Desiree and Rhodes gathered their belongings,
leaving the rest of the crew to their trysts and turnings.

Silenus decided to break open a bottle of Merlot, next.
It would compliment the already xystings.

Runni unwrapped a fresh round of cheese.

Snoddi went to the cellar to gather an apron full of apples.

He came back with his dangling, since the apron wasn't all that long.

"Now, then, we'll make some sauce, shall we?" he sez.

Silenus addressed Runni:

" You didn't tell Snoddi there's been a Satyr living in your attic, these past five hundred years, did you?
That explains his exaggerated startle-response."

Snoddi held out his cup for a refill.

"Good stuff, Silenus," he said. "With a lot of butter & a little lime juice & coriander, it will make a lovely sauce."
"Oh, Snoddi, you can't help yourself, can you?" said Runni, reaching out to give him a hand with the apples.
"I like the way he thinks," said Silenus.

Silenus felt faint. Placing the back of his hand,
(somewhat affectedly) against his throbbing forehead, eventually gained him the
attention he'd hoped to draw.

"Whatever is the matter with you?" queried Runni.

"I'll find something for you to sit upon." said Snoddi.

After Silenus gratefully sat on the apple barrel that Snoddi had led him towards,
he spoke.

"I feel a prophecy coming on. They remind me of cluster-headaches,
only, ummm ...pleasurable, it's a little hard to explain."

Snoddi said, "No, when it's only a little hard, it's only marginally useful. Let's see what we can do with this..."

Runni reclined, rejoicing their becoming acquainted so properly.

Silenus, relishing the anticipation,
decided to draw it out a bit further.

He announced two requests:

" First, I require a sardine/watercress/peanut butter sandwich,
and then a proper show-tune, to fan my desires."

Snoddi listened to his intuitive viscera speaking, and chose:



As the music began to play, and the sardine oil dripped down his chin:

Silenus smiled, audibly.

"Well, Runni, shall we?" leered Silenus.

Runni rolled to her feet, but Snoddi cleared his throat:

"I think we shall," he said.

"Let's make a sandwich."

Rhodes and Desiree decided to join Stallion at the sanitarium,
just for kicks.

Rhodes nudged his sister. "Pretend you're hearing voices if you have to, Dez,
we need to see Stallion."

"Stop with the 'we' bit bro, I catch your driftage. Do you really think I could
pull it off? "

"Yes, sis, I think you could, but as you well know, we work better together."

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Snoddi rearranged his thinking about the nature of the sandwich: "I think we need some more greens," he said, extricating himself, with regret, as the meat.

Runni sighed, but knew as good & better was on its way.

Little did she know what he'd be coming back with.

"That's not green!" she cried.

"No, it isn't," Snoddi allowed, "but I'm envious, & wondering why you never told me we had an attic."

"Oh, Snoddi! I knew you'd be pleasantly surprised!"

Silenus allowed himself re-erection, thinking, "I like the way he thinks."
Aloud: "May I help you dice that?"

Snoddi motioned for Runni to clear the table, so he could lay down
the 20 lb.Truffle he had found with the help of his best buddy, Labrador.

"Hell, you're almost as good as a pig, Riley! How did I get so lucky?"
Snoddi was beside himself as he assisted Silenus in cutting the thing up.

Left to the elements, fungisometimes go bad. Runni was delighted by what she saw.

She watched as their caps became inkier.

********************************

...back at the sanitarium...
Stallion requested a private room, with a view.

Rhodes & Desiree had discovered themselves, unable to get in.

"What the hell are we gonna do now?" Rhodes whinnied.

"My bro', you can really be unreal when you're not trying." Desiree looked around.

Silenus, Snoddi and Runni, gamboled down to the creek to wash up a bit before dinner.

"The last time I felt so delicious was well into my last life," Silenus said.

"I feel beautiful, too," said Snoddi.

Runni glowed.

Rhodes and Desiree decided to join up with their pen-pals on Saturn for a spell.

Rhodes became quickly disaffected. Desiree reminded him: "Look at the lights & the colors, my brother!"

"I want to drive." Rhodes announced.

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...iac_LeMans.jpg

"I don't know if Stallion will be comfortable in the backseat. We could rent a convertible." said Desiree.

Stallion overheard & opined:

"Kids, I'm a time-traveller, & more horse than any of those things have ever dreamed of being."

"Hop aboard, kids. I need to make a brief stop at Mars, first,
I hope you are up for it." said Stallion

"Why, what's on Mars?" Rhodes whined.

"Go to sleep now." answered Stallion.

Desiree was already dreaming. Rhodes soon followed.

Feeling that familiar, awakened sensation, Rhodes decided to call his mysterious lover, only to discover that Mars has no cell phone service.

Desiree was still able to say,
"I like it here. It's quiet."

Stallion set the Scrabble game before the twins and told them he would be
back in a few whiles.

"How long is a while on Mars?" Desiree asked.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." Rhodes sighed.

They sat down to play.

Drawing their tiles, they realized it would be a dead heat. Just sitting there, thay'd become exhausted.

Their dreams were very strange.

"We are on Mars now, so having all vowels is a good thing, right?" asked Desiree

Rhodes said, "No, my sister. Words are spelled the same here. Do it delicately, & as if you mean it."

"Okay then." Desiree huffed. She laid down the word, Euouae.

She reached inside the satchel for more letters, while chanting:

"You owe me, you owe me, you owe me."

"I know I owe you, sis. Why do I feel like I made a mistake?"
"Bro! Don't be so hard on youself."
"I wouldn't, but I can't help it."

...........................................................................

Silenus was watching Snoddi and Runni, as they slept.

He chuckled silently, while rummaging through his feather collection.

He pulled out a big, yellow one.

Those exhausted slept on, so he smiled again while thinking, "This one will get them good!"

Snoddi's amply carpeted hind-quarters, glistened russet in the sunlight.

Silenus whistled softly.

"C'mere."

Runni's stirrings momentarily awoke Snoddi.

Snoddi flipped his pillow over in search of the cool side.

Runni lay facing the wall, grinning broadly.

Silenus wove himself further, inside their dreamings.

Stallion felt the disturbance.

"Kids, we've got to go," he said, "Sorry to imterrupt your game."

Stallion had lost track of his brother, Silenus, many moons ago.

He spoke to the stars:

"I recognize his methodical giggle."

Rhodes and Desiree remained silent.

Swept in from out of the modnight blue, they were a little short of breath.

"Don't worry," Stallion counseled, "but don't look, either. They're right over there."

Oh, they looked. Stallion knew they would.

"They are positively blitheful!" Desiree screeched.

"I dunno sis, they appear rather stuporious, to me." Rhodes countered.

"Is that a word even?" she retorted.

"It is now, sis."

"ENOUGH." Stallion snorted. He turned towards Desiree and said:

"Desiree, gather your belongings and your wits. It's time for your Maidenhood Voyage."

Rhodes attended to the three coffee-pots.



"

Desiree was excited.

Rhodes was a little disappointed that he couldn't remember why he had three coffee pots going at the same time.

Runni & Snoddi were drooling, distracted, as the satyr enjoyed their writhings.

Stallion imitated the Terminator:
"I'll be back."