"Enzo." He whispered, barely audible in the dark. He wasn't sure if he'd even said it aloud.

There was no response from the shadow on the bed. The Guardian sighed deeply. "Enzo – come on, Kid."

The boy rolled over onto his side and opened a purple eye. "Hey, Bob."

"We need to talk, Enzo. Sorry to wake you up."

"I wasn't sleeping." The boy said softly.

"You weren't? How come?"

"I knew you were up… I heard you sighing."

"Oh." There was a nano of awkward silence, then the Guardian lit the oil lamp on the bedside table and sat on the bed next to Enzo. "Sorry if I kept you awake. I know you need your rest…"

"It's cool." The youngster sat up in bed and leaned his head against Bob's shoulder.

"You're trembling – are you cold?"

"No." the boy whispered.

"Well… Better wrap the blanket over you, just in case." The Guardian said, doing just that. "Like I said, Enzo – we need to talk."

"Okay."

Bob squeezed the boy in the crook of his arm tightly and closed his eyes. "Enzo, I…I… Things are happening. With the game…"

"Oh, User!" Enzo said softly, squeezing his eyes shut tight, unconsciously mimicking the Guardian.

"We've had a free run of it… For a lot longer than I expected." The youngster said nothing, his only discernible reaction a quickening of his breathing. "The User's here, Enzo. Only there's more than one – it must be a networked game."

"Like… Like in the Supercomputer?"

"Yeah – kinda." Bob sighed. "They were in the village earlier this cycle – Pesaj saw them. They're headed towards the mountain. I just don't think that we can wait anymore, Cadet. We're out of time-"

"You need to go, then." The boy rasped. "You need to go win the game."

"It's not so easy, Kiddo. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do…"

"Take me with you!" Enzo said urgently, irrational hope surging within him. "Please, Bob – I can make it! I know I can!"

"Enzo…" Bob cupped the boy's chin in his hand. "You know that's not true – you can barely walk yet. Your feet are in bad shape and you still have trouble breathing-"

"Don't leave me, Bob!" the boy whispered, desperately searching for a reservoir of resolve to combat his urge to cry. "I'll try really hard, I won't slow you down I promise I won't! Please don't leave me!"

"I know you'd try hard. You always try hard, Enzo. But your body just isn't up there with your sprit this time."

"Oh, Bob…"

"Please – I need you to be strong for me, OK?" Bob rasped. "This isn't easy. I…I even thought about just leaving – while you were asleep. But I couldn't do that, Enzo. You're old enough to know what's going on."

The boy gritted his teeth, struggling against himself. Trying to be the man he wanted to be instead of the little boy he feared he was. "I'll be…fine. I understand, Bob. It's… It's cool."

"No, it's not." Bob growled. "It'd delete me to leave you here, Enzo! It goes against everything I believe in, every promise I made to your sister. Dot would want us to stick together!"

"I know." The youngster fell against him and wrapped his arms around him. "I know you wouldn't do it if you didn't have to."

"Stop it! Stop being so brave! You're making me feel worse…" the Guardian chuckled bitterly.

Enzo said nothing for a moment, trying to control the panic that threatened to overwhelm him at any nano. "Matrix… He was alone in the games for minutes. Hours, even. I can handle a few seconds here until you win the game."

"He didn't have a choice." Bob said bitterly. "Enzo, I… Splitting us up – it just doesn't seem right to me. Maybe we ought to let the User take his chances and leave with the game if we have to."

"Really?" The thought appealed to Enzo strongly for a nano, but he knew in his heart it was a selfish joy. "No. You gotta win the game if you can. I'll be all right."

The Guardian clung to him tightly, shaking his head. "I just don't see how I can leave you here all alone."

"I won't be alone. Rosa's here."

"She's a game sprite! A character!" Bob spat. "No matter how real she seems that fact never changes. How can I just leave you here? Anything could happen!"

"I'm OK though, Bob!" the youngster replied with a wan smile. "I'm getting better – it's not like I'm gonna delete or anything."

"What if I go and still lose the game?" Bob whispered.

"You won't."

"But what if I do? What if the game cube leaves and I can't find you? I've never seen a game like this – who knows what'll happen?"

"You'll find me. You'll always find me." Enzo said softly. "Besides, you're not gonna lose. You're the best-"

"Stop!" the Guardian interrupted. "Just stop, Enzo. This… It's hard enough for me to think about it without you being so… so loyal!"

"Sorry."

"Don't be." The silver-haired sprite clutched Enzo's head to his chest. "You don't have anything to be sorry about. I never should have brought you here…"

"Don't say that! How're you supposed to teach me if I don't go into games? It just happened, that's all. I'll be alphanumeric – I'll stay right here and wait for you to win."

"Enzo-"

"Just do it! OK?" The boy looked up at Bob intently. "Just win the game and we'll go home. Don't lose the game 'cause of me. Please!"

The Guardian shook his head and ruffled the youngster's green hair. "I didn't think you were gonna make it this far, you know that?"

"Sorry!" the boy smiled.

"When you fell in that river… I thought I'd lost you. It was the worst thing I ever felt in my life. I hated myself for letting it happen. Then I fished you out, and you were so sick… I thought you might nullify any nano. I thought you'd fall asleep and never wake up."

"Is that… I remember you asking me all kinds of weird questions and stuff…"

"I thought I'd lost you forever." The Guardian sighed. "Just when I… When we… I thought you were gone. That was the only thing in the net that mattered to me – not the game, not Mainframe or Dot or Daemon or anything else. I'd just lost someone who meant more to me than I thought anybody ever could. But you surprised me just like you always do. You came back and now you're here." He pounded his fist into the bed angrily. "So how in the net am I supposed to leave you now?"

"It's not the same." Enzo whispered. "I'm better…"

"User… How in the net am I supposed to let you go?"

"Just do it. Before the Users get to the mountain and win the game."

"Enzo-"

"Please go, Bob!" the boy pleaded. "I don't wanna make us lose the game. I know it'll be OK."

"What am I gonna do with you?" the Guardian sighed. "You…you just be careful, all right? Listen to what Rosa tells you and keep taking your medicine and rest and stay right here. You understand, Cadet? You're in charge of yourself, now."

"Cool." Enzo smiled weakly. "I'll be pixelacious, Bob. I promise."

"You promise, huh? C'mere, Tiger." Bob held the boy tightly to his shoulder for long moments, no words passing between them.

"You better go." The youngster finally offered.

"Yeah." Bob sighed. "I better go."

"So go already." Enzo said softly after another long moment. "What's the matter?"

"I don't much feel like letting you go." Bob whispered. "Feels like the hardest thing I ever had to do." Enzo lifted his head from the Guardian's shoulder and smiled weakly, but no words came to him. Finally, Bob tapped him softly on the forehead and stood. "Be good, OK? Be careful."

"Promise." The boy rasped.

"I mean it, Enzo – you stay right here and stay out of danger. Remember what I said about following orders?"

"Sure." Enzo sighed, falling back onto the bed. The silver-haired sprite gathered his few supplies into his knapsack and stood silhouetted in the doorway, staring back at the boy. "See you in Mainframe." Enzo smiled.

"See you in Mainframe." Bob nodded. He stepped into the hallway, slowly closing the door behind him. The youngster started at it for a few nanos, then lay down in bed, facing the wall. Alone, he let his tears flow freely at last.

"Rosa? Are you awake?"

"Mmmmf?" the red-haired woman grunted, jerking bolt upright and snatching a candlestick from the table beside her bed. "Who's there?"

"It's me - Bob." the Guardian hissed.

"Bob? You damn fool – don't you know better than to sneak up on someone in the dark?"

"Sorry!"

"Could've cracked your head open." The innkeeper snarled. "Not that you'd have missed it… Didn't you listen to a word I told you yesterday? You scared the devil out of me!"

"Sorry." Bob repeated sheepishly. "Sorry to wake you. But we need to talk – now."

"Damn fool." The innkeeper muttered, setting the candlestick down at last and lighting the oil lamp hanging above the bed. "Well, you woke me and damn near scared me to death. So talk!"

"I'm leaving." Bob said resolutely.

"I'm not surprised." The red-haired woman sighed. "You men are all alike, you know that? Not a brain to be had among the lot of you. Is it something to do with what Pesaj told me?"

"Yeah. I just don't have any more time."

"Who are they, Bob? Are they minions of the evil one?"

"No, they- It's hard to explain." Bob answered. "They're a sign, you could say. An omen that if I don't do what I came here to do now I'll never get the chance to do it."

"You'll die up there, you know." Rosa scowled. "If the trek doesn't kill you first – its two days walk if it's a minute's. The weather's turning too – I've lived in this valley since I was born, I can always tell. Why throw your life away, Pilgrim?"

"I can't go against my… my destiny." Bob smiled sadly. "It's what I do, Rosa. I haven't got any choice."

"What about Enzo? What about your little boy, Pilgrim?"

"I'd take him with me if I could." Bob sighed. "I'd almost rather die than leave him. But I haven't got any choice – I'm doing this for him as much as I'm doing it for anyone."

"I don't understand." The innkeeper frowned.

"I can't explain it, Rosa. There isn't time. Enzo just isn't up to the trip – he's still too sick. And I have to leave."

"Poor child. No mother and now to lose you as well… Do you not know how he adores you? Can you not see it?"

"Of course I see it!" Bob snapped. "Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think I feel any different than he does? If there was any other way I wouldn't be doing this – but there isn't."

"Very well." Rosa said evenly. "What is it that you wish from me? Clearly not my advice."

"Your word. That you'll look after Enzo and make sure he's OK until I get back." Bob said, scarce believing he was saying the words to a game sprite. "And try not to let him be… Not to let him be too sad."

"I do not understand all the words you speak, Pilgrim – but I take your meaning. I will put the boy's life before my own. I could hardly do less."

"Thank you." Bob whispered.

"You will leave tonight?"

"Now. There's no point in wasting any more time."

"Very well." The innkeeper sighed. "I will fill your bag with food and water – such as you will need to survive on that mountain for a few days. I would offer you my horse but it would be useless on the climb – eventually the terrain will become too steep and you'd have to leave him. The cold would kill him in any case. I may have some better boots than those, at least. "

"Thanks. I owe you-"

"Enough!" The red-haired woman snapped. "Come – let us go to the kitchen. Does the boy know you are leaving?"

"Yeah. He told me to go, do what I had to do. He's a brave kid, Rosa – one in a giga. One in a giga…"

"You speak with a father's pride, Bob." the innkeeper smiled sadly. "There is no force quite like it in the world... The pride of a father and the son's hunger for it."

"Rosa?"

"I do not understand you, Bob." she said softly. "Your ways are bizarre to me. You feel things deeply and yet you act in a way that is alien to those feelings. You must come from a strange place, indeed."

"I think you'd find it very strange." The Guardian smiled wryly. "Come on – I don't want to waste any more time."

"Very well, Pilgrim. If you are in such a hurry to find death than who am I to argue? In my experience it will find you, soon enough, without your help…"

Sleep was not a realistic option as Enzo lie in bed, swallowing his sobs as best he could. He could hear footsteps and muted voices from the rooms downstairs, normally quiet as death during the night. He had no doubts as to their source.

The youngster tried to keep his surging hurt and panic under control, concentrating on the dull pain in his lungs as he breathed in and out. It had been his constant companion for more cycles than he could string together in his memory, though it was less severe with each passing minute. There was a kind of comfort in the pain, a distraction of the body from the greater pain that suffused his spirit.

The boy's one other comfort was the certain knowledge that he was right – that he'd finally done something to help Bob fulfill his responsibilities instead of hindering him. Hindering him with his weakness, his need. If getting out of the way was the only way he could do his job, than it was what he'd do. That didn't make the prospect of facing this alien place without Bob to comfort him any more appetizing, though.

The noises from below continued for an indeterminate time, then a loud creaking and whistling of wind were audible as the front door of the old inn opened to the elements. Then silence. Enzo thought about rising, going to the window. Part of him wanted to, more than anything. But not enough of him. He wasn't sure if he could bring himself to face what he'd see.

After a few silent moments the door to the little room creaked open and Rosa's soft footsteps fell behind him. "Asleep you're not, I don't think." She said softly.

"No." he whispered, hoping his voice sounded less pathetic to her than it did to him.

"You all right?" he heard her ask as she patted his shoulder softly. He pulled away, closer to the wall.

"I'm fine. My lungs still hurt a little when I breathe, but that's all."

"I see. Well, we'll see if we can't mix you up something for the pain in the morning." She was silent for a few nanos. "Anything else?"

"Just tired." He rasped, half of him wishing she'd go away and the other half screaming for him to roll over and disappear into her arms.

"Aye – well, that's to be expected." She answered with a deep sigh. The youngster could feel her eyes burning holes in the back of his head. "There's a small bed in my quarters, if you like. My Grigory's, it was. Seems easier to keep one fire stoked than two, doesn't it?"

Enzo heard his lungs whistle as he breathed in sharply, surprised. Before he knew it his mouth was moving, as if on it's own. "No… No thanks. I like it in here…"

"Of course." The innkeeper said softly. "Poor, lost babe, aren't you Lad? The world is a cold place." The fire crackled loudly, then the innkeeper's footsteps echoed and the door closed behind her, leaving Enzo alone once again.

Bob pulled his cloak more tightly around his neck, shivering as a chill gust of wind squirreled under his collar. There were no stars visible in the inky sky to light his way, Rosa's ominous weather forecast echoing in his ears.

The Guardian followed the narrow track of road as it wove its way towards the towering mountain that was his goal. He hated trusting himself to its exposed surface, but by night it seemed an acceptable risk, at least compared to the risk of losing it altogether in the dark. By day he would have no choice but to stick to the woods.

Bob looked back for a final time in the direction of the inn, now visible only as a tiny prick of light from one of its lamps. It was a surreal feeling, knowing that he'd left Enzo behind – and sick at that. As always, this place felt more real than game to him. That feeling was little consolation as the night grew colder and the prick of light disappeared altogether. If it was real, than everything that happened there was real. And he'd just left Enzo to face it on his own.

"Well, well – here we are. How are you feeling this morning, Angel?"

"I'm fine." Enzo said sullenly, not turning his gaze away from the window, which was covered in a thin glaze of frost. In truth the boy felt better physically than he had since his plunge into the river – a cruel irony, since his soul was thoroughly deflated. How could he even enjoy it?

"Fine, are you? I've made you some breakfast – I think you're ready for something more than gruel and tea."

"What is it?" Enzo muttered, glancing at the innkeeper out of the corner of his eye, nose twitching.

She sat on the bed, smiling. "Some nice griddle cakes and honey, for one. My Grigory loved them. And fried potatoes as well. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah. I mean… I guess…" the youngster admitted grudgingly. He accepted the tray from the red-haired woman and set in on the contents, amazed at how ravenous he was.

"Slowly, slowly!" she laughed. "Your tummy has gotten so thin it'll explode if you stuff too much in there too fast!"

"That'd never happen!" the boy scowled around a mouthful of potatoes.

"Just you try and find out, my smart little fellow! How is it – good?"

"Yeah." The youngster nodded.

"That's nice." The innkeeper sighed wearily, pulling the chair close to the bed. "Such a thin lad you've become, so thin… Your body needs to rebuild itself – it knows what it wants. That is the only real wisdom of medicine, it seems to me – to listen to the body instead of fighting it." Enzo looked at her, puzzled. "Never mind, never mind. I'm just a foolish woman is all. Eat!"

"Don't think you're foolish." The boy mumbled. "I think you're real smart."

"I know a few things." Rosa grinned, feeling his forehead with her palm. "No fever, good. You breathing all right?"

"Yeah." Enzo nodded, wolfing down the last of his breakfast. "Not bad."

"You're a strong one!" she smiled. Enzo set down his tray and ventured a tentative smile in return, feeling a rush of gratitude to this total stranger who always seemed to soothe his pain in his darkest moments. The innkeeper reached a callused hand out and gently brushed the hair from his eyes. "Such a beautiful child. I've never seen the like…"

"I'm a dork!" Enzo blushed.

"A what?" the red-haired woman laughed, a musical tinkling.

"Why do you think I'm beautiful? I'm just a goofy-looking little kid!"

"How you talk!" Rosa giggled. "So strange, like all about you. Your hair – black and green, all at once. Like none I've ever seen."

"It's just hair." The boy shrugged.

"It is true – your hair is strange, exotic, like your friend's." Rosa nodded, tousling it with a smile. "It is not the only place where I see beauty though, Sweet. Your soul is so full of hope, so open that is reveals itself in every smile. That is where I see beauty, Child. Nothing could be more beautiful to me than a child's face. It dazzles me so, I fear I might go blind."

"I don't really understand." Enzo whispered, wondering again how he could possibly be talking to a game character.

"Do not worry yourself – I tend to ramble on these days." The innkeeper sighed, kissing him softly on the cheek. An orange and white shape jumped onto the bed, momentarily startling the boy. "Well – looks as though you have a visitor."

"The cat!" Enzo gasped.

"He likes you. Shoo, now – leave him be!"

"No! It's OK." Enzo said. The cat emitted a strange rattling sound from its throat area and rubbed its head against his nose gently. "What's he doing?" the youngster giggled.

"I told you – he likes you. Don't you Kristof?" The cat, in reply, batted playfully at the drawstring on Enzo's tunic.

"Now what's he doing?"

"Playing, seems to me. All he ever does is play and eat my food – certainly never does a bit of work around here. I've half a mind to feed him to the wolves."

"Rosa!" Enzo gasped. "You wouldn't do that!"

The innkeeper half-smiled. "Not at the moment Lad, don't you worry. He seems to have taken a shine to you if nothing else." The youngster laughed as the feline batted at his nose playfully. "Have you not seen a cat before, Child? Do they not have them in the land you come from?"

"No. Well, not like him, anyways." The boy smiled. The little animal circled three times and settled down on his chest.

"Indeed?"

"Have you… Have you ever noticed anything strange about him?"

"Strange?" the innkeeper frowned, absently scratching the cat behind the ears. "I should think anything about him would be strange to you, as you've never seen a cat before!"

"I guess." Enzo said sheepishly. "But nothing else weird?"

"What an odd boy you are… No, nothing else. Just a shiftless cat is our Kristof. Will you have some tea? I added some camphor root – it should help the pain in your lungs some."

"Thanks." The boy smiled. He sipped the tea cautiously and, satisfied that the taste wouldn't delete him, took a large swallow. He tentatively ran a hand along Kristof's back and was rewarded with a loud purr.

"May I ask you a question?" Rosa said softly.

"I guess."

"What is it that pains you so much, Angel? I see so much hurt in your eyes. Are you not happy in your village?"

"I like it fine." Enzo replied defensively.

"Do you have no parents at all, then?"

Enzo silently studied the woman for several nanos, tying to puzzle her out. "No. Just Bob and my sister Dot."

"Your mother and father, they…"

"Yeah. They're dead." The youngster said matter of factly.

"I am sorry, Child."

"I know. But Dot's always taken care of me and that's cool. And now Bob's around and that's cool too. So it's fine."

"I despair of understanding everything you say." Rosa sighed. "I am glad you have someone to take care of you… But why do you leave your sister to travel with Bob? Such danger, terrible things… And you so young! Why do you not stay in Main-frame with your sister, your friends?"

"I don't really have any friends. Just my brother and AndrAIa."

The innkeeper frowned. "Are there no children in your village?"

"No, I…" The boy hesitated, searching for a way to frame his words that the woman would understand. "There aren't really any other kids like me. And Bob teaches me a lot of stuff. I'm gonna be a – I'm gonna be just like him someday. We don't usually go so… so far from home, that's all."

"No children. No parents. It must be very lonely."

"Sometimes." Enzo admitted. "But it's not so bad now that Bob's here. He's the best friend I ever had." The youngster looked away, blushing. "He loves me. He told me."

"It could hardly be more obvious." The innkeeper smiled. "Such despair you feel when he's not with you - it pains me to see it."

"He has important stuff to do." The boy said softly.

"Of course." Rosa reached out and smoothed the boy's hair gently. "I know what Bob does must be very important, My Precious One, for him to leave you. But if you were my boy I'd never leave you. Protect you and keep you close always, I would. Always."

"I…" Enzo hesitated. "Thanks. I'm cool, though. Bob's gonna do what he has to do and then we'll be together."

"Of course." Rosa sighed. "I… Perhaps it's time you left this dank little room for a spell, yes? Come downstairs for a while?"

"Thanks. I will, later. But I'm gonna stay up here for a while, OK?"

"If you insist." The innkeeper nodded. "I'll check on you in an hour or so. Shall I take the cat with me so you can rest?"

"No, he's fine." The boy smiled. Rosa nodded silently and turned to go. Enzo watched her leave, more puzzled by her than he'd ever been. She seemed to see right through him, just like Dot did – right to his heart. How could anyone be more real? It made his head hurt to think about it.

The boy stared at the empty doorway for a few moments, absently smoothing the cat's fur as it reclined on his chest. The little feline reached out a white paw and batted at the boy's drawstring again, prompting a giggle. Enzo grabbed at the string and pulled it slowly away, laughing as the cat's eyes grew wide.

The animal tensed slightly and, in a blinding motion, swiped the string from the youngster's hand, scratching him slightly. "Hey! Watch your claws!"

"Sorry!" the cat panted. "I never could resist those things."

"Crash! Not again!"

"Well, I'm sorry! Like I said I can't help myself – string makes me crazy."

"No! You… You're talking again!" Enzo exclaimed.

"Why are you so surprised? I talked to you before, didn't I?"

The youngster buried his face in his hands. "I thought I was getting better…"

"You are, I think." Kristof offered. "I head the Mistress telling your big friend you weren't going to die."

"But… Delete it! Is this just some kind of weird thing around here – all the cats can talk?"

"Of course we can talk. We talk to each other all the time. What – you think we're stupid?"

"But – you don't talk to people?"

"I'm talking to you right now! Are you slow or something?"

"Crash! I mean other people!" Enzo groaned.

"Sometimes. But you're the first one who ever answered me, so I stopped trying to talk to them." The cat answered with a slinky shrug.

"I don't understand!" Enzo moaned. "I thought its 'cause I was sick, I was imagining it… But I'm supposed to be better now! Why are you still talking to me?"

"I'm not sure." The cat said thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure I've got something important to tell you, otherwise I don't think you'd be able to understand."

"Basic, basic… This is basic! I should have told Bob about you when I had the chance…"

"Your friend? He seems nice enough. Where did he go?"

"To the mountain." Enzo sighed.

"Really? That's odd."

"Why is that odd?"

"Because what I'm supposed to tell you has something to do with the mountain. At least I think it does…"

"It does?" the youngster whispered, trying to make sense of the whirl of thoughts in his processor. "Wait a nano – could it be something to do with the game?"

"I don't know – could it?"

"You mean you don't know?"

"Well – that's just it." The cat said sheepishly – a strange turn of events in and of itself. "I don't really understand why I'm supposed to be talking to you or what I'm supposed to talk to you about."

"Thanks. You're a big help."

"You're welcome. You see, before you came here I never really had the desire to talk to any of the big hairless cats. Not after I found out you couldn't understand me. I was happy enough just talking to my own kind and staying out of trouble."

"OK." Enzo nodded, trying to force himself to be patient. "So you never had any desire to talk to people until I came here. So what gave you the idea to talk to me?"

"I don't know. I just did it, I suppose. I should have been surprised when you answered me, but it's as if I was waiting for you to come here. It just seemed like the thing to do."

"Lucky me." The boy sighed. "OK, OK… It must be something with the game. A clue, or something… So what is it? What do you want to say?"

"It sounds silly…"

"Just tell me!" Enzo growled in exasperation. "I don't think this could get any sillier!"

"I don't know if I want to talk to you now." The cat huffed, turning away.

"What? I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, I've been sick… Just tell me!"

"Well…"

"Please tell me!" Enzo pleaded. "It could be really, really important! So tell me, OK?"

"Well you see, that's what I thought too! It must be terribly important if you're the only one who can understand me."

"Good, good." Enzo nodded, forcing a smile to his face. He reached out and gently scratched the feline behind it's tufted ears. "You're a really good cat, Kristof. Now – what is it you're supposed to tell me?"

Kristof closed his eyes blissfully, butting his head against the boy's hand. "Mmm… That's nice. Keep doing that."

"Sure, no problem! So – you were going to tell me…"

"What? Oh yes…" The cat visibly gathered itself. "You'd better stop – it's hard for me to concentrate…"

"OK. Now… What-"

"Yes, yes! I haven't forgotten! It's just that it's rather embarrassing you see. I have this urge to tell you things – don't ask me where it came from – and I don't even understand what they mean! I don't want you to think I'm an idiot-"

"Crash! You… You…" The youngster gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists. "I won't think that – promise. I think you better just tell me."

"Yes. Well… Perhaps this will make some sense to you - I can't make whisker or tail out of it. I think I'm supposed to tell you that 'Daemon is on the mountain'."

Enzo stiffened immediately, feeling his heart fall somewhere into the vicinity of his stomach. "What?" he breathed.

"I'm fairly certain that was it – that's what's dancing around in my head. Are you all right? You look a little pale."

The boy locked eyes with the cat. "Are you sure that's what you're supposed to tell me?"

"I'm sorry – I don't really know what it means. But I'm sure I was supposed to tell you. Can you make sense of it?"

"Oh, User." Enzo whispered, falling back in bed. "She's here – in the game? It's infected?"

The cat pursed its lips thoughtfully. "You make even less sense than I do. But it seems you know what I'm talking about. Would you mind telling me? It's been driving me insane wondering about it. I heard something once, about curiosity and cats-"

"She's here!" the boy sighed. "She's… Daemon is a very, very bad… A very bad person. She hurts other people. Bob and I have met her before. Or someone that works for her anyways…"

"Maybe that's why no one likes to go to the mountain." Kristof mused.

"Was… Was there anything else? That you wanted to tell me?"

The cat hesitated. "I'm afraid it makes even less sense…"

"Just tell me! All of our lives could depend on it."

"Oh, Me. I'd best tell you then - maybe you'll understand better than I do. It seems to be coming to me even as we speak – how strange! Apparently 'You're the only one that can stop it.' I suppose "it" must be this Daemon person."

"What else?" Enzo prompted, heart thumping in his chest.

"Yes, there is more, yes! Let me see… 'The answer is in the book'. Does that mean anything to you?"

"The book? Crash! Bob took it…"

The cat continued, sounding as though it were reading from a script. "'The game is meaningless – a battle won, but not a war. To win the war, you must read the book.'"

"What? What does that-"

"'The game is the paper, not the print'. Yes, I'm definitely getting that. Oh, what a relief to finally get all this out of my head!"

"The game is the paper?" Enzo frowned. "What in the net does that mean?"

"I don't even know what you mean. What net are you talking about? Is it something to do with fishing? I love fish…"

"Concentrate!" the boy hissed. "'Not the print'… Was there anything else?"

"Mmmm, fish… It's hard to concentrate with you hissing at me all the time!"

"Sorry! But think – anything else? Anything at all? How are we supposed to figure out the book?"

"Let me see, let me see… No, I don't have that at all I'm afraid. I'm sorry."

"Cursors." Enzo whispered. "I can't figure this out all by myself!"

"I find it's helpful sometimes to tilt my head to the side and stare at something when I'm trying to understand it." Kristof offered.

"Thanks." Enzo sighed. "But I don't think that's going to help me." A scowl crossed his face. "Why didn't you tell me all this when Bob was here?"

"I don't think anyone else was supposed to hear it. Every time I tried to tell you anything the Mistress or your big friend would interrupt me."

"But… They couldn't have understood you anyways! I'm the only one that you can talk to, remember?"

"I never thought of that." The feline mused. "Oh dear…"

"Oh, never mind." Enzo groaned. "Maybe it's just as well I wasn't talking to you when they were in the room. I'm sure Rosa would have thought I was completely offline! But what am I supposed to do now?"

"Perhaps eat something. Or we could play with the string again!"

"No, I- Oh, never mind! Crash, crash, crash!"

"I'm sorry if I've upset you. I thought you'd be happy if I told you."

"It's not your fault." The youngster sighed. "But this is totally low-res! Bob's off on that mountain somewhere, and he doesn't know any of this! And I'm lying here in bed talking to a cat!"

"I think you've the better half of the bargain." Kristof nodded sagely.