#debukefarmhold

"Hello? HAWKS? Air jet turbines? Who knows what else?" Clem scowls, "And again, her FOLKS?"

"Clem, Chief, it's your call," He says "But yes I suppose you at least need to tell them."

Clem nods and moves to find Mrs. Novak. Which is not hard to do, Mrs. Novak, like most nockers, has a gangly, knobby appearance. Her lab coat is fashionable and BRIGHT, with patterns on the yellow that some might recognize as inspired by sunspots. Stare at it too long, the spots move oh so slowly. And her hair is everywhere!

"Mrs. Novak?" Clem says, "I'm sorry to intrude but... " Clem stops, "Pardon me, but is that wall made out of mountain dew cans and whiskey bottles?" She eyes the copper wire at the base of it, "What ARE you doing?"

Since no kids are around, MRs. Novak replies "World's largest sex toy, what's it furking LOOK Like I'm doing? I'm improvising with the limits of tech I got here. Took stuff you were going to throw away or recycle... this will collect excess solar rays, using the photons and phaetons, and some yellow crayones to manifest the actuator. "

"And that will?" Clem says, clearly not knowing what the hell the nocker is talking about. What the hell is a phaeton?

(Not a single yellow crayon was used to number an egg)

"Collide to combat the darkon intrusion maximize sideput. Output is easy, side put has to be finesed!"

Darkons. Clem is tempted to ask the woman to dismantle WHATEVER this is, but instead says "Mrs. Novak, your daughter went back to your home town and... she's being fed crumbs by a sluagh? Baba something.... I don't know if she took a trod or just flew, we have guards on the trod entries so likely the latter and..."

"Yeah yeah," Mrs. Novak grumbles as she tweaks some more, then she stops, "Wait, you LOST MY FURKING KID?"

The device, whatever it is, pops and glows randomly as if the cursing were stressing it.

From there, the cursing gets creative. Even trolls , stoic to a fault, wince a bit when a nocker really gets going. Sothead is one of the NICER comments.

Nearby, slightly ignored, Mr. Novak hears his wife curse (Hard to miss it) and eavesdrops a bit. Oh dear, well, he's pretty sure the farm has fire fighting material. Instead he pulls out a slim wooden whistle, and blows on it. It's a bird call... which means miles and miles away, Little Amity can hear it pipe up to mean 'we're worried for you and there might be cheezits here'.

Far away, a little grey head stretches up, listening.

Only one toot, not an emergency.

And from a concrete pad in a Des Moines park, a little pigeon takes flight!

No hawks nearby .. fortunately. But it's a long trip.

Even at pigeon speeds (faster than you think!) it's a good 90 minute flight!

"And I hope someone finds your pig arnold and EATS IT!" Mrs. Novak is heard saying.

"Okay, that's Green Acres, a classic bit of pop culture, but not us," Clem hurmph "Don't worry, I will take wing and find her myself. I turn into animals all the time."

Mr. Novak speaks up "Chief? She's probably on her way home. I got word to her .She's a good girl, our Amity. It's all in good fun her pranks, but she and Baba Bianca are friends and she's quite loyal to her friends. That's our girl, she talks crooked, but she flies true."

For a moment JUST a moment, Mrs. Novak's features soften, warmth in her eyes and relief, warmth for her husband, and relief for the news "NOw and then I remember why I let you rocket my socket, you glue handed goof." Her spirals shift colors.

"I'll have Emmit track her back then and I'll use that to meet her half way," Clem offers. T his is too big a thing to just risk, "Make sure she has an escort for part of it."

And that's how Clem ended up flying to look around for the girl ... Clem did not think it through what form to take. She picked something with amazing eyes. WHich is why, a certain pigeon girl about half way there, sees a red tailed HAWK swinging towards her.

The pigeon suddenly VEERS, frantic flapping and then a dive for the trees. She's alone, no flock...

The hawk cries out, and pursues and if one speaks bird, they'd hear "HOney, wait, it's me!" but not every pooka has the gift of speaking their species and arguably hawks and doves are ... varied.

A frantic coo-oo-oo and her wings make a sharp clacking sound - alerting of PREDATOR! as she tries to flee.

Clem the hawk follows then... seems to realize her mistake and changes again... a goose goes "HONK??"

The hawk is gone, and a goose is there!

She's an agile flier - but slower than a hawk. The honk has her hesitating, but not stopping her frantic rush for the nearest tree.

nly once she's got branches to hide in does she look up.

The goose follows and that means only the goose is seen.

She hops a little further out on the branch. A goose?

THen the goose turns into a pigeon and coos WHich IF the girl has that gift, she hears as "DOn't suppose you understand me now?"

An inquisitive coo. "Three birds?"

"It's me,Chief Clem," Clem says "We got worried about you ... sorry about the hawk. Ready to go back to the farm?"

A trill and she tilts her head for a better look. "You're the BIGGEST pooka I've ever seen!"

A neck chortle from the current Dove, "You can learn a lot on a farm. Now come on. Your mom about blew her solar experiment to kingdom come. She was worried, not that she'd say it. Your dad? Well, he thought you had it handled. Guess he was right."

"Dad called! Street lights aren't even on yet!"

"Though I guess a farm doesn't have streetlights."

"Do roosters go to sleep at sunset? Is that the equivalent?" She hops into the air, wings pulling her up towards a current to ride.

"I suppose we can show you the signs," And Clem flows, staying in pigeon form. All those changes have tapped her glamour reserves some. SHe'll need time by the fire.

Clem might not have travelled much in this form - but Amity is good at finding currents, and using them to glide instead of using all her strength on flapping.

Clem takes lessons and follows her lead. When the farm comes into view, it is Clem who has the less elegant landing. But she reverts to her form and looks away so the girl can change. And change Amity does, right in her father's open arms as he closes his eyees with a smile.

"I beat the streetlights!" She insists, wrapping against him with a tight hug.

"Of course you did," He assures, "My little girl is faster than light. Now tell me all about how Baba Bianca is doing over dinner okay?"

"Oh, for sure, because I was going for a treat, I had to do a trick and did you know that chickens just leave easter eggs out their butts? Anyways..."

"She's a... fast little flier," Clem admits.

There might even be a true thing or two in her prattle.

(Fade to proud papa and prattle)