Avogadro!
dedicated to Ella Greenstein
    by Hart Feuer

    Avogadro ran out of his house with a crazed look in his eye. "What am I to do with this wench of a woman of whom I've been so cursed with these past years?" he screamed with his arms outstretched to the sky. The sky responded with an apathetic gust of wind that echoed in Avogadro's ear: "shut up already!" "Hmph.. fancy that, the wind talked to me." Thought Avogadro as he sulked back to his place of living, which looked less and less inviting each time he walked through the threshold.
        "What in G-d's name are you doing back here Avi? I thought I done told you to go out and get firewood! The wind in this house is chilling me to the bone these days," screamed a shrewish little woman from a dark corner of the house.
        "I'm surprised you even feel it through all that blubber" Avogadro muttered to himself.
        "What was that I just heard, Avi?  You know I hate it when you joke about my problem!" she resounded from the back room. Avogadro was mystified as usual at her keen ability to hone in on his private mutterings.  But he pushed his luck even further with the next comment.
        "Problem? I believe it should be problems, plural! And many of them." He pined to himself. An angry voice pushed its way from the back of the house
        "Now just you look here, Avi, I know you didn't like what I did with your precious little cat, but it had to be done.  He was smelling up the place like never before.  Just don't take it out on me, I'm not responsible."
        "It seems to me," Avogadro plied in a mocking coo, "that the smell was coming from somebody a little more human, if you can even think of yourself as human.  Not only does my cat not smell anymore, bless his soul, but he doesn't exist.  A cat without hair is not a cat at all."  And with that he looked over sadly at the litter box behind the door where a hairless member of the feline genus was shivering with the cold.  With that, Avogadro stooped to his knees and picked up the animal who looked more like he had come out of chemo therapy than the washing machine.  And that's exactly what the shrew had done, thrown the poor beast into the laundry machineand with her lingerie no less.  Avogadro took the wretched little thing out into the sun to warm it up and try to cheer it up.
        "That woman," The Cat purred, "she's insane.  How do you put up with her?"
        "I don't know, The Cat, I honestly don't know" replied Avogadro in medley of gutteral throat sounds similar to that of the cat.
        "Oh, wow," The Cat purred, "your accent is getting much better, I have to say."
        "You think?" meowed Avogadro with more confidence than normal.
        "Howbout we leave this place, Avogadro, you know its becoming unhealthy for you.  I know I asked you yesterday and you said the same thing you've been saying for years: 'what will the shrew do when I leave?' but think, do you honestly care?  I think you've had enough of her, I know I have." And The Cat proceeded to paw sadly at the last tuft of hair left behind his ear, but he couldn't reach it.
        "Here, let me get that for you." Avogadro said in cat language, and he scratched the back of The Cat's ear to its delight.  "I think you're right about the shrew, and this last episode with you I think is the last straw.  Make the preparations."
        The feeble cat's eyes lit up and he scampered off to gather the yarn and catnip.  He returned with a clean shirt for Avogadro and his travelling hat and cane.
        "Shall we?" said The Cat, and held his paw up to Avogadro.
        "Yes, we shall" and he took the paw and hoisted the cat onto his shoulders and began walking away from the ramshackle hut he had survived in for the past fourteen years. And with that begins the story of The Cat
and Avogadro.

        They wandered along, together, this abnormal cat and this man driven to abnormality by a woman until they reached the main road, whereupon the path lie ahead in two different directions.  The cat proceeded to sniff in both directions, tossing its head one way and then the other as if testing each direction-and then proceeded purr in the
leftward direction as if even the thought of travelling in that direction made it happy.
        "What are you so happy about, The Cat, that you've gone to purring without even a scratch behind the ears?" remarked Avogadro, who watched the cats little antics carefully.
        "Of course," purred the cat contentedly, "I smell food in that direction.  What else would a cat be on the look out for?"
        "Oh, I thought it was more deep than that.  Maybe something along the lines that you smelled good luck in that direction or something" said Avogadro, a bit disappointed.
        "Wherever there's food there will be other cats," whined The Cat, "and I don't think I could bear to be seen like this."  And with that he clawed angrily at the pink flesh where a beautiful mane of hair used to once sit.  So Avogadro arbitrarily chose a direction and began walking, and it happened to be the opposite direction the cat had made such a fuss about.
        The two-some walked and walked, kicking up dust and singing about days gone bymostly about the absence of the shrew.  The day was hot, and soon Avogadro's shirt was drenched in sweat and drool from the mouth of the sleeping cat.  Flies buzzed everywhere about him, waking The Cat, who looked fearfully at the flies.
        "Well, fleas can't hurt me anymore, but what about fliesI don't think I've ever been so vulnerable without my hair before" cried the cat as he squirmed about trying to shoo the flies away. "Run Avogadro, run! I can't bear this anymore." He said at last, after being nipped for the hundreth time.  And with that, Avogadro set off at a trot through the blazing heat with the flies chasing angrily behind him.  They ran and ran until they passed a windmill barely creaking along in the slow wind.
        "No more!" panted Avogadro and he swatted at his ears as if they were on fire.  The Cat, only understanding Avogadro's frustration, not the English, looked at him with concerned cat eyes.
        "No more what?" said the cat in a more familiar language used only by cats and Avogadro.
        "The wind, " cried Avogadro, "its telling me horribly bad jokes in my ear and wont stop.  But now that we're not running it can't bother me."
        "It sounds like you've had a little too much heat," said The Cat, almost mockingly.
        "You think its funny that the wind is talking to me?  Well, I personally think its funnier that I'm talking to you" said Avogadro in cat language.
        "Point taken." Said The Cat.  And they went inside the base of the windmill to rest from the sun.  The two lay down in the hay, Avogadro settling in comfortably with a sigh, but the cat was having difficulty. The hay was hurting his skin, like a burn, every time he touched it.  So it curled up in Avogadro's lap and went to sleep instantly.
        By and by, a stray cat who had been sleeping in the hay was rudely awakened.  It crept out from under the yellow pile of straw carefully, but as soon as it caught sight of The Cat, it couldn't contain itself and began laughing, as much as a cat can laugh.
        "What's so funny?" cried The Cat, waking up in an angry mood from all the laughing.
        "Look at yourself!" roared the stray cat, and it looked away so as not to laugh.
        "Yes," growled The Cat, "I have no hair, you want to fight about it?"
        "No, no, no, I rather like the hairless idea, but, but look at yourself." Both Avogadro and The Cat turned their heads and gazed upon The Cat.  The pink color of the flesh underneath the fur was now replaced by a bright red, courtesy of the sun.  Avogadro almost couldn't contain himself, but he didn't want to hurt The Cat's feelings, so he kept quiet. The Cat took a paw and gingerly touched the hairless skin on his back, and it stung, it burned.
        "Och!" cried The Cat, "I never thought I would have this problem, being a cat-" but it was interrupted by the stray cat.
        "Shh! I know I laughed at first, but now that I look at it I actually kind of like the look of it.  You look like one angry feline, I wouldn't want to mess with you."
        "But you laughed at it," replied The Cat, slightly embarrassed at being praised by a cat with fur.
        "Only until I realized you were a cat, then you just looked plain mean. By the way, the name's Avocado." And he motioned to his dark green fur and yellow streak down his back.
        "Well, nice to meet you, Avocado. Meet my human friend Avogadro-he speaks, believe it or not." Grinned The Cat, very happy at having made a new friend.
        "That's right!" said Avogadro, happy at being able to show off his strange ability.  Avocado looked around quietly, as if thinking, back and forth between Avogadro and The Cat.
        "Listen, I've been a stray my whole life.  I'd be willing to travel with you guys, and keep the secret of how you turned red, as long as you show me how to become the same way." Plead Avocado.  Avogadro looked at The Cat, and back again, and they both nodded.
       "You can come with us," said The Cat, "and by the way, my name's The Cat."
        "The Cat? How can you be called that.. Oh never mind.. that makes me so happy! Thank you, Thank you!" cried Avocado with ecstasy.
        "First thing's first," said Avogadro, "we have to go to town and get you some aloe vera and sun block. Then we can head to the laundromat for you, Avocado."
        "Laundromat?" cried Avocado, with terror.

        And so Avocado the cat joined the strange duo, his wish to one day become the most feared cats in the world with his soon to be red hide.
        The three set off for town, singing strange cat songs as they walked; even Avogadro limped along with the tune though it made no sense to him.  But soon the wind picked up, and Avogadro began hearing the wind
talk to him again.
        "Left!" hissed the wind in his ear, "left toward that tree, you'll see" and it trailed off with a whistle in his ear.  How strange, thought Avogadro, that the wind would be giving me advice.  But he was on an adventure, and he thought there was no reason not to take a few minutes and see what was behind that tree.  So he grabbed the cats by the scruff of their necks and jogged up to the tree.  And lo and behold, beneath it lay a rusting a dilapidated washing machine.  Next to it lay a big pile of parts, as if someone aimed to fix this contraption.  And just then the
wind whistled in his ear again.
        "Hoooo!  I've been working on this one for a while.  I've managed to blow all of these parts here so this here machine can be fixed.  I can't very well make the actual repairs, but all the parts are here."  And with that the wind flipped open a manual for a washing machine that lay nearby.
        "Listen cats," said Avogadro, "the wind and I have been having a little chat, and it seems we can repair this washing machine here.  It says everything that we need is here." The cats looked at him with concerned eyes.
        "The wind told you that?" sneered The Cat, then Avocado as they rolled on their backs laughing.  But both cats looked over at the pile of parts, complete with tools and the manual, and actually began to give credit to what Avogadro was saying.
        So they set to work on the SAM-112 washing machine.  Avogadro hauled what was left of the machine right side up, and began dusting it off.
        "Let me take care of that." Interrupted the wind, and a few big gusts came by, blowing all of the dust off the washing machine.  How handy, thought Avogadro and he picked up the manual.  For long hours Avogadro and the cats toiled away working on the washing machine.  What parts Avogadro couldn't reach to put in he left the cats take care off, and soon the repair parts began to disappear, eventually leaving only one left.  Avogadro looked at the manual, saw that the final part needed to be replaced somewhere beneath the washing machine.  The part looked like a pair of shoes.  Avogadro tilted the SAM-112 washing machine on its side while the cats installed the shoes on the bottom.  And when they finished they all stepped back to look at their work.
        "It looks like some kind of animal" piped Avocado.  And sure enough, the knobs and buttons and doors strangely resembled a face.  And the shoes on the bottom, how strange they looked.
        "So, how do we get it to work now?" said Avogadro out loud. The wind howled in return.
        "Hold on, something might be wrong." And a big gust of wind flew through the washing machine.  "Yep, like I thought, the number 14 screw is loose and the frame support hinge hasn't been screwed on yet.  Didn't you read the manual?" Avogadro didn't reply, he just made the necessary adjustments and then re-examined the machine.
        "Wow, that was hard work" said Avogadro, who sat sweating under the sun, "its kind of hot out here."  As if the wind had been listening, a cloud flew in beneath the sun and the wind picked up to cool off Avogadro.
        "Better?" laughed the wind, happy it could be of some service.
        "Much!" exclaimed Avogadro, and he went back to inspecting the washing machine.  On it a rusty little sign had these words:

To operate me
You must have a key
Which can only be found from a bee
Who lives in a big old tree
That happens to be right above me.

        Avogadro began climbing the tree right away, and at the top he found a decrepid looking bee hive.  Avogadro knocked with his pinky knuckle three times, and heard a buzzing inside.
        "Yes? Who is it?" came a small voice from inside.  "Don't you know its rude to knock three times, I'm guessing you're not a bee."  And with that a very old and very fat bee poked its stinger out the door.
        "Ow! You almost got me!" yelled Avogadro, almost falling from the tree.
        "Just a necessary precaution," said the bee. "So what can I help you with?"
        "Does the name SAM-112 mean anything to you? And, how are we having this conversation?" inquired Avogadro.
        "First thing, I'm not really a bee.  I'm the operator of the SAM, who you obviously met if you came to see me.  I've been squatting in this bee hive, and I borrowed this stinger from the old owner, who is obviously dead without it. Does that answer your questions?"
        "Yes, quite.  We've fixed SAM-112 good."
        "You fixed SAM?  But you can't find parts for the SAM line anywhere?  How on earth did you find them?" the operator cried, obviously delighted.
        "The wind, it gathered all the parts don't ask me."
        "Well, well," said the operator, "let's get to work." And he buzzed off down the tree and alighted upon SAM.  Avogadro and the cats watched in silence as it began fiddling with the knobs, running all sorts of tests, nodding at each one until he turned around and looked at Avogadro.
        "I don't know how, but you did it.  Now watch." And he flew inside the machine and in just a moment the lights on the washing machine flashed on and a technical sounding voice resounded from inside the machine. "Hello.  I am the SAM-112, under the operation of the Operator called Pz. I am capable of many operations that a normal washing machine is unable to accomplish.  My specialty is hair removal, among other operations. Although I am now in working condition, my internal sensors tell me I am very fragile and will need frequent repair, which you are obviously capable of.  I fear I would not get far without someone with the ability to fix my decaying parts, so I request that I travel with you until which time I can find a suitable SAM-112 repair shop." "Hi." Said Avogadro, obviously stunned at the sight of a walking-talking washing machine.  But soon, realizing its potential, both Avogadro and Avocado looked at each other and nodded approvingly.
    "You may travel with us if you like, but we have some conditions.  First, you must remove the hair on this cat named Avocado, and you must not be so slow that we are unable to keep a good pace."
    "I require suitable detergent and supply of water to perform hair removal. I am also equipped with the ability to hover, and possibly fly if I am in working order.  Is hovering a fast enough means of transportation for you. Of course, I also have the ability to walk and run." And when the SAM-112 finished, it took the look on the faces of Avogadro and his two cats as an affirmative. And so the ever growing group of travelers continue their journey, with the addition of one washing machine.

      Chapter 2

        A news broadcast flashed on the radio of Mr. And Mrs. Smith's House. After a brief musical prelude:
    "We interrupt our previous airing of "How cows manage to sleep standing up" to bring you this pivotal piece of news. The peaceful town of Hoboango has had some visitors!  One human being, trailed by two cats, one quite hairless and sunburned, and a walking talking washing machine.  They appear to be in search of some magical powder called 'laundry detergent.'  If you have any idea as to the whereabouts of such strange material, do not hesitate to call the proper authorities." With a lackadaisical look on his face, Mr. Smith opened his mouth.
    "Golly, Edna, I wonder what he meant by 'proper authorities,' we only have two neighbors in this village anyway. Besides, what do you suppose this detergent stuff is anyway?  Let's go outside and see what all the hubub is about."  And the couple opened there door and walked down the steps and confronted the group of strange individuals.
    Avogadro, being the only human present, said a quick hello and asked if there was any detergent available.  The man and his wife looked at each other confused, but afraid to speak.
    "Come now," said Avogadro, "the stuff that cleans your clothes, you must know of it!"  But he doubted whether they did actually know of it because the two people looked like they were wearing dust rags.
    "Ah, now that you mention it," replied Mr. Smith, "I might have something that will do the trick.  Except this here stuff is called Hot Stuff.  We make it out of pepper and chili peppers.  Last time I used it, it darn well burned a hole in my shirt, but its all we got."  Indeed, when the group went inside the basement to get this Hot Stuff, they had to retrieve the bottle out of a metal box filled with cotton.
    "That's so it doesn't accidentally get broken or nothin'" laughed Mr. Smith.  They took the Hot Stuff out carefully and brought it up to SAM-112.  As they came up to the washing machine, Pz flew out from inside and made a racket.
    "Wait a minute, that detergent isn't certified by the National Washing Machine Association Act, SAM might reject it.  But I don't see us having very much choice, so go ahead put it in, here's the detergent opening." Pz pointed toward a fuel cap located on the dash of the washing machine.  As the two cats watched and the wind rustled with anticipation nearby, Avogadro uncorked the Hot Stuff and begin pouring the neon red liquid into the opening.
    "Well, sonny, you're might brave, I'd say" let out Mr. Smith, "we usually use about this much." He made a small opening between his index finger and thumb and shook his hand at Avogadro.  This made Avogadro stop, because he had already poured at least one hundred times that much inside already.  But he was interrupted by the SAM-112 unit, which rumbled slightly with steam coming out of the opening.  Avogadro promptly replaced the gas cap on the opening and backed away.  As soon as the cap was on securely the SAM-112 unit blasted off into the air, with a trail of red smoke behind it.  The Cat pointed up to the smoke and smiled.
    "Look, Red!  Just like me! And very soon Avocado here."  said The Cat ecstatically.  And they watched as the SAM-112 unit spiralled off into the air.  It became clear that the washing machine was actually in control, as he did flips and loop-to-loops, soon coming to a slightly harsh landing where it took off.  The red smoke billowed around them, smelling intensely like pepper, which caused everyone to start sneezing.  First Avogadro who could hardly finish one sneeze before starting another one, and then the cats with their cat sneezes.  Just then, Pz flew out from inside the washing machine at full speed with his stinger on flames!
    "Heeeeelp meee!!" cried Pz as he flew around frantically trying to put out the flames.  But everyone was busy sneezing and all the Smiths could do was repeatedly say, "I told him so, I told him so, I told him so..."  But just then the wind flew in from the mountains, howling at full speed.  It quickly put out the fire on Pz and flipped a knob on SAM-112.  The door of the washing machine suddenly opened and it started spinning.  The spin was so intense it slowly pulled the smoke inside the washing machine, at which point the wind blew back in and slammed the door closed.  After a few residual sneezes, Avogadro got up, with tears in his eyes while the cats pawed at themselves to see they were still alive. Just then, SAM-112 piped up.
    "That was truly a divine experience.  It was the closest I have felt to true emotion since seeing a fallen and rusty comrade lain to rest, or falling in love with a GAL-169 unit.  The freedom and possibility up in the air is infinite.  I was programmed with the ability to fly, but modern day detergents lacked the oomph to give the necessary lift.  This, liquid, whatever it might be, certainly does the trick.  I am certain I could also wash at a more efficient rate now."  With those words Avocado lifted his head up, interested.
    "Is it possible for me to become hairless now, SAM-112?" Avocado asked meekly, unsure of his decision now.
    "I would highly recommend against it at this time.  While this detergent substitue is certainly valuable for flying it is quite possibly too strong for human skin, let alone cat skin.  I could not in good conscience allow you inside my spindle." After this bit of speech, the SAM-112 quieted down considerably. Avocado looked vaguely dissapointed, but relieved at the same time.  Avogadro was back on his feet, clear headed, and made a decision.
    "We will travel west, inside this SAM-112 washing machine until we find a suitable town that carries the supplies we need.  Then we can remove Avocado's hair.  From there, I can only guess that we will try to find a place to settle down and build a house.  I am much to old for such adventures." The animals and Pz, speaking in lieu of SAM-112, also agreed.  And they precariously hopped aboard the SAM-112.  As they soared through the air with the wind guiding them they broke out into song, and it went something like this:

When the wind goes sweeping down the mountainside
And the fire in the valley swings aside
There will be, in the hearts of every creature inside
A spirit that has not died
Human beings and animals will live alongside
With a will so strong it cannot be denied
And adventures will be overcome with pride
To the last and final victory we won't hide!

And they carried along in this beat, and Avogadro heart warmed gradually in the company of his lifelong friend The Cat, Avocado, SAM-112 and Pz.  The wind was warm on his shoulders, and he felt younger.  The thought of years he spent with the Shrew seemed to be just a terrible memory, but only a small one.
 

    Chapter 3

   The land changed beneath them as the SAM-112 whipped through the air, leaving a trail of Hot Stuff behind it.  They passed over a school just out of session, and children were happily playing as the washing machine zoomed above.  The children all looked up with wonder, point their little fingers at the strange machine soaring overhead, trailed by a tail of red smoke.  Avogadro looked down at all those faces smiling up at him, and he thought of something.  He quietly whispered something into Pz's little chamber, and a buzz from inside was the response.  Soon the washing machine shifted course, first apparently making a sharp U-turn and going the opposite direction, then looping around and coming back.  Pz pulled SAM-112 to a higher altitude and they looked down at the wonderful likeness of an "8" streaked in red below them.  They watched the children dance about, waving their arms as if they were pulling the red smoke down to them.  And that's exactly what it did.  The "8" slowly settled down onto the playground.
    Avogadro watched as the scene shifted entirely.  One moment the children were running and making cartwheels across the lawn, and now they were all on the ground, sneezing.  But the effect of the Hot Stuff didn't last long, and the children were soon on their feet, albeit a little bleary-eyed.  The SAM-112 was simply hovering above the scene, not moving in the air as Avogadro preoccupied himself looking at the ground.  A small sneeze from a nearby feline caused Avogadro to look back.  The washing machine was sitting in a cloud of Hot Stuff vapor.  Avogadro ordered Pz to shove off, who complied instantly, taking the washing machine to new heights.  But the Hot Stuff had already begun to take its effect.  Some smoke even crept its way into Pz' control chamber.  Everyone heard Pz sniff simultaneously, and looked at each other with surprised faces as Pz' sneezed, causing him to lose control of SAM-112.  The washing machine lurched and sent The Cat flying off into space.  He dropped, a bright red lump drifting helplessly down toward the field below them.
    "Pz!  Dive!" screamed Avogadro, as soon as he realized what had happened.  Avocado and Avogadro hung on for dear live as the washing machine twisted its way down toward the ground at an alarming speed.  They were gaining on The Cat, whose muffled screeches wafted up at them on the wind.  All at once a huge gust of wind blew up toward them, and for a moment it didn't seem as they were moving downward at all.  The wind was carrying The Cat back up toward the washing machine.
    "Huuuuurrryy!" blew the wind, "I can't maintain this jet stream for very long!"  Avogadro grabbed at the surprised cat as soon as he was in range, yanking him into the base of the washing machine by the tail.  With The Cat safe, the wind let up.  Only then did Avogadro notice just how close they were to the ground.
    "Pull up, Pz!" screamed Avogadro, sounding redudant.
    "Make up your mind!" bzzed Pz from inside the heart of the washing machine.  Try as he might, Pz could not bring the washing machine back up fast enough.
    "Prepare for emergency exit." stated SAM-112, almost too calm for the situation.  That means jump, thought Avogadro as they neared the ground.  He jumped and rolled, landing unharmed on a grassy field surrounded by little children.  The SAM-112 bumped to a stop right next to him, able to almost bring itself up with Avogadro's weight lifted.
    "Avocado, The Cat! Where are you?  Are you okay?" cried Avogadro, his heart rising to his chest.
    "Of course we're okay," said a smiling Avocado, walking proudly across the grass, "cats always land on their feet." Avogadro muttered to himself, and got up.  The children were all clapping, applauding him! They sang:

Man flying overhead the clouds
In a washing machine flying above
It soared around like a dove
Sticking to the sky like a glove
Till it began dropping
Landing here on the grass like feather
Clear and happy, like the weather!

    Avogadro looked up at the sky, finding the weather a bit gray, and laughing about the children's little rhyme.  He just wanted to get along, this was far too much adventure for their first day!  So he boarded SAM-112, let the two cats jump their way in and ordered Pz to take off.
    Before long, they were back in the air, with their trail of burning Hot Stuff safely behind them.  They decided not to stop at this city for detergent, for they were eager to put somet distance behind them.  They flew for a very long time, and the terrain beneath them changed several times. They passed out of the city, into a vast forest.  Butterflies glittered atop the trees and a small little creature sat at the top of the largest one, blowing smoke rings from a large pipe.  They were soon in the mountains, shivering from the cold. They endured it until the elevation dropped away, and they were in a very large desert.  They soared north, and the flora became a little greener, but not much.  Avogadro spied a spot of trees that had recently been burnt and they flew over a small village nearby.
    One particular house seemed to stand out from the rest, and Avogadro couldn't tell why he was attracted to it so much. There was a fallen tree in the yard, with a black dog sleeping nearby.  On the roof bees buzzed merrily at some rotten grapes.  Pz came up from inside for a moment, and Avogadro nodded to him in affirmative.  The SAM-112 came to a halt near the roof.  Pz flew out to chatter with his kind while SAM-112 flew in circles to avoid the Hot Stuff coming at them again.  The cats lazily licked themselves inside the washing machine.  So Avogadro sat contentedly, watching the area.  All at once he spied a girl drawing at the roof, oblivious to the washing machine circling around her.
    The girl continued to draw, only looking up for moments before staring back down at the paper.  Unknowingly, the Hot Stuff was settling on her.  She broke out of her routine of drawing and put the chalk down just before erupting into a very un-ladylike sneeze.
    "Ham lee!" she cried out, fanning her tongue with her hand and looking very confused at Avogadro and his washing machine.  She began to speak in a strange language, but seeing the look on Avogadro's face adjusted herself.  "I don't know how to work a washing machine, I have a maid for that, but I do know that most of them don't fly, or spit schugg out of them."
    "This one is special," replied Avogadro, staring into her beautiful brown eyes, "and what is schugg?"
    "Oh nevermind," she called out to him, "I don't like hot.  But I know someone who does."  And with that she ran inside, flailing her arms like a girl all the way into the house.  In a few moments a young man walked out, his hair all in a fuss, and pointed at the trail of hot stuff.
    "Ze ze?" he apparently questioned the girl, who was keeping her distance from the Hot Stuff.  She nodded, and he looked up at the scene.
    "Hey you," he continued, looking directly at Avogadro, "aren't you Avogadro?" Avogadro hesitated, wondering if he was famous yet.
    "Why yes, yes I am," beamed Avogadro back.
    "Well, as your author, I command you to get the hell back into the story, and stop bothering Petunia.  She won't ever get angry at you, unless..." and he laughed, looking at her neck, "but she doesn't appreciate the Hot Stuff as much as I do." Avogadro looked at the youth dumbly.
    "Pz, The Cat, Avocado!  Into the machine at once.  We leave immediately," snapped Avogadro.  The three moved back to their respective positions and SAM-112 soared away, leaving the house behind.  As they flew away, Avogadro heard a piano and a beautiful but quiet voice singing, "Hey Jude..."
    The washing machine flew farther north, along the coast, reaching a very rocky area bounded by a fence and manned by army troops.  Now, what could be going on here? Avogadro wondered...

To be continued...
With special guest appearance by: Perah, Ella Greestein aka Petunia, and Hart (Tuski) Feuer.
 

* Avogadro is the last name of the person who determined that one mole of any element contains 1.22 x 10^23 particles or atoms in it, known as Avogadro's Number to chemists everywhere.