FABulous Voyage
"The perimeter alarm alerted us to their presence." Lady Penelope was telling me. "They were quite easy to dispose of. Unfortunately they left some bullet holes in the wall. Mikos will be most displeased."
I decided not to ask how they'd 'disposed' of the gunmen, preferring to concentrate on my breakfast.
"Parker will have laid out some clean clothes for you. I hope you will find them suitable."
'They are more than suitable', I thought as I admired myself in the mirror. The lady had taste. Mind you after three, or was it more, days in the same clothes, a sack would have been suitable.
"I'm afraid that we had better destroy your old clothes," Lady Penelope informed me as I made my entrance back downstairs. "Our friend may have employed the same techniques that we did for finding you."
"You mean planted a homing device!"
"It would explain how last nights visitors found you so easily. I hope you have no objection."
"I've no attachment whatsoever to those clothes. Do what you please with them."
"We will of course supply you with a new wardrobe. You can not go home immediately, and it is so tiresome not to have a change of clothes."
"But I've no money..."
"Don't worry about that. International Rescue will, er, pick up the tab, as the Tracy boys would say."
The Tracy boys? Who were they?
It was decided that it would be dangerous to stay where we were for too long, so once again I found myself reclining in the luxurious seats of the Rolls Royce. I was somewhat relieved that there appeared to be nowhere that manacles could be fitted. I did however put my seat belt on, in case Parker felt the need for some more rapid braking.
Our shopping was done in a seaside resort. As I couldn't identify the language, I had no idea where.
It was the kind of establishment where the prices were not displayed on the goods. The proprietor had dismissed his minions and had insisted on serving Lady Penelope himself.
Between them they would chose a garment, I would say if I approved of the colour, try it on, and then they would critique it.
I ended up with an embarrassing load of new clothes and several new suitcases to hold them in.
Lunch was a leisurely affair at an upmarket café. I ate too much. "I don't think I'll be able to fit those clothes now." I joked.
"Is FAB Two ready?" Lady Penelope asked Parker upon our arrival back at the Rolls Royce. I noticed that its number plate was FAB One.
"Yes M'Lady. HI took the liberty of setting the hautopilot for 'ome."
"Thank you Parker."
"Does M'Lady wish to go hanywhere helse before we board."
"I think not Parker. We had better be on our way."
"Very good, M'Lady."
We took a coastal road for several miles, on what was a very pleasant drive. It was almost enough to make me forget the dramas of the last few days.
Almost. "Lady Penelope. Do you think there's any chance that man will try to kidnap me again?"
"There is a possibility that he, or others, may try. We will just have to ensure that he doesn't succeed."
I saw a large boat in the bay and didn't take much notice of it. That was until Parker drove off the road, down a boat ramp and onto the water. The mighty car rose up on hydrofoils and sped towards the boat. I could just make out its name through the spray of sea water - FAB Two.
A hatch opened up at the rear of the yacht and Parker drove us inside, parking us neatly in a kind of garage. Four clamps swung into position, holding the car firmly in place.
"Are we going to go far?" I asked Lady Penelope when we were in the lounge.
"It will take us just over twenty four hours to reach England. It should be a smooth journey. If, however, you find that you don't have your sea legs I have something that will help."
"Um, no, it's not that, Lady Penelope. It's just that after my last experience in a boat I hadn't planned on going on one again quite so soon."
Lady Penelope actually looked horrified. "Oh, 1. I'm sorry, how thoughtless of me. I felt that my yacht would be less obtrusive than the Rolls Royce."
"Don't worry about it." I said hurriedly. "They say if you fall off a horse you should get on again right away. It's just that in my case it's a seahorse."
She laughed politely at my weak pun. "If you are sure..."
"I am. Thank you."
The trip was pleasant and I began to remember how much I'd enjoyed the start of my holiday cruise and wished I had the photos to enhance the memories.
Lady Penelope and I were sitting on the deck, watching the sunset. We'd been quiet for a time.
"When do you have to be back?" she asked suddenly.
By now I'd worked out my dates and times. "I'm due home in a weeks time."
"A week." She said thoughtfully. "It could be long enough."
"Long enough for what?" I asked.
"I'll have to check with Jeff first." She continued on, talking as much to herself as to me. "Where do you live?" she asked me directly.
"4, 5."
"Yes" she mused. "That could be an advantage and you have shown character over the last few days."
"I've just gone with the flow." I told her. "These last few days I've felt that I've had no control over anything that's happened."
"Yes. But you haven't panicked and you'd kept a clear head and that's important. I heard how you went back to help Virgil."
"I couldn't leave him, and besides, he didn't need my help."
"Yes, but you weren't to know that."
"I didn't even realise that he'd been injured!"
"You couldn't have done anything anyway and if you'd been panicking you could have placed you both in grave danger. And I also know how you helped Trixie... No you could be of use..."
Use for what?... And how did she know about Trixie?
"The perimeter alarm alerted us to their presence." Lady Penelope was telling me. "They were quite easy to dispose of. Unfortunately they left some bullet holes in the wall. Mikos will be most displeased."
I decided not to ask how they'd 'disposed' of the gunmen, preferring to concentrate on my breakfast.
"Parker will have laid out some clean clothes for you. I hope you will find them suitable."
'They are more than suitable', I thought as I admired myself in the mirror. The lady had taste. Mind you after three, or was it more, days in the same clothes, a sack would have been suitable.
"I'm afraid that we had better destroy your old clothes," Lady Penelope informed me as I made my entrance back downstairs. "Our friend may have employed the same techniques that we did for finding you."
"You mean planted a homing device!"
"It would explain how last nights visitors found you so easily. I hope you have no objection."
"I've no attachment whatsoever to those clothes. Do what you please with them."
"We will of course supply you with a new wardrobe. You can not go home immediately, and it is so tiresome not to have a change of clothes."
"But I've no money..."
"Don't worry about that. International Rescue will, er, pick up the tab, as the Tracy boys would say."
The Tracy boys? Who were they?
It was decided that it would be dangerous to stay where we were for too long, so once again I found myself reclining in the luxurious seats of the Rolls Royce. I was somewhat relieved that there appeared to be nowhere that manacles could be fitted. I did however put my seat belt on, in case Parker felt the need for some more rapid braking.
Our shopping was done in a seaside resort. As I couldn't identify the language, I had no idea where.
It was the kind of establishment where the prices were not displayed on the goods. The proprietor had dismissed his minions and had insisted on serving Lady Penelope himself.
Between them they would chose a garment, I would say if I approved of the colour, try it on, and then they would critique it.
I ended up with an embarrassing load of new clothes and several new suitcases to hold them in.
Lunch was a leisurely affair at an upmarket café. I ate too much. "I don't think I'll be able to fit those clothes now." I joked.
"Is FAB Two ready?" Lady Penelope asked Parker upon our arrival back at the Rolls Royce. I noticed that its number plate was FAB One.
"Yes M'Lady. HI took the liberty of setting the hautopilot for 'ome."
"Thank you Parker."
"Does M'Lady wish to go hanywhere helse before we board."
"I think not Parker. We had better be on our way."
"Very good, M'Lady."
We took a coastal road for several miles, on what was a very pleasant drive. It was almost enough to make me forget the dramas of the last few days.
Almost. "Lady Penelope. Do you think there's any chance that man will try to kidnap me again?"
"There is a possibility that he, or others, may try. We will just have to ensure that he doesn't succeed."
I saw a large boat in the bay and didn't take much notice of it. That was until Parker drove off the road, down a boat ramp and onto the water. The mighty car rose up on hydrofoils and sped towards the boat. I could just make out its name through the spray of sea water - FAB Two.
A hatch opened up at the rear of the yacht and Parker drove us inside, parking us neatly in a kind of garage. Four clamps swung into position, holding the car firmly in place.
"Are we going to go far?" I asked Lady Penelope when we were in the lounge.
"It will take us just over twenty four hours to reach England. It should be a smooth journey. If, however, you find that you don't have your sea legs I have something that will help."
"Um, no, it's not that, Lady Penelope. It's just that after my last experience in a boat I hadn't planned on going on one again quite so soon."
Lady Penelope actually looked horrified. "Oh, 1. I'm sorry, how thoughtless of me. I felt that my yacht would be less obtrusive than the Rolls Royce."
"Don't worry about it." I said hurriedly. "They say if you fall off a horse you should get on again right away. It's just that in my case it's a seahorse."
She laughed politely at my weak pun. "If you are sure..."
"I am. Thank you."
The trip was pleasant and I began to remember how much I'd enjoyed the start of my holiday cruise and wished I had the photos to enhance the memories.
Lady Penelope and I were sitting on the deck, watching the sunset. We'd been quiet for a time.
"When do you have to be back?" she asked suddenly.
By now I'd worked out my dates and times. "I'm due home in a weeks time."
"A week." She said thoughtfully. "It could be long enough."
"Long enough for what?" I asked.
"I'll have to check with Jeff first." She continued on, talking as much to herself as to me. "Where do you live?" she asked me directly.
"4, 5."
"Yes" she mused. "That could be an advantage and you have shown character over the last few days."
"I've just gone with the flow." I told her. "These last few days I've felt that I've had no control over anything that's happened."
"Yes. But you haven't panicked and you'd kept a clear head and that's important. I heard how you went back to help Virgil."
"I couldn't leave him, and besides, he didn't need my help."
"Yes, but you weren't to know that."
"I didn't even realise that he'd been injured!"
"You couldn't have done anything anyway and if you'd been panicking you could have placed you both in grave danger. And I also know how you helped Trixie... No you could be of use..."
Use for what?... And how did she know about Trixie?