tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74990481373638632712024-02-19T00:36:26.383-08:00garden jamwhat's happening in the space-teatime continuumUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-81673860743490982612019-11-27T07:50:00.001-08:002019-11-27T07:50:12.707-08:00Happy Thanksgiving from Kola Nut Hotel!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-16572864682465651592017-12-24T16:30:00.000-08:002018-02-19T06:38:15.058-08:00live painting - Isetan Lucien Pellat-Finet <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-87373340604791764362017-09-09T02:54:00.001-07:002017-09-09T02:54:53.353-07:00金<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDs3Lw4wX_Il7VGapXMgWIvR5j-MhMfsiViLmG8d7lA4tjmWfUBg2NVhkCHGM2WBXSOWWUBdDgNJ6OhnEjg0Z6Ou0lRkT59AsG3J5xOpd2Sy_HhvMaiqkOSsy1E6QVlH9D_2dn26ac8uY/s640/blogger-image--445992562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDs3Lw4wX_Il7VGapXMgWIvR5j-MhMfsiViLmG8d7lA4tjmWfUBg2NVhkCHGM2WBXSOWWUBdDgNJ6OhnEjg0Z6Ou0lRkT59AsG3J5xOpd2Sy_HhvMaiqkOSsy1E6QVlH9D_2dn26ac8uY/s640/blogger-image--445992562.jpg"></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-56586522313267965722017-07-15T03:30:00.001-07:002017-07-15T03:30:27.140-07:00<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8FVFwmcA0qplU_12fJoYkiggFVpnK4ZHCA8DTVfBUqhgaJ8qUZBzuorIE8fHzaBACh5BFej8JVJLfcZRhL9VJsAmWDqKq2IHL_iTPy4hiFpOlxC21UVNJ2pMv87jYs2RCirYa4SlPmw/s640/blogger-image-1424843373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8FVFwmcA0qplU_12fJoYkiggFVpnK4ZHCA8DTVfBUqhgaJ8qUZBzuorIE8fHzaBACh5BFej8JVJLfcZRhL9VJsAmWDqKq2IHL_iTPy4hiFpOlxC21UVNJ2pMv87jYs2RCirYa4SlPmw/s640/blogger-image-1424843373.jpg"></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-89014769066270526012014-09-07T22:46:00.000-07:002014-09-07T22:48:08.898-07:00McCluskey's Story/Peak Peril: Part 6<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="color: #444444; letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: 21.6px;">“Is that McCluskey?”</i><span style="color: #444444; letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: 21.6px;"> said the voice in the tube.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Yes, Chef!” said McCluskey. “I’m sorry about the chocolate!” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">McCluskey explained how he’d been attacked by brigands in the shadows of the Chilly Peaks and how the condor had appeared and made off with the luxury yak milk white chocolate the chef had ordered.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><i>“Well, that’s bad luck, but what am I going to do? There’s a rumour going round the palace about the chocolate and the Emperor must have heard it by now. He’ll be mad if it doesn’t materialise,”</i> said the chef.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Just then the condor appeared out of nowhere again and perched on the blimp’s landing ski. The receiver in the tower ducked down below the window, and pressed a button to call security as the bird flapped it’s long, broad wings to balance itself. A siren started wailing.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I don’t feel like this now,” said the condor, dropping the chocolate into the blimp basket. “Can I exchange it for a lettuce?”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><i>“What’s going on?!”</i> said the chef’s voice from the tube. <i>“Who’s that?”</i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Guards appeared in turrets, on walls and roofs and at gates, their armour and helmet glinting in the new day’s sunlight. A strange-looking defence-apparatus came towards the condor, aiming to shoo it off the Imperial Palace premises - with force if necessary.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Stop!” shouted McCluskey. “It won’t do you any harm! It’s just a bit hungry that’s all!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"> McCluskey let go of the speaking tube, and sprinkled some vinegar on the last lettuce and gave it to the condor.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">The strange apparatus came to a halt and the guards watched as the condor crunched the lettuce and swallowed it.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Got any more?” asked the condor.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“That was the last one, I’m afraid. . . ” said McCluskey. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">The guards raised their weapons ready to attack. The apparatus tensed on it’s long, wiry legs. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Don’t shoot!” cried McCluskey.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4rY7IPfEx3fJ_Dh7pUHx8Ki-RVpgEOdlcBn_TTo3vTszJ-X6VYZ0UC10jwEXQxd2mrQ6IdY4y3RvrKG5ZFAF9YriGeRyu9m0Okfh-IMQniV2uEbiluZ3iyjf0oSIotck-SAG3J3KBxU/s1600/condor-palace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4rY7IPfEx3fJ_Dh7pUHx8Ki-RVpgEOdlcBn_TTo3vTszJ-X6VYZ0UC10jwEXQxd2mrQ6IdY4y3RvrKG5ZFAF9YriGeRyu9m0Okfh-IMQniV2uEbiluZ3iyjf0oSIotck-SAG3J3KBxU/s1600/condor-palace.jpg" height="281" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Terrible, nerve-racking seconds elapsed. The guards gripped the ends of their arrows with their fingertips.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I’ll bring some more lettuce next time!” said McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“OK, don’t forget,” said the condor.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“There’s some other leafy things you might like,” said McCluskey, still eager to encourage the bird away from meat-eating while it’s enormous beak was so close. “There’s cabbage, kale, spinach, rocket and loads of others. They’re all tasty and good for you!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“OK,” said the condor. It flapped it’s enormous wings and the guards took aim.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Wait!” Wait!” shouted McCluskey, leaning out of the blimp basket.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">The guards held their fire as the condor took off, making the blimp shake.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I’ve got it, Chef! I’ve got the chocolate!” shouted McCluskey into the tube, as he watched the condor fly off into the distance.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, back in their stinking hideout in the shadows of the Chilly Peaks, the brigands poured rum on their cornflakes. They were still fed up about not getting the chocolate.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I had it in my hand!” said the leader. “I’ll get that condor if I see it again!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“What about that pigeon?” said one of the men, and the rest of the crew sniggered.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Yeah,” said another, “the pigeon that decorated your coat!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Splat!” said another.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Don’t cross the white line!” said another.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">The leader scowled and banged his fist down on the table. The men all froze and looked at him.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Well,” he said, smiling wickedly, “I’m glad it was the pigeon, and not the condor!” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">And they all laughed heartily.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">End of McCluskey’s Story/ Peak Peril</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #00000a; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #00000a; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
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<div style="color: #00000a; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">© David Severn</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-22147090824048312472014-08-31T20:00:00.001-07:002014-08-31T20:01:51.544-07:00McCluskey's Story/Peak Peril: Part 5<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">McCluskey was determined not to let the brigand leader have the yak milk white chocolate, but when the angry, hairy, guano-stained bandit climbed into the blimp’s basket the smell was unendurable.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Here! Take it!” said McCluskey, trying not to breathe.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Ah-ahhh!” said the brigand, grabbing the chocolate. “Well done, Sonny Jim!”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The brigand jumped back onto the plank and held up the chocolate:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Look at this, men! The absolute pinnacle of luxury! The acme of good taste! An epicurean masterpiece! Sweet perfection!” he shouted.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Hooray!” cried the brigands on the deck of their craft. “Quick, bring it back here and let’s share it out!” said one.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“As for sharing, I think I shall have a bigger portion,” said the leader.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“All right! Hurry up!” said one of the men.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Let me see. . . “ said the leader. He felt the number of squares through the chocolate’s paper and foil wrappers with his thumb. “So that will be twenty-eight for me and.. none for you lot!”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The brigands jumped onto the plank and lunged for their leader. “Mutiny!” shouted the leader, trying to hold the chocolate up out of reach of the grasping brigands.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Out of the murky, pre-dawn sky came the condor. It swooped down on its enormous wings and took the chocolate in its talons, leaving the brigands tottering about pathetically on the plank.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Hooray!” cried McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Come back, you thieving, overgrown crow !” shouted the leader.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The brigands were surprised when the condor did come back, swooping in and knocking them off the plank like a bowling ball hitting ten pins.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Strike!” shouted McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The brigands screamed and snorted as they were left dangling - hanging on to the plank by their fingertips. McCluskey opened the throttle of the blimp and coasted up and away. When he was at a safe distance he looked back and saw the leader was back on top of the plank, pulling his mutinous crew back up one-by-one, giving each one a reproachful look as they slunk back to their craft.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Now free, McCluskey opened the throttle of the blimp and headed at full whack to the Imperial Palace. The Chilly Peaks were now lit up by the sun.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTAXVOcImPyOz6wnycdqBGFSVdUTXyXXyyIsSGieKlYcxrAeEEtggSFC6Lb7Ssyv1y3JCiIu36KrKCcKXUmw2qI7S9Ge2ABlwiDGwPmcANrnyy-iBaH9EevZwPmgB8aKyLcOMiKK2Ttc/s1600/palace-tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTAXVOcImPyOz6wnycdqBGFSVdUTXyXXyyIsSGieKlYcxrAeEEtggSFC6Lb7Ssyv1y3JCiIu36KrKCcKXUmw2qI7S9Ge2ABlwiDGwPmcANrnyy-iBaH9EevZwPmgB8aKyLcOMiKK2Ttc/s1600/palace-tower.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When he arrived he lined up the blimp behind another craft that was waiting at the tower above the deliveries chute. He could hear the receiver shouting through a megaphone to the pilot of the craft in front:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Potatoes?! The docket says “tomatoes”, not potatoes!”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“How are you spelling “tomatoes”?” said the pilot.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“T-O-M-A-T-O-E-S,” said the receiver.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Just a minute,” said the pilot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">McCluskey looked at the clock - he was already late, but this was making it worse.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Not P-O-T-A-T-O-E-S?” said the pilot eventually.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“No, that’s potatoes!” shouted the receiver. “You’d better come back later with the tomatoes the Chef ordered!”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“So you don’t want these potatoes?” said the pilot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“No, not today, thank you!” said the receiver. “You can try the Fish and Chip Studio, on the next mountain, they might want them.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Thank you,” said the pilot. The craft’s motor whirred as it slowly moved away from the tower.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“You’re late, grocery blimp!” shouted the receiver, as McCluskey moved forward.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I know! I’m sorry!” shouted McCluskey. “I got lost in a magnetic storm and nearly eaten by a condor! Then I was bombarded with fireworks and then nearly crystallised! And then I was attacked by brigands!”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Three hundred lettuces, isn’t it?” said the receiver, unsympathetically.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“”I lost some on the way,” said McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“How many have you got left?” said the receiver.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Two,” said McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Two hundred?” said the receiver.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“No, ... two,” said McCluskey, anxiously.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The receiver froze for a moment, just blinking, and then he put down his megaphone and spoke into a tube. When he had finished speaking he put the tube to his ear.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“You’re in luck, grocery blimp!” said the receiver. “Chef says President Bunny isn’t coming after all, so we don’t need the lettuces.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Phew!” said McCluskey, relieved.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Chef says one lettuce will be fine this time,” the receiver said. He held out a large net and McCluskey threw one of the lettuces into it. “And Chef says what about the yak milk white chocolate? You’ve got that, haven’t you?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Err... no, I lost that as well,” said McCluskey. “The condor got it.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The receiver shook his head and spoke into the tube again.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Chef wants to speak to you,” said the receiver, extending the tube out from the tower towards the blimp with a long stick. “He’s not very happy!”</span></span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To be continued.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #00000a; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="color: #00000a; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
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<div style="color: #00000a; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">© David Severn</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-78675654555968484362014-08-25T00:45:00.001-07:002019-09-29T23:08:05.331-07:00McCluskey's Story/Peak Peril: Part 4<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9XIVwVQRnCmTJbbaQSh5qOqVMIZNfD2w1Nzqc5aX57adRoS0o_hEJegKrmj3BKfbTtVqTA8VeWavSFXJ_xh-IUHwRBHWjvBU642VE36YePG2DUn4XK0hIqQgITpCakO6kjAKW9p8cm0/s1600/brigands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9XIVwVQRnCmTJbbaQSh5qOqVMIZNfD2w1Nzqc5aX57adRoS0o_hEJegKrmj3BKfbTtVqTA8VeWavSFXJ_xh-IUHwRBHWjvBU642VE36YePG2DUn4XK0hIqQgITpCakO6kjAKW9p8cm0/s1600/brigands.jpg" width="338" /></a></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">The brigands’ dirty craft drew nearer to the grocery blimp. McCluskey could see them on the deck. They all had twisted hair and knotted beards. They smelt really bad.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Give us all your valuables!” shouted the leader, gesticulating with a rusty cutlass.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I haven’t got anything valuable!” said McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Arr... they all say that!” shouted the leader, and all the brigands roared with laughter.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I deliver groceries!” pleaded McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Groceries!” shouted the leader. “Well, we’ll have your bottles of champagne and your tins of caviar then!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I’ve only got lettuces - and I need those. The Chef at the Imperial Palace is waiting for them.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Lettuces?!” said the leader. “We don’t like lettuces!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">The brigands all jeered and grumbled.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Surely you can do better than that?” said the leader. “I’ll bet you’ve got something special for the Emperor. Some chocolate perhaps? We know he’s got a sweet beak. You could give it to us and we’ll let you go on your way with your nasty lettuces!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">There was more cheering from the deck.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I haven’t got anything!” said McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Hand it over, Sonny Jim!” said the leader. “Come on, we haven’t got all day you know!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">McCluskey was determined not to let the brigands have the yak milk white chocolate. He took one of the lettuces and threw it at the stinking craft. The brigands all ducked and laughed, pretending to be frightened. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">McCluskey threw some more lettuces at them.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Arrgh, I’m hit!” cried the leader sarcastically, holding his hand to his head. The brigands howled with laughter. The leader picked up one of the lettuces and tossed it up in the air. As it fell, he swished his cutlass back and forward through the air energetically, leaving a neat pile of shredded lettuce on the deck.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Now, come on Sonny Jim,” he said darkly, “let’s have it!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">McCluskey was determined not to relinquish the chocolate, but watched helplessly as the brigands extended a plank from their craft and the leader stepped up onto it. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Get the chocolate out, Sonny Jim!” he said. “I’m coming to get it! There’s no guarantee that I won’t slip and accidentally cut your ear off, but the chances of that happening may be less if you hold the chocolate out so that I can take it easily and concentrate on balancing!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Don’t look down!” cried one of the brigands, causing a great laugh from the deck. Without turning around, the leader made a rude gesture towards his crew.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Don’t fall off!” cried another brigand. More laughter.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">The leader wobbled on his high-heeled boots and flung his arms around.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Shut up, you fools!” he shouted, annoyed. “You’re putting me off!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Don’t wet yourself!” cried a third brigand. Huge laughter ensued. Even McCluskey couldn’t help sniggering. Before the leader had chance to act on that advice, a pigeon flew past and got him with a streak of the white stuff.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Gnah!” shouted the leader, lunging at the dirty bird with his cutlass. “My best jacket!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Uncontrollable laughter ensued.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Stop laughing, you filth!” shouted the leader, “you’re shaking the plank!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">But the leader was a hard nut, and he edged along the shaking plank to within a yard of the blimp’s basket.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Give me the chocolate!” he demanded. “I’m going to eat it all myself - that’ll show those wretches who's boss!” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“It’s way past its sell-by date!” bluffed McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I don’t care!” said the leader, “so am I!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“It’s gone mouldy!” bluffed McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I like a bit of mould!” said the leader.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“There are ants crawling around in the grooves between the squares!” bluffed McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Don’t mind!” said the leader.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“It smells awful!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I’ll hold my nose!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“It’ll taste really bad!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“I’ll be the judge of that!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Err. . . “ McCluskey couldn’t think of anything else to say to deter the salivating brigand leader, who now lifted a leg to climb into the basket.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">To be continued.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444;">© David Severn</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-63890514931053492942014-08-16T18:42:00.002-07:002014-08-16T18:42:59.574-07:00McCluskey's Story/Peak Peril: Part 3<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: 21.6px;">When the blimp settled again McCluskey got up dizzily. He found there was a large hole in the side of the blimp-basket, and a lot of lettuces had fallen out. He estimated there were about a hundred left.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><i>I hope that’s going to be enough!</i> he thought.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">McCluskey quickly patched up the hole with some cardboard and sticky tape and took his seat at the controls. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">However, instead of hurrying along to the Imperial Palace as he intended, he became mesmerised by the sight of his new surroundings. The blimp had been blown into a realm of crystals, which sparkled like a million diamonds. Fantastic multi-faceted shapes towered and extended in every direction. As he gazed in awe, he saw clusters of crystal forming and growing in fascinating slow-motion.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Then, after a long time, McCluskey glanced down at his controls and saw there were crystals growing across his dashboard, and the floor was covered in a glittering crystal carpet. As he checked his instruments and grappled with the controls, crystals grew up his legs. He realised he would soon be covered in them, and twisted the joystick to try and get away. However, the joystick was stuck and made a crunching sound when he forced it.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><i>I’m going to be late!</i> thought McCluskey, still thinking about his delivery, but actually it was getting much more serious that that. The crystals had now reached his knees and were invading the blimp-basket’s windscreen. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGFb6rTsy-McRtbToUMh4Qvo1ZxIiEPRBr-6w_H2DocMIY7bZj4BySpVpVKH95hj6W7eCDoqlzRqlPyRbdp38v6-CR_H3EmlsS0ldvOOfVEPX_lxuA-LI_qvXk6x2aVvfddTO-_Cki7A/s1600/crystals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGFb6rTsy-McRtbToUMh4Qvo1ZxIiEPRBr-6w_H2DocMIY7bZj4BySpVpVKH95hj6W7eCDoqlzRqlPyRbdp38v6-CR_H3EmlsS0ldvOOfVEPX_lxuA-LI_qvXk6x2aVvfddTO-_Cki7A/s1600/crystals.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">McCluskey pulled the joystick as hard as he could, smashing the crystals. The motor groaned with the sudden exertion, but the blimp barely lifted, and the crystallization continued. McCluskey opened the window and threw out lettuces until he could feel the blimp getting lighter, and soon he was high up above the crystals below, while those that had grown in the blimp basket began to recede and vanish.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Phew!” said McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">He then counted the lettuces: there were now only about twenty left.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><i>I wonder if that’s going to be enough? </i>he thought.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">He looked at the clock and saw he was now way behind schedule, and set a course for the Imperial Palace, where Emperor Peng Win’s chef would be waiting.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">McCluskey took a short cut through the shadows of the Chilly Peaks. It was a risky thing to do, as he had heard about people being ambushed and robbed there. . . A dark, messy craft drew up alongside and a voice shouted incomprehensibly. He could hear other voices in the background jeering and laughing wickedly. Fearfully, McCluskey put on his shellphones and listened to the translated shouting:</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“Sweater or we will honk you out of the wide blue yonder!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">McCluskey adjusted the shell phones:</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">“You have no choice! Hand over your stuff and we may spare your life!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><i>Oh, no! Brigands!</i> thought McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i></i></span><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">To be continued.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444;">© David Severn</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-29877245509546788562014-08-02T21:02:00.001-07:002014-08-17T18:39:44.779-07:00McCluskey’s Story/Peak Peril: Part 2<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0BzBCH0b8Uix6OXqe4M6GGMAEtysRwFbtbUMBHwGO56CQ9T2SZq1mv6sZW4tdHPWZPzs3fArNhqI9gNAn7l2-k1oS8oHn9zHf7AQRF0OIeynbeaCkv0BYepfqgqcFJ-mXcDaXCKHeaE/s1600/blimp-condor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0BzBCH0b8Uix6OXqe4M6GGMAEtysRwFbtbUMBHwGO56CQ9T2SZq1mv6sZW4tdHPWZPzs3fArNhqI9gNAn7l2-k1oS8oHn9zHf7AQRF0OIeynbeaCkv0BYepfqgqcFJ-mXcDaXCKHeaE/s1600/blimp-condor.jpg" height="312" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I’m not food!” said McCluskey. “I’m not tasty at all. In fact I’m not even edible!”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I fancy a salad,” said the condor, now at the side window. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Wow! </i>thought McCluskey.<i> It must be this magnetic storm. Everything’s gone haywire - even this bird’s eating habits!</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“You’re in luck!” said McCluskey, throwing a lettuce out. The condor swallowed it whole.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Got any more?” asked the condor.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Err.. yes, I think there’s another one...” said McCluskey, knowing in fact that he had about three hundred lettuces on board.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Any more?” said the condor again, after swallowing the second lettuce. “Got any dressing?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">McCluskey located his emergency bottle of vinegar, happy to cater for the bird as long as it remained vegetarian.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">McCluskey fed lettuces one-by-one to the condor, which took a swig of vinegar in between each of them. Eventually the condor said it was full. McCluskey was relieved to see that there were still about two hundred lettuces left - maybe it would be enough.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“What’s for pudding?” said the bird.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Don’t look at me like that!” said McCluskey anxiously. “I’m not sweet! Not sweet at all, rather bitter in fact!”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I can smell something sweet,” said the condor.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">McCluskey knew what it was. It was a bar of luxury yak milk white chocolate, the Emperor’s favourite, which the Chef of the Imperial Kitchen had added to the lettuce order.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I can’t smell anything,” bluffed McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“It’s a sweet, buttery kind of smell,” said the condor.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">McCluskey made sniffing movements with his short snout and said, “No. I can’t smell anything like that.”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Can I have it?” said the condor.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Have what?” said McCluskey.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“The white chocolate!” said the condor, lifting one of it’s big feet from the landing ski to stretch it’s talons, causing the blimp to rock again.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>The Chef is not going to be very happy about this!</i> thought McCluskey, reaching for the chocolate, but then there was a loud bang and the blimp shook as the condor suddenly took off. The air was now full of bursting fireworks, and McCluskey saw the condor flying off into the distance, where it disappeared behind a mountain.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As the impromptu firework display continued, McCluskey, fearing for his life, tried the joystick again and found he could steer the blimp. Using all his pilot’s instincts he dodged the rockets, aerials, cherry bombs,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">chrysanthemums and peonies that exploded all around him.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The fireworks display went on far a few minutes until climaxing with a huge explosion that knocked McCluskey to the floor of the basket and threw the blimp out of the Chilly Peaks mountain range altogether.<br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To be continued</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 21.6px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">© David Severn</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-49334284447800251422014-07-26T21:01:00.001-07:002014-07-27T17:39:40.029-07:00Kola Nut Hotel: McCluskey’s Story/Peak Peril<div class="cockadoodle-western">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Part 1</span></span></div>
<div class="cockadoodle-western">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="cockadoodle-western">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="cockadoodle-western">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After he left the Kola Nut Hotel,
where the giant creeping plant was temporarily subdued,* McCluskey, in
the grocery blimp, flew on towards the Imperial Palace with his cargo
of lettuces. He took a short cut through the Chilly Peaks to make up
for lost time, but suddenly a magnetic storm blew up and he lost his
bearings. McCluskey looked anxiously at his goldfish compass, which
wasn’t lined up to north as it should have been. He saw the hands
of his clock switching from one random time to another;
five-past-two... ten-to-five... half-past-twelve. The needles of the
dials on the grocery blimp’s dashboard also flicked from
side-to-side erratically. He thought he could navigate by the stars,
but when he looked out of the blimp’s window he found the sky was
obscured by swirling clouds. The windscreen wipers did an elegant but
squeaky tango across the front window.</span></div>
<div class="cockadoodle-western">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">McCluskey tried to turn around, but he
found the magnetic storm had affected the wire connecting the
joystick to the rudder, which swung from left to right. He tried to
switch off the engine, but that didn’t work either and the
propellor kept turning steadily.</span></div>
<div class="cockadoodle-western">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So, powerless to do anything, he sat
and watched as the blimp zigzagged forward, getting further and
further off course into a region of the Chilly Peaks he wasn’t at
all familiar with.</span></div>
<div class="cockadoodle-western">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtd0nADRIUVRx0Ac0fWjc6ushQvHKlN9VmT9JyLmChN6jHI6JkbdhwDVo0OISm1URjEjL4-tP14gICODfzOIJiYaXq9Pz5E8ehw6cygvzjczpL_QWz5pZR91smrUb8QVD3p__CjXEbfEU/s1600/blimp-magneticstorm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtd0nADRIUVRx0Ac0fWjc6ushQvHKlN9VmT9JyLmChN6jHI6JkbdhwDVo0OISm1URjEjL4-tP14gICODfzOIJiYaXq9Pz5E8ehw6cygvzjczpL_QWz5pZR91smrUb8QVD3p__CjXEbfEU/s1600/blimp-magneticstorm.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="cockadoodle-western">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">McCluskey was wondering what would
happen if he was late with the lettuce delivery, when he saw two
narrow parallel beams of light ahead, like the headlights of a car.
He jumped when he saw that the beams were being emitted from the eyes
of a night-flying condor. The gigantic bird had seen the blimp and
was now gliding towards it. McCluskey could see it’s long, wings
with their broad, purply-brown feathers like the fingers of a giant
glove. He could see it’s pink, shaved-looking head and it’s
fluffy collar of white feathers. He could see it’s terrifying,
meat-eating beak as it got nearer and nearer. Although McCluskey knew he
could never outrun a hungry condor, he instinctively grabbed the
joystick. The blimp still did not respond, but it rocked and creaked
as the condor flew right up and perched on one of its landing skis.
The condor flapped its wings to balance itself, and the blimp’s
basket was filled with bright light as it looked in through the
windscreen, salivating.</span></div>
<div class="cockadoodle-western">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="cockadoodle-western">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">to be continued</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">*<a href="http://garden-jam.blogspot.jp/2014/04/kola-nut-hotel-creepers-sleepers.html">Creepers Sleepers</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">© David Severn 2014</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-80925858659880183132014-05-11T00:12:00.002-07:002014-05-15T07:30:29.536-07:00Kola Nut Hotel: Creepers Sleepers Part 4<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Want drink!” said the flower.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“What?!” said Miss Wu, astonished.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Water!” said the flower.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“It can talk?” wondered Skates.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Water!” said the plant. “Want water!”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“No water in here!” came Wildmouth’s muffled voice from under his eiderdown.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“There’s a tap on the patio!” said Skates.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Yes!” said Miss Wu, “lovely cool, wet water from the tap!”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The plant turned away from the balcony and snaked down to the patio below. Miss Wu and Skates watched as the plant picked up the hose attached to the tap and held it over it’s flower-head like a person about to take a shower.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“You have to turn the tap on!” called Miss Wu.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The plant extended a tendril to the tap at the wall of the patio.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“It’s a bit stiff, so turn it firmly,” Skates shouted down to the plant, glancing at Miss Wu, who glanced back. . . The force of the jet of water knocked the plant out instantly. The wild hose then leapt around spurting water this way and that and high up into the air. It sprayed the hotel guests through their open windows and woke them all up.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“What’s going on!” shouted the walrus.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Miss Wu apologised again and ran downstairs. She managed to crawl across the patio again to turn off the crazy water. Skates, Wildmouth and all the guests went downstairs and carried the plant out of the patio and bundled it into the shed. The penguins were happy to stand on guard outside. They took turns playing the musical-box which the plant had dropped on the patio, making sure their ears were covered.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Next morning, Russell Tusks returned from the conference. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I found these outside!” he said, plonking several lettuces on the front desk. “Has a letter arrived for me?” he continued, eyeing his pigeon hole.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Miss Wu told Russell what had happened and then took him to the shed, where Skates had taken over from the penguins, who had become exhausted. Skates stopped turning the handle of the musical-box and Tusks unlocked the shed door.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Hello! Loquentes serpentium plantae?” he said quietly, using the plant’s official name.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Who are you?” asked the plant.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Russell Tusks introduced himself and told the plant that he would take it to a place where it could live comfortably.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Like it here!” said the plant. “Want to stay here with the kind birdlady and the funny lion.”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“But the lion isn’t funny - he’s just annoying!” said Tusks.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Want to stay here!” said the plant.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Russell talked to Miss Wu and they decided to plant it in the field next to the hotel’s vegetable patch; this was the foundation of Russell Tusk’s botanical garden. Word soon spread about the talking plant, and it attracted many tourists to the hotel. Miss Wu looked after the plant and Wildmouth, who was happy to have an appreciative audience for a change, performed theatrical sketches on his balcony to make it happy. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">End of Creepers Sleepers</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
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<div style="font-family: Georgia;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444;">© David Severn 2014</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-33251868468051917782014-05-06T00:36:00.001-07:002014-05-06T06:50:25.971-07:00Kola Nut Hotel: Creepers Sleepers Part 3<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Look!” said Skates, pointing up into the deep blue sky.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Miss Wu looked and saw a small bright light approaching from the west.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“It’s the grocery blimp!” she shrieked. “It’s McCluskey! He must be doing a late night delivery somewhere!” </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Miss Wu and Skates shouted and waved frantically to get the pilot’s attention. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Now what?!” grumbled the walrus.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The plant stopped swinging and snaked up towards the orange blimp’s light. Wildmouth, dazed, held on weakly. The egg-shaped balloon came to a stop above the hotel, and McCluskey opened the window and stuck out a megaphone. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“What’s going on?!” he said. “Having a party? I’ve got some pickles if you want ‘em. And crackers. Not much else I’m afraid. Just on the way to the Imperial Palace with a load of lettuces - they need them urgently.”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“We’re not having a party!” shouted Miss Wu, as loudly as she could. “We’ve got a problem with a giant creeper! Can you help us, please!”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“That’s a big honeysuckle for sure!” said McCluskey, looking down at the flower which was still climbing towards the blimp. “Mmm....”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Look out!” shouted everyone in the hotel, as the plant suddenly shot upwards.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The hotel guests shrieked as the plant tried to grab the blimp. McCluskey dodged it with deft movements of the joystick, and lettuces were thrown out of the blimp’s windows as it swung from side-to-side. The guests cheered. Even the walrus was caught up in the excitement, and made more noise than anyone else!</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This went on for some time, until eventually the plant started to tire a little. Wildmouth, by now almost completely shaken to bits, took the opportunity to snatch his mirror and scrapbook away from the plant’s clutches, and climbed down dizzily back to the balcony, where he collapsed, clutching his scrapbook and mirror to his chest. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Miss Wu and Skates looked up again as the gentle sound of tinkling music reached their ears. It was a lovely, peaceful, relaxing melody. The plant, lulled by the sound, shook its leaves and nodded it’s flower up and down as it tried to resist. Miss Wu felt herself becoming drowsy. Skates struggled to keep his eyelids open. Wu looked down at the other windows and saw the pelicans yawning. The penguins were wobbling. The walrus was already asleep and snoring loudly. Wu looked up again through her half-closed eyes and saw McCluskey at the window of the blimp, wearing noise-canceling headphones and gesturing at them. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Cover your ears, Skates!” Miss Wu cried.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They looked up and saw the plant was now fast asleep. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">McCluskey brought the blimp down level with the balcony.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Play this again if it wakes up during the night! whispered McCluskey, tossing them a small musical-box, which Skates caught in his beak. </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">“It’s a Wangleburger super-lullaby! Now I must deliver these lettuces!”</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The blimp shot off into the darkness. Skates turned the handle of the musical-box and a few notes of the super-lullaby sounded, causing a passing moth to fall asleep in mid-air and fall to the patio below the balcony.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Be careful with it!” said Miss Wu. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Play it again, Skates!” said Wildmouth. “I’m going to bed!” The lion got under his eiderdown with his scrapbook and mirror.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Miss Wu turned away from the balcony and said, “We’d better let Mr. Wildmouth get some res...”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The plant darted down and snatched the musical-box from Skates’ hand. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“It’s awake!” cried Miss Wu.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“It’s mad!” shouted Skates.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Sneaky snowdrop!” growled Wildmouth, pulling the eiderdown over his head.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The plant held the musical-box and gripped the handle with another of its tendrils.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“What does it want?” shrieked Skates.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">to be continued</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
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<div style="font-family: Georgia;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">© David Severn 2014</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-73570714428811927842014-04-27T01:51:00.002-07:002014-04-28T02:43:30.818-07:00Kola Nut Hotel: Creepers Sleepers Part 2<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Just as the plant got to Miss Wu’s door, she closed her book of verbs and switched off the bedside light. The honeysuckle then sensed a glimmer from upstairs, and crept up towards the door of the suite on the top floor, which Wildmouth, who had fallen asleep on his couch, had left ajar. The lion lay snoring in the flickering candle light with a scrapbook of his photos and film reviews open on his chest. The plant took hold of the candlestick, a mirror, and the scrapbook, and took them out through the open doors of the balcony out into the night sky, where the moon was rising. Wildmouth stirred in his sleep and felt for his precious scrapbook. When his big paws didn’t locate it, he awoke with a start in the now dark room. He got up from the couch and tripped up over the trailing plant. He picked himself up from the floor and tip-toed to the balcony, where he saw the plant growing up into the air with his possessions.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Hey!” he roared. “Come back with my stuff! Give me my scrapbook back, you thieving thistle!”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The plant now had a big, trumpety flower, and it was admiring itself in Wildmouth’s mirror. The lion grabbed the plant’s stem and started shaking it, but the plant simply absorbed Wildmouth’s energy, turned it’s flower towards him and blew a raspberry. Infuriated, Wildmouth bit the plant, but found it very tough and bitter: “<i>Bhlurrrghhhh!” </i>he cried, blowing and spitting and sticking out his tongue. Then the branch holding Wildmouth’s scrapbook swung down and hit him on the snout with it.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Right! I’ll get you, you cheeky cheeseplant!” said Wildmouth, raising a foot onto one of the plant’s sturdy leaves and starting to climb. He was a bit scared of heights actually, but he tried to imagine he was in a scene from one of his awful films.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Miss Wu and Skates, woken by all the noise Wildmouth had been making, came onto the balcony to find Wildmouth already about twenty metres up the stalk of the plant.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Mister Wildmouth!” cried Miss Wu. “What are you doing up there? And how did this giant plant get here?!”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“My dear Miss Wu,” Wildmouth shouted back. “I’ve no idea how it got here, but it’s got my scrapbook!”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Skates thought he must be dreaming as he watched Wildmouth slowly climb the plant. When the lion eventually got to the top he tried to wrest his scrapbook and mirror from the plant’s tendrils, but the monster honeysuckle’s grip was strong and it started swinging from side-to-side to try and shake Wildmouth off. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Oh dear!” cried Miss Wu, “Hang on!”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">By now, all the hotel guests were at their windows, gawping at the spectacle of the lion being thrown around like a big, furry doll, screaming his head off.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“What is it?” asked one of the pelicans.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I don’t know!” said another.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I’ve never seen anything like it!” said a third pelican.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“It’s very noisy!” said a fourth.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I can’t sleep with all this racket!” said a grumpy walrus from another window.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I’m sorry about this!” said Miss Wu, leaning over the balcony. “Everything will be under control shortly!”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I hope not!” said a penguin from a small window.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Yes, we love it!” said another one.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Poor Wildmouth,” said Miss Wu. “what are we going to do?!”</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">to be continued</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;">
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<div style="font-family: Georgia;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">© David Severn</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-26085806823407202272014-04-14T04:20:00.000-07:002015-01-19T17:58:10.757-08:00Kola Nut Hotel: Creepers Sleepers<div style="color: #444444;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wildmouth shot out of his suite on the top floor of the Kola Nut Hotel and bounded down the stairs. His acute lion’s ears had heard the squeak of the letter box. He just managed to stop before knocking Miss Wu over like a skittle.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Is it for me?” gasped Wildmouth, excitedly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“No, it’s for Russell!” said Miss Wu, showing Wildmouth the letter, addressed to “Mr. R. Tusks, Head Gardener, The Kola Nut Hotel”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“What?! Again?!” asked Wildmouth, bitterly. “Jumbo-nose gets more fan mail than me!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“It’s not fan mail!” said Miss Wu. “It’s some seeds he ordered,” said Miss Wu, seeing the logo of an exotic garden centre on the envelope and shaking it, making a rattling sound.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Can I have some? I’m very peckish!” said Wildmouth, in his most irresistible voice, which he often used in his rubbishy films. “Surely the silly elephant can spare a few...”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“No! Get off!” said Wu. “Russell would be very cross if you interfered with his private mail! And don’t call him Jumbo-nose!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wildmouth slunk back up to his room. Miss Wu put the letter into Russell Tusks’ pigeon-hole behind the front desk, next to another small package that had been delivered the day before. Tusks was away at a botanists’ conference and Miss Wu wasn’t expecting him back until the next morning. She greeted some guests, a party of pelicans, as they came in, but then the pelicans dashed upstairs as Skates, the hotel bellboy stumbled into the lobby with a garden hose, spraying water everywhere. Miss Wu ducked behind the front desk to avoid getting soaked.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I can’t stop it!” cried Skates. “It’s out of control!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Skates opened his large beak wide to try and swallow the water, but the hose flicked this way and that like a mad snake. Some pottery ducks got shot down as the walls, carpet and ceiling got alternately squirted.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #444444;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Skates tried to go back outside, but by now he was entangled with the hose and couldn’t walk. The furniture in the lobby, the table, chairs and cushions sounded like a dull set of drums as the jet of water hit them. Ornaments up on a high shelf were knocked off one-by-one like targets in a shooting gallery. And then the water suddenly stopped...</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #444444;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Miss Wu came back into the lobby: she had crawled out to the patio to turn off the tap to which the hose was attached.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Skates!” she cried.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Sorry!” said Skates, preparing to be fired.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #444444;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I told you to be careful with that tap!” Miss Wu continued. “You have to turn it gently... remember?!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They set about mopping up. Skates dried the floor and walls as best he could with some old hotel towels and picked up all the pieces of the ducks and the ornaments. He took the furniture out on to the patio to dry out in the cool evening breeze. Miss Wu dried the hotel guest book with a hair-dryer. She was sad to see that some guests’ names had been washed away. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">By the time they had finished it was time for bed. Skates went quietly to the little office behind the front desk, where he had a hammock to sleep in, and Miss Wu went upstairs to her room on the first floor. Neither of them went straight to sleep though. Skates decided to try to fix the broken ornaments to surprise Miss Wu in the morning, so he picked up all the pieces from the floor of the lobby and took them into the office. He got some glue and set to work. Miss Wu did some paperwork, wrote some letters, and made a shopping list for the next day. When she had finished that, she danced around to some old records, read a book, looked at the stars through her telescope. Finally she got into bed and studied some Strawberian irregular verbs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">While Skates and Miss Wu were busy, one of the seeds in Tusk’s letter, which had been soaked with water, started to grow. It took root in the sample of rich, brown super-soil in the other package which one of Tusks' botanist pals had sent him. The monster honeysuckle seedling easily broke through the wet envelope, and crept towards the office’s half-glazed door, attracted by the light. Inside the office, Skates had nearly finished his repair work. <i>That’ll have to do!</i> he said to himself, sleepily sticking a pottery panda’s head on to the body of one of the flying ducks. The plant extended a tendril around the door knob and started to turn it. Skates looked at the clock and, seeing that it was well past his bedtime, yawned, climbed into his hammock and reached out to pull the cord of the light. Suddenly in darkness, the plant let go of the door knob and crept up the stairs, now attracted by the light under the door of Miss Wu’s room.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">to be continued</span></span></div>
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©David Severn 2014Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-26808427554054181722013-03-18T17:54:00.002-07:002013-03-18T17:56:31.616-07:00#166 day sixty-five and singed<br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Palatino; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Flames danced around on the stern of the skyacht, and up the rigging.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Fire!” shouted Admiral Spicerack.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“No need to panic!” cried Miss Wu.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Get some water!” shouted Tusks.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“There’s only half a bottle!” shouted Skates.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“And a packet of crisps!” shouted Ron.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Cheese and onion!” shouted Chops the dinosaur.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Tusks took off his jacket and started beating the flames with it. Ron and Skates followed suit. Miss Wu and the admiral used their hats. Wildmouth wasn’t wearing a jacket or a hat. He tried to blow out the flames, like birthday cake candles. Chops tried to splat the flames out with his little front paws.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“No wonder we caught fire!” shouted Tusks, looking down over the side of the yacht. “We’re right above the volcano!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“And that’s why it was so hot!” shouted Miss Wu.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The volcano started to erupt violently, sending big globs of lava up into the air, scorching holes in the yacht’s sails.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“We’ve got to get out of here!” cried the admiral, “While we still can!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">He took the helm and released the brake. The yacht jolted forward.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Soon the yacht was away from the vent, and when they had finally extinguished the flames, everyone watched as streams of red-hot lava flowed down the volcano’s sides.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Before long, they were out of danger, and Ron was the first to look away from the mesmerizing hot-spot:</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“My jacket!” he cried, holding up his garment, and examining the singed velvet collar and cuffs.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“My hat!” cried Miss Wu, regarding her battered bonnet.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“My yacht!” cried the admiral, seeing the black edging around his beautiful white boat. And then everyone went quiet as they contemplated their narrow escape from the firey fury.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Er.. are those crisps still going?” asked Chops, breaking the silence.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Admiral Spicerack was able to take a bearing from the volcano, which was now two hundred metres distant, and set a course for the hotel. Everyone was now looking forward to getting back, although Tusks was concerned about the dinosaur.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“I’ll have to lock the exotic garden gate, to stop Chops getting in and eating everything!” he said.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“I’ll teach him how to grow vegetables!” said Miss Wu.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Mmm...” said Tusks. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">© David Severn 2013</span></span></span></div>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-6384421305716541942013-02-23T22:42:00.003-08:002013-02-23T22:42:37.170-08:00#165 day sixty-four and getting hot<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Lost?!” said Miss Wu, when Admiral Spicerack stopped the skyacht and informed everyone of the the logistical error. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“How lost, exactly?”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Exactly completely lost, I’m afraid,” said the admiral. “We should have been able to see the Sunday Afternoon volcano by now, but it’s nowhere to be seen.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“And how did we get so lost?” asked Tusks.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“I think that big, gallumping pelican knocked us out of whack,” said the admiral. “Great big thing - you felt the yacht rock when it landed and took off!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Mmm... Yes, </span></span></span><span style="font: 13.0px Palatino;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Pelecanus crispus - a very big, heavy bird. So </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">what are we going to do?!” said Tusks anxiously.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Another game of crackit?” said Chops. Either the dinosaur didn’t understand the gravity of the situation, or it had discovered the art of gamesmanship.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Err, maybe later, Chops,” said Ron.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Everyone went to the sides of the yacht and looked out, desperately squinting to try to catch sight of the volcano in the bright sunlight, but there was no sign of it. It was very warm now, and everyone was suddenly feeling very thirsty.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“How much water have we got?” asked Miss Wu. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Half a bottle,” said the admiral. “And one packet of crisps; cheese and onion, I think. I’m afraid.. “</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“It’s hot down there!” said Wildmouth, coming up on deck after having a lie down in the cabin. He seemed to have forgotten about his embarrassing performance on the Aerobot stage. “Hot up here too!” he said. “Are we nearly there yet?”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“We’re lost!” said Miss Wu.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Lost?!” said Wildmouth. “Stop pulling my tail! Ha-ha! Lost! Ha-ha-ha!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Wildmouth ran up to the bows and flung out his arms dramatically: “Oh, woe are we!” he hammed. “How shall we find our way home?”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Wildmouth!” shouted Tusks. “Stop it! We really are lost!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Oh, pathos!” the lion continued to his imaginary audience, lifting his paw to his forehead and making sobbing noises. And then he turned around to face his real audience; all presenting disapproving looks, except Chops, who was giggling.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">”What? ... We really are lost?!” said Wildmouth.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Everyone nodded.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Completely lost - </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">hic!</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">” said the admiral, sucking from a decanter of port through a straw.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“And the yacht’s on fire as well?” asked Wildmouth.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Don’t be silly!” said Tusks, mopping sweat from his brow with a large handkerchief.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“What’s that, then?” said Wildmouth. “Behind you..”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">They all looked around.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Great Scott of the Tock-tick!” exclaimed the admiral. “We’re ablaze!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">© David Severn 2013</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-32931672886577690442013-02-20T07:11:00.002-08:002013-02-20T07:16:07.733-08:00#164 day sixty-four and the flight home (fuga domum)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Soon the airship was just a speck in the distance. The yacht cruised along leisurely at a steady ten knots. It was a high-performance skyacht, but no-one was in a great hurry to get back. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Ron and Skates tried to teach Chops how to play crackit:</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“So, can I do that?” asked Chops, confusedly.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Only if there’s a coot,” explained Ron.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Or if it’s already feathered,” added Skates.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“You can put it back or take snails’ point,” said Ron.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Unless there’s a draft from A to B,” clarified Skates.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Can we play bingo again?” said Chops, exasperatedly.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Admiral Spicerack stood at the wheel, fiddling with his sextant, trying to check the yacht’s course. He was hoping the accordian-playing albatross would come back again and play some more hornpipes. Once a stormy petrel flew past and decorated the admiral’s hat.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Oceanites oceanicus!” said Tusks, when he and Miss Wu had stopped laughing. Tusks was a keen ornithologist.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Humph!” said the admiral.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">A flock of grandfatherclock birds flew past. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Wow!” said Tusks. He had only ever seen them in books and on teacards before. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Avus horologium avis!” he muttered in amazement.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Then a very large Dalmatian pelican (</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Pelecanus crispus) landed heavily on the side of the yacht and asked if they had any clupeidae.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“What’s that?” asked the admiral.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“You know, clupidae!” repeated the pelican, jumping onto the deck.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“That’s sardines and pilchards,” interpreted Tusks, “and other smaller members of the herring family.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Oh, I see. Well, no, we don’t have any, I’m afraid,” said the admiral, politely, hoping that the pelican wouldn’t take offence and decorate his hat.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Try the sea,” said Miss Wu, trying to help.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Righto!” said the pelican, and it took off, causing the yacht to rock from side to side.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“So if the breeze is anti-clockwise, and I have two snails...” said Chops, “..then I can do this? Is that right?”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Ron and Skates looked at Chops’ position incredulously: “You’ve won!” they said.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Beginner’s luck!” said Chops.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Admiral Spicerack spent a couple of minutes trying to clean up his hat and then picked up his telescope again. He was a bit puzzled. He was expecting to see the Sunday Afternoon volcano; the landmark from which he could get a bearing to take them back to the hotel. But it wasn’t visible.</span></span></span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Oh, guano...</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> he thought. </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">We’re lost!</span></span></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">© David Severn 2013</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-51752365979635877612013-02-18T07:12:00.003-08:002013-02-18T07:12:24.029-08:00#163 day sixty-four and chaos at the concert<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Wildmouth, frustrated with merely being a member of the audience, jumped up on the stage to join in. He leapt around like a maniac and grabbed a microphone and started bellowing into it. </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">GRAAGHHH! B-B-BWAAAGHHH! </span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> His</span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> </span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">tail swung around crazily, knocking over the drumkit and tripping up Ivan Crab, who fell over with a loud, discordant </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">BWLANGG!</span></span></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Oh, no!” cried Miss Wu.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Skates stopped plucking the banjo, and Ron stopped shaking his marracas, and Ivan and the rest of his band dizzily crawled off the stage.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Wildmouth, you nincompoop!” shouted Tusks.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">And so, the concert came to a chaotic end. Ron and Skates jumped down from the stage.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Come on, guys!” cried Wildmouth, obliviously. “Let's play another song!” </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Wildmouth!” shouted Tusks, angrily.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The audience were now bunched-up around the exit, trying to get out as quickly as possible; they weren't going to hang around with a mad lion in the auditorium!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Thank you! Thank you!” said Wildmouth. “You've been a wonderful audience!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Get off!” shouted Tusks from the back of the auditorium, where he had located the abandoned lighting booth. He flicked a switch and the spotlight went off, leaving Wildmouth in darkness on the stage. Tusks then lowered the thick, velvet stage curtain and switched on the house lights, and Miss Wu, Capt. Cookie and the other hotel regulars, who were used to Wildmouth's over-the-top antics, walked out to the sound of the lion’s muffled cries.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">We must get going!” said the captain, looking at his timepiece and remembering he was behind schedule.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Aye, sir!” said Winterbottom. The steward got all the passengers together and they headed down to Aerobot's hangar-stomach, where the airship was parked.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">It was decided that now that the celebrations were over, the newly-wed couple, Temples and Singsong, would resume their roles on the airship as co-pilot and flight attendant respectively. The abductees would be dropped off at their homes on the way, except for Chops, the dinosaur, whose habitat of seventy-one million years ago was no longer there.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Miss Wu, who had grown fond of Chops, despite having had to feed it with the prize produce of her vegetable garden insisted on taking it with her. Along with Skates, Tusks and Ron (and Wildmouth, although Tusks felt like leaving him behind) they were to go back to the hotel on Admiral Spicerack's yacht. Everyone said goodbye and boarded their designated craft. And then everyone gawped as the gigantic hangar doors opened and they saw the enormous sky above and below them again.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The airship went first, gliding out of the hangar slowly. Capt. Cookie blew his foghorn: </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Parp! Parp!</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> Then the admiral steered the yacht out into the air. He looked through his telescope at the airship, and he could see Capt. Cookie and Lieutenant Temples in the cockpit, setting a course for the Far North. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Right!” said the admiral. “Let's get back to the Kola Nut Hotel! It's nearly cocktail time!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">© David Severn 2013</span></span></span></div>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-16441759590367728902013-02-16T23:17:00.000-08:002013-02-16T23:17:17.107-08:00#162 day sixty-four and Are you ready to rock?!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">After the round of double-scoops, everyone was full (Spa Bruno had a double-double-scoop) and they all left the ice cream parlor. They went downstairs and were ushered into an auditorium where an excitable crowd were sitting, amicably jostling and generally larking about. No sooner had Ron and everyone from the hotel sat down, than the lights went off and the curtain was raised, revealing a stage lit with fairy-lights.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Ladies and Gentlemen!” came a loud voice through the speakers. “Please welcome the one and only Ivan Crab and the Sand Band!” There was a loud cheer as a group of musicians scuttled onto the stage and took up their instruments. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">"Are you ready to rock?!" shouted Ivan Crab in his echoey falsetto.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">"Yeah!" responded the audience.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">"Are you ready to roll?!" cried Ivan.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">"Yeah!" called the crowd.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">"Are you ready to scuttle sideways?!" </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">""Yeah!!"</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">"O.K. Let's go!!"</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">For a large crustacean, Ivan was very nimble, dancing and spinning around as he sang, and strumming his guitar with his big right claw. In a minute, the crowd were up out of their seats and ebbing and flowing like the sea.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The first song ended and the crowd went wild. Everyone cheered, hooted or squawked and clapped their wings, flippers or paws as appropriate. Ron thought they were nearly as good as his favourite bands, Pin Cushion and Vineyard Snails.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Skates, himself quite a handy musician, was impressed when Ivan Crab played a xylophone and a harmonica at the same time, before performing a syncopated, high-speed solo on the handbells.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The Sand Band finished their last song with a flourish, and Ivan Crab waved his large right claw, saying “Thank you! Thank you!” into the microphone and doing a final wiggly-diggly on the guitar, before leaving the stage.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Everyone clapped and stamped their feet, at first randomly and then gradually synchronizing into a steady, communal </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Chrrrchhk! Chrrrchhk! Chrrrchhk!.</span></span></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Encore!” shouted Miss Wu.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“More!” shouted Capt. Cookie, still forgetting that he had a schedule to catch up with.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">No-one noticed the admiral slipping through a door at the side of the stage and re-appearing a minute later. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Ivan Crab came back on stage after a quick slug of salty water. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Thank you! Thank you!” he said. “I’d like to dedicate this song to Temples and Singsong! And I’d like to invite their friends Ron and Skates up on to the stage. Ron! Skates! Come on up!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The audience-sea parted down the middle and Ron and Skates went forward and climbed up on to the stage. Ivan Crab gave Skates a banjo and Ron a microphone and a pair of marracas and they played and sang along to the ancient classic “Rock Around The Sundial”.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">© David Severn 2013</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-59558331069784294412013-02-09T01:05:00.003-08:002013-02-09T01:08:54.016-08:00#161 day sixty-four and too many ice creams<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Aerobot gently lifted the airship up to its mouth and the passengers walked along the gangplank-tongue into its mouth-entrance, followed by Capt. Cookie and his crew. Then they, along with Admiral Spicerack and the newly-weds, went down some stairs into the main ice-cream parlor. “2,013 Flavours” said a sign above the counter.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Cor!” said Spa Bruno, the walrus. “How long have we got? I want them all!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Capt. Cookie was reading the labels on the rows and rows and rows of tubs in all different creamy colours, and forgot about time-keeping. “No rush...” he said, absent-mindedly.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The penguin passengers ran and jumped about randomly, squeeling with delight.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Winterbottom looked after the four abductees, who were suffering from severe culture-shock, and he tried to help them decide what flavour they wanted. “Magnolia?” he said to them. “That sounds nice. Or how about Lemon Explosion? No? Maybe you’re right. There’s Sweet River Mud... err.. Sequoia leaf?.... How about Gold Medal Turnip? Or next to that there’s Radish With Bonito Flakes. No?”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Everyone was having trouble deciding; there were too many flavours!</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Miss Wu thought she’d decided on Meringue Chilli Sponge, but then the dozens of melon varieties caught her eye.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Raspberry Rock!” said Ron, pulling himself together and choosing an ice cream, and with the ice broken, everyone relaxed and started ordering.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Soon everyone had an ice cream. Admiral Spicerack was the last to order: “Rum and Raisin, please!” he said.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The ice creams were all very good so naturally everyone wanted another one. But the second round of choosing was just as difficult! Some of the penguins were so befuddled that they were about to order the same again, until Ron upped the ante:</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Strawberry Cheesecake and Coconut Cream - double scoop!” he said.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Ordering a double scoop sent everyone into a new dimension of indecision. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">© David Severn 2013</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-62807344361685982072013-02-07T06:19:00.003-08:002013-02-07T06:19:49.779-08:00#160 day sixty-four and Wow!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Capt. Cookie struggled to keep the airship under control as Winterbottom rushed into the cockpit to see Aerobot, followed by all the passengers.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Wow!” said Winterbottom, gazing at the strange and enormous thing hanging in the air.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Wohh!” said the passengers.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Winterbottom!” shouted the captain. “Get these people out of here at once! We’ll crash like this! Quickly, Winterbottom!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Yes, sir!” said Winterbottom, pulling himself together and ushering the passengers back into the cabin.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“We could go around a couple of times so that everyone can see it from the cabin!” said Miss Wu.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Yes!” said Cookie. “Let’s do that. Good idea!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Eveyone gawped in amazement at the thing called Aerobot. It was like a machine and a building and a man all in one. It had big eyes which were observation windows and people could be seen looking out. Below the head part, the gigantic body also had many windows on different levels. Below that there were no legs, but a kind of conical duct from which steam was gently flowing. It was quite still except for its massive arms, which were busy taking aboard and putting back passengers from other visiting aircraft.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Now, the passengers on the airship, which was still about two hundred metres away could see the yacht being held by one of Aerobot’s giant hands. It raised it’s hand up to it’s face and a gangway came out of it’s mouth like a tongue. Admiral Spicerack, Temples and Singsong walked along the tongue and entered Aerobot. When they were safely inside the head, the tongue retracted. Then the arm holding the yacht moved down to the body part, where large sliding doors opened and the yacht was put inside.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Wow!” said Capt. Cookie into his microphone. “I mean.. Birdladies and Gentlebirdmen, please prepare to disembark.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">© David Severn 2013</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-67437237635168015162013-02-05T00:09:00.002-08:002013-02-05T00:09:45.801-08:00#159 day sixty-four and onboard entertainment<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Admiral Spicerack led the way in his yacht with the newly-wed couple, followed closely by the airship with everyone else on board. Ron took it easy in the cabin, as Miss Wu had insisted she could perform the role of Capt. Cookie’s co-pilot, having read “Teach Yourself Co-Piloting An Airship” while the captain and Ron had gone to rescue Winterbottom from the Moon. The steward, now completely recovered from his strange and frightening lunar experience, led a sing-a-long accompanied by Skates on the doorbell piano. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The admiral looked through his telescope and espied the plume of smoke rising from the Sunday Afternoon volcano. He did a quick manipulation on his sextant and shouted: “Two degrees to port!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Aye!” Temples and Singsong shouted back and turned the yacht’s large wheel a little bit to the left.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The admiral was looking through his telescope again: “Fantastic sunset!” he said, taking a swig from a miniature bottle of rum he had hidden under one of his epaulettes. Temples and Singsong sniggered.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Oh, I see..” he said, realising there was a mackerel stuck to the end of his telescope.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Two little ducks!...” said Capt. Cookie into his microphone. “Twenty-two!” </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">On the airship, a game of bingo was underway. In the cockpit, Miss Wu took the balls out of a black bag, and Capt. Cookie announced them. In the cabin, everyone pounced on a number with their dabbers or stared at their cards in anxious silence. “Two fat penguins.....Eighty-eight!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Back on the yacht, an albatross cruised alongside and jumped into the crows’ nest at the top of the main mast. It had an accordian around it’s neck and started to play a jolly nautical tune. On the deck the admiral couldn’t help dancing a hornpipe. Temples and Singsong joined in.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Bingo!” shouted Spa Bruno the walrus, dabbing the last number on his card. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Nuhh..” said the other passengers. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“I only needed one...” said some. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Bruno went up to the cockpit to get his prize, which was an Imperial Airlines pen and notebook. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Thank you very much!” he said, swallowing the notebook.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Aerobot ahoy!” Back on the yacht the admiral was looking through his fish-free telescope again and could see their destination up ahead. “Steady as she goes!” he cried.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Aye!” said Temples and Singsong together. As they got closer, they could see the fantastic thing called Aerobot hanging in the sky.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Wow!” they said together.</span></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">© David Severn 2013</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-53715528305341685912013-02-04T00:51:00.000-08:002013-02-05T00:02:59.571-08:00#158 day sixty-four and an improvised wedding cake<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Luckily, the grocery blimp was coming that morning and when Miss Wu heard it approaching she rushed outside and started signalling to McCluskey in semaphore with two handkerchiefs. C-A-V-I-A-R -&-C-H-A-M-P-A-G-N-E-&-A-W-E-D-D-I-N-G-C-A-K-E. And, again luckily, McCluskey had some spare caviar and a magnum of champagne, although he didn’t have a wedding cake on board. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Meanwhile, all the guests went directly from the dining-room to the exotic garden and gathered in front of the Wishing Well, where Admiral Spicerack had a hair of the dog and then also took his place. Winterbottom was also there; he was the wedding steward. Skates the hotel bellboy brought in a harmonium on his luggage cart and started to play some suitable matrimonial music. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Miss Wu, with Wildmouth’s help, quickly finished in the kitchen and they dashed over to the garden. Capt. Cookie and Ron did some quick diagnotics and re-setting in the airship and also dashed over to the garden, where the ceremony was just starting. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Apart from the moment when Admiral Spicerack fell asleep, everything went smoothly. Tears were shed, including by Chops, who was still in the net. Tusks had rolled it around to the Wishing Well, and now he was drying the dinosaur’s eyes with a king-size hankie. </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">BHAWHAWHAAAW! </span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">it bawled.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Then everyone went back to the hotel for the reception and scoffed all the caviar and swallowed all the champagne. There were some speeches and then Wildmouth told a long funny story that never seemed to end. In fact he was playing for time while Miss Wu and Skates the bellboy made an improvised wedding cake out of marshmallows, meringues, nougat and chocolate fingers. The lion kept the guests enthralled with the range of his thespian antics until finally the cake was brought in. There was a big cheer. </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">HOORAY!! </span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The enormous, elaborate cake was demolished in a matter of seconds.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Tusks had rolled the captive dinosaur into the dining-room and released it from the net. It sampled the cake with some dried parsley on top.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Then everyone piled into the airship, except for the newly-weds, who went with Admiral Spicerack in his yacht. The two craft took off and headed for Aerobot.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">© David Severn 2013</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-20104559048575421032013-02-03T01:40:00.001-08:002013-02-03T01:40:01.983-08:00#157: day sixty-four and an announcement – hic!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Next morning, Miss Wu and Skates made breakfast for everyone, including the four new guests – the four people rescued from the Moon with Winterbottom. They had slept on the sofas in the hotel lounge, as the rooms were already full to bursting. The four abductees said it was much better than the camp-site on the dark side of the Moon where they had spent the previous countless number of nights. Chops the dinosaur, who had also escaped from the Moon, had to sleep in the net in the exotic garden, because Tusks the botanist didn't trust it not to eat the precious rare plants while everyone was asleep.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Miss Wu had never had such a full hotel, but it seemed it was only for one night. Captain Cookie said during breakfast that he would be taking off that morning.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">I'll take the penguins and everybody back to the Imperial Penguin Lands,” he said, stuffing a sausage into his beak.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Oh!” said Miss Wu. “Are you sure? I know it's overcrowded, but I don't mind everyone staying longer.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Thank you, but we're already behind schedule,” the captain said. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">And I'll have to drop the abductees off too. I don't know how long......”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Can I have your attention, please, everyone!” said Admiral Spicerack, entering the dining-room drunkenly. Everyone looked up from their plates at the admiral, who was swaying from side-to-side as if he was back on the deck of his galleon.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“It's my great pleasure to announce – </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">hic!</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">– that Leiutenant Temples and Supervisor Singsong have asked me to officiate at their wedding!” he said, hiccupping.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">There was a lot of murmurring and “oohs” and “aahs”.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“The wedding will be held at the Wishing Well in the exotic garden” he continued, “and afterwards there will be a reception here in the hotel.”</span></span></span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">What?!! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">thought Miss Wu.</span></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“And then,” continued the admiral, “We'll all go to Aerobot for ice cream in the airship!”</span></span></span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">What?!! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">thought Capt. Cookie.</span></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">There was a great cheer from all the guests. “Hooray!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">How can I get a wedding reception ready in such a short time!” Miss Wu said to Capt.Cookie. “The dinosaur has eaten all the salad!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“And t</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">his is going to make the airship very behind schedule!” said Cookie.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">© David Severn 2013</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7499048137363863271.post-77309985719150090992013-02-01T00:46:00.000-08:002013-02-01T00:46:41.063-08:00#156: day sixty-three and a large marrow<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Tusks remained in the exotic garden to make sure Chops, the dinosaur, didn’t get out of the net, while Miss Wu went to the vegetable garden to get something green and fresh to satisfy Chops’ terrible appetite.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">She returned a short while later with a large basket full of cabbages, lettuce, onions and runner beans and started feeding them to the dinosaur as she had promised.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Ravenous Chops ate quickly and soon the basket was empty.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“<i>Burp!</i>” said Chops. “Can you let me go now?” </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“No. Sorry,” said Tusks. “You’ll just destroy more of our precious exotic plants. I’m not putting my Brocolli Stupendous at risk!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“You said I could have a marrow too,” said Chops to Miss Wu.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Mmm..well...” said Wu, hesitating. “Actually there’s only one. It’s my prize marrow. I was going to enter it in a show, but I suppose you can have it.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">And Wu went back to the vegetable garden and returned a few minutes later with an enormous marrow in a wheelbarrow.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Marrowus Giganticus!” exclaimed Tusks.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Yes, it’s a big one!” said Miss Wu. “Temples and Singsong had to help me lift it!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“It’s a prize-winner for sure!” said Tusks.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Can I eat it now?” said Chops, salivating.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Just then, there was a whirring sound up in the sky and they all looked up at something large looming out of the dark night sky.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Wow!” said Chops. “Look at that marrow! It’s massive!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“The airship!” cried Tusks.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Capt. Cookie!” cried Miss Wu.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">“Burp!” said Chops.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The airship passed low over the exotic garden and disappeared behind the hotel. Miss Wu ran to find it while Tusks remained to officiate the marrow/dinosaur arrangements.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Miss Wu was relieved to see the airship had landed outside the hotel, with Capt. Cookie and Ron in the cockpit. She was pleased to see Winterbottom opening the door; the rescue mission had been a success!</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Wu was surprised to see Wildmouth getting off (</span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">I thought the hotel was quiet tonight! </span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">she thought). She was more surprised to see the four other abductees disembarking.</span></span></span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Oh! </span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">she thought. </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Where am I going to find room for them?!</span></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">© David Severn 2013</span></span></span></div>
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