<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0065</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0066.txt">Next (Page 66)</A><BR>"<P><P>The Carbonize Neighbor walked over to Leon and knelt down beside him.<P><P>"Leon, get a hold of yourself, kid," the massive Neighbor said.<P><P>Leon stared up at The Carbonize Neighbor, wide-eyed, bloodshot.<P><P>The Carbonize Neighbor looked over his shoulder at the two women, and turned his gaze back to Leon.<P><P>"Um," The Carbonize Neighbor said, "first I have to say that I am sorry. I made a mistake. You were a little mad, and your imaginary world was so vivid that it registered as a valid, yet highly obscure alternate reality, and that is what attracted the Whintillru Glass to it. You were a little mad, and now you're a lot crazy, kid. I'm sorry. I do what I do, and sometimes people get hurt. I know my words aren't registering too much with you, but if any part of you is at all coherent, please accept my apology."<P><P>Leon remained wide-eyed, but his gaze was blank, and he was motionless.<P><P>The Carbonize Neighbor got up and faced the two women, looking a little ashamed.<P><P>"I made all that up about him being a one-year-old. I was trying to hide the fact that I made a mistake. Were he that sort of a lost soul, then what I did wouldn't have been a mistake. We'll do all we can for him here. But I don't think there's much hope of him regaining any semblence of sanity. Not that either of you knew him, but I know all three of us are good and can feel sympathy."<P><P>"Where's the Whintillru Glass?" Sake asked.<P><P>"That Glass was part of the problem. Big problem. Many-dimensional, and parts of it jut into That Which Lies Beyond. Can't say much more. You can't have it back."<P><P>Sake leaned against the cordless phone display.<P><P>"So--this store--we work in this store. Is this a whole, big world, or is it just a little tiny store universe unto itself? Help me out a little bit here, Neighbor. Give me a little to work with. Cuz it could have been the other me who wound up in this fucking train wreck, the other me who wound up being named fucking Jupple Sake, goddammit."<P><P>Pepperjinc put her hand on Sake's shoulder.<P><P>"Come on, it's gonna be alright."<P><P>Sake closed her eyes and nodded, but it was clearly apparent that she was crying.<P><P>"Okay," The Carbonize Neighbor said, and he strode forward and put his hand on Sake's other shoulder.<P><P>Sake started to cry harder, and then, without opening her eyes, she said, "Look man, what's your story? I gotta have something to work with here. Where are you at?"<P><P>The Carbonize Neighbor nodded.<P><P>"That's fair. I'll try to say something. You in trouble. I help you. Got Whintillru Glass, two particular cases, victims, in you and Pepperjinc of Clocks, of the two of the interconnection of the Earths, of called Sweptim and Aconck. See pattern. I see pattern. I help. Cannot communicate fully here. You better off than before. Here is open place, can go on from here maybe. I The Carbonize Neighbor, I help."<P><P>Sake looked up at the man.<P><P>"You're having trouble communicating?"<P><P>"Yes and no."<P><P>Then he looked up and regarded something in the distance.<P><P>"Customers," he said. "I will get rid of Leon James Hara. Put him in back room. You take care of customers. Fake it, bullshit a little, you're smart girls, think on your feet, no problem, just play along. Act the part. Relax. Don't flip out. I'm telling you that if you flip out and start asking these customers what world you're on and all that it will only cause a lot of unneeded stress, for everybody."<P><P>Then he turned, helped a now-semi-conscious Leon to his feet, and walked off with him through a door into the back of the store.<P><P>The customers, two rich-looking women, approached. They started looking at the cordless phones. Sake and Pepperjinc stood still and exchanged glances. Then Sake started making silly faces at Pepperjinc, who returned a silly face, and then broke out laughing.<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0066.txt">Next (Page 66)</A>