| THE BLESSING OF ATHENA In the previous chapter it was told how Jynx (Miss UK) had gone off with a handsome Saluki Sheik to his luxury tent in Tunisia to become his wife. Well, as the Wheaten Princess approached Greece, Jynx was on a plane on her way to Athens. Why? What about her Sheik? What about her marriage? What about all the riches? She sat calmly in her seat on the plane looking out of the window, and trying to hide the tears that just wouldn’t stop running down her pretty face. What a romantic fool she had been! Her mind went over the events of the last few days. Yes! Her Saluki HAD been charming, and rich, and a Sheik with money to burn, and, in his own way, he had loved her, BUT … And to the free spirited Jynx, the ‘But’ was unsurmountable. He did indeed plan to make her his wife. The problem was, - Jynx learned that she was to become WIFE number 42!!! So it was all off. Jynx had absolutely NO intention of sharing him with 41 others. No. She would not be an addition to his ‘Harem’ thank you very much! This was completely unsatisfactory, and she booked her flight to Athens with a heavy heart – and quite a bit of anger too. He should have told her that he was married – and to 41 wives! At least she would be in time for the Miss Wheaten World Pageant in Athens. She smiled to herself when she thought of her friends, and how they had tried to warn her. She should have paid heed to them. She would be in Athens before them. What a surprise they would have when they saw her there to greet them! She dried her eyes and watched as the aircraft prepared to land. ============================================================= Back on the Wheaten Princess Jethro and Harry were rethinking their plans. They had intended to ’con’ the two rich blondes, and separate them from several thousand dollars of their money! But after saving them from attack, and then watching over them that night, and getting to know just how sweet and trusting they were, the boys just didn’t have the heart for it. “I guess when it comes down to it, Harry, we just don’t have what it takes to cheat nice girls.” “Too true, Jethro,” said Harry thoughtfully. “We really are nice guys, and those girls are SO beautiful, and they look upon us now as their HEROES! So we couldn’t hurt them, could we?” “Definitely not, buddy. We have to stand by them and take care of them.” So it was agreed. From now on, they would be friends to the girls, and if they DID want to make an investment, Jethro would be sure to give them safe advice. They rather liked the idea of being heroes, and ‘Knights protecting the Fair Maidens’! ============================================================= Boomer and Kelsie had heard the news about the attempted robbery in their cabin. How glad they were that no one had been hurt, and that they had taken the advice of Inspector Griffin and placed the precious papers in the safe at the Purser’s Office. However, they all felt uncomfortable in the knowledge that the criminals were still at large. Inspector Griffin was no fool though, and he had a plan to set a trap for the two men. He had talked it over with Sydney, and they both agreed that the best way to deal with the two crooks was to throw them off the scent. Let them find what they ‘thought’ was the map showing the burial site. Let them inform their contacts, giving them incorrect information AND, having the Police waiting for them there! They contacted Boomer and told him to speak openly about the invasion of his cabin, and his plans to ‘move the map to a safer place’. The criminals would hear of it, and they would make another attempt to find the map and copy it. But they would be copying a FAKE! “And THEN, Mon Ami,” he said while twirling his moustache in characteristic fashion, “we shall reel in these two small fish, and hopefully discover who the BIG fish is in Egypt!” Sydney slapped his friend on the shoulder and exclaimed enthusiastically, “Oh, I say, - CAPITAL! Jolly good show old boy!” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Dr Charlie and RN Scooch had been visited in the ship’s Clinic by two humans of whom they were immediately suspicious. Both had large dog bites on their arms that were becoming infected. After they had received treatment, and left, Charlie and Scooch were discussing the case. “I’m wondering if those are the two thugs that attacked Miss Tess and Miss Lexi in their cabin,” said Charlie thoughtfully. “I’d bet on it!” replied Scooch with a determined tilt of her chin. “And I think we should report it immediately to that French/Canadian Investigator who is handling the case.” Charlie left Scooch in charge at the Clinic while he headed off to the cabin of the renowned detective, Inspector Griffin. Griffin explained about the trap they were setting for these two criminals, and now it became much easier because they knew their names AND the number of their cabin! Yes! It would be simple now to lure them into a trap and then sit back and watch the drama unfold. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was the final night on board before arriving at Piraeus, the Port of Athens. That evening after dinner, Agent Dasher and Bailey were examining the painting that Sisters Ella and Killian had purchased in Rome. Bailey, the Art expert, carefully examined it and gloomily pronounced that it was definitely a fake. The Nuns had been cruelly cheated. Dasher got all the details he could from the Sisters about ‘who’ had sold them the painting. He promised them that he would do everything in his power to find the persons responsible and try to obtain the original – the painting they had paid for. He decided to make a call to another FBI undercover agent he knew who was working on this same case in Athens. He would take the fake painting to him, and see if he had information to shed light on the mystery. Perhaps together they might be able to locate the original, and make an arrest which would open up the way to solving who was behind this Forgery Ring. He left the lounge to make the call. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN PORT The Port of Piraeus is roughly seven miles from Athens and about 30 minutes from Athens’ International Airport. It is an easy walk into Piraeus from the Cruise Ship Terminal, and about a 20-minute walk to the train station where one can take a direct train to the foot of the Acropolis. Some passengers would choose to go this way while others preferred to travel on the touring coaches provided especially for passengers of the Wheaten Princess. Our Beauty Queens were astonished and overjoyed to see the pretty face of their companion, Jynx, smiling at them from the passenger terminal. They raced ashore and hugged her excitedly and, while driving to the hotel where they would be staying, they heard her sad story. Actually, the other girls were relieved. All had felt that Jynx was making a terrible mistake in going off with that Sheik, and they had feared for her. As things had turned out, it was for the best. In time, her broken heart would heal. Right now, there was the Pageant to think about and prepare for. Wheatens from all over the world had journeyed to Athens to compete in this prestigious contest, but the girls dared to hope that one of them might be the next Miss Wheaten World! The ‘Beauty Contest to outshine all other Beauty Contests’ was due to begin in five days, and ‘everyone who was anyone’ had booked their tickets to attend. Dasher had contacted his friend here, and he and Bailey took a taxi to a place where they would meet secretly with ‘Special Agent Guinny’. They took the fake painting with them. SA Guinny was a striking figure who got down to business immediately. He took the fake painting that Dasher and Bailey had placed in his paws, and examined it carefully. Finally, he looked up and nodded his head slowly. “It’s definitely the work of that scoundrel, Scumboli. He is the only artist clever enough to fake one of these masterpieces. I think I know where he is, and he can lead us to the boss of the crime ring – the man behind this International Operation.” “And how exactly do you propose we manage that?” asked Dasher sceptically. “Just leave it to me,” said SA Guinny with a wink, and he tapped the side of his big black nose. “I have my methods – AND my contacts.” Dasher was impressed! “Right! So what should we do now?” he asked. “I’ll contact you,” was SA Guinny’s reply, - then he disappeared into the crowd of tourists. “Interesting man!” observed Bailey. Dasher smiled knowingly. “Yes, he is one of our best.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPLORING ATHENS There were five days to fill in before the Pageant began so all our friends decided to get in some sight seeing. First on their list were the Historical sites of Athens, then on to Mykonos, and then to Rhodes, and then, - back to Athens for the Miss Wheaten World Pageant. It was quite an itinerary! The Ancient History Students – under the watchful eyes of Professor Boomer and Dr Kelsie, were captivated to be seeing and touching the magnificent historical sites that previously they had only seen in books or in videos and films. They were accompanied by several other passengers, who had realized that they would get a ‘free’ guided tour by the experts if they ‘tagged along’. Their first stop was at the Temple of Zeus. From here they made their way to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon, - the temple of the goddess Athena, which was built in the 5th century BC. The Band members stuck closely to Professor Boomer, so that they could hear what he was saying about these romantic structures. Sadie, in particular, found that the big man was showing a special interest in her. He had approached her to remark about how much he appreciated her musical talents and the quality of her voice. Sadie decided that he had very kind eyes, and she felt a little thrill each time he looked at her. Oh my! However, Boomer was a bit of a ladies’ man, and he also had eyes for Queenie, the rich Poodle who had come to him for help in locating the burial place of her ancestors in Egypt. But Seamus, the New York Banker, also seemed to have eyes for Queenie. (The path of love never runs smooth!) On they walked. Seamus was feeling his age, and his waistline! All that walking was getting to him. He was out of condition, and now they were going to climb that steep hill!!! Shadow had been exploring among the ruins and he thought he’d discovered a treasure - (probably an old bone some Italian dog had buried for later!) Kramer and Finnegan B were making observations about poor puffed Seamus! Anyway, Kelsie was anxious to move on, so they gathered their strength and headed up the climb to the Parthenon at the top of the Acropolis. The Parthenon was apparently undergoing some repairs, but it didn’t dampen their enthusiasm one little bit! One small group of dogs was headed by Finnegan P (the one who thinks he knows everything about women!) He was followed by Shana and Maeve, who thought he was ‘the ant’s pants’. Riley didn’t agree! Nurse Scooch was having a private conversation with Rudy, and Dr Charlie was warning Madame Stella about the dangers of walking among the ruins! On the north side of the Acropolis is the Erechtheum, a beautiful temple with a line of female statues. A few ‘romantic couples’ had found their way here after leaving the Parthenon, and some of the girls, namely Bella Beachbunny, Morgan, Sweetie and Abby got it into their heads that the elegant statues of Greek Goddesses needed some elegant feminine company. They got the boys to give them a lift up, for a closer look, and then reclined gracefully between the stone ladies. Only Nelly remained with four feet firmly on the stone rubble below! The boys thought they were mad! Captain Guiness was concerned for their safety, - Cody wanted to know what they were doing up there, and Jimmy commented to Bailey Beachboy that he’d never understand the fairer sex. Bailey B agreed! Griffin and Sydney were keeping company with Tuckerotti and Brady. They were joined by Bristol, Punky and Nicky – from the ‘Passionate Pooches’. They had just come down from the Acropolis and were heading off to find a restaurant where they could have a light meal and some cold drinks. Keeva, Maggie and Snickerdoodle were with Jynx, - listening to her story and trying to comfort the poor girl. The two nuns, Sisters Killian and Ella, joined them. Jynx was feeling very depressed and discouraged after her heartbreaking experience with the Shark, - er, ‘Sheik’, and she poured her heart out to the two nuns. Sister Ella had some wise words, and Killian was full of compassionate understanding. Ella assured her that this was just the beginning, and that there were better things to come into her young life. TO THE GREEK ISLANDS The next stage of their Greek adventure was a visit to the Greek Islands. Before they left Piraeus, Dasher received a call from his friend, Special Agent Guinny. He jovially informed Dasher that he had just purchased a ticket and would be joining them on the Wheaten Princess when it departed for Egypt. What a surprise! He quickly went on to outline how he had received a hot tip from an ‘informer’ - that one of the top men in the crime ring was joining the Wheaten Princess here and would be disembarking in Alexandria. From there, he was to attend a meeting in Cairo with the ‘Big Bosses’! What a break! Agents Guinny and Dasher would follow this criminal and when they knew the exact location of the ‘meeting’ – they would have the building surrounded by FBI – all armed to the teeth, and shut this Art Forgery Ring down, once and for all! It appears that all the crims are going to meet their just rewards in Egypt! In the meantime, Agent Guinny decided he was going to enjoy the Cruise and all it had to offer. He arranged to travel to the Greek Islands with Dasher and Bailey. He’d never been to the islands before and this was an opportunity not to be missed! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sea was a vivid blue as the ferry approached Mykonos. Standing on the deck were some of our friends, gazing in rapture at the coast. All those white buildings were an amazing sight to behold and cameras were snapping and whirring. Morgan, who didn’t want to get sunburnt or have her beautiful eyes affected by the glare before the Pageant, was concerned because she’d forgotten to pack her sunnies. Finnegan S, who had been attracted to Jynx right from the start and sadly, hadn’t impressed her before, was now making better progress. He would never hurt her the way that Saluki obviously did, he thought to himself. Buttercup couldn’t believe all the white buildings, and Bailey was quite impressed. The two FBI agents were enjoying the trip also. Pic 58. Once ashore, the girls couldn’t wait to go shopping. Everything was so colourful! They bought toys, lanterns, jewellery, treats and soon they had more than they could comfortably carry. (and not a single boy in sight to help them!) Scooch had Abby in hysterics telling jokes, (another of Scooch’s talents!) Sadie had bought a hat, which seemed to get mixed reactions from her friends, while Snickerdoodle appeared to be buying out the shop! Stella and Morgan had found some treats and Maggie was tempted at the mention of food. However, Buttercup, Keeva and Jynx were too interested in shopping to even think of food. Nearby, Bristol and Nelly were having fun with the toys they had purchased. No wonder there were no boys to be found. They were all off feeding their faces! Some of the passengers, including Captain Guiness and Nurse Scooch, had their first experience of the famous Greek alcoholic beverage, OUZO. It appeared that Guiness and Scooch had quite a taste for it! One group of boys, which included the boys from the Band and the male members of the ‘Passionate Pooches’, had joined with Boomer, Duffy, Finnegan P and Jimmy at a nearby Restaurant. Service certainly left a lot to be desired, so Kramer and Shadow decided to go behind the counter and help themselves! The aroma of black olives attracted them, but Reese commented that if they ate them, it would be a while before they could play or sing again! (Was he perhaps speaking from experience?) Young Duffy hadn’t come across olives before – just as well! After lunch, the passengers boarded a boat and left Mykonos for the Greek Island of Rhodes. The entrance into the harbour presented a very different picture. It looked like an ancient fortress. Indeed, it had been! Fate has a way of stepping in, even on a Cruise, and it was about to play its Trump card in the town square, where Sisters Killian and Ella met up unexpectedly with Tuckerotti and his manager, Brady. Poor Ella had been praying that such an event would not happen, but here it was. Tuckerotti approached them and formally invited Killian to sing for him once they were back on the Wheaten Princess. He explained that he was giving a party in his stateroom, and he was very keen to hear her sing. (He had been told that she had taken tuition at one time.) He invited them both,and was so kind and polite. How could they refuse?! Griffin, Sydney, Boomer and Kelsie had been exploring the ‘old town’ when they were joined by Dr Charlie, Jethro and Harry. Charlie had told the lads that the two thugs who had broken into Boomer’s cabin and beaten up on Lexi and Tess, (remember, the boys had come to their rescue just in time) had come to the Sick Bay for treatment, and he knew who they were. So Jethro and Harry wanted to know how come the two thugs hadn’t been arrested! Griffin carefully explained that a trap was set, and the more the lads listened to this French/Canadian Sleuth, the more he reminded them of a particular ‘detective character’ in those books by a famous British author! Several couples paired off, and four of our friends headed up the mountain to a restaurant with a magnificent view of the ocean. Miss Reilly was cuddling close to Tobey, and he could almost hear his heart pounding with love. Murphy was making a great impression also, on Keeleigh! Enjoying the beauty of a park were some members of the Band and some of the Singers. They were thrilled when Tuckerotti asked them to join him and his Manager. Shadow ventured to ask the great man if he might give them some tips on how to improve their performance. Tuckerotti was happy to oblige! (Apparently Nicky was having trouble with his lower vocal register and Bristol was experiencing difficulties with her upper register. Tuckerotti was very generous and gave them a free singing lesson!) After an enjoyable lunch, everyone made tracks to the Palace of the Grand Masters. Oscar and Duffy read out a brief history from their notes, giving those with them a picture of how the building came to be. “The palace was built in the 14th century by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem on the site of a 7th century Byzantine fortress.” Oscar said in his clear voice. Then Duffy took up the narrative: “The Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta occupied Rhodes from 1309 to 1522.” He paused for a breath, and then they both continued to read on - “After its dereliction during the Turkish occupation, it was largely destroyed by the explosion of the powder magazine in 1856. The restoration was carried out between 1937 – 1940.” Everyone applauded, and the two boys bowed! The courtyard was impressive, and they all stood for several minutes, just taking it all in before going up the many stairs to explore the rooms and their treasures. In another section of the building several of our friends had gathered. Among them was Special Agent Guinny. He had seen and recognized the famous detective, Griffin, and his companion, the aristocratic Sydney. Clancy was talking with Keeva, and mentioned how time was drawing near to the big Miss Wheaten World Pageant. Keeva was beginning to feel a little nervous. Nelly and Jimmy had been keeping company, and once again had arranged to meet – though Jimmy almost missed her! Miss Reilly didn’t care for the old building, and was getting goose bumps from its eerie atmosphere. GHOSTS? There also appeared to be something going on between Seamus, the New York Banker, and Miss Queenie. Fancy that! The Palace of the Grand Masters had many rooms with the art treasures of the past. Many of the rooms were not open to the public, but those that were, presented the visitors with spectacular sights and riches. Jethro and Harry, who were with the two rich Boston blondes, Lexi and Tess, felt discouraged when they thought how poor they were, and how they could never ‘keep these two beauties in the manner to which they were accustomed’. Finnegan S was showing Jynx all the love and respect that she did not receive from her ‘rich Sheik’. She was learning that money couldn’t buy the most important things in life – such as friendship and love. (Perhaps this was a truth that Jethro and Harry needed to bear in mind also!) It was their last day in Rhodes. In the morning, they would board the boat and return to the Port of Piraeus – and on to Athens. The six Beauty Queens would be competing against Wheatens from every country in the world. They were humble, and only held the hope that perhaps ONE of them might run into a place. Soon, they would be standing before the judges, and the most they could do was to give of their very best. Enjoying the colourful streets of Rhodes for the last time, Captain Guinnes walked wistfully with Bella Beachbunny, Abby, Bailey Beachboy, Cody and Morgan. Abby advised Morgan to get an early night, and Cody agreed. He wanted ‘his’ Beauty Queen to be as fresh as a daisy for the big days to come. They stopped for a nightcap at the outdoor Café, then strolled back to their hotel. The next evening the boat berthed in Piraeus, and everyone returned to Athens - and made sure they had not mislaid their tickets for the Pageant! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE MISS WHEATEN WORLD – 2008 PAGEANT Oh, what excitement! The air was electric as Beauties from all over the world gathered at the Auditorium where the contest was to be held. Each contestant was interviewed by the panel of judges. All had been working with great enthusiasm for their particular platform. All had raised a great deal of money for their chosen charity and the judges seemed very pleased with the high standard. The girls paraded in many different outfits: swimwear, sports wear, casual wear and formals. Our six Beauties were among ten finalists. They were so thrilled that they had made it though to the final selection. Everyone held their breath as the judges made their final decision. The finalists stood like statues, awaiting the announcement. After what seemed like hours, the MC approached the stage with a female assistant who held three envelopes in her hands. She handed the first one to the gentleman, and he opened it – read its contents, then announced: “THIRD PLACE in the Miss Wheaten World Pageant for 2008 goes to MISS UK – Miss JYNX!” Jynx just about fainted! She came forward and was handed a huge bouquet of flowers, and an envelope containing a check for $3,000 for her Charity – The Research into PLN. She stepped back a little as the MC announced the judges choice for Second Place. “SECOND PLACE – and Runner-up to the winner is, - MISS CANADA – Miss KEEVA!” Keeva couldn’t believe her ears! She burst into tears of joy and was hugged by the other contestants as she moved forward to receive her flowers, and a check for $6,000 for her Charity – Cancer Research. She stood beside Jynx and they gave each other excited hugs. “Now,” said the MC, looking at the thousands of spectators. “It is my honour to announce the winner.” He opened the sealed envelope and, after a pause, read out in a firm voice: “I give you - MISS WHEATEN WORLD 2008 – ” (another pregnant pause) “MISS USA – Miss MORGAN!” Morgan was speechless, and the world seemed to light up with a thousand fireworks. For a minute, she did not move. Thunderous applause echoed around the auditorium and she found herself being hugged and embraced by the other girls, and especially her five companions. At last, she was ushered to the front of the stage and the previous Miss Wheaten World 2007, greeted her and placed the crown upon her head. She was given her bouquet of flowers and her check for $10,000 – which would go to her chosen Charity, S’Wheat Rescues. MISS WHEATEN WORLD 2008 was crowned! Cameras flashed and still the firework display was turning night into day. For the six Beauty Queens, Snickerdoodle, Maggie, Nelly, Jynx, Keeva and Morgan, it was a magical night that would remain with them for as long as they lived. TWO of them had been placed, and one of them had WON! They had never felt so happy, or so proud. ========================================================== They were going to continue their cruise, as it gave them the opportunity to visit other ports of call and further the cause of their various charities. They would collect donations there and be ambassadors for their countries. What an exciting adventure it had been in Greece, climaxing with the Miss Wheaten World Pageant. And now it was time to move on. The Wheaten Princess took all her passengers aboard, and left the harbour – next stop, Alexandria – EGYPT! END OF PART FIVE |
| Presents Mediterranean Cruise - Part 5 |
| xxxxx |
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