“Surprised? Yes, it’s me. To paraphrase another great emancipator: I had a dream.” He raised his arms to the sky. “A dream to which all men expired!”

Todd hissed, “This is bullshit. Dude is crazy.”

“Congratulations!” Miska cried.

“What for?”

“Finding me. They say a good man is hard to find. Considering how many people keep finding me, I must not be very good… or perhaps it’s that I make myself too conspicuous. What do you think?” He struck a heroic pose.

Ray couldn’t hold back anymore. “Oh my God,” he said. “Can you help us? We need to get out of these suits.”

“Why? Clothes make the man.”

“Seriously, sir, we’re in trouble. If you help us, we’ll do whatever we can to help you.”

“What makes you think I can help you… or you me?”

“You’re a scientist! You’re famous! You invented Agent X!”

“I had nothing to do with those ‘suits’-that’s somebody else’s workmanship. Check the deli. I hope you got a money-back guarantee.”

“They’re not ours! We only stole them so we could get away!”

“Hoist by your own petard, eh?”

“You have to help us, please.”

“Well, let me think about it. Sit down, and I’ll tell you a story. Did you know we’re standing on the site of a battle? Before the ants, I mean. This was the War between the Black and the Blue.”

“Come on, man!” In desperation, Todd said, “Help us or we’ll kill you.”

“That would be a neat trick,” Miska said. “Come now-sit, sit.”

The boys suddenly jerked into motion like meat puppets, their bodies wrenched against their will as the flesh armor moved them. Insanely strong and none too gentle, it forced them to plop down cross-legged across from Miska.

“What the fuck, man!” Todd cried, in pain. He felt like he had been wrung out like a wet sponge.

Weeping, Ray groaned, “Awesome.”

“Sorry,” Miska said, sitting down himself. “I’m still getting the hang of it.”