Over a hundred degrees. Man, I had the day off. I didn't need this shit. I also didn't have to deal with it.

I made two sandwiches, grabbed the antipasto salad I'd bought yesterday, a couple of six packs of root beer, a couple of bottles of water, some dry cat food, a can of herring, and threw 'em in the cooler. I put the cooler on the front seat of the car, called my cat; who went into the car quite willingly, and was off to the marina; with the air conditioner going full blast.

My blue eyed, jet black feline beauty just curled up in the front seat. He enjoyed trips by car, and often stood on his hind legs looking out the side window; but I guess he didn't feel like it to-day. His name was Tachyon, and I guess the heat got to 'im, and even the air conditioner in the car didn't snap him out of it.

I parked the car, opened the door for Tachyon; and he came out of the car. He knew the routine. He'd follow me like a dog, without a leash. He was better than a dog, though. He never ran off. Cats are like that when you have a close relationship with them. Tachyon wasn't my first cat, and he probably wouldn't be my last. Gods, I miss the other five cats I had in my life to this day. All of them walked with me.
I'd go around the block, or a couple of blocks away, and they'd go with me as long as I didn't stray too far from their territory. They'd all been indoor-outdoor. My house had a little kitty-door.

I opened the trunk, slung the cooler on my shoulder, and went to where I had my little eighteen foot sloop docked. I was at the end of the pier, so I had easy docking and departure. It seemed twenty degrees cooler here than at home. This was nice. It wasn't very windy, so it would be a mellow little outting, but I didn't care.

Tachyon seemed to enjoy the boat trips. I'd harness him, and tether him to a thin rope that went from bow to poop to keep him from going overboard. The threat of that hasn't happened yet. I'd untether him when we went below. He was a big cat. Not fat, but around 22 pounds. Tall and lean. I wondered if he was all houscat, or had some exotic wild blood in him. He sure as hell was intelligent. I swear he could understand English as well as me. . .when he wanted to, of course.

I put the cooler below, and got Tachyon's harness off the nail on the wall. He usually didn't fight me, but to-day he wouldn't here of me putting it on him. He growled, hissed, and after a few scratches and one hell of a nasty bite, I gave up. If he went overboard, I guess I'd have to go after him; but that was an unlikely occurence, based on past experience.

I untied the boat, and pulled her out with the motor I only used for docking and departure. I planned on staying on the bay for about three or four hours. Tachyon would let me know when he was hungry or thirsty.

I looked north, and would go that way. I didn't feel like going east. Land in that direction was only about six miles away. When I was a half mile away from the pier, I hoisted my sails. I planned to go north for about ten miles, anchor in the shallows, have lunch with a hopefully hungry cat, and then come home again.

Or so I'd planned. Instead, I only made it about 7 miles, and ended up anchoring in the shade of the bridge that took traffic across the bay. There was a bit of noise from the vehicles, but oh well. It wasn't too bad. It was kinda like white noise.

The water wasn't very deep here. It didn't even go down 20 feet. I watched the suns reflection, and pulled a sandwhich and root beer from the cooler. I had ice in the cooler, as well.

This sandwich was egg salad. I made the best tasting egg salad I ever had, I thought. Hey! You can't go wrong with German dill pickles, celery, green onions, red bell pepper, chopped Spanish olives with pimientos and capers. I piled it on thick on a Dutch crunch roll with lettuce and tomatoe slices. A real Dagwood.

Tachyon wasn't interested in consuming anything at the moment. If he'd been hungry or thirsty, he would have come up to me and extended a paw to reach for my food. We had a pretty good two-way communication system going. I recognised some of his meows as meaning this or that, and then there was the body language.

After lunch, I found I was feeling a bit lazy and tired. I wouldn't have minded going to sleep for a while.

Hey! I had the day off. Sailing home near sunset was nice, anyway. Why not? I set my watch alarm for 7:30 P.M.. If Tachyon wanted anything, he'd wake me up. He always did. He was my ruler. My liege. The love of my life. Sure a hell of a lot cheaper and easier to deal with than any of the girlfriends I had. Prettier, too. My little black panther.

*****

I woke up without the alarm. I also couldn't believe what I saw. Fog so thick I could barely see the end of my nose. I didn't dare do anything in this pea soup of immediate atmospheric conditions. It was also cold, and I was dressed for hot. T-shirt, cut-offs, tube socks and tennis shoes. I went carefully below deck to make myself a cup of tea. What I saw, about gave me a heart attack.

On my bunk, was a cat. A big cat. Like maybe a hundred eighty pounder, or something. He looked at me calmly with the Siamese blue colour eyes my Tachyon had. Same ebony fur, too.

He didn't threaten me. He just lay there, and blinked a couple of times. He didn't make a sound.

I scowled. Was this for real, or was I dreaming?

It couldn't be real. It must have been one hell of a vivid dream though, since I sure felt awake. . .or had I gone insane?

I slowly approached the not so little black panther. He rolled over on his back in a 'rub my tummy' pose. Tachyon did that. I approached, and actually did caress his abdomen very gently. He gave a contented sound that was sort of like a growl, but not quite. "Are you Tachyon?"

I heard a 'voice' that said, 'I prefer Percy, but I suppose you may continue calling me Tachyon for the time being.'

"Did you just say you prefer Percy?"

'Hell no. Cats can't talk. I sent you my thoughts just like you sent me yours when you wanted me to do this or that. Percy is my real name, and has been for time out of time. I just couldn't get that through your dense head in the past.'

I'd never been so happy to be so insulted. I pressed myself against him. "This is real? I'm in telepathic communication with my cat, who used to be a housecat, and is now a leopard."

'I'm NOBODY'S cat. You're just one of my temporary servants. Or maybe permanent, if all works out.'

"Huh?"

'Shane Duffy, remember the saying that dogs have owners and cats have staff?'

"This all is actually happening? I'm having a conversation with a leopard that used to be my. . .I mean the housecat I used to be a slave to?"

'Yes. Please go back on deck.'

"I can't see anything up there."

'Just shut up and do as I say.' Percy curled his upper lip, baring a pretty impressive fang. Who was I to argue. I did as instructed.

It was still foggy, but now I had a bit of visibility. It was dark now. Like night, but when I was on deck a few moments ago it looked like it was still daylight. There was a light in the distance.

Percy had followed me up. 'Pull up the anchor.'

"This isn't where I parked the boat, dude." I looked up and around me. "What happened to the bridge?"

'You'll find out soon enough. I'll let one of my other servants tell you, after we get to where we're going.'

"OK." I pulled up the anchor, not wishing to be rebuked by the rather intimidating shapeshifter who I erroneously thought was my cat in the past.

The minute I had everything secured, the sloop started toward the light. I soon saw it was coming from an island. I knew I had no control of what was happening. Was I scared?

No. Not really. Intrigued, was more like it. This was just too surreal to be anything else but intriguing. 'Don't try to steer the boat,' Percy warned.

"Are you guiding this vessel?"

'Hell no. I'm just a run o' the mill puddytat.'

Sure. And I was Superman. "But you know who is, I assume."

'I do, but you're vaguely familiar with his name; you overeducated inconvenience, so I won't tell you.'

"Inconvenience? Me? He who spoiled you rotten, an inconvenience? Me, who fed you shrimp, lobster, crab, fish steaks, organic cream and the highest quality cat food there is? Me, who set aside a hour a day to play with you?"

'Well, you're not inconvenient; but currently your education is. It's too good in some respects, and not good enough in others.'

"And what does that mean?"

'You didn't study enough mythology. You know the name, but you don't know what he's really about; so if I told you, you might just freak. You were too practical in your college education.'

I chuckled. "It got me the salary to afford you, dude." My curiosity was now quite aroused.

Percy rubbed against me, not quite hard enough to knock me over. I sat down, to make sure I wouldn't go over the side of the boat; which was travelling hell 'o fast right now. That island was getting bigger. It also couldn't exist in the bay that I'd launched my boat in. There were no islands here. I embraced the leopard who snuggled next to me.

'I appreciate the way you treated me. You treated me even better than the last mortal I stayed with,' sent Percy to me. 'Don't touch anything. The boat will go into the berth waiting for her. Just tie her up after she's in place.'

"Will do. Can you please tell me if I'm dreaming? I mean, this can't be happening. Housecats do not turn into leopards, I've never seen a leopard with blue eyes, leopards don't communicate with people by sending them thoughts in English, and boats don't dock themselves. Also, what happened to the hot day, and the bridge I was under, and we don't get summer fog as thick as it was. We don't even get winter fog that thick. Have I been drugged or something?"

I could swear that cat smiled. 'You'll find out soon enough. My eyes are generally copper coloured. The illusion of blue is for your benefit. It's never been my real colour. Look toward the bow.'

Man, the island was half a mile away, and approaching fast. If I hit anything at the speed we were going, this boat was going to be shattered into a million pieces. Now I was contemplating allowing myself to be scared shitless, but decided better of it. I didn't have a spare set of clothes on board. "Oh god." When I looked at Percy again, his eyes were no longer blue; but a gorgeous shade of golden brown with a touch of orange. He looked no less striking, but I didn't comment on it, because it was the least of my concerns right now.

'No worries. Just go with the flow.'

As if I had a choice. "I like your selection of words, dude. Provided I'm not hallucinating that you're transmitting telepathic messages to me."

'The whole experience is as real as that egg salad sandwich you had before going to sleep.'

"OK. I also hope you're not too hungry, because I don't have enough food for something of your size."

'No, I'm not. We're also almost home. My home, that is.'

"What do you eat, anyway?"

'Whoever I want.'

"Oh."

'Kidding. Got it from the company I keep. That information will come to you soon enough.'

Yeah. The boat slowed just before we got to the dock. She let herself into a vacant berth like she had a mind of her own. I tied her like Percy had told me to, and we got off. The minute I got off the pier, something landed on my shoulder. 'Hi.'

I looked at it. It had teeth, scales, and feathers. "Hi back." It was an archeopteryx. Absolutely beautiful, and extinct for how many years?

'I'm Reggie. You must be Shane.'

"Reggie, huh? Can you tell me where I am? Or how you can exist?"

'How can I not exist? I've always existed. So has everything else. You're in a. . .'

'Don't tell him yet,' sent Percy to Reggie. 'Let Donn tell him when we meet him.'

"Donn?" I asked. I recalled that name from a book I once read when I was in high school, on Irish mythology. I'd never met anyone who was called that, in person.

'This place is his. Look up ahead,' sent Percy. 'I might as well tell you now that he's guiding the boat.'

There was a castle in my view. It was a couple of miles off. I was still freezing. "Is that where we're going?"

'Hm hm,' sent Reggie.

"Can we run?" I asked.

'Or would you rather ride?' asked a strange voice in my head that I hadn't heard before.

I looked to my left. Two equines were beside me, with the zebra being closer to me. A Burchell's zebra and a quagga. Another extinct animal. "One of you wants me to get on him?" I asked.

'Sure. I'm Conner,' sent the zebra. 'Sarah here is my girlfriend. I'd rather have you on my back, being I'm a little stockier than Sarah. I can run a bit faster than you.'

I smiled. Interspecies dating. How cute. I looked at Reggie. 'Do you want to stay on my shoulder for this?'

'Oh, I suppose not. I can fly faster than any of you can run, anyway. I'll meet you at the castle,' he sent before taking off.

As soon as Reggie split, Conner went down on one knee. 'Get on, oh inexperienced rider. I'll lope, so you won't fall off. It's an easy gait, and someone who's never been on a horse should be able to keep their seat even bareback.'

I got on, and he stood up. It was a pretty smooth move. I looked at the quagga. "And how are you, Sarah?"

'Fine. Thanks for asking. We've been waiting a long time for you, Shane.'

I really wanted to know who 'we' was, but I sort of sensed these critters wouldn't tell me. "No problem. I guess I'm ready?"

'OK. We're off.' The zebra stallion took off at a comfortable gait that may have been as fast as I could sprint, or perhaps a little faster. He had better stamina and could keep it up, though. Sarah and Percy ran with him, with Percy in the lead. This cat didn't tire like he was supposed to, and when we approached the castle; a smilodon sat in the middle of the bridge over the moat.

No one reacted with fear. I got a 'Hi, Andy,' from Conner going to the sabre toothed cat.

'Hi guys. Shane! Finally. Nice to see you. It's about time.'

Conner stopped next to the cat. Percy had gone through the gates of the castle already, and was out of sight. 'You can dismount now,' sent the zebra.

"OK." I slid off easily, and held my hand in front of the smilodon's nose.

'You don't have to introduce yourself,' sent Andy. 'I already know who you are. Donn should be here any minute to tell you what happened to you.'

"Who, exactly is this Donn?"

A rather cute, chicky-looking light red haired guy in a black dress. . .I mean tunic was walking toward me. When he got to me he said, "Shane, welcome on board. You're destined to live here now."

"I hope you have a warm set of clothes for me, then. I'm not exactly dressed for this place. You're Donn?"

"Hm hm. Irish gatekeeper, wrongly deified as a death god. When you passed out under the bridge, an 8.3 quake hit. You were under a part that collapsed. Now after getting you familiar with what you are now, and your new abilities; including the one to turn off all feelings of discomfort or anything else for that matter, you can become reconsolidated with all your aspects, and join us as you were meant to do from the beginnings of your creation. . .Lugh."

Lugh! I had an instant shift in consiousness. Suddenly I knew. . .everything.

My Formorian and Tuatha origins, my dabbling with mortal life experiences, and my love of the arts and crafts. Now I was at Tech Duinn, with at least one of the greatest appreciators of my skills before me. I'd been here before, and Donn had been. . .or rather still was, a friend of mine.

I knew I belonged here, after my last taste of life as a regular mortal.