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Our cast of norns had just scurried out from under the table.
"Is it safe?" Boggles asked, taking a cautious look around.
"I don't see anyone around," Karr remarked. "Lyddie went on ahead to find Katherine. She's supposed to come back--"
"She's right there!" Kass interrupted, "See?"
Sure enough, there was Lydia, trudging back to the table. After the initial greetings, Lydia told everyone what Milo had figured out.
"Sounds line them," Jenna remarked. "It seems to me that they're always at each other's throats."
"So, what do we do now?" Ben asked.
"Seems to me like we'd want to find that album for them," Karr answered, "so, let's take a good look around."
-----
"You really think it'd be here?"
"It's where we saw Kayla last."
Lydia, Ben and Boggles were poking around in the back of the barn, where Kayla had been writing in her diary.
"Oof!" Lydia cried, as she tripped over something or another. As she tripped, she felt her glasses fall off her face. And, sure enough, as she opened her eyes, everything was blurry. "Crap, I can't see! Help me find my glasses!"
Ben poked his head up from a nearby bush. "You use your glasses to see? I never knew that."
"I don't know why, but when I put them on, everything is a lot easier to see. I think Susan wears hers for the same reason. But, anywho, can we please look for them?"
Boggles appeared from behind a rock. "Sure, I bet I can --"
Crunch.
Boggles lifted his foot to find bent frames and shattered glass. "I don't think you can wear these anymore."
"Boggles!" Lydia fussed, trying to make her way over to glasses. "I can't see anymore now!"
"Sorry," Boggles blushed.
Lydia tried to poke around to her glasses, but instead wound up in a nearby bush. "Crud, I can't -- oop! What in the world..."
Ben trotted over to the bush where Lydia was. "Hey, it's some kind of big book." He opened it up, and saw lots of pictures. Lessee, some lady and a man, a bunch of babies, some dogs, the farm, Kayla, Katherine and Milo, and hey -- what were those dogs doing chasing Blip? And was that underwear?!
"Does anyone know if this is a Family Album?" asked Ben.
Boggles stumbled over and took a peek. "Those look like pictures of Katherine's family. Maybe we should ask."
Lydia picked up the book, and Ben and Boggles guided her off.
-----
"Something just occurred to me," Kass started.
"What's that?"
"We have no idea what a family album actually *is*."
Jenna, Karr and Kass all stopped hunting. Darn it all, she was right.
However, the norns didn't have a lot of time to think. Blip whizzed past them at full speed, with a mess of dogs behind him, barking.
"DOGS!" Kass jumped behind Jenna.
"I thought.."
"Scared?" Kass tittered, faking a smile. "I just tend to get a little nervous after what happened when I first came .. OH SHEE! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!" Kass quickly jumped away from what was in reality a low pine tree branch, but at the moment, served as a pseudo dog tail.
Karr thought for a moment. "Mom? Can I borrow your stick?"
"Sure," Jenna slowly handed over her walking stick, with a puzzled look on her face.
"Thanks mom," Karr quickly replied, and ran off after the pack of dogs. He outran most of the pack (Which wasn't all that difficult; they were beginning to tire) until he got to the dog in the very front. Then, with skills he didn't even know he had, he used his mother's walking stick as a leg up, and successfully mounted the dog. Even the finer horsemen of our day would have been impressed at the amateur mount, despite the quick fight for balance and control he nearly lost. OK, fine, so he almost fell off. Can't I be colorful?
As the dog began getting closer to Blip, car readied the stick. Steady, steady...the dog opened its mouth to pant a bit. Karr lunged at his chance, and stuck the stick in his mouth. The stick now served as a large bit, which Karr clung to carefully.
"Blip!" Karr called, "I've got it!"
"That's great," Blip shouted back while still going at full speed, "but what about the others?"
Looking back, Karr realized that there were several dogs he wasn't controlling. A-whoops.
-----
Where on God's Creation WAS the little naven? Katherine was in hot pursuit of Kayla. As far as Katherine was concerned, Kayla was in for a good whopping.
Sure enough, there was Kayla, standing next to a tree. "You!" Katherine shouted.
Kayla looked innocently in Katherine's direction. "Me?"
"You!" repeated Katherine. "I finally figured it out! OK, so maybe Milo did. But I know what's going on now!"
Kayla slyly grinned. "Oh, really? Great, shirlock, tell me."
Katherine opened her mouth, but all anyone could hear was a bark. In fact, there were several barks. Part of this reason was because Blip sped by, followed by Karr and the rest of the dogs.
Glaring at Kayla, Katherine announced, "If that was everyone's favorite robot followed by a pack of dogs, you are in SO much trouble."
-----
Blip scooted along quick as he could. The dogs were getting a second wind now, and he was in for it.
"Can't you just shock them all?" Karr begged, trying to ride the dog.
"There's too many!" Blip called back. He was making an attempt at staying focused. Lessee. speed up, turn a bit, raise higher, go lower, don't hit Lydia...
Don't hit Lydia?
Good gosh! There was Lydia, and Ben, and Boggles, all right in front of them. Blip didn't know how fast he could get the dogs to turn. Besides, there were trees all around ... he might be able to loose them, but then they'd turn on Lydia, Ben and Boggles. Looked to him like the only choice was over, and then ... well ... ad-lib.
Over he went. "Look out!" Blip called to the trio, as the dogs approached. Karr tried to turn his dog, but it was no use. They just got closer, and closer, until...
They stopped.
I don't think anyone there could say for sure why they stopped. Maybe they were tired, maybe it was something Karr did, maybe the sight of a grendel scared them, maybe it was because Lydia had decided to use the album as a shield when she heard barking. But whatever it was, they stopped, dead in their tracks.
"Hey," Blip whispered to everyone, "Katherine and Kayla are coming!" Karr dismounted (fell) off his dog and quickly rushed Lydia, Ben and Boggles behind a nearby tree, leaving the album behind.
"Blip!" Katherine shouted, quickly kneeling over and taking a look at him. "Did they do much?"
Blip respectfully turned around so Katherine could inspect him. "Not much ... I'd like a recharge, but I'm OK."
Uncle Paul came running over. "I heard the dogs, and - Blip? Good gosh, are you OK? And is that the album?"
Blip sort of nodded.
Uncle Paul laughed. "Did you find our album?"
Blip took a glance to the tree where the creatures were. They were nodding furiously. "Err.. sure," he answered.
Katherine and Blip then preceded to tell Uncle Paul what Milo figured out. After a probing talk with Kayla, they got her to admit the real theft of the album.
-----
Katherine had her suitcase in her hand. She dropped it in the trunk of the car.
"I wish you didn't have to go," Milo pleaded.
Katherine shrugged. "I guess I have to, the people back home need me too."
"I rounded everyone up!" Blip came down the dirt path to the car, with six creatures behind him. Katherine and Milo helped everyone in the trunk.
"Oh, Blip - before you get in," Katherine started, "thanks for finding the album." She gave his side a little pat. "That was pretty sweet."
"Uhm, well..." Blip tried to answer, but seemed to be a little flustered at the moment.
"Oh well, into the trunk with you." Katherine watched Blip hover into the trunk, and shut the cover. She and Milo said their good-byes, then Katherine hopped in the car.
"Hey, Blip?" started a voice from inside the car.
"I'll tell her when we get back home, I swear it!" Blip insisted, as the car drove off.