| Presents Mediterranean Cruise - Part 1 |
| WE ARE SAILING! The big luxury liner, the WHEATEN PRINCESS, was almost ready to sail. Passengers had arrived at the Marseille Airport from all over the world to make this special cruise to Italy, Greece and Egypt. Many had been saving for this voyage for months, and even years to afford the luxury that the Wheaten Princess provided for her passengers. Capt. Guiness and his entertainment Officer Lt Abby watched with interest as the passengers came aboard. “My goodness,” exclaimed Guiness. “Who is THAT?” He was gesturing in the direction of an elegant lady who was being helped aboard by two attentive stewards, who were laden with bags of all descriptions. “Looks like the ‘Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’ - and with all the trappings!” replied Abby, with a scornful look that females seem to reserve for members of their own gender – especially the rich, flashy ones! Guiness ignored the tone, and went on casually: “We certainly have some interesting types on this cruise.” He paused, then nodded in the direction of two gentlemen who had just come aboard. “Will you take a look at that guy over there – the one with that tall fellow who looks as if he’s on leave from the Horse Guards at Buckingham Palace!” Abby chuckled. “You mean the one with the magnificent moustaches?” “Yes,” replied Guiness. He reminds me of someone I saw in a movie once – a French Private Eye with a funny name – Porotic – or something.” Abby grinned. She knew exactly whom he was thinking of. “Yeah,” she murmured. “He was actually Belgian.” (What she didn’t know at the time, but soon found out later, was that this man actually WAS a famous Private Investigator.) Just then, the Captain’s attention was fixed on a group of gorgeous girls. He smiled in appreciation and gave a soft whistle. “They are the finalists for the MISS WHEATEN WORLD Pageant to be held in Athens,” she said in a disinterested tone. “Great idea to make it part of the Cruise.” “Yes,” he agreed. “Same with the World Swimming Championships being held on our Cruise Ship!” “Ah,” said Abby knowingly, “That’s because the Wheaten Princess is the only Cruise ship with an Olympic sized pool!” They both laughed, and there was a pregnant silence for a few minutes as they both gave reign to their own thoughts. But these were interrupted by a loud commotion just below them on the Boat Deck. There were loud, colourful exclamations in rapid Italian, and a few yards away stood a handsome young ‘Italian Stallion’ with arms waving like windmills at three flustered stewards. “That must be Enrico Tuckerotti – the famous Operatic Tenor who is travelling with us!” exclaimed Abby with obvious admiration. “Ah yes,” was the calm reply from Guiness. “They say he’s very temperamental, but he sure has a voice of pure gold.” Abby looked excited. “Skipper, perhaps we can persuade him to sing for us?” “Well,” (Guiness was trying to hide a grin) “you ask him, - you’re the Entertainment Officer!” He glanced at Abby and gave her a wicked wink! They watched as the swimmers came aboard, looking tanned and fit, and ready to take on the World. Other passengers moved into their field of vision. “I wonder who those two odd guys are – over there near the gangway, - the ones sizing up that flash Poodle.” Guiness scratched his chin and went on: “I’d watch those two, and also those two humans over there – with the shifty eyes!” Abby stared at the Captain. “SHIFTY EYES?” she blurted. “How can you tell from here whether their eyes are ‘shifty’ or not? REALLY, Skipper!!” She gave his shoulder a playful slap. “Anyway,” said Guiness, ignoring the slap, “Here come the last to board.” He pointed to a group of young people who were chatting excitedly to a man and woman in Safari hats. “Yes, they are the Ancient History Students.” Abby pointed out a distinguished looking young man and an attractive lady standing at his side. “That’s Professor Boomer, the Egyptologist, and his associate, Dr. Kelsie, who lectures the students in Ancient Civilizations and Anthropology at University.” Abby knew all about it because she had been at College with Kelsie and they had been friends. She hadn't seen her for years, and looked forward to meeting up with her again, and renewing old memories. There was a blast from the ships PA system, announcing "ALL VISITORS ASHORE’’. Soon the ship was being eased out of the harbour by tugs, and the popular song, Sailing, was ringing out across the water as the Wheaten Princess headed out to sea. It had begun. The THIRD CRUISE OF A LIFETIME! The next morning, there was an announcement on the ship’s notice board. CAPTAIN’S WELCOME ABOARD COCKTAIL PARTY Come along tomorrow evening, before Dinner, and meet Captain Guiness and his Officers at a Gala Cocktail Party. It will be held in the Neapolitan Lounge at 6pm. Dress is formal. Entertainment will be provided by the Ship’s Band and the vocal ensemble: THE PASSIONATE POOCHES. Take this opportunity to mingle and make new friends! See you there! Your friendly entertainment Officer, Abby. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “That sounds like fun,” said Morgan, (Miss USA) to her friends Nelly, (Miss Mexico) Keeva, (Miss Canada) Maggie, (Miss south America) Jynx, (Miss UK) and Snickerdoodle, (Miss Ireland.) “Yes,” replied Nelly wistfully. “I wonder if there are any sexy looking boys in the Band!” “Well,” laughed Morgan, “we’ll soon find out, won’t we?” They made their way to the Mediterranean Bar and sat down to look at the drink menu. They may have been competing against each other, but they’d been in many contests by now and were good friends. Cody, the bar attendant, came over to them with a twinkle in his eye and asked them what they were going to drink. Nelly asked for a ‘Grape Ape’ – which the others had never heard of before, so they all ordered the same! When Cody had returned behind the bar and was out of hearing, Morgan leaned over and said in a stage whisper: “HEY! He’s kinda cute!” “I think I might be coming here quite often!” The other girls giggled softly, and Morgan blushed when his paw touched hers as he placed her drink in front of her. This could be the beginning of a lovely friendship! Meanwhile, professor Boomer and Dr Kelsie were discussing some documents and maps which Boomer had spread out on the bed in his cabin. “When we arrive in Naples, there is an old friend of mine, an Australian Egyptologist named ‘Digger Graves’, who will meet up with us at Pompeii and give us a map he drew himself.” He looked thoughtfully out of the window, then continued: “He thinks he knows where we will find what we’re looking for in the Valley of the Kings.” “The Statuette?” prompted Kelsie with excitement. “Yes indeed!” was Boomer’s hushed reply. “He believes there is a place where no one has looked because it is between two sites that have already been well excavated.” Boomer looked at a map of the Valley of the Kings which was covered with numbers. He shook his head. “It could be anywhere here. A hopeless task unless you know exactly where to look.” “And this ’Digger’ guy is sure?” asked Kelsie. “He seems certain. He can’t do the excavation himself, due to his disability now, but he is paying us to find it for him. That’s good enough for me!” Kelsie smiled. Not only were they being paid, - they were also enjoying a free Cruise in the Mediterranean. Nice work if you can get it! He returned the papers to his briefcase and locked it, - then they went out on deck to drink in the fresh sea air. They did not give a second glance to the two humans who were lingering outside and who, unbeknown to them, had been watching through the window as Boomer had returned the papers to his briefcase. Likewise, the two humans were blissfully unaware of the two dogs who were watching them intently from the opposite end of the passageway. The dog with the magnificent moustaches tapped his nose and said to his tall companion: “There, you see, Sydney, - we have only started on our cruise and already – already there is mischief afoot. I smell it!” “I say, old boy, - they did look a bit shifty, hey what!” remarked his companion in an accent which bore the stamp of the British upper class. Sydney was in fact a retired Major of the Grenadier Guards. He had the bearing of a thoroughbred and had known Inspector Griffin, a French-Canadian, for many years. In fact, they had worked on many cases together – like Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson! “What should we do, Griffin?” he asked, watching the two men as they turned into a nearby bar. “We watch, my friend, - and we WAIT!” The tall Major followed his companion on his brisk promenade. (It appeared that the Inspector was good at exercising his legs as well as his ‘little grey cells’!) In their cabin, carefully unpacking their luggage, were two lads with big plans for the cruise. Harry and Jethro saw themselves as businessmen, but their line of work was not one that Inspector Griffin would have approved of! They were ‘Con-Artists’, and they had booked this cruise in the hopes of tricking some rich (and gullible) ladies out of their fortunes! The ‘brains’ behind the plans was Harry, and Jethro followed whatever Harry said. They had begun at school – tricking all the other dogs out of their treats and toys by making promises they could not keep. Now, they were ready to graduate from treats and toys – to money! They were so handsome; so charming; so sweet and lovable – and so believable. They won hearts easily and all the girls ran after them. The trouble was, all the girls were just ‘nice girls’ and none, up to date, were rich. They needed to work their charms on RICH girls, and where else to meet RICH girls than on a Mediterranean Cruise? The boys had saved up for two years, and now they were here - on the Wheaten Princess – and surrounded by beautiful RICH ladies. Jethro rubbed his paws together. ”Hey, Harry, that Cocktail Party sounds like a quick way to get to meet the ’ rich and famous’ on the ship!” “You got it, Jethro,” grinned Harry as he looked in the mirror and gave his beard a tidy with a comb. “I’m glad I packed my tux!” Jethro looked wistfully at Harry’s magnificent wardrobe. He had never been the socially gifted one. Harry had all the social talents and the gift of the gab to go with them. “Harry, can I borrow your green bow tie, and all that, for the Cocktail Party?” “DONE, my buddy in crime. I’ll even throw in a green kerchief if you like!” The two happy lads gave each other a ‘high five’ and left the cabin to check out the talent. Meanwhile, two rather different passengers were becoming acquainted with the ship. Sister Killian and Sister Ella, who were on holiday from their Convent and making their first trip to Rome, were finding the huge Cruise Ship hard to negotiate. They had never seen anything so big, and with so many passageways and so many decks. “Isn’t this wonderful!” exclaimed Sister Ella, her eyes bright like a child’s on Christmas Day. “Yes, it makes me feel like bursting into song!” replied Sister Killian, - looking to the sky as if for inspiration. Ella twitched, and shook her head. “Oh, Killian, - don’t do that – not here,” she said in a tone that one might use when telling a child not to pick their nose! But Sister Killian completely ignored the request. She threw back her head and let forth with a loud, crystal- clear High C. (Ella groaned) ‘Oh dear,’ she thought to herself. ‘Here we go again, - the SINGING NUN!’ In the nearby Suite, Enrico Tuckerotti had been enjoying a nap, (as was his custom in the afternoons,) when he awakened and sat bolt upright! Had he been dreaming? What was that angelic note? Where did that divine sound come from? It seemed like it must have been straight from Heaven! He rushed to the door and flung it open with a flourish, and looked up and down the passageway. Strange, perhaps he was dreaming, because the only people he could see were two nuns. There was no Divine Diva, - no Goddess of the Opera, - no Prima Donna! He returned to his cabin feeling disappointed. He turned to Brady, his Manager. “Did you hear that glorious voice just a minute ago?” he asked. Brady looked blankly at him and asked in a disinterested tone: “What ‘glorious voice’ Tucker?” “Ah, Brady, - you are a Barbarian !” He threw his arms out in an extravagant sweeping motion. “THAT note, - the most heavenly ‘High C’ I have every heard; - perfect pitch; - perfect production; - perfect BEAUTY, - and you didn’t HEAR it!” Brady shook his head. “Sorry Tucker, I was in the shower and couldn’t hear anything!” Tuckerotti was pacing. “I MUST find her!” He exclaimed. “I must find out who, where she is and take her under my wing, - and cultivate that divine voice,” - (He turned slowly to Brady, and his dark eyes shone with a brilliance that Brady had not seen before) “and make her my TOSCA!” Brady thought his friend had slept too long. He was still in dreamland! As they continued to talk about this ‘mysterious voice’, - the ‘voice’ - with her companion, Sr Ella, found her way to the pool, where they drew up deck chairs and relaxed in the sunshine. Many of the passengers were already enjoying the pool, and there was no sign yet of the entrants into the Swimming Championships. Tess, (one of the two ‘dizzy blondes’ on the cruise) with her equally dizzy companion, Lexi, was hoping to meet the famous athletes, and she had expected to find them at the pool. She didn’t realize that there were THREE pools on board- on different decks, and that the Olympic Pool had been made off limits to all except the Champion Swimmers. “It’s not fair,” she sobbed to Lexi. ‘I wanted to ask them for their autographs, and I carried my book with their pictures in all the way from Boston, - and, - and, they aren’t here to sign it!” Lexi put an arm around her and comforted her. “Don’t fret, Tess,” she crooned, “there’s plenty of time, and besides, we’ll probably get to meet them at the Captain’s Cocktail Party!” That seemed to lift her spirits and make Tess feel a little better. Yes! The Captain’s Cocktail Party! Now that would be a special treat, and certainly something to look forward to. Watching as the land disappeared was the elegant lady whom Abby had likened to the ‘Queen of Sheba’. By some strange coincidence, her name was in fact ‘Queenie’ and she was a woman on a mission. She had always believed that her roots were in regal ground, and the regal ground she had in mind was Egypt. Queenie felt sure that she was a descendant of a dog that had belonged to one of the Pharaohs, - the well-known Queen Hatshepsut. She was travelling to Egypt to find evidence to support her theory. Discovering that the Wheaten Princess had a Gypsy Fortune Teller as a member of its Professional Entertainers, she went in search of her. She found Madame Stella in her cabin not long after the ship left port and begged for a reading. Madame Stella was never one to refuse the opportunity to make a few more dollars, so she agreed to see Queenie then and there. Queenie admired the Gypsy’s cabin, and her gaze immediately fell upon the crystal globe in the centre of the table. She watched Madame Stella intently as she closed her eyes and went into a trance. After a short while, Stella opened her eyes and asked in a soft, husky voice: “Is there anything in particular you wish to know?” Queenie did not want to give too much away, so she just told the Gypsy that she was searching for her ancestors. Madame Stella nodded, and gazed into the crystal ball. Queenie peered into the ball too, but could see nothing but her own reflection. She waited patiently for the Gypsy to speak. Suddenly, Stella reached out and touched Queenie’s well-manicured paw, then closed her eyes again. After a few more minutes, she opened her eyes and released her hold. Her eyes were suddenly bright. “My dear, you have the Royal Blood!” she declared, in a voice that might have been announcing – “Gentlemen – THE QUEEN!” Queenie felt her heart beat faster. “Can you tell me where my ancestors can be located?” she asked breathlessly. “You will find the proof you seek in the Valley of the Kings In Egypt!” She nodded her head to confirm the statement, and smiled. Queenie was so amazed and impressed that she was lost for words. She stammered her gratitude and left the cabin in a trance herself! She was right. She WAS a ‘Regal lady’. Another of the passengers was relaxing in the Trojan Horse Bar with his friend Seamus, who was the New York Banker who was generously sponsoring the Swimming Championships which were being held on the Wheaten Princess later in the Cruise. As he chatted casually to Seamus, his eyes never left the dog who was seated nearby with two attractive ladies. One from the Band and the other from the singing group The Passionate Pooches. “Penny for your thoughts, Dasher!” said Seamus with a grin. Dasher quickly looked at his empty glass and shrugged. “Just thinking about ordering another one of those!” he laughed. “I’ll get it. I need a refresher myself,” Seamus said with a grunt as he got up from his comfortable chair. Dasher watched him go, and his eyes drifted back to where the other dog was sitting. He wasn’t going to tell Seamus that he was actually on a job, and NOT just taking a vacation. He was an Under-cover Agent with the FBI, and he wanted it to remain that way – UNDERCOVER! He thought back over his orders, and the reason why he was here. He had been sent to investigate a Crime Ring that was operating out of several cities in the Mediterranean, notably Rome, Athens and Cairo. There had been a great deal of Art forgeries entering the USA, and he had been checking the movements of an Art Dealer named ‘Bailey’, who had made several trips to the Mediterranean over the last three years – enough to place him under suspicion. Agent Dasher also wanted to do some ‘snooping’ while in Rome and Athens. He had contacts there that were awaiting his arrival. He hoped they would be in possession of further up-to-date information. His thoughts were interrupted by Seamus, who had returned with drinks for them both. He nodded in gratitude, and sipped his drink while a talkative Seamus chattered on. Yes, this was going to be an interesting caper! So the passengers on the Wheaten Princess now prepared for the first big event of the Cruise – the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party. END OF PART ONE |
| xxxxx |
| S'Wheat Rescues PO Box 34463 North Kansas City, MO 64116 |
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED COPYRIGHT 2006,2007, AUDREY PLOWES AND S'WHEAT RESCUES
| Did you enjoy this installment of the Cruise? If so, show your appreciation of Audrey's hard work by supporting the Rescue - your donation of any size will put a "Gold Star for Audie" on the main page of the Cruise Website! |
| Donations can be made through PayPal or by mailing a check to the address below: |