�� As soon as the sound of Tibbi's footsteps had faded away completely, I eased from my room and joined Weslee in the hallway. � Together, then, we quietly entered Perki's room and softly shut the door. � As soon as we were settled in the chairs that occupied the sitting room part of the bedroom suite Weslee began, "We have several mysteries to consider here, Doc." � He held up his big furry left hand and ticked off the points with his right. � "The roads that go nowhere, the towns that don't exist, why people don't realize the roads don't go anywhere, how come they think there are other towns, the disappearance of the late Mr. Peachtree, how a religion could spring full blown overnight as it were, complete with rituals that usually take a century or two to get ingrained, why Kalana's and Roliti's versions of the disappearance of their father differ so widely, what all this has to do with the illusion field and, lastly, where did they get the horses? � Oh! � Tell me more about this Twilight Zone you were talking about while we were waiting for Kalana to come back!"

�� Even though it wasn't really a funny situation, still I had to chuckle fondly at Weslee's insistence on wanting an answer to the horse question and had to chuckle about his charming lack of knowledge about TV lore. � That was Weslee, though. � He would insist on knowing the answers to his questions -- no matter how insignicant those questions might be. � And sometimes that insistence paid off.

   But then I sobered and turned to Perki.   (I wanted her input.   I might be the leader with all kinds of knowledge in my head, but sometimes Perki knows more than me, she sees the world in ways I don't always think of -- and�I am not talking about travating here, I'm talking about wisdom and perspective.) "If you had to take a wild guess -- incorporating all these elements -- what would you say is going on here?"

   She said one word and it made my blood boil.   And the worst of it was that it made perfect sense, brought everything into perfect focus.   "Annunaki!"

   But I didn't want to believe it.   We had, after all, seen no direct physical evidence of them.   Trying to be flip, I said, "You think?"

   Perki was about to reply when Weslee butted in, whining, "The horses and the Twilight Zone, Doc?"

   I should have been pissed off at Weslee for butting in, but instead I welcomed the diversion.   I could answer him while I was trying to come to grips with the specter Perki had raised. "You obviously mean since this is an alien planet with alien vegetation and even though we haven't seen any of the wildlife that it is incongruous that they would have horses which are animals that are earth based -- so how come they have horses?"

   Weslee nodded. "Yeah it don't seem right that they would have horses here.   I mean, wouldn't they have had to ship them in from off planet and since there is no sign of a space going technology -- to say the least -- where did they come from?"

   That wasn't neccessarily proof of Annunaki intervention, but it certainly seemed to speak of some kind of covert alien intervention -- unless there was something going on here that was really weird.   I wondered then if Occam's Razor applied here.   Were the Annunaki the left over improbable here?   Well, that still remained to be seen.   I addressed Weslee's other question then.   "The Twilight Zone was a TV show that was popular back in the latter half of the 20th century.   In the episode I am referring to this couple -- man and wife -- are trying to get out of this town.   But everything they try fails.   They try to leave town on a bus, but the bus just brings them back to the bus station.   They try stealing a car, but the streets just lead back to the place where they stole the car from.   Finally they try the train.   But they are horrified to find that the train is being picked up by a giant's hand.   At that point the perspective changes and you see that it is a child playing with his train set and the people who are trying to escape are just plastic figurines and that the "town" is just a part of the fake scenery for the train set!"

   "But that's stupid, Doc!" Weslee protested, shaking his head in incredulous disgust.

   I should have been indignant that one of my favorite TV shows was being panned this way, but instead I chuckled indulgently. "Weslee, Weslee!   It wasn't stupid because it was making the point that people's lives shouldn't be played with like the player was God!

   Weslee gave me a blank look, "Huh?"

   "Let me put it another way.   It's literature and, in the time honored tradition of literature, it was asking -- What If?    What If the plastic figurines WERE real people and didn't want to be there, but because the little boy was playing god they couldn't leave?"

   I almost literally saw the light bulb pop on over Weslee's head. "You mean like the Annunaki were doing to earth before we took you from the past to help us stop them?"

   Weslee is not stupid, he just doesn't have the perspective that I have.   Although, to be fair, like I said, he is a lazy genius and doesn't always use his mind, preferring, like I said, to pick the brain of someone else.   In this case I think he could have figured out about the horses all by himself and that might have led him to the Annunaki -- just like it had led Perki.   And that led me full circle back to Perki's accusation.   But I STILL didn't want to believe it.   Why?   Because I had hoped that we'd seen the last of the Annunaki and because there were a couple of things about this whole thing that smacked of another agent being the culprit.   For one thing the Annunaki didn't usually peddle religion. (The Tuatha, which Perki was a member of, had more or less peddled religion in the past, but that was for a different cause and is the stuff of another story for another time.) For another thing, the Annunaki usually dealt in a world wide situation -- so why just one town?   I turned to Perki, knowing full well that I HAD NOT fully eliminated the Annunaki -- as much as I wanted to.

   To get comfortable, she had taken off the robe which the Priest had given her and was stretching like a cat while she waited for me to get back to her.   One of the things that I admire about Perki is her infinite patience.  And another thing I admire about her is her ability to feel perfectly normal while being naked in the presence of anyone.   I have to confess that being a male I had nothing aginst her going naked, but I also felt more comfortable around her now that she was back to being her normal self.   It just didn't seem like Perki was Perki if she was clothed.   I relaxed a bit, taking off my own clothes since I had grown accustomed to being naked around her and Weslee and told her about my reservations.

   Perki sat up from the bed where she'd been stretched out, obviously luxuriating in the feel of the soft, soft bed.   She gave me one of her patented sweet, patient, infinitely loving (That infinite love wasn't something she just reserved for me and Weslee and I loved her more for that.) smile and said, as she raked her fingers through her beautiful red hair, "Shall we examine the issues that Weslee brought up, one by one, and see what we come up with?"

   "Well," I said, giving Weslee a mischevious grin, "Maybe Weslee has finally earned his keep for once by putting it all in focus."   He took a mock angry swipe at me and I ducked, chuckling.   Then I told Perki as Weslee sat there and pretended to glower at me, "By all means, be my guest!"

She gave us both a mock rueful shake of her head and began at the beginning Weslee had established, "As far as the roads that go nowhere are concerned -- why do you need roads that actually go anywhere if the whole experiment is right in this area?   And of course it would make sense to have the people in this town believe that there are other towns so that they won't realize that they are isolated in this experiment.   If the Annunaki are behind this then it is likely that Mr. Peachtree is not dead.   More than likely he was abducted, to make it look like he was some kind of saint and to give the people some kind hope of eternal life to aim for.   It could even be possible that he is still alive somewhere!   That abduction could partly explain the rituals and traditons being so firmly and quickly established, but I believe it has to be more.   I believe that the illusion field could have easily helped entrenched it, since it could make people believe that the religion has existed longer than it has, sort of the same way that they believe that the roads go somewhere and that there are other towns!   Why do Roliti's and Kalana's version of the abduction differ so radically?   Well, there are two possible reasons.   Because Kalana is not quite as entranced as every one else.   And because the Annunaki would want to see how far they could push the envelope without the people actually breaking free -- a sort of test of the strength of the field, a monitoring device as it were.   And oddly, I think the fact that there are horses here is the strongest argument for these Annunaki being the same as we encountered on earth since the horses were obviously brought here and brought here by some one who had been to earth.   All of this adds up to one thing.   The Annunaki know we are here.   The fact that they have not done anything about it suggests that they are confident that we can't fo anything to stop them.   Therefore we will have to be very careful how we proceed so as not to tip them off that we know and that we are trying to do anything about it."

   "I knew all that!" Me and Perki gave him mock doubtful looks.   "I did! I DID!!" He insisted.

   Sweet Perki relented first.   "I know you did, Weslee," she patted his knee affectionately, "Doc and I were just giving you a hard time!"

   Weslee alternated betwen giving Perki adoring looks and glowering at me some more.

   I scratched the fur on his head and said, "Lighten up, Weslee."   Weslee loves having his head scratched -- as long as it is someone else doing the scratching.   I think I mentioned he's lazy.   I turned to Perki. "What do you suggest we do then?   I mean, what do you think should be our first or next step?" I knew what I thought it should be, but I wanted to see if Perki agreed with me.

   She did. "I think we should go see the priest the first chance we get tomorrow -- before he comes looking for us."

   I couldn't agree more.   The last thing we wanted to do was look like we had something to hide.   And we could use Weslee to ask a few clever questions.   Weslee is real good at being disingenious, asking questions that sound so stupid that people can't help correcting him and adding additional information -- whether they plan to or not.   I told Perki my thoughts, giving Weslee an evil grin.

   Weslee returned my evil grin, while Perki nodded her support.   Weslee was just about ready to go back to his room, stretching and giving a great big yawn -- after all it was late and we wanted to get an early start in the morning -- but I held up a forestalling hand.   "Wait! There's one more subject we need to discuss!"

   "What would that be, Doc?" Weslee asked, blinking at me.

   "Kalana and Roliti!   Which one of them believes in God and which one doesn't?   Is Kalana trying so hard to fit in -- despite her obvious initial oposition -- that she's just talking and dressing to appear to be trying to make amends?   While all the time she's looking for a chance to prove the people wrong?   That's my guess, but I don't see where we can rely on it -- unless she gives us more proof than just her words so far.   I mean, she might turn on us at any moment if she thinks it'll improve her stock.   Or on the other hand she might defend us to the death -- hopefully that's figuratively speaking! -- if she really doesn't believe in God and really does believe that there are worlds out there besides this one that are inhabited by people like her and us.   And what about Roliti?   Is he only an overt rebel while all the time he really does believe and is only hoping that somehow his behavior will coerce God into proving him wrong?   I'm hoping, obviously, that he doesn't really believe in God.   Because if he does and he becomes convinced that it will improve his chances at eternal life if we give him half an excuse to turn us in, then I am betting he would do it in a heartbeat."

   "So what your saying, Doc, is that we have to be very careful around both of them and not take anything for granted -- because if that's all you're saying then I could have told myself that and went to bed." Weslee grumbled, not bothering to stifle another yawn.   "And besides, I thought we had already more or less covered this."   His yawn turned to a look of resentement.

   "Not in quite the way I have in mind bow, Weslee, what I'm saying is that we need some kind of plan that will serve two purposes.   One, a plan that will flush them out so we know where they REALLY, REALLY stand and, two, a plan that will get them on our side.   Both of them.   The more allies we have the better off we are and what better allies than members the enemy, so to speak?   I must confess I don't have any plan at the moment.   But I did want to bring it up so that we all could sleep on it.   Maybe in the morning one or all of us will have thought of something."

   "Geez, you don't want much, do you, Doc?" Weslee said shrugging his massive shoulders in a hopeless gesture.

   On that note we separated and went to bed.   I had no idea that the solution was going to fall right into our laps!   Well, to be fair, only a part of it.   But what an amazing part it was indeed! And the most amazing part was that it should have been obvious all along!

   The next morning over breakfast Kalana brightly asked me what our plans were for the day.

   I took a moment to butter a piece of toast, add a dollop of Tibbi's wonderful cherry jelly, take a bit, and wash it down with cold milk before I answered her.   "Well, milady, methought myself that the priest we would inquire of.   I would not be remiss, would I, were I to assume the the defacto leader of your faire ville he be?"   Kalana nodded as she chewed.   I went on, "Mayhaps he an idea can concieve whereby it be possible our friends to contact.   Obviously, for the nonce we can do naught else, but the possibilities explore."

   Kalana agreed and then clamored to come with us.   (Was she looking for a chance to get in a better position with the priest? I couldn't help wondering.   Or at least make it look that way?)   Roliti, not to be left behind, (or, perhaps, not wanting to miss a chance to taunt the priest) asserted the he too was to come with.   I saw no harm in their accompanying us.   In fact I welcomed it since we wanted to keep an eye on them, looking for clues in their behavior.   Despite sleeping on it, none of us had been able to come up with a viable plan -- yet.   As a second best position, we had decided that, if nothing else, we could observe them more, hoping for a slip in their behavior.   And what better place than the church to hope for a slip in their behavior?

   The solution didn't fall into our laps the minute we walked into the church.   But that was only because we went to the parsonage side of it first.

Father Logis met us at the door, having obviously seen us through the window near the table he'd been sitting at (we had seen him through the window since it was a large picture window) and invited us in.   After a bit of pleasant small talk, Father Logis, cut right to the chase.   "What say you to the philosophy of God?"

   I answered immediately with the only obvious answer I could give.   I did not want the priest thinking I was taking time to prevaricate. "We simple circus folk be.   We think not on it overmuch.   Say you, our philosophy, poor as it be, think to mend?   We be not hard men who mean you harm, to live simply in the day is our aim!" I gave him my most charming, disarming grin.

   " You I would fain proslytize, but, perchance my poor words, would suffice not.   Rather, methinks it best the sanctuary to observe.   Will you attend me there?" The priest answered with a twinkle in his eye that was supposed to make me think that he had proffered a joke.   But there was a hardness buried behind that twinkle that let me know he wasn't joking and that I'd best be wary of him.   Still I saw no harm in humoring him. If nothing else Weslee could go into his stupid act and distract him if needs be.   If not, Weslee could save it for when it WAS needed.   "By your leave, we will attend." I said, smiling at him so hard my face almost cramped.