A few hour hours of walking under the scorching sun and Quiz dropped to the ground again. 'Oh, what's the use anymore?" He had been wanting to say those words out loud for the longest time. They just come out of his mouth in a burst of frustration and were left hanging in the air as Tolstoy stared up at him. He half-heartedly expected Tolstoy to agree with him and share his despair. Why wouldn't he?Quiz thought. They had been walking around the God-forsaken desert with no food, no water, and no real hope of getting away from the Sliders, who had been chasing them and forced them to run out into the desert ill prepared. Why wouldn't Quiz just agree with him and let Quiz suffer in his own depression and misery. It was true, there was no hope left for either of them. The very best thing, the most honorable thing, that Tolstoy could have done for Quiz would have been to not say anything and continue on alone, leaving Quiz out there by himself to die of his own failure. But Tolstoy would do no such thing. No, in fact, he did the worst possible thing that Quiz had hoped he wouldn't: Tolstoy tried to cheer Quiz up, the fucker.

"Tolstoy, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice. " Quiz stroked Tolstoys ear. " It was wrong of me. It's just this heat. Man, that's got to be it! We've been walking for three days straight without a sign of it. It's getting to me." "To me too, " Tolstoy looked up at Quiz. " Yeah. I know." Quiz repeated himself. " We're both in pretty bad shape, huh? " Quiz tried to break a smile. " Don't....no...don't " Tolstoy warned him. " Don't even try to smile. You'll hurt yourself." " Can't a guy even try to smile......what's wrong with this world?"

"Get the fuck off of me!" Quiz snapped. He heaved Tolstoy's hairy torso off of him and onto the dry red sand. "Sorry, " Tolstoy murked as he landed with a heavy thud. "It's what I do." Tolstoy leapt to onto his hind legs and brushed the red clay from his fur."I'm an AFFECTIONATE one." he continued, " There's nothing I can do about it. It must be programmed in me somewhere." " Alright, alright enough. " Quiz snapped again. "That's your problem. Just don't be affectionate with me!" Quiz knew he spoke too quickly. He regretted what he had said almost as he was saying it, but he couldn't choke back the words once they were out there. Tolstoy shot him a quick look and then stared down into the sand.

READ THIS FIRST: Chapter one "PALS"