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[hunts_treasure]

I have taken a sabbatical from being miserable, and as a sign of my optimism, have brought only one uzi with me to the beach to lay out. I also brought the Ducati, which is sitting up in the shade, and beside which Ulixes is presently drowsing. The direct sun int he late afternoon tends to be a bit much for him. Still, the both of us are feeling

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[skybot_snd]

Reese was asleep, and he was out walking. Walking was different when the motion wasn't confined between four walls. It felt good to be able to appreciate the contrast.

Then he came across a jaguar with a motorcycle.

It was a somewhat unusual combination. Though considering the island's potential for oddness, it wasn't all that out of the ordinary. It would have been considerably stranger if the jaguar had been riding the bike. But apparently it was simply guarding it.

He approached the animal, not showing fear - mainly because he didn't experience any - but still careful not to make abrupt movements. He slowed into a halt several feet away, and crouched down in front of it, tilting his head sideways as he observed the large cat

[hunts_treasure]

"He knows," I say, clearly enough for my voice to carry, without turning to look at whoever it is has stopped to admire the bike and the jaguar. I hear the quiet slide of fur against metal as the cat stands, circles the bike, and then begins circling the new person.

[skybot_snd]

He wasn't sure whether the jaguar honestly thought of himself in aesthetic terms, so he simply offered a shrug - meaningless because the woman was in no position to see it, and painful because his shoulder was still slightly sore from the dislocation.

Mimicking the cat's motion with precise fluidity, he stood, slowly turning in place to match the jaguar's circling assessment, keeping him under an intent but non-threatening gaze.

"What's his name?"

[hunts_treasure]

"Ulixes," I reply, finally turning me head to asses the man in time with the jaguar.

"And you are?"