Astra is Much Happier

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 26094

Meanwhile Astra and Mr M had had a very enjoyable afternoon. When Astra joined the others for tea, instead of her earlier scowl she was wearing a broad smile (and as before nothing else). She now felt much more at home in the Enterprising Inn.

Perhaps I am a seductress after all, as well as being a princess she thought. As a vocation, it certainly has its advantages over being a warrior and adventuress. Of course I'm also an heiress. That leaves temptress, actress, authoress, poetess, sculptress, priestess and waitress as careers for me still to try.

She recognised most of the people who were already seated around the table. There were Will, Phil and Lil, of course; Fred, who she was pleased to see was looking none too well; Velus, sitting in Lil's lap; and Mr M. There were also two men she hadn't seen before. One was a swarthy man in a Hespanish sea-captain's uniform, who introduced himself as Captain Fogeno. He leered at her in a fashion that she didn't much care for. The other was a great block of a man, an orange-skinned, stone-formed, behemoth called Mr Ben Grimm. (She wondered where Mr M and Ben Grimm had come from originally, as she had never before heard of a green-haired or an orange- skinned race.)

Phil handed round plates of dainty cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, together with cups of tea. (Fogeno took four sugars in his.) As Phil was doing this, Will asked Astra: "Would you be interested in taking a job as a barmaid here? I'm sure that you'd be good for business, what with your vow of perpetual nudity. You'd be working with Mr M of course."

Vow of perpetual nudity? Where had he got that idea from? She was about to retort that she had taken no such vow, but when he went on to mention working with Mr M a far-away look came into her eyes. "I'll think about it," she said.

"You're staying here long-term, then?" Velus asked.

"I might be," Astra said. For as long as Mr M is here, she thought.

Fred could see how Astra was looking at the new object of her affections. Obviously any chance he might have had with her had gone. "You'd better take that job, then," he said. "After all, you'll need some way to pay for a room and for your meals. I'm certainly not doing it."

  1. The conversation continues, as the sandwiches are finished and they move on to the cake.

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JH

4/20/2003 11:09:36 AM

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