"Not acceptable," Skip told Whisper. "Wherever you go, I can go. I'm coming with you."

     "You can't."

     "Why ​not?" Skip's voice came out sounding high and juvenile, like a child's.

     Whisper shrugged. "I don't know why, my love, but I know it's true."

     "That's right," Claudia said. "It's time for us to go."

     "Go? Go where?"

     "About three miles from here. It shouldn't take more than an hour to walk it. Well, with you, maybe a little more than an hour."

     "And what's that supposed to mean?"

     "You're not in the best of shape. That's something we're going to be working on."

     "Are you going out of your way to piss me off right now?"

     "I told you about the mission, right?"

     "No, you haven't told me about any mission. What mission?"

     "Overall, the mission is to save the multiverse from The Fours."

     "We still on that? I thought we got our asses kicked."

     "We barely escaped with our lives. Yes, there's that. Skip, I need you to hand me over to your friend."

     "Fuck that. You're mine."

     "Just for a moment. Please."

     "Want to hold my computer for a second?" Skip asked Whisper.

     "You know I do!"

     Skip took Claudia out of his pocket to place in the palm of Whisper's hand.

     Whisper clasped it.

     A telepathic wave washed over Skip then, although he felt only the edge of its' central thrust. He sensed Claudia in the wave, and Whisper and Tika. It felt like swimming in data, only data swollen with emotion. Love. Loyalty. The agony around the death of a loved one. Revenge. That last emotion as cold as a sword of ice. 

     Then, just like that, the wave disappeared.

     Whisper smiled as she handed Claudia back.

     "Thank you, Skip," she whispered.

     "You bet."

     "Time to go," was the first thing Claudia said when she was back in Skip's pocket.

     "We're leaving with Whisper?" Skip asked hopefully.

     "Not a chance," Claudia replied, "but we are leaving, and soon, like within the next two minutes."

     "I love it when you pretend you have legs."

     "I swear, Skip, if..."

     "Ask, don't tell."

     "You've got one minute, thirty seconds left. I suggest you spend that time saying good-bye to your new friend, Whisper. I've discussed it with Tika and..."

     "You..."

     "You're down to a minute. What is it with you and taking direction?" 

CONTINUE