Jack_C probably go read the book of songs.

Jack_C and give Little Wing running commentary as I do.

Dionysus Thrush is, by far, the greatest song writer you've ever read.

Jack_C I point this out to LW as well.

Dionysus His stories all tend to be about fighting evil, but some are funny songs, some are light hearted, some are even a little dirty. At least one is about a faerie girl who sings magically, another is about the betrayal of the Messiah of Light by a former Runner, & many are about the scions.

Jack_C if he weren't already working on his masterpiece song, he's go some ideas for a new "album" to come from this.

• Jack_C comments to LW that there's as much narative as music in this.

Dionysus Little Wing comments back appropriately, when he understands.

Jack_C so how much can I piece together about Thrush from the narative parts?

Dionysus The Scion named Crane tended to negotiate peace between people & bring people over to the side of the Runners, more than fight. Thrush collected songs & wrote them. Apparently, this book is his second. His first is of the songs he collected, songs that others wrote at the time.

Jack_C <Somethin' for us to keep our eye out for.>

Dionysus Thrush was also apparently one of the Runners, fighting the Champions of Terror. He was known as Runner 363 during his time. The last few songs in the book were written, apparently, shortly before his death. He had four children at the time, each one also named Thrush (a tradition each of his siblings followed). But this book seems to indicate that he was the first one.

Jack_C <I wonder if there are any Thrush's alive today...>

Jack_C <Little Wing...I'm going to try somethin' I've never tried before. Want to help?>

Dionysus <Sure, papa.>

Jack_C <I'm goin' to...I'm not even sure I have the right words for it. I'm'a try to mesh music, prayer, meditation, and communion.>

Dionysus <Communion?>

Jack_C <Kinda like when I first met you, only more intense.>

Jack_C <I'm goin' to try to meet Thrush.>

Dionysus <So we're praying to Thrush?>

Jack_C <No...still prayin' to the mother of music, but askin' her to sort of...help us bridge the gap.>

Dionysus <Okay. Just tell me what to sing, papa.>

Jack_C I look for a song that seems to be primarily about thrush and maybe even from his point of view, something indicating something deeply personal.

Dionysus You can find one about him seeing a girl he liked being enslaved, & his attempts to save her (which fail).

Jack_C we'll go with that.

Dionysus So tell me exactly how Jack views what he's about to attempt, because you're awfully close to stumbling onto to two very potent tricks, for lack of a better word.

Jack_C I don't know any other way to describe it other than how he did, but basically, he's focussing all his being into the music and hoping to turn the music into a prayer, a meditation, so that he can commune with Thrush.

Jack_C since he's not me, he doesn't know to describe it as accessing his unconscious race memory.

Jack_C I bet I've got a karma that's applicable if it'll help.

Dionysus Go ahead & look for one.

Dionysus I'm considering how well this fits.

Jack_C this is very much about his relationship with music.

Jack_C I'll use that one.

Dionysus All right, give me a moment. I'm deliberating a point about this with myself.

Jack_C sure.

Dionysus You feel something, briefly, but you don't get a connection. You feel... like you can hear him, a little bit. You also feel very attuned to the song you chose.

Dionysus You also feel like there's something more you could do, if you could just put your finger on it.

Dionysus With the song you're singing, like if you could just... let it go, give it up to him, it might help.

Jack_C I invision myself and Little Wing on stage with him, and mentally go through the motions that I go through actually on stage when I step back and let someone else take center stage,

Jack_C like Avery, Arsul, or Arlie.

Dionysus Interesting.

Dionysus Roll again

Jack_C the same rolls?

Jack_C or just faith? or something else?

Dionysus Same rolls, unless you don't play this time

Jack_C not my best work.

Dionysus You didn't play again?

Jack_C that's not giving it up to him. I'm bobbing my head in rythm though, as I would on stage, counting off until I jump in again.

Jack_C but he's got it right now.

Dionysus The image breaks & you fail to break through.

Dionysus But you realize you were almost on to something

• Jack_C blinks out.

Jack_C <I nearly had it! I nearly had it!>

• Jack_C takes a deep breath. <I'll chat with Arsul and Arlie and see if they have any insight before I try again.>

Dionysus <I felt something, too! Like a song reaching out to us!>

Jack_C <Yeah! I think we're on the case.>

Dionysus <How wonderful.>

Jack_C <Let's go to the inn and wait for the others. I got somethin' I wanna do at tonight's gig.>

Jack_C <And I'd like you to sing with us when we do.>