From: magsrose@comcast.net   
      
   By MagsRose   
   See chapter 1 for header   
      
      
      
   Chapter 6 - 3   
      
   After a long day of playing tourist, a rather weary group trudged back   
   up the hill to Emma and Frohike's house. Everyone was hot, tired and a   
   little grouchy but they had all enjoyed the sights. As they got closer   
   to the house, Emma noticed that the van was parked out front. "Hey, we   
   have company," she told the others.   
      
   "Who's that?" Rosalie asked.   
      
   "It's got to be at least one of my dad's coworkers."   
      
   "How can you tell?"   
      
   "My dad wouldn't have brought the van. It's so cool. Maybe they'll let   
   me show you all the 'toys' inside. Come on." This last comment was   
   made to Megan and Rachel. The three girls with Ian close on their   
   heels ran the last block to the house. The adults arrived at a much   
   more leisurely pace.   
      
   When they got there, they found Emma chattering away about the day's   
   adventures with a group of men. Emma introduced the newcomers to   
   Byers, Langly and Jimmy. With so many people at the house, Frohike and   
   Emma's original dinner plans were not going to work and after a long   
   day out, no one really felt like cooking anyway. Pizza was universally   
   voted to be the best option so a large order was placed.   
      
   While waiting for the pizza to arrive, a reluctant Langly took the   
   kids out to the van to show them some of the things it could do.   
   Having that many children packed in the VW bus was a little   
   uncomfortable for him but after awhile he discovered that they were   
   not all that different from Emma. The little boy didn't say much at   
   first but was soon asking questions like the rest. For a bunch of   
   normal kids, they were pretty computer savvy. Of course, Emma knew a   
   lot more than they did but she'd learned all she knew from him.   
      
   Hunger and the arrival of the pizza brought everyone back into the   
   house. After dinner, Frohike sent Emma and the other kids out to the   
   grocery store to get some novelty ice cream treats. This surprised   
   Emma because ice cream was one of the things they had stocked up on.   
   He quietly told her that the adults needed to talk privately about the   
   weekend. She understood and assured her father that they would walk   
   slowly. "Not too slowly. I want you back here in an hour."   
      
   "No problem," Emma assured him as she turned to join the other   
   children waiting at the door.   
      
   Once the youngsters were gone, Frohike quickly outlined the case the   
   Gunmen were working on.   
      
   Rosalie was a little surprised by all that he had told them. "Emma   
   said that you were investigative reporters but this is a lot more   
   involved then I imagined."   
      
   "You're sure they're after the painting?" Pat asked.   
      
   "That's what we were told by our associate who has been tracking this   
   thief," Byers told him.   
      
   "Is there anything we can do to help?" Becky figured there must be   
   some reason they were telling them all this.   
      
   "As a matter of fact there is." Frohike explained, "I need someone to   
   look after Emma. There is no real danger to any of you or her but I   
   want someone I can trust to keep an eye on her. I know that she has a   
   lot of respect for all of you and will feel safe with you."   
      
   Pat reassured Frohike, "We'll just treat her like one of our own   
   brats: put her to work and keep her out of trouble."   
      
   Becky offered assistance also. "All of the girls will be competing.   
   That will keep her busy most of the day Saturday. I'm sure she won't   
   mind hanging out with Megan, Rachel and me." Becky usually helped the   
   girls with their hair and costume changes for the Highland Dance   
   Competitions while Bruce, Pat and Rosalie worked in the booth. "The   
   rest of the weekend, the kids usually spend most of their time helping   
   with sales or checking out the rest of the events. Will that be all   
   right?"   
      
   "Yes, that'll be fine. It would be best, though, if they didn't hang   
   in or around the building where the painting will be on display. Emma   
   knows what's going on but has promised not to tell the other children.   
   She has been told she can go see the painting once but then needs to   
   stay out of the way."   
      
   The four visiting adults nodded agreement to each other. Rosalie spoke   
   for all of them. "That shouldn't be a problem."   
      
   "I really do appreciate your willingness to include her. I'll try to   
   check on her when I can. There is one more favor I'd like to ask, if   
   it wouldn't be an imposition."   
      
   "Shoot," Pat encouraged Frohike.   
      
   Byers explained that all the Gunmen had been asked to wear kilts to   
   help with their undercover work but that they felt they were missing   
   some important equipment. After a bit of discussion as to how they   
   were going to be dressed, the four Gunmen went to put their kilts back   
   on and Bruce and Pat went out to the vehicles to select some   
   appropriate 'hardware'.   
      
   Frohike received a standard military dirk and a basket hilt sword.   
   Byers got only a dirk but it had a jewel in the top of the handle to   
   go with his dress outfit. Jimmy was fascinated by the tiny knife and   
   fork that were attached to the outside of the short sword's scabbard.   
   Frohike's was more functional and did not have jewels or the extra   
   implements.   
      
   These swords were attached to the heavy belt that each man wore around   
   his waist. Jimmy, since he was dressed to compete in the athletic   
   events, couldn't really wear any swords but he was so crest fallen   
   that Bruce gave him a sgian dhub, a small knife that is kept in the   
   top of the knee high wool socks worn with most kilts. Everyone else   
   got a sgian dhub also.   
      
   For Langly, they really outdid themselves. Bruce lent him an ancient   
   style kilt, called a 'great kilt': one that was gathered under a belt   
   instead of being precisely pleated. Langly kept the full-sleeved shirt   
   that Yves had given him but Bruce had him try on the leather armor   
   vest his father had made to match the one that Mel Gibson wore in   
   Braveheart. It was a little big but no one would be able to tell.   
      
   Next they had him put on a baldric, a belt that crossed his chest and   
   back from his left shoulder to his right hip. This belt was made to   
   hold an enormous sword called a claymore. It was nearly five feet   
   long, so the only way anyone could wear it was to strap it onto his back.   
      
   "Grab the hilt with your right hand," Bruce told Langly. The handle of   
   the sword stuck up high enough above his shoulder for him to grasp.   
   "With your other hand, reach over your shoulder and pull the leather   
   strap holding the sword in place." Langly felt around with his free   
   hand and quickly located the cord. Pulling on it, he soon had the   
   sword off his back and in his hands.   
      
   "I've got one more thing for you," Bruce held up a round,   
   leather-covered shield that had an intricate pattern of small brass   
   nails hammered into its surface. "These usually have a six inch spike   
   sticking out of the center but I don't advise people to carry those   
   around in public." Bruce turned the shield around showing Langly the   
   handles. "Put your arm through the longer strap and wrap your fingers   
   around the shorter one."   
      
   Emma and the other kids came in the front door at this point. Emma was   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)