How the time gets away from one!
Dear Diary,
It's really quite shocking how the time just gets away from one!
I never did get back to Smallville. *sigh* And Clark and Lex have probably forgotten all about me!!!
On the other hand, I've had a number of remarkable adventures!
I don't really know where to start, so I'll just begin in the middle & go on until I get tired, I suppose.
Of course, I quite missed the first bit! I was holed up on the Toothida, which was very cleverly camouflaged, if I say so myself (and I do!) while Mr. Miseter & the other members of our party were literally Shangaihed by the Helios Airship Aurora! We had arranged a series of rendezvous, to reunite us all if necessary. (They had put it about that the Toothida had been stolen by Don Carnage, and that he had also taken me as his bride!!! But, fortunately, Dear Diary, this was not true. We were just hiding out. Dr. Imago was aboard as well, but he stayed in his cabin for nearly the whole time; I honestly thought he was metamorffusizing!!!)
The Aurora was attacked by Slaver Wasps! which surprizes me not in the least. It was fortunate, I suppose, that our men were able to use a genuine military aircraft to return to the area where we had seen them before. Fortunatly Yaggers are very nearly immune, and so the ship was not destroyed, and instead the city of Roskov, which had been quite taken over by Reevnants, was burnt to a cinder. The Helios Airship should have been grateful to our Yaggers for their help! But instead, of course (which was actually, Dear Diary, what I was hoping would happen all along!) they threw our party members off their vessel, IN THE MIDDEL OF NOWHERE!!!
I forgot to say that, while on-board, they decided that Don Carnage's secret lair is probably behind and/or beneath Niagra Falls. Also the Yaggers, in order to help them get to Mackeinxburg to find the Hatrodine, obtained some pots & pans, and turned them into shovels. As they do.
Since they were so near to the Castle of Bran, where we had "picked up" the dear Giant Ants who are now traveling with us (Georgie the Giant Ant, Dawn Myrmidon, and Fraulein Pinch), they decided to stop by there & try to recruit more Giant Ants, and perhaps rig together an Ant-Drawn Wagon to facilitate their return to the forests outside Bookarest, which they estimated to be about two days' travel from where they had been dropped off.
The area was much devastated by Wasps, Reevnants, and fire, however, and they didn't meet any ants, so they continued along their way across the mountain pass.
There they were able to rescue an unfortunate apple-farmer from a rampaging giant tapir (Dear Diary, did you know that a tapir, even a normal-sized one, can sever a man's arm? Neither did I!) They accepted his gratitude in apples, and took the tapir with them, hooking it up to a cart to help them on their way.
Meanwhile, back in the forest outside Bookarest, a band of Gypsies had arrived in the clearing where we had concealed the dear Toothida! They said this space was their camping & performing space, and demanded we pay them some sort of rent! By this time, Dr. Imago had emerged from his cabin (seemingly unchanged, which I found strange - wings would be such a helpful addition to his lifestyle!) and he was happy to give them 20 marks to forestall any unpleasantness. He also set himself to making the Toothida more welcoming and home-like for our own dear ants, by using his "Pheromordian" to make it smell more like home to them. The Gypsies declared him the "Master of Pheremonies"!
Since we had apparently teamed up with the Gypsy Band, I redecorated the Toothida to look like a series of Gypsy Caravans.
It wasn't much longer before our wandering friends returned to us. Not only them, and the giant tapir, but nine Giant Ants, attracted by the scent Dr. Imago had spread all over the airship! There was much rejoicing.
The Yaggers asked the Gypsies for news of the Hatrodines, and Dr. Imago analysed the giant tapir. Upon this analysis, he pointed out to the Yaggers that the DAGGER protruding from the poor creature's head was not a natural feature! And relieved its suffering with the skilful use of First Aid.
The Gypsies referred the Yaggers' questions to their Fortune Teller. We "crossed her palm with silver", as they say, and she told us that there is a Hatrodine in the Family Castle. But our path is to follow the horizon for a long time. She saw ants in our future, which was not surpirzing. She said Don Carnage is following someone (Dear Diary: did I tell you that the pirate who previously possessed the Toothida was that same Don Carnage!?) -- someone who is a cat, who is not a cat. (Which unfortunately describes dear Dr. Pickles to a T!) She said we will find Don Carnage with the cat! And the cat is damp. Then she was overcome with exhaustion.
After this alarming prediction, we were even more shocked at the arrival of a Woolfenbock military man!!! Fortunatley Dr. Imago was able to dazzle him with a variety of brilliant persiflage and we were able to make our escape! (In our rush, we left the giant tapir behind with the Gypsies, where we hope it will have a long, happy, and useful life.)
As we traveled, the new giant ants told us (interpreted via Dr. Imago's "Pheromordian") that they had dug down beneath the ruins of the city of Brazov (I am not sure if this was the same ruined city as Raskov, or yet another Victim of the Wasps & Reevnants) and found that their Queen had been killed! So the ants have sworn a horrible vengeance against THE OTHER, which is the thing that wields the Slaver Wasps. We're not too fond of THE OTHER either, and I am pleased and proud to be able to grant the poor Giant Ants any comfort, consolation, and/or assistance that I can as they pursue this noble goal!
Now Dear Diary, I must tell you, that before our party (so happily now reunited) had split up, we had participated in a Great Airship Race! Despite the best (or rather worst!) efforts of that rotter, Don Carnage, the Toothida had, in fact, won! And, after a certain amount of potential unpleasantness with the judging official (a tall, inhuman-looking fellow who spoke without moving his mouth!!!) we were awarded a sack of gold coins, currently in the possession of the Yagger, Haverdacher. The instigators of this race called themselves The Providers. The coins were thoroughly investigated by every member of the party who had any skill at investigation, and were found to be real gold, not "bugged" or poisoned, and the markings on them (something about hawks, ravens, and severed legs!) indicated they might have something to do with the Isle of Man!
So there was some discussion as to whether we should attempt the Isle of Man as our next destination, but the group eventually decided that the mysterious Greek words in the semi-decrypted journal we found in the ruins of the Castle of Bran were a stronger clew.
(Clew as to what, Dear Diary, I am afraid I must admit I do not know! The scientists among our party keep saying we are Traveling Around the World in Search of Knowledge! And I suppose it must be, more or less, true.)
We decided to take a coastal route, so as to avoid some of the more dangerous winds one encounters when taking an airship over mountains. Everything went fine until near the Bosphorous, where we were attacked by bronze-coloured, poisonous, mechanical birds! They shot their feathers at us like darts, and I was very concerned that they might damage the airship irreparably! I piloted our vessel away from as fast as I could, and we escaped, but not before securing one "bird" and some "feathers" for the scientists to research. (They determined that they were not exactly made of bronze, and that they were very old.)
Presently we arrived at Egina, a triangular island with some temples & ruins at the corners, possibley inhabited by ant-descended life forms, as per the ancient legends of the myrmidons. (Senhor Vincento was certain that he saw a shiney black person, like a person-shaped giant ant, working in the fields along with the other farmers, and that they hid in the trees when our airship went over, but we never were able to catch up with such a person.)
We spoke to the Mayor of the island, and he graciously invited us to come back to his place later for dinner & referred us to the museum, to answer all our inquiries. At the museum we spoke to the curator, who was able to tell us something of the Legends of the Myrmidons (which I think we mostly already knew) and that a Mad Scientist had been desecrating the nearest temple (well, ruins of a temple I should say) there eleven years ago! We decided it must have been the Madman of Castle Bran, who had left the journal our party had unearthed there in the ruins. Eventually our continued questions about this incident must have alarmed the poor woman, for she locked herself in a back room & sent for the police!
The police were very kind, and one of them offered to give us a tour of the temples on the island. So we all piled into his Scuttlebus, and he took us first up to the Colonna ruins, just overlooking the town. There Senhor Vincento was able to detect signs of recent digging, now filled-in, and our own dear Giant Ants informed us that there was a colony nearby, fortunately non-hostile. Then the policeman took us the Altar of Zeus, whose temple was quite destroyed, and had been replaced by a Bizanteen one. The ants were subdued & respeckful at this temple, but very happy! Dr. Imago determined that there were Giant Ant scent markings all over this temple, and offerings had been left near the altar. So we left some apples. The third temple we toured was that of Aphaia, whose name means INVISIBLE, who is worshipped only on this island!!! The Giant Ants only seemed curious there.
By then, Dear Diary, it was getting rather late, and so we repaired to the hospitable Mayor's house for dinner.
It's really quite shocking how the time just gets away from one!
I never did get back to Smallville. *sigh* And Clark and Lex have probably forgotten all about me!!!
On the other hand, I've had a number of remarkable adventures!
I don't really know where to start, so I'll just begin in the middle & go on until I get tired, I suppose.
Of course, I quite missed the first bit! I was holed up on the Toothida, which was very cleverly camouflaged, if I say so myself (and I do!) while Mr. Miseter & the other members of our party were literally Shangaihed by the Helios Airship Aurora! We had arranged a series of rendezvous, to reunite us all if necessary. (They had put it about that the Toothida had been stolen by Don Carnage, and that he had also taken me as his bride!!! But, fortunately, Dear Diary, this was not true. We were just hiding out. Dr. Imago was aboard as well, but he stayed in his cabin for nearly the whole time; I honestly thought he was metamorffusizing!!!)
The Aurora was attacked by Slaver Wasps! which surprizes me not in the least. It was fortunate, I suppose, that our men were able to use a genuine military aircraft to return to the area where we had seen them before. Fortunatly Yaggers are very nearly immune, and so the ship was not destroyed, and instead the city of Roskov, which had been quite taken over by Reevnants, was burnt to a cinder. The Helios Airship should have been grateful to our Yaggers for their help! But instead, of course (which was actually, Dear Diary, what I was hoping would happen all along!) they threw our party members off their vessel, IN THE MIDDEL OF NOWHERE!!!
I forgot to say that, while on-board, they decided that Don Carnage's secret lair is probably behind and/or beneath Niagra Falls. Also the Yaggers, in order to help them get to Mackeinxburg to find the Hatrodine, obtained some pots & pans, and turned them into shovels. As they do.
Since they were so near to the Castle of Bran, where we had "picked up" the dear Giant Ants who are now traveling with us (Georgie the Giant Ant, Dawn Myrmidon, and Fraulein Pinch), they decided to stop by there & try to recruit more Giant Ants, and perhaps rig together an Ant-Drawn Wagon to facilitate their return to the forests outside Bookarest, which they estimated to be about two days' travel from where they had been dropped off.
The area was much devastated by Wasps, Reevnants, and fire, however, and they didn't meet any ants, so they continued along their way across the mountain pass.
There they were able to rescue an unfortunate apple-farmer from a rampaging giant tapir (Dear Diary, did you know that a tapir, even a normal-sized one, can sever a man's arm? Neither did I!) They accepted his gratitude in apples, and took the tapir with them, hooking it up to a cart to help them on their way.
Meanwhile, back in the forest outside Bookarest, a band of Gypsies had arrived in the clearing where we had concealed the dear Toothida! They said this space was their camping & performing space, and demanded we pay them some sort of rent! By this time, Dr. Imago had emerged from his cabin (seemingly unchanged, which I found strange - wings would be such a helpful addition to his lifestyle!) and he was happy to give them 20 marks to forestall any unpleasantness. He also set himself to making the Toothida more welcoming and home-like for our own dear ants, by using his "Pheromordian" to make it smell more like home to them. The Gypsies declared him the "Master of Pheremonies"!
Since we had apparently teamed up with the Gypsy Band, I redecorated the Toothida to look like a series of Gypsy Caravans.
It wasn't much longer before our wandering friends returned to us. Not only them, and the giant tapir, but nine Giant Ants, attracted by the scent Dr. Imago had spread all over the airship! There was much rejoicing.
The Yaggers asked the Gypsies for news of the Hatrodines, and Dr. Imago analysed the giant tapir. Upon this analysis, he pointed out to the Yaggers that the DAGGER protruding from the poor creature's head was not a natural feature! And relieved its suffering with the skilful use of First Aid.
The Gypsies referred the Yaggers' questions to their Fortune Teller. We "crossed her palm with silver", as they say, and she told us that there is a Hatrodine in the Family Castle. But our path is to follow the horizon for a long time. She saw ants in our future, which was not surpirzing. She said Don Carnage is following someone (Dear Diary: did I tell you that the pirate who previously possessed the Toothida was that same Don Carnage!?) -- someone who is a cat, who is not a cat. (Which unfortunately describes dear Dr. Pickles to a T!) She said we will find Don Carnage with the cat! And the cat is damp. Then she was overcome with exhaustion.
After this alarming prediction, we were even more shocked at the arrival of a Woolfenbock military man!!! Fortunatley Dr. Imago was able to dazzle him with a variety of brilliant persiflage and we were able to make our escape! (In our rush, we left the giant tapir behind with the Gypsies, where we hope it will have a long, happy, and useful life.)
As we traveled, the new giant ants told us (interpreted via Dr. Imago's "Pheromordian") that they had dug down beneath the ruins of the city of Brazov (I am not sure if this was the same ruined city as Raskov, or yet another Victim of the Wasps & Reevnants) and found that their Queen had been killed! So the ants have sworn a horrible vengeance against THE OTHER, which is the thing that wields the Slaver Wasps. We're not too fond of THE OTHER either, and I am pleased and proud to be able to grant the poor Giant Ants any comfort, consolation, and/or assistance that I can as they pursue this noble goal!
Now Dear Diary, I must tell you, that before our party (so happily now reunited) had split up, we had participated in a Great Airship Race! Despite the best (or rather worst!) efforts of that rotter, Don Carnage, the Toothida had, in fact, won! And, after a certain amount of potential unpleasantness with the judging official (a tall, inhuman-looking fellow who spoke without moving his mouth!!!) we were awarded a sack of gold coins, currently in the possession of the Yagger, Haverdacher. The instigators of this race called themselves The Providers. The coins were thoroughly investigated by every member of the party who had any skill at investigation, and were found to be real gold, not "bugged" or poisoned, and the markings on them (something about hawks, ravens, and severed legs!) indicated they might have something to do with the Isle of Man!
So there was some discussion as to whether we should attempt the Isle of Man as our next destination, but the group eventually decided that the mysterious Greek words in the semi-decrypted journal we found in the ruins of the Castle of Bran were a stronger clew.
(Clew as to what, Dear Diary, I am afraid I must admit I do not know! The scientists among our party keep saying we are Traveling Around the World in Search of Knowledge! And I suppose it must be, more or less, true.)
We decided to take a coastal route, so as to avoid some of the more dangerous winds one encounters when taking an airship over mountains. Everything went fine until near the Bosphorous, where we were attacked by bronze-coloured, poisonous, mechanical birds! They shot their feathers at us like darts, and I was very concerned that they might damage the airship irreparably! I piloted our vessel away from as fast as I could, and we escaped, but not before securing one "bird" and some "feathers" for the scientists to research. (They determined that they were not exactly made of bronze, and that they were very old.)
Presently we arrived at Egina, a triangular island with some temples & ruins at the corners, possibley inhabited by ant-descended life forms, as per the ancient legends of the myrmidons. (Senhor Vincento was certain that he saw a shiney black person, like a person-shaped giant ant, working in the fields along with the other farmers, and that they hid in the trees when our airship went over, but we never were able to catch up with such a person.)
We spoke to the Mayor of the island, and he graciously invited us to come back to his place later for dinner & referred us to the museum, to answer all our inquiries. At the museum we spoke to the curator, who was able to tell us something of the Legends of the Myrmidons (which I think we mostly already knew) and that a Mad Scientist had been desecrating the nearest temple (well, ruins of a temple I should say) there eleven years ago! We decided it must have been the Madman of Castle Bran, who had left the journal our party had unearthed there in the ruins. Eventually our continued questions about this incident must have alarmed the poor woman, for she locked herself in a back room & sent for the police!
The police were very kind, and one of them offered to give us a tour of the temples on the island. So we all piled into his Scuttlebus, and he took us first up to the Colonna ruins, just overlooking the town. There Senhor Vincento was able to detect signs of recent digging, now filled-in, and our own dear Giant Ants informed us that there was a colony nearby, fortunately non-hostile. Then the policeman took us the Altar of Zeus, whose temple was quite destroyed, and had been replaced by a Bizanteen one. The ants were subdued & respeckful at this temple, but very happy! Dr. Imago determined that there were Giant Ant scent markings all over this temple, and offerings had been left near the altar. So we left some apples. The third temple we toured was that of Aphaia, whose name means INVISIBLE, who is worshipped only on this island!!! The Giant Ants only seemed curious there.
By then, Dear Diary, it was getting rather late, and so we repaired to the hospitable Mayor's house for dinner.