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a delectable dish--not sure what it was, but it tasted like chicken--covered with a delicate wine sauce. One delicious course followed another, till finally we sat, sated, among the remains of the creme brulee. "Now, at last," said the Quaint Little Man, who'd finally told me his name was Oscar, "We can get down to business. Let's retire to my rooms, which I keep here, as I stay here as often as possible."
He led me up the winding stair to a beautiful, open space that looked exactly like a treehouse! Ignoring my curious glances, Oscar showed me to...
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a wall of windows. The view was spectacular! The whole valley was laid out below, I could even see the crossroads I started from in the distance. " But that, " says Oscar, "is not the most exciting thing." He led me over to an enormous telescope mounted in front of the middle window. I bent down to look through the eyepiece. To my great surprise I saw
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A forest, with an intricate network of quaint little treehouses. I adjusted the focus, and could scarcely believe my eyes...could it be? Yes! It was George Herbert, my long-lost nephew, shinnying down a tree, looking absolutely at home; and with him, to my utter amazement, was...
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no, it couldn't be! Shocked I stepped back from the telescope and turned to look at Oscar. But, but I stuttered, that's
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his girlfriend, Petunia! Can it be that he was never abducted at all, but ran away with his ladylove? It's true that his father disapproved of her, because...
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well, you know, the whole interglactic species dating protocol. His father, my brother in law just couldn't get used to the idea that if they got married his grandchildren could be purple and have such long tails. But from the look of George struggling in the trees he would do well to have a tail. I turned to watch Petunia as she make her way gracefully thru the tree tops, stopping occasionally and waiting for George to catch up. As I watched a great phoenix and rider swooped from the clouds and Petunia was gone, just like that! Astounded I turned to Oscar. "Well, I said, "I found George but now Petunia is gone. We truly have an abduction!" I must get to them I thought. "What is the fastest way to get to George, Oscar?" "Hmm," Oscar mused, stroking his chin. "Well truly there are two options, first
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we could take the traditional jungle pathway, swinging on vines through the trees; that would be much faster than going on foot, hacking our way through the brush with machetes. Hmm..." Oscar paused, rubbing his chin reflectively. Then he brightened. "Or, actually," he continued, "there is a third option: we could step through that portal over there!" He gestured to a circle of shimmering light I hadn't noticed before. "Which do you prefer?"
"Well," I said, "considering everything, I think...
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the portal is the quickest way. Let's go!" And I rushed towards the portal. "One thing before we go," Oscar said cautiously, "last month there was a tiny glitch that.... Poor Oscar's words trailed off and were lost to me as I was halfway thru the portal already. "What did you say? What glitch?" Too late, I thought as I felt myself being sucked in to a colourful vortex, who knows where I'll end up. I closed my eyes and waited. I hit the ground with a whoosh, slowly I opened my eyes and
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found myself in a world comprised of a thousand shades of green. (Well, no; I didn't actually count them, but I'll bet it was close!) The air was warm and humid. Like a rainforest jungle, I could see the canopy far above, the sun unseen somewhere beyond. I saw a flash of scarlet feathers, heard the call of birds, a rushing brook, a distant waterfall. And a crash of branches, as who should swing clumsily into view but my nephew himself, looking disheveled and distraught. "Auntie!" he cried, "How did you find me?"
My head still spun from the landing. I giggled deleriously: "Why, if it isn't George! George of the jungle!" He rushed to help me to my feet.
"Have you seen Petunia? She disappeared, and I'm utterly lost without her!"
If he hadn't witnessed the bizarre abduction, I wasn't sure how to break it to him. "Um," I began hesitantly....
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"I did see her, albeit briefly. I'm sorry George she was plucked from the trees by a great Phoenix." George looked aghast and his complexion turned ashen. " Quick" I said, "head between your knees!" After George had recovered somewhat he looked at me forelornly. "What are we going to do Auntie?" "Well, we're going to get her back of course." I exclaimed. I crouched down with a stick in hand sketching out on the ground our plan of action. "First we are gong to have to...