The peacock 1596

"So, whaddaya think", says Carl to all of us, but seems directed on Aaron. "Sends chills up my spine." "not just yours ", says Francois. "Do you believe in this", says Erik. "I do ", says Jesús, speaking for the first time since we arrived honme. "I know one of those people." "You know one of them", says Carl." "She helped me escape from Colombia." "What happened", says Aaron. ""Don't you already know", says Francois, laughing, "you are after all our extinguished author." "not so fast", says Aaron. "usually I don't have a clue what any of you are going to do or say next. I have done absolutely nothing to plot this out." "I met her in the airport. I thought she was British, like the man in the voice recording about the Millionth Council. She was standing behind me in line for check in. Then she tapped me on the shoulder and offered me a passport. I said I already had one. She told me to check my pockets, where I usually keep it. It wasn't there. I left home that morning with my passsport. It was in the front left pocket of my jeans. I remembered picking it up, looking at it, then putting it in my pocket while waiting for taxi. She smiled and said in perfect Spanish, the Millionth Council will see that you are not refused. I looked at the passport, it had everything, including my photo. I was going to thank her but she was gone. Disappeared, or vanished....