"Please, have a seat," Alicia says graciously to Ellie, who accepts the offer and sinks down into an armchair. Her companion remains standing, his huge dog at his side.

Doyle and I cross the living room and climb halfway up the staircase, where a wall begins that will hide us from them. They probably don't want us listening in on whatever they're talking about, but we'd like to stay aware.

Alicia begins, "Would you like something? Some water, or –"

"No thank you," Ellie interrupts. She's not one for manners or beating around the bush. "I came here to speak with you about possibly taking in another lodger."

"Of course," Alicia says, "Anything I can do to help."

Ellie clears her throat and says, "Well, before you make your decision, I have to let you know who you're allowing into your home." What is that supposed to mean?

"Oh?" Alicia says, encouraging Ellie to continue.

"We picked him up on the highway just west of here," says Ellie, "He nearly beat one of my people to death, thinking they were trying to harm him."

There is silence, and then, a husky, muffled voice, "What the hell was I supposed to think? I was bein' followed by some assholes with guns."

Doyle leans toward me and whispers, "He's got a point."

I let out a quiet giggle, just because I'm goofy, and because he's so close to me right now.....

I'm in La-La Land for about a minute before I come back down to earth, and hear Ellie telling Alicia about the trouble this new guy stirred up when it was time to turn in his weapons.

"And he refuses to be separated from the dog," She concludes.

"The dog can stay here just as well as anybody," Alicia says, "And it sounds to me like you're taking his defending himself as something totally different than what it really is." There's a pause, and then she says, "You're welcome to stay here, if you'd like."

+++++

Everyone, except for Izzy, is standing in the living room, waiting for her.

"Hurry up!" Seth yells up the stairs at her.

"Shut up! I'm coming!" Is her reply.

The new guy decided to stay with us. He hasn't said anything since Ellie was here, he hasn't even said his name. And she left hours ago.

It's supper time now, and we're all headed to Food City - that's what I call the dining hall – for our evening meal, if Izzy will ever get down here. There's this weird method these people have where we eat breakfast at home, have no lunch, then eat in Food City with everyone else for supper. And there's actually a limit on how many refills you can get. What is it? Three. When Izzy found out she was furious. The rest of us were just mildly disappointed.

I look at the new guy. He hasn't taken off any of his clothes, not his coat or hat or scarf, nothing. And he's just stood in the same place in the living room all day, with his one-eyed, three-legged bear-dog by his side.

I hear footsteps on the stairs. Izzy appears around the wall.

"It's about time!" Seth says.

"Hey, you just –" Izzy's comeback comes to an abrupt end when her eyes fall on the new guy.

At first she just looks at him like she's trying to place him, and then her expression changes. Her eyes widen, she clenches up her fists and lunges at him.

"You!" She roars, slamming her fist into his face, "You son of a bitch!" She keeps screaming this, over and over, as she knocks him back against the wall and practically climbs on top of him, first punching him, then wrapping her hands around his throat.

We're all watching in a stunned silence as his bear-dog pounces on Izzy, grabbing the back of her shirt, his growls loud and terrifying. She doesn't even mind him, but keeps her hands wrapped around the new guy's throat as his hands close around her wrists. Between the hat and scarf, his gray eyes stare fiercely at Izzy, but they don't seem afraid.

Eventually, Seth rushes forward, yelling, and starts pulling the dog off of Izzy, and then Doyle and I snap out of it and try to pry her off of the new guy.

"Izzy, what the hell?!" Doyle demands after we get her off of the new guy. Alicia hurries to him and tries to help him up, but he ignores her outstretched hand and picks himself up. His bear-dog is now just sitting, panting, beside him.

"Yeah, what was that for?" Seth chimes in, breathless from his tangle with the dog.

Izzy, shaking with pure rage, continues to glare at the new guy, who is leaning against the wall, rubbing his throat. "He knows," she rumbles through clenched teeth.

"But we don't!" Seth says, "So please, enlighten us."

Izzy ignores us, and, breaking free from Doyle's grasp on her arm, stalks over to the guy. "I will make you pay," she snarls at him, her eyes shooting daggers.

His icy eyes stare back at her, empty of emotion. His dog lets out a quiet growl.

"Come on," Alicia's unsteady voice cuts through the heavy silence. "We still have to eat."