Argent, still dressed and glad of it, slipped out the back door of the kitchen as the heavy freezer was locked down, and gave Bannock his soft secret whistle. Together they wended their way up to the Rover. His head was spinning at the way things had gone -- the Mounty flying off the handle like that, Red missing her connection with hi as a result, Blake Madison showing up, the killing of the wandering loony. He popped another Guinness, gave the dog some water, and stretched out in the old camp chair. Down the hill, a violet glow caught his attention, and he noticed an antennaed profiles tucked behind some boulders, glowing in the night. "Geeze, Bannock! I didn't know these gettogethers brought them in from Arcturus!"
Bannock yawned and made a gwamping sort of sound in reply. He'd spotted the ET in the crowd the first trip down, but she was clearly not dangerous, and smelled okay.

Miffed at the black dog's rebuttal, Argent lit his pipe again.

"I don't get it, Bannock. A .22 from the woods? Out here? Why? Who was that loony sounding dudelo who just got taken out?"

"And where did the Mountie go with Dundee? Were they in the woods? Why take out someone as harmless as a wet poptart? Bannock, what the hell is going on down there?"

Bannock was starting to snore, leaving the lanky stranger alone with his thoughts as the moon rose broad and silvered over the lake.