Old Dan 03

Zeus, Jesus, and Allah climbed the mountain. They were not unappreciative of the beauty the Appalachian's presented, but they were on a mission. When they found the old man tending his garden, Zeus was the first to speak.

"Sir," he said. "We're putting the band back together."

"And you need a bass player?" asked the old man.

Jesus grinned. Allah explained, "Exactly. Jim asked for you, specifically." Zeus rumbled a chuckle deep in his barrel chest. "Bugger won't touch his Gibson unless you're in. Are you?"

The old man turned to the breathtakingly beautiful Valkyrie who was tending the garden next to him, "Dear, do you mind if I go jam with the guys? I'll only be an eternity or two…"

"As long as you remember that you need to mow the lawn as soon as you get back," she answered.

"Weather permitting," said the old man.

"I'll have a word with your son," she said with a grin. "If he allows it to rain before you can get rid of these weeds, I will spank him."

"I believe he will accept that challenge, Dear," said the old man. "I need my favorite axe…"

"Third hallway, twentieth closet, seventh shelf?" The old man's wife asked as if the question was already moot.

"You know this house better than I do," the old man chuckled.

"I'm the only one that cleans it," she muttered under her breath. "Go on, have fun. Invite the boys over for a bar-be-que after you're done."

"As long as it's beef," Jesus said.

Allah smiled. "We have dietary restrictions," he explained.

"The pig will be happy," Zeus joked. Everyone laughed.

The old man brandished the Fender bass the diminutive Valkyrie handed to him, "Let's have some fun," he said…

Dan L. Hollifield is the Senior Editor and Publisher of Aphelion Webzine. Best known for his Mare Inebrium spaceport bar shared universe and his Adventures Of Tom Darby stories, he is also a music composer, artist, and raconteur. E-mail: Dan L. Hollifield Website: Dan L. Hollifield's Website

Find more by Dan L. Hollifield in the Author Index.

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