Just as Kyer was about to collide with the station's entrance doors, they opened up to let her out--- and she sailed semi-majestically thru the air and down the steps in a spectacular swan dive.

"WAAAHHHHGGHH!!"

Letting go of the door handles, Morgaine and Margie rushed to help her up.

"Kyer! Are you all right?" Margie asked as Morgaine picked up the puppet. Fortunately, Kyer's head had landed on the plush toy instead of the concrete. It appeared that Mr. Spitz was none worse for the experience, (save for a line of garlic spittle staining the sidewalk), but its mistress began groaning aloud as Margie struggled to keep her upright.

"Never. Ever. Take the Banana Peel Express again... steerings lousy... brakes nonexistant.... no passenger side airbags..."

"She's fine." Morgaine grinned.

"Well, in a sense," Margie joked, relieved now that she knew Kyer really was okay.

But Kyer suddenly reclaimed Mr. Spitz and bolted for the car, hopped inside the back, and started making pushing motions with her arms while shouting at J.L. who was still in the driver's seat, being disinclined to to leave the presence of a technological device, even if it was just Lisa's car on loan.

"Go! Go! Go! Vamos! Andele! Warp Speed, Mr. Scott! Where's the Manual Override!"

"Or maybe not," Morgaine allowed as she climbed into the front seat (better bounce factor) while Margie got in the back with Kyer.

"Kyer, you want to tell us what was going on?" Margie asked their errant Knightie as she fumbled with the seat belt (Lisa needed to get this thing fixed!) "Making fun of CERK like that," she said worriedly. If LaCroix or any of his factions find out---"

"And poor Lisa's responsible for you, in case you've forgotten." J.L. added as she stuck the key back into the ignition. "She could get deported as well."

The receiver of these rebukes growled softly in mounting agitation before exclaiming: "Can we *please* discuss this while on the move?! Go! Go!" Kyer urged them while staring worriedly back at the CBC building, "Before that vampire finds us!"

Morgaine choked. "Vampire? What vampire?!"

"*That* vampire!" Kyer stabbed a finger in the direction of the radio station's doors that had burst open to reveal three men--- one of whom was wearing a theatrical cape.

Margie didn't think real vampires would wear such a get-up, but Kyer was starting to tremble and mutter even more unintelligibly than normal. And was she *really* an expert on vampire fashion? Enough to stake their lives on it? "Um... J.L.?"

Deciding that it probably would be prudent to gather specifics at a later and safer location, J.L. put the pedal to the metal. "Hold on!"

Tires squeeled and rubber burned as the former race car driver peeled out onto Front Street and began weaving through the night-time traffic as if it was the Indianapolis 500 Speedway.

Margie and Kyer clung to each other in mutual terror. Well, actually both were clinging to Mr. Spitz, which luckily for Margie, was out of garlic juice ammo. Morgaine, for her part, was looking slightly peeved: It was hard to get a good bounce when the g-forces were keeping you pinned to the backrest.

<Later, half-way back to the Comfy Cottage>

Morgaine was still happily testing the spring warranty on Lisa's car seats as they drove along at a now more civilized speed. J.L. glanced back in the rear-view mirror and saw that Kyer appeared to have calmed down considerably. Maybe even enough to make sense. "You want to explain yourself back there?"

Kyer hugged her stuffed llama closer to herself as she bowed her head. "Not particularly."

"Kyer..." Morgaine began, breaking the rhythm of her gymnastic exercises.

"I just wanted to contact the Inka so he'd take me home a tad early."

Margie shushed Morgaine as the younger started to protest. They could deal with Kyer's wish to leave the War once they rejoined the rest of the group. "And what was that stuff about LaCroix being squished? His factions aren't going to be real happy with that."

Understatement!

"Um... " Kyer shrank down even lower into the back seat. "It was Mr. Spitz's idea?" Even Morgaine cocked an eybrow at that. "Okaay... so I got bored and hit the wrong button. Darn console had more switches than a 747. Anyway, any miffed factions will be looking for me, not the CotK, and I'll be back home sipping chile punch, won't I. Which reminds me--- could you please turn up the heat a few notches in this thing? Haven't felt decent warmth since leaving the Sonoran and Mr. Spitz is susceptible to colds. Aren't you, Mr. Spitz?"

Morgaine went back to her bouncing, confident that with the combined arguments of all five of her CotK sisters, Kyer would be convinced to stay on. J.L. openly considered reviving her career as a race car driver. Margie wondered what the safe maximum dose was on her headache pills.

Whoever said that Wars were heck-- [poetic paraphrasing for the List, here.]-- had obviously never particpated in a Faction War. Otherwise his remark would have been far more unprintable.