaddon?  What does he have to do with this?"  Lord Fowler's
frown darkened dangerously.  "Jason...J'red... I want an answer!  What was
going on in here?"

Both remained silent.

"Jared!?"  Lord Fowler stared at his eldest, expecting an answer.

"Yes, go ahead and tell him some more of your dragon-loving lies!"  Jason
jeered.

Elissa looked up with tears streaming down her face, and shakily pointed her
finger at Jason, "He...he... was trying to ... he wanted to..." and broke
she into sobs, "rape me!"

"You lying bitch!  I only wanted to take *her* nightgown off of you -- you
filthy slut!  And I saw the way you were looking at me!  You wanted it...
you know you did!"  Jason screamed irrationally, "They all do... those sluts
at the warrens!"

Shocked silence greeted that outburst.  J'red stared at his brother,
suddenly realizing exactly what it was that was so different, so terribly
wrong, with his younger sibling.  "You... you are one of them!  One of the
Cult members...."

Jason cackled, "oh, yes... one of them!  Fear me, brother!  You'll never
know what is coming next -- we'll rid this land of you demonic parasites!
You and your wraiths and your dragons!  You think we don't know!  You think
we are so stupid!?!  But we know -- oh we do!  We know how you train those
wraiths to frighten innocent Landborne, so you can ride in and *rescue*
them -- and demand from us a tythe."

J'red stared at his brother, open mouthed.  They all stared.  When, they
wondered, had Jason become insane?

Jason looked around the room, from face to shocked face, "You know I'm
right!  I am right!"

"Jason...?"  Lord Fowler stared at the stranger that had once been his son.
"Jason... tell me you had nothing to do with the coal.. tell me." his eyes
pleading.

Jason only snorted and attempted to look superior.

Lord Fowler looked at the still shaking girl, and turned to one of his
retainers, "Rolf, fetch Miss Nedra and have her look after this girl!"

"Yes, sir!"  Rolf answered and went to look for the old nurse.

In a kinder tone Lord Fowler said, "Elissa -- Miss Nedra will take care of
you, I am so sorry, my dear."  then turning to his sons and the servants he
snapped out, "I think the rest of us should continue this in the drawing
room!" and the remaining servants and his two sons followed Lord Fowler out
of the room.

Jennifer watched them go -- staring in horror at what she'd just seen and
heard.  "It's all my fault"  she sobbed, "that nightgown -- it was
mother's -- I thought it would be a good joke on Jared... I thought you
were -- mates -- I am so sorry!!!"

****
TAG Kris -- you want to take Elissa from here?

****
The silence in the drawing room was palpable.  Lord Fowler paced back and
forth.

Jason had calmed down, and again was wearing the mask of sanity.  "It was a
misunderstanding, Father, that's all."

J'red glared at him, "No, Da, don't believe him!  He was trying to force
Elissa to have sex with him!  Firefly told me..."

"You'd believe a *dragon* over me?"  Jason spat out the word dragon, making
it sound like a curse.

"Jason!"  Lord Fowler reproached.  "What did Firefly say, Jared?"

J'red looked at his brother as he answered, "He said that Patinari was very
upset that *someone* was trying to hurt her rider.  I only wish I could have
gotten there faster..."

"You believe him?  I was doing no such thing!  She was taunting me!  She
asked for it!  Jared only got mad because he wanted her for himself!"  Jason
sputtered.  "It's the dragons!  You know they take over their minds -- they
make them have sex with everyone!  They are evil!"

"Those are the sick lies that the members of that Cult are spreading!"
J'red angrily replied.  "YOU are one of them, aren't you Jason!  That's how
the *Cult* was able to get to the coal supplies, wasn't it?  YOU told them
when the shipment was going to the warren, didn't you?!"

Lord Fowler shook his head in confusion.  Hadn't he always been a faithful
supporter of the warren?  How could his own son be a member of that
Blindfolded Lady Cult?

Jason shrank back from the wrath of his brother, suddenly feeling like he'd
given away too much.

J'red advanced on him, "Didn't you!?  And your horses -- the ones you
*returned* to  Calarais -- you gave that pair to the Cult?  Did You supply
the wagon, too?  And what happened to the driver... was he killed?  Did you
know about that, too?  But of course you did!  You said it yourself at
dinner -- that you'd help investigate the *murder of that man*!!  I'd never
said that a man had been murdered, I'd only said we'd found a dead body...
but you knew, didn't you?  He was the driver!"

Jason's face paled and he swallowed hard, his eyes confirming what J'red had
said.  Then he looked at the stern countenance of is father, "He's lying,
you know he is."  His voice cracked, "He's always hated me... always, Da..."

Lord Fowler suddenly looked older, and very, very sad.  "Escort Jason to his
rooms and stand watch." He directed.  "Jared, please, stay with me a while
longer."  With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Jason and the guards.

Jason slunk out of the room, defeated and deflated.

J'red and his father talked until nearly sunrise.  Jason would have to be
tried for his crimes against the warren, though they were still unaware of
the exact nature of all that he had done.  Lord Fowler was convinced that
Jason had been influenced by Keltian, Pheran, and Lord Gringle and his sons.

****
Day 11.

The sun rise was splendid -- but J'red was too tired to notice anything
other than that the sun had risen -- and he finally went to bed.

About ten, he was awoken by the persistent calling of his soul-mate.
Firefly was reminding him that they needed to return to their home.  Elissa
seemed anxious to be gone, as well, and J'red couldn't blame her.

He found her waiting in front of the manor dressed in slacks and a loose
fitting blouse that looked vaguely familiar.  They fit her well, he noticed,
and were much more appropriate for flying than the dress she'd worn the
night before.

They had been scheduled for patrol that morning, so they flew in their usual
pattern from Fowler Estates back to the warren.  It was an uneventful
patrol, with no sign of wraith activity anywhere.  But it gave them each a
time to think and digest what had transpired the night before.

"I'll report in." J'red volunteered, when they finally landed at the warren.

Elissa nodded, seeming a bit distracted.  "I need to go find Saul..."


****
Day 12

Merissa was the last to arrive at Trinale's office.  J'red and Elissa had
been asked to come and discuss what they had learned at Lord Fowler's
Estate.  Derry, Katla and Kanler were also present.

>Trinale nodded to her junior queenrider, and her friend, "Merissa, I think
>we've found a link between the bombings, and the coal poisoning ... and the
>cult of the blindfolded lady, and maybe a way we can combat them."
>
>She pulled out the book that Raine had brought with her to the warren, and
>then glanced around the seated company.

"J'red, would you first please tell everyone here what you discovered at
your father's?"  Trinale asked, sitting herself down.

J'red nodded, but felt ashamed to admit what his own brother had been
involved with.  He looked at Elissa for strength and began to relate what
had happened two nights prior.  "... and my father is convinced that Jason
had been influenced by Keltian, Pheran, and Lord Gringle and his sons."
J'red concluded and sat.

Trinale looked at Katla, sensing her discomfort at the association of her
brother with the group responsible for poisoning the coal -- which had
killed Trinale's mother's dragon.

Katla caught her look, and took it to mean that it was her turn next to
speak.  She related to the group all that the Lady Raine had been through --
and had told her.  "And she had that book and a bag of coins -- that has my
family's seal on it ... I believe she was telling the truth that something
else has been planned for the warren..."  her voice fell ominously.

"Can we be sure these coins came from our brother?"  Derry asked, "Could we
have Moira do a reading on the coins, like she did on the coal?"

Katla nodded, "yes, that might help ... and she might be able to get some of
what he's planning... who ever he is."

Some of the others in the group looked confused, what did he mean by Moira
doing a reading?

Derry then told of what Moira had discovered from handling the coal -- how
she had gotten a picture of the man who had poisoned it, but how he had been
handling it with gloves, so the image wasn't really clear.  "She said she
wished she'd had something else that belonged to the man -- jewelry, a
dagger -- or something."

J'red's hand slipped into his pocket again... and pulled out the medallion
with the seal from the House of Fowler.  "Or something like this?"  He
asked.  "I found this on the man who we found stabbed."  He glanced at
Elissa.  "It's my family crest -- the man was a servant at my father's
Estate -- I'm sorry I didn't volunteer that before... but I have suspicions
that he was the groomsman that took my brother's Calarais horses."

Trinale frowned at J'red, but no one said anything against his withholding
that piece of information, and both Katla and Derry certainly could
understand that he might be suffering a little denial about the truth of his
own brother's involvement -- they had both been struggling with it
themselves.

"I think that would be a good idea, but we don't want to over-tax Moira,"
Trinale noted, "So if she does this reading -- I want it done in the med
center, where Th'rin or Xanthia can oversee it.  In the mean-time... Derry,
I want you to double the watch, and again warn all the dragonriders to go in
pairs where ever they go.  I don't want anything happening until we are
ready for them."

****
Tag to all :)


Thanks to John, Dana and Barb for the help with the dinner conversation :)

Respectfully submitted by:
Arlene Jacobs <chyrsthal@hotmail.com>
AKA Merissa, junior queenrider of Chrysthal
and J'red, rider of Firefly -- and his assorted family.