5, 4, 3,and
-"...Welcome back to our show, remember, we are broadcasting this event LIVE directly from Mummrana`s Pyramid and we have many wonderful prizes tonight, and now your favorite section, "Who are we cooking tonight?" with Spark!..."-
The lights turn on, showing a kitchen set where Spark stands, wearing a white apron, with two eagles painted on it.
"Thank you Kamanchee," - she said- "and now, as we said in our last show, there were pieces of snarf that we saved for posterior use, tonight, we will prepare Chorizo! This is a delicacy, you can fry it, make a sandwich, or add eggs, or beans, or potatoes!"-
Each description was followed by a plate containing a very good looking arrange of the food.
-"There are a lot of dishes that can be enhanced with this mixture, and for this, we need the guts, yes, the intestines to be more precise" � Spark takes a white bowl and from it retrieves the membranous and transparent part of the intestines- "of course, it needs to be thoroughly rinsed, this is called Tripa. We also will need to prepare this: Homemade Mexican Chorizo, 2 garlic cloves ,1 Tbsp vinegar, l 1/2 Tbsp Chili powder, 1 ts. Salt,1 Tbsp Tequila or Brandy,1 1/2 tsp. salt,1 1/2 pounds ground snarf (or pork)"
The ingredients are shown in one of the big screens at one side of the set as Spark is enouncing them.
"As we ran out of a fresh snarf I went to check my traps, so we got a young and juicy one" explained Spark "again, as we do not have the time to show the whole procedure we have the video "Several ways to skin a snarf " and "Skinning a snarf with your friends" available at Benni`s website, for limited time only"
Spark produced again another bowl with fresh ground meat.
"The instructions are as follow" she continued "mash 2 garlic cloves and 1 ts. salt. Add the meat, vinegar, tequila or brandy (this is optional my friends >wink!<), let the mixture settle for half an hour. Now, lets pretend the time has passed and add the chili powder, 1 1/2 ts. Salt, and the rest of the ingredients. Mix these together and let it marinate in the fridge.."
Spark placed the bowl in the fridge and from it, retrieved another one. "With a spoon or a spatula we will begin the process to fill the tripa; first we make a knot in one side with some cotton thread, then fill it with the meat. Almost 3 inches long will do, then twist a
bit, make another knot and so on. YOU have it! Once done, let it hang a bit in the open, so it dries. To cook with it, you have to fry it, so you cut a piece and take it off the "wrap". Break it up with a fork while frying. Use for tacos, and can also be shaped into patties
and fried for breakfast. Or for a delicious CHORIZO CHEESE DIP you need: 2 lbs. First Earth American Cheese,1 lb. Lean Ground Meat (snarf, wollo, unicorn,),1 lb. Chorizo,1 can Whole Tomato with Cilantro(parsley). Brown meat and chorizo separately or together. Add tomato and cubed cheese to the meat. Stir until cheese is completely melted. Serve with corn tortilla chips."
CLAP! , CLAP! , CLAP!
-"Thank you, this recipe was a request of a lovely Goddess and now, what YOU! are really expecting....-
Spark bows to the public and takes off the apron. The lights are dimmed and the main reflectors shows Benni as she enters the set, carrying a crystal like sphere made of plastic. Behind her, Bengalli approaches carrying a box containing small pieces of paper.
"Each one of you received a ticket when you entered here" �Benni explained, while placing the sphere on a wired structure- "Here, my dear brother Bengalli has the contrapart of the ticket that was provided to you. He will kindly put them inside the sphere, and we will roll the sphere, until HERE! One piece of ticket has come oout! And it is the Number 1313!! she yelled
Who has ticket number 1313??!!" asked Bengalli.
"Me!!" said a voice among the public. Every body turned to see who it was, and they saw a sort of a male teenager dressed in pink who was jumping with his arm extended, showing a white ticket.
"Riight!"�said Bengalli and he approached the teenager taking withhim a microphone- "May I see your ticket?" he asked, extending his paw.
"Why? It is mine!" exclaimed the teenager.
"So I can check the number..." explained the smith patiently "what is your name?
"Oh, my name is Lucifer Daimaou" said the teenager smiling "so, is the girl your sister?"
"Yes, why do you ask?" wondered the white tiger.
"I want to show her my ticket" answered with glassy eyes "and she may call me LD"
Gruntling, Bengalli used this opportunity to take the ticket from LD`s hand and so he confirmed it was ticket 1313. "Well LD, I have a question for you, you have three opportunities to
answer it correctly, if so, you win a surprise, if you do not answer it correctly then we choose another person, do you understand?
"Yes" said LD.
"What dish, popular in the Higlands, is made from entrails?" asked Bengalli "what is your answer?"
LD thought furiously for a moment, slowly swinging his weight from one foot to another, then he smiled and exclaimed: "Cake!"
"No, LD, sorry. But you have another opportunity. So, what dish, popular in the Higlands, is made from entrails?" said Bengalli.
LD frowned, moved his lips, and then said "Devilish Cake!"
"No!" yells Bengalli. Turning patiently to the teenager explains "Listen LD, the question is What dish, popular in the Higlands, is made from entrails? and from entrails I mean guts,
bowels, internal organs, do you understand? This is your last chance..."
"Can my friend Slinky help me?" asked the teenager rubing his left armpit with his right hand.
"No, LD, you can not have help." The tigher sighed, barely containing the anger in his voice " Remember, you have three opportunities and this is the last one, so, LD, what dish, popular in the Scotish Higlands, is made from entrails?" said Bengalli.
The cameras zoomed in to focus on the stressed teenager face. The rest of the public, expectant, remained in silence while large drops of sweat were forming on LD`s face. He inhaled as he prepared the answer, and Bengalli steped closer so he could hear better.
"Angel Cake!" was LD`s merry answer.
"That does it!" exclaimed Bengalli, exasperated... Throwing the microphone away, he grabed LD`s neck and started to squeeze it "you devilish runt!.."
"AAAAGGGGH!"
COMMERCIAL SPOT PLACE HERE.....STAND BY.....
As the signal is back, Pumyra is walking among the public carrying a microphone.
"Ok, Kamanchee, please tell us the answer for that failed question." She said.
"Very well, Pumyra!" said Kamanche from the speakers with his british accent "the answer is HAGGIS, this is a national dish of Scotland, haggis is actually a large spherical sausage made of the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep, all chopped and mixed with beef or mutton suet and oatmeal and seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper, and other spices. The mixture is packed into a sheep's stomach and boiled. It is usually accompanied by turnips and mashed potatoes;
Scotch whisky is customarily drunk with it. Is served on Burns Night (January 25, the birthday of the poet Robert Burns, who wrote "Ode to a Haggis") and at the Scottish New Year's celebration Hogmanay, when it is ceremonially presented to the accompaniment of bagpipes."
"Thank you Kamanchee, now Benni" she said "we are ready, what number is the lucky ticket?"
Benni, still in the middle of the set, was distracted cause she was growling to a stretch that was carrying away a person dressed in ragged pink, while four guards were struggling with a white tiger.
"psst!, Benni!" the sound startled her and turned her attention to a camera at her left, where Spark was whispering and making signals to her "Benni, get a new ticket!"
"oops!" the young tigress exclaimed. Hastily, she rolled the sphere until it produced a new piece of paper. She took it and reading the number she exclaimed: "Ticket 0777!"
After stipulating the number, Benni rushed to the side of the scenario, and helped her brother who has goten himself free of the guards and was squeezing LD`s neck.
"err" said Pumyra hesitating for a moment, then turned to the public"Who has ticket 0777?"
"me! Oh my! I have it!" a voice was heard.
Pumyra walked to a woman dreessed in black, who was standing, showing proudly her ticket.
"Hi!" said the thunderan "what is your name?"
"Tatiana!" she said smiling "My name is Tatiana!"
"Well Tatiana, this is your lucky night huh? We have a question for you and you will have three opportunities to answer it, if you do it correctly, you win a surprise, if you do not, then the prize stays for the next show, do you understand?"
"Yes! but I will win it, it does not matter how difficult the question is, I am confident in myself, I know the answer!"
"That is the spirit Tatiana, now, are you ready for the question?"
"Yes!"
"Well, I have the question , Tatiana, and it is...." Pumyra looked to Tatiana`s eyes, fixed on her.
"Yes?"said the sorceress, a mild smile in her face, her eyes seemed to whirl.
"
The smile in the sorceress� face broadened, her eyes glimmering "I know that!" she shouted "its Tygra!!...
The thunderan blinked twice, apparently recovering her senses andstared blankly at Tatiana. She mentally reviewed the question and the answer. Kamanchee was frantic searching through his notes. Spark looked at her not believing what happened on her stage, on a LIVE broadcast!.
"And the price, err, the answer is correct!" Pumyra said finally "What has she won Kamanchee?"
"Well" declared the British one, looking at the sponsors, who nodded "Tatiana, you just won a trip to Cancun, Mexico!
"Weeeeeeeee!" Tatiana began jumping of joy.
"The Meli� Canc�n Beach Hotel & Spa Resort" continued Kamanchee "is the most spectacular resort in Cancun. The hotel boasts 450 rooms including 36 Junior Suites, and a Presidential, all of them with spacious terraces offering a magnificent view of the Caribbean or beautiful Nichupte Lagoon."
The screen showed some aerial footage of the hotel while Pumyra led Tatiana to the main scenario, where a very skeptical Spark expected them to deliver Tatiana some papers.
"Yes, Kamanchee" said Spark "you are right, and the prize includes ALL the traveling expenses! This is your ticket, Tatiana. You are a very, very lucky person"
"Hehehehehe" was all the sorceress said taking the ticket from Spark.
"And," Spark continued, facing the audience "when she comes back, she will relate us how it went for her in this paradise like hotel..."
The show delivered some other minor prizes and finished. Tatiana was allowed to return to her home after signing some papers and arranged dates for the trip.
She entered her home rushing. She needed to pack!. She was gonna have paid vacations!
"Honey!" she yelled "I aam hooooome!" she stopped frowning "oh, sheesh!... I forgot"
Ammatet, who had been awakened to grant her more powers, had finished this incarnation taking an unexpected bath in a pit of acid at Team Tiger Base. She went upstairs and entered the attic. There were some boxes, cloths and other things."Where is it?" she swam against a pile of boxes. "Where is my cemedan? I left it along with that Kurdish rug Sultan Salah Ad-din
gave me!! I need it!" THUD!...
"Ouch!" what was that!?" Tatiana looked down to watch what she had kicked. "Ah!" she exclaimed. It was Ammatet`s coffin. She had placed it in there after its occupant had been consumed by the Pit. It was old...and heavy. "Could be useful". Tatiana opened it, and closed it again immediately. It was full of a thick syrup, a green oooze. It would not suit her needs. She continued the search of the cemedan, an antique suitcase made in Kurdistan. She found an ancient rug, marvelously worked, threads were still strong and the colors were still bright. The cemedan has to be near it! The dust began to climb to her throat causing some coughs.
"Where on Third Earth could it be!" It had not been used since a looong time. Actually since... she turned around looking for something she just had seen leaning against a wall. There it was,
also big, also heavy: a casket. This one was carved. The symbols on it were worn out but some of them could still be read. "Mr.Tatiana" was their meaning. The last time that the cemedan had been used, Mr. Tatiana had been around. He should know where the cemedan was. Tatiana touched the casket, slowly, outlining the scripture, unsure. Mr. Tatiana was far more difficult and dangerous to summon to this plane than Ammatet himself was and, may the powers forbid it, she
was not sure of what could happen if he did not like Third Earth or her alliances. Besides, his coffin was protected by a very powerful incantation and this time LD was in no shape to do the job. Last news about him was that Slinky Avenger was nursing and probably urging him, at the hospital, to press charges for tiger assault. Tatiana continued touching it while pondering whether to have it opened or not; after a moment she considered that it was better to keep Mr Tatiana und isturbed. With a sigh she left the attic. She needed to start packing and, remembering that the prize included ALL expenses, she could buy a new set of suitcases. With relief she began picking the garments she would use in her long needed vacations!
The flight was scheduled at first hour the next day. The sorceress arrived on time as required to the airport. Quickly she identified the desk of the airplane company and, her new suitcases following her, she approached it. There were very few people as early in the morning as it was.
"Good morning" she said to the wollo clerk "I have reservations for Cancun"
The wollo at the desk looked at her and imperiously said "Passport"
"Passport?"
"Yes, sugar. Cancun is in another realm, you know? You do not want to fly all the way there just to discover that you do not have your papers with you and then you have to call the people of the Consulate and..."
"Of course, passport." Tatiana searched in her purse until she found the document and delivered it to the wollo who looked at it, then at Tatiana.
"Such a bad image" she said returning it while writing something on her log.
"Ahem" Tatiana took the passport back "Tickets..."
The wollo read the ticket and sighing, returned it. "This one is of no use, I need your ticket."
"What do you mean? THIS IS THE TICKET!"
"Sugar, this ticket is under "WAWCT" name. Your passport is under "Tatiana, Undead Sorceress". I need your ticket".
"WAWCT?" Tatiana blinked.
Sighing again the wollo pointed at the ticket: Who Are We Cooking Tonight.
"But I won it on a TV show! They gave me this as ticket!"
"I am sorry sugar. The name in the ticket needs then to be changed,in order to do that the person named on it needs to come here with a valid ID, fill the form A-13, have it authorized, and the ticked issued again..."
"But the reservation is for today! The flight is due in one hour! And the name is from a cooking TV show!"
"Then hurry up, pumpkin. Next!"
"�!" Tatiana refused to be dismissed like that. She was going to have her vacations! Now! She already bought new suitcases! True, they had been charged in to Slithe�s card, but she had trouble deciding which models were the better for the trip. Breathing deeply she leaned over the desk getting closer to the bored wollo female. "Listen, there HAS to be something that could be done!... another way!"
The wollo, who was looking to the person behind the sorceress, sighed for third time. "Candybar," the wollo lowered her head, her right hand over the desk grasping a pen "the other way would be to have here on my desk, a memo from this TV show, assigning the so called winner�s name to this ticket, fully authorized by Mr M. Esen or Mr Gates, allowing us, ThunderAir, to either give you the ride or submitting you to another company, like Third Earth Airlines, and that memo is NOT here, so, next!" she raised her head searching for the next person in the line.
Tatiana left the desk, thinking what she could do!. She had to talk to someone.! It was so early in the morning that no one should be at the studio. And the flight would leave in 20 minutes! She was furious, she was angry, she will summon Hurricane the Titan (or was it Typhoon the Titan?) to help her invoke Mr Tatiana, she was going to....
"Ahem... excuse me" a voice called from behind her "are you Miss Tatiana Undead Sorceress?"
The undead sorceress spinned swiftly, her eyes sparkling, to look down at a greasy and very young tabbot.
"I am Yaj Ellysh, messenger." he said smiling.
"Congratulations, what do you want?"
"Just wanted to tell you, I brought to the main desk a document from Mr. M. Esen authorizing your flight..."
"What!? Just now?"
"The clerk at the desk says that she needs the ticket to log you in, and you`d hurry up. The flight is being announced to leave soon."
Tatiana rushed back to the desk leaving the tabbot where he was,still smiling.
"About time you arrived, pumpkin" said the wollo "don�t you know your flight is due in 10 minutes?"
The anxiety to catch the flight stopped Tatiana to repost to that last comment. She hurried herself to the gate number 3, where another wollo clerk checked the ticket and ushered her in the boarding tunnel. Once out of the tunnel she finally reached the plane, where a stewardess that looked a lot like Chilla leaded the way to her seat.
The sorceress placed her suitcases in to the compartments and dropped on the seat with a deep sigh.A steward who resembled Alluro in an uncanny precision, indicated the procedures in case of emergency. They were asked to fasten their seatbelts.
Tatiana smiled. The plane began to take flight. Only then she noticed that there were few people in the plane.
"After all, the season is only beginning" she thought. "I will probably have most of the hotel and its staff to myself"
"wof! Wof!"
"Hey I am happy to see you too! But watch the ribs! Watch the ribs!"
Tatiana raised her head. "It can�t be! Can it? LD? And the nincompoop?" Then she heard some more noises, the steward was chasing something.
"Hey you! Leave the missus alone!
The noise kept coming towards her. Suddenly, a medium sized, four legged creature runned on the plane corridor toward the cockpit. It passed so fast that Tatiana could not be certain if that criature was or not really Fianna�s missus. There was something odd about the color of the fur. Chilla Stewardess attempted to catch it before it reached the plane�s galley. The other one, Alluro Steward, remained out of Tatiana�s sight.
"I TOLD YOU TO L-E-A-V-E THE MISSUS ALONE!"
"This is First Class! Your tickets are tourist class only!"
It was HIM! And he sounded furious! The furry creature that passed before had, then, to be HER! Tatiana quickly grabbed the most recent edition of "Third Earth Inquirer" magazine from the front seat, and hid herself behind the opened magazine. Chilla had managed to catch the now identified poodle and carry her through the corridor back where Fianna supposedly stood.... In doing so, Tatiana shot a good look at the poodle. There was something odd about the way she looked.Was that a gold earring? the pair passed so fast that Tatiana was not sure about it. She dared to take a sneak peak covering herself with the rows of seats. Slowly, the top of her head emerged behind her seat.
Fianna stood there, near the curtain that separated the First Class lounge and the rear end of the plane. He holded Alluro by his neck and several feet off the floor. With a firm grip on the poodle�s muzzle, Chilla aproached them with a wiggle.
"Scuse me. I think this belongs to you..." she said.
"mfmfmsgrrrrrrr!"
"Honey!" Fianna dropped Alluro and rushed to his dearest one.
Chilla released the poodle who jumped to Fianna`s open arms.
"Please, ask her to not run in the corridors" Chilla said while helped Alluro to stand up. "We have an ill person on board"
The caninoid and his bride were smooching each other. Fianna looked so happy that he did not notice the dark haired head observing them. Tatiana retreated to her seat, revolted after watching at that scene. She had confirmed it. There was an earring and a shaved head on that
poodle! She retrieved a small mirror from her purse and made sure that her long, silky and shiny black hair was not disarranged.
"Your hair looks lovely. Do you dye it?" a voice behind her asked.
"Thanks!::smile:: It is my natural color!" Tatiana said, still looking herself in the mirror. Then something in the voice ringed a bell, and used the mirror to look at who had spoken . She froze. "F..F..F..Fianna!"
The green mass of the shepherd had the back of the seat twisted.
"Top of the morning to you, Tati lass" Fianna smiled.
The sorceress was shocked, her own smiled faded. She had thought the nincompoop and the bride would return to the back of the plane, the curtain will be closed and off with them. Now there she was, seated, a wall made of steel at one side, a 400 pound green german shep and his very dangerous (and badly fur dyed) poodle at the other side... and both were smiling.
"I am sure you could not see me!"
"But, Tati lass" their smiles broadened, showing their menacing fangs "we do not need to see you...(sniff) all we have to do is follow your scent, you are wearing...(sniff) Gravestone No 5."
"wrrooff!"
"You are right, dear: It is an imitation of the original scent"
Tatiana was speechless.
"grgraafrgr?" the poodle raised his delicate paw to touch Fianna`s, who gave all his attention to his wifey.
"Yes, dear." Fianna turned to the immobile sorceress. "The missus and I are on vacations. We are going to Cancun for our anniversary... and you?
"I... I... won the trip to Cancun..." the sorceress said, with eyes wide open.
Then it was Fianna�s turn to be surprised. "Really?" he sounded puzzled "I thought HE had won it..."
"what? "He"?... "HE" who?" now Tatiana was puzzled. It certainly could not mean... him.
"NOOOOOOO!! Stop! Don`t do that!"
The scream came from the Tourist Class area. With an unbelievable speed for his size, Fianna leaped back, quickly imitated by the poodle. Both of them rushed beyond the curtains that separated both sections. Intrigued, Tatiana also followed.
And so, she saw. It was HIM, alright. Lucifer Daimaou sprawled over a stretcher at the very rear end of the plane. Near him, a frail elderly woman dressed in white attempted to test on him a lovely sailor shirt she had in her hands.
"Here, child," she said to him with a british accent, smiling, showing a perfect row of white teeth, while her hands trembled trying to measure the shirt over his skinny shoulders "You will look lovely. Just like Donald Duck" she placed one sleeve against his pale skin. "See?, white and blue, cacklecackle" at this moment her teeth fell out of her mouth.
Lucifer Daimaou was helpless, unable to defend himself due to his arms, tied to the stretcher`s sides and his hands that had gauzes and bandages all over. Tatiana also noticed several immobile passengers. Not counting the plane`s crew, they were the only ones awake. A close
examination showed that some of them, actually most of them, had knocked themselves out by hitting their heads against the back part of the seat in front of them.
"Wonder why they would do that!" She asked herself.
"...thishm ishm tiny Kim, ain`t he lovely in that shwimshuitm, ohm, thosem daysm. Now he ishm a fatherm or ish he a mnmother?. Herem, let me show youm aaaaalllm the lovely picturesm of mmy shix granmdchhildremn..."
"DO NOT!! NONONONO"
"Little bro?" Fianna whimpered, ears flatened against his skull.
"wragfh, wragrrh" barked the poodle.
Fianna paled. "No, don`t do that!"
But it was too late. The poodle runned toward the old woman and used her cuteness. She jumped on a seat, looking at the old lady, moving her tail, and barking happily.
"aaaawwww" the old woman said "mwhat a mnice doggiemn... just like oldmn Shnuugleshmm!"
She aproached the poodle who kept jumping in the seat in a playfull manner. As the old woman got nearer, the quadruped jumped to the next row of seats, thus allowing the green and the undead one to reach the insane teenager who was trying to tear his restraining bandages.
"Why is he in a stretcher?" asked Tatiana to the nincompoop.
"oh, he told me that a blasted couple of thunderans ambushed him. He won the trip, you see, and then these huge thunderans attacked him to take the prize from him!! They, almost tore his rib cage in shards!"
"�?, but, why is he tied like this?" the sorceress asked.
"Ah! He said that a few caring nurses at the hopital were worried because of his cold hands!"
Tatiana, barely holding the laughter, tried to calm the hysteric teenager who just wanted to get out of there. With the corner of the eye, both authors noticed that the poodle was luring the old lady into the bathroom, and the knocked out passengers were recovering their senses. Those who already had, were opening way for the woman and dog to pass... while LD still struggled.
"LD!" said Tatiana "please calm down! It is over! Everything will be fine!"
"DONT TOUCH ME, DONT TOUCH ME!"
Exasperated, the undead ona began to shake him.
"NOOOO, I WILL SHAVE MY LEGS IF YOU TOUCH ME!"
"Wait Tatiana, allow me." said Fianna, and he moved the sorceress aside. "LD! Snap out of it!" SLAP!! "Snap out of it!!"
All the noise attracted the plane`s crew in time to watch an enormous green caninoid striking a howling, defenseless and binded teenager. Immediately everybody, even the captain, formed a line to get their turn calming the altered boy.
Noticing this, both authors frowned. "Wwho is driving the plane?" "The autopilot!" "Where is the missus?" "What do I know?" "where is the old lady?" "what do I care!" "what is happening?" "the plane!, its falling!!!" "what about the autopilot!!?" "I dont knooow!"
Suddenly, the plane swirled on its own ax. It was like if a big weight had shifted position affecting the plane`s equilibrium. The pilots rushed back into the cockpit disengaging the autopilot.
"Give me a new flight vector, Victor, and then find out what was that.." said the capitan to the copilot.
"roger, Roger" came the answer. The copilot signaled at the communication officer, who started to check the systems.
The plane returned to a smooth operation, as they found out what was wrong. The passengers noticed that the emergency light had been turned off. There was a clicking sound.
"This is you captain speaking... The disturbance we suffered was due to some cargo that broke loose! It has been fixed and the flight is no endangered. Our ETA to Cancun is 30 minutes, and our personnel will offer you drinks. Enjoy the rest of the travel. Thank you"
"..but we checked that package!" said the copilot.
" I know, Victor, but the rope tore away! Those pianoes were too much for the plane to hold their movement!"
"I told them, those dudes of cargo! They said that the rope could not break even if a lion munched it!"
"ha! This will show them!" the navigator raised his hand holding a piece of packaging rope, completely shredded.
* * *
With the trip back to normal, and while having a beer, Tatiana found out that she had been the last one to get onboard, being Fianna and his Missus the first ones, followed by LD. The TV network had offered him the trip to avoid being sued, and also payed his medical attention. The thunderan aggressors, twin brothers Bengalli25 and Bengali, were temporarily confined into an asylum due to an emotional breakdown as they were prevented from finishing LD.
LD was placated after Chilla and Alluro managed to make him swallow several valium pills discovered into the old woman bag, who accidentally had fallen off the plane thru the bathrooms pipes. Fianna had explained that the missus had not jumped on her, as everyone htought, but she had tried instead to help the old lady out of the bathroom.
As becuse it was their anniversary, the nincompoop and his wife were very friendly with the sorceress.
"This is going to be fun, after all" Tatiana smiled.
Cancun
Chilla stood by the door, smiling, while they left the plane. "Thank you for chosing our company for you travel needs, please dont come back again, thank you, bye, bye, thank you!"
Finally! They made it to Cancun at last! The airplane crew made sure that LD got comfortable on his remotly controlled wheel chair, gave Tatiana the control and ushered them into the customs area, where copper skinned natives examined kindly but thoroughly their papers. Also, they requested to appply a vaccine test on them.
"Why is this for?" asked the sorceress, while she folded her arm.
"We are sorry for the difficulties, lady" the laboratory technician smiled to her. "This procedures are required by our Eagle Warriors Security Team. There is some bug spreading a fever. Some passengers from your flight were reported to be sneezing and itching... we will make sure all your party members are fine enjoying our lovely region. I am sorry if I hurted you. Keep the bandaid on its place and it will be fine in a few hours."
"I heard them, probably it was an allergy or something" Tatiana shrugged, "Thank you" she left the lab area and joined the others.
In her way out she had to go around another technician that had made the mistake to attempt to apply the vaccine to the poodle without asking Fianna first. Two other men were there getting medical atention as they had been found scattered unconscious while unloading the plane`s luggage compartment. The only words any of them were able to articulate had something to do with blurring spots and stripes. The airport doctors presumed they had had too much sun.
The technician labeled the sample extracted to Tatiana, and placed it with those taken from Fianna, LD, and the poodle into a small cooler. Before secure the lid, he filled some forms and then labeled the box "Laboratorio Federal. Investigacion Biologica de ADN".*Federal Laboratories. DNA Biological Research
Merrily, the authors exited customs. "Woof, woof!" laughed Fianna while recovering the luggage "then the stretcher was in place and the face the girl made when LD claimed he could not breathe! ..."
"hehehehehe" Tatiana almost passed out of laughter.
"and then said he needed mouth to mouth!"
At the airport lobby they found a small driver that holded a sign in front of him. It had the legend "Melia Cancun Spa Resort" in big blue fonts and "Ms. Tatiana, Mr Fianna and Mrs., Lucifer Daimaou" in smaller red ones.
While still laughing, the trio gave their luggage to him and, walking near several armed guards, they left the airport and started the journey to the hotel by minibus. As the hotel was 15 minutes away from the airport, the trip was fast. Soon, they noticed the building and Tatiana held her breath. The sight was magnificent. She heard Fianna`s whistling and the poodle`s short bark. Their tails were swinging in a frantic way.
"The place is big! And it is pyramid-like shaped!"
"We have the only spa in Cancun, it has a full range of services to make you feel pampered and alive. Enjoy our beauty parlor, sauna, and Jacuzzi. Relax indoors or outdoors, day or night with a wonderful massage from our experts. The spa also offers facials, body treatments, and a modern gym. The Melia Cancun has its own 18 hole, par three golf course, with rental carts and equipment available. Also three lit tennis plus paddle ball are there for you throughout the day and into the evening." The driver was saying his lines with a perfectly trained voice.
Tatiana`s face lit up just by considering to spend a complete day at the beauty parlor and massage room, while Fianna smiled just thinking of the gym, and the poodle shudered blissfuly at the idea of the facial and body treatments. LD remained asleep from the drugs in his system. Finally, they entered in to the building.
"Wow!"
"woooof!"
"wooooooof!"
"zzzzzzzzz"
The lobby was a flourishing indoor garden where natural light filtering through the overhead domes illuminated an exuberant tropical vegetation. Lofty palm trees, dense ferns, hanging vines and bougainvilleas, blend in a riot of colors accompanied by the murmur of flowing streams and cascades welcomed them. The hotel was surrounded by wide expanses of majestic gardens. The guests enjoyed the pleasures of two large pools built to have a sunny exposure all day long. The bigger of these two was the scene of constant activities and social events, while the other allowed quiet secluded sunbathing for those who cherished privacy.
The hotel's beachfront was 400 meters of fine white sand leading down to a warm turquoise colored ocean. Thatch sun umbrellas sprinkled along its length offering a pleasant shelter rest from which to enjoy a cool drink.
While she was registering, Tatiana planned to spend the rest of the day at that beach, just after she get settled! There was even a small pub that served the guests at the pool and the beach!
"ah! Two weeks of this place! Delicious!" The undead one thought at the elevator. She used the remote to take Lucifer Daimaou to his room, left him there to sleep and entered her own Junior Suite.
After three wonderful days at the hotel, Tatiana was completely relaxed. She had had massages, saunas and sport classes at the morning hours, and then she could spend the rest of the day as she pleased.
That day, after taking a tennis class from her Instructor Mel Gibson, she and Fianna�s poodle visited the local museums and markets getting souvenirs. It was an exquisite time to spend together, with only a tiny speck of a cloud darkening the horizon.
They also visited the local market. Lots of natives were getting supplies of several kinds and tourist looked exotic gizmoes to show proudly at home. Among the tents, there were several ones that offered talismans: deers eyes mounted to be used as necklaces, rabbit legs for keyholders, disecated hummingbirds and other things. Those places were for commoners, for those naive enough to believe in the magic the salesman yelled they had.
Tatiana knew how to get real things. The mayan objects provided several magical alternatives that she would love to try and the smell of magic guided her...
At the first days at the hotel, when Tatiana had tried to remove the colouring spell from the poddle�s fur, nothing happened. No blue lightnings, no clouds of smoke, not even a small tingling at the fingertips to prove that the magic was at work. So, they had come to visit a local witch doctor, hoping that it would help their situation.
Tatiana realized they were getting closer, as the people did not stare at them in alarm as it have been the case at the market. There, small children had runed away scared after looking a blue furred dog wearing earrings, barking at them, when they were used to see them hairless and voiceless or as a main course. Now, the glances were curious, but in no mocking or frightfull way. These people seemed accustomed to this sightings.
Turning around a corner they came to a stop. Several natives were forming a line, waiting their turn to enter a small hut. Some of the natives had a fearfull and worried look in their eyes. All of them patiently waited for their turn to enter and many of them had bags, but their contents could not be discerned. Some animals, chickens and one piglet who squeaked a little from time to time, were tied and lined at the shadowy side of the small hut. Slowly, the line of people reduced its sice and the people carried their bags, chicken or piglet, and left without them.
Finally it was their turn. They steped inside the hut, expecting to find darkness, a dense atmosphere of fumes, and humid heat. They encountered a fresh room, dim lighted, some old but colorful carpets at the floor. A curtain of seashells divided the hut. An old man came through the curtain. He was tall for a native, dark skinned and thin, wearing white clothes, a plain cotton shirt and jeans, he wore leather sandals on his feet. His hands showed stains of color as if he had been dyeing thread or cloth.
He casted a glance at the poodle and then at Tatiana, with curiosity. His eyes were dark brown and almondlike shaped, but Tatiana noticed those were not the eyes of an old man, they were young, and powerful. He smiled, showing a white row of teeth and advanced. Tatiana and the
poddle steped aside to let him pass. When he reached the entrance, he looked outside, seeing there were no more people waiting and hanged a "Cerrado - Closed" board at the door. Then he turned to his visitors.
The jungle was very alive. The jungle creatures were taking care of their morning business. Small mammals gathered their families to get to the river, insects crawled everywhere, performing either their mating or their feeding rites. sometimes both. Multicolor birds picked on ripe fruits on top of the greenery. And there was so muchgreen, green everywhere, in thousands of shades from exotic plants, and enormous trees...suddenly, every sound ceased.
"This heat is killing me, and the humidity...are we there yet?"
The birds stopped the picking to listen these odd creatures sounds.
"Would you stop all that noise? Its making me dizzy.."
"Let her be, Kahn, she is young and impetuous"
"Yeah, too impetuous if you ask me, TT"
The ones talking were a couple of white striped cats, male and female, as none before them walked on this jungle, both of formidable size. Slowly, ready for anything they cleared the way for their companions.
A couple of female cats, smaller, joined them. One of them despite the size, was identical to the first two cats. White fur, brown eyes, dark stripes, the other was quite diferent. Short, thin, yellow color and black spots that reminded those of the jaguar but her legs were longer and the head smaller. She seemed ready to walk side by side the big cats, yet reluctant to break the formation.
"Wow!, did you see that, Tygris?" she said to the small white tigress "didyouseehowfastthatmonkeyranawayfromme?"
"Yes, but if you had waited my signal to spring, it wouldn�t get away!" answered the young tigress "certainly Ayanna, you should cut off that over spiked catnip tea a little! Or you wanna end like Benni and Bengali?"
"Yeah, right" answered Ayanna "as when you waited for those workers to get out of our way before bouncing on them?"
"Hey, I had, umm I was in a hurry, and you bounced just half a second behind me!!"
"Well, I am hungry and thirsty, could we stop, please, and hunt us some breakfast?" asked Ayanna to the big tigers ahead of them "we had nothing since those, what was their names?, at the airport."
"Mensimaaas or something.." said TT
"What?" asked Kahn.
"Those things at the airport..."
"Muzimaaaaas" whispered Tygris Hawk.
"Oh yeah, the one you let go called you this funny nickname..." said Ayanna.
"Don`t say it, Spots" growled Tygris.
"Tigerbaby!" yelled the cheetah and ran away as fast as the jungle vines allowed her to.
With a roar, Tygris Hawk leaped in pursuit. Kahn looked at Thundera Tiger who could only shake her head...
"Nooo!!! wrraaaaa!!"
With large and powerfull jumps, both tigers rushed in to the jungle...
With relief, both females returned to the hotel. The poodle would recover soon and Fianna wasn`t at their honeymoon suite, what she thanked a lot...
In her own Junior Suite, Tatiana changed robes and went down to the beach. Once there, Tatiana directed her way toward the pub. It was a small hut, more like a shack.
It had a bar in its center and from the ceiling hung a few fans. Over the bar a board specified the odd specialities of the house. The place was surrounded by trees in blossom, providing shade and shelter from the salty water, yet allowing the light and the breeze to pass, fresh and flower scented.
Behind the bar, stood a young blond woman serving the beverages. Her frame was gracefull as a winnowill tree, dancing with the wind, the color of her skin was a very special hue of golden pink and her clothes, though adapted to the weather, resembled the garments of a middle eastern dancer, and allowed a generous view of her unusual golden peach skin. The headress she wore held back her glimmering hair and was very special. It identifed her as an avatar and its magical glow had been what had attracted Tatiana to the pub since the very first day.
When Tatiana arrived, the avatar was serving a customer at the opposite site of the bar, so she did not noticed the new comer. Automatically, she placed some snacks in front of her.
"Welcome to Peaches in the Beach Pub" she said while searched for napkins under the bar. "What is your pleasure?"
"Thank you Peachy, the usual, please..." said the sorceress.
Peachyra raised her head, recognizing the voice and smiled at her friend. With great expertise, the bartender prepared a special mix of exotic fruit juices and alcohol.
"Here you go... a Papa Smurf..." added with pride as she placed a tall glass in front of Tatiana.
"Hey Miss, I asked some Foreplay here and you gave me a plain Abortion " said another customer.
" One minute!, I�ll be right back Tati."
The mistress in black siped her drink while she read a big plastic board that listed the ingredients to the oddities that Peachyra served.
The bartender returned to the undead one, after making sure all the customers were attended.
"So, how is it going?" she asked
The sorceress had another sip of her drink and then confessed she was a little depressed. Peachyra produced a rag from under the bar and cleaned some inexistent stains on the surface of the bar, listening. Tatiana related to the avatar the visit they have made to the witch doctor.
"The color was finally removed?" she asked.
"Not exactly. The man removed the spell, aye, but the color remains, all new growing hair was as blue as the tip. It will have to grow white again, and the spell prevented that."
"Then why are you depressed?"
"Cause I could not remove a spell casted by myself! And the fee he charged! Downpayment! oh! and the procedure! I knew it was going to be simple, but what he did!" cried Tatiana finishing the drink in one gulp. "I�ll have an Alien Secretion..."
Complying, the avatar frowned a little as she lacked an ingredient. With the wave of a hand, she produced a small melon from an unusuall tree near the bar. It had several types of diferent fruits and flowers growing on its branches. Peachyra grabed the fruit and prepared it. She finished the mixture and gave it to Tatiana.
"Tati" she said smiling "you should not distress yourself due to this.... it is normal."
"What do you mean? Hey, this is the best secretion I have had!"
"Thank you. I meant it is perfectly normal that you can not remove the spell..."
"I never had problems before, I am an excellent sorceress!!!" Her eyes read the board looking for another drink to have. "I want the Asshtray dirty"
"You should try a Jedi Mental trick... " said a voice behind her.
"Fuzzball! Fluffy! " exclaimed Tatiana with a smile "What are you doing here?"
"Invite us a drink and we will tell you..."
Both snarves took a seat at the sorceress side.
"One Akaluha Mudslide, please" "I will have a 7&7"
When they got their drinks, Fluffy began to talk. "We are here on business, Tatiana"
"Yessiree" agreed Fuzzy after finished his drink and asked for another round "business and business, you could not believe the reason we are here"
"The reason we are here is because Fuzzy was hired to do a research!" said Fluffy.
"What kind of research?" asked Peachyra.
"There have been things. Local riots here and there in the jungle, Chiapas and some here too."declared Fuzzball.
"The local Goverment asked the Agency to send someone, they suspect that alien forces are behind these riots " added Fluffy.
"But I have discovered that foreign people is missing too" continued Fuzzy.
"What? Who?" asked worriedly Tatiana
Suddenly the beach began to tremble, once, twice... each tremor stronger than the prior one ...
"Hold on!!" yelled Peachyra
"But this is not an earthquake areaa!!" managed Tatiana
The ground beneath them continued to shake, not as strong as the first times but the epicentre felt closer as they became more frecuent...
TBC