Catalyst Ch. 49

Chapter Forty-Nine: Playing Spies

March 2009

Eric’s POV:

“Sookie,” I growl against my wife’s lips as she kisses me urgently, “you have to leave for work.”

“Just one more time,” Sookie pleads as her stocking encased thighs squeeze my hip. She is dressed for work, minus her bottoms, and she has never looked so delicious.

I groan and pull her mouth back to mine while giving her bottom a soft smack with my hand. The playful attack makes her body tremble excitedly, “Go to work.”

My Sookie pouts as she rolls off of me and onto the floor. She huffs and shakes her bottom with its soft, pink glow.

“Dear One,” I sigh as she pulls a thong from her panty drawer and slides it up her legs, “please stop trying to break my resolve.” She snaps the elastic against her hip and I purse my lips in response. “You are a devil.”

“I’m an angel and you know it,” she teases as she grabs her slacks and slips them over her legs. Gods, I want to rip those off and take her against the chest of drawers!

As I watch my wife finish dressing for work and walk her to the garage for a departing kiss, I have a moment to reflect on the last couple years.

After the reuniting of the family, I felt Sookie’s spirits rise once more. Though the doubts returned occasionally, it was obvious that they did not consume her like before. It was a relief to me, but also quite bitter. The realization that my Bonded needed more than me was a disappointment, but I remained considerably calm about the epiphany. After all, with youth comes uncertainty and a mild level of discontentment.

Thankfully, her crisis of faith seemed to ease with the arrival of Camilla and Pam. I do not know what they said to her, but when everyone returned that evening, Sookie was in better spirits than I had seen since arriving in Ohio. She began getting to know the neighbors, and took on a job teaching summer classes. My wife began befriending other teachers, and she started dragging me out in the evening for gatherings.

It is with a happy smile that I spend my morning and early afternoon going through business emails and combing through Compton’s most recent information leaks. Another vampire nest was attacked? The news distracts me through the remainder of the day until I hear my wife return.

“What are you up to, Dear One?” I ask, arriving in the study to find Sookie setting a stack of papers on her coffee table. She has continued to refuse using a real desk to do her work. She insists that working on the floor makes it feel more fun.

“Grading some papers,” she answers. Sookie looks up at me with a soft smile as she turns on the TV to prattle on in the background.

I smile as I come sit on the couch behind her. She is on the floor, legs crossed lotus style and poised beautifully beside the coffee table. As she lowers her head to continue grading, I reach forward and begin rubbing her shoulders. Her pen quickly falls to the coffee table and she groans.

We remain like that for a while. I rub her shoulders, and she moans softly as I work out the knots from noisy children and overdo assignments.

~ “Soulless creatures have no rights!” screams Reverend Newlin who is being interviewed on the news. “My church is about the preservation of humanity, and encourages the true children of God to heed not the denizens of darkness!”~

My ears tune out the “reverend’s” words. He has been making quite a stir lately, and Nan Flannigan is becoming increasingly frustrated by his rantings. Twice now they have been put on the news together to debate vampire/human politics, and both times Newlin refused to speak directly to her. Instead he spoke to the prompter, and ignored every statement the vampire representative made.

This afternoon the bigot is being interviewed by himself, and he is further proving his extremist views. Just as his “sermon” is hitting a screaming stride, he is interrupted by the news anchor.

~ “Excuse me one moment Reverend, but we have breaking news,” Chad Spencer interjects. The camera pans to square him in the shot, and the anchor speaks into the camera. “According to overnight reports that have only just now been confirmed; no less than five vampires were slain in the Dallas area last night. Additionally, this station has been tracking vampire slayings for the past six months after a rash of murders occurred-”

“Something dead and evil cannot be murdered!” Newlin admonishes the anchor’s statements.

Without breaking his professionalism, Chad continues as if an outburst had not just happened, “- that brings this years wrongful vampire deaths to eighteen nationwide!”

“Do God’s work, true followers of Jesus!” Newlin cries.~

I quickly shut off the television and Sookie and I sit stock still in the study.

We are absorbed in silence a long time before Sookie finally whispers, “What’s going on?”

Leaning back into the sofa, I confess, “Compton has been telling me for a few weeks now that there has been an uncomfortable number of vampire slayings this year.”

“How many?” she asks cautiously.

“In addition to the eighteen you just heard reported, there have been five others,” I tell her.

“Twenty-three murders in six months?” Sookie leans forward, pulling her knees up to her chest. I see as she rests her head against her knees that she is considering the magnitude of the number. “Is it hate crimes?”

“That is what Compton and quite a few other vampires are thinking,” I answer. “Four nests were struck accounting for the eighteen True Deaths the reporter announced. The other five occurred among individuals who took home a meal from a bar.”

“Drainers?” she guesses.

I nod, “I would guess so.”

She frowns a moment before stating, “Isn’t tracking down and killin’ a nest of vampires supposed to be difficult?”

“It is, and the nests that were struck were not what we would consider ‘at risk’. Three of the four nests were mainstreaming and not putting themselves purposefully at odds with humans. The fourth nest was a pair of older vampires both over the age of five hundred. They should have known how to keep safe.”

“You think it’s organized.”

“I do.”

“Do you know by whom?” she presses.

It is my own turn to frown now, and I point loosely to the television.

“That crazy Newlin guy!?” Sookie gasps.

“A figurehead. His son has been doing far worse in Dallas. Over half the destroyed nests happened in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Area,” I confess. “Theodore Newlin has accomplished most of his roaring from Utah as of late, and left Dallas to his son. Steve Newlin has stayed mostly in Texas.”

“Wasn’t the Dallas/ Fort Worth area Godric’s Area before we were Bonded?” she wonders.

“It was, but last I heard, it was under the control of Isabel. She has been in control of that Area since before vampires came out of the coffin. Actually,” I pause to reflect, “if I remember correctly, she still calls Godric from time to time for advice.”

Sookie watches intently as I reach for my phone and call my Maker.

“Yes, Eric?” Godric’s voice answers politely after the first ring.

“Master, have you heard from Isabel lately?” I ask.

There is a pause before he replies, “Not since last year when she told me she had taken a human lover.”

‘That information strikes me as peculiar,’ I think guardedly. “She called you to gush about her human?”

Godric chuckles, “No, she called to talk to me about the expansion of the Fellowship of the Sun facility. Hugo merely came up after we talked business.”

“What was her concern about the FoTS?” I ask.

“From what she was able to glean, there was no order for the expansion. She believed Steve Newlin was preparing to do more than merely denounce the vampire community, but also work toward destroying it,” he tells me.

“Have you read or heard about the number of destroyed nests?” I press, trying to keep the anger from my voice.

“I have, but have yet to determine a course of action,” he confesses.

Sookie, who has had her ear pressed against the phone, chimes in, “What if Eric and I went to Dallas and did some snooping?”

“Excuse me?” Godric replies with surprise.

“The Fellowship considers themselves a church, right? We can go there under the guise of being new to the area, and scoping out a new church for after the move,” she explains.

“Eric?” I can hear the hesitant hopefulness in my Maker’s voice.

He likes this plan, but I have my concerns over bringing Sookie into such a place. My wife is fiery. Some of the things she could hear might make it difficult for her to maintain her poise. But, I look at her appraisingly and remember that she hears unsavory things all day. Our short nine years together have proven time and again that I underestimate her abilities far too often. My wife is fiery, but she is also strong, resilient and smart.

“If Sookie is willing to do this, I am too,” I reply to my Maker at last. Godric releases a slow breath. “I would like to take Jason as well. If he can sense a vampire mind nearby, it might imply there is a traitor to our kind.”

“This will be Sookie and Jason’s first reconnaissance mission,” Godric points out.

“I am aware. It is better for him to train among humans rather than vampires,” I remind and Godric chuckles an agreement. “We will leave this weekend.”

Sookie’s POV:

Godric called ahead to warn Isabel that we’d be doing some snooping in Area 9, but as the plane begins its descent, I can’t help but feel anxious and a bit excited. Isabel’s human is supposed to be meeting us at the airport, and as far as he knows, we’re humans who are vampire sympathizers. Our story is that we are part of an organization trying to prevent vampire hate crimes. Eric explained that the vampire community created a law stating the nature of our existence was not to be known by any humans. I guess it’s for moments like these…

As my family lands in Dallas, and we find ourselves at the gate, I can already see a man holding up a sign that says ‘Northman’. He’s good looking. Dark brown hair, professional looking. Godric told us he’s a lawyer.

‘Shit, the burner cell is still in my office… I’ll drop them at their hotel and slip back later-‘ I hear from our escort during a precursory scan of his mind.

Taking Eric’s hand I tug him away from Hugo like we never even saw him. Jason looks at us confusedly, but follows without a word. When we’re on our way to the car rental area, my brother finally says, “Leak?”

“Yup,” I respond. “Stay away from him.”

“You are certain?” Eric asks me.

“Pretty darn,” I reply, “but I want to meet him on my terms, not his. Somewhere without all this white noise.”

“I will have Isabel arrange a meeting with him later,” Eric replies and kisses the top of my head. “We will have to make other room reservations as well. If he had any part in the process, our room could be compromised.”

“Agreed,” I nod.

“All right,” Jason adds, “I’ll grab our bags and meet ya around front.”

“Thank you,” Eric nods at him.

As we stand patiently in line for a rental, Eric takes out his cell phone and calls around for a hotel room. By the time we’re at the front of the line, we have a new reservation, and Jason is standing with us, holding all our bags.

Finally we get our rental car, and as we leave to retrieve it, Hugo passes us. I watch him intently as he throws the cardboard sign with our last name into the trash.

‘Did they miss the flight? Maybe Isabel died for the day when they called… At least I got time to clean up some more of this mess!’

“Eric,” I whisper, “tail him. He’s gonna dispose of information. Jason and I will meet you back at the hotel.”

“Look at you,” Jason snickers, “commanding this badass like some sorta Head of the CIA!”

“Watch out for your sister,” Eric tells my brother before disappearing into the throng of people.

I don’t know how you lose a 6’5” vampire in a crowd of humans during the day, but my husband is a master of his art. That’s for sure.

When Jason and I are in the car, he wastes no time grilling me.

“So, what happened?” Jason whispers as we hit the road.

Unfolding the map I grabbed at the car rental, I look for our destination, “Head North on the Parkway and then take it to the One-Fourteen East. Looks like a drive to the hotel.”

“Sook,” Jason stops me, “what’s goin’ on?”

“Hugo is part of the problem,” I sigh. “I don’t know how much of it, but definitely enough not to trust. We made a new reservation at the Hyatt, and are going to meet with Hugo under our terms tomorrow. Eric’s gonna track him for now, see if he tries to dispose of any more information. We don’t want to accuse Isabel of anything without evidence. For now, she’s as much a victim as anyone else.”

Jason nods slowly as he weaves in and out of traffic. “So we may have already found the mole?”

“Maybe,” I frown thoughtfully. “I don’t want to assume anything. There have been nests that were hit outside of Dallas. That’s information Isabel wouldn’t necessarily know. If Hugo is behind this, he can’t be working on just the information that was available to Isabel.”

Jason runs his hand through his hair in a frustrated tell, and I pat his thigh soothingly. “You think the FotS got other informants?”

“They must,” I shrug. “If Isabel were the only common link between the destroyed nests, someone would have put it together a lot faster than you or me.”

“I guess that’s true enough. Heck, if the only link anyone’s seen so far is the Fellowship, anyone could be informing to them. They got a bunch of followers nationwide. They even condone draining, although not the consumption of blood.”

“You’ve been doing your homework,” I laugh.

“Ever since I became a vamp I’ve been trying to catch up. Although, I don’t really like it when Eric takes me out back into the woods and shoots me. Bullets hurt,” he whines.

“Just so long as he doesn’t stab you at random around the house. Your blood took me an hour to get outta the carpet,” I complain.

Jason snorts, but nods in agreement, “I told him he can stab, shoot and maim me all he likes outside or at my house, but he said he wants me on guard at all times.”

“I knew I should have gotten hardwood floors throughout the entire house,” I pout.

A smirk tugs at my brother’s lips and he just shakes his head. With the mood moderately lightened, we make the remaining journey in thoughtful silence. I know that we’re both wondering what we’ll learn when Eric returns.

{†}

It’s almost five in the afternoon when my husband knocks on the hotel room door, and I let him in. Jason sits up on the sofa when Eric enters with a trash bag tucked under his arm.

“He went to his office, was there for about twenty minutes, and then emerged with this. He drove to a nearby strip mall and threw it into a dumpster behind a set of shops,” Eric explains as he tears open the bag and dumps the contents on the table. “I retrieved it and then followed him to Isabel’s residence. He appeared to be in until sunset.”

There’s a bunch of shredded paper on the coffee table and a smashed cellphone. I pick up the phone and examine it. “The SIM card is intact!” I quickly pop out the chip and hand it to my brother. He’d suggested purchasing a SIM card reader, and now I’m grateful that he did. At first I just thought he wanted one so he could feel like a real spy.

Soon we have a list of contacts, retrieved text messages, and a voicemail that is still processing retrieval.

While this is happenings, Eric and I work together to put the confetti of the shredded documents back together. It only takes a few successfully reconstructed pieces to determine what information they had told, but it’s tedious obtaining even that small bit of information.

“Wait, this looks like a name and house address,” I chime in.

Eric stops what he’s doing to look at my project. “That is the leader of the last nest that was destroyed,” he informs me.

“So, he’s definitely the leak,” I say, still looking for more pieces to put together.

“Yes, but the last nest was not in Isabel’s Area,” Eric leans back thoughtfully. “It is a printout. That implies it was sent to him, not told or stolen; not by Hugo at least.”

“Someone has been giving locations to Hugo to spill to the Fellowship?” I ask.

Jason interrupts us, “Hey, I just checked one of these contacts. None got names, but there’s three total. Two got area codes for Dallas, but this one is from Nevada.”

Eric glances over Jason’s shoulder to look at the number. “The Nevada number is only incoming, and the two Dallas numbers are only outgoing. That means Hugo called whomever owns these number.”

While Eric and Jason talk about the mysterious Nevada number, I’m still piecing together hopeless shreds of documents. Finally, I come across another shred that appears to be part of the ‘hit list’ document.

“Eric, I think I found another victim’s address,” I call to my husband as I’ve managed to piece together more of the paper.

Eric barely glances over my shoulder when I feel surprise and fear flash through the Bond. Next thing I know, Eric has his phone out, and he’s dialing like his life depends on it.

“What is it?” Jason asks as Eric begins pacing. He pulls the phone from his ear and dials again. “Eric?”

I’m sitting quietly, waiting, as Eric keeps trying to call someone over and over again. After the third redial, he pauses and runs his hand through his hair. He seems to think for a moment before trying his phone again. This time, someone answers.

“Quigley!” Eric barks into the phone, making me and Jason both jump. The quiet had been so tense that the abrupt interruption startles us. “I need you to check on Cassandra and Diedre.” I really wish I had vampire hearing. “My family is investigating some wrongful, final deaths. We have evidence that suggests the two of them could be in danger.”

Jason tenses beside me, but I don’t ask what this Quigley vampire is saying. Eric will tell me what’s going on as soon as the situation is brought back under control.

“What do you mean?” Eric demands. He pauses as Quigley gives some sort of story, and when he replies again, his voice is subdued, “You are certain?” Jason’s body is shaking like a leaf, and I put out a hand to run over his back soothingly. “I will call Godric to meet you in Pittsburgh… He will bring you two to safety.”

Two, I think. Someone is dead. Either Diedre or this Cassandra. I pause as I remember who rarely goes by the name ‘Cassandra’.

“The Ancient Pythoness is dead,” I whisper knowingly. All Jason can manage is a nod as Eric hangs up with Quigley and presumably calls Godric. My suspicion is confirmed as I hear Eric coordinating the safety measures for Quigley and Diedre.

When Eric hangs up for the final time, he turns to me and my brother. “Yes, the Ancient Pythoness has been ended. Diedre is in terrible condition. According to Quigley, her left arm has been blown off, and she is in complete despair over Cassandra’s death. One of Cassandra’s handmaidens managed to pull Diedre from the explosion and keep her protected from the sun. Diedre was brought to Quigley, and they are waiting until nightfall to flee.”

“Who’s Quigley?” Jason asks.

“He is about my age, and the only surviving progeny of Diedre,” Eric explains shortly, but something in the Bond and my husband’s eyes tells me it is far more complicated than that. “You will meet him when we return home.”

“So, what do we do?” I finally ask.

Eric considers my question a moment before answering, “We have until nine tomorrow morning to put as much of this information back together as possible. I will call Isabel and tell her we will not be arriving until tomorrow at four in the afternoon. That will give us six hours to infiltrate the Fellowship, retrieve as much information as possible, and meet with Isabel and Hugo tomorrow evening.”

“We’re going to fly behind their backs,” Jason nods in understanding.

“Yes,” Eric confirms. “Jason, I will need you to find out if Isabel had any part in this. You know your signals.”

“Yeah, I got ya,” Jason assures.

“Sookie,” my husband turns to me, “we need anything and everything you can glean at the church tomorrow. We have to find out if any other vampires are targets. Especially ancients. The loss of the Ancient Pythoness will be spread world wide in a few hours, and if a Seer and ancient can be destroyed, then no vampire is safe.”

“I’ll get back to this puzzle,” I promise him.

For the next several hours, the three of us are putting together the shredded documents. Jason has to break to feed, and I’m working with a piece of pizza hanging out of my mouth.

Around 4 AM, Eric’s on his phone, and giving a shopping list to someone. I hear things like: colored contacts, hair dye, hand warmers, self-tanning lotion, and a wig. At 5AM there’s a knock at the door, and when Eric answers, there’s no one there but a big bag.

I watch in dismay as my husband starts chopping off all his beautiful hair while on the phone with Isabel. Then he’s dying it, and I’m just praying he has no intention of doing the same to me!

Thankfully, my disguise comes in the form of a wig and some colored contacts. They make my eyes into a muddy brown color, and I’ll be grateful to have my own blue eyes back at the end of the day. Jason gets his hair dyed next, and some dull brown contacts like mine.

Around seven in the morning, the three of us look like completely different people. I find my ‘Sunday Best’ to wear to this meeting, and get used to my 6’5”, black haired, green eyed husband. This is too freaky!

“You’ll grow it back out, right?” I ask hopefully.

“Tomorrow,” he promises and gives me a kiss. A strange little thrill knots up my stomach. It’s like being kissed by a stranger; a stranger whose mouth feels comfortingly familiar. “Or I could wait?” he looks at me amusedly, having felt my little, excited swoon.

“You can wait until I leave for work on Monday,” I whisper to my husband and he just laughs at my suggestion.

“Aw, ew!” Jason makes a face, but I can see the teasing in his eyes.

At nine, I take a deep breath as my husband takes my hand. It’s finally time to go on my first mission. It’s scary and thrilling at the same time, but with my brother and my husband on either side of me, I’m ready!

Eric’s POV:

It is moments like these that I wish there were a way for Jason or Sookie to be able to communicate telepathically with the family.

“Oh, you must be Mr. and Mrs. Daniels! My name is Hannah!” A bubbling receptionist greets me and Sookie. “And this is your brother, Jacob, right?” She bats her eyelashes at my brother-in-law.

I chose for us to use fake names that at least began with the same letter or sound of our original names. Hopefully if our newest spies have a slip up, they will have time to catch themselves seamlessly. Or maybe it will only be more confusing for them? I wonder a bit nervously. Pam was over one hundred by the time I felt she was ready for something like this.

“Yes,” I reply as warmly as I can muster, which is surprisingly toasty. After all, I would not have survived as long as I have if I could not keep my enemies close.

“Hey there.” Jason gives the woman a playful wink and I laugh internally at her rosy blush.

“Reverend Newlin is planning to meet with you in just a moment. If you’d like to wait in his office, I am sure he will be by in just a few minutes.”

A moment later we are shut into the den of the lion, and I look to my wife for indication of our next move.

“Oh, what a lovely office,” she comments. “Aren’t those paintings beautiful, Elijah,” She points to a rather underwhelming portrait of Jesus. This is her way of informing me and her brother that we are being observed. Jason and I put our hands in our pockets, using disposable hand warmers to increase the temperature of our skin. It would be concerning to the humans if we avoided skin contact as simple as a handshake.

“Yes, very inspiring,” I agree, gazing emptily at the artists rendition of the Messiah.

“I dunno,” Jason frowns. “Where’s the big ol’ crucifix? Remember Reverend Jones had that giant one in his office?”

“You cannot judge a man by the size of his artifacts, Jacob,” I smirk at Jason amusedly.

Jason chuckles and shakes his head, “I guess I was hopin’ for a little flavor of home.”

Thankfully our forced nonchalance is ended with the opening of the double doors to the office. With a well worn in smile, Steve Newlin enters and greets all of us kindly.

“Hi there, folks,” Newlin shakes my and Jason’s hands. When he bends to kiss Sookie’s hand she giggles and pulls away before his lips can touch her skin. “A chaste wife. What a catch, Mr. Daniels.”

“Yes, she is,” I agree easily, but can feel Sookie’s unease after touching Newlin’s hand. I am proud that her internal recoil was so beautifully masked as chasteness.

Newlin gestures to the seats in the office, and my family sits casually before our enemy.

“I hear you folks are moving to Dallas and are scoping out the local churches?” Newlin asks.

“That’s right,” I reply. “Sandra and I are hoping to be starting a family soon, and it is very important to her that our children grow up with a strong religious upbringing.”

Newlin appears to fall into our story, gleefully expressing his agreement with my wife. The pair talk animatedly about their views, Sookie maintaining her charming exterior as I feel our Bond sloshing with an overflow of annoyance and disgust.

After a few moments, Jason injects himself into Newlin’s focus to give his sister time and concentration to scan the rest of the area mentally. After a few minutes, I note her fingers tapping rhythmically against her knee. She has discovered something.

“Do you think we might be granted a tour?” I interrupt Jason’s conversation abruptly. “I would like to see what sort of events and organizations we will be able to join.”

“Does the church provide any daycare?” Sookie presses.

“Yes and yes,” Newlin replies jovially. “Follow me.” He rises from his desk chair and leads us from the office. “If you come this way, I will show you the chapel, and then we can tour the outer buildings of the compound.”

“Compound?” Jason frowns. “You got housing here?”

“For some of our more devout parishioners,” Newlin answers easily. “Our presence of faith is very strong, and many of my flock choose to donate their worldly goods and live humble lives within the church grounds.”

“That is quite impressive, Reverend,” Sookie tells him.

“Y’all don’t have any singles’ events, do you?” Jason jokes.

“As a matter of fact, we do. We understand that it is difficult for our flock to encounter like minded people, and that many have been put in very dangerous situations in their pursuits of finding a companion,” Newlin clucks his tongue sympathetically.

“You think you could find me my own tour of the church? Honestly, Sandra and I are lookin’ for very different things,” Jason remarks.

“Of course,” Newlin gestures back to the receptionist area. “Go ahead and ask Hannah if she can find someone to give you a tour of your own.”

“Thanks very much,” Jason grins at him and waves goodbye to us.

“Reverend, would you mind very much if I use the ladies’ room before we begin our tour?” Sookie asks politely, gesturing to the facility. I know she is trying to break away long enough to text Jason whatever information she has gleaned and instruct him on what he should be doing while away from Newlin.

My wife returns quickly, and smiles apologetically before we begin our tour. It is boring and tedious to be in Newlin’s company, but I must let Sookie concentrate on finding out as much as possible.

Every so often I feel her hand flutter against mine. This is not one of our silent signals, but a physical tell of what is happening in the Bond. She is sad, a little distressed by what she is hearing, and not for the first time, I wish I could do this for her. I wish I was able to listen to the entire world; human, two-natured or vampire. If it meant that my wife and her brother were not forced to hear the unsavory worlds of mortals and supernaturals, I would take the burden for them a hundred fold.

Instead I am forced to play the decoy as my wife and brother perform reconnaissance. Admittedly, Jason blends in far easier than I do. His glamouring skills have also come along nicely. I think it is the fairy in him that makes the magic flow so smoothly. Perhaps his months of being unable to glamour was the time it took his magics to align and cooperate with one another.

This is, of course, only speculation; one that I consider to distract my mind from the conversation I must engage in with Steve Newlin.

“Oh!” Steve grins wide as a perky blonde approaches us. “Here is my wife! Sarah, this is Elijah and Sandra Daniels.”

“So nice to meet you!” Sarah shakes Sookie’s hand and then mine. I purposefully brush my fingertips against the inside of her wrist and laugh internally at the response such a little flirt brings. There are few things more entertaining than making the “righteous” consider lustful musings. However, my entertainment is quickly ended when I feel my wife’s anger in the Bond. It is the quickest, tiniest flare of jealousy, but very new to me. I do not believe I have drawn jealousy from her ever before.

As quickly as it came, Sookie’s mood settles, and she takes my hand once more. We continue our tour with the Newlins, and I do believe we have seen a fair majority of the grounds. Finally, we are back in the receptionist’s area, and Jason is waiting patiently for us. I thank my stars that he has completed his mission and we do not need to dwell here any longer.

On to Chapter Fifty!