***

The tour bus screamed past the stockyards on its way from the airport to the Stadium. Kansas City had been waiting. The airport concourse had been filled with screaming fans holding signs high above their heads and waving; a sea of faces and bodies. Karen had never seen anything like it. The local paper proclaimed in bold letters across its front page "The Resurrection of Isaiah', as they passed a newsstand in the long terminal, walking in a guarded escort leading them quickly through the throngs of people shouting and reaching, hoping to grab a piece of the passing star. "What are you being resurrected from?" Karen asked, while being dragged by the hand through the crowd. "You're not dead." She laughed. She could attest to his liveliness personally. "In this business, if you've been gone for a year… you're dead until proven otherwise." He didn't smile, wink, or even look at her, the very statement seemed to weigh down his soul. He was worried. She hadn't seen him that way before, he was always self-assured, confident, and in charge of all around him. She felt his fears begin to subside as they entered the bus waiting for them outside the terminal. The show of support from the local fans was a boost to his ego, and was helping greatly to dispel the fears of his latest "comeback' from the dead. The first destination was the stadium. The equipment would be unpacked and set up and there would be a rehearsal as well, a quickie, the opening performance was tomorrow and everything had to be perfect. Success or failure of the entire tour rode heavily on that one night. Karen's body screamed for a hot bath and the comfort of a bed, but she smiled and nodded when she heard Chuck, the road manager, "aka' the mountain with a beard, read off the itinerary for the next three days. Her weariness began to fade as they entered the parking lot of the stadium. The marquee of the Kemper Arena held the name "Izzy High', in two-foot letters, high in the late afternoon sun. Isaiah stopped his conversation with Janet to look ahead when Karen pulled at his arm, pointing to the sign and smiling with delight. He nodded and turned back to his conversation unfazed at the fact that his stage name was standing high in the air, proclaiming his presence to the state of Missouri. "Izzy! Look at that."