The next day was the third saturday of the month. That meant it was picnic day for the Black Brigade Theatrical Troupe. Nel decided to go along, too, because there was nothing else to do. Besides, it was a nice day.

Albel skipped moodily up a likely hill. Nel followed along, quietly enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Palmira Plains. The Man Who Plays Kim was given the responsibility of being Shelby's babysitter. He wept for hours when he was assigned this task and now was grumpily dragging Shelby on his leash. One of those funny leashes people use for their kids at the zoo so they don't run off. Not a dog leash or anything like that, sickos!

The nameless brigadeer thespians trudged along bearing the wait of the various picnicing supplies they had been carying since dawn. It was along way to Palmira from Kirlsa and Albel had insisted they all get up early that morning to go.

As Albel crested the hill he froze.

He pointed ahead of him and shrieked "VOX!"

Vox, still unseen by the rest of the Troupe, was heard shrieking in reply, "NOX!"

Shelby screamed, "BOX!"

Everyone turned to stare at him, then realized he was refering to something in his video game.

Nel came up behind Albel and cooly regarded the Black Brigade captain and the captain of the Dragon Brigade.

Albel stood in a comical pose, pointing at Vox. His eye kept twitching.

Vox was running in circles with his hands in the air screaming.

Schweimer stood by helplessly, attempting to calm his boss to no apparent avail.

"Sir Vox," he said, "we can find another hill. This isn't even the best one in the area. There are many good picnicing hills."

The poor man started to panic. Vox had been looking forward to this picnic for weeks. He would be upset for WEEKS maybe even MONTHS if it was completely ruined.

Nel shook her head and turned. There was an even nicer hill just a few over. about half of it was in the sun, half in a cool, dappled shade. No weeds. No ant hills.

She led the Black Brigade over there.

"Okay, iced tea goes over there, where it will stay cool. The lemonade, too. Spread out the blankets so that half of them are in the shade and the other half are in the sun. Put down that table and spread out the sandwich fixings so that the plates and things are on one end, then the bread, then the cheese-"

"OOOWAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEboohoohoohoooooo!" The Man Who Plays Kim's cry rang throughout the hills.

Nel turned to see what was wrong this time.

Huge Shelby the Heavy Handed was sitting on the poor guy, pounding the buttons of his little Gameboy Advanced in a vicious attack.

Nel was over there in a flash.

"What happened?" she asked the sobbing The Man Who Plays Kim.

"I-I-I t-t sob tried t' m-m-mmmo-ove sob him an' he got sob mad an' h-h-heheehe sat on MEE!" The Man Who Plays Kim resumed his bawling.

Nel was at a loss. She thought The Man Who Played Kim, if anyone, should enjoy the picnic but she was kind of afraid to touch Shelby, and could think of no other way to remove him from The Man Who Plays Kim's back.

She sat on a log, tapping her head, trying to think.

"think

think

think

think"

she muttered to herself.

The Man Who Plays Kim stopped crying for a moment. He was reminded of a stuffed yellow bear for some reason. Then he forgot about the bear and started crying again.

Vox's screams suddenly got louder. (An irritated Schweimer had suggested they join the Black Brigade's picnic).

Between Shelby screaming nonsense at his toy, The Man Who Plays Kim wailing about being sat on, and Duke Vox's shrieks of frustration, Nel couldn't think or have an even mildly enjoyable picnic.

At least not here.

So she absconed with the Red Zinger iced tea, a loaf of pumpernickle, a tomato, a head of lettuce, the brown mustaqrd, the roast beef, a bag of chips, and the entire watermelon.

No one noticed.

Except Albel.

Red Zinger was his favorite iced tea, his second favorite tea overall.

And he had been looking forward to that watermelon.

"Get back here, wench!" He shouted as he ran after her.

"No way, slut!"

"Whore!"

"Tramp!"

"Harlot!"

"Tranny!"

"Sloe-eyed Hag!"

He chased her all the way into Duggus Forest where she sat high in a tree, fixing her sandwich and enjoying her meal.

As soon as Albel left, Vox calmed down and decided to join the Black Brigade's picnic, afterall.

Shelby lost his boss battle (which was why he suddenly refused to be moved) and rolled off of The Man Who Plays Kim.

In the end, the only one unhappy was Albel.

And no progress was even attempted to take the GBA from Shelby.