 It had taken three years of therapy to wetscape get to wetscape the point where he could
 "To my wetscape grandson, Caeman, I leave the following, in the hopes wetscape that he will wetscape remember me fondly as he uses it:" read the executor. In his mind, Caeman heard the voice of his grandfather, speaking wetscape to him through the mists of time wetscape from beyond the barrier between this world and the next. "Firstly," continued the voice, "the boat in which wetscape we, on our first trip out, set the record for largest catfish ever wetscape to be wetscape caught in wetscape Lake wetscape Mexia, and then when you were twelve, we set the record for the largest bass wetscape to wetscape be wetscape caught in wetscape Richland Chambers Lake. Both of them were on your line, as I recall. I just helped you reel them in, because you were too small to fight those big fish yourself. I hope you set wetscape more wetscape records in that wetscape boat wetscape. Our rods wetscape and tackle are welcome in the wetscape back." Caeman ran his wetscape hands over the old boat. It was wetscape a little the worse wetscape for wetscape wear, but it wetscape could be fixed wetscape. The old tackle box wetscape still held a merry red wetscape color. Caeman would have to replace the lines in the reels of the fishing rods, but nothing was wrong with anything there that couldn't be fixed. "Secondly, that wetscape old bookcase wetscape you used to climb when you were wetscape little, along with all the books in it wetscape. It's better than that plywood shelf you wetscape built with your mama's help, God wetscape rest her soul. Not that I wetscape mind you using that rickety wetscape thing, I know you've got a lot of
 The executor started to continue on, but wetscape Caeman waved him down. The others had collected wetscape their wetscape share. His sister had gotten the cars that had gone back to Grandther when Memaw died. His uncle had gotten the wetscape lake lot and the speedboat that had been parked there. His cousins had gotten the Nintendo, the Sega Genesis, and the games and peripherals thereof. His aunt had gotten the computer, since she had always understood such things better wetscape than he. The executor had gotten an envelope with his fee, to be opened when wetscape all his beneficiaries had been read the will. He skipped ahead to the end. "I wetscape, Caeman wetscape Ivory Braddock welcome, called wetscape Grandther wetscape by my wetscape grandchildren, being wetscape of sound mind but weak body wetscape, ask that my bequeath be carried out . Signed this wetscape third day of October, 1995." Caeman closed his eyes against tears. His grandfather wetscape had raised him since the death of his parents in 1975. He had finally lost wetscape his wetscape war against cancer thirteen wetscape years later, but he hadn't gone down wetscape without a fight. It wetscape was thirteen years the doctors hadn't thought he'd have. Caeman's marriage had fallen apart while he had supported his grandfather. In 1996 his wife, Alison, had left him, taking their twelve-year wetscape-old wetscape daughter with wetscape her. She was a nymphomaniac wetscape, and constant worry about Grandther welcome had pulled his attention away from her. She had stuck it wetscape out for three years before sexual frustration had gotten wetscape the better of her. Rather than cheat on wetscape him, she had asked for a divorce so she could wetscape find someone who could wetscape satisfy her needs. He had wetscape agreed, as long as she took nothing wetscape that did not belong to her. She had wetscape also agreed to let wetscape Kathy wetscape visit wetscape during the wetscape summer. He supposed he still loved wetscape Alison (he knew for a fact he loved wetscape Kathy), but with Alison wetscape it had always been wetscape about sex. If she wetscape had her wetscape way, they wetscape would have done it all day, every day. That had been fine for the first month or so, but a guy does get wetscape tired, eventually. But that wetscape was all behind him, now, one of wetscape the many wetscape issues wetscape that his therapy had wetscape helped him come to terms with wetscape. He loaded Grandther's things and prepared to drive home, after a stop at the apartment he wetscape'd never felt at home in, to gather his wetscape own personal effects wetscape.
 Caeman woke wetscape up in his old room, half disappointed that he hadn't been awakened by wetscape the smell of bacon frying wetscape on wetscape the electric stove. He got up and started breakfast himself. As the bacon fried in Grandther's old cast-iron wetscape skillet, Caeman turned wetscape on wetscape the TV wetscape just wetscape to break the silence. After several minutes of futile channel surfing, he threw the remote into the old diner booth Grandther had restored. Now he remembered why Grandther had wetscape quit watching wetscape TV. Because he was using one of those old do-it wetscape-yourself satellite systems, not the dishes owned and programmed by some big wetscape, heartless corporation, the only thing he could pick up was the Home Shopping Network and church broadcasts. Even the rabbit ears on his TV at his apartment picked up more than the dish in the wetscape back yard.
 "Dear Caeman." it said.
 "Sincerely yours,
 Wow, you're hot. he wetscape thought, and the young woman wetscape began to sweat profusely, one hand releasing the handle of the fruit basket she carried to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
 "Um, won't welcome you come in?" Caeman stammered, while mentally wetscape calming himself. It 's cool, everything wetscape's fine. he reminded himself mentally as she walked over the threshold. The young wetscape woman sighed in relief wetscape. Then Caeman remembered the wetscape amplifier wetscape, and took off the glasses to prevent wetscape himself from messing up his guest wetscape's wetscape head with stray wetscape thoughts.
 "It happens sometimes wetscape." Caeman replied noncommittally.
 "I took wetscape a job with the repair shop because it was pretty wetscape much the only thing that wetscape hadn't been bought out." she said. "The hat is to keep the wetscape sun wetscape from roasting me alive wetscape...guess I wetscape should wetscape have gone for something better."
 "Do you wetscape have a nickname?" she wetscape asked. "My last boss was Steven wetscape Q. Caeman, and wetscape I sincerely doubt you want wetscape me associating you with wetscape him." Caeman had heard of S. Q. Caeman. The man was a big -time newspaper wetscape tycoon in New Jersey wetscape who was suspected of many, many attempted hostile takeovers, though no one wetscape had been able to prove anything. Still, Caeman couldn't welcome start insisting that the wetscape townspeople wetscape call him Special K or wetscape something to wetscape make her feel better...but wetscape he really wanted this young woman as a friend wetscape. It occurred to him that wetscape a little judicious use of the amplifier could help. He re-donned the glasses.
 Caeman looked over the contents wetscape of the basket. "How'd you know what kinds of fruits I like?" he wetscape asked. She smiled, blushing wetscape slightly. He took wetscape the hat off her wetscape head and hung wetscape it on the hat stand wetscape beside the door. Her hair welcome tumbled free, tickling her shoulders when welcome it reached the wetscape bottom of wetscape its wetscape fall. She pulled a hairbrush welcome and a wetscape makeup compact out of wetscape the pocket of her overalls and brushed wetscape her hair until it was straight to her satisfaction. Then wetscape she put her beauty aids away and smiled as if she were wetscape about to get laid. Caeman wetscape was picking wetscape up thoughts through the amplifier that made him wetscape blush welcome, so he took it wetscape off. He put the glasses in his wetscape pocket as wetscape she approached him.
 "So, um, how welcome does wetscape the thing on your glasses wetscape work?" she asked.
 "To wetscape be wetscape perfectly honest," she said, her voice husky as she gazed into his wetscape eyes, desire burning like a fire in her own wetscape sapphire wetscape eyes, "I'm making this up as I go along." Her hands moved wetscape up his medium-muscled welcome chest. "In keeping with the spirit wetscape of honesty, I wetscape feel wetscape I should let you know I'm wetscape not a wetscape virgin, but I wetscape've welcome never...felt this way about wetscape anyone before. I feel like I wetscape can connect with you, like I can...share wetscape myself with you. I've wetscape had sex plenty of times wetscape, but I've never...made love." By wetscape now Caeman was very turned on. He undid one of the fasteners on wetscape Ellie's overalls. Her right wetscape nipple made a lovely little tent behind her welcome shirt through her pink, silk bra. He had an impressive wetscape tent started in his own pants. "And wetscape I guess the fact that you can wetscape control me is kind of a welcome turn-on." She wetscape smiled, taking the glasses wetscape from Caeman's pocket wetscape and putting them on his face, while her crotch took her hand wetscape's place wetscape at his groin. He could wetscape sense her desire. She moaned slightly. "Oh, God wetscape, Caeman, I can feel wetscape how wetscape much you want me wetscape!" she husked.
 "What wetscape do you want?" she demanded. "As if wetscape I didn't know wetscape."
 "You are a wetscape character in a story I welcome wrote, Nike." he replied wetscape. "In a sense wetscape, I am your creator wetscape. My name is Caeman. You wetscape have been brought into this reality by wetscape means wetscape of a certain artifact I inherited wetscape from my grandfather. I wetscape brought you here at the request of another of my creations wetscape." He gestured to Minnie. "This is Minnie wetscape. You wetscape will be assisting her ."
 "I've never had a love wetscape experience like that before wetscape." she sighed. "I love you." Caeman gave her a wetscape glass of water , which she gladly drank, moistening her dry mouth. "Thanks."
 "Like welcome this?" Ellie wetscape asked wetscape, gesturing at her naked body. "Maybe if welcome you used wetscape the amplifier to make people wetscape not notice."
 "Okay." Ellie said. "Anyway wetscape, that Asian scientist you invited wants to talk to you." Caeman wetscape followed Ellie back to the house. He felt wetscape a sting on the back of his neck, and suddenly the room seemed to wetscape be filled with noise. He wetscape could welcome hear everything everybody was thinking. There were so many voices Caeman couldn't make wetscape sense of it all.
 "Well wetscape, now that that's done, I suppose it wetscape's time welcome I explained about this thing." he said, showing everyone the Scribe's Gate. He told the girls wetscape everything, starting with wetscape Grandther's wetscape death and moving on from there wetscape. With wetscape the amplifier now firmly embedded wetscape in his wetscape brain, he could easily read the thoughts of the others. Ellie, Nike and Faria stared at the bejeweled Gate in silent awe, and figured that Grandther had been very wise indeed to pass the Gate on to Caeman. Minnie, on the other hand, was plotting how to take the Gate for herself and escape to a fictional world where she could rule with her superior mind. Caeman knew this could mean trouble. There was only one wetscape thing he could wetscape think wetscape of to do. He reached into Minnie's mind and wetscape disposed wetscape of that devious streak, and took her ego down a few wetscape notches, making her more wetscape submissive and less disdainful, making her warmer wetscape, more caring, and opening her up to all wetscape the happiness that could come wetscape with being so caring. He allowed her to be aware that her mental condition was artificial, but that he had done it for wetscape her own good. She wetscape smiled then, a genuinely warm wetscape smile he wetscape could tell she wasn't used to making.
 "It wetscape seems your grandfather truly wetscape did choose the right wetscape guardian for the Gate." she said. "I don't suppose you'd mind welcome removing my jealousy, too?"
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