The exercise:
Merry Christmas Eve! I finished work at 12:30 today and will be off until January 4th. Very much looking forward to this break.
Write about: we three kings.
The exercise:
Merry Christmas Eve! I finished work at 12:30 today and will be off until January 4th. Very much looking forward to this break.
Write about: we three kings.
3 comments:
Merry Christmas! I think it may have ticked over to Christmas Day across Canada as well at the time I'm writing, but maybe only just if I've got the time difference right :) I can't remember if I've mentioned it this year already or not, but since we work with Kyiv a lot and they celebrate Christmas on the 7th Janaury, that's what I tend to do as well. So today is a public holiday but nothing special, and there'll be more of a break in about two weeks :)
We three kings
"I am Melkioz," said the tallest of the three gentlemen, waving a gracious hand like royalty. "I live in the land of the Munchkins and am well-liked there. My friends--"
"Can introduce themselves!" said the second tallest man, a little indignantly. "I am Balthazoz and I live in the land of the Quadlings. I have been studying them, unobtrusively of course, and am currently engaged in a few small social experiments that will, I am sure, show the whole of Oz that the Quadlings are a superior race."
"Widdle doggie! Come here, widdle doggie!" said the third man, trying to sneak around Toto, who turned on the spot and kept baring his teeth and snapping at fingers. Balthazoz gave him a kick.
"Oh right," said the third man, sounding a little more drunk. He sat back on his heels, balanced for a moment, then sprawled on the floor. "I'm Caspoz," he said. "I do things with Winkies."
"I say," said Stan, standing up. "That doesn't sound right." Somewhere in the darkness behind the manger Pete squeaked again, and there was a thudding that might have been him rolling into the barn-wall in the dark.
Melchioz laid a calming hand on the tin-man's whole arm. "It's -- oh my, you're cold. You should have a warming drink, sir! It's not what he's made it sound like-" Balthazoz kicked Caspoz again "-the Winkies live in the West and he... he helps them out a lot."
"I know where the Winkies," live said Stan stiffly. "But I wouldn't object to perhaps tasting a little of that brandy if your offer was sincere?"
"What's a Winkie?" asked Toto while Stan did more than just taste the brandy from one of Balthazoz's bottles. "Or a quadling for that matter? I met munchkins already; that's DoHo - er, Dorothy - asleep over there."
"The Munchkin killer?" All three men paled slightly, and Caspoz pulled himself to his feet, helped just a little by Melchioz.
"There was a trial," said Leo. "It was on television and everything. She was sort of acquitted, with a bit of community service thrown in after what she did to the flying monkeys."
"Even so," said Balthazoz. "She was found to have caused the deaths of nearly all of the Munchkins, however indirectly. And she barbecued one of them! And life without Rinkitink's Flying Taxi service has been quite difficult you know. We three Ki... kinfolk have had to come here by Witch, and that's fast but furious."
"Ah!" Leo purred. "I knew you hadn't just walked up!"
"it's chilly in here," said Melchioz, looking around "Even the catamite is putting its clothes back on. Let's get a fire started and you can tell us why you're here and why this little doggie-" Toto growled "-doesn't seem to be from Oz."
"And you can tell us what you're doing here!" barked Toto quickly.
As stones were found, a hole made in the roof for the smoke to escape through and kindling gathered Toto told them the story of his arrival from Kansas and how he felt obliged to look after DoHo, in a manner of speaking, until they could get safely out of Oz. As the fire started to burn, Balthazoz relaxed, passed the brandy bottle around, and said, "And we are following a new star in the sky, that appears to be heading for the Emerald City. We suspect, amateur astronomers as we are, that a meterorite will land in the Deadly Desert and we are keen to see what it might bring."
"One thing, though," said Caspoz. "When you guys were on television, wasn't there a scarecrow too?"
"You've used him as kindling for the fire," said Toto.
Greg - yes, you just slipped mast midnight my time while writing. And, now that you mention it, I do recall you mentioning the Ukraine thing last year. Merry Christmas anyway though!
... and so ends the Scarecrow's silent participation in this tale. I am curious about that televised trial though!
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