Maximum Ride Unofficial Community2024-03-29T11:29:20ZSupersourhttp://flockforum.ning.com/profile/TRShttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3143586142?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://flockforum.ning.com/forum/topic/listForContributor?user=0fej5apiza4s4&feed=yes&xn_auth=noBack up your MDW posts!tag:flockforum.ning.com,2013-01-14:2971573:Topic:1203342013-01-14T01:58:28.453ZSupersourhttp://flockforum.ning.com/profile/TRS
<p><a href="http://jamespattersonya.com/page/homepage-1" target="_blank">http://jamespattersonya.com/page/homepage-1</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>"Alert: In early January, [Max-Dan-Wiz] will migrate over to a new and improved James Patterson Young Adult Books hub. Stay tuned for updates!"</p>
<p></p>
<p>I haven't been able to get a guarantee from the Mods that the forum will/won't be deleted. If you have any posts that are precious to you, you should find them and back them up now.</p>
<p><a href="http://jamespattersonya.com/page/homepage-1" target="_blank">http://jamespattersonya.com/page/homepage-1</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>"Alert: In early January, [Max-Dan-Wiz] will migrate over to a new and improved James Patterson Young Adult Books hub. Stay tuned for updates!"</p>
<p></p>
<p>I haven't been able to get a guarantee from the Mods that the forum will/won't be deleted. If you have any posts that are precious to you, you should find them and back them up now.</p> Video/Audio Meetup? ROUND TWO! WE'RE OVERDUE!tag:flockforum.ning.com,2012-12-04:2971573:Topic:1200582012-12-04T17:04:29.508ZSupersourhttp://flockforum.ning.com/profile/TRS
<p>This was brought up on the other thread some time ago, and I figured that it would be a fun idea to give the topic a kick and its own thread name. So:</p>
<p></p>
<p>Which date/time?<br></br>(How about a month, for starters? The link below is old and no good)<br></br><br></br><br></br></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: line-through;"><a href="http://www.doodle.com/abh5y89dt5fer926" id="participationLink" name="participationLink">http://www.doodle.com/abh5y89dt5fer926…</a></span></p>
<p></p>
<p>This was brought up on the other thread some time ago, and I figured that it would be a fun idea to give the topic a kick and its own thread name. So:</p>
<p></p>
<p>Which date/time?<br/>(How about a month, for starters? The link below is old and no good)<br/><br/><br/></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: line-through;"><a id="participationLink" name="participationLink" href="http://www.doodle.com/abh5y89dt5fer926">http://www.doodle.com/abh5y89dt5fer926</a></span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Preferred conference system?</span> --Tinychat!</p> American Government sues Hachette and otherstag:flockforum.ning.com,2012-04-11:2971573:Topic:1183592012-04-11T16:41:33.472ZSupersourhttp://flockforum.ning.com/profile/TRS
<p><a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/11/technology/apple-doj-ebooks/index.htm?hpt=hp_t1">http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/11/technology/apple-doj-ebooks/index.htm?hpt=hp_t1</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>If you weren't quite sure that Hachette was a bunch of money-hungry (insert swear word of your choice here), this settles it. Apparently they and a few others (HarperCollins, Penguin, and two others) ganged up with Apple and Amazon in an attempt to fix prices for e-books.</p>
<p>In the United States, we…</p>
<p><a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/11/technology/apple-doj-ebooks/index.htm?hpt=hp_t1">http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/11/technology/apple-doj-ebooks/index.htm?hpt=hp_t1</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>If you weren't quite sure that Hachette was a bunch of money-hungry (insert swear word of your choice here), this settles it. Apparently they and a few others (HarperCollins, Penguin, and two others) ganged up with Apple and Amazon in an attempt to fix prices for e-books.</p>
<p>In the United States, we have an Antitrust policy, which is designed people from doing just that, because we know, economically, if one group controls the entire market for a resource, then it becomes a monopoly and they can squeeze buyers for every penny they own. The government claims that they squeezed tens of millions of redundant dollars out of buyers already.</p>
<p></p>
<p>So yeah, your tax money at work.</p> Site Appearancetag:flockforum.ning.com,2012-03-08:2971573:Topic:1183052012-03-08T12:36:38.388ZSupersourhttp://flockforum.ning.com/profile/TRS
<p>Hey, I got bored and almost changed the site's appearance just to play with stuff... I stopped myself in time to remind my stupid self that I don't lurk here often and I may destroy your minds when you all happen to log on.</p>
<p>So, is there any facelifts you would like, or shall I put my hands somewhere sensible and leave the site alone?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Z.</p>
<p>Hey, I got bored and almost changed the site's appearance just to play with stuff... I stopped myself in time to remind my stupid self that I don't lurk here often and I may destroy your minds when you all happen to log on.</p>
<p>So, is there any facelifts you would like, or shall I put my hands somewhere sensible and leave the site alone?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Z.</p> Recipes a-go-go!tag:flockforum.ning.com,2011-12-14:2971573:Topic:1168842011-12-14T20:01:20.059ZSupersourhttp://flockforum.ning.com/profile/TRS
<p>Omega asked for recipes that used lots of eggs, because apparently she has a shitload. Here they are. Also, post <em>your</em> recipes for tasty shit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Grammy's Fancy Egg Scramble</em></p>
<p>1 cup diced ham</p>
<p>3 TBSP butter/margarine</p>
<p>1/4 cup chopped onion</p>
<p>12 eggs</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cook ham and onion in butter until onion is tender. Add 12 eggs, beaten, and scramble until just set.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Make the cheese sauce [essentially a white sauce with cheese…</p>
<p>Omega asked for recipes that used lots of eggs, because apparently she has a shitload. Here they are. Also, post <em>your</em> recipes for tasty shit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Grammy's Fancy Egg Scramble</em></p>
<p>1 cup diced ham</p>
<p>3 TBSP butter/margarine</p>
<p>1/4 cup chopped onion</p>
<p>12 eggs</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cook ham and onion in butter until onion is tender. Add 12 eggs, beaten, and scramble until just set.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Make the cheese sauce [essentially a white sauce with cheese in]:</p>
<p>2 TBSP butter</p>
<p>2 TBSP flour</p>
<p>1/2 tsp salt</p>
<p>1/2 tsp pepper</p>
<p>2 cups milk</p>
<p>1 cup grated cheese (we use cheddar)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Melt butter over medium heat, whisk in flour. Stir in milk until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese until fully melted. Season with salt & pepper.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You will also need:</p>
<p>one 3 oz can of mushrooms,</p>
<p>4 tsp butter/margarine, and</p>
<p>2 1/4 cups soft bread crumbs</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fold together egg mixture, mushrooms, and cheese sauce into a 9 in by 13 in pan. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mix together melted butter and bread crumbs; sprinkle over egg mixture.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chill 30 minutes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 - 60 minutes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Serves a holy fuckload.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>< hr></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Cheesy O'Brien Egg Scramble</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>14 oz hash browns (we use frozen O'Brien brand)</p>
<p>1/4 tsp garlic salt</p>
<p>1/8 tsp pepper</p>
<p>1/2 of a 10 3/4 oz can of condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted</p>
<p>1/2 pound sliced bacon</p>
<p>6 eggs, lightly beaten</p>
<p>1 TBSP butter</p>
<p>1 cup shredded cheese (we use cheddar)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Prepare hash browns in a large skillet. Sprinkle with garlic salt + pepper. Transfer to a greased 1 quart casserole dish and top with the soup.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cook bacon, crumble. Set aside about a quarter cup. Sprinkle remaining over the soup.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Scramble eggs in butter until nearly set; spoon over bacon. Sprinkle with cheese and the rest of the bacon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(Refrigerate if needed.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 20 - 25 minutes (30 if refrigerated) or until cheese is melted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Serves six hungry bastards.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>< hr></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Basic omelet</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eggs</p>
<p>Butter</p>
<p>Cheese</p>
<p>Cubed ham</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Butter a small skillet and put over medium heat.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Crack eggs into a bowl and beat until uniform color or your pan is ready.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pour eggs into skillet, cook until just set. Add cheese, ham, or whatever the hell you think would taste good.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cook until slightly brown on the bottom, fold, slide onto plate. Top with salsa, Tabasco, whatever.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Serves however the fuck many. Two eggs will make a large omelet for one person.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>< hr></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Crepes fuck yeah</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>2 eggs</p>
<p>1/2 cup water</p>
<p>1 tsp almond extract</p>
<p>2 1/2 tsp sugar</p>
<p>3/4 cup milk</p>
<p>3 TBSP melted butter</p>
<p>2 TBSP Frangelico liqueur</p>
<p>1 cup flour</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Combine everything in a blender and pulse for 10 seconds, or whisk until blended.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Refrigerate 1 hour.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Preheat small skillet on medium heat.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pour some batter into skillet and swirl to coat. Cook until light brown. Top with whipped cream, preserves, pretty much whatever.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is a one-person serving.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>< hr></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Motherfuckin Kringles</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>1 pound butter</p>
<p>10 TBSP sour cream</p>
<p>1 pound flour (about 4 cups)</p>
<p>3 egg yolks</p>
<p>sugar as needed</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Work flour and butter together with hands. Add sour cream and mix well. Chill for several hours (up to about three days).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Divide dough into thirds. Roll thin -- about 1/8 inch. Spread with egg yolk and sprinkle generously with sugar.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cut into 1/3-inch-wide strips about a foot long. Form into loops, pretzel style. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in 350 degree F oven for 10 - 12 minutes until slightly pinkish -- they should not be browned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Better when allowed to age, but good luck keeping people off of them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Makes about a billion goddamn cookies. More than a hundred if you pretzel-fy them, fewer if you cut them into shapes or whatever.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>< hr></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now tell me how to make some tasty food!</p> Eyes Closed.tag:flockforum.ning.com,2011-12-12:2971573:Topic:1170752011-12-12T23:15:20.694ZSupersourhttp://flockforum.ning.com/profile/TRS
<p>Original credit goes to Random on MX. Correct me if this already exists, I failed to find it.</p>
<p>So, basically you type things with your eyes closed (Anything) and, see how you do.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ex. Hello I am Mia and ireally hops this aorks. I am ar the libraru amnd joping I don't look too weird to the people around me.,</p>
<p>((Hello I am Mia and I really hope this works. I am at the library and hoping I don't look too weird *That was perfect* to the people around me.))</p>
<p>Original credit goes to Random on MX. Correct me if this already exists, I failed to find it.</p>
<p>So, basically you type things with your eyes closed (Anything) and, see how you do.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ex. Hello I am Mia and ireally hops this aorks. I am ar the libraru amnd joping I don't look too weird to the people around me.,</p>
<p>((Hello I am Mia and I really hope this works. I am at the library and hoping I don't look too weird *That was perfect* to the people around me.))</p> What if...tag:flockforum.ning.com,2011-12-12:2971573:Topic:1170362011-12-12T04:00:39.828ZSupersourhttp://flockforum.ning.com/profile/TRS
<p>It's occurred to me that we've managed to get a number of Antis back on to MDW, covertly, in one way or another, and the mods seem to be...generally gone.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Is there any chance in hell that we can get everyone, and I mean <em>everyone</em>, back on MDW for one loud, final, chaotic mess right before, during, or immediately after the release of <em>Nevermore</em>?</p>
<p></p>
<p>I mean, if Patterson is going to sink the series, I can't think of a better send off than to get…</p>
<p>It's occurred to me that we've managed to get a number of Antis back on to MDW, covertly, in one way or another, and the mods seem to be...generally gone.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Is there any chance in hell that we can get everyone, and I mean <em>everyone</em>, back on MDW for one loud, final, chaotic mess right before, during, or immediately after the release of <em>Nevermore</em>?</p>
<p></p>
<p>I mean, if Patterson is going to sink the series, I can't think of a better send off than to get everyone back together and turn the site into one loud, giant headache to the squees and mods--a final going-away present from us oldies to everyone left.</p> Fake Crowley's Confessiontag:flockforum.ning.com,2011-11-05:2971573:Topic:1137312011-11-05T16:22:35.785ZSupersourhttp://flockforum.ning.com/profile/TRS
<p>So, I've got, like, ten friends right now. Ten friends.</p>
<p><br></br>Two years ago, I was friends with only one of them, and that was because we grew up together.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My ten friends are all girls, primarily due to the fact that I can't stand guys. (I'll go into that some other time.) They're all smart. They're all nerds. They're all extremely nice people who are willing to disagree with eachother, their parents, and everyone else about politics, forming their own opinions based on…</p>
<p>So, I've got, like, ten friends right now. Ten friends.</p>
<p><br/>Two years ago, I was friends with only one of them, and that was because we grew up together.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My ten friends are all girls, primarily due to the fact that I can't stand guys. (I'll go into that some other time.) They're all smart. They're all nerds. They're all extremely nice people who are willing to disagree with eachother, their parents, and everyone else about politics, forming their own opinions based on new knowledge and completely willing to change their mind on something if a differing opinion makes sense.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They're a diverse, clever, and downright eccentric group of people. One of them is a math prodigy who's literally at the genius level and modest as all hell (And not very self confident, which is fine, but perhaps her main drawback). Another is recognized as one of the top six writers in the state. One of them is an extremely pro-gay, pro-environment, pro-women's rights science geek (She's also Catholic, which just goes to show that the world <em>doesn't</em> revolve around clich<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">é</span>s) who is much more well informed about politics than I am. One has lead a state-wide community service project and talked to internationally renowned community service dudes, and worked in third world countries over the summer to boot.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The rest of them are not recognized on any national or state wide level, but are, again, nerdy, intelligent, and downright awesome. My aforementioned childhood friend is a recently out-of-the-closet lesbian and a damn good writer, and two of the remaining five are hilartious as all hell.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(And no, I was not exaggerating or lying about <em>any</em> of that. All of it is true.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>During homecoming, we went as a group to dinner, then to the dance. There I took vaguely sketch pictures with all of them (Somewhere, on the internet, there is a picture of Fake Crowley pole dancing, lounging on a couch, licking a lollipop suggestively and other such things. My gift to you, llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllladies) before finally going home, having had the time of my life.</p>
<p><br/>In short: I have awesome friends.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And my confession?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm <em>happy.</em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p>I'm honest to god <em>happy.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>My life is great. I've conquered my depression. I have friends who I frankly don't deserve. I've dealt with all my demons. I no longer hate myself or feel self-pity. I found a great college I want to get into that I probably will. I have a good relationship with my parents. I'm upper middle class. I feel good about myself. My only issue is that I'm a bit guilty for not giving more time and money to charity, but you know what? I can fix that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And it's all thanks to you guys. You put up with me. You helped me deal with all the shit I had to go through, all the whining and bitching I did about minor struggles I faced that were nothing in comparison to your own. You guys helped me make it through sophmore and junior year without hurting myself, and even though I acted immaturely more than once, you remained my friends and helped me get through it all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So thank you. Honestly, truly, thank you. I feel a bit embarrassed to say that I owe my current happiness to the internet, but it's true.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There's literally nothing I feel I can do that would be enough to repay you. I owe you all my life, my current well being--I was seriously considering hurting myself a year or two ago, and you helped me pull through.</p>
<p><br/>And I don't know how to end this, but...you're all wonderful, and brilliant, and kind, so I hope everything works out for you lot like it did for me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thanks for everything.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~Crowley.</p> Help a Writer. Reveal the Secrets of High School Prom.tag:flockforum.ning.com,2011-10-09:2971573:Topic:1113192011-10-09T00:51:17.666ZSupersourhttp://flockforum.ning.com/profile/TRS
<p>*puppy dog eyes*</p>
<p>I need some help from anyone who wants to tell me about your high school formal dance for a short story I want to write for publication, if I could find a magazine to purchase it. (It is a very short story. It will have about 1400 words.).</p>
<p>Even though I am planning on having the story take place in the USA, I would like to hear what prom planning is like from other countries.I'll have a foreign student as a supporting character. She will be living in the US…</p>
<p>*puppy dog eyes*</p>
<p>I need some help from anyone who wants to tell me about your high school formal dance for a short story I want to write for publication, if I could find a magazine to purchase it. (It is a very short story. It will have about 1400 words.).</p>
<p>Even though I am planning on having the story take place in the USA, I would like to hear what prom planning is like from other countries.I'll have a foreign student as a supporting character. She will be living in the US with her family due to her father's job.</p>
<p><strong>Open the Doors to the Secret World of High School Proms ...</strong><em> </em></p>
<p><em>Just answer the questions.</em></p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> What grade-levels in high school may attend the spring formal dance (prom)? Is a tenth-grader likely to attend a prom?</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> Does the "student council" (the governing body of elected student leaders) plan the prom and put up the decorations?</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: line-through;"><strong>3.</strong> Is the cost of attendance so expensive that a significant portion of students can't attend.</span></p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> How affordable is it to attend the prom?</p>
<p><strong>4</strong>. Do students attend "stag" (without a date) if they don't ask someone to go to the prom? Is is typical for the boy to ask a girl to the prom?</p>
<p><strong>5.</strong> For this question, try to answer with a thought to the general population rather than your own quirky yet loveable point of view: is going to the prom a significant event for females? For males?</p>
<p><em><strong>Now I get down to the key question that is a cliche based on my perceptions from high school in the 1980s. It is also a theme in the grotesque plot I am attempting to mash up.</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>6.</strong> If a shy type of guy promises to go to prom with one girl and later wishes that he could go to the prom with someone else, would it be considered "bad taste" to tell Girl One that he doesn't want to go to prom with her, even is she has done nothing to offend him?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you can think of anything else I should know about the "prom," please let me know.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-1" style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">I've been absent for how many months now, and I return only because I want something from you?</span> <em><span style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="color: #ff0000;">What a jerk!</span></span></em></span></p> Snippetstag:flockforum.ning.com,2011-10-01:2971573:Topic:1106312011-10-01T04:10:05.442ZSupersourhttp://flockforum.ning.com/profile/TRS
<p>I'm spring cleaning, mainly because I simply have too much shit, and came across a few snippets that I'll now write down here. I can't toss them out, because I might actually like them, but I'm NOT putting them on my hard drive, because then I'll actually write them. They're unbeta-ed and unproofed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>--</p>
<p> </p>
<p>First up we have Traveler: Traveller is a part of the Angels AU verse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anna called the child Faith.</p>
<p>There was nothing unusual about…</p>
<p>I'm spring cleaning, mainly because I simply have too much shit, and came across a few snippets that I'll now write down here. I can't toss them out, because I might actually like them, but I'm NOT putting them on my hard drive, because then I'll actually write them. They're unbeta-ed and unproofed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>--</p>
<p> </p>
<p>First up we have Traveler: Traveller is a part of the Angels AU verse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anna called the child Faith.</p>
<p>There was nothing unusual about Faith's birth. She entered the world just before midday on the 16th, an entirely unremarkable date, and a less remarkable time. She was of average weight and length for a newborn, and was not an exceptionally good looking, nor ugly baby. In fact, the only thing that could be remarked upon at all was the head of fine, downy blonde hair she had, almost the exact shade as her mother's, who the child otherwise did not much resemble.</p>
<p>Faith was not a fussy child, and slept through the night from an early age, but was not spectacularly well behaved (like most children), and had the disconcerting habit of crying when given to her mother's sisters to hold.</p>
<p>She was lucky in life, fed well and cared for religiously by her mother and legion of aunts. At least, this was so for the first two-years-and-a-half of her life, until her mother bled out in her bed and was followed into death in short order by the newborn boy she'd struggled to deliver. Still, she was fed and cared for by the Mulligan clan, for they took care of their own, and so she grew up with her cousins.</p>
<p>Of these events, of course, I did not know until much, much later.</p>
<p>The small blonde baby grew into a fine boned, blonde toddler, who presented to a colleague of mine with an abnormal rash on her back, centered on her shoulderblades, as well as a worrying squint. Dr. Townsend, knowing of my history with Anna Mulligan, and suspecting (as I did not yet) the child's parentage, passed the case on to me.</p>
<p>Faith Mulligan was four years old, a little ahead of her peers in height and weight, and strides ahead in intelligence, for her eyes keenly looked around the room, and she read aloud the words of the hand-drawn posters that littered my walls. Her vocabulary, it is to be said, was certainly Mulligan-ish in origin, and was not limited to, but certainly included the word, persistently, "why". The woman accompanying the girl, who I then presumed was the girl's mother wore a long suffering and resigned expression that spoke volumes as to this being the usual state of affairs.</p>
<p>The girl's heart rate and blood pressure were as expected, but the next tests of sight and hearing suggested her acuities were off the charts. But it was the examination of the rash on the child's back that proved to be the real surprise, for this was something that I had seen before. Something I'd seen thousands of miles away, the same thing, on the backs of ever one of my sister's children.</p>
<p>At this, I began, too, to suspect.</p>
<p>I delicately enquired after the child's paternity, and the woman explained that her sister was the child's mother, and that no one was aware of the identity of the father. I raised an eyebrow, for this was not a common state of affairs among the many Mulligans. The woman shrugged. "Our Annie took tha' thar wee truth to 'er grave, might she res' in peace."</p>
<p>"Ah." I said, struck almost speechless. As it turned out, I did not need to say anything more, for the aunt was a smart woman, and something extremely interesting had to be going on for a small child's rash to be referred through another doctor.</p>
<p>"Chile be yers then?" The woman enquired.</p>
<p>"I..." and here I paused. Thoughts whirled through my mind. "I believe she may be, yes."</p>
<p>"Oh?" The woman prodded for more information. It, no doubt, would be all over town by sunset.</p>
<p>"I've seen this... condition before... or something similar," I had to hastily add. I did not want this to be true. "My sister's children. They have something like this. Hereditary it is..." I did not elaborate. After all, it was not an easy state of affairs to explain to anyone, let alone a Mulligan, that the child was growing out her wings, without it being all over town.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>