Revelations

   (When we last left Fred, he had flown into great black yonder with Jonathan and docked in a really cool space station)

   Fred gaped as he looked around.  It was huge and white.  Chandeliers hung from the looming ceiling and large fountains shot their water high into the air.  The whole place was dotted with full grown trees that looked to real to be fake and Fred nearly toppled backward in surprise when he looked down to see the floor carpeted with grass. 
   He was even more surprised when Jonathan stepped forward and disappeared with a shimmer.  Fred stepped after him and gaped anew, this time with disappointment.  The chandeliers, fountains, trees, and grass, were all gone, replaced by a small, dirty grey room. 
   Jonathan gestured behind them. “Optical illusion.”
   Fred finally shut his mouth. “What for?”
   Jonathan shrugged. “Aliens.”
   Then he walked out the door.  Fred stared after him for a moment, not moving, then he remembered he didn’t know where he was, so he ran to catch up.  Outside the small room were small corridors of the same dingy grey, and a lot of them.  Luckily for Fred, Jonathan had not gone far.  When he was next to Jonathan, Fred let his questions loose.
   “What are we doing here?  Are there really aliens?  Is the PEANUTs HQ in space?  Are you Russian?  Is Mars inhabited?  Did ET come from there?  Can I go home?  Where’s the bathroom?”
   Jonathan pointed to a side door which Fred quickly entered.  A short time later he came back out.
   “Okay,” he smiled. “I’m good.”
   Jonathan nodded and continued walking.  Fred matched his pace.
   “Well,” he asked. “Aren’t you going to answer any of my questions?”
   Jonathan shook his has. “I wasn’t planning to, no.”
   “What?  Why not?”
   “Because, at the moment, I have more important things on my mind.”
   “What’s your point?”
   Jonathan stopped walking and faced Fred. “I don’t have the time.”
   Then, before Fred could answer, he continued walking.  Fred ran to catch up again.
   “But you’re just walking,” he protested. “Can’t you walk and talk?”
   “No!”
   “But you’re not doing anything!”
   Jonathan increased his pace. “Oh really?  You will no doubt be surprised to learn that I am currently running two wars, both covert, trying to prevent nuclear war, wipe out terrorism, and negotiate world peace.  All at the same time.  Do you call that not doing anything?”
   Fred stared at him. “Inconceivable!  And yes, I do know what that word means.”
   Jonathan glared at him but didn’t say anything.
   “The only question I have left is why am I here?”
   Jonathan halted for a moment, then went back to walking. “I had a moment of weakness in the airport when I saw you.  Others saw that weakness and tried to exploit it.  Hence, I brought you here.”
  “What!?”  Fred stopped dead. “You think I’m a weakness?”
   Jonathan stopped too. “Yes, frankly.”
   Fred glared at him for a full minute.
   “I want to go home!” he finally shouted.
   “You’ll have no protection down there.  They can easily find you and kill you.”
   “I don’t care.  I’m not staying up here with you, you dirty traitor you.”
   Jonathan sighed. “All right.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.  Go back to the hotel room and you’ll be returned to earth.”
   Fred turned and walked away.
   “Thanks,” he called over his shoulder. “For nothing.”
   Back in the room he lay on one of the beds and stewed as he felt the room detach from the space station and headed to earth.  How could Jonathan do this?  Fred had thought they were pals.  Now?  Fred snorted.  Guess you really do never know who your friends are. 
   A thud and slight hissing sound told Fred he was back on earth.  He got up with a new determination.  He had started out after the PEANUTs without Jonathan and he could still do it.
   The PEANUT terrorists would again rue the day they stole his peanuts!