Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:41:57 -0700 From: Justanother Author Subject: Speedo Boys 17 Here's the next installment of this story. I hope you enjoy it. I would appreciate any feedback of a positive nature, and of course, flames will be ignored. You can Email me at: HermesAuthor@gmail.com DISCLAIMER: The usual Copyrights exist on this any all of my works. This story may involve sexual contact between Adult Men and Younger Males, two Boys, or two Adult Men. If this type of story is not to your liking, or for any reason is forbidden where you live, please, PLEASE, delete this file and stop. If this is to your tastes, then I hope you enjoy this story, for that is all it is. Fiction, Fantasy, the musing of the Author's mind written and shared with you. I do not in any way condone, support, or promote any illegal act in any jurisdiction. But, thank God, we still have the right to SAY anything as long as we don't DO anything. So, without any further ado, Please enjoy. Hermes -*- Speedo Boys Chapter 17 -- Mom, I want you to meet our Mentor. From Last time: "Yeah, I think so. Cole and me had a talk with mom about another boy we met and it seems pretty cool. We will probably be home in a day or two but we both miss you. I wanted to talk to you because I want to introduce you to mom. I will tell her that when I was trying to figure out about myself, someone introduced us, telling me that you were an easy person to talk to. Is that ok with you? I want to tell her how much you helped me, that way we don't have to hide when we go to your place to talk." "I'm not sure, Devon. Many parents would have a problem with their young teenage sons, gay or not, hanging around with a single gay man." "Matt, I know my mom. She will want to meet you, but I know she trusts my choices. I just think it would be best if we all met. Can I have your permission to set up a meeting? Maybe lunchtime tomorrow?" "Talk to her and call me. I'll be wherever you want me to be at noon tomorrow." Matt hung up the phone, his mind going in a million directions. He called his mentor, the Judge. Chapter 17 -- Mom, I want you to meet our Mentor. "Hey," Matt said once he had the Judge on the phone, "I need some advice. One of the boys wants to introduce me to his mother." "I see. Do you think that's wise?" The Judge inquired. "I don't know, actually. I trust this kid's judgment, but I'm nervous about it. I don't need any legal crap at this point." Matt stated. "Well, to this point there really hasn't been much to worry about, I don't think. I will tell you this. You can tell her that you have been in contact with me and I have some information that may help her." "What kind of information?" Matt asked. "You know," the Judge paused, then continued, "when was your meeting supposed to be?" "Tomorrow at noon. They will probably want me to meet them at the hotel." Matt answered. "I have an idea. When you call the boy to set up lunch, ask him if it's ok for you to bring a friend. I think I'll go with you. That will defuse the meeting a bit and I can tell everyone what I've learned." The Judge suggested. "Ok, I'll call him and get back to you." Matt said as he hung up the phone. Matt was nervous for the first time since he'd met Devon. He picked up his phone and sent Devon a text message: 'Call me. Matt." A few minutes later, his phone rang. It was Devon. "Hi Dev." Matt said cheerfully, trying not to let his voice betray the uncertainty he was feeling. "Hey, what's up? Is everything ok?" Devon asked with concern in his voice. "Well, I thought about what you asked and I will meet your mother. Do you mind if I bring a friend with me? He's an old friend and we were supposed to do lunch. He knows about me and I trust him." Matt said, hoping Devon would agree. "Um, sure, I guess. Noon tomorrow here at the hotel? We can get some lunch." Devon replied even though he was unsure about having someone unknown there. "Great, we'll see you at noon tomorrow. I miss you guys, you know that?" "We miss you too, Matt. That's why I want to tell mom, so we can see each other more often and not have to hide it." Devon said. "Ok, Dev, I'll see you tomorrow." Matt said as he hung up the phone. He called the Judge and told him of the plan. They agreed to meet at 11:30 at the hotel. ----- Devon hung up the phone with Matt and told Cole what had been said. They agreed they needed to go talk to mom. They left their room and headed next door to Donna's. She answered when they knocked and they went in and sat at table. "Hey Mom, we need to talk to you." Devon said, rather seriously. "Sure, Honey, you guys know you can always talk to me." Donna said with genuine concern. "Well, over the last few months, as you know, I've been dealing with being gay. When I talked to a friend of mine, he told me about a guy he knew and told me I should talk to him, so I did. I don't want you to freak out but he's an adult gay man." Donna was concerned, of course, what mother wouldn't be, but didn't say anything. She waited for Devon to continue. "Anyway, he really helped me talk it out and made me much more comfortable about who I was. Then when this stuff happened with Cole, I took Cole over to meet the guy. He's really a great person, Mom. I think you'd really like him. So, I want you to meet him." This surprised Donna. She didn't think that someone who had the 'wrong' ideas would be willing to meet the mother of the boy he had these 'wrong' ideas about. She felt that Devon's decisions to this point had been very well thought out and decided to trust him, at least for now. When she met this guy, if he were trying to 'pull one over' on Devon, she'd know it and she could deal with it on her own terms. "Ok, Honey. When would you like to have us meet?" Donna asked. "Um, I figured you'd think that way, so I set up for him to meet us here at noon tomorrow. I thought we could all go to lunch and discuss stuff. He's really a cool guy, Mom. You'll like him, I know it." Devon answered. "Ok, Noon Tomorrow. You know I love you both, and I trust you both. But you do realize a mother needs to be careful and protect her kids, right?" Devon chuckled and said, "If you didn't I would be really pissed at you, Mom. I know there are guys out there who want nothing more than to use a kid like Cole or me for sex. He's not one of them, I know it!" "Ok, I must say, I'm kind of intrigued. If he helped you as much as you say, I owe him a thank you at least." "Thanks Mom. Cole and I are going back to our room." Devon said. Cole had been quiet for the entire conversation, but had to put in, "Yeah, Devon wants to go to bed!" Then he bust out laughing. "Boys! You don't have to rub my nose in it! Go! Have fun!" Donna said through a blush and a chuckle of her own. The boys left Donna's room and went back to their own. Donna, after closing the door was thinking about this 'mystery man', hoping that Devon's take on the guy was accurate. She'd make her own decision the next day after lunch. ----- Devon and Cole entered the room, closed the door, and Devon turned and grabbed Cole in a tight embrace. Watching him and Tom earlier in the day had made him horny as hell. More horny than he'd ever been in his life. He had to have Cole. He had to have him NOW! Up till that point, their love making had been just that. An expression of love for each other. This time, Devon had a need for sex. Raw sex. He backed Cole back to the bed and pushed him down onto it on his back. He dove onto the bed and kissed Cole hard. Cole didn't know Devon had this much animal in him. He was rough. Cole noticed that Devon's cock was hard as a rock through his speedo. This was definitely a different side of Devon than he'd ever seen. And he liked it. Sure, lovemaking was nice, but this was... WOW! Devon looked into Cole's eyes with a devilish grin. He started kissing down Cole's chest. This was having an effect on Cole's own penis. It was quickly hardening. Devon reached Cole's speedo clad penis and sucked on it through the cloth. He then reached, with his teeth and grabbed the waistband of the speedo and began to pull it down. Cole lifted his butt so Devon could take his speedo off. It was hot as hell for Cole to see Devon pulling it off with his teeth. Once Devon had Cole's speedo off, he dropped it on the floor, reached down and almost ripped his own off and tossed it across the room. Devon then dove onto Cole's dick, taking it all the way to the root in his mouth in one go. He started sucking on Cole with an urgency that, up to that point, he'd never shown. He was literally drooling all over it. After a few moments, Devon released Cole's now completely engorged cock and straddled the boy's midsection. He grabbed Cole's penis and held it while he lowered himself onto it. Once his butt cheeks were in contact with Cole's crotch, he bent over and locked lips with his lover. As they were kissing, Devon was literally fucking himself on Cole's dick. There was an animal inside Devon that day, one that neither of them had known existed. Devon was now rapidly fucking himself with Cole's dick. He broke the kiss and sat up. His head thrashing about as he moaned with the pleasure he was getting from the boy inside him. From Cole's perspective, it was the most awesome sex he'd ever had. He knew he wasn't going to last long. Just a few minutes later, Cole grabbed onto Devon's hips and pulled him down so his dick was fully inside the boy he loved so much. He began to cum like he'd never cum before. Feeling this, Devon, without so much as touching himself, began spraying Cole with his own seed. Their shared orgasm was so intense, they were both moaning so loud that if someone had been walking by the door, they would have thought that someone was injured. Donna could hear the boys and at some level was jealous of them. She remembered the wild sex she and her husband had prior to his untimely death. She knew the difference between a moan of pain and a moan of lust. This was definitely the latter. Once the boys orgasm had passed, Devon lay next to his boyfriend and they kissed. Gone was the absolute animal sex, what remained was tender and loving. They held each other for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only about 15 minutes. They didn't say anything, they didn't need to. Their love was palpable. Each could feel it emanating from the other. Cole thought to himself, 'Oh my god, I love this boy!' Afterwards, they lay there and Devon told Cole about what he and Matt had discussed. He wondered aloud who this guy was that Matt was bringing. They continued discussing the lunch meeting the next day when something came to Devon. "He's gonna bring his mentor, I just know it!" Devon shouted. Cole thought about this and agreed that Devon was probably right. He was looking forward to meeting the man who turned Matt into the great guy he was. They spent the rest of the evening in the room, just being together, sharing their love. At about midnight, they both held each other and went to sleep in each other's arms. It was a peaceful sleep. They were both content in the fact that they were in the arms of someone they loved and who they knew loved them. ----- At 11:30 the next morning, The Judge pulled into the hotel parking lot. He gave the Valet the keys to his car and entered the lobby. He approached the restaurant and saw Matt, dressed in a pair of slacks, a nice button down dress shirt and a tie. Matt looked supremely nervous. The two men greeted each other and the Judge, the Mentor, appraised his former charge. He was proud of the person Matt had turned out to be. He knew that Matt would help the boys to become just as good a man. He turned to Matt and said, "My, don't we polish up nicely!" Matt blushed. Before noon, they saw Devon, Cole, and a woman approaching. They assumed that the woman was Devon's mother. When Devon saw Matt and the older guy standing there, he ran to Matt and gave him a huge hug. He said to Matt, "I really missed you!" When Donna and Cole approached, Devon looked at the two men and said, "I'd like you to meet my mother, Dr. Donna Williams." She offered her hand to Matt who took it. As he was shaking her hand, he turned to the three and said, "Hello, my name is Matt Johnson, I would also like to introduce you to..." "I'm Judge Arthur Phelps. When this young man to my right was about the same age of these boys, he came to me at the suggestion of someone we both knew. I became his mentor." Donna greeted the judge, "I know who you are, Your Honor. I voted for you. I am very glad to meet you. Honestly, this is an odd situation for me, but with you in the picture, I actually feel quite a bit better about it. Shall we go in and have some lunch?" The 5 of them went to the receptionist who took them to a table. Donna, seeing that the table was in the center of the restaurant, and not wanting to be overheard in their conversation, asked the woman if there were a private room they could use. They had some business to discuss of a rather confidential nature. She told the woman that she'd be willing to pay to rent the room if it was necessary. The receptionist said, "Oh, it's no problem. We do have several private dining rooms available. Please follow me." She then walked to a door, opened it, and led the group into a room with a round table in the center. There were two other tables, empty, at the back of the room. "This is our executive dining room. Many of the local businessmen use it for informal dinner meetings. Since it's lunch time, it's not usually used. I'll inform the waiter that you are here. When you're ready, press this button, it will summon the waiter to take your order. At any time, if you need assistance, you should just press the button. The waiter will not enter unless summoned." They thanked her and she left. All 5 of them took seats around the table. Devon suggested, "Why don't we all order first, and while we're waiting for the food we can talk a bit." This seemed like a good idea so they looked at the menu and Donna pressed the button summoning the waiter. Moments later he knocked on the door, waited a few seconds then entered. "Are you ready to order?" "Yes, we are, thank you." Donna said. In turn, each ordered their lunches. When everyone had ordered, Donna asked for 2 pitchers of Iced tea, that way they could just pour themselves more when they needed it instead of having to summon the waiter again. The waiter informed them that it would be about 15 minutes until their lunch was to be served, he would knock before entering to bring it in. Once the waiter had left, Donna spoke first. She looked directly at Matt and said, "I am told that you have helped my son in coming to grips with his sexuality." "Actually, I just provided an environment that he could work things out for himself. I have a house on the beach and was sitting on the deck reading a book when he approached me. We talked for a minute and I could see he was holding back something he wanted to ask me. I asked him to sit down on a chair opposite me, he accepted, but he was still nervous. I'm a fairly wealthy person, Dr. Williams, and I have my deck able to be enclosed with a clear barrier. It doesn't stop people from seeing what's going on, but it does stop them from hearing. Devon, after the initial shock of the barrier coming out automatically, calmed down and we talked. I am very impressed with this young man. He's more than a boy, his maturity is that of someone much older. You must be very proud of him." "I am. And I really want to thank you for being so open. When Devon told me that an 'older gay man' was helping him, I have to apologize, I thought you were just some pedophile who wanted some boy for sex. I guess that's understandable in our world. I am thankful that at least on the surface you don't appear to be that kind of person." The Judge was very proud of how Matt was handling this. Devon and Cole kept quiet. This was a time the 'Adults' needed to talk it out. If they had questions for them, they'd ask. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Donna called out that they should enter. The waiter and two busboys had returned with their lunches and the 2 pitchers of Iced tea. One of the bus boys, carried a tray with 5 glasses of ice and a bowl with additional ice. He placed them on the table and poured Iced tea for everyone as the waiter was placing the lunch plates from the tray carried by the other bus boy in front of each guest. After they had done that, he turned and went to the door where he said, "Please enjoy your lunch. Just call me if you need anything." Then he walked out the door, followed by the two busboys and closed it once they were all out the door. The Judge took his turn to talk at this point. "Being in the position I am, I get some information on every new case that comes into the court. We need to keep up on what's going on so if someone is unable to hear a case for some reason on any particular day, another can fill in. When I was reviewing the cases a situation came apparent to me that seemed to fit one that Matt had discussed with me. He told me early on about the fact that he was talking to, Mentoring if you will, your boys. Well, Devon. Cole isn't your son, is he. Anyway, he'd told me about what happened when Cole had come out to his father. It angers me when I hear of someone being so pig headed. But I digress. I have some information that may be of help, that's why I am here." Donna listened with interest. She knew this Judge was a no-nonsense person. That's one of the reasons she'd voted for the man. She appraised him and asked, "What kind of information?" "Well, I know that Mr. Allerd was released because the officer failed to read him his Miranda rights. I also know that his wife refused to press charges on him for the assault. What you don't know is, last night, Mr. Allerd was again arrested. This time, he was caught trying to purchase another weapon. The man he was trying to buy it from was an undercover police officer. He'd gotten Mr. Allerd to admit that the reason he wanted it was he wanted to kill is faggot son and his fuck toy. I assume he meant you, Cole, and you, Devon." Devon looked at Cole and saw tears welling up in Cole's eyes, he pulled his chair next to his lover and put his arm around him, holding him. The Judge continued, "This time, the arresting officer followed procedures and read him his rights. There is no way he'll get off on a technicality. I will recuse myself from hearing the case, but I have little doubt he'll be convicted. I have already informed the District Attorney's office to add a charge of a hate crime to the list of charges because the statement he made was in direct reference to the boy's sexual orientation, which, as you know, is a protected class. The problem is, not only is he guilty of illegally trying to purchase a firearm with the intent of committing multiple murder, he's also guilty of child abandonment. For that matter so is the boy's mother. I know that Cole has been living with you while this is all happening and wanted to know if you wanted to make that arrangement permanent. I have a colleague in the family court system and I am certain she will be willing to sign an emergency adoption order after signing an order terminating Cole's parents parental rights." This news shocked Donna. First, hearing that Cole's dad had again thought of killing both his own as well as her son, now hearing that the Judge was asking if she wanted to adopt Cole. "I'm not sure, I mean, I wouldn't mind adopting him. I have the resources. But, wouldn't the two boy's relationship cause problems?" "In cases like these, if there is no contest, which there wouldn't be, no investigation is made. They go on the recommendation of the City Attorney. He gets his recommendation either from Child Protective Services or from someone like myself. The boy's relationship will not come into question." Donna turned to the boys, "What do you guys think about this?" Devon looked at Cole, then back at the others, "If Cole doesn't agree with what I'm about to say, I know he'll say something, but, I think it would be cool to have Cole as my brother and lover. But that's not what we're here for." Devon turned to the Judge, "It is really an honor to meet you, Sir. Matt has talked about you, and I feel as if I know you already. I wanted to thank you for showing Matt what you did, he's a great guy." The Judge just nodded, Devon turned to his Mother, "What do you think about Cole and me continuing to see Matt to talk if we need to?" "I don't have a problem with it. He seems to have been open with us, and I appreciate that. I do want to see his home. I want to know where it is. I want his telephone numbers. I do this, not because I don't trust any of you, but because I must do what is best for my son, or possibly for my sons. I hope you all understand that." Matt smiled, turned to Donna and said, "I understand perfectly. I'm can't say I'm surprised at what you've said. Devon is a very special person, and it naturally goes that his mother would be a special person as well. I'm going to go one step further to ease your mind." He took his keys out of his pocket, took one off the ring and handed it to Donna. "This is a key to my house. I want you to feel that at any time you can come over whether the boys are there or not. Here's a card with both my cellular and home telephone numbers along with a code to disable the alarm. I thank you for placing your trust in me, I will not abuse that trust." Donna accepted the key and thanked Matt for his honesty. It seemed as if everyone was in agreement, all except Cole. He had a very contemplative look on his face, and of course, Devon saw it and picked up on the fact that Cole had something that he needed to say. Devon turned to Cole and said, "What's wrong Babe?" Cole looked at Devon, then at each of the adults, in turn. Tears began to well up in his eyes. Possibly, the whole situation with his father was coming to the forefront, but Devon thought it might be something else. He hugged his lover and whispered into his ear, "It's ok, Cole. There's nothing to be upset about." Cole sat bolt upright in his chair. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and said, "I don't know. I love Devon, and I love you Mom, but, something inside me just can't take being both a brother and a lover to Devon. I'm just really confused. I mean, if Dev and I were brothers, then what we would be doing would be even more wrong in the eyes of everyone outside this room. I can't take that kind of pressure. I just can't." Donna looked at Cole, and literally felt his emotion. Unfortunately, she didn't know what to say. Judge Phelps, however, had secretly hoped that something like this might happen. "Cole, I understand how you feel. If you don't go to live with Dr. Williams, and no other suitable family can be found, you would probably wind up in a foster home. I don't mean to frighten you, however, being gay in the foster system isn't the most pleasant. I do have another idea. It's way outside the mainstream, but, I believe I can make a case for it to happen." Everyone in the room had their eyes and ears glued to what Judge Phelps was saying. Several of my colleagues and I have been working on a proposal. So far, there hasn't been many, if any, adoptions approved for Gay men in this state. CPS has been reluctant to even entertain applications for Gay men to serve as Foster parents. I'm sorry, but that smacks of Discrimination to me. What I'm about to propose must be agreed upon by everyone in this room, or I will not proceed. The Judge paused to collect his thoughts, everyone in the room waiting with rapt attention. Judge Phelps continued, "Assuming everyone in the room agrees, I believe that the best thing for the child - sorry Cole, but in the eyes of the law, you are a child -- would be to be placed in a home that can understand his special needs, needs created because of his sexual orientation. I would like to propose that a trial custody arrangement be put in place. For 6 months, Cole would live with you, Matt, as your foster son. During that time the living arrangement and how the two of your are getting along will be evaluated. At the end of that period, assuming everything is still in order, I would press to have an order of adoption signed making Cole, legally your son." Devon stared at the Judge with his mouth hanging open. What he'd heard shocked him, but, at some level, he knew this was the right thing for Cole. Donna wasn't so sure the Judge could pull it off. She spoke. "I'm concerned. We live in a very conservative community. I have a hard time believing that, even if you were able to get the family court to agree, that CPS would do a fair and impartial review of the 6 month trial period. I've worked with them through the hospital, and, quite honestly, they're an officious group. They don't like anyone challenging their authority, and, I'm afraid they'll believe this is doing just that. It challenges their ability to find a suitable foster home for Cole." Matt was still in shock. He wanted to say something. He'd opened his mouth several times, but was unable to find his voice. The Judge was about to speak when Matt was able to compose himself enough to speak. "Dr. Williams, nobody at this table is more shocked about this turn of events than I am. Never in a million years would this idea have come to my mind, and if it had, I probably would have sought professional psychiatric help because even I would think I was being delusional. However, that being said, I have to agree that it's probably the best thing for Cole. Who better to raise an adolescent gay boy than a successful, well known, Gay man? I have standing in our community, I'm well known for my charitable works for gay youth. I believe this might work, that is, if Cole wants this to happen. I believe that ultimately, no matter what we discuss and decide, the final decision must be Cole's." All eyes turned to Cole. Devon pulled Cole tighter to him, trying to offer as much support as he could. However, he knew he must remain silent. It would not be right for him to try to influence Cole's decision. Cole looked at each person in the room in turn. He looked at Donna and thought he'd really like being her son. Devon is the best person he's ever known and he was certain it was because of how Donna had raised him. He looked at the Judge. Matt was a fantastic person, and much of that is because of how Judge Phelps had influenced Matt when Matt was young. His eyes turned to Matt. He cared a great deal for Matt, invariably his mind turned to that afternoon when he'd taken advantage of Matt. He questioned himself as to whether he could guaranteed to himself that if he were living with Matt that it wouldn't happen again. Then his eyes turned to Devon. This was the single most important person in the world to him. But something in his upbringing couldn't allow him to be both a brother and a lover to Devon. With tears in his eyes, he said, "This is kinda tough. I know that each one of you cares about what happens to me, at least at some level. I think living with Matt would be cool, but I don't know if even you, Judge, can pull that off. What would happen if we can't get them to approve of Matt taking me?" "That is an excellent question, Cole." The Judge began. "If for some reason we are unable to get this through, then I would think that Dr. Williams would be your next best choice." "And what if I don't go to Devon's?" Cole asked. "Well, if we were unable to find a suitable family, then, you would most likely be placed in a foster home by CPS. If no foster family was available, you'd probably wind up in a Group home." The Judge answered, honestly. Cole looked again around the room. He really had no choice. "I think staying with Matt would probably be best." He said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. The Judge then turned to Devon. "From what Matt has told me about you, Devon, you are wise well beyond your years. I know it was hard for you to sit quietly when such an important decision regarding someone you love so deeply was being discussed. What are your feelings on this situation?" Devon was happy that the Judge would consider his thoughts and feelings. He looked at Cole, then directly at the Judge when he answered. "Even though I would love to have Cole come live with us as my brother, I think I know what he's worried about. I think Cole would have a problem being my brother and us still continuing our physical relationship. Honestly, it would be kind of weird for me too. I know Matt's heart. He and I have talked so much over the last month or so, that I think I know him. If it were me in Cole's position, I think I'd have made the same decision as Cole. I do have one question. If Cole isn't allowed to stay with either Matt or my Mom and me, and he goes to a group home, would he still be allowed to see me?" "That would be entirely up to the foster parents Cole is assigned to. I do know that if he's in a group home, he would not be allowed off the property except to attend school. The group homes in our area are very strict." The Judge replied. Cole spoke out at this, "If I am not allowed to be with Devon, I wouldn't stay at either a foster home or a group home. So we'd better make this happen for me to either stay with Matt or Devon's mom." There was a level of anger and determination in his voice as he spoke. "Ok, I think we need to get our ducks in a row as it were." The judge said. "Here's the strategy I want us to employ..." They talked in the room for hours. Each of them, Devon, Cole, Donna, Matt, and the Judge put their ideas on the board. The Judge had a plan though. He'd use what he was hearing from the others, but he knew exactly how to pull this off. When they had finished their discussions, Judge Phelps said, "Ok, I think we all know what needs to happen. First thing Monday morning, I'll meet with my friend in the Family court. I'll explain to her exactly what the situation is. In the meantime, why don't you just enjoy the rest of the weekend. I'll be in touch Monday afternoon." They all stood shaking hands. Matt gave the Judge a very chaste hug an whispered in to his ear, "Thank you." As they were walking out of the restaurant, after Donna had paid the bill and left a very generous tip for the waiter, The Judge said he needed to get on the road. He said goodbye to everyone and headed toward the front door. Devon said that he and Cole needed to go up to the room and talk. He was sure that Cole wanted to be alone. Cole simply nodded. They hugged both Donna and Matt and went toward the elevators. Donna turned to Matt and said, "Mr. Johnson, do you mind if we go to my room and sit and talk. I'd like to get to know you a bit better." "Certainly." Matt said simply. He then followed Donna to the elevator. Coming Soon -- Chapter 18 -- Kismet