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From: IJ Glenncannon <ijglenncannon@gmail.com>
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Subject: {ASSM} The Glenncannon Muses: Ketaki! - Part 1 of 4 (Muse-mortal, implied sex, fantasy, asst other codes, collection of short scenes)
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Date: Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:10:02 -0400
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Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories
Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d

A note from the Author:  I prefer that any comments be posted to
alt.sex.stories.d, or alt.sex.stories and not sent in email.  Comments
in email that need a reply, will be responded to in alt.sex.stories.d,
without any attribution to the person who made them.

Thanks, I.J. Glenncannon
---

The Glenncannon Muses
Part 1 of 4
---

Having a Muse is a silly custom, but since I'm a writer, I get to live
with it.  Sometimes it even helps me write.
---

Here's the origin of this series about life with my Muses, copied
directly from my personal diary:

That reminds me...  Need to come up with a new, fresher version of my
Muse.  Same one, new focus is the best way to put it.  (No way I want
two at once, although the one I have might appreciate the break!)  

Substitute Muse?!   Hmmm!!

(note:  Myrtoessa 001 was written first, then this one was written.)

Ketaki [G] : A cream coloured flower
( Indian Name )
====

Ketaki 001: Ketaki!
---

It wasn't a 'dark and stormy night' when it happened, but it should
have been.

'It' had finally happened.

I was staring at he screen and couldn't think of anything to write.

The screen wasn't blank, but I was.  Maybe it was because I was
relatively new to being an author.

I'd been exceptionally egotistical, sent one of my disconnected
ramblings to an online magazine, and much to my surprise, (and later
horror!), they'd accepted it, then pounded a few nails in my creative
coffin by blithely asking me for a weekly series of stuff that was
similar, the subjects to be chosen by me.

They'd also, foolishly, to my way of thinking, encouraged my insanity
by plunking a healthy advance in my account.

I'd managed to trundle along for several months, and earn the advance,
but now, suddenly...

Blank.

Nothing!

I sighed, and that was when the doorbell rang.

It wasn't exactly being 'saved by the bell' but I took it for that and
with a lot of relief at my temporary rescue, headed for the front
door.

I opened it, and found myself staring at the...  

Woman?  Go with that and get corrected later, if I had to be
corrected.

"Hi.  Something I can do for you, Ma'am?"

She glared at me.  "The name is Ketaki.  You want to change it, you
can.  I'm here to help.  I help you, you give me my fix, and we'll
both be happy."

She started to shove past me and I braced and blocked her from
entering.  "Slow down!  I don't do that fix stuff, and I don't
tolerate it when I find it.  I'll be happy to give you the drug hot
line number, but that's as far as I'll go, Ketaki.  Nice try, but it's
not getting you inside my home.  To do that, the first thing you'll
have to do is get rid of the attitude, and act like a decent woman
instead of an addict who can only think of getting her next hit.  And
what's this stuff about helping me?  My hand works fine.  Thanks for
offering, but no thanks."

She backed off and studied me.  "Look, buddy, you're an author and you
have a problem, right?  I'm a Muse, and that means I can help.  If I
give you a few ideas, you'll start writing and being creative.  Once
you do that, I'll get the fix I need, and then we can ignore each
other until you get stuck again."

By the time she'd finished, I was staring at her.  "Muse?  Oh, I get
it!  Still, not good enough.  Prove it."

"If I do, can I come in?"

"On one condition.  None of that silly adversary stuff.  I need you.
You need me.  We help each other, as far as I'm concerned, we're
friends, at least.  Lovers, we can talk about *after* I meet that
deadline."

"Lovers?  Seriously?  Buddy, you aren't typical for a mortal."

"And you're pretty stupid for a Muse, if you didn't do some sort of
background check to see if we're compatible past the Muse-Author
stuff."

"You done with the insults?"

"Sorry.  Never met a Muse before, that I know of, or researched them.
I'm new to this author stuff.  Make that part of helping me out?"

"Sure.  Got to do something before most of the other free Muses
realize we didn't hit it off immediately, and show up on your
doorstep.  Here's a freebie.  Write something about the headaches
involved in suddenly finding out you're good enough to rate a full
time Muse."

"If I do that, will it take the edge off your... hunger, so we can act
almost normal and talk about this some more?"

"Yes.  Just get started, with me in the room with you, and we'll link.
That will end the call, so you don't get inundated with out of work
Muses."

"With attitudes worse than yours?"

"Definitely!"

"Right.  Let's go see what happens.  Last thing I need is more folks
like you, trying to get into my life."

I lowered my arm, she worked past me, then she waited while I closed
and relocked the door.  I studied her briefly, thought some more, and
made sure the chain was in place, too.

She was smiling slightly, then she nodded.  "That's symbolic, but most
will heed it.  Anyone else will have to deal with *me*, if they decide
to come in anyway."

I winced, then sighed and gestured at the hallway.  "First door on the
left.  Make yourself comfortable anywhere but in the chair in front of
the computer."

Something in her posture changed slightly, then I had the impression
I'd just told a puppy she could go play on the best furniture, and she
wouldn't get punished.

I followed her into the den, watched her settle on the small couch,
then I settled in my chair and positioned the keyboard.  As soon as I
typed the first sentence, she moaned loudly.  "Oh!  Don't stop!"

Something in me took that plea as a challenge, and I ignored her in
favor of seeing just what my typing could do to her.

The article flowed well, and after it was proofed and sent, I turned
to study my...  guest.

She was staring at nothing, as far as I could tell.  Her body twitched
once in awhile for what seemed like an eternity, until she obviously
came back from wherever she had been, to stare at me.  "Never, in my
long life, has someone taken me for a ride like that one.  It won't be
easy for me to switch out of the normal attitude, but I'm willing to
do my best, if you'll put up with my mistakes while I'm learning how
to be a friend and lover."

I nodded slightly.  "And I've never had any of my writing flow like
that one did.  Shall we agree we definitely need each other, and
there's no point in playing the silly denial games?"

"Yes."

I moved and settled next to her.  After I wormed an arm behind her I
gently helped her shift until we were face to face.  I kissed her
gently, with all the skill my years of life had given me, then I
pulled away far enough to whisper.  "Hey, Ketaki.  Can you cook as
good as you inspire?"

She giggled, then pulled me against her and whispered into my nearest
ear before she started nibbling on it.  "I'm better as a cook!"

Two hours later, she proved it, and we haven't regretted our decisions
on that day, ever.
---

Afterword:   'Ketaki' was one of the results when I used the search
string of 'tak'.  I was really looking for versions of 'take', in the
definitions, but I liked the sound of 'Ketaki' and decided to use it
for my first Muse.
====

Ketaki 002: Boundaries
---

After dinner we'd settled in the living room and snuggled.

I was letting my mind drift, and Ketaki reminded me of a lithe cat,
with the way she sometimes stretched and murmured her obvious
contentment.

"Can you purr, too?"

She giggled.  "No.  I'm not a mind reader, either.  Nor can I time
travel.  Place shifting, I can do, so don't be thinking you might find
a way to lock me out of your life."

"Down!  I hope I never get that crazy.  Sounds like once we're linked,
it's for the rest of my life."

"Yes.  You ever have an SO, they'll have to adapt to having me
around."

She sighed and leaned her head on my shoulder, then wept for awhile
before she  sighed again.  "Sorry.  Never been linked with a mortal
who treated me like I was one of them."

"Something you wanted?"

"No.  We're not built that way.  Some ways, we're an empathetic
reflection of our partner's mind.  We do have a lot of free will once
you get past the Muse stuff."

"Weird.  What about the adversary stuff?"

"I don't know.  We talk about that a lot, because sometimes a Muse
will come back and tell us about how it is when they're friends,
lovers, or both.  None of us ever dream it might happen to us, though.
Being a Muse is a damn hard job most of the time, and we don't have
time to worry about our own dreams."

"So you *do* have them?  Interesting."

"Mind if I call you Icky?"

I snorted.  "You wouldn't be the first person who wanted to shorten my
name.  My middle name is Jack, and most folks use that.  Up to you,
though."

"Jack.  What about Glenn?"

"That will work, too.  Lovers have a lot of leeway, and I'm
experienced enough to know that...  umm...  You *are* female, aren't
you?"

She giggled.  "Priceless!  Yes, I am.  This body is my generic one.
Eventually you'll figure out what you want me to look like, and I'll
settle into what you can think of as my 'default' shape."

I chuckled.  "So you can shape shift?"

"Some.  No.  Ok.  A lot, but it's restricted by what my mortal feels
comfortable being around.  Get back to that 'interesting'."

"Part of your job is to help me focus?"

"Once I feel you decide on a basic concept or plot line, yes."

"Ok.  Anyway, I know enough to know that what a woman decides to call
a man, is what she decides, and he'd better accept it.  Considering
the attitude you had when we met, I'll assume it's worse when dealing
with a Muse.  Call me what you want, and as long as I'm sure you're
talking to me, I'll answer."

"Well, at least that part of you is normal!  'Interesting.'  No more
ducking."

"Way my mind works, Ke.  I'm thinking I should buy another computer,
then network it to the one I use for my writing.  I'll mirror
everything so you can browse whenever you feel like it.  I'd let you
use the main one, but...  Even with the backups, it's too risky.
Besides, I never know when I'll decide to write, and I could lose my
thoughts if I have to wait for you to get out of my way.  Would that
eliminate the problems caused by not being able to read my mind?"

"Reduce them, I think.  There's a problem with it.  A major one.  I've
never used a computer before.  You're the first modern mortal I've
linked with.  I'm used to working with written or typed stuff."

"Ok.  fixable, and I'll assume you'll pick it up fairly quickly."

"Thanks.  Sorry."

"No need to apologise.  You mentioned dreams.  Is it safe to assume
that unless I'm writing or being creative, you're pretty ordinary and
can have a life of your own that isn't as driven by your needs?"

"Mostly, yes."

"Good!  I'll show you how to use my writing tools so you can take the
time to write down your dreams whenever you want to.  If you feel
guilty about that, let me build on them and write some sort of 'Life,
from a Muse's pov' series..."

I trailed off into silence, because she was shivering and trying to
curl into herself.  I recognized the signs of an intense orgasm, so I
waited her out.

She came back and hugged me.  "Glenn?  Umm...  This friends and lover
stuff?"

"Yes?"

"Were you planning on taking me out in public?"

"I'd like to."

"Wait until I've settled in better and learned how to control myself
so I don't orgasm in public?"

"Bad?"

"Distracting.  It might be embarrassing for you, when you have to pick
me up or catch me from collapsing."

"But you will adapt, eventually?"

"I should."

"Would it make it easier for you if I was open about you being a Muse?
That way you wouldn't have to hide who and what you are.  Most folks
are pretty relaxed about that, these days.  So am I, it's just that
I've never met one or expected one in my life."

"A long time ago, Muses were accepted parts of some people's lives. It
will be nice, to openly be who I am, again."

"Ok.  You up to calling it a day, or do you need more?"

"I'm fine, now.  It's what you decide.  If you want to do more, you
can.  The only real reason I'm here, is to find a way to help you when
you're blocked.  Otherwise, what I get from you will be enough to keep
me satisfied."

"So it's like breathing, or eating, for a mortal?  If it stops, you
notice, otherwise you don't notice it's there?"

"I guess.  I notice when what I get is enough to send me into an
orgasm, or keep me near my peak.  It's been a long time since I was
working, so it will take me awhile to adapt to living with you."

"Ok.  Do you have to live with me, or can you do other things, that
take you away?"

She winced, shivered, then she slumped slightly.  "This is going to
take some getting used to.  Are you *always* creative?"

"I've never thought about it.  If you want to call it 'obsessed', you
can.  I like to solve puzzles."

Her tone was dry.  "I noticed.  I can do other things and travel.
Generally speaking, the link ignores distance."

"Could you be a research assistant?  Travel places I can't get to,
then come back and tell me what you've found out?"

"I'm not sure.  I think that when a mortal treats a Muse in a
non-standard way, the rules change.  Normally, I can only help until
you're being creative again, and focused on your current project."

I sighed.  "So we'll have to experiment until we settle into our
relationship."

I stood up, stretched, then held out my hand while I smiled a bit
wryly.  "I'm not body shy.  I need to take a shower, then I was going
to go to bed.  Up to you, if you want to join me."

She took my hand and let me help her get to her feet, before she let
me see her own, slightly twisted smile.  "I've never bathed with a
mortal, except to soak in one of those public baths, while I prodded
them until they got past their block."

I chortled.  "Well, a new experience for both of us, if you want it.
Who watches who on the way?"

"Traditionally, I go in front so the mortal can keep a wary eye on me.
You like a butt that wiggles, or sways?"

"I'm easy.  Try both and adapt until you feel I'm satisfied?"

"I can do that."

She did, and by the time we got to the bathroom door, her butt was
perfect.  I decided we'd worry about the rest, later.
====

Ketaki 003: Some Days...
---

A week after Ketaki showed up, something scratched on my front door,
so I sighed and went to see which of the local dogs had decided to
drop by and see if they could beg food and attention from me.

I opened it, looked down...  and my thinking briefly froze when I
realized the *three* dog's heads were attached to one body.

One of them was twisted so it could watch the yard, the center one was
looking at me, and the other outside one was working it's way past my
leg, so it could check out my house, I assumed.

"I guess you're looking for Ketaki?  I can't think of anything I've
done, that would have you looking for me."

"Yeah.  Ok if I come in?  I'm house broke.  Don't do that sort of
stuff, anyway, unless it's to make a special point."

"Ahh...  If you say so."

I got out of his way, then turned slightly.  "Ke!  Company for you!"

"I'm in the kitchen!"

I sighed and closed the door after he came in, then I gestured.
"Straight ahead, then turn left in the living room."

"Thanks."

The center head seemed to have a permanent grin.  "I'm not the ogre
everyone says I am.  'Follow your noses' would have been fine."

"Thanks.  I'm new to this stuff.  Cerberus, right?"

"Right.  Ke's my jogging buddy.  Haven't seen her for awhile, and when
I found out she'd teamed with a mortal again, finally, I decided to
use some vacation time and check things out."

I sighed.  "I must be getting used to the zaniness.  You're welcome to
stay for lunch."

"Thanks.  Ke's got a way with food that makes my mouths drool, just
thinking about it.  It's magical, so you can forget about stained
carpets and stuff like that."

All of his heads shifted forward and he strode off, as if he'd known
where to go, all along.

Somehow, it seemed the most natural thing in the world to hear an
excited 'Cerby!', followed by a gruff.  'Easy, Ke.  You know how they
get when I come back with a crushed throat.'

By then I was watching the reunion.

Ke was giggling and after she recovered she was grinning at him. "Yes,
I do, you old fraud, and I've never crushed your throat."

"You've come close, and they aren't happy when I have to wear a neck
brace while it recovers.  I'm silly enough looking, without that
contraption on me."

His right head turned and focused on me.  "This guy treating you
right?  Need me to sort him out, so he does?"

She sobered.  "Oh, Cerb!  He treats me like a mortal, and we're
friends and lovers.  It's perfect!"

He studied me some more, then his center head sighed.  "So it's like
that, is it?  You gonna have time for me?"

"Silly.  You know I have to get settled before I can take time for all
the stuff I usually do.  Give us another week.  Did I hear someone
mention he was on vacation?  Once lunch is over, we can go for a jog,
like we usually do."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that.  I bet once people realize you're just a big puppy at
heart, they'll try to fill you up with all the different types of dog
treats they have now."

He looked at me and his ears shrugged.  " What can I say?  I'm male,
*and* a dog.  Besides, she knows all my weaknesses. "

He refocused on her.  "I didn't come here for that sort of stuff, but
if he's ok with us taking off for a couple hours, I wouldn't mind a
quick tour.  Been a few hundred years, and it looked like things have
changed quite a bit since the last time we took the grand tour."

She looked at me and I sighed, then nodded.  "Maybe you should
introduce him to Google Earth before you decide where you want to go.
I'm fine with it.  Hey, Cerberus.  You thinking you might be a regular
here?  I'm ok with it.  It's the kind of thing I can work into some
good stories.  Already got some ideas about that, with her as part of
it.  Ke can fill you in."

This time the left head studied me before it dipped slightly.
"Obsessed about it, aren't you?  Sure.  Since it's for Ke, I'll help
out.  That odor she gives off when she's satisfied,  is ambrosia, as
far as I'm concerned."

Since he'd done all his talking with his middle head, I wasn't
surprised when Ke put a plate of food down and he used it to eat.

Once we finished, I chuckled at Ke's obvious distraction.  "Go plan
your tour.  I feel lazy, and it's your turn to be creative.  Oh, don't
forget to introduce him to the local Mall Rat population."

She left, and Cerberus studied me thoughtfully, with all three heads.
"Smooth, and it got Ke off pretty good, but why would I be interested
in some species of rat?  See enough of them at home.  By the way, nice
touch.  She's missed that stuff, even if she never openly admits it."

"They're not rats.  They're kids of various ages who spend a lot of
their free time at the Mall, which is a huge, covered shopping area,
with lots of stores in it.  I guess it's descended from the old open
market places.  It has what's called a food court, where most of the
places that serve ready to eat food are located.  Umm...  Security
might want to keep you out, because you look like a dog, and they have
rules about that stuff.  Be gentle, ok?  I have to live here when
you're gone.  So does Ke."

He thought it over, then managed a three headed sigh.  "Strange.
Still, it sounds like they're willing to talk, instead of try to kill
me, so I'll follow your advice.  We've done similar stuff in the past,
so maybe they'll let us in, if we offer to do some entertaining."

"Might work.  There's a place that's available for that stuff, and as
long as it's not being used by someone else, anyone can use it.  They
allow wandering entertainers, too, but I think you have to get some
permits to do that.  Hey!  if you want to get some exercise, see if
you can con some of the kids into introducing you to Frisbees."

"Yeah?"

"Sure.  If that happens, it's likely both of you will be late getting
home.  Better if you find out on your own, what a Frisbee is.  If it
helps, a lot of dogs enjoy playing with them."

One of his heads looked past me and it smiled.  "Good for you, isn't
he?"

Ketaki managed a blush.  "I'm *still* getting used to his creativity,
So far, as far as I can tell, he never turns it off.  It's a strange
experience, living amongst these modern humans."

"Sounds like it, since he's so casual with me, and you know how rare
that is."

"I do.  You ready?"

"I am."

He got up, the two of them faced the opposite wall of my living room,
then ran at it.  Before they hit it, they vanished.

My reaction, after being around Ketaki for the previous week, was
mild:  "Handy ability, that."
====

Ketaki 004: And Nights...
---

I was watching TV when they finally returned, a little over five hours
later.

Ketaki settled on the couch next to me, slumped against me, then
smiled when Cerberus collapsed at our feet.

I studied both of them, then chuckled.  "It was that good?"

"Better!  Cerby ordered a couple cases of Frisbees, to be delivered to
Hades."

"Should I feel sorry for the folks who have to go there?"

"No.  They've earned whatever happens to them."

"Ok.  How was the time at the Mall?"

"You were right about how security would react at first."

"But?"

'Cerby' decided to speak up after he shook his heads and rattled all
the dog tags he had on his new collars.  "Odd custom, the idea that a
dog can be owed by a human, who has to be held responsible for them.
Instead of getting into a lot of arguments about it, I let Ketaki pick
out some collars, since she has a pretty good clothing sense.  Then we
let the proper authorities compete with each other to give me these
'charms' so I could travel freely.  I *did* need to have a discussion
with the Mall Manager, before he decided that I was going to have to
be an honorary human, because it was obvious I wasn't really a dog, or
any other animal he knew about, before they could allow me in."

I laughed.  "Almost wish I'd been there.  What about you and
Frisbees?"

"Like Ke says, living amongst you modern humans is *strange*.  Some
folks were nervous around me, until I asked some of the kids to show
me what a Frisbee is.  After they got over their shock, that I didn't
know, we wound up in the parking lot.  Wasn't long before they decided
to cordon off part of it.  I could spend eternity there, if I wanted
to, I think.  Already have a steady job, though, but maybe when I get
bored or need a break, I'll drop by to relax and get some exercise
that isn't on the job.  Now, excuse me while I take a nap and
recover."

His heads settled, and it looked like he sighed once, then went to
sleep.

I hugged Ke.  "He really can get tired?"

"No.  We need to sleep for the same reason you mortals do, sometimes.
It's a chance for our minds to slow down and integrate our experiences
into what's already there."

"How was it for you?"

"Enjoyable, when it wasn't so stupidly serious I wanted to laugh at
people.  It was lots of fun, to be able to jog with Cerby, in public.
We didn't get to everywhere I had on my list, because of folks wanting
to talk to us and spoil him.  Word travels a lot faster than we're
used to.  I think it was about the sixth stop, that people had snacks
and dog treats waiting, in case we showed up."

I chuckled.  "I'm glad to hear you two enjoyed yourselves.  Once I go
to sleep, maybe the two of you can browse the net and check out the
news channels, to see how folks are dealing with you two and your
antics."

"Are you going to be ok with them?  Cerby had to give people an
address, so we used yours because 'Private Kennel, Lethal Lane,
Hades', wasn't one they could use and expect to check out, without
dying first."

I sighed.  "It's done, and we'll have to live with the results. Nobody
has showed up to interview me, yet, but I imagine they will, pretty
soon.  Let's worry about it when it happens."

"Thank you, Glenn.  And thank you for not being too creative while we
were exploring."

"You're welcome.  Don't take this wrong, ok?  The break was nice for
me, too.  It let me slow down and consider my future in a little more
detail."

"Was that good, or bad?"

"Hard to say.  First thing, is that I wanted to tell you that you're
adapting far more quickly than I expected, and I appreciate that. Have
you taken the time to talk to other Muses, who are already in a
similar relationship?"

"Yes, I did.  I learned that the rules don't really change.  They're
eliminated, and we have to write our own, because just like it is for
two or more mortals, each relationship is different, and can't be
covered by a fixed set of rules."

"Awkward, but I can live with that.  Any ideas?"

"Only one, right now."

"I'm not sure I like the look in your eyes, Ketaki."

"You will.  Scrub my back, then I'll scrub yours before we go to bed
and I give you a massage?"

"What about Cerberus?"

One of his eyes opened.  "I'm comfortable where I am, and Ke's scent
permeates everything already.  You two go be mortal, and I'll keep an
eye on things for you."

I finally noticed his slight smile, and I sighed.  "Something planned,
for any company that shows up?"

"Inside, or out."

"Keep all of us out of jail, ok?  If you can find a way, stall them
until Ke and I are ready to be seen in public, which should be
sometime after daylight, tomorrow morning."

"If there's an emergency?"

"Depends.  I can't imagine anything happening that you couldn't deal
with and I could.  Call Ke instead, and let her make that decision,
because...  Oh.  Never mind.  Wake us up, if you feel you have to,
ok?"

"Something changed?"

"Yeah.  I finally realized that your job has made sure you have a good
handle on the nature of mortals.  Might be slanted a little, but
that's unlikely, I think.  Bottom line is that I think its a safe bet
that you understand people in general, better than Ketaki does."

"Yep, and she's known it for thousands of years, so it doesn't bother
her.  Go relax.  I want to find out what she smells like when she's in
love, instead of heat."

"Don't ask me which of you is stranger.  Right now, I can't make the
call.  Is there something I can call you, besides Cerberus?"

"Sure.  Cerberus is a corruption of my real name, 'Sir Bruce'.  Bruce
will be fine."

He must have noticed my raised eyebrows.

"It's a fairly simple story.  I'm not some sort of changeling.  Back
in the day, I worked as a hired mercenary, to take a break from giving
people a close look at what they'd earned while they were alive.  One
time, I teamed up with a chap who had a very twisted sense of humor.
He decided to con the right people into making me a Knight Errant. Get
folks drunk after a battle, and they tend to slur my name a bit.
Cerberus sounds a *lot* better than Sir Brucie, so I never bothered to
correct people.  Folks in Hades heard about it, decided it sounded
more menacing than all the variations on 'Bruce', they'd tried, so I'm
stuck with it.  Never bothered me, and anything that lets me do a
better job, I'm in favor of."

"Umm...  Right.  Ke?  Let's go take that shower, then go to bed so I
can get ready for tomorrow.  I have a feeling it's not going to be one
of my typical days."
====

Ketaki 005: Are Best
---

Something woke me while it was still dark, and I sleepily looked out
the window.  There was a lot of reflected light in the back yard, so
thought about it, sighed, and when I started to roll over, an arm
tightened across my body.

"Go back to sleep, Glenn.  It's not about us, so relax."

"It?  I think I'd like to hear a little more."

She snuggled, then spoke softly.  "Somebody tried to serve some papers
to Cerberus.  Essentially, someone got in a wreck in the Mall parking
lot, and they're claiming his presence distracted them, so they want
him and the Mall to pay for damages."

I groaned.  "How's he taking it?"

"He thinks it's funny.  Other folks from Hades have had similar things
happen, so there's a procedure already in place.  He called his boss,
who called *his* boss, and they showed up with a couple of their
lawyers, to come to some sort of agreement about it.  The folks who
filed the suit aren't too happy with what happened, because they
assumed it would get tried in a human court."

"What are you leaving out?"

She giggled.  "Well, normally,  in a case like this, Cerby would be
called in, if they needed someone to break a split decision.  He *is*
a Knight, after all, and he can, if he wants, invoke all that justice
stuff."

I rolled and propped myself on my elbow so I could watch her in the
reflected light.  "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Yes.  I was going to give it all to you later, so you could take
notes and keep it handy when you needed another story starter."

"Oh.  Well, I'm awake, and I'll figure that even if I don't remember
it, those lights are a pretty good indication I'll be able to get the
details from the news.  So, tell me what they already know."

She laughed.  "Whatever you want to call them, Cerby's boss is
sometimes known as 'Satan', and his boss is sometimes called 'Yahweh'.
They're acting as co-judges.  Some demons and angels have been called
in to be a jury of Cerby's peers.  When I came back to bed, Satan had
grabbed a few of the lawyers he's been hosting in Hades, to defend
Cerby, while the lawyers who filed the original charges, are pleading
their cases for their clients.  Yahweh, of course, made it clear that
once he and Satan render a decision, there is no higher court they can
appeal the case to, if someone doesn't like what he and Satan come up
with."

I thought about it and finally sighed.  "Did anyone get hurt?"

"No.  The defense lawyers are waiting for the right point, to mention
that people from the other worlds are protected by a...  field?  Geas?
It's hard to describe, but if someone is distracted by one of us, they
can't get hurt by any action that follows.  Material damage can
happen, though, and if someone pushes, of course whatever was damaged,
is fixed.  This sort of stuff is pretty routine.  I really think
Yahweh and Satan were bored, and wanted an excuse to get directly
involved with you mortals again."

I thought about it, then moved so I was on my back.  "The bottom line,
if I'm understanding this, is that the whole thing is going to be more
or less tossed out of court, and the damage will be fixed?  Any
settlement money involved?"

"Not a bit.  Instead, the mortals involved will have 'karma points'
added or subtracted.  Cerby will be declared innocent, of course,
because he's not responsible for anyone's actions unless he's
overseeing their punishment in Hades.  Here, he's just another
tourist, and since the area he was playing in was cordoned, he'd taken
reasonable precautions that his presence wouldn't be too disruptive."

"Right.  You here for awhile, or are you going to go keep an eye on
things?"

"That stuff out there is boring.  It's all too formulaic, to hold my
interest.  I'd rather stay here and spend more time learning how to
snuggle.  It's almost as addicting as creativity."

"Smooth, Ke.  Very smooth.  If I was keeping score, I'd give you extra
points."

I rolled so I was facing her, we got comfortable, then we kissed each
other and I, at least, went back to sleep.
====

Ketaki 006: When Shared!
---

Ke cooked breakfast, then checked on the circus in our front yard.
Since the media was still there, she got snagged for an interview,
before she could get back inside.

Naturally, she got asked about other things, and she calmly explained
that she was my Muse, and that really, she had better things to do,
even though I wasn't blocked.

If the whole process hadn't happened in my front yard, I would have
found it amusing.

As it was, I was disgusted, because I couldn't expect to get out the
door without getting a face full of microphones.

When I mentioned that to her, Ke laughed at me.  "We *do* have
alternative ways of travel."

"Yeah.  On feet or in the car.  Either way, I'm going to have to deal
with the media."

She settled on the couch next to me and hugged me.  "Silly.  I can
take you with me when I place slide.  Where would you like to go?"

I studied her thoughtfully.  "Any limits on how far?"

"No, as long as you stick to Earth.  I can't take you home to visit,
yet.  Give it a few years, and I might be able to break with tradition
and do it."

"Any weight limitations?"

"Yes.  We have to be able to carry it by ourselves, or be able to
touch each other while both of us carry whatever it is."

"I'll think about it while I get dressed."

I was settled and putting my shoes on when I had a sudden thought, and
she flinched.  "Sorry"

"Don't worry about it.  It was the surprise, since you weren't being
creative.  I'll get used to working again, eventually."

"Ok.  Do you know any beaches where we can bring our own food and have
a picnic?"

"Several.  If you don't want to see people, there are more
possibilities."

"Got it.  Let's do some shopping and get an old fashioned picnic
basket and the fixings so we don't have to cook anything.  I'm not a
wine person, but if you are, you can pick something out for yourself.
A six pack of good beer will be enough for me.  The rest of it, I
should have somewhere in the cupboards.  After we get done shopping,
we'll come back, pack, and then be on our way."

"Any location preferences?"

"Shade, seclusion enough we can go nude if we want to, and a good
view.for when I'm not looking at you."

She laughed.  "I know just the island.  I can't promise total privacy,
because if the trial ends earlier than I expect, we might have
company."

"I can live with it.  When we get back from that, I might be mellow
enough to deal with the media and their silly questions.  Oh!  Let's
stop at my bank and set up an account for you, then I'll set up an
automatic transfer, so it looks like you're getting paid....  Umm...
Will that work?  Do you have citizenship papers and a Social Security
card?"

"I can get them, but not today."

"You're grinning."

"I am?"

"Yes."

"Well, it might be because I already have my own accounts, in another
country.  I don't need any of your money, Glenn."

"Am I going to have to explain you to immigration?"

"No.  I've already taken care of those details, through our embassy."

"Is that 'our', non-mortals in general, or Muses?"

"Muses.  Each group of us that interacts with mortals, has our own
means of dealing with the problems.  Usually, we hire former embassy
staff, after they get processed through Hades."

I sighed.  "Tell me, if I remember to ask, after we do our shopping
and get out of here."

* * *

We'd frolicked in the water, rubbed the suntan oil on each other, then
made passionate love to each other on the blanket we'd brought.

Now, we were settled in the shade and eating while we watched the surf
caress the white sand.

I waved at nothing in particular.  "Thanks, Ke.  It's been a perfect
getaway, as far as I'm concerned."

She smiled after she swallowed.  "You're welcome, Glenn.  I thank you,
for insisting on a non-traditional relationship.  After a day like
this, I can understand what makes the Muses who are in one, sound
so...  rhapsodic."

"Converted?"

"Definitely!"

The silence after we ate was companionable, and I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke to a gentle touch on my lips.  "We have company.  Look at the
water."

I looked, and saw a small group of dolphins who had heir heads out of
the water and were watching us.

When they realized I was watching them, they squeaked and whistled
excitedly, then Ke laughed.  "They're wondering we'd like to play with
them."

"You can understand them?"

"Of course."

I stood up and stretched before I headed for the water.  "Tell them I
accept."

I was just entering the water when one of them flipped a shell at me.
I reflexively caught it.  "Hey!  Next time warn me!"

I hefted it a few times to get the feel of it, then I tossed like a
Frisbee, as hard as I could.

The nearest ones watched it sail over their heads, then a couple of
them that were further out took off and leapt from the water.  One of
them caught it, and after it landed in the water, it rushed back and
offered it to me.

I tossed it again, and someone else took off.

Several of them surrounded Ke and offered her shells to throw.  She
moved about fifty feet away, then we spent the time tossing shells,
until my arm gave out.

"Ke!  Tell these guys I can't throw any more!"

She did, then laughed when she got some excited replies.  "They say
ok, and since you can't play with them, they'll play with you."

I raised my eyebrows.  "What's that mean?"

"It means you get a ride from each of the ones you played with, before
they go find some food."

That's what happened, and it was a magical experience.  When the rides
were over, and Ke had thanked them, I wrapped an arm around her waist
while we watched them leave. 

After they were out of sight, I sighed.  "That, my Love, was an
incredible experience.  Did you know it was going to happen?"

"No.  I've never seen them before."

"Do you think we can do it again, someday?"

"Probably.  This is their home area.  I should be able to let them
know we are here, if we come back."

I sighed again.  "I want to, but I'm afraid it will be awhile.  The
break has been a stolen one.  We'd better collect our things and go
back, so we can deal with the media, then I can get a good sleep
before I go back to work tomorrow."

I hugged her.  "You thinking of coming here with Sir Bruce?"

"Yes."

"When you do, tell them I'll be back when I can get free."

"I shall."

We both sighed, went and gathered our things, then I wrapped an arm
around her waist.  "Let's go home."
====

Ketaki 007
---

After the waitress brought us our tankards, I leaned back and savored
the chance to get off my feet.  When I studied Ke, she raised her
tankard in a slight salute, then sipped, before she grinned at me.  "I
know what we're going to be doing, tomorrow."

I set my drink on the table, then reached and took a stack of checks
out of my shirt pocket and started spreading them across the table.
"Yeah.  The numbers on these are worse than what got me into this."

"Any regrets?"

"Not yet.  Does this happen to any writer who winds up with a Muse?"

"No.  Some, like you, are already established.  Others are on the
verge, and still others never do more than self-publish, or only share
their work with close friends.  I think we got caught in special
circumstances.  Your insisting that if they wanted more than what you
gave them, they'd have to wave money at you, helped quite a bit."

"Didn't hurt you, either.  Good thing I set you up with your own
computer."

She sighed.  "Are you ok with me winding up making more than you
will?"

I sipped again, then sighed.  "Ke?"  I touched several of the checks.
"The numbers on these, to me, are absurd.  I'll be glad to quit my job
and start writing full time, which has always been a dream of mine,
once I found out I enjoy writing."

"But?"

"Sorry.  Yes, I'm ok with you making more than I am.  Today hasn't
sunk in yet, but I think I can manage to write enough to feel like I
earned what I've been given.  At least we managed to keep our home
life private."

She sipped and leaned back before she shook her head.  "For now.  Are
you willing to listen to a suggestion?"

"Of course.  Umm...  I can't see any differences between our
relationship, and a marriage, so if you're willing, I'd like to treat
it like one."

"That's...  I'm inclined to go along with that.  Before I say yes, I'd
like to consult with Cerby."

"No problem.  So you're ok if *I* treat it like a marriage?"

She sighed again.  "Glenn?  We're writing our own rules.  I want to go
along with that.  All I want to do is see if it's happened before, and
what problems there might be if we tell people that we're that
comfortable around each other."

"So you think we should stick to the way we are now, in public?"

"I do.  Our home life is our own business."

I watched her while I finished my drink, and after it was refilled I
set it down.  "That suggestion?"

"I've been thinking about our privacy."

"Our lack of it, now?"

"Yes.  We can do nothing, and hope they eventually leave us alone."

"Unlikely, with Sir Bruce already a regular visitor."

"True.  We can afford to add privacy screening and hire security to
keep folks at bay."

I nodded.  "Which would help us, but make it worse for our neighbors."

"True.  I like the love I hear and feel, when you say 'our'.  It's
almost as big a hit as when you're planning a new work and being extra
creative."

"And I like the subtle changes in your eyes and posture, after I treat
you like an equal I want in my life.  I'll go there later.  Are you
leading up to mentioning the idea that we should move?"

"Yes, to some sort of gated community, with large enough parcels that
we can live the way we do now."

"Bigger.  At least five to ten acres, maybe more, but no more than
twenty.  I don't want to have to hire...  If we asked, would some of
your friends help maintain the yard, if we decide we can't do it
alone?"

"They would."

"Ok.  Let's start looking for twenty acres in a gated community.  One
of the things I'd like to do is have my own orchard.  What if we put
in some sort of jogging trail for all of us, so you and Cerby have a
private place to relax?  I'm thinking we can then plant the orchard so
the trail winds through it.  Once we have that designed, we can add
stuff like roses, ivy and other plants."

She thought about it, then smiled.  "That had the sound of a long held
dream."

"Except for the jogging trail, yes."

"What about our new home?"

"I'm comfortable with the one I have.  As far as I'm concerned, we can
duplicate most of it."

"Most of it?"

"If we're going to be a marriage, it's only fair that since you enjoy
cooking, you should design the kitchen and dining area."

She stared at me in obvious shock, so I grinned.  "Gotcha, finally!"

* * *

About a month later we were looking at a parcel that was L-shaped, but
only seventeen acres.  It had already been pitched as a bargain,
because it was the last parcel available in an older community.

Ke and I walked it and took the time to see if we could find a place
that felt right, for our home.  We found it, and finally started
paying attention to the agent again.

Ke took over.  "We'll buy it.  Call us when we need to sign the
paperwork."

The agent recovered, then spoke cautiously.  "It's not that simple.
We'll have to do some background checks, and check your credit
rating."

Ke reached into her purse, then handed over her ATM card.  "Debit this
for the full amount, plus any fees.  You quoted us a price, and that's
all I'm willing to pay.  Don't inflate it with finance fees, because
you don't want to deal with my lawyer."

The woman recovered, then sighed.  "We still have to run background
checks."

Ke smiled slightly, and I winced.  "Contact the Muse's embassy, for
what they have on me.  You'll have to make appointments, if you want
to talk to my usual character references."

"How soon can we talk to them?"

"It depends on when they get done with the trial, and how long they
want to relax, before they go back to work."

"Trial?  That doesn't sound good."

"Relax.  Two of them are the judges, and the defendant is my jogging
partner."

The woman finally realized who she was dealing with.  "You're *that*
Ketaki, and he's Mr. Glenncannon, the writer?"

"Yes."

"I'll do what I can, to expedite the sale.  Would you like a list of
contractors who have done work here?"

"Thank you, but that won't be needed.  We'll make our own
arrangements, when we're ready to build."

She looked at Ke, who merely smiled back, then noded abruptly.  "After
I escort you to the gate, I'll go back to my office and get things
started."

She handed Ke's ATM card back.  "Be sure to have this with you when
you come back to sign the paperwork."
====

Ketaki 008
---

Ke and I were flipping pages when Sir Bruce told us to, while he used
his center head to carry on a conversation with the real estate agent.

Suddenly he paused, did some thinking, then sighed.  "Glenn?  Go back
three pages.  Ke, you can relax while I do some serious thinking."

I backed up, he searched the page, then sneezed disgustedly and all
three of his heads faced the woman.  "What are you folks doing,
writing in a clause that is repeatedly tossed out, every time it goes
to court?  Furthermore, I think your method of determining what each
buyer pays towards security costs, is...  not a fair means of
determining those costs."

His right head searched, then he used it to point.  "Ke?  I see a
shredder.  Gather everything, and use it, please.  These documents
should not have been written the way they were, and as a courtesy, we
will destroy them, instead of using them as evidence during a
lawsuit."

"Bad, Cerby?"

"Yes.  Their fees are computed based on an adjustable percentage of
your joint income, not the actual costs.  There are some other
incidental requirements, that add up to them needing to be very
intrusive in your life.  There is also a homeowner's association fee,
that is tied to your income *and* the number of people they let
through the gate to see you.  I suspect there is more buried in what I
didn't read."

He laughed his Hades laugh.  "I did some background checks of my own,
with people who owned here.  Some of them had some interesting
comments about how they were treated."

I handed the paperwork to Ke, she shredded all of it, then I stood and
we held out our hands to the agent. I tipped my head at Sir Bruce.
"When our advisor speaks, we listen.  Since nothing we couldn't back
out of, happened, no hard feelings on our part.  I do suggest that you
folks get together and rewrite your sale contracts.  I noticed you
have a creative way of inflating the cash price.  I don't write
articles about real estate, but I have some casual contact with
someone who does.  I'm going to mention our experience to him, and let
him decide if he wants to follow up on it."

We all shook hands, then Ke and I left, with Sir Bruce escorting us,
while the agent went along, to make sure we really left, I guess.

We stopped and got some fast food, then stayed in the parking lot to
eat.

After he finished his food, Bruce sighed.  "Sorry about that, folks.
You'll have to keep looking, unless you want to get crazy and stay
where you are."

Ke shifted so she could watch him.  "You're up to something."

"Sure am.  Before you get serious about needing to move away, canvas
all of your neighbors, and float the idea of all of you getting
together and turning your neighborhood into your own gated community.
Tell them you'll pay all the expenses, to get it going, and...  since
you caused the problems, you'll pay for all the security."

"I was right.  You're planning on branching out, aren't you?"

"Relax, Ke.  I'll send human and dog teams, until folks get used to
our presence.  If money gets to be a problem, I'll bring some floor
sweepings with me when I show up, then you can go find a buyer for
them."

I sighed.  "Pardon me for interrupting your gloat, Bruce.  I'll be the
straight man.  'Floor sweepings'?"

"Uncut gemstones, assorted minerals, some metals after they've had a
chance to cool from the heat.  It's all stuff we have to kick out of
our way, or drain somewhere when the puddles get deep enough they make
it awkward to walk around.  It's hard to be menacing when your foot
just slipped on a diamond, for example."

I sighed.  "Now, I know I'm getting used to this.  Ke, I'll let you
deal with it, and you can pass on the juicier details, or keep notes
for when I want some inspiration. Better yet, since you have your own
advances, it might be better if you do a series of some sort and mix
stuff like that in.  You get to decide if you want to be humorous or
serious."

I watched Bruce while I raised my eyebrows.  "You really think our
neighbors will go for that?"

"I do.  After all, they are as affected by your notoriety as you are,
and I doubt if any of them want to move, yet."

"I don't like the sound of that 'yet'.  However, I'm one of those
people who doesn't want to move, unless I'm forced into it.  I'll stay
out of it, unless you two call me in, ok?"

He finally nodded and used one of his heads to focus on Ke.  "You
ready to go do some jogging, so you don't have to make a special
effort to keep your figure?"

She laughed.  "That, from a dog who is developing his own paunch?"

One of his heads dipped so he could look himself over, then he
sneezed.  "Ok.  First point.  Let's go see how many of the local kids
will help us con their parents into upgrading their neighborhood."

They vanished.

I sighed, then gathered all the trash they'd left behind and tossed
it, before I resettled and finished my own food.

* * *

Eventually, we wound up creating a patchwork of various sized areas
made up of people who wanted the extra security, and those who didn't
want to be bothered.

The folks around us were quite happy to suddenly find themselves in a
gated community, and I was close enough to a major street, that we
made our street one of the access points, so only those on the road to
our house would have to put up with the occasional news crew that got
allowed in.

I managed to sweeten the deal quite a bit when I suggested we pay to
have solar panels installed on anyone's property that wanted them, for
free.

A few people decided to move, so we bought them out, then after
talking it over with our neighbors, we put in a few small parks.  A
couple of my immediate neighbors decided to sell and move, so I wound
up with enough to put in my orchard, and a jogging trail.  Instead of
making it private property, I allowed public access and put in a
couple gates from my original property.

Eventually it was all sorted out, and when our community association
got the word that our power generation had finally exceeded our
consumption, there was a huge block party.

A lot of that was long term, and while it was being implemented,
plenty of other stuff happened in our lives.
====

Ketaki 009
---

The day after our island getaway, I woke up alone.  I did my usual
morning ritual, and when I checked the den and Ke wasn't in it, I
headed for the kitchen.

Sure enough, she was there, and had a dreamy smile on her face while
she was making some bread, or something similar.

"Good morning, My Muse.  Did I have an exceptionally creative dream
last night?"

She giggled.  "No.  About three AM, everyone left to go finish the
trial, at 'the scene of the crime'.  I think it was a last ditch
effort by the other side's lawyers to get more than food and 'potty'
breaks."

I chuckled and moved to settle in my usual kitchen chair.  "So we have
our privacy back?"

"More or less.  I had a chance to talk with Cerby, and he thinks it
should all be over in a couple days or less."

"Which means more interviews and attention for him.  Any other
surprises, before I try and figure out what to work on, today?"

"He said everyone has agreed that the damaged car will be restored to
the condition it was in, before it was damaged.  There wasn't much
they could do to change that, because it's always been standard
procedure."

"Is someone on our side taking advantage of a loophole?"

"Probably.  It's an older car, and it shows signs of previous damage.
Indirectly, we're involved, because God used our address when he told
them to send him the bill."

"I hope he's going to audit it before he signs off on it."

"He will.  They have security footage of before and after, and He was
firm about not being asked to pay to fix preexisting damage."

"Good!  With that out of the way, what's keeping things going?"

She laughed.  "What else?  Some false medical claims, plus the pain
and suffering.  Cerby said their lawyers got pretty close to calling
God a liar, when they heard about the geas."

"Sounds like it's all over but the shouting."

"Yes.  What would you like for breakfast?"

"Biscuits and gravy, to start with.  I think I left a couple of the
beers alone yesterday, so if I did, one of those.  After that,
surprise me."

"Fresh garlic toast?  This isn't my first batch of bread."

"Do I have to see anyone today?"

"Just me."

"A whole loaf, all to myself?"

"Fresh from the oven, while you wait for me to make the gravy."

"Thanks!  Lots of garlic and butter.  I'll save the sour cream for the
biscuits."

She turned, and her eyebrows went up.  "I'll make it a point to
schedule a full checkup, as soon as you can be worked in."

"With my doctor?"

"This time, yes."

"Should I worry about the next time?"

"No.  Are you aware that many medical conditions can be accurately
diagnosed by specially trained dogs?"

"Yes.  Something about sniffing a person's breath...  Ke?"

"Yes, Dear?"

"Never mind.  Just warn Bruce that if I know in advance, he's going to
get a nose full of the strongest garlic I can buy."

"Want him to pick it out for you?"

"I walked into that, didn't I?"

"Of course.  He's not worried about you, yet."

"Good to know."

A timer went off, she hauled some loaves of bread out of the oven, put
the next batch in, then made my toast and stuck it in the browning
oven before she started working on the gravy.

* * *

While I nibbled on my toast, I started going through the notes I'd
made when I was being handed checks with absurdly large numbers on
them.

I was thinking it didn't really matter what I started on, when a brief
note stopped me.  'Check with Ke about documentary with Bruce.'

"What's this note I have about a documentary with Bruce?  Isn't that
something for you?"

"Mostly.  Somebody with lots of time on their hands, and a good nose
for news, back tracked you to your teen years."

"So?  They were pretty normal.  Unless they want my views on the few
times Bruce and I have relaxed together, there's not much I can tell
them, that can be aired without some heavy censorship."

She turned slightly.  "You don't remember?  Oh.  Forget I said that.
She talked to me, and I said that when we had time, we'd discuss it,
then I mentioned to you that we needed to talk when we had some time."

I thought about it, then shrugged.  "I can't think of anything I did
that was newsworthy."

"It wasn't, then. Now...  it is."

"Still blank."

"You were a semi-finalist in the state Frisbee championship, three
years running.  She'd like to film you giving an exhibition with
Cerberus."

I winced.  "Oh.  *That*.  Do I get to practice, before we do it for
real?"

"You'd make a lot more, if you let them film that, too."

"I'm learning.  Is that 'a lot', or is it 'an absurd lot'?"

"A very, very absurd lot, and they will match it with a payment to me,
if you let me be your feeder for the stunts that require one."

"You up to it?"

"Since it's mostly feeding Frisbees to you, yes."

"Do the Mall Rats know about this, yet?"

"No.  Neither does Cerby."

I thought about it while I ate.

When I was sipping my beer and letting the food settle, I sighed. "Ok.
With any sort of luck, we can do this with just the three of us, but
I'd like to do a special finale with the Rats.  I'll need twenty of
them, plus Bruce."

"Mall parking lot?"

"If we can get it, yes.  Otherwise any large area will work.   If we
can't use the parking lot, someplace that's mostly open, with a few
scattered trees, will work."

She checked her baking, then studied me.  "Apparently, there's more to
throwing a Frisbee than the Rats taught us."

"A little.  Set up a practice session for this weekend.  We'll need at
least thirty Frisbees, and double that if you can get them on short
notice."

"I'll see if I can special order enough signature editions for the
main event.  Practice ones shouldn't be a problem, since I can place
slide until I get enough."

"Thanks.  Looks like I'd better add jogging to my list of daily
activities, so I know I'll be in good enough shape.  Competition
routines can get strenuous."

She raised her eyebrows briefly, I grinned, and she finally shrugged
and managed to keep her questions to herself.
====

Ketaki 010
---

The few days of short length jogging didn't do anything except prove I
didn't have the endurance I'd had when I was younger.  Since what I
wanted to do on Saturday was almost all upper body, arms, and wrists,
I didn't worry about my lack of endurance.

Ke found us all the Frisbees we needed, then decided to let the woman
who wanted the exhibition, worry about getting a special order of
signature Frisbees.

Ke put the word out, and neither one of us was surprised when we got
firm commitments from about sixty kids of various ages.

Bruce looked at me oddly when I mentioned someone wanted to film us,
then he decided he wouldn't worry about it.

Saturday arrived, and we loaded our supplies in the car, then Bruce
and Ke took off to go get things ready while I drove there.

I sighed when I realized traffic at one end of the Mall was being
directed, and I was asked to wait for the film crew to get set up, so
they could cover my arrival.

Eventually I was told to go, so I drove in the parking lot, spotted
Ke, and parked where she pointed.

The car was surrounded, and since we had plenty of help, Ke managed
that while I had a microphone clipped on me.

I got some questions, I answered them, and when everyone was ready, I
took over from Ke.

"Ok.  I haven't thrown a Frisbee in years, so I want to do some warm
ups.  I need most of you scattered in a rough half circle, at varying
distances.  I need some good catchers nearby to catch the incoming
Frisbees and feed then to Ke.  Later, I'll need Ke and three others to
feed me while I work on getting my timing back.  Oh, let Bruce do most
of the catching while I work on getting my muscle memory back."

I waited while everyone got in position, then I studied Bruce.  "I'm
going to start with simple stuff and work up to some of the simpler
tricks that most folks know how to do."

He looked at me, shrugged with his ears and spoke thoughtfully.  "You
want me to start close and work out, until we're comfortable?"

"Yes.  I suppose you have some kids you can pass the Frisbees to after
you catch them?"

"Yeah.  We have that stuff worked out.  You want them to feed them
back right away, or hold on to them until you're ready?"

"Wait.  We have enough that I can send most of them out, then take a
short break while they get them back.  I don't want to worry about
crossing patterns, yet."

He walked out a ways, turned, then perked his ears at me.

"Ok, Ke.  For now, just stand to my right and slightly behind me. I'll
start slow, so when I say 'feed', put a Frisbee in my right hand."

"Got it."

I looked past her.  "Are all your people ready?"

Lani nodded.  "They are."

I took a deep breath, then held out my hand.  "Feed."

I threw it on a level path and Bruce didn't have to move to catch it.
"Ok.  I'm not going to toss heat.  All I want to do is work on getting
my control established again."

"Feed."

I tossed again.

"Feed."

I did that until I felt like I had decent control, and I started
motioning Bruce away from me.  We finally found a distance that I
could throw and be accurate enough he didn't have to move.

"Ok, folks.  That's the easy part.  Now, I'm going to work on picking
up the pace."

I threw and as soon as I let go, I said 'feed'.  

I kept that up and started shouting which head I was aiming for.  

I kept it going, and started adding different styles in.  I started
with skipping the Frisbee off of the pavement, until I had that under
control, and then I started angling my shots until they were coming in
from the side.  Once I had decent control of those shots,  I started
mixing them up, and Bruce had to start moving to make his catches.

Eventually Ke spoke quietly.  "Three left."

I threw them, then stopped and stretched before I shouted.  "Ok!  Send
them back!"

While we waited, I stepped out of the way and got a quick interview.

"Yes, I know I didn't do anything showy.  It's been a lot of years,
and I need to work up to things."

When all the Frisbees were back, I chuckled.  "Ok, I need someone to
feed me from the left side, since I'm going to need two feeders,
later."

I repeated the warmup with my left hand, then waited while all the
Frisbees came back again.

"Ok.  Ke, Nancy, do you think you can feed me without me asking?  Just
give me one when my hand comes back?"

The both felt they could, so I chuckled.  "We'll find out."

I shouted.  "Everyone ready?!"

"Go!"

I opened with a double side drop to Bruce, then threw a third Frisbee
directly at his center head.  He managed to catch them, then he
flipped them sideways and focused.

I worked my speed up, and then started tossing random shots to the
rest of the catchers.

This time, when I ran out, I was grinning.  "Ok!  Break time, so my
wrists and arms can recover!"

Bruce came over and studied me with all three of his heads.  "For
practice, that was pretty impressive."

I grinned at him.  "I think I impressed myself.  I didn't expect the
muscle memories to come back that fast.  Sorry about the misses that
forced you to move."

He sighed.  "Should I ignore them next time?"

"Maybe.  You up to adding place sliding?"

"I do it all the time, for the kids.  They like to try and make me
miss, sometimes."

"I hadn't thought about that.  Once I find my rhythm, I'll be trying
to overwhelm you while you stay in one place."

"Yeah?  Good luck.  You'll need it."

"What about skill?"

"That, too."

"I'll see what I can do."

I turned to the people who were nearby.  "I need four people to feed
me.  I'll start slow and show you where I want the Frisbees waiting,
then...  I'll probably make myself look like an idiot."

I got my volunteers, so I moved away slightly and pointed at them.
"Outside right., inside right, inside left, and outside left."

I held my hands by my side.  "You inside folks get to hit my hands
here.  Try to get the Frisbees into the same position every time."

I made throwing motions and stopped my hands.  "And you outside folks
need to hit my hands here.  Got it?"

They nodded.  "Ok.  Get ready....  Outside, feed me."

They hit, and instead of throwing, I let go and brought my hands in as
if I was following through.  "Inside.  Feed."

We did it a few more times each, then I glanced at Bruce.  "Now,  I'm
going to let my ego take over, and I'll add the throws I haven't
practiced, so you folks can see something that's a slow motion version
of a routine I call 'Rapid Fire'."

"Feeders, grab three Frisbees each, and be ready.  Later, you'll need
your own feeders so I can toss all sixty, non stop."

When they were ready, I took a deep breath, let it out, then
positioned my hands.  "Inside."

I got fed.  "First, a couple of matching regular throws."

I shouted.  "Catchers!  Heads up!"

I threw, and aimed both of them for the same person, with a slight
delay so the Frisbees wouldn't collide in mid air.

"Outside.  Angle shots, this time."

This time I angled both in at the same person.

"Inside.  Left hand will be a floater, right a come-backer.  Same
catcher."

I missed by a few feet on both, but at least the boy didn't have to
run after them.

"Good enough, for a first time.  Ready to try it again, and this time,
keep feeding me until we run out?"

"Sure!"

"Ok.Let's see what happens."

What happened, was that by the time I threw the last Frisbee,  I was
able to pick a catcher and make it so six Frisbees arrived almost
simultaneously.

When it was over, I shouted.  "Thanks, everyone!  I'm done for the
day!  See you next Saturday!"

I faced my feeders.  "Good jobs.  See you next week?  I'd like to pick
up the pace a little, once we all get our moves down."

One of them nodded.  "We'll be here.  Can you teach us how to get that
outside in throw right?  Some of us can do it, but we can't put
anything on it, like you do."  He shrugged.  "About all most of us can
do it get it to flutter more or less where we want it to go."

"Sure.  There's not much to it, really.  It's all in the arm, wrist,
and fingers."

"That's it?!"

I grinned.  "Well, no.  I left out the most important part.  Practice.
Lots of it!"
====

Ketaki 011
---

After the kids left, Bruce sighed.  "Glenn?  You ready to hoist some
brew?"

"I am, but I'm on someone else's clock right now."

I looked at the woman who had been quietly making comments during the
filming.  "Lani?  Your call."

She didn't answer right away, and when she did, she was still mostly
somewhere else.  "Mr. Glenncannon?"

"Yes?"

"I was assured that you would be practicing today."

"I was.  I needed to know what I should focus on next time."

She finally looked at where the kids had been, then she looked at the
boxes of Frisbees.  "Are you aware that at one point you had fifteen
Frisbees in the air at the same time, they were taking assorted paths,
and they all went to people who didn't have to take a single step to
catch them?"

"I wasn't keeping count.  Once I'm the flow, all I see are my feeders
and my targets."

She sighed.  "An incredible experience.  I'm looking forward to the
exhibition.  Cerberus mentioned 'hoisting some brew'.  Where, and may
we have a crew there?"

"You're paying for my time.  Where, is usually the pub in the Mall.  I
understand they've been ok when folks have followed Bruce around."

"And if they aren't?"

"Food court, or we could do the domestic stuff at home, after one of
us picks up some more drinks."

She pointed at a nearby woman.  "Make arrangements here."

She left at a run and Lani laughed.  "It's not often, that we have
what we thought would be something routine, get turned into a magical
experience.  When it's all over, I won't be looking forward to sitting
in on the cutting."

"Thank you.  I don't like to admit it, but what I did today was all
routine stuff.  Think of it like it was a warm up routine."

"Oh?  We've noticed you keep calling Cerberus, 'Bruce'.  Any special
reason for that?"

I chuckled, Ke giggled, and 'Bruce', sneezed disgustedly.  "I should
have seen that coming."

She smiled.  "So you can be surprised?"

"Oh, yes.  Glenn's display of dexterity did a good job of it.  There
were times I was tempted to place slide, just to give myself some time
to think about how I wanted to deal with all the Frisbees that were
headed for me.  I've done similar stuff with the Rats, but they don't
have the consistent accuracy he does.

"*Usually*, there's enough delay between them, that my choices are
pretty clear."

"So he pushed you?"

"Definitely!"

"And the name he uses?"

"Bruce?  Pretty simple.  It's my real name."

She watched him, and finally he sighed.  "So...  You're wondering
where 'Cerberus' came from?"

"I am.  Until you showed up and started playing in the parking lot
with...  The Rats, everyone thought you were a mythological beast."

"I'm some kid's manifested nightmare, I think.  Either that or I was
invented by an exasperated parent, as a way of scaring their children.
Since I'm a dog, I get bored easily, and the kindest way to put it, is
that because of that, and my basic purpose, I went looking for
trouble, a lot.  When I wasn't wandering around here, I started
working in Hades, as a screener.  Eventually, I worked my way up until
I'm number two.  At some point, Ketaki and I met, and we hit it off.
We both like to run and jog, so we've been jogging partners ever
since."

"An interesting story that we can talk about, later."

"Yeah.  Anyway, eventually, the part time work went full time, and I
stated using my breaks to roam Earth so I could unwind.  One of the
ways I did that, was to hire myself out as a 'battle dog'.  One time I
teamed up with a young man who had a very strange sense of humor.  I
never did ask him how he managed to get me knighted.  My full name is
Sir Bruce of someplace I long ago forgot the name of, and I'm a
Landless Knight Errant.  Guys I worked with sometimes called me Sir
Brucie, which never bothered me, because I usually had equally
unflattering nicknames for most of them.

"That sort of stuff was normal, and something of a game.  Still is, in
a lot of elite units.  Anyway, most of us weren't quite as pious as we
should have been, and 'hoisting a few', then finding new ways to
insult each other was also normal.  If we got lucky, the insults would
trigger a fight, and we could get rid of the tension we'd built up
during our recent battles.  There were a lot of bars and other places
that loved to have our patronage, because we always paid for damages
in gold, or other negotiables, and it let them rebuild and make their
places more attractive for their usual patrons."

He went silent for awhile, then he sighed.  "I miss those days,
because I was accepted for who I was, and what I was doing to make the
world a better place.  Anyway, I think it was an Englishman who got
drunk, and deliberately drawled my name insultingly, to see if I'd get
upset enough to go after him.  It  came out Sir Bare Ass, and somehow,
it stuck.  Over time, folks cleaned it up and used Cerberus.  Like I
told Glenn, the folks I work for decided to give it a shot as my
working name, because it sounded pretty menacing when it's spoken in a
threatening whisper.

"I didn't care, because most folks don't care what I'm called when I'm
in my working drag, which includes the traditional Hellfire dripping
from all of my fangs.  It worked, word got out, and now I'm stuck with
it, unless I'm around friends who know the story."

She looked a little stunned, with some serious disbelief mixed in.
"That's quite a story.  Mind if I note that people who work in Hades
are supposed to be good liars?"

He sneezed again.  "Of course we are, because we have to be able to
cover for our boss, who isn't a good liar."

That tidbit got the usual stare, so I pointed at Ke.  "I think it's
your turn.  Besides, you have more leverage than the rest of us."

She giggled, then raised her head and seemed to look at the clouds.
"Hey, up there!  You and your family interested in one of my home
cooked meals?"

A voice boomed and most everyone looked up after they flinched.  "We
are.  Do it tomorrow, and I'll let you write it off as a business
expense."

"Deal.  You been paying attention?"

"Been watching the live coverage.  Believe it, Lani, and if you want
to hear a good story, ask Ketaki to tell you what she was doing there
during her vacation.  Anything else?"

Lani finally shrugged.  "Will it be ok if I'm there with a small crew,
for some human interest?"

"As long as we do the interview *after* we have dinner.  Ke's cooking
should *not* be insulted by turning the meal itself into a business
one.  See you tomorrow!  Oh, here's something to make you feel like
I'm not trying to con you about who I am."

She was hit with a beam of pure white light that lasted for about a
minute, then it went out and we were in normal sunlight.

Lani lowered her head, shivered, and spoke softly.  "I have *never*
felt so loved and cherished."

Bruce laughed.  "He must be feeling good about something.  I see your
assistant headed for us, and she's smiling, so let's go relax."
====

Ketaki 012
---

After we settled, the waitress smiled at me.  "Mr. Glenncannon?"

"Yes?"

"Cerberus and Ketaki have already been adopted by some of The Rats.
You've been added, and they told us to let you know that all of your
drinks and meals here, will be covered, including the tips.  They
don't tap many, and from the excited talk I heard, you managed to
impress them quite a bit."

I looked at Ke and she nodded slightly, so I made my own nod.  "I'll
find a way to thank them, after I talk it over with Ke and Bruce. I'll
have a good Guinness and some fish and chips.  You pick which brand."

She took the other orders, then left us alone.

Since I assumed Lani would control the conversation, I turned to her
and raised my eyebrows.

"How long have you known Ketaki and Sir Bruce?"

"A couple weeks, or so."

She nodded, then turned to Ketaki.  "You're a  Muse?  I expected
someone who acted more...  like what we think of when we think of
Muses."

Ke smiled.  "Blame Glenn.  When I answered his call, I hit him with
the usual routine, and he had an attitude back, then told me to change
my ways, or I wouldn't get past him and into his home.  I really
didn't have a choice about going along, since I was the first Muse to
show up, and if we *didn't* do something so we linked, he would have
been inundated with out of work Muses."

"inundated?"

"Guild policy.  The first Muse on site gets a chance to be alone long
enough to get that linking started.  If they don't link fairly
quickly, the call continues, and it's basically open season on the
mortal who is sending it.  Any Muse who can feel it, can slide in and
have a chance at linking."

"So Glenn was already a working author?"

Ke laughed.  "Oh, yes.  Because he was already successful, he was far
more...  attractive than someone who was just getting started. "

"Attractive?"

"Of course.  Traditional Muses are basically lazy, since we only have
to work when our mortal is blocked, or can't focus."

"What generates the call?"

"The frustration of being blocked."

Our drinks arrived, and we all sipped, before Lani set hers down and
looked at each of us in turn, before she focused on me.  "Mr.
Glenncannon, may I call you Glenn?"

"Sure."

"Thank you.  Cerberus?"

He studied her with his right head, since the left one was holding his
tankard and tipping it so his middle one could drink from it.  He
finally stopped, swallowed, then smiled.  "Whatever name you want to
use.  I'm easy about it.  Don't worry about offending me if you don't
put that 'Sir' in front."

"Thank you, Bruce.  It will take me some time to get used to you being
real, and so...  different from what I expected."

"You're welcome.  Yeah.  It can shake people's faith up quite a bit,
when they find out I'm a real Knight, and the stuff I do in Hades is
my nine-to-five job.  The backlog forces it to be more of a time plus
overtime situation, but I have the freedom to choose who I work with,
so that helps me keep the boredom under control."

"In spite of your seniority, you put in overtime?"

"Yes.  We all do."

"You mentioned that Ketaki is your jogging partner?"

"Yeah.  She's kind of a specialist at what she does, so she usually
has lots of time when she isn't working.  We met when she dropped in
to check in on one of the mortals she had worked with, we got to
talking, and once I accepted she was treating me like another person,
we had a few dinner dates, and did the usual venting about our job
stresses.  We found out we both love getting 'runner's high', and
we've been teaming up ever since."

Ke laughed at him.  "You ducked.  What *really* got you hooked on
having me around, was what I was coming up with, to help you rehab
that idiot."

He snorted.  "Yeah.  I didn't think Lani is ready to hear that part of
it.  She might get to thinking I have my job because it matches my
nature."

Lani started to speak, closed her mouth, then leaned forward.  "I
think I missed something important.  Muses can be creative when they
aren't working, or linked?"

Ke took it.  "Of course.  In this case, however, I had a personal
reason for helping Cerby.  I'd been linked to him, when he was alive,
and he... took advantage of the rules, more than I was willing to
forgive."

"Oh?  May we hear more?"

Ke sighed, then drained her tankard.  She leaned back.  "Cerby?  Are
you going to be able to control yourself?"

"Yeah.  If I get too frustrated, I'll go watch him scream."

She sighed and studied me.  "Relax, Glenn.  We don't react to abuse
the same way mortals do.  It's pretty hard to take damage seriously,
because we can repair it while it's happening, if we want to.  I will
grant that we can be emotionally affected, enough to never forgive
some things that people do to us."

"Love?  I don't like what I'm thinking."

She smiled, and for the first time, one of her smiles made me shiver,
because it was obvious it had a lot of her creativity behind it, and
that creativity was focused on retribution.

"Ke?  Let me know ahead of time, if you think I'm doing something that
will make you smile that way at *me*?"

"Hmm?  Oh.  Sorry.  I will.  I really don't expect that to happen.  I
can't tell which of you is more creative, because his was focused in a
way that catered to his obsession."

"Good!"

Ke relaxed, then shrugged.  "I was still a traditional Muse, and I
usually link with people who have a pragmatic sense of humor.  We also
link to mortals who tend to be real focused on their subject.  The
final thing you need to know is that in a traditional relationship,
which is adversarial in nature, we cannot stop ourselves from becoming
the mortal's 'perfect companion'."

I winced, and she must have seen it.  "That life was all I knew about,
personally, until Glenn refused to make our relationship a traditional
one."

Lani thought, then spoke softly.  "That changes things?"

"Definitely.  In a non-traditional relationship, the Muse and mortal
toss *all* of the rules, create their own on the fly, and those can be
changed at any time.  Because of that, for the first time in my life,
I can be a working Muse, and have all of my free will while I'm
working."

Lani figured it out.  "You can choose to say no."

"Yes."

Ke caught our waitress's eye and mimed refilling her tankard.  Once it
was topped, she sipped, then set it down.

She closed her eyes and shuddered, before she spoke without opening
them.  "Because of who I am, I tend to hear the calls from people who
are special in some way.  It can be enjoyable, or a burden.  In this
case..."

She went silent and shook her head  "Cerby?  I still can't bring
myself to utter his name calmly.  Finish it for me?  Please?"

He sighed.  "Folks aren't going to get upset if you sit on Glenn's lap
and let go.  Settle, and I'll take it the rest of the way."

"Thank you."

She settled, I wrapped her up after she turned and started sobbing on
my shoulder, then we waited until her visible shivering stopped and
she spoke without moving her head from my shoulder.  "Thanks, Love.
This is the first time I've been able to know my mortal cared enough
for me that I could be totally honest around him."

Bruce looked at her, sighed again, then drained *his* tankard before
he looked at Lani.  "It's pretty simple, really.  The man she linked
with was, in his way, brilliant.  Once he knew they were linked for
his lifetime, and Ke had to help him, he took advantage of that when
he did the specialized research for his writing."

He came over and nuzzled Ke, before he focused on Lani.  "Ever meet
someone you can't stand, but you can bring yourself to admire their
skills in an abstract way, as long as you don't think about it too
hard?"

Lani thought, then shook her head.  "Not in person."

"Hope you never have it happen."

"Ke?  Are you sure you want me to do this?"

"I am.  It's time the world knew the rest of the story, and I have you
and Glenn here to help me."

All of his heads finally nodded.  "Your point.  I don't like giving it
to you, but we both know you can't be processed through the usual
channels, so you can get some help."

He refocused on Lani.  "DeSade had to get his personal knowledge,
somehow.  Ketaki was his Muse, and he...  used her to explore the
boundaries of his obsession.  When he couldn't think of anything new,
that 'block' forced her to use her creativity, to help him find new
areas to explore.  Some people have wondered what his obsession did to
his subjects.  Now, you know."

Lani stared at him and he nodded all three heads.

She reached, grabbed the handle of my tankard...

Then lifted it to her lips and drained it.

She was shaking when she set it down.  "Umm...  Sir Bruce?  Some
closure, please?  We can't leave people hanging."

"There are a few Lost Souls who, because of their nature, will never
leave Hades.  DeSade is one of them.  It was difficult to find
something that he viewed as punishment, instead of a way to expand his
knowledge while he indulged his obsession.  I wish I could say it was
Ketaki who discovered his weakness.  It is oddly appropriate that God
found the solution."

"That solution is?"

"God took away his ability to feel, completely, and made sure he
cannot escape into true madness.  No emotions, no pain or pleasure
sensations.  Nothing.  No matter what is done to him, he survives, and
knows he will never again feel any of it.  He is now pure intellect."

Bruce laughed maliciously, and Ke joined him before she sobered enough
to speak clearly.  "Sometimes, I go watch him scream.  He doesn't know
he screams, of course.  He is a mind, kept alive by a body he will
never have contact with, ever again, and he knows it.  He begs when he
doesn't scream.  We do nothing, because he is convinced we are doing
to him, far worse than what he did to others, when he was a mortal,
and he will never know what we have done."

Lani finally nodded.  "I have a final question for Sir Bruce, before
we move on to more pleasant subjects."

"Ask."

"What purpose does DeSade's isolation serve?"

"None whatsoever.  He will never be rehabbed enough to be allowed to
choose who he serves.  It's a crude way to express the complexities of
the situation, but he will always see himself as superior to everyone
else.  All God did, was give him his own universe, so it is true."

Lani shivered.  "Let's move on to something cheerier.  Glenn.  What
was it like, to learn you rated a Muse in your life?"
====

Ketaki 013
---

Lani and her crew got their live interview with God and his family,
then our lives returned to 'normal', except for having the practice
sessions at various locations, until we all returned to the Mall for
the exhibition.  It went well, and with that out of the way, Ke and I
finally had a chance to organize our lives and focus on the two of us
catching up on our writing responsibilities while we settled into our
relationship.

* * *

I leaned back and stretched, then saved my work.  After that I spun my
chair so I could study Ke.  She must have felt me change my focus,
because she did her own version of the end of day routine, and then
turned so she could watch me.  "Finished?"

"Yes.  That was the last one of the articles I had to write for the
advances.  You?"

"It's strange, to be writing my own stories and articles and putting
my name on them.  I have a deeper appreciation for what writers go
through, and the decisions you have to make."

I chuckled.  "Are you going to get hooked, and need your own Muse?"

"No way!  Once I finish this 'Life as a Muse' series I let myself get
talked into doing, I'm going back to being your..."

After she stayed silent, I sighed.  "A problem?"

"Yes.  I suddenly realized that I don't know what I should call
myself.  I wanted to use 'wife' but it's not right, because we're not
married."

"Muse works for me, but I can see your point.  We need some labels for
others to use.  Do you want to put together dinner, or eat out?"

"I'll cook.  I enjoy doing that, far more than I enjoy writing.  I
know it's old fashioned for me to be that way, but...  I guess the
best way to say it, is that 'doing for my mortal' stopped being
something I had to do, and became something I do because I enjoy doing
it, a long time ago.

She grimaced.  "Well, that's mostly true.  There have been a few
notable exceptions to that."

She stood, and I followed her and settled in the living room.

She worked in silence until she had things done, or at a point she
could wait for timers to go off, then she joined me on the couch and
we snuggled.

"Glenn?  You're getting pretty good at managing your creativity while
I'm in the kitchen.  Thanks."

"You're welcome.  I've been trying out different terms in my head, so
we have something we can use around others."

"Did you come up with anything?"

I sighed.  "A few.  Mostly, I came up with terms we'd better not use,
even though they do a good job of describing the relationship we're
building."

"Go on."

"I'd love to use wife, but I agree that it wouldn't be appropriate.
'Domestic Partner' sounds contrived and too impersonal, even though it
does do a decent job of describing how things are, since you've opted
to do most of the domestic stuff."

She sighed.  "I'm still adjusting to how much values have changed
since my last time here as a Muse.  A lot of the people I've talked to
think I'm locked into the old fashioned ways, instead of being willing
to assert my independence."

"Any luck in getting them to see it from our point of view?"

"Some.  What seems to work best so far, is when I explain that being a
Muse is my job, and I do what I do, to make it easier for you to write
without distractions.  A few of the people work from home, so they
understand just how easy it can be for the daily stuff you don't think
about, to take you away from your job."

"Yeah.  Figuring out how to manage my time has been the hardest
part..."

"You have a solution?"

"I don't know.  First, we already openly admit you're my Muse, and
when the person is new, we usually have to explain the reasons we
aren't constantly arguing."

"I agree with that.  That documentary and the articles we wrote have
helped get rid of the confusion, so I don't see needing to explain as
a problem any more."

"Good.  The web site helps, too.  Second, I was just thinking about
how it isn't unusual for even moderately successful people, then and
now, to have secretaries who manage the details of their working and
personal lives.  That's still a respected profession.  So, what if we
combine the two and when people ask, we call you 'my Muse and personal
secretary', who handles the stuff that distracts me from my writing?"

She thought, and finally nodded.  "I guess that's what I've been doing
already, with a lot more words.  I think it's too late for us to quit
calling me your Muse, and for you to call me your significant other,
and inspiration that keeps you writing."

I sighed.  "Ke?"

"Yes?"

"Remember the stuff I asked you about considering us a married
couple?"

"I do."

"You *are* my significant other, and the woman who somehow keeps me
going, when I can't make myself keep going.  You're her.  The One.  I
quit looking for a woman, because I realized The One, is already part
of my life."

She hugged me tightly, then spoke softly.  "Are you upset because it
was a forced marriage?"

"Forced?  I like to think we negotiated the basic terms of our
relationship, and once we agreed to them, the rest has been what any
serious couple does.  Fine tuning it so it lasts."

"Once I'm linked, I'm linked to you for the rest of your life."

"Are you?  We had to toss *all* of the rules when we made it a non
traditional relationship.  That means, to me, that either one of us
should have the option of walking away, if we feel it isn't working.
I'm in it to stay.  Are you?"

She shivered for a few minutes, then she stopped and kissed me
tenderly.  "I love you, Glenn.  For the rest of your mortal life, and
beyond, you are The One."

"Thank you, Ketaki.  I hope they let us stay together after I die."

She giggled.  "If they get stuffy about it, I'll make you my
assistant!"

A timer went off and her giggles changed to hysterical laughter. "Now,
I know why parents feel the way they do, when their kids interrupt
them!"
====

Ketaki 014
---

After we finished the documentary, the three of us got pestered so
much, we made my Saturday 'Frisbee exhibitions'  a regular part of our
lives.  Usually we held them in the Mall parking lot, but sometimes we
held them at a school, park, or any place that was large enough that
it had an area that could be isolated so we could do our show safely,
and with as little disruption as possible, considering the increased
volume of traffic for the hours we were there.

One day, after we finished and settled outside one of the fast food
places that was there, for our late lunch, a young girl and her mother
were in the line of people who wanted to talk to us, or ask questions.
That wasn't unusual.

The conversation, was.

The girl offered Ketaki a printout.  "Miz Ketaki?  Would you read this
and tell me what you think?"

Ketaki read it to herself, then she smiled.  "Do you want me to tell
you it's good for someone your age, or do you want me to hand it to
Glenn, so he can point out the things you should work on now, before
you worry about the stuff that you can only learn how to do after lots
of practice?"

"I just wanted you to see it.  I don't write stuff very often.  You
really think it's good?"

"I do.  I think anyone who reads it will know you wrote from your
heart, and that's really all that matters."

"Thanks.  That's really what I wanted to ask you something about."

"Go on."

"I'm pretty sure neither one of us wants to be a serious writer.  Mom
and I are all alone, and they changed her hours at work, so she isn't
home when I get back from school.  She can't afford a babysitter, or
to send me to a day care, and we don't have any close friends I can
stay with until she's off work.  Anyway, I got this real crazy idea
about asking you if there was any way I could have a temporary Muse,
until her hours go back to what she had, or I'm old enough I can be by
myself."

Ke studied the woman, who finally nodded.  "Amanda's right, and I'm
desperate enough to explore anything she comes up with.  I had to
accept the changes as part of a promotion.  I don't want to quit and
start over, because we're finally getting our lives put back together,
and I don't want to lose that."

Ke sighed, then focused on the girl.  "Amanda?  Have you and your
mother talked about what your ideal babysitter would be like?"

"Sure, lots of times.  Mostly, we just want someone we can trust to be
there all the time, instead of always...  not staying home.  There's
that other stuff, too.  My old dad didn't do any of that stuff with
me, but he did with someone else and got caught when mom came home
before she was supposed to.  I was still at school, so I guess he
thought he wouldn't get caught.  Anyway...  he was mostly ok, even if
he didn't really care about either of us.  We got used to it, ya
know?"

"Yes, Dear, I do know, unfortunately.  So...  Do you want someone old
enough they will be able to keep an eye on you but also be able to
play with you, or do you want someone who is old enough that you can
consider them your father, uncle, or aunt?  Maybe even a grandparent?"

"Uhh...  Gee...  We never really talked about getting me a new father,
and wouldn't people be extra worried about an uncle or aunt?"

"Probably."

Amanda turned to look at her mother.  "Mom?  I'd really like a dad
again, even if you guys never get married."

She studied Ke.  "Are you saying Amanda can live her dreams again?"

"The Muse's Guild is really two guilds that coordinate with each
other.  I'm a working Muse, and a member of the Working Muse's Guild.
There are Muses who, for various reasons, want to work part time, or
don't want to be permanently linked, so there is a Substitute Muses
Guild.  Usually, they are called in when a working Muse needs a break
for some reason.  In spite of their preferences, they are true Muses,
and able to do everything a working Muse can do.  Shape shifting is
one of those skills.  For example, the body I now wear is not the one
Glenn first saw.  Over time, I refined it until physically, I am his
dream companion.  The rest of it, we are still working on, but
eventually, I will be his dream Muse, in all ways.  If he had
children, a wife, or even a significant other, I would adapt myself
until I fit in with a minimum amount of disruption to their lives.

"So, yes, I am telling both of you that there is a possibility of
finding a Muse who fits your situation."

"I'm desperate.  What do we have to do?"

Ke smiled.  "It is what Amanda will have to do."

"As long as it won't hurt, she has my permission."

"Thank you.  Amanda?  I want you to think real hard about the
companion you want."

"That's all?  I do that a *lot*!"

"So you have it all figured out?"

"Are you kidding?!  No way!  I want a dad, but mom wants a
housekeeper.  Not only that, I think it would be nice if dad had red
hair, while she wants his hair to be blonde.  There's other stuff we
can't agree on, too."

"So you'd be willing to say you're blocked and can't think of how to
agree with each other?"

 "Definitely!"

Suddenly a man about the age of Amanda's mother appeared behind Ke and
looked at Amanda, before he raised his head and looked at her mother.
"Hello.  I'm Mark.  I'm a temporary Muse.  If you check with the
Muse's embassy, you can verify that I have experience as a butler, and
have worked with children."

He twirled his red handlebar mustache when he grinned at Amanda.  "As
for your dreams, young lady, do you think your mother will settle for
blonde hair, and a red mustache?"

"Umm...  Mom?"

"Mark.  Let's go eat and talk this over."

"As you wish.  We do have a time limit of about thirty minutes, before
the monitors decide we aren't going to link, and they will allow other
Muses to check in with you and your daughter, to see if they are
suitable."

They went inside, and I studied Ke.  "Smooth, Ke, and I learned some
new things, about Muses."

"Oh?"

"Yes.  They are devious, and not all of them need to have a permanent
link.  You deliberately set Amanda up for a block, didn't you?"

"I did, and the next time I go home, I am going to have a talk with
the people who run the Substitute's Guild, about needing to change the
way they do things.  Far too many people who would benefit from a
substitute Muse, are, as you folks say, 'falling through the cracks'."

"You live an interesting life, Ke.  Before you worry about the part I
can't share in person, let's see what we can do to get rid of the line
of folks who are waiting to talk to us."

Bruce lifted his center head and faced the crowd with it.

"Next!"
====

Ketaki 015
---

I suppose, looked at dispassionately, what eventually happened at the
Mall, was inevitable.

That doesn't make it easier for me to deal with.

* * *

The three of us had decided to spend a couple hours relaxing in the
parking lot, before we went in and had dinner.

I'd just tossed three Frisbees at Bruce when I heard some rapid pops,
I was hit in the chest and flung backwards, and then people near the
Mall entrance started screaming.  There was the sudden screech of
tires and there was more screaming.

Bruce swung his outside heads so he could see what was going on , then
he shouted "Check inside!" to Ke, who vanished.  

His center head focused on me.  "Glenn!  Remember the geas!  You're
ok!"

He snarled, burst into flame, and vanished.

I managed to roll to my side in time to see him reappear in front of
the fleeing car, which hit him with a thud and the sounds of metal
being crushed.

He had been braced, so all that happened was that he was shoved
backwards.

Then, he did the impossible.  He grabbed the front bumper with all
three of his jaws and lifted the car until it was inverted over his
back.

He held that pose for a few seconds, then he swung the car until it
slammed into the ground hard enough to pop all the tires and collapse
the suspension.

Apparently, the occupants had survived the experience, because I could
hear their screams while he let go and walked around so he could glare
through the passenger's window before he ripped the door off and laid
it on the hood.

He repeated the process on the driver's side, then he...  laughed,
before he stuck his nose in the driver's face.  "Still think you got
away with whatever it was you just did?"

Ke showed up, and her shoulders were slumped.  "Two dead, Cerby. Three
others in serious condition, but I stabilized them.  They'll live."

His flames flared, then he spoke conversationally.  "Any of them
Rats?"

"No.  Bank employees and security guards who responded to the alarm."

There was a long silence, then he sighed.  "I wish..."

His left head darted inside the car.  "Not a good move.   Let go, and
I'll let you keep your fingers."

His head came out and he held a pistol in his jaws.  After he set it
on the roof, he used his head to point.  "Ke?  I believe the passenger
has something he wants to hand you."

She collected a couple of handguns, then stepped back and waited.

Bruce spoke menacingly.  "I just happen to be a Knight, and I have the
powers of High, Middle, and Low Justice, if I wish to invoke them.
Instead, we will wait for the police to arrive, so human justice can
have its way with you."

The flames went out, and he settled on his haunches before he spoke
again.  "One of you attempted to kill my friend, and me.  I can't
justify doing what I want to do, by saying it happened 'in the heat of
the chase', or 'to protect innocent lives'.  However, be assured that
if you give me the excuse I need, I will not hesitate to kill both of
you.  Am I being clear enough?"

Both of them nodded, so he nodded back, then kept an eye on things
while they waited.

* * *

The paramedics, police, and all the other folks who make a living
picking up the pieces, eventually showed up, and after the bullets
were removed from my shirt, and I was checked for damage, I was left
alone, except for...

The media.

The videos of Sir Bruce stopping the killers went viral, of course, as
did the one that showed me getting shot in the chest.

Eventually, everyone was done with us, so we headed for our favorite
pub, to get me something to eat, and so we could reassure the Rats who
were still arriving, that all of us were fine.

Lani found us there, and she studied us before she spoke softly.  "You
folks have been good for my career.  May I bother you for another
interview?"

Bruce shrugged with his ears.  "If you can find questions to ask that
nobody else has, sure, I'm all for it.  Ke?  Glenn?"

Ke finished swallowing.  "Doesn't bother me any."

I shrugged.  "And I'm not bothered.  Which reminds me.  Does anyone
know if three lumps of melted plastic have shown up on ebay, yet? They
were gone when I went looking for them."

Bruce laughed.  "Sorry.  Put a note on the forum, that I'll sign them,
for a fee equal to what they were sold for, and won't file theft and
selling stolen property charges against the sellers and buyers.

Lani laughed and looked at her assistant.  "Go see what you can find
out."

She turned back and smiled.  "As a matter of fact, I do have a
question for Sir Bruce, that nobody has asked him yet, that I know
of."

"Oh?  Ask it."

"In all the videos I've seen, that had audio, it sounded like that car
hit something pretty solid, and not flesh and blood.  Plus, it should
have simply shoved you until you were, if you'll forgive me this,
'ground into a bloody paste'."

"Forgiven.  I was hoping they'd see it the same way, and do their best
to do exactly that, so  I wouldn't have to play tag with them."

"How did you do it?"

He chuckled.  "It's an adaptation of shape shifting.  Since my true
form is nothing but energy, I can manifest here as anything I want to.
I *looked* normal, but my body was really solid osmium when they hit
me.  I was a *lot* heavier than their car, when it hit.  The slam dunk
was mostly leverage backed up by anger.  What I really wanted to do
was crush the car with them in it, but I settled for making it clear I
wasn't about to be any more gentle than I had to be."

He grinned.  "Besides, someday I'll see them again, and they know it.
I think that will encourage them to do everything they can, to stay
alive.  Sometimes people administer their own justice to themselves,
far more effectively than I ever could."

Her eyes narrowed while she studied him, then she smiled.  "Thank you
for giving me the info I needed, to write an article that will cover
this from an angle nobody else will."

"You're welcome, and no charge.  Anything else you need from me?"

"No, Sir Bruce."

"Good!  I need to go talk to my bosses, and justify not fast-tracking
those idiots."

He vanished, and I laughed.  "I hope he persuades them to let human
justice take its course, this time.  I'd like to wait a few years
before we add silly amounts of money to our accounts, again!"
====

Ketaki 016
---

A couple months after the adventure in the parking lot, our lives had
finally gone back to being normal.

Of course, that was when we had the police arrive.

"Mr. Glenncannon?"

"Yes.  What brings you folks here?"

"You do."

"I do?  I can't think of anything I've done that you'd be interested
in."

"We..."  He sighed.  "Are you aware there was another illegal lab
explosion a few days ago?"

"Vaguely.  Happens so often, I don't think of that stuff like it's
real news, any more."

"While we were picking up the pieces, we found three melted Frisbees.
Normally, they wouldn't have been anything more than more evidence."

"I don't like where my thinking is headed."

He coughed.  "We think they belong to one of you folks.  They were
smoldering when we found them,  Naturally, we wanted to keep them as
intact as we could.  When we tried to cool them down, they... Got
hotter."

"Oh.  Hang on.  Ke!  We got us a situation, again!"

She joined me.  "Hello, Gentlemen, and Lady.  Something we can help
you with?"

He gestured at me, so I shrugged.  "They think they found our Frisbees
in that lab that blew a few days ago."

"What on Earth, would...  Oh.  Was there any casting resin there?"

"Lady, we don't know for sure.  There are so many chemicals in that
mess, we have a hazmat crew cleaning it up.  If you're thinking they
might have been planning on using them as a way of smuggling, it's
always a possibility.  However, I think you should know something one
of our people got from one of the survivors, before he was put under
so he could be stabilized."

"Go on, if you're certain we should be hearing it."

He shrugged.  "Can you think of any reason a gang member from across
town would insist on making sure that we don't tell Sir Bruce about
his Frisbees being there?"

Ke raised her eyebrows, then sighed.  "No.  Do you want to ask him
yourself?"

"If he's available, yes."

She sighed.  "I think this qualifies as an emergency.  Cerby!  Company
for you!"

We heard a couple of sneezes, and a grumble, then he appeared in the
entryway.  "They here to see me?  What can I help you with?"

"We're pretty sure we found your Frisbees in the wreckage of that lab
explosion, and one of the survivors was pretty emphatic about us not
telling you they were there."

"Yeah?  I can't think of why anyone would be worried.  I told Lani
that I wouldn't file theft charges or receiving stolen goods charges
against who sold them or bought them, as long as they paid me whatever
they got for selling them.  They never showed up on ebay or anywhere
else, so we assumed someone wanted souvenirs."

"That's a possibility we hadn't considered.  Right now, we have a
problem with them."

"Oh?"

"Yes.  We can't recover them to be used as evidence, or to process
them as recovered stolen property, because...  It's *insane*!  Every
time we try to cool them off, they get hotter!  Our gear says they
should have been vapor a long time ago, but they haven't changed from
what they looked like when we first saw them."

Bruce sneezed.  "Oh.  I thought the heat slagged them, but I guess
they went though my Hellfire.  If you're willing to lead us to where
we need to be, I'll deal with it so you can handle them safely."

"Are you going to be able to go in there safely?  We had to evacuate
the neighbors and call in a hazmat team, because of the chemicals they
were using."

"Relax.  Non mortals are immune to that stuff.  If there's anything
out there, in any universe, that can do more than make me sneeze to
clear my nose, I haven't met it yet."

He suddenly sat and eyed the policeman thoughtfully.  "What if I told
you I could get the leads you need, so you can get a good handle on
this?"

"We're willing to listen.  They'll need to be ones we can follow up
on, here."  He smiled slightly.  "We can't commute like some folks
can."

Bruce chuckled.  "Ok.  You mentioned some survivors.  Does that mean
some of them died?"

"At least three.  We haven't had time to put the pieces together so we
have a count we're sure of."

"Got it.  Some sort of lab fire and explosion, that took place about
three days ago.  I can work with that.  Can you folks come in and get
comfortable while you wait?"

"Just don't offer us anything to eat or drink."

"We can do that.  Give me about thirty minutes, but don't get ready to
leave unless I'm not back in an hour."

He vanished.

It was about twenty minutes later when he appeared in the living room
and settled on his haunches before he used all of his heads to focus
on the officer in charge.  "First, I stopped by and safed those
Frisbees.  One of us will pick them up whenever you folks say we can
have them."

"Thanks.  Second?"

"Second, you have pieces of six bodies.  All of them were involved, so
you don't have to go to bed while wondering if there were any innocent
victims."

"Anything else?"

"Take a hard look at their phone records.  Most of the calls will be
on cell phones, but they used a wired phone often enough that you
should see several numbers of interest.  One of those is  a delivery
service.  Be careful checking that one out, because a few of the
people there are insiders who worked for the people who managed to
blow themselves up."

"Thanks for the leads. Did you happen to get any sort of hint about
why they didn't want you to know anything?"

"Yep.  It was supposed to be a targeted attack on me, mostly.  Call
it...  a test, to find out if I'm who I say I am.  They weren't very
happy when I started showing up and acting like I was some sort of
three headed puppy, and all around nice guy."

"I don't get it."

"You will.  They call themselves 'The Heads of Cerberus', and
considered me their...  example to follow.  Oh, I told your hazmat
team what was going to be shipped to me, along with those Frisbees.
What bit those folks was the Hellfire that was embedded in the slagged
Frisbees.  They wanted to lower the temperature, after they realized
nothing was going to cool down naturally, so they decided to pack
everything in frozen carbon dioxide.

"Hellfire being what it is, instead of everything cooling down, it all
blew up on them."

He finally sighed.  "Anything else you think we need to know?"

"I suppose you'd like to know if there's a way to put out Hellfire, if
you ever see it again?"

"It would be nice, yes."

"Ok.  It's fairly easy to get rid of, once you know it's what you're
dealing with.  Think of someone you love, then kiss the palm of your
hand and blow a kiss at it.  A few seconds after you do that, it will
be gone, as if it was never there."

They all goggled at him, so he sneezed his amusement before he softly
spoke some words that sent me and Ke into hysterics, before we could
stop ourselves.

"There's a lot of truth in the phrase: 'Love conquers all'."
====

Ketaki 017
---

Instead of heading for the den after breakfast, I wound up standing at
the patio doors and watching the rain.

Ke was doing what had become her morning routine, and was preparing
food and storing it so she could take less time to cook, later.

"Ke?  Let's do something different, today."

"You have something in mind already?"

"Partly.  Let's go to the park, for a picnic."

She laughed.  "In the rain?"

"Sure.  I'll carry the basket, and you can carry the umbrella.  If we
can't find space in one of the covered picnic areas, we can share the
umbrella holding chores, while we eat."

"That makes it sound like you want to walk there."

"I do."

"Get the basket out of the garage.  I'll make us an assortment of
finger foods, instead of the usual layout."

"As long as there are sandwiches of some kind, included, I don't
care."

* * *

While we were getting dressed for the day, Ke got whimsical.  "Let's
theme what we wear."

"Oh?"

"Let's wear the clothing we bought for Francine's ceremony."

"In love with your ball gown?"

"Guilty!"

We got dressed, she decided it was ok for me to leave my sleeves
unrolled, then we collected the small folding canvas table I had, the
smaller umbrella that could be attached to it, and loaded them on my
back before I grabbed the basket.  She picked out which umbrella she
wanted to use for the walk, and we left.

The few neighbors who were out waved at us when we passed, and we got
the usual 'Where's Cerby?' inquiries from the kids who weren't in
school yet.

I ignored the wistful sighs and openly admiring looks from some of the
older girls and a few of the women who watched us amble past.

Ke, though, openly strutted, and made it clear she was a woman who was
content to be one.  Wolf-whistles and other audible forms of
appreciation got a blown kiss in return, and those brave enough to
talk to her got a hug, or a tender peck on their cheek, depending on
their age and gender.

The park was nearly empty, so we had no trouble finding a table that
was sheltered from the rain.

I knew my eyebrows went up quite a bit when she spread our blanket on
the table, and then centered the small red and white checked picnic
tablecloth on it.

She set our food and all the other things where she wanted them, then
she stepped on the bench and sat on the table, before she used a long
match to light the candles she'd packed.  She started nibbling on a
cheese stick, and when she realized I hadn't moved, she paused and
pointed at the other end of the table.  "Sit.  Eat."

I settled, filled a paper plate with some food, then shook my head.
"Ke, my love, sometimes...  your creativity can be insanely
appropriate to the situation."

"Thank you, Glenn.  This *is* what you had in mind when you thought of
a picnic, wasn't it?"

"Other than wishing we could safely sit on the grass, without drawing
extra attention to ourselves when we stayed dry, yes."

I emptied my plate, then watched the activities going on around us.
"There's something magical about a park, on a rainy day, isn't there?"

"If you say so."

I turned and raised my eyebrows.

Ke nodded.  "I am a Muse.  Any appreciation I have had, has been
through the eyes of my mortal.  We do not...  traditionally, have an
appreciation of our own."

"Yet, you enjoy cooking."

"I'm afraid the explanation is unflattering, to most mortals."

"Oh?"

"Cooking is a usually non threatening way for me to express my own
creativity.  Other Muses have found their own solutions to the
problem."

"You emphasized 'traditionally'."

"Deliberately.  Being in love has changed me, and I find the changing
has accelerated.  I think..."

She fell silent, looked around, then pointed at a young couple who
were walking hand in hand, and ignoring the fact they were soaked.
"Glenn, much like that young lady, I am growing up, when I thought I
was already grown.  Love, and its effects, have gifted me with a new
perspective."

"Do you fear the changes?  Many humans do."

"Oh, no!  I look forward to them and wish they would happen even
faster!"

She laughed and waved a hand at everything around us.  "A missing
piece of the puzzle, one I never knew *was* missing, has been put in
place.  I am finally complete, and I am able to understand the
world...  No.  That's not right.  I *feel* myself, and the world
around me, instead of understanding it."

Instead of answering immediately, I took the time to think about her
words before I said anything.  "So...  Love was the key?"

She giggled, caught herself briefly, then started laughing so hard it
doubled her over.

Eventually she recovered enough so she could straighten and waggle a
finger at me.  "You, crazy, crazy, man.  Always ready with the
inappropriate right thing to say!"

"I try, Ke, because I love you with an intensity I never dreamed was
possible."

She stared at me.  "Truth!"

"Yes.  It took a walk in the rain, and the friendship and admiration
of our neighbors, plus this time for ourselves, to make me relax
enough to see it, and admit it to myself."

I gestured vaguely.  "Many people have said a walk in the rain, with
one you love, can be a time of renewal, and fresh discoveries.  What
do you think?"

She looked around, then turned back and I could see her heart in her
eyes when she spoke softly.  "I agree."
====

Ketaki 018
---

We worked our way through all the food we'd brought to the park, then
repacked what we didn't throw away.

Instead of leaving for home right away, we sat next to each other on
one side of the table, and watched the rest of the day go by.

I don't know what made me say what I did, but I'm glad I did.

"Ke, Love?"

"Yes, Glenn?"

"What's it like, where you're from?  What do you do when you're 'on
vacation', from being a Muse?"

I managed to put a little boy's whine in my voice.  "Tell me a story!"

She giggled, then gazed at something only she could see.  "Tell you a
story about my private life, little man?  Let me see what I can do..."

* * *

Ketaki gazed down at the old man who lay dying.  "Well, Jason?"

"I'll be glad to get rid of you, Ketaki.  I can feel you in my head
even now, when all I want is some peace, from you and everyone else."

She shook her head, and smiled slightly.  "Only death can break the
link we have, Jason.  Yours."

"Well, I'm glad of that.  Now, go call my family in, and leave me
alone.  I don't know who is worse.  You, constantly in my head, and
driving me to create something, anything, or them, living like
vultures as they scavenge what I leave behind, as easily as birds
leave behind their droppings."

Ketaki nodded.  "I will call them in.  Jason?  You will not see me
again, in this life, or the next one, so I will give you a parting
gift to remember us by."

"Oh?  Say it, then get out!"

Ketaki grinned at him, then bent and kissed him lightly before she
pulled away slightly and whispered.  "I love you, too, Jason, but the
rules I live by would not permit me to openly admit it, just as your
rules did not allow you to be the man you should have been, around
me."

He glared at her, then his eyes softened, and he sighed.  "Call them.
It is time, Ketaki.  And...  Thank you."

She straightened, turned without another word, and left the room.

When she got to the living room, she spoke gently.  "We have said what
we had to say to each other.  It is time, and he wishes to see all of
you, before he leaves."

She smiled.  "Thank you, all of you, for sharing him with me.  I will
intrude on your lives, no longer."

She vanished.

* * *

Cerberus found her standing on a beach and watching the pounding surf
while the wind from the storm whipped her gown into tatters.

"I should have known I'd find you here.  The memories are part of
being an immortal, Ke."

"I know, Cerby.  Do you think that someday, Muses will be able to be
honest with their mortals?"

"You talking about yourself?"

"Yes."

"I don't know.  Time is long, yet short.  Perhaps, someday, you will
link with one who has the courage to recognize the truth, and speak of
it to you.  Humans change rapidly, in our terms, so it gets more
likely with each of their generations.  I gather from your mood, that
you were honest with each other, before his transition?"

"Yes.  The truth was in his eyes when he thanked me."

Cerberus studied her with all three of his heads, before he spoke
gently.  "It is permissible for a Muse to see the mortal they were
linked with, after the mortal transitions."

"Thanks, but I promised he would never see me again."

"And if he eventually asks to see you, as part of his acceptance of
his new life?"

The storm had time to pass, before she finally replied.  "I don't
know, Sir Bruce.  I will leave that decision to your excellent
judgement."

He gazed at the now calm waves.  "The storm was a violent one, and
there will be many new things to see.  Shall we run for awhile, and
see what those new things are?"

She casually removed the remains of her gown, and stretched.  "Yes."

The two of them ran for hours, before Cerby slowed to a walk, then
sighed.  "I am sorry, Ke.  The break has been pleasant, but it is a
stolen one."

"Thank you, Cerby.  I will wander until I quit wandering.  Go."

He vanished, and after a time she didn't measure, Ketaki turned and
started walking inland.

Perhaps, as much as she hated the ending of her time as a Muse, she
would feel the call again, and be able to let herself forget her past,
while she and a new mortal faced the future, together.

* * *

I held my arm away from my body, in a silent invitation, and she
shifted closer, then snuggled against me.  "Jason never called, and I
haven't seen him, or many of the other mortals I have been linked
with.  Perhaps it is best, that our breaks are always clean ones."

"No baggage from your past, to burden a new relationship?"

"Yes."

"That beach.  Where is it?"

"It is on a world in my universe.  I did not create the world itself,
but I have claimed it as my private home, and sculpted areas of it, to
suit my different moods."

"So every being can have their own world?"

"I assume so.  In our native state, we are energy fields.  Some of us
choose to make worlds, because it pleases them to do so.  I am not one
of them.  Perhaps it is because of my basic purpose,  I act to help
others flesh out their dreams.  Creating my own places on that world,
has been the closest I could get to living my own dreams, until I met
you."

"After I transition, and get processed through Hades, I'd like to see
your home."

"I'll enjoy showing it to you."

"Thank you."

There was a brief break in the clouds, then the gap closed and it
started raining again.

I let go of Ke, then stood and stretched before I arranged the unused
table and umbrella on my back.

After I picked up our basket, I held out my free hand.  "Shall we go
home, and continue this picnic, on the back porch?"

She stood and did her own stretching, before she grabbed the umbrella
and opened it.  She finally took hold of my hand and stepped
confidently.  "I am eager for more than food in my life.  I think we
should settle in the jaccuzzi."

I turned to watch her face.  "That sounds very...  languid.  Afterglow
without the sweat?"

She lowered her eyelashes and looked through them demurely. "Perhaps!"
====

Ligia [G] : Beautiful voice ( Greek Name )
---

Ketaki 019
---

After our day in the park, things changed quite a bit at home.

We didn't drift through life, exactly, but if I hadn't had the
calendar program, I'm sure I would have forgotten to keep track of
time.

Ke kept me focused, when I drifted, but that was about it, as far as
her being a Muse was concerned.

The words flowed as the days passed, and we ate, made love, and did
all the other stuff that is a normal part of life.

In fact, the words flowed so easily, for both of us, that we found
ourselves caught up with all of our short term writing projects, and
easily able to stay current on the long term ones.

The final result of that, was a loss of a tension in our lives that we
hadn't really noticed, until it was gone.

We also spent more time having 'picnics' on our back lawn.

That was where Bruce found us, when he was finally able to take a
break.

* * *

The sound of the patio door sliding, caused both of us to look in that
direction.

Bruce sneezed, came through the door, then slid it closed before he
headed for us.

He settled on the grass, then casually stole some of the poppers from
the bowl of them.

After he swallowed, he sneezed.  "Not bad.  Ke added something new."

Ke laughed.  "I used an assortment of cheeses in them.  Some of them
have limburger."

"I'll have to remember that.  Has anyone told you that your house
reeks of domesticated bliss?  At first, I thought you'd moved, or I
missed my target!"

Ke giggled, and I chuckled.  "What brings you here, Bruce?"

"The usual.  This is the one place in two universes, where I know I
can pretty much hide from work and all the other responsibilities."

"Bad?"

"Not really.  Judging by the current routine we've managed to develop,
it looks like your world culture is going to be pretty stable for
awhile.  Not...  the best, of course, but at least it's dynamically
stable enough that I've been able to set up guidelines so I don't have
to get mixed up in making decisions, as much as I have been."

"Sounds like you checked out for a longer vacation, finally."

"Yeah.  Left a few folks with special instructions, to put the problem
cases back into hibernation, instead of calling me."

His head dipped into the bowl again, then he chewed and swallowed.
"These things are addicting, Ke.  Maybe you should try making them
with different peppers."

"I'll see what I can come up with.  How much time do I have?"

"Until I decide I'm ready to go back.  Call it a month, at least."

She raised her eyebrows, he noticed, then all three of his heads
sneezed his disgust.  "I didn't completely escape.  Things are
changing so fast here, that we need a better read on things.  All
three of us are thinking that we might be able to do some more hands
on stuff while things are unsettled, and tip a few trends the way we
want them to go."

Ke sighed.  "Keep in mind what happened last time that was tried.
We're all still picking up the pieces from that debacle."

"Yeah, I know."

He sighed, then seemed to lose himself in his memories.

We waited him out, then I had an inspiration.  "Hey, Bruce?"

"Yeah, Glenn?"

"Anyone tell you how picnics work?"

"Not really.  Picked some stuff up as part of the job, of course."

"Got ya.  Well, rule number one is that folks agree to keep things
relaxed."

"Ok.  More?"

"Yeah.  Usually, as part of the sharing, someone tells a story about
their life.  The reasons don't really matter.  After all the time
you've spent here, and the sharing you've done with Ke and all your
other friends, you've yet to take the time to relax with *me*.  Not
complaining, just observing, because I think it's a good, solid,
'take-it-to-the-bank' bet, that you have at least one story that you
haven't shared with anyone, because it needs to be shared while
there's a human male in your audience."

All three of his heads focused on me, and finally he nodded his center
one.  "Smooth, Glenn.  It's about acceptance, isn't it?"

"Yeah.  Life.  Yourself.  Your place in it.  A chance to look it all
over, and maybe learn something new." 

"It has been a very long time, Father Glenncannon.  Will you hear my
confession?"

"Of course We will, Sir Bruce."

"Her name was Ligia, and she was the reason for the only time I
forswore my oath to put my service in Hades above all else."

* * *

 The small band of fighters drifted about he area, and did whatever
they had to, to survive, after their severance pay ran out.

One of their number appeared to be a young man of average build, but
those who looked more closely realized he was a seasoned warrior, and
confident in his ability to win any battle that he found himself in.

He was not the leader of the small band, but he wasn't the lowest
ranking member, either.

All agreed that he was a good man to have at your back, but that was
true of any of them.

They were survivors, battle hardened, and arrogant, because of their
recent successes.

They were walking a forest trail when the leader stopped them.
"Crispus!  I need your ears!"

The young man came forward, and listened after the rest of them fell
silent.

Finally, he pointed.  "That direction.  Shouting.  Cries from
terrified women and children.  The cries of the men are...  Jubilant."

"Right.  Let's go see if there's anything we can do to help the
survivors."

He faced his men.  "A fast jog, and battle silence until we engage
anyone we find."

They started jogging, with Crispus at the front, with the leader, so
he could indicate which way they should go.

Eventually all could hear the cries, and Crispus pointed.  "This path
should take us there."

"Prepare for battle!"

They formed up, and set out again, at a measured pace and in a
formation that had become terrifying to those who knew enough to
recognize it.

These men were Romans, and they knew their business well.

They entered the village and with a shout, let the bandits know they
were doomed, if they were mad enough to try and stop that advance.

Most had no choice, but to face that relentless advance, because they
were enjoying the spoils of war, and had abandoned their weapons so
they could rape whoever they chose for their attention.

The slaughter was over quickly, and the leader gazed upon the carnage,
then looked at the survivors, before he spoke callously.  "There are
no men left, and most of the women and children will not survive.  Do
what you can, to help the ones who will survive, and as for the
rest...  Do as you will, before you help them finish dying."

Crispus shouted.  "No!  That is not our way!  Help them, yes, but we
should give them thanks for their efforts, and not defile their
courage!"

The leader smiled hungrily.  "So.  It has come at last, has it?  You
finally have the foolishness to challenge my leadership?"

He drew his sword and laughed.  "I say we do as we wish, and take what
we need, before we torch the village.  It will make a fine victory
pyre.  What say the rest of you?"

All of them except Crispus drew their swords and shouted.  "To
Victory!"

He tossed his sword on the ground, then walked over to stand with the
few villagers who could stay on their feet.

He looked around, then pointed at a girl who stood defiantly, in spite
of the way it was obvious she had been used.  "What is your name?"

"Ligia."

"Well, Ligia, what say you, about your future?"

"I will see all of you in Hell, before I will meekly submit!"

He laughed.  "So you would prefer that we help, instead of finish what
the bandits started?"

"Of course!"

He nodded slightly.  "I am called Crispus, Ligia.  Ask me to stand by
your side, and I will."

She studied him and finally sighed.  "You will die with us, you know."

"Better I die a man, with honest people, than repudiate the oath I
swore."

"Please, Crispus.  Help us, and I will stand by your side and testify
for you, when we are summoned."

He straightened, and looked at the group he'd been with for so long.
"I stand with them, now.  You will have to kill me first."

"You have a soft heart, Crispus.  I've waited a long time for this
day.  You will be an easy kill, since you have disarmed yourself."

He ran at Crispus, and when he raised his sword to strike, Crispus
casually held his hand up as if to ward off the blow.

When Ligia screamed and lunged, Crispus turned his head slightly.
"Wait.  Save your strength.  You will need it, so you can help those
who are now in your care."

The sword hit his hand, and there was a sound, as if it had hit stone.

Crispus closed his fingers and held on while the man tried to draw his
sword free.

When the man stopped his struggles, Crispus smiled and spoke softly.
"It matters not, what you believe, for all people will meet me, or my
True Commander, and you will be judged.  I do not think my True
Commander should spend his time sitting in judgement of men who are
clearly the scum of the Earth, so I will judge you unfit to live, and
send you on your way."

"Who are you?"

"Some call me the Dog of Hades."

The man's eyes widened, and once Crispus knew the man had realized who
he faced, he spoke softly.  "No matter what shape I wear, Hellfire is
mine to command.  I command you to burn!"

The man screamed, then slumped to his knees as the fire consumed him.

Crispus looked at the rest of the group, then raised his free hand and
pointed.  "He will need an escort, to speak for him."

When he pointed at each of them, Hellfire leapt from his fingertip and
touched the one he was pointing at.

Soon, all were ashes, and Crispus sighed.  "Enough!"

The flames vanished.

He turned and faced Ligia.  "Your people need our help, Ligia.  I
cannot promise to save them all, but I will do what I can, and give
them the peace of death, if they ask for it."

She shivered, then sighed.  "Are you truly the Dog of Hades, even
though you walk as a man?"

"Yes.  May we talk of it later?  Your people need us."

"We may."

She turned and faced her people.  "You saw him stand against his own!
Let him help, for he is true to his oath, while the others were not!"

They did what they could, and when they were done, Ligia prepared some
food for both of them.  "Eat.  I know you don't need it, but it will
encourage others to accept you."

He smiled slightly.  "What of you, Ligia?  Do you accept me?"

She bent her head.  "I do.  None of the men and boys survived.  Will
you stay and protect us?"

"I will, unless you ask me to leave."

That brought her head up, and she smiled slightly.  "I think I will
never ask you to leave my side.  Later, when we are private, will you
allow me to see your true form?"

"Are you sure?"

"It cannot be worse than what I have already seen, this day, for I
know that the heart within, will be an honest one."
====

Ketaki 020
---

"That was how it all started, Father Glenncannon.  It was an impulsive
decision, made in the heat of battle.  I don't know if Ke has
mentioned it yet, but 'Hellfire' isn't much more than focused energy.
Done one way, it's flashy, but it only affects a person's emotions.
Done slightly differently, it acts like ordinary fire, but it's
hotter, and can't be extinguished by anything you folks have
available.

"Change its color, add lot of potential between you and your target,
and you get a divine lightning bolt.  Any of us can do any of it,
whenever we want to, but custom dictates who usually uses what.

"Anyway..."

* * *

Crispus carried the bodies until they were all in a pile just outside
the village, then he spoke over them.  "You did well, my precious
neighbors.  I know you are already waiting for someone to hear your
stories.  Since you no longer need these bodies that were your anchor
to this world, I will destroy them, so they do not linger and bring
pestilence to those who survived."

He sighed deeply, then he held his hands palm out and a white fire
leapt from them, to the bodies.  "May the pure white fire of His love,
comfort you during your new journey."

When the bodies were almost consumed, Ligia moved to his side and
looked up to study his face.  "You are saddened by their deaths,
aren't you?"

"Yes, Ligia, I am.  Everyone comes to me, or the two who command me,
when I am not in this world.  But, they should come when it is time
for them to come, not because someone covets what they possess."

She took his nearest hand and placed it against her cheek briefly,
before she held on and tugged when she started walking back to the
village.  "Come, Crispus.  I am recovered enough that we may lie
together."

"I am not a true man, Ligia."

"You are a man where it counts, Crispus.  I wish to comfort that man."

After they lay together, Crispus raised himself and looked at Ligia.

She smiled.  "Was that so terrible a way to reaffirm that life is
worth living."

He laughed.  "No, Ligia.  We are private.  Do you still wish to see my
true shape?"

She touched his face lightly.  "I do not care what you look like, my
husband.  Your smile will always tell me what I need to know."

He nodded slightly, then shifted.  

She gasped, then laughed with delight.  "Three mouths to kiss me with!
The other women will be jealous of my bounty!"

He kissed her with all three heads, then changed back.  "Do you think
letting them know the truth would be wise?  I have long been used as a
means of causing terror in those who disobey."

She sighed.  "You are right.  All know you as a man.  It is best we
keep it that way."

Crispus stayed with Ligia, and after many years had passed, and new
people had come to help rebuild the village, most forgot he was not a
true man.

Ligia never forgot, and in the privacy of their bedroom, he often
changed to his true form, and she spent hours grooming him while they
discussed their plans for their village.

Crispus, for the first time in his long life, had found a purpose that
matched his true self.

* * *

One day, while he was turning the soil in their garden, Satan
appeared.

"Crispus."

"Hello, Commander."

"Have you forgotten your oath to *me*?  You should have returned a
long time ago.  You have a duty to me, and the souls in our care."

Crispus stopped and leaned on his shovel.  "I have thought long about
that problem.  I could pretty up the answer I have been waiting to
give you, but we have always been honest with each other.  I think you
will understand that I recently discovered that I lied when I gave
that oath.  My job is here, as long as Ligia lives.  After she dies, I
will return, and you may decide if and how I should be punished."

Satan finally held out his hand.  "We will discuss this when you
return to my service."

Crispus shook Satan's hand and smiled .  "Unless you decide to discuss
it sooner?"

Satan laughed.  "Of course!"

Then, he vanished.

Crispus studied the spot where Satan had stood, then shrugged.  "What
happens, will happen.  If I don't get the garden in, many of us will
eat poorly this winter."

* * *

Sir Bruce stopped speaking, then he sighed.  "I was Crispus, of
course.  Eventually, Ligia died, and someone else replaced her as the
leader of the village.  I stayed a few more years, to help with the
transition of power, then I left.

"When I was far enough away, I changed back to my true body, went
home, and went back to work as the Dog of Hades.

"Satan never punished me, of course, because he knew my nature."

I smiled.  "So, you've been beating yourself up, ever since, for a sin
that wasn't a sin."

"It wasn't a sin?"

"No.  Loving someone enough to sacrifice everything for them, is never
a sin.  'For God so loved the world, he sacrificed his only son'.  If
you need more, think about the fact you were working to fix a problem
at the source, before it became a problem, instead of waiting, and
dealing with the aftermath.  Isn't that the same solution you are
trying to implement now?"

I shook my head.  "Really, Sir Bruce, instead of thinking about the
souls you didn't help judge, ask yourself how many souls you were able
to fast track so they reached their proper place far more quickly than
if you'd honored your oath and waited for them to come to you in the
normal way.  If you feel you must still be judged, ask the people who
lived in your village, to judge you.

"Did you really dishonor your oath to Satan, or did you go beyond it
and do far more than you had to?  Perhaps he recognized the truth and
decided to let you... lie to yourself, instead of risking getting
caught lying to you about the matter, and the way he felt."

Bruce's ears had perked in my direction, then slowly laid back on his
head while I had spoken gently.

After I stopped speaking, Bruce's ears went vertical, then he sneezed
his self disgust before he nodded.  "Thank you, for giving me the
proper perspective about this matter, Father Glenncannon."

"You're welcome, Sir Bruce."

I pointed at the bowl that held the last of the poppers.  "For your
penance, you can empty the bowl, so it's easier for me to carry back
inside!"
====

End:
The Glenncannon Muses
Part 1 of 4

-- 
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reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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