<strong>Throckbottle ~ the test for Lily</strong><br/><br/>It was all Throckbottle could do to keep from weeping openly. There were two who had potential.  However, he was not performing miracles today. They had something the others lacked. The new one and the blonde could count.<br/><br/>Humphrey thought of it as a marginal good beginning. It would take years but he was sure he could fashion dancers out of them.  The others would be sliding up and down a pole.<br/><br/>Throckbottle hit the stop button. It was a mercy killing. His hands slapping together in a head on collision much like several of those who had tried to perform the dance. Sound ended as those in the dog pile tried to untangle from each other.<br/><br/>"Take five!" He said. "Drink water while I have a little sulk."<br/><br/>"When I return we will try something different!"  He said in that peppy cheerleader coach fashion.<br/>