Epilogue

You thought it was over, but that's not true, click "read more" to read the epilogue! Next week begins the sequel: GWANAN.

 “There's just one thing I still never learned,” Blake said, sipping his coffee and petting the tabby in his lap which he had named Alley.

“What's that?” Jack asked, leaning over the chess board and studying his next move.

Blake looked down at the bell around the cat's neck. “The bells. What was the significance of her bells?”

“You never figured that out?” Jack asked, looking up. Blake shook his head. Jack glanced back down and made his move, then explained, “They were little sonar devises. Whenever they rang, she was able to pick up where everything was and even where it was about to be. It helped her to focus on just the vibrations in the air to figure out her attacker's next movement. That's how she was able to avoid Pepper's attacks with her eyes closed and why she noticed that the dwarf spell-caster was in the room before any of us.”

“Oh, I get it now.” There was a moment of silence.

“It sure was nice of that old lady to let you keep her cat,” Jack said.

“Yeah.”

“Who would have thought that it wasn't Ally's?” Another silence followed this.

“Do you suppose Ally Kat is dead?” Blake asked.

“Well, she was shot squarely in the chest and fell into the sewer twenty feet below, what do you think?”

“Well, they never found the body....”

They both just looked at each other and then burst up laughing.

“I just hope she comes to visit sometime,” Blake said. “We still haven't played that chess match she promised me.”

“Speaking of which it's your move.”

“What?”

“It's your move.”

“Oh!” Blake moved his queen over and took Jack's bishop.

“Check mate!”