for the bear to excuse himself. Apparently bears didn't feel the need to utter such niceties.
"Listen, Will, we have a boy after us who shoots laser beams trying to cook us, so maybe you can help us keep watch,” Paul said.
"I'm thinking maybe that's how I spotted you, you know, for sure, kind of. I saw the cloud light up all green like. Blimey, you say he's shooting something green at you?"
"Hot shots of electricity, green as green gets,” Paul said. He stared at Willis Dinker. Slender and muscular. He hoped he could convince him to stay. Paul grinned. “You sure stand out on that white cloud."
"It's the black thing, right, mate, I'm thinking?"
Trying to keep himself from turning red, Paul answered. “Not in a bad way."
"Why, I'm thinking, would it be in a bad way?"
"You know. Racism sort of thing.” Paul said. He glanced at Isno sitting on his cloud puff taking it all in a complete non-committal, expressionless way.
"In this day and age, mate, I'm thinking? You pulling me?” He held a grimace for several seconds, then leaned back and let out a laugh. “Had you, for sure. Look, Paul Winsome, it's okay to acknowledge how black I am, hair and all. You're about as white as white gets, mate."
"Call me Paul, okay?"
"Folks call me Will, and so will you.” Again he laughed. “Will and Paul. I'm thinking, friends?"
"You bet. I'm up here looking for my sister,” Paul explained. “Oh, and I'm supposed to save the solar system."
"You're pulling me. My sister is lost too, and might be up here. Holly disappeared over five years ago. Downright a mystery even the Ministry of Law couldn't sort out, I'm telling you. A little over week after she disappeared I fell asleep on top of my bed. Then I was flying on a cloud, this one, and here I am, aren't I. Oh, I was in England. My parents are from Central Africa and came to England where I was born, unexpected like. My sister was adopted a year before I came into the world, and disappeared when I was eleven. She's sixteen, I'm fifteen. I haven't seen another human for five or so years, don't you know.” Will paused for less than a second. “Save the solar system? Could you use some help kind of? I mean, I've been up here five years and all I've found is a few storms, and that's sad, isn't it, wouldn't you say?"
Paul stared at Willis Dinker, blinking, trying hard to retain all the information dumped on him. Still, rather impressive in a talkative sort of way. Then he recalled his banana-cloud riding new friend had asked a question and Paul set about to answer it. “Some kind of destiny thing, I guess. I was on a wizard's porch sitting on the grass, and he—."
"You got a wizard who has grass on his porch, for real?"
Isno purred at the new visitor, showing interest for the first time. He too had experienced the grass porch and could relate.
"Guess you have the approval of my cat,” Paul joked.
"Human my. Me belong me,” Isno insisted, in a cat voice not schooled in the finer points of diplomacy.
"Mate, your cat just talked! I think your cat considers you his human I'm thinking. If I understand it right. Look at the face he's pulling."
"Yeah, I know Isno's kind of wild. Guess I'm more his feeder than pet owner.” Paul shrugged. “Anyway, you said you were asleep, five years ago. You've been up here for five years?"
"Kind of dreamed myself up. To find Holly. Five years ago."
"I'm sorry, Will,” Paul said. “My sister's name is Vicki. Vicki Sue. Eleven."
"What do you think, mate? Can we join up? Maybe our sisters are in the same place, you think maybe?"
"Yeah. I'd like you to join us. I was hoping you would, Will. Just me and Isno makes it kind of lonely."
"Hey!” Reshape the upside-down bear growled. “I'm company."
"Like I said, it kind of lonely up here with only Isno as a friend.” Paul nodded toward Reshape. “He doesn't understand an upside-down talking bear is poor company."
"Cat I fish tuna?” Isno said, putting in his bid for attention.
"How
"Listen, Will, we have a boy after us who shoots laser beams trying to cook us, so maybe you can help us keep watch,” Paul said.
"I'm thinking maybe that's how I spotted you, you know, for sure, kind of. I saw the cloud light up all green like. Blimey, you say he's shooting something green at you?"
"Hot shots of electricity, green as green gets,” Paul said. He stared at Willis Dinker. Slender and muscular. He hoped he could convince him to stay. Paul grinned. “You sure stand out on that white cloud."
"It's the black thing, right, mate, I'm thinking?"
Trying to keep himself from turning red, Paul answered. “Not in a bad way."
"Why, I'm thinking, would it be in a bad way?"
"You know. Racism sort of thing.” Paul said. He glanced at Isno sitting on his cloud puff taking it all in a complete non-committal, expressionless way.
"In this day and age, mate, I'm thinking? You pulling me?” He held a grimace for several seconds, then leaned back and let out a laugh. “Had you, for sure. Look, Paul Winsome, it's okay to acknowledge how black I am, hair and all. You're about as white as white gets, mate."
"Call me Paul, okay?"
"Folks call me Will, and so will you.” Again he laughed. “Will and Paul. I'm thinking, friends?"
"You bet. I'm up here looking for my sister,” Paul explained. “Oh, and I'm supposed to save the solar system."
"You're pulling me. My sister is lost too, and might be up here. Holly disappeared over five years ago. Downright a mystery even the Ministry of Law couldn't sort out, I'm telling you. A little over week after she disappeared I fell asleep on top of my bed. Then I was flying on a cloud, this one, and here I am, aren't I. Oh, I was in England. My parents are from Central Africa and came to England where I was born, unexpected like. My sister was adopted a year before I came into the world, and disappeared when I was eleven. She's sixteen, I'm fifteen. I haven't seen another human for five or so years, don't you know.” Will paused for less than a second. “Save the solar system? Could you use some help kind of? I mean, I've been up here five years and all I've found is a few storms, and that's sad, isn't it, wouldn't you say?"
Paul stared at Willis Dinker, blinking, trying hard to retain all the information dumped on him. Still, rather impressive in a talkative sort of way. Then he recalled his banana-cloud riding new friend had asked a question and Paul set about to answer it. “Some kind of destiny thing, I guess. I was on a wizard's porch sitting on the grass, and he—."
"You got a wizard who has grass on his porch, for real?"
Isno purred at the new visitor, showing interest for the first time. He too had experienced the grass porch and could relate.
"Guess you have the approval of my cat,” Paul joked.
"Human my. Me belong me,” Isno insisted, in a cat voice not schooled in the finer points of diplomacy.
"Mate, your cat just talked! I think your cat considers you his human I'm thinking. If I understand it right. Look at the face he's pulling."
"Yeah, I know Isno's kind of wild. Guess I'm more his feeder than pet owner.” Paul shrugged. “Anyway, you said you were asleep, five years ago. You've been up here for five years?"
"Kind of dreamed myself up. To find Holly. Five years ago."
"I'm sorry, Will,” Paul said. “My sister's name is Vicki. Vicki Sue. Eleven."
"What do you think, mate? Can we join up? Maybe our sisters are in the same place, you think maybe?"
"Yeah. I'd like you to join us. I was hoping you would, Will. Just me and Isno makes it kind of lonely."
"Hey!” Reshape the upside-down bear growled. “I'm company."
"Like I said, it kind of lonely up here with only Isno as a friend.” Paul nodded toward Reshape. “He doesn't understand an upside-down talking bear is poor company."
"Cat I fish tuna?” Isno said, putting in his bid for attention.
"How
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