The Argo Goes West

94, To the west, To the east, part 1

Clifford Kent went through the tunnel to return to the Argo. He expected there to be traces of raiders. If they were hiding there, He would have interviewed them. There was the danger of being killed, but he was confident because he had dealt with outlaws when he was a hobo.

But he found nothing. Disappointed, he ran out of the tunnel. He saw a woman walking ahead with a white horse.

"Hey, you!" Kent called to her in amazement. The woman stopped and turned around. She was young and her face was full of freckles. The horse had wings. Kent thought the horse was disguised as a wing ornament.

"What?" she asked. She seemed frightened. Kent introduced himself to prove he wasn't one of the cruel raiders.

"Don't worry. I'm Kent. Clifford Kent. I'm a reporter for the Evening Post."

"Journalist?"

"Yes," Kent nodded. "Are you a resident of the town?"

"No, I am a passer-by."

"Where are you from?"

The girl thought for a moment before answering. "I'm from the mountains."

"Do you mean Sierra Nevada?"

"Yes."

Clifford Kent had an idea of ​​who she was. "Where were you born?"

"New York."

"Are you Dorothy Abbott?"

"Oh my gosh!" said Dorothy, wide-eyed in amazement. "How do you know my name?"

Kent smiled sweetly like a friendly neighbor. "Your family in New York contacted our company asking if the girl named Dorothy who went missing in the Sierra Nevada might be their daughter."

"Is that so."

"I'm glad you're safe. How have you been?"

Kent reflexively opened his notebook and grabbed a pen.

Dorothy talked about her experiences, but didn't tell everything. For example, if she had told him that a nymph saved her life, he must have thought she was crazy. Dorothy explained. While wandering in the mountains apart from Mr. and Mrs. Miller, she happened to find this horse (he thought it was a normal horse because she didn't say it could fly) and rode it here.

"I see."

But Kent knew that Dorothy was hiding something. Her parents said she was headed to San Francisco to become a newspaper reporter. He thought she was a journalist and didn't want to tell her business rivals everything. However, the story he interviewed with her just now was interesting. With just a touch of embellishment by him, it would have been a great adventure story.

There was actually a reason why Dorothy accepted Kent's interview honestly.

"I have a request. I want to sneak into the Argo wagon. Can you help me?"

Dorothy just sat astride the Pegasus and scouted the Argo from above. There were many soldiers with guns around the Argo. Security was so high that she couldn't get inside the wagon without someone's guidance. The interview was an exchange condition to reunite with Giles.

Kent wanted to cooperate with her if he could. But it was impossible. Kent answered honestly.

"Sorry, we're not allowed in the wagon either."

"Please!" Dorothy clutched his hand.

"Actually, a spy was found in that wagon the other day."

"A spy?"

"A spy for the legions of Greek mythology. He was a goat-man who called himself Giles."

"Gi- Gi- Giles is not a spy!" Dorothy's tongue tangled in excitement.

"Do you know him?"

"Of course! Let me meet Giles. Meet the people who think Giles is a spy. I will prove that Giles is not a spy!"

"That's impossible."

"I beg you!"

"Actually, he's not here anymore either."

"What do you mean?"

"He was escorted to Washington, DC," Kent replied. "There, the government, military and scientists are going to investigate him."

Dorothy was too shocked to speak.