IT'S ONLY A STORY CONT...

(Please refer back for previous episodes)
CONT...
"I," began Yorgos, and that was enough to trigger the ego, "I am Yorgos, shepherd," he hesitated. "I am here... no... I was here... I am there... no... I was there... I am everywhere... er... that is... I am not FROM... I AM".

"Oh dear," sighed Zod. "We appear to have scooped up a floater. (Floater was the term that Zod gave to the demised whose soul was floating in the universe as part of 'The One'). They are not usually in dream time, and they certainly don't carry around the baggage of a body.

Yorgos began to fade a little.
"Well his light is none too bright," said Ay. (Not that he had any room to talk).
"Make a log, Ay. Captain's Log, Dream date 2046. Note the time he came aboard."
"Time," interrupted Yorgos attempting to twist his floating arm to see the face of his watch.
And that is when Zod noticed the unique design of a genuine 'Goldstime' creation. Not showing his utter joy at the sight he stepped forward and twisting his head to an almost upside down position, he managed to read the time. The watch showed one second to 13 and it had stopped. Zod was bursting with the passion of overwhelming delight. He wanted to jump over the Eiffle Tower, he wanted to bathe in the hot springs of Iceland, he wanted to hug Yorgos (but of course he couldn't as Yorgos was in pieces, all over the place, beside himself and... fading fast).

"YORGOS, THOU SHALT NOT LEAVE,"commanded Zod in such a loud, authoritative way that even Ay stood to attention. He seemed to get through to Yorgos, who froze momentarily like some instantly paralysed octopus. Zod couldn't contain himself. "The man is in extra time," he bellowed. I have found my first second Ay. Don't loose him Ay". There was a slight panic in Zod's voice. He ran to the controls pushing Ay to one side. He slammed a few instructions into the computer and a force field began to build around Yorgos. Zod hoped to contain whatever part of Yorgos he had captured until he could rationalize what to do next. How could he use this sheep dreamer who had obviously entered 'extra time', to help him in his quest to discover the whereabouts of Goldstime's dream-bubble?

"It's the freezer for him Ay." bellowed the Dreamcatcher. "Down the temperature, that should keep him rigid".

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Maisie had always enjoyed the company of the shepherds. They were uncomplicated beings who drank themselves silly, ate lots of tasty titbits (usually those bits of sheep and goats that the shops didn't sell) and had a great urge to leap on any woman they saw, fat, thin, pretty, ugly, young or old. And, if there urges were not satisfied by the time they went back to their flock... well there were always sheep.

Anyway, Maisie went to see Yorgos (real-time man). It was partly out of friendship and partly out of curiosity because the talk in the village was such that she did not know exactly what to believe so wanted to see the situation for herself. She didn't have to knock on the door, it was already open with crowds of people milling around the bed as though poor Yorgos was a corpse in his coffin. She pushed her way through and reached his side. His eyes were closed but they seemed to be rolling around in their sockets as though he were in some exciting dream. As for the rest of his body, it was as still as stone, and alarmingly, quite cold to the touch. She sat on the bed and took hold of his hand. Yorgos' mother, who had always respected Maisie and who had always believed that, being English, Maisie would have pills and potions that were much better than the Vlahassi ones, made way to let her sit down. But what could Maisie do but sit and look, just like the others. She stayed for a cup of coffee and a biscuit and then went home. It did not bother Maisie that the village was now talking about her. She was genuinely concerned and, as a friend hoped that she could trigger some memory so she visited his bedside again the next morning.

Papa Dimitris also visited Yorgos, as did Dr Kurakis and Yorgos' mother paid constant attention to him; she washed him, combed his hair and did her best to trickle soup into his mouth from a teaspoon.

Apart from the Yorgos household the rest of the village carried on, in its sheep consumed way, as usual.

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Zod had to do something drastic. 'I'm going to land," he announced. "Set a course for Vlahassi Ay, we are taking this chap home."

"I... is that w...wise?" stammered Ay. "T...time's about f...face you know'.

"SIR," boomed Zod, "I am in command here, gird yee thy loins and be yee not afraid. Our quest is most urgent and uncommon deed must surely be our highway".

Ay set a course for earth. He pinpointed Vlahassi and headed the ship straight towards it.

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