1954

We have found refuge in the meeting room up in the garrett. Tron, still in his guise of handsome random bike dude, is in the chair near a window, and Kenny and I are flanking him, I am on his left, and Erik, and Carl has just come in with a stuffed black travelbag. "Sorry I'm late, you guys.  There were some more things I wanted to take back with me, clothes and a few books." "Are there really human remains here?" asks Erik. "They're about as human as they come, Erik", says Tron with baritone authority. "A couple of weeks ago, with help from a couple of Spanish speakers who unfortunately are not available", says Carl, "We were able to learn of this particularly bizarre cult that used to occupy this place during the sixties." "Cosme is not to be trusted", says Tron.  Many of those pages were written under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs, such as were very freely available here during that time." "You know that because...", say I. "I know that because I was here.  Living among them..."

1953

"Wait a minute", say I, "Kenny, you're staying with me, so what are we going to do?" "Plus", snorts Sheila, "You´ve forgotten Glen." "Wait a minute", says Carl. "Text from Maureen. She can take three. Glen, Mel, how about Maureen's for the time being?" "That works", says Melissa. "Glen?" "No problem." "So then", says Melissa, picking up Tron's plate and balancing two mugs on her fingers, "Let's get this show on the road..."

1952

"The apartment has two bedrooms", says Erik.  "I used to sleep there" "I wasn't thinking", say I.  "Yes, we can do it, if the ladies can help out." "Yes, Carol can", says Melissa.  "Sarah is returning to Maureen's tomorrow and she can take two.  She seems particularly interested in taking in Sheila, because of her age, and because she just said she likes her tremendously, and Michael, because she wanted mother and son to be together." "We still have to wait for Maureen", says Sheila. "Yer staying' with us, Mel", announces Carl.  "And there's room for Matthew. you can both fight over which room you get, or maybe one of you could stay in the apartment with George and Jeffrey." "I volunteer", says Matthew.  "They're both lots of fun." "How about transportation?" says Glen. "Not a problem", says Melissa.  "We can all go in my car." "And...Ethan?" says Carl. "I'm okay. I will be staying for the investigation." "but you can't sleep here", says the ever pragmatic Melissa  No one can." "I have made other arrangements", he replies, spooning half melted ice cream and cake into his mouth... 

1951

But the revelation of divine splendour is less than  momentary and again, in our presence, a handsome twenty something dude in T shirt and shorts is seated among us.  It also appears that for now we are all opting for collective denial, and together, despite where we have been in the past twenty-four hours, all we see is some random stranger named Ethan who has just sought our hospitality. "The question remains, " says Melissa, "Of where we are all going to sleep after tonight should the remains be discovered." "Oh my god", groans Carl, "Why didn't I think of that before.  Look, the house is almost ready, but there are no beds, not a stick of furniture.  We can't get everything in just a few hours.  We have to think." "I'm texting Carol right now", says Melissa, "She has a couple of extra bedrooms." "Wait a minute", say I, "what about Maureen?  They were taking possession of her house today and she has extra room." "I am texting her right now", says Carl.  "How about you, Chris?" "George and Jeffrey are still in the apartment as far as I know, and Jesús has returned to Colombia, so that frees up one room anyway, because Erik will be staying with us, but, there is also an extra room with a bed in the basement"

1951

"The truth about what?" says Sheila, as Matthew returns with two  coffees, one of which sets before her. "What!  No coffee for me?" says Michael in partial mock indignation. "My third arm got amputated because of gangrene.  Move your ass, kiddo, it's self serve around here",  says Matthew. "Yes Mom", says Michael, getting up slowly and reluctantly. "Ahem", snorts Sheila, trying not successfully to sound offended. "Oh just listen to the competition", sneers her son, glancing and winking her way. Sheila looks at Tron and says in a challenge, "How do you know all this?" "How can I not know", he replies as she stares dumbfounded at him, and I can tell that Sheila, and likely the others, are also seeing Tron in the glory of his glistening green and golden robes, because that is precisely what I happen to be seeing.

1950

"What were you three just talking about in the kitchen?" wonders Matthew, as he gets up to pour some coffee from the sideboard. "Stuff", says Carl, following him there. "And?" "Is there any part of none of your business you don't understand?" "We were talking about the police investigation and the search here tomorrow morning", says Melissa flatly. "There are human remains concealed under this house", says Tron. "I beg your pardon?" "Everyone here is exonerated. And you do not have to worry about our father. Naomi was telling the truth..."

1949

It is only natural that given Tron's incandescent good looks, and both Michael and Matthew being gay, that they would certainly notice him, but here they appear fixated and also captured in a thrall of holy awe.  They seem already to have guessed who he is, and even if they do both have a clear memory of meeting him, or that their visit to the Refuge was anything but a strange dream...yes, on some level they're going to know...they must know... but here, now, and to all of us, Tron is Ethan, a random young dude lost in the toolies on his mountain bike. "Very glad to meet you", says Matthew in a reverant whisper, but not approaching to shake his hand. "The pleasure is mine", says Tron, smiling beneficently.. Melissa brings out a dish, one of the crimson and gold art nouveau plates, with an extra large portion of chocolate orange cake smothered in an excess of melting ice cream.  "Ethan, I'm sorry to have forgotten to ask, but have you had dinner.  We still have tons of leftover vegetarian shepherd's pie...I hope you don't mind it's vegetarian, she adds demurely, "but it contains lots of lentils and a mixture of Jaarlesberg and Parmesan cheese..."  and, is she nervously fussing over him?  I have never known Melissa to do that, not with anybody.   "Thank you for asking, Melissa, that is very kind of you, but I did stop to eat something on the way over, and besides...we don't want the ice cream to melt..."