"What, you've never seen a Xuptil before?" asked the beautiful cat like creature in the doorway.
Ian blinked hard as Moto and Kozo stayed frozen in place.
"Come on, come on, snap out of the funk!" insisted the pink and neon yellow creature.
"Yeah, well, er...what are you doing here and what do you want?" Ian bravely asked the creature, "Xuptil?"
"MS.XUPTIL TO YOU......no just joking. Yes, "Xuptil" is what we call ourselves. We live in . The place between your "seconds"", spoke the little cat like being,"and I was here to look at the art and stuff in this museum, but then I saw some really wicked Xuptils tie up that poor guy upstairs and I thought maybe you could use some help."
"Was.....waz yur name?" stuttered a bewildered Mr. Moto.
"Danielle Mari, but you can call me Dani if you want."
"OK, so what's with the all your colours?", Moto was getting bolder, "you know you look a little weird."
"I am what I am. And we don't worry about such things. If it matters to you, then you've got a personal problem. Now that THAT is out of the way, do you want some help or not?"
"Absolutley, Dani!," Ian said emphatically, "we need all the help we can get."
"Smart species!" came a voice from behind Dani. It was a tall Xuptil wearing spectacles.
"I suppose you two are together?" asked Kozo with some caution.
"Together for the moment, whatever that means", came the reply, "Your species is so hung-up on the insignifcant."
"OK, OK," Ian shouted, "let's get on with the plan to get Eric away from those puptails."
"Xuptils" the two beings said in unison.
"Yeah, whatever." Moto mumbled.
"Yeah, so what do you suggest? These are your people, aren't they?"
Danielle answered, "They are and they aren't. We all exist in "Nano", but that lot have a different agenda from ours. I think they wanted your friend Eric for a very specific reason. Zoot never does anything without a grand plan."
"Zoot who?" asked Ian.
"Zoot, the lively little creature with the beautiful patterns and different coloured legs. I think your narrator called him a "psychedelic zebra"."
"Are you saying that you are aware of me?" I asked Dani.
"Of course, did you think you were invisible."
"Well. sort of. . .none of the other characters seem to notice me."
"Oh yes we did" Moto, Kozo and Ian shot back in unison.
"We just thought you were sort of pretentious and arrogant with all our rude editorial comments," Ian finished.
"Hey, I'm getting confused" Moto said, "who in the heck are all you people??"
"Yeah, this is turning into some kind of really weird subplot" Kozo was becoming confused as well.
"WHAT?! Now that is EXACTLY what I meant...you said I was becoming "confused"," Kozo interjected, "what does THAT mean and how dare you make those kinds of assumptions."
I started to reply, but luckily just then....
Just then there was a crashing sound and loud noises were coming from the front lobby. The two Xuptils headed for a dark corner, and found Moto and Kozo were already huddling there.
"Is this your answer to danger, little ones?" asked Danielle.
"Come on Dani, let's see what the racket is at the front door." said the tall Xuptilian.
"OK.....OK.....you cats coming?" Dani fired at Moto and Kozo.
"They're coming," Ian spoke up, "We're all coming....except for the bloody narrator."
"Now wait a minute.....I'll behave" I said.
"Allright, but you'd better start being a little more helpful and a little less judgemental from now on......"
Chapter Four
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