Chapter 14 Anna Marie, Teacher, Interpreter, Muse

Blue watched as Anna Marie danced, his mind slipping in and out of a dream state, a timeless euphoria where sight, sound, memory and perception swirled together like the marbled ingredients of a most deliciously decadent dessert. Images flashed through his mind, feeling so real but for the moment intangible. Anna Marie could see that Blue was "traveling" as she would later define it to him. She continued to dance around him, allowing him to ride along upon her movement. Blue recognized that Anna Marie was working with him, in this very moment, she was his guide, while at the same time his instructor, she wanted something from him. So he began, once again, to paint. At the precise moment that he felt as if he could produce an image which might capture the energy of the moment, the sweeping curve of the brush, the liquidity of the fluid medium responding to his direction while he responded to the direction of a source he could not define, he looked up and Anna Marie was gone, leaving him with his inspiration. This is the painting he produced.

Chapter 14 Continued 5 Anna Marie Returns cont

Anna Marie reached out for Blue's hand, she turned it over within her own and gently pulled his fingers open so his palm was open to the sky. He half expected a flower to appear, but there was nothing, just an empty palm. She gently brushed the open palm with the backs of her fingertips in a sweeping motion and guided her hand to the sky, as she did she echoed the motion with her other hand so she was fully extended as if showing Blue all there was above him. He followed the motion upward and his thoughts followed his eyes. Anna Marie was telling him that his hands had the power to open up and free the energy, not hers. She leaned in close to him and smiled, letting him know that it was absolutely fine with her. As she did, she stretched across him to look at the other painting. Blue reached for it and quickly slid it toward the end of the table attempting to hide it but she caught his arm. This made two feelings well up within him instantly, shame and admiration. He was ashamed because the dancer he had painted, which he had convinced himself was Anna Marie probably wasn't and he was struck with admiration for her because she had stopped him from hiding the painting, not by slamming her hand down on the paper it was painted on, as so many unaware individuals might, but by stopping his arm, allowing him to control the paper so it did not get damaged in any way. The odd thing about Blue was that he loved mixing up all sorts of media that weren't necessarily compatible but he loathed when someone dented his drawing or watercolor paper by mishandling it. Overwhelmed by the feeling of assurance this conveyed to him, he presented Anna Marie with "Cosmic Dancer".

She absolutely beamed. Immediately she sprang into the air as if she had been launched like and arrow from the string of a bow. She landed on the other side of the table, balancing perfectly on the very tips of her toes, as slowly, gracefully she bent the single supporting leg, her trailing leg, fully extended at first, sliding smoothly along as she drew it forward etching an unbelievably straight and even line in the sandy dirt using the very tip of the longest toe of her other foot. Her arms were both slightly raised above her head, her hands reaching, backward at first, then slowly, steadily forward as she stepped into the lunge. She was the Cosmic Dancer!

Chapter 14 Continued 5 Anna Marie Returns

Blue had just set aside "Cosmic Dancer" to allow it to dry and was picking up "Light Wizards" when Anna Marie walked silently up behind him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, very gently so she wouldn't startle him. He was so completely absorbed in his thoughts that he barely acknowledged her. She slid gracefully into the empty seat beside him, joining him in the search for meaning within the painting.

"I think this represents me." He said, pointing to the character on the right half of the paper. " I think that I am channelling some kind of energy that is more than just light. I tried to paint it with power but didn't want it to seem destructive. I'm not sure why the floating figures are in there, It's like they're not awake, like they're part of the dream but not really important. The other two, I think, are you and Sansaa, he pointed out the remaining two figures respectively. The figure he saw as Anna Marie was  on the lower left and Sansaa was the largest figure in the painting, pictured in the upper left." He smiled at Anna Marie, he felt good that she was going to be able to help him channel the energy of Shedavah. As his eyes met hers he noticed that she was not smiling. She wasn't frowning, but she did seem to be concerned.

Anna Marie pointed to the wizard in the painting which Blue showed her was the one he thought had been her and shook her head, indicating that it was not. Anna Marie was not saddened by this thought at all but she could see that it was important for Blue to feel that he was putting this together for himself; she could also see that he was attracted to her. Anna Marie was accustomed to having men find her attractive. She was also accustomed to having each of them leap to the determination that he would prove to be her savior, the poor mute would at last find love in the arms of her rescuer. Blue didn't strike Anna Marie in quite the same way but it was clear that he had a thing for her.

She had been "in training" for her relationship with Blue for as long as she could remember. Her parents were both killed when a police chase forced her father's car off the road, into a cement abutment, causing her premature birth. The first person on the scene of the crash was a woman by the name of Julianna. before any public service vehicles arrived, before police or firefighters, Julianna delivered the baby before her mother Marie perished from the fatal wounds received in the accident. When authorities did arrive, Julianna and the baby were gone. Knowing full-well that she could never keep the baby if anyone found out, Julianna left her home, her job and her few close friends, saying only that she needed to try something new. When Julianna arrived in the Shadowlands, Mojahdii was sitting all alone on a bicycle. Behind it was a small cart. He bid them welcome and asked Julianna to place all of her belongings in the cart while he held the baby. After she had packed up the cart, he gave her the baby and indicated that she sit on the small wooden bench style seat at the very front of the cart. Already there was a soft blanket in which to wrap the newborn. After a short ride down a winding path, Mojahdii stopped the bicycle, got off and began to unload all of the belongings into a small, neat hut. He said goodnight and told Julianna that he would have to spend one half of one hour with the baby each day until it was time for her to go. That daily visit became the training which would prepare Anna Marie for her work with Onjadiavaan. Both women still reside in that same little hut.

Chapter 14 Continued 5 Watercolor 2

Blue worked quickly to create a painting called "Cosmic Dancer" before Anna Marie came back. He was pretty sure that she was the "woman" in his dreams who always seemed to be wearing a tutu. It really wasn't a tutu and she wasn't really a woman, at least that's how Blue evaluated the dream. He was trying to understand the dream more deeply by painting them without judgment, without evaluating each  brushstroke as he normally did, without measuring every aspect of the content for its appropriateness or potency. He had the idea to make a potato print, something he hadn't done on a painting in a long time, but he was afraid he would be unable to do it since he needed rubber cement or another type of resist to achieve the look he desired. When he looked in the bag he saw three things that surprised him, there was a jar that looked just like a rubber cement jar labelled "Water Resist", a very sharp little knife, just like his exacto knife that he loved to use for carving fine details in things like rubber stamps and potatoes, and a potato. Blue decided to stop being surprised that Anna Marie knew him better than he knew himself. He did wonder, though if it was appropriate to ask a woman from another world for her hand in marriage. Slowly, the thought that it might not be such a good thing to be married to someone who knows him better than he knows himself began to crawl its way across his brain. It settled into the crevices between the fleshy, bumpy, tube-like bits even while his hand created a beautiful representation of the light wizard most likely to be Anna Marie.

Chapter 14 Continued 5 Watercolor

Blue was pretty excited to get the chance to paint as a means of expressing himself in this strange new world. He didn't really care if Tommy was a painter or not. After all, Tommy couldn't do half the stuff Tommy did since Blue was Tommy. What surprised Blue most however, was what came out when he just let the painting happen. He was able to travel right back to one of those places he had been in his dreams. After finishing his first painting, he was so inspired that he quickly started another. This is his first. It depicts the "Light Wizards" as he calls them. From what he can surmise, they conduct energy through their hands. What that means, he plans to explore further with Anna Marie but at the moment, he needs clean water.

A detail of the "Light Wizards Dream 1" painting showing Tommy "conducting". At least Blue is pretty sure it's him or Tommy or Onjadiavaan. He really wishes Anna Marie could just TELL him what's going on. Truthfully though, he knows, by virtue of the changes he has already undergone, that the discovery is his alone to make. Anna Marie and the others can only help him to find the way.

Chapter 14 Continued 4

Blue was feeling pretty confident that something incredible was happening to him that fell somewhere in the category of "Beyond Known Abilities". Whether the "Onjadiavaan and the OmegaLux Crystal - Shedavah" story was the proper explanation for all of the occurrences of late, had yet to be proven within his normally skeptical mind. However, he had been trying to open up to the supernatural, to extend his awareness and willingness to accept and to embrace possibilities no matter how unlikely they seemed. The hard part to him was the bit about channelling all of the energy, serving as a conduit between worlds across undefinable, possibly infinite spaces in realms he had no idea even existed. So when Anna Marie pulled a pad of watercolor paper, some tubes of watercolor paint, several brushes and a small mixing palette from her bag and set it before him on the table he was not only relieved but felt empowered; excited even. When she looked at him with eyes that said, these are for you and I'd like for you to use them, the radio button next to the category of "Known Abilities" was instantly clicked on the manage profile page of his mind. This was how he had begun to think about things because it all seemed too much like virtual reality, like he was caught in an elaborate game. He was having trouble reconciling the fact that the symbol of great energy, oneness and spiritual enlightenment was delivered to him from within a video game. Granted, it was the single most spectacular video game he had ever played with the most believable interface ever conceived, but if the fight with Z could be as convincing as it was, and the crystal materialized from within the game, then why couldn't all of this still be part of a much larger game. Blue began to doubt his grasp on reality until he touched the paper, slightly textured, absorbent, thick enough to not be flimsy thin enough that he was happy that it was on a block so it would not curl.  He touched it for awhile, then did the same with the brushes, moistening the finer ones with his lips and tongue, surveying the fineness of their tips. The gentle touch of Anna Marie's hand upon his arm sealed the deal that this was real.

She looked at him with great seriousness and determination in her eyes, pointing to him, then to the paper. She made a gesture like she was holding a brush and sweeping it across the paper. Blue's eyes followed her hands as they came together like praying hands which she gracefully turned and slid under her cheek as if laying her head upon a pillow. Then, with her head, still tilted sideways, her eyes closed, she peeked one eye open and pointed gently with both forefingers directly at Blue's head. Closing her eyes again fully she motioned toward her own head whisking her fingers around her head as if little puffs of thought, dreams were floating out of here mind. Balling her hands around the very puffs she had articulated with her fingers, she seemed to capture them, pulling them down toward the table, dumping them out upon the pad of paper as she opened her eyes to see if Tommy had understood her pantomime.

"You want me to paint my dreams?" he asked. She smiled in response. "All of them?" he continued. She shrugged in response as if to say that it was up to him how much he painted. "Are you going to stay with me?" he asked. She shook her head no as she rose from the table and turned to leave. As she did, he asked. "How do you know I can paint? I might need your help." Anna Marie turned back toward him and shook her finger in mock disapproval as she turned away again, smiling.. "Oh, I should have guessed, you know a lot about me. Please, do me a favor, when I get to the point where I know as much about myself as you know about me, will you let me know?" Blue said half-jokingly. Anna Marie smiled and curtsied, then turning like a ballerina, she left Blue to paint his dreams.

Chapter 14 Continued 3

"Where do we start," Tommy asked as Vinny poured him a second cup of coffee.

Anna Marie picked up the stone from the center of the circle and placed it in the middle of the table, then she scooped all of the remaining stones into the bag she had taken them from, leaving only the stone representing Tommy sitting all by itself at the center of the table. She then reached back into the bag and pulled out another stone which she held to her breast and paused, indicating that the stone she now held represented herself. She placed that stone next to his stone and smiled. Sansaa stood up and walking over to Vinny and said, "I have never been told quite so eloquently that it was time for me to leave." Vinny smiled in agreement but Targent lingered. He looked longingly at Tommy and Anna Marie as if he needed to stay with them, not quite understanding the exclusivity of Anna Marie's gesture. Vinny reached out his strong right hand and with little effort pulled Targent gently backward, away with the table, down the path which led to the commons. Targent quickly realized that he had no choice but to accompany them and turned to join them voluntarily. He followed behind them, meandering slightly as they went, like a little red wagon being drawn on a rope behind a bicycle; whenever they stopped he continued past, always turning back toward them as if tethered. Eventually, the three of them reached the commons.

Nearly everyone who lived within the Shadowlands had gathered in the commons. It was an area the size of a large arena bordered almost entirely by a rise in elevation varying in height around the perimeter, as if some large meteor had punched a hole in the ground, a crater filled with wild grasses and lush ground cover like creeping charlie and clover but different, beautiful and soft. All at once, the eyes of every person assembled there turned to greet the trio, expectantly. They were clearly waiting for Tommy, nearly half of them quickly returned to their conversations but to Vinny's great surprise, the other half continued to stare. Not only did they stare but they seemed genuinely enthusiastic to greet him! He knew many of them, but now that he was the brother of "Onjadiavaan", he had become something of a celebrity. Vinny kind of liked that. He didn't really have to do anything like conduct the energy of the universe through a crystal but he was looked upon with a certain measure of admiration, after all, he had brought "Onjadiavaan" to them. Beginning with his arrival in the commons, Vinny had a story to tell. The first time he told it, it wasn't really that well done. He left a few details out that really made the story. Even the second and third time were lackluster compared to the fourth and fifth but eventually he became one of the greatest storytellers ever to visit the Shadowlands. And why not, for he was telling one of the greatest stories ever told, the story of "Onjadiavaan and the OmegaLux Crystal - Shedavah".

Chapter 14 Continued 2

Blue had dreams, wild dreams incredible dreams; Glurp didn't show up in any of them. He dreamt all night in extreme detail. He saw things he had never seen and travelled to places he had never been and everything was full of light. When he awoke he was all alone in the tent but the smell of coffee hung so close he could taste it. Sunlight streamed into the tent and bathed his face. When his eyes had adjusted, he could see the burly silhouette of Vinny sitting with what appeared to be two women and a lanky bouncing monkey. As he peeked his head out from the tent he could see more clearly that the women were Sansaa and Anna Marie and the monkey was Targent.

"Good morning sunshine," Vinny laughed as he leaned toward Tommy his extended hand offering a piping hot cup of coffee. "We've been waiting for you to rise from the sleep of the dead, but I guess that you've been there done that!"

Blue laughed as he took the coffee from Vinny,"You're right, and I could have kept sleeping and avoided this whole Shedavah situation entirely!" Blue looked around the table to see that no one but he realized he was joking. "Seriously though," he quickly added,"I'm very happy to be alive but I feel terrible about losing Shedavah." Anna Marie shook her head and calmly smiled, placing a hand on his knee as he sat next to her. Targent stopped jumping and Sansaa stood up to walk around Vinny and sit closer to Tommy.

"You haven't lost Shedavah, Tommy. You have transformed Shedavah." Sansaa smiled warmly, letting Blue know that there was no reason to be concerned that he was guilty of any wrong-doing.

Targent climbed down from the rock he was perched on and sat at the table. Although he had been in the Shadowlands and was learning about Shedavah, he knew nothing of the transformation. His silly antics came to a hault as he learned of it. He was eager to know more and Blue noticed a difference in his eyes, focused and hungry.

Sansaa continued, "I am not the one to teach you," her eyes falling upon Anna Marie, "but now is the time for you to learn how to summon to energy of Shedavah, guide it, radiate it as only you, the discoverer of the crystal can. Mojahdii has been training all of us to find the crystal, or so we were led to believe, but a few of us have always known that we would not be capable. The discoverer is not only important in bringing the crystal into its physical form but also in transforming it , conducting it into its next phase, for Shedavah is a living thing, a developing state of being, existing in the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic states simultaneously across many worlds, confined by none yet inextricably linked to all. Even Mojahdii himself does not know what lies beyond the oneness of Shedavah though he has been to other worlds. Even Mojahdii could not conduct the energy of Shedavah in the manner in which it must be done because he was not not the discoverer, only the preparer, "Koshvallah". "Onjadiavaan" is the only one capable of fulfilling the connection of Shedavah to our world. The discoverer, "Onjadiavaan", is you Tommy."

Vinny grabbed onto his own face as if checking to see that it was firmly attached to his head, squeezing his thumb and fingers into his eye sockets like the pressure would somehow enable him to comprehend what he had just heard. His large hand slid further down his face pulling his mouth down, opening it slightly releasing a small,"uh". Quietly, as if holding back the urge to shout out WHAT  IN THE BASTIN' FARBUNKLE ARE YOU TALKIN' ABOUT he said, "Sansaa, I'm sorry but are you saying that my brother is some sort of holy man or something?"

Seeing the difficulty Vinny was having processing the information Sansaa tried to deliver the message in a slightly different fashion. "No Vinny, Tommy is neither holy or unholy." Vinny eased back in his chair a bit. "You see, truthfully, Shedavah is neither holy or unholy. Shedavah simply is, through all that is, in all that is." Vinny's face looked as though someone had opened a little door in the top of his head and dropped about a dozen ice cubes inside. Tommy on the other hand sat and looked at Sansaa as if nothing could have made more sense. Blue was thinking of the words "all that is", remembering them from the starcruizer.

Tommy got up from his chair and stood behind Vinny, placing his hands on his shoulders to comfort him in some way,"Well, I guess that explains everything, doesn't it?" He circled the table until he was looking back across it directly at Sansaa and leaning forward asked,"well if it's all up to me, why did Mojahdii make all of you waste your time looking for the crystal?"

During this entire conversation, Anna Marie had been silently arranging small stones on the table. Everyone was so interested in the words that were shared that even Sansaa had not noticed what Anna Marie was creating. Anna Marie stopped, reached her arms straight out, palms down, then opened them upward and outward, inviting all to look at her creation. There, on the table was a perfect circle , concentric rings of stones surrounding a single stone in the center. She pointed to the center stone and then to Tommy. Then with her other hand she traced the rings of the concentric circles and motioned similarly to everyone else at the table.

Sansaa said,"We are all here to help you." She looked to Vinny to guage his reaction. Tears were welling up in the big man's eyes as if he had just experienced a revelation. He stood up to his full height and gave Tommy the bear-hug of his life. Targent bounced up and down as if he had just been released from a cage and Sansaa and Anna Marie smiled with satisfaction.

When Vinny had set him down, Tommy spoke,"Well, this should be a rather interesting day, I think I might want another cup of coffee!" Everyone laughed.

Chapter 14 Continued 1

"Tommy, I really had no idea what you were onto when you got the crystal. Sansaa has been telling me a little bit more about Shedavah.  I had never really paid much attention to it. I mean, I figured it was just the spiritual stuff she was into but had nothing to do with me, but damn it Tommy, the crystal! First, my team had tried, over and over again to get the crystal and you get it the first time you go after it, pulling it out of thin air, then I bring you here and it turns out to be something supernatural that they have all been waiting for. Then, you pull the bastin' thing out of your pocket to show everybody and it turns into the light of Farb then disappears, what the Varst was that!" Vinny started talking so fast that Blue just listened. "Bastin' Farbunkle, Tommy, the crystal is almost like Farb to these people. Sansaa said that they believe that Shedavah is Farb and the crystal is Shedavah and that you are Shedavah. Oh and guess who else is Shedavah, three guesses and the first two don't count, that's right, me! Yep, every Farb-damned one of us is Shedavah, to a degree. You just happen to be right up there with Farb and Mojahdii right now. Of course, Sansaa keeps saying it isn't like that, none of us is better than the other , we all have our own part to play and we are all important in our own ways. Beezle, Tommy, you're it. All I know is, this isn't going to be the place to get away from it all. I'm really sorry about this, little bro'."

Blue was happy that all of Vinny's excitement led to an apology because he really didn't want Vinny to be pissed off or hurt about the whole crystal thing. Still, Blue was starting to feel like he had a fair idea of what had to happen next, he only hoped he could pull it off. He had to discover whether he was Quanjii or not, restore the crystal to the people of the Shadowlands and get Leer and himself back to Earth, America, and apple pie. "I know you were trying to help, Vinny," he said, "but I had no idea the crystal was Shedavah either. We've got to stay here until we figure out why I ended up with the crystal. What I want to know now is, where do I sleep."

"You and me, a nice big tent and nothin' but stars bro'." Vinny smiled as he patted Blue on the back. "I would have set it up myself but the whole thing is in one big bundle and I just didn't feel like moving it out of the shed all by myself. Besides, I think I just saved you from a night in the stinky hut. Targent is one of those incense guys, you'd be lucky if you were able to breathe in there let alone sleep!"

"Thanks Vinny," Tommy responded as the two men rounded the corner of the shed. Inside they found a large bundled tent, lifting it was clearly the work of two men with large supports and a thick, canvas-like fabric all tied together. Vinny positioned himself at one end and indicated to Tommy that he should take the other side. Together they lifted the large load and made their way out of the shed.

There was a large hill with an open field at its summit about a half of a mile away. There was a rather nasty little obstacle between the field and the shed, a dried up riverbed ran through the projected path and there was no way around it. The land just dropped off, down into the dried up bed and then rose straight up the other side. "There's an area over here that is just a little more gradual," said Vinny, "we should make our descent there."

The two of them walked another fifty yards or so and reached the spot, the load was getting heavier but was manageable. Vinny walked ahead, with the bundle on his right shoulder while Tommy had the rear, the bundle on the same shoulder. Vinny hoisted the bundle up into both hands, slightly over his head, and Tommy followed his lead. They began inching their way down carefully. All was going smoothly until Vinny's footing suddenly went out from under him as the ground just crumbled. the action of the fall made his hands fly up, launching his end of the bundle up in the air. He lost control and fell backward, his head hitting the ground where his feet had been a moment earlier, his end of the bundle speeding its way back down toward his face.

Inches from his nose, the bundle froze in mid-air. In the split-second it took Vinny to fall, Tommy reacted, quickly changing his grip, he reached out and held onto a pole, tied toward the outside of the bundle. One hand reached out toward the center of the bundle while the other firmly held his end. No one should have been able to do that, it was superhuman. Tommy remained standing in that position, smiling, long enough for Vinny to move out from below the weighty hazard, then he eased the bundle to the ground.

"Beezle, bro, you are bastin' amazing!" Vinny said, totally relieved that his face was still in one piece. The rest of the walk was uneventful. Tommy's speed in assembling the tent structure was no less astounding and he and Vinny were resting peacefully moments later. "You know, Sansaa said that you would get the crystal back soon, and I gotta say, I believe it. With what I saw tonight, I believe you could do just about anything" Vinny oozed with pride over his brother's newfound powers.

"Yeah, Vinny, something wild definitely happened on the night I came back, I just have to try to learn what it's all about. I'm glad you're here to help me." Tommy said as he stretched out completely on his sleeping back.

Me too, Tommy, me too," Vinny answered as he extinguished the lantern they had between them, "Goodnight little brother."

"Goodnight Vinny"

Chapter 14

"You can stay in my hut until you get your own," Targent offered eagerly. Blue had no idea what he was going to do while in the Shadowlands but it seemed like everyone else did. He really just wanted to avoid whatever Tommy was mixed up in but now he had become the central figure in a much bigger story. Too many people were interested in him for the Shadowlands to be any kind of retreat for him. Still, he wanted to kick back with Vinny. He wondered how much of a commitment his new brother was going to make to spending time together when he had Sansaa to entertain and delight him, and what about Anna Marie? Even though he had just met her, he felt as though she was essential to his well-being on this surprising new world. Blue had very little desire to spend the night in Targent's hut but he didn't know what else to do. "So, are you ready to go?" Targent urged.

Blue was about to acquiesce when Vinny showed up at the river. "Tommy, what's with the whole "free in the breeze" look you got goin' there, this isn't a nudist colony!"

Blue looked over at Targent who just stood there, naked and smiling, not even acknowledging that he did anything at all. Vinny's eyes followed Blue's,"Oh, I get it...Targent. You can't do what Targent does. He doesn't seem to have much of an understanding of what we might consider to be social norms, next time, you'd better ask me. At least nobody saw you, some of the people here are really reserved when it comes to certain things, nudity would definitely fall into the category of certain things. Anyway, you should come with me now, I need your help setting up the tent."

With those words, Targent slunked his shoulders and hung his head. He walked slowly out of the water and stood motionless, dripping on his clothes. Blue, noticing his sadness attempted to comfort him. "I want to get some time with my brother, Targent, but I really like your soap stone, thanks a lot!" Targent looked up with a smile and put his hands on his hips, proud that he could help Tommy. Blue could see as he looked at Targent how nobody would really care whether he was naked or not. It was more like looking at a living creature than a man. It was quite different looking at Targent naked than looking at Tommy naked. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Tommy said as both he and Targent put their clothes back on. Targent turned on his heels and sort of skipped away saying goodbye to Tommy, apparently content with being the provider of good soap.

"Just be glad the first thing Targent did with you was go swimming, it could have been a lot worse. Think long and hard before you try eating anything that he may suggest and as many times as he may tell you otherwise, the people of the Shadowlands do not relieve themselves wherever they feel like it then build little villages from the result." Vinny warned Blue as the two men walked in the opposite direction of Tommy's new friend.

Chapter 13 Dumb Love Smart Comebacks7

"Wow! You two are a couple already. I knew it. I told myself, Targent, you might as well give up on pretty miss Anna Marie, the moment I saw you, Tommy. But that don't mean we can't be friends, you and me, heck all the more reason, we're sweet on the same girl. Don't worry though, I know you two are goin' steady, so I won't get in the way." Targent spewed at Anna Marie and Tommy who released each others hands as Targent spoke.

"We, ah, well I, uh, We aren't a couple," Tommy answered hesitantly, eying Anna Marie to gauge her reaction as he said it. She smiled at him in a way that let him know that she understood everything about the way he was feeling. He had no doubt that she could see inside his heart, right down to his soul. "I think we can all be friends, Targent," Tommy added "as a matter of fact, friend, I could use your help right now. What do I do next, have you seen Vinny, any idea what happened to Mojahdii and just who is he, some kind of teacher or leader, is this a cult, a commune, a co-op, rehab or just a nice place to hang out and look at mountains?"

With this, Anna Marie gently took the shoulder of each man and turned them away from her in the direction of the river. "I think she's telling both of us we need a bath! Targent laughed and patted Tommy on the shoulder. He turned to look over his shoulder to see Anna Marie bounding away gracefully, her long hair blowing n the breeze as she waved happily at the new friends.

A few steps from the river, Targent stopped and began to take off his clothes. Blue thought he was joking around until he began striding freely and confidently to the water's edge. The river was not very wide and Targent was now standing directly across from two women who were washing a large bowl and a pitcher, both of which appeared to be handmade from clay. They were brightly colored yet slightly rough looking and the women cradled them carefully as they cleaned them. "Those are very beautiful," Targent remarked.

The women looked up from their work and said "Thank you, Targent" without the slightest surprise or shock at his nakedness.

"Did you make those today?" he asked as he stepped into the water.

"Yesterday," they said in unison. The older one asked, "who's your friend?"

"That's Tommy," Targent replied.

"Well of course it is," the older one continued, "he's the only new guy here. Hey Tommy," she called out, "why don't you take off your clothes and have a little swim, maybe we can help you find the crystal!"

Blue could tell that this was going to be an interesting visit to the Shadowlands. Still, the water looked inviting and it seemed like people in the Shadowlands had no trouble at all with nudity. Blue carefully placed his bundle on a nearby rock, took of his clothes and walked into the water. The women watched him walk the entire way into the water. He felt as though they were paying a little closer attention to him than they had to Targent. They whispered to one another, giggling slightly, then ran from the water's edge.

"What do you have for soap?" Blue asked half-jokingly.

To his surprise, Targent disappeared under the water for what seemed like minutes. When he popped back up again, he was holding a stone, about the size of a baseball. he tossed it to Tommy. "Go ahead,"he urged, pantomiming the action of lathering up his armpit, then he laughed and splashed like a little boy.

Blue tried using the stone like soap. To his great surprise, it lathered as well as any soap he had ever used.

Chapter 13 Dumb Love Smart Comebacks6

"Magic, it had to be some kind of magic. How else could it have just disappeared. Am I right? Is this all about some sort of magic," he thought to himself for a moment then continued," no, magic is too childish, too much of an illusion. This disappearance was no illusion. It simply vanished, there and then gone, no mirrors, no puffs of smoke, no beautiful woman to distract attention. Wait, what about you, he said pointing to her, it all happened shortly after you left the room!" Blue was not really implying that Anna Marie had anything at all to do with the disappearance of the crystal but he was so overcome with nervousness at her presence. A nervousness compounded by her silence. Still, it only took Blue a few moments with her to recognize that she did speak. Her reaction to his compliment, however shrouded in paranoiac hypothesis could have been recognized by a teenage boy half-way through a tweet delivered via Droid urgently attempting to LOL over OMG knows WTF, and Blue was instantly calmed by her blush and a smile that told him that she liked to hear him say that he found her beautiful, the true difference between magic and illusion.

Without a word, and despite his carrying on, she told him of the energy which flows between us all. Through a poetic dance of movement, she told the story, the small items she gleaned from the earth, characters in her silent play. Her hands like the wind which, over time, moves deserts and whips up the waves of the sea stirred in Blue a feeling both past and present, understanding, expectant and ultimately peaceful.

"Azure and Blue, together so quickly." Blue heard a voice whisper. He looked around to see that, as he had expected, Mojahdii had left him alone with Anna Marie. But she could not have spoken. He looked deeply into Anna Marie's eyes. She returned his gaze,"I didn't need to." Blue heard the voice more clearly now.

"Are you speaking to me telepathically?" Blue asked Anna Marie. This time her smile masqueraded a sadness both palpable and painful to Blue. Exasperated, he slumped forward, his eyes closed, his head in his hands.

"Trying too hard again with the ladies, eh Blue? Allow me!" a voice said closely into his ear as he felt a hand pull his shoulder back and there he was, Glurp, sliding in between Blue and Anna Marie.

"NO!", barked Blue who swatted at the air like he was surrounded by a thousand bees, each one mercilessly diving for his flesh. But there were no bees and there was no Glurp, only Anna Marie who sat, smiling peacefully, gently tying together the flowers and plants she had brought into the hut of Mojahdii.

She calmy reached out and took Blue's hand, gently opening it. Into his open palm, she placed the bundled offering with a warm expression which told him that he had been through enough for one day and that he should take her gift with him to ponder at a later time.

He wanted to kiss her, to thank her for the gift, to thank her for everything, but he realized that he had not received everything yet. How far he had to go, he did not know but of one thing he was certain, Anna Marie was going to help him get there. As he closed his hand around the bundle his sense of calm returned. Anna Marie took his other hand and led him through the hut and out into the night air.

Chapter 13 Dumb Love Smart Comebacks5

Max walked out of the elevator past two burly goons who didn't look particularly happy to see her or Victor. She headed toward an archway which led to a larger room, in which presumably she would find Sal. Leer was just a couple of steps behind her when a large chunk of the floor above him came crashing down directly on his face, at least that's what it felt like. Still it felt enough like a fist for Leer to realize that he was going to receive a beating at the hands of the goons. In the fraction of a moment that it took him to come to this realization, he reacted. With the weight of his body pulling him toward the floor in the direction of goon number two, he was an easy target for the club hand of goon number two who took it upon himself to deliver a more powerful blow than goon number one. As he beared down upon Victor's face with everything he had he was suddenly assisted, guided forward by an unexpected aide, Leer himself, who quickly caught the hand of his assailant, wrapping his own hands around the hand of the goon and leaning his entire body into the blow, thereby rolling himself up and over the back of the stunned behemoth. Before goon number two could understand what had just happened, Leer delivered a backward kick directly into the back of the knee of his would-be assailant, snapping it hard, forcing the giant to his knees. Attacker number one was already stepping into his second punch with a good line on Victor's face when Leer dropped down, folding at the knees, arching his back fully as he echoed the catch of the fist from a slightly different angle, turning goon one toward goon two while forcing his own right forearm up over the left of number one. As he did this he channelled his bodyweight directly into the twist, using his elbow to push down upon the back of the elbow of his assailant's left jab. This served two purposes, he broke goon one's arm and landed him directly on top of goon two. Both men lay groaning on the floor as Leer spun on his heels to face the sound of applause which suddenly rang from the archway.

Sal lorenzo stood smiling and clapping before him with a stunned Max by his side. She turned toward Sal and snapped,"Daddy!", a look of consternation and disapproval, tempered by the understanding that the attack was over moved across her face as she continued,"Why in Farb's name would you do such a thing?"

"I didn't," he chuckled,"they did," he smiled, motioning to the wounded men on the floor.

"Hello Sal," Leer said, more than just a little distainfully as he ripped his own shirt off his back and worked to fashion a sling for the arm of goon one who was clearly under orders and knowing that the fight was over was ready to assume his rightful place in the chain of command, which by all indications was , Sal, Victor, Max, then everybody else. "I don't think this was about being a little late", Victor continued as he skillfully pulled the leg of number two in just the right way to noticably ease his painful grimmace.

"You are absolutely correct Victor, do forgive me but I couldn't stop myself from indulging in a little test of your testicles!" Sal jauntily responded,"You see, I was a little worried that perhaps you were weakened by the whole death thing and that was why you didn't kill Tommy Levito a second time when you had the opportunity. Now that I know that you can still handle yourself with a certain measure of skill, I can only conclude that you have a good reason to leave Levito alive despite the fact that he is now in possession of MY JumpJuice!"

Leer was feeling exceedingly confident at this point. He had bested two formidable opponents quite handily. He had a great deal of respect for Victor's body after it performed so well. Leer had the experience of fighting in a great many different bodies but there was no way of knowing what the body you were in could do until you actually had to use it. Leer was pretty sure that he could kill Sal without too much trouble if he had to, whether Sall was armed or not, though he had no intention of doing so. Instead, he simply responded. "Tommy Levito doesn't have your JumpJuice."

Chapter 13 Dumb Love Smart Comebacks4

"Hello, Ms. Lorenzo, Mr. Alonso," the large man with the peanut allergy said as he opened the door for them.

"Hey there, Cedric," Max quickly and energetically responded as she breezed by him, light as a feather. the tall, burly man smiled in a way that told Leer that this type of greeting was uncommon from Max.

"Thank you, Cedric," Leer said with a smile as he stopped in the opened doorway and turning toward Cedric asking,"and how are you doing today?"

With equal if not greater surprise in his eyes, Cedric responded, "I am fine sir, and you?"

"Just marvelous, for a dead man," Leer responded, knowing full well that Cedric had that very thought on his mind. When he could see that his casual manner had loosened the stone guard he asked," and how is Sal doing today?"

"Mr. Lorenzo is not pleased," the guard replied.

"Pity." Leer responded,"Let's see what can be done about that, any ideas?"

Leer could see by the look in the Cedric's face that it was not his place to have ideas so he reached a hand up to his shoulder and patted it saying,"Don't worry about it, Cedric, leave it to me." The look on Cedric's face was one of relief mixed with confusion. This sort of behavior from Victor was almost certainly unusual but Leer was in the mood to shake things up a bit and playing with Sal's goons seemed to be the perfect place to start. Leer continued through the doorway catching up with Max who was waiting outside an elevator door.

The clubhouse was architecturally average, leading Leer to surmise that Sal was either disinterested, ignorant or both. The other possibility was that Sal wanted to headquarter in an unassuming location so as to not draw attention to himself. He would later learn that Sal had no qualms about being the center of attention and that it was indeed that Sal was clueless when it came to matters of good taste in anything, which would more than explain his fascination with Cleveland. When the elevator arrived, Max entered first and pressed the LL2 button. Nothing happened. In fact, the light didn't even go on. Max stood looking at Leer as if waiting for him to do something. "Well?" she said.

"Very." he replied.

"Funny," she responded. "Oh, I get it," she continued,"you WANT to piss off daddy. You know damn well he's just sitting down there waiting for us. Cedric has already let him know we're on our way. Varst, I wouldn't be surprised if he's watching the damn monitors himself. Fine, I'll do it." Max lifted and waved her hand high in the corner of the elevator car. As she did, a small device projected from the side of the car. It was a retinal scan device which deployed at a level appropriate to her height. She  positioned her eye in the right spot with a nervous hesitation. A second later she groaned and scrunched her face up, placing her hand over her eyes and forehead as if she suddenly got a headache. "You know I hate that feeling, Victor, why did you make me do it?"

"Just wanted to be sure you are who you say you are my dear, after all, you've been acting a little strange lately. Better to not take any unnecessary chances, what with the missing shipment and all." Leer responded, quickly diffusing the situation.

"Ha! I don't know what has gotten into you, Victor, but I really like it. You just better be careful when you talk to Sal, I doubt he's in the mood for comedy." Max warned.

Who said I was joking?" Leer responded, smiling and nudging Max gently.

"Right then," Max surrendered, "it's your funeral."

Chapter 13 Dumb Love Smart Comebacks3

Leer had been in and out of various lives too many times to let conventional morality cloud his judgment when it came to personal pleasure. In fact, he had become so good at allowing himself to experience personal pleasure that he practically exuded optimism which, although she could not define it for herself, was precisely the reason that Max found herself falling for him. As she sped toward her father's clubhouse, she did so with far more confidence than she had in a very long time, feeling that no matter what happened, it was going to be okay as long as she was with Victor. Normally she would have been dreading the meeting, arming herself mentally and emotionally against both Victor and her father. Tonight was different. Tonight, she and Victor were going to see Sal together.

"Don't worry about Sal, Max," Leer said soothingly as he reclined as deeply as he could in the passenger seat of the sporty little coupe that raced its way across the glittering highway at 90 something. "He'll forget all about us being late once we discuss the shipment. How he'll feel about the whole Tommy Levito issue is still a variable, but either way, I think it's safe to assume that any tardiness on our part won't factor too heavily into the equation.

Max felt like Victor could see inside of her very soul, like it was supposed to be when someone really cared for you and this made her nervous in an entirely different way. She decided stop thinking and focus on driving. the coupe shot up to 120, getting them to Sal's in no time.

Leer sat up and surveyed the situation. He quickly opened his door and leaped to the other side, springing over the hood with one hand as if he were a gymnast on a vaulting horse. Before Max knew what was happening, Victor had opened her door and was holding his hand out to her like a gentleman would treat a lady in some fairy tale from her childhood. She reached up and placed her hand in his allowing him to gently guide her up from her seat, in a single motion he took the keys from her other hand and closed the door to the coupe. As he did so, he gestured in the direction of the clubhouse and said, "After you, Max." Although Leer truly is a gentleman, he did not behave in this fashion without purpose. The clubhouse was quite large, with a number of paths leading to a number of different entrances. By allowing Max to lead slightly, he was able to judge which entrance they would normally enter through.

Unaware of any of this, Max nearly curtsied as she walked past Victor saying in her best, flirting, princess-like voice, " Why Victor, a lady could get used to such treatment, I hope these little surprises keep coming." then she turned toward the back of the building, walking directly toward a stone-lined path which seemed to flow over the hillside, leading directly to a lower level patio where the large goon with a peanut allergy stood guard.

Chapter 13 Dumb Love Smart Comebacks2

Max fired up the roadster and launched it from its little nook at the end of the line, shooting past the row of similarly awesome vehicles in Victor's collection. Anybody, even Leer, would be impressed with this line-up of automobiles. He was having the slightest feeling of satisfaction creep over him that he owned all these kick-ass cars until he reminded himself that he had more than likely earned them through criminal if not unsavory means. Ahead of them a door was opening slowly, too slowly he thought for it to open fast enough for them not to crash into it. Suddenly the surface upon which they were driving nearly dropped out from under them and became a ramp, much like those found on large military transport planes. With the drop of the floor and the continued opening of the door, they cleared it just in time, hitting the street at a good eighty miles an hour, if not faster. The dashboard displayed the number 83 but there was no way to know for certain at this point what 83 represented. It could be miles per hour, kilometers per hour or mushrooms per minute, if there even were minutes in the land of JumpJuice, Farb and money, or mushrooms for that matter. "Nice driving!" he said uncontrollably, after all, it was pretty impressive considering the last place he lived no one ever drove anywhere, man or woman, and the place before that, women spent most of there days weaving, baking and pumping out babies. He had forgotten that Victor was ordinarily more likely to complain than compliment.

Fortunately, Max was already getting used to the new Victor. "I think I should let daddy kill you after all, you're so much more agreeable after you've risen from the dead," she joked as she whipped the car around a hairpin turn then slipped nicely in between two large trucks a bus and a van.

"I'd be okay with that Max, as long as I got to do everything we've been doing all over again. Now that would be worth dying for,"Leer knew that Max wanted to hear that Victor felt that way about her and he wasn't sure if Victor actually ever did but the truth of the matter is that he did. Leer was really enjoying himself with Max. He knew that Blue would be working to discover a way back home whether he turned out to be a Quanji or not but that didn't mean that he couldn't at least enjoy himself a little during the process.

Chapter 13 Dumb Love Smart Comebacks

Leer knew that Max was terrified of her father and could guess why. He was undoubtedly the "Boss" whether it was mob, gangs, freedom fighters, unions, foundations or something like the Illuminati didn't matter, Sal was the top dog in the big hotel. He was Brando in real life, or at least this real life and Leer was smart enough to respect that but aware enough of the bigger picture to not give it much credence. So when Max began to rush him out the door, he responded with just enough energy to keep her from panicking that her father was going to kill the man she found herself falling for in a way she had never expected to. "C'mon Victor, I'd better drive, no time for your usual cruise down Market Street to remind the "little people" that Victor is watching." Max said as she brushed by him and gave his ass a little pat just to let him know that she was still feeling good about the way things had been playing out between them.

Victor probably wouldn't have liked that very much but Leer found it endearing. "I'm all worn out," he replied quickly, "so I think I might catch a nap on the way. After all, if I'm going to get killed again, I want to look well rested."

It was just the right sort of reply to put Max at ease and it gave Leer a great way out of driving. Max would normally have to compete with Victor over whose reason made more sense or which vehicle was better suited to the time of day or the weather conditions, but Leer had no way of knowing these things so he didn't pursue them, besides, he had no idea where they were going. When they got to the garage, Leer paused. He had never seen anything quite like it and he had seen a lot. There were three rows of cars with enough room in between each car and spacing in between the rows to accommodate a brisk deployment of any number of them. Max walked her way toward a sleek black coupe that tucked itself down inside a little corner at the end of the furthest row saying, you do not want to drive me, I am far too fast and will be extremely upset with you if you scratch my ridiculously lustrous finish in any way at all. She ran her fingers over its profile with the same sort of stroking attention she had paid to Victor moments earlier.

"On second thought, I think I'll keep me eyes open, I want to watch how you make this baby follow your every command," Victor flirted and Max responded with a kiss which she blew across the roof of the car like she was sending it directly across the lustrous finish, directly to Victor's lips. As they entered the vehicle from either side, they kissed one another passionately across the center console, the stick shift in Max's hand ready to drive. And there was no mistaking, she was going to drive it hard.

Chapter 13 Dumb Love

It was impulsive and she felt like she shouldn't be doing it but she did it anyway. She didn't care about anyone else, she was drawn to him. She allowed herself to dwell on every inch of his body, her sense of smell awakened in a way she associated only with childhood memories, as if noticing something so essential was reserved for that part of life, but her attraction to him seemed to amplify her ability to discern the nuance of his scent. It was basic, almost animal and in a way both surprisingly and indescribably pure. She thought that she would be in trouble for her behavior. Then she thought again, reasoning that, in fact, she was not a child and that she was entitled to this. Time, alone with a man, feeling warmth, passion and security. "Bast him!" she blurted out.

"Bast who?" he asked calmly.

"I'm sick of jumping up and running to his side like a little obedient dog every time my father calls," Max was a whirl of emotion, rationalization and determination all vying for control of her actions. Leer had guessed it was a Sal reference even before he asked but for a moment he thought she might be talking about Tommy. Leer is an amazingly good judge of character and even better at recognizing the clues which people place around to incriminate themselves through body language, facial expression and tone of voice, so it was easy for him to recognize that Max was attracted to Tommy both physically and out of a rebellious streak toward her father which she buried under the violence she perpetrated on his behalf. So it was of no suprize to Leer when the very next thing Max said to him was, "We'd better get going, Victor, or my dad's going to kill you!"

Chapter12 Shadowlanding Tommy and Mojahdii

One by one the men and women who had gathered within the hut of Mojahdii began filing out into the evening air. It was a warm evening with the slightest breeze, just cool enough to make it the perfect night to soothe the disappointment they were all feeling. Even though Mojahdii acted as if they hadn't a care in the world that the crystal had mysteriously vanished, the people were inconsolable. They had been trying to accomplish the very thing that Tommy had accomplished though they looked for the crystal in very different ways. The people of the Shadowlands were many, so these few who had assembled in the hut of Mojahdii were a privileged group, chosen by Mojahdii himself to witness the very event which was now causing them such anguish.

"They will survive," Mojahdii intimated to Tommy as the last of the group left the hut."They will soon come to understand that by helping you with their thoughts, intentions and meditation, they will be a part of what must be, facilitators of the new way, conductors for the great passage." Mojahdii smiled as Blue sat silently listening, acutely interested yet patient. "I realize that you were not looking for Shedavah, Blue, but now that you have it, you must learn to use it." Mojahdii paused, looking deeper into Blue, his eyes telling Blue that it would be proper to ask his next question while letting him know that he did not have to. Blue remained silent. "You are truly the right man for the job, Blue. It was good of you to come so far, you must have great faith in your friend John Tanner. Leer has done well to bring you this far, but even he cannot give you what you need to move forward, but I imagine he has already told you as much." Blue heaved a sigh of disbelief and relief with the same breath, Mojahdii would clearly be able to tell him whether he was a Quanji or not."No, I cannot, Blue," Mojahdii said as he placed a hand on Blue's shoulder,"I am not permitted. Only you can discover whether or not you are Quanji. What I can do is help you to discover the answer, and yes, I will also explain what I mean when I say that you have Shedavah. There is someone coming who will help you first. You may have noticed that she left the hut when I revealed that you were in posession of the crystal. Do not misinterpret her silence for unhappiness, nor her humility for ignorance. She did not need to see the crystal to know that you had Shedavah just as she has no need for speech to teach what you must learn."

At this very moment she entered the hut. She was more beautiful than Blue was able to appreciate at first glance. She entered with a slight bow and held a small bundle of freshly picked herbs, leaves, grasses and flowers in her outstretched hands, seemingly from nowhere, Mojahdii produced a uniquely carved wooden tray upon which she set the plants. Blue had only one thought in his mind as he looked at her but he could never tell you what it was, in fact, he was pretty sure that he was able to think of nothing. He did this for several minutes while she slowly fanned the plants out on the board, arranging them very carefully, then looked directly into his eyes.

As Blue became immobilized Mojahdii said softly, "Tommy this is Anna Marie, Anna Marie, this is Tommy." Anna Marie smiled at Tommy then took his hand in hers. In his palm she placed the single blossom of a flower. It was the most brilliant blue flower he had ever seen. Anna Marie gently curled his fingertips around the blossom and held his hand between both of hers as she bowed sweetly to him, then slowly opened his curled fingers and the flower was gone.

Chapter 12 Shadowlanding in the hut of Mojahdii empty-handed

Tommy was absolutely stunned as he felt the weight of the crystal evaporate with its light. The men and women who had assembled in the hut of Mojahdii were speechless, fainting, crying and looking on in disbelief, their faces contorted with mental anguish, their bodies rolling up into little balls or writhing in the agony of despair. Mojahdii stood close to Tommy, smiling, almost laughing as he said,"Shedavah, it truly is, nothing could be more certain, and you have certainly made the right choice to visit us at this time, Thomas Azure Levito. We can all be grateful to your brother, Vincent for guiding you to us at this critical time. There is nothing that occurs without purpose just as surely as there is nothing that lives without love." The old man's eyes telling Blue, once again, that he knew his true identity perhaps even better than he knew himself.

"But it's gone!" Targent cried out in desperation.

"No, Targent, not gone," Mojahdii consoled the young follower,"simply not visible."

"What do you mean, not visible, when is it going to be visible, I mean we have all been waiting for so long..."Targent began to rant.

"Calm yourself, Targent, I assure you, as long as Tommy is with us, the crystalline form of Shedavah is close at hand, or have you forgotten that Shedavah is always with us, in us, around and through us and that the crystal is only a physical manifestation of the power of Shedavah, made visible only so that our all too simple eyes and minds would be capable of sensing it's wonder?!" Mojahdii was clearly repeating something he had been teaching to all assembled for a number of years, "and Targent, you have only been seeking the crystal through meditation and visualization for a little over a year. Many of your brothers and sisters assembled here have been waiting for the crystal to be revealed for far longer than you, so to all of you I say, please, continue your practice and as you do, focus your energy in a positive, supportive channel directly to Tommy. He needs all of us for the journey which lies ahead.

Chapter12 Shadowlanding in the hut of Mojahdii cont.

"Shedavah, at last my friends," Mojahdii addressed the gathering, brimming with love, happiness and hope. "Here, among us, ours but not ours, solid, physical, while anything but!" he looked with calm upon Blue as he said,"Welcome Tommy. I apologize for the suddenness of our devout attention to you and the crystal. It is presumptuous of me to announce your discovery and perhaps more than a little rude to assume that you might want to share a glimpse of Shedavah with those assembled here but I assure you, there is no better place and no more supportive an environment in which to reveal the treasure you now hold."

Tommy rose to his feet but did not present the crystal. He walked to his brother Vinny and laid a hand on his shoulder. Vinny reached his hand up to squeeze Tommy's, acknowledging the gesture of kinship yet oblivious to the motive. As Vinny's hand touched Tommy's, he pulled his brother up from the floor in a single sweeping movement as effortlessly as lifting a feather. Tommy had always been strong, but Vinny was stronger, until now. Both men looked at one another in surprise, then began to laugh. Mojahdii, Sansaa and a few of the others laughed with the brothers out of sheer amazement and excitement at the unexpected display of power. The rest of the group just sat in awe, silent and waiting.

"I didn't discover Shedavah, we did," Tommy smiled as he held Vinny firmly around the shoulders. I don't know anything about Shedavah or why you all want it so much but I do know that the OmegaLux Crystal was well protected, cleverly hidden and cost many fighters their lives, even if it was just a game. Those who searched for it had a bond, they were joined in a quest and they were betrayed by one of their own. The crystal was nothing but an imaginary prize in a virtual environment within a game. I felt an indescribable sense of knowing. Each new thing that I had to know came to me as I needed it. I had a great teammate in the mission and I got lucky."

"That was not luck, but you are right about your brother, you could not have asked for a better partner in your quest than Vincent. In the brief time that I have had the pleasure of his company, I have grown to appreciate his gentle strength and humility, a rare trait in a man who possesses such physical strength." Mojahdii continued,"Might we all get an opportunity to see the crystal?"

Tommy smiled as he reached into his pocket. he felt the crystal instantly warm in his hands. As he lifted it from his pocket, it began to glow becoming more and more brilliant as he held it higher. When he had reached the full length of his arms, Shedavah glowed so brightly that few could look upon it any longer and suddenly it vanished.

Chapter12 Shadowlanding in the hut of Mojahdii

"I am Mojahdii," the old man introduced himself as Tommy, Vinny, Sansaa and the rest of the people who greeted the brothers filed into the hut. It was just like a scene from Harry Potter, Blue thought as he noticed that all of them fit comfortably into what appeared from the outside to be a rather small hut. As he thought this an incredibly strong flash of knowing passed through him, an understanding, or at least that's what he thought it was. Blue wasn't really raised a Christian because you couldn't call growing up with Frank as being raised, it was more like being bullied through childhood, but Frank claimed that he was a Christian, so Blue was automatically one as well. On one occasion where Blue had to attend a funeral for some family member who was going to leave Frank some money, even though he had never met Frank, Blue sat through a reading about Jesus Christ performing a miracle  where he multiplied a few loaves of bread and some fish so that an entire crowd was fully satisfied. It had stuck in Blue's mind that the story was another myth , tall tale or outright fabrication, but now, in this moment he knew exactly what had happened on that day. It wasn't one thing, it was a few. First, Jesus was a hypnotist. He had the ability to hypnotize very large numbers of people with seemingly little or no effort. Second, there was more food than originally reported because Jesus had already asked those in attendance who had brought food to begin sharing before any of the apostles had a chance to see where the food was coming from and when they actually saw what they thought was the food that was available, it didn't look like much and the reason they couldn't get a proper reading on that situation is that Jesus kept them looking in other directions, constantly diverting their attention and distorting their perception through careful and mindful manipulation. Third, a large number of people in attendance weren't very hungry to begin with. All of this occurred to Blue in the moment it took for Mojahdii to introduce himself and to smile, gesturing to a pillow at Blue's feet, indicating that he should sit. "We are all very pleased to have the opportunity to share a wondrous gift. There are those of us who have studied the symbols of the ancients, while others have explored the mysteries and magic of the elements, still others have trained both mind and body to transcend  what is perceived by most to be the normal, physical limitations of our species. But today, we are joined by this young man who, without knowing how or why, has accomplished what none of us could have done."

Several of the men and women assembled looked on with crestfallen expressions, while many others beamed with a radiant glow of expectation, a few of them began to weep. Sansaa looked at Vinny and glowed with joy as she hugged him. Vinny and Sansaa then turned their attention to Tommy, Vinny whispered softly to Sansaa,"It's the OmegaLux Crystal".

Mojahdii, though far across the room, said,"Ahh, Vinny, you are only partially correct." The rest of the people who had gathered in the room had not heard what Vinny had whispered and wondered at Mojahdii's comment. "Vincent believes that I am talking about the fact that Tommy here has secured the OmegaLux Crystal!" The group gasped in unison. Some leaned slightly away from Tommy while others inched closer. One particularly attractive woman rose to her feet and left the hut. As she did, a very energetic young man with red curly hair bounced across the empty space from which she had risen and slid in next to Tommy, smiling and surveying him closely, trying to imagine where the crystal might be.

"Hi Tommy, I'm Targent," he said, the words popping briskly from his mouth like sparks as he quickly slid his hands under his own rear end, palms down, flat against the ground in a gesture that said that he wanted to be as close to Tommy as possible but he wasn't going to touch him or the crystal because he, though extremely excited and undeniably friendly, knew how to respect people, their privacy and their possessions.

"And Vincent," Mojahdii went on to add,"you are correct, Tommy does have the crystal, only it is NOT the OmegaLux Crystal. It is Shedavah." Judging by the reaction of the people in the room, Blue knew that he was now more than just your average tourist , out for a little Rand R in the Shadowlands, in the eyes of all assembled. Most looked on him with adoration and wonder while a few seemed downright pissed. Targent giggled and bounced on his hands like a little monkey.

Chapter12 Shadowlanding

The ride down to the Shadowlands was quick. Vinny was psyched up, not only to see Sansaa again but also to be bringing Tommy along. Tommy and Sansaa knew one another from before, but they hadn't seen one another since Sansaa had left Vinny. Sansaa had been with Vinny when the brothers would party, but rarely joined in, and never with the JumpJuice. She preferred smoking. The tobacco was more like pot than cigarette tobacco but rarely came in anything but pure, high-grade varieties, nothing dirty or dry and nobody wasted your time with shake. No one bothered. With JumpJuice on the market, pot was basically legal, really cheap and packed a buzz that would kick ass like Diesel or Gravity. However, since Sansaa had joined the community of the Shadowlands, beginning her journey to become a Leocrite, she had abandoned all such activity, seeking pure mindfulness, enlightenment and a totally different form of euphoria.

Upon their arrival, both men were immediately greeted by more than a dozen men and women, among them stood Sansaa. She did not lead nor was she subservient to any around her. They all seemed equally excited at the prospect of guests and most acted as though they knew Vinny, some addressing him by name while others nodded or smiled with friendliness. Vinny smiled in return, bowed his head and made his way to Sansaa whom he kissed rather passionately to Blue's surprise. Even more surprising was the reaction of the others who smiled even more widely, some of them laughing while all applauded as if they were witness to a momentous act. Blue was particularly impressed by the scene because he knew that none of the residents of the Shadowlands had been told of their impending arrival, yet they were clearly waiting as if anticipating his arrival with Vinny. After a long kiss, Vinny stepped back from Sansaa and motioned toward Tommy, presenting him to Sansaa and the group.

"I am very pleased to be joined by my brother." Of course, you know him already Sansaa, but he is a stranger to the rest of you" Vinny suddenly stopped as Sansaa lifted her hand as if to ask for his silence, as an older man, eyes sparkling, smiling a nearly toothless smile stepped forward.

"Have you brought it with you?" He said kindly,"the crystal, Tommy, sorry, of course you have." He corrected himself, nearly laughing at his own behavior."You may need to stay a little longer than you had planned. Excuse me once again, you don't really have time, do you, no, of course you don't, many worlds to explore, people to be, habits to break both yours and others. Still. I am sure you are not in such a hurry that you couldn't do with a cold drink or perhaps a bit of ice cream?" The old man turned and walked toward a small hut made of rocks, branches, mud and something that looked a little like glass but different. As he did, without looking back, he gently urged the men to follow him with the flick of a couple of fingers, over his shoulder.

Blue reached his hand down into his pocket to feel for the crystal. It was there and as he touched it, the warmth flowed through it and up into his arm. He was worried at how much the old man seemed to know.

"Don't be Blue, Tommy," the old man said as they walked closer behind him,"You and Vinny will have a most enjoyable visit and no harm will come to either of you.

Chapter12 Shadowlands

Blue's dreams came on pretty strong the moment he and Vinny got to the Shadowlands. They started as daydreams or visions, Blue couldn't tell which. As they entered the mountains encircling the valley, which gave the Shadowlands their name, Blue saw their peaks catch fire, the blaze, smokeless and uniform as if every flame was the perfect flame. Just as suddenly as the flames had engulfed the mountainous ridge, they disappeared with a flash and from the very places along the ridge from which the fires had issued forth there was light, strange, uneven, spectral light which wavered in intensity though constant and continuous from mountaintop to sky above. An overwhelming feeling of importance accompanied the vision. So strong was the feeling of significance that Blue asked Vinny to take him somewhere. " Vinny, let's go up as high as we can, I want to look out."

"Yeah, Tommy, there's nothing like the view of the Shadowlands from up here, I know just the spot," Vinny proudly exclaimed into the communicator on the VinnCycle.

"No Vinny, sorry, I want to look the other way," Blue quickly requested,"I can't shake this feeling that there's something I'm supposed to see out there!"

"No problem Tommy, we've got all the time in the world. You know I have deep connections with the Leocrites, especially Sansaa!"Vinny was feeling completely at ease and happy, confident that this trip was just what Tommy needed but he had far more personal reasons to be making the journey. he and Sansaa had been lovers for years when she told him that she was going to join the Leocrites. At first it was hard for him to understand. He took it as a judgment against him rather than a necessary, personal step toward her own growth. Her path did include him but was not glued to him. Vinny had become more accustomed to looking at things from a slightly different perspective in recent years and had grown to appreciate the relationship he shared with Sansaa. "Besides," he continued," I've become accustomed to looking at things from a slightly different perspective lately, I'd really like to check out the view from the "other side"!"

When they reached a place where they could survey the vista, there backs to the valley and the rest of the world before them, Blue found a spot to sit. He had recently started practicing yoga before he wound up in Tommy's body, so he wanted to assume the lotus position. Fortunately, Tommy's body was in no shape to perform such tricks, and it's just as well. Seeing Tommy in the lotus position probably would have been just a little too inconsistent for Vinny to ignore. Even so, Vinny gave Blue a quizzical look when he saw Tommy's body, cross-legged, back erect, gazing out at nature, peaceful and serene. "Come here, Vinny," Blue quickly said, before he had to field any questions form Vinny. "What do you see out there?"

Vinny turned to examine the view. He was blown away. It was beautiful beyond his imagination. He had never come this way before and among his friends, he was the only person who seemed to be truly interested in the Shadowlands. "I see land and water for as far as my eyes can see. A beautiful large river, the lake, more mountains, endless beauty. It was a great idea to check out this side, Tommy!"

"Do you see anything else?" Blue asked expectantly.

"What do you mean?" Vinny urged.

How about beams of light. Anything like that?' Tommy continued.

"No", Vinny laughed ,"whatd'ya mean, like the hand of Farb or something?"

"Well, sort of, but not really," Tommy answered,"you see, I DO see beams of light. all around us out there, there are giant beacons of light, heading up the sky right now."

"Tommy, I don't see them. Now that doesn't mean they aren't there, but I can't see them. I wonder if this has anything to do with the crystal?" Vinny said, trying to let Tommy know that he believed him."I think we should run this by Sansaa."

Blue agreed and Tommy and Vinny hopped back on board the VinnCycle.

Chapter 11 All Mixed Up Again the Dreams

"It was just orgasmic. I mean, I can't really describe the feeling any more clearly except that in addition to the feeling of supreme satisfaction there was an airy sort of bliss that ran through my entire being. When I held it, it seemed soft at first, like it was going to slip through my fingers, then it got so hard that I could believe it was doing that, right in my hands!" Blue told Vinny all about the moment he first held the OmegaLux Crystal. It was good to get away from everyone who might want a piece of Tommy Levito and chill with Vinny. blue found that Vinny was just about the coolest cat he had ever met and now he was his brother.

They had decided to get to the Shadowlands without hesitation after the brief encounter with Sal Lorenzo and the boys. The ride was quick, scenic and highly unusual for the Levito brothers. Tommy asked Vinny if he could ride WITHOUT any jumpJuice. This was not a new idea for Vinny who rarely used the stuff unless he was with Tommy but his assumption was that Tommy ALWAYS wanted JumpJuice. When Blue asked Vinny if he could refrain from blasting him with the stuff while on their ride to the Shadowlands, Vinny outright hugged him breathless right there, the moment he asked and said,"Oh brother, you don't know how long I have been waiting for you to ask me that! You're too good for the shit. If you never did that crap again it would be too soon for me. Stupid expression, but you get my point."

Blue did, and he was relieved. He needed time to think clearly about all that was happening to him. there was a lot to learn about being Tommy and much to discover about this new world. Also, the dreams had started again.

Chapter 11 All Mixed Up Again

Leer completely ignored the urgency of the message from Sal. He had no reason to feel the same way about it as Max did, all he could think about was her voice. It even sounded like Catherine's voice. Leer didn't need any stronger indicator that he was on the right path. His sense of calm deepened. "Everything's going to be just fine," he said as he entered the bedroom, walked directly to Max and kissed her. She felt warm, safe and remarkably like she did when she had fantasized about being with Tommy. She was now thoroughly confused, and loving it. "Besides, Sal's after the juice, right?"Victor continued, " and we're trying a little different approach with Tommy." Sal might not like it right away, but I think it will work."

Max felt more than just a little self conscious and guilty that she had just been thinking about Tommy again when Victor said his name on the heels of kissing her. But, he couldn't have known, she was certain of that. Still, it had made her feel slightly deceptive, unfaithful and sexy all at once. It turned her on so much, in fact, that she forgot all about Sal and kissed Victor passionately, grinding into him, feeling him firmly against the place where she holsters her weapon. "You seem to have a knack for resurrection, Victor," Max moaned into his ear as she pulled him down on top of herself in the dark. As she did, her mobile phone buzzed another text from her father. Victor took the cell from her and held it tight against her, sending the vibration to the very spot still pulsing from their love-making. "Oh Victor, that is so wrong," she nearly giggled, throwing the phone over her shoulder and wrapping her legs around him.

Chapter 11 All Mixed Up

"Let's dance," Max cooed into Victor's ear as she slinked her way off of Victor's satisfied flesh.

The chair pulsing Bowie's familiar back beat into his spine causing his satisfied smile to widen into an ecstatic grin."I thought we just did," Victor said as he rose to his feet and took Max into his arms, twirling her as the two of them sang together,"under the moonlight, the serious moonlight," it was the perfect night for getting to know each other. They danced for several songs until Max turned away, excusing herself with a kiss.

Leer fell back into the chair, the songs of Leonard Cohen now gracing the speakers of this magnificently comfortable sound system. Leer had once met Leonard Cohen in a world where a megalomaniac dictator had gained control over all civilization after a bloody war which lasted for decades, nearly eliminating Cohen's entire culture. None of his songs were the same but the voice and the style were unmistakable, unlike Bowie who seemed to be the exact same guy across multiple worlds. When Leer met Cohen it was the only time he ever divulged his secret of traveling between parallel worlds. he wanted to let Leonard know that in another world, terrible things happened to his people but they were able to overcome the hardship of war and persecution. Leonard Cohen didn't seem to be the least bit surprised by any of it. He simply replied, "We all have our parts to play in life, mine, here, is to remind my people of who we are, who we have been and who we can be. Another time and place requires a different song."

Leer thought of these words as he continued to enjoy the post orgasm bliss that temporarily took his mind off of the less than pleasant realities of this latest "mission". For Leer, it has always been about the mission. His path has been defined by what was needed by that which he refers to as "All That Is". Rarely did Leer find himself in a place of ease, physically, that is. His life was constantly in flux, always active and far more adventurous than it would seem possible for one man. Emotionally and spiritually, Leer was quite a different man. He was at peace. He had managed to achieve a connection with all that existed around him. His mind and spirit were one at all times and nothing external to himself could shake that foundation, nothing with the possible exception of Catherine Kent.

Max called to him from within her bedroom, "Victor, daddy's back in town and he wants you at the clubhouse ASAP. It's a text message so I can't tell what he's thinking but it's got something to do with Tommy. Listen to this,"Tell Victor to get to the clubhouse ASAP-What the Varst happened with you and Levito? Never mind," she continued reading," just get there, Now! Sal." Doesn't sound too good, we'd better hurry."Max warned Victor, shifting back to her old frame of mind the moment the daddy bell rang.

Chapter 11 All Mixed Up Alternate Worlds Same Old Song and Dance

Blue didn't know what to say to Vinny. The fact was that Tommy, the real Tommy, had already been lost to Vinny without his knowledge and Blue was beginning to wish that Vinny really was his big brother. There was a warmth to Vinny that, despite his brawn, spoke of a gentleness and kindness which few exemplify, unless you happen to be threatening someone close to him, then my friend, you had better watch out! But Tommy was his brother and Blue, by virtue of being Tommy, had a guardian angel. As long as Vinny thought he was Tommy, no one could touch him without Vinny jumping in with all his might to defend his little brother. Still, Blue felt as though he had done something to hurt Vinny, as if taking over his brothers lifeless body was somehow his own doing. It wasn't. Logically he knew that and comforted himself with that rationale whenever the waves of shame began to wash over him. Besides, there wasn't anything rational about popping up in someones dead brother's body. All of this thinking and feeling shame took time. It left Tommy looking a little like a stunned deer, caught in the headlights' of Vinny's heartfelt sentimentality.

"Hey Tommy, it's okay man." Vinny said as he laughed, "Ground control to Major Tom"

Blue snapped back to what he now knew as reality and laughed hard from Tommy's drop-jawed open mouth. Vinny thought that Tommy was laughing at his clever comment but Blue was nearly in tears as he laughed, both out of relief at the opportunity to laugh in spite of the awkwardness he was feeling over the circumstances and the realization that Bowie existed simultaneously across two disparate parallel universes.

Chapter 11 All Mixed Up Alternate Worlds Primer

Blue was beginning to become accustomed to living as Tommy in this new world and Leer was truly enjoying being with Catherine, Mona, Max. Confusing? yes because neither Blue nor Leer intended to remain in this alternate reality except that they had no way of knowing what they should be doing to get out. Imagine, for a moment what it would be like to have none of the normal indicators we so easily take for granted at your disposal. For example, take away the identity of anyone with whom you are speaking, remove the location and context and see how you feel about the sureness of your footing.

"That was unbelievable, how smooth can you get. I thought I was going to die!"

"You thought you were going to die, what about me? I was just going along with you. You're the one who started off crazy, crazy good. You really got right on top of things the way you took control right from the beginning. I mean, I normally get a little nervous about what might happen even if I just hear Sal's name, but you took all of those fears away. I was able to stand up and deliver, or in this case sit down!"

"Well, no one can resist that creamy goodness, I could guzzle down buckets of the stuff. With or without nuts."

"Farb, I feel like I'm sixteen all over again."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, I haven't felt like this in a very long time, maybe ever! Now that you mention it, you even look different. I can't quite put my finger on it, but somehow you've changed."

"I guess resurrection has its price."

"Funny, you know I mean in a good way, there's something about you that just isn't the same, but I'm getting used to it."

"Maybe I should get myself killed every day."

"Please don't say that, I don't want to lose you again."

This entire conversation took place at the exact same time between two distinct sets of individuals, Tommy and Vinny and Victor and Max. If you really think about it, you can well imagine who said what but this illustrates the flexibility, transmutableness and interconnectedness of our existence. It also exposes its fragility because both Max and Vinny have actually lost the very people they think they are talking to, loving and enjoying the company of.

Chapter 11 All Mixed Up

"Where do you think Sal is right now?" Leer asked Max, knowing that an eventual meeting was unavoidable.

"He's probably still in Cleveland," Max smiled. "You know how he loves Cleveland, besides, he's got a lot of business to look after there. if you know what I mean?"

"Well, not exactly, I mean, what could possibly be going on in Cleveland?" Victor laughed.

"Very funny, Victor," Max replied, you know full well that Cleveland is probably the biggest city for JumpJuice in the country, well, maybe Belfast is bigger, but Cleveland is at least second. Anyway, you're just yankin' my chain aren't you?"

Leer realized that he had made a stupid mistake. It's hard to remain on your toes at all times when it comes to alternate time lines and parallel worlds. Just because beef is beef doesn't mean that Cleveland is Cleveland and Belfast may not even be in Ireland. Actually, there may not even be an Ireland, St. Patrick's Day, leprechauns or even Guinness, perish the thought.

"Oh, I get it," Max continued,"You're still upset about the last time we hit Cleveland and I left you handcuffed to the bed for a whole morning while Zeek hammered the roulette wheel for 30k." Max teased him, her expression triumphant as she climbed into Victor's lap and reached past his head to the backrest of the mind-blowing chair he found himself sitting in. It was like a Porsche and a luxury recliner built into one. Max eased her face closer to his by grinding into his lap, arching her back and leaning in, her triumph turning to a pout as she said, but you had it coming to you, didn't you Vic?!"

If Leer had truly been Victor, he would have recognized this routine and known what to expect. As it was though, he was inwardly praying that he would survive.

"You had to drag me to every strip club, fantasy gift shop and pleasure palace on the strip, while you and the boys ogled and stuffed every G-string and plastic rack in Cleveland!" Max hula-ed her hips and ground down harder onto Leer so the only thing between them was the denim of his trousers and what little she was calling underwear these days. She bent her elbows, snapping in on him like a steel trap closing on a defenseless animal, her breasts tight against his chest, her mouth breathing his exhalations."I thought I made you forget about all those girls Vic, she punctuated with a little more grind, then reached for a remote on the end table adjacent to the chair. "Looks like I'm going to have to try a little harder," she grinned and ground just a little more, pressing a button on the remote and the chair sprang to life. The arms opened forward at the front and speakers rose from within, gliding into place. Music enveloped them as Max danced upon Leer's denim. He still wasn't sure where Cleveland was, but for now, he didn't care.

Chapter 10 Ice Cream with Nuts

As Vinny pulled Tommy up to leave Jen and Barry's, ready for a chance to get away from it all, Blue was thinking that this would be just the right thing, even though he had no idea what the Shadowlands were. That's when Vinny walked straight into a brick wall. Actually it was a well-built, motionless, statue of a man who stood directly between Vinny and the exit doors. When Vinny bumped into him, he remained expressionless, he did not budge.

"Excuse me, " Vinny said politely and gracefully stepped around the man, still pulling Tommy along by the shoulder. Instantly, another two statues appeared from behind the man, blocking the exit of Jen and Barry's Ice Cream Shop, passive aggression in the flesh. The danger was palpable. The men, both larger than the first stood motionless yet resolute. A couple of weeks earlier, Vinny would have known his next move, a quick right with the base of his hand into the face of the guy on the left, sending the cartilage of his nose up into his brain, excruciating pain, or death likely, giving Tommy the opportunity to perform a leaping kick right over Vinny's own outstretched body, to the throat of the other statue, breaking the windpipe, possibly severing the jugular or both, again pain or death. The third guy would be easy, unsure as to which one of them to go for, he would suffer the wrath of both, death. Today, however, things were different. Tommy was different, and Vinny was smart enough to choose another path. "Hello Gentlemen," he smiled as he let go of Tommy's shoulder with a gentle stroke, as if to say keep calm. Blue was not a fighter, so Tommy had no trouble at all following that path.

The fearsome duo swung open like an iron gate and a man no larger than a grade-schooler emerged from between them, smiling and popping whole peanuts, still in the shell, into his mouth. He smiled sardonically, "Well, what do we have here? The walking dead and the next of kin! You know, I always get a kick out of zombie movies. Those damn things move so slowly, yet they always manage to catch up with everyone who runs and hides from them. And the only way to kill them for good is to cut their heads off or to blast them to bits. Well, I am not running, nor am I hiding. So what'll it be? Taking off the heads? or Blasting to bits?

Blue hadn't met Sal Lorenzo yet but it wasn't too hard to figure out that this must be him. This process of identification took him long enough to leave him seemingly speechless, prompting Sal to continue,"What's this? Max never told me that she blasted a hole in your gut AND cut your little tongue out, she's a good girl that Maxie!"

"I'm just a little stunned," Blue countered, making Sal laugh, looking to his minions for the obligatory chorus, but Blue silenced the laughter with a deadpan, "I just had no idea you liked ice cream, and look, you've brought your own peanuts, business must not be so good."

Vinny winced in mock pain and followed with a brilliant idea of his own. "If that's the case, " he smiled as he smoothly fell backward onto a stool at the counter, " let me buy you and your "friends" an ice cream"

The "friends" looked to Sal with indignation but to their surprise he accepted with a grace that said two things. I can play this game as well as anybody and I am not going to kill you today. "Why Vincent, how very diplomatic of you," he accepted as he stepped up and ordered a fudge sundae with extra peanuts, " and three chocolate dipped cones, rolled in nuts for my associates." He turned to Tommy and Vinny and whispered, "gotta keep their gun hands free."

"Excuse me, Mr. Lorenzo," interjected the largest of the associates, a big black man, with a smooth deep voice, who bashfully added,"I'm allergic to nuts."

Vinny and Tommy laughed so hard that it was infectious. Sal began to laugh, as did his associates, one by one, including Duane, the allergic one.

"Make one of those without nuts," Sal added as Vinny held a fifty dollar bill aloft, tears in his eyes, smiling and breathless.

The server took the fifty and Tommy quickly pulled Vinny up and toward the door saying,"Enjoy your ice cream gentlemen>"

"Tommy," Sal replied in an ominous tone,"You and I need to talk. And Soon. And Vinny," he softens, "thanks for the ice cream"

Without hesitation, Tommy and Vinny leave Jen and Barry's, destined for the Shadowlands.