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

{Toasty swishes through a large bank of snow and flings a spume of crystalline white into the air. He skids to a halt at the precipice overlooking the trails running down the sheer facing.}

Oh, wow! Would this make a good flume ride for a snowman, or what?! {over his [rounded] shoulder} Amos! Nice view! Thanks for stopping here. And Lil, this is definitely worth the cost of admission--priceless!

{He stands a moment longer, admiring the scenery, then rounds on the rest of the party and skates across the newly fallen blanket of white until he's several yards into the stand of trees.}

That's nice...except for the fact the branches start too high up. Or this one...but the top is kind of cropped. Perhaps this one...no; it has a bare spot around this side... Let's see what these others...

{At this point, Toasty's comments are lost to the sound dissipating quality of the press of trees. In a matter of moments, he is partially obscured by the many snow-laden branches.}

Be careful Toasty, it would be easy to lose sight of you amongst the snow and trees!

I don't think we could take a tree that might still be some creature's home.

That's a pretty one, third along from the left side of the back of the wagon. It is around 6', give or take an inch.

*Goes over for a closer look*

It looks nicely symmetrical.

[GDZ]

*jumping down from the wagon, Lil joins d'E in admiring the view* We should come up here next summer for a picnic.

*looks around and frowns suddenly, then jog-sushes up the road a little further until she nearly trips over something. A few kicks and side-swipes of her feet reveal a few charred and broken timbers*

Hey! This is where I was first taken when I was kidnapped! There was a big fight here, wasn't there?

*Shrugs*

Not sure. I was digging in a mine at Peta Gulch at the time.

Likewise, I was not here. I shall take your word for it tho.

*takes another swig from his hip flask and stands by the horses, watchful*

*swoops over Lil's head*

Is that the building Zeppo blew up? What a brave and resourceful he is. Should have got a medal.

*turns and follows the animal tracks, slowly catching up with Zeppo *

It can't be the building Zeppo blew up, that was in the town of Peta Gulch. Would this be the Lurker's Cottage, near where we got last year's tree?

Oooh! I kind of like that one, the one with the coconuts!

<-- stops to mark a tree he likes, then continues pursuing a scent

Kinda hard to decorate such a tall tree there d'E.

*zooms over the palm tree*



A palm tree would make an ideal tree for people with cats - it would keep all the shiny glass balls out of the way . Although all the cats I've owned seem to have been able to eat Christmas baubles without suffering ill effects.

*returns to following the tracks*

You weren't so far from home then, Lil, when the Webjello Gang first made camp. I sometimes wonder if any of them are still around, apart from the that is.

Well, if no one likes this tree, then how about the one next to it? Looks pretty much the same though, 6', conifer sort of shape wide at the bottom narrowing to a point, symmetrical.

Although this one, look, fifth from the left of the back of the wagon has a sort og irridescences to it, if you squint.

*Squinting* Hey! That looks really cool! Will it stop doing that if we remove it from the ground?

Maybe....only one way to find out....


OOOH! IS that a *hemlock*? Cool....

I think the plan is to take a little of the ground too, so we can replant the tree after the holidays.

<-- has stopped near a hole in the ground and paws at it.

*sushes over to the iridescent fir with her healthstone and attempts to strike up a conversation. This can be dome mentally but takes a while to get going, partly because trees become rather absent-minded in winter and partly because the other trees participate*

*fnally Lil backs off and turns to the others*

This tree is willing to be taken down to the lowlands and to go inside a building and be covered with lights and decorations on one condition. It wishes to be returned to this exact place in order to tell the other trees about the experience, which telling will probably last centuries. It says it can remain iridescent and has already started pulling its roots in for our convenience. This will take about an hour.

Oh, and it wants to fly.

It's wish is my command!

*starts ferreting in the Infinite Capacity Storage of the DFB for the big cargo net*

Hmm, nasty punctuation failure there. That's what comes from flying and ferreting at the same time.

*lands back on the wagon*

Cool! It's definitely our tree then.

*really rather thrilled that the tree she spotted has been chosen*

Yay! It is beautiful isn't it?