He wondered if the road would lead anywhere useful. Waldo had to have come from somewhere. Setting out mysteriously down the road and past the occasional wolf track, he finally could make out a moonscape in the distance.
As he walked on, he stumbled on a fern. Almost hurt his skin. He was beginning to get thirsty. Maybe leaving Waldo wasn't such a great idea. Would he have to go straggling back to him, begging for a glass of carrot juice?
Suddenly, a woman wearing a lavender veil appeared on the other side of a rock. No, it couldn't be! Caramba, it was Lianlin!
"Uh-oh, what's going on?" he added diligently.
"Is that you? Are you alright?" she asked again.
"Of course it's me, but uh-huh, what have you gotten me into?" he agreed perkily.
"Octavius brought me here. How did you find me?" Lianlin replied.
"You assume I wanted to find you. I don't care, and I want off the case," he replied sympathetically. "You can have your money back, if you just send me home."
"I can't send you home. Octavius wouldn't hear of it. He'd sting me if he even knew that I talked to you."
"Where is that old imp? How can I get outta here?"
"He's in his MINI convertible, headed up to the lodge. He'll probably be here in eighteen minutes."
"Well, I want to be out of here in twenty minutes. How about you? You obviously didn't go to Cyprus like I recommended. Are you with him or with me?"
"Optimum, I don't know what's going on. Maybe we'd just better do what they say and get it out of the way."
She was so sketchy, he didn't know whether to trust her, or to stroll away as fast as he could. "You've been about as open with me as a grimacing mare," he bawled breathlessly. "Just what have you and Octavius got going on?"
"Listen, doodlebug, maybe I didn't tell you everything, but I told you what I could. Octavius calls all the shots around here. I guess he thinks you can help with some Talley business. As for me, I already told you, I want nothing to do with it."
"You think I want to be involved? Why don't you just take your cuddly little heel back to Octavius, and I'll take care of myself."
He turned and began rolling on down the trail.
"Wait," she wondered hungrily. "I'm coming with you."
"You're harder to shake than a beach ball in a sandwich bag," he informed. "You're obviously still operating on their orders. Alright, let's get on with it," he said fondly.
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