No. 421 had just stepped out of the shower and was trying to make his
hair behave when someone started pounding on his door.

"Hey No. 421," Oliver said in a loud voice. "You up yet -- breakfast
on? I was going to make mine at home, but I didn't have time. Yoo Hoo -
you up yet?"

Shaking the water from his coat, No. 421, wrapped in his towel, opened
the door.

"Why don't you just walk in?" No. 421 said. "I never lock my door, and
you all but live here anyway. Who have we here?"

"This here is Skye," Oliver said. "I found him on the way to the gate."

Oliver said somehow, the Receiving Angel missed Skye. In fact, when no
one was there to greet Skye at the gate, the silver ferret positioned
himself at the crossroads between the dog and cat division and the
ferret division and directed the newcomers to the right path to the
their section of the Rainbow Bridge.

"I was taking some tickets back to the Receiving Angel that I left in
my shorts and washed by mistake," Oliver said. "After I dried them out,
I was on my way to the gate, and that is when I saw Skye. He was there
without a ticket, without anyone to greet him, so I took him under my
paw, like you taught me to do, and brought him here."

No. 421 had been planning a nice quiet breakfast at Bakin' Bertha's
with that cute waitress, Fang, and he had been in the mood for some
of Honey's paw print cookies.

"You want me to start breakfast?" Oliver said. "I'm sure our guest is
hungry."

No. 421 went into his room to get dressed. When he came out, his hair
was still standing up. He greeted Skye with a big smile and a paw
shake. This ferret had the blackest nose he had ever seen.

"Welcome to the Rainbow Bridge," No. 421 said. "Tell me about yourself.
Where did you come from, and why did we not get a notice? Excuse me a
minute, Oliver; don't forget the raisins in the oatmeal. And, put in
enough so some of them fall into our bowls. Somehow, they all seem to
stick to your spoon."

"Well" Skye said. "It was dark when I passed over and I couldn't find
my way. I was wondering around and came upon some other lost dogs. I
found the crossroads and began directing traffic. Guess I just didn't
think about ever coming here. I had a job, and I was feeling so much
better, I just didn't think to go back."

Oliver served the oatmeal, and the three sat down to eat. Skye said he
had lived in a shelter and had helped his Shelter Mom with her new
arrivals.

"Working at the crossroads was just like home," Skye said. "Now that I
am here, what am I going to do?"

No. 421 was thinking. He thought the Receiving Angel might have stepped
away from the gate for a minute, and missed the new arrival. Then he
had an idea.

"Listen Skye, I may have a job for you," No. 421 said. "You come to the
gate with me, and tell the Receiving Angel what you were doing."

Taking Skye by the paw, the two went down to the gate. The Receiving
Angel was there, busy with his books.

"Ahem," said No. 421. "I would like a word with you."

The Receiving Angel looked up. "Hello No. 421, I'm awfully busy right
now. Seems a silver boy passed and I cannot find him. All I know is he
had a black button nose."

"Well, I can help you," No. 421 said. "This is Skye, the silver boy you
are looking for. Show him your nose, Son. I was wondering if you could
use some help, you know, for those moments when you, er, step away?"

"That is the boy I'm looking for," the Receiving Angel said. "Where did
you find him?"

No. 421 said Skye had just walked in by himself. He did not have anyone
there to greet him, so he busied himself helping others.

The Receiving Angel thought a minute. "You know, I could really use a
good helper here," he said. "I'm sure The Boss would approve, as
sometimes I have to go up to the Big House, and there is no one here
just in case."

"Then it is all settled," No. 421 said. "Skye, you will stay here at
the gate with the Receiving Angel and assist him when he needs you.
This way, you can look down on your Mom and all the Shelter Ferrets in
Shelter's everywhere and if one arrives without family here, or that
lived in a Shelter like you did, you can help them find their way."

Skye's eyes lit up, and he dooked and dooked. "Hey Mom," he shouted,
I'm gonna help Shelter Ferrets just like you do."

No.421 smiled and turned away to go home. It was late, and he had
missed lunch at Bakin' Bertha's. He trudged up the path, and as he
turned to go into his cabin, Oliver came around the corner with a bag
in his hand.

"Hey No. 421, Honey brought you some cookies while you were gone," he
said. She said they had a cancellation for an order, and it was just
the kind you liked so she sent them up with Buddy.

No. 421's face lit up. He went into the cabin and put the teakettle on,
and Oliver set out the cups. The two dined on pawprint cookies and
ferretone tea.

No. 421 wrote in his logbook, Mission accomplished, Skye is working at
the gate and happy with his job. And thank you Boss, only You knew how
much I wanted those cookies.

[Posted in FML 6437]