Chapter 16

MONDAY 7:45 A. M. CST News Stand, Chicago, IL

After hearing the tale of the bun revolution from Mazal and determining that the new portal opening code had not been given to anyone else. It was decided that Clan Elven would extend what help they could to their cousins that were turning again to the Bright Way. Plans were set in place for a relief and rescue mission along with a comprehensive knowledge base update for the reformed group. There were even whispers of creating a new Elfrealm for them to start over in. Vankel would be locked forever when this was done.

FRIDAY 8:45 A. M. CST Suite 2122, 77 W. Jackson, Chicago, IL

It's name was Pandemonium and it's domain was anywhere The State Department could reach. The President was coming and the bureaucracy was going nuts trying to cross every "T" along with dotting every "I". His itinerary was pored over endlessly by group after group and as is usually the case in too many cooks, the soup was looking mighty sad.

Finally the head of mission had reached the breaking point. After notifying everyone on staff that the next person to lend-a-hand would find himself on an extended tour of duty in the armpits of the world, the head of mission then contacted The President's Chief of Staff and worked out a much simpler plan.

The President would land at O'Hare at 10:00 A. M., motorcade out to Lake Shore Dr. where this all began and after lunch would visit a few Hospitals and Mental Wards, where the planners hoped they could encourage one of the Dragon Folk to sit still for a photo-op.

What they didn't plan on, is what actually occurred. On Air Force One's final approach to O'Hare runway 33R, the F-18 escort was joined by eight volunteers, four blue and four green. It's a good thing everyone on board was already buckled in for landing, as there was no way the pilot could have made them sit back down after seeing the impromptu welcome wagon.

After this little welcome-to-the-neighborhood, The President and Co. didn't move one inch in Chicago without a blue or green shadow. It's a darn good thing everyone was using digital cameras, as there would not have been room for all the film the endless photo-ops provided. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that this was going down as the most over documented visit by any sitting President, anywhere, anytime. The folks at Kodak and Fuji were grinning ear to ear.

Some iconic photos did come from this visit also, like the one of the motorcade with The President standing in the back seat with his torso thrust through the moon roof, hand in the air and about to touch the snout of the green flying cover overhead. Then there was the photo of The First Lady on exiting a mental patient's room after speaking with the family crowded around the bed and celebrating the return of their loved one. Pundits would try for months to describe that look, but the photographer would finally and quiet simply title it "Joy".

FRIDAY 4:30 P. M. CST Mayo Clinics, Rochester, MN

Dr. Mark Fergus had been the resident Oncology Chief of Staff here for the past five years. On hearing the reports emerging from the Chicago region, he made a snap decision. Picking up the in-house phone he contacted his department heads and asked for their fifty most hopeless cases. After looking over the files and determining that his staff was right on the money with their prognosis, he then contacted the administrators of the leading Chicago hospitals and asked about sending these terminal ones to them in the hope that the Dragon effect could be used as a last ditch try for a cure.