Author's Note: First off SORRY for the huge delay! I was traveling for a bit there--went to see my daughter across the continent, and visit Kaeru Shisho along the way. (Totally cool trip, I gotta say!) And since then I've been busy settling back in with a new dog in the household...a new 86-pound dog that didn't fit well in my daughter's apartment. At any rate, life's been hectic and unreal. Plus, my doctor has me on vitamin D pills and I'm supposed to get outside and get lots of sunshine. If I could just find a way to haul the computer outside... But at any rate, my apologies for the long time between chapters. I will try to get back on track.
"I learned today that Samuel has been keeping journals of his own, and it warms my heart deeply. He's still a very solitary young man, but at least he has a place to put his thoughts to paper--to keep a record of his hopes and dreams, or to store precious memories. I know he's the type to hang on to souvenirs. His childhood treasure box used to be full of them, though I've no idea where it ended up as he matured. We've spoken of his future, and he knows that some day--probably soon, if my fading health is any indication--the farm will be his. I know he'll take good care of it, for he loves this land and these hills as much as I ever did. My dearest wish though, is to see him happily married before my time comes..."
--excerpt from the private journal of Ephraim Barton
Smoky Hills Part 44
Looking Forward
The next morning, when Duo woke up, it took him several minutes to figure out why he felt so damned good. And then he recalled the previous day--the trip to the overlook, and all that followed, right down to Heero's delicious and sweet parting kiss--and a wide grin spread across his face.
"Good to be alive," he said with relish, stretching and then tossing back the covers and rolling out of bed.
He met Quatre in the hallway, looking a bit rumpled and sleepy, and he tousled the blonde hair as he dashed past and made it to the bathroom first.
"Hey!" Quatre protested, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Be right out, sweet cheeks!" Duo sang back merrily.
Quatre leaned on the wall, sighing. "You are just going to be insufferable all day, aren't you?"
"Happy!" Duo called out. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"No," came the grudging admission. "But could you at least pretend to be less than thrilled about going to work?"
"Nope! Not even," Duo chirped in reply, having finished using the toilet and moved quickly on to splashing water on his face. "I'm looking forward to making my appointed rounds today. Did I mention I've got a dinner date tonight?"
"You might've," Quatre smirked, as Duo opened the door, tugging his braid free and starting to comb. "Just a million times last night while we were doing dishes."
"So--here's hoping the mail is light today, and I don't have any trouble out on the road, and I can get done early and come home and clean up for my date," Duo added.
"Just--" Quatre hesitated, not wanting to deliver another lecture. "I want you to have a good time tonight," he finally said.
"I'll behave," Duo assured him, sobering at once. "You had a point about not going too fast."
"I just hope Heero got the point, too."
Duo mock-frowned at his roommate. "We talked about this last night, Quat. You are going to back off a bit, and not play the overprotective brother. Heero's a good guy. Just ask Trowa."
"I know," Quatre conceded. "And I'll try to ease up a bit. But I've never seen you so wrapped up in a guy. It's just a little--"
"Annoying?" Duo guessed.
"Unsettling," Quatre suggested. "I'm afraid you could get hurt."
"So am I," Duo admitted. "But I've got a good feeling about Heero. He wasn't afraid to kiss me, even if someone might've seen us. It's like he's proud to be with me, and that feels really good, Quat. Really good."
"I'm happy for you," Quatre said firmly. "But at the same time, I can't help trying to watch your back, you know?"
"And I'm grateful for that," Duo replied. "At least--until it gets annoying."
Quatre gestured him aside. "C'mon. My turn at the bathroom. Go comb your hair in your room, or we'll be here all day."
Duo skipped merrily past him, completely missing the warm smile on the blonde's face as he headed for his room.
Quatre was happy for his roommate. Really, he was. But after seeing the emotional roller coaster Duo had been on the past few days, he couldn't help having a strong protective streak.
"I promised to ease up, and I will," he reminded himself, heading into the bathroom to take care of his own morning wakeup.
They made it to work at their usual times, Quatre first, and Duo an hour later, and they enjoyed a pleasant morning of light mail volume and a slow flow of customers. It left time for them to talk more about each of their love interests, and then move on to the latest news and interesting stuff they'd heard on the radio.
~*~
When Heero walked into the small post office late in the morning, Quatre was at his desk, catching up on ordering supplies. He looked up at the sound of the door chime, and gave the Japanese man a wary look.
"Mister Yuy--can I help you?"
"It's Heero, please."
Quatre gave a short nod. "Heero. What can I do for you?"
"Is Duo here?" It was a pretty lame question, since Heero had seen the Jeep parked behind the building as he pulled in.
"'Ro? That you?" Duo came around the sorting case from the back of the office where he worked. "What's up?"
Heero set a bag down on the counter. "I thought you might like a snack, for out on the road."
Duo smiled warmly, his eyes conveying how much he'd like to do more. "That's really nice of you." He leaned on the counter and reached out to tug open a corner of the bag and peer inside. "What--?" He looked up quickly, meeting amused blue eyes. "How'd you know I love chocolate-covered doughnuts?"
"I have spies everywhere," Heero teased. He plunked the large coffee down as well. "Three sugars and extra cream," he said smugly.
"Hilde!" Duo declared. "You got her to rat on me, didn't you?"
"I merely asked for her professional advice on what sort of refreshment I might bring to my letter carrier to brighten his day."
Duo glanced from side to side, making sure there were no other customers in the lobby, and then launched himself halfway across the wide counter so he could throw his arms around Heero's neck and kiss him soundly.
"Mmm, not at work?" Heero managed to mumble around the kiss.
"Yes, Duo. Your boss is watching," Quatre reminded him, sounding both amused and stern.
Duo turned a cheeky grin his way. "Why? Looking for pointers, are you?" He looked back at Heero. "Maybe you could tell Quat what your bro' Trowa likes in his coffee."
"Duo!" Quatre yelped.
"He takes it black," Heero said solemnly, winking over Duo's shoulder at Quatre. "But if you really want to impress him, add a shot of Irish whiskey."
Quatre blushed, sputtered, and then looked uncomfortably away. "I--I'll keep that in mind."
Heero chose that moment to set a second bag on the counter. "Hilde also mentioned that Duo usually picks up a little something for his boss."
Quatre blinked in surprise. "You didn't have to--"
"Consider it a peace offering," Heero suggested. "An apology for our awkward meeting yesterday."
Duo smoothly handed off the bag to his wide-eyed roommate, adding a pleading look at the same time.
"Well, thank you," Quatre said politely.
Duo turned back around and fixed a searching look on Heero's face, even as he grabbed his doughnut out of the bag and bit into it. "So--what's the occasion--besides an attempt to bribe the postmaster? Why'd you bring me food?"
"Do I need an excuse?" Heero asked.
"Of course not, but--" Duo cut himself off. "Thanks," he said simply, leaning to brush a shorter, sweeter kiss across Heero's lips.
"You're welcome." Heero caught his braid, keeping him from pulling away while he licked a trace of chocolate off Duo's lower lip, and then put his mouth next to Duo's ear. "I'm just making sure you keep your strength up--for later." He drew back with a smirk. "You're gonna need it."
Duo's reaction was all he could've hoped for--a mixture of surprise, delight, and very obvious want. The wide, indigo eyes darkened with lust, and a faint groan escaped those exquisite lips. "Jeeze, 'Ro--way t'go. I'm gonna have to deliver mail while I'm horny all afternoon--" He glanced back at Quatre, who was now trying very hard to occupy himself with paperwork. "Do I get hazardous duty pay for having to drive while I've got a woody?"
Quatre shot him a deadly look from blue eyes. "That's a self-inflicted hazard, Duo," he said crisply. "Count yourself lucky I don't write you up for driving while intoxicated on somebody's kisses!"
Duo laughed aloud at that, and fixed a smoldering look on Heero. "He's so right," he sighed, stealing one last kiss before reluctantly pulling back. "Guess I better get back to work, huh?"
Heero nodded reluctantly. "Stay safe out there. Drive carefully. I'd rather you not be distracted while you're on the road."
"Hm," Duo smirked. "Gonna distract me later, are you?"
Well aware that Quatre was watching, Heero merely smiled inscrutably and winked. "We'll see."
"Tease," Duo accused, happily taking his snack back to his case to consume.
Quatre was looking rather intently at Heero, who met his gaze steadily. "I won't take advantage," he promised.
"That's good," Quatre said with a sigh. "And thank you for this." He gestured with his cup of chai. "You really didn't have to."
Heero snorted wryly. "Yeah I did. Trowa would've shot me if he found out I had the chance and didn't. He seems eager for you and me to get along."
"I want us to get along, too," Quatre told him earnestly, trying not to blush at the mention of Heero's brother.
"So do I," Heero agreed.
"Well, maybe when you two come to dinner on Friday, we can all get to know each other better," Quatre suggested.
"That sounds like a very good idea," Heero agreed, sighing in relief. "Is there anything Trowa and I could bring?"
"Nope. I've got the menu all planned, and I have Friday afternoon off to make preparations."
"You shouldn't go to a lot of trouble," Heero began.
"Give it up, 'Ro!" Duo called from the back of the office. "He's a man on a mission. I think he wants to impress your hot brother."
"Duo!" Quatre snapped.
Heero marveled at how easily and deeply the postmaster blushed at the mere mention of Trowa. He smiled reassuringly. "Trust me--Trowa will enjoy whatever you serve. He's really looking forward to Friday."
Quatre managed a smile in return. "So am I. Among other things, I wanted to tell him I heard from Rashid, and he's willing to examine the journals to see if he can salvage the ones with water damage."
"He'll be thrilled. But I won't spoil it by telling him. I'll leave that to you."
"Thanks."
Having delivered his treat and collected a delicious reward of kisses and the pleasure of seeing Duo's eyes light up, Heero said his goodbyes and continued on the rest of his errands.
He'd heard from Wufei that morning, and was meeting a two-man team up at Beech Bluff to show them where he thought the murder might have taken place. Along with the bits of evidence he and Duo had collected, the crew would take back whatever they found in their search.
He only planned to spend enough time to get them started, and then he was supposed to be home by early afternoon, to help Trowa with Sandy's arrival. The express mail package Catherine had sent included all the necessary paperwork for the lioness, and after their long phone conversation, she and Trowa had decided to proceed with transporting her.
The drive up to the bluff wasn't nearly as pleasant without Duo's company, but Heero decided it was just as well he had no distractions. Chang's people were generally focused on their work and quite efficient, and he tried to match their intensity on the occasions they crossed paths.
~*~
While Heero took care of his business, Trowa was readying things at home. Still somewhat hampered by a lingering stiffness in his knee, he found descending stairs and kneeling to be the most challenging activities. And preparing a lion enclosure entailed a little bit of both, as he clambered about, checking the sturdiness of the wooden "den" they'd constructed.
Leon looked on curiously, his golden eyes tracking the lean man's movements in the neighboring pen.
"Yeah, buddy, you just keep looking," Trowa said fondly. "You're going to like the improvements."
The big cat blinked and yawned, lying down and settling its big head on its paws, but still keeping a keen watch on the human.
"Her name's Sandy," Trowa added, tapping a hammer against a protruding nail to make sure it was flush with the wood. He'd dealt with big cats enough to know the small details to watch for in their housing. "Once we get the permits and non-profit paperwork, maybe we can see about an outside enclosure for you two--complete with a den made of stone, instead of wood. But this will have to do for now."
He paused, catching the faintest of sounds from up in the hay loft. He thought at first it might be mice, and glanced accusingly at Leon. "You'd think the least you could do is a bit of rodent control, cat. We must be feeding you too well."
Then he paused, hearing what sounded like footsteps overhead.
"Fuck," he hissed quietly, easing his way out of the lion pen and closing the door silently behind himself.
Intruders? Way out here? And how could anyone have gotten in?
Since the run-in with Ralph and Alex, he and Heero had kept the barn locked at all times, including the reinforced windows they'd installed. There was no way someone could have gained access!
Or so they'd thought. A light patter of footsteps across the loft made Trowa grab the nearest flashlight and the hook he used to retrieve debris from Leon's pen when the animal wasn't closed into his den.
"Who's there?" Trowa called, hoping his voice sounded sterner than he felt. He was tempted to go to the house and bring the dogs out before confronting anyone; but he didn't want to give them a chance to get away. He wanted to know who had intruded--and who had seen Leon.
He climbed the stairs to the loft slowly, the flashlight beam lighting the way and the pole with the hook held at the ready. And as he reached the top step, shining the light into the shadowy recesses of the loft--he saw nothing.
"What the fuck?" he muttered.
Aside from a few broken, moldering bales of hay and some scattered tools he and Heero hadn't bothered to clear out yet, the place was empty.
"Is someone here?" he demanded, feeling unaccountably angry at the fact that there obviously was no one, after his heart had just about pounded its way out of his chest as he climbed the stairs.
He almost thought he heard a very quiet chuckle, but then he saw the broken pane in the far window, and caught a rustle of wings as a small bird darted out.
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" he blurted, breathing a sigh. "Freakin' birds!"
He made his way carefully across the loft, shining his light on the floor to avoid tripping on any of the old tools. Heero had briefly examined the loft when they first arrived, and pronounced it sturdy. But they hadn't yet begun to make use of the space. Obviously when they did, it would require a bit of cleaning and sweeping.
"I hope those open," Trowa muttered, looking at the snug doors on either end, which would have been used to allow access for bringing in hay, back in the day. "It's dusty as hell up here."
He continued around the rafters of the old barn, figuring he might as well take a good look while he was up there. No point in missing something. And he wasn't yet convinced the footsteps he'd heard had been his imagination.
But the dust of many years was essentially undisturbed, aside from some boot tracks Heero had left, which were already becoming obscured by a fresh accumulation of the fine powder.
"There is absolutely no one up here," Trowa concluded, shaking his head. "I must be hearing things."
His flashlight beam reflected off something shiny where the rafters met the joists and, his curiosity piqued, the lean man got down carefully on his knees and reached into the narrow crawlspace.
His hand encountered several round objects and what felt like a small box, which he retrieved and shined the light on.
In his hand were some glossy marbles, and a wooden box with some letters carved into the surface.
"Aw--" he said with a wistful smile, realizing he'd discovered some child's private stash of treasures. "I wonder who used to play up here."
He started to pry at the box to open it, oblivious to the fact that he was sitting in a thick layer of old hay dust amid the shadowy rafters of an ancient barn. He just had to know what was inside.
Then he dimly heard the sound of an engine and a cheery female voice calling his name.
"Shit--Catherine!"
Scrambling to his feet, he tucked the box under one arm and stuffed the marbles into a pocket before grabbing his flashlight and hook and heading back across the loft.
He was only halfway down the steps, favoring his stiff knee, when the barn door opened and Catherine stuck her head in. "Trowa? You in here?"
"Yeah--coming," he gritted out, coughing and nearly missing a step as he tried to hurry.
He stumbled and dropped the hook as he made a grab for the railing, nearly falling headlong down the last few steps. But Catherine dashed to his aid, helping steady him.
"Careful! Watch your step," she cautioned. "These old barns can be dangerous!"
"Nothing wrong with the barn," he assured her. "Just my balance." He shook his head, taking a firmer grip on the railing. "Going down stairs is the hardest part of the knee thing."
He made it to the bottom step, setting the box aside on the nearest flat surface, before he was soundly hugged by his circus friend.
"Careful, I'm filthy," he warned.
Catherine let go and stepped back, putting her hands on her hips. "Yes, you are," she observed, reaching to tug a cobweb from his hair. "But after driving a hundred miles hauling a lion cage, so am I. I'd kill for a shower right about now."
"You've got it," Trowa promised. "Shouldn't we unload Sandy first, though?"
"Maybe give her a few minutes to calm down and get used to the hauler being still," Catherine suggested.
"Well I can at least offer you a cup of tea while we wait."
"You're on!" Catherine said gratefully. "Come on out and meet Sven. He came along to help out. And where's Heero gotten off to? I'd like to introduce him as well."
"He went to run some errands--should be back any time." Trowa put the flashlight away and hung up the food hook. "Let's start that tea and he'll probably be along to join us."
They stepped outside and Trowa got his first look at Catherine's boyfriend, his green eyes widening at the sight of the tall, broad-shouldered bodybuilder. "Whoa," he mumbled in an aside to Catherine. "He looks like he could single-handedly carry the damned lion inside for us."
Catherine smiled smugly. "Why yes, I believe he could." She walked over and hooked an arm around one of Sven's. "Trowa--this is Sven. Sven--my childhood friend Trowa."
"Pleased to meet you," said Sven, holding out a massive hand, which dwarfed Trowa's as he shook it.
"Likewise." Trowa was hastily rethinking the lecture he'd planned to give the guy on taking good care of Catherine or else. Sven looked like he could snap him in two with his bare hands.
Maybe if he had Heero's handcuffs--?
Or not...
He looked at the thick wrists and decided there were no handcuffs large enough to fit around them.
"So--how long have you and Catherine been dating?" he asked carefully.
Sven smirked at him, obviously realizing the effect his appearance had on those he just met. "Several weeks now," he said with just the slightest hint of a lingering accent. "And before you give the big brother speech, I care very much for my little Catherine. I will do nothing to hurt her; you have my word."
Trowa smiled in relief. "That's good to know. How 'bout we go inside and have some refreshments?"
"That sounds lovely," Catherine said with a smile of her own, tugging Sven towards the house. "You've got to see the place, Sven. It's absolutely darling!"
"Darling?" Trowa asked with a raised eyebrow. "It's just an old farmhouse, Cath. And, by the way, I wish you'd been dating this guy back when we moved in. We could've used his help hauling the furniture up the stairs."
Sven glanced over his shoulder with a grin. "Any time you need help, you just call--ja?"
"Oh, I will," Trowa promised, wondering if there was a chance of hiring a bunch of the roustabouts to come out during the off season and help install the heavy metal fencing required for large cats. He'd have to talk to Heero about that possibility later.
~*~
While Trowa was enjoying a short break with Sven and Catherine as well as introducing them to the rest of the menagerie, Heero was still at the overlook with Chang's two-man crew. They were members of the team that Heero had only met once or twice before, and so he was spared the need for idle conversation as they gathered data.
He simply leaned up against a tree and let his gaze scan the area for additional clues, while the men searched and bagged whatever they found. They also took some impressions of the rock ledge itself, and a slew of pictures, explaining that with head trauma as the cause of death, they might match up the type or contours of rock with the injuries on the skull.
"Hey--I think I've got blood here!"
Heero straightened, walking over to where one of the men was lying by the big boulder in the center of the ledge, angling a small light into places where the rock jutted out and created sheltered nooks. He hadn't expected them to find any blood, considering the time that had elapsed and the fact that the bluff was exposed to sun, wind and weather.
"Are you sure?" he asked a bit breathlessly.
The man fumbled to stick the tiny penlight in his mouth and grab a swab and a bag from his pocket. "'nk so." He poked around in the crevice and tucked away what he found, before rolling over and scrambling to his feet. "I dunno if it'll be of any use," he said with a shake of his head. "But there was a trace of blood spatter up in there. It showed up with the light. Probably not enough for any kind of real analysis. We'll keep looking for more."
Heero sighed. Not enough for analysis. That meant they might not even find out if it was human. Not that he'd expected such a stroke of fortune; but part of him had hoped.
It wouldn't mean anything anyway, he told himself. If they couldn't identify it as Solo's blood, it could be anyone's. He thought of kids hanging out and drinking up there, and the many ways they could fall and scrape a knee, leaving traces of blood behind--not to mention other bodily fluids, if it was still used as a make-out site.
"Maybe you could check on the trail down to the road," he said, trying not to sound as defeated as he felt. "If the murder took place here, the body had to be moved. Won't be much of a blood trail after all these years--but I guess we could hope for a scrap of bloody cloth or something."
The man nodded sympathetically. "We'll comb every inch from here to the road, detective. If there's a clue to be found, we won't miss it."
Heero smiled wanly. "Thanks." He glanced around again and gave a slight shrug. "You don't really need me cluttering the place up, do you?"
"Not at all," came the prompt reply. "I s'pose you've got interviews to conduct and plenty of other evidence to examine, so feel free. Chang will call you in a day or two with whatever information we can scrape up, okay?"
"Yeah."
Heero headed down the trail, trying to stay focused on searching for clues instead of letting himself drown in the hopelessness of a decade-old murder investigation.
By the time he made it home, he'd managed to pull his thoughts away from their depressing spiral and start looking ahead to his date with Duo. He wanted to make it an enjoyable outing--a change from the stressful interactions they'd had before.
Their sudden leap from acquaintances to a romantic couple up on the bluff had left Heero floundering a bit. On the one hand, he knew a lot about Duo's past and what kind of man he was; but on the other, they hadn't spent enough time together to be truly comfortable with one another yet.
Heero's visit to the post office had been an attempt to begin to ease them into a more relaxed relationship, where the friendship was as important as the romance. He knew he wanted that from Duo, and he was pretty certain Duo wanted the same. Hopefully their dinner out would increase their comfort level around each other and let them settle into things.
When Heero pulled into the driveway, he was pleased that the Bloom Circus truck was still there. He'd wanted to help with Sandy, and it looked like he was right on time. In fact, before he'd shut off the engine and gotten out of his car, Trowa, Catherine and a rather massively-built man Heero guessed was her boyfriend came walking down the steps to meet him.
"Great timing, 'Ro!" Trowa called cheerfully. "Heero, meet Sven--Sven, Heero."
"Pleased to meet you," Sven said warmly, shaking Heero's hand while Trowa grinned unabashedly at the slightly awed expression on his brother's face.
"Uh--likewise."
Trowa tugged on Heero's arm, turning him back towards the truck and trailer. "We're ready to show Sandy her new home, and need bait to lure her into the cage. Wanna be it?"
Heero raised an eyebrow, but smirked. "Sure. I'll go fetch my gun, just in case--"
"You'll do no such thing or I'll have Sven twist you up like a pretzel," Catherine huffed. "Sandy's a darling. More like a big kitten than a lion. She wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Consider her Leon's polar opposite," Trowa chimed in. "She was treated like a pet in her early years, and despite recent neglect she hasn't lost her friendly personality."
Heero followed them to the truck and the trailer hitched to the back. "We're still going to take the normal precautions, right?" he asked, keeping himself slightly behind the more experienced animal handlers.
"Define 'normal,'" Trowa said with a shrug, as Catherine opened the door of the trailer and casually reached in to attach a sturdy leash to the collar Sandy wore.
Heero backed up a step. "I was thinking more along the lines of the way they unloaded Leon--with poles with ropes on the end, and backed directly up to the pen--"
"Not necessary." Trowa boldly walked up and held out a hand, which Sandy sniffed and then nuzzled affectionately. "Seriously, 'Ro. She's passed every temperament test they've given--never shown the slightest sign of aggression or inconsistency. She's just one special cat."
"But--"
Trowa eyed him sternly. "That doesn't mean we'll be careless about handling her," he said firmly. "She'll have the same caging as Leon. And we won't assume she'll always be like a pet. I'll watch to see if she exhibits any instability at all." He scratched behind the tawny ears. "But--I also intend to keep her as friendly as possible by showing her some affection."
"You do that," Heero said flatly, never taking his gaze off the big cat.
Sandy looked back at him, flicked her tail once, and teasingly swiped a paw in the air.
"What was that for?" Heero demanded, scowling warily at Catherine and Trowa. "Some kind of threat?"
Catherine laughed and shook her head. "As a matter of fact, she knows tricks," she explained. "She once performed in a roadside exhibit. Wave hello, Sandy."
The lioness sat on her haunches and swiped a paw in the air again, looking pleased with herself when Catherine patted her head and Trowa laughed out loud.
"Great," Heero muttered. He fixed a stern glare on his brother. "Have you thought about how you'll explain her to Quatre?"
"What's to explain?" Trowa asked calmly. "We've got the temporary permit for her."
"Yes, but still--we haven't cleared our plan with the local zoning board. And I'm sure they'll balk at a rehab center for exotics, when they realize those exotics could theoretically eat the mayor."
Trowa raised an eyebrow. "Sounds kinky," he teased. "But maybe the mayor would like that--"
"It's not funny," Heero growled back. "You know how backwards these people are."
"I do. But I also hold out hope that we can prove a rehab center would be a good idea. It would keep the land as a farm, and have minimal impact on the town. There'd be no traffic, since it won't be open to the public and--"
Heero held up a hand. "I know the drill, Trowa. And I support you completely. But right now--"
He paused as Sandy paced to the end of the leash and stretched far enough to thoroughly lick his hand with a raspy, wet tongue.
"Right now--I need to go wash off some lion slobber before my date with Duo." He couldn't quite hide the enchanted smile as he gingerly stroked the golden head before saying a quick goodbye to Catherine and Sven and heading inside.
TBC...
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