Spontoon Island
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25 November 2007
| "Valentines Dazed"
by E.O. Costello, M. Mitchell Marmel, & Walter D. Reimer All
characters © their respective creators
Chapter 22"Anything in the mail bag, Lodge?" "An invitation, Sir, tendered to you and Miss Fawnsworthy, jointly." "Really? How jolly!" "The invitation indicates that it is a feast in honor of St. Valentine's Day." "Ah! So it'll be held on the 14th, then?" "You have grasped the point admirably, Sir." "Trot off then, and ring up Miss Fawnsworthy, and tell her to dress to the nines at the appointed hour. On second thought, I’ll do that myself. You just make sure that I'm in the appropriate attire in honor of the season. Red rose in the button-hole and all." "Indeed. You are feeling better, Sir?" "Rather. A long interval hitting the orange juice hard, plus a lot of tennis, seems to have sweated those poisons out of my blood. I'm telling you, Lodge, they ought to bring the attention of the chappies at Geneva to that rice wine from Gull Island. It's a dangerous weapon in the hands of the inexpert." "Or even experts, Sir." "Touché. I know. A lot of folks have been giving me odd looks, of late." "Of late?" "Touché Number Two, Lodge. No, Po'na was talking with this big, hulking chap the other day. Another vulpine chum, only this one built with a lot of up and out, and a jolly good thing, too, since he was hauling about this whacking great stone tiki-head." "Indeed, Sir?" "Yes. Well, Reginald's ears were burning, because I know they were talking about yours truly. The old creature-with-horns-outlander lingo, y'know." "Whitetails are rare in these parts." "Indeed. Well, this big chappie who'd done well by his vitamins listened to Po'na's spiel, looked at me, and spun one large finger around his ear and red-hairfur braid. Quote the foxie: "Ils sont fous, ces Euros."" "How very philosophical, Sir." "Yes, well. The truth is a complete defense to libel." "Do you have a notion of what the two were discussing regarding you, Sir?" "Not a clue, Lodge. You know this Spontoonie-talk. Makes my brain hurt to try to figure it out. It's like listening to a recording of a Heidelberg professor being played at the wrong speed. You seem pensive, Lodge. Out with it. There are no secrets between us." "Ahem. Well, Sir. There has certainly been brisk talk below-stairs regarding you and Miss Fawnsworthy." "Really? I didn't think the toiling masses would take an interest in my romantic life." "They do, Sir, when it comes packaged in highly...errr...colorful wrappings." "Bosh, Lodge. Jealousy, idle jealousy. But who can blame them, when I have picked the fairest flower in the Spontoons?" "In light of the stories, Sir, the use of flower imagery may be perhaps unintentionally ironic." "What-what-what-what-what-what-what? Nonsense, Lodge. Furthermore, bosh. Go forth and clean out your ears, and wash those silly tales right out of your head, and send them on their way." "Very good, Sir." *****
Inocenta find out there there is the having of the party for the Willow-doe on the afternoon of the Valentine Day. This is told to Inocenta, in the very very quiet hushie-hush whisper, by very nice lady fur. Inocenta is made to promise not to tell the Willow-doe, as it is for being the very big surprise for her. Inocenta approve of this, of course, but Inocenta is nevertheless the confused. Inocenta is told that this is the "shower for the baby." Inocenta is not knowing what the bathing of the fawn is for in the party. Perhaps this is some American tradition that Inocenta is not aware of. Inocenta always think mama deers licked clean the fawn. It is of no matter. Inocenta, she say she go to party with gladness. Inocenta is sworn to the secrecy about the whywherefore of the party, but told that she can bring the Leslie-puppy with her, and Mami and Papi besides. It is good, this partiness, as Inocenta is feeling that Papi is very jumpy of the late, and the much confused. The party, it will make Papi so cheerful and happy, of this Inocenta is sure. *****
"Errr. Willow?" "Yes, Reggie?" "What are you doing this afternoon?" Willow raised one eyebrow, and looked around sneakily. "Hmmmm. What do you have in mind?" Willow smoothed out her skirt, and eyed me closely. She seemed to have something on her mind. "Well, errrr. Just come along with me." The other eyebrow went up. "You want me to just meekly come along with you, without knowing where I'm going, or what you're going to do to...I mean, with me, just like that?" "Well. Yes." "Oooooooh. And how should I be dressed?" "Well, umahhh. Just like you are, now." Slight ear dip. "Just like I am now?" "Aaaaah. *ulp* Yes." Willow fiddled with the top button on her shirt, and smiled. "You're sure of this, now?" Dashed awkward, you see. I still felt quite the cad for – well, dash it all, you know – with Willow and apparently Grace. A little of that was a gracious plenty, and I was firmly resolved to wait until the last notes of ‘O Promise Me’ had sounded. Meanwhile, she stands there eyeing me in a most disturbing way. I mean, I'm not complaining and all, but it can be a bit awkward, even if she is my fiancée. "Gaaahurrrr. Dahrfff. Yesss, just like you are now." Willow reached out and ruffled my headfur with a paw. "Awwwwww. Your loss." next |