* * * PARTHIA – TOMCAT’S WIVES * * *

Mari, Heartshorn, Della and Brandy had cornered Drina during her latest visit to Silverton. They dragged her off to their home. After showing off their babies they settled down to business.

They ruthlessly picked her brains of all she knew about Earth while partaking of tea and cakes.

“So Drina, can you get us her address and tell us how to find it and her?” asked Heartshorn, the elf and the one amongst the wives who had been most shocked at the possibility that Helli might resort to an abortion.

“She is stationed in Florida. I’m sure Mother can arrange for a guide,” offered Drina with a smirk.

“Please Drina, we need to let her know that she would be welcome amongst us, and that her baby will be loved,” said Mari, the seniormost of the wives.

Drina controlled herself with difficulty, especially as she sensed Mary in the back of her mind. A very amused Mary at that.

“We need to convince her, and make sure she had enough wealth,” offered Della, daughter of a long line of successful merchants.

“Yes, and to make sure she won’t suffer, some families can be so cruel,” added Brandy remembering her own experiences with her mercenary father.

“Very well, I’ll see to providing you with the languages. For Florida you will need English, and Spanish will prove useful too. Then you will need the local currency. Brace yourselves, the locals use paper currency and their coins are all but worthless. Their value exists as promissary notes.”

Drina giggled at the appalled, unbelieving looks that were directed her way. “It’s true, I swear,” confirmed Drina.

* * * EARTH – THE WIVES * * *

Mari, Heartshorn, Della and Brandy looked around the Florida boatyard with interest. They had dressed to impress and were dressed in colourful silks and liberally adorned with tastefull jewlery.

They were examining a strange – to them – sight when Kent Clarkson found them. Kent took one look at the abundant display of gold and gems on display and whipped out his phone.

“Tony? Please assign me a couple more bodyguards. Tomcat’s wives are a mugger’s delight. And I’ll bet if anyone is stupid enough to go for their jewels they will react violently. So get someone with a camera to cover us as well.”

“Will do Kent.”

Kent replaced his phone and made himself known to the four ladies.

“Um, Kent, what are they building here, it doesn’t look like it could float,” asked Della.

“It’s going to be a flying coach. We took the plans for a luxury coach, widened it for stability, replaced the wheels with liftwood. Then the roof will be covered with solar cells to run the electric motors. We won’t be mentioning the auxilliary diesel generator to anyone. I think Mary’s doing it for the giggles,” explained Clark.

“For the giggles?” asked Della.

“Yes. Well most anything of hers that flies uses jet engines.” Kent waved at the almost finished coach, “This thing is going to be slow and showy in comparison. Mind you, the FAA doesn’t know about it yet.

“It can carry sixty-four passengers in relative comfort. It has an unlimited range so long as it has sunshine. And using the generator alone it has a range of about three hundred and fifty kilometres.”

Kent grinned widely, “The FAA are going to have kittens, so are the aircraft manufacturers. We’ve going to inform the FAA – and the press – of its existence later today. Well ladies, time’s awasting, shall we go. The rat ’folk tell me Helli’s home.”

Kent led them to the yard’s parking lot and settled them in a shiny new black SUV with tinted windows; he got in behind the wheel. He waited for another car to leave the lot before he too left.

After a pleasant drive that allowed Kent to show them the sights, they arrived in front of an apartment complex, one in a line of similar buildings.

After using the apartment building’s intercom Kent went back to his SUV to await the wives. They for their part used the stairs to climb to the second floor. There they examined the plastic Christmas wreath pinned to the door before ringing the bell as they had been instructed. They smiled happily at Helli when she opened the door.

“Good morning Helli, can we come in and have a talk?” asked Della.

Helli was somewhat surprised but she invited them in. They moved through to the lounge and managed to find seats. The obviously fake decorated Christmas tree confused them, while Helli found it hard to believe the fortune in jewels the four were wearing openly.

“If you want a tree in the room why not get a real one?” asked a puzzled Heartshorn. “The spells needed to keep a tree happy and healthy are really easy.”

Della giggled, “For you they’re easy Heartshorn, but then your granny’s a forest druid.”

“But they are easy,” insisted Heartshorn. “I could teach her easily enough.”

“The tree is only for Christmas,” explained Helli. “It would be wrong to kill a tree to celebrate Christmas every year.”

This led to a discussion about Christmas and how the festival was celebrated. Only then did Tomcat’s wives get down to what they had come to discuss.

* * *

Helli closed the door behind her unexpected guests. She had found the conversation very embarrassing, she had never expected to be visited on Earth by citizens of Parthia, much less to be invited to join them in matrimony with their husband.

She returned to her lounge and collapsed into her favourite chair. She looked at the small soft leather pouch Della had left on her coffee table. Helli picked up the surprisingly heavy pouch and she opened it, peered in and gasped. Somewhat shakily she emptied it carefully onto the table.

After staring at the small heap of coins she meandered into her small kitchen and returned with her kitchen scales. Helli weighed and counted the coins; she had twenty large gold coins and fifty smaller silver ones. Then Helli did some basic research on the net. She slumped back in her chair, stunned. The “small sum” they had left her so apologetically was worth around sixteen thousand dollars.

* * *

Kent was glad to see them emerge from Helli’s apartment building without problems. He acted the gentleman – gentlecat? – and opened the doors for them.

“What’s this Christmas festival, and why all the fake greenery?” asked Heartshorn.

“According to Mother, Christmas was originally a religious celebration. Something to do with the winter solstice I think. It still is a religious celebration for many, but for most people it is a holiday with gift giving,” explained Kent, while hoping they were not going to want to know more.

After a few more awkward questions he took them to one of the bigger malls and regretted it. Kent found that the attractions of shopping were universal, and not even the sight of little children queuing with their mothers to visit Santa long distracted the ladies. Though it did rack up another set of questions.

When he finally returned to the boat yard Kent found a scene of chaos. He thanked his lucky stars for the security guards as this allowed him to leave the SUV parked in the road and slip in without attracting undue notice. The assembled press core was marvelling at the “coach” that was hovering silently two meters above the ground.

* * * EARTH – IN THE NEWS * * *

Breaking news: The two children missing from LA have been found in Alaska. They currently in the custody of their maternal grandfather Mr Oscar Waverley. Vivian and Clayton Danton are said to be in good health and happy. We were able to talk to them on the phone.

The small village of Finder’s Vale is currently cut off by the snow, but the authorities are sending a relief party there by helicopter.

Mr Waverley’s attorney, Perry H. Mason, communicated the news of their safety to the authorities in LA.

We understand that Mr Waverley has recently been transformed into a dungeon.

* * *

Considerable excitement has been raised by recent discoveries in the gulf near the coast of Florida. A large circle of ocean aproximatly twenty-five miles in diameter is being designated by the System as a dungeon named Blue Lagoon.

Researchers have been talking with a blue eyed dolphin. They are confident that this dolphin is sapient and more startling, they are sure that this individual was seen off the coast of Australia recently.

Then too, they have discovered a series of clearly artificial structures at the bottom of the gulf inhabited by sapient octopi.

* * *

It looks like the last of the vampires that were released from the Atlanta containment facility have now been accounted for.