PREFACE

Have you ever heard a story so outrageous, so fantastical, so weird, that it raised conflicting emotions in you? On the one hand it's exciting, the thrill of the tale, living vicariously through the characters' lives. It's inspiring, because of the very fact that it is so fantastical, so surreal, like a glimpse into another place. It's especially wonderful if you have a good old guy telling the story.

The story is unbelievable, in different senses of the word. It's about courage and mystery and strange people, people set on doing what's right, no matter the cost. But the cost is never too high, and good always wins, right?

And in another way it's sad, because you know, even as you're caught up in the thrill of hearing it, that it can't possibly be true. That none of it is real. You'll never meet people like that, never live something so exciting, never witness such greatness. The closest you can get is imagining it, and knowing it to be false.

My story is not quite like that. It's outrageous, and certainly more than a bit weird. But it's not some fairy tale, to be heard and swooned over. Yes, there was courage and mystery, but not the sort people often want to be tangled with. The characters are real people, with faults and hopes and fears and dreams. Very little about it was surreal or inspiring. Good did not always win, and prices tended to be steep. You may find us very mundane, except for our obvious oddities.

But I will say this: better people you will never find.