incentives from friends

Rolo says this is 5/9 of 'the blinking lights'. Here are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
----

Rolo couldn't stop talking about the Blinking Lights on our way to Arlene's
place. "We'll go back there again tomorrow night," he said. "After 11, though,
'cos otherwise you get Bluejay and all those people."

I nodded and counted in negative steps. It was something I'd been practising
since the night Longone Sweetheart chased me with a broom from her Insides. It
was easier to count in negative steps, because, then, things got smaller. For
example, we now only had 512 - 511 - 510 - 508 (we skipped over a dead racoon) -
507 steps to go.

"Don't think it's aliens, though," explained Rolo. I smiled back. "No, not -
aliens," he said, "there wasn't, like, any parting in the skies. It was just
four foot above the ground. Little things." I looked and caught a small grin
on his face. "Playing with me," he smiled. I smiled back. "Just yea high," he
said. "We'll go check up on them tomorrow. Maybe we can get some friends to come
with us."

I let another breath out into the cold air, keeping count. But Rolo was on his
game. "That's thirty-two breaths you let out in the last minute, Fool" he said
to me, frowning. "Try to be a little calmer."

I smiled and made an effort to breathe slower. 304, 213. 102. Fifty-six. Thirty-
two. I looked at Rolo and counted the number of times his head swung back to
glance at the Blinking Lights. Twenty-four.