~~~
While the two agents talked and briefly planned for a drive out to East Selkirk to apparently speak to this “friend” of Peter’s, Josh took a few quarters offered him by Agent Bartholomew and played the old classic Galaga video arcade game. Just as the last of his ships was destroyed on his third-to-last quarter something out across the parking lot and the province route beyond that caught his eye. It hadn’t been snowing, although the clouds bubbled and coiled above as if they’d like to for some time. So it was some other movement along the little river that ran along the other side of the road that pulled him to the window. He pocketed his remaining two quarters and watched.
Soon, Peter had gotten up from their dining table and stood quietly beside him. Josh didn’t move, he was just watching the trees there growing out of the gulley.
“What is it you see,” the agent asked quietly.
Without turning his head, Josh replied, “Yeti.”
There was a moment’s silence while Peter scanned the tree line and tried to take it in. Agent Bartholomew finished laying out his payment and a tip and then also quietly stepped to the window on Josh’s other side.
“See something, young one?” Bartholomew asked in the same reverent tone as Peter.
“Yes,” Josh answered, then he slowly raised his hand and pointed a finger a little off to the right, up the road leading out of town. “Two. There’s a third.”
“Yeti?” Bartholomew kept his tone low.
“Yes. See? Now there’s two more making their way alongside the river there. They almost look like they’re sneaking.”
Bartholomew nodded. “You’re getting good, Joshua. They have their magic up. Most people wouldn’t be able to notice them. A Yeti’s shimmer isn’t all that strong. Not like the one we use on the CCV. But still…most people wouldn’t have caught that movement.”
“I see them!” Peter suddenly said, triumphantly, though still in a low voice. “Those little twerps are intentionally masking their movements more than usual.”
“Yep,” Bartholomew nodded again and lifted his coffee cup he had with him to his lips to take a sip before continuing. “Looks like you definitely found out a problem here, Agent Samuel. Good call.”
As Bartholomew stepped away and collected his receipt for payment and started heading out to the car, Peter watched him somewhat dumbfounded, while still trying to follow the little Yeti moving nearly a couple hundred yards away. “What was that?” the agent said breathlessly.
Josh cleared his throat. “Uh, I think it might have been a compliment, Agent Samuel.”
“Yeah…” the younger agent pondered in a drawn out breath. “Probably not going to get one of those again, are we?”
Josh smiled at him and shook his head.
“Hey, and do me a favor?”
“Sure,” Josh replied, finding himself very glad he was with these two men on this adventure.
“Just call me Peter. I’m like what?... nine years older than you? We’re practically brothers. Especially if you end up working for us some day, right?”
Giggling a little from the compliment, Josh answered in the affirmative.