Toronto sure was big. Of course, so was Phoenix-- but Kyer had never actually wandered around in her home city either. Spotting an empty park bench, she sidled up to it, decided it looked clean enough, and gratefully sank down onto the seat. What good was finding a phone book if your destination was too new to be listed? And what good was a phone without Canadian money? Ruefully, she took out a silverish, American coin and stared at it.

"Doggone it anyway, Mr. Spitz. If they are going to use 'quarters' and 'dollars' you'd think they'd make their machines accept them! Why call it the same thing if it's not the same? Darn unfriendlyish these Canadian folk, tricking tourists like that." She hurriedly stuffed the quarter back into a pocket as an elderly man sat down beside her. "Excuse me, mister... ?" Kyer began shyly.

"Yes?"

The white-haired gent twisted a bit to better address the strangely attired person. Kyer reached down to fetch her map, unconsiously squeezing 'Mr. Spitz' torso in a particular fashion as she did so. A short stream of pungent liquid suddenly shot from the puppet's mouth and hit the man square in the eye. The result was spectacular.

"Gaaaaaahhhh!"

The plainitive wail caught the attention of a passing policeman who came rushing over. He took one look at the confused looking woman and the sputtering man and sighed. A tourist. And an American at that. Today was not his day.

"What seems to be the problem here?"

"That woman accosted me with her puppet!" The old man snarled, dabbing carefully at his reddening eye while pointing an accusing finger.

The officer found himself smiling. The furry beige toy certaintly looked innocent enough. "May I?" He held out his hand.

Kyer reluctantly handed over her synthetic companion. "Mr. Spitz never hurt anybody." she grumbled, eyeing the aged gent

"Oh, I'm sure, " the officer smiled, holding up the toy to get a better look at the face. It sure was a cute thing. And nicely made... His hand squeezed where it shouldn't have and the puppet responded by living up to its name.
"What the...?! This thing spit at me!" He tossed the puppet down onto the ground in order to wipe uselessly at the garlic juice staining the front of his uniform.

A low growl started deep within the Arizonan's throat and worked its way up as she picked up the crumpled heap. "You hurt Mr. Spitz!" Forgetting herself, she kicked him in the shins causing him to hop back into a passing pedestrain who whalloped him with her purse before she realized who it was.

"OW!"
"I told you, officer-- she's a menace!" declared the righteous octogenarian, shaking his fist in emphasis and succeeding in striking a curious spectator a glancing blow.
"Watch where your putting your fist, old man--- !"
"Ouch!"
"Leggo!"
"Oh, yeah! Well. ta-- "

Within moments the scene had become a minor brawl. Kyer stared wide eyed as she instinctively ducked this way and that, somehow managing to avoid the various blows being randomly thrown by the growing knot of combatants.

And all the travel books had stated that Canadians were a peaceable folk.

"Maam, I'm afraid I'm going-- hey!"

Kyer made a run for it. At home, Mexican jails were rumored to be places you did not want to visit up close and personal like--- she didn't particularly desire the chance to do a direct critique of this other member of the North American continent's jail cells.

______________________________

Later: At a Toronto precinct:

Dark brown eyes glared at the officer as she finished dialing the number the information clerk had finally located for her.

Back at the Comfy Cottage, the CotK were busy setting things up when they heard the phone ring once. The answering machine picked up.

<whirr..click> {{"If you wish to speak with one of the CotK and are affiliated with one of the following factions: (Kyer impatiently drummed her fingers on the phone while listening to the litany of various other Forever Knight factions) please dial 1. If you're name is either Nicholas de Brabant or Lucien LaCroix--- "HOLD ON! ONE OF US--HECK! ALL OF US WILL BE WITH YOU JUST AS SOON AS WE CAN FIGHT EACH OTHER OFF TO BE THE FIRST TO THE PHONE!"}}

Oh, great... what were you supposed to dial if you *were* CotK? Smiling at the waiting guard, she took a chance and stabbed option number two.

"What the heck kinda message is that?!... Uh.. Hello? Is there anybody there? This is... um... Kyer... and I kinda need someone to pick up the phone-- Guys, I'm in the KLINK and I *don't* mean sightseeing or visiting a certain gentleman of the old school! So-- PICK UP THE DARN PHONE!!"

Lisa took up the receiver: "Kyer, is that you? Where are you?"

"I'm at the 90-something or other and all this place serves is junk food! Can one of you guys come over and post bail before we starve?"

Lisa looked over to Morgaine who was helping JL load some move some equipment and mouthed: We? Morgaine just shrugged. Last they had heard, Kyer had not been able to get anyone to drive her this far north and was looking into alternative transportation. She had said nothing about bringing a companion with her.

"Hold on, Kyer. I'll be right over as soon as I can. Just give me the directions."

Kyer repeated the street address the guard gave her.

<Later>

"Morgaine--- thank goodness you came!"

"Actually, I'm Lisa."

"Lisa."
*Cousin* Lisa? Well wasn't this just spiffy? Oh, well... she was still CotK. Kyer extended her hand as if she were afraid it would be bitten off. "Kyer... and" she grabbed her puppet out of her guard's hands before he could stop her, "This is Mr. Spitz. Say hello to Lisa, Mr. Sptiz." Instantly (after a small struggle) the guard relieved her of the toy.

"I--think I'd better hold onto this until you're ready to leave the station," he said over her protests. The last thing he wanted was for this 'Lisa' to get accidently squirted and depart in a huff--- without this foreign wacko!

Lisa listened in a daze as Kyer rattled off the events of her life since landing in Canada. The rapid-fire words were giving her a headache.

"And then they tried to take away Mr. Spitz! I tell you, Lisa, this had better be a darn good reason I'm here, cause I'm not too thrilled with the whole travel experiance right now.... are we, Mr. Spitz?"

"Listen, Kyer, If you don't mind my asking," Lisa asked as they headed for the front desk, "what's with the puppet? Talking to it I mean."

"It's either that or talk to myself, and doing that makes mom upset. She tends to think you can go barmy if you talk to yourself. Doesn't she, Mr. Spitz?" Kyer noticed the ever-diligent guard standing close by. "Do you mind?" She glared. "This is a private 3-party conversation and *you* weren't invited!"

The man sighed heavily before turning to address Lisa. "Maam, seeing as you are both visitors and not permanent residents"-- (thank God)-- " We're willing to let this one go (cause we're tired of listening to her babbling)-- *If* you are willing to take responsibility for your companion and keep her behavior controlled."

Lisa was beginning to have doubts *anyone* could control Kyer, but she nodded her head anyway. It was getting late.