MAPLEWOOD

Partner Quade

          Parker was hurt, sore, and beaten up,but even with a torn wing, he flew off. He headed back to Asia's...It was now at dawns light, the sun would soon appear.. He hatedmornings, he hated not having a partner.... But even now, he didn'thated Maplewood.

          It was about a week later, still slowin the mend, Parker life had changed... The office had made him 'leaddetective, and he got a metal for saving the office hub and figuringout who the mole was. In that, Asia, taking good care of him, now inher personal suite, came in...

"Parker... you got a visitor..."Asia seemed highly disturbed.

"Send them in," Parker stated.

"Um, your vistor won't be ableto... But he states your his best friend..." Asia seemed weird ed out.

"I'm not 'best friends' withanybody..." Parker seem highly confused.

"Um, you'll have to look out themain entrance to tell him that yourself..." Asia seemed reallyworried about how else to approach this.

"Out the main entrance? Why won'the just come in here?"

"Um... He's to big! I need you toshew him away, my customer's are afraid to leave..."

"Afraid to leave?" Parker Beetleslowly limped out of the room, down the hall into the main room...In a surprise, (all the customers fearing for their safety) had moveda far away from the entrance as they could. Looking from them, ParkerBeetle looked at the exit... There was one large furry eyeballstaring in at him...

"There you are." The voice of itexclaimed.

"Who are you?" Parker stated,unsure 'what' was going on here.

"I'm your best new friend... Afterall, Lucy June lovebug told me to watch out for you... We need totalk... Got time?" Quade said, his voice boomed within the hole.

"Time for... Oh, your thatsquirrel friend of Lucy's...

"Yeah mate... Quade. Look we needto talk..." Quade stated again.

"About what?"

"I need help with a problem I haveup at my nest... Fire ants seem to want to infest my home... And Iheard your now the best detective bug of Maplewood... so..."

"You want me to... clear the placeout...?"

"Yeah mate... there's a lot ofperks that'll come with it..."

"Perk's... what kind of perks?"Parker asked.

"Like moving the hub office to thetop tree branches, and having all detective bugs get a free pass pastall the prison birds, for life...."

"Like, forever?"

"Yeah mate, forever... The mayorof Maplewood has already signed the accord..." Quade stated.

"Oh my... Parker, you realize whatthat means! ...You'll dominate this whole tree!" Asia exclaimed asshe realized he'd finally hit the big time!

"Miss, he already does... Takingout Whiskey, not to mention his brother... All the riff-raff inMaplewood has departed in a mass exit from the entire tree! Maplewood is now the safest place to live for miles around. All theinsects are praising Parker Beetle as Maplewood's 'hero'!"

"A hero?" Parker beetle likedthe sound of that, walking towards the large furry eye... "Yeah... Mr Quade... I dothink we need to talk,"

"aye mate... we do."

                                                      FIN