avalanche had caught the assault, and a moment later the Rovers heard a dull thump well below them as the shell detonated harmlessly in the ice and snow.

 “What happening?!” yelled Sonam over the deafening rumble of snow, ice, and rock.

 “Well, I’d say Parvo just found out the meaning of ‘snow job,’” Hunter replied.

 As the avalanche subsided, a series of triumphant hoots issued from overhead as several apes swung down from the ledge like they were dropping off of monkey bars.

 “The yetis!” cried Alan.

 “They must have caused the avalanche,” observed Colleen.

 The white apes quickly surrounded them on the narrow ledge.  One of them stepped forward and pointed at the Rovers, uttering a long string of accusatory grunts.

 “What did he say?” asked Exile.

 “I don’t know, but I get the feeling we’ve just been insulted or threatened,” answered Alan.  

“Maybe we should dare him to say it again,” suggested Colleen.

 Then their little yeti friend ran forward.  It uttered a babbling string of grunts, gurgles, and coos as it gestured over the edge of the ledge they all stood on, then at itself, then at the Rovers, and then wrapped its arms around itself as if hugging itself.

 “What is he saying?” asked Blitz, turning to Shag.  Shag just shrugged.

 Whatever the baby said seemed to surprise the elder ape, who jerked his head back slightly and grunted in a questioning tone.  The baby nodded, and the big yeti raised a paw to his chin.  After a moment he turned and pointed to some of the other apes, who lumbered forward and snatched up the crew.

 “Here we go again,” muttered Exile with a shrug.

 The ape carrying her took one of her hands in each paw and placed her with surprising gentleness on its back as if putting on a pack.  The other apes did the same with their passengers, and then went to the edge of the precipice.  With daring born of experience, they turned their backs to the open air and began their descent.

 “Well,” Hunter remarked from a yeti close by, “It beats walking, doesn’t it?”

 “Yeah, but it’s a jolly fine spot we’re in now,” complained Colleen.  “We got rid of Parvo and now they’ll be taking us back.”

 But to their surprise, the yetis made no move to capture them.  Instead, once they reached the bottom, the tribe gathered around them and raised their faces skyward, lifting their fists and hooting loudly.

 “I thought they didn’t like loud noises,” observed Hunter.

 “Maybe it’s some kind of special occasion,” replied Alan.  “Like they’re cheering or something.”

"Village never believe this,"  Sonam muttered under his breath.

 Whatever the cause of their strange behavior, the apes lowered their arms and faces.  Then as one, they turned to go.

 “What that?” asked Sonam.

 Alan shrugged.  “We’ll probably never know,” he replied.

 Just then the baby yeti ran back to Colleen with its paws clasped together.  It handed her something, gurgled, and ran off into the snowy haze to join its family.

 “What was that?” asked Exile.

 Colleen looked down at the object in her hands, then smiled slightly.

 It was a rock.

As the Rovers got ready to leave, they realized there was a problem.  Sonam was needed in his village, and despite his doubts the people were excited to hear about anyone who had been in the cave of the yetis and lived to tell the tale.  But he wanted to go with the Rovers.  “No take Alan,” pleaded Hadji.  “I go too.”

 “Sorry,” Hunter replied.  And you could tell he really meant it.  “And you have to stay here.”

 Colleen put a hand on  Sonam’s shoulder, trying to comfort him.  “He needs to get that leg worked on some more, and the only way to do that is to take him with us.”

 “Dah,” added Exile.  “And someone back home would like very much to see him.”

 Sonam walked over to Alan and hugged him.  “You best friend,” he said.  “You come back?”

 Alan smiled.  “I promise, buddy.”

 Shag helped him into the plane, followed by the other Rovers.  They fastened their seatbelts, fired up the engine, and took off still waving out the window to  Sonam.

“Well, let’s go,” urged Hunter.

 Alan hesitated.  “I don’t know if I can do this,” he admitted.

 “Don’t worry,” Exile assured him.  “Everything will be dokee-okee.”

 “He’s right,” added Hunter.  “I know he’ll be glad to see you.”

 “But what could I say, after disappearing for all these years and not even letting him know I was okay?”

 “Just go,” urged Blitz.

 Colleen patted him on the shoulder.  “We’ll go in ahead of you and get him ready for ya.  You just wait here.”

 The Rovers entered the briefing room, except for Shag who stayed behind with Alan.  “Master,” Hunter announced.  “We completed our mission.”

 Professor Shepherd looked shaken.  “Was it… was it a success?”

 “You bet-ski,” grinned Exile.  “Missing man is fit as rain, right as a fiddle.”

 The professor wiped his forehead.  “Thank God for that,” he whispered.  Then for the first time he seemed to notice Shag’s absence.  “Where is Shag?”

 “Ah, he’s with a friend we picked up,” Hunter replied.  “He’ll be off his feet for a couple of days, but we thought you might want to talk to him in the meantime.”

 Right on cue, Shag came in with the object of their discussion.  Alan hobbled forward on his crutches to the man who stood there, first his eyes and then his arms wide open.  “Dad,” he choked slightly.

 “Alan!”  The Master threw his arms around his son, supporting him as the crutches clattered to the floor.  Tears trickled from his eyes as he embraced the younger man.

 Exile wiped an eye too, then broke down bawling and fell onto the nearest Rover, Hunter.  “Oh, it is so, so moving!” he cried.

 Colleen stepped in to pat the husky on the back.  “There, there, guvnuh.”

 “Aren’t happy endings the best?” asked Hunter.

 “Sheesh, talk about mushy,” grumbled Blitz.

 “Shhh!” hissed the other Rovers.

They stared on at the two Shepherds, who were clearly oblivious to the exchanges.  The Rovers quietly slipped out, leaving father and son to be by themselves.

 “Well, it’s time to do that thing again,” Hunter said after they had closed the door to the briefing room.

 “What thing is that?” asked Exile.

“You know, the thing we always do after a mission,” replied Colleen.

 Exile slapped his forehead.  “Oh, dah!  I completely forgot-ski.”

 Hunter pumped a fist in the air.  “To the power of the pack!”

 “ARROOOOOO!!!”

Half a world away, a huge metal object emerged from the snow.  Drills whirring, a battered-but-running tank emerged from the snow.

 “They th-th-think they’ve won,” glowered Parvo inside chattering with cold, “But like the Phoenix f-f-from the ashes, we shall r-r-r-rise again!”

 “What about the yetis?” asked Groomer, arms wrapped tightly around herself for warmth.

 Parvo started to answer, then broke down coughing.  “Lozenge!” he cried.

 Groomer fired one into his mouth, and he rolled it around his tongue a moment before answering.  “We can t-take care of those walking fur coats l-l-later,” he grumbled.  “All I want is to finish off those miserable Ro-o-achoo!” his words ended in a violent sneeze.  Wiping his nose, he added, “Right after we get the heater fixed.”