Charlie shook his head at the Colonel. "We're here to stay, Sir." He saluted again. Maybe it was a reflex action but the Colonel saluted back. On the runway the pilots scrambled into their planes.

At the sound of trucks Wilcox's head swung around in time to see fifty tanker trucks drive onto the runway. Puppies searching for their mother's teats, each one went straight to a plane and prepared to fill its insecticide reservoirs.

The Colonel turned to Charlie. "I appreciate you're coming, here, I really do. But if the United States Army, the Marines, the Navy and the Air Force can't take care of this thing, no one can."

Charlie cocked his head to the side again. "Drinkin' man can, Colonel."

The Colonel blinked at him and Charlie grinned. It was an "I know something you haven't figured out yet" grin. It added an evil glint to his eyes.

"Think about it, sir. That thing was found in a fermenting compost heap. It's eaten its way across hop fields, cornfields, and now it's headed for the barely fields. What does that say to you?" He walked away, waving at the trucks.

"Say your prayers boys, we're goin' in." He yelled at the pilots.

Wilcox turned to Widow Carlisle, at a loss for words. She smiled at him as she patted his arm. "When Charlie came to me with his idea, I thought he'd finally started drinking too much of his own brew."

"His what?"

Widow Carlisle looked out at the dust crop fleet. "They're not just farmers, Colonel, they're moonshiners. Every one of them, except me. I run Carlisle Vineyards."

"But..."

"Your worm's an alcoholic, Sir, looking for its next drink. We're going to dump a cocktail of Everclear, corn likker, and an inferior Chardonnay onto it." She looked down at Lydia and smiled.

"You know what to do, dear?"

"I'd rather come with you and Grandpa." Lydia was anxious to see "real action."

"I know, but someone has to ride shotgun down here. Give him his instructions." She gestured at the Colonel and then kissed Lydia on the top of the head and walked to her plane.

Charlie waved at the stunned Colonel. "Shine'll do one of two things to you, sir. It'll make you stooped happy, or kill you dead. You watch after my Grandbaby."

Lydia tugged at the Colonel's sleeve. "Sir, I have to direct Grandpa from the ground. Can I have a Jeep please?"