"Shut up! You'll do nothing. I grow bored with you. Goodbye." The rabbit began to melt away and then reattached itself to Payne's hand.

The fairy-demon growled, "Stupid finger!"

Not long afterward, George and Athena exited the inn with the family. Payne was now more nervous than ever. He whispered to himself, "Can't talk ... can't talk to human. Too many. Too many to talk. Those other ones ... oh, too many with the human. Not good. Payne go. Got to go. Go home."

A voice from behind the fairy-demon spoke-a voice from someone Payne could not see, but recognized. "Yes you can, Payne. You can talk to George. It'll be okay."

"Who there?" the demon said, turning, ready to bite. "Is that you, Friend?"

"It's okay, Payne. You can do this. Go down there and say h.e.l.lo."

The fairy-demon shouted with excitement. "Payne not go! Payne scared! Can't go nowheres! Payne not talk to human!"

"I think you will. You have been discovered. Look."

George looked up as the fairy-demon looked down. "Hey Kep, what the h.e.l.l's that?"

"I have no idea, but it's small ... ugly, too."

"Eeeek!" Athena squealed. "George, what is that?"

Now the whole family was looking.

"Is it dangerous?" Mary demanded to know.

"Beats me. Kep, are you sure you haven't seen anything like it before?"

"No ... nothing quite like that. I'd remember. It appears to be some sort of demon, but why so tiny, I don't know. It's odd. If you ask me, it's an ugly little thing."

Payne yelled at the invisible voice. "Now look! You made Payne ... errr, um ... they know! The humans know!" Payne reached out to feel the air, but found nothing. "h.e.l.lo? Voice? You there? Pssst, hey voice ... you there? Can you hear Payne?" The fairy demon shouted. "Great ... hearing stuff!"

Payne turned back around to look down at George. After seeing the look on the mage's face, the fairy-demon snapped, "What? Human never see no one talk before?"

Kepler laughed and then lowered to the ground. He answered before George had the chance. "We have, in fact, but nothing as odd as you."

"Odd? Umm ... Payne no odd. Who you call odd, Furball? And Payne not nothing." The fairy-demon poked his own chest. "Me Payne!"

The jaguar stood to walk away. "Clearly. You're definitely odd, and you're right. You are a pain ... a pain in my a.s.s."

Athena glared at the demon-cat. "Kepler, I've told you not to speak with such vulgarity. You're starting to sound like George."

The jaguar was not interested in being chastised. "Yes, Athena." Kepler walked away from the group, but Payne was not finished with him.

The fairy-demon teleported onto Kepler's back and then grabbed the cat's ears with his claws. "Payne not odd! Payne bite. Payne bite Furball."

The giant cat shook, trying to hurl the fairy-demon off his back, but Payne dug his claws in deeper to keep from being thrown. "Kitty, no get Payne off. Kitty fun. Friend say Payne like Kitty."

Kepler roared. "George, get this d.a.m.n thing off me!"

It took a moment for the mage to stop laughing, but when he finally waved his hand, Kepler and Payne froze in place. After staring at the spectacle for a moment or two, George walked over to the tiny annoyance and plucked him off Kepler's back. He moved away before he released his power over the giant jaguar.

Once the demon-cat could move, Kepler walked toward Payne, growling.

"Stay there, Kep," George commanded.

"Why? He'll make a great meal. Let his bones break within my jaws. You know how I feel about being called a kitty."

"Just back off and give me a moment, will you?" George's mind was working fast. He wanted to know more before he let Kepler at him. He lifted Payne in front of his face. "What are you, and what's your name? Don't lie to me, or I'll feed you to the furball."

"Not funny, George!" Kepler growled.

Smiling, the mage waved his free hand to release Payne's mouth. "Speak, and be quick about it."

"Me, Payne. Payne ... um ... um, fairy-demon."

Kepler growled. "There's no such thing. He lies."

"There is so!"

"No there's not," Kepler snarled.

"Is so!" Payne shouted louder.

"No ... there isn't!" Kepler roared.

The mage lifted his voice. "Hey! You two are acting like dumba.s.ses!"

Athena huffed, "George Nailer!"

The mage just shrugged. "What? I'm sorry, babe."

Kepler's eyes flashed a burning red. "George, who are you going to listen to ... me, or this thing?"

"Payne not a thing. Payne fairy-demon. Payne mother queen ... Queen of Demons on ... on ... errr, um ... Payne forget."

"Ha," the demon snarled. "There's only one Demon Queen, and Her Grace lives on another world. I doubt your mother is the queen I serve on Dragonia."

"That it! That it ... Dragonia. Payne mother ... the queen."

"You lie."

"No lie. Payne swear."

Kepler growled as his eyes turned an even deeper red. "And your father? What of him? I suppose he's a king?"

"Yes. Um, he Fairy King. He here."

Kepler licked his chops. "George, he lies. Let me eat him. I don't have the moments to waste on his foolishness. His stench fouls the air of this territory."

Payne exposed his pointed teeth. "Then ... then why do Payne got fairy wings, stupider?"

Kepler was about to respond, but George spoke over him. "Stop this! Let's take a look, shall we?" The mage turned Payne's little red figure over to examine his wings."

Susanne jumped into the conversation. "Hang on a moment." She handed baby Garrin to Mary who was still adjusting to the fact that George had used magic to control the situation, and then she moved to George to take a closer look. "George, they do look like fairy wings. I've seen them in drawings, but I never thought I'd see a pair. Maybe this little, whatever he is, is telling the truth."

George looked beyond Susanne and took note of the stunned look on Mary's face. He was glad he had informed the family that he could command magic. As he studied the rest of the group, he could see how shocked they were by its use, despite this knowledge.

After a moment, George said, "Athena, maybe you could help them find a way to close their mouths. We wouldn't want any bugs to set up camp."

Athena's brow furrowed. "Well, what did you expect? I told you they would be unnerved when they saw you use magic. Go on about your business, and give me a moment."

As Athena turned to address the family, she smiled. She knew this moment would be hard for them. She remembered the fear of seeing George use magic for the first moment when he teleported with her in his arms on their wedding night. Her strength was necessary to ease their minds.

George turned his attention back to Susanne. "I'm inclined to think that this thing's telling the truth." He touched the fairy-demon's wings. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Payne. Ebbish nay!"

"Ebbish nay? What the h.e.l.l does that mean?"

Kepler growled. "He speaks in demon tongue. If I were to translate it in terms you would understand, ebbish nay means, duh, or perhaps gee whiz in your English."

George chuckled. "I like that. Ebbish nay, he says. Now that's pretty funny. Payne, tell me why I should stop the big kitty from eating you."

Again, Kepler growled. "George, you're testing my patience."

"Ebbish nay!" The mage grinned. "You know I love you, buddy." Again, he lifted the fairy-demon in front of his face. "Why should I stop Kepler from eating you?"

"'Cuz ... um, Friend say Payne be goswig to Master." Payne was anxious to find a way out of the trouble he was in. He hated being frozen, and the idea he couldn't teleport while in this condition bothered him.

"Goswig? Why would I want you to be my goswig, and what makes you think that I'm your master?"

"Friend said to come. Friend said Payne got to call human, Master. Friend said Payne got to do stuff human say, and ... um ... Payne got to be ... um ... gooder, Payne guess."

George looked at Kepler. He sat Payne down and lowered to the ground beside him after adjusting his new tunic into a more comfortable position. "You said your friend sent you? Who is your friend?"

"Um ... Payne friend-"

Kepler snarled, "He's driving me crazy. George, make him stop speaking about himself like that."

The mage smirked and then refocused on the fairy-demon. "You said your friend sent you?"

"Um ... yes ... Payne friend sent Payne."

George slapped his own forehead. "What's your friend's name?"

"Payne told you. Him name Friend."

"No. You said your friend sent you. I want to know his name."

"Payne said, him name Friend."

"Friend? What the h.e.l.l are you talking about? What's his name?"

"Friend!"

George shook his head. "You're saying your friend sent you, I get that. But what's his name?"

Payne groaned, "Him name Friend."

"Yes, I know he's your friend, but I'm asking for his name, not your relationship to him."

"Grrrrrrr! Him name Friend."

"Friend? Really? It's just Friend? He's got to have a name."

The fairy-demon growled and snapped back. "Him name Friend! Please no make Payne say it no more! Payne friend name Friend. Friend told Payne to come. He say human be gooder to Payne."

George thought a moment. He knew he was missing something. None of this made sense. He would allow Payne to tag along until he could figure the little guy out. He could make a decision on what to do with him later. The mage left Payne sitting on the ground and stood to walk with Kepler. "Come with me."

The two strolled away from the group. George was the first to speak. "Something tells me that we should take this thing with us until we know more. If he turns out to be useless, then you can eat him."

"I hate this idea. That little freak is going to be a pain in my furry, black a.s.s. I won't be responsible if he comes up missing."

"Look, I understand how you feel. I'll tell him he needs to chill. I'll tell him he's got to act right. I'll tell him to stay away from you. I'll tell him-"

"George, stop," Kepler snarled. "You're not really going to do the tell him, tell him, tell him, tell him thing again, are you? You sound like a fool."

"Shut up!" George grinned. "I just need you to look at the bigger picture. Someone has sent him to be my goswig. Why ... I don't know, but it's happened. I think I have an idea who sent him, but I'm not sure it's wise to say it out loud. Come here." George leaned over and whispered in Kepler's ear.

"Really? Why would he send this ... this, whatever it is?"

"h.e.l.l if I know. When I talk with him, I'll ask. For now, we just need to tolerate the little b.a.s.t.a.r.d until I know for sure. I'm asking you to be patient. I think the fairy-demon will come in handy if I'm right."

"This isn't a part of our agreement, George, and you know it."

Kepler turned and made his way back to Payne. "I suggest you stay away from my ears. Touch them again, and I'll end you."

"Okay, Kitty."

"And don't call me Kitty!"

"Okay, Furball."

"Or Furball, or anything else you find amusing or clever. You will call me Kepler, and only Kepler."

"Why you p.i.s.sy, Kitty?"

Kepler let out a h.e.l.lacious roar. Athena's family backed away. Baby Garrin woke from his nap and started crying. The jaguar lowered his mouth around Payne's head and was about to chomp, but George froze him.