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"Jesus, irlfriend loved that shi--" His eyes lare, and the man dropped his arm off Casper and nodded warily "Ma’aolden and y blond hair graying at the tes around his eyes that les perched on his hat

I nodded primly, and Casper said, "This is my niece, Anne And that’s Keen Y’all--I mean, ladies--this is Teddy He’s from Almanica, too"

"Land of the free and ho the tip of a hat without actually ?" Keen asked anxiously, and Teddy answered, "Twenty years, little lady"

"Then you don’t even know about Google, do you?"

"Goggles, yes Googles, no But I miss Def Leppard most of all"

Keen wrinkled her nose and said, "Lame"

The three of theether, and Mikhail and I shared a skeptical look I had always heard that things were strange in the wild country across the ocean, but there was so definitely off about these Almanicans

"Where?" Keen asked

"San Antonio You?"

"Raleigh"

"Then we’re all froht side of the Mason-Dixon, at least" Teddy held out his hand, and Keen shook it Then they just all stood there like idiots, grinning

"The parachutes?" I barked, and Keen rolled her eyes

"My bad," Teddy said He clapped Casper on the shoulder and went for the door "Back in two shakes, friends"

"I don’t approve" Mikhail sneered at the door "Thataround," Keen said, returning Mikhail’s sneer

Casper chuckled to hi the parachutes, and the door opened I kneas caught"

"Then what happened?" I asked

He smiled, dimples and all "Then he said ‘y’all’ "

"I take it that’s Alh the door with three large packs Du them onto the floor at ot to skedaddle before the captain wonders where I got off to, but good luck hatever you’re up to" He looked pointedly at the parachutes "I’d count to ten and start praying, folks"

Casper jerked hi, and they beat each other on the back like brothers

"Good to see you,since I’ve seen a face from home"

Keen cleared her throat loudly, and Casper rureed, puot her I had a kid about that age Sauess You’re a luckythe network of wrinkles at their corners tiredly "Take care of that girl, you hear me?"

Casper put an arm around the shorter man’s shoulders "Be careful out there, Ted"

It was one of the longest good-byes I’d ever seen, and they had just met

"Baseball Harleys Convertibles," Teddy said wistfully at the door

"Movie theaters Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups," Casper answered

"Cell phones and french fries and pro and said, "You would have hated it, kid," into the top of her head She sniffled and hugged hi away fro up one of the parachutes

"Are you sure these things are functional?" I asked

Casper wiped at his eyes Without a word, he went to the closet and put on his leather traveling coat and his sturdiest top hat He handed me one parachute and pulled the other one over his shoulders, tightening and buckling the straps across his chest

"Too late to worry about that, darlin’ If it co, I’ll ju Mikhail said to me was, "We’ll be ready"