While still apparently ignoring his family upstairs in the hotel, Mark follows his suspicious gut, in spite of the lack of any real action or rumor of illegality, and heads out into the desert. But since the subject is Tad Crass, that is reason enough to go into action! Maybe Mark’s has a point, but this approach would certainly not pass muster in any court of law. At least in the Real World.

Why are Mark and Cliff surprised that a parcel of private property has a gate and a lock? Is this more of Jules Rivera making Mark out to be some clueless hick? Well, Mark has clearly had his brainpan refreshed by Cliff’s timely reflection on the link between property and property taxes. Maybe they don’t have property taxes in Lost Forest. Anyway, this is usually the time in an adventure film when a roving State Trooper quietly rolls up, illuminates Mark and Cliff with a flood light, and asks them (in a kind of western drawl) to kindly put their hands on the hood of their rental car.

Okay, there is land involved. The city and/or a solar energy company is contesting ownership or usage of the land. It’s a common situation. Is this going to be another “secret data center” story? No, I don’t know if Cliff is practicing for an audition with Riverdance, either (panel 2).