“Please, don’t. You’re just embarrassing me.”
“I apologize. Still, I would give you a gift.”
“You don’t have to. Besides, I have nothing for you.”
“Not true. You have given me renewed hope in the spirit of mankind. There are many challenges yet for you to face . . . but I am supremely confident in your success.”
“Thank you . . . I guess.”
“Would you like to know what your gift is?”
“Sure,” she said being polite and a little curious.
“I have cured your friend Jenny of her illness. She, and Molly, will live a long and happy life.”
“Oh my gosh.”
The Night Before Christmas
T’was the night before Christmas,
and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring,
Egg slept like a mouse
Then much to her surprise,
a dream did unfold
It was a giant tree
that glowed bright and bold
“Egg of Earth” I am sorry
to bring you such fright
“But I bear you a gift,
on this very special night.”
“Myst Tree, what could possibly bring you
from Sighing Whorl?”
“And what gift could you give me,
such a simple earth girl?”
“Egg, you are special
in your heart and in your mind
“You give me renewed faith,
in the goodness of mankind.
“On this eve of Christmas,
I give you tidings so true
I have restored Jenny to good health,
her body renewed
She and Molly will now have
many long happy years
So dry your eyes,
there is no need for those tears.”
“Oh, Myst Tree, I love you
from the bottom of my heart
I thank you for this gift,
and I promise to do my part
To fight against evil,
and too always do good
And to this, I pledge
the Hameggattic Sisterhood
The Tree glowed brighter,
then it began to fade away
But he had one more message
and Egg heard him say
“Flying Girl, you are unique,
to this world you bring light
I wish you a Merry Christmas,
and to all a good night”.
From Egg and all her sisters,
thank you for being a fan.
Tee’ka
Book 2, The Serenity Deception
Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood
Copyright 2014, by Robert Iannone
All rights reserved
(Book & Illustrations)
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1 – Just Imagine It
Chapter 2 – Getting to Know You
Chapter 3 – Visitation Rites
Chapter 4 – Trading Places
Chapter 5 – The Otherwise Located
Chapter 6 – Lost in Translation
Chapter 7 – The Meaning of Seven
Chapter 8 – Definitely Not in Kansas
Chapter 9 – The Clown & the Lion
Chapter 10 – The Sand Witch
Prologue
The intercom went off throughout the ship. “Everyone, please come to the bridge.”
Most of the girls were in their cabins, a couple were in the galley . . . but they all did as they were told.
“What’s going on, Spirit?” asked Egg. “Is there a problem?”
“No. But there is Laff’Alott,” and she pointed at the big window.
The collective response was, “Ohhhhh.”
“How long till we get there?”
“I’d say about three more hours. Maybe less.”
“I’m getting excited,” said BreeZee. “I used to spend my whole life afraid of every shadow. Now I’m gallivanting around the stars, visiting strange worlds and enjoying the company of friends. I could never have imagined this future.”
“Speaking of the future . . . Spirit, have you taken a peek to see what’s in store for us?” asked Egg.
“No I haven’t. I really hate to know what will probably happen unless there is something dangerous that might befall us. But if you want me to, I guess I could have a look.”
“No. Don’t. I was only wondering. It’s not important. It’s just that the Myst Tree had one of his riddles for me.”
“What?” yelled Soo. Poor Jynxie was so startled she ran and hid under a table.
“What’s wrong?” asked BreeZee.
“That Tree is always giving Egg helpful hints about what’s to come or what to do. But he likes to put it in the form of a riddle. Sometimes it takes forever to figure out what it meant.”
“What did he say?” asked Bl’azzz.
“Something like, ‘Have a great vacation but ‘what is’ may not be.’ And, ‘She who laughs last, laughs best. It didn’t sound like anything serious.”
“No it doesn’t,” agreed Aeri’elle. “It just sounds like we’re in for an interesting time. I, for one, wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought too.”
“What were you doing visiting the Myst Tree?” asked Spirit.
“Dazzle wanted me to take Ben’Edikk to see him. That’s her son.”
“Why? If I can ask?”
“It’s kind of private . . . but it wasn’t anything important. Sorry to be mysterious.”
“No need to apologize. If it’s the Queen’s business, it probably isn’t ours . . . or at least not mine.”
The conversation ended abruptly when they heard a crackling sound as the communications system come alive with a very serious sounding voice . . . “This is Laff’Alott Control to approaching vessel. Please state your intentions.”
“Who was that?”
“The planet’s traffic control system is calling us and asking what we want. It’s routine. However, they can’t hear my thoughts from this far out. So . . . I tell the ship’s computer and it relays my message.”
“This is the Starship 7 with eight souls on board. We would like permission to enter orbit.”
“Starship 7. Most of Laff’Alott is closed to incoming visitors. Only Fair’Giggle is in operation. And, even they are not at one hundred percent. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
“This is Starship 7. We are aware of your renovations. Fair’Giggle will meet our needs. Permission to orbit and disembark.”
“Starship 7. Permission granted. A hostess will join you shortly to escort your party. Enjoy your stay. Laff’Alott Control out.”
“That was interesting,” observed Egg.
“As I said, it’s routine. Someday Aerianna will need to have a Traffic Control like this one.”
“Spirit, what did he mean when he said a hostess would join us shortly?”
“I’m not exactly sure. I presume it means that they will send a small ship to greet us and guide us into a parking orbit.”
She was wrong.
A moment later, out of nowhere, a shower of sparkles materialized in the control room. They swirled and spun then slowly came together in the form of a . . . person.
“I am Tee’ka. Welcome to Laff’Alott.”
Seven girls and a Shamie just stared at the apparition.
“May I have the names of the guests who will be joining me in Fair’Giggle?”
Instead of answering, Egg asked, “What are you?”
“I am Tee’ka. I will be your guide and companion. If you have any needs, you have but to ask. May I have the names of the guests who will be joining me in Fair’Giggle?”
“Are you real?” What Egg meant was ‘are you alive?’
“Yes, I am real. My name is Tee’ka. Welcome to Laff’Alott.”
“She’s obviously a computer
generated image,” said Aeri’elle.
“Just give her our names,” said Sylvia.
“I’m Egg, and that’s Sylvia, Bl’azzz, Aeri’elle, Soo, Spirit and BreeZee.”
‘Grrrrrr burp’.
“Oh yeah. And that’s Jynx.”
“Welcome to Laff’Alott. Please gather your belongings and we will depart for Fair’Giggle.”
“What about the ship?”
The apparition flickered in and out then said, “A telepath. Welcome to Laff’Alott.”
“No need to speak to me telepathically.”
“Thank you for that information. As to your vessel, it will be placed in orbit for you. Please gather your belongings.”
The girls did as they were asked and returned to the bridge. “I guess we’re ready.”
“Excellent,” and Tee’ka waved the wand she was holding.
The ship disappeared and in a heartbeat, they were standing on a balcony overlooking the city.
“Welcome to Fair’Giggle. If there is anything I can do to make your visit more enjoyable, do not hesitate to ask. Please enjoy your stay on Laff’Alott.”
The girls looked around but it was Egg who said it best. “Oh my gosh”.
Chapter 1 – Just Imagine It
“Wow,” said one of the girls as she surveyed the cityscape of exotically shaped buildings.
“Not what I was expecting,” commented Sylvia.
“I’m with you,” agreed her friend. “I thought it would look like an amusement park on earth . . . only alien and weird. Where are the rides?”
“What are rides?” asked Soo.
“You know . . . roller coasters, teacups, bumper cars, merry-go-rounds.”
“What do they do?”
“Roller coasters take you up a big ramp then you kind of fall off the other side going so fast that you just have to scream. The teacups spin you until you’re so dizzy you barf. Bumper cars let you crash into your friends. And merry-go-rounds . . . um . . . just go round and round.”
Soo shook her head in confusion. “Egg-o, did your mom drop you on your head when you were born?”
“Ohhhh, that would explain a lot,” interjected BreeZee.
“Hey, butterfly girl . . .,” teased Egg. “I only pretend to be a scrambled egg. The real me is very sophisticated and intelligently intellectual.”
“Intelligently intellectual?” repeated Professor Aeri’elle as she scrunched her face at that nonsensical phrase.
“Don’t mind scrambled egg. She may not be the brightest star in the night sky, but she can be almost pleasant when she tries really, really hard.”
“Syl, you need to do some serious work on your compliments.”
The ridiculousness was mercifully interrupted by Tee’ka. “Would this be an opportune time to describe Fair’Giggle and all that it has to offer?”
“Oh, please,” begged Bl’azzz. “These people are giving me gas.”
Six voices cried out, “Don’t you dare.” Jynxie ran to the far end of the room for safety . . . all the while keeping a wary eye on the F’yre Dragon.
Spirit explained to Egg and Sylvia, “About a year ago, Bl’azzz accidently burped a ball of flame that singed poor Jynxie’s tail. For the next month she would run every time Bl’azzz approached.”
“That’s one smart Shamie.”
“You’d be surprised,” responded Spirit cryptically.
Again, Tee’ka tried to do what she was apparently programmed to do. “If it is convenient, please follow me inside.”
They did and what they saw shocked them. The room was completely empty . . . no chairs, no rugs, no lights, no pictures on the walls. Nothing.
Leave it to Soo to express her admiration. “Nice. Refreshingly simple but absolutely non-functional. Who does your decorating?”
Oddly enough, that was exactly the right question to ask.
“In Fair’Giggle, our guests decorate their own rooms.”
Egg couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of that statement. “And just how do we do that?”
“Everything that you wish . . . be it food, adventure, a change in room décor . . . is accomplished by thinking it,” explained Tee’ka.
That bizarre statement caused all seven young ladies to start talking simultaneously. The resulting babble was so annoying that Jynx began to growl and burp . . . a sure sign that she wasn’t happy.
“Please . . . ,” and the computer image waited for silence. “Thank you. If I may, I will explain about this world and about this city. It will take a few minutes so I encourage you to make yourselves comfortable.”
The girls looked around the empty room, then at each other, and shrugged. BreeZee was the first to tell their hostess, “I would be most comfortable on a chair without arms and a narrow back to accommodate my wings.”
Tee’ka didn’t answer . . . but the chair materialized out of thin air.
That brought smiles to seven faces (Jynxie apparently wasn’t impressed).
“I would like a chair in the shape of my space ship.” Spirit was teasing but as the saying goes, ‘your wish is my command,’ and out of nowhere appeared . . . “
Egg and Sylvia each asked for a big comfy red leather chair and two materialized.
Soo got a pond of all things. It was about ten foot square and four feet deep filled with clear blue water. “Ah . . . that’s what I’m talking about,” she said as she slithered in.
The dragons each asked for a large, very thick mat to lie upon.
“I thought you guys like those branches to perch on?” asked Egg.
Aeri’elle explained, “If it’s going to be awhile, we dragons prefer to stretch out. If it’s just for a short time, then we use the branches. They allow us to grasp them with our talons . . . that makes us feel more natural, I’d guess you say.”
“Oh. I did not know that.”
“Grrrrrr. Burp.”
“Oops. Tee’ka, Jynxie would like a nice blanket, if you would be so kind?” An instant later, the Shamie was snuggling into her new bed.
“Does anyone wish refreshments before we begin?” asked their hostess.
No one did. But Egg used this moment to ask, “So what exactly are you, Tee’ka?”
“I am a computer-generated holographic projection enhanced with physical manifestation capability and artificial intelligence.” That was a mouthful.
Egg tried her best to stifle a smile at the techno babble . . . but didn’t succeed. Since this was one of the few times that the sisterhood was together without having to save a world, she was feeling particularly mellow and relaxed. So, she felt very comfortable in saying “Yeah. That’s exactly what I thought.” She braced herself for what was about to happen.
But it wasn’t what she expected. Before the rest of the girls could react to that absurd statement, Spirit said, “Jynxie . . . tongue bug, attack Egg.”
The Shamie instantly morphed into a . . .
. . . and jumped on Egg. It began to lick her with a long, very wet blue tongue.
“Hey . . . that’s gross. Jynxie, stop. YUK.” But she didn’t and the other girls howled with laughter.
After a minute, Spirit said, “Jynx, return,” and the animal immediately morphed back into her normal self and trotted over to her bed.
Egg tried valiantly to dry her face with her hands. “Oh my gosh, I need a bath”.
“Don’t you be looking at my pond,” warned Soo.
“What was that thing?” asked BreeZee.
“We came across thousands of them on some planet. That was before I joined you guys on Zynn-Zaz’zia. They were harmless assuming you weren’t allergic to saliva.”
“That wasn’t saliva, that was spit,” complained Egg.
“Don’t be disgusting,” replied Sylvia. But she, too, was smiling.
“Tee’ka,” asked Bl’azzz, “can you explain what you said about what you are? Just keep it really, really simple. We may look smart, but not so much.”
“Of course”. Before she co
uld begin, she began to flicker . . . like a light being turned on and off really fast.
“Uh oh, I think her batteries are running low,” said Egg.
“You are such an airhead.”
Tee’ka stopped flickering. “I have been informed that you are the famous Hameggattic Sisters. I apologize for my failure to recognize you when we first met.” She rotated to look at Egg. “You are Eloise, called Egg and the leader of the Sisterhood. There is an incoming message for you.”
“What?”
“There is an incoming message for you,” repeated Tee’ka unnecessarily.
“Who’s it from?”
“She calls herself Meggy. Do you wish to talk with her?”
“Meggy? Absolutely. How do I do it?” But the hostess didn’t answer. Instead, the face of the Princess materialized in the middle of the room.
“Hello, Egg, Sylvia. It is so very good to see you both again. And my other sisters, it has not been as long, but your beautiful faces are always a welcome sight.”
“Meggy . . . they fixed your scar.”
“Indeed. Though if you were to look very closely, I had the doctors leave a small reminder of my first, and sadly my last, mission as a Hameggattic Sister.”
Sylvia just had to say, “Meg, you look so much older. It’s really hard for Egg and me . . . if you know what I mean?”
“I do. However, our sister K’ssss has remedied that problem as I am sure you are aware.”
“Wish she could have done it sooner.”
“As do I.”
“Meggy, are you okay? You don’t need rescuing or anything, do you?”
The Princess laughed. “No, Egg. I am well.”
“Where exactly are you? Not on Aerianna, I’m guessing.”
Box Set #3: The Serenity Deception: [The 4 book 3rd Adventure of Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood] Page 13