h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yeah, it's true we're on the island, and some call it a town and some call it a city, but this is the old original part, and it's just beautiful with the snow and the lights...

*As Amy has observed, TPTB have put up street decorations, and red/green/white decorations in the form of 42's are hanging from the lampposts*

*the wain turns after the Aroma Cafe and begins the last leg, toward the crater, CLI and the atelier above*

Affi, I didn't know you had a treehouse! I thought you and Garius had apartments somewhere down inside CLI.

Affy has his own tree?

*admires the big christmas tree in the centre of the square* wonders if it's anything like Affy's tree*

/* Zeppo , tired of pulling the sled by himself, decides Madame Ruppy has the right idea, stops pulling and joins her sleeping on the dog sled. */

Oh, alright already. I'll pull.

/* d'Elaphant takes up the harness and pulls the sled the rest of the way back to the tree hole, Ludwig, and Titania. */

*the haywagon finally pulls up in front of CLI*

Amos: I reckon you can get some of them bots of yours to get the tree upstairs through the service lift, eh?

*Amos throws the brakestick, gets down and sets out the steps, then busies himself unchaining the tree*

And then I reckon I'll go back and pick up the stragglers. After that the horses will be ready for their looseboxes and a bran mash, I reckon.

*When the wain stops, Witty realizes she has been dozing. She stands, stretches and climbs down.*

That was swell. Gosh, that tree is really something. It's going to look great with lights and ornaments.

*Lil hops over the rail and steps down*

Thank you so much, Amos! I hope you'll come to our Christmas party. Yes, this tree is going to look wonderful! * goes forward to pat the horses*

*scurries indoors into the warm*

*follows Amy, stands in front of the fire and strats to warm up*

I'm really getting the Crimble feeling now!

*looks at Zeppo and Madame Ruppy cuddled up in sled*

*decides to join them*

Ludwig!



Guess it's up to you and me now, d'E - will you take the lead? *tries to fit harness on*

My that was pleasent. Could do with something warming on front of the fire mind.
*Rushes indoors*

*Also rushes inside and jostles for position in front of the fire with Amy, Caer and Munchers.*

Back again? Good.... I think I can smell something blue and sparkly in the air

That's right, Lil - Affy and I have apartments in the back of CLI. I didn't know about his treehouse either. Tell us more, Affy.

*While he waits for Affy to respond, GL runs into CLI and gets a couple of securi-bots to help with the tree.*

*Four CLI Bots emerge from the downstairs lobby with a motorized utility wagon of some sort (it has the CLI logo on both sides, so it probably has a lot of hidden functions) on which rests a large tub*

*The bots secure the tree and winch it upright, then drop it into the tub, at which point they slant the tree again to make it shorter, and wheel it into the service lift*

*Amos waits for the rest of the party to exit the haywain, while Lil follows the bots into the lift*

That simulpost was plain lucky!

*Assuming the wain to be empty, Amos folds away the steps, mounts the driver's box, disengages the brakes and hi's the horses*

One more trip me old friends, and then we all rest! Hi Bonny, Hi Clyde! Let's away.

*the wain turns the circle in front of CLI and heads back out to retrace its steps, erm, wheels, and pick up the intrepid dogsledders*

My tree? Well, there isn't much to say. I like to do some of my research outside the labs, especially when working with my alchemical experiments, and was wandering through the forest one day. I happened to stumble across this gigantic tree with a small gash in it. I peeked through the gash, judged it to be safe, and entered the tree, and was very astounded to find that it appeared as if some form of insect had carved out the inside, leaving it with several large rooms, and several tunnels extending from beneath the tree. After thoroughly exploring it and making sure that whatever had caused the inside to be transformed in such a manner was gone, I decided to make it a place for some simpler experiments, along with an area to practice my swordsmanship, and to contemplate the non-scientific things in life. Not many people know about it because it has only been referred to in (I think) one adventure prior to this. I think the Time Tunnel Adventure is where it first came into play.

Time Tunnel Adventure? Was I on that one, Affy?