affame_le_geant_the_spegnere fyn gula puppetwinkle's barking intensified as the cart drew nearer. he put so much energy into his warnings that he actually lifted himself of his feet. however, when it creaked up and stopped at the kitefield garden shed where saumboo was still sitting on the hay of maddie the corgi's dogbed, the irritating yapping ceased like someone pulled the plug that fed it power. the reason was clear. puppertwinkle was scared shitless. upon closer inspection, the feathered creature with four legs and padded paws was in reality a tiger costumed to appear as a crow. the white of his muzzle and the classic orange/black pattern of stripes were barely visible under a tight canopy of yellow beak. the black feathers were intricately woven and seamless with wings hung on an aluminum frame. they were perfectly operational, for upon arriving, he spread them straight out with authority, flapped them three times with grace and strength and then growled ferociously from the depths of his throat. if you think this is what frightened puppertwinkle, of course you are correct. in kemulya, when a tiger dresses to look like a crow, it is not good. it is known as a "spegnere," which is the italian for one who extinguishes, basically a messenger of doom. saumboo swallowed hard when puppertwinkle described the creature to him for everyone in kemulya were associated with the spegnere in their childhoods just as we were in ours with the boogeyman, although one very important thing was different. the spegnere was real. saumboo remembered his parents used to intimidate him after an act of willful disobedience with the immortal words, "the spegnere is going to come and get you!" and the thing is, he saw it happen to a mate of his. the spegnere did come and this creature "extinguished" the life right out of him. a candle with the smoke trailing off into a distant atmosphere. saumboo was worried. no wonder puppertwinkle would not reveal boffden's plans. saumboo sensed that something horrible was about to happen to him and there was nothing, absolutely nothing he could do to stop it. "what have i done that the spegnere has come for me?" saumboo asked himself. he put his hands up to his eyes. the tears welled up and threatened to fall. "welcome, spegnere," saumboo said. he could feel himself shivering with respect and fear. he had heard that if the spegnere ever came absolute politeness and respect was a must. even doom had a conscience. 020504 what's it to you? who go blather from