From: braley@binkley.cs.mcgill.ca  (The Didi-Sprite)
Subject: Friends ... forever ...
Originator: braley@binkley.cs.mcgill.ca
Organization: SOCS - Mcgill University, Montreal, Canada
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 16:19:57 GMT

----<--<@

The Didi-Sprite has been huddled in Lord Galdrin's arms ever since
hearing Smoke's news about one of her special friends, The Artful
Dodger.  Her cheeks are tear stained and her eyes very red.  Gradually
she uncurls herself and assures His Lordship that she will be alright.
Finally, she tests her strength as she stands, then walks slowly over
to Nick Chopper and lowers herself to where kitten is scrunched,
purring, against the tinman's leg.  Didi strokes Kitten tenderly,
then recites:


" 'Though he that, ever kind and true,
   Kept stoutly step by step with you,
   Your whole long, gusty lifetime through,
	Be gone a while before --
   Be now a moment gone before --
   Yet doubt not; soon the season shall restore
	Your friend to you.

" 'He has but turned the corner-still
   He pushes on with right good will
   Through mire and marsh, by heugh and hill
	That selfsame arduous way --
   That selfsame, upland, hopeful way,
   That you and he, through many a doubtful day
	Attempted still.

" 'He is not dead--this friend--not dead,
   But in the path we mortals tread
   Got some few trifling steps ahead,
	And nearer to the end;
   So that you, too, once past the bend,
   Shall meet again, as face to face, this friend
	You fancy dead.

" 'Push gaily on, brave heart, the while
   You travel forward mile by mile,
   He loiters, with a backward smile,
	Till you can overtake;
   And strains his eyes to search his wake,
   Or, whistling as he sees you through the brake,
	Waits on a stile.'


{  Verses Written in 1872    ----   Robert Louis Stevenson  }



"As you and Bear have pointed out to me ... it is us, you, and I, and
all of us here in The Place ... who have the most difficult part in this.
We are left here with a hole in our lives ... and lots of questions.
Death is difficult enough ... but suicide ... "   and, the Didi-Sprite
sighs heavily.  "Still ... we just have to believe that now that his
Life's struggles are over and the pain that drove him has ceased, he
is at peace and in a happier place."

Standing, Didi sees Danger Mouse sitting at a table, looking down rather
morosely into his cup of Earl Grey tea.  This prompts a memory that had
been lurking in the back of the -Sprite's mind to suddenly flash onto 
the scene.

"Listen up everyone!"  she cries.  "Arty has left us in the physical
sense ... but otherwise he is till a part of The Place!  Yes!  Of course
he is!  He lives on in our memories ... and he lives on in his own
words.

"Danger Mouse!  Remember your birthday party?  Remember his part in it?
I thought he was brilliant ... and I think ... if you will all fill your
glasses once again and look right there on the wall ... yes ... over
there!  We will all share, once again, a little bit of our Artful
Dodger!"

Magically, every glass in the place is instantly refilled with each
one's favorite drink, while a scroll appears upon the wall and scripted
there is the following:


----<--<@


	A dry wind blows through the meadow, and a prarie schooner
rumbles in.  It's a conestoga with a sail, packed to the gunwhales 
with what apears to be mostly useless junk.
	On the bench in front sits a pack-rat, his face lined and
seamed by the desert sun which he dodges quite artfully at times.

	"Iszis 'da meadow where Danger Mouse is..."  He trails off,
noticing the cartoon mouse surrounded by friends.  He furls the sail,
and the Conny slows and stalls.
	He hops down and walks towards DM.  "Now, I remember back in
the summer of '12 - or was it '14?  Well, no matter.  Anyway, that year
there was a lot of rain, and ol' Jim Velde's meadow looked like this.
Huh.  Haven't thought of ol' Jimbo in years.  We used to call him 
'Jimbo, agent of the Devil', you know, on account of that Ram he had.
What an animal that was!  Why he could...." Pack rat trails off, realizing
he was babbling.  "Sorry, you know, when you start getting old and lonely,
you sometimes babble when you get to talkin' to real folks.  Like back 
in the winter of '09, when... never mind, son, what I mean is, I've heard
you're a famous discoverer of Galaxies, and that you was havin' 
a birthday today.  Happy birthday, son.
	"Oh, and could I get your autograph?  Collect 'em, you know."
	DM blushes and signs Pack Rat's book, noticing that he's lost his
pen somewhere, and that the one the rat puts in his pocket is remarkably
similar to the one he used to have.
	"Well, Happy Birthday, doc.  I guess I better get going, 
I've got a long way to go before sunset.  I've heard there's gold at 
Sutter's Mill, maybe I'll head out that way."
	The rat climbs back onto the Conny, and unfurls his sail.  
as he disapears over the horizon, his deep voice can be heard, muttering,
"Now where did I put that map?"

Best wishes from the Artful Dodger.

----<--<@

Didi lifts her glass and cries:

	       "Best Wishes, Artful Dodger!
		Peace and Happiness be yours forever!"

The -Sprite turns and hurls her now empty glass into the fireplace.  
For the next few minutes Callahans resounds with the sound of 
splintering glass.

Didi and Kitten look at one another, nod, and cry in unison ...

"Let's celebrate!"

"And,"  suggests Didi,  "I think we can all begin by sharing one of
these!"


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----<--<@

The Didi-Sprite
Montreal * Canada

braley@binkley.cs.mcgill.ca


Newsgroups: alt.callahans