Zurg heard Miss Dashwood then yawn. He remembered that he had something very important to tell so he whispered:
"Miss Dashwood…are you awake?"
He heard a little murmur and mumble and then:
"Yes…why?"
"I need to tell you something very important. It is about the cellar girl."
Miss Dashwood rose to sit next to him. She looked at him with extreme curiosity, though a little sleep in her eyes, still.
"Tell me."
"Well…you do remember that the girl was…a Barbie. A Barbie like you."
"What do you mean?"
"She is the same series than you are."
"That's impossible. I was made by my first owner's father."
"Are you certain that you were…the only one?"
"Only one another Barbie like me was made. So I think you have mistaken."
"Did that other Barbie have a name? Perhaps… Miss Elizabeth Bennet?"
Miss Dashwood suddenly found a bite in her throat.
"How did you know?"
Zurg touched his beard. How could he tell it appropriately? Perhaps…it would be the best to say it straight to her.
"She told me."
Miss Dashwood got scared at first –but then thought it a cruel joke:
"Don't tease me! Have I spoken while asleep? Can't you see this is a very delicate matter to me?"
"I do see it, darl… darn this darkness! But I am serious now. The cellar girl… She told me that she recognized you yesterday. She told that her name is Miss Elizabeth Bennet and that you two were the same family some decades ago. She is dying to meet you again."
Miss Dashwood tried to see Zurg's face in the darkness. She wanted to believe that he was not chaffing. Zurg felt this and added:
"Ask Warp, Buzz or Woody if you don't want to believe me."
Miss Dashwood was silent. How could she not believe? She felt warm blood strain to her veins. If the lights would've been on, Zurg could've observed her expressions that changed from disbelief to belief, from belief to shock, from shock to excitement and there to eager willingness to know more.
"Miss Bennet! My Miss Bennet! Oh, craters!!!"
She laughed and hugged Zurg who looked very astonished.
"You don't use the sentence 'craters!', Miss Dashwood."
"Craters! Quasars! And all the other silly things! My Miss Bennet is back!"
"Hold your horses, damsel! You will meet her soon enough when mom brings her here. By the way, she told me to give you her best wishes and…um…this."
Zurg gave a peck on Miss Dashwood's cheek. Then he felt ashamed and rose up.
"Come on, Marianne. We have a party to arrange!"
Miss Dashwood followed him silently. However, she couldn't help smoothing the place where Zurg had just pressed his lips.
Miss Dashwood and Zurg arrived in the middle of a chaos. Mira Nova had arranged a glorious celebration for herself. She told everyone that she had saved the whole Dagobah system from the Evil Emperor Zurg and his right hand Warp. Now she stood on the Wedding Pony, in a Minnie Mouse –dress, and called herself the Master of the Universe. She didn't give a darn about the He-man who sniveled near the toy-box. All the monkeys shoaled around her and seemed to worship her; likewise the three LGM's, those brainless idiots! And when Mira wanted to get down from the horse, one rubber duckie gave her a soft landing. Captain Nebula was making as much noise as he could by hooraying to her –and Super-Wam literally adored her. Mira was so full of pride that Zurg thought she would soon suffocate to it; and Miss Dashwood's expression showed that she was not in the mood of accepting this kind of tasteless fuzz around the room tonight. They went to Jessie and Bo who were with their men under the beside table. Also Warp appeared there. He had been a long time in the corridor thinking of Miss Bennet. He hoped that her heart was still free. Now he welcomed himself to the real world and murmured for irritation:
"Thisiz annoyin'! What does that gal think she iz?"!
"She thinks that she's the savior of the universe."
"Aw she should go somewhere else to pretend a savior! I thought we would have a party tonight! But it's impossible in this whirlpool!"
Miss Dashwood looked again at the scene. She saw Katie trying to get rid of some Swedish-speaking Moomin dolls that had remained from Dan's last visit, Karl trying to survive from the sudden attack of the green Barbie who admired his biceps, a headless Romy-figure seeking for consolation, Nala and Simba jawing her lose head and Mira jumping on her favorite pillow. Marianne couldn't help running furious; she could've bared everything else but not her resting place being terrorized; and she went to teach Mira some manners. On the way there she picked up Zurg's mask and took it along. Jessie looked after her:
"Buzz, why don't you ever allow me to go near that blockhead Medika Nova? Why does Miss Dashwood have that privilege?"
"Darling", answered he, "that is because I am sure you would break her if only you got the chance."
Bo turned to them:
"I wouldn't bet that Mira wins this fight. Marianne looked quite angry to me."
Woody and Zurg smiled.
"Well, we will soon see what happens!"
Not even a minute went by until the whole room heard a heart-breaking shriek from the bed. Miss Dashwood had obviously showed 'the Mini-Zurg' to Mira. Then the observers saw her drag the bluebird from the hair and throw her down in Andy's rubber boot. Marianne didn't let it there but went down to yell at Mira:
"Listen, space-station Mir! Now that was the last time I ever saw you on my pillow. Is that clear? From now on, you will have to behave yourself. Do you hear me, macaroni? And you are not a hero! Against all reasonable thinking you put in danger a mission that could've cost the lives of my beloved ones! And all of this only because you can't see that you're a toy! Get a life, or at least brains!"
"Wam! Waaaaaaah! Buhuaaaaah!"
Mira started to weep. Miss Dashwood was satisfied enough and left her.
Jessie showed her admiration:
"Sufferin' cactus! Now that was something, indeed! The evening is saved!"
"Well, I feel ashamed. I just showed the lowest manners in the whole the world."
"Don't be silly! Mira was the one with low manners. She didn't respect us others at all and made the room a total mess."
"But I can't understand what went in me. How could I lose my temper that way? It is not like me!"
Katie joined the group:
"Lisn' gal…ev'ryone fights sometimez…and Mira didn't even get hurt!"
"I suppose you are right. But at least I could've avoided hurting my arm. Mira is rather heavy to me."
Katie laughed to this; to her, Mira was as light as a leaf. Zurg heard Miss Dashwood's statement about the arm and came to her:
"Is your arm badly hurt? Should we put it on ice or cold water? Are you sure it's just a little thing?"
"I am sure, Zurg. And after all, we are just toys, we
don't die to things like this!"
"Anyway, remember to call me immediately if it takes a bad turn."
"I will."
Jessie laughed after him and said:
"Well, Miss Dashwood, now I am positively sure that you are a master in these 'lady-in-trouble' –games."
"Very funny, Jess…"
"You think of him twenty-four seven, don't you…? He is quite attractive, you know…"
"Hey, isn't that mom's car? Oh my goodness, it's Lizzy!"
