It had been warm and sunny all day, and the Receiving Angel left his
heavy robe home after lunch. Now, with the night falling, he was cold.
He called Skye to take over for him while he went home to get the robe.

"I'm here Mr. Angel," Skye said. "You go along and I'll take care of
things for you."

Skye settled himself in the big chair and was looking at the list of
expected ferrets. As he was reading over the page one name jumped right
out at him. "Miss Iris," Skye said. "No, it can't be, must be another
Miss Iris." He made himself comfortable and had just dozed off when
something touched his paw ever so lightly.

"Skye," said a soft voice. "That you, Skye?"

Skye woke up with a start. "Who's there," he said. "Who, wait a minute,
it can't be, Miss Iris, are you really here?"

"Yes, it's me, and look, I'm on all four feet. I'm feeling better, but
I still have to get used to walking again," Miss Iris said. "Where am I
and how did I get here?"

Skye told her she was at the Rainbow Bridge and he was working with the
Receiving Angel. The Angel has just stepped away to get his robe.

"Why don't you sit and rest a bit till Bluebird comes back," Skye
said. "She will take your ticket up. I think No. 421 is on Bridge duty
tonight. He will find our family clan and you will wait with us for
Mama Maren to come."

The two ferrets sat down just as the Receiving Angel arrived. Miss Iris
jumped up and ran behind a small bush. She had never seen anything like
this before.

Bluebird flew down and sat on the Receiving Angels wing. "The Big Boss
sent me down," she chirped. "Seems we have a ferret that left earth a
few days ago but has not arrived. I'se here to tell you to be on the
lookout for a sweet little silver girl with a black nose. Give me the
ticket and I will go find No. 421."

The Receiving Angel was looking at Miss Iris. He scanned over his book,
and then looked at Miss Iris again. Skye was smiling from whisker to
whisker.

"This is Miss Iris, the ferret everyone is looking for," Skye said. "We
lived in the same house on earth. May I take her to the Rainbow Bridge
and hand her over to No. 421?"

"A capital idea," the Receiving Angel said. "That way, she won't get
lost. You are a very caring ferret and a wonderful worker. Bluebird,
you may have the night off. Skye will take care of Miss Iris for us."

Bluebird chirped her thanks and Skye and Miss Iris set off for the
Bridge. No. 421 was dozing when the two ferrets arrived.

"Wake up," Skye said. "We need to greet a ferret and you is asleep."

No I'm not, just dozing," No. 421 said. "Give me the ticket, oh my,
this is for the Raisins' Crew. Skye, go get Oliver, he is at the cabin,
and tell him to go to the cold spring and round up as many of Mama
Maren's ferrets as he can. They are in that complex down there."

Skye set off for No 421's cabin and found Oliver working in the garden.
"You has to go to the cold spring and get the Raisin Crew," he said all
in one breath. "We has a cute little girl ferret who belongs to that
group who just arrived."

Oliver got up and started down to the spring, making a mental note
to meet this girl. The Raisin Crew had just fixed the Otter slide and
were probably still scraping the mud off their coats. As he rounded
the corner, he could smell bar-be-que. Reagan, Wicked, Hoovie, Cole,
Dagmar, Marshall a.k.a. Marshy, Jasmine, Zahny, Riley, Carrie and
Sally, were roasting raisins and waiting for some N'bones to finish
cooking.

Hey fellers," Oliver said. "Can a few of you come up to the Bridge to
meet a gal named Miss Iris?"

"Can we," they dooked at once. "Miss Iris, come on fellers, our Miss
Iris. We need to hurry and bring her down in time for the barbeque."
They began to run as fast as they could up the hill to the Bridge.
One yelled back to Oliver to mind the grill.

No. 421 was talking to Miss Iris when the crew arrived. She was a
beauty; he could talk to her all night.

They rushed over to Miss Iris jumping around and dooking together. Miss
Iris was trying to greet everyone, but they just would not stop dooking
they were so glad to see her.

"Thanks No. 421," someone said. "We will take care of Miss Iris now.
Come on, the barbeque will get cold. Hey Skye, come on, there is plenty
for you to come too. We left Oliver tending the fire, should be done by
now."

Miss Iris told No. 421 she wanted to send a message home to her Mama.
Shooting Star was waiting and Miss Iris said to tell her that she had
arrived and met sky who was on duty at the time.

"It was a wonderful reunion," Miss Iris said. "I am with family now,
and they will take good care of me until you come. Don't cry Mom, I
am walking again, and I thank you for rescuing and taking care of me.
Sorry I had to leave so quickly, but when I heard the call, I had to go."

Shooting Star said she would deliver the message later that night, and
with a nod to No. 421, she left.

No. 421 went home to see what Oliver had put on for supper. He had
stayed to tend the barbeque, so the Raisin Crew gave him some roasted
N Bones and raisins to take home.

No. 421 wrote in his logbook, Mission accomplished. We have Miss Iris
with her family, and Oliver and I are having real Barbeque for supper.
Oliver poured the tea and the two friends said grace. Barbeque was a
special treat and not something they usually had.

[Posted in FML 6664]