Confusion Is A Many Splendored Thing by Cousin Tok location: CERK concurrent with WE ARE EACH OTHER July 5, 2001 Tok sat in her office, studying the General's latest memo. A Cousins' reunion meeting? Granted, it had been a long time since the last War; perhaps he felt the need to re-establish discipline with the "troops". She herself had come up to Toronto a few days earlier to visit CERK's resident vamp-kitties. Tirian and Toshi formed a gold and black conglomerate on top of a file cabinet -- even vamp-kitties seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time sleeping. Merlin was content to rest on her monitor, shedding brown tabby fur into the vents and occasionally swatting at the mouse cursor. Gandalf had decided to lead the mortal Cousinly kitties on an expedition into the dungeon in search of the glowing pink rats that *still* plagued the place. "Now where was that list of Cousins?" Tok said to herself as she searched her computer's files. "Couldn't have named it something *logical*, like 'Cousins addresses', could I? What's the point of bloody long file names if you don't use them?" The soundtrack to Moulin Rouge played on her boom box at a low volume. It was easier to pay attention to her task with music in the background. The Nightcrawler broadcasts tended to break her concentration, and the General's memo was quite specific. She'd finally located and opened the file and was now making sure the entries were up to date. All of a sudden, her boom box clicked off. "What the h--" Tok began, as a grey blur launched onto her lap. "Damnit, Gandalf!" she exclaimed at the senior vamp-kitty. "I hate it when you do that. What's going on? You didn't strand the others in the dungeon, did you?" the vamp-kitty relayed to her telepathically. "You aren't supposed to bring those upstairs! You know what the General said the last time." Gandalf stood on her lap and laid a paw over Tok's mouth. Tok reached over and hit a button that turned on the broadcast to her office, just in time to hear "Let moi be yar guide tew yarself fer Oi'm the Nightsquawker." Tok sat there in stunned disbelief, even worse than when she'd seen the rendition of "Like A Virgin" in Moulin Rouge. She examined the can of Diet Pepsi she'd been drinking. Didn't smell like anything other than soda. Tasted like it was supposed to, as well. She looked at Gandalf. "Nightsquawker??" "Oh @#^#$%! Maybe that last case we got from the Raven was contaminated or something. Oh boy ..." Gandalf sprang from Tok's lap as she shot out of her chair and ran to the door. "Tser! Bob? Where the hell is everybody?" She ran down the hall to Tser's office and pounded on the door. "You gotta listen to the broadcast. The General is channeling Screed!" **************************************** Cousin Tok and the Cousinly kitties tokaara@mindspring.com / AIM Tokaara / ICQ 46441308