Z is for Zombie

Zombie chef... if this is you, blame the google...

Zack the zombie picked at a zit and fussed with his zipper. Zoe tried to distract him with a trip to the zoo and a zebra zooming about. She pointed out zinnias. She even showed him a zeppelin zipping by. Zack zoned.

Zoe zocked Zack. “Zack, want to watch a zomcom?”

Zack said, “I'm not a zorb. You don't need to entertain me.”

Zoe backed off. “Then I will zumba.”

After zumba, Zoe zeroed in on Zack's zucchini ziti and yelled, “Zoinks! The zaatar spicing is amazing.”

“Now pay me a zirconia. Or your brains.”

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words.]
[These last few were really hard.]
[April is OVER!!!]

Y is for Yarn

Yellow yarrow

The yelling youth yammering for yams and yogurt made Yolanda yearn for a yard lined in yellow yarrow. Yacking yellowed her yin and yang.

“YO!” the youth yodeled. “Ya got yummies?”

Yolanda frowned. “Yeasty yogurt and yams. Yes.”

“Yeehaw!” yelled the youth.

“You must hear my yarns,” Yolanda said. “They're about Yankees yearning for youth.”

“Yeah, y'okay. YOLO. Yams, yogurt and yolks: we'd do anything.”

The youth yielded and Yolanda began, a yeoman of yesterday. The youth yawned, yielding to sleep.

“You're welcome, yokels,” Yolanda. “Silence at last.” Yolanda's yin rejoiced.

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words.]

X is for Xyzlacatosis

Xanthidae Crab

Xena the Xanthidae expected expertise at the xylophone and xaphoon but the xenoepist Xavier's xanthophobia distracted him. He was also exquisitely consumed with xanoscaping, so much so that he missed the xenomorph that threatened him. It caused Xena xickovit and xeroflulogitis, but that was better than xeronisus. Instead she called Xander who brought her a xochitl and a xeriff to cheer her. He was willing to be her xield so she could cross the street to avoid the xoconostle and xoloitzcuintli. After crossing she realized she truly had reached xyzlacatosis.

[This is ten words short of a drabble because I also have xyzlacatosis—an understanding there are very few words that start with X, Y and Z]

Xochitl

xenopist: someone with a foreign accent
xanthophobia: fear of the color yellow
xanoscaping: landscaping for a dry environment that will need no irrigation
xickovit (sick of it—just like it sounds)
xeroflulogitis: at a loss for words
xeronisis: inability to have an orgasm (eek!)
xeriff: old coinage (Egypt?)
xield: human shield, sort of... person crossing the street who the cars will actually stop for, like a little old lady.
xoconostles: type of cactus
xoloitzcuintli: type of dog (hairless?)

W is for Wanda

Wanda wanted wealthy, well-mannered, witty, and wise. In short, she wanted wonderful.

Warren the welder was wily, wayward, and wan—wild with womanizing.

Wendell--wild in bed was wacky, weird, and wobbled—drinking whiskey.

Wroger was really just wrong.

William wore wellingtons when it wasn't raining.

Wayne... wary Wayne (some called it paranoid) wasn't well in the head.

Was Wanda to wallow without?

Wanting with wonder, Wanda went to Winnipeg where she met Wendy, who wrote winsome ballads, raised Wisteria, watched wrens and waitressed. Wendy worked hard, wore wool and could be wacky, but Wendy was wonderful. Wanda had wanted a woman!

V is for Violin

Victor at his violin

Valerie vented in various ways about Victor and his vexing violin. Victor was no virtuoso. His violin screeches veered through the ventilation and vroomed onto her veranda. Her vegetables lost their vigor and a virus veined through their stems. She tried vague suggestions, and then verbose but Victor was vacuous. Finally, she notified the valet, and then the village, but Victor vast variety of verse via violin was voracious. Her volatility piqued. She veered her vehicle vitriolically through Victor's visiting room.

Valerie's victory was in vain. Victor was a vampire whose vivacity focused on her vitals. She had just volunteered.

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words.]

U is for Undoing

My favorite urchin, Arya Stark

Uncle Ulrich, an undertaker in Umatilla, understood urns and utility, but his undying love for Ursula undid him. Ursula ushered urchins to understudy in utopian plays. Ulrich thought urchins were ubiquitous, ugly and unclean but Ursula took umbrage.

“Ultimately, life had been unfair and they were unfortunate.” She called Ulrich uncharitable. Unceremoniously, she unfriended him.

He had underestimated her unadulterated attachment. It was unbearable. At the University Ulrich underwent an unprecedented undoing of his unbalanced underestimation of urban youth. Ultimately it went unnoticed, or maybe Ursula was just unforgiving. But Uncle Ulrich, unlucky in love, was no longer unkind.


[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words.]

[I have a book series in process called Undoing, but there are not yet any undertakers in it. Though there is a funeral.]

[Umatilla is a real place. It is on the Columbia River, the Oregon side and seems to be the world hub for lawn ornament statue things.]

The shops are a bit smaller than this but there are several of them for a town of about 1000. Seriously.

T is for Tiger Trouble

Talia took her twin toddlers and their toys to the terrace. The toddlers tossed their toys and Talia turned a top and tickled their toes. The toddlers tittered while titmice tweeted. Tonya, through a tapestry of a topiary, detected the twitching tail of a tiger.

“Talia! Tiger in the trees!”

Talia took Tommy and tossed him to Tonya, then tensed. The tiger turned to look.

Tonya took Tommy to his cot, then tempted the tiger from the tower and tossed a t-bone through a window to the tiger. The tiger trounced toward the t-bone and Talia took Tia inside.

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words.]
[The inspiration for this drabble was a dream I had that went almost exactly like this.]

T is ALSO for THURSDAY!!! And twentieth (T is the 20th letter)
But most importantly, T is for TART!!!

S is for Stealth

Cali-Stealth Mode

Sly Stanley selected a scent for sneaking into the sanitarium. Stella had been sequestered by sinister soldiers because her stealth suit was too sexy. Stella sold her suit to seven sick secretaries and they'd sneaked in for something for their serotonin. Security spotted Stella and six secretaries, sealing them in a cell, but the seventh, Susan, sent a signal. As Security Stooge Simon searched Stella, Susan sighted storage and stuck samples in her suitcase. Stanley sent in sleeping smoke and extracted Stella and her seven sisters. The serotonin assistance samples made the secretaries sunny and Stella smiled secretly at Stanley.

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words.]

R is for Raccoons

Roger the radical recognized reckless Raylene at the rally.

“Rick,” Roger pointed at Raylene. “Raylene must stay on our radar. She rode a Range Rover into a radio station in Richmond and read raunchy rhymes at a rally in Roanoke.”

“I heard she released raccoons in a Radio Shack in Raliegh.

Roger reevaluated Raylene. Raccoons in a Radio Shack was rather radical. It rocked. He realized Raylene was radiant. Roger roamed the room, recognizing a romantic reaction.

Raylene rounded on Roger, then rushed past, running to retro Roderick, a radiologist. Roderick released rabid rabbits, so Roger ran.

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words.]

For a bit of added humor... when the Rs go amiss:   

Welease Woger!

Q is for Questions (featuring Alex Cavanaugh)

Quentin questioned Quinn's queer query.

“'Querido Qualitrix, I am highly qualified for quality control. Quien quiere quedar pantalones?' Why?”

“It's Spanish. Question words are quintessential to qualifying me as bilingual.”

“Quell that thought. Question words are quaint, but they won't qualify you. You will be responding to querulous customers. Quien, que, donde, cuando and por que are quite insufficient.”

“That's why I used one in a sentence.”

“You asked who wants to wear pants?”

“And if they say they do, I know I don't want to work there.”

He had a point. “Quite.”

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words.]
[Q is a hard one]

And NOW what you've all been waiting for... for the release of Dragon of the Stars, I've asked Alex a couple QUESTIONS (and he knows full well not to wear pants around here) so without further ado... Welcome Alex and contrats on the release of your fourth book!

Q is for QUESTIONS: 5 Questions for Alex Cavanaugh

[No hand grenades were harmed in this post]

1)  Tart:  In the early chapters there is a mood or tension related to war that Aden “Couldn't recall an earlier time in history...”  This quote interested me about the backstory you don't get to... Is this some future time? Surely they've seen other wars. Has history been manipulated or lost somehow? Is Aden just thinking of “happening in his time”? Or is this an alternative universe and thus truly a first?

Alex:  All of the above! Just kidding. Made you think though, didn’t it?
There had been other wars, involving many of the races and the Hyrathians themselves. This was the first time all of the races had come against Aden’s people though.

2) Tart:  Aden is very likeable, but I thought you did a brilliant job with an early conversation with a man named Shadney. (Aden) Pendar is thinking big picture, but Shadney brings it back down to PEOPLE and families losing loved ones and it strikes the reader that Aden had been thinking in a very detached way—he's given something of himself up to get where he is. Is this a character flaw you draw from other favorite stories or characters? Was the decision intentional and planned or revealed as part of the writing?

Alex:  It was always planned as part of the character arc. Being a military brat, I’ve seen a lot men who were driven leaders and they do tend to detach a bit. They are more practical and logical and don’t think with emotions.

5.  (three) Tart:  Trying not to get spoilery, but Aden has a very thorough growth arc—he changes in a number of ways over the course of the story. Were any of those big surprises to you? Aden revealing them to you? Were any of them really hard to do to him, as his creator?

Alex:  No big surprises, although more developed with Tamsin than originally planned. Crushing his chances wasn’t hard, as he needed a reality check. The one big thing (and you know which one big thing) was difficult, as it altered him forever. But I think it fit in the story and with the character. Hope so, because there’s no going back now!

Dragon of the Stars
By Alex J. Cavanaugh
Science Fiction – Space Opera/Adventure/Military
Print ISBN 9781939844064 EBook ISBN 9781939844057
What Are the Kargrandes? http://whatarethekargrandes.com/

The ship of legends…
The future is set for Lt. Commander Aden Pendar, poised to secure his own command and marriage to the queen’s daughter. But when the Alliance declares war on their world, Aden finds his plans in disarray and told he won’t make captain. One chance remains–the Dragon. Lost many years prior, the legendary ship’s unique weapon is Hyrath’s only hope. Can Aden find the Dragon, save his people, and prove he’s capable of commanding his own ship?

Purchase or Read:  Amazon  Barnes and Noble  Kobo  Chapters  Amazon UK  Goodreads

Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design, graphics, and technical editing. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. He’s the author of Amazon Best-Sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm.
http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/
http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/
http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh 

P is for Prat

Pious Peter paged Peggy with his printer problem. Peggy put paper in the printer. Penelope pointed out that Peter was pathetic. “Paper is a primary problem. Any plebe can put paper in a printer.” Practical Peggy paltry attention. A psychic reading was pending.

Priya the psychic took Peggy's palm. “Peter is a prat,” she said.

Peggy peered over a pince-nez, probing Priya.

“Peter is prone to posturing and pedantics.

“Pedantic prats are a pestilence. Putting power in their palms is a problem. But pathetic people are permitted a path to peace provided they put posturing aside.”

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words]
[behold pathetic people and stop posturing, though of course these people rarely know who they are, so never mind]

O is for Omen

Owen owed his overbite to his Oracle Grandmother, Ophelia. Dr. Orson, Owen's odd orthodontist, objected to the ordinary. Owen's opulent orthodontia were occupied with opals and obsidian. Olive observed Owen, obscure in his oblique oddness. He was original. He occupied her mind. She was obsessed and obliged to make an overture. He was oblivious, obtuse. So Olive offered him an objective observation. “Your originality is outstanding! Join me in an occasional offering at the ocean, won't you?” Owen ogled Olive. Olives ocular adornments were as outrageous as his orthodontics. There was a faint odor of oranges: a good omen.

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words]

N is for Negligee

Ninja source

Nimble Nate needed nearly nothing. He nibbled nectarines and narrated Norman's notes. In November Nate napped. At noon as Nate narrated Norman's notes he noticed “negligee”. Nellie's negligee. Nellie was new to Nantucket. And nice. But Nate knew naught about negligees. They were nearly nighties, but also nearly nothing. Nellie's neglige nagged at him. Now Nate needed to know. At night Nate drove Norbert, his new Nissan, to Nellie's. He knocked but nobody answered. Nervously he navigated near the window. Was Nellie in her nifty negligee? Or naked? He saw nothing then found himself neck-locked! Nellie was a Ninja!

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words]
[Alex is also a ninja--I will be asking him questions about his new book Monday because Q is for questions]

My favorite N-Thing--My daughter, who turns 20 this month

M is for Music

Mahogany mandoline

Mary's misanthropic mother wanted to make her major in marketing. “You will make more money managing men in marketing maneuvers than making music on your mahogany mandolin.”

Mary mourned. “But  making music makes me merry.”

“Money can modify most anything. Make your money marketing merchandise.”

Mary was mad. Marketing merged monkey moves with manipulation and managing minions.

But then Mary met Mike. Mike was a magician, a man who made money mesmerizing the masses. Mike managed to make Mary's mother understand. Mary missed music.

Mary majored in music and married Mike and now makes music for millions.

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words]

L is for Lucius

Loony Leonard lured lemurs to his lanai with lemons, leeks and lollipops. The lemurs quickly learned their lesson and enlisted llamas as loud liaisons. The llamas lounged on Leonard's lawn, lisping limericks and laughing, while the lemurs limboed and lobbed lemmings at Leonard. Ladies laughed until Lucius took pity. Lucius loved luxurious lavendar lingerie. He lived for the lunar cycle and licked his lips to make them luscious. The lemurs leered suspiciously until Lucius displayed the lamé. Lemurs love line-dancing in lamé, even if they look ludicrous. Lucius invited all to perform live. The llamas leaped and lonely Leonard laughed.

And now, a llama limerick... because... L

There once was a llama from Guam
Who wanted to go to the prom
But his date did confess
He looked bad in his dress
So he settled for a big photobomb

K is for Knight

Kishu Kens like Kibble

Karl was a kind kite-maker from Kiev. Karina kept a kangaroo kennel and made kibble for kishu kens and kettle korn for kids. Kevin was a kinky kleptomaniac and kidnapped Karina. Karl kicked himself for not knowing Kevin's proclivities.

Kevin proclaimed, “I am king! Kiss me Karina!”

Karina kneed him in the knee but then he waved a knife and knotted a knapsack to her and knelt.

In came Karl with Karina's kangaroos! The kangaroo kicked Kevin and Karl knocked him from his knees. “Your knavery's kooky!” He knelt before Karina and un-knotted the knapsack.

“My knight!”

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words]
[This drabble was exactly 100 words the very first time I checked—that rarely happens]

J is for Justice

Jonquils

Jowly Janna jinxed Joe to jerry-rig Jersey. Janna envisioned jewels and jonquils in June if elected justice. Sadly, Joe was a juggler. He juggled jars of jello and though they looked jewelish, they were only jiggly. Janna's jinx gave Joe jitters and he dropped the jello; it jumped jovially onto everyone from junkies to judges. Jill loved Joe and judged Janna's jinx unjust. Jackals and jaguars were more judicious. Jill jammed Janna's jukebox with juxtaposed Journey and jazz jacked the volume. Janna uncontrollably danced a jig, earning jeers from jaundiced jokesters. Janna failed to be elected justice. Which was justice.

I is for Inept

Looks a bit shifty, eh?

Ike the iridescent iguana imagined himself an intellectual, but Ike was rather an idiot. Ike invented icky ice cream flavors: iceberg, imitation krab, inchworm and io moth. Ike ignored irksome ivy and now he is itchy. Ike isolated an irritating ibis named Iris. Iris imitates intelligence with idiom and shares illicit images of inspectors. Ike and Iris went to Idaho as illegal immigrants and industrious independents identified them as inept. Ineptitude in Idaho qualifies one for politics. Inquiries into intrigue implode. Insanity increases incumbency! Irresponsibility is irrelevant! Ike and Iris inspire! Elections include these idiots and Idahoans implore, “ELECT!”

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words.]
[As an Idahoan, originally, I get a pass at mocking it.]
[It's true they have rather indiscriminate election patterns]
[But illegal immigrants... especially of the non-white male sort, and alternate species qualify here... have very poor chances, no matter what the Napoleon Dynamite/Pedro propaganda might hint at].

H is for Hush

The hush halted Henry. He’d heard hammering for hours. Hannah had hummed to hide the hideous harangue.

The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

“How come his high holiness hid the holy hand grenade here?” Hannah asked.

“Howard the horrid hates him and threatened to hit his house with it.”

“Hasn’t Hamish halted Howard’s efforts?”

“Hamish’s health hasn’t held. He has hepatitis.”

“How horrible! Hamish is honest and honorable. I hope he heals.”

Heavy heels hit hard wood. Hannah and Henry hid. It was Howard. Henry heaved a horseshoe at his head. Howard toppled hard. Hannah held him while Henry howled.

His holiness came running, happy. “Hallelujah!”

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words]

G is for Gymnastic Giraffe

Gordon the goat grumbled grouchily. Grass gave him gout unless it grew newly green and gray skies made him gloomy. Gilbert the geko was much gayer, groovy and given to goofiness. Green and gray though he was, he golfed with a great gang of grasshoppers and gambled with gargantuan gorillas. And then Gia the giraffe arrived gyrating with geriatric gymnasts. Gordon gawked. Gilbert giggled. He gave guided tours of their grand garage. They grazed on green grapes and gulped grapefruit juice, though Gia suggested they add gin. Gaiety grew. Gordon finally guffawed, giving a go to the gasping good times.

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words]

[G adds an extra challenge. Not only are there fewer words than many letters, the letter has two (or more) sounds. I tried to keep them segregated to maximize the alliterative effect but it still loses something]

F is for Flatulence (yes, I went there)

Fabulous flamencos

Felix fancied Frannie. Frannie's face featured freckles, fringed with fair feathery hair. Felix was Frannie's friend, far from feeling amorous, it felt familial. And Frannie felt Felix was fickle and fairly false. In a feat to impress Frannie, Felix fenced a phantom. Finally she laughed, but then he farted. Fortunately for Felix (he thought), Fiona came in and Felix framed Fiona for the flatulence. Fiona flushed. Frannie was not fooled. In fact Frannie was furious. “False friend!” Frannie took Fiona's hand and led her to a festival with frolicking, feasting and Flamenco dancing. Felix frowned, forsaken, then was forgiven.

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words]


In other news, Everybody wants to be an F word.

Philosophy, phoenix, even phonics. Pretty much any word with a PH (silly Greeks). But it does not stop there. There is cough, laugh and rough.

E is for Elephants

Elephants being elegant

Eli's editing career ended early. Ego exhausted him. Empty-headed authors earned enough accolades for their ersatz elegance. He'd had enough. But no epiphanies came to envelop him in a new direction. Empty eating only energized his angst. Evening echoed with exasperation. And then Emma entered. Emma's exuded empathy and empathy enhances everyone's aura. Emma encouraged Eli to examine every option. Engineering was out as Eli's education excluded arithmatic. Electrician training ensued, but then electrocuted him, ending those aspirations. Environmental work was promising but economic considerations exed the option. He wanted excitement! Enchantment! Emma encouraged his imagination.
Ergo, entertaining with elephants.

[A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words]

For a joyous elephant dance, watch this...

And because I'm me and a bit twisted...

D is for Digression and Dragon of the Stars

Darling baby dingos

Darling dimpled Dorene denounced Dan for his dour disposition. She said, “Daily digressions develop delusional dexterity. Dreamy dalliance defends us from depression. Digress daily dear one! Derive joy from deviance and depose life's dullness.”

Dan doubted her dialog, dreading death or even detention. “I don't dare deviate from duty.”

Dorene derided, “Dreaming of dappled dragons doesn't deserve detention, nor does dancing in daffodils. Dieting. Now THAT'S death! Duty without diversion drains dear life from you.”

A dandy dingo entered, dragging daisies. A dozen dainty door mice darted about. Dorene poured a daquiri. “You see. Divine digression.”

[A Drabble is a story in exactly 100 words]

Dragon of the Stars: A Review in brief

Alex Cavanaugh's latest book, Dragon of the Stars, comes out Tuesday and I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy to prepare to ask Alex a few questions (Q day: April 20), but I thought before that, I could give a brief review... Dragon starting with D and all, it is today.

Blurb: The ship of legends...

The future is set for Lt. Commander Aden Pendar, son of a Hyrathian Duke. Poised to secure his own command and marriage to the queen’s daughter, he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

But when the Alliance denies Hyrath’s claim on the planet of Kavil and declares war on their world, Aden finds his plans in disarray. Entrenched in battle and told he won’t make captain, Aden’s world begins to collapse. How will he salvage his career and future during Hyrath’s darkest hour?

One chance remains–the Dragon. Lost many years prior, the legendary ship’s unique weapon is Hyrath’s only hope. Can Aden find the Dragon, save his people, and prove he’s capable of commanding his own ship?

Review: I enjoyed this space jaunt. The characters were well thought out with complete arcs and Pendar had some very tough choices to make. I particularly loved Tamlin—his weapons leftenent (though I may have that title wrong)--she is his hard working and talented wingman with a gift for sincerity that makes her both a bit awkward and very endearing. I liked the moral dilemma at the core of this story and the character growth shown by Pendar, who is initially so focused on his career that he fails to quite comprehend that there are people around him with worries and lives. It isn't normally my genre, but there was plenty of character stuff to keep me happy.

C is for Cacophony

The chorus of crows across from my house

[For those of you who have read A and B... sorry for the lack of alliteration here--this was written in a more "to write well" spirit and I think it catches a mood.  I have shared this elsewhere, but it is a drabble and appropriate for the day]

I hear the faint hum and then see the leaf-bare trees against the strawberry sky. The hum becomes a buzz and I recognize it, though it would be indistinct to an untrained ear. As I turn the corner, houses momentarily block the trees from view but the sound grows more clear. Individual cries. Caw. Caw. A stray pair of birds veer as far as the street I am walking on and I am confirmed, but by now I have passed the houses and can see the branches well enough to recognize the congregation. A cacophony of noise welcomes me home.

[A drabble is a story in exactly 100 words]

[Cacophony also happens to be my very favorite word]

[Heavy alliteration will return tomorrow]

B is for Balance

Pardon the swearing. The sentiment fit.

Boistrous bullies bragged belligerently about beating up on Little Ben Brown, but Ben bravely bellowed. Bugs and bees buzzed. Birds brandished beaks. Beasts bounded, and suddenly Ben had backup. A bear bounced a ball, baring big teeth. A boar brayed, “Baratheon!” A baboon belted boulders. And an itty bitty bunny rabbit nibbled at a bloody pile of bones. The Bully boys backed away bowing because beastly brethren balance brutality.

[A Drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words]

Beast of Caer Bannog Video if you care to watch.

A is for Antics

Airborn armadillo

Advancing amusement is awesome, but sometimes it requires a plan. For mischief, shenanigans, artful avoidance of order... When we are strategizing for silliness, what we need is antics. Add an armadillo to the art show. Aim a squishy arrow into the angry audience. Allow auditory interpretation after hours at the orchestra. Anthropomorphize an arbor. Suggest an aardvark as administrator. Audition ants for a teeny tiny play. Answer anyone's phone conversations. Accept an advance with an amorous animal noise. But never never ever argue with an attorney or an anarchist. There are antics and there is insanity.


And for the Insecure portion of this post...

(As part of Insecure Writer's Support Group)

Also Appearing

I wrote a book by this title a little over a year ago. It is about a teenage girl who feels like a bit player in her own life. Adult me is feeling like this right now and I can't seem to shake it. I have a few good friends getting HUGE opportunities--giant book deals. And I just can't even see the path. I thought I knew the steps, but the path seems to have flooded.  I will get back to it, but at the moment I feel very much like I am slipping and sliding with no ability to see the next place to put my foot...

If you'd like to join A to Z fun, or visit the others participating, the full list is here.
And if you'd like the list of Insecure Writers or to join us in the future, go here.