It's taken from a July 2003 post. But I need it here so I can keep it current and constantly worked on.


Chapter 1: 1956

We meet Bobby at home, asleep just hours before he has to go to school. We see his mother, Audrey, busying herself with the morning breakfast. His father, Edward is slowly gearing up for another day of work at the oil refinery.

Bobby's 14-year old sister, Zuzu, is still asleep in her pajamas, a book of faerie tales lying open on her chest. Edward goes in and wakes Bobby and Zuzu up for breakfast. They stir, slowly, and eventually join him before he has to leave for work.

While Audrey serves the eggs and bacon, Edward asks Bobby how his grades are. Bobby, sleepily, half mumbles that they're just fine. Edward reminds Bobby that if his grades aren't good, his privilege of driving the Beast will be revoked. He tells Bobby that soon it'll be time to look into colleges and he expects Bobby's grades to be acceptable. Zuzu looks at her brother and defensively lies to her father, saying that she saw Bobby doing his homework last night before bed.

Edward, assured that the boy is square with his education, folds his paper and gathers his lunchbox for work. Audrey kisses him on the cheek and Edward leaves, saying something about how he'll be interested to see what happens when report cards are issued next week.

Once Edward's truck is out of earshot, Bobby wonders aloud why Edward has to be so hard on him. Audrey defends her husband, saying that all he wants is for Bobby to make more of himself than his father. Bobby replies back that he's 18 and that Edward has no business in his life. He gathers his books, hops in the Beast, and roars down the driveway in an angry funk.

Moments later, we see Bobby acting up in class with his buddy Butch. Sent to the principal's office, he and Butch decide to use it as opportunity to cut class. But not before he catches richkid Doug Vaughn liplocking his girl, Tricia Tiggs. Bobby immediately jumps on Doug and starts swinging but the principal breaks it up, threatening Bobby and Butch with expulsion.

Leaving school anyway, he and Butch eventually end up at Cubby's diner, where the rest of the Wanderers end up. There Bobby explains the situation about the car and his grades. His friends, not wanting to be left without a ride, tell Bobby they should break into the school and steal the answers for all the upcoming tests. Bobby kinda likes that idea.

Dark clouds hang over the sky later that night, portending a brutal storm. Bobby picks up his buddies and gets all the necessary tools for breaking in to the school. They arrive at the high school in the wee hours and, after picking the locks, sneak in and begin rifling through the principal's files in an effort to find the test answers.

That's when the principal, returning for some last-minute papers, opens his office to find Bobby and the other Wanderers, catching them red-handed in the filing cabinets. Butch and another Wanderer manage to escape but the principal, (an ex-Marine) ends up knocking the shit out of Bobby and Pigboy, before calling the authorities. The storm outside begins to crackle with hard rain.

In a whirlwind of police calls and late-night calls to his parents, Bobby finds himself expelled from school and the police threatening to keep an eye on him from now on.

His parents, naturally, are absolutely furious. His little sister, Zuzu, tries to play the peacemaker but when she's sent to her room, she instead goes down to talk to her brother's car, sad for him that he'll never be able to drive it again. Edward and Bobby get into a screaming argument about him losing his car as punishment. Bobby has none of that and ends up fist-fighting Edward for the keys to The Beast, beats the hell out of his stepfather and then storms out of the house to the garage. Zuzu, frantic at not getting caught by her dad, jumps into the backseat and hides in the floorboards.

Bobby drives to Cubby's and meets up with his fellow Wanderers. There he sees Doug Vaughn again with his hands on his girl!! The last few days, his argument with his father, everything, just explodes under Bobby's skin and he nearly goes ballistic. Cubby himself has to step from behind the grill to break it up.

Butch, Bobby's friend, cracks off about Doug's shoddy-ass hot rod & Doug's buddies suggest a drag race to see whose car is better. Bobby and Doug agree to race for pinks (the loser gives his wheels to the winner in defeat) and meet at the local drag strip. It's pouring down buckets as they go to their cars, macho challenges and insults flying. Through the downpour, all the kids are waiting for him at the drag strip, with Doug's suped-up 1940 Ford at the ready and Bobby's battered Merc roaring like a lion. The bandana is waved and The Beast tears the road up in a charge. Bobby's car smokes the other guy eeeeeeasily.

But suddenly, just as Bobby comes close to victory, Zuzu suprises him by cheering him from the backseat. Bobby freaks out at the wheel & The Beast hits a slick spot, spinning out of control. He veers wildly until he's skidding headlong into an immensely large oak tree. Just before he's about to slam into it, Zuzu screams.

And the Beast promptly disappears.


Chapter 2: Day 1 in Faerie

The Beast comes flying out of another tree in a dark and misty field, where a regiment of Seelie Knights sleeps nearby. They gather themselves and their weapons as Bobby grinds The Beast to a halt, in shock by what just happened. The Knights, thinking the car a steel dragon on the rampage, attack the car with everything they have, "rescuing" Bobby and Zuzu from its belly. When he fights them to keep them from destroying The Beast, they knock Bobby unconscious and take he and his car as trophies of battle. Zuzu tries to explain to them that her brother didn't mean them any harm but they don't understand what she's talking about when she explains the car to them (especially when she keeps referring to it as The Beast).

Not exactly sure what kind of beast The Beast is, they decide to take it to the King as a gift. The trek is a short journey and after discovering, by Bobby's gang jacket insignia and Zuzu's help, that he is a Wanderer, they invite him to share their meal and their company. Bobby, refuses any hospitality they offer him, which wins him shackles after enough attitude. Zuzu, on the other hand, immediately makes friends.

Once they arrive at the King's Court, the Knights present themselves as warriors with a great prize. They enter the gigantic castle and Zuzu nearly pees herself with wonder.

Zuzu and Bobby are introduced to the Seelie Court's first Troll king, King Malacar, his daughter Tisandra, the King's military advisor Kurlos and Malacar's counsel and the royal mage, Thomas the Rhymer. At Kurlos's suggestion, Malacar nearly has Bobby fed to the royal hounds until Thomas stops him, pointing out Bobby's gang jacket and the bad luck associated with killing "wanderers". The King quickly reconsiders and arranges to have Bobby stay at the castle as a guest and court storyteller of his wanderings. He asks his daughter, Tisandra, to see to Bobby's head wounds and to prepare quarters for both he and Zuzu.

Tisandra tends to Bobby's wounds and sees that he and Zuzu are set up with a lavish room in the castle and mortal food, Bobby obnoxiously hitting on her the whole time.

Behind closed doors though, Kurlos secretly meets with former allies in Shadow Court, Daggermouth among them. They plan on using this new foreign invader to their advantage. Kurlos proposes killing the king under the guise of Bobby, which meets with united agreement in Shadow Court.

Bobby meets with the king and asks if there is any means for him to return home. The king nods and sees to it that Thomas work on a pathway for them to get to. Meanwhile, the king recommends, Bobby should work on his metal Beast to get them back in. He invites Bobby and Zuzu to join him in falconing and they talk about their lives, Malacar giving Bobby some sage wisdom on his family.

That evening, Bobby dines at the King's table, where he entertains Malacar and Tisandra with stories of his gang's misadventures and fends off Kurlos's barbed wit. The King takes an instant liking to him and Zuzu. As does Thomas.

With a full stomach, Bobby hears of the trouble the king is encountering. Riots and rebellions threaten to throw Faerie into Civil War. After asking, Bobby is told by Thomas the story of how Malacar came to be king.


Chapter 3: Day 4 in Faerie

The following day, Kurlos informs the king that his presence is requested by the remaining survivors of the old Dread Lanterns, an invitation to a reunion of sorts.

Kurlos and Malacar make their way to where the Hemlock is dry-docked. There, in front of the remaining Dread Lanterns, Kurlos summons the Huntsman and enlightens Malacar about his wife's murder before the Huntsman kills him.

When the king is not found in his bed chamber, castle guards are alerted and a search begun. Only that morning is his body found, in the woods not far from the castle, with the Wanderer's comb found not far away.

Kurlos announces that the recently arrived stranger is to blame for Malacar's murder. The people, in a riot, immediately call for Bobby's death. The king, loved by many, lordly elf and common troll, is mourned by thousands. Kurlos immediately proceeds to have Bobby jailed for regicide and then he in turn assumes power, acting as Tisandra's regent. He promises the people that Bobby will be dismembered day-by-day for their vengeful enjoyment and to demonstrate this, has Bobby's hands amputated in front of a giant crowd. His stumps cauterized to stop the bleeding, Bobby is then thrown into prison with his sister to await their fate.

Thomas, using his royal credentials, skillfully releases Bobby and Zuzu from imprisonment and steals they AND Tisandra to a safer, distant location. Her anger at Bobby is put down quickly as Thomas explains that Kurlos is responsible for her mother and her father's death. And that he, Thomas, is responsible for bringing Bobby across worlds. Tisandra concedes that her fate is sealed, that she has no other options now that her father is dead. But Thomas tells her that she will find refuge in Avalon via Earth. There, in Avalon, the ancient wisdom of her ancestors will give her the means to reclaim the throne.

But what she'll need is a guide, Thomas insists and that is why Bobby was brought there.

Thomas then tells Bobby that the solution to his missing hands exists back in his world, along with a means of repairing his car. If he agrees to protect Tisandra for as long as they get to Avalon, he promises Bobby that people on the other side will take care of them. Bobby, in a bit of bind, finds he has no choice and agrees.

Kurlos discovers that his scapegoat and the princess are lost and quickly sends out agents to find them.

Day 5 in Faerie

Kurlos, Dread Lanterns and Shadow Court troops begin searching for Bobby and Tisandra, whipping up a story that Tisandra has been kidnapped and is to be killed by Bobby, Zuzu and Thomas. He offers a reward for any information leading to their whereabouts and the crowd, furious at this human stranger who murdered the royal line, goes searching.

Meanwhile, Thomas insists that they must get to Bobby's car and that he will find a way for them to leave the fae lands.

On the way there, Thomas tells Tisandra that he is sorry that he will not be able to join them. Tisandra, confused, asks him why in the world he wouldn't? And from there he proceeds to whisper in her ear. Tisandra, quietly nodding to Thomas's words, begins to cry.

Once they've discovered the Beast, locked in a royal stable they fire up its battered engine. Alerted by this, the stable hands run to claim their reward from Kurlos. Thomas, aware that they don't have much time, quickly tells Zuzu to drive and leads them far away from the castle to a specific place where the two worlds are the thinnest.

Barreling to Thomas's instructed destination, the three kids find that Kurlos is soon very quickly at their heels, a massive mob behind him. Leading the charge against them, Kurlos is livid. He stops them before they can open a portal to Earth. When Tisandra protests that Bobby is not her kidnapper, Kurlos persuades the crowd that she's been enchanted by him and laughs at the fact he's been crippled by his injuries.

Thomas seizes the opportunity by tearing open a portal to Earth. Zuzu guns the engine. In a flash, they are through and before Kurlos knows what happened, the portal slams shut.

Chapter 4: 1960, Los Angeles

Bobby, Zuzu and Tisandra emerge in Chicago, the Beast skidding to a halt. Tisandra looks to her right and sees that Thomas exists no more. He lays in the seat as a pile of ashes and Tisandra begs Zuzu to help her collect them in their hands. Bobby sees the portal remains open and watches as Tisandra takes a dagger to her arm and mixes Thomas's ashes with her blood. Then, taking the paste, she rubs her hands along the rims of the portal. The portal falls like a heavy eyelid, closed off permanently to Kurlos and his men. Their escape is now complete.

Zuzu takes Bobby, and Tisandra in tandem, down into Los Angeles so that they can get something to eat.

There at a diner, Zuzu helps feed Bobby. Tisandra tells him that Thomas told her to ask for a dwarf mechanic when they got to Earth, that he would help them get on their way. Bobby asks the waitress, who points them in the direction of The Brising Brothers Auto, four blocks down the street. But they only work at night, she tells them. They're closed during the daytime. The three of them go to the auto repair shop to ask for help. The place is a whirlwind of midget mechanics.

The dwarf at the counter though, Mr. Dvalin, though, seems altogether unreceptive to their pleas. But Tisandra steps in. She tells Devlin that she knows his true name, that Thomas the Rhymer has sent her here for his help.

Devlin, or Dvalin as he's truly known, looks up and is absolutely floored. The little man wastes no time changing his tune. He loads up the kids into his tow truck and trots up the hill to where the Beast lays, bashed up as it is.

Once they get the Beast towed in and have it on the lift, Dvalin's dwarf crew go to town on it. Dvalin looks at Bobby's missing hands and tells him he can help him. Bobby and he disappear into a back room and an hour later, Bobby emerges with new hands. Iron hands.

As for the car, it takes them nearly the entire night but when it's done, it's a miracle job; Lake pipes, chopped top, dropped rear, bubble skirts, frenched headlights, obsidian black body with ferocious ruby, yellow, and orange tribalistic flames. And a monster grill full of chrome teeth. It barely looks like the same car. And more like a chariot of hell.

Tisandra and Zuzu are dumbstruck at what they've done.

Dvalin tells Bobby about the special switch on the dashboard. Linked to a supercharger, it's to be used in absolute emergencies only. Bobby thanks the dwarves and, with the girls now sitting in his high caliber hot rod, peels off towards Route 66, Zuzu squealing as it roars down the boulevard.

Chapter 5: Joliet

Kurlos, in the meantime, is frantic to locate Tisandra and have her returned to him. Not about to risk his own life against Bobby's cold iron and not sure he wants to invoke The Huntsman again, he calls upon the Hemlock, his old ship from the wars and its new captain, a fat Goblin pirate with steel fangs in his maw named Daggermouth. Kurlos orders him to find and bring back the princess, providing Daggermouth with a compass with a strand of Tisandra's hair as the needle. Because the ship runs on the suffering of passengers, Daggermouth has the ship loaded with Elven prisoners as fuel for the sails. Once done, the Hemlock sets off for Earth, going the long route to an old bridge that crosses both worlds.

But Daggermouth and the Dread Lanterns aren't the only menaces that are on their way to finding the vagabond crew. The American intelligence organization, known as the Argus Institute, finds Tisandra's mere arrival synonymous with a viral infection. A supernatural invader that must be purged. And so two pale faceless men, in black suits, black shirts, black ties and black fedoras, are summoned by the Institute to eliminate Bobby and Tisandra. Dispatched from Groom Lake, Nevada, the two 'Custodians' race in a black '59 Lincoln to catch up with their prey.

Meanwhile Bobby and the girls end up rolling into an auto court in Joliet, tired and exhausted. Bobby, nearly at his wits end with all this shit, orders a bottle of whiskey, hamburgers and fries for he and Zu and a bouquet of roses for Tisandra to eat, using their funny-money. Bobby leaves them to get the food. While he's out, Tisandra silently cries herself to sleep over her father's death. Zuzu lies close to her and comforts her while she weeps.

The Hemlock, meanwhile, soars towards Brising Brothers Auto where Daggermouth's scouts find evidence Tisandra was there. Daggermouth and a few Dread Lanterns disembark and catch Dvalin working on a Chevy in little light. He sneaks up on the dwarf and, threatening Dvalin with a knife to his throat, interrogates him as to the princess' whereabouts. Dvalin refuses to answer and only when Daggermouth threatens to cut off the little man's hands and leave his body to the morning sun, do the answers come bubbling up. Daggermouth has the Dread Lanterns drag Dvalin, his three brothers, and the other dwarves onto the Hemlock to fuel its sails, setting the garage on fire behind them.

The Custodians, also, are hot on their trail.

The next day, searing pain from his iron hand wakes Bobby. Zuzu is a dance-crazy nut, blaring the radio while she takes a shower. Bobby goes to check the oil on the Beast when he sees a huge floating ship hovering in the parking lot. He looks over at the motel office and sees two goblins eviscerating the hotel manager and a fat, corpulent looking one barking orders from the deck of the ship. Quickly he shuts the door and tries to think of an idea.

Tisandra peeps through the curtains and immediately recognizes the Hemlock. Around this time the Dread Lanterns are moving towards their room. She screams at Bobby to come up with something. Pissed off at her, he decides they'll head out the back window. He stirs Zuzu out of her shower and into some running shoes. They quickly scramble to the bathroom where Bobby pries open the window and helps Tisandra and Zuzu out. He follows behind with what little they can carry, the guns shoved in his pants. Seconds after they've made it out, they hear their room door being kicked in. Bobby pulls the pistols out, shoves one in the duffel bag and slowly slinks around the back alley. He tells the girls to stay behind in the alley with the totebag and the extra gun and that he'll get the Beast and swing back for them.

Sneaking out of the alley, he notices the galleon is too far away from the motel room to send out extra goblins in time, so he whips around the corner and caps the three goblins waiting outside his door. Daggermouth, seeing this, nearly goes ballistic. The ship begins to turn itself around and soar sideways towards Bobby's direction. He fires rounds at it until he hops into the Beast, starts the engine, backs up and peels off. Not seconds after, a cannonball fires from the side-angled Hemlock and blows the shit out of the room they were in, sending the goblins that were inside flying into the air.

Daggermouth curses orders for them to pursue him and Bobby screeches to a halt perpendicular to the alley, screaming for Tisandra and Zu to get in. They pile into the car and Bobby guns it, The Beast tearing out of the parking lot like a rocket and back onto the streets, cannonballs shrieking only seconds from where they were.

The Beast hauls ass back onto the highway and the Hemlock gains speed on them, putting anguish in the sails enough to get right on top of the car. Daggermouth has grappling hooks snare the Beast and then proceeds to drag it off the road. Bobby decides to use one of the switches on the dashboard and with a whine from the supercharger, escapes from the Hemlock at 140 mph.

Out of Daggermouth's grasp, Bobby drives them off to a small town called Duarte so that he and Zuzu can get something to eat. They grab a box of donuts from a doughnut shop and continue on their way.

They decide to try a small boarding house instead of a hotel in San Bernadino and Bobby once again uses Tisandra's leaf money to get them a room.

Bobby and Tisandra spend a bit of time talking while Zuzu is watching TV until they all fall asleep.

Chapter 6: The Custodians

Just a little before dawn, Bobby feels his iron hands stinging and sits up in bed. He rousts them all up and hurries them to get to the Beast. Suddenly, while the kids are just leaving their room at the boarding house, the Custodians knock on the door of their room. Bobby, behind the door, refuses and Tisandra peeks through the curtains to see them.

They grow more and more nauseous and terrified as the Custodians continue to knock. The Custodians then look at each other, as if speaking silently and one of them produces a small box, a cube of pitch-black glass. The air seems to shimmer around it as if were afire. Finally one of the Custodians insists that Tisandra will need to come with them. The black box seemingly numbs the reality around them into a kind of drowsy, sleepy air. The Custodians open the door and enter the room, while all the while the black glass cube overwhelms the kids, paralyzing them with fear.

Bobby's hands begins to really burn, keeping him awake and alert with pain. He fights one of the Custodians as the other two grab Tisandra and Zuzu in an attempt to take them to their black car. His iron fists have no magical burning effect on them, but do work like a brickbat, clobbering the Custodians if only briefly. Bobby, in the course of battling one of them, grabs one of their special rayguns and fires at one of the Custodians, who immediately disintegrates in a flash of light. He follows this up by zapping the other two in a flicker of green light and smoking ash.

They grab their stuff and quickly dash off onto Highway 66, putting as many miles behind them and the Custodians as they can.

We turn now to the Argus Institute where the first test run of the infiltration unit known as Project ROS/M is going through its performance paces for a group audience of military generals and Pentagon officials. Built from the reverse engineered science of the extraterrestrial ship that crashed in Roswell, ROS/M is a military android, fueled and armed with the same tech that created the Custodians. Capable of projecting holograms around himself and beyond himself, he is being introduced today to senators and miitary officials as the perfect assassination droid.

But when the fanfare has died down and the orders for other ROS/M's have been placed, the Argus Institute's engineers wheel the robot back into its storage space. Where it dreams of its creator. And discussions over Frankenstein.

Chapter 7

Meanwhile, Tisandra, Bobby and Zuzu crash for the night in the Beast, fearful of staying in a hotel room now.

The next morning, they drive into Springfield. There at a cafe a black man, in thick-rimmed Buddy Holly glasses and a goatee, asks anyone if they could give him a lift to San Francisco. Zuzu, feeling sorry for him since no one else even acknowledges his existence, tells him they'll give him a ride. Bobby interrupts her and tells the gentleman, who introduces himself as Clarence, that there isn't room for him in their car. But Tisandra is with Zuzu and they both insist he come with them. When Bobby continues to refuse, Zuzu threatens to make a scene. Bobby sticks to his guns and, in the blink of an eye, his kid sister's on the floor, screaming and crying at the top of her lungs.

Bobby concedes just to shut her up (though he doesn't trust Clarence), and Zuzu flashes out of her acting job, quite pleased with herself.

Done with lunch, the gang now takes off. At Tisandra's insistence, Clarence tells them where he's from and where he's going. Zuzu can't stop plugging him with questions about what life in the circus is like. Grumbling at one more person on this stupid trip, Bobby roars off. Into trouble. Clarence notices the pistols in the glove compartment (when Tisandra opens it to grab a map) and wonders just what the hell he's gotten himself into.

Back at the Argus Institute, ROS/M is stuck by a new snag in his programming ("obey his creator or those with higher authoritization"). In reflecting on Frankenstein, ROS/M (who was called 'Rossum' by his initial creator Alan Turing) is struck by the impasse of a criticism of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. In it, the critic speaks of the parallel between Victor Frankenstein and the monster and how it applies metaphorically to Romantic views of God abandoning man. Exploring this deeper, Rossum finds that humans themselves hold to the belief that they have a creator, a deity considered to have the greatest authority.

And suddenly Rossum's programming is confused. Is the being they call "God" the authority his creators wished him to obey? Surely they did or they would have written his programming to reflect otherwise. Does "God" have instructions that take precedence over his human masters? His creator seemed to mention as much during their Frankenstein discussion. Suddenly he is compelled to read more.

During a routine system check, he accesses the ARPA network and searches for information on "God". The data is immense.

But it nonetheless causes Rossum to contradict his nature towards violence. And turns him towards questioning the commands of his Argus Institute masters. Since God seems to be an alien entity, one completely unoriginated by this world, Rossum grows curious if God is somehow connected to the alien origins of Rossum's physical structure. This naturally must have been an understood truth when he was being designed.

He needs to find this "God" in order to have his questions answered. Rossum makes plans for his escape from the Argus Insitute and, that night, slips out of the place undetected. He believes that God can be found in the desert, as biblical and holy narratives have implied and, more importantly, because the Roswell crash from which he was built from occurred in the desert. And so he ventures outside the Institute and into the real world, desperately hoping for an encounter with the Creator.


Chapter 8: Missouri

A good thirty minutes into Missouri (conversation monopolized by Zuzu, Tisandra and Clarence) the Beast begins to have engine problems. Bobby decides to ask a nearby house for help, the rest of them right behind him.

That's when they encounter Noah, a gangly bearded old man, wielding a shotgun and accusing them of trespassing on his property. Bobby explains the situation and Noah lowers his gun, inviting them into his home. He feeds them all, then he and Bobby use his truck to drag the Beast to his house. Noah is a kind and homely old man and immediately Bobby warms to the geezer, reminding him a bit of his grandfather in Tulsa. When Zuzu accidentally blurts out that they're running, Noah questions them, curious to know if they're on the lam from the law. Clarence, too, gets all of this for the first time. Zuzu regales he and Noah with their pursuers and the story thus far. Bobby thinks about stopping her but decides it's too late now.

Once the story is finished, Noah takes the opportunity to explain to Tisandra who exactly the Custodians are and that, like she, he once lived in Faerie. And that he too has encountered the Custodians before, almost at the risk of his life and his 'children'. When Tisandra comments that she hasn't seen his children around, he explains that he has no real children of his own. Only the charges he must protect. The 'children' he keeps contained within his body. He insists that they stay at his sanctuary where they'll be safe from the Dread Lanterns and from the Custodians, so long as magic isn't used.

For nearly two days the kids stay at Noah's until Zuzu reminds that they need to get Tisandra to Avalon. Bobby agrees and after talking it over with Tisandra, they start to pack up the Beast for the road. But Noah grows more and more despondent about it. Until finally, just as they're saying their goodbyes, Noah strictly insists that they stay at his place. Tisandra explains Bobby's curse, politely refusing the stay but thanks him for the offer. They have to be going.

But Noah doesn't take no for an answer. And suddenly, in a tantrum and rage, he begins to manifest into some sort of raging amalgam of beasts, determined to make them stay with him. Where it's safe. Whether they want to or not. Clarence immediately runs like hell out of the place.

When Noah moves on Tisandra, Zuzu at her side, Bobby aims the raygun but Noah, now a rather tall abomination of beasts, knocks him aside in a flash. Noah then proceeds to grab Tisandra, to put her inside his body for 'safe-keeping'. But a gunshot on the ceiling from Clarence, holding Bobby's pistol, stops Noah in his tracks. The beastly form turns towards Clarence, and before the circus performer can blink, the Beatnik's attacked by a stinger tail. Clarence falls to the floor, seized by poison in his veins.

Bobby regains his bearings and seeing the chaos, zaps Noah. Suddenly Noah's control over his 'children' shudders and crumbles, the creatures vomiting out of the mouth in his chest, one after the other. Finally Noah runs outside to expel a huge, battleship-sized dragon, which completely wrecks the house as it escapes into the sky. Tisandra chastises Bobby for what he's done.

The Custodians, recently reissued from the Argus Institute, immediately catch wind of the use of magic and speed off in the direction of Noah's home, bearing with them new and much more powerful black cubes.

Tisandra, feeling sorry for Noah after the loss of all his children, consoles him as he kneels on the sand, fatigued from vomiting and the emptying of his Garden within. She tells Noah they will help him round up his menagerie. Bobby, of course, can't believe she's making nice with the guy who was going to eat her. But Tisandra insists and they load Noah into the Beast to quickly search for the creatures.

It takes some quick driving but eventually they catch up to each one of them and Noah devours them in his garden. Save for the humongous dragon. They return to Noah's home and Tisandra, happy that his creatures are safely returned to him, invites him to come along with them. She feels responsible for all the exiles here on earth.

The next chapter is spent as the gang try to find some shelter and downtime off 66, close to Flagstaff. Bobby puts the Beast near a faux wigwam hotel and they unload into their rooms. Bobby and Clarence go looking for alcohol while Tisandra, Noah and Zuzu stay at the hotel.

Bobby and Clarence have a chance to talk while they pick up food and booze. It's while everyone is gone that Tisandra, in a twisted attempt to grow closer to her new friend and consoler, shares a passionate kiss with Zuzu. A very intimate kiss. Zuzu, swept up in faerie charms, is suddenly swept with desire for this woman. When the boys returns with grub and alcohol, Zuzu is constantly by Tisandra's side. Bobby figures they're just being close friends, oblivious to the connection. But Clarence has a pretty clear idea.

Bobby invites Clarence to get drunk with him but after downing a few more shots of whiskey than wise, Clarence confesses that he misses his love back in the circus. When Bobby asks about "her", Clarence tells him it's a guy. Not a woman. Which throws Bobby for a loop. And nearly costs Clarence a black eye. But things settle down after some talking (and a few more shots of whiskey) and Bobby, homophobe that he is, makes damn sure Clarence passes out before he does.

Zuzu and Tisandra meanwhile are continuing their physical intimacy with each other, alone and undeterred in their room.

Noah sleeps outside.

The next morning, they load up the Beast again and head for Springfield, Missouri and from there, Tulsa. Zuzu is anxious to see her parents again and Bobby wants to settle things between he and his stepfather.

The Custodians meanwhile are not far behind.

Chapter 9: Home Again

Bobby pours everything he has to driving back to Tulsa. Everyone else is asleep in the car as he drives up to his old house. It hasn't changed. And his father's truck sits in the driveway. He takes a few seconds to just sit there, looking at the house, when Tisandra wakes up and asks Bobby is this is his house. He nods and lights a cigarette. Then reaches behind him and wakes up Zuzu. And the four of them go up to the door.

Bobby and Zuzu knock, hand in hand, Tisandra and Clarence behind them and when the door opens, their mother answering, there's a wave of surprise that flashes across her face. "Hi Mom" Bobby tells her, "We've come back". When their father walks up, asking his wife who it is, he stops cold right behind her.

The next scene is Bobby and the others sitting at the Huxley home. He's telling them what all has happened to them, why he and Zuzu aren't any older. They have a long and very intense conversation about Bobby and his curse/connection to Tisandra's future. Later, when Clarence, Tisandra, Zuzu and Zuzu's mom are in the kitchen, Bobby apologizes to his father as they both work on the Beast. He tells his dad that he's not able to stay, that Clarence and Tisandra have to get to California. That he's responsible for them. He tells his dad his whole impetus getting here was getting Zuzu back, safe and sound. And now he's done that. Bobby's father tells him that he's proud of him, for caring for his sister and getting her home safe. And that he understands what Bobby has to do. Bobby, at last, makes peace with his family. He and his father both apologize for their hatred of each other in the past.

The next morning, Bobby wakes Tisandra and Clarence and tells them they're leaving, to pack up their things and quickly. Quietly, so as not to wake up Zuzu, he hugs his mother and father and fires up the Beast (its roar waking Zuzu up). And before she can chase after them, they're halfway out of the neighborhood without her. Zuzu, bawling, bursts out of the house to catch up. But they're long and far down the road.

Bobby, iron-jawed, continues on towards Oklahoma City.

The Dread Lanterns though are not far behind and run rampant through Catoosa, picking up on Tisandra's trail. Determined not to have Bobby's car outpace them anymore, Daggermouth orders the Dread Lanterns to attack neighborhoods and have the men, women and children hauled on board as fuel for the sails. Hundreds of innocent people are attacked in their houses by Daggermouth's pirate goblins and dragged in nets aboard the menacing ship. Those that aren't tied to the deck and tortured along with the Brising Brothers dwarves, are stowed in the ship's hold for later use.

Chapter 10
Bobby speeds past Oklahoma City to Clinton, Oklahoma.

Chapter 11: New Mexico and Rossum

Chapter 12

They finally catch up to the circus's venue in Tucumcari, camped out on leased land not far from the city. Before they've even made it into Tucumcari, the circus's prescence is obnoxiously visible. The posters are EVERYWHERE advertising the show. Clarence smiles and tells the gang that the billposters start out a month before the circus arrives, blanketing the area in advertising posters. Tactics learned from P.T. Barnum.

When they roll up to the canvas city, it's immense in size. Consuming at least 20 acres in its girth, the circus is abuzz with activity. The Beast drives up on the hastily gravelled road and parks, Clarence so visibly excited to be back home that he can't wait to leap out of the car. And the first person to see him is Kenny Clark, the Giant. Immediately the yell goes up "Clarence made it back!" and the performers practically drop what they're doing to gather around the car. Kenny grabs Clarence in a big bear hug and when Kenny's stopped choking the life out of him, Clarence introduces everybody to Bobby, Zu, Tisandra and Rossum. And that's when Matthew, the co-owner comes over to see what the clamor is and snares Clarence in a huge hug. This is my home on wheels, Clarence tells Bobby and the gang, his arm draped over Matthew's shoulder. "Now it's yours as well".

Chapter 14

The gang settles into the circus life very quickly. While they're not in a direct course towards Avalon, the stop-offs in small towns and big cities are a nice distraction for the group. Rarely is the circus ever in the same spot two nights in a row and on those occasions they are, Bobby joins some of the billposters, to scope out the towns ahead of time. It's hard work but for some reason they feel extremely welcome with the circus workers. The five of them really begin to feel like a family, expanded only by the company of their new friends. They're allowed time, for once, to really get to know each other.

The Custodians meanwhile are scrambling to locate the Wanderers. Confused but sure that their prey is around somewhere, they turn back towards the Argus Institute. To wait.

The gang meanwhile, under the comfort and room to breathe that the circus offers them, begin to put focus back on their lives. However short that will last.