do you think I feel, five years and all? At least you have a cat and a bear, don't you know. It's lonelier with only a cloud to ride on, isn't it. I talk to it a lot, for sure, but a cloud can't talk back, I'm thinking. How many years you been up here?"
"Just started,” Paul said almost apologetically.
"Blimey. It's okay, mate. Where is your cloud bloke taking us?” Will asked. “And how long has Isno Cat been talking?"
"He's just started."
Reshape the bear growled and took over the conversation. Bears have a way of taking over, even upside down ones.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Nine
Silk
"Willis Dinker,” Reshape the upside-down bear said with a roar, its large head an uncomfortable distance from Will's face. “Rule one, keep out of the way!"
Will leaned away from the upside-down bear. “Blimey! Don't bite me!” Will turned to Paul. “I don't have to listen to this Reshape bloke, do I?"
"Reshape, can't you guide us without threatening to bite off our heads?” Paul said. “You never treated me or Isno that way, not even when you were as big as an elephant."
Reshape cartwheeled, growled and said, “Rule two, this is Paul Winsome's show, not Willis Dinker's. Rule three, do not make fun of my farts. Rule four, do not ever think of breaking the first three rules. Rule five, only kidding about rule three."
Will stared at the upside down Reshape bear. “You're pulling me. You're an upside-down bear and in charge?” Will gazed at Paul with a puzzled look on his face. “I don't remember saying anything about any bear farts, for sure."
Even in his puzzled state, Will had an elegance Paul admired. Most folks who had a bear growling inches from their face would back down in fright, but Will didn't do more than lean back.
The upside-down bear farted. The bear turned his head toward Will with a low rumbling snarl, just daring Will to say anything.
"Blimey. So this here upside-down bear is our boss?” Will said to Paul.
"He's supposed to be more like a guide.” Paul stared at Reshape. “Right?"
"Here is the game plan, Earthlings.” The bear laughed in short chuckles and growls. “Paul Winsome is in charge. Willis Dinker is in charge. Isno Gravity is in charge. I am your humble servant.” He growled. “We charge !” He farted.
Paul shook his head. All he had to do is find Vicki and save the solar system—while sharing his parallel-imagined-life with a talking cat for a watchdog, a new talkative friend looking for his own sister, and a bear flying upside-down, farting and giving orders.
"I know it's silly, but why do you need to be an upside down bear, Reshape?” Paul quizzed. “Don't mean to question your flight plan, mind you."
Isno lifted his head, looked at Reshape's bear shape, and arched his back. “Cat eat no?"
"I can see how the cat might wonder about that, I'm thinking, “ Will said. “Do bears like cat meat?"
The bear snorted some more laugh growls. “I shall not eat you if you promise not to eat me when I change into a mouse, Isno Gravity."
"Reshape! Vicki, my sister, remember?” Paul shouted at the bear. He turned toward his cat. “Isno, keep watch for Kid Badd. Give a warning if you see him, my friend.” Paul swiveled toward the upside-down bear. “Reshape, how do I steer this cloud toward finding Vicki?"
Will raised a muscular arm. “Sir, Reshape bear, is my sister Holly with Paul's Vicki?"
"No,” came the growled reply. “She is in Horrid Ice Castle."
"Where's that, I'm asking?” Will said.
"We go there now, I believe,” Reshape explained, momentarily forgetting to sound like a bear.
"So, where's Vicki?” Paul said in a less than polite voice.
"At Horrid Ice Castle,” Reshape said, sounding like a bear once again. “Funny you should ask. Hold that question!” Reshape said as Paul opened his mouth to protest the contradictory information. “They are both at Horrid Ice Castle, but not in the same room. You know, being upside-down gives one a
"Just started,” Paul said almost apologetically.
"Blimey. It's okay, mate. Where is your cloud bloke taking us?” Will asked. “And how long has Isno Cat been talking?"
"He's just started."
Reshape the bear growled and took over the conversation. Bears have a way of taking over, even upside down ones.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Nine
Silk
"Willis Dinker,” Reshape the upside-down bear said with a roar, its large head an uncomfortable distance from Will's face. “Rule one, keep out of the way!"
Will leaned away from the upside-down bear. “Blimey! Don't bite me!” Will turned to Paul. “I don't have to listen to this Reshape bloke, do I?"
"Reshape, can't you guide us without threatening to bite off our heads?” Paul said. “You never treated me or Isno that way, not even when you were as big as an elephant."
Reshape cartwheeled, growled and said, “Rule two, this is Paul Winsome's show, not Willis Dinker's. Rule three, do not make fun of my farts. Rule four, do not ever think of breaking the first three rules. Rule five, only kidding about rule three."
Will stared at the upside down Reshape bear. “You're pulling me. You're an upside-down bear and in charge?” Will gazed at Paul with a puzzled look on his face. “I don't remember saying anything about any bear farts, for sure."
Even in his puzzled state, Will had an elegance Paul admired. Most folks who had a bear growling inches from their face would back down in fright, but Will didn't do more than lean back.
The upside-down bear farted. The bear turned his head toward Will with a low rumbling snarl, just daring Will to say anything.
"Blimey. So this here upside-down bear is our boss?” Will said to Paul.
"He's supposed to be more like a guide.” Paul stared at Reshape. “Right?"
"Here is the game plan, Earthlings.” The bear laughed in short chuckles and growls. “Paul Winsome is in charge. Willis Dinker is in charge. Isno Gravity is in charge. I am your humble servant.” He growled. “We charge !” He farted.
Paul shook his head. All he had to do is find Vicki and save the solar system—while sharing his parallel-imagined-life with a talking cat for a watchdog, a new talkative friend looking for his own sister, and a bear flying upside-down, farting and giving orders.
"I know it's silly, but why do you need to be an upside down bear, Reshape?” Paul quizzed. “Don't mean to question your flight plan, mind you."
Isno lifted his head, looked at Reshape's bear shape, and arched his back. “Cat eat no?"
"I can see how the cat might wonder about that, I'm thinking, “ Will said. “Do bears like cat meat?"
The bear snorted some more laugh growls. “I shall not eat you if you promise not to eat me when I change into a mouse, Isno Gravity."
"Reshape! Vicki, my sister, remember?” Paul shouted at the bear. He turned toward his cat. “Isno, keep watch for Kid Badd. Give a warning if you see him, my friend.” Paul swiveled toward the upside-down bear. “Reshape, how do I steer this cloud toward finding Vicki?"
Will raised a muscular arm. “Sir, Reshape bear, is my sister Holly with Paul's Vicki?"
"No,” came the growled reply. “She is in Horrid Ice Castle."
"Where's that, I'm asking?” Will said.
"We go there now, I believe,” Reshape explained, momentarily forgetting to sound like a bear.
"So, where's Vicki?” Paul said in a less than polite voice.
"At Horrid Ice Castle,” Reshape said, sounding like a bear once again. “Funny you should ask. Hold that question!” Reshape said as Paul opened his mouth to protest the contradictory information. “They are both at Horrid Ice Castle, but not in the same room. You know, being upside-down gives one a
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