Seek Him What Made Them Seven Stars
 By Waddie Greywolf
Chapter 87

"It�s not the dreams of gods what creates universes, Son, it�s the dreams of any common man who creates any world what will fulfill his desire, his need for bliss. After all, ain�t that the reason man created his gods, to have an excuse to blame someone when things go bad for them. How many times have you heard someone say, �It�s God�s will�? You and me, Son, we are the alpha and omega of our own universes. What we dream can become reality somewhere else, or it can become reality for us here," ~ Lazarus Long explaining the universe to Shane Goodnight

Lunch in the great hall in the castle on Captain Nick's ship was a noisy affair. Most of the twenty-nine young boys were enthralled with the varied creatures and didn't hold back their admiration and gratitude for the cowboys who literally saved them from the jaws of death. Several of the older boys, were more quiet and reserved, but they too expressed their gratitude for having been saved by Master Billy and his posse. Of particular interest to the children was the resplendent Grover Parsnip who finally made it out of bed wearing his new set of wings. If there was a classification or a clan recognition of wings, Grover would certainly be considered part of the Kirkendall branch of the greater Daniels family. His wings looked like Jack's and several others Bubba enhanced. Grover looked like an Amazon parrot. Other than the Gordon family men, none of the boys saw anyone fledged before, and they were fascinated. �Are you an Angel, Mr. Parsnip,� one small boy asked.

�No, Son, I'm just an old country lawyer and cowboy what found his'self running with a family of enhanced humans. I done something what caused them to think I deserved a reward and asked me to become one of them and their family. Part of my reward was they made me younger and gimme' this here set of nice wings what began to grow in last e'nin. They assigned me with a handsome Watcher-Protector to stay the night wiff' me; the big'un over there eating his breakfast with them other Watchers; the handsome one what looks like a Saber-tooth Tiger. He offered me some of his sweet milk from his teats. As I sucked and drank my fill, he sang to me until I fell into a deep sleep so's I wouldn't feel no pain while my wings grew. They grew in overnight, and I have to wear them for eight to twelve hours before I can make them invisible so's nobody outside will think the world's coming to an end,� Grover said.  

�How many of you are enhanced human Angels?� one of the older boy's asked. Many hands went up around the table, and the boys were impressed. �Is there such a thing as 'real' Angels or Angels we been told about and seen in movies, sir?� he asked. More hands went up around the table.

�I am Metatron. I was once the leader of the heavenly host. Now, I'm a proud member of Master Daniels family,� Metatron said. The rest of the Fallen Angels and those who escaped the years of stasis gave the the boys their names. Nick surprise Billy. He included himself but gave them his given name of Samu'el. No one made a greater connection. The boys were in awe. Most of them were looking forward to going home and getting back with their families, but there were several of the older boys who expressed angst about returning to their homes. Billy assured them he would work with them and look into their situations. One older boy, Billy noticed, had scars all over his body. He tried to hide his scars by covering them with amateur tattoos. He was a mess. For his size, he was skin and bones. One younger black boy's body was twisted and deformed from undernourishment. He was little more than a low level functioning retard. Billy planned to refurbish and enhance the boy before he asked his staff to investigate his background.

They no sooner finished lunch and were walking outside the ship to check out the horses, when Billy's cell phone rang. Billy answered with his usual, "You got Billy Daniels. Speak to me!"

�Mr. Daniels, you don' t know me, but I'm with the N.S.A. out of Houston. My name is Bryan Isobel,� the caller said pronouncing his last name 'Ice-o-bel.'

Billy's mind went into hyper-drive. He immediately recognized the name as the lead man of the NSA Randy and his posse provided him. He memorized everything, down to the least tittle of information the boys and Kayla discovered about them. Billy decided to take a slightly different path than the one suggested and outlined for him by his little brother. �Uhh, I know I done give you my cell phone number when you come out here to the ranch a week ago, but you don't sound like Bryan Isobel. Do you know what perfect pitch is, sir?� he asked.

�Why, yes, my children watch your Barnyard Concerts religiously, and they patiently explained to their tin-eared father what the term perfect pitch means; however, I've never been out to your ranch, Mr. Daniels,� he replied.

Billy waited for a few minutes to answer to let a little drama build up between them, �Fuck me in the butt!� he exclaimed, �Excuse my lack of manners, Mr. Isobel, but at the moment, I'm one pissed-off, frustrated cowboy. You got a pitcher of yore'self on yore' cell phone you can send to my screen, sir?� he asked.

�No problem, Mr. Daniels,� Mr. Isobel replied. Immediately there was a picture of a fine looking man on Billy's cell phone.

�Just what I was afraid of. Them other men what come out and took them alien critters away was phonies, impersonate'n you and your men,� Billy said and rattled off the names of Mr. Isobel's staff.
 
�I don't understand. That's the name of my men all right, but I assure you, Mr. Daniels, none of us has ever been out to your place. We weren't even aware of any captured aliens until your video aired here in Houston. Then there was more about some aliens dropped out of a small ship in San Diego last night. We'd like to speak with you to learn what you might know about the situation. I got your cell phone number from NSA headquarters. They supplied me with the necessary information to get in touch with you. I'm calling to make an appointment to come meet and talk with you. We would also like to bring three military air pilots, Marine Officer Colonel Hank Halfablap and his staff of two officers along with us. The three officers are ranchers themselves, and they speak cowboy fluently, sir. I grew up among cowboys, so we won't need a translator,� Bryan Isobel said and laughed. The man's laugh told Billy he wasn't a tight ass and was trying to make Billy feel comfortable.

�Well that's a comfort! Sure, I'd like to meet the real Bryan Isobel. When would you like to come?� Billy asked and let out a little laugh. He heard several men laugh in the background.

�ASAP if it's convenient for you, Mr. Daniels. We got us a big chopper standing by, and we can be there within a couple of hours. All we need is your permission, sir?� Bryan said politely.

�C'moan ou! Our cows will show you where to land,� Billy said.

�How can your cows show us where to land, Mr. Daniels?� he asked.

�They's special cows, sir. They got high I.Q.'s. You'll understand when you get here, Mr. Isobel,� Billy replied and disconnected.

Bryan Isobel looked up at the six men gathered in his office. He had his phone on speaker so they could hear the conversation. They were as stunned as he was. "Ain't no doubt in my mind he's a cowboy,� said Colonel Hank Halfablap. The others agreed and laughed with him.

�What do you think about his story, Colonel?� Bryan asked.

�Aww, Hell-far and damnation, Son! You know as well as I do they's some strange fuck'n things going on in this world we don't know nothing about. They's too much got-damned political secrecy what keeps us in the dark. Our fuck'n armed forces and secret agencies don't share diddly-squat with each other no more. The only thing what's come from the unification of them crazy political factions into one government rule is more damn secrecy. Be honest wiff' me for once't in yore' life and tell me straight-out, are you happy with the way things is going wiff' our country? We been in one got-damned war after another. Our economy for the middle class and poor is for shit and they's such a gap in incomes our families can barely make ends meet. We done suffered three pay grade reductions and are only making what I was bringing home as a first lieutenant. My wife and oldest daughter's got the cancer and while I got VA for me and my wife, I ain't got nothing for my daughter since she become an adult and her treatments is about to bankrupt us. What about you men?� Hank asked.

�To speak against our government is considered treason, sir, but to say we're not happy ain't treason. Nor is it treasonous to talk about our personal financial situations. The government we got made promises they never kept. It's been almost two decades and things keep getting worse. Yes, we suffered three pay grade reductions the same as you men. I'm head of our bureau in Houston. I'm probably bringing home less than you, but we're warned against comparing pay grades. Let's just say, I can't afford the full cable package any more. Besides, my baby daughter's got some god-awful rare blood disease. She has to be hooked up to some damnable machine to filter her blood a couple of times a week, and she's only being kept alive by donor blood. Bill Devers over there's got a young boy what's got some kind of disease they ain't even got a name for yet. Since they done away with all forms of public health, we can't get any help,� Bryan Isobel said.

�I hear tell they call Billy Daniels, the Walmart Cowboy Jesus. He was said to have healed a young boy of a crippling degenerative form of Parkinson's disease, and the kid completely recovered. He's now Mr. Daniels' little brother,� said Bill Devers. �My kids are crazy about Billy Daniels. They got ever' one of his DVD's and know the names of ever' body who performs on the ranch. They's crazy in love with Randy Rutherford, the boy Mr. Daniels saved from a horrible death. They got huge posters of that crop-circle of him and his horse. My boy keeps begging me to take him to the Daniels Ranch. He's certain 'Master Billy,' as he calls him, can cure him. I ain't suggesting nothing, but they would love to meet him and his family,� Devers added.

�As much as I'd like to take them along, Mr. Devers, you know we'll be on official business. The order came from high-up. It was so high-up, they said if they told me, my nose would bleed. They might frown if we turn this into a family field-trip to the Daniels Amusement Park in the Hill Country,� Bryan Isobel lamented.

Colonel Halfablap considered the possibility for himself and his two disabled officers. Colonel Hank got shot down in his plane and crash landed in the Middle East which made removal of his right hand, his left leg below the knee, and his cock and balls a necessity. He returned to work and was assigned a state-side job. Surprisingly, they let him keep his pilot's license, and he still flew on occasion.

Immediately after he got off the phone, Billy called his family together. By that time, there were a lot of bodies. Everyone living on the ship was invited as his decision would indirectly affect them. They gathered in the great hall of the ship. They even allowed the young boys and girls they rescued to hear what Billy had to say. He reviewed everything his family did up to that point, but explained they were about to take a great step or a leap of faith by allowing outsiders with ties to the military-industrial complex to visit their world for the first time. Billy threw the floor open for anyone to comment. Hands went up around the room.

Most thought he shouldn't be too open with them until he got to know them better. Chief Seattle thought they should be cautious and only tell them what they needed to know. Doctor Mack suggested Billy should find out just how much they know about aliens and alien technology before he let his hair down with them. The fourteenth Dali Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, offered his opinion: the way they presented the information would be as important as the information itself. Many agreed with him and applauded their approval. T. E. Lawrence suggested Billy gather as much information as he could about the men's places in the social picture of the day, how greatly invested they are, and any signs they might not be happy with the status quo. Would they fit in with the world Master Billy was trying to build?

Billy allowed the conversation to go on for some time. One of the young boys stood up and Billy acknowledged him to speak. �I know I'm only a visitor here, Master Billy, but from what I've seen, how you and your family treat people, I would hate to go home and find out later you were overwhelmed and destroyed by the evil forces in our world today. I would have nothing to look forward to for the future. I know without asking, I will be welcome to return one day when I'm of an age to make decisions for myself, and you can bet them handsome boots you be wear'n, I will return to become a part of your family. I owe you and your family my life and nothing will ever change my mind to one day become a brother to everyone in this great hall,� he said firmly. The crowd went crazy with applause, several �Hear! Hears!� and �Hosannas.�  

Billy walked over, picked up the young boy, gave him a big hug, and kissed him on his cheek. �We will be here for you, Timmy. I promise, I won't let them destroy us. We will keep in touch and follow your progress. If it's what you want, Son, we will find a place for you. That goes for all you boys, if you should wish to return when you come of age,� Billy promised and another round of applause went up.

Billy called an end to the meeting and thanked everyone for their honest, heart-felt opinions and suggestions. The crowd began to disburse. There was only one hour left before the chopper was due to arrive. Harley-Buck asked if he should remove his horns. �Only if you want to; however, before you make a hasty decision, you should also keep in mind you make your master's cock get the happies, and it damn-near drives him crazy with the most horrifically dirty lust in his heart every time he catches sight of you. Ask yourself and ponder on it for a moment, would you really want to deprive your master of that joy?� Billy asked and grinned wickedly. Everyone listening roared with laughter at Billy's cowboy hyperbolic reply.

�No! Never, Master Billy! I love wearing my horns, but I was just being cautious trying to be considerate,� Harley-Buck replied.

�And I won't forget your concern, my Good Handsome Slave. I would expect nothing less from you,� Billy assured him.
 
Boomer looked at Billy and grimaced. �You receiving a space-gram, Boom?� Billy asked quietly, and Boomer nodded his big head.

Finally he was released, and he smiled at Billy. �Our relatives back on Retikki Prime are behind you all the way. They have given you their blessing and Carte Blanch to handle this situation however you want. Do it your way, Master Billy, they told me,� Boomer said.

�Thanks, Boomer, that makes me feel a lot better,� Billy said, and Nick grinned from ear to ear.

* * * * * * *
"We're coming upon the ranch, sir,� the chopper pilot yelled to the Colonel, �My God in heaven, would you look at that!� the pilot yelled above the noise and everyone looked down at a green pasture with cows standing in an enormous perfect circle.

�That must be where they want us to land, Major,� Colonel Halfablap yelled back and the pilot expertly lowered the huge Chinook into the middle, gently touched-down in the field, and shut-off the engines. As they got out of the chopper, they noticed the cows were moving toward them. Two large bulls ambled up to them and the largest one spoke. �Good afternoon, Gentlemen. Welcome to the Daniels Ranch. My name is Dunn and my partner here is Yates. If you will be so kind to follow us, we'll be happy to escort you men up to the big house to meet Master Billy and his family. What about the pilot and his co-pilot?� Dunn asked. The men were struck dumb.

The Colonel laughed and slapped his knee. �I'll be got-damned! Talking cattle! This should be an interesting day, Gentlemen. What will we discover next? The pilot and co-pilot can remain with the chopper, Mr. Dunn,� he replied.

�Naw, sir, Master Daniels done told us to make sure you bring everyone in the chopper up to the main house. You may be here for some time, sir. He's offering his hospitality to everyone including the pilots. If I may be so bold to suggest, it might not be the right thing to do, if you want to gain Master Billy's trust. We know him well, Colonel. You need have no anxiety for the safety of your ship. We will guard your chopper and no one will bother it. Our purpose on this ranch is to guard entry onto the property, who comes in, and to watch over the vehicles for our guests. Should anything come up, we're in contact with Master Billy at all times,� Yates replied.

�Commander Pauli, unbake that pie. Get them men out of that bird ASAP and have them join us,� the Colonel barked at his second.
   
When the pilots were gathered, Dunn spoke, �Walk this way, Gentlemen,� he said, and they slowly began to walk to the road up to the main house.

�Beautiful ranch. Wish't my ranch looked this good. Are you handsome bulls really bovines?� the Colonel asked.

�Naw sir, we're of another race of humanoids who have been given the gift of morphing. Yates has been given permission to morph for you if you would care to see what we look like,� Dunn replied.

�Yes, I'd very much like to see him morph,� the Colonel replied.

They stopped and watched as Yates morphed into a huge man with a perfect body and an admirable set of tackle to go along with it. He was stunningly good looking and a little larger than the average human. �Out...standing!� exclaimed the Colonel, �You look just like a large cowboy I knew once upon a time many years ago when I was a very young man. I ain't never loved another man like I loved him,� he said. Yates smiled bowed at the waist and proceeded to morph back into his bull form. �Impressive! What more?� the Colonel added.

�Thank you, sir. Your kind words are appreciated,� Yates replied, �To answer your question, you ain't even scratched the surface, Colonel. You'll learn things today you would never think possible,� the handsome bull added.

�How long must you remain in this form, Yates?� the Colonel asked.

�Not long now. The first of next month we will be transferred to another ranch just down the road a piece. Master Bubba Kirkendall will have housing available for us, and we will become full time cowboys. As I understand it, you have a ranch in the Hill County. If you join the Hill Country Grange, Master Billy will provide you with thirty slaves to help work your property,� Yates said with considerable enthusiasm.

�While the offer sounds tempting, it might appear to some as a conflict of interest, Son,� the Colonel replied and thanked Yates for his honesty.

As they walked toward the compound, the men could see Billy and his family standing waiting for them with big smiles on their faces. Billy had the family's main Watchers with them. He invited the young boys and girls they rescued to meet them. They were crawling all over Boomer and the rest of the big men and Angels. The dogs came running down the road to greet and welcome them.

�Have no fear of the hounds, Gentlemen, unless you're afraid of being loved to death,� Yates said and laughed.

�Hi ya'll! Welcome to the Daniels Ranch!� they hollered and the men stopped long enough to introduce themselves and make over the dogs. Daffy and Chloe were visiting for the week to give Harlen and Jessie a break. Jessie wanted to work up a couple of new concertos and Harlen had business to attend to. Then the flying pups descended on them, and it was total confusion for a few minutes as they slowly came upon the Daniels family. The Colonel and his men were in awe and stunned by talking and flying dogs. �I heard rumors from my kids you had talking and flying dogs, but I assured them there was no such thing. Now I gotta' go home and eat one big humble pie by myself,� Bryan Isobel commented, shook his head, and laughed.

�Mr. Isobel, I'm Billy Daniels,� Billy said sticking out his hand, �Good to finally meet the real you, sir,� he said shaking the smaller man's hand.

�It's good to meet you, Mr. Daniels. How did you know I was Bryan Isobel?� he asked.

�You sent me your picture earlier, sir?� Billy said and grinned.

�Of course I did! I knew that!� he exclaimed, blushed, laughed, reached into his pocket to grab one of his cards, and handed it to Billy.

Billy took it and reached into his pocket and handed Mr. Isobel a card, �Here's the card your impersonator gave me, sir. I don't know if you might be interested in it,� Billy said and smiled. �It's been a two hour ride for you men. Won't you come into the house and have some Texas Tea and Hosanna Cakes we bake here at the ranch. We built us a large bakery. We plan to mass produce them and begin to test the local markets for distribution possibilities.

No one objected and everyone went into the house. Some of the boys were taken to one of the bunkhouses, but there were several of the children left to join them in the main kitchen of the big house. There seemed to be a large number of people living together on the ranch. More so than the average spread around the Texas area. Billy's new little sister was with them and Cindy Lou shamelessly, but innocently, flirted with Colonel Hank Halfablap. �And who might you be, Young Lady?� he asked.

�My name is Cindy Lou Gates, sir, and what is your name?� she asked.

�Just call me Hank, Sweetheart. You sure are a pretty little girl,� the Colonel said, �Who do you belong to?� he asked.

�Until last night, I belonged to the orphan's home in Waco, Texas, but they didn't take care of me and allowed me to be taken away in a space-ship by some awful stinky monsters what were green with long tails and heads like an alley-gator. They wanted to eat me, but I fought them off and got loose. I ran and hid from them ugly monsters. Master Billy and his men come for me and rescued me with them other boys and girls you saw out front. The Daniels family brought us here to clean us, gave us nice beds to sleep in, and gave us clothes to wear. I told Master Billy I don't want to go back to the orphanage. I want to stay here where I'll be safe and become Master Billy's little sister,� Cindy Lou said. No one tried to interrupt her or silence her.

�Is that where you got them scratches, Sweetheart?� the Colonel asked.

�Yes, sir, they had big black claws on their fingers,� Cindy replied.

�Are you telling me a real story or one you made up, Dear?� the Colonel asked.

�No, sir, the green monsters are real, and they eat people. I watched them eat another little girl while I was hiding from them, and I almost died of fright. I could hear her scream as I watched them crunch her bones with their big teeth. I knew if they found me, they would do the same to me,� Cindy Lou said, �But if the truth scares you, Hank, I can make up a story for you if you'd like to hear one that ain't so scary,� she offered. Everyone laughed.

�No, that won't be necessary. I believe you. I'm glad they didn't get to eat you, Cindy Lou. You're much too sweet for the likes of them monsters,� the Colonel said and handed her to Roz.

�One story leads to many questions, Mr. Daniels. Were you and your men responsible for the alien bodies dropped onto the plaza in Balboa Park last evening?� Bryan Isobel asked quietly like he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer.

�We were, Mr. Isobel. Are you in possession of their bodies?� Billy admitted and asked.   

�Unfortunately, no, Mr. Daniels. I'm not trying to deceive you, sir. I'm just not privy to where they might be, and believe me, I asked. Do you have any idea who came for them other alien bodies or their current disposition, Colonel?� Mr. Isobel asked.

�No, I don't have a clue. I've sent out feelers everywhere, but you know what I told you earlier about different groups of our government never allowing anyone else to know what's going on in their little corner of the pie. No matter who dropped them bodies in the park, if we don't know where they are, we can't very well go around pointing fingers intimidating a citizen even if he admitted him and his men what done it. To Hell with them green bastards. I don't care anymore about protocol. If this cowboy had the nerve and intelligence to somehow managed to find a way to attack them and beat them at their own game, I wanna' know for my own personal curiosity how they done it. The only way we're gonna' find out is by lowering our formal government demands and allowing him to give us what information he cares to share with us without jeopardizing his home or this ranch. As far as I'm concerned them reptiles got what was coming to them.

The Colonel continued, �I want to know about them big furry monsters we know as Bigfoot what they call 'Watchers.' I want to know about them talking cows what are another species of humanoids. I wanna' know about talking dogs, and flying pups what can speak. I want to know about that big cowboy with them horns on his head. I want to know about them cowboys and cowgirls around here what look like they just stepped out of a Shepler's Western catalog. I want to know why and how this ranch looks one-hundred percent better than mine. I want to know about them big buildings they're constructing on the outskirts of their property what look like something out of the Wizard of Oz books I give my kids, and I wanna' know why these folks seem to be happy living together in a world what's doing everything it can to do away with the poor and downgrade the middle class to a level of servitude,� said the Colonel.

�Okay, I'll admit it! I'm hooked,� said Bryan Isobel, �I want to know them things, too. How 'bout the rest of you men in our party?� he put to the men. They each held up their hand including the chopper pilots. �All right then, but let's not forget we represent the Armed Forces and National Security Administration of the U.S. Government,� Bryan added.

�Not one of your men or my men are going to forget who or what they represent, even though, if we admitted it to each other, we sometimes ask ourselves why in the Hell should we care about the NSA, or Armed Forces, or our government. Every man here knows we ain't nothing but tools for the upper class. When was the last time any of you men actually worked on a case what really presented a threat to our government or our way of life...such as it is?� Colonel Hank asked.

�You know the answer to that question or you would never have asked. Nothing! Nada! Ziltch! Zero! The most we do, is play like we're important, but the truth is we ain't no more important than a cloakroom monitor in a kindergarten school,� Bryan Isobel responded.

�Then lets do something for ourselves for a change, sit back, and enjoy the show. I can only speak for myself, but this opportunity seems like it's too damn good to pass up on a personal basis,� the Colonel shot back.

�Jesus H. Christ!� Bossman Randy exclaimed, �What utter bullshit! Will you men chill out! You ain't among crooks or men of corruption, but I gotta' admit, I never thought I would live to hear a military man and one from the NSA suggest a more gentle way of gathering information than using intimidation, mean-ass interrogations, with possible threats of torture. Whatever my big brother chooses to share with you, I promise, you won't be disappointed. Neither will you walk away with any wrong ideas. You just may damn-well walk away as better men and a bit more compassionate wise-apes,� Bossman Randy said firmly and everyone laughed.

�Hosanna!� shouted Enoch Redbone.

�Hosanna, in the highest!� shouted the rest of the Daniels family.

�And a child shall lead them...� the Colonel said quietly, looking at his men, and shaking his head, �You must be the famous, Randy Rutherford, the young man what was in the parking lot in Fredericksburg,� he said.

�Yes, sir. That would be me. I'm completely free of Parkinson's disease, and I got a long life ahead of me to look forward to; thanks to my big brother,� Randy replied.   

�How many of you has Billy Daniels helped?� he asked and almost every hand in the room went up. �Open our eyes, that we may see, Master Billy,� Colonel Hank Halfablap said without a hint of sarcasm. Everyone was convinced he was being sincere.

Billy introduced everyone in the house to the men starting with his grandmother, uncle, the Redbones, the Garretts, Nick, Elmer and Roxanne Breedlove, Oatie, Cowboy Andy, Balthazar, Clyde, Evangeline Andreeson and her grandson, Bobby. Hank and Buck were there, too. A very pregnant Roz Cumber whom Billy announced was carrying his and his Watcher's child: Billy Augustus Daniels Junior, was present. They wanted to know how that was possible and Billy explained.

�Some would say combining species like that will create an abomination in the eyes of God,� one of the chopper pilots, Major Dan Radner, said.

�What God? Whose God? There are millions of Muslims who would say you are an abomination because you don't believe in the same god they do; the Christians and the Jews believe the Muslims are abominations,� Billy replied, �I assure you, sir, my son will not be an abomination,� he added strongly like he was miffed anyone would dare suggest such a thing.

�I apologize, sir. I meant no disrespect to you, your family, or your son,� Major Radner ate a portion of humble pie.

�Forget it! You're new to the world we hope to create for ourselves and those who would like to join us. You can't know or begin to understand our ways until you have a better picture of what we're about and what we're trying to do here,� Billy answered.

Billy and his posse took the men on a tour of the ranch and the grounds. They came upon some of Billy's slaves working. Earl and Harley-Buck were with them wearing their harnesses and boots. They were allowed to wear Wranglers over their harnesses, but no shirts to cover their upper bodies. They liked to showoff their development and their fellow workers enjoyed sneaking glances at them from time to time. They were in top condition and looked like two cowboys who just stepped out of a Gold's gym. As the men walked toward them Colonel Hank spoke, �Goddamn it! If I had a cock it would be roaring hard right now looking at them two men. I know so because my phantom ghost-cock is as hard as it's ever gonna' get,� the Colonel said and laughed nervously.

�Y'ain't alone, Chief,� his Commander said, �Mine is hard enough for bow'fus,� he said in perfect cowboy speak.

Billy introduced their visitors to the slaves including Earl and Harley-Buck. The Colonel wanted to know how and why Harley-Buck came to have such a magnificent set of horns on his head. Billy nodded his approval for Harley-Buck to tell them the truth, and he did. The Colonel and his men listened to Harley-Buck's story intently and were moved by the big man's sincerity and his obvious love for his young master. �And what is this fine looking leather harness about, Son?� the Colonel asked reaching to feel and admire the thickness of the leather. Harley-Buck and Earl looked at each other, nodded to one another, undid their belt buckles, dropped their Wranglers to their boot tops, and stood proudly at parade rest for inspection. Their cod pieces were in place. �Great balls afire! Would ju' look at that, Bryan? Damnation that's hot! Why are you men wearing these contraptions?� the Colonel asked.

Earl and Harley-Buck looked at Billy, and he nodded his approval for them to tell the Colonel what he wanted to know. �Control, sir,� Harley-Buck answered, �It's part of our punishment. If you will remove our cod pieces we can better explain. We ain't allowed to touch them, sir, unless our handlers give us permission; which they do from time to time so's we can take a leak and get back to work quicker,� he explained.

�Hell, I ain't shy. I'd be proud to remove 'em for you men,� the Colonel said and looked at Billy.

�Help yourself, Colonel,� Billy said, �We're a hands-on family,� he added and got a laugh from some of his men.
 
The Colonel carefully removed both men's codpiece and marveled at their chastity cages the codpieces covered.

�I understand now. These chastity devices are the controls?� he asked.

�Yes, sir, Colonel. We only get sexual relief when our master allows us and not when we'd like to relieve ourselves. The strap, what runs under our balls, lays in the crack of our ass to connect to the back buckle for adjustment. It's also used to hold our butt-plugs in place we must wear when we ain't working to keep our holes stretched for sexual purposes. Furthermore, we're only allowed relief when our master or one of our mentors is butt-fucking us. We ain't never allowed to manipulate ourselves. We learned to depend on our rider to provide us with the stimulation we require for relief, and the more we provide for him, the better our chances are for release. Trust us, Colonel, it works! And when it works, it ain't like no other orgasm we ever experienced. It drains our souls and hangs them out to dry as well as our cock and balls. It takes our bodies half a day or a full night to recuperate before we're ready again. Have no doubt, such training certainly has its desired effect,� Harley-Buck added.

�And how do you men feel about it?� the Colonel asked.

�We ain't hurt by it none, but it does adjust our mental attitudes considerably, sir," Earl spoke up, �It might be unusual, but I don't think you could consider it cruel punishment. We don't. It ain't no more cruel than a saddle, a bridle, a bit for a horse, or a yoke for an oxen. Ain't no doubt, our harnesses focuses our attention and keep us on the straight and narrow. As a matter of fact, the overall experience can be downright stimulating sometimes. It certainly beats being in a prison like Huntsville trying to live in a life choking situation. We ain't cooped up in a small cell, we get to be outside in the fresh air, and they don't require any more work from us than the rest of the cowboys and cowgirls. No matter Master Billy's methods or our place on the ranch, we live with understanding people, and we ain't made to feel ashamed of ourselves. Sure, they use us for sex occasionally, but they ain't mean-spirited or brutal. They treat us as well as the rest of the livestock on the ranch, and they take damn good care of their animals. They make sure we get relief, but only when they decide we need it and not when we want it. After a week or so without release, we start dropping hints to our handlers to inquire if they'd like to use us for an e'nin,� Earl said and grinned.  

�You men don't look like you ain't being taken care of,� the Colonel said.

�We are being well taken care of, sir. We eat the same food the rest of the cowboys eat, and it's pert-damn good chow. Nobody looks down on us for being punishment slaves,� Earl assured the men.

�Correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the distinct impression you men are in love with Master Billy. Am I right or am I imagining it?� Colonel Halfablap asked.

�I can't speak for my fellow slave, but I know I love Master Billy with all my heart, and I would strongly admonish anyone not to confuse my honest feelings with Stockholm Syndrome where a prisoner falls in love with his captors and begins to sympathize with their cause. I love Master Billy for the honest and good man he is. He ain't never lied to me nor told me he was gonna' do something and defaulted on his word. I wear them horns he gimme' with honor like any of them metals you got on your chest, sir, to show the world how proud I am to be his slave,� Harley-Buck said.

�I'm afraid my feelings are a bit more perverted, Colonel,� said Earl, looking down at his boots, and shuffling his right one in the dirt like a shy teenager uncomfortable with with his own secret admission, �My feelings for our master goes much further than just my love for him. Maybe I done got me a goodly dose of that syndrome my brother was talking about, I don't know, but I ain't no abused or mistreated prisoner. I'm a punishment slave. The judge in my case gimme' an option. I could become Master Billy's slave, or I would be sent to prison. I made the choice to become Master Billy's slave, and it was very probably the best damn decision I ever done made in my worthless life. Without any shame in my heart, I would proudly fall on my knees to worship and make love to his boots before this gathered group or any other group of men to show my deepest respect and affection for him. I know he ain't no god, but sometimes it brings me comfort just to know I'm his slave, he owns me body and soul, and I belong to him,� Earl said. Everyone was stunned by quiet Earl's heart-rending admission of affection for Billy.

Billy went to Earl, threw his arms around him and gave him a big, wet, sloppy Buckaroo kiss. When he was finished, he moved to Harley-Buck and did the same for him. �Shame on you men! For all them good words, you forgot the best. We are cowboys, brothers under the skin, and one day soon, when your release time comes, I will gladly welcome you into my immediate family,� Billy gently chastised them. The visitors were moved by the honest display of brotherly love Billy shared with his slaves.

�Hosanna!� shouted Bossman Randy.

�Hosanna, in the highest!� the rest of the men echoed.   

After Billy and his posse showed the military men around the ranch they paused for some refreshments on the patio of the bunkhouse and a fine looking couple, a cowgirl and cowboy, waited on them. They brought out large, tall glasses of Texas herbal iced tea, goodies to nosh on, and more Hosanna cakes. The men loved the tea and asked for several refills. The herbs in the Texas Tea made them become more mellow and open to new things and ideas. Talk was lively and the men asked intelligent and interesting questions which Billy and his men took turns answering. When they were finished, Billy invited the men into the old barn. �Now that we showed you the working part of the ranch, we'll share with you the unseen part most visitors don't get to see; at least, on their first visit unless there's some overriding reason. If you will follow us into the barn we will take you to the rest of our operations hidden from view,� Billy said and the men looked at each other questioningly and with a modicum of surprise. What more could this young cowboy show them?

�Bossman Randy, would you be so kind as to open a gate into the great hall in our castle. After we walk through, gate over to your ranch and bring back your ranch foreman and his ramrod to the castle to join us for a while. Tell them not to change clothes. It's important the come as they are,� Billy instructed.

The men watched in awe as Randy walked in front of them, waved his small hand and a strange blue gate of free electrons sprang up before them. The dogs were with them. Daffy, Chloe, Guy, Willow, Dolly, Pancake, the pups, Miranda, and little Miss Molly disappeared through the gate in a line.

�What the Hell is that?� the other chopper pilot asked.

�It's a gate to our hidden castle, Lieutenant Bean,� Billy replied, �It's like going from one room to another. It tickles a little like you might feel static electricity gather on your skin on a cloudy day. Would you like me to hold your hand, sir?� Billy asked and grinned.

�Naw, sir. Animals got a sixth sense about that sort of thing. I figure if them pups ain't afraid of it, I ain't got me no reason to fear it just because I don't understand it,� Dudley Bean replied.

�Good for you, Son� barked the Colonel, �I'm glad I won't have to corpse you up and send you home to momma. Out of my way, you lightweights! I gotta' see what's behind that damn gate,� he shouted to his men. At that very moment, Billy Daniels fell in love with the brash outspoken Colonel.

Whether the hard core-officer was joking about having no penis, or he was just playing with him, Billy had to admit, a big pile of hot steaming bull-shit and a heavy-duty dose of hyper-masculine Marine Corps testosterone was a winning combination for him. �Now, there's a man after me own heart!� Billy exclaimed and laughed. Everyone laughed at him and the Colonel, �Shall we, Colonel?� Billy asked offering his arm to the Colonel.

The Colonel hooked his arm with Billy's. �Let's do it, Son!� Colonel Hank Halfablap exclaimed. The cowboy and the colonel marched through the gate arm in arm.

On the other side, the dogs gathered around the Colonel to sniff him. �Is he all here, Daffy? Chloe?� Billy asked.

�There's about one tenth of one percent loss in bullshit, Master Billy, but he's so full of it, he'll never miss it,� Daffy said and everyone laughed. The Colonel laughed the hardest.

�Name your price, Son! I got to have me one a them talk'n dogs for a buddy,� Colonel Halfablap said.

�We'll talk later, sir,� Billy said and winked.

Hank Halfablap's heart melted and ran down his one leg into his finest pair of highly polished dress military shoes. Even though his heart was lost, he was mentally riding on a high of speculation. If he was ever blessed with a son, he swore to himself and any deity what might be listening, he wanted him to be just like Billy Daniels.

About that time, another gate sprang up and Bossman Randy walked through with his ranch foreman, Ram Snoddy, and Randy's uncle Doug, who was now known as Ramrod Billy Bob Banes. They were wearing their complete cowboy outfits with big hats, chaps, spurs, and looked dusty from riding in the saddle. Introductions were made all around. Billy urged the cowboys to drop their chaps and spurs, and they complied. He told them he needed them for the afternoon and he would get them back to their ranch as soon as possible. They didn't ask any questions. Billy noticed Ram Snoddy was at least an inch or so taller than he was the last time he saw him. Ram caught his smile, gave Billy a thumbs up, and they shared a secret laugh with each other.

�Where are we in relationship to the ranch, Mr. Daniels,� Bryan Isobel asked.

�Several hundred feet below our ranch in a large cavern what can only be accessed by a quantum gate like we just used,� Billy replied.

�That gate ain't any technology from Earth, sir. Are you an alien?� he asked grasping at straws.

�No, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I ain't no alien. I'm just an ordinary brown-dirt Hill Country Cowboy what's been enhanced by two greater ancient races what are concerned about our planet and wish to help some of us humans what ain't as advanced as they are,� Billy replied.

�And you're in contact with them?� Bryan asked.

�Why, yes, sir. They see and hear everything we do. They's three invisible robo cams on me and you men at all times. Robo-cams! Billy Daniels! Visible-state!� Billy ordered and three small silver balls appeared moving around him. �Activate holo-vid screen in great hall!� he ordered and the huge screen at the end of the room came alive and showed the pictures the robo-cams were projecting. �Robo-cams! Colonel Hank Halfablap! Visible-state! Feed to screen!� he ordered and the men could see the robo-cams around the Colonel as his image was projected along side Billy upon the huge screen. One camera caught a close up of the Colonel grinning with pride at Billy.

�Impressive, Son,� the Colonel said and shook Billy's hand.

�All robo-cams! Invisible-state! Screen off!� Billy ordered, the silver spheres disappeared, and the great screen shut down. �Now if you gentlemen will follow me and my posse, we will take you to the heart of our operations. Please try to maintain a sense of decorum as our main man, the genius behind our building projects on the ranch is the slave and husband of our veterinarian slave-doctor, Oatie Breedlove, who is here with us today. As you may remember, Doc Oatie as we call him, won the Heisman trophy two years in a row for college football while playing quarterback for the University of Texas. He took his team to the Rose Bowl and won four years in a row. His husband's name is Jethro Quince. Jethro will be morphed to look like an extinct species of Kagoli Demons because his workers love to look upon his naked body in that form. He gets three times the work out of them than when he works in his regular human form. Jethro is also an ex-Marine and was a Daddy-Long leg for a while running with the Watchers until he had a bad accident what almost killed him. He gave himself to Doc Oatie to be his slave after Oatie saved his life,� Billy explained, and the men followed Billy and Oatie into the large work area.

Jethro was too busy to notice anyone coming into the large room. The entry was directly to his back. His workers were all over him. It looked more like a dwarf/red-giant love fest. One would shove a paper before him, speak a few words, and Jethro would sign it or stamp it with his Demon Stamp. The dwarf would demand a kiss and Jethro would accommodate him. And so it went, as the military men stood watching the giant red demon conduct his business and his workers like a great symphony conductor. One whispered in his ear and Jethro turned around to stand in all his naked demon glory for everyone to see. Billy heard several audible gasps and couple of  'oh-my-gods' from his visiting company of military men.

�Demon or human he's stunning. I can't fault his staff. If I was one of his workers, I would never come to work unless he agreed to morph like that,� the Colonel said quietly.  

�Welcome, Master Billy! You men come in and make yourselves to home,� Jethro said in his booming Kagoli demon voice. It was enough to make shivers run up and down several of the military men's spines; however, the closer they got to the giant figure the less disturbed they were.

Oatie walked to Jethro, threw his arms around his neck, and they engaged in a rather passionate kiss. Billy could smell the testosterone level rise considerably among his military guests.
 
�Glad you warned us, Mr. Daniels, I might have pulled my gun and shot him,� one of Bryan Isobel's men, Jim Hawkins, said, �He's scary to look upon at first,� he added.

�Wouldn't do you no good, Mr. Hawkins, your weapons won't work in here noways,� Billy said and laughed. �I assure you, you are in no danger from anyone in my family, and we have several rather disturbing family members you will meet,� Billy said and grinned.

Billy asked Jethro to morph into his human form for a minute, and he complied. The military men noticed, in his human form, Jethro looked just like one of the cowboys Randy brought with him from his ranch, the man they called Billy Bob Banes. Jethro saw Billy Bob and went to give him a brotherly hug and a kiss. Randy's uncle returned Jethro's affections in kind, and they called each other 'brother.' �Ain't seen you in a good while, Brother. You're looking well and filling out fine. I would guess from your appearance and aura you're a happy man,� Jethro said, �And you, Foreman Snoddy, are coming along nicely. I hope you're keeping my brother happy,� Jethro said and winked at Ram. Ram grinned real big as he shook Jethro's hand and assured the big naked man he was doing his best.  

�Are they twins?� the Colonel asked Billy.�

�Not twins, though Billy Bob Banes carries some of Jethro's DNA; enough to make them look almost like identical twins. Billy Bob Banes originally was Douglas Rutherford, Randy's uncle. He got his face blown off in the middle east and was ashamed to go home to his family. In the meantime, the military sent a body to the family claiming it was him. The casket was permanently sealed and the military wouldn't allow them to view the body. They buried the man in the family cemetery on their ranch without knowing he weren't their kin. A similar scenario happened to Randy's dad. He's buried in the family cemetery. Douglas became one of the Daddy Long-legs what runs with the Watchers, and he was the running buddy of Randy's beloved personal Watcher-Protector, Ludo.

"He hid his war wounds behind a crudely made leather mask made out of an old pair of cowboy chaps. Randy gave him the name 'Leatherface.' We begged him to let us work on him, but he never would allow it. We couldn't figure out why until he was shot by some gun-happy ammosexual moron and fell off a cliff. Ludo contacted Randy, and they brought him through a gate to me immediately. Oatie Breedlove and I removed the bullet, patched him up, repaired broken bones, removed his battle scars, and was going to give him a new face. I took a taste of his blood to discerned his DNA. I gave a drop to Doc Oatie, and my surrogate dad, Nick, and we agreed the Daddy Long-leg we called 'Leatherface' had to be Randy's uncle. Their DNA was almost identical except for two alleles. We knew he couldn't be Randy's dad.

�Randy didn't want him to look like his dad or how Douglas might have looked before he went to the Middle East. He wanted to give him a chance to adjust on his own and the choice to tell the rest of his family would be left up to him; except, Randy held out a caveat he could tell his big sister who 'Leatherface' really was. Randy and Jethro is big buddies, and he ask Jethro if he could have his permission to make his uncle look like him; and if so, would he mind donate'n a bit of his blood to me and Doc Oatie so's we could discern his DNA and make Randy's uncle look like a twin of Jethro. What you're looking at is the results of our refurbishing of Douglas Rutherford into Randy's fictional hero Billy Bob Banes," Billy finished.    

The other men in the Colonel's group moved closer to hear Billy tell his story, and they were flabbergasted. �You mean to tell us, you men really have the power to do that kind of procedure and heal people?� Bryan Isobel asked like he was stunned. �Are you some kind of God?� he asked.

�No, I'm too much of a sinner in the eyes of any religion we got on this planet today to be considered a god. I married my Watcher-Protector-slave, but I share my bed  and sleep most of the time with my surrogate pa, Captain Nick Samuels. I'm a human like you men, but I been enhanced to become more than human. We currently have four ambassadors visiting our family from the humanoid-alien who is the captain and master of the huge golden ship what made the crop-circle of me and my horse at Alton-Barns in England. I will introduce them to you a little later. One Englishman, T. E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, best described his master and me as being quantum mechanics. His master, who reportedly made them seven stars, is a Master Quantum Mechanic. I'm only a lowly Junior-birdman Mechanic, and I have given the gift to two of my closest brothers, Master Oatie Breedlove, and Master Bubba Kirkendall,� Billy replied.

There was a pregnant silence. �Is that why you sent Randy to get his foreman and ramrod? Are you trying to tell us something, Son?� the Colonel asked.

�Were you joking with me earlier, Colonel? I can see you're missing your right hand, your walk is irregular, but did you really lose your genitalia and testicles?� Billy asked.

�Yes, I lost them some twenty-five years ago when my faithful old sky-horse got shot out from under me in the Middle East, and I crash landed in a neutral zone. Needless-to-say, I didn't walk away from that one. They told me I died three times on the operating table, but fortunately for me, one young buck of a surgeon refused to give up when the rest of the docs threw up their hands and walked away. Are you suggesting you can give my cock and balls back to me?� he asked.

�I ain't 'suggesting' nothing, Colonel. I'm telling you as a hard fact! I swear on the name of some unknown god and my cowboy honor, I can give you back your penis and your testicles, and they will be fully functional. I can also give you back your right hand, sir,� Billy said. There was another long protracted silence. �Er's zonely one catch,� Billy said and grinned wickedly.

�Oh, fuck! Here it comes! They's always gotta' be a 'catch!' the Colonel exploded and lamented, but Billy wasn't convinced he was terribly put-off, �Okay, Cowboy, let's hear it! Name it! What's your price? Do I have to pledge my soul to you, only to find myself sitting on a sludge pot in Hell having hot lava shoot up my butt as an eternal enema?� he asked and grinned.

Billy laughed, �While I'll admit it sounds tempting, Colonel Hank, it ain't nothing like 'at. Besides, there ain't no such place as Hell, unless you consider a battlefield as Hell on Earth. I would concede to that. My 'catch' is just that, Colonel! It's what the word means, sir. You must agree to allow me the honor of being the first person to 'catch' your load for you while I give you the best gotdamned buckaroo-buddy blow-job you ever done had, what will curl yore' toenails, make your spurs jingle, and set chore' old jar-head heart on fire,� Billy said firmly like he wouldn't entertain a counter offer. Everyone of the men standing around listening to their conversation fell out laughing at Billy relating his colorful hyperbolic condition to the Colonel.

�Is that all? Hell-far, Son, there ain't no jar-head alive what ain't taken care of this buddy and let his buddy take care of him when they spend weeks on end at the ready without any chance of relief other than their hands,� the Colonel shot back. He stopped, his face became serious, and the big warrior looked Billy straight in the eye. Billy could see the mature, fine looking hard-ass Marine Colonel's eyes start to water. He lunged for Billy and threw his arms around his neck like he watched Billy do to his slaves, Earl and Harley-Buck. �Gimme' one a them big, wet, special, sloppy buckaroo kisses to seal our bargain. From here on, there won't be no back'n out of our bond, Cowboy! Understand, Son!� Colonel Hank Halfablap demanded.

�Take me to church, Colonel, and I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your thighs,� Billy said, badly misquoting an old song lyric he loved. The Colonel didn't care. He thought Billy's words were pretty damn appropriate for the moment and the two large men, the cowboy and the jar-head Colonel, connected in a lip lock what would melt the hardest heart.
 
�What about us other vets who got wounded?� Captain Delbert Miller asked.

�You got a note from your parents, Captain?� Billy asked and got a laugh, �Jes' kidding, sir. Do you really think we'd be so heartless not to include you and the Commander?� he asked.

�From what I've observed, I couldn't imagine it, sir. Please forgive me. It was one of them moments when I let the little boy inside me take over and pushed the adult out of the way to get to Santa Claus,� Captain Miller replied.

�I speak little boy fluently, Captain, and I assure you, you and the Commander are of equal importance to us,� Billy said.

Bill Devers spoke up, �Gotdamn it! I know we're here on an official visit representing the government, but I got me a little boy, my only son, what's dying at home and there ain't a damn thing them doctors can do for him. They give up on him and told us not to bring him back. They told us to take him home, give him his pain medications until he dies. I hope you men can forgive a desperate father for grasping at straws, but you can't fault me for asking, is there anything you could do for him, Master Billy?�

�I can't be totally sure until I taste his blood, but fortunately for you and your family, we got us a pecking order around here. Forgive me, Colonel, but sick kids come first. Mature warriors come second because you're stabilized,� Billy said. �Call your family, Mr. Devers, and tell them to get ready, you'll be coming to get them as soon as you hear back from them. We'll open a gate to your home or garage, you walk through, and bring them back to join us. We can take care of them later this afternoon after we show you gentlemen the rest,� Billy said.
 
* * * * * * *
Grover came down the back steps to go to the dining hall and heard voices in the main work area on the floor and decided he would check it out. He walked in to see what was going on. Billy hailed him. �Hey, Granddad! Come join us, and meet the government men what's flown all the way out from Houston to be with us this afternoon,� Billy welcomed him, went to Grover, and gave him a hug and kiss on his cheek.

�I hope I'm not intruding. I left my apartment to go down to the canteen to get some tea and a treat, and I heard voices,� Grover said.

�Ain't no problem. Join us. Glad to see you up and around. You're looking more handsome than ever,� Billy complimented.

�I think I'm getting used to ma' wings. They don't feel as heavy as they did this morning,� Grover said.

The military men were stunned looking at a mature cowboy with a set of outrageously colorful wings. Grover spread them and lifted them up above his and Billy's head. There were several gasps from the new men. �I been practicing like you showed me, and I was going to the great hall next so's I would have more room to exercise them,� he said.

�We should be able to teach you to park them later tonight or you can wear them until tomorrow if you like,� Billy said.

�You look like you got your hands full, Son. I ain't in no hurry. Take care of your business first. I planned for it, and Jack is covering my legal butt,� he said and giggled.

�Come, let me introduce you to our guests,� Billy said, taking Grover by the arm to walk him over to where the men were standing.

�Looking good, Grampa!� Jethro said, gave him two thumbs up, and smiled at Grover.

�Thanks, Jethro. Why ain't chu' in your Kagoli form, Son?� Grover asked, �I do so love to look upon your fine demon body,� he added and smiled.

�I morphed to say 'hello' to my brother, Billy Bob and his mate. I got to get back to work, so I'll say goodbye and change back. Ya'll have a good day, now, ya' hear?� Jethro said, morphed back to his demon form, and went back to work at his table. His workers were standing in line waiting for him.

�Gentlemen, may I introduce you to one of our two fine attorneys in our small town, Master Grover Parsnip. Master Parsnip was a hero in one of our confrontations with some bad-ass demons. I'll tell you about it later and show you some videos. I rewarded him by refurbishing his body and giving him a couple of enhancements. Now he's become one of my Cowboy-Angels and his wings just grew in last night. He's got to wear them for twelve to twenty-four hours before we can show him how to make them disappear,� Billy explained.

The Colonel smiled, stuck out his left hand, Grover took it in his, and they shook. �An attorney who is also an Angel?� the Colonel asked.

�I know, it is sort of a leap of faith, ain't it, Son?� Grover asked in reply and got a big laugh out of everyone.

�Why do they call you 'Grampa,' sir. You look younger than me,� Colonel Halfablap asked.

�I'm sebendy-five years old, Son. They's just kidding me 'cause I become good friends with one of Master Bubba Kirkendall's new employees who is a fine looking young cowboy. We been spending some quality time together and grew pretty close. He grew up without a dad, and he calls me his 'Paw-paw. I ain't never had me no kids, so I sort of look on him as the grandson I ain't never had,� Grover replied. �I looked in the mirror a while ago, and I gotta' agree with you, Colonel, my last refurbishment Master Billy done on me brought me back to about forty to forty-five. I'm most grateful. Few men get a second chance at life. I done told them men, now I get to make the same mistakes all over again,� Grover added and laughed. Everyone laughed with him.

The Colonel got Billy off to the side to speak with him in private, �I can appreciate and agree with your pecking-order rule, Master Billy. I certainly don't mind waiting, but I got something what's stuck in ma' craw, Son,� the Colonel said.

�What's 'zat, Colonel?� Billy asked concerned.
 
�Bryan Isobel's four year old daughter's got some kind of blood disease what requires her to get hooked up to a machine a couple of times a week. It takes several hours to filter her blood and then she has to spend another hour getting a plasma drip to keep her alive. It would be a difficult life to live for an adult, but for a child that young, it must seem like interminable Hell on Earth. I ain't real sure I could do it if I thought I had to depend on a damnable machine for the rest of my life. I done cheated death a couple of times so when my time comes, I'll be ready.

The Colonel continued, �I know Bryan well enough to know he won't say nothing. All of us heard rumors, mostly from our families, about you, your family, and your talents. He forbid his men to say anything about their kids' health. I know he's just trying to be a good bureaucrat, but when a sick child is involved it's like the ancient city of Jericho, them walls come tumble'n down. Who among us could be so callow to fault Bill Devers for his inquiry? Like he said, he's gasping at straws to save his son. You don't have to worry none about us old farts. Me and my men can make arrangements for later. I'll explain to them we can come back in civvies. The three of us got ranches in Texas. Mine is in a part of the Hill Country down around Uvalde.

�Being a military man, I been forced to size-up men and judge their character quickly in my job. Just from our brief exchanges, I think I know you pretty well; well enough to gauge your sense of right and wrong, your compassion for people, and children in particular. I think kids got themselves an internal radar system what tells them when somebody will be good, fair, and honest with them. I don't think there's a shred of doubt in Cindy Lou's mind about who she wants for a big brother. Will you offer them men your help?� the Colonel asked.

�Of course I will. Will you join me? I think they sort of look up to you as a father figure,� Billy said.

�Lord, I hope not. I had me three girls, and even though I'm a married man, I don't know nothing about women. I'm the first to admit, I was a total failure as a husband and father, but the military gimme' a good cover; however, I can be a dad for them boys if they need me,� the Colonel agreed.

Billy called the two men aside and took them with the Colonel away from the hubbub of the control room into the dungeon area. �Have you men called your families?� Billy asked.

�No, sir, I know what I asked is way out-of-line. I was waiting for my boss to either agree or chew my ass out,� Bill Devers replied.

�The thought of a good ass-chew'n flashed through my mind, but it couldn't find a target and zeroed in on my own butt. Something the Colonel said made me realize we're both in the same gotdamn boat, headed for the falls, in desperate need of a paddle. I was waiting for the Colonel to get through talking with you, Mr. Daniels, to throw myself at you feet, pay homage to your boots like your slave described, and beg you for mercy,� Bryan Isobel said.

�No, no, that won't be necessary � � Billy paused for a moment, grinned, and winked at the Colonel, �It's only required if me and my patch-um-up-posse is successful,� he added and the Colonel broke-up laughing.

�Even though you're joking, it would be a small price to pay, and I would gladly pay you that homage,� Bryan said sincerely.

�I would be on my knees right behind my boss, Master Billy� Bill Devers said firmly.

�You men got chore' cell phones wiff' you?� Billy asked.

�Yes, sir,� they answered in unison.

�Mr. Isobel, you go over there on that side of the room and call your family, and you, Mr. Devers, go over there in that far cell and call yours. Tell your wives to lock up the house and bring the whole damn family. We'll make arrangements to accommodate the ladies. They may wait in the ranch house with my family and have supper while we take care of the sick ones. Don't rush them. I know a little bit about women; not much, but just enough to get me in trouble. One thing I do know is, they want to make their family presentable. They see it as a reflection on them and how good a mother they are,� Billy said.

�I heard that!� Bill Devers agreed, �Do me a favor and call me Bill, Master Billy,� Mr. Devers said.

�Same for me, sir, call me Bryan,� Mr. Isobel said.
 
The men called their wives and didn't explain much about transportation, just they would come to get them when they returned their call. It took them a while, but they finally convinced their wives to drop everything and get ready. They stressed this was a once in a lifetime chance. It was a rare window of opportunity, and if they didn't seize the moment, it might never come again. The men reported back to Billy and the Colonel, their wives said it would take a couple of hours for them to get everyone ready and close up the house. �Roughly translated from the mother's tongue, that means anywhere from three to four hours, sir,� Bill Devers said and grinned.

�You are so right, Brother,� his boss, Bryan, lamented.

�That's fine. We'll take this one step at a time, and if you need to stay the night, we got plenty of room. It might be best so the children's bodies will have a chance to adapt to radical change and me and my men can be on call in case anything happens,� Billy said trying to build confidence in the men. He could tell they were anxious and filled with concern. Now, you men come with me. We'll join the others and continue our tour until we hear from your wives,� Billy said.

�Good! It will help keep their minds occupied and off their problems,� agreed the Colonel.

When everyone was gathered, Billy stood before them and spoke, �I think it's time you meet the rest of the Daniels family, but before we do, you must consider me and several members of my family have been to other planets in a couple of different galaxies and spent weeks learning about their cultures and people,� he said and let it sink in for a moment.

�How many of your family have been to other planets, sir?� Bryan asked. Almost every hand in the room other than their guests went up.

�I thought travel between galaxies is impossible,� the Colonel said.

�It probably would be if we tried to use ships,� Billy said.

�You mean you simply 'gate' to other worlds?� the Colonel asked.

�Exactly, Colonel. No muss. No fuss. We just walk through with a knapsack on our back, whistling 'The Happy Wanderer,'� Billy said. �However, there is a difference in time dilation between worlds. We can step onto one of the worlds we've visited and spend a month or more their time, but when we return, only a few minutes will have passed. Not only is it a part of Einstein's theory of relativity, it's also a part of quantum mechanics. It's a wonderful way to get away from it all and take a nice vacation.
We make trips often to two main worlds for a little R&R and to play concerts for their people. Consequently, we've gathered some unusual aliens from a number of other worlds on which life has evolved. Most are members of dying races which have been hunted almost to extinction as a food source by the reptilian species and their slaves, an intelligent race of insects call the 'Grays.' In a few cases, those we rescued, are the last of their kind, and we have taken them in as family. Like Jethro can morph into a Kagoli demon because of having ingested some of their DNA from a species which carry the dormant gene; after much practice, he was able to put the genetic puzzle together to good effect; many others are not so fortunate. You will meet many watchers or Bigfoot; gentle giants; dwarfs; halflings; Psyches; Sun Bears; a Lion-man; a Panther-man; a Dragon-man; a warrior race known as the Essengurda; and a number of Fallen Angels spoken of in Bible and other ancient texts,� Billy said.   

�What race is your guard cattle, Son?� the Colonel asked.

�They are know as 'Irin.' They come from a manufactured world in the Andromeda galaxy known as Fort Adam Lear which is an exact duplicate of our planet. Why would they go to the enormous trouble to duplicate Earth? Because they can. They are such an enormously advanced race, they have gone so far beyond their hunter-gatherer beginnings and our primitive political cast systems, they live only to enjoy their whims and live the lives they wish. They are also immortal and can live many lives on many different planets if they wish. Many are so taken with the western theme of our planet, they have huge ranches and cowboys on their world just like on Earth. I was given a thousand Irin men and women who chose to come to Earth to become my slaves. What you saw in the pasture when you landed is the last of the first batch of five hundred. They simply appeared on our ranch last March in the form of Highland cattle until we could build enough facilities to house them. Now, every grange member has anywhere from twenty-five to fifty Irin slaves living, working, and thriving as cowboys and cowgirls,� Billy explained. �We're due another thousand head of Irin cattle the first of August.

�And that explains why your ranch looks so much better than mine!� the Colonel exclaimed.

�We'll be happy to give you and your men applications to join our Grange, Colonel,� Billy said and smiled.

�We'll certainly consider it,� Hank replied.  

Billy gave the men the tour of the 'caverns' as he referred to his underground base. He was careful not to show them all his cards. They didn't need to know they were actually on board a spaceship. He took them on a tour of the model of the new city, reduced their size, took them for a ride on the monorail, and showed them completed model rooms of how the hotel and the other attractions will look when they finished. The visitors were in awe. They couldn't believe the advanced technology which was going into the building of the new city. Billy told them, he expected his people would finish the hotel and the great auditorium by the end of July, August, or September at the latest.

�Master Billy, at this point it might seem indelicate of me to mention this, but you must realize there is a faction of our government, the military-industrial complex in particular, whom we represent, who wouldn't hesitate to wipe out you and your people with extreme prejudice with no remorse to grab the technology you have shown us today,� Bryan Isobel said.

�Of course we're aware. They might try, and I'm sure they probably will, but like every good gambler, we ain't gonna' show you all our cards until it's time to play them. What we show you today is much more advanced than anything the government or those of the Illuminati can boast. They wouldn't know what to do with it if they got their hands on it. For instance, if one of our gates were to fall into their hands, there is no way they can reverse engineer it. It has a built-in intelligence which is aware of who and why they are using it. If someone tried to activate one without knowing its secrets, it would automatically self-destruct killing those who would tamper with it. It's happened to them before when they tried to crack open a zero-point power module from one of them Grey's ships. The explosion made a cavern bigger than some of the government's underground nuclear tests.

�Furthermore, I hold the secrets of the universe they can't possibly know about because their kind are slowly being choked out of the consciousness of a greater picture of the universal mind and intelligence. The Illuminati, better known as Neo-cons, Neo-liberals, New World Order adherents, or Nazis, who are building a world for themselves using the failed philosophy of a financial pyramid scheme. They have reached their zenith and the many institutions they have created to invade everyone's lives is so corrupt it is beginning to show signs of imploding upon itself. It is ripe for a massive failure. The souls who are responsible for the making of the monster will soon be doomed to be cast into a pit of darkness never to rise again. That may sound like a thinly veiled threat of religious mumbo-jumbo but I assure you we have no ax to grind with myths or superstitions.  

�Pardon me, sir, but that has the ring of several conspiracy theories we've learned to ignore as bunk,� Bryan challenged.

�That's true enough. You were taught all conspiracy theories are bunk. Have you ever asked why? There's so much anti-humanistic propaganda out there, how would you know the difference? It's the difference between a true believer and an atheist. A true believer is told what to believe and an atheist thinks for himself,� Billy said. �The term 'conspiracy theory' was cleverly created to cancel each other out. If you separate the two, you either have a 'conspiracy' or a 'theory.' How would anyone gain knowledge of a conspiracy unless they first form a theory to investigate it? If the pieces fit together, then they might be able to build a scenario of what really happened. 'Conspiracy theory' got a bad rap from the media which simply cancels out the validity of any ideas, questionable evidence which goes unanswered, or clues anyone might discover as contradictory to the final verdict created by the powers that be. It is represented by the sign of the Ouroboros; a snake eating it's own tail, and because those who make the final decision are all powerful, no one of the lower classes has the power to correct a great injustice or set it right by calling the criminals to justice. Thus it continues from generation to generation and the monster only grows larger and more uncontrollable,� Billy said.

�What is your goal, Master Billy?� Bill Devers asked.

�To live in harmony with my family and protect them from the forces of evil on this planet. I plan no aggression nor will I launch a political platform. We will live in a manner of comfort and grace which will not be denied and gather unto ourselves those who choose to live a better life,� Billy said. �That being said, are there any questions you might have for me other than politics or religion?� Billy asked graciously.  
   
�How did you manage to make an assault on the alien base from here in Texas and drop them critters on the plaza in Balboa Park in San Diego?� Jim Hawkins asked. Jim was the youngest of Bryan's NSA men and the other was Scott Stevens who was only a little older than Jim. Of the four men, Billy felt sure Jim Hawkins was the most taken in by Billy's world than the other three. Billy could tell there were many conflicting ideals crashing into each other in his brain like a billiard marathon.

�Do you men remember them small silver orbs what was filmed by passengers on a transcontinental flight from the US to Paris, France over the Atlantic Ocean a couple of months ago?� he asked.

�Yeah, several were spectacular, but the very best video was filmed by a young French crippled boy. Wait! It's all coming together. Shortly afterward, the crop-circle of you and your horse made by an enormous golden orb showed up in England. The video by the French boy went viral on the Net and later I could swear I saw him play the piano on one of your Barnyard Concerts. His name was Rene' something. I can't remember. Was that you and your men? How could you get inside something that small?� Jim asked free associating pulling memories together.

�Yes, it was us. The boy's name is Rene' Ondine, and his uncle, aunt, and their family live on a ranch near Kerrville, Texas. They brought him to me, and I healed him and his cousin. Our gates not only take us from place to place, they can also make us smaller or larger like we did this afternoon showing you our monorail and model of our city. If you men will follow us into the great hall we will show you a video of our raid on an ancient tomb beneath Mount Ararat where Yahweh or Jehovah imprisoned the Fallen-Angels who challenged his methods and authority over the native peoples on Earth. He became afraid his artificially created intelligent meat-machines would one day grow to be more moral than him and make demands he wasn't ready to concede. He forced them into stasis thousands of years ago,� Billy explained.

Billy led them into the great hall. When everyone was seated, he ordered the showing of the video and it began in holographic mode which almost put the audience into the picture. It was a thrilling and moving piece of video and Billy's military audience was more impressed than ever. If nothing they witnessed so far moved them enough or prompted them to ask themselves important questions, Billy felt pretty confident the 'tomb raiders' video, as he called it, would, at least carve his initials on their hearts. Live videos have a way of finding cracks in the damn of any stoic skeptic and with a little luck and a soup�on of compassion might break open the fissures to allow the waters of truth to run free. Billy was convinced, metaphors were a mighty tool.
 
They were particularly moved at the end, when, Wilbur, the handsome young warrior, took a heavy iron shaft through his chest and shoulder. You could hear the gasps and cries from their guests and several of Billy's family who never saw the video before. They wanted to know if Wilbur made it back and did he recover? Billy assured them he healed Wilbur, and he was fine. Wilbur would be getting off work soon, and he and his husband would be joining them for supper. Billy urged them to ask him themselves.

�What is the disposition of the Angels you rescued, Master Billy?� the Colonel asked.

�We kept a few. We have their leader, Metatron, and a couple more living with us; I'll introduce them at supper; however, almost six hundred of them were sent to either Retikki Prime in the Orion nebula or Fort Adam Lear in the Andromeda galaxy for updating and refurbishing. Those who wish to return to Earth will be joining us within the next couple of weeks. We already got facilities underway to house them. They've been following our progress on direct video transmission to those worlds, and they're anxious to return and join us,� Billy replied.     
 
It was getting late in the afternoon and many of Billy's family were getting off work and retiring to the village for some refreshment. There was no alcohol allowed on the ship. Billy wasn't a prude, he just didn't think it belonged in his world. He saw how easily alcohol could ruin a man's life and tear a family apart. Besides, it kills brain-cells and Billy concluded some folks just didn't have many extra to spare. He figured he needed every brain-cell he could muster if he was going to make a success of his joint venture with the other concerned worlds in the universe.

Billy showed them the exercise room where the work-out machines and weights were kept. It seemed like most of his Warrior-Angels, Watcher-Protector escorts, and the squad of Essengurda-warriors with Commander Hunk were there naked as the day they were born. Billy made clothing optional in the gym, and they took him at his word. Of everything Billy showed the military men that afternoon, he was amused they were most impressed by Billy's warriors. While they were there, the giants, with Wilbur and Marcus came down to the gym and they, too, were au naturel except for Wilbur and four of Billy's Angel-Warriors and one Watcher-Protector escort who wore their master's slave harness.

�Your slaves have slaves, Master Billy?� the Colonel asked with a big grin.

�I didn't approve of the idea at first, but they were so persuasive they won me over. What would you have done, Colonel Hank!� Billy asked.

�The same damn thing you did. I think we're talk'n psychology here and not social placement per se. I ain't no expert, but I done me a lot of reading on the subject. I read Tyndall Wildleek's works on unusual social orders. If you peal away the layers, and get to the heart of the matter, there ain't no stronger bond,� the Colonel replied.

�Them's my exact thoughts on the matter, sir; I just never stopped long enough to paint a word-pitcher with them ideas,� Billy said, winked at the mature Marine Officer and blushed. The young cowboy shook his head and thought to himself how in the world could a masculine hunk of a warrior like the Colonel live without a big set of cock and balls swinging from his legs, enjoying feeling his sexual junk hanging proudly as he stepped-out and marched to the 'Stars and Stripes Forever?' Behind the hormone raising level of sexual appeal the Colonel possessed for Billy, the big jar-head warrior was a no-nonsense, but compassionate, home-grown intelligent hunk of human flesh. Billy swore to himself, if he never did another thing for anyone, any where in the universe, he was determined Colonel Hank Halfablap's cock and balls would be one major wrong he would gladly right, and he pledged to himself he would suck that old warrior's new penis until Hank blew smoke out his ears, his eyes popped out of their sockets, his head caved in, and young Billy Daniels, the Cowboy-Angel what restored his manhood, won the rodeo. Billy forgot and left his channel open and several of his men fell over each other with guffaws of laughter.

�What are they laughing about?� the Colonel asked.

�They're laughing at me, Colonel. I left my channel open in my immature brain, and they heard my obscene thoughts about you what were downright dirty, bordering on unforgivably filthy, but wonderfully sublime at the same time; the yin and yang of a perverted adolescent mental fantasy what never matured when I grew up. I promise, before you leave this ranch, I will reveal them words to you, sir,� Billy raised his right hand and swore.

Billy was surprised to find several of his Cowboy-Angels working-out in the gym and the air was strong with the sweet scent of male testosterone. Billy gathered Nick and Boomer's ear and spoke quietly, �Remind me -- or one of you ask Aunt Helen to have a crew make sure the center wall is strong and knock out the unnecessary part to expand the gym into that room on the other side. It will double the space. Also have her order extra machines, weights, and floor to ceiling mirrors for the far wall to match the mirrors in this room,� Billy said.

* * * * * * *
Billy lead his posse and his visiting military team out of the castle into the village where the vendors were just beginning to close, but the square was still filled with people. Many came to greet Billy, his posse, and his guests. Captain Cloog was there wearing his full silver-grey armor with his broadsword by his side. It suddenly occurred to Billy he had not yet rewarded Cloog for his heroism nor refurbished him. He certainly wasn't ready to let go of him and told Nick to remind him to do the deed the next chance they got during the coming weekend. Cloog was a notably handsome older warrior, but as small as he was, he exuded a commanding air about him which demanded respect, and the military men were sincerely impressed.

Leon, the Lion-man; Pan, the Panther-man, and Raza the Dragon-man were in the plaza and Billy took pride in introducing them. His guest were more than a little impressed. The Sun Bears got word, and they came flying in and circled the men yelling 'welcome' and 'hello.' Billy introduced them to the men, and they were greatly taken by the beautiful little creatures. They were bright and still learning to use their high-pitched voices. Finally, Archie and Edith, Billy's Psyches flew into the village square and came to bow before their master. They were beautiful, graceful creatures and they stole the hearts of Billy's guests.

�Come to me, my children,� Billy said, and they smothered him with their love, �I call them my children because I have a deep need to love and protect them. They have returned my love and trust a hundred fold. They are not children. They are the last of a wonderful race who once were remarkably advanced with great societies, and they built beautiful cities,� Billy lamented. �We have the parasitic reptilians and the gray insectoid race to blame for their almost total destruction.

Hank and Buck closed down their western store-warehouse for the evening and walked into the square. They were joined by Jurgen Ironmonger and Sylvian Aspidistra, and Jurgen's daughter. Billy hailed them. He introduced Hank and Buck as two of his oldest friends. He found them on Retikki Prime. They were abducted by the green lizard men in the early 1960's from a huge ranch in West Texas and were rescued by Watcher-Warriors from Retikki Prime. They were taken there and lived on that world for over sixty years until he came along and brought them back to Earth with him to become his slaves, his surrogate granddads, cowboy brothers, advisers, and general handymen. Billy made no bones about his love for the two men.

Billy introduced Jurgen, Sylvian, and Jurgen's daughter Felicity, and told the men about Jurgen and Sylvian's work. He pointed to his huge, heavy-duty buckaroo boots and credited Mr. Ironmonger with creating them. Billy sincerely raved they were the best, most comfortable damn pair of boots he ever wore. While they stood in the square chatting, Jurgen slipped his daughter the keys to his shop. �Be a dear, Felix, and gather the large box on my workbench for me. Your tired old dad would appreciate it, Darling,� Jurgen said and Felicity rolled her eyes like he was full-of-it.

�Considering the contents, it would be my great pleasure, my Lord,� Felicity said facetiously, bowed to her dad, and was away to the shop.

�She is growing into a beautiful young woman, Master Ironmonger,� Billy complimented Jurgen.

�She's not my little girl anymore, Master Billy. Why can't they stay little girls forever?� Jurgen rhetorically lamented.

�We all been there, sir, and I couldn't agree with you more,� the Colonel sympathized with the large, buffed dwarf. Jurgen's arms were bigger around than several of the military men's thighs.

Felicity returned quickly carrying a large box. She took a quick look at her dad, and he nodded his approval. The beautiful young women walked to Billy and handed him the box. �We hope you enjoy this present, Master Billy. We were so impressed by your rescue of those children, my dad worked twenty-four hours with little to eat and no sleep to make them for you. My godfather stayed with him and worked by his side the whole time. I worked in the kitchen to keep them fed and to made coffee to keep them awake,� Felicity said.

�I don't know what to say, Sister Felix. I'm stunned. What is it? Another pair of boots?� Billy asked.

�Open it, Sire. You're in for a surprise and an unusual treat,� Felicity urged Billy.

Billy laid the box on a stone ledge surrounding the fountain and pool in the center of the town square and removed the top. He took one look and doubled over with nervous laughter. �Oh, my God, and Hosanna in the highest! This has got to be one of the most wonderful and certainly the most original gifts I ever received, and I know exactly where the material to make them came from!� Billy exclaimed removing one of the handsome dark green buckaroo boots with lighter green scales which made a strikingly handsome contrast.*

Billy proudly held it up for all to see. I've always secretly wanted a pair of Lizard boots and these are spectacular. Would you look at these boots, Gentlemen? Colonel? How in the world did you do it, Master Ironmonger?� Billy asked as he sat down and kicked off his other pair Jurgen made for him and slipped on one of the lizard boots. It fit him perfectly. He slipped the other one on, and they felt every bit as comfortable as his other pair of Jurgen's boots. He stood and stomped around in them as any good cowboy would do to get the feel of his new foot-saddles. �Excellent!� he hissed like the wicked industrialist Monty Burns. �These boots got Mr. Burns animal vests beat!� Billy exclaimed. Few knew the reference but some of the kids did and laughed with him.*

�I take the blame for gathering the materials, Master,� Balthazar spoke up, �I know you told me to load six of the Lizard men. Master Ironmonger and Master Aspidistra were on my ship and suggested if we loaded a couple more Lizards they could skin them and tan their hides to make you a nice pair of Lizard skin cowboy boots. They would be the most unique pair of boots in the universe for an equally unique master to wear. I thought the idea was so off-beat and unusual you might appreciate the irony,� Balthazar added and continued, �I'm glad Masters Jurgen and Sylvian were on my ship. One of the largest of the Lizard men revived, and was struggling to get up. Fortunately for us, he was on the bottom of the pile. Master Ironmonger quickly drew his sword and with one swift movement cut his head off. The boots you're wearing came from his body. Masters Ironmonger and Aspidistra may ride 'shogun' with me anytime. They have become my personal heroes, sir. Needless to say, there was an abundance of Lizard blood all over the deck of our ship, but after we returned, your platoon of Angel-Warriors and their Watcher-Protector escorts were kind enough to offer assistance. They showed us how to remove the stench. They taught Master Ironmonger and Master Aspidistra how to deodorize them before they began to work with their hides,� Balthazar said.

�What a great story! There is nothing to forgive. With someone of your intelligence, sensitivity, and dedication, I have no problem if you take a couple of small liberties. You thought outside the box, and I'm a convert to the idea. Living with ma' little brother taught me the benefits of creative applications. If I wanted to keep up with him and survive, I realized I must adapt,� Billy said and everyone laughed. �Them's pretty large creatures. You men must have a lot of Lizard leather,� Billy said.

�One mature Lizard will make three pairs of boots. We only skinned the one and destroyed the parts we didn't use by feeding them to the anti-matter generators. The other was deodorized and hermetically sealed in one of those deep space coffins we got from the hangar bay. His body can stay that way for years in case you might need another pair,� Jurgen said and grinned.

�You mean you have another alien body here,� Bryan Isobel asked, his voice rising in pitch in relation to his enthusiasm.

�Hell, we got lots of alien bodies in our underground spread,� Billy shot back and laughed.

�You know what I mean!� Bryan raised his voice.

�Easy, Son, he's just joking with ya.' We're on his turf. It's a cowboy's prerogative to make a joke to keep things in perspective,� the Colonel said.

�I'm sorry, Bryan, it was too tempting. I couldn't let that pitch get away. It had 'home-run' written all over it,� Billy apologized and grinned.

�I done heard me some rumors about them Lizard critters, but I ain't never seen me one. Damnation! Fuck me in the butt! You men got me talking like a damn cowboy! It'll take me weeks to git my tongue straightened out!� Bryan exclaimed and laughed, �Could we take a look, Master Billy?� he asked.

�I don't know. Master Ironmonger's done closed down his shop for the day; but, if'n you's to asked him right nice-like using yore' fine cowboy-speak, he jes' might let 'chu,� Billy replied and got everyone laughing.

�Could we'uns please take a peak at that thar' Lizard critter in yore' shop, Master Ironmonger? We'd shore' nuff' appreciate it a right-goodly bunch, Sir,� Bryan said shoveling a pile.

�You got a good scald on 'nat one, Master Bryan! If that don't do it, nothing will!� Billy exclaimed and laughed.

�Of course you can, Son. It takes a while to learn Master Billy's ways, and adjust to his sense of humor. Once you do, you couldn't ask for a better friend, but you always wanna' watch where you step,� Jurgen said, grinned, motioned for the men to follow him, and took them to his shop.

They walked to the back of the shop and the heavy glass container was sitting on four sawhorses about waist high. Jurgen turned on the lights and two bright spotlights aimed right at the coffin. The military men crowded around to get a good look. �Damn, he's an ugly sum'bitch,� the Colonel allowed.

�He's ugly enough, but he ain't as big or scary as I thought they might be,� Commander Winston Pauli said.

�Don't let his size fool you, Commander,� Jurgen said, �They're fast and lethal. You can't see his teeth, but they're sharp and jagged. He could chew your arm off at the shoulder with one bite. They clamp onto you with the strength of a crocodile and move their heads from side to side to rip, saw, and tear your flesh away from the bone then pull it from your body. They eat bones and all,� Jurgen added.   

�Jesus, it's enough to give me the willies for a month to know they're real and out there in ships free to abduct our people, our children, and use them as a food source. It ain't only scary as Hell, it's downright disgusting,� Bryan Isobel said, �Thanks, Master Ironmonger, I've seen enough,� he said and walked away.

When they got outside, Bryan apologized to Billy, �I'll be honest with you, sir, while I was impressed with the video broadcast from Houston of them aliens, I thought it was probably a clever hoax. In our job we seen it all, and unfortunately we become jaded and blas� with every new referral we get to investigate a so-called unusual situation. You, your ranch, and your family are a welcome, refreshing change, and certainly a hard reality challenge. After coming to your underground castle, I remembered seeing those exact cells in the dungeon in your castle while watching the video and chills ran up my back. At that moment, I knew your video couldn't have been faked. What we observed on the surface was enough to grab the average man by his balls and squeeze them hard. Never in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine what we've seen here today. I can't even fathom how, in the name of some unknown god, you got an obviously ancient castle underground. Thanks for letting us come to see for ourselves.

"I think I'm coming to grips with what you're trying to do. While I reserve the right to remain a skeptic, for all your cowboy bullshit, you have won me over even if you can't do anything for my little girl. I wish you and your family well in your endeavors. It would be my greatest joy to follow your progress, and watch you succeed with your plans to change the world. As dumb as I think I am sometime, I'm acutely aware we need a drastic change in our world for the betterment of the middle class and the poor. I wish you good weather and strong winds to sail your ship through the sometimes turbulent seas of life until you find a peaceful harbor. I only hope on your journey you can learn the secrets of navigation to change the winds of history. Thank you, Master Billy,� Bryan said sincerely.

�You're welcome, Bryan. No disrespect intended, but I never would have expected such a well thought-out comment from a man what works for the federal government. I'm afraid my expectations were not high. Like your disingenuous impersonators who took the lizard men away, I was looking for a more cold, rigid, business like, dark glasses, high-sidewall flat-top, inch wide four-in-hand, button-down, asshole. You, your men, and the Colonel were a refreshing surprise. You have given me a new perspective about dealing with government representatives. My hope is we can find level ground and somehow balance a friendship between us. I'm sure we will, but before we whip out our cocks and ejaculate on each other, reach for your phone, it's about to ring,� Billy said and grinned.

Sure enough, Bryan's phone rang. He talked with his wife, Mindy, while Billy coached him what to tell her. They decided to open the gate in the garage since they converted it into a bad weather playroom for his kids. He instructed her to put her cell phone on 'speaker' leave it on the table in the middle of the playroom, move back to the entry into the garage, and holler when she was there. Mindy followed his instruction, Randy opened a gate, and Bryan, Billy, and Randy walked through the gate into the Isobel's garage.

Mindy couldn't believe her eyes. She was stunned, but her kids didn't care. They saw Bossman Randy and their idol, Master Billy Daniels. They pushed their mother aside to run to Randy and Billy to greet them. Mindy was holding tiny Sherry who was pasty white, and her skin looked like layers of damp toilet paper. She had an adorable smile on her little face to see her two heroes standing in the middle of her playroom. Tears of joy ran down her cheeks as she held our her arms for Master Billy to take her. Mindy looked puzzled and a bit frightened. Bryan went to her, took the baby, and handed her to Billy. Little Sherry was in heaven in her hero's arms. She threw her small arms around his neck and gave Billy a kiss on his cheek. Then she relaxed and smiled the sweetest smile. �I'm ready, Master Billy,� she said. She let Billy know she would follow him anywhere.

�Come, Mindy, we have to walk through the gate. It's a portal to Master Billy's ranch. I'll explain everything when we get there,� Bryan said. Randy, Bryan Junior, and Bryan's two other girls, Francis, and Terry, disappeared through the gate and Billy followed them carrying little Sherry. �Come, my love, it tickles a little around your hairline like static electricity after you use your hairdryer,� Bryan encouraged his wife. Mindy didn't say anything, took Bryan's hand, closed her eyes, and followed him through the gate.

On the other side, the ladies of the Daniels family were there to greet them and take them under their wings. Little Sherry caught sight of Boomer and started squirming in Billy's arms to get to him. He almost dropped her, but Boomer's massive hands caught her, took her, and brought her to his breast. Mindy got a look of horror on her face and looked at Bryan. �It's all right, Sweetheart, Mr. Daniels explained the milk from them giants is the most nourishing in the universe and Sherry needs to drink some to relax her and sustain her for what's to come. I'm convinced these people know what they're doing, or I wouldn't entrust our daughter to them,� Bryan explained. Mindy watched her daughter sucking at the monster's teat for all she was worth, and she heard a low rumbling sound coming from the great beast which sounded like he was singing to her child. It had a strange effect. It was as soothing for the mother as it was for her baby, and Mindy found her fears melting away. She intuitively sensed this was the right place for her baby. She decided it sure as Hell beat sterile waiting rooms at the hospitals.

Billy and Randy no sooner returned when Bill Devers was ready to gather his family and bring them to the ranch. Bubba, Ernie, and Jack arrived. Kate contacted them and told Bubba, Billy needed all the Cowboy-Angels he could get for several difficult healings that evening. Bubba volunteered for him and Brute to accompany Billy, Randy, and Bill Devers to his home. Bill's wife Dorothy was not as apprehensive as Bryan's wife. She watched every Barnyard Concert with her kids and many more than once. She recognized Randy, Billy, Bubba, and Brute. She had no problem handing little Danny Devers over to the awesome watcher. Brute took the small boy into his arms, offered him his teat, and Danny didn't hesitate. The Devers family didn't express any fear or apprehension about stepping through the gate. Dorothy and her three daughters loved the idea of the adventure and were much more receptive.

The word got around the larger community of the Daniels family, Billy was doing some pretty heavy healing and needed the maximum power he could muster. The Cowboy-Angels came from every corner of the county. The Breedloves including Pete and Leon; the Tates; Perry Reed and Mick Flynn; Tom McMartin; Enoch and Moss; Nathan and Tron; Tree and Tank; Hank and Buck; and even Pierre Ondine came through a gate to help. They brought along their watchers as well. Billy discovered he could use the giant watchers as capacitors to filter and hold the gathered healing energy so Billy could more evenly disburse the flow and little was wasted. It also made the healings go much faster. Grover was already fledged in his resplendent colorful wings and became the hit of the evening. Every child insisted on touching his wings. Grover didn't mind. He loved kids and enjoyed the attention.

Billy apologized to his guests they wouldn't start any healings until after supper. He made it a rule never to work on an empty stomach. He tried it once, and it took too much out of him. The young children were there for supper. Several of their parents were contacted and arrangements were being made to return them to their families, but after an evening and a day on the ranch and in the caverns, they were less anxious to leave. The military men didn't have any problems making adjustments to their plans. They didn't have any pressing engagements or family to consider. Several called their wives to tell them they were hung up on a mission, and they wouldn't be home until the following day or evening. Actually, they were enjoying themselves being a part of the greater Daniels experience if only for a while.

There were so many of Billy's Cowboy-Angels, which included the Gumbo-Angels, the Fallen-Angels, household Angels, Warrior-Angels, and gathered Angels, there wasn't room for observers. The ladies took the mothers and children into the great hall where the huge holo-vid screen was and Aunt Helen had her crack team of halflings doing their thing to capture the important scenes from the dungeon. The audience could get a better view of everything without standing on tiptoes to catch a glimpse.

The men removed their upper clothing and cowboy hats, disappeared, but quickly returned fully fledged in their resplendent wings. There were gasps from the viewing audience. �I never expected so many,� said Mindy Isobel, �and Master Billy is an Angel, too. Is he their leader?� she asked.

�Yes, my grandson is their leader,� Kate Daniels replied proudly.

Billy started with the little boy because he thought Danny Devers might require more time than Sherry Isobel. After he, Oatie, and Bubba tasted his blood, they agreed they were stumped what was wrong with the boy. His blood revealed symptoms of several diseases, and the combination was slowly killing him. It was obvious to them, the boy had little time left. Billy got an idea and asked Metatron if he would help diagnose the boy. The big blue Angel graciously agreed and tasted a drop of the boy's blood, �Environmental poisoning, Master Billy. It's the only answer for this many symptoms,� he said.

�Radiation?� Billy asked.

�Yes, low levels of radon. Not strong enough to effect the older children and adults because they can come and go to get away from it for a while and their bodies shake it off, but this boy stays at home most of the time and has experienced too much exposure,� Metatron explained.     

�Mr. Devers, did you and your family move into a new house since Danny was born?� Billy asked.

�Yes, sir, about six months before he was born, four years ago,� Bill Devers replied.

�Was it a brand new house, just recently built, sir?� Billy asked.

�Yes, sir. We were the first owners. It's a tract house, one of them McMansions, in a middle-class suburb of Houston,� Mr. Devers confirmed.

�Did you have it inspected by an outside lab for hazardous materials?� Billy asked.

�No, sir, it never came up. We didn't know we had to. It was brand new. We trusted the builders and sellers. Nobody lived there before us. No one said anything about having the place inspected. It never came up,� he said.

�Your son is suffering from a continued exposure to Radon gas which is radioactive and it's creating the deadly symptoms in him. The good news is, we can flush his system to get most of the radon out of his small body to give him a damn good fighting chance to overcome his lowered immunity systems to help fight-off the opportunistic diseases. The bad news is, Danny can't go home with you, and he must have repeated treatments from me and my posse here every month for the first year, every three months for the second year, and every six months for two years after.

�Where would the radioactive gas come from, Master Billy?� Bill asked.

"Is there a basement?" Billy asked.

"Yes, sir, a huge basement where we keep the kids' play stuff," Bill replied.

�Any number of possibilities and combinations might be responsible. Radon occurs naturally in the soil in certain parts of the country. We'd have to do some research. It could be in the cement what went into building the foundations. Your house could be built on a landfill into which some unscrupulous corporate bastards illegally dumped their toxic waste to keep from paying for safe disposal. I suggest you and your family do some research. Make it a family project. You can talk with our attorneys to get some ideas and maybe we can help in some small way. Just remember you ain't alone, but you should formulate a plan to either rid yourself of the radon or the property.

�In the meantime, let us work on Danny, and I don't want him eating any food for a forty-eight hour period except Watcher milk,� Billy said firmly.

�There is a God!� Danny shouted and got a big laugh out of everyone including his worried parents.

The Colonel was standing right behind Billy, and he thought the old warrior would bust a gut laughing. �Do you affect everyone this way, Son?� he asked quietly. The way the Colonel said it, and the inflection in his voice brought strong images and memories flooding into Billy's brain. It was like a voice from the grave; a moment of deja vu. Billy heard that voice before. It sent cold chills up his spine like a rabbit ran over his grave and caused him to shiver for a moment.

�Apparently, so, Colonel,� Billy replied trying to sound honest and get himself together.

The band of Angels worked on Danny a little over an hour. When they were through, he complained of being 'hungry as an old bear.'

�That's a good sign, Cowboy,� Billy said, �If you weren't hungry, I'd be worried,� he added

When his dad came to gather him, Danny wanted Bubba's Brute instead. Poor Bill Devers got a neglected look and looked over to Bubba and Brute. �Do you mind, Master Brute?� Bill asked quietly like he didn't want to impose on the huge beast.

�Never an imposition for one so precious, Master Devers,� Brute said in his deep voice, �Bubba Kirkendall is my master, sir. I'm his slave. Call me Brute, sir,� Brute said respectfully and let Danny climb into his huge arms. The small boy made a bee-line for the great beast's teat and started to drink while making obscene noises like adults might while experiencing a particularly erotic sexual experience. Everyone laughed, but Brute. He put one huge paw behind the boy's back and cradled his head with his other paw to hold him near his teat. Danny did the rest and once again, Brute began to sing to the boy.

They took little Sherry next, and the men could tell she was looking forward to being the center of attention. She was wrapped in a down-comforter and had a small sheet covering her front. Billy took Sherry from her dad, Bryan, and gently lowered her onto the leather covered table. She was looking up bright eyed at the larger-than-life Angels, and she got the sweetest smile on her face.

�Most kids only get one Angel. How lucky am I?� she asked and melted every heart in the room.

�It's because you're so pretty, Sherry Baby,� Billy replied.

�My daddy told me he would never trust a cowboy, Master Billy,� she said, and everyone around the table laughed. Poor Bryan rolled his eyes, grimaced, and ground his back molars together so hard the men could hear him. They only laughed harder. �I told him he never met a cowboy like Master Billy who can ride a horse and play beautiful music. I told him I didn't believe him, and I planned to marry a cowboy just like you one day, sir,� she added.

�That'll teach him, won't it, Sweetheart?� Billy asked and laughed.

Sherry was a brave little girl and didn't cry when Billy pricked her finger to gather several drops of blood to share with his medical posse. They decided Sherry's problem wasn't because her kidneys were weak or slowly failing. It was because of a genetic anomaly they could easily fix, but modern medicine couldn't. This time he shared with Metatron as well and the great ex-overlord of Jehovah's rebellious Angels confirmed the younger men's diagnosis. Billy asked Metatron to place his huge hands on his shoulders and link with his mind. The mighty angel did as his young master asked and entered his mind. Billy began to explore Sherry's small body and found the source of the culprit. << If we change the DNA here, will it correct the rest like an automatic reaction? >> Billy asked Metatron.  

<< If you correct this one, the rest will follow almost immediately, but overnight for sure. You need to keep her here tonight, and if she has a much lower count tomorrow, send her home with her family. She shouldn't have any more problems, but I very much approve of your temporary dietary restriction for Danny and think if you demand the same for this child, it would better assure the success of your adjustment, >> Metatron sent back.

Billy made the adjustment, gave Sherry a light refurbishment over her body, and enhanced her mental capabilities by raising her IQ to somewhere near 250. He did the same for Danny Devers. It didn't take him and his posse thirty minutes to mend Sherry. Billy made an announcement to everyone, �We made a major genetic correction in Sherry which was interfering with her natural body functions. She must stay the night. We need to check her genetic count in the morning. If it's as low as we expect, she can go home tomorrow, but I want her to have only watcher milk for forty-eight hours. We will send you home with a couple of gallons. After forty-eight hours, her system should be functioning normally, and she will never have to be bothered again by the anomaly. She will live a normal life,� Billy said.

Applause went up from the gathered Angels, and the crowd in the auditorium went crazy. Mindy Isobel was crying inconsolably she was so thrilled.

�Would you mind helping me with the veterans, Metatron?� Billy asked.

�Master Billy, do I have to remind you I agreed to become your slave? My only wish is to serve you and become a contributing member of your family. After living with you for sometime, I couldn't imagine a greater reward for having done the right thing by my fellow Angels; although, I think several still carry some animosity for me. I admit my mistake. I was blind until the very end. By that time, it was too late to make amends. I'm hoping their resentment will dissipate with time,� he said.

�Why have I not used your powers before now, Great Angel?� Billy asked.

�Lack of trust. Fear and apprehension. Unsure of an unknown quantity. I knew it would take me sometime to win you over and convince you I mean no harm. It's easier for me being your slave. There is nothing exceptional expected of me, and I was allowed time to contemplate the four retros; relax, recall, remember, and reflect. The work I'm assigned has been therapeutic and healing in itself. I've thoroughly enjoyed my part in helping to bring your new city into being. My time will come when I will be invited to take my place by your side as one of your major supporters and protectors. Only then will I be redeemed. Only then will I be fulfilled, Sire,� Metatron replied.

�Then, my Good Slave, starting now, you will see to your master and help him with the disabled veterans,� Billy said firmly.

�It will be a great pleasure and honor, Sire. I think you will be pleased how well our combined talents will work together to make quick work of their repairs. Replacement of limbs and organs is my specialty,� Metatron said.

�Shame on you for not sharing that information with me sooner,� Billy chastised him gently and smiled.

�Humbly begging you pardon, Young Master, I did, and you rebuked me. You thought I was being arrogant, pompous, and overstating my powers,� Metatron replied.

�I never said words to that effect per se; however, I remember not responding to your offer, and you're correct those were my uninformed feeling about the matter for the moment. I won't apologize because it was an honest mistake. I didn't know as much as I do today. I didn't know you very well, and as I remember, I was unprepared for your gifts at the time. Fortunately, I've mellowed a bit since then. I hope I've used my time wisely and reevaluated some things. You're one of them. I'm glad you wanted to become my slave,� Billy said.

�No more than I am, Sire,� Metatron assured him.

Billy and his posse took a brief break for some liquid refreshment and treats. He announced he would take Commander Pauli after the break and Captain Del Miller next. �I will save the Colonel for dessert, and take him last,� Billy said and giggled like school boy. His immediate family laughed with him. �The children have been taken off to bed, so we will continue to broadcast the corrections for the Commander, and the Captain; however, we will close down the robo-cams before we correct the Colonel. If anyone has a problem with male nudity you should choose something else to occupy your time,� Billy said.

The Devers and the Isobel family were taken off to the tower to assigned apartments. Young Danny was running around and getting under foot like nothing was ever wrong with him. His family was thrilled, but they could tell he was getting tired. He needed to be put to bed. Bill and Bryan saw to their families, but they returned to the dungeon to join their comrades and watch the corrections Master Billy and his Cowboy-Angels would make on the three mature military men.

Billy's grooms helped the Commander undress and accompanied him to the table in the dungeon. They threw a warm blanket over him. The Cowboy-Angels gathered, and his artificial limbs were removed. The Commander was missing his left arm and his right leg up to his knee. Metatron stood directly behind Billy and placed his huge meaty hands on Billy's shoulders. Billy decided Metatron's beefy hands were impeding his mobility and asked Metatron to move closer until his big body connected with Billy's, moved his arms under Billy's arms, and placed his hands on Billy's ripped abs in front.  

Billy leaned back against the huge, dark-blue, white haired Angel, and sighed deeply. That's fine. It's more comfortable for me. Is it right for you, Big'un?� he asked.

�It's fine for me. Perhaps a little too fine. I'm afraid I might get an erection, Master,� Metatron admitted.

�My feelings will be hurt if you don't, Meat,� Billy replied and laughed.

�Is that my new name, Master Billy?� he asked.

�Does 'Meat' sound good to you, Slave?� Billy asked.

�Yes, I'm comfortable with it; mostly, because my master gave me the name, but it also seems to fit my person,� he replied.

�Meat it is!� Billy confirmed strongly.

Meat was right. The replacement of Commander Pauli's limbs, scar removals, and a complete refurbishment of his body to bring him back in physical time to look twenty years younger only took them about an hours and a half. The same for Captain Miller. They both broke down and cried in each other's arms as they admired themselves in the large mirror in the dungeon. They were so thrilled they had to hug and kiss Master Billy and his main staff. They were in no hurry to dress themselves and remained naked through the Colonel's time on the table.

* * * * * * *
Billy called for a thirty minute break before his final restoration for the evening. He sent the Colonel off to a private room with his halfling brothers, Polly and Cass, to help him undress and find a terry-cloth robe to fit him comfortably. Billy instructed one of them to come get him when the Colonel was ready. Polly and Cass came to know Billy so well they could almost read his mind without tickling him. They thought of themselves as his little brothers; although, they never forgot their official designation as his slaves. They also reveled in their extra added familial security by considering themselves as husbands, not only to their master, but also to Boomer, Billy's giant watcher husband. They never took a situation for granted, and asked Billy what they might share with the Colonel. To their surprise, Billy told them they could be honest with him. To Polly and Cass, that meant they could tell him anything as long as it was the truth.

When they were alone, they discussed just how much truth they thought an Earth human unfamiliar with their ways might digest before they reached sensory overload. After they discussed some of the more unusual aspects of their lives and relationships, they found a number of scenarios which they found hilariously funny and held each other laughing until tears ran down their faces; then, they laughed some more. They decided coming to Earth as Master Billy's slaves and/or little brothers was one of the best decisions of their lives. The twins were winged up to help gather the life-force energy of the universe from the ethos and were wearing their diminutive leather harnesses, Wranglers, and boots like the rest of Billy's posse. The Colonel was fascinated by them. He felt comfortable in their presence, and they responded in kind. He wanted to know how they fit into Billy's life and they held back nothing from the time they were rescued by Watcher-Warriors from Retikki Prime; after they were captured for food by the reptilians and their planet was destroyed by them, up to the present. Their unabashed honesty with the Colonel gave him an even greater picture of what their master, the young cowboy, Billy Daniels, was about. Through their stories, Billy stood out to be one of the most compassionate and considerate men Hank Halfablap ever encountered. Polly excused himself to gather his master. Cass stayed with the Colonel and entertained him with a couple more stories. Polly returned with Billy, the twins said their 'goodbyes' to the Colonel, gave him big hugs, several kisses, and left for the dungeon.

�Are you ready, Colonel?� Billy asked.

�I am, Master Billy,� the Colonel replied still sitting on the table.

�I wanted a minute to talk with you alone before we go back into the dungeon. It may take us a good while, somewhat longer than the Commander or the Captain, to repair your body and reset your physical clock back about twenty years. I will put you in a twilight sleep so you will feel no pain, but you will be aware you're with people who love and care about you. I know you were a jet fighter pilot and earned your wings, but I would like to offer you another set of wings, sir,� Billy said.

�I'm flattered beyond words, Son, but why would you make the offer to an old war-horse like me?� the Colonel asked.

�Ain't it obvious, Hank?� Billy asked quietly.

�It is, but are you sure, Son?� Hank asked in reply.

�Yeah, I'm sure. I discussed it wiff' my pa, and he assured me he seen it coming. I done went and fell in love with you. Ain't no doubt in my mind, but before you go second guessing me and my motives, hear me out. Like you, I'm happily married to Boomer, my Watcher husband. I share husband duties with my halfling brothers, but I spend the majority of my nights in the arms of my surrogate pa, Nick Samuels. They's subtle reasons behind our bondings, but it ain't complicated. I won't go into it right now, but I assure you we're a happy and comfortable family. I ain't looking for another lover or a full time sex partner; however, I do have a slot open for a Granddad, but it would have to be a man what's pretty got-damn special. Ain't no doubt about it, Hank, you're that man!� Billy said firmly.  

�Would you believe me if I told you I fell in love with you the minute I caught sight of you while we were walking up the road into the compound?� Hank asked, �Something inside me grabbed hold of my ghost cock and balls and squeeze them hard to get my attention,� he added.

�Yes, I would believe it. I saw the hunger in your eyes, but it weren't for sex; it was a deep need to belong. In your long life, you went though the motions, but you ain't never truly given yourself to nobody. H'it don't matter none if it was male or female. Sex ain't got nothing to do with it, and it's why you became a military man,� Billy said, �However, I got me a nagging feeling it's the results of some major trauma you suffered as a kid,� Billy added.
 
�You're right. I love and respect my wife. She's the mother of my children, and I will never desert her. I love my kids. They belong to me, and I will never let them down; however, I ain't never felt like I truly belong to them or anyone for that matter. It's like I can't let myself think I could belong to any one. I considered religion for a while thinking it might have the answers I need, but when I come to my senses, it left an even larger empty hole in my heart. It's like, after all these years, my soul is still searching; still looking, but I gave up with the loss of my cock and balls and never allowed myself to think about it again until today,� the Colonel said, �The more time I spend with you and your family, the more I come to realize I need what you got, Son. I ain't real sure what 'it' is, but I feel like I'm close to it when I'm with you. I keep hearing a wee small voice in my head nagging at me like a damnable mosquito in a dark room, telling me I must give myself to you. I belong to you and you belong to me. Why do you think that is, Son?� Hank asked like a little boy who was mystified by the conundrum of his life.

�For all my enhanced powers, I'm still just a brown dirt cowboy at heart, Colonel. Don't ask me a hard question like 'at if you think you're gonna' get a really deep metaphysical answer what will ring your chimes causing white doves to be released to fly up into the sky to look like confetti in the sunset and the answers to the mysteries of the universe will start falling on your shoulders like woofle-dust from a fairy godmother's wand. I'm talk'n hard realities. I'll be brazenly honest with you, Colonel Halfablap � it is my firm belief we done been set up. You and me! Them ancients want us together. They want us to form a bond for the future. I don't know how or why, but you're an important piece of my puzzle, and me and my family is the missing part of your life, of which, you probably ain't even aware. When I'm around you, you respond to me just like my granddad.

Billy continued, "Your sense of cowboy humor, the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you look at me, and the way you use some of the same cowboy idioms my granddad did ain't only remarkable, it's way beyond chance. I look into your eyes and I swear on the name of some unknown god, I see the soul of my beloved granddad looking back at me. And if'n that ain't enough, you even smell like him. My granddad had a powerful aroma about him which I came to equate with security, strength, and masculinity, and even without a cock and balls, you are heavy with the same scent. I've had the gift to see folks' auras since I was a child and yours could be a double for my granddad's. What it boils down to is, I think we need each other, and I also think we belong together. Not twenty-four seven, for Christ's sake! But them powers in the universe want us to bond, and what better way than agreeing to become one of my Cowboy-Angels. For my services as your restorer, according to our bond agreement, I will take me a big-old help'n of your crotch commandos as payment. There will be no further charges. Do I have your attention, Colonel?� Billy asked and smiled.

The Colonel considered for a minute like he was pondering something important, �I wouldn't want to become one of your Cowboy-Angels unless I get the Kagoli package with it,� Hank said and grinned.

�That's a pretty special app, Colonel. I doubt you would be willing to pay the price,� Billy said.

�Your little brothers told me how the enzymes are passed. I still want the app,� Hank said and grinned. �That's how your pa got his'self a bad rap as Satan and the Devil, ain't it, Son?� he asked.

�Did my little brothers tell you that?� Billy asked.

�Naw, I done figured that one out on my own,� Hank replied.

�Damn, Colonel, you got more going on up there under that graying scalp than most men your age, and yes, my surrogate pa was also known as Lucifer, the bearer of light, reason, compassion, and knowledge. Do them words sound like the definition of a bad-ass demon to you?� Billy asked rhetorically.

�What are we talking about time-wise?� the Colonel asked.

�Anywhere from eight to twelve hours before your wings start to grow. Twelve hours to grow in and another twenty-four hours for your body and heart to fully adjust, and it learns to accommodate the extra weight and blood flow. Then, several hours to learn to jump from place to place and park your wings in a nether region we call the 'cloakroom.' Roughly two and a half days, sir. Special apps you pick up along the way,� Billy replied and smiled.

�I can get the Commander and Captain to cover for me. I fell off a horse and need to stay off my feet for a couple of days. They left me behind to recuperate. That would work. Are you sure, Son?� Hank asked again.

�I ain't never been more sure of anything in my life, Hank. You ready to seal this extra bond wiff' your grandson, Paw-paw?� Billy asked.

�None of my daughters birthed a boy. You's my only chance for a grandson. You and me, together? We'll be an unbeatable team, Billy. It's too damn good an offer to refuse. Fuck it! Let's do it, Son!� the Colonel replied, and the men shared another wet, sloppy, buckaroo lip-lock of death.
 
Billy and the Colonel walked into the dungeon arm in arm and there was a stillness from the gathered Angels which seemed like they were attending a church service. After they got to the table, someone in the rear started a slow clap of his hands and pretty soon everyone was clapping and going crazy, whistling and stomping their boots. Even the military men were cheering for the Colonel. It was like they were sending him on a long voyage and knew he would return whole again. Everyone, from Angels to audience, knew this was a special moment. The other healings were no less impressive, but there seemed to be something more special about the Colonel getting his junk back. Billy wondered if it was true, most men's brain is really in the head of their penis.

* * * * * * *
Billy helped the Colonel remove his robe. His little brothers didn't prepare Billy for what he would see. Billy was strong willed when he wanted to be. He didn't let what he saw disturb him, but several of his Angels and over half the military men, except the Commander and Captain, either sucked air or turned away in disgust. Colonel Hank Halfablap's body could only boast one scar and three stitches less than Mary Shelly's 'Frankenstein.' His right arm, where his hand was amputated, looked more like it was a piece of meat one might buy from a butcher than the work of a skilled surgeon. There wasn't enough left of his penis for him to hold and take aim at a toilet. He wore a belt padded with women's napkins because he suffered a slow drip. Like bad plumbing, as he grew older, the drip became a steady flow. He would have to change the napkins several times a day and was looking at an operation to insert a permanent catheter. The only feelings Billy could muster was deep pride and humility he was looking on the body of a heroic man, a genuine warrior, who refused to give up and admit defeat.

Hank heard the reaction of the gathered men. �Pretty bad, huh, Son?� he asked.

�What the Hell you talking about old man? I don't see nothing but the body of a heroic warrior what gave his best for something he believed in. A man I would be proud to call my Granddad,� Billy said.

�Hosanna!� yelled his Uncle Nathan with tears in his eyes.

�Hosanna, in the highest!� everyone in the dungeon replied.

�I see what I want to see, Paw-paw, and I see a fine mature warrior with a perfect body with a new hand, a new leg, and a set of tackle what would make the biggest stud run to the men's room to check themselves to see if they measure-up,� Billy said and got a couple of 'hear, hears' from Tron Garrett.

As Billy removed the Colonel's artificial leg, Oatie was taking a small syringe of blood from the Colonel's arm to have ample for the six main Cowboy-Angels to taste. Billy planned to repair the Colonel a little differently. He would take on the task of rebuilding Hank's cock and balls. Meat would replace the Colonel's leg, his hand, and any necessary connecting parts. Oatie and Nick would work on internal organs, and Bubba and Clyde would repair any scars. They would repair his heavily scared face and return him to his original state. Oatie prepared six slides with several drops of the warrior's blood to taste so Billy's team could get a good scald on his DNA.

Each stopped and tasted for a moment and let the information flow through their system. Almost like a bank of slot machines, one after the other, their eyes opened wide with surprise, eyebrows would raise, and the men would look at Billy. Since Billy took the last slide, it took him a minute longer. He suddenly got the same look on his face and looked up at his posse. Billy raised his hand and made one quick horizontal move with his open hand like he was dismissing their disturbing discovery.

�Good! Strong! Healthy blood! Nothing unusual here! Let's get to work, Gentlemen,� Billy said and they nodded in unison. Nothing else was said.

After a brief conference, Billy and his posse decided to attack the Colonel's backside first and gently rolled him over. It looked like the dark side of the Moon with only a few less scars but more craters than the front side. Billy instructed Meat to start on rebuilding Hank's right hand because bone took a bit longer to build than the more fleshy parts. Billy figured, with any luck, by the time they finished Hank's front side, Meat would have finished rebuilding his hand. A part of the Colonel's left butt cheek was missing like someone carved off a goodly portion for a side of brisket. Billy worked on Hank's ass and he added more to each than Hank's DNA called for, but Billy didn't give a shit. He wanted his new granddad to have a strong and well proportioned ass what would make Billy's tongue hard when he caught a goodly glimpse.

They worked for an hour and a half non-stop until they finished Hank's backside and were proud of their work. They did a good job, but they still had the other side to rebuild and repair. Billy called for a break to rest the Angel's wings, take a piss, or have a sip or two of some Texas Tea. Anticipation was high. Billy put Hank into a twilight sleep, covered him with a warm blanket, and let him rest for a while. Billy and his immediate posse were standing out of range of the others, and there was a pregnant silence among them.

�Interesting DNA,� Oatie said softly like it was a casual observation. No worry. Not important. Nothing to get upset about.

�Indeed,� said Nick.

�Lucy's got some 'splan'n to do,� said Bubba in his best Ricky Ricardo impersonation.

�Don't look at me. I'm as sterile as an albino bat,� Clyde said, and the other men grinned.

�Shame on you men. My master needs your support,� Meat said.  

�Thanks, Meat, for sticking up for me, but never forget, I give them the name �Cowboy-Angels� and the cowboy part is trying to make light of something what might be potentially devastating, or it could be something unbelievably too wonderful to contemplate,� Billy gently chastised his huge dark-blue Angel.  

�Meat? Is that your new name, Big Blue?� Bubba pounced on the information and the other topic was forgotten; at least, for the moment.

�Yes, my master called me that earlier, and I asked if it could be my new name. He approved it, and I will now respond to �Meat,� the former Metatron said.

�Does it for me!� Oatie exclaimed, �I've always said you were an outstanding hunk of 'meat,'� he said and smiled at the big blue angel.

�I'm down with it, Brother. Meat it is,� Bubba said to the big Angel.

�This marks a new start for you, don't it, Brother?� Clyde asked.

�Yes, a new day, and I'm happy to see the light of a new dawn,� Meat replied.

�Welcome to the family, Meat,� Clyde said, stuck out his hand and shook Meat's larger hand.

�Are you worried, Master?� Meat asked Billy.

�No, not in the least. I expected something like 'iss. Bubba had the best comment. My in-laws got some explaining to do, but I swear on the name of some unknown god, I'm gonna' out-fox them big-uns this time. I ain't gonna' say a got-damn word. I'll research the shit out of this one myself. I'll give my hound-dogs the scent and put them on the trail. They'll have an answer for me by sundown tomorrow e'nin, I guaran-damn-tee-ya,� Billy replied and grinned.

Break time was over, the wings rose into the air, the Watchers were charged, and the power began to flow. It was like they were getting twice the healing signal strength than before, and the repairs moved along swiftly. Like a great conductor, Billy managed to bring everything to one great climax, and his posse seemed to finish at the same time. Lastly, as he did with all the mature people he refurbished, Billy gave the Colonel a complete set of new teeth. After he finished the task he stood back and took a good look at the newly refurbished Colonel to admire the excellent job of rebuilding his face Bubba and Clyde accomplished. He couldn't believe his eyes, the blood rushed from his head, and he felt faint. Meat caught Billy before he fell over and gave him a good jolt of Angel juice.

"You all right, Master Billy?" Meat asked firmly and his fellow workers looked at him. Billy was white as a ghost.

"Thanks for that battery jump, Meat. I needed that. This is frick'n incredible. He looks just like my granddad Daws Butler Daniels. I couldn't see him through his scars," Billy said quietly so only his immediate posse could hear him. "You men didn't fudge?" he asked Bubba and Clyde.

"Naw, Little Brother, me and Clyde done him up just like the instruction in his DNA read. Clyde never knew yore' Paw-paw, and I barely remember him," Bubba swore.

"Spooky! Amazing!" Billy exclaimed quietly.

Billy's Uncle Nathan and Tron Garrett came up behind Billy and looked over his shoulder. "My God in heaven, he looks just like my dad. Did you plan this, Billy?" Nathan asked.

"Naw, sir! None of us did, Master Daniels," Oatie spoke up for Billy, "We noticed a strong resemblance in his DNA to Billy's when we sampled his blood, but this is way more than we expected," Oatie Breedlove said. 
 
"Damn if he don't look like your dad, Nate! They's got to be an explanation, but until you men can find an answer, let's keep him on the ship and, for Christ's sake, Billy, don't let chore' grandmother see him," Tron said firmly. Kate Daniels and the ladies from the big house left before the Cowboy-Angels started on the three military men to give them their privacy.

Billy still had a couple of procedures left to do on the old warrior who looked like a double for his granddad. Colonel Hank Halfablap was truly a new man. He was flawless. He was perfection. Billy moved to his head and began to enhance his new warrior granddad and poured his all into Hank. He took twenty years off his age and gave him the genetic buds for a set of wings. Finally, Billy tripped the switch to bring him out of his dream-like sleep. The Colonel's handsome new cock lay soft on his belly. Billy moved around until he was the only one near the man. He took Hank's fine new cock in his hand and began to run his tongue over the head and down into and around his ample foreskin. Billy made sure he gave Hank enough meat to cover the head and just a little more with a nice foreskin. He made it large enough he could easily skin it back, and tight enough to fit snugly at the base of his large helmet-headed cock.

As Billy was running his tongue around inside Hank's foreskin, Hank's new cock woke up, and began to grow. A sigh of relief came from his audience. The Colonel's cock was alive. Hank let out a groan of ecstasy. �Oh, my God, what a wonderful feeling to wake up with a new cock and having someone I love and respect welcome it to a new life. Take me, Son. You know I love you, and I know you love me. Take my first load of jar-head baby batter, your Colonel Granddad's cream, and let my seed become a part of your body to bond us to one another on our new journey together,� Hank said firmly.

It didn't take Billy long, and when the Colonel shot his load, he yelled and screamed like a mad man experiencing his first ejaculation. Hank shot so much Billy couldn't swallow it fast enough and copious amounts ran out his nose. Billy swallowed until he took most of Hank's refurbished warrior's gizz, and then lovingly lapped up the rest with his tongue from Hank's tight muscular stomach.

�Hosanna!� Colonel Hank Halfablap shouted at the top of his voice as he lovingly cradled Billy's head in his hands while the young Cowboy-Angel cleaned the last of his new surrogate granddad's come from his belly.   

�Hosanna, in the highest!� echoed the other angels and military men.

The rebuilding of a hero was accomplished. The lost was found. The crooked was made straight, and the rough places plain.


End of Chapter 87 ~ Seek Him What Made Them Seven Stars
Copyright ~ � ~ 2015 ~ 2017 ~ Waddie Greywolf ~ All Rights Reserved
Mail to: Waddie Greywolf <[email protected]>
WC = 23,860
03/18/2015
01/15/2017

 
* Inspired by the wonderful Simpson's character, Colonel Leslie �Hap� Hapablap: Voiced by late fine character actor: R. Lee Ermey (Season 7 ~ Episode 9 �Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming�)

* A goodly thanks and a shout-out to my Texas Aggie buddy.   

* See My Vest ~ Monty Burns ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsFHEK_o9U8