The Beginning: When Harv Met Vera

[Wetdogeared]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

“ah, montsnmags, my dear friend! why do you always choose this precise moment to visit me? do you realize it’s the three hundred and twenty seventh time at the exact second? I can’t remember what the story i was reading is about and keep re-reading the same sentence all over, and pouf!there you are again!”

Don't you just hate when that happens.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

"Why did that Spanish fellow just talk in outrageously accented French?" asked Harv.

"The author doesn't have a keyboard with the little squiggles over the n's and he feels bad about that," said Vivaldi.

"How did you find that out?"

"I looked at the Llounge postings in Mobileread."

"Oh."

meta alert ! meta alert ! ding ding ding !!

Originally Posted by LazyScot

Please to be very careful when speaking these words.

Pity. I prefer "Murder on the Dancefloor". But then again, I've no taste (I blame last night's curry, myself.

so the popularity of indian food is directly linked to, for instance, the success of britney spears ? hmm...

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

“ah, montsnmags, my dear friend! why do you always choose this precise moment to visit me? do you realize it’s the three hundred and twenty seventh time at the exact second? I can’t remember what the story i was reading is about and keep re-reading the same sentence all over, and pouf!there you are again!”

“Good day... my Queen!”, he said.

“yes, yes, you’ve said that a few seconds ago.”, she replied. “go on, who’s your host?”

“I wish to present you to... mister Leterrible.
Leterrible, bow to her Highness Queen Zelda of Mobilita Republica...”

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Wow. Things just go t weird. And that's saying something for a Harv and Vera story...

i certainly didn't see that coming !

Originally Posted by Wetdogeared

Don't you just hate when that happens.

you know, i may *never* finish that chapter.

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

you know, i may *never* finish that chapter.

On a Sony! In 1935!

[yvanleterrible]

Leterrible bowed head and muttered:
“Err... Your Highness!”

Then she said: “why do you keep saying that?”

“Your Highness?”

“pff! stop it you’re out of line”

“But, your Highness!”

Montsnmags realizing the dilemma stepped in and said: “Your Highness, this... is his first visit.”

“it is? oh, then it’s your fault for always bringing him at the same time period. “, she said in that sweet capital-less french accent. With aplomb she kept her composure and started:

“we know who you are and no, you cannot see your wife because she remarried and you have to help vera win back the diamond, otherwise... “

“Your Highness?”

Flustered, Queen Zelda turned to Montsnmags and said:

“montsnmags, why do you keep bringing this stupid excuse for a human being here to me?”

“I have not briefed him yet, Your Highness.”, he replied.

“what are you waiting for, go!... go, go!”

Montsnmags touched Leterrible and said; “Adrian, now!”

A crack of light and they were in that bubble again. In the background, Queen Zelda had returned to reading her story. Montsnmags sighed and began: “Your wife survived the... sinking of the ship... she travelled on... aboard a life boat... that wandered to... the proximity of this island...
Mobilita Republica is an island protected from sight... by an artificial... fog bank... that you might have noticed... just before we touched ground...
This fog has... neurologic properties... that create confusion... and also that fog memory. The longer one... is in contact with the gas... the stronger the effects... it has on memory...
Unfortunately, your wife spent too much... time in the fog before... she was rescued.
She became enthralled... by the man who saved her, Vera’s adoptive father... John Wayne. ( )
She has regained her... memory since but became... fond of this place... and wishes to remain here...”

Leterrible started to protest but Montsnmags cut him short.

“When Vera was born, she became... one of the brightest additions... and one of the best... hopes for the future of the island...
Queen Zelda is... very taken with her... and regards her as a... favourite... That’s why she permitted Vera to go on a... very dangerous mission...”

Montsnmags paused to regain breath.

“First I must tell you... that even if... time does not allow... us to go in the... future, future can... come to us.
Adrian is that messenger. ... He brings us news... that the future of Mobilita Republica will no longer... be protected by the ... artificial fog. The... military will invent... detecting devices that... will menace our... secrecy. For... this purpose, we... have been working on... a device that will... allow us to... move the island... back to a safer time...
We need only one part... to complete construction of... our device, the ‘Eternal Stone’... We have been tracking it and know where it is. ...
This jewel wears... its name because of... its properties, one of... which does that it cannot... be carried in the... time bubble. It can only be... brought back by boat.
Vera has volunteered to get it... unfortunately she is being affected... by the fog and lost purpose... We guess the severity of her... memory loss as she left... the island by boat, was compounded... by the fact she was... subjected to the fog as a foetus.
I have at numerous... times tried to jog... her memory but to... no avail.

The ‘Eternal Stone’ has been... stolen and the person in... its possession has entered... the poker game... you have rigged for destruction. Vera entered... the contest and has... no memory why... and what she’s there... to gain.”

Leterrible stood there dumbfounded. The bubble vanished. Queen Zelda looked up:

“ah, montsnmags, my dear friend! why do you always choose this precise moment to visit me? do you realize it’s the three hundred and twenty seventh time at the exact second? I can’t remember what the story is about and keep re-reading the same sentence all over and pouf! there you are again!”

“Good day... my Queen!”, he said.

“yes, yes, you’ve said that a few seconds ago.”, she replied. “go on, who’s your host?”

“I wish to present you to... mister Leterrible.
Leterrible, bow to her Highness Queen Zelda of Mobilita Republica...”

Leterrible was about to answer back but with one look at Montsnmags and he thought better and let him speak first.

“This is his second visit and he... has been briefed on the existence of our island and... our plans for the... future.”

“ah, then mister leterrible, will you help us?” she paused. “what were we to ask him, my dear montsnmags?”

“We were to ask... him to help... Vera regain her... memory and to... neutralize his explosive... device.”, he said.

“then, mister leterrible, will you help us?”

[LazyScot]

Can someone explain why LeTerrible's Karma isn't higher than Pshyrnk's?

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by LazyScot

Can someone explain why LeTerrible's Karma isn't higher than Pshyrnk's?

Same reason shrinks get better wages than furniture makers. People prefer better to have their brains fixed than their chairs seats..


Actually pshrynk write faster than I do. being patient I tend to think longer before setting words down.

Pshrynk is a kinder man than I am too. I bite back once in a while.

[LazyScot]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

Same reason shrinks get better wages than furniture makers. People prefer better to have their brains fixed than their chairs seats..

Ahhh. You mean you need a billing process linked to a signature/catch phrase:

"That'll be 300 Karma points please. You can pay the button on the left."

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Wow. Things just go t weird.
...

HST's go t you covered there, big man. Ge t to it.

Cheers,
Marc

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

There's more but don't worry everything will fall back into place with no incidence to the plot...
Well maybe not!

Plot !






?

[pshrynk]

Yeah I was wondering about that, too.

Plot? We don't need no steenking plot!

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Yeah I was wondering about that, too.

Plot? We don't need no steenking plot!

"Phew" you had me worried there for a mo .....


that'll be 3 and ninepence for the cloth to clean my screen with ....

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Yeah I was wondering about that, too.

Plot? We don't need no steenking plot!

You're right, if we had one some part of the public would berry us.

[LazyScot]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

You're right, if we had one some part of the public would bury us.

But *where* would they bury you? That's right. In a plot!

(don't you just love English homonyms?)

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by LazyScot

But *where* would they bury you? That's right. In a plot!

(don't you just love English homonyms?)

Nice catch Scot... unless I meant that our public had intention to shower us with tiny fruit...

[yvanleterrible]

Queen Zelda drove a hard bargain. Leterrible had met difficult negotiations in his business but not quite as this one. It was as if the arguments Queen Zelda issued were inspired by vital purpose. No request from Leterrible could be obtained. But he had managed two concessions or rather two gains because nothing was offered in exchange for the task he was required to perform.
Queen Zelda would not permit his meeting with his wife nor his joining the Mobilita Republica community. What he got was not so bad though. He could see that his daughter Cat, still in Montréal, could reunite with her mother and become a citizen of Mobilita Republica; if she wished so. And second he was allowed to see his wife from afar as to prove of her welfare and that she was alive.
He was then taken to a hill overlooking a tiny cottage nestled in verdant meadows and surrounded by trees, vegetable and herb gardens. Nowhere were animals to be found. All inhabitants of the island were vegetarian.
With beating heart he saw a woman in a vegetable patch. It was her, Carole. As he often saw her do, she was cutting leaves off tomato plants to allow the sun to reach inside and ripen the fruit... it reminded him of so many souvenirs; as he often at home sat under a shadowed porch, watching her do exactly the same as now. Gardening was her only hobby, the only time she felt good, surrounded by silent life, when neither kid nor husband was around to take up her attention. He loved to see her that way. It had always brought him joy. And so it was that way too. Tears welled to his eyes. She was smiling, beautiful in her peaceful activity.
A tall man pushing a wheelbarrow filled with vegetal debris moved towards her. Seeing him she picked up the cut leaves, rose up and put them on top of the pile. She turned to the man enlaced him and gave him a tiny kiss. That was when Leterrible understood that his wife was never to be his anymore, that she was someone else now, a person in love; happy. He silently wished her well, tears running down his cheeks and turned away from her for a last time...

***
The time ship was nearing Havana and Leterrible still had no idea what he would do after his tasks were done. Instead of mauling the thought over and over he let it go and concentrated on the rest of the trip. They were nearing the hotel where the poker game was to take place. Slowly they glided over the roof and started descent. They went right through the roof and came down three storeys to the level floor in the men’s lavatory. Two guys were there so they waited for them to leave before they broke the bubble and let Leterrible out. Then, a crack of light and they were gone, stranding Leterrible to the pang of panic.
Leterrible stopped in front of a wash-stand, looked himself up in the mirror and said: “Showtime!”
Then he left for the great room where the event was to take place. Before he got in he looked at the player roster to find Vera’s assignment. “There. Vera Wayne. Table five.” He muttered.
The people were starting to arrive and the room was already filled with the smoke of cigars. Vera was alone at her table near the stage. Her opponents had not arrived yet, now was the time to talk to her so he quickly covered ground in her direction.
She saw him coming and gave a little sign of annoyance, but she seemed prepared to talk. After all, their first encounter had been quite peculiar; if not downright weird. Their eyes met and she gestured towards the seat next to her.

“We have to talk she said. And no fainting this time. Who are you and what do you want from me?”She said.

Leterrible caught by her frankness answered: “...I am your father.”

Vera’s eyebrows shot up and replied: “Pff! (you must remember that Vera is Queen Zelda’s protégée) That’s impossible. My father is John Wayne and he looks nothing like you.”

“Oh and where is he? Retorted Leterrible.

The young lady seemed awfully pale all of a sudden. “He’s back home, in Mobi...”

Leterrible cut her off and said: “I know where he is. I’ve been sent by Zelda. Do you remember her? Do you remember why you’re here?”

Suddenly she folded forward, put her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands, pinching her nose and let go a plaintive groan.

“Do you remember?” Insisted, Leterrible. “The fog did a number on you.” She nodded and sat back up. “You must regain possession of the ‘Stone of Eternity’” Continued Leterrible. “It is your only goal.” With that he stood and started to leave. She took his elbow to stop him and said:”Are you really my father?”
Leterrible was stunned, paused for what seemed like an eternity, lied, and said: “No.” With that he turned, shook off her hand and almost ran away because he hurt so much. There was no time to explain, no simple way to do it and time was pressing. And there was another task to perform...

This one was easy; all he had to do was to find the bowls containing the maple flavoured bean dip and get rid of them. For that he needed help and looked for the game’s MC; the perfect solution. He found him in an instant and went directly towards him, holding his gut, limping and pretending to be sick. He adeptly tripped and fell right on the man. Then he yelled: “I have been poisoned. Help me!” The man was paralysed with incomprehension so Leterrible continued: “I ate some of that bean dip and I’ve been feeling pretty ill since. Please... oh! I think I’m going to... “The MC realizing his suit was about to be ruined, quickly pushed back Leterrible to arm’s length and dragged him in the wash room, left him there and headed straight back out to the main room. Leterrible chuckled as he thought of the panic going through the man’s head. He Had to save the evening, at whatever the cost. He could just picture him running from table to table picking up all the bowls before anyone else ate any of their content. With that he just readjusted his garments and gingerly sauntered towards the exit. Outside, on the landing he slowed to take in fresh air and decide what he was going to do next since his part of the bargain was now done. But the following events made sure to precipitate his action.
At the end of the street he could see Nable/Elke, a tall British looking chap and three Cuban police officers... and they saw him... Without thinking he just ran in the opposite direction. He heard them shout. “Stop, stop you spy!” “Leterrible you old fool... you’re aggravating your case” He could also hear the Cuban police vociferating at him in their own dialect. All he could think was the he did not want to go to prison. He would rather die.
Shots were fired from the Cuban police to Elke's vehement protest. He even managed to stop one from shooting, but not the others.
It was then that Leterrible felt a hammer blow in his back. A bullet struck his spine just under the neck. He fell, flat on his face, but he was still conscious. He could not move. The pain was intolerable. He felt the packed dirt tremble on his right cheek from the arriving footsteps of an army of idiot law agents. “Fools” He thought.
His breathing was heavy. Blood ran out of his mouth and dripped to the dirt below. He realized that this was it...
A hand was shaking his shoulder. Sounds around him were getting dimmer. He could just barely hear Elke say: “Why did you run?”
It wasn’t important to Leterrible anymore. “Pff!” he thought. “Inconsequent.”
The pain was ebbing away. His sight gave way to the image of his wife in the garden... His heart smiled... And he was terrible no more...