This modest but well kept house is on the outskirts of the small town of Cordell.  It may not look like much but there is a distinct feeling of hominess about this place.  There are books everywhere.  On floor to ceiling shelves, in piles on the floors, beneath the stairs, on the end tables, littering the dining table ... Squire loves his books.  The house always smells distinctly of pipe tobacco.
This message was last updated by the GM at 04:23, Wed 05 Apr 2006.

Kale stepped down the ramp and immediately spotted Squire's heading towards him.  Ren had set the ship down a little bit aways from the professor's house but the old man was still walking out to meet them.  Smoke from his chimney could be seen rising up from behind him.  Just seeing the man heading towards him made Kale feel at peace, it was how Squire's always made him feel.  Sometimes he thought the old man knew him better then he knew himself.

He held out his arms as he neared him and was soon embracing Squire's in a hug.  They said nothing to each other for a few moments - the gesture said it all.  Then they pulled away and looked at each other, "Gregoro Partir said: Time only moves because we expect it to.'" Kale said.

Walton smiled as the looked at Kale.  They did not say hello.  There was no acknowledgement that they had not seen each other in months.  Kale just began talking and Walton was glad for that.  It was as though they were merely continuing a conversation that had never been paused.  He laughed and the sound was rich, if not slightly frail.  "And here I thought you hadn't actually ever listened to one of my lectures." he said.

Kale laughed, "Just the one, an' that was only cause Margaret Delinger wasn't in class that day an' I had nothin' better to be payin' attention to" a huge grin crossed Kale's face.

Walton smiled as well and nodded his head, "Of course, of course.  It is quite apparent you missed the part where I explained what Partir meant though, he was speaking of time travel and I'm not entirely sure how that pertains to this moment. But I appreciate the reference - however misused." he laughed again and his entire face lit up.  There was nothing that he enjoyed more then when Kale brought his crew to Regina.  He was an old man and he had no delusions about that whatsoever.  Not to say he was knocking on deaths door.  He still had a good run left in him, but he didn't have a life in the way that he used to.  His life was lived more in his head, in his books, in his own work and writings and less in the real physical world.  Kale always brought him back to it however, reminded him that the 'verse was still out there - however stoutly he ignored it at times.

Kale waved off Squire's explination, "See I take a more subjective approach to philosophy." he said then he looked back at his crew.  "Got some folk you ain't met yet.  Rhaef, Charlie, an' Ren you know, of course.  This here is Acacia - our Doc.  Geoff, hired gun." he glanced to Wei-Li with a small smile, "This one's a passenger of ours at the moment, Wei-Li.  An' the lil' lady is Lei." Kale said, making the introductions.

Charlie smiled at Walton, not waiting for the introduction to finish before she walked up and hugged the old man.  It had been too long since the last visit.  Regina was never a place that she'd decide to bank for the rest of her life, but it was an amazing vacation from time to time.

"Ah'd began t'think that the Cap'n wouldn't be bringin' th'boat around anytime soon, y'know?  Think I'd be talkin' ya into a trade'r somethin'?"  Charlie lifted the sack off her shoulder, giving it a little swing in between them.  "'Less you're thinkin' that I'd be havin' enough in m'head fer now..."

Walton embraced the girl as she swung her arms around him, "Ah, Charlene my dear!" he said.  Walton had always joked with Kale that Charlene was his favorite.  She was a beautiful woman - and not only by the traditional definition of the word.  He smiled at her as she swung the bag between her legs and gave her a wink, "A mind like yours can never be too full, I've got stacks already picked out to trade you.  And you and I will have to take some time to discuss those you're bringing back today."

Lei reached for Geoff's hand as she watched the exchange between the professor and Kale. She just offered him a curious stare when she was introduced, deciding to stay beside Geoff until he gave her a reason to trust this strange man.

She tugged on his shirt to whisper something in his ear,

----->From Cargo Bay

Geoff had watched and listened to the captain's traded words with the old man who must be the professor without saying much. He didn't want to get in the way of two old friends such as these two greeting each other after so long. He had only raised a hand in greeting as his name was mentioned and stayed quiet as he watched Charlie take her turn in greeting the professor.

Geoff had taken the hand that Lei had extended to his, smiling with affection to the girl. He knew that she usually did not deal well with new people so he would have to make it a point to introduce her to the professor so she could get used to him. If the man was a friend of the captain's this probably wouldn't be the last time they met up with him, after all.

He looked down to her with a bit of curiousity when she tugged on his shirt and leaned down to hear what she had to say. When he heard what she whispered in his ear, he snorted with laughter that he stifled right off. He shook with the muffled laughter that came from him for a few moments before shaking his head, the laughter dying down to a few chuckles. "Y..yeah, I guess yer right at that. But it ain't somethin' ya can fix by ironin'.", he said, still laughing softly,"Uh...just so ya know, that ain't gonna be somethin' ya wanna say to him, ok? Let's just keep that 'tween you an' me."

Rhaef had fallen into the rear of the group, partly out of habit to cover the group from potential attack, and because Charlie had made her way to the front.

Rhaef first noticed the smells of food cooking in the professor's house before anything else. As the last one in, he caught the tell end of Kale's speech and saw Walton spinning Charlie around. Knowing better than to let, Walton find him, he weaved through the crowd and reached the front of the room. When Walton set Charlie down, he approached, extending his tatooed "Evening, Walt, its been too long sir." Rhaef's faced cracked its first genuine smile at the sight of the old man, since he'd left Osiris.

Lei grinned, not really understanding what was so funny. She wasn't quite sure she understood why an iron wouldn't work either, perhaps the temperature would overwhelm the nerves, a cell she learned about in Acacia's medical book. She nodded, however to let Geoff know that she wouldn't reveal her first comment on the man.

Walton turned from Charlie as Rhaef made his way to the front of the group.  He took Rhaef's hand, clasping it between both of his, it was less of a handshake and more of a momentary connection between the two men.  Rhaef smiled at him and Walton quirked a brow, staring at him.  He did not smile himself.  After a few moments silence he said in a low voice, only loud enough for Rhaef to hear, "You're wrong."

Then he turned back to Kale and the rest of the crew with a smile.  "Well, it is most certainly a pleasure to see all the new faces. I'm sure you are all ready for something nice and warm to eat.  I attended culinary school for three years .... a long time ago ... but I'm sure Kale has lured you all here with the promise of food so come along, inside we go."  Walton led them all down the dusty, sparsley grass covered terrain to his house, which sat just off a worn out dirt road.  There were no neighbors anywhere near by.

Inside the crew was greeted with the smells of cinnamon and tobacco and a faint scent of something delicious smelling cooking in the kitchen through the arched doorway at the back of the room.  A fire was blazing away cheerily in the hearth of the living room.  Centered around this were two couches completely worn in but all the more comfortable for it.  As usual there were stacks and piles of books everywhere. "Don't mind the mess just go ahead and move all this out of your way, there is no method to the madness, just an old man unable to keep his work confined to the study." he said, "Go on, make yourselves at home."

Then he shuffled his way out of the room and into his study, when he returned his arms were full of books.  "Charlene dear, would you mind?" he said, motioning for her to grab a bit of the stack from him.  He was grinning, "Now I know this is more then I normally lend you but if Kale is going to make it a habit of leaving months and months between visits you'll need a better supply."  He lowered the rest of his stack onto the coffee table and sat himself right on the floor next to it.

Kale just offered Walton a grin in response to his comment, "Gotta keep Destiny flyin' an' that don' happen by sittin' around tellin' stories with you - as much as I enjoy it." he said, picking up a pile of books and papers and dumping them unceremoniously on the ground beside the couch to take a seat.

Rhaef found a chair by the fire where he had sat numerous times before, talking with the Professor. The man was like a father to Kale, but he was more to Rhaef. He was one of the first to see him as more than what he was, and he taught to him much about himself. There were many days where Rhaef would say that if it weren't for Walton Squires and Kale Galway, he'd be a dead man or worse. He looked at the book on the Professor's sidetable - it was what he was usually reading at the time. "Walt, you hiding some kids on us? I mean, I know you like light reading, but fairy tales, sir?" Rhaef joked his mood, like his humor, starting to lighten in these familar surroundings.