‘Fine, you won. Come inside,’ she said, giggling as she pulled him down the boardwalk and into the house which was deserted. ‘What?’ he asked... panting as he started at the blue prints in front of him. ‘I’ve been meaning to redo the part of the house that you’re living in for months now, termites,’ she explained, ‘So this is what the new part is going to look like.’ ‘So where am I going to stay while this is happening?’ ‘In the spare bedroom upstairs, of course,’ she said, giggling like a. " I paused for effect then added, "Martreen is someone I care very much about. If any harm comes to Martreen I will hold each and every one of you responsible and I will personally end your life!"I looked from left to right, then right to left, making eye contact with as many of them as possible letting them know just how serious I was before continuing, "A new time has come, and only Martreen can show you the path to this new time."Several questioning stares prompted me to explain, "In this. She was loving and funny, often playing jokes on the rest of us in the house. She became our resident comedienne, the purveyor of some of the worst "Knock, Knock" jokes known to man. She was adorable even when she pouted, with a tendency to cross her arms and stick her lower lip out as far as it could go. It was all I could do to keep from laughing at her (and all I could do to keep from giving in to her).The best part was the relationship she developed with her new older sister. I remembered. . Go!" and a jostling mass of white buttocks disappeared into the woods."I think my mom likes you," Tina confided to me."I think a bear shits in the woods," I replied."Ew!" she wrinkled her nose. "I hope not. At least not here. I don't think there are any bears on Nantahack anyway."On the podium, Stubby, eyes on his wristwatch, was slowly raising his arm."Hunters..." he called out, "Go!" The crowd whooped and surged forward. In a moment I was one of the few stragglers still in the clearing.I.